Thursday, August 05, 2004

Private planes, expectations, freshman and 3 wide out sets

A hodge-podge, but let's cover some ground. First, Chan Gailey is quoted on his opinion about the "no private planes" rule.

Georgia Tech head coach Chan Gailey said the private plane rule, which will effect the Yellow Jackets very little, does have some merit.

"If you bring a kid on a private plane, he doesn't understand what it's like to get from Baltimore, Maryland to Blacksburg, Virginia," Gailey said. "If he flew in on a private plane, then it's a lot different from how he's going to make that trip for four years back and forth."
Well, as it turns out, the coaches that have schools near a major airport kind of like the rule. Those that don't think it stinks. Surprise surprise. But Gailey is right.

I found these quotes fascinating and they highlight the approach to the "celebrity" culture for these kids. First from Larry Coker:
It's all part of the process, said Miami coach Larry Coker.

"They're all celebrities when they come in," said Coker, who has spent time at Ohio State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in his long coaching career. "I hope they don't overreact because there's some things that could hurt."
Then Coach Gailey on the same topic:
Most coaches, however, feel that a little belt-tightening is in the best interest of their programs and the prospective student-athletes.

"I've always been of the opinion that if the guy is wanting to get pampered a lot, you're asking for trouble," Gailey said. "If he appreciates the way people treat him, and he's treated nicely then that's more in the line of the guy we're hunting."
Not only do I agree with Coach Gailey, I understand that the result of this stance is that we will miss out on some top recruits who want that pampering. But in the end, it should mean we get the character guys, not the ones who have been arrested 11 times since 1999 but get admitted to the team anyway.

Next, let's talk expectations. This article talks about how Coach Gailey worries all the time, but that heading into this pre-season is much better than last year. From Gailey on last pre-season, after losing a bowl game and 10 players to academics:
"It was a tough situation last year. If it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger."
Here's another article talking about key questions heading into fall practice.

Now let's talk freshman. Depth is a major issue on this team, so the freshman are likely to get big PT. This article talks about who will get that playing time from this year's class.

On the offense, we already know that the shotgun formation will finally show itself this season. Well, this article points out that we also might see more 3-wide receiver sets on this team. Why - mainly because nobody has stepped up in the tight-end role to replace JP Foschi. Also notice at the end of the article that they are still waiting on a few grades to make sure all players can practice - they have all reported.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW - BOBBY ROSS?
Nice article on Ross being a sought after guy by the media. Link here.