Football - Supporting the Team

Over at the Hive, there are details about the bracelets you'll see people wearing. Here's the scoop from AFRJacket at the Hive:

The creation and promotion of the players' bracelets is a parent fundraiser to help offset post home game meal location. Fan Day was the launch of the bracelets and was sold by the parents at a special introductory price. There are only 3,500 bracelets left and they will now be available through their distribution partner, Tailgaters Alley. There are 3 ways to purchase:


1) Go to Tailgaters Alley at Discovery Mills Mall
2) Visit their location on game day outside the stadium near Yellow Jacket Alley
3) Order by phone by calling Tailgaters Alley 678-584-9688 or send an email to: tailgaters@bellsouth.net


Cost is $4.00 each (plus shipping, if required)


Player moms convey their appreciation to all Hivers, Alumni, and Fans for your support of the team and this effort. Due to the overwhelming response, we plan to continue this new tradition annually.


Here's the picture of the bracelet and team motto:

Football - KaMichael Hall Cleared

Great news - it's official. KaMichael Hall has been cleared to play against Auburn. Still no details as to what happened. Howerver, I think it's safe to say this was some non-academic issue, possibly a team rule he broke or something like that. At this point it doesn't really matter, and it's not really our business. It certainly will help against Auburn to have him on the field though. However, Coach did not say that he would start, and honestly, my guess is that he doesn't. We'll see.................

Hoops - New Roster Up

The new roster has been updated at RamblinWreck.com......... One thing is apparant right away. Tell me if you notice anything interesting. I'll give you a hint - Norelco could be a future sponsor...........

Football - Pep Rally Falls Flat

Well, I'm writing this from sunny Appleton Wisconsin................................


UPDATE:
I received an email from Wes Durham this morning letting me know that he didn't think the event last night was sponsored by the GTAA. He thought it was sponsored by either the CCF or FCA, but that the GTAA was not directly involved in the program. It's important to know that as we bash the GTAA. Turns out this is not a fair criticism. However, it does point out that if a campus group has the clout to actually get the team and coach to attend an event, there needs to be some level of promotion required so these problems can be avoided.


Evidently there was a pep rally on campus Monday night. Evidently the ENTIRE team was there. Evidently Joe Hamilton spoke. Evidently Coach Gailey spoke. Evidently Chris Reis spoke. Supposedly Eric Henderson spoke. Supposedly Salih Besirevic spoke. Who did they speak to? THE TEAM, the cheerleaders and the band............ because there were only about 30 students / fans there. It was cold, it was rainy, but there were only about 30 people there............. Absolutely pitiful........ Why is that? Evidently nobody knew about it. Threads starting popping up on the Hive late Monday afternoon about a pep-rally, but there wasn't any official release on RamblinWreck or for students on campus. Students at the Hive are saying they didn't know about it. They claim there were no flyers, no mailouts, no emails, no notices, nothing on the web, etc, etc........... Here's more frustration.......... Does the GTAA want fans to go these rallies? Maybe not. I don't know. Maybe it's supposed to be a student thing. That's fine. But dangit - TELL THE STUDENTS!!!......... If you want fans to go, then by gosh - put out a release of RamblinWreck. Send one to me - I'll post it here too.................


I cannot tell you how sad I was to read about this. One person sitting near Coach Gailey said he put his head in his hands and just shook his head back-and-forth. What could our players be thinking? What could our freshmen be thinking - who never played in a game at BDS? What were our seniors thinking? I feel terrible about it because all they want is our support.


Here's the thing. This was embarrasing, BUT this is not representative of the spirit of Tech fans and students. I hope the players and coaches realize that.


Evidently there's time left to make up - because you can see the team off on Friday. Somebody please show up, bbbeeeeeeecccccccaaaaauuuuusssssseeeeeee, if a football team leaves for a game and nobody shows up to see them off, does that mean they didn't really leave?

Congrats Due....

.... to Malcolm Mackey, Stewart Cink, Jay Payton, Julian Amedee, Kerry Annel Bryan, Janeen Jones McReynolds, Henry Kalib and Charlie Radford............ Why? They will all be inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall-of-Fame. Here's the story with lots of good pictures........ I love the old baseball pictures:

Saint Tommy Bowden Speaks

ALERT: BULLETIN BOARD MATERIAL BELOW
TARGET: CLEMSON TIGERS, TOMMY BOWDEN


Well, talk about Mr.Perfect. Tommy Bowden throws Georgia Tech into the same category as UGAg, Tennessee, S.Carolina and FSU.

In a scouting report of Clemson this summer in The Sporting News, an anonymous ACC coach questioned Bowden’s management style.


“Tommy is one of the better motivators in the game, but I’m not so sure he’s as capable managing the team,” the coach wrote. “I’m not so sure there’s that needed fear/respect factor.”


Bowden said he does not put much weight into that opinion, partly because the coach was anonymous and partly because of Clemson’s disciplinary measures under Bowden.


“If you look at any program in the Southeast, I bet you ... we’ve had less (disciplinary problems) than any school in the South,” Bowden said. “I’m talking about Georgia, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina.


“To me, you don’t have disciplinary problems when they’re afraid of their head coach. To me, the statistics would go completely opposite of what that statement said. That’s why I don’t give it much weight. Kids misbehave when they don’t have any fear. It’s just like raising kids. Ask our players if they don’t have fear.”

So Tommy coaches from the George O'Leary school - put the fear of God in them. Maybe it's just me - but I don't see it. He doesn't seem like that type of guy.....

The Patrick Carter Saga Takes Another Turn

We're at the race track, and it should be an interesting race.................... aaaannnnnnddddd they're off .............. out of the gate it is Georgia Tech quarterback ....... Georgia Tech quarterback looking strong ............... but coming on the outside is Georgia Tech wide receiver............ wide receiver is making a push and passes GT quarterback............. following in 3rd is Transfer.......... Transfer looks like he's coming no matter what............ and there's Transfer out front taking the lead......... Georgia Tech quarterback is fading............ they're in the backstretch with Transfer in the lead, followed by University of South Florida............. that's right, UCF is now making a push......... the jockey, George O'Leary is really pushing the UCF horse........... UCF is absolutely running from the field. Can anyone catch her?............ Wait, closing the gap jockey Urban Meyer on top of Florida........... Florida is coming up on the outside............ USF is slowing under the weight of her massive jockey.............. Florida passes UCF.......... But wait, it just doesn't look like Florida wants this one............. Just as quick as she took the lead, she drops back and now UCF is back in front........... They're headed down the homestrech......... this is going to be a close one............ will it be Florida?........... is it going to be USF?........... Wait, Purdue is making a push.............. Purdue is looking good.......... But no, could it be?....... from the back of the pack........... it's.......... yes........... Louisville.......... The mighty Cardinal is making a run............ They're at the wire.......... and yes...... IT'S LOUISVILLE by a nose....................

Football - Recruiting Losses

This is a very interesting article about academic loosses in the SEC versus the ACC from the incoming freshman classes. The tally - 41 losses in the SEC, 21 in the ACC. Here's a quote I find most interesting from UGAg Coach Mark Richt:

"If you believe he is a great player and very good person and a hard worker and he is only 20 points away [on the SAT] and not a qualifier on signing day ... if you don't sign him, you probably will have someone else who will," Richt said. "And he'll play against you."

The message is clear. If I don't lower my standards, someone else will, and I will be penalized on the field later. So therefore I need to lower the bar as much as possible........... Now having said that, UGAg deserves some level of credit, because they are not allowed to lower the bar as far as some SEC schools. But clearly they use prep-schools often:

Take Georgia, which has used Hargrave as a sort of farm team. Among the recruits who re-signed with the Bulldogs after meeting academic requirements at the Virginia prep school: Terrence Edwards, Reggie Brown, Randy McMichael, Leonard Pope, Charles Grant and Danny Ware.


"If you don't sign those guys on signing day and another team does, they will have a much better chance of having them in one semester from now," Richt said. "It's not a binding situation. It's a relationship thing."

Well, Georgia Tech was one of only 5 teams out of 24 between the 2 conferences that did not have any losses (GT, Duke, UVA, WF, Vandy). That's 33% in the ACC and 8% in the SEC.


What do you think? What should the standards be? Is 1-2 non-qualifier losses per season acceptable? Should we take chances on kids like Carlos Thomas, who had academic issues and ended up at South Carolina because he couldn't get past admissions? I'll tell you my opinion. Get kids who can make it academically. Get kids who are high character. Get kids who will do the work. As best as possible, find that special pool of players, and go after them. I think that's what Coach Gailey & Staff do. That's why we'll never have the Willie Williams of the world show up at Georgia Tech. We should never have 5 players non-qualify like UGA........It's what makes Georgia Tech special - that we have those standards AND we compete at a very high level in major collegiate athletics. It's also what will make it extra challenging to win national titles, but we've done it before, and we'll do it again............. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it...........

Football - Sporting News

There is no doubt that of all the preseason magazines, the Sporting News gives us major love. Here are some of the props you will find in the mag:

HEISMAN HYPE:
2. P.J. Daniels, RB, Georgia Tech: This isn't a throwaway guess. Daniels is the most talented running back in the league, and Tech has a chance to win 10 games this season. If it does and Daniels stays healthy, he'll be around 1,600 yards and easily could be in New York City in December.


Most underrated player: Gerris Wilkinson, LB, Georgia Tech


Most fearless quarterback: Reggie Ball, Georgia Tech


Most physical receiver: Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech


Best defensive coordinator: Jon Tenuta, Georgia Tech

ASCENDING

Georgia Tech: Coach Chan Gailey is getting more comfortable on the recruiting trail, and the elite talent (see: Calvin Johnson) is beginning to come to Atlanta. One problem: Tech has the reputation of a team that loses games it shouldn't. There's no question the Jackets have enough talent -- and, more than anything, a tough defense -- to contend for a league championship now. But elite teams don't lose games they shouldn't. That's the first step toward making the turn to the top of your conference.

DESCENDING Maryland: All of that winning early on under coach Ralph Friedgen was followed by recruiting classes that were just decent in 2002 and '03. The Terps' last two classes have been much better -- Rivals.com ranked the '05 class 16th in the nation -- but the previous lull began to show last season. It has been hard for Friedgen to get elite quarterbacks and wide receivers to come to Maryland, which is odd considering his success in developing players and the prolific nature of the offense. His staff is fantastic and makes up for many shortcomings, but there is at least one more year on a downward turn.

On a separate note, here's an entertaining article about Georgia Tech's version of "muscle beach".

Football Notes

Here's a quick list of notes from this past week in practice:


1. KaMichael Hall's situation is still not "settled", and it is not clear he will be available to play against Auburn............ This situation has spread the defense a little thin. Believe it or not, Chris Reis has been taking some snaps BACK at the LB position - "as an emergency need" per Coach Gailey. What makes this worse is that DJay Jones and Joe Gaston has been sidelined this week with minor injuries. Jones and Gaston are both our 2nd string safeties. That's gonna suck if we have to send Reis back to LB. Travis Chambers has been getting time in that spot as well even though he's primarily practice in the middle LB spot.


2. The O-Line finally got a few good practices under their belt with all the bodies back. They're not 100%, but they are practicing. From the looks of thing, the line will end up as originally planned on 1st team (Gardner, Rhodes, Tuminello, McManus, Honeycutt). 2nd Team looks like - AJ Smith, Newberry, Parker, Lonowski, Besirevic.


3. Reuben Houston has in fact been allowed back in school pending his court case. In other words, he is being allowed back in school under the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. Houston has been spotted in classes - and only needs 2 to complete his degree - that would be CS 1315 (thanks gtReck).............. He will not be allowed back on the team until his case is settled and innocence is clear. This all goes to show that Georgia Tech continues to show some level of ethical standards. Put education first - and let the guy finish his degree, but it doesn't matter that he might be an all-ACC DB.


4. Macon Telegraph published a story about Michael Johnson possibly walking on to the hoops team. Interestingly, it came up right after someone asked about it on this board. Coincidence? Hhhmmm. Anyhow, the idea was not shunned at all. Coach Gailey said he would support it as long as he does the work (training and academics). Coach Hewitt said he could be a solid defender and rebounder on the team.


5. Looks like chances are good that Mansfield Wrotto will switch back to the O-Line......... in 2006. Of course that's a long ways away......


6. Joe Anaoi's surgically repaired shoulder has been sore this wee. He's taken intermitten time off this fall to keep it rested. He should be ready to go, but it will be interesting watching his durability during the season.


7. PJ Daniels really is in the best shape he's been in a long. That bodes well............. of course.


8. Great news - Eric Henderson and Travis Bell are named to CBSSportsline.com's 1st Team pre-season All-American team. How about that!!!


9. Looks like Chris Woods has won the kick return duties, beating out T.Choice, J.Johnson and Kenny Scott.


10. Jonathan Garner is adjusting to life as a freshman.....


11. Listen to RivalsRadio.com and their audio Georgia Tech preview with AJC reporter Mike Knobler.


12. VaTech is offering a huge contract to Frank Beamer per the WreckRamblin blog, not long after Al Groh gets big dough at UVA.............

A Slap in the Face

Well, don't you just love the media. Miami is having trouble selling tickets and they throw out of slap in our face like this:

"It's been awhile from a ticket standpoint that it's been this tough," said
Ross Bjork, Miami assistant athletic director for external operations. "Last
year we had Florida State and Virginia Tech at home. The year before, it was
Tennessee and Florida."


Knowing these obstacles, school officials have come up with a creative
marketing campaign to camouflage a home schedule, which includes Colorado, South
Florida, Duke, North Carolina, Georgia Tech and Virginia

Listen, don't blame us that you have fair-weather fans

Hoops Recruiting Notes

Well, here's a Point Guard Coach Hewitt got interested in late in the game - Robert Garrison - probably as a back-up this season. Garrison has planned to go the prep route, but had gotten interest from Georgia Tech, Providence and UConn....... The result - he signed a letter of intent with UConn. One interesting note will be how that impacts that UConn scholarship situation, as we are competing with them for some key recruits.................. In addition, forward Duke Crews has cut his list to 4 teams - and Georgia Tech is not one of them. Who makes the cut? UNC, WF, GeorgeTown and Tenn. Tell you what - Bruce Pearl has found something to put in the water already.............

Oh My Gosh - We recruited "The Hulk"

Check it out - the Hulk in this picture is none-other than Georgia Tech commit Ben Anderson, from S.Carolina. I wonder if he's Bruce Banner in the classroom?



Georgia Tech recruit Ben Anderson as "the Hulk"

The GT / Auburn Rivalry

Check out this article on the Georgia Tech / Auburn rivalry. Most of the players evidently aren't aware of the history. First, as always, I love Chan Gailey's response to the history:

"We're not going down on a train,'' Gailey said when asked about the
rivalry's history, "so it really doesn't matter.''

The article goes back to look at some memorable moments, like these:

Nix's strongest memories involve former Auburn players. Bo Jackson sprinting down the sidelines for a late touchdown in a 17-14 Auburn win in 1985. The Tigers scoring twice in the final 22 seconds for a 20-10 win two years later when Lawyer Tillman caught a 4-yard pass in the back of the end zone, then Aundray Bruce returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown on the final play.

Let me tell you - that Aundrey Bruce INT - TD was a back-breaker. I was there. It was my freshman year, and it was also the last time we played Auburn until 1999. We're talking early Bobby Ross years, 16 game ACC losing streak years. Never have I witnessed defeat snatched from the jaws of victory so quickly, so stunningly, so depressingly.


What are your biggest heartbreakers? Certainly many FSU games come to mind. What are yours?

Golf Notes

Being the 6th man on a golf team just ain't the place to be. Ask Georgia Tech coach Bruce Heppler:

Backup players in basketball and football often get to play in games, but in golf, if you're not a starter, you don't even make the trip. "It's all or nothing," says Georgia Tech men's coach Bruce Heppler. "The sixth guy might never put on a uniform."

And don't think that college golf is less of a committment than other sports:

For most freshmen, attending college is adjustment enough. Golfers have additional responsibilities, making time management the key to handling college golf. "It's difficult for most freshmen to understand just how much of a commitment college golf is," says Heppler. "They just have to learn it for themselves."

Stewart Cink's advice on how to get on tour?

Stewart Cink (Georgia Tech): As far as getting on tour, it's how good you are and how much you want it. It doesn't make a difference if you go to Georgia Tech or Smith County Community College.

Here's a nice article on former Tech golfer Matt Weibring.......

Hoops Team Report

Alright folks. I have a brief hoops team report. I have to preface it by saying it's VERY early and practice hasn't even started. So you're probably saying - how the heck would he know these things. Actually pretty presumptious......... Well, my advice is take them all with a big grain of salt. I did get the info from people close to the program, but at the end of the day, you have to play the games. Also, if you really think about the comments, they are actually fairly general ...................Here are some things to watch:


1. Team chemistry......... Early reports are that there is some good team chemistry with this group. That is not to say it was an issue last season, but anytime you have a lot of seniors and a final year junior and then a lot of freshman, there is not the same type of bonding as a big group of frosh / sophs. The frosh / sophs will really go through the program together and due to the mass departure of seniors, will ALL compete for a lot of open PG............. This group seems to get along well, joke around with each other a lot. That's a good early sign.


2. Zam is probably more physically ready to play PG this season. He's lost weight (as has been reported), has better conditioning and he has something to prove. A lot of people made judgements about Buck's ability to play the point based on VERY limited action last season. It's funny how a couple of half-court traps can paint a mis-guided impression. I think odds are very good he's going to surprise people this season when he has the reigns. Don't start expecting Jarrett Part II, but maybe Jarrett the Frosh. Anyone remember many of those frustrating moments with Jarrett and Chris Bosh? How soon we forget. In essense, Buck will be a freshman PG in the ACC in terms of experience - but actually a step above that with a year of practice under this belt.


3. So who's the backup PG? Well - despite reports of Mario West as the guy - it is nost likely goin to be Lewis Clinch. Yes - everyone knows it's in the teams best interest to find him open to shoot, not bringing the ball up the floor. However, he has that ability and will probably provide the best continuity - and he can pass folks. So that leads to - who's shooting? Well, A-Mac, D-Bell and Clinch still - of course.


4. Jeremis Smith looks to be 100% (or dang close) and ready to be the player we heard about out of high school - that monster athlete with a mean-streak. We saw the physical toughness lasrt season, but the he was limited in doing what he was used to physically. Early reports over the summer are that he's back........... and it's needed.......... It will also be interesting to see if he shows a jump shot out to about 10 feet. He evidently had one in high school, but honestly looked shaky taking the few jumpers he did take last season. Should be interesting.


5. It appears that Alade Aminu is now our tallest player. He's young and continues to grow and is apparently in the 6'10" range right now. Man, my only growth spurt has been in width.........

Football Notes

Well, there's a good old internet rumor floating around that Reubon Houston is back on campus and back in school now, although not back on the team. Guess we'll have to wait to hear more. However, I did find that Houston is listed in the student directory........... If he truly only needed a couple of classes to graduate, then you just hope this will all work out for him. Still, I wouldn't get my hopes up on him joining the team again.


Here's a good quote from Bill Curry on Bobby Dodd and motivating players:

Playing for the coaching triumvirate of Bobby Dodd, Vince Lombardi and Don Shula, and then coaching 17 seasons, including three at Alabama, Bill Curry saw the spectrum of motivational ploys. Dodd won 29 straight games at Georgia Tech in the 1950s because he "used academics like a hammer" and had the luxury of 200 players in uniform, Curry said.


"If you fumbled twice, you just didn't play next week," said Curry, a center for Dodd in the early '60s.


Lombardi applied emotional pressure, upbraiding a player for days in front of his teammates. "Then he would walk up and say, 'You looked pretty good today,' and you were ready to jump out a window for him," Curry said.


When he arrived at Alabama, Curry said coaches were expected, like Bear Bryant before them, to take players to the lower gym, lock the doors and line up trash cans for them to vomit into during grueling workouts.


"Every coach has a crucible," Curry said. "You have to find out who's who and have to put them in a position where if they quit, they're embarrassed."

John Bunting talks ACC wide receivers:

Top to bottom, who has the best receiving corps in the ACC?
"It's hard for me to say. I don't know who the incoming freshmen are across the country. Every year there is one freshman that comes in; last year it was Calvin Johnson at Georgia Tech. From what I hear, their receivers are very good. I know we have a corps. I know we have a chance to be the best, and that remains to be seen. I don't know what's happening at every other college and what's happened there in the spring. Florida State always has very good receivers."

And evidently Bunting thinks we are going to sneak in a wet football during our game:

The Tar Heels have tried to simulate absolutely everything that could happen in the season opener against Georgia Tech. That includes wet footballs. During Tuesday's practice, coaches instructed a manager to sneak in a completely soaked football during 7-on-7 drills. Ben Lemming was preparing to snap the ball when Bunting blew his whistle. "That could happen in Atlanta," the head coach said. "We do not want to snap a soaked football. You've got to be alert for that.".

Here's a Georgia Tech team preview.......

Hoops News - More on our new additions.

So I'm traveling today up to Cowansville Quebec (outside Montreal) when all this stuff goes down and I get some calls letting me know I could "share" the info with you. Of course not much you can do on a Canadian highway. I did manage to get the bare minimum out. Here's more........


Ok, it appears that we have our two international mystery men now. Well, Paco Diaw wasn't exactly a mystery. His name had been floating around all summer. He's a guy who has scrimmaged with the players, and they thought Coach Hewitt should take a look at him. Obviously he liked what he saw. I am not about to speculate as to how these guys will contribute to the team, but I will share what I found out............So lets dig deeper into what we do know.....


First, both guys played for Senegal's national team - both an under-18 and under-20 team. Both are on campus, both have cleared admissions, both are now enrolled and starting classes........... However, I have no official confirmation that either has passed NCAA rules for actually playing on the team. However, you have to assume most of that is formality or they wouldn't be here. Height listings vary, but from first hand reports I got today, both guys are built fairly similarly - both are probably in the 6'6" - 6'8" range, and both are very thin. Think early-Luke years thin. Faye is probably slightly taller....................... So obviously this raises questions as to their real role on the team. Are these guys players or are they depth until their games develop further? How much of a project are they?


Papa Saliou Diaw - aka "Paco", 6'5" - 6'7" - (170 - 180lb)
Looks like an International Affairs major on his profile...........Not much from the recruiting sites - Rivals profile............. A Frenchman from Senegal, and HALF-brother of Boris Diaw, the Altanta Hawk who was just shipped out of town to the Phoenix Suns. Yes - half-brother. It's not important all the relationship details, but I did find out this about Boris's mother -she actually taught him a lot about the game of basketball. How? Well Boris's mother was Elisabeth Riffiod, a 6'2" center who played 13 years for the French national team and her jersey hangs in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield Mass. Her teams won 7 French titles and 3 European championships. She could jump high, but couldn't dunk with her small hands and couldn't palm the ball because of a broken finger. Is this Paco's mom? Don't know. I also found that Boris's father, Issa, wasn't around a lot when he was a kid, and was a high jump champion. One thing is for sure, there are some athletic genes in Paco's family............. And actually, I believe there is a 3rd brother - Martin - who also plays hoops at Div II California University of Pennsylvania...................

I found this quote on Paco during his participation in the NBA Africa 100:

".......Papa Saliou Diaw, was here and showed great athleticism. He's 18 and can
jump out of the gym. He doesn't yet have, however, Boris' great feel for the
game........"

Here's an interesting interview with another player from Africa to give you an idea of life there.


Paco had been played high school ball at Greater Atlanta Adventist Academy. Not sure of the timing, but last year he played at Laurinburg Prep. in North Carolina, where guys like Charlie Scott and Sam Jones played back in the day. He also played at a school in Birmingham AL the year prior to GAAA.


Paco has been a fixture in the gym this summer, playing with the team in pick-up games and evidently faring well............ Reports are that he has good bounce to his step and has the makings of a good defender. Mixed reviews on the offensive side, so I'm hesitant to commnet................. Hard to find any credible stats though. I did find a game where he dropped 37 points / 8 assists against Covenant Marietta and 25 pts / 10 assists against Oakwood Academy from Huntsville AL. I found another game where he had 13 boards against Green Pastures (no, not Green Acres).


Mouhammad Faye: 6'7" - 6'8" - thin (170 - 190lb)
Looks like a management major............Mouhammad Faye is the real mystery guy. Nothing on the recruiting sites. No stats to be found (for free)......... Here he is on the Senegal Roster..............What I can tell you is that he just arrived on campus this week straight overseas and was admitted this week. I think he's a native of Dakar. For your geography lesson of the week (maybe year), Dakar is a pretty modern city of about 1.5 million people and a major port on Africa's western coast. The Faye brothers actually grew up watching a lot of NCAA hoops and Final Fours in Senegal. Brothers you say? Yes. Faye has a brother named Assane who played at U of New Hampshire. Actually, I think (unconfirmed) they have another older brother named Mohamed Niang, a 6'10" center who played at Delaware back in 1999. Not sure if he is a half-brother......... If they are brothers, then based on his info, his parents are agronomic engineers in Senegal. Again, no 100% confirmation.................... Mouhammad Faye was ranked the #3 junior in all of Africa years back and ranked as #7 on the "NBA potential" list at the "Africa without Borders" camp. Evidently he tried to get into the US last fall and was denied a VISA (crazy considering how they hand out credit cards these days.............. kidding......... hellooooo)..


Now, I found this blurb from a message board back in 9/2003 on Faye from a BC site:

Any word out there on Coach Cooley and Mouhammad Faye? Is he in the Cooley
pipeline for next year? Faye was signed, sealed, and just almost delivered to
Worcester Academy this year, but Paul Wesphal of Pepperdine caught him at the
airport and got him placed him at Malibu High - directly across the street from
Pepperdine. Faye is the real deal - #3 rated AAU athlete in all of Africa, 6-8,
nasty, and athletic. He also got through the WA admissions.

In addition, I found this article on an NBA-sponsored S.African top100 hoops camp back in 2003, where Faye participated. Here was a comment about him when discussing NBA potential:

When 6-7, 179-pound Mouhammad Faye of Senegal slides his razor-thin body
into the paint for a surprisingly tough rebound, NBA officials know they are the
ones who can teach the discipline and the basics that will lead Faye to the NBA.

Here's what Don Nelson had to say generally about the players at the camp:

"These are the rusty gems," says Donnie Nelson, Mavericks president of basketball operations. "There's so much potential here. But the talent is so underdeveloped."

The Mavericks director of scouting had this to say:

"We've got projects here, not prospects."

Of course these are NBA guys, so take that with a grain of salt. Anyhow, that's all I could find (for free). If I find more - you'll be the first to hear.....................

The mystery men are here

more later, but Paco Diaw and the IMM are on campus. Both have been accepted and were being taken around campus today.
So who is the IMM? Muhammad Faye. Both kids from Senegal. More later

Hoops: Good News

Good news coming soon about the basketball team. I can't reveal it now, but you'll hear soon enough............ Stay tuned...................

Football - Recapping the Week

Well, a lot happened in the past week. You can go to all the standard outlets to read the updates. I'll link them in the left column under "latest stories". To give you a re-cap of key events, here we go:


1. Reggie Ball is looking more crisp in his passing. The players say it and even Coach Gailey has given him some props. He hasn't played mistake free ball, but isn't forcing as many acrobat catches by the WR core. However, some fans disagree, as he has thrown a couple of INT's and has forced some acrobatic catches at times. There's only one answer - gametime.


2. Looks like Patrick Clark has won the punt return job, with close competition from James Johnson. The kick-off return job is still in the air, with Choice, Woods, Scott and J.Johnson competing for that one.


3. True frosh Colin Peek continues to impress and has put pressure on George Cooper, who has been out with injury. Peek is clearly the #3 guy and could move up the list further if he continues making outstanding catches in scrimmage like he has, and keeps up his strong blocking ability.......... Also impressing from the frosh class is Michael Johnson, but his size may limit the PT this season. Well that and being 2nd team behind Eric Henderson......... It doesn't appear that many of the other true freshman will play large roles this season other than special teams. Of course, in theory we wouldn't want it any other way.


4. The running game continues to be a point of strength, with each of the 4 main backs bringing something slightly different to the game. But here's the reality - when gametime arrives, I think you'll see PJ Daniels getting most of the snaps. What will be fascinating to me is who will be running at the END of games. Daniels is talking again about how strong he feels at the end of the game, but if he's getting the snaps early, will Gailey look to keep him fresh for the end of the season, not the end of games? Is that when Tashard Choice kicks in? We'll see.


5. There has been some relief on the O-Line, with Nate McManus and Jacob Lonowski returning to the lineup. However, everyone's job is in the air right now. This group just hasn't "gelled" yet evidently. Matt Rhodes is not likely to return until this week..


6. KaMichael Hall has been practicing with the team, fully dressed out, but his mystery situation has not been resolved and his status for the season is still in question. In a scrimmage last week, Hall went overboard in a scuffle with Eddy Parker. Coach Gailey had to come all the way over to break it up, as Hall would not let it go. Hall ended up getting lectured by both Tenuta and Gailey. Frustration boiling over from his "situation"? Guess we'll just have to guess..............


7. David Jordan looks like he'll be the kick-off specialist and punter Ben Arndt looks like he has more confidence this season. Let's hope nothing happens to Travis Bell, because nobody has been that impressive as a backup PG kicker.


8. Auburn has been dealing with a lot of injuries of their own. Mostly nagging kind of stuff, not major, but still an issue. Even QB B.Cox sat out for awhile to rest a sore arm. Georgia Tech has now begun preparations for the Auburn game.

Did you get your annual Dave Braine Apology Letter

If you didn't get your annual Dave Braine apology letter, here's what it says (for real):

Dear Ramblin Wreck fan,


We are so pleased to share with you this Annual Report, commemorating the championship year of 2004-2005, and we hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed compiling it.


We would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the concerns of the Georgia Tech family about our on-going NCAA investigation. We deeply regret the mistakes which allowed some of our student-athletes to participate while ineligible. The errors were inadvertant but harmful nonetheless, and we are very sorry.


We are working diligently with NCAA staff to bring this matter to a satisfactory conclusion. We look forward to sharing our plan of action with you at that time.


Sincerly,


David T. Braine
Director of Athletics

Podcast #4 is in the can

I think you'll enjoy the latest show. It's ready to go now. Head over to the GT Sports Blog Podcast site to listen - link here to listen to show #4.............


In case you are new to the podcasting thing, let me give you a quick lesson.


1. A Podcast is just an audio file that you put a link to on a website. You DON'T have to have an IPOD or any music player to hear it. You can listen right from your PC.


2. What makes a "podcast" a little more unique is the use of RSS or "Really Simple Syndication". What is RSS you ask? Based on a new survey only about 10% of web users are even aware of RSS, so I'll give you a quick lesson. What RSS allows you to do is "subscribe" to a website, blog, news site, a common search, or a bunch of other stuff. You either use a downloadable program as a "News Reader" or you use one of the many websites that have a built-in news reader in the browser. I do the latter, and I highly recommend Bloglines.com.......... Go to Bloglines, sign up for a free account and have fun. You can subscribe to thousands of news feeds from your favorite sites (including this one). Then it will keep track of all the latest "posts" for you. You just go to Bloglines and read them when you have a chance. The cool part is aggregating tons of sites into one. It's like a MyYahoo home page on steroids. In fact, Yahoo recently added functionality to add an RSS feed to your MyYahoo home page. They realize the power. Google recently added the ability to "subscribe" to any google search you might use a lot. It will track the results and keep them for you.......... By the way, the link to the GT Sports Blog RSS feed can be found in the upper right box..................... Now, the News Readers are not audio players and what they will do is track text posts and news stories..........


3. Ok, where does the audio Podcast fit in? Well, in effect, the Podcast blog is nothing more a regular blog with links to audio files. So what some smart folks did was figure out how to use RSS to create a "subscription" format and tie it in with your favorite audio player. So basically new shows just show up on your audio player when one is posted on the web. Steve Jobs at Apple embraced this recently by adding podcast subscription support in ITunes. Remember, you don't have to have an IPOD to run ITunes. It's free - just download it for your PC. The other popular program for subscribing to podcasts is IPODDER.


4. What is the little red "XML" button? That is the actual "news feed" link. What happens is that the site is "re-created" in a different format that the newsreaders understand. So if you click that little XML link it will take you to a funky looking version of this page. It is that URL that you actually copy and paste into your newsreader. In the case of a podcast, paste that URL into ITunes to subscribe for the audio.


5. It's actually better to "subscribe" to podcasts than it is to go to a site and just listen to the file. Why? Well, it's a bit easier on servers, and it also helps better track subscriber stats. That way I know more about how many people are listening.


6. I actually have two different RSS feeds. Both can be found in the upper right box.................The first is the feed for this site and just picks up the text and news stories from www.gtsports.blogspot.com.................... The other feed is for the GT Sports Blog Podcast site, at www.gtsportspodcast.blogspot.com .................... Remember the news feed URL is different from the site URL.


Have I made this extremely more complicated than it is? Sorry - did the best I could. Here is a great resource for more information:

HOW PODCASTING WORKS PART I
HOW PODCASTING WORKS ANOTHER SITE
RSS SPECIFICATIONS
IPODER.ORG
PodcastAlley.com
Podcast.net
Podcasting-Tools.com
Podcastingnews.com

Football - Updated Depth Chart

Lots of changes to the depth chart. Here's the latest version and there will be many more changes to come. I rearranged the look of the defense, I added a slot WR and I also put the injured players back in their spots and highlighted them red. This gives you a feel for where we have been hurt. Don't forget - click on the picture to get the larger version. Also there is a permanent link under the football links in the left column.

Football: More Motivation for Reggie Ball

Well Reggie, the Davey O'Brien Award Watch list is out........... and you're not on it. Now, as you know, they don't hand it out based on the preseason. It's what goes on during the games. So that means you're not out of luck. Remember, Little Joe Hamilton has one of those trophies. But those folks over at the O'Brien Foundation don't see you in the running. Whatcha gonna do about that?

Hoops: Will Bynum Signs with Boston???

Saw this blurb today saying Will Bynum has signed with the Boston Celtics... I am not sure what it means. Will was already signed through the fall so he would participate in training camp. Does this mean they've signed him for the season? I'll see what I can find out..........

Football - Rivals Radio

UPDATE: SEND ME YOUR QUESTIONS AND I WILL SUBMIT THEM TO RIVALS FOR YOU. JUST ADD COMMENTS TO THIS POST.

Head over the RivalsRadio.com message board and post your questions about the Georgia Tech football program. They will feature Tech August 26th on their radio show and Mike Knobler will be there answering questions................. Not sure if this is premium content or not................

Chan Gailey Interview - Part II

To read PART I of Chan Gailey's interview on CSS a couple of weeks ago - click here.......... Here is the 2nd part of the interview............... Coach Gailey picks up talking about his career with the Cowboys, Broncos and Steelers. Great stuff.....


Is all this a walk in the park after coaching the Cowboys?:


"Oh yeah. but that's like comparing apples and oranges. College football and college age young people and the things that surround college football are totally different. Dealing with the press is the same, but the games and the environment are really different.


When people say you are under the gun and feeling the heat, they probably forget you worked for Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys, the most visible team in the world.


"This is no big deal. If this bothers you, then you're in trouble, in this business."


Did you get a fair shake with the Cowboys?


"Well, first of all, I want to set the record straight about Jerry. Jerry and I had different opinions about how to build a championship team. He was a good person and he was good to Laurie and I when we were out there. He treated us very well as people. But we had different philosophies. A fair shake? Probably not. We went to the playoffs both years we were there and I think the next guy didn't even sniff the playoffs and they kept him for 3 years. So probably not. I don't think Jerry realized that the Cowboys were a team in transition at that time, and we were still able to keep our head above water while in transition. That's what we were doing. We were trying to win while you're going from an old team to a young team. That's what I think was missed during the whole thing. He got caught up with things because the press got on me and some other of his friends got on me a bit, and I think he just lost sight of some things.


On the press - do you pay attention to it?


"The last 10-15 years, I've just gotten to the point where I don't pay attention to it, don't read it, because things are blown out of proportion. The only thing I worry about is - I have them during the season give me the paper and highlight highlight the player's quotes. Because I want to hear what they players are saying. I want to see that. I don't want to see anybody's opinion or all that. I want to see what the players are saying to make sure that we're on the same page."


Back-to-back 50 point bowl performances. Maybe not the bowls you wanted to be in, but not a bad way to end the season 2 years in a row.


"I think it's a tribute to our players, because they prepared very well for those bowl games. They were excited about going to the bowl and playing in it and it showed on the field. They did a great job."


How good is Calvin Johnson?


"I don't know. We've not gotten there yet - to how good he is. I've never had one - and that's including pro, college, anywhere - I've never had one this big, this fast and this good of hand-eye coordination................ Yancy Thigpen is a guy nobody ever really heard of but was a great player at Pittsburgh. We had Michael Irvin. I had Vance Johnson................. Calvin is above everybody else. He's got some things to learn about coverages and offensive thought processes and route running, but he's way ahead of the game because of his work ethic and because of the type young man he is. He's a great athlete, but he's a better person."


Do any moments in your career standout?


"I have a hard time picking out one or two. Anytime you win a championship and I was fortunate to win a National Championship over at Troy State, when I didn't know anything. I thought I knew everything at 33 and I knew nothing. There are so many great moments. You don't stay in the business unless you have a few great moments."


You're on that Denver staff during "the drive". You're on the sidelines when that kickoff gets flubbed. Did you think you had any chance of winning that game?


"No, I think it's pretty tough. but when you've got John Elway you think anything's possible. and that's the thing that's so unique. He's the best I've ever coached."


What about the Elway / Shannahan / Reeves gossip? Were you privy to any of that stuff?


"I was right in the middle of it. It got blown out of proportion like everything else does. There were some things going on there where the relationship between Dan and John was not close. They were not buddy-buddy. The relationship between Mike and John was very buddy-buddy. So what happened, Mike ended up being the go-between somewhat, because Dan was very involved in the offensive gameplan, but wasn't involved in the day-to-day meetings with the QB's and team. So you had to convey what Dan wanted to John. When Mike left, that was my job. I took over the offensive coordinator job and QB coach. So you had to make sure that John what Dan wanted."


So why did that relationship deteriorate?


"That's blown out of proportion. It wasn't that they didn't talk. They did. They were both very professional. They just didn't spend off-time with each other, away from the office. They did talk and communicate. You can't do that otherwise. You can't be successful, and we went to 3 superbowls while I was there. Some of the thought process was, Dan had a great deal of experience and knew what we had to do to win. John wanted to open it up more, but Dan was smart enough to know we had a great defense, and we needed to run the football and we didn't need to open it up. We needed to keep it close and let John go win it in the 4th quarter. That's how we went to 3 superbowls. If we'd been opened up offensively, we might not have made it to 3 superbowls."


Kordell Stewart was so dynamic. What do you think derailed his career?


"I wish I could tell you. Kordell wishes I could tell you, because he and I talked once a month there for about 4 or 5 years, with him trying to figure out what was wrong with his game. He first year as a full time QB we went to the AFC championship game and came within one pass of going to the superbowl - in his first year as a QB. It was a great run with him - he was "Slash" for a year or two, then he became starter and played great for us, and I don't know what happened."


You deserve credit. He never performed better than when you were in Pittsburgh helping to develop him.


"We had a great time. It was a lot of fun. The gameplans - oh man."


Finish this sentence - "We're going to have a great season if........."


"I think, obviously, we have to have consistent play at QB. Our O-Line has to come around and gel. We have some young players. We have one guy who started at the end of the season at the same position on the O-Line. We also have to stay pretty injury free. There are a lot of guys in that line-up that need to stay healthy for us to win, because we have not had a lot of depth and we are continually trying to build that up. And the way you build depth is you go blow people out and play guys behind them. But we don't end up in blowout games. We end up in nailbiters it seems like every week one way or the other. The bowl games have been kind of fun the last couple of years, but other than those, we're playing to the last minute in every game. That takes its toll on your team and you don't get to play a lot of guys to get them experience."


How big a loss is Travis Parker on D?


"Travis Parker, he didn't do the job academically at Tech. But, like we said earlier - he's gone, and guess what - we have Adamm Oliver and Darrell Robertson who are sitting there waiting to play and get their opportunity. Who knows, they might go out there and do a great job this year and that's what we're planning on."


Is academics one of the toughest things you fight in recruiting? Paul Hewitt talks about that.


"If people attack or tell a kid - you don't want to work that hard. You've got to take calculas or whatever it is, we turn around and say - you mean they don't think you're smart enough? Is that what they're telling you? Most guys don't like that connotation, being told they're not smart enough to do the job at Georgia Tech................ And we can't recruit every tom-dick-and-harry that just happens to be able to run fast, jump high or block well. We have to be very particular about the guys that we take academically at Georgia Tech."


Are there one or two names you think we might be hearing more from this year? Guys who we don't know as much about now?


"Well, I look for Damarius Bilbo to have a good year. He's finally gotten into WR shape. I think he's really excited about playing WR this year. He's a great leader for us. I'm looking for him to have a great year. Tashard Choice is a transfer from Oklahoma that has come into the offensive backfield as a RB - same size as PJ Daniels. So he gives us a little bit more size, about 210lb roughly. He is a very good player. And then on the defensive side of the ball, I think you're going to have Gary Guyton and Philip Wheeler - two guys at LB that I think have a chance to be pretty good players."


You certainly have a lot to motivate your club - opening at Auburn.


"Oh yeah - that's no challenge to motivate our guys and get them ready to play."


Do you know much about the rest of the ACC? Favorites - do you worry about that?


"No. You can't worry about that. And the preseason polls have never been right. Never."


Are you trying to say that some of us in the media don't know what we're talking about. I can't believe that?


"I know. You make educated guesses. And that's what they are."


On the upcoming tough schedule:


"You can't be great without great challenges".

Hoops: Luke Signs with Denver

Talk about some great news for the Aussie Luke Schenscher - he signs a deal with the Denver Nuggets. Put another shrimp on the barbie mate!!! Terms of the deal were not announced...... CONGRATS!!!!!

Football - Breaking News

Clemson didn't need this, but rumors on their discussion boards that ATL area standout 4-star running back James Davis is leaving the team.

CLEMSON -- After the morning practice on Thursday it was announced that freshman
running back James Davis has left school to return home to Atlanta. Head
football coach Tommy Bowden will comment on the situation after practice this
evening. Davis was the headliner in Bowden's last recruiting class as he chose
Clemson over Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State,
Tennessee, and Virginia Tech. As a senior in high school he rushed for 2500
yards and 28 touchdowns on 350 carries including two 300+ yards games.

Could Davis end up at Georgia Tech? He was recruited by the Jackets but seemed to have interest elsewhere. There is speculation about academics, and there always is the question - could he actually transfer to another ACC school? Many questions and I suppose we'll hear more soon. The reality is that most kids end up staying right where they are. So the likelihood he stays at Clemson...............





UPDATE: Here is Davis's biography from the Clemson website:

Rushed for 2389 yards and 28 touchdowns on 350 carries as a senior...rushed for 300+ yards in two games as a senior.... rushed for 7339 yards and 80 TDs in his high school career...42nd-best player in the nation, 7th-best running back in the nation, and the 16th-best player in Georgia by Rivals.com....named to the SuperPrep Dixie team as the 4th-best prospect in Georgia...team captain in 2004... Georgia North/South game co-MVP..scored the only touchdown to lead the North to victory...17th-best running back in the nation by Tom Lemming of ESPN.com...totaled over 5,000 yards and more than 60 touchdowns in his high school career...17th-best running back in the nation by CollegeFootballNews.com...named honorable mention All-Southern Team by the Orlando Sentinel...received the Golden Helmet Award from Coca-Cola as the most valuable player of his team...SuperPrep All-American as the 24th-best running back in the nation, he is listed 26th by Scout.com...56th-best player in the southeast by SuperPrep.... named class AAAAA All-State by the Atlanta Journal Constitution as a senior...honorable mention All-State in class AAAAA as a junior...first team All-City as a junior... played for Gary Cantrell...chose Clemson over offers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech... born James Davis on New Year's Day, 1986.

UPDATE
As I said earlier, he would end up back in Clemson and this would blow over. That's evidently what happened. Case closed.........

NCAA Mascot Question

Well how about this - our own Georgia Tech President - Dr.Wayne Clough - was on at least one of the three panels that discussed the whole Indian mascot thing. Not exactly a feather in his cap - although it is not clear the level of involvement he had. Maybe he smokem too much peace pipe.

More embarrassing was the NCAA's ignorance of how Seminole Indians view Florida State's nickname and mascot. The university has a long-standing and mutually profitable relationship with its home-state Seminoles, but in rebuking Florida State, the NCAA's vice president for diversity and inclusion, Charlotte Westerhaus, said "other Seminole tribes are not supportive."


Well. The other Seminole tribe resides in Oklahoma, and last month its General Council rejected 18-2 a resolution condemning Florida State's use of Seminoles.


This rather salient fact, discovered by Florida reporters in about five minutes, escaped the finger-on-the-pulse NCAA, specifically the Executive Committee and the Minority Opportunities and Issues Committee. Three ACC representatives, by the way, serve on those panels: Georgia Tech president G. Wayne Clough and Wake Forest athletic director Ron Wellman on the executive group, Virginia executive associate AD Jon Oliver on the minority group.


Their collective oversight has at least one executive committee member, from Florida no less, ready to reconsider.


"Now I've learned that one member of the (Oklahoma) Tribal Council spoke loudly and vociferously but really wasn't representative of the entire council," St. Leo University president Arthur Kirk Jr., told the Orlando Sentinel. "For me, that's a very significant factor in this decision relative to Florida State."

Football - The "Calvin Effect"

The team held their 2nd scrimmage (links in the left column below google box). Reggie Ball looked sharp, Calvin Johnson looked great (big surprise, duhh), Philip Wheeler was an animal, KaMichael Hall still has not resolved whatever off-the-field situation that is preventing him from practicing, Colin Peek continues to impress, the offensive line continues to be a patch-work quilt of "who's healthy", and even OL Cord Howard missed practice today. So really, more of the same. The biggest worry continues to be the O-Line and most other positions seem to be fairly solid (at least on the 1st team).


Calvin Johnson has become his own brand. Check out this quote from a Washington Post sports writer on the Maryland football team:

And finally, for lack of a better term, there was no Calvin Johnson. The Georgia Tech freshman combined a 6-foot-4 frame with impressive speed last season to finish second in the ACC in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns and among the leaders in yards per catch. It was a performance not unlike that of another tall and swift Georgia Tech receiver -- Dez White -- who in 1999 led the conference in yards per catch with Friedgen as his offensive coordinator.

"We haven't had a guy we could throw the ball up the field and just let them go get it," Friedgen said. "I think for us to have a good season, we have to find that guy that can make plays."

Who was the last Tech personality to have their own "effect". Try Paul Hewitt. When discussing young, up-and-coming, polished black coaches, the media likes to refer to them as "another Paul Hewitt". So the beat goes on.


Hey, check out the video from Auburn alumni on the old "WreckTech Parade". Here's the picture:





Lastly, roster weights have been somewhat updated. Brad Honeycutt at 315, McManus at 290, AJ Smith 280, Dan Voss 290, Wrotto at 310, Anaoi at 275, Salih B at 295, Billy at 280, R.Cox at 285, Gardner at 285, Kelly 280, Lonowski 285, Newberry 320, E.Parker 290, Rhodes 280, Tuminello 285 - I'd say there were some burgers eaten in the offseason.

Beesball Notes

The Texas Rangers are making a last ditch effort for a Georgia Tech signee:

The Rangers are making one last attempt to sign high school pitcher
Christopher Hicks, a 35th-round pick from Milton, Ga., who has committed to
Georgia Tech. Hicks has second- or third-round draft potential, but the Rangers
would lose negotiating rights if he attends class Monday.

How's this for calling a spade a spade. Mark Teixeira talks about why he went to Georgia Tech and didn't sign with Boston:

The numbers might not have been so lopsided if not for the much-maligned social skills of Wayne Britton, the scouting director under Dan Duquette. The Sox drafted Teixeira, one of the top high school prospects in the country, after the Scott Boras client slipped to the ninth round of the 1998 draft.


The club was prepared to offer the slugger-in-making first-round money, proposing a $1.5 million bonus to convince Teixeira to forego a scholarship at Georgia Tech. Teixeira's camp hoped for a $1.85 million bonus, but quickly pulled the plug on negotiations due to Boston's boorishness.


"They never had any serious talks with me beyond that first day of the draft. We were never really considering signing," reflected Teixeira, now 25 and seven years removed from the ordeal. "It wasn't about the money. If they want to be nitpicky about it, they can say they lost me over a couple hundred thousand dollars. But it was the way that I was treated by Wayne Britton and the front office that was the reason that I didn't sign."


According to Eagle-Tribune colleague John Tomase, that treatment included profane and abusive treatment of both Teixeira and his parents. Britton insisted on examining the prep star's fitness by having Teixeira strip to his underwear in his living room.


The decision became simple for Teixeira, who emerged as a dominant player in three years at Georgia Tech. In 2001, the Rangers plucked him with the fifth pick of the draft, and after just 86 games of minor-league seasoning, Teixeira became a fixture in the Rangers' starting lineup.


"That was a long time ago," concluded Teixeira. "The decisions that I made have worked out very well for me. I'm very happy to be where I am today."

All you can say is - just because a guy is a client of Scott Boros, don't go assuming that any breakdown in talks is because of that....................... Here's mention of former Jacket pitcher Dave Elder.......... Some things never change, like the stat line for Jason Neighborgall's first pro win - 5 innings, 5 hits, 4 walks, one hit batter, 3 k's, 3 wild pitches........ and a win.............................. Former Jacket Andrew Kown comments on an elephant throwing out the first pitch at a recent game..."I couldn't believe how far and how hard she throws it," Kown said before the Whitecaps lost to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 4-1. "If an elephant can (throw a strike), we should be able to do it."

Hoops Notes

Well, more Duke arrogance. Check it out:

"We've seen more of Luke because Georgia Tech is in the same conference (as Duke) and he's had a nice college career, especially the past two seasons when he was an impact player."

Wierd........ Here's a mention of hoops recruit Perry Stevenson, who the Jackets are after....... Here's a nice blurb on recruit Zach Peacock who is 50/50 with Georgia Tech and Florida......

Hoops: Coach Cremins Headed to Kuwait

For the troops!!!! Go Bobby Cremins. He's headed to Kuwait to help coach a military team as part of the "America Supports You" Campaign called "Operation Hardwood". Way to go Coach!

Football - Fast and the Furious

Keeping up with changes in the Georgia Tech line-up is harding than hearding cats. The latest? How about Jason Hill switching from the defensive line to the offensive line? How about Salih Besirevec switching from OT to OG? How about walk-on Alex Paquette switching from TE to DE? That all happened THIS WEEK!!


INJURY UPDATE
The long list gets longer. Fullback Mike Cox and DT Joe Anaoi missed Tuesday's practice. Talk about walking wounded!

Football Notes

Tune in to FSN South Thursday night at 10:30pm for you Jacket preview and in the ATL Saturday at 12:30 pm on WSBYour season tickets are on the way............. Well, Jon Tenuta better have the defense ready for UNC this season, because his old nemesis is preparing for him........... Some big names talk about who has a better chance for an opening weekend upset - Georgia Tech or UGA - guys like Trev Alberts, Brent Musburger, Jim Donnan, Terry Bowden and Tim Brando............... Back to practice on Monday, and getting ready for scrimmage #2 Wednesday. Gary Gutyon and Colin Peek continue to impress and the injuries on the O-Line continue to increase. Minor as they may be, they result in fewer snaps for the 1st team. We can't hardly get through practices, so how can we get through the season. Stay strong fans - hang tight. They'll come together!!! Well, the O-Line is evidently a tight-knit group, which is a good thing for sure.................. Here are a few more team notes.............. Here's a list of all current ACC commits , with Georgia Tech with the fewest. By the way, Scout.com has moved QB Byron Ingram from a 1-star to a 3-star and moved Robert Hall from a 3-star to a 2-star. Basically it's the first real evaluation of Ingram for them, and they were not impressed with Hall's games they saw...................... Here's a nice story on Tashard Choice and more details about his personal situation.............. Wes Durham entertained Tech fans on Monday - here's the report from the lunch bunch............... Buy an Auburn / GT ticket on eBay.......... The AJC is scrapping their premium pay service and opening up all content for everyone.................... Georgia Tech's defense is ranked #8 in the country by CFN............ Calvin Johnson gets many props by some ex-pros for the Biletnikoff award. But as they say - the key is often if there's a guy to get him the ball...................... CFN's top 100 players continues - First, they move Gerris Wilkinson up from #101 to #100. PJ Daniels clocks in at #67 and Calvin Johnson at #68........................


INJURY NOTES
RS frosh Jacob Lonowski, whose was getting reps with the first team due to injuries to Matt Rhodes and Nate McManus, leaves practice towards the end with a minor injury. Ughhh!! As a result, Salih Besirevec started working at the guard position. What does that mean - depth at Right Tackle just took a hit. Oh yeah, who stepped in on the line when Lonowski went down? True frosh Dan Voss....................RaShaun Grant, Sam Williams and George Cooper (left ankle), Xavier McGuire missed Monday's practice nursing small injuries....................


WHERE ARE THEY NOW
Kelly Campbell will miss the next preseason game against the Jets due to injuring a quad last week. Of course with his off-the-field antics and general behavior, I'm not so sure he was going to see the field anyhow..................


AROUND THE ACC
Bad news for Maryland.........

Football - Quote from the Fridge

So the 2 Live Stews were broadcasting last week from Rose Bowl practice field at Georgia Tech. They were interviewing Chan Gailey. He talks about the same kind of stuff - expecting bigger things from Reggie Ball, how Taylor Bennett started off pre-season slow, but has been playing well the last couple of days, and how the defense is strong and the offensive weapons at the skill positions are there, but it will all depend on how the O-Line gels.


Most interesting was that Ryan Stewart said he was at Joe Hamilton's wedding and that Ralph Freidgen was there. They got into a discussion comparing Reggie Ball and Joe Hamilton. Fridge told Ryan that Joe Hamilton was one bad play away from being yanked permenantly. What's interesting is that Coach Gailey has been using the Reggie / Joe comparison for the first time this pre-season. He talked about it on the first practice day Saturday, saying that Reggie has more passing yards than Joe at this point in his career and very close with the TD/INT numbers. He said that Joe managed to make that jump, that next step, and that the question is - can Reggie do it too?

Football Scrimmage Notes

Well, from reading the stories about Saturday's scrimmage, here are some takeaways:


1. Generally speaking, the offense played better than the defense. The defense did make some solid plays though, including two sacks by Darrell Robertson, which is encouraging................


2. The running game looks outstanding. Combined, all backs rushed for 192 yards and 5 TD's........... Daniels ran for 111 yards, including a 70 yard burst on the first play. Much of the rest of the success running came on the 2nd team defense, which shows a possible lack of depth there (maybe). If the O-Line is not playing great, but you backs are running VERY well, then either the defense is struggling, or the backs are just WAY above average. Choice had 49 yards and a TD (8 carries), Woods rushed 12 times for 32 yards, but most of that came against the first team defense.


3. The O-Line played ok at times, but not great, even though you would think so with the outstanding RB play. Gailey didn't have much good to say about them "None of our young linemen are playing very well at all," Gailey said. "So I don't see any help there. They don't know their assignments." Remember that Rhodes and now McManus are injured.


4. Reggie Ball did ok, not great, going 6-19 with 2 TD's (1 running). All QB's got in the action, including J.Garner, who played his best ball. "Everybody told us he was a 'gamer,' but he did some nice things out there. I was impressed with him," said Gailey, who brought up Garner's production unprompted, a rarity for the head coach. "I'm really encouraged about where he can be some day," Gailey said. "He hadn't showed it in practice. Under the lights, he showed up." ..................Only one INT was thrown on the day, picked off by Joe Gaston.


5. The young receivers, Greg Smith and Martin Frierson, are impressing coaches. Xavier McGuire and Patrick Clark were nursing small injuries, which gave Smith a chance to shine. He did, catching 7 passes for 95 yards, most from Garner. Frierson had 2 catches for 22 yards. D-Bo had 4 catches for 39 yards and TE M.Matthews caught 3 passes for 48 yards. That's certainly encouraging from a TE perspective.


INJURY NOTES: David Brown just has not made that "next step" as Coach Gailey puts it, after recovering from being sick in the spring. Just not enough practice and playmaking to get him to 2nd team D-Line yet..................... Patrick Clark & Xavier McGuire were banged up and did not play.................... Matt Rhodes and Nate McManus didn't play on the O-Line. Rhodes is likely to be out at least another week...................... DJay Jones should be back at practice on Monday.......................


Quote of the week, from Coach Gailey, on the healthy return of Dennis Davis:

Without Davis, Tech would have to start an unproven and inexperienced
underclassman at corner. Gailey said he is just as excited about Davis' return
now as Davis' father was several months ago. "We have a starter instead of
having to look to plug somebody in there," Gailey said. "God looks after idiots
and children, and I'm no child."

GT NOTEBOOK
DANIELS WORKING FOR INJURY FREE SEASON
DANIELS CONTINUES HIS ASCENT (Great Article)
CHOICE ADDS DEPTH
DANIELS HIGHLIGHTS SCRIMMAGE
GT NOTEBOOK - TRAVIS BELL ARTICLE
DAVIS HEALTHY, READY TO CONTRIBUTE
BELL SHOWS PLENTY OF LEG


Auburn is not the only team preparing for Georgia Tech right this moment, since UNC actually opens up with the Jackets as well...............

Football - The Patrick Carter Saga Gets Strange

Ok, so Patrick Carter gets unhappy at Georgia Tech that the coaches no longer feel he should be a quarterback, but tell him that he could make an excellent wide receiver. He decides to transfer instead of accepting that message................ Word comes down that he will be transferring to USF because they will let him play QB. His name shows up in the USF media guide on the roster................ To USF's surprise, Carter shows up at the U of Florida, practicing as a wide receiver. He says he was swayed by Jesse Palmer, the former Florida QB of "Bachelor" fame, over the summer..........He says he's talked to Urban Meyer, who thinks he could be a good WR. So Carter says he will walk-on for this season to the Gators, sit out a season due to transfer rules and hope to earn a scholarship next season. Meyer says "we'll see"........................ Now word comes out that he has missed practices at Florida and in fact will NOT be attending Florida and is looking at other schools. Meyer says he welcome to come back.

"I'm not sure what he's going to do. He's always welcome back here," Meyer said. "He's never played wide receiver and we wanted to see if he could be a wideout at the University of Florida and I just don't know that. In three days, it's hard to get that done."

Now, I don't know Patrick Carter, and I don't know what's going on in his head. At this point I just feel bad for him. It's seems to be a classic case of a young man trying to grow up, trying to chase a dream, but not facing reality. On the surface he appears to be a bit of a primma donna, but again, I don't know that. Whatever is really going on, I hope he finds what he's looking for. You hate to see a kid do this to himself and you just hope that he places some level of value on his education.................

Football - Commit #4 - A new QB

Word from Rivals.com that Georgia Tech has picked up their 4th committment, this time from ATL area QB Byron Ingram. It's premium, but since I saw the news on a public open forum, I'm going to go ahead and mention it. Ingram is 6'5" 180lb, so a definite physical presence in the pocket. Word was he had another offer from Duke and was also looking at Tulane, Maryland and Mississippi State. Ingram is from Dekalb County Georgia and played at Towers but has transferred to Redan High School in Stone Mountain for his senior season. As a junior he passed for 1700 yards and 21 TD's and made the all-county team, while his team went 8-2 and went to the state playoffs.......... I think Byron's dream school was Auburn and was also interested in UGA, but neither seemed to return the love............ Rivals ranks Ingram as #71 in the Georgia top 75. Scout.com lists him as a "1-star", which basically means they have not evaluated him............ I'll have more later...........

Golf Notes

Nice story on Stewart Cink.........

Football Notes - Saturday

Some team notes - Patrick Clark is making some noise at WR and sitting pretty at the #1 Slot receiver position. So when Georgia Tech runs 3 WR sets, for now, he's the inside guy................ Djay Jones should be back at practice Monday - he's been out since the 2nd practice............. Still looks like Anthony Barnes will miss the Auburn game, although he will be ready before then. Just not enough practice................. Matt Rhodes will still miss at least another week with his leg injury and KaMichael Hall did his best Rocky imitation and missed practice Friday with a puffy right eye..................

Check out this quote:

Tuberville said today's scrimmage is closed to the public in order to eliminate distractions and make the atmosphere seem like a practice, rather than "a day of celebration." He didn't say it, but the threat of Georgia Tech spies (only 90 minutes up the road) probably also factored into his decision

Don't you just love it when the media has their own idea for a story and throws it in there?.............. Tony Hollings is battling for the backup RB spot in Houston.

Hollings always has fared well in August. He holds the Texans' career record for preseason rushing yards with 286, but that means little. He wants those numbers to translate beyond the exhibition schedule. Over the past two regular seasons, he has combined for a mere 149 yards on 49 carries.

"This is the year you want to see him make a move as a player, and I think he will," general manager Charley Casserly said. "His feel for the game has improved with experience, which we thought it would. And he still has the speed. He's a pretty good pass blocker now, and his strength is better. We're anxious to see him in the preseason."

The AP does a very nice story about Calvin Johnson. While all we hear about is his humbleness, you can see a bit of that spirit coming through.

When Johnson grabs the controls of the latest college football video game, he usually plays with a team other than Georgia Tech. A few times, though, he's checked to see how Cyber Johnson stacks up as a receiver against Calvin Johnson.


"I've seen myself make a lot of good ones on the video game," he said, shaking his head and grinning.

He certainly has D-Bilbo's admiration:

"He's the closest thing to Randy Moss, but he's bigger and faster," Bilbo said. "When he's not catching the ball, he's out there blocking on every play. I don't know Randy Moss. I don't want to say anything bad about him. But I think he takes some plays off. Not Calvin. He's a humble guy and he gives it everything he's got, even in practice."


"He's a freak of nature," Bilbo said. "He can catch the ball with one hand better than most guys can catch with two."

I'll leave you with a cool graphic someone did over at the Hive. I put it here for your viewing pleasure:





Ted Roof is creating some believers in Durham, although the party will end quickly unless they will more ball games. This http://www.herald-sun.com/sports/18-636077.html
thinks they have a shot in 6 games - including Georgia Tech. The way our team plays lesser opponents, I would give them a shot too............

I give Duke a serious shot in six games -- at ECU, VMI, Navy, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and at North Carolina -- and if successful in all six, Roof should garner several ACC coach-of-the-year votes.

Listen, I'm no Notre Dame, but I like the movie Rudy. I admit it. I don't care if Rudy got his sack against Georgia Tech. Actually, that's a nice historical link to our program. Well, turns out that Charlie Weis is using all the tools at his disposal to motivate his new team, including bringing back Rudy to Notre Dame, the first time that has happened......... This article by Pat Forde also had a very interesting quote about Ty Willingham and one of the reasons he didn't make the cut:

He was a dispassionate man at a passionate school

Weis is certainly not a big media guy. He comes from the Parcells school of dealing with media, but sounds like he is using what he can to draw talent, and that impacts Georgia Tech, because we go head-to-head with a lot of the same recruits...........

Well, Braine showing some fight

Well, evidently it's time to stop telling the NCAA how guily we are and time to start fighting for our ourselves. The fight is the difference between "lack of institutional control" versus "failure to monitor". Tech has paid a law firm $9,600 to prepare a 90-page filing ........For me, that is a good thing. Admitting violations is one thing, recommending harsh over-blown penalties is another. Here is the fact - Georgia Tech doesn't have hardly any experience dealing with the NCAA around violations --------- and it shows. Tech fans will realize that this whole thing will be an important learning experience for the administration. When UGA gets off with lighter penalties for their blatant and purposeful violations in hoops than we do for poor monitoring and misinterpretation of rules, something is wrong. So good for Dave Braine.


One side note - this does not mean no probation. Per the AJC article, all 24 schools found guilty of "failure to monitor" were put on probation. That just sucks..............


On a side note, here's another case that seems a lot worse, a lot more blatent, but worth watching in light of our situation.........

Hoops Notes

There are rumors that Matt Harpring is on the trading block for the Utah Jazz, as they look for a talented 2-Guard. The Jazz Sr VP Kevin O'Connor says that's not true...................... Another rumor is that Travis Best could end up side-by-side with Chris Bosh in Toronto. They are looking for a higher profie PG, but there may not be one available and Best is rumored to be possibly released by the Nets......... Also interesting is that Chris Bosh is expected to play at the Dean Dome in an alumni game - UNCAllStars vs ACCAllStars.

The World of Porn Like Georgia Tech

Playboy ranks Georgia Tech #23 in their latest issue (per someone at the Hive). They said "Promising, if the offense can score. This is a scrappy bunch looking for a breakout year. Opponents beware"........... I guess someone does actually read the articles. Go figure............. In addition, Stuff Magazine, from the world of porn-lite, lists Georgia Tech as one of 4 "dark-horse" teams and predicts an 8-3 season. UGA is listed as one of four "overrated" teams..............

Hoops: Well ain't that a B----

I sure don't remember this, but check out this quote from multi-talented dual-sport star Martellus Bennett, a 6'7" 252lb stand out who will play both football and hoops for Texas A&M:

That is if he doesn't jump to the NBA first. Because the Aggies' most celebrated football recruit is also their star basketball signee, a steal of a prospect who could have gone to Duke or North Carolina or Kansas, and who would have given up football to play basketball at Georgia Tech, Martellus Bennett said, if only coaches had contacted him earlier.

Like I said, ain't that a b----.......


In other recruiting notes, evidently Coach Hewitt likes the NCAA rule that prevents him from talking to recruits during the summer AAU season:

With the NCAA banning college coaches from having contact with the players during the summer, an interesting dynamic unfolds at games.


Parents and fans are restricted to one side of the gym while coaches congregate on the other. Necks crane and eyes narrow as spectators attempt to read the school names on the shirts of coaches across the court.


Signs are posted reminding players to avoid talking to coaches and the NCAA sent five certification coordinators to make the rounds in Vegas to ensure its guidelines were being followed.


"I think it's a good thing," Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt said of the no-contact rule. "It gives kids a chance to just concentrate on playing. These kids are being recruited by so many schools, it's a hassle for them. They should be able to go out and enjoy this, and then sit back and decide as opposed to being sweated all the time."


Just as Hewitt entered the gym to watch a Georgia-based team, Nick Larson made his way out after his Pump N Run team finished its afternoon game.

Here is a decent Tech team preview from a Duke basketball site. Actually, they get most of the team right..........Interesting, they seem to think that Paco Diaw is officially on the team, even though he's not listed at RamblinWreck.com on the roster at this point. Don't you just love the arrogance of this statement? Typical Dukie:

Included in the 4th best group of 2005 recruits entering the ACC is Lewis Clinch, who certainly has the potential to become an All-ACC caliber talent by all accounts. Considering that Duke was one of the teams that recruited Lewis Clinch and lost the recruiting battle to Tech, it is obvious that Clinch is considered to be a special talent.

Yes, thank you Duke for deeming Lewis Clinch special because of YOUR interest. After all, with players like Shavlik Randolph consistently coming out of the program, anyone you touch MUST be special!!!!

Football Notes - Friday

Bad news for our highest rated incoming recruit - Anthony Barnes. He injured his right knee yesterday during practice. Coach says he will like miss the rest of pre-season and the Auburn game for sure. Barnes had moved to LB and was getting reps with the 2nd team..............A nice FREE practice report from Scout.com............. Nice story on Reggie Ball.......... The Auburn scrimmage is going to be behind closed doors since they have all the "stuff" into their gameplan that they will be using - or so they say........ The Fridge is trying a new approach to his team this season...........

Cool New Feature

Ok - in the interest of advancing technology I am trying something new. Below the google ad box you will notice a new box called "latest news". There you will find direct links to the latest stories on Georgia Tech. Why is this different from what I do already? Well, this makes it even easier for me to provide new links without having to create new blog entries. If I see a site - boom - I can create a link and there it is. For the techno-savy, I am using the del.icio.us taggin technology combined with feeddigest.com. Don't ask if you don't know. Anyhow - enjoy and check that box often for new stuff.........