Learning what we already know....
Early this week the world found out just how blessed our Auburn football program is to have Gene Chizik as the CEO. Something most of us already believed. In an article exploring the terrible tragedy of the Porter family auto accident, there are life lessons.
Always a Roy Williams fan, Porter gained a better understanding of the kind of compassion North Carolina's head basketball coach has when he received a sympathy letter from him in January. He also learned a little more about Auburn head football coach Gene Chizik, who expressed his sympathy on Lovell's voicemail around 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, approximately three hours after leading his team to a win in the Chick Fil-A Bowl.
While leaving a voicemail may not seem like much on the surface, the little things have helped the Porter family through these tough times. WE could all learn a lesson from that
Show compassion, do what you can to help, and do a little extra each day for someone else. Roy Williams, and Gene Chizik get it.
UGA looses another RB....
In what has to be a concern to Georgia Bulldog fans, another star Running Back has decided to leave the program, this time, it's of his own free will.
Bulldogs coach Mark Richt announced Tuesday that Thomas has decided to switch schools for his senior season. Richt said he and Thomas discussed the decision and that he wishes him the best.
Looking around....
Each week I plan to do a little looking around at the other conferences, and their respective divisions to see who may just be able to upset the apple cart of SEC BCS Championships. We have discussed the possibility of other conferences being able to do just that, and now I will explore whom within those conferences has the best shot at being "that team".
After looking around the world wide web, I found an excellent post about the Nebraska Cornhuskers. I had already had an inkling that they would be my choice among their Legends Division rivals in the Big 10, and the more I look into their returning players, the more I am convinced that they are the team to beat in that division.
There are plenty of returning players with game experience, lots of Seniors and Juniors for leadership, and a very good coaching staff. The balance seems right, but the thing that impresses me the most? It's the language of the players. They are talking and acting an awful lot like the Seniors that were on the Tigers squad just prior to the magical 2010 season. Keep an eye on Nebraska, this upcoming season, they are going to be good. They intend to be great.
Comment of the week....
This weeks winner is Tiger on the mountain
Initially, I had the same thoughts about Updyke...regarding leniency ...
But it will be hard to argue that the shear amount of Spike that was dumped wasn’t meant to do anything but kill those trees. What’s he going to say, "I tripped and fell"; "I didn’t know that much would do any harm?". What is he, 5? No, he’s an adult who understands that actions have consequences.
Friday Ramblings ARE the fav part of my Friday…even if I have an extra busy morning and it takes me a while to get around to it :).
If you have to guess why this post was chosen, well then, go stand on Toomer's Corner and look at those trees!
My take....
I'm going a bit off topic here today because of a couple articles I have read over the past few weeks. I know practice started today, and you would much rather read about that, but I became really fired up at the topic, and well, this is where I vent. So, without further delay...
There is a howl about, from the AD's and University Presidents about the treatment of North Carolina by the NCAA vs. the punishment Southern Cal received stemming from their "run-in" with the NCAA investigation team. Many are claiming that UNC "got away" with blatant cheating, and even an assistant coach steering kids to agents. All the while USC was truly punished for its crimes against college athletics.
First off, I want to say this. North Carolina deserved a much worse punishment, until the Tarheel program proved it would do whatever it had to do, to distance itself from the perpetrators. Then the NCAA could look at the school as doing the right thing.
The USC case was different on so many levels. First they denied wrong doing, then did not fully disclose their findings to the NCAA. Then, USC didn't fire the guilty parties. I'll argue, that had Pete Carroll not left USC, he would still be the head football coach. Added to all this, is the fact that the Trojan basketball program was found guilty of major infractions, at basically the same time. Presenting insurmountable proof that the University itself was out of control.
There are two differing philosophies when dealing with the NCAA, work with them, or stubbornly deny all wrong doing, and withhold information they ask for directly.
The difference in the two schools and their punishment is that UNC was smart.
Spring practice....
May all of our players get through spring drills healthy. May they learn their new formations and terminology with due diligence.
We have eagerly anticipated their return to football, even if only for a brief moment in time, we are happy once again.
WAR EAGLE!