January 7, 2017

Don't Be This (UGA) Parent

I typically love anything I read that casts a shadow over the UGA program. Occasionally when I talk to other fans that drop that "well I root for Tech whenever they aren't playing UGA" line extending that olive branch towards perhaps an "I don't really hate UGA" response. I can honestly say that such a asinine, ridioicuous notion has ever crossed my mind. If youre one of these people, more power to you... not me, I hate UGA, their coach, their players, their barking and their disturbingly obsessive blogs covering  the time they cried because somebody hurt their kudzu bushes next to the field or how they salivate 365 on prospective high-school boys who may come to practice one day... (Im kidding... but seriously)

Having said that...


This is one of the most ridiculous and unbelievably sad posts I've seen in a while.... If his dad is disappointed or feels he's gotten a bad deal - understandable; but how he decided to handle this situation is a pretty good snapshot of how many parents attempt to place themselves at the center of their kids athletic experience; how they handle and control the ups and downs and their overly gross-involvement throughout the entire process. Long story short, the kid is a walk-on kicker, accepted a spot as a walk-on kicker, went into the season knowing he was a walk-on kicker.... (ended up being the #1 guy due to another player getting injured). Many walk-ons will later be granted scholarships; during a post-season meeting Coach Smart met with him and his parents, they didn't like what they heard... which was similar to what was said in a previous meeting (we don't have a scholarship available) the parent hears a conclusive decision being presented (I guess Coach Smart isn't allowed to be indecisive or unsure; his intentions are obviously targeted and malicious in nature). 


In reality there are only two possible scenarios:

  1. Smart is Being Honest (he is)
  2. Smart is lying and conjures up sales pitch to retain a very valuable, key-contributor as a walk-on. A position where he can walk at any time for greener grass... (since its easy to "hide" superstars/SEC recruiting isn't that competitive; not like coaches take helicopters to games or private fights across country for an hr in-home visit, oh wait nm.)

"just like a business manager refusing to give a raise to an employee during a sit-down meeting, he was extremely well-prepared with his list of grievances."

No, so you mean there are two perspectives or points of few? positives and negatives? He has a list that differs from your highlight reel version? no way. A list of grievances to you may be a list of reasons why we aren't given him a scholarship (hard to hear).

There are 2 options here:
1. walk-away (tranfer)
2.  stay, hope offer improves

X. have daddy boo-hoo all over the internet and media hoping it gets better. 

The sad part... this won't effect dad too much. It may internally, at home at work, etc. But the person it effects the most is his son. I cannot even begin to imagine the type of stuff, negative attention, unfair judgement and everything else he's now got to deal with (and did not bring upon himself).  The amount of negative attention that will be floating around his classmates, teammates, message boards and blogs, via the media, twitter, his relationship with his coaches, his friends, fans and his teammates... Is now a unnecessary distraction from what he is there to do, and agreed to do every day. 

Coach Smart said he came to Georgia as a walk-on and had to earn a scholarship, so he knows what our son is feeling.

This is called empathy, so is this implied to be insincere? This isn't Pop-Warner, mean ole' Georgia in the SEC... daddy come rescue me, scream at coach, email all the newspapers... like your son is in college? did you ever consider the fact it could be a bit unpredictable? change a major? fail a class? make a mistake? new direction? change mind? I mean that occasionally happens at that time in your life. Is it ok to be disspaoiinted or have a chip on your shoulder? no doubt, how will you respond? say someday your son sits down with his business manager and refuses to give him raise during a sit-down meeting will you be there to arbitrate that case? whos hand will be hold? He's not 6? When do you become old enough to handle your own problems? Sometimes you learn from it.

I once read a story about a walk-on kid from Alabama that cleaned gutters, worked odd jobs... his mom didn't send him any money, she actually Lived WITH him in his college dorm, they had none. His sophomore year loans didn't come through and had to pay $550 the next day couldn't go to school or play football and had no idea what to do. The next day found a letter from discover in his mailbox despite not having a credit card, found two blank checks and called number on the letter wast told he has $1000 credit line. He wrote one check for $550 to pay half of his tuition and one for $450 to pay his rent. After 3 seasons as a walk-on his senior year finally got his scholarship... but above all, back against the wall the kid made things happen, and still does... his team plays in the national championship tomrrow night.

His goes on to cluelessly give his assessment of value, accolades and contributions (means well... but through fathers eyes of 1, not a manager of 85+ player on a roster) He has no clue what he is talking about. He's a kicker, to put it in perspective, here are teams Gary Anderson and Morten Andersen (2 top PK in NFL history) played for: Bills, Steelers, Eagles, 459ers, Titans, Saints, Falcons, Giants,, Chiefs and Vikings... Their coaches must have tried the same trick!

The entire letter can best be read towards the bottom, eliminate everything else and this is the truth, and the only time in which he puts he looks at things from his sons point of view: 

  • Rodrigo loves UGA
  • he loves Dawg Nation
  • he loves his teammates
  • he loves being a starting player in the SEC
  • he loves his major field of study
...and this father cannot break his son’s heart by asking him to transfer to a school.

Well it's not about you pop, its not about how you "appreciate his talents" or his "accrued resume", or "you experience" or what "you feel" hes owed, deserves and is not getting. If all of the above is true, on a team or in life, is it worth dealing with the tough times? or fighting for? or staying course? I believe so, and would think most people do.

Actually in sounds to me like the type of kid that knows exactly what and where he needs to be.... so in that regard, you didn't do everything wrong. You can speak for you but not for him. He said so, Get a grip... and delete your twitter account... thanks!

February 4, 2016

Paul Johnson

7 Season @ Georgia Tech

3x ACC Coach of The Year (only person ever named ACC Coach of the Year in his first two seasons) and named National Coach of the Year in 2008 by CBS Sports.
CPJ won more games in his first 6 seasons than any other coach is GT history... including more than CFB Legend John Heisman.

CPJ has finished top 6 nationally rushing in all 7 seasons, leading the nation in 2010/2014 and finishing second in 2011.7/ 10-best seasons of total offense in school history have come under Johnson.
Under Johnson, Tech has finished either first or second in ACC Coastal Division 6 /7 seasons; playing in three ACC Championship Games in his seven years.

Tech has 4 10+ win seasons since 1957... 2 of those have been under Johnson (avg 8.2 wins/yr)
Since coming to The Flats, Johnson has posted winning record vs. Florida St. (including first win at FSU in school history in 09) & Clemson (widely regarded as ACC's best) and has a 2-2 record vs. UGA in Athens. Prior to Johnson, GT won only 3 times in Athens in 1975.

The Jackets have scored 30+ points in 49 games since he arrived, and he's 14-7 at Tech in games decided by five points or less. Johnson is 7-2 in home games against top-25 opponents. (CMR 16-23 vs. top 25 teams since 2007.) In 2009, Tech earned its highest national ranking (7th) since 1999.

Tech did not fire Brian Gregory

YEARCOACHRECCONFACC FINISH
2011–12Brian Gregory11–204-1212
2012–13Brian Gregory16–156-1212
2013–14Brian Gregory16–176-1212
2014–15Brian Gregory12–193-1515
-
2007–08Paul Hewitt15–1715-99
2008–09Paul Hewitt11–1711-1414
2009–10Paul Hewitt23–1323-99
2010–11Paul Hewitt13–1813-1111
2008Paul Johnson9–45–3T–1st (Coastal)
2009Paul Johnson10–37–11st (Coastal)
2010Paul Johnson6–74–4T–3rd (Coastal)
2011Paul Johnson8–55–3T–2nd (Coastal)
2012Paul Johnson7–75–3T–1st (Coastal)
2013Paul Johnson7–65–3T–2nd (Coastal)
2015
GUARANTEED
Last Season
2016$1,075,000.00$1,075,000.00BUYOUT 2015
201775% Buyout$1,075,000.00$806,250.00$2,418,750.00LASTLAST
201850% Buyout$1,075,000.00$537,500.00BUYOUT 2015$1,343,000.00LAST
BUYOUT 2016$537,000.00
BUYOUT 2017
2015
GUARANTEED
Current Season
2016$3,020,000.00$3,020,000.00
$9,040,000.00
2017$3,020,000.00$3,020,000.00
2018IF FIRED 2017$1,000,000.00$1,000,000.00
2019or before = 1 mil /yr$1,000,000.00$1,000,000.00BUYOUT 2015
2020Buyout remainder$1,000,000.00$1,000,000.00

BCS Bowl Games
BCS BOWL APPEARANCES SINCE 2010
OregonAlabama Ohio StStanfordFSUWisconsin GA Tech
6554332
2010 Rose Bowl2010 BCS NCG2010 Rose Bowl2011 Orange2013 Orange2011 Rose2010 Orange
2011 BCS NCG2012 BCS NCG2011 Sugar2012 Fiesta2014 BCS NCG2012 Rose2015 Orange
2012 Rose2013 BCS NCG2014 Orange2013 Rose2015 Rose2013 Rose
2013 Fiesta2014 Sugar2015 Sugar2014 Rose
2015 BCS NCG2015 Sugar2015 BCS NCG
2015 Rose
AuburnBoise StateClemsonFloridaOklahomaTCUVA Tech
2222222
2011 BCS NCG2010 Fiesta2012 Orange2010 Sugar2011 Fiesta2010 Fiesta2011 Orange
2014 BCS NCG2015 Fiesta2014 Orange2013 Sugar2014 Sugar2011 Rose2012 Sugar
1
ArizonaArkansasBaylorCincinnatiUConnIowaKansas St
2015 Fiesta2011 Sugar2014 Fiesta2010 Sugar2011 Fiesta2010 Orange2013 Fiesta
LouisvilleLSU MichiganMichigan StMiss StNIUNotre Dame
2013 Sugar2012 BCS NCG2012 Sugar2014 Rose2015 Orange2013 Orange2013 BCS NCG
Okahoma StTexasUCFWest VirginiaGeorgiaSouthern CalPenn State
2012 Fiesta2010 BCS NCG2014 Fiesta2012 Orange0

January 3, 2016

Some Things Never Change

The date was 10 1010 october 10, 2010 game three I remember going down buying a ticket for $30 and thinking how ridiculous it was to get a ticket like to Atlanta, The brace it just came back to take a lead into Craig Kimbrel came on in the ninth-inning and it was within one out away from taking it to one series lead and having a chance to Clinchit home the next day and Bobby Cox's Final season Kimber want the next guy doubled and Conrad's are the Braves lost one with devastating games are for bidden to. That night was a kind of a mock microcosm of how it is to be a Braves fan I can't win no matter what.

in Atlanta you can buy $30 tickets to playoff games after you win 10 years in a row because "fans" don't go the games. In Atlanta you're expected to sign big free-agents to win now a Ugglas Upton's... When that doesn't work blame the farm system, for not doing things "the right way",  in Atlanta when you copy the exact blue print of other successful trams letter midmarket and went from the worst of making the playoffs in one year, trams like Pitsburgh, NY Mets, Kansas City, San Francisco...well that's not good either. Because if you do that in Atlanta - you're obviously on part of the giant conspiracy and you were hired as the general manager because you don't want to when you want them to lose, better yet you're trying to lose.

Braves build new park to increase fan experience 

Don't need a new park, need to build a team

Braves fans expect a winner without showing up to the games, build new stadium.

Don't need new stadium, need to build new team that's a winner worthy of their attendance.
Braves fans want a club that wins now not far in future, but also need to think about the future and not hastily make poor decisions in an attempt to win now. 

For Braves fans the sky was falling on 10/10/10 in the playoffs, it was falling going all in on Upton, Uggla and Ugly moves and it's falling when they fold their hand and play for next year... and chances are whether they are winning, losing or 81-81 they'll find a way to say it's falling then too. 

But you see the road through Atlanta is always 1 way. If I was a player going out to try to win every single day or in management or an not a sports fan at all... and I see my fanbase ripping me from keyboards or a Facebook wall post, I'd ask myself what the hell I owe you? When your already down, probably nobody more disappointed than yourself - why would anyone want to play hard for a fanbase ripping you 4 games in with 158 left to go? If we started 4-0 would the outlook be any different? In Atlanta... you can't win, don't deserve to win.

In Chicago and Boston and most other places not called-Atlanta... You just show up, win, lose or draw and you support your team whether it's 1 or 100 years, that's what being a fan is about. You don't need Friday night fireworks, kids running bases, Tooner Field, Zombie Night or Any other sideshow to sell it, you go to the game to go to the game. Can you be disappointed? Pissed off? Angry? Sure, but nobody jumps ship, bandwagons during the highs and lows and is less committed 365 then Atlanta fans. I laugh every season when UGA Loses and somebody posts "always a dawg" like their special or really unique, thinking "congrats, your normal, you average sports fan, have a cookie for your deep compassion and loyalty.

The sad thing is that it's actually true, their "the unique" and the minority. Atlanta just doesn't get it... and. probably never will.