Category: Sports

Mission Impossible: 1991 Topps

I will be honest with you.  It has been quite some time since I’ve given a passing thought to 1991 Topps Baseball.  The set was right in the thick of the card boom and in my mind (at the time), not a very attractive card.  There were premium sets such as Leaf, Stadium Club and Upper Deck that were looming over the hobby and Topps just felt tired to me.  They were trying to spice things up with an Instant Win contest that gave collectors a chance at Vintage Topps Cards but it wasn’t enough for me.  I knew my chances were slim.  I had been striking out all season with Donruss Elite after all.  And after owning the 1990 Topps crazy neon colored set, the cards were just bland.  Except for the “40 Years of Baseball” logo in the top corner of the card, it was more of the same from ’88 and ’89.  At least that’s what I thought at the time but as the old saying goes, “Hindsight is 20/20.”

Back in those days, there was also a set of 1991 Topps that made its way overseas to American Soldiers in Iraq, fighting in Desert Storm.  This is a completely different blog post one day but that set didn’t go over quite like Topps thought it might at the time.  But now, the set is one of the most (if not the most) valuable 90’s sets you can get your hands on.  Not only was it produced in smaller numbers than other sets during that time, there were also several soldiers who didn’t collect cards or didn’t care too much about the set.  They would discard them altogether if there was no interest.  This has made the cards even more scarce.  My childhood best friend’s dad was a soldier in the war and I remember him bringing some back home.  Even then, they weren’t of great interest to us because it was ’91 Topps.  Again, that hindsight thing.  But back to the base 1991 Topps Baseball set.  Like I mentioned, I hadn’t thought much about this particular set in quite a while.  Probably since 1991 to be honest.  I have bypassed many packs and boxes over the years, convinced that there was nothing to gain from dropping the money on them.  All of that changed recently, thanks to a Beckett Radio podcast guest, David Wright.  Not the Mets David Wright, but the 1991 Topps David Wright, also known as @longflyball on Twitter.  At any rate, he proceeded to discuss how he had begun a project of trying to put together a master set of ’91 Topps with all of its variations and errors.  As I listened to him explain the set, the errors in the set and the multiple corrections that were attempted over the print run, I found myself thinking about the few ’91 Topps I still had in a shoebox in my closet.  Color me intrigued! 

After hearing the David’s spot on the podcast, I had to start to do a little more research.  This led me to a blog post on Junkwax Gems labeled “Unlisted 1991 Topps Errors.”  I was blown away.  Every card seemed to have some sort of variation.  Whether it was an actual printing error on the card or the wrong player on the wrong card or a different shade of red on the back or even the previously unknown (to me) glow back variation, every card seemed to be affected.  My interest slowly changed to a sense of “there’s no way I could ever do this.”  Where would I start?  How would I ever understand all of the variations?  I decided to start slowly.  Slowly needs to be taken in context though because the base set alone is numbered to 792!  So, I started a spreadsheet with the base cards listed.  Then I added a column for a glow back variation.  Then I went in and added the individual card variations and errors.  Finally, I made a column for the “Bold 40th Logo” variation.  I’ll get into these variations a bit more in a minute.  Let’s keep in mind thought that I am a total novice at this project.  I am flying by the seat of my pants and asking for directions the whole way.  BUT, it’s growing on me and I am currently neck deep in 1991 Topps.  And for the first time in my life, that’s a good thing. Let’s talk about the variations a bit.  This is going to be a 10,000 foot view of those variations too because I still don’t have a good handle on them.  Let’s just say that even the sweepstakes card that is in every single pack has variations…..yeah.  The variations (errors) include different colored borders, airbrush issues, incorrect photos, trademark and registration symbol issues and misspellings, among many other items.  There are a few very valuable variations in the set.  By very valuable, I mean they could approach $100 if given the right circumstances.  The major 3, also the hardest to find, include Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd, Doug Drabek and Mark Whitten.  The Boyd card has a few variations but all related to his hand originally covering part of the 40th Anniversary logo.  There is an airbrushed version with a pink flag and then one with a black line at the end of the pink flag.  Drabek is a hot commodity in the set with a black inset border and white inset border card.  And Whitten has his hand over the border in one card and that has the border over his hand in an obvious rework.  There are others like these but these seem to be the most popular. Then, you have the glow backs.  As far as I can tell, these versions can be found for every card except for the sweepstakes cards.  They may even be there but I haven’t run across any.  In true 90’s fashion, these glow backs are exactly how they sound.  They glow under black light and look like the back of a Spencer’s Gifts in the Mall.  Again, by all accounts, there is likely one for every card in the set.  Can you imagine if we had discovered this in 1991?  There wouldn’t have been enough Zima in the world to top that! The final column of my spreadsheet is one for the bold 40th Anniversary backs.  So far, I have not come across any of those.  I am only midway through my first box and a few jumbo packs in but still, none so far.  These are just how they sound as well.  There are cards with backs that have the 40th Anniversary barely visible and then there are some with the logo very bold on the card.  Take a look at the two versions of the Carlton Fisk card.  Pretty easy to spot but don’t appear easy to find so far.  Maybe it’s the box I have.  So far, every card has been a glow back.  I’m guessing that the print runs are important in the boxes.  And that is what we all a bold assumption. Of course, apart from the errors and variations, you have the classic Topps back tidbits, as discussed in my previous post, Remembering Card Backs.  I mentioned the Ken Howell card that stated that he and his wife were building a house in Michigan.  It seems that Mickey Tettleton also “lists Froot Loops among his favorite foods.”  Look at that again.  He lists it among his favorite FOODS.  We’re not talking about his favorite cereal.  This is right up there with steak and shrimp friends.  This is info that you can only find on the back of baseball cards.  The other staple for 1991 was gum!  I am not chewing it but it definitely brings back that familiar smell when you open a pack.  I call it the scent of nostalgia.  I’d wear it as cologne if I could bottle it.  1991 would be the last year they put gum in the packs.  Which meant it was also the last year you could find an authentic “gum stained” back.   I have just begun this journey and the spreadsheet will undoubtedly grow.  I will probably be old and feeble (I’m already 40) before I am ever able to pull this together.  And that is IF I am able to pull this together.  Right now, I am committed.  I think about ’91 Topps in my sleep.  I head to my kitchen table whenever I have free time to rip a few packs.  That will die down a little as time passes, like anything else would.  But, I will remain steadfast in my journey to continue to work on this set.  It may come and go from time to time but I won’t pass up any packs or boxes when I see them at the flea market or a garage sale.  No, there is value to this set for me now.  

Here is the part where I get on my soapbox.  I’m still learning to appreciate the many variations of the meaning of value.  It used to be about the Mike Trout Auto or the Kris Bryant Relic.  But I have learned to glean value from other sources that are more affordable.  Value to me can be described as committing to learn something new about a product and setting a goal to reach.  Several of my twitter friends have their own goals.  They want to obtain a certain number of a particular player or they want a card from each set of a particular player.  No matter the actual goal, the only way for us to reach them is to be a part of this community and help one another.  I will never know enough about the ’91 Topps set on my own so I lean on David Wright and Kin Kinsley and others.  That’s the only way I’ll get there.  But that’s what it’s all about to me now; making those connections and being good stewards to the hobby.

My plan is to periodically update my progress on the set.  Maybe there is info I can pass along to you if you are interested.  Or maybe you can help me and correct some of the misconceptions I may have so far on the set.  Either way, I’m here to help when I can and I appreciate those that are here to do the same in return.  Until that next update comes, happy collecting and keep the hobby alive!

J-Dub

Gems Of The Junk Wax Era

    As a 39 year old (40 in a month, geez), I began my sports card collecting in the late 80’s as a youngster of about 10.  I picked up a very small amount in 1987-1988 but I really hit my stride in 1989, at 12.  I loved the three major sports but baseball was the most accessible and the easiest to collect.  I would buy (or mom would), trade, build super teams and use my stat knowledge to help me in RBI Baseball on NES.  I took my cards to school, to friends houses and scoured Beckett Monthly to monitor the prices.  As a 12 year old, I fantasized about owning some of those mid 1950’s cards and being a sports card tycoon.  

I was dissapointed to find out that my dad did own some of those vintage cards but he and my uncle used them to make their bicycle spokes click or as a bat to hit tinfoil baseballs in the backyard.  They were sitting on a gold mine and didn’t even know it.  Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Willie Mays.  Those cards today are worth thousands if in the proper condition.  The kind of condition that is fostered by not using them as tinfoil ball bats.  Of course, therein lies the rub.  The reason they are so valuable now is there are very few in good condition because most kids didn’t know what they had.  They were collectible trinkets that came with gum and were just cool to play with.  Nobody knew they would explode some 30+ years later.  Only then did the majority of collectors start scrambling for good condition baseball cards.The hobby grew and reached a gluttonous peak in the late 80’s-early 90’s in what is referred to now as the “Junk Wax Era.”  Call it bad timing for me but I deem this era specifically as 1987-1994.  These years are debatable but card companies began ramping up production in 1987 to meet the new demand in the hobby and it ran extremely hot (and overproduced) to its peak and declined rapidly during the baseball strike of 1994.  Sure, there were tons more cards produced in the late 90’s that were rather weak but to be honest, I lost interest in 1994 with the strike and with turning 17.  I lost interest in baseball with many other fans when the players held out.  It took me a while to come back but I would eventually pick back up and am going stronger now than I ever have thanks to the additions of autographs and other cool products that have me reinvigorated.  

But back to the so-called Junk Wax Era.  There are a few reasons for this name.

  1. Cards from this era hold very little value with some exceptions that I will note later.  When collectors realized that cards had value, everybody wanted in.  The problem is that if everybody has something, that something is not very valuable on the market.
  2. Demand pushed supply.  And boy did supply explode.  There are rumors of some card sets in the early 90’s producing 5 million copies of a single card.  Any collector knows that the more of an item is available, the less valuable it is.  Pretty much like #1.
  3. Just like the collectors wanted a piece of the hobby, more card companies popped up and wanted a piece of the market.  What was once a hobby consisting of mainly Topps Cards had grown to include Donruss, Fleer, Upper Deck, Leaf, Bowman, Studio, Triple Play, Purina, K Mart, KayBee Toys, you name it.  Everybody wanted in.  To be fair, Bowman was an original card company but was bought out by Topps in 1956.  They would be out of the hobby until making a return in 1989.  
  4. Extremely large card sets were being produced in this era with some sets up to 800+ cards.  If there are 800 cards in a set, what are your odds of finding a valuable card in a 15 card pack?  These sets included everybody from the long reliever to the managers.  If you chose 10 packs of any one set in that era, you are most likely going to have 9 packs of commons by the time you’re done, if not more.

All of these reasons point to the product being “Junk”.  The wax part comes in with the wrapper.  Most collectors remember a time when cards were packaged in wax or cellophane wrappers. This changed in the early 90’s too as some companies began to experiment with tamper proof wrappers.  But wax was still available in most sets until later in the 90’s.  

While all of the above is to try to explain the “Junk Wax Era”, I’m actually here to wax poetically about it, no pun intended.  I thought I was alone in my affinity for the cards of this overblown era.  I didn’t imagine many people having fond memories of these overproduced cuts of cardboard.  My age helps.  I was a prime collecting target during that time and they are the cards I was raised on.  But still, I thought I was probably 1 of 10 people that might be pouring through eBay listings looking for a reasonable price on 1989 Donruss so I could go back to when I was 12.  But I knew each time I clicked “Buy Now”, I was just buying memories and nothing more.  Or so I thought.A few months ago, I was introduced to a podcast called “Wax Ecstatic” hosted by Matt Sammon.  If heaven were a podcast, this is how I imagine it would be.  On this podcast, Matt goes through a “monster box” of cards from his youth, one yearly set at a time discussing the card set and the player featured on his randomly pulled card.  I’ve learned quite a bit I didn’t know about these sets and the players themselves.  It’s also completely unleashed a wave of nostalgia that has me wanting to buy older cards again.  This podcast came along at just the right time for me as I had begun to bog down in the sheer number of products that are now available.  It’s also motivated me to dig through these old sets and compile this list.  So Matt, many thanks!  Check him out on ITunes or at @waxandgumstains on Twitter.  Sometimes, you just have to go back to a simpler time and enjoy what made you the collector you are today.

Which brings me to my list of 10 Gems of the Junk Wax Era.  There are certainly more than 10 as all lists are debatable and opinion but I have compiled a list of cards or sets or subsets that can make that rip through an old wax box an exciting trip down memory lane that could also potentially pay off.  The list is only in year order and will likely never be comparable to those 1950’s pieces of cardboard gold.  But let’s face it, the cats out of the bag and those values will never be seen again with common cards.  But it’s not always about monetary value either.  Sometimes, there is a ton of value found in nostalgia.

1.  1987 Topps – This one is pretty much related to nostalgia but this set may be one of the best complete sets made in the 80’s.  Topps used a lovely 1986 Station Wagon wood grain design that has made it a unique and lasting image in the card world.  I even created my own 1987 Topps this past summer.  There are quite a few nice rookies found in this set that include Jose Canseco (All Star Rookie), Mark McGwire, Wally Joyner, Bobby Bonilla, Reuben Sierra and Barry Bonds.  But my favorite rookie card of the bunch was the colorful Future Star of Bo Jackson.  Easily a top 5 all time card for me.  There are a lot of commons and manager cards that can be found in these packs too but the set is a must have for die hard collectors.  And, for less than $20 a box, the investment price point is a plus!

2.  1989 Fleer Billy Ripken – You’ll have to google this one to get the full story but this gem can actually be found in a ton of different variations but 5 main versions are discussed frequently.  In summary, Mr. Ripken was asked by Fleer to snap a photo for their baseball card collection and grabbed a bat with a hilarious obscenity written on the bat knob.  He’s holding the bat on his shoulder and displaying the dirty talk for all to see, allegedly unbeknownst to him.  The funniest version to own is the original card with the words inscribed on the bat.  This card actually made it off the press and into packs during early print runs.  It was eventually caught and Fleer tried to clean it up in a myriad of ways.  There is a black box version with what appears to be black electrical tape over the words but is actually just a photo shop.  Then a whiteout version, which is just how it sounds.  Then the black scribble version, again self explanatory.  Finally, there is the white scribble version.  I don’t know why they choose to goof this card up in so many different ways but thank God they did because it’s a fun card to chase.  This card even has its own website at www.billripken.com.  
3.  1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. – Ok, this one actually might be “the card.”  I’ve discussed it in this blog before but I’ll give a quick refresher.  This is the first major card I actually sought out during the Beckett days.  This was a card that was valued at $100+ in the early 90’s and was available in packs that could still be found at card shops.  This wasn’t pie in the sky 1953 Mickey Mantle.  This was obtainable.  And wouldn’t you know, I didn’t obtain it until my mid 30’s when my wife bought me the complete set.  I tried for years to pull this card in a pack, refusing all along to pay the money for the single card.  In hindsight, I could’ve bought the card 5 times with the amount of money I spent on the packs probably.  I specifically remember a youth group trip to Helen when me and Ken Forrester bought some baseball cards.  He got one (maybe two if memory serves) and I got a John Olerud.  Jealousy was, and still is, a stinky cologne.  There are plenty of 1989 packs still available on EBay but the odds of pulling one from a pack have dwindled as the previously advertised random collation has been figured out by stealthy collectors and the cards have been picked over in most boxes and packs available.  Risky but still a fun chase whenever I have a few bucks burning a hole in my pocket.

 
4.  1989 Donruss – This may fall a bit flat but this one is a personal favorite of mine.  This was the first card set I was able to collect intensely.  It was readily available in the Camilla Wal Mart and the Suwanee Swifty down the street from my house.  You could find 1989 Donruss just about anywhere.  It was colorful, affordable and had Ken Griffey Jr. much more accessible to me.  I loved the Diamond King drawings, the MVP subset and the Rated Rookies.  Boxes of 1989 Donruss are still very affordable and you stand a solid chance of pulling a Griffey in 1 of the 36 packs that come in the box.  Of course, there are also Craig Biggio, John Smoltz, Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling rookies to find.  And if you want a particularly scary card, google the 1989 Donruss Ron Washington.  Eeesh.
5.  1990 Topps Frank Thomas No Name Front – This is an error card that still holds tremendous value.  The search of this card on eBay reveals prices ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 depending on whether it’s graded well or not.  I have no idea how many were printed or what the odds of pulling one are but they are considered to be the rarest error cards to be found.  They are rumored to only be available in boxes manufactured on the east coast before the error was found.  A little known, or discussed, fact is that there were other no name fronts that printed in the set and sell for $50-$75 on eBay as well.  Kind of makes me want to buy a box of 1990 Topps.  These types of prices are unheard of in the Junk Wax Era, with the exception of 1992 Bowman.  You probably have a better chance of winning the lottery but it’s still worth the occasional $20 bill to take a shot.

6.  1990 Donruss John Smoltz Error – I can hear the boo’s as I type this.  1990 Donruss may be one of the top 5 worst sets of all time.  I will openly admit that.  It’s horrible….abysmal.  Look up the definition of Junk Wax and you’ll see a picture of 1988 Donruss, 1990 Donruss, 1991 Fleer and 1993 Pinnacle.  But just look at this card.  How can anyone confuse Tom Glavine for John Smoltz?  I’m a Braves fan so it has some added value to me but this card belongs on my top 10 Junk Wax list.  I love it and there is nothing you can say to change my mind.  So, we’ll move on.

7.  Upper Deck Heroes Autograph Inserts 1990-1992 – Beginning in 1990, Upper Deck raised the bar on what was already an excellent entry into the hobby in 1989.  They introduced an autograph insert of Reggie Jackson numbered to 2500.  They followed it up with a Nolan Ryan insert in the low series in 1991, a Hank Aaron insert in the high series in 1991 and a Ted Williams insert in the 1992 set.  There is no real guess on how many of these cards are still out there in a wax box waiting to be found but the relatively low price point on these boxes make taking a shot worthwhile.  These can also be found on EBay for purchase but you better break out the checkbook.  While it’s hard to imagine that an autograph numbered to 2500 can compare to those today that are as low as 1/1, we are talking about one player in the set and print runs of astronomical numbers.  These are legit Junk Wax gems.  

8.  1991 Topps Desert Shield – Anybody my age remembers the first major war of our generation, Desert Storm.  Baseball cards were so big in 1991, Topps created a set and shipped them to Saudi Arabia for soldiers to collect.  The only real difference in the Desert Shield cards and basic 1991 Topps was the Gold Logo in the upper corner of the card created specifically for the set.  An article on www.sportscollectorsdaily.com details the thoughts of one collector who received the cards overseas.  He said that while some soldiers enjoyed them, many tossed them aside or burned them in 55 gallon drums.  I suppose there were more important things going on at the time.  But now, the Desert Shield cards are one of the most valuable sets in the card industry.  In 2012, a complete set sold for just north of $75,000.  Unopened boxes sell for $5,000.  Individual graded cards of stars like Chipper Jones, Ken Griffey Jr. and Nolan Ryan go for over $1,000.  Looking back on it, I should’ve brokered a deal with my neighbors dad for some of these cards in 1991 instead of asking him to sign my Desert Storm Tank Card.  Hindsight is 20/20.

9.  1991 Donruss Elite – The first elusive chase card for me was the Elite.  I tried for the Reggie Auto in 1990 but I was realistic in my chances, or lack thereof, of landing one.  The Elite Series introduced in 1991 Donruss was a different story.  This subset included 10 stars on cards with serial numbered print runs up to 10,000.  Again, it’s a far cry from the small print runs of today but in 1991, 10,000 card print runs were minuscule.  These cards were all valued over $100 in the Beckett magazine when they came out.  The packs were around $1.00 and there was a possibility of pulling a $100+ card.  A real possibility.  I watched one of my best friends, David Shook, pull an André Dawson one afternoon as we ripped packs at his house.  It was a party, let me tell you.  I never pulled one in the 1991 set but I did snag a Robin Yount in 1993.  It was a good one but not as good as it would’ve been in 1991.  Serial numbered cards weren’t all that new anymore.  This is another card that has an unknown number of copies still out there in unsealed packs.  1990 Donruss boxes can be bought for less than $10.00, just saying.

10.  1992 Bowman – This was on the most recent podcast of Wax Ecstatic and a big reason I decided to pan back over this era to remember the cards of value.  1992 Bowman is loaded with superstar rookies like Chipper Jones, Mike Piazza, Mariano Rivera and Manny Ramirez, among others.  These cards have held their value because of the strong rookie class and the relatively low print run, considering the year.  Boxes still sell for $150-$250 depending on the reliability of the seller but the cards are very valuable for the era and can be mega value for the era if graded well.  Perhaps the finest point of 1992 Bowman is the pure 90’s photography.  The cards are iconic in this realm.  Many of the photos aren’t in baseball uniforms but in swaggy clothing that can only be identified as early 90’s.  I don’t know where Bowman got the idea and it must not have been well received because it was a one hit wonder as 1993 was back to basic uniforms.  But damn am I glad they did it.  This one is a little pricey but you will find value in this set.

So, as you can see, the Junk Wax Era had some punch.  Of course for every 1989 Upper Deck there was a 1988 Donruss, 1989 Bowman and 1991 Score, but the era has the moniker for a reason.  I guess the moral of the story is that you can find value in different ways.  Sometimes, the cards can mean something to you.  Sometimes, they can be valuable and put a few dollars in your wallet.  Sometimes, they can just make you laugh.  But they make you feel something.  They take you back to a simpler time in your life.  They remind you what it was like to be a kid.  And for me, that’s what the hobby is really about.  Sure, I enjoy pulling the Russell Wilson auto numbered to 5.  But I also enjoy pulling the 1989 Topps Orel Hershiser because it reminds me of the night I talked my dad into buying me a pack on the way to the lake.  I was instructed not to open the pack until we got to the lake because I was in trouble.  I managed to slip the wax open and see the Hershiser.  I was just curious.  I sealed it back up but I think he caught the aroma of Topps gum and the stunt led me to not being able to open them until he decided I could, which was after the trip when we were back home.  That’s something money can’t buy.  

Here’s to continued collecting and hoping you can still enjoy some old wax from time to time.  The hits are still there.  They are just a little harder to find and a little less flashy than the newer ones.

J-Dub


The Life of A Dawg

I’ve been a Georgia Bulldog all my life.  I’ve had other teams that I’ve enjoyed watching along the way but the Dawgs have always been my team.  I have Red and Black coarsing through my veins.  But I’ll be honest, it hasn’t always been easy.  In fact, it’s been hard work a lot of the time.  My wife is a Dawg.  My daughters are Dawgs.  My nine year old is named Bailey, wink wink.  And we didn’t even mess around with our youngest – her name is Georgia.  There is no denying our heritage.  We love our state and we love our home team.  But sometimes I wonder how much our team loves us.Make no mistake, I am used to being disappointed with sports teams.  I’m from Georgia.  The Atlanta Braves won 14 consecutive division titles in the 90’s and early 2000’s.  They have 1 World Series ring.  The Falcons last made a Super Bowl appearance in 1998.  And the Hawks?  Well….Cleveland makes out like they have problems.  They still have Ohio State and Lebron.  My love for my team never falters but it’s not because they don’t test me.I started regularly attending Georgia games in 1996.  There have been some good times.  I was at the Outback Bowl beatings of the Big 10 and their studs Drew Brees and Ron Dayne.  We’ve been on a nice overall run against the Nerds from the Tech School over that last 20 years.  The Hobnail Boot was thrilling.  As was Michael Johnson in the back of the end zone on the plains.  But those highs have usually been equaled by excruciating losses.  I won’t list them all but there are some that really stick out and will live with me at least until we get back to the promised land that has eluded us since 1980.1996 – This was my first true in person heart breaker. Ole Miss comes to Sanford Stadium with a 1-5 SEC record while the Dawgs are at 3-4. Neither team was very good but we did have Mike Bobo, Hines Ward and Robert Edwards. We held a 13 point lead at the half. Ole Miss dominated us in the second half and scored with 3:19 left in the game to take the 31-27 lead. From our own 1 yard line, Bobo hit a streaking Hines Ward who had an 8-10 yard head start on the Ole Miss DB. One of the top 5 all time greatest Dawgs was hawked down at the Ole Miss 16 yard line and they proceeded to hold us on downs. Ball game….as we exited through the visitors section, they rained down cups and popcorn and ice on us. I will never forget that feeling. It’s come back around a couple of times too.1997 – #7 UGA at 7-1, riding high off of a huge win over the hated Gators welcomed the #16 Auburn Tigers to Sanford. The welcome wagon didn’t stay out long. Dameyune Craig (yeah, it’s spelled right) put up 45 big ones on us and crushed our dreams of winning the East. The Tennessee Vols, our only other SEC loss won the east and went on to beat Auburn in the SEC Championship.  I attended my frat SEC Championship game that year with my uncle, an Auburn fan.  Talk about bittersweet.1999 – Auburn again. This time they were a paltry 4-5 with a terrible quarterback named Ben Leard. We were 6-2 with hotshot Quincy Carter. Another in person doozy as UGA laid a tremendous egg in the first half and trailed 31-0 at the intermission. We tried to make it a game but lost 38-21 and our season was sunk once again. Jim Donnan as our head coach was getting pretty old to me at this point.2002 – After a couple more mediocre seasons from Donnan, we brought in Mark Richt in 2001. He paid some quick dividends and led us to a 13-1 record in his second season, and subsequently an SEC Championship, during that same year. Here’s where it gets hairy, no pun intended. We lost to the #22 Florida Gators thanks to a weak overall and truly abysmal special teams effort, which came to be the calling card of the Richt coached teams over the latter years. We gave up 21 catches to Carlos Perez and Kelvin Kight as a part of a 339 yard effort from Rex Grossman. And Mr. Billy Bennett missed a pair of second half field goals.  Oh and Penn Wagers was the official.  We eventually lost 20-13. That loss removed us from National Championship consideration. We finished 3rd that season and the only silver lining was a beating of FSU to close out the season. This may have been the closest we would get to a national championship game in the last 20 years, if not for what now feels like a tremendously long 5 yards in 2012. But more on that later.2004 – We started the season ranked #5 and reached #3 until we ran into #17 ranked Tennessee Volunteers and they held us to a paltry 56 yards rushing to beat us 19-14. Erik “freaking” Ainge!!

2005 – Lost heartbreakers to Florida and Auburn and eventually won the SEC Championship. Still lost the bowl game to WVU that year. Up and down season but should have been better.  We just haven’t been able to beat Auburn, Tennessee, Florida, GT and USC(e) in the same season.2007 – Here is another one that sticks in my memory. We finished the season ranked #2 in the AP poll but didn’t even get to the SEC championship thanks to bed wettings vs South Carolina and Tennessee in the early part of the season. We lost to USC(e) 16-12. 4 field goals is all we could muster thanks to some early season suspensions. Then came UT. They led 28-0 by halftime and we never had a shot. I remember this game vividly because my dad had asked me to go over to Fort Gaines and pressure wash the lake house. We had big open windows in the living room so I stood outside watching the game for much of the first half. We went on a tear to close out the season with 6 consecutive wins of 10 or more points. Too little too late though.2008 – #8 UGA vs #5 Florida – An in person drubbing. We drove all the way to Jacksonville Florida to watch the Gators beat us 49-10. This was a week after a huge win for us over LSU and we thought this was our year in Jacksonville. No such luck. We stayed until the bitter end watching Tim Tebow and Urban Meyer calling late timeouts to rub it in. They were still PO’d about our win in 2007. We wound up losing to Tech that year too.  Yeah, it was that bad.2009 – #4 LSU at Sanford Stadium. The Dawgs were ranked #18 and gave LSU all they could handle that day. I remember sitting in the Northeast end zone and this was the loudest I remember the stadium ever being until the last entry in this list. LSU mustered only two field goals for the first half and Georgia was scoreless until the 4th quarter. Finally, after a Shaun Chapas TD catch, Georgia broke through with a 16 yard TD pass to AJ Green with 1:09 seconds remaining to take a 13-12 lead. Then it happened. AJ Green was called for an unsportsmanlike penalty for excessive celebration that would later be admitted to be a mistake by the SEC. What they thought was AJ gesturing to the crowd was actually him stumbling to get out of the mob of teammates.  This gave LSU 15 yards on the kickoff and Trindon Holliday was able to make hay with the short kickoff with a 40 yard return. With :46 seconds remaining, Charles Scott took a handoff, getting initially stopped at the line of scrimmage, for 33 yards and a touchdown to seal the win at 20-13. This one was the first of three BRUTAL last minute losses for the Dawgs in the last seven years.2012 – Finished the season 12-2. This was the fateful 8 yards away season. We first messed ourselves up by losing to South Carolina but they went on to drop games to LSU and Florida to eliminate themselves from SEC contention. This team was loaded with Aaron Murray, Todd Gurley, Alec Ogletree, Jarvis Jones, Keith Marshall, Chris Conley and many others who are now in the big leagues. Of course, the team we played in the SEC Championship was also loaded with the likes of Eddie Lacy, Amari Cooper, TJ Yeldon, CJ Mosley and HaHa Clinton-Dix. We played one of the most physical games we had played since the Bowl Game against Hawaii back in 2007. Down 32-28, Aaron Murray completed a long pass to Arthur Lynch that got the Dawgs to the 8 yard line with less than 20 seconds remaining. Rather than clocking the ball, as has been debated to this day, the Dawgs ran a quick play and threw a pass toward the end zone that was deflected. Chris Conley, out of sheer reflex, caught the deflected pass at the 5 yard line and time expired before we were able to get off another play. That one stings to this day!!2013 –Auburn once again…..this one was a teeth buster. Auburn was ranked #7 in the country and had one of our former players, Nick Marshall, at quarterback. We were down 27-10 at the half but made a furious comeback in the second half, eventually taking the lead with 1:49 remaining on an Aaron Murray 5 yard run on 4th and goal. Elation!! One of the gutsiest performances I have ever seen because he had been mugged for almost 60 minutes. We then held Auburn, putting them in a seemingly unmanageable 4th and 18 from their own 27 yard line. Nick Marshall then threw a desperation pass that was tipped by two of our defenders, who ran into each other, and the ball floated in the air for Ricardo Louis to pull down the 73 yard touchdown pass with :25 seconds remaining to take us down. Murray even completed a couple more long passes with the remaining time but our final pass fell incomplete as time expired. If you think this is as close as you can get to winning a game, then losing, you are wrong.2014 – We jumped out and beat a very good Clemson team week 1 and it spiraled from there.  Todd Gurley got suspended for signing his own autograph for money.  He then came back only to tear his knee.  We did have an awesome freshman named Nick Chubb but he couldn’t play defense too.  We went on to lose to the Cocks by 3 and even dropped the finale to the Nerds.  We even lost to arguably the worst Florida team in decades.2015 – The year that ended the Mark Richt era.  We lost to UT (lost Chubb for the year too) thanks to a wide open drop by Reggie Davis walking into the end zone.  We dropped yet another to Florida and their first year coach.  We were humiliated by Bama at home for the second consecutive time.  We did beat Georgia Southern though, IN OVERTIME!  The season came to a close with Coach Richt exiting stage left and Kirby Smart taking the reigns.2016 – The freshest wounds hurt the worst but this one beats all of the above from the last two decades.  I admit that we are a team in transition.  We are a team that is changing identities.  We are playing a ton of freshmen.  I could’ve accepted a 3 point loss to UT in just about any other way than what happened.  We came out and played as physical as we have all year.  We hit, forced turnovers and even made a field goal.  You know the story by now. After leading the entire game, then losing the lead in the final few minutes, Jacob Eason, the freshman phenom, breaks away from a UT rush to hit a streaking Riley Ridley for a 51 yard TD strike to give the Dawgs a 3 point lead with 10 seconds remaining.  We are struck by another late game unsportsmanlike penalty, a la 2009 LSU, only this one is legit.  We lose 15 yards on the kickoff, then compound it with an offsides penalty.  After allowing a solid return, the Vols have 4 seconds to heave a desperation Hail Mary into the endzone.  And they hit it.  In a matter of 10 ticks on the game clock, we go from 4-1, SEC East drivers seat, huge upset to same old last second heartbreak.  We snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Another year, a new coach, a new team, same result.  But as heartbreaking as it is, I still feel very hopeful about the future.  Maybe I haven’t learned my lesson.  Maybe it’s the curse of being a Dawg.  But I see too many freshmen getting quality minutes.  I see a very talented QB.  I see a running back stable that is 4 deep.  I see a defense that looks like it’s finally gelling after 5 weeks, save for one fluky Hail Mary.  The defense only gave up 20 points to UT if you take away the TD on Eason’s fumble and the TD given to Dobbs that has now been deemed a mistaken call, once again too late.  Take away the fluke Hail Mary and they only gave up 13.  But you can’t take those away in reality.  Mistakes, youth and mental lapses allowed those points.  But all of those things are correctable.  And I have no doubt that Kirby is the man for the job.  So I’m going to keep my head up.  I’m not going to let this game convince me that we are stuck in the same old cycle.  I am going to look forward to continued growth.  I am going to look forward to the tremendous recruiting class that our coaching staff is assembling.  Our OLine will get better.  Eason will hone his skills with more game experience.  We will turn the corner.  And when we do, all of the misery we’ve experienced will make it that much sweeter.
Go Dawgs!!

J-Dub

Between The Hedges – A Progress Report

I believe that the beginning of week 4 is a perfect opportunity to assess what has transpired so far and what we might expect in the near future from our beloved Bulldogs in Athens. The start of the season has been widely discussed in UGA circles and those discussions have covered a pretty wide range from elation to depression to confusion and everywhere in between. The facts are not disputable. We have played 3 very different teams with one being a non-conference ranked opponent on a “neutral” field, another being an FCS school at home and the most recent being a conference opponent at their house. Those teams are a combined 4-1 outside of their matchups with Georgia. So with caveats and asterisks everywhere, which we will discuss below, we should all agree that we are in the best possible position after 3 weeks. We could reasonably be 0-3 right now, at least 1-2, based on the first three games but we aren’t. We are undefeated and have given our freshmen a load of game action as we prepare for the meat of our schedule. Before we get to that future schedule, let’s take a look at where we are now. These are my observations and you are more than welcome to disagree and provide counter points as that is what college football discussion is all about.

Coaching

The last three weeks have allowed the Richt faithful an opportunity to mock the hiring of Kirby and proclaim that we are no better. First, I disagree, but secondly and most importantly, it’s much too early to put any reasonable measurement on the transaction. I will tell you why I disagree through. I see us at no better than 1-2 with Richt at the helm of this years squad. I don’t believe he gives the reigns to Eason this soon. He was very loyal to his players, and I admire that to a degree. What that means is that he would have allowed Lambert to be our steady hand and keep us in ballgames. We do not win the UNC game or the Mizzou game in my opinion with Lambert at QB. Think about the past and how the quarterback situations have been handled. We would have seen glimpses of Eason but I don’t believe there is any way we go into week 4 with him being the undisputed named starter as we are now.

What Kirby and his staff have done so far is come in and opened up the competition for the entire team. Each player is being evaluated on a weekly basis and the players that want to be on the field are on the field. Tenure and experience aren’t the driving factor on roster decisions this season and that is the first time in many years. Kirby has also not been shy about that fact. He recognizes and acknowledges poor effort and poor performances and has been assuring of Bulldog Nation that it will not be accepted. No more status quo as they say. As for game day, I believe clock management and halftime adjustments have also been immediate improvements. We are 3-0 because we have overcome a deficit in 3 consecutive games in the second half. How many times did that happen in the last 4 years?

While this section is truly not meant as an indictment on Richt, this is very much a defense of what I believe to be an improvement in our coaching staff. We have wanted nothing more out of our head coach over the last few years than emotion and a sense of urgency and we have had that in the last three weeks. And let’s be honest, we all have eyes and can see what has happened on the field over that span. None of us are satisfied. The difference this year is we know our head coach isn’t either. When asked how it felt to be back home in Sanford stadium after the week 2 game, Coach Smart said, among other things, “we did not play to the level of our expectations or Bulldog fans expectations, we know that. We have to get better.” This was after a win. Refreshing. And one of the biggest worries was over whether we could maintain our recruiting edge and that has been answered with a resounding YES!

Offense

Offense has truly been a mixed bag so far in 2016. Week 1 started with Nick Chubb coming back from his brutal knee injury of 2015 to gash UNC for 222 yards and 2 scores. The game also included a couple of flashy plays from the young freshman, Jacob Eason. Enough flashy plays in fact to raise what was a dull roar to name him the starter, to a fever pitch. And we got our wish in week 2. It was clear in the Georgia Dome that we were a more potent offense with Eason at the helm. The field was stretched with his big arm and, for that game, helped open up running lanes for Chubb to seal the victory with a 55 yard scamper, putting a stamp on the Heisman hopeful’s return.  

Week 2 is a game we all would just assume to forget. The only benefit to arise from the game was Eason getting more reps and escaping with a W in his first official start. The performance was shaky and led to another week of questioning who the starter would be. We would not find out until just before the Missouri game that it would again be Eason. Only this time, Lambert never saw the field. Now, as of Monday morning, Eason has been named the starter for the upcoming Ole Miss game. I’ll call it progress.  Of course, there really shouldn’t have been any doubt after his performance this past weekend. In his 3rd game, and 2nd official start, he threw 55 passes, the most by a UGA quarterback since 2000. So much for easing into conference play. One of those 55 passes was the game winning touchdown with less than two minutes remaining in his first conference game on the road. Oh, and it was 4th and 10 so let’s give the kid some moxie points too. Also of the 59 passes, only one landed in the hands of the opposing team and only 4 drop backs resulted in sacks. Lambert was sacked 3 times in the first quarter of the UNC game, which supported one of his perceived weaknesses of holding the ball too long. Lambert does deserve a lot of credit for helping the kid get ready and become more comfortable in the huddle. It is nice to have a 5th year senior willing and able to do that for a young freshman. So let’s not just write Lambert off. I think even he knew that Eason’s talent was beyond comparison in our quarterback room so this is not meant to disparage his efforts.  

While Eason threw the ball what felt like 1,000 times this past Saturday, our run game had its second consecutive underwhelming performance. And not at the fault of the running backs themselves. There have been no holes to navigate at the point of attack and in fact, they have been met in the backfield on more occasions than I am comfortable with. Some of that is due in part to having a freshman quarterback and defenses daring him to beat them. Another is due in part to having the level of talent in the backfield. If I were a defensive coordinator sitting down to review film up until this week, I would be putting 8 in the box on every down as well. But perhaps the most alarming reason for the run game drop off seems to be the perceived underperforming offensive line. I use the term perceived because I really don’t think they are as bad as they may look due to the defensive alignments they are facing. Again, 4 sacks in 59 opportunities are not terrible. But 8 men in the box can’t be the only excuse and the coaches have acknowledged that improvement is necessary.  I have to believe that we are somewhere between the 289 rushing yards vs UNC and the 55 pass attempts vs Mizzou. If you told me at the beginning of the season that Nick Chubb would be healthy and below 100 yards in 2 of the first 3 games, I would not have predicted 3-0. It helped to get Sony Michel back this week and he provided some edge stress for the defense but Chubb is our workhorse and I feel much more comfortable when he tops the 100 yard mark. That means things are going well in the run game. If the run game improves, the game will slow down some for Eason. In addition to the offensive line issues, the wide receivers have also been called out for their unwillingness to get involved in the run game by being active blockers. That led to Jayson Stanley getting his first start against Mizzou, even though he is not 100% comfortable with the route tree yet. Add an above average number of dropped passes to the blocking issues and the wide receivers have underperformed to date. The tight ends have been non-existent, presumably because they are being kept in to help fight those 8 man fronts.  While the wide receiving group has underperformed as a whole, our clear cut MVP through 3 games has to be Isaiah McKenzie. I-Mac has been electric in every ball game and has developed great rapport with Eason and the offensive coordinator. Jim Cheney has found a number of ways to get him involved and I-Mac himself has improved his route running and hands tremendously this season, save a dropped TD against Mizzou. He made up for that with a beautiful catch on the game winning TD. He had 10 receptions for 122 yards and 2 scores. He was targeted a whopping 16 times. If Eason and McKenzie continue to blossom as a duo, that will soften up the running lanes for Chubb and also open up the passing game for Chigbu, Godwin, Ridley and our talented Tight End group.  

Going forward, we clearly need to improve our blocking up front. In addition, Cheney could improve on mixing up some of the play calling when running the ball. It was noted by Bill King on the Junkyard Blawg that when UGA lined up to run, it was mostly out of classic run formations. On the rare occasion we ran out of a spread formation, we were successful. You simply cannot load the box when you spread the field with 4 outside receivers. Eason also needs to keep improving and stretching the field to allow the run game to be freed up. The wide receivers need to cut down on the number of dropped passes and the tight ends have to get more separation when they are used in routes. We have the potential to be a truly explosive offense if we can improve in those areas. The more game reps Eason gets, the more comfortable he will become with the speed of the SEC and the playbook. I have to believe that it hasn’t been fully unleased on him quite yet.  

Defense

The defense this season has been a tale of two halves so far. We have looked unsure and confused at times in the first half of games, specifically the UNC and Mizzou matchups. They are two high powered offenses and have been able to move the ball seemingly at will on us during both 1st halves. Ole Miss may be (likely is) the best offense of the three and we can’t wait until halftime to get comfortable and start to be aggressive. UNC was a balanced attack with Elijah Hood and TJ Logan at running back and a group of 3 very talented WR’s. Missouri provided much more of a strain on our secondary and was held under 100 yards on the ground. Ole Miss will be as one dimensional as any of them as they have produced no run game to speak of. But they also have the superior quarterback when compared to the others and are going to provide the toughest test of the season on our pass defense.  In order to be ready for the pass offenses we face over the next several weeks, our defensive front is going to have to start getting to the quarterback. Aaron Davis, a safety, is currently tied for the team league with 1 sack. That group includes Trenton Thompson, Lorenzo Carter, Davin Bellamy and Natrez Patrick among its eligible members. Trent has been a formidable force in the run game and Roquan Smith has been excellent in coverage and moving from sideline to sideline in the run game. Carter and Patrick have been all but non-existent in the pass rush so far. That can’t continue against Chad Kelly and Josh Dobbs. If Kelly is given the time that Drew Lock was given, he will carve us up; much like Lock did the entire first half. Pressure on the quarterback was the key to our success in the secondary in 2015 when we were ranked #2 in the league.  Speaking of the secondary, Juwan Briscoe, Malkom Parrish and Maurice Smith have proven they can provide good coverage but they are as ineffective as anybody else would be when there is no pass rush. The secondary is being asked to cover for far too long on many plays. The ball hawking skills of Dominick Sanders, Aaron Davis and Quincy Mauger will only improve when the pass rush turns up the heat as well. Although, Mauger is tied for the league lead with his 2 interceptions through 3 games and one of those interceptions was truly a beautiful play. The secondary has tackled better this year and produced 5 turnovers in the second half of the Mizzou game. Those turnovers were the overlooked story in that game and gave Eason the opportunity to provide the heroics with less than 2 minutes remaining. The defense did not call it a night after that td though as they forced a huge fumble to seal the win.  Looking ahead, the defense will continue to be tested with Kelly, Dobbs, Jalen Hurd, Josh Malone, and Auburns spread offense. Our only hope at a solid overall season is with the defense providing some lights out performances in those matchups. We can’t ask Eason to throw 55 times or expect Chubb to rush for 222 each week. If the defense does not show immediate first half improvement this Saturday, I worry that Ole Miss will be too much for us. The need for pressure on the quarterback cannot be overstated. It’s what makes our defense work. Pressure spawns rash decisions by the quarterback, third and longs and turnovers. So far, we have not had that pressure on a consistent basis.

Special Teams

This is going to be short and sweet because this is our biggest deficiency. We have to get consistent touchbacks on kickoffs. Game 2 had several and cut out the potential for big plays in the return game. Touchbacks were nowhere to be found in the first or third game and Mizzou made us pay more than once. Our punt return defense continues to commit dumb penalties involving kick/catch interference. The play this past week was only a hair early but was also the most egregious thus far, resulting in Kirby Choates being kicked out during the second half and being suspended for the first half of the upcoming matchup with Ole Miss.  

Finally, it should be no surprise to anyone that we need a field goal kicker. What we have seen so far is abysmal and downright depressing. Perhaps we have been spoiled with the likes of Blair Walsh and Billy Bennett and Marshall Morgan over the last several years but extra points are even an adventure these days. Knuckle balls and shanks are becoming the norm and I currently have no faith in the kicking game. Special teams continue to be a disaster in Athens in some facet and I had really hoped we would see an improvement this year.

Odds and Ends

  • We have seen a large amount of freshmen get game action so far this year. Our starting freshman quarterback is the big story. But we had as many as 11 freshmen on the field between offense and defense this past Saturday. This is good in the long run but makes for some tense moments in the present.
  • Two names we haven’t seen much of yet are Mecole Hardman and Elijah Holyfield. Hardman picked up a fumble and returned it for a touchdown on the obvious kick catch interference call against Mizzou but it was good to see him in action. 
  • The “Get Back” coaches are having to work a lot harder this year than they have in the past. I see them quite often trying to get a coach back on the sideline. It’s good to see.
  • Recruiting continues to go well for our 2017 class with the addition of Mark Webb. We had to go into Pennsylvania to pull this kid so the coaches are working hard on the recruiting trail.  
  • I was in town for the home opener 2 weeks ago and discounting the game, Athens is as beautiful as always. I enjoyed the trip except for the nightmare that is parking. We walked past the indoor practice facility and it is coming along nicely.

Looking Ahead

Our next 7 games are conference opponents and include Ole Miss, Tennessee, Florida and Auburn. The next two weeks will go a long way in sorting out the SEC East. We go to Oxford MS this weekend to play the high powered offense of Ole Miss. They are 1-2 but have lost to both FSU and Alabama in that stretch. They put up 43 points on the vaunted Alabama defense in their most recent loss. Florida travels to Tennessee this weekend to provide what has begun as a shaky Tennessee campaign its first real test. Tennessee lost two of its best defensive players this past Saturday and Florida lost its starting quarterback so both teams are sort of hobbling into this one. Maybe they will continue to beat each other up. Then, when all the dust settles from this Saturday, the Volunteers come to Athens on October 1st in what shapes up to be quite possibly the biggest game of the year for Georgia. Someone in the East could very well be eliminated in the next 2 weeks, logically rather than mathematically. It’s also possible that all three teams come out of the next 2 weeks with 1 loss apiece making the UGA/UF game our biggest game of the year and the Tennessee/Alabama game the same for Vols fans. Are you excited yet, football fans?  

Here’s the bottom line. We are a good but not great team in the present. We are far from perfect. We have the potential to be great if we allow the coaches to continue to do what they are doing. It is unreasonable and unfair to believe that we would turn our coaching staff over, play 85% of the recruiting class in the first 3 games and start a freshman at QB and still go undefeated or be a lock for a conference championship. I read an article last night that said, “Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither are football teams.” Anyone who is paying attention can see the changes that are being made and the standards that are being adjusted. It will not happen immediately. We are 3-0 but could possibly be 3-2 at the end of the next two weeks. Do I want that? Absolutely not. Will I be standing on a ledge if we are? Of course not. I’m in this for the long haul and I truly feel something special happening with our football team. We just have to sit back and allow it to happen. If we stumble over a division title in the process, I will be thrilled but that truly wasn’t my expectation coming into this year and certainly isn’t after the first 3 weeks. We need to allow time for this to unfold. Be patient Dawg Nation!

J-Dub

Living In Moments

Are we getting the most out of this life?  It’s hectic and there’s deadlines and milestones and responsibilities.  What’s your life story?  Are you going from event to event flying by the seat of your pants or are you really taking in the scenery as you go?  It’s really quite difficult sometimes to do the latter.  Maybe that’s why memories can stir such nostalgic emotions.  Because it’s usually only after we’re done that we reflect on the good times or the positive feelings.  If that’s the case, only if we are blessed with a long and full life will we recognize the great times and experiences we truly shared with our closest companions.  I think we all owe it to ourselves to “stop and smell the roses” on a regular basis.  But it’s really not that simple.

I believe that yesterday was one of the few times I was able to just live in the moment for tons of consecutive moments.  From the time I woke up until the time I went to bed, I was present and conscious.  The bad part is that I don’t really know how I did it so I can keep doing it.  It just happened organically.  It really was a fullfilling day.  Even normally stressful or difficult moments were slowed down and felt like the bullet dodging scene in the Matrix.  And I can honestly say I got what life offered during that time.  It felt good and feels even better when I think back on it now.  

Anybody who knows me well enough will tell you that I can be a little boorish and selfish when football season arrives.  I’m not real open to enjoying other things during this time of year.  For better or worse, that’s me and I admit it.  I’m thankful for those that understand and forgive me for it.  There is UGA football, pro football, fantasy football and occasionally video game football.  Part of it stems from nostalgia, once again.  I remember spending this time of year bogged down in Tecmo Super Bowl seasons, watching football games, going to UGA games, collecting football cards and playing in the front yard all throughout my formative years.  It didn’t hurt that I attended a “football school” during that time either.  Football is in my blood.  It’s a part of my soul.  I watch it intensely and deeply and it means something to me.

That being said, even going to “fun” events can be less fun around me during these months.  I’m not smiling and singing happy birthday if Georgia is losing in the background.  I’m not laughing it up at the Supet Bowl party if Cam Newton is winning.  I’m not very jovial if my starting fantasy running back gets yanked after a fumble in a crucial matchup with a heated rival.  I understand that it is a weakness for me.  I get that it’s not a good look.  Trust me, I really do.  But it hasn’t changed in many years and sometimes seems like it’s only getting worse.  And I am addicted to the feeling, good and bad.  I love it!  

So going to a UGA game for me can have all sorts of emotional ups and downs.  It starts with planning in general.  Athens isn’t a Sunday drive location.  It’s a solid 3 1/2 hours, including about 2 of those hours on two lane roads.  And about 90,000 people are spread out over those two laned roads on that weekend doing the same thing I am.  So planning is an important and sometimes stressful start to the trip.  Overnight stay or not?  If so, where, if not an expensive room in Athens?  All of it depends on game time and game importance.  12 o’clock games are always the toughest.  It’s usually a mandatory overnight stay unless I am all of a sudden in the mood to get up at 5:30 am and strike out on the road.  Football would be the only motivation I ever have to do such a thing.  

Why 5:30 for a 3 1/2 hour trek to a 12:00 game, you ask?  Because when you go to a UGA game, you don’t show up at 11:45 and take your seat.  There’s parking.  There’s a Dawg Walk that is very important that happens a couple hours before kickoff.  The fans and the players feed off of it.  There’s milling around various landmarks to take in the atmosphere and exchange “Go Dawgs” with your red and black brothers and sisters.  There’s the bookstore and it’s powerful allure.  There’s finding Hairy Dawg for a picture.  There’s paying respects to the fallen but never forgotten UGA’s of the past. There’s finding the spike squad for pictures.  And all of that is done before settling into your seat for some of the traditional experiences in Athens like the Battle Hymn of the Republic, the Welcome to Sanford highlight videos on the Jumbotron and the stirring Bulldog Saturday introduction video voiced by the legendary Larry Munson.  It’s not just a football game.  It’s really close to a religious experience.

So I know what you’re thinking right now.  This sounds exhausting.  Truth is that it can be sometimes but it’s part of fandom when you live and die with your team.  But that’s sort of the point of this blog today.  Any time you’re really invested in something, it has the tendency to take away your ability to live the experience.  That didn’t happen yesterday and it was such a soul cleansing experience.  I know, dramatic right?  Well, hear me out.  I’m talking about taking one of the most important “things” (outside of family and friends) in my life and having it truly wash over me.  I lived the moments yesterday and it was good.  First, it was my first time taking Bailey to a game with it being just us.  We left on Friday evening and stayed in Covington, about 45 minutes outside of Athens.  The day started at 8:00 with a football sunrise and no rush whatsoever.  Bailey was in a great mood and she said out of the blue, “Thank you.”  When I asked what for, she said “for bringing me to the game.”  That was pretty special.  We got ready and had some breakfast downstairs before we made the short commute over to Athens.  It was a very scenic ride and I caught myself thinking that if I ever moved, this would be my dream spot in Georgia.  Such a beautiful area.  We rolled into Athens and spent probably 30 minutes riding around looking for the best parking.  You go knowing you’re going to have to pay to park and you’re going to have to walk.  But we just rode around the campus and watched the sea of people in red and black hanging out at tailgates, playing cornhole and throwing footballs.We found our parking spot and started walking the campus.  First, I showed Bailey the Vince Dooley statue and told her who he was.  Then, we checked out the practice field and the indoor practice facility “under construction”.  She was pretty impressed with Stegeman Coliseum as well.  We walked for about 20 minutes just talking and looking around.  Then we got to the Dawg Walk area, which we caught the end of, and looked at some vendor merchandise.  She picked up some UGA sunglasses and some face stickers and we moved on to the Tate Center to get some eats and see some more cool Athens trademarks.  We wandered into the stadium and walked around field level to see the field, players and the Spike Squad.  We walked around really with no purpose except to see the sights.  We made it to our seats with more drinks and food and watched all the Pregame festivities.  During that time, they played a video dubbed “Coming Home”, highlighting Kirby’s return to Athens as Head Coach.  I had seen the video on YouTube but it took on a new feeling in person at Sanford Stadium.  After the video, I put my arm around Bailey and told her, “No matter where life takes you or what road you travel, your home is always here.  That G is your home and you can always come back.”  I don’t know why I did but I felt it at that time.  And she got it and smiled.  The sun went in and out of cloud cover at just the right moments alternating heat and a cool breeze.  We watched Eason complete a long pass on the first drive and Chubb finish with a TD run.  Bailey said, “Eason is good!  And Chubb is back!”We didn’t expect a competitive game but FCS opponent Nicholls State had other plans and that would be the last “good” drive of the game for UGA.  We watched the halftime show and decided to walk around more for the second half.  We actually walked away from a 10-7 game at the half and I was totally ok with it.  Of course, we never left sound distance of the PA and there were TVs everywhere.  But I’ve never left a live game like that.  We found our way to the Kona Ice vendor and then the tent sale at the bookstore.  There was something surreal about walking around with Bug and hearing the ebb and flow of the crowd.  We went inside the bookstore and looked at tons of UGA gear.  We got to see Isaiah McKenzie break a 66 yard TD on four TV screens put together.  We picked up a few items and walked out to the bridge with Georgia leading by a slim 26-24 margin.  With 3:00 to go, Bailey sat on my shoulders and we watched the Dawgs grind out a few first downs and run the clock out from the bridge overlooking the stadium.  Bailey reached out to initiate a high five and once again told me “Thank you!”  She didn’t understand or even care that we just survived one of the biggest scares in our football history.  Losing to an FCS opponent in the second game of the season would have been devastating.  I understood it full well but for once, I was happy to win and decided to reserve my review of the performance for later.  We were 2-0 and for Bailey and I, that’s all that mattered.  And really, that’s all that should have at that time.We took the same walk back to the truck.  Back by the Stegasaurus, the practice field and Vince.  And the 3 1/2 ride back really didn’t feel like one.  Bailey fell asleep pretty quickly and I zoned out with other college football games on the radio.  We stopped for supper in Macon and got home around 8:30.  We were both exhausted and didn’t take a lot of convincing to call it an early night.  This was a great day for a lot of reasons and it could have been a total stress event.  For that, I am thankful  for Bailey’s genuine love for Georgia and desire to experience it with me.  I’m invigorated by my own ability for one day to enjoy the moments instead of getting wrapped up in what could have been negatives.  Parking was a nightmare but we didn’t let it affect our day.  It was hot and we were sweaty and getting burnt as time moved on but we rolled with it.  Bailey never lost her composure.  We allowed an inferior opponent to go toe to toe with us in our stadium in our home opener but in the end, we won.  And whether by 2 or by 40, it shows up as a W.  And so does the day as a whole.  It’s a day that I will remember when I’m old and feeble and hopefully one Bailey will too.  The takeaway for me is to try, though I know it will be hard to duplicate, to create more days where I can enjoy the moments unfolding around me.  It’s so easy to get wrapped up in arguments, being uncomfortable or being underwhelmed by the effort of your football team.  But amid those issues, there is so much more there to get out of our experiences.  It starts with you and the people you have around you.  You’ve got to want to avoid the drama and the negativity that so many carry.  It’s not always easy but if you want to really live, you have to do it.  And yesterday, I really lived!

J-Dub

Georgia vs North Carolina – The Preview

The Georgia Bulldogs have opened seasons against higher ranked teams than the #22 North Carolina Tar Heels. They have, of course, opened seasons against JV teams as well. However, I would argue that this is the biggest season opener of my generation. You may argue otherwise, but hear me out. We open the season against a top 25 football team that was only a touchdown and 2 pt conversion away from defeating Clemson (eventual Nat’l Title Contender) in their conference championship last year. UNC finished the season 11-3 and went 8-0 in the ACC. Those three losses were by a combined 23 points. They set school (and some ACC) records in points scored and yards gained per game. The offense was extremely prolific. The defense is in their second year under the tutelage of familiar foe, Gene Chizek. Say what you will about how Chizek performed at Auburn without Cam Newton, but he can coach defense. They are most assuredly expected to be better this year on that side of the ball. It’s true that they lost some key players to graduation last year but they return a fair amount as well. But, more on the roster later.

Aside from the opponent for Saturday’s kickoff game in Atlanta, there is plenty on the Georgia side to contribute to this claim of “biggest season opener of my generation.” This season opener marks the first one in the last 15 years with a new head coach. That coach is former Bulldog player, Kirby Smart, who comes with an extensive resume of winning and pretty lofty expectations. He has turned the staff completely over, with the exception of Kevin Sherrer and Tracy Rocker, the lone holdovers from 2015. Nick Chubb, a 2015 Heisman hopeful, returns from a gruesome knee injury suffered in October 2015 against Tennessee. He was the heart and soul of the offense when Gurley was hurt in 2014 and for the first half of the season last year. This will be his first game action in almost a year. The most decorated and highly touted quarterback since Matthew Stafford, Jacob Eason, may or may not get his first college start Saturday, but we know he will see the field. A new era is beginning in so many ways.

The game will be played in Atlanta GA as part of the recent creation of the SEC vs ACC Chick Fil A Kickoff Classic, so a neutral site of sorts. Its right in the middle of one of the most exciting opening season schedules in many years. The weekend includes Auburn vs Clemson, Alabama vs USC, LSU vs Wisconsin and Ole Miss vs FSU, to name only a few. Our game kicks off Saturday at 5:30. There has been an ever growing rift between the SEC and ACC fans as we battle over jabs and records over the last few years. This will be the biggest test in a while with the SEC being given the top 3 ACC teams to face off against on the opening weekend. Anything is possible this weekend but the SEC will need to go at least 2-1 in those 3 games to retain bragging rights. ACC fans would love nothing more than a sweep of Georgia, Auburn and Ole Miss, unless they could somehow include Florida and Alabama. 

Let’s take a closer look at the teams and matchup.

Georgia BulldogsThe biggest question on the mind of Georgia fans as of this writing is, “who will be the starting qb?” Freshman Jacob Eason is competing with fifth year senior Greyson Lambert for that distinction. It is the general thought that Brice Ramsey is no longer in that discussion and will serve as a backup to both. There are two logics in this battle. One is that Eason is the future, Chubb is healthy and we know what we have in Lambert, so let’s go with Eason. The other is that Eason is a true freshman, UNC has a very good secondary and Chubb is healthy so let Lambert protect the ball and manage the game. At this very moment, I find myself somewhere between the two. I would like to see Eason take over the offense and see what he has. I also don’t want to put him in a position to fail early and affect his confidence. It is true, we know what we have in Greyson Lambert, and it’s not a big flashy arm. It’s a steady, calming presence in the huddle that will protect the ball. He will not win any games on his own but likely won’t lose it either. This is where the addition of Kirby Smart as head coach makes things tough. If Mark Richt were still in Athens, I would wager my paycheck that Lambert would get the start and Eason would get a series in the first and second half. But again, now, anything can happen.Aside from the quarterback position, there aren’t many questions as to who will be on the field on the offensive side of the ball. The question of whether or not Nick Chubb would be ready was answered earlier this week with the official word coming from Smart that he would play and start. Sony Michel is most likely out until the Missouri game but Brendan Douglas, along with freshmen Elijah Holyfield and Brian Herrien, will provide support in the running game. I keep expecting Tae Crowder to appear on the depth chart but to no avail. The Dawgs will likely rotate 6 offensive linemen with Brandon Kublanow, Isaiah Wynn, Dyshon Sims, Tyler Catalina and Greg Pyke starting. Lamont Galliard will get a large amount of playing time in that rotation. The wide receivers will be a mixture of young and very young guys. Michael Chigbu will be the big receiver while Terry Godwin and Reggie Davis will stretch the field. Jayson Stanley and Riley Ridley should see some time as well. Expect to see doses of Isaiah McKenzie in the slot and at occasional running back as well. Jeb Blazevich was expectedly named the starting tight end but I expect to see Jackson Harris and Isaac Nauta on the field Saturday.

Regardless of the starting quarterback, the obvious strength of the Georgia Bulldogs is the running game. The obvious 2015 weakness of the UNC Tar Heels was run defense. I expect to see double tight end sets quite often with Nick Chubb shouldering the bulk of the offense. Not only is that our strength, it also keeps the high octane offense of UNC off the field. This game will be won with ball control and controlling the clock. If Georgia is successful on the ground, it will take a lot of pressure off of the quarterback and a defense that is learning new terminology in a new system from a new defensive coordinator. McKenzie and Godwin should get action in the run game as well to try and keep the defense on their heels, no pun intended. But ultimately, if Georgia wants to control this game, they have to punch UNC in the mouth and keep hitting them until the final whistle blows. You do that with one of the biggest offensive lines in college football and Nick Chubb.The defensive side of the ball seems “relatively” set with their position players with a couple of extra hands that will rotate in on a regular basis. The defensive line will start Trent Thompson, John Atkins and DaQuan Hawkins-Muckle. Trent Thompson is a local boy that we are familiar with down here in southwest Georgia. We are used to seeing him control a line of scrimmage and I am expecting him to take that next step this year. Atkins has fought through some injury concerns but appears ready and has received rave reviews from the staff. Our strength on defense can be found in our linebacker corp. Lorenzo Carter and Davin Bellamy will be the outside backers and are two freakish athletes. Tall, big and fast. This will be their first year as full time starters and they will be asked to carry the load on defense.  

The inside backers will be a rotating threesome of Natrez Patrick, Reggie Carter and RoQuan Smith. The loss of Jake Ganus will be felt in the leadership category and Jordan Jenkins and Leonard Floyd will be missed in the pass rush but this is an extremely capable group. Finally, the defensive backfield should be strong but is currently a muddled mess as it relates to starters. Malkom Parrish and Juwan Briscoe appear to have locked down the starting cornerback spots but safety and the STAR position will rotate some combination of Dominick Sanders, Aaron Davis, Quincy Mauger, Rico McGraw and Maurice Smith. Mauger appears to be the odd man out at this time, provided that McGraw and Smith are interchangeable at the STAR as I expect.  

Defensively, Georgia will look to remain strong in the secondary, where they finished 2nd in the SEC last year. The secondary had a tremendous amount of help from Floyd, Jenkins, Ganus, Carter, Patrick, Thompson and Sterling Bailey last year so I look for the front seven to maintain their intensity and get after the quarterback in this aggressive defensive scheme. Special teams should be improved by the mere fact that we finally hired a special teams coach and he comes from a very good background in the department. His last name is Beamer. I expect Mecole Hardman to contribute immediately in the return game. We might even see some trickery from time to time as opposed to the predictable phase of the game over the last several years.

 North Carolina Tar HeelsNorth Carolina does not question who their starting quarterback is heading into Saturday’s opener. That would be Mitch Trubisky. Trubisky was a highly touted recruit when Larry Fedora took over as head coach at UNC. He is a junior and was fully expected to contribute before now. However, a guy named Marquise Williams came along and he led them to an 11-3 record last year. Trubisky finally gets his shot in 2016 and appears to be a fan and teammate favorite. In limited work in 2015, he was an eye popping 40-47 with six touchdowns. He was also named Mr. Football in the state of Ohio his senior year of high school. He has some solid weapons at his disposal as well in Mack Hollins, Ryan Switzer and Bug Howard. Mack Hollins stretches the field and is a tall receiver that is very tough to cover one on one with a smaller cornerback. However, he is suspended for the first half of the game due to an illegal hit in the bowl game last year. When he makes his appearance in the second half, expect Trubisky to look his way often if the Bulldogs have not covered him up with additional help. Switzer is a Wes Welker type slot receiver and return specialist that knows how to find open holes in zone defense. He may present a strong matchup issue with our bigger backers. Roquan Smith or the STAR would be ideally set up to cover him. Finally, Bug Howard is a 6’5 monster from Wilcox County that will deserve plenty of defensive attention as well.If the receivers weren’t scary enough, UNC boasts one of the best, and underrated, running backs in the country in Junior, Elijah Hood. At 6’0, 220lbs, he rushed for 1,463 yards in 2015, while scoring 17 touchdowns. He was not a big threat in the passing game with only 13 receptions. Senior RB TJ Logan, is a smaller back that is used more in the passing game and would be a starter on most ACC teams. He has the unfortunate problem of being behind a back like Elijah Hood. I’m guessing Keith Marshall and Sony Michel know how he feels. The offensive line returns 3 starters and is less experienced than in 2015 and may be a weakness for the team in the early going. The youngest position on the team is TE with one sophomore and two freshmen. This won’t help the experience on the offensive line.The Tar Heel offense set 62 team records in 2015. You read that right, 62 team records were set on offense in 2015. Those included 570 points in a season, 40.7 points per game, 6,817 total yards, 486.9 yards per game, 73 touchdowns on the season, most rushing yards and rushing touchdowns and most passing yards and passing touchdowns in a season. That offense returns 7 starters. That is the definition of prolific. That is what the Bulldogs are preparing for while Bulldog Nation frets over whether Jacob Eason or Greyson Lambert starts the game at quarterback. Have I painted a scary enough picture of what our defense has to face this Saturday? The Bulldogs are capable, no doubt, but they will have a tremendous challenge in front of them.Where UNC was vulnerable in 2015 was on the defensive side of the ball. The defense returns 6 starters from last year’s unit, including standouts M.J. Stewart and Des Lawrence in the secondary. The secondary is the strength of the defense and will present both Eason and Lambert with confusing looks. Again, more reason for the Bulldogs to hammer the running game early and often. The linebacker group is very young but is athletic and looking to help the secondary match or improve on its 15th ranked pass defense. Cole Holcomb is a former walk on getting his first start on Saturday at the outside backer position. Cayson Collins is the only upper classman of the linebacker group with sophomore Andre Smith getting the start as the third backer. The pass defense only allowed 6.1 yards per pass attempt and had 17 interceptions. You do not attack them through the air.

The defensive line on the other hand, was a veritable sieve in 2015. They allowed an awful 5.13 yards per rush in 2015, bad enough for 109th in the country. Remember, there are 128 teams in that ranking. Nazair Jones and Mikey Bart are two returning linemen to the unit and they are looking to improve with the addition of youngster Jalen Dalton. This group will be attacked frequently by the Dawgs and rightfully so. If the offensive line for UGA gels early, it could be a long night on the ground for this unit. The prolific offense doesn’t help a unit like this without depth as well and UNC doesn’t have much.

Summary and Prediction

This is a lot to take in and we don’t have much time left to do it. If Georgia wants to come away with a W in week 1 of 2016, there seems to be a specific formula that plays out in the above analysis. Run the ball, run the ball, run the ball! This accomplishes several things. It keeps UNC’s high scoring offense off the field, it helps break in a freshman quarterback and it attacks UNC’s defensive weakness. On defense, the Bulldogs are going to have to play fast and be very active in the run pass option. You have to believe that Kirby Smart and Mel Tucker will have them as prepared as possible through the summer work. UNC players are on record as calling this the most important game of the year for them. They lost the season opener last year to another SEC opponent, USC(e). They just didn’t realize how embarrassing of a loss that would turn out to be. They will come in to Atlanta with a chip on their shoulder. They are in the little brother ACC conference, they haven’t fared well against SEC competition and they are on a big stage. The lights of national TV and the Georgia Dome are bright.

Even though UGA comes in with a higher national ranking, I would venture to say that the expectations are higher for UNC this year. They are coming off of an 11-3 season and a close conference title game. UGA has a new coach, new scheme and freshman QB. We want to win now but we also understand that there may be growing pains. With that being the case, I will give the pressure edge to UGA. The offensive edge leans to UNC and the defensive edge goes to UGA. There is also a lot of momentum in Athens with the new coach, great recruiting class and they are coming off a bowl win against Penn State in their last official football game. In UNC’s last game, they lost to Baylor in the bowl, while having their best offensive weapon suspended and giving up over 600 yards on the ground. So give the Dawgs the old MO advantage too. But, advantages are all pre game and we will find out just what we have when the kickoff is in the rear view. I can’t wait and I know you can’t either.

My prediction is Bulldogs 27-24. It will be close but I’m going with the red and black. What say you?

 J-Dub

Living A Fantasy

It’s late August.  The temp will soon begin to cool. Not much in my neck of the woods but it will cool some so I look forward to it.  With the cooler weather comes other niceties such as the sky getting dark quicker, Halloween, Scary Movies, Thanksgiving and the ultimate holiday, Christmas.  But most importantly, this time of year brings peace to my soul in the form of a pigskin.  Weekends are jam packed with it.  It gets kicked off on Thursday Nights.  Then, Friday Night Lights fuel the flame and are followed by Saturday afternoons ‘Tween the Hedges.  Finally, Sunday and Monday Nights are reserved for the big boys.  Yes, football is back!  And that also means Fantasy Football is back!For those readers of the blog that aren’t familiar, Fantasy Football (FF) is an adults way of acting like a total adolescent for 4-5 months and it be totally understood.  You become a general manager for a football team drafted in your own keen assessments and football knowledge.  As general manager, you set lineups, drop under performing players, pick up diamonds in the rough, navigate waiver wires and block your friends from the happiness that they so desperately seek in their lives.  There are hundreds of ways to play the game but generally, a team consists of a QB, a couple of running backs, couple of wide receivers, a tight end (the subject of countless childish jokes on draft day) and a team defense.  Throw in some bench players and occasional defensive guys and you have your roster.  You take that roster and manage it each week of the season, while playing another GM’a team each weekend.  Whichever team performs the best collectively wins.  The record is tallied at the end of the season and you then go through the playoffs, crowning an ultimate champion.  There are many many variations but that is the quick and dirty tutorial I am going with.FF means that my management of J-Dub’s Ballers, across multiple leagues, becomes one of my top priorities behind family and work, or something like that.  You see, FF has been a part of my life for about 15 years and there are certain standards and demands that have to be met to maintain peak performance.  I have participated in such esteemed leagues as Ballerville (as commissioner), The Big Nut, Toejam, Coke Zero (as co-owner with DJ Shockley), and now more recent leagues such as Devy and Empire.  My newest league, The Dirty Dozen, drafts for its inaugural season this week.  Don’t let anybody tell you that this is easy.  Don’t let anybody tell you that this mistress isn’t worth the time.  Don’t let anybody tell you that she can’t be brutal either.  FF can help strangers become friends and make friends mortal enemies at the same time.  I have friends I would have never met without it.  And I have never tried to embarrass or humiliate anyone more than these friends.  I have my enemies in FF.  Perhaps one of my oldest is Electric Boogaloos.  Alex couldn’t be nicer and is a pleasure to chat with.  But the Boogaloos have put a dagger in my heart on more than one occasion, those bastards.  DeMeco Ryans and his 22 tackles single-handedly eliminated me from playoff contention in 2006, as I entered said playoffs as a #2 seed.  I went on to win a league high (tied with Byron Johnson) 3 championships in that league but I still cringe when I hear the name Demeco Ryans.  We had the pleasure of being in the same league for the better part of 10 years, meaning we squared off annually, sometimes twice a year.  Motivation was never an issue when we would meet.  Although that league came to a close this year, we are entering our 11th season together in a separate league this year.  And I can’t wait.Then there is the Brookwood Brawlers.  Saint is one of my oldest softball buddies and a legit good dude.  But his penchant for taking a dumpster fire of a draft and parlaying it into a championship defeat over the Ballers really steams my scallops.  It has happened twice in the last 4 years alone.  No matter how much I belittle him on draft day, that jack leg winds up in the championship.  Old Petey Guerra and The Iguanas are close behind.  Not so much for the recent history in Ballerville but for the shenanigans from The Big Nut in the mid 2000’s.  Old downward dog himself pulled some rabbits out of the hats in that league.  He’s got a Ballerville championship too but we have remained civil in that league.  My other complaints about his team revolve around draft day, which I will touch on more later.There have been others along the way, Shaq Straw from Wichita, Gotham Batvols, Memphis Mules and Ruudboys to name a few.  But at the top of the list of football rivals may be the closest friend of all, The Tecmo Superstars, Byron “Willie” Johnson.  First off, the nickname Willie.  This “friend” traded me Willis McGahee for Edgerrin James many years ago and it turned out to be one of the worst deals in history.  Thanks in no small part to McGahee’s bum legs.  I began to refer to Byron almost exclusively as Willis McGahee after that, which shortened to just Willis and now has stuck with Willie.  There have been trades since then that have evened out things but that bum deal in 2007 has always stuck in my soul.  It spawned a lifelong nickname for goodness sakes.  In Toejam, our most competitive league (16 teams), he amassed a career record of 85-39 with 21044 points scored. During that same span, I put together a 77-47 record with 20715 pts.  In 120+ career games we were seperated by 7 wins and about 300 total points.  I had 15 playoff wins and he had 14.  We both had 3 championships.  We faced each other 1 time in the championship and I took that matchup.  But even that year, he beat me in the championship in Ballerville.  Of the other major milestones tracked in Jam, he and I split all 5.It all starts with draft weekend, which we just celebrated.  We have a live draft for Ballerville at a rotating location where all owners get together from Chattanooga to Auburn to Americus to Albany.  Willie travels each year from the TN line to spend a weekend at my house, Hustle Headquarters, being wined and dined in an effort to ward off any future McGahee/James deals.  I believe in karma.  We usually spend the weekend playing golf, playing Tecmo Bowl, watching full seasons of “The League” and binge eating junk food.  It’s as close to returning to my childhood as it gets.  Draft weekend typically kicks off the first of multiple drafts over a week span.  We will not have Jam this year thanks to Benedict Shafer Arnold but there are plenty more to go around.  I’m currently in email draft on Empire, Machi League is Tuesday and Dirty Dozen is Wednesday.  That’s a lot of studying, projecting, reading and tweeting over a week.  Injuries need to be assessed, depth charts analyzed and free agent moves recounted.  Keepers are selected, rookie drafts completed and sleepers fawned over.  I told you this isn’t easy.The draft is the most important time of the year as it is when you build your team.  And even though that team will change over the course of the season, your core is decided at the draft.  The draft is also the most mentally consuming event of the season.  Even casual football fans know that Adrian Peterson is a fine running back.  And Tom Brady is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.  But how much does that casual fan know about the expected split of touches between Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris.  Who fills the void in Cincy while Tyler Eifert recovers from injury.  What are the Steelers going to do while LeVeon Bell is suspended?  Which rookies have looked good in camp?  Which veterans have lost a step.  Who will be the slot receiver in Indy?  A fan of a particular team can answer those questions about their own team.  But a fantasy owner has to know it all.  We have to be prepared for anything and everything.  Because believe me it will happen.  The season is not won on draft day but it can certainly be lost.  I can think of no other reason that I would need to know who the #4 receiver in Arizona is going to be.While the draft is a proverbial numbnut think tank where minds haven’t worked harder over the past 12 months of actual career employment and day to day living, it is also the home of classic aggravations and buffoonery.  Petey is the king of not knowing when his pick is.  Add to that his penchant for drafting guys that are already taken and getting lost in his color coded folder and you have the draft day nightmare stereotype.  Then you have the guys who moan everytime a player is taken, as if they were the next person on their board but just got beat to it.  Then there’s the guy that hasn’t kept up with offeason moves.  He usually drafts a player way too early that no longer has a starting position with their new team.  He also doesn’t know who’s retired or injured either.  There’s always the fellow that besmirches each pick made as if he is the oracle.  Magazine guy is never prepared for recent news that changes the information in his 2 month periodical.  Then there is over prepared guy with laptops, apps, stat sheets and tendency reports.  I think I have been each of these guys at some point in my career and I’m not proud of any of it.In the end, you have your make believe team and you begin to celebrate each time they perform well and loathe them every time they may do something to help their real team win, but not enough to get you that W. I’m looking at you LeSean McCoy.  It’s really quite strange when you break it down.  I will never own CJ Anderson again because of his 2015 season.  Alshon Jeffery gets hurt too much.  Khalil Mack is enemy number 1 thanks to 5 sacks that took me out of the playoffs last year.  It goes without saying that I’ll never be able to look Willis McGahee in the eye if I ever meet him.  It’s difficult to imagine that these human beings are going through their own personal ups and downs.    For us, they perform or they are out.  It’s a cruel world in fantasy.  But it’s big business these days and it makes me pay attention to so many details I would otherwise miss.  I can’t watch football the same without fantasy.  Sometimes that’s a good thing and sometimes it’s bad.  It’s rather embarrassing to leap from the Thanksgiving dinner table to celebrate a Brandon Pettigrew 2nd quarter touchdown.  But I’d rather have some meaning to all my games rather than depending each week on my home team to provide the fireworks.  It’s the Falcons afterall.  The last piece of fantasy football, and probably the most important, is luck.  Sometimes you have it, sometimes you don’t.  But regardless of draft day dominance or week to week strategy, you’ve got to have some luck to finish the drill.  A referee call, a timely fumble, an otherwise unfortunate injury, a lapse in judgment from your opponent.  The hardest part about being a good fantasy player is appeasing the fantasy spirits.  So much of fantasy is trash talk and shaming, as evidenced by my current GroupMe chat in Devy League.  But, as a part of my belief in karma, I believe that can sometimes bite you in the ass.  I know it has me.  It’s the only explanation I have for some of the harsh ways I’ve lost certain games in the past.  So I’m constantly trying to balance the timing of a sweet zinger to a downtrodden owner with the need for apathy.  Like I said, don’t ever let someone tell you this is easy.  This is one of the only sectors of humanity where you have to be, and it’s acceptable, equal parts confidant, con man, poker player, shrewd negotiator, cool under pressure, trash talker and silent assassin.    The drafts are under way and the season is less than 2 weeks from opening.  I may be hard to reach over the next few months.  I may not make it to your wedding or kids birthday.  I may not answer the door when I see your car in the drive.  But none of it is personal.  I do care.  I just have a fantasy football team to run right now.  And it’s not easy.

J-Dub

In Kirby, We Trust!

We are less than 25 days from the dawning of a new era in Athens, Ga.  I started going to Athens annually over 20 years ago.  For the last 15, Mark Richt has been the leader of the Red and Black.  He performed admirably and I will remain a supporter of the man because of what he did for us and what he stands for.  Any true Bulldog fan knows and appreciates his contributions.  His successor has huge shoes to fill.  It should be applauded that he brought us two SEC titles, won 145 games, was conference coach of the year twice and came painfully close on a couple of occasions to taking us to the national title.  Yet, there is the need for change.  There is the ultimate prize that has eluded the Bulldogs.  That change was inevitable and painful but the result has been met with resounding approval.  That change is Kirby Smart.

Kirby is no stranger to Athens.  I saw him play the first time I went to a game there.  He was a member of the Bulldogs as a defensive back from 1995-1998 and has coached twice for them, once as a grad assistant and once as a member of the 2005 SEC Champs.  He then went on to many successful years as a defensive coach and ultimately the defensive coordinator for Alabama.  The last two times he has come to Athens have been embarrassing for the home team so I’m glad he’s on our sideline now.  He’s also brought a renewed hope with him.  Things had gotten stale, so to speak.  The Dawgs seem to have been stuck with a 9-10 win cap over the last 10 years.  And while that is nothing to be ashamed of, we have watched Alabama, LSU, Florida and even Auburn win the big game during that span.  We have long thought we had enough talent.  Now, we find out.

2016 opens with a tough test against the defending ACC Coastal champs in The Georgia Dome in Atlanta.  Defensively, UNC will provide a challenge for the young offense that the Dawgs will suit up.  The Dawgs will return 3 starting  lineman (Brandon Kublanow, Isaiah Wynn and Greg Pyke), WR Terry Godwin, RBSony Michel and, potentially, Heisman candidate RB Nick Chubb in week 1.  Other than those players, there will be several new faces.  The anticipated game changer on offense is Jacob Eason.  The question remains if he will start game 1, but even so, it will be his first collegiate football game.  Two new linemen will be expected to make an impact early on as well.  One of those should be graduate transfer Tyler Catalina, who started 33 games with Rhode Island.  The other could be Ben Cleveland, Aulden Bynum or Pat Allen.  Or someone else, who knows yet.  

Back to Eason.  He is one of the most highly coveted recruits in recent Bulldog history and will have the entire weight of Bulldog Nation on his broad shoulders over the next 4 years.  He brings all the tools with his 6’5″, and now 245 pound, frame.  Matthew Stafford, with discipline, is the comparison.  I believe he starts week 1 if Nick Chubb is healthy.  He will have some weapons to throw to in Godwin, Isaiah McKenzie, Jeb Blazevich and freshmen WR Riley Ridley and TE Isaac Nauta.  The sky is the limit for this freshman but the games still have to be played.  He showed his arm off in the spring game throwing for almost 300 yards and a couple of scores.  While Grayson Lambert should be able to provide a steady hand at QB, he is not going to win any games by himself.  Eason has that capability.  

Nick Chubb is a Bulldog favorite and provided the running back stable with zero drop off after the loss of Todd Gurley, a feat almost impossible.  By all accounts, his physical health has returned.  There are still emotional hurdles to jump after a severe knee injury.  However, he has shown superhuman strength and resolve in his short time at UGA.  Not many 19 year olds skip spring break so they can work out every day.  Along with Chubb, Sony Michel is returning from an arm injury but provided the Dawgs with more than sufficient coverage during Chubb’s 2015 injury.  Brendan Douglas will once again be the bruiser when Chubb needs a break.  Freshmen Elijah Holyfield and Brian Herrien figure to see the field early as well.  Holyfield is an unbelievable specimen.  His father, Evander, taught him the benefits of dedication in the gym.  He is rumored to have won a push up competition during the summer, completing 100 push-ups in one minute.  I know, right?  But no matter what, when he’s healthy, this is Nick Chubb’s offense!

On the defensive side of the ball, the Bulldogs return several playmakers from an improving defensive unit.  While losing Leonard Floyd, Jordan Jenkins and Jake Ganus from the linebacker corps is not ideal, there are some studs that have been waiting their turn.  Lorenzo Carter, Natrez Patrick and Davin Bellamy headline that group.  These three linebackers may be the most athletic trio in the country.  Whether or not it results in pressures, sacks and wins, remains to be seen but these guys are strong, fast and scary.  The most freakish of the group is Carter at 6’6, 242 LB’s.  He spent some time in the doghouse, no pun intended, last year but all accounts are that he is working his tail off this summer.  The linebackers should be very exciting and a continuous source of highlights.  Also in the mix will be Reggie Carter, Roquan Smith, Jaleel Laguins and Twitter Sensation, Ryne Rankins.

The defensive line is one of the biggest question marks heading into 2016.  Even with the return of the #1 recruit in the state of Georgia, Trenton Thompson, the unit is inexperienced.  Thompson is just a sophomore.  Retuning players John Atkins is dealing with a knee injury and Jonathon Ledbetter has been limited with the team following multiple off the field issues.  Freshmen Julian Rochester, Mikhail Carter and Tyler Clark expect to play early and often.  Rochester himself has a legal hurdle to jump before taking the field thanks to a BB gun incident but he should see the field soon.  If Atkins can recover from injury and the freshmen learn quickly, the unit has the athleticism and strength to make an impact.  The previously mentioned linebackers will be even better if the line can gel, fill gaps and create pressure.

The unit on the defensive side of the ball that returns the most experience is the secondary.  Safety Quincy Mauger has the most game experience of anyone on defense and is one of my favorite Dawgs.  I will miss him after this year.  Dominick Sanders is a very athletic safety that got his start playing corner.  The corners, Malkom Parrish and Juwaun Briscoe are both talented, hard hitting, in your face corners.  In addition, 5-Star Mecole Hardman joins the group.  He may prove to be too good to keep off the field.  Adding to the experience of the secondary will be Kirby Smart’s expertise from his tenure as DB coach and current DC Mel Tucker’s leadership.  The Junkyard Dawg defense made popular by Erk Russell may be making a resurgence.  It has been missing over the last several years.

The recruiting class was a big worry when the decision was made to move on from Richt.  Coaching fluctuations make hanging on to prize recruits very difficult.  To their credit, the two remaining coaches from last year, Kevin Sherrer and Tracy Rocker did a magnificent job working the trail and hanging on to the class during the change.  With Eason being the perceived (and real) prize as a QB, of equal importance, we were able to land Big Ben Cleveland, Mecole Hardman, Isaac Nauta, Elijah Holyfield, Julian Rochester, Riley Ridley and several others to finish solidly in the top 10.  The momentum has continued as we are currently sitting on a top 3 class for 2017.  Championships are not won on signing day mind you, but having a top 5 class enhances the odds.  Several freshmen will be counted on as new coaches are installed across the board, with the exceptions of Sherrer and Rocker.  Jim Chaney takes over as OC with Sam Pittman joining as OL coach, Dell McGee as RB coach and James Coley as WR coach.  Mel Tucker takes over as DC (and DB’s) with Sherrer and Glenn Schumann coaching linebackers and Rocker coaching the D line.  A very underrated hire has been Shane Beamer, son of Frank Beamer, as special teams coach.  You read right Georgia fans, we have a special teams coach.

In my unprofessional opinion, we finish 10-3.  I’d love to see 11-2 but I just don’t know.  It’s year one for Kirby.  I think the 2-3 losses on the schedule are among Tennessee, Ole Miss and Florida.  Don’t mistake my prediction for my desire.  14-0 is the desire.  There is a lot of excitement in Bulldog Nation this August.  More so than ever before.  We welcome home a son that now becomes the father.  We welcome back a heisman candidate that rushed his way into our hearts.  We welcome a golden arm from the West Coast.  We welcome a son of a boxing legend who can out push-up all of us.  We welcome in the new era.  The Kirby Smart era.  I can’t wait to get it started!

As my man, Quincy Mauger, said to this nerd from Atlanta…..Goooooo Dawgs!  Sic ‘Em!!!!!!

J-Dub

Hoop Dreams

I grew up at the absolute best time to be a basketball fan!  And I’ve been one since I can remember.  I began playing at about 11 with the RA team at First Baptist Church and last played just Tuesday night at Sherwood in our season opener for church league.  So, if you are counting, that’s 28 years of playing basketball.  That beats softball/baseball by a few years.  I love playing, watching, coaching or just shooting around.  I won’t say that it’s always come natural because I’ve had some great teachers along the way.  But I will say that I have always been more confident on the basketball court than any other sports field.

I think that for the most part, I’ve always understood my limitations in basketball more so than any other sport.  In basketball, you can beat someone in a lot of different ways.  The key is finding out what you do best and trying to perfect it.  It’s a lot like life if you think of it that way.  In softball, technology has become the name of the game.  Sure, guys are strong and powerful but it doesn’t hurt to be swinging the newest $300 bat that has been shaved down to the equivalent of a composite wafer.  Why not use a re-stitched softball while you’re at it?  Oh yeah, that happens too.  I’m not a homerun hitter and no amount of technology will change that.  But the playing field is never very even.  And I get myself into trouble more often than not trying to be someone I’m not, on the softball field.  

Basketball is a different game.  Give me a nice $100 NBA licensed basketball or one that you get at Wal Mart for $10 and I’ll make a free throw with either one (about 75% of the time).  But there is something in basketball that I can’t change.  Something I’ve always had to work around.  I’m just going to come out and say it.  I’m a short, chubby guy that can’t jump.  Read that how you want to but the 90’s movie title wasn’t off base.  I haven’t always been chubby but I’ve always been short (and non-jumping).  So, it was easy to recognize early on what my deficiencies were going to be and what I was going to have to focus on.  I was going to be a shooter, not a dunker.  I would shoot outside, not at the rim.  I would learn how to steal, not block shots.  I would perfect passing, not rebounding.  Finally, I would hone my dribbling skills because the bigs (as us short folks call them) can’t take the ball from me if I can dribble.  The other unique thing about basketball is that you can practice all by yourself so I didn’t need friends over to go shoot.

So that’s how it started and went for many years.  My backyard with a basketball was where I could be found almost any time of day for most of the year.  I practiced what I saw on TV, what my close friend Rusty was able to do and what I got beat with at school.  All the moves and tricks stayed with me and I practiced them over and over.  Some of them would click and some would never fit for me.  I used what clicked.  I would practice them on Coop or Brewer or Little Man or Munt.  They all had their own playing styles so it helped me figure out what worked in certain situations.  It was such a chess game to me and became what drove me.  I still think to this day that I learned a lot of problem solving skills and adversity training from basketball.  No matter how much you play, there is always going to be somebody that can out jump you, is faster, stronger, can shoot better or can handle the ball better.  And there were many, including the guys that I mentioned just above.  They all had certain skills I would mimic to make myself more rounded.  Brewer was tall and could dunk and block shots.  Munt was a tremendous ball handler and shooter.  Little man could defend and Coop was adept at rebounding.    They all provided unique learning perspectives.

I can remember playing every day during the summer, whether in my backyard, at The Parramore Pavillion, Westwood or Mitchell Middle – we were playing somewhere.  I was in wonderful shape.  Thus the not chubby part at the time I suppose.  We played in city leagues, we created our own leagues, we played 2 on 2, we would play 5 on 5 in the gym, you name it.  We were always playing though.  During the school year, I would rush to the lunchroom when the lunch bell would ring.  Not to be the first in line but to get to the gym in time to make a free throw to get on a squad for pickup games.  If you didn’t make the free throw, or sometimes 3 pointer, to get on the main goals, you’d be banished to the side goals to play.  I was fine either way but especially enjoyed the main goal because that was the toughest competition.  

The main goals were where I would play with Jumaine Jones (future NBA player) or Ronald Blackshear or Kelvin Hayes or Alex Carter or Carlus Haywood or Derrick Harris.  The list is much more extensive but I don’t have the room or the time.  Carlus was a giant at almost 7 feet tall but was as gentle a guy as he could be for that size.  He was great on the court though.  I enjoyed playing with him.  He recently passed away but I’ll always have great memories of camaraderie that I wouldn’t have otherwise had if I hadn’t picked up a basketball.  One of my favorite opponents at lunch was Coach English.  He would clear the court after the balls were taken up and play somebody one on one in front of everyone and we played often.  He was a very good outside shooter and was strong as an ox.  Those were good times.  I like to think I held my own against that competition.  I was appreciated for my jump shot and was never a ball hog.  

To go along with the actual playing, the game was exploding on TV and I was able to witness some of the greatest players and plays of all time.  As a teen, I saw the Fab Five play, Laettner hit the shot, Jordan beat Cleveland and, a few years later, Utah on memorable shots.  I saw players in their prime that will forever be known as some of the greatest – Jordan, Nique, Bird, Magic, Barkley, Iverson, Shaq, Malone, Stockton, Hakeem, Clyde the Glyde, Hardaway, Ewing, Reggie.  Certain events that will always stick in my mind are related to baskeball.  I remember when Magic announced that he was HIV positive.  I remember when Reggie Lewis died.  I remember when Jordan retired the first time.  Those were “where were you when” moments for me. The first Dream Team, Reggie Miller scoring 8 points in 11 seconds in the Garden, the Webber timeout – all in my youthful heyday!  Then, of course, there were the video games.  NBA Jam, NBA Live, Double Dribble, Hoops…..what a great time to be alive.  I would play basketball until my feet hurt and then get callous’ on my hands playing NBA Live with one of the greatest video game teams ever, The Orlando Magic with Shaq, Penny, 3D and Nick Anderson.


Fast forward to 2016.  I’m still trying to play and still love the game as much as I ever have.  The names have changed, the basketball card designs are fancier and I create myself on video games now but the game is still meaningful.  The Hawks just signed one of the most polarizing players in the league in Dwight Howard, Lebron just beat the team that had the best win/loss regular season record ever in the Finals, Kevin Durant just joined that team and DWade actually moved to a team I can pull for.  It’s not Jordan, Bird and Magic but I still enjoy.  The fact is that it’s a highly entertaining game, a mentally and physically challenging sport and a large part of my childhood.  My points are coming a little closer to the basket these days but I think I can still hold my own to be a short, chubby old guy who can’t jump as good as when he was 21, which wasn’t very good at all.  That jumper is still legit though.


J-Dub 

A Time For Forgiveness

  Even though Tecmo Super Bowl came along in 1991, the year wasn’t all good, all the time.  I debated on writing this one because I still have a little anger pent up about it.  I wrote a term paper on this subject in college and I thought that would be the grand demon exercising I needed.  Well, some 25 years later, I still think of it.  I don’t even know how I remember it so vividly.  Aside from the fact that me and my friends harped on it continuously, a lot of time has passed and a lot of good times replaced it.  Hell, the very next year was one of the greatest plays in Braves history.  But 1991…..I just can’t shake it.  Lonnie Freakin Smith will go with me to my grave.

Let me start by saying that I was raised on Atlanta Braves baseball.  We watched them every night, sometimes at supper, sometimes later when they were on the west coast.  But the Braves were on at the Shiver house religiously.  And they stunk!  For the first 14 years of my life, they were atrocious.  I have seen pictures of us at games from when I was too young to really remember details.  We were sitting right behind the dugout because you could probably pick any seat you wanted in those days. They had one superstar, Dale Murphy.  That was it.  Gerald Perry, Albert Hall, Claudell Washington, Glenn Hubbard, Bob Horner, Rafi Ramirez??  They were our boys but they were role players.  They were our home team though and were broadcast on national television thanks to the owner, Ted Turner, also owning a major television network, TBS.  The only other team I could see on a regular basis was the Cubs.  They didn’t have lights in there stadium in those days so they played all day games when they were at home.  I could only catch them right after school.  And guess what?  They stunk too.  Although, they actually had two superstars – André Dawson and Ryne Sandberg.  There was another tie in between the teams as well with Harry Carey being the broadcaster for the Cubbies and Skip Carey for the Braves.  

  The Braves finished dead last in 1990.  Nothing unusual.  The Reds won the World Series and they were loaded.  Chris Sabo, Eric Davis, Jose Rijo, Barry Larkin.  The Braves?  They had some young talent but it wasn’t enough.  But in 1991, something crazy happened.  The Atlanta Braves found themselves in a pennant race with the LA Dodgers.  It was spectacular.  With an offense that included young stars Ron Gant and David Justice and veterans Sid Bream, Otis Nixon and Terry Pendleton, they were exciting to watch.  But the pitching rotation was strong.  John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Steve Avery anchored a staff that also included crafty veteran Old Uncle Charlie.  They were the poster child for the saying “Pitching wins championships.”  Those Braves went right down to the wire and edged the a Dodgers by one game the day before the end of the regular season to clinch the division and a playoff spot.  Playoffs?  Are we talking about Playoffs? 

 Something notable would happen in September of that year.  Starting centerfielder and stolen base leader (72 – still a Braves record), Otis Nixon, would be suspended for 60 days thanks to a failed drug test.  Cocaine is a helluva drug.  Because it happened in September, it was bye-bye playoffs for Otis.  We had a backup centerfielder that was pretty good named Deion Sanders but on August 1 of that year, he had to report to the Atlanta Falcons thanks to his dual sport ability.  With Otis and Deion unavailable, that crucial starting slot would be filled by Lonnie “Skates” Smith.  Now, to be clear, Lonnie was a very serviceable player.  He was an all star one year, a 3 time WS champ and had hit over .300 in ’89 and ’90.  But, he was nicknamed Skates for a reason.  He had a bit of a reputation for making some of the silliest looking plays you’d ever see.  He’d lose his footing enough to be compared to an outfielder playing on “skates.”  Not a comparison you want as a baseball player in my estimation. 

Lonnie performed well late in the season and was a key contributor to the playoff run.  Then, in the NLCS, he would contribute a paltry .250 avg.  He was a non factor in that series for the most part.  Something I wish he had been in the World Series.  Because we were such faithful Braves fans, the playoffs turned into party central at our house.  The entire family came over to watch the games.  There was food, baseball and, during boring stretches, a little basketball for me and Coop.  That is until Uncle Lee used the first thing he could find to the rear-end to discuss Adams report card.  That wound that up.  But the excitement for those games will go unmatched for me.  I get excited for games, especially UGA, but the whole family being together put this on another level.

That 1991 World Series between Atlanta and the Minnesota Twins was voted the greatest World Series ever by ESPN.  The seven game series finished with FIVE 1-run games, with four of them being decided in the last at bat and three of them going to extra innings.  The series was loaded with dominant pitching and clutch hitting.  Only one game was a blowout.  You want highlights?  This series provided some classics.  Game 2 was the infamous Ron Gant/Kent Hrbek pile up.  I don’t care what anyone says, to this day I know in my heart of hearts that Hrbek pulled Gant off of the base. 

 Twenty years later, Minnesota was still celebrating that act of cowardice with bobble heads. 

 Shameful…..Minnesota would win that game by 1 run to take a 2-0 lead in the series.  Atlanta would take the next 3 in Atlanta with Lonnie hitting 3 home runs and almost making a highlight play of his own at home plate but Brian Harper somehow miraculously hung on to the ball to keep the game alive at the time for Minny. 

 Minnesota would come back home and win game 6 with the heroics of Kirby Puckett’s extra innings home run.  Puckett was the lone Twin that I liked.  He was a great ball player and played the game the right way.  Unfortunately, he played for the Twins.  Those other guys were thugs.  Kent Hrbek, Dan Gladden, Gary Gaetti…..come on.

So here we are at Game 7.  Series is tied 3-3, the home team has won every game so far.  We have John Smoltz, who had been lights out in the playoffs facing Jack Morris, who had been even more lights out.  For 9 innings, these aces would duel each other masterfully.  At the end of 9, the score was tied 0-0.  It shouldn’t have been.  In all actuality, the game should have ended after 9 innings with the Braves winning 1-0 and taking the Series trophy back to Atlanta.  That’s where Skates steps in.  I can feel my heat rate going up.  In the top of the 8th, Lonnie was on 1st with nobody out and Terry Pendleton at the plate.  TP laces a shot to left center field that clearly was going to score Lonnie, who had solid wheels.  Wait, where is Lonnie?  He’s at 3rd?  What happened?  How?  The replays would show that Lonnie got deeked by that worm of a second baseman Chuck Knoblauch as he was approaching the turn.  Knoblauch faked a toss to 2nd, completely throwing Skates off of his game.  A bush league play in game 7 of the World Series just made our veteran look like a tool. 

 As the ball bounced off the wall, Skates stood motionless at 2nd base for almost 3 solid seconds.  That is a long time on the base path.  He was held up at 3rd.  No run, still 0-0.  Now, an argument can be made that any one of the following batters could have brought Lonnie in as there were no outs when this happened.  But no. I believe in momentum in sports.  We clearly lost it at that moment.  Gant, Justice and Bream were due up after Skates.  A ground out by Gant, an intentional walk to Justice and a double play by Bream sealed our fate.  The Twins would score in the 10th inning to win the World Series and complete the collective smashing of hearts across the south.  But it should have turned out different.  It shouldn’t have ended that way.  

The Braves would go on an unbelievable run of 14 consecutive division titles and multiple World Series appearances, eventually winning one in 1995.  But 1991 will stick in my mind as the one that got away.  There were so many opportunities in that series, it’s almost unfair to pick out just one.  But this one remains in my conciousness like the stench of an old baby bottle left in the car on a hot summer day.  Yeah, it makes me sick.  At times I feel bad for Skates because it turned out that he had his own demons.  I’m sure it isn’t the easiest thing to live with either.  But then I picture him standing still at 2nd base staring into the outfield and I lose all empathy.  I guess I’m selfish about the whole situation.  But we were so close.  So close Skates…..I need this more than you do but I forgive you Lonnie Smith.  What’s done is done.  I just had to get it off my chest one last time.

Joey