3 Independence Bowl Thoughts

1. AAaaaaHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!

2. Since we got a great deal of crap from last year's Orange Bowl losers about how much it must suck to go to a crappy bowl, I found this outcome only fitting. At least their streak is still alive, 6 straight bowl losses...AND COUNTING!

3. AAHAHAHAAaaaaHAHAHAHa!

I picked against Tech in my pick-em group (because the ACC is a safe-bet "Loss") but I expected Tech to win. I didn't watch the whole game because...well...because it was really boring. Anyway, nice losing season, Nerds.

(Hoping my beloved Bulldogs get their act together and finish strong against an inferior UCF team so the same fate doesn't befall us)

Happy Birthday!

Today is my birthday. I turned 28 this morning to the sweet smell of cinnamon rolls and coffee my wife had prepared before I departed for work. When I rolled my sorry tail outta bed I was met with a heartwarming "HAP-PY BIRTHDAAAAAY!" like something straight out of Frosty the Snowman a la Rankin-Bass.

It doesn't feel much different than 27, and I'm pretty sure I'm reaching that point where birthdays aren't what they used to be. I've got everything in the world I could ever need, and the only thing that I want is to spend time with my family once I'm off work.

Perhaps this is what birthdays are meant to be about after the thrill of turning 21 wears off. But don't get me wrong, I still like to get my blackout on just as much as the next guy. Now-a-days it just means my tolerance is so low that now I only require a few drinks to party. I would file that under "fiscal responsibility" but the beer I used to drink in college cost $10 for a 500 pack. Refined taste comes with a price tag.

All that aside, I'm looking forward to this evening with my wife and parents. I couldn't be luckier to have people who care this much about me and the occasional person who swings by my blog to read about it.

As a side note, since most of you know what a music fanatic I am, today is also Frank Zappa's birthday. He should be 70 today but instead he's stretched out in an unmarked grave in Los Angeles somewhere. Unfortunately prostate cancer research wasn't really what it is now back in the early 90's (so guys, get your poopers checked). The man was a musical genius and a warrior for the 1st Amendment. Take a minute to watch this interview of Frank on The Today Show that was done just before he passed away.

Aaron Murray Highlight Reel

Stole this from Paul at GSB because watching it made me feel hopeful about next year. Great job pr1sonmike!

Outside of Aaron's outstanding play, and AJ Green's catches, the biggest surprises for next year might be WR Tavarres King and TE Orson Charles.

I know I've been M.I.A. since before the Auburn game but just because I haven't been posting doesn't mean I haven't been following the Dawgs.

6-6 isn't how any of us thought this season would end...especially not with THIS schedule.

If nothing else the Tennessee win was fun, but that was probably the apex of the season for me. But I liked that we didn't get obliterated in any games like last year...unfortunately we didn't win many of the close ones either.

I'm surprised at the disappointment in Todd Grantham's defense. Perhaps I'm out of the loop but I planned on giving him a pass this season. Here's hoping he gets the big-ass Nose Tackle he needs this off season.

As far as where my disappointment lies, it's not so much on Coach Grantham, not so much on Coach Bobo, and I still haven't turned on Coach Richt. I don't know who this falls on besides the players themselves, but whomever is in charge of making sure we secure the football...THAT is the guy I'm pissed at.

I didn't relish the win over Tech like I have in the past. My wife is a huge Bama fan and she nailed it when she said "One of us handled a loss to our in-state rival better than the other handled a win." The sloppy play, the fumbles, and our inability to stop their running game was so frickin' irritating.

It reminded me of a fundamentals problem like our receiving corps had when Matthew Stafford was in his early seasons. The frustration I had with our dropped passes back then was surpassed by my outright ANGER at Caleb King and Washaun Ealey coughing up the ball this year.

I lost faith in our running game and our offensive line this season. Compounded with our losses and the learning curve on defense made for the 6-6 nightmare of 2010's regular season.

I'm thrilled we got a "W" over Tech, but I don't think we continue a 9-of-10 style streak very long playing like we did. The best part of the victory was getting more practice in for a Bowl game which hopefully gets us ready for Boise State next season.

I'm not a believer in the Blue-turf Broncos. I think they are a junk team that lucked their way into a few wins over big names. But they are solid in their fundamentals and right now we are not. Advantage Boise State. A loss to them might be the last nail in Coach Richt's coffin for the Dawgs on the fence about his coaching.

Looking forward to the Liberty Bowl, I love my Dawgs even during down years (I fell in love with Georgia during Ray Goff's 4-7 season...that's gotta be worth something). It looks like we'll either be matched up with SMU or UCF...I'd love to face George O'Leary again for old time's sake, but I'd be more comfortable if I was 100% sure we could beat them.

GO DAWGS!

ARGH!!!!

That was the most frustrating game of the season for me.

I'm glad we won, because I frickin' HATE Tech...but we have some serious issues with fumbles.

@#$%^@$%&@$^*#%^&@#$^&*@!#$^%!(*#&$*^&!(*#&$

That is all.

Motorized Barstool

While many tout the iPad or some other garbage Apple product as the greatest invention of the last 10 years...I beg to differ. I totally could have used one of these the other night when I was in no condition to walk. Apparently it's pretty simple to construct. All you need is:
1. counter stools
2. an old lawnmower
3. a friend who can weld (...you're on your own there).
4. a good lawyer

VOILA! Merry Christmas.

Remember 2006

I know Georgia has had a tough season this year. But heading into the Auburn game this year, I'm reminded of 2006.

We were a 4-loss team wrapping up a rebuilding year. Our highly touted, freshman quarterback had looked shaky at times...but he was a freshman so we chalked it up to inexperience. There wasn't much else to play for that year but at least we were already bowl eligible.

My boss has been a season ticket holder since he graduated in the 80's and when I asked him if he was making the trip to Auburn that year he laughed and said "If the Dawgs can't show up for Vanderbilt or Kentucky, I wouldn't put much money on me showing up for #5 Auburn."

Cam Newton is good. Auburn is a well-coached team. All signs point to a loss for the Dawgs.

But when we hit the Plains this Saturday, remember 2006. It was the Matthew Stafford & Tra Battle Electric Boogaloo that kicked off a 3 game win-streak and had fans pumped up for the 2007 season. I'm not saying we'll beat them, but we haven't been blown out all year, and I think even the most pessimistic Dawg fan knows that. Our loss average this year has been by 7 points. Last year our loss average was 16+. We're a couple of tipped passes in the Cocktail Party from playing for the East (if's & but's, who cares).

We can't change the past, but we can be supportive and hold our heads high. You can hate Mike Bobo, you can hate Mark Richt, if you dare try to strangle Todd Grantham clearly you will have a fight on your hands...but you can even hate him too. But it won't change the fact that they're in charge of OUR team for the next 3 weeks, and I say, hopefully longer.

It wasn't over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor, and it sure as hell ain't over until WE SAY IT IS!

Aaron Murray, this is your time to shine. Put down the Shake Weight and uncork the magic we felt back in 2006. GO DAWGS!

5 Year Anniversary

If you've noticed the lack of posting lately, that's been due to me busting my tail trying to get work wrapped up.

Why am I getting work wrapped up?

Well, today 5 years ago I married the girl of my dreams. You might know her as "Sweetie" from the comments section when she tells me my post wasn't funny or I've made an ass out of myself.

Aside from all that, Sweetie has put up with a lot of my crap in a 5 year time-span. I'm a very lucky guy to be married to such a great girl, so for that I'm preparing for a nice little vacation.

The house-sitters are moved in, the dogs are at the puppy resort, our bags are packed, and after a great dinner tonight we plan on getting very little sleep as we anticipate our return to one happy island.

We first vacationed in Aruba on our honeymoon and have been waiting 5 years to make it back. In fact, you might not realize this, but everytime you visit Blogging Pantsless you see a picture from my honeymoon. Recognize this bad boy?

But long story short, I'm going to be even more lazy with my posting over the next week so lets keep those expectations to a minimum, folks. I fully expect UGA to mop the floor with Kentucky and beat the crap out of Florida while I'm gone. I've picked against the Dawgs in my Fantasy Pick'em groups which generally guarantees a victory for us. I'll catch the final scores overseas, but football will be a distant 2nd focus over the next week. I plan on giving all my time,attention, and charm to the love of my life...even if she is a Bama fan.

GO DAWGS!

Bulldog action in your home via Dish Network Georgia

The Shakeweight Fiasco

...is this Aaron or Josh? (please say Josh)

If we somehow turn this season around and finish strong enough to get a Gameday hosting, I wouldn't expect this picture to completely disappear. Even those idiots in Auburn are smart enough to blow-up a picture at Kinkos.

Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica

At least Ole Miss picked the "best" bear.

...well, actually there are 2 schools of thought.


Still waiting on the lines to come out showing the Over/Under on # of days until an Ole Miss fan photoshops blackface onto a picture of Paul Bryant in a cleaver attempt to exercise politically incorrect mascottery.

I think the only thing worse than being a coward and bowing down to bed-wetters is losing to Jacksonville State in football. It'll be funny to watch how poorly Pedobear is received by the fanbase on Saturdays.

Cry me a river, Gaytors.

Anytime bloggers write a letter to the fanbase telling them to chill the 'eff out, it means they have doubts...such doubts.


But as a Georgia fan, who has endured losses to Mississippi State and Colorado, I would like to let the Gator fans know that if they want my sympathy they can find it in the dictionary between "s#*t" and "syphilis".

...it's from a song, people.

No, ELO isn't actually saying "Bruce" but it's like the CCR song that goes "...there's a bathroom on the right".

Don't bring me down, Bruce.

That's a fine lookin' dawg.



I'm wearing my bold prediction pants...just kidding, I'm not actually wearing pants right now...but I declare UGA VIII will end the Florida dominance streak.

Why do I say this?

No idea. But it's time, and this is the mascot I'm pinning all my college football hopes & dreams on. I'm looking forward to seeing the changing of the collars ceremony this Saturday. So a new era begins in Athens, but first, I'd like to address our interim mascot.

Dear Russ:
Thank you for your service to the Bulldog Nation. You beat some big names, and your lost to some slopsuckers. But during your tenure we went through a period of self-discovery that was long overdue. You transitioned us into a new breed of Bulldawg ready to take the field. For that, we salute you, and from all the Dawg fans out there I want to extend to you a laurel and hardy handshake...

...good dog, damn good.

Sincerely:
Mackie

Big Bad, lets get those nuts iced down, Noon games are warm out there. You've got a team to represent and one helluva grind coming up in 2 weeks. Make it happen, boy.

Teh Georgia Running Game

I'm pretty excited about the chance #24 Kendrun Malcome might play this weekend.

When was the last time you had this little faith in our RB's ability to:
#1. Run with authority.
#2. Hang on to the ball.
#3. Make big gains.

I was actually surprised Caleb King is averaging 5.2 yds/carry, but given we've been sending guys up the gut of an O-Line that hasn't opened up gaps I guess I should be "pleasantly" surprised. I enjoyed watching Aaron Murray carve up Tennessee's defense through the air, but the remainder of our schedule doesn't consist of Tennessee's defense. We've got to establish a running game that is competent, dependable, and sticky-fingered.

Malcome isn't a squirrely, juke-machine...he's a big, hard-running tailback who might spin his way into a few extra yards here and there. He ought to get a few carries in the first 1/2, but once we put it away give it to him often so he gets the reps. Start him in our impending loss to Kentucky, (cricket sound...cricket sound), then if he's the real deal let him split carries with the vets in the Cocktail Party.

If we're gonna be coughing up more balls than Christian LeMay's highschool-lady-friend we might as well get our youth some experience...am I right?

I'm pretty pumped because I'm finally getting some free-time to get up to Athens for a game. As you can tell by the splotchy posting I've been busy doing things that pay bills rather than blogging. Hopefully I'm catching a break just in time to leave the country later this month, but I'll try to get as much posting in as possible until vacation time. If not, I'll see you suckers in November when the Dawgs are back over .500.

GO DAWGS!

GrillTopper Open Issues

Alrighty, folks.

I got an email response back from my contact at GrillToppers who was in charge of operating the GrillTopper Open. As it turns out he has taken a new job, he's no longer with the company, and nobody was willing to run the group in his absence.

I'm sorry the game got cut short, but unfortunately that's the end of the GrillTopper Open for the 2010 season. Maybe next year I'll take the bull by the balls and run one myself.

Sing Along, Dog Nation.

...because sometimes you just want to take a walk in outer-space and sing about feelings with your short, effeminate, perm-haired friend.



Go Dogs!

...and one more thing.

We lost our right to be the "Dawgs" this year. Please mail your card to:

Dan Mullen
c/o Athletic Dept.
Mississippi State, MS 39762

Play like dogs, get called Dogs.

This sucks.

Quinton hit the nail on the head...and I read:

To borrow a metaphor from nineteenth century European history, Georgia is the "sick man" of the SEC. A former power that has run into hard times due to repeated setbacks, relevant only because of its reputation, size and affiliation with other great powers. Georgia is withering before our eyes. When a team that has won championships in recent memory begins to lose battles with State, Kentucky, Arkansas, and South Carolina, none of whom have won a championship in longer than recent memory, the only conclusion is a degenerative, sustained illness. An illness consuming the patient, who is condemned to a slow and painful death.
I am still hesitant to jump on the Fire Coach Richt bandwagon...but this team isn't making that decision easy. What I'm experiencing is a sense of questioning, and that doesn't bode well for our current coaching staff.

My biggest concern is that football (pro and collegiate) is an ever-evolving sport. In this arena of SEC competition you've ALWAYS got to be 1 step ahead of the other guys. I used to think it was important to have a consistent staff for recruiting and coaching purposes. Perhaps the regular turnover of coaching staffs in the SEC is due to necessity rather than an irrational fanbase running these guys out of town.

I love Coach Richt, he is a great guy and has a history of quality coaching. But he's got to prove that his gameplan is still relevant in this conference. Otherwise the barking will continue to get louder until Greg McGarity's will be forced to make a career-defining decision.

I'm still holding out hope that this team won't throw in the towel and start phoning it in on Saturdays. But when I enjoyed watching the Falcons more than the Dawgs our team is in a sad state of affairs. Our fanbase is hurting, we want to believe in you, Coach...please get it together.

GrillTopper Open

I've received a lot of emails saying the GrillTopper Open booted you out. I tried to sign in today and it wasn't even appearing on my Fantasy League board anymore. Once I figure out what's going on I'll let you know. Until then, I'm working on it.

Bubba Sparxxx

Since bringing back the old Gameday theme didn't work last week, we'll try a different Bubba Sparxxx jam.


GO DAWGS!

UGA Husband, BAMA Wife

I am a Georgia fan. I bleed red & black. I married a girl who went to Alabama. I've already covered the concept of "team-in-law" but I'm a little unsure about the following:

I don't think the Razorbacks will beat the Crimson Tide this weekend, but who exactly should I cheer for? Do I love Georgia so much that I would actually root against my team-in-law so to not make our loss look that bad? Because obviously if the #1 team in the country couldn't beat Arkansas either then perhaps Georgia's loss wasn't really all that unexpected...right?

I was pondering the above and then I saw this little piece of magic.


Now everything seems so clear!

WOOOOOOOO PIG SOOIE!!1

Rush Concert

I figured it would be worth a shot at asking, but do any of you guys have some extra Rush tickets for next Wednesday? I can find tickets, but I'm looking for 2 good seats. I've never been to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Alpharetta so I don't know much about the venue, but I'm a HUGE Rush fan. Shoot me an email if you're trying to get rid of a couple of tickets and we'll work something out (email listed in the column to the right).

I saw them back in mid-2000 for the R-30 Tour but it was at that crap-hole Lakewood. That venue (and area) is so awful I refuse to see concerts there anymore.

But like I said, I'm a huge Rush fan. I have all their albums (live and studio), I went to see their limited release documentary in theaters, and my wife hates my 2112 t-shirt...help a brotha' out. There are few things more spectacular than hearing the opening "BBZZZZZZZZYYYYYYUUUUUUUUU" of Tom Sawyer live and hearing the crowd go nuts.

Missy State

Dawgs win big. We lost to two unusually talented Arkansas and South Carolina teams. There is a talent gap between Mississippi State and Georgia that gives me confidence we take care of business this weekend. The players know we've given away all our freebies, it's time for the lines to gel, players to step-up, and errors to disappear.

Dawgs 34 - Dogs 10

I plan on sitting down and watching UGA football with the volume turned off. I just saw on The Senator's page that Bob Rathbun is calling this one. This clown used to call Braves games and if I'm not mistaken still does the Hawks play-by-play. He is by far my #1 most hated voice in sports, I'd rather listen to Pam Ward than Bob Rathbun if that puts this into perspective.
The voice matches the face...think about this picture when you watch the game tomorrow night.

Dunphys at the Rose Bowl

If you love Modern Family as much as I do, you watched the season premier last night. Phil and Claire were going to sell the station wagon they drove to the Rose Bowl in, and began to reminisce about the good times of that trip. When asked by their son "what happened?" Phil stated the outcome of the game was "...we got pummeled by Penn State."

Well, I did a little research and apparently Phil and Claire Dunphy attended the Rose Bowl in 1995 (for the 1994 season) and if "WE" got pummeled by Penn State, that means THEY are Oregon fans...which is unfortunate.

Penn State is 1-2 all time in the Rose Bowl, and the only time they won was in the mid-90's. If in fact Angela Lansbury was the grand marshal in the Parade of Roses (as Phil stated), then "good times, she wrote" indeed.

Thoughts on the Dawgs

I've been pondering how exactly to approach the status of UGA football. I don't want Coach Richt fired (ftr I didn't want Jim Donnan fired at the time either) but I don't want to settle for mediocrity. If this just another rebuilding year? The best possible outcome from here is for us to run the table and watch South Carolina and Arkansas play in the SEC Championship Game...(yawn).

I'm not hopping on the FIRE RICHT/BOBO/RUSS bandwagon quite yet. I'm giving this season a chance. I thought Aaron Murray fought valiantly to get us into a tie game after we came out sluggish. I thought the defense made some great stops. I also think Arkansas and South Carolina have some superstar athletes and right now Georgia is struggling to identify a leader while AJ Green is on the sideline.

I think the season can turn around, I really do. Seeing what Paul wrote about the improvement from last year on Defense was a ray of hope toward that. More than 2 TDs and 2PAT cut from the totals against each of the MUCH improved Arky and USC teams is a step in the right direction.

You can say I'm settling for mediocrity and that under Richt Georgia will never win the big one. But right now I don't see any viable options that WILL win the big one. Chris Petersen?!? Bitch, please. Even Dan Hawkins says you have a weak argument.

I'm giving the Dawgs until 2012 to get 10 wins and beat the Gators at least once. If they don't, it doesn't matter because the Mayan calendar says we're all screwed by then anyway.

Time to go on a 5-game tear Dawg fans. Mississippi State is next, time to step up because you can't afford to drop this one! GO DAWGS!

Tight Ends

...BTW did anyone ever discover why exactly our Tight Ends were a non-factor last weekend? Were they covered THAT well or did we just avoid them like the plague. Orson Charles is RARELY contained which makes me assume he didn't return Aaron's copy of Halo: Reach and that pissed him off.
Halo: Reach, your game-time may depend on it.

...sigh

Yeah, I'm officially killing the Thursday Homeless 3. That segment has been nothing but bad luck. I'd probably have much better luck with slot machines and online video poker than assuming one of those stinkin' bums would correctly pick a Georgia opponent to lose.

Thoughts and more later this week...busy at work.

It's Gameday!

...and because ESPN won't change the damned theme song back, I will.



Georgia loves Bubba Sparxxx. GO DAWGS!

Homeless Thursday 3

After a surprising turn of events, last week our homeless panel of experts went 1-2 on their picks. Unfortunately for the Bulldog Nation the bum who picked South Cackalacky was correct.

This week, we've got a whole new set of urban outdoorsmen to assist us in picking 3 of the SEC's biggest conference match-ups!

Looks like Sam Walton III picks the Razorbacks.

Nu'Keese Richardson likes Derek Dooley's chances this weekend!

Ol' Jackie Sherrill could use some work...ON HIS PICKS!

Oh Noes Teh Dawgs Iz Failxorz!!1

Yep, Georgia lost an ugly game Saturday. Somehow Carolina found a way to stop runs up the middle, and Georgia didn't. However, that is NOT intended to devalue the run-away pantie-magnet that is Marcus Lattimore. Seriously, I don't think any SEC team is looking forward to trying to stop that kid. Aside from our missed tackles (taking no less than 3 defender's touches to get the kid down) I would love to ask Stephen Hawking what kind of physics based, time-space continuum allows a human who is 2 yards tall to fall forward 7 yards.


But Lattimore or no Lattimore, if Orson Charles catches the TD pass and Washaun Ealey doesn't fumble in the red zone and we score, we've got a tie ball game. Also, if "IF's" and "BUT's" were candy and nuts...then we'd all have...candy and nuts...or whatever.

I would have liked to see Mike Bobo call some non-running plays when our backs were against the wall, but he didn't and I'm not the OC so really all I can do is bitch about how much losing sucks. I will say I was amazed how quickly it seems everyone has bought into Paul Finebaum's Fire Mark Richt campaign. The best retort to this I can find comes from Lucid Idiocy who argues,

"Misspell "lose" once, and it's not worth mentioning. Do it three times and it discounts your opinion considerably."

Claiming he doesn't "want it" enough doesn't really mean anything to me. I'm pretty sure if not "wanting it" equaled losses then Bobby Johnson was skipping practices to smoke weed and listen to Panic. The better team won Saturday, blame whomever you want...(like you needed my blessing).

If you're looking for a blog to support opinions like this: ...then you might want to take Blogging Pantsless off your RSS feed.

Perhaps I'm too patient (hell, I thought Jim Donnan should have gotten another year) but realistically I expected Georgia to go 9-3 regular season. Freshmeat QB and a new defensive package isn't going to give you an undefeated season in the SEC. That being said, if we don't OBLITERATE the next 6 opponents I'll be a little nervous about where we're headed. If I'm wrong and we screw the pooch over next few weeks I'll dim my outlook, but for now I think South Carolina will surprise some folks this year. Will they win the East? Well...not quite ready to fit them with that crown just yet because they've got Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Florida to get through.

Don't jump off the bandwagon just yet, Dawg fans. We've still got some good opportunities to get back in the race. Hopefully we've breaking down film, learning to wrap-up, and REMOVING THE SHOULDER TACKLE from our habits. GO DAWGS!

Has the NCAA seen our Trapper Keeper?

Lets just pretend, instead of asking the NCAA for an appeal on AJ Green's excessive celebration suspension that we're asking them about our Trapper Keeper...

...either way, the response is probably the same.

Making Green Lemonade

By now you've probably heard AJ is suspended 4 games for selling a jersey. I don't know anything about it you haven't heard already but I'm here to provide a little sunshine.

#1. Georgia Tech is lucky, they never have to worry about athlete/agent interaction.

#2. If we had to lose AJ for a sequence of 4 games, I would rather it be the first 4 (ULaFa,USC,Arky,Miss St) than the middle 4 (Col, Tenn, Vandy, KY), or GOD FORBID the last 4 (UF, Idaho St, Auburn, Nerds).

#3. When the best receiver in college football is eligible again, he will be 4 Saturdays fresher than any of his defenders (assuming they haven't also been suspended).

#4. The Senator reminded me, we beat a Top 10 opponent (Tech) last year without AJ Green.

#5. Should Georgia run the table on South Carolina, Arkansas, and Miss St without #8, by the time AJ returns we should be getting some serious love from the polls. What do you think a mid-season boost by adding a playmaker like AJ Green is going to do?


Stay limber, #8. We are going to expect the world out of you in October...it's kinda our thing.

The Homeless Thursday 3

I'd like to institute a new segment here at Blogging Pantsless called the Homeless Thursday 3. These bums will give you thoughtful insight into which picks to make on the 3 biggest upcoming SEC games of the weekend. If you choose to tip the homeless for their sports expertise you might get your car windows cleaned with a spraybottle full of urine and wiped off with a Creative Loafing...God bless.

First up, Homeless Bill:


Our next bum is Ice T Bowman:


Our last expert requested to go by the name DJ X-fatty:


There you have it. Some bold predictions from our panel of urban outdoorsmen, but we will see how their picks unfold next week. Until next time, that's our expert's two cents...which they're going to need back if you can spare it.

Georgia Defense: The Joy

Easily my favorite part of the opener against ULaFa was watching Todd Grantham chew out Bacarri Rambo. I only enjoyed this because I knew the win was ours (even before the first half) and because I knew Bacarri Rambo knows better and he just wanted to make a big hit...which didn't pan out and left him looking foolish for getting burned. Hopefully, lesson learned.

Lucky for me, The Grit Tree posted this video yesterday by Ghostoferkrussell:


Also, this could be completely unrelated, but if you're anything like me and you were wondering how Utah State was able to hang in with Oklahoma to a final of 31-24...you need look no further than here.

New Tailgating Toy

It appears I'm going to be getting a new toy for this year's tailgating season. I've had several cool goodies in the past, but this one might take the cake. I'm not talking about new grill toppers or dutch ovens (click the link, I promise they aren't what you think).

Once I've officially received my new toy I'll do an indepth post regarding its awesomeness! Until then, GO DAWGS!

The Arrival of Football

Just returning from a long weekend at Orange Beach, I've returned to the work force...yet something is different.

The work weeks will begin to fly by, the office talk will centralize around the happenings in Athens, and it is apparent that football has arrived.

The commute becomes a battle in-and-of itself. I drive the top end of the perimeter from I-75 to I-85 and back every day. My allegiance is to Georgia, should your vanity plate have anything other than a bulldog head on it...well...all I can say is hopefully someone else will let you merge from 400. The same goes for those of you with car magnets and window flags. Early on Tennessee fans will litter the roadways with their flags until they remember their spit-cups and stop rolling down the windows.

The mornings have a crispness to them. The evenings are made for eating ice-cream and watching the sunset through the trees. Thursday nights the Tech fan heads downtown for his hotdog and Coke dinner at Mark Richt Field.

Louisiana Community College, Arkansas Backwood U, Virginia Tech, and Tennessee College for the Blind have cashed their opening week paycheck to be another team's whipping boy. As long as you aren't Arkansas or ole miss (thank God) you are done with the cupcakes and ready to play some decent competition. Oh, and if the Mississippi fanbase can return their SEC membership cards to Mike Slive that'd be fantastic before Jacksonville State gets their version of this built on Hwy 78.


Football is upon us, and we've got a doozy of a game this weekend Dawg fans. I predicted a loss because it keeps the expectations of greatness slightly muted, but I will pick the Dawgs to win...you ALWAYS pick the Dawgs to win. It'll be a knock-down, drag-out because both teams looked really good. But if our defense can find a way to keep Lattimore and Garcia on their backsides we're going to win.

I wish cupcake blowouts didn't pump me up so much, but they do. Aaron Murray looked like a born leader out there and as long as we can keep him from scrambling this weekend he should remain in 1 piece. The defense shined 99% of the time, and the 1% they didn't Coach Grantham put the secondary in a human centipede with Bacarri Rambo at the #3 spot.

I love Georgia football, and it has arrived. Go Dawgs!

Watch a Nerd Get Hurt

If you live in the metro-Atlanta or Macon area, you probably can pick up the The Regular Guys show on Rock 100.5. There is a snotty little douche named Sebas on the show who went to Tech and does nothing but brag about how smart he is. Lucky for us, they did a bit where we get to see him get blasted with a pressure washer...enjoy.



I love watching nerds get hurt being stupid, it makes me happy.

GrillTopper Open

Just a quick update. The GrillTopper Open is up and rolling, you can make your Week 1 picks. Follow this link, and do your research 'cause there are some doosies this week.

LSU/UNC
Boise/VT
Mizzou/Illinois
TCU/Oregon St
Kentucky/Louisville

...smellin' some upsets!


Football, I missed you so much, never leave me again.

Disillusionment

The wife was on a business trip in Little Rock this week. She, being of the Crimson Tide persuasion, was getting an ear-full from the Razorback fans over there. She was kind enough to email me some of their disillusioned statements. And I read:

•This is Arkansas’s year.

•We will beat Alabama in Fayetteville this year.

•We have a Heisman trophy candidate playing for our team, so we will win against Alabama.

•Alabama has an unknown defense, so Mallett can easily put up 50 points against Alabama. The question is whether Alabama can score 51 points.

•Arkansas will run all over Alabama’s defense.

•If we beat Georgia, there’s no way we’ll lose to Alabama the next week. If we lose to Georgia, it will be tougher for us to win against Alabama, but it still can and will be done.

•We are ranked higher than any other SEC team (…except Alabama and Florida).

•After we win, we’re calling you, and you have to “call the Hogs” for us.

•Back in the day, Arkansas and Alabama was a huge rivalry game (...back in the day?!? 1992 when we played you for the 3rd time eva?!?). You had to come to the state of Arkansas to find the best coach in history. We’re ready to reignite that this year with a win.

•Arkansas could very easily go undefeated. Worst case, we’ll lose one game the whole season.

•Arkansas almost beat both Alabama and Florida in the last few years (then time spent reminiscing the moral victories of almost winning).

•The referee kept us from beating Florida last year.

•Arkansas will be playing for the SEC Championship this year.

•Nick Saban is an evil man who will leave Alabama soon for something else (okay… everyone kind of says that).

Just wanted to share that with you guys. Apparently Arkansas = University of South Carolina West.

Pantsless Predictions: Speed Dating

Since the paying job has thrown a huge wrench in my plans for blogging about Georgia's record this year, it looks like I'm forced to do a quick run-down instead of the usual mediocre analysis and garbage thoughts.

Thus far I've got us a 2-1 with a victories over U-LaFa and Arkansas. The sole loss coming at the hands of the Gamecocks. From here on out, here's what I'm thinking:


@Mississippi State - 9/25
Win.

Don't get me wrong, Dan Mullen is a great coach and will upset a team or two this year but it won't be the Dawgs. Fun fact: The last time UGA lost to Mississippi State there was no such thing as Wheel of Fortune...that's a long-ass time, folks. Dawgs win.


@Colorado - 10/2
Win.

"We won't have Joe Cox around to save Matthew Stafford's backside this time!" How weird was that to read? If you're like me you remember nothing about the Colorado game except we won by the skin of our teeth. Stafford played a stinker and Joe Cox saved the day. We'll be good, lets just hope we've got some oxygen tanks around for the big guys. Dawgs win.


Tennessee - 10/9
Win.

It's not about Lane Kiffin. It's not about the egg we laid last year. It's not about Da'Rick Rogers. It's about Vince Dooley "subtly and very conservatively" wearing something orange. Derek Dooley is a little snot and we will not lose this one. WILL. NOT. LOSE. Dawgs win big.


Vandy - 10/16
Win.

Everyone loves Bobby Johnson's replacement. Hopefully he learns his role early. Dawgs win.


@Kentucky - 10/23
Win?

Folks are calling this an upset game. I don't see it. I was at the pathetic display in Athens last year and it was embarrassing. Other than the last quarter, UGA outplayed Kentucky by leaps and bounds. Orson Charles had a banner day against the Wildcats last year and appeared to not get any touches in the second 1/2. Mike Bobo must have been fun to play NBA Jam against in the early 90's, God forbid he get the ball to anyone who's "ON FIRE". Dawgs win, why not.


Florida - 10/30
Loss.

I know nothing about how well our team will perform in this game. I see no reason to assume our team of new guys will beat their team of new guys. As I stated before I started making picks, I'm trying to play it safe this year...why not presume a loss and if we win say you knew all along we were gonna win? Dawgs "lose".


Idaho State - 11/6
Win.

Yawn. Dawgs win, this is the game to bring your toddlers and younger kids to...mark it down. Cheap, easy to find tickets, friendly-competitive atmosphere.


@OurBarn - 11/13
Loss.

We've beat Auburn for 4 straight years. I'd love to make it a .500 series (Auburn leads 53-52-8), but there is a small part of me that thinks we'll flop on this one as Auburn slowly becomes more competitive in the SEC. Therefore, I'll play it safe again and assume we lose against a hated rival. Dogs lose, but we'll finally get a bye week after a LOOOOOOONG stretch of tough football.


Kick back, relax, fire up the ELO, and watch the Egg Bowl...it's Bye Week, playa!




(cue Kernkraft 400, its time for...)
Georgia Tech - 11/27
Win.

Regardless of anything you hear from Heather Dinich, Georgia's rookie QB will probably have a good idea of how to play football by the LAST GAME OF THE SEASON. New defenses on both sides, but they are still Georgia Tech...so we win by default. 9 of 10. GO DAWGS! (Even if we've already got a new Uga mascot by this game, it might not hurt to bring Russ out with him just for good measure.)


Dawgs finish the regular season 9-3. Call it a 10-win season after the bowl game and the Dawgs keep the win-train rolling into an SEC Championship in 2011. Bank on it.

Falcons Poll Results

The results are in, and it looks like I've got a plan now for the upcoming NFL season. As I posted earlier, I know little to nothing about professional football, but this year I'm willing to put forth effort in becoming a fan of the Falcons.

I committed to watching 3 Falcons games in their entirety this season, and you guys got to vote and pick which ones I WILL NOT MISS. You were able to select multiple opponents, and here are the teams you voted for:
87% of voters picked the Saints once.


46% of voters picked the Carolina Panthers once.

There was a tie for the 3rd and final spot with a 43% split between the Packers and the Eagles. But since I really like the Packers logo, and I despise everything about Philadelphia I figured it would be best if I gave the Eagles the last spot.


...because if you're going to cheer against a team, it might as well be a team from a city you hate.

But thanks for the help, I really don't know what to expect out of NFL football but hopefully I won't hate it too much. Go Falcons! WOOF WOOF WOOF!

GrillTopper Open 2K10

Alright folks, it's that time again.

You've just been invited to 10-15 College Football Pick'em Groups. You've signed up for some, ignored the ones from your Facebook Friends you hate, and you're sitting pretty for college football to start next week. Well, it's time to add one more Pick 'Em Group to your list!

"But Mackie, why should I sign up for your group?"

Here's the answer, Son. For the second year in a row, Blogging Pantsless is teaming up with our fine sponsor, GrillToppers for the Grill Topper Open!!1

What's in it for you? Only the most badass tailgate grilling accessory on the market, Playa! Each week, the Group Leader in correct picks will win a prize. Last year we shipped out the Hotdog GrillToppers and several of you were able to seer your favorite football team's name into your food...outside of Heaven itself is there a greater prize in life?!? Me thinks not.


Here's how you sign up:

1. Follow this link to Yahoo's Fantasy League sign-in.
2. Group ID#: 12147
3. Password: grilltopper
4. Name your Set and make picks.
5. Prepare yourself for heartbreak after I mop the floor with you 13 consecutive weeks and hold a weenie roast in my honor where I seer "Go Dawgs" into a baker's dozen Oscar Meyer tube-steaks.

PRIZE UPDATE
I just saw on the message board for the GrillTopper Open, this year's prizes have expanded to include the following:
model HD Grill Topper (MSRP $17.99)
model 550 Grill Topper (MSRP $18.99)
Grill Topper Grill Glove (MSRP $18.99)
Grill Topper 3-piece BBQ Tool set (MSRP $19.99)
Grill Topper BBQ Apron (MRSP $34.99)
...nice!

Pantsless Predictions: Part II of IIIIIIIIII (10)

Arkansas (9.18.2010)

The Deal: The Bulldogs under Mark Richt haven't lost to the Razorbacks in 5 meetings. In fact the Dawgs are 9-3 alltime against the Hawgs. But we are more than aware of the offensive firepower Petrino's Pigs will be bringing to Athens. An offense that AVERAGED 36 points per game last year(which is deceiving considering that includes 7 against Alabama and 63 against Eastern Michigan...whomp, whooooomp.)

But we are also aware of Willy Robinson's patented Country Crock Defense the Razorbacks field. A defense even Willie Martinez would scoff at, but that being said, he IS entering his 3rd year at UA and there is a slight chance some of the growing pains are in the past.

Here's what we were dealing with last year:

Richard Samuel might be mulling over a switch back over to RB after his performance in Fayetteville last year.

My call? Georgia wins...big.

This is our first home SEC game and the stadium crowd will be electric. I figured worst case scenario UGA splits their first two SEC opponents. Going on this logic, USC might not be the tougher opponent but Columbia is a hellish environment to play this early in the season at Noon. At least in Athens we have the benefit of burning up on our own turf with the crowd behind us and some SEC experience under our belt (Arky plays Tenn Tech and ULM before heading East to play us).

Aaron Murray will have a break-out game because if Joe Cox didn't have to thread the needle to put points on the board against their secondary, I doubt much has changed. HOWEVER, Coach Grantham better be showing OUR secondary the Ryan Mallet record breaking highlight reel from last year when they hosted us. He threw for over 400 yards and 5 TDs against our defense...no bueno. Raise your glass to Bean Anderson because if we're going to put Ryan Mallet on the ground he's going to have his hands full at Nose.

Hopefully we blitz him into making bad passes and we see immediate improvement from last years dreadful turnover-ratio. Dawgs D needs to come-up big, especially our secondary coverage against these guys if we want shot at the win. Should we not be prepared, September 18th could prove to be a LOOOOONG day for Dawg fans.

UGA/Arkansas: WIN

2/3 going into Week 4. GO DAWGS!

The World's Worst Falcons Fan

That is the title I give myself. I know little to nothing about our team except that DJ Shockley is no longer employed by the organization and that is some UNEXCUSABLE BULL$#*+!!!

But seriously I've only attended 1 Falcons game in my lifetime of living in the metro-Atlanta area. I might have been 6 years old but I could be wrong on that, all I remember is someone spilled a beer on my sister and my father (who is a church minister) was FURIOUS! Unfortunately I doubt that was my sister's only encounter with alcohol in her lifetime. She being a huge Tech fan I'll assume drinking is what helped get her through the last 10 years...but I digress.

Back to topic, I wanted to make a commitment this year to watch more NFL football, primarily in my hometown market. After looking up their schedule I discovered the Falcons play 16 regular season football games. Therefore, I'm making a commitment to sit down and watch 3 Falcons games in their entirety this year. I know dedicating myself to less than 1/5 of a season is pretty underwhelming, but that's just the MINIMUM games I'm going to watch. I'd love to catch more, but I will watch NO LESS than the 3 best match-ups as voted by you. My wife would know best, that's a huge commitment for me.

But I'll need a little help from Falcons fans. Somebody has to instruct me about which games I should catch. Were a person to come to me and say "I want to watch 3 Georgia games this year, which ones should I catch?" my answer would be Florida, Auburn, and Tech (but the hammer-lock we're gonna put on Tennessee would be a SUPER-close 4th). The Falcon's schedule is posted top-right, vote so I have some good games to watch!

Also, please don't vote for a team just because former Bulldogs play for them. I love MoMass as much as the next guy but if the Browns are still the bums I assume they are then they probably shouldn't make the cut.

Pantsless Predictions: Part I of IIIIIIIIII (10)

South Cackalacky (9.11.2010)



The Deal:
Look, I'm not going to tell you this is how it's gonna be. In doing so it would do nothing but jinx the exact opposite into fruition. The best I can do is tell you what I think might possibly have a small chance of maybe happening...possibly.

What does everyone say at the beginning of every season? ALL TOGETHER:

"SOUTH CAROLINA WILL SET THE TONE OF OUR SEC SEASON."

What that means is Georgia will probably blow out Louisiana LaFa and head into Columbia, SC with little to no idea about how we'll play against SEC caliber opponents. South Carolina won't be the toughest opponent we'll play all year, at best they've been a mid-level SEC opponent since the beginning. But for some reason they give us fits.

All the big boys have lesser opponents that do this. My best friend, who happens to be a Gator, told me Ole Miss is Florida's non-division parade-raining equivalent to our South Carolina. But I've long said the biggest problem we have with the South Carolina game is we play them before they realize they aren't a good team.

Every year South Carolina fans tell themselves they're going to win the East...every year they don't. This is a big rivalry game to them, but we've got so many freakin' "rivals" out there (Florida, Tech, Auburn, etc...) South Carolina falls off the radar of importance to us.

But people are calling South Carolina a dark horse for the East this year. To be honest, this might be the first year I take the threat of South Carolina to heart, because I have ZERO idea what expect from Georgia. If Todd Grantham's rhetoric stopped the ball I wouldn't doubt we'd beat the Gamecocks this year. But Steve Spurrier finally has a decent experienced offense in addition to the same stingy defense South Carolina has been known to field.

Aaron Murray doesn't have to beat South Carolina, the Bulldogs need to beat South Carolina. I think our offense is better than their offense, but is our offense better than their defense...hell, is our DEFENSE better than either their offense OR defense?!? I have no idea if we'll be ready.

But my final call on this game is for a Loss. I don't think we should lose, I don't really think we will lose, but I'm playing this year safe and trying to keep my expectations realistic.

I think after a few serious opponents we'll know what we're dealing with, but G-Day didn't tell me anything. Nothing. I want to believe we're going to be blitzing the balls off Stephen Garcia and nailing him to the salted Earth of Columbia, SC. But that's all wishing and hoping.

Fingers crossed I REALLY hope I'm wrong on this one. I've been wrong before, and my wife will be the first to let me know. I used to think Aerosmith's "Dude Looks Like a Lady" was being sung as "Do the Lucky Lady"...as if "the lucky lady" were some dance to be done. When she found this out she nearly fell out of the car as it rolled down the interstate, I'm glad she had her seatbelt on.

You'll see a more reserved approach to my picks this year. I got burned pretty severely last year with some really crappy wishful thinking. The whipped dawg in me wants to play it a little safer, that way a loss will only ruin my Saturday and not my whole weekend. Perhaps I'm finally growing up...(fart joke).

UGA/USC: LOSS

1/1 going into week 3. Go Dawgs!

UPDATE: I also wanted to note, according to the poll posted last month, only 14% of you guys thought Aaron Murray needed more snaps if we're blowing out Louisiana LaFa in the 3rd. 53% said he should be pulled for Hutson Mason, and 31% thought he should be pulled for Logan Gray. I voted to get Hutson some snaps because if Logan Gray is going to put himself at risk of injury at WR then we gotta have a solid #2 Quarterback in reserve. Now if we stumble out of the gate (big IF), Aaron better get his act together REAL quick and play the entire game. But otherwise I'd say he's too valuable to leave out there in case some Linebacker thug from a whipping boy school wants to show how tough he is.

Pantsless Predictions: Preview of Part I of IIIIIIIIII (10)

So last year I did a HATCHET job picking the Wins/Loses of the Dawgs.

Long story short, I did a lot of traveling last year to watch UGA football and they didn't win a single game I went to...that's pretty crappy to experience (especially because Stillwater, OK is a helluva drive).

But this year I opted to not buy any tickets off the season ticket form I share with a guy. Instead, I decided to spend a jillion dollars on 10th row seats for when Roger Waters comes to town touring the Pink Floyd classic The Wall. That should resolve the bad luck I brought to the team in 2009, but if nothing else you can thank me for getting us enough losses to can Willie Mart...or you can thank Willie yourself...whatever.


I'm omitting UL-Lafa and Idaho State from the Predictions only because I assume we will win...so there's your prediction, looks like they aren't actually omitted after all.

First up will be South Cackalacky. I've been busy the last week dealing with homeowner pleasantries like a broke-down washing machine.
You might be tempted to say "Hey Mackie, it looks like you're missing a few pieces to your washing machine."

I would be tempted to answer "You're right, but she's travelling and she'll be back Friday." ...but I wouldn't do that because my wife reads the blog and would give me that look that encompasses anger, regret, and sadness all in one roll of the eyes.

But I'm getting my act together and as long as the Braves continue to fall apart my focus will continue to shift toward the Dawgs and blogging like kudzu to a telephone poll. Thanks for your patience, football is nearly upon us. Masses rejoice!

Coach Derpboobs

...that is all.

Farewell, David Hale

I believe it was somewhere around Blogging Pantsless' 1 year anniversary. I'd gotten to the point where I felt I was pretty hot s#*% because I was averaging somewhere between 60-70 UNIQUE hits per day.

I don't remember what exactly I posted that day, but I saw my counter jump by 500 hits over the course of morning to noon. I immediately went to my log of referrals and saw 499 of them had come from David Hale's Bulldogs Blog.
My first thought was to write a post thanking him for the link and throwing a week's worth of traffic my way in one morning. My second thought was I probably shouldn't call opposing team's star players "gay" anymore if I'm going to be getting serious about this blogging non-sense.

But as it turned out, most Georgia fans are just as juvenile as I and enjoy the occasional name-calling so I kept it up. Though, I can't say how many...IF ANY, of my current readers came from being linked by David that day. But I can tell you his referral of Blogging Pantsless did A LOT toward motivating me to keep this train rolling. So for that, Mr. Hale...

...WE SALUTE YOU!

I say it's one of the South's greatest losses since General Bobby Lee. But have fun up in Philthadelphia covering those good for nothin' Philthies. I wish you mountains of prosperity, but may your baseball team lose EVERY SINGLE GAME until the franchise ships off to Las Vegas as a new team. God Speed, David. You will be missed around these parts.

You feel that? Your chest hair just grew 3 inches.

You can go read Todd Grantham's quotes over at the AJC if you want to get pumped about our 3-4 defense.

The man has a way with words, lets just hope his money's where his mouth is...and that his foot is where slacking defensemen pass solids.

But aside from that manliness, I was making my rounds and found a movie trailer that will make men drool and women cower in fear. That film would be The Expendables. Here are the acting participants:

-Bruce Willis
-Sylvester Stallone
-Dolf Lundgren
-Steve Austin
-Arnold Schwarzeneggar
-Jason Statham
-Jet Li
-Mickey Rourke
-Terry Crews

Throw in "Paradise City" being blared throughout a trailer full of explosions/gun-fights/car-chases and you'd better check for porn under his mattress because your little boy just vicariously became a man...and he's only 4 years old.

For every wife/girlfriend who took their man to Sex and the City, The Notebook, Letters to Juliet, or anything starring Matthew Mcconaughey...payback is a HARSH MISTRESS!

(h/t Lucid Idiocy)

A Question Raised

What makes Get the Picture one of the best Georgia blogs out there, is the fact that it's still technically football off-season and the article I read 2 days ago is already bumped to Older Posts on the next page...dayyyuuuuuuum.

But I was reading through this post the other day and contemplated writing something and just now got to it (...way to show initiative, Mackie).

The Senator covers some of Mike Bobo's comments regarding our lack of depth at QB. And at the conclusion of his post Blutarsky states:

"Sure would be nice if ULaLa were a thirty-point blowout with the bench getting emptied in the third quarter."

So that got me thinking, Aaron Murray is our starting QB without any NCAA career starts. We are opening up against a cupcake, so here's your hypothetical...

If we are blowing out the Ragin' Cajuns in the 3rd quarter, should we use that time to get Hutson Mason some snaps? I'm not overly concerned about the back-up QB situation, but GOD FORBID anything happen to Logan Gray as a wide receiver AND Murray bites the dust, our hopes & dreams rest on the laurels of a true freshman.
...but let it be known, he was a state record-setting, Tire Swing All-American.

So you guys play coach. Vote in the poll, top right. Keep in mind South Carolina is the following week, that's when $#!% gets REAL!

Georgia Tech Wallpaper

Did you know if you wanted to visually tell the world what a dork you are, you can go HERE and download a sassy wallpaper for your computer desktop?!?


Nothing says, "Hi ladies, have you seen my collection of Star Wars Pez Dispensers?" like a GT Football computer background.

But you wouldn't want that, would you? Of course not. Chances are, if you're reading my blog on your own free will, you are a Georgia fan and know what a boobie looks like...in real life.

That's why you download THIS wallpaper instead!

...and the jokes write themselves.

Why We Won't Lose to USC

It's getting to the point where before too much longer every Georgia fan (myself included) will being making bold predictions regarding the wins/loses of our beloved Dawgs for the 2010 season.

I'm seeing a trend that many fear our first lost will come at the hands of South Carolina.

Reasoning:
-Road Game, in one of the worst places to ever see a football game.
-No0b QB
-USC has an experienced team

-Our new defense hasn't faced an SEC opponent yet...well, technically true.

Our new defensive scheme will not have faced an SEC opponent. But our new Defensive Backs Coach, Scott Lakatos, coached the secondary of UConn last year and held the 'Cocks to 7 points and Stephen Garcia to a completion percentage of 42%.

So it is correct to say our new and (hopefully) improved defense hasn't faced a conference opponent. BUT to say our defensive coaching staff doesn't know what they're getting into couldn't be more wrong (which no one is saying, just thrown out for dramatics). Lets just hope Coach Lakatos kept his Trapper Keeper full of notes from UConn DC Todd Orlando, I think they'll come in handy.
GO DAWGS!