tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286750312024-03-23T14:44:30.850-04:00In Dodd We Trust - A Georgia Tech Sports BlogA Georgia Tech sports blog with ramblings about other teams and topics as well.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1155171646526532962006-08-09T20:45:00.000-04:002006-08-09T21:32:40.030-04:00In Dodd We Trust is Movin'!Readers! In Dodd We Trust has moved to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com">Sports Blog Nation</a>, and is now <a href="http://www.ramblinracket.com">Ramblin' Racket</a>! I ask y'all to update any links or blogrolls to the new address.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/1600/RamblinRacket.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/320/RamblinRacket.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">My new site logo, made by real a professional artist. That's right, </span>professionals<span style="font-style: italic;"> do stuff for me now.</span><br /></div><br />You can expect the same type of content over there as you found here--it's basically the same blog, just with a new home. I hope all of you follow us over there and continue to participate in our discussion of all things Tech... well, maybe not all things... really just football. Whatever.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1155138353010830162006-08-09T11:10:00.000-04:002006-08-09T11:45:56.376-04:00A Newbie's Guide to Tailgating Areas at GTThis post is intended to offer advice to new students, new alumni, or visiting fans who don't know where to go for tailgating. Tech has a fairly big campus with fairly little usuable 'gating space, and even less parking. If you've tailgated at Tech for years, this guide will tell you nothing. In fact, you may say "Those are lame spots! EVERYone knows the ONLY place to 'gate is [insert your spot]!!!"<br /><br />Consult this map I made, and I will offer brief explanations of each area. By no means is this map comprehensive, and I don't know the whole situation on all these areas. This post was made with <a href="http://mb25.scout.com/fthehivefrm1.showMessage?topicID=56872.topic">some help</a> from the folks at the Hive. Feel free to post info you have in the comments, and I will update this guide as I get more/better information.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/1600/CampusMap.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/400/CampusMap.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Varsity (orange on the map)<span style="font-weight: bold;">:</span></span> I highly recommend tailgating at the Varsity lot for beginners. For one thing, you can experience a Tech tradition by getting an FO, Yankee dog, and strings, and also you're damn close to the stadium. (Warning: I don't know the whole parking situation, i.e. how much you'd pay to park in the lot or deck there.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">W01 (light blue):</span> There is good RV parking along Tech Parkway, and I don't believe you pay to park there.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">W02 (purple):</span> Student Center Parking Deck & Lot. Lots of room, lots of people. I usually see a few visitor tailgates here.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">IC Field (green):</span> AKA the F'in Awesome Lot; home sweet home for IDWT. Tech no longer lets people park on the grass here, so you'll need to park a little ways away. Lots of room on the field, and fairly family friendly (except for the random cursing, smashing of liquor bottles, and throwing of lawn darts by my buddies).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">W21 (red):</span> Lot behind the Physics building. I usually see a few visitor tailgates here; good, spacious lot. Near the center of campus and the campanile, where GameDay will be for Notre Dame.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Yellow Jacket Park (yellow):</span> I have never tailgated here and know NOTHING about tailgating here; I just imagine it would be a good place because it's a huge grass field. GameDay will be near the campanile according to D-Rad, so they may actually be here.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">W24 (blue):</span> Small but good lot. Fairly far from the stadium, so not good if you have elderly, pregnant, etc. 'gaters.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">W25/26/27:</span> Similar to W24 but bigger. Friendly to visitor tailgates. Again, far from Bobby Dodd Stadium.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">E65:</span> Lot behind Alexander Memorial Coliseum. It seems about half of the Hive tailgates here. Lots of RVs, lots of alumni. Maybe not super-friendly to "enemy" tailgates.<br /><br /><br />There you have it folks, a brief summary. Again, feel free to give feedback if I'm wrong on something or if there's a glaring omission. See y'all in September!Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1155132106294431552006-08-09T08:55:00.000-04:002006-08-09T12:31:14.576-04:00Wednesday Morning RundownFew lil' GT Quick hits:<br /><br />Via <a href="http://www.wreckramblin.com">Wreck Ramblin'</a>, <a href="http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17029444&BRD=2068&amp;PAG=461&dept_id=387471&rfi=6">Al Ciraldo is in consideration</a> for the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in Macon. The late Ciraldo was the voice of Georgia Tech football and basketball from 1954-1993 [<span style="font-style: italic;">edit:fixed the year</span>]. He was a huge assett to the Yellow Jacket community, and if he doesn't make the HoF now, he definitely will later. Credit Ciraldo with the phrase "When Toe Meets Leather." If any of you want to make a GT blog, toemeetsleather.blogspot.com would be a fine choice.<br /><br />D-Rad has <a href="http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/ap_newfullstory.asp?ID=78723">spoken to Georgia Southern's AD</a> about a football game in the future. No projected date, just an idea, but I'm all for it. Really, playing a good AA opponent is kind of a no-win situation, because if you don't blow them out, "you should have," and if you lose, that's just terrible. But I am definitely stoked about that. Although be sure to double-bag it when the Statesboro kids come to town.<br /><br />AJC profile of <a href="http://www.ajc.com/gatech/content/sports/gatech/stories/0809technotes.html">D-lineman Vance Walker</a>. He's put on 10 pounds and worked on his speed.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/sports/15229704.htm">Practice notes</a> from the Macon Telegraph.<br /><br />Later today: profile of good tailgating spots on/around campus.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1155069641563040442006-08-08T16:34:00.000-04:002006-08-08T16:40:41.576-04:00Georgia Tech - National Title "Contender"Stewart Mandel of SportsIllustrated.com lists <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/football/ncaa/specials/preview/2006/08/08/main.bar/index.html">16 national title contenders</a>, including Georgia Tech. Mandel explains this is <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> a "Top 16," but rather that these teams, "at least on paper, possess many of the right ingredients -- a veteran quarterback, experienced offensive and defensive lines, proven playmakers, a favorable schedule -- to put together a championship run, provided some other key areas fall into place." He goes on to say "All the teams on our list of contenders have the basic foundation to go 13-0 yet could just as easily wind up 7-6."<br /><br />At first I was surprised to find Georgia Tech on this list, but given their full description (especially that last sentence I quoted), I agree <span style="font-style: italic;">entirely</span>.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1155053812439720752006-08-08T11:56:00.000-04:002006-08-08T12:20:37.233-04:00Super-Preliminary Preseason BlogPoll BallotFirst off, two notes: (1) This was done with minimal research, off mainly gut feeling and the consultation of the <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/rankingsindex">AP poll</a> and a couple <a href="http://www.bruinsnation.com">other</a> <a href="http://www.dawgsports.com">folks'</a> BlogPoll ballots.<br />(2) This was done by the BlogPoll guidelines, which say we're ranking who would beat whom. That was the main criterion here, I looked at a team, the teams above it, and the teams below it. Who would win?<br /><br />This resulted in certain things you won't see on (m)any other ballots, i.e. GT in the top ten. Blatant homerism, wishful thinking? Oh yeah. But still, since I think Tech will beat Notre Dame, the Jackets should be ranked higher than the Irish. On with the crappy ballot.<br /><br />1. Ohio State University<br />2. Auburn University<br />3. West Virginia University<br />4. University of Southern California<br />5. University of Texas<br />6. University of Florida<br />7. Georgia Institute of Technology<br />8. University of Lousville<br />9. University of Iowa<br />10. University of Georgia<br />11. University of Notre Dame<br />12. University of Oregon<br />13. Boston College<br />14. University of California, Berkeley<br />15. University of Michigan<br />16. University of Arkansas<br />17. University of Miami<br />18. Florida State University<br />19. Texas Christian University<br />20. University of California, Los Angeles<br />21. Pennsylvania State University<br />22. Louisiana State University<br />23. Clemson University<br />24. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University<br />25. University of Utah<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Others considered: Oklahoma, Navy, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Texas Tech, Arizona State, Fresno State</span><br /><br />Doubtless this will change before submission, and doubtless fans of many teams (in the strange event that they visit this website) will be like "WTF? No way!" at their "low" rank or absence from the list. Tell me where I f'ed up, though. On thing, though. There's no way Georgia Tech is leaving my top ten during the preseason.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1155050936281713562006-08-08T09:26:00.000-04:002006-08-08T11:28:56.900-04:00Tuesday Morning RundownUsually I don't like it when news outlets <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=costasize">Costasize</a>, but lately the AJC has run a lot of good player profiles: <a href="http://www.ajc.com/gatech/content/sports/gatech/stories/0808techfoot.html">Travis Chambers</a>, <a href="http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/gatech/stories/0807techfoot.html">Wayne Riles</a>, <a href="http://www.ajc.com/gatech/content/sports/gatech/stories/0806techfoot.html">Jahi Word-Daniels</a>, <a href="http://www.ajc.com/gatech/content/sports/gatech/stories/0805techfoot.html">Tashard Choice</a>.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/1600/_DSC7579_lr.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/320/_DSC7579_lr.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">This jackass won an Emmy for ruining the Olympics.<br /></span></div><br />Wreck Ramblin' point us to a sweet but kinda concerning <a href="http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/hall/newfullstory.asp?ID=105877">article on CJ</a>: Calvin claims he knows "every position," so he'll be lining up all over the place. But like Goldtimer said, shouldn't he have kept that quiet? Although it really makes the imagination run wild; where are we gonna line him up? QB, RB, TE?<br /><br /><a href="http://georgiatech.scout.com/2/554357.html">Brief practice report</a>. The full report is on the Hiver Insider message board, but I'm too broke for that crap.<br /><br />Georgia Tech on CFN's Top 100 Greatest College Football Finishes: <a href="http://www.collegefootballnews.com/Almanac/Top_100_Finishes/100_Best_College_Football_Finishes_100_91.htm">#94 (2000: GT 31 Clemson 28)</a>, <a href="http://www.collegefootballnews.com/Almanac/Top_100_Finishes/100_Best_College_Football_Finishes_40_31.htm">#36 (1990: GT 41, UVa 38)</a>.<br /><br />I saw this several other places, notably <a href="http://georgiasports.blogspot.com">GSB </a>and <a href="http://www.collegefootballresource.com">CFR</a>, but Clay Travis at Sportsline wrote <a href="http://www.sportsline.com/spin/story/9589959">a nice eulogy</a> for Jefferson Pilot Sports, and their god-awful football telecasts.<br /><br />I truly hope many of you will compete for the <a href="http://houserockbuilt.blogspot.com/2006/08/andy-french-cup-kicks-off.html">Andy French Cup</a>, brought to you by Notre Dame blog <a href="http://houserockbuilt.blogspot.com/">The House That Rock Built</a>. The rules are simple: Get wasted, dial (312) 239-0841, and leave a drunken rant about any college coach, player, president, etc. This is no-holds-barred, so feel free to insult as inappropriately as possible.<br /><br />Coming later today: my preliminary <a href="http://mgoblog.blogspot.com/2005/05/blogpoll-central.html">BlogPoll</a> ballot. The BlogPoll is a college football rankings poll, much like the Coach's and AP polls, but it's filled out by college football bloggers like me. You know what teams the voters root for, and you can read their ballots, so any regional bias or blatant homerism is there to see.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1154762129201094942006-08-05T02:57:00.000-04:002006-08-05T03:15:29.213-04:00Stop Pickin' on Vandy!Just about any time you read a mention of Vanderbilt football, whether on a blog or in a newspaper article or in some other medium, the program is demeaned. And I ask folks to chill. Just a bit.<br /><br />Obviously, Vanderbilt is a (if not <span style="font-style: italic;">the</span>) bottom-feeder of the Southeastern Conference. They've not won a conference title in many decades, and their Varsity athletics are now organized by the same group that handles intramurals. However, I encourage fans to give Vandy a break.<br /><br />Vanderbilt plays in the SEC, arguably the most competitive conference in major college football. And they suck in it. So why should fans/journalists give them slack? Because they've <span style="font-style: italic;">never stopped.</span> Vanderbilt University has clearly been out of SEC Championship contention for many years. If they chose, they could bolt to some "lesser" conference, and (assuming the same personnell) compete for a conference title much more often.<br /><br />But Vanderbilt respects the tradition of its conference, which it helped found. (Okay, Tech does not, whatever. GT helped found the SEC but later bolted. This is not the point of the post, so I ask that it not be a major thread in the comments section.) Rather than head for greener pastures, Vandy runs with their long-time crew, and unfortunately loses a lot.<br /><br />I do not suggest, and do not think, that Vanderbilt is satisfied with their current role. Doubtless, the school hopes (and hopefully expects) to compete for a conference title as soon as possible. But in the mean time, I implore journa-/bloga-lists to not be too hard on Vanderbilt. At times it seems like they get less respect than worse, but not perennially-faced, teams (since the worse teams are faced less often, so there's not the familiarity to their suckiness).<br /><br />Vandy does not have to be your whipping boy, but they accept it. And for that, I commend their attitude.<br /><br />(Notes: (1) Most of these comments could apply to Dule within the ACC. (2) This post does not consider sports other than football. I do not consider this inappropriate, since football is clearly the most loved/influential sport at colleges.)Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1154698892180450892006-08-04T08:51:00.000-04:002006-08-04T09:41:32.390-04:00Yoga Program Okay & Other InfoAs reported by Paul Westerdawg in a post called "<a href="http://georgiasports.blogspot.com/2006/08/more-tech-cheating-and-other-football.html">More Tech Cheating?</a>", LSU self-reported a "Level 2" (i.e., won't result in sanctions) NCAA violation for a <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2538389">summer yoga program</a>. As <a href="http://indoddwetrust.blogspot.com/2006/07/post-weekend-catch-up.html">previously mentioned</a> at IDWT, Tech was doing a yoga program over the summer. The AJC <a href="http://www.ajc.com/gatech/content/sports/gatech/stories/0804technote.html">reports today</a> that we are not in violation of NCAA rules. Why is our program okay and LSU's not? According to Tech's compliance director:<span class="template"><span class="body"><blockquote>"The ACC told us what we were doing is OK," Parker said. "Since we're doing yoga that's open to all student-athletes, it's OK — it's not special to the football team. Plus, it was initiated through our sports medicine staff, and it's non-mandatory."</blockquote></span></span> Gotta show respect to dudes with the last name Parker.<br /><br />The AJC has some <a href="http://my.ajc.com/W7RH038E5A53A117FF47A3224C3880">photos from Thursday's prakiss</a>. Both K-Mike and Phillip Wheeler are rockin the visors on their helmets.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/sportscolumns/entries/2006/08/03/tech_qb_playcal.html">Reggie's got a chip on his shoulder</a>, and he's out to prove the nay-sayers wrong this season... Just like last season. (HT: <a href="http://www.wreckramblin.com">Wreck Ramblin'</a>)Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1154664463308512752006-08-04T00:06:00.000-04:002006-08-04T00:10:19.606-04:00YouTube Goodness: Joe Hamilton for HeismanI'm posting this not as a "Glory Days of Yesteryear" thing, but mainly because it features the last time Tech and Notre Dame squared off: the '99 Gator Bowl.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350" align="center"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/r6Uh8tfYecQ"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/r6Uh8tfYecQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350" align="center"></embed></object>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1154659863239274152006-08-03T22:18:00.000-04:002006-08-03T22:51:04.743-04:00D-Rad is the BombGT Athletics Director Dan Radakovich just released Volume 7 of his bi-weekly newsletter <a href="http://ramblinwreck.cstv.com/genrel/080306aab.html">The Good Word</a>. I recommend you read it, but I'll highlight the key bits:<br /><ul><li>Ramblinwreck.com will soon have a "Fan Guide" for gameday, with info on parking, pregame activities, etc. This is a VERY good thing. As of recently, RW.com had almost no info on parking; it just sent you to the GT parking site, which is hard as crap to navigate.</li><li>Link to the <a href="http://ramblinwreck.cstv.com/ot/06-annual-report.html">GTAA Annual Report</a>. Go watch D-Rad's video intro.</li><li>Radio coverage is what it is. ISP has tried to find a higher-power FM station, but no avail yet. All ACC football and basketball games are on XM, but they feature the home announcers, so no Wes Durham for road games. Still a very good thing, though. Also, night games are simulcast on WREK, <span style="font-style: italic;">with</span> Wes and the usual ISP sports crew.</li></ul>I've gotta say, I'm mad stoked about D-Rad as the new AD, and I am continually impressed with his performance and attitude. He interacts directly with the fans through the Good Word and via email. He appears on TV and talks to the press. And one thing that I like is that he looks at GT athletics as a business, and discusses it as such. Sports are our product, and we have <span style="font-style: italic;">customers</span>, not "just" fans.<br /><br />Radakovich sees that we need to create a good experience overall, as well as field competitive teams. The AA has stuggled for years to develop a solid "sidewalk" fanbase, and hopefully Radakovich can get some wheels turning on that. (Yes, Atlanta is hindered by being a pro sports town, and by the fact that many Atlantans are transplants with existing college allegiances, but those are excuses. BDS should sell out hella more often.)<br /><br />I didn't have a particular opinion during the AD search, because I knew little about the candidates. With the power of hindsight, though, I certainly think the search committee found the right man for the job. Not a lot to base it on yet, but I don't imagine D-Rad ever being seen as a bad choice.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1154632195381678962006-08-03T14:43:00.000-04:002006-08-03T15:09:55.396-04:00386 RundownIf you "get" the post title, then you're a nerd, GT alum or not. (In my own defense, yes I'm kind of a nerd, but I wouldn't have noticed today's "event" if not for a <a href="http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/08/02/1232229">Slashdot post</a>.)<br /><br />The EDSBS crew will (tentatively) be <a href="http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/?p=2367#comments">tailgating for the GT/Notre Dame game</a>. Although we at IDWT celebrate this, McKinley and I will doubtless own their tailgate by following <a href="http://indoddwetrust.blogspot.com/2006/07/tailgating-recommendations-for.html">our own</a> <a href="http://indoddwetrust.blogspot.com/2006/07/gameday-guide-for-new-alumni.html">'gating</a> <a href="http://indoddwetrust.blogspot.com/2006/08/tailgating-flag-pole.html">advice</a>. Unless they <span style="font-style: italic;">also</span> follow our advice and one-up it, in which case their 'gate will own us worse than their blog owns ours.<br /><br />Deadspin offers <a href="http://www.deadspin.com/sports/college-football/four-tiny-tidbits-on-the-atlantic-coast-conference-191763.php">Four Tidbits on the ACC</a>, including one about the GT/Clemson rivalry.<br /><br />In a little pre-ACC/Big 10 Challenge ACC/Big 10 action, <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/15189347.htm">Tech basketball will face off against Purdue</a> in the EA Sports Maui Invitational.<br /><br />Some turkey over at the VPI student newspaper has a <a href="http://www.collegiatetimes.com/news/4/ARTICLE/7215/2006-08-02.html">crappy ACC preview</a> up. I insult his article partly out of spite, I admit, because he insults GT in it, but I really actually thought it was poor overall. Much better info available on many a college blog. And (since my focus is on Tech*), I have a particular problem with his prediction of GT going 6-6. First off, our team is overall much more mature than in 2005. The only area that's truly gotten "younger" is the secondary. Going downhill from last year is pretty doubtful. Secondly, even if you want to predict a mediocre season from Tech, Gailey has given no reason to expect anything but 7 wins (CGE).<br /><br />*I have no problem saying "Tech" referring to GT in the context of the ACC, since "Virginia Tech" is a <span style="font-style: italic;">"Poly</span>technical Institute", whereas Tech is an "Institute of Technology." GT is Tech and VPI is Polytech.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1154526374669887752006-08-02T09:17:00.000-04:002006-08-02T09:46:14.706-04:00Wednesday Morning RundownFirst off, the links I <strike>stole</strike> got from <a href="http://www.wreckramblin.com">Wreck Ramblin'</a>.<br /><ul><li>SouthernCollegeSports.com has a pretty good <a href="http://southerncollegesports.com/fb_06_preview_acc.html">ACC preview</a>. Their project record for Tech is 8-4 (6-2 ACC, 2nd in Coastal). What's interesting is they have no "projected losses" for GT, only projected wins and toss-ups. Toss-ups include ND, VT, Clemson, UM, UGA.</li><li>You can now buy tix to the <a href="http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/080106aae.html">2006 Dr. Pepper ACC Championship Game</a>. $80 lower level, $60 upper level, $20 for a parking pass.</li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/1600/06fbchamp150.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/320/06fbchamp150.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">I don't usually use sponsor names when referencing bowl/championship games, but I like DP.</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />The Heisman Pundit did a little review of <a href="http://heismanpundit.com/?postid=1027">the oddsmakers' lines for the Heisman</a>. This tidbit made me laugh out loud (unfortunately):<br /><b></b><blockquote><b>Reggie Ball (Georgia Tech) 75/1</b><br />Good Lord, he should not be anywhere near this list.</blockquote>Rivals offers a <a href="http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1144&CID=566737">breakdown of the ACC</a>, with projected standings (GT #3 Coastal, Miami over FSU in the champ game. These guys are really making some amazing claims there) and such categories as Best O. Coordinator, Impact Newcomer, etc. CJ is listed as the best offensive player.<br /><br />Mr. A at Pitch Right, a sweet Navy blog, has an interesting <a href="http://pitchright.blogspot.com/2006/07/state-vs-state-part-1.html">"analysis" of D1A teams, compared by home state</a>. (I put analysis in quotes because, as someone whose college major was like half statistical analysis, this was simply not. Although he directly admits, "I abhor the mathematics community.")<br /><br />The Sunday Morning Quarterback <a href="http://sundaymorningqb.blogspot.com/2006/08/cross-promotion-or-smq-has-no-shame.html">promotes some book/magazine thing</a> he wrote for, which he describes as "a wonky contribution to the towering typhoon of Notre Dame hype set to crescendo over the coming month in anticipation of ND's inevitably underwhelming, eke-it-out victory at Georgia Tech on Sept. 2." I will doubtless not buy <a href="http://maplestreetpress.com/book.cfm?book_id=3">this piece of crap</a>, but it's cool to see a CFB blogger getting enough respect that a legiti-mate publication would include their stuff.<br /><br />Georgia Tech is still <a href="http://www.gatech.edu/news-room/release.php?id=1067">a top producer of minority engineers</a> (specifically, in this case, #1 in African-American Masters recipients). Although I'm a paleface, I take a good bit of pride in GT's commitment to minority education. We're always among the top producers of hispanic and black engineers (women, too), and when you consider that engineering schools tend to be bastions of whiteness, as do schools from the Old South, it's a pretty cool thing to have a lot of minority students.<br /></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1154485921469021442006-08-01T22:24:00.000-04:002006-08-01T22:42:14.246-04:00Eye of the TigerThe <a href="http://ramblinwreck.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/geot-m-footbl-wallpaper.html">2006 Football Wallpapers</a> are out, assumedly just versions of the posters as usual. Looks like we're trying to show Notre Dame's Tommy Z he's not the only boxer. (Not that I think that's a good idea, based on <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3377722942212944014&q=zbikowski">his match at MSG</a>.) HT: jdubjacket on the Hive<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/1600/06-fb-poster-1024.3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/400/06-fb-poster-1024.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">I like the golden gloves on CJ.</span><br /></div><font><br />"<a href="http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=13&p=2&c=551231">Jamie's Mailbag</a>" on scout.com talks about Tech recruiting and our chance to be a surprise team of the ACC.<br /><br />The Macon Telegraph discusses <a href="http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/15168100.htm">Tech's strong recruiting class</a>. HT: <a href="http://www.wreckramblin.com">Goldtimer</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.eog.com/news/industry-news.aspx?id=2386">Brief overview</a> of 2006 Tech football from a gambling site, Eye On Gambling.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/0802mettech.html">This would suck like wo</a>. A bunch of GT freshman this fall will be living 3 to a dorm room... and those are NOT big rooms.<br /></span>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1154440827999858062006-08-01T09:22:00.000-04:002006-08-01T15:49:48.656-04:00Tuesday Morning RundownAs usual, <a href="http://www.wreckramblin.com/">GoldTimer</a> is your go-to guy for GT linkage, and he brings us these gems:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.justcollegefootball.com/index.asp">Just College Football</a> has a poll about the hottest week one game. GT/ND is ahead with 50% of the vote.</li><li><a href="http://ramblinwreck.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/073106aac.html">Preseason practice begins Thursday</a> at Rose Bowl Field. Full schedule on the link. Open to the public for two weeks. (I doubt you're officially "allowed to," but they don't do anything if you bring a small cooler of beer. Coach Tenuta actually gave us props for bringing booze.)</li><li>Someone actually <a href="http://blogs.newsobserver.com/accnow/index.php?title=crystal_ball_acc_standings&more=1&amp;amp;c=1&tb=1&pb=1">picked Georgia Tech to win the Coastal Division</a>! Now, I of course believe we will since I wear my white & gold glasses constantly, but I didn't expect any publications to make this prediction. <a href="http://blogs.newsobserver.com/accnow/index.php?title=crystal_ball_georgia_tech&amp;more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1">Here</a> is the News & Observer's detailed predictions for GT (losses to ND, Miami, and Clemson).</li></ul>There's been an interesting discussion lately at the Dawg blawgs about Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame; I recommend you read all the following links. I tend to disagree with the convictions of Bulldogs, but I've got nothing but respect for the quality of blogging that comes from UGA... but then, they have a journalism school, whereas I'm thankful I can even write English after graduating from Tech. (The Institute will leave you fluent in equations but hardly literate in prose.)<br /><ul><li>First, Paul Westerdawg said that as a Dawg fan, <a href="http://georgiasports.blogspot.com/2006/07/from-mailbag-ethical-issues-regarding.html">you must root for Notre Dame</a>.</li><li>Kyle King Countered that <a href="http://www.dawgsports.com/story/2006/7/28/65612/3559">Georgia folk should root for Tech</a>, as it would "hurt the Golden Domers without helping the Ramblin' Wreck."</li><li>Paul offered a... <a href="http://georgiasports.blogspot.com/2006/07/point-counterpoint-kyle-you-ignorant.html">rebuttal, I guess</a>.</li><li>tKK then offered <a href="http://www.dawgsports.com/story/2006/7/28/22125/9149">an EXTENSIVE discussion</a> of why it's okay for a Georgia man to occasionally root for the Jackets.</li><li>Finally, the King brought back an old post about <a href="http://www.dawgsports.com/story/2006/8/1/71513/84413">why the Irish must be destroyed</a>.</li></ul>Now, there's an urgent matter in the blogosphere. <a href="http://www.edsbs.com">EveryDayShouldBeSaturday</a>, one of the <span style="font-style: italic;">premier</span> college football blogs out there, threatens to be eating by the Nothing. And much like Bastian leading Atreyu on his quest through Fantasia, YOU have the power to save EDSBS.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/1600/Falkor_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/320/Falkor_1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Luck Dragon Optional</span><br /><br /></div>Okay, what that really means is that EDSBS gets a wicked lot of hits every day, and they need to get a dedicated server, which requires money. If you can donate 10 or 20 bucks, it will help keep the site alive.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1154353174314907282006-07-31T09:20:00.000-04:002006-07-31T09:45:52.930-04:00IDWT Exclusive Info!Once again, InDoddWeTrust has scooped all the major publications to bring hot info to YOU, dear reader.<br /><br />A member of the IDWT i-Team* went straight to the source** to get an exclusive*** prediction for this coming football season. According to our team insider, Georgia Tech is going to beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish by a score of 38-17, by throwing to Calvin "about 50 times."<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">*My Dad<br />**Happened to run into a player at the airport<br />***Available to anyone who runs into this player in Buckhead</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cache.wonkette.com/politics/reporter.jpg" /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A member of the IDWT i-Team, circa 1932.</span><br /></div><br />Yes, brothers and sisters, this is info you will <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> find anywhere else! Keep coming back and let us prove "In Dodd <span style="font-style: italic;">You</span> Can Trust™!"Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1154315019620828992006-07-30T22:53:00.000-04:002006-07-30T23:03:39.633-04:00Sunday Evening News BytesCouple quick hits to cap off the week.<br /><br />If you have Comcast, tune in Wednesday night as SportsNite begins their ACC previews with Georgia Tech. Show airs at 6 & 11PM.<br /><br />Pete Fiutak at CFN <a href="http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2006/Preview/QA_CalvinJohnson.htm">interviews Calvin Johnson</a>. Nothing particularly "new" here, but worth the read.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1154209178732799822006-07-29T17:37:00.000-04:002006-07-29T17:40:09.090-04:00Here Come The BOOM!TML. Five weeks.<br /><br /><object height="350" width="425" align="center"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/E5lzRsDlhF4"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/E5lzRsDlhF4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"></object>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1154206644289603952006-07-29T16:50:00.000-04:002006-07-29T16:57:24.303-04:00Go 'Dores!This demanded my, and your, immediate attention. The M Zone, courtesy of <a href="http://www.bruinsnation.com/">Bruins Nation</a>, <a href="http://michiganzone.blogspot.com/2006/07/thank-us-later.html">brings us this snapshot</a> of Vanderbilt's ultra-classy Kappa Alpha Thetas.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4408/1694/1600/thetaflashbr2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4408/1694/1600/thetaflashbr2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The best thing about girls at Vandy is that they're rich so they can afford blow.</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />I guess I'll throw out a "my bad" for not road tripping to Nashvegas for the GT game in 2003.<br /></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1154130170268148862006-07-28T19:39:00.000-04:002006-07-28T19:42:50.283-04:00Preseason Depth ChartPosted over at the Hive: <a href="http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/geot/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/depth-chart.pdf">Preseason Depth Chart</a>.<br /><br />Only thing particularly unexpected is Jahi Word-Daniels at #2 cornerback.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1154128509835111982006-07-28T18:58:00.000-04:002006-07-28T19:21:30.096-04:00GT News Bits: Blue Jerseys and ReplayOkay, our pull at the GTAA is now entirely undeniable. Word on the Hive is, <a href="http://mb25.scout.com/fthehivefrm1.showMessage?topicID=56531.topic">GT will be wearing blue jerseys</a> against Notre Dame on September 2nd. Now, some website somewhere <a href="http://indoddwetrust.blogspot.com/2006/07/monday-news-jacket.html">recently said</a> that Tech should "play a game in some 1990 National Champions-style Navy Blue jerseys."<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/1600/g-jones_shawn-lg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/320/g-jones_shawn-lg.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Shawn Jones. He's a </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Dane_Cook#Himself">BAMF</a><span style="font-style: italic;">.</span><br /></div><br /><br />The AJC has some <a href="http://www.ajc.com/gatech/content/sports/stories/0730replay.html">quotes from ACC coaches</a> about the new coach's challenge. The way the new rule works, the coach has to take a time out then tell an official he's challenging the play (i.e., no flag to throw). One of the interesting wrinkles here is that a coach can wait as long as possible before calling a TO so he can wait and see if the replay official has decided to review on his own.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1154095733427356402006-07-28T09:50:00.000-04:002006-07-28T19:21:51.293-04:00IDWT Question of the DayOne of the great things about kicking off the college football season against a cupcake is you can sandbag without overly risking a loss. Your boys get some in-game experience but you don't need to use trick plays or even fancy plays. This year, the Jackets have no such luxury.<br /><br />Any new starters will have a trial by fire before getting to play any Samfords... or even any Dukes or UNCs. so, the Question of the Day is, How much do we put on the table versus Notre Dame?<br /><br />Obviously we want to win this game. Beating a highly ranked team (especially one getting constantly fellated by ESPN) puts Tech straight onto the national radar, and also the momentum following a big victory would be huge. But <span style="font-style: italic;">how</span> bad do we want to win the game? How much so we want to show our ACC opponents? Do we use all the wrinkles to our offense? Assumedly, there will be <span style="font-style: italic;">some</span> changes after Pat Nix takes over, even if we're running the same general system.<br /><br />How much trickeration do we employ? Does Reggie bolt to the slot and Choice throw the ball? Do we give CJ the ball on a reverse? Do we run the oopty oop?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/1600/oopty.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/320/oopty.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Coach Kilmer was angry and jealous when Mox invented the <span style="font-weight: bold;">best. play. ever.</span></span><br /></div><br />Will we <span style="font-style: italic;">need</span> trickeration? Notre Dame's secondary is a weakness, and maybe all we'll need are slants to CJ. But even if our base offensive plan is effective, should we employ some fancy shit just to look good and get the crowd into it?<br /><br />I have no clue on this, just trying to spark some discussion... Okay, I admit it, I made a long post with the sole purpose of mentioning the oopty oop.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1153967905750934572006-07-27T13:44:00.000-04:002006-07-27T10:49:08.823-04:00Requiem for a Conference AffiliationFirst off, welcome to McKinley, my freshman year roommate and buddy ever since. He's posted an elite <a href="http://indoddwetrust.blogspot.com/2006/07/gameday-guide-for-new-alumni.html">tailgating guide for young alumni</a>. You'll notice his posts have a pretty different "tone" than mine; hopefully the diversity will improve IDWT.<br /><br />Kyle King had a small mention of GT in <a href="http://www.dawgsports.com/story/2006/7/26/212351/361">a recent post</a>, the gist of which was "Tech considers UGA its sole main rival, rather than one of many." This is admittedly true, and got me thinking.<br /><br />Although obviously one big rival is better than none (and not all teams have any), Georgia Tech used to have several heated rivalries, which have mostly died out. When/Why? Because in 1963 Georgia Tech left the Southeastern Conference, and because in 1978 the Institute affiliated with the Atlantic Coast Conference.<br /><br />(And now I'll digress a moment to explain why Georgia Tech left the SEC, because most of the crap on the Internet about it is just that: crap. The highly condensed version is, Bobby Dodd removed us from the conference because (1) he thought we could be a successfuk independent, like Notre Dame, and (2) because the SEC had imposed scholarship limitations. Most coaches didn't care about the scholly limits, but Dodd refused to remove injured or out-of-eligibility players from scholarship, as he insisted the boys continue their education (he never graduated from the University of Tennessee, and wanted to see his players graduate). A few years later Tech tried to rejoin the SEC but Bear Bryant was unwilling to convince the Bama president to vote in favor of Tech. After this rebuff, Tech joined the ACC.)<br /><br />Within the SEC, Tech had any number of rivals. We hated Auburn, they hated us. We hated Bama, they hated us (we're even in their fight song). Tennessee. Georgia (obviously). Vandy and Florida were good series. And the schools further west (e.g. Ole Miss, LSU) hated us because we never wanted to play there. In fact, Tech has never played in Oxford, MS (but will for the first time in 2011. Grove 'gating, here I come!)<br /><br />After leaving the Southeastern Conference, which Georgia Tech helped found, Tech kept up the series with many schools for a good while. As an independent, Tech could pick and choose a full season's worth of games, typically heavy with SEC teams.<br /><br />After joining the ACC however, playing a full conference slate along with several SEC games each year was impossible, especially if Tech wanted to ever schedule a cupcake or a good cross-sectional matchup.<br /><br />Therefore, our old rivalries had to die. Why haven't we developed any strong ACC rivals? There are several reasons, in my opinion.<br /><ol><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">History</span>. Although Tech had played most ACC teams before joining the conference, there wasn't enough history. Familiarity breeds contempt, and the programs were simply unfamiliar.<br />Also, with most of Georgia Tech's old SEC rivals, there were cool stories about them; i.e. the Auburn students greasing the tracks in 1892 so that Tech's players had to walk back to town. With new opponents, there's just no cool old stuff.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Proximity</span>. SEC schools were (and still are) much closer to Tech, on average, than ACC schools. The closer an away game, the more fans will go, the better the gameday atmosphere will be.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Attitude</span>. The ACC was a basketball conference. Still is to an extent, and the fans of many ACC schools don't care much about football. Overall, the conference's fans lack the passion for the Great Southern Game which you see from SEC fans. Without fans getting rowdy, rivalries tend not to grow.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Quality of Football</span>. Fans tend to hate their opponents more when they're successful; no one wants to piss on a perennial underdog. And the ACC has not seen nearly the historic success of the SEC. The only teams to have won a national championship while in the ACC are Maryland in 1953, Clemson in '81, Georgia Tech in '90, and Florida State in '93 and '99. I have no clue how many SEC members won titles, but I know it's damn high.<br /></li></ol>Even based on these criteria, you'd think that Clemson would be a big-time rival. Honestly, I don't know why it's not a bigger rival in the eyes of fans. Certainly playing the Tigers is always big for the team itself, and those ball games tend to run pretty close. I feel that if we or Clemson got on a hot streak (i.e. several years of ACC championship contention, with an actual championship or two in there), the series might blow up a bit in the eyes of fans. One problem is that Tiger fans put about as much effort into hating USC as Tech fans put into hating Georgia.<br /><br />So, in conclusion, I think it's a shame we had to lose a bunch of good rivals. I'm not upset we're not in the SEC, but I would like to see our school develop some passion in its ACC rivalries so that football season can be all the more exciting.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1153922471950474732006-07-26T09:09:00.000-04:002006-07-26T10:01:12.020-04:00Wednesday Morning News Bytes<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/1600/GThelmets.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/320/GThelmets.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">38 days, folks. Wallpaper posted on the Hive.</span><br /></div><br />Lotta things goin' on, let's get to it.<br /><br />I found other articles on these topics, but a writeup by Jerry Ratcliffefrom the <a href="http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/stories/MYSA072606.1C.FBCforward.pass.338f2a2">Charlottesville, VA Daily Progress</a> provides excellent commentary.<br /><ul><li>The ACC Champion is now guaranteed a slot in the Orange Bowl (unless they go to the BCS title game), much like the SEC Champ in the Sugar Bowl and Pac-10/Big 10 champs in the Rose Bowl. Previously, the Orange Bowl could choose from the Big East and ACC champs. The Big East champ still goes to the BCS, but it's indeterminate which bowl game. (<a href="http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/sports/15123110.htm">Other coverage</a>; also discusses bowl order rearrangement.)<br />ACC commish John Swofford also spent time talking up Jacksonville. The ACC has until December to excercise a two-more-year option for the game in Jax, and it sounds like that's where it's going.<br />Ratcliffe describes all this as moves by the ACC to claim Florida as its own, and steal the state's focus on the SEC & the Gators.<br /></li><li>The ACC and the Atlanta Sports Council are considering adding a bowl game. By hosting the Sugar Bowl to much success, the ATL proved to itself and to the conferences that it could be a two-bowl town.</li></ul>The ACC will <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=rivals-42350&prov=rivals&type=lgns">change up the Labor Day teams</a> starting in '07. Since Miami joined the league, FSU and Miami have played on Labor Day, but after this year the ACC will place a different game in that slot. (My call? They started doing this so that the conference's "marquee teams" could regain rankings throughout the season, and also be set up for a rematch in the championship game. Since that isn't happening, what with there being 10 other teams in the league, they decided to scrap the plan.)<br /><br />ACC Coaches <a href="http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/index.php?s=&amp;url_channel_id=37&url_article_id=17649&url_subchannel_id=&change_well_id=2">comment on replay</a>, specifically the new coach's challenge.<br /><br />Following the effects of hurricanes (real ones, not Miami) on schedules, the ACC has a <a href="http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/sports/colleges/florida_state_university/15121765.htm">new inclement weather policy</a>. Several options:<br /><ol><li>Play the game on a "similar date," e.g. Friday rather than Saturday.</li><li>Same site, different weekend.</li><li>Opponent hosts, or a neutral site. Revenue still goes to original host team.</li></ol>The Sun Belt conference is looking to <a href="http://www.al.com/sports/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/sports/1153905625247120.xml&coll=3">add a ninth team</a>. Likely Western Kentucky, who already plays in the Sun Belt in most sports and is apparently considering going Division 1-A.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/24/AR2006072401231.html">Another article about CJ</a>, in the friggin Washington Post. Funny snippet:<br /><blockquote>Against Duke last season, Johnson recalled stepping to the line of scrimmage and being greeted by three defensive backs.<p>"I was kind of laughing to myself when I saw it," he said. "I was like, 'Three people, that leaves somebody wide open.' "<br /><br />Duke Coach Ted Roof said he couldn't remember employing the triple-team, but added, "I wish we could put 12 on him."</p></blockquote>Interesting to some, boring to others: <a href="http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/stories/MYSA072606.1C.FBCforward.pass.338f2a2.html">historical piece</a> about the advent of the forward pass.<br /><br />Finally, the Daily Press <a href="http://www.dailypress.com/sports/columnists/dp-83486cm0jul26,0,4983086.column?coll=dp-sports-columnists">admonishes the ACC</a> for its crappy out-of-conference scheduling for '06. I think this guy entirely disgredards any home game; he oddly doesn't mention ND @ GT this year, yet emphasizes that 3 ACC teams play in South Bend next year. He also tried to discuss the quality of future ACC schedules, but nothing as in-depth as the <a href="http://indoddwetrust.blogspot.com/2006/07/update-on-future-schedules.html">coverage</a> <a href="http://indoddwetrust.blogspot.com/2006/07/update-on-future-schedules.html">here</a>.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1153917572094312532006-07-26T08:26:00.000-04:002006-07-26T09:07:19.983-04:00Personal DilemmaYesterday I got an invitation in the mail; my cousin's wife is throwing him a surprise 30th birthday party!--but it starts 30 minutes after the kickoff vs. <a href="http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/?p=2319">Troy</a> (1:30 kickoff, 2:00 party on Sep. 16th). I don't blame her for the scheduling "gaffe." The date of his birthday is uncontrollable, unlike, say, a wedding. Also, they're from New England, where college football isn't exactly the social lifeblood it is in the South.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">But</span>, this game is not televised. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">But</span></span>, this game's attendance will already likely be weak, and I want as many seats filled as possible. <span style="font-style: italic;">But</span>, I paid a pretty penny for my season tickets (which still seems weird immediately following years of free student attendance). <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>But</span>, this is one of only six opportunities for me to enjoy a home tailgate with all my bro's.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">But, o</span>n the other hand, they came to my post-graduation party, which was nice. <span style="font-style: italic;">But</span>, they're family. <span style="font-style: italic;">But</span>, it's his 30th birthday.<br /><br />Now, if I missed the party I think my cousin would understand, as we've had long discussions about my obsession with college football. And I could send a nice gift with my regrets, and he'd know I wanted to be there. But this is damn frustrating.<br /><br />Expect your GT news bytes later today.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28675031.post-1153793480017920422006-07-24T21:44:00.000-04:002006-07-24T22:23:02.193-04:00Cocky Johnson<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/1600/georgiatech_calvin_johnson.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6898/2652/320/georgiatech_calvin_johnson.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Insert water, receive TD.</span><br /></div><br />Stewart Mandel from SI has a little <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_blogs/football/ncaa/2006/07/quality-time-with-calvin-johnson.html">Q&A with Calvin Johnson</a> from the ACC Media Days. Can any defender stop him? Calvin says "Maybe if you told the guy I was running a go-route, and he stood about 40 yards downfield, then maybe he could stop me." That's some cocky stuff.<br /><br />Be sure to read the comments section on Mandel's post. This Domer fan named <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/8628816">Eli</a> pointed out that, "Georgia Tech (including Johnson)has no chance against Notre Dame. Charlie Weis has had so long to prepare the team...he is not going to let us down. Go Irish!" I was confident about the game before, but now I'm really worried about the game. I <span style="font-style: italic;">did not realize</span> just how <span style="font-style: italic;">long</span> Chuck Weiss and the Irish had to prepare! I mean, the Yellow Jackets have been sitting around doing jack shit as far as preparation! WHO <span style="font-weight: bold;">KNEW</span> you were supposed to prepare as a team?! Dude, that is crazy shit. Georgia Tech truly does have no chance. Thanks for the heads up, Eli. (I'd like to point out, by the way, if you look at the E-man's blogger profile, his nonexistent blog's address is... read this... <span style="font-style: italic;">little<span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 255);">pink</span>gloves</span>.blogspot.com... wow, you're a hardcore dude, dude.)<br /><br />According to the ACC media, though, Johnson <span style="font-style: italic;">should </span>be cocky (haha, get it? Johnson, cocky?). He received <a href="http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/gatech/stories/0725johnson.html">50 out of 65 votes</a> for ACC Player of the Year. And, <a href="http://www.wltx.com/sports/story.aspx?storyid=40245">per Columbia, SC's WLXT-TV</a>, CJ is the first Junior since FSU's Charlie Ward in '92 to be named preseason MVP, and he is the first Jacket since Joe Hamilton in '99 to be so honored.<br /><br />On the AJC's ACC blog, Calvin says <a href="http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/tech/entries/2006/07/24/tech_has_accs_a.html">he still plans to get a Tech degree</a>, with the implication of doing so now rather than coming back in later years. He admits that he'll be re-evaluating at season's end, but hopefully he'll be one of those special/crazy/actually-somehow-academically-oriented-even-though-incredibly-gifted-athletically players who sticks around for a senior season despite high draft prospects.<br /><br />I've invited my buddies Gabe and McKinley to post here, so there may be some new blood on IDWT as we approach & enter the season. Now the already stellar coverage you've come to expect may blow up into uncontrollable proportions of piss-poor "journalism."<br /><br />Go Jackets!Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10535172444903659242noreply@blogger.com0