Urban Peach Guest Writer - William Wolf

Guest Writer William Wolf gives us his breakdown of the NBA teams this year.







NBA PREVIEW

Well, The NBA season officially tips off tonight with a great double header. The new look Miami Heat will travel to Bean town to face the Celtics. I can’t even imagine the noise in that building. I am not sure if D-Wade will suit up tonight or not so I am taking Celtics by 6. That’s right….Miami 0-1 to start off the season. After that is another great game where the Houston Rockets will travel to LA to play the defending champion Lakers. It will be interesting to see how Yao Ming looks running up and down the floor so I am going to take the Lakers by 12.
A lot of people do not care about the NBA now due to LeBron James and his publicity stunts, or the gun-toting athletes (I won’t mention any names.) A very good amount are upset with the amount of money these professional athletes make and right fully so! But remember, no sport is perfect, Baseball has steroids. Football is FULL of thugs. Golf has liars, cheaters, and drunks, Hockey….well they just like to fight! But, for me, I am always curious around this time because I find it very interesting to see how the top picks pan out and also the late round guys. You never know who is going to be a stud one day. I will show you what I am talking about.
Great Picks:
Bill Laimbeer 65th Overall pick
Danny Ainge 31st Overall Pick
John Stockton 16th Overall Pick
Michael Redd 43rd Overall Pick
Terrible Picks: (I should just put the whole Hawks draft History up)
Sam Bowie 2nd Overall Pick (picked before Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, AND John Stockton)
Lorenzen Wright 7th Overall Pick (picked before Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, and Jermaine O’Neal)
Michael Olowokandi 1st Overall Pick (picked before Vine Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, and Paul Pierce)
Kwame Brown 1st Overall Pick (picked before Pau Gasol, Joe Johnson, Tony Parker, Richard Jefferson, Zach Randolph, and Gilbert Arenas.)
Now, I think you get the idea to see how interesting “stars” pan out and how guys that were forgot about until late in the draft deserved to be a lottery pick. This list also provides a great laugh to me.

Eastern Conference

1)Miami Heat:
Key Acquisitions: LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Mike Miller, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Jerry Stackhouse, Juwan Howard
Key Losses: Jermaine O’Neal, Michael Beasley, Quentin Richardson, Daequan Cook
There is no question that this team has all the talent to win multiple NBA Championships. But as Phil Jackson said, “Talent doesn’t win championships, coaching wins championships.” That is very true. That is coming from one of (if not #1) the best coaches in NBA history. Look for this team to clinch early and LeBron and D-Wade to take the last 2 weeks of the season off. Bottom line, if the team doesn’t win a championship, that little guido can kiss his dream job GOOD-BYE!

2) Orlando Magic:
Key Acquisitions: Chris Duhon, Quentin Richardson, Daniel Orton
Key Losses: Matt Barnes
Once again as long as this team stays healthy, they will finish in the top 3 in the East for a very long time. We all know Dwight Howard (even though my dad saw him play St. Pius back in the day and said, “Yeah, that kid definitely won’t make it) is a monster. Look for Jameer Nelson to compete with Chris Duhon for that starting PG duty. Duhon is a much better distributor and with shooters like Rashard Lewis, JJ Reddick, Quentin Richardson, and Ryan Andersen; They need one!

3) Boston Celtics:
Key Acquisitions: Jermaine O’Neal, Shaquille O’Neal
Key Losses: Rasheed Wallace, Tony Allen
This team always comes together at the right time. Towards the end of the season….With veterans like Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, this team is poised to finish in the top once again. But, everyone seems to overlook the success of Rajon Rondo. He is the catalyst for this team. Bringing in the O’Neal brothers was huge for Danny Ainge. They will be without Kendrick Perkins aka Garbage Man for the majority of the season. These guys will split equal minutes.

4) Chicago Bulls:
Key Acquisitions: Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, Kurt Thomas
Key Losses: Kirk Hinrich, Hakim Warrick, Brad Miller
That’s right people, Chicago will be the most improved team in the league. The only questions they have will be how long will Carlos Boozer be out for and is Tom Thibodeau the right guy for this job. With a core of Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, and Carlos Boozer, this team can go places. Since Derrick Rose can’t throw the ball in the ocean, they got Kyle Korver. The kid is a sniper. Give him 1 inch of daylight and it’s on!

5)Atlanta Hawks:
Key Acquisitions: Jordan Crawford, Etan Thomas, Josh Powell
Key Losses: NONE
Well, in typical Atlanta fashion, we need a big guy and what do we do? We have 4 less than average big men on the roster in Zaza Pachulia, Jason Collins, Etan Thomas, and Josh Powell. That is estimated $7 million right there. Jordan Crawford looked like a mirror image of Jamal Crawford and look for Jamal to be gone at the end of this season. Atlanta did not do much this offseason so they fall back two spots to #5 in the East

6) Milwaukee Bucks:
Key Acquisitions: Drew Gooden, Corey Magette, Larry Sanders, Chris-Douglas Roberts
Key Losses: Dan Gadzuric, Charlie Bell, Luke Ridnour, Jerry Stackhouse
Milwaukee made a few quiet moves here and there, but not enough to move them anywhere in the Eastern Conference standings. Corey Maggete will provide some toughness over there. When Michael Redd is 100% healthy, they will be a real threat. Andrew Bogut, Maggete, Jennings, Redd, Salmons? I wouldn’t want to face them in the first round of the playoffs.

7) New York Knicks:
Key Acquisitions: Amare Stoudemire, Raymond Felton, Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azubuike, Timofey Mozgov, Roger Mason
Key Losses: David Lee, Chris Duhon, Al Harrington, Tracy McGrady (is he really a key loss??)
Finally the New York Knickerbockers make that leap into the playoffs! They got rid of two cancers in Tracy McGrady and Al Harrington. Huge upgrade at point guard with Raymond Felton and of course Amare Stoudemire. David Lee was a big loss but I think they will get over him quick with Amare. Most importantly, D’Antoni got what he can coach with. And that is ATHLETES. Raymond Felton, Amare Stoudemire, and Anthony Randolph are top tier athletes. Stick Gallinari on that wing and look for them to average 110 points per game

8) Detroit Pistons:
Key Acquisitions: Greg Monroe, Tracy McGrady
Key Losses: NONE
It will come down to the last couple games for this last seed in the playoffs but I believe the veteran presence of this team will guide the Pistons into the playoffs. Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and Ben Wallace will all contribute, but look for a breakout year with Rodney Stuckey at point guard. He is capable of being a 20+ppg and 8+ apg guy.

9) Charlotte Bobcats:
Key Acquisitions: Kwame Brown, Sherron Collins
Key Losses: Raymond Felton, Tyson Chandler
Michael Jordan make a mistake in letting Raymond Felton go. He was getting near his potential, but he has given the point guard duty to DJ Augustin. Outside of Stephen Jackson and Alabama legend Gerald Wallace, where is the scoring going to come from? The only thing keeping them from being in the cellar is a good coach by the name of Larry Brown.

10) Philadelphia 76ers
Key Acquisitions: Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes, Jodie Meeks
Key Losses: Samuel Dalembert, Rodney Carney, Willie Green
This team is still going through an identity crisis. I thought they were going for an athletic team, yet they spend $20+ million a year on a fossil by the name of Elton Brand. C’mon dude, the gay is WAY past his prime. They have Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, and Jrue Holliday……and ELTON BRAND? They need to find a way to dump this guy. Until then, playoffs will not be a thought for them.

11) Washington Wizards:
Key Acquisitions: John Wall, Kirk Hinrich, Yi Jianlian,
Key Losses: Randy Foye, Josh Howard, Mike Miller
Wow, what an experiment this team will be! Flip Saunders definitely has his hands full with this group of guys. I think Hinrich will start PG, and move Arenas to Shooting (haha) Guard. John Wall will come off the bench either until Arenas is released or an injury occurs. But, this team won’t go far with Gilbert on the squad.

12) Indiana Pacers:
Key Acquisitions: Lance Stephenson, Darren Collison, James Posey
Key Losses: Troy Murphy
Larry Bird has put some nice pieces together on this team, but I think it will be a few years to build some chemistry and veteran presence with this team. Roy Hibbert is a home run! He looked great last year and looks good in the preseason. But, you know there is something wrong with a team when Josh (Why did I leave school early?) McRoberts and Tyler (Sorry, no whining in the NBA) are battling it out for the STARTING Power Forward position. Granger needs more help.

13) Cleveland Cavaliers
Key Acquisitions: Ryan Hollins, Ramon Sessions
Key Losses: Everybody, no just kidding. Only LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Well well well….Not much happening here. I think the only bright spot here is that JJ Hickson will finally have an opportunity to shine this year. I expect a double double average for him. Good Luck Byron Scott!

14) New Jersey Nets:
Key Acquisitions: Troy Murphy, Derrick Favors, Anthony Morrow, Travis Outlaw, Jordan Farmar
Key Losses: Yi Jianlian, Chris-Douglas Roberts
This team did head in the right direction, even though they could not pull of any of the big time free agents. They got some guys who will sell seats in New Jersey in Anthony Morrow and Derrick Favors. Jordan Farmar was a good pickup. Sucks to go from LA to NJ though! Haha. I hope Favors gets a lot of playing time this year so he can get his foot in the door. I predict them to win at least 20 games this year!

15) Toronto Raptors:
Key Acquisitions: Leandro Barbosa, David Andersen, Linas Keliza
Key Losses: The whole team aka Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu
What a surprise! The Craptors went out and got more big men that can shoot three’s!! They have NO PAINT PRESENCE. All their big men like to go outside the perimeter. And $34 million for Amir Johnson??? WHAT?? Nothing good to come out of this team. This is what happens when you go International.


Western Conference

1) Los Angeles Lakers
Key Acquisitions: Steve Blake, Matt Barnes, Theo Ratliff
Key Losses: Jordan Farmar
As long as these guys have Kobe Bryant and a guy from Montana that goes by the name of Phil Jackson, look for them to be a top tier team once again. Kobe, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest, and Derek Fisher are all back. Great offseason transactions by acquiring Steve Blake, Matt Barnes, and Theo. Those are all great role players. God knows they need another center since I literally have not seen this Bynum kid shoot a basketball. The thunder aren’t far behind them but I look for the Lakers to clinch with 5 games left in the season and Kobe can rest up for the playoffs.

2) Oklahoma City Thunder
Key Acquisitions: Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook, Mo Peterson
Key Losses: NONE
That’s right!! My Thunder will take the #2 seed in the West this year. They will win 56 games this year. Everyone knows Kevin Durant will put up 30 a night, but what about the others? Jeff Green will have a monster year averaging 21 ppg and 9 rpg. Russell Westbrook has worked very hard during the offseason on his decision making (his decision to give the ball to DURANT.) Watch for James Hardens name to be called frequently as well. I know they are lacking a big guy, but that is why they drafted Cole Aldrich. This guy is huge, but it is unknown how much playing time he will receive.

3) Dallas Mavericks
Key Acquisitions: Tyson Chandler, Steve Novak
Key Losses: Erick Dampier
Cuban made a good decision by resigning Dirk Nowitzki. He is now the glue to that team, now that Dampier is gone. Coach Carlisle will have a hard decision regarding minutes between Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood. This team has stuck with the core group of guys with Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, and Jason Kidd now for a few years. They have young talent and they have veterans. I expect them to be good for a long time!

4) Portland Trailblazers
Key Acquisitions: Wesley Matthews, Elliot Williams
Key Losses: Martell Webster
The Trailblazers stood pretty still this offseason. I think they are waiting for LeBron James’ grandfather to play a whole season (Greg Oden) If that is the case, they are going to be waiting a long long time! Still kept the main guys in Marcus Camby, Brandon Roy, and LeMarcus Aldridge. Coach McMillan has done an incredible job in Portland. Look for them to make some noise in the playoffs!

5) Utah Jazz
Key Acquisitions: Al Jefferson, Gordon Hayward, Earl Watson
Key Losses: Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver
Oh, the great Utah Jazz! It’s about time Sloan gets a ring under his belt with this club and they have a legitimate shot this year if Deron Williams can stay healthy. They lacked inside presence the last few years because Okur and Boozer are best outside. Jefferson wants to bang inside! I think that was a great sign! They brought in the Butler phenomenon Gordon Hayward to essentially replace Kyle Korver. With Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson inside, shooters be ready!

6) Phoenix Suns
Key Acquisitions: Hedo Turkoglu, Hakim Warrick, Josh Childress
Key Losses: Amare Stoudemire
The Phoenix Suns lost A LOT of athleticism by letting Barbosa and Amare walk away. Amare was a perfect match for Steve Nash, but Turkoglu is a nice piece. Don’t expect a lot of points in the paint from this team, but they will make the playoffs but that is about it!

7) San Antonio Spurs
Key Acquisitions: Tiago Splitter, Bobby Simmons
Key Losses: NONE
Once again, the Spurs did NOTHING in the offseason. They are content on just making the playoffs and getting older and older. Same old same old. Duncan, Parker, and Ginobilli. That’s it. Between the three of them there will be at least 40 missed games. This team is boring to watch and they will be swept in the first round by the Thunder.

8) Memphis Grizzlies
Key Acquisitions: Xavier Henry, Greveis Vasquez, Tony Allen
Key Losses: Tony Allen
Yes, you read that correct, these Memphis Grizzlies will be on a roll this year. They are a mirror image of the hawks. They have had the same young athletic core for a few years now and are improving every step of the way. Zach Randolph finally has his head on straight after a few stints with Portland and New York. Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo are ready to carry this team. They finished the preseason 8-0. Look for Marc Gasol to match up versus brother Pau in the first round of the playoffs.

9) Denver Nuggets
Key Acquisitions: Al Harrington, Shelden Williams (go ahead and laugh)
Key Losses: Linas Kleiza
This is the year the Thuggets finally collapse. Cocah Karl will be forced to retire due to health reasons. Carmelo will bolt for New York midseason and all these thugs will be left to die in Denver. I mean seriously….JR Smith (thug), Chris Andersen (heroin addict), Al Harrington (thug), Kenyon Martin (thug). The ship stops here and the Thuggets do not make the playoffs.

10) Houston Rockets
Key Acquisitions: Patrick Patterson, Kyle Lowry, Courtney Lee, Brad Miller
Key Losses: Trevor Ariza
Well that whole experiment with McGrady, Artest, and Yao Ming didn’t work. Yao Ming is supposedly coming back to play 24 minutes a game. So, what do the rockets do? Go out and get a starting center by the name of Brad Miller. They will split equal time at the center position, but I will not be surprised if Yao retires after this season or before! There are no scorers on this team besides Kevin Martin.

11) Los Angeles Clippers
Key Acquisitions: Randy Foye, Al-Farouq Aminu, Ryan Gomes
Key Losses: Steve Blake, Drew Gooden, Travis Outlaw
This Clippers team is a very good team. I would not be surprised if they made the playoffs. If they were in the East, they would be a #5 or 6 seed all day. Let’s be real… The one wild card with this team is the return of Blake Griffin. If his knee holds up, this can be a nasty team. With the Kamanator in the middle, it will be awfully tough for teams to score inside. Baron Davis looks to have regained his form and they are an exciting team to watch.

12) New Orleans Hornets
Key Acquisitions: Trevor Ariza, Marco Bellinelli, Willie Green
Key Losses: Mo Peterson, Darren Collison
This has fallen fast. Chris Paul now has questionable knees. He doesn’t even want to play for the Hornets. The General Manager resigned. They went out and got some coach that doesn’t have much experience. This team is a mess. And as Forrest Gump would say, “That’s all I have to say about that.”

13) Golden State Warriors
Key Acquisitions: David Lee, Dan Gadzuric, Rodney Carney
Key Losses: Corey Magette, Anthony Morrow, Kelenna Azubuike, Anthony Randolph
The new look Warriors finally made a splash in the free agency market by signing David Lee to a lucrative deal. They are still young and immature. Buy guys like Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis can get the job done. They will have no holes at the guard spot. David Lee is great at the Center, but who are the forwards? Brandan Wright and Vladimir Radmonovic?? This is Nellies last year, but he won’t make the playoffs with these young’ns.

14) Minnesota Timberwolves
Key Acquisitions: Michael Beasley, Martell Webster, Luke Ridnour
Key Losses: Al Jefferson
Martell Webster has given the Timberwolves something to think about, but for now that is all they will be thinking about. Michael Beasley will have a career year and finally will be able to step into the spotlight. Other than that, not much talent here.

15) Sacramento Kings
Key Acquisitions: DeMarcus Cousins, Samuel Dalembert
Key Losses: Spencer Hawes
The Kings went out and got a couple good big men, but they are no Vlade Divacs. Tyreke Evans will run the break will Cousins stays at the other end watching him. That’s about all.

SEC WEEK 9 - The Cam Newton Show

This man is taking the SEC by storm



When I got up from the couch in my living room after the Auburn vs. LSU game ended, there was only one thing on my mind: Cameron Newton. He has gotten better every single week, and this week, facing his toughest test yet, he surpassed everyone's expectations. His breakaway touchdown run in the 3rd quarter (outrunning Patrick Peterson to the endzone) was quite possibly the best play I have seen in the last few years. Every play, the number 6 ranked defense in the country knew who was going to carry the ball, and they still could not stop this man. Verne Lundquist was speechless (shocker), Gary Danielson could not shut up, and the rest of the nation was in awe. I think the SEC may have their third hesiman winner in the last 4 years. Cam Newton is the truth.
Auburn is now in a position where they control their own destiny, something that Auburn fans appreciate after being shafted in the BCS in 2004. Going into the last weekend of October, the tigers currently are undefeated and ranked #1 in the BCS standings. They have to go to Ole Miss, play UGA at home, and finish at Alabama Friday after Thanksgiving. I think they'll handle Ole Miss and UGA, and it is now looking like the Iron Bowl may be the best game in college football this year (assuming Auburn and Alabama do not lose until). If you know anything about the state of Alabama, then you know that fans are going crazy about the possibility of these two meeting to possibly decide who plays in the national championship game.

Georgia blasts Kentucky

The dawgs have finally turned it around. They went up 28-10 against a Kentucky team that had just beaten USC a week prior. Although Kentucky closed the gap and put up 30 points, this game was not as close as the final score indicated. UGA did what they wanted to on offense. Washaun Ealey rushed for 200+ yards and a school record 5 touchdowns. The O-line finally did what we thought they would do from day 1, and the defense forced turnovers. However, it may be a little too late for Georgia. They are now 3-3 in the SEC, but their final two games come against Florida and Auburn. They may beat a weak Florida team this weekend, but I don't see them beating Auburn. I just don't see it.


USC OVER Vandy

USC got back to their winning ways on Saturday. The Gamecocks still control their own destiny in the east and now get their stud frosh Marcus Lattimore back. They still have a few tough games ahead against Tennessee, Arkansas, and Florida, but if they win 2 out of 3, they will probably go to Atlanta.

Arkansas OVER Ole Miss

In a game that featured two rain delays, Arkansas got the better of Ole Miss. Although the hogs won the game, they virtually have no shot at getting to Atlanta since they have already lost to Auburn and Bama. Of course, this makes me happy as I, along with many other people in Atlanta, have NO respect for Petrino. None.

Florida had a BYE this weekend heading into the UGA game. Although the Gators have lost 3 straight, the crazy thing is that they can still make it to Atlanta. If they beat UGA on Saturday, then all they need to do is beat USC head to head. And the game against USC is in the swamp. Florida could really play a spoiler role this year.

Bama 41 Tennessee 10

The Tide started out slow, but eventually their talent wore down Tennessee as they cruised to an easy victory over the SEC east rivals. Bama looked like they are getting back on track. They have LSU in two weeks, and if they survive in Baton Rouge, the showdown in T-Town will be what everyone hopes for.

URBAN PEACH SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK - CAM NEWTON...nuff' said.

SEC RECAP - WEEK 6

Stephen Garica happily walks around the Campus of South Carolina on Monday morning. Not sure what he is more happy about: Beating Alabama, or not getting arrested over the weekend

Greg McElroy hadn't lost since this picture was taken of him in the 8th grade! Just kidding, I think this picture was him in high school.






First off let me start by apologizing for not blogging last week. It has been pretty busy in my world lately and although I would like it to be, blogging is usually not my top priority. Don't we all wish we could have more time. I am short on time this week as well, but due to the incredible weekend in the SEC, I have to post...

UPSET ALERT!!! South Carolina UPSETS Top ranked Alabama!!!

You could see it coming. Alabama had to play the 3 top opponents three weeks in a row. Three weeks ago, they went on the road and barely squeaked out a win against an Arkansas team who had been anticipating the game for 365 straight days. Two weeks ago, Alabama took it to then Top 10 ranked Florida at home. They played better than they played all season, a truly dominating performance. And then things really started to get interesting...

The "Dynamic Duo" nicknames started flying around about Trent Richardson and Mark Ingram. Fans started proclaiming them as the best 1 - 2 punch in the history of college football. Some crazy fans on Paul Finebaum's radio show started saying Alabama may be better off playing on Sunday's and Monday nights. "S The Coach" bumper stickers (a copy of the George W. Bush stickers from 2004) started appearing on every car I saw. And oh yes, Greg McElroy still had not lost a game since 8th grade. Oh yes, Alabama nation got complacent.

Well...combine that with two weeks for Steve "Evin Genius" Spurrier to prepare, and what do you get? UPSET. And not just an upset, a good old fashioned butt whooping. Spurrier out-coached the best coach in college football, Nick Saban. USC's freshman running back Marcus Lattimore outperformed the "Dynamic Duo" of HESIMAN TROPHY winner Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson. USC's O-line manhandled Kirby Smart's D. And finally, Greg McElroy finally lost a game and was outperformed by Stephen Garcia. It was the biggest win in USC history, and for Spurrier personally, it was huge. Here's a guy that many thought had lost some of his magic. He proved to us Saturday that he's still got it.

Things just got very interesting in the SEC. Its about to get real. Alabama can still get to Atlanta, but its going to be tough. They are still a great team, maybe the best team in college football. But we all know that in college football, the regular season means more than in any other level or sport, and Alabama just lost a critical regular season game. Will they get back to the Natl Championship? Maybe. But they will need some help. I guarantee you one thing: Nick Saban does not care about all that. He will be focused on one thing and one thing only, Ole Miss, who is their opponent next week. The Rebels better watch out!

Speaking of Greg McElroy finally losing, thank goodness! I had gotten so tired of hearing this "ohhh he's so great he has not lost a game since 8th grade" stuff in the media. Although he is a fierce competitor and did not want to lose, I bet Greg feels a little relief as well. Now he can refocus and not have this winning streak hanging on his head anymore. It's hard enough being the starting quarterback for the University of Alabama.

While on the subject of Alabama, I have come to the conclusion that half their fan base is absolutely insane. One guy on the radio yesterday said it was about time they replaced McElroy and let the backup AJ McCarron go ahead and play. ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND??? He has lost 1 game in 10 freakin' years! Another few fans called for McElwain (Alabama's OC) to be fired. Here's a guy that has lost one regular season game in three years since he has been the offensive coordinator. Some fans truly are ridiculous. No wonder all the coaches seem to be losing their hair.

On to Stephen Garcia...I could not believe what I saw from him on Saturday. The dude went 17-20 (should have been 18) for 200+ and 3TD's. He was unreal. I know people think its crazy that he was able to do this, and other people think its crazy Spurrier finally kept him in the game, but I have something even crazier about Saturday. Its crazy that Garcia is still on South Carolina's team! Let's take a look at Garcia's past...

2007
February 17: Arrested in Columbia. Charged with drunkenness and failure to stop on police command
February 19: Suspended indefinitely by Steve Spurrier from team activities
March 3: Arrested and charged with vandalizing the car of a South Carolina professor two days earlier.

2008
March 22: Cited and charged with underage drinking. Also listed as the only suspect in discharging of fire extinguisher in campus dorm.
March 25: Suspended from team activities until Aug. 15 by the university.


BUT....On October 9th 2010, Garcia goes 17-20 with 3TD's and upsets top ranked and defending national champion Alabama.

It has been a heck of a ride for this guy to say the least. If he did not play football, I don't think there would be any doubt that he would have been asked to leave the University of South Carolina. But as you all know, big time college athletes tend to get free passes more than most other "normal" students. Fair? Unfair? What do you guys think?

LSU beats Florida

Once again, Les Miles wins it at the end in a unconventional way. I swear, this guy must have sold his sole to the Devil or sold it to a voodoo witch in the bayou, or done something like that, because he is the luckiest coach I have ever seen. My high school basketball coach used to tell me that there was no such thing as luck. I used to agree with him and say that I didn't believe in luck, but now after watching Les Miles for 3 years, I am officially taking back that statement. However, I really do like the guy. I think he's funny and entertaining to say the least. If he goes on to run the table against Arkansas, Auburn, AND Alabama, then I'll say its skill, because NOBODY is that lucky.

Georgia whoops Tennessee

Aaron Murray was awesome, AJ Green was nothing short of freakish, and Tennessee looked like they had checked out mentally. Those three things led to a lop-sided 41-14 UGA victory. Georgia, its about dang time! The Dawgs finally got an SEC win. However, two days later, Athens went back down to reality and Caleb King got arrested. UGA's 11th arrest this year. King has been suspended for two games.

Auburn Squeaks by Kentucky

Auburn gets yet another comeback 4th quarter victory. This team is undefeated, but they are really playing it close right now. I am not so sure they can survive another comeback win against Arkansas and Ryan Mallett this weekend.

That's it for this week. Overall, it was an awesome Saturday in the SEC.

The Urban Peach SEC Player of the Week - Stephen Garcia, South Carolina. 17-20, 3TD's, 200+ yards in an upset over the Crimson Tide.

MEDIA AND THE HYPE MACHINE

THE URBAN PEACH GUEST WRITER... Redmond Wheeler Flemming

My Great Friend, College Basketball Teammate AND College ROOMMATE Redmond Wheeler Flemming weighs in on how his favorite football team does not get the respect they deserve...AUBURN. ENJOY.

MEDIA AND THE HYPE MACHINE

Last night's victory over the Gamecocks left the great town of Auburn, Alabama rocking. After much post game celebration with friends and family, it was time for bed and to again escape from reality (with the first occurring earlier that night after Cam “Scootin” Newton's 52 yard sprint down the sideline- Unreal speed!).

Now, it is a common Sunday tradition of mine to browse the various SEC headlines around the internet, with my main source being ESPN.com. I try my best read stories covering all teams, but I will admit there is definitely an initial attraction towards articles covering Auburn's previous days.

Similar to the articles that followed last week's Auburn-Clemson game, “professionals” at ESPN have found a way to once again disassociate Auburn from a winning program. Sure, they acknowledge the fact that Auburn had numerical advantage over South Carolina on the scoreboard, and that they are therefore declared “winners,” but there is an obvious shot at the integrity of Auburn's win.

Here is one quotes that proves to be particularly bothersome:

“The Tigers trailed Clemson 17-0 late in the first half last week before winning in overtime on a missed field goal. They escaped again without needing the lucky break.”
1) (Still harping on Clemson) Auburn did not win on a missed field goal. Auburn won because they scored points in overtime. Clemson's missed field goal did NOTHING but prove that it is difficult to make a trivial field goal in overtime under Jordan-Hare's pressure.
2) Similar to last week, Auburn did not win, they just “escaped.” Yeah, right. You don't escape with 334 rushing yards and school breaking records from Cam Newton.
3) “lucky break” -Auburn is not talented, they are just lucky. Auburn does not hit hard on defense, just ask Kyle Parker (who still might be stumbling from his game against Auburn). Auburn's defense did not force Steve Spurrier to ditch Garcia and go to freshman quarterback Connor Shaw in crucial moments of the game. And when the freshman panicked under the pressure, Auburn did not force two late turnovers, either. Yeah, right.
Is Auburn perfect? Not even close. Are they a great program that wins football games? Yes. At moments, have they been equally as impressive as any other team in the nation? I say yes. Yet, most importantly, are they treated as a top tier program? Not to the media... check this section of Chris Low's article out:

“Alabama and Arkansas both had their moments when they resembled championship football teams. 

The difference was that Alabama finished like a champion, coming back from 13 points down to hand Arkansas a bitter 24-20 defeat at Razorback Stadium.”

What a joke! Finish like a champion. Did Alabama not get lucky that Mallet threw picks on his final two possessions? Was it finishing like a champion for not going up on the scoreboard until the 4th quarter? Get real. And what has Arkansas done this year that is completely deserving of all their hype? Didn't they previously go a pretty unimpressive 3-5 in the SEC? I'm not saying that these are not two great teams, I'm just saying their portrayal by “unbiased” media is very unfair and is designed to promote particular teams to the college hype machine. Auburn, lucky? Yeah right.
War Damn

Bigwheel

SEC WEEK 4 RECAP

Yeah...this guys the man right now



The Myth, The Man, The Legend...Verne Lundquist












This past Saturday was a great day in the SEC. Since I had a wedding to go to last weekend, this weekend I made sure to clear my schedule. After my BRO William and I had a man date consisting of a morning workout and then breakfast and Game Day at his place, I sat on the couch literally ALL day and watched football. If only the weather was a little colder, it would have been a PERFECT fall Saturday. Let's start with the 3:30 CBS game in which Verne Lundquist preceded to say "oh my goodness" at least fifty times...Verne was loving every minute of Alabama - Arkansas, and so was I!

Alabama 24 Arkansas 20

It was number 1 at number 10, and the Razorback crowd was fired up. It was definitely the biggest game in Fayetteville in the last ten years. All week, Alabama fans kept talking about how this game would not even be close, which annoyed me a little bit because Arkansas is a good team. Some of those Bama fans are getting cocky, but thats OK because you are allowed to be cocky when S "The Coach" is in charge of your program.

Ryan Mallett came out ready to sling the rock and scored in only TWO plays. That ended up being a sign of good things to come for Arkansas in the first half, as Mallett continued to impress the country with his ability to put the ball on the money. Alabama QB Greg McElroy, who is the ultimate winner (Rhodes scholar candidate, National champion, hasn't lost a game since 8th grade) had a really bad first half, throwing two picks and missing a few receivers. You could tell he was upset at himself in the second quarter.

However, Nick Saban, Kirby Saban, and the Alabama defense made some great adjustments in the second half, and finally found ways to put some pressure on Mallett. National Championship teams find a way to win games like these, and Alabama did exactly that. Although the Tide has a young secondary, those young guys grew up in the second half of this game. It was fitting that Bama CB Dre Kirkpatrick, who cost the Tide a touchdown in the first half, sealed the game with his late 4th quarter interception. Alabama's win sets the stage for a rematch of the SEC championship the past TWO years in T-town saturday. You better believe I'll be there.


Auburn 35 South Carolina 27

Once again, Auburn got down early. They were down 20-7 at one point in the second quarter. But once again, Auburn came back. Once again, Fig Newton was legit. I am really impressed with this team. They seem to have a lot of fight in them and they are fun to watch. Two straight weeks, Auburn played two really good teams from the state of South Carolina, and Auburn won both. I still think South Carolina is good and has a chance to win the East, but Spurrier is going to have to figure out what he wants to do.

I like to joke about how he jerks around Garcia, but Saturday night I feel like Spurrier cost the Gamecocks the win. After Garcia had fumbled twice, Spurrier jerked him out in favor of a FRESHMAN in he 4th quarter. And not just in the 4th quarter, in the 4th quarter of an away, night game in the SEC. How is Garcia supposed to have ANY confidence whatsoever when Spurrier continues to jerk him around like this. I thought he had made some pretty good throws. One was a GREAT throw to one of his big receivers in the endzone. But then, when things started to not good as well, Spurrier had seen enough of Garcia, and decided to go with Freshman Connor Shaw down the stretch (who threw 2 picks in the 4th quarter). When Greg McElroy threw two picks in the 2nd quarter Saturday, you didn't see Saban bench him. And Alabama has a pretty good backup quarterback. Over the course of the game, if you play quarterback, you WILL make mistakes. You have the rock in your hands every play. Just like in basketball, the point guard is going to have a few turnovers, its inevitable. Spurrier gets to second guess Garcia's throws, Stephen Garcia does not. Sometimes I think you've got to pat your guy on the back and make a decision to just play it out with him.

Mississippi St. 24 Georgia 12

This game was not as close as the score even says. UGA got beat in every phase of the game by a mediocre as grits team. They once again had key fumbles, key penalties, etc. But even more than that, UGA just DID NOT look inspired to play football. You could just see it. The game was boring. It was awful to watch. Todd Grantham's "relentless pressure" Defense got no pressure on Miss. St.'s mediocre QB. UGA's offense did not score a touchdown until late in the 4th quarter when the game was over. I'm disgusted. I think a lot of people are. Georgia just is not very good. Period.


Florida 48 Kentucky 14

Florida seems like they are finally started to come around. Are they a top 10 team? Maybe. But it doesn't really matter. What matters is, they are undefeated and going to play the #1 team in the nation on Saturday. This is exactly where Florida wanted to be at this point in the year. They have put themselves in a position to beat Alabama and really make some noise around the country. I think its going to be a war on Saturday. Whatever Florida misses in toughness this year (aka Tim Tebow) they make up for in speed. It is going to be very interesting to see John Brantley go against Alabama's D. He is facing a Defense on Saturday that is going to challenge him to make the right throw every single time, and if he doesn't, Alabama will punish him. The pressure is going to be on him Saturday in T-town.

In other games...
Ole Miss held off Fresno St. Congratulations OLE MISS!! You guys got a win. At home too, where things have not gone as planned this year. At least if you go to Ole Miss and the football is having a bad year, you've still got THE GROVE.

LSU held off W. Virginia 20-14 in a night game in Death Valley. They have played better than I expected this year. But its going to get tough for them very fast.

Tennessee held off UAB 32-29 in Double OT at home! Tennessee is just not very good this year, but we all knew that would happen. UGA may have another chance to go against another win less team in the SEC on Saturday Oct. 9th when Derrek Dooley comes home to Athens.

THE URBAN PEACH SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK - Cameron Newton QB Auburn. Fig was 16-21 for 158 yards and 2 TD with 0 picks. He also rushed 25 times for 176 yards and 3 TDs. He accounted for 5 Auburn touchdowns.! Tim Tebowesque. Fig's the man.

Its supposed to be a beautiful Fall Saturday this weekend. I can't wait for that cooler weather!

-Sports BRO

SEC RECAP - WEEK 3

Saturday morning started out great. It was beautiful weather in the morning so I worked out and ran, then got breakfast and came home to catch the last hour of College Game Day, which was at Auburn this week. Second straight week in the SEC! After Game Day I got to watch the first half of the UGA v Arkansas game before I had to leave to go to a wedding. The wedding was great, but the reception last until around 9pm, so I missed most of the college football day. However, I did catch the second half and overtime of the Auburn v Clemson game, and what a game that was! We'll start with this one...

Auburn v Clemson

After being down 17-0, the Auburn Fig Newtons finally woke up and started to play. They scored 3 touchdowns in the 3rd quarter and ended up taking the game into OT. In OT, Auburn kicked a field goal to take a 27-24 lead. Clemson's Offense then came out and redshirt freshman kicker Chandler Catanzaro thought they had answered, only to find out that his made field goal was negated by a penalty. He missed his second try, and the celebration began in Auburn.

The SEC prevailed in this one but I have to give some big time props to Clemson's QB Kyle Parker. That dude is a BIG TIME athlete. He has an absolute cannon and he took some serious shots to the head during that game. This guy has a lot of heart, and I admire the fact that he came back to play one more season of football before going to play baseball for the Colorado Rockies. (They drafted him in the 1st round and he is entitled to a 1.4 million signing bonus).

Overall, I would say Game Day was a success in Auburn and I know the students had fun this weekend.

Georgia v Arkansas
Arkansas 31 UGA 24

Arkansas was up 24-10 in the 4th before the dogs made a roaring comeback to tie the game at 24 with 4 minutes left. UGA ended up getting the ball back with 2 minutes left, but could not seal the deal. When Ryan Mallett got his chance to win the game, he did not disappoint.

Last week UGA couldn't stop the run @ South Carolina (aka could not stop Marcus Lattimore). Yesterday, UGA couldn't stop the pass. Ryan Mallett connected on 21-33 for 380 yards and 3 TD's against Todd Grantham's D. In addition, the Dogs gave up numerous big plays against Petrino's offense. UGA's D also only sacked Mallett 1 time. Didn't we hire Grantham to bring "relentless pressure" and limit big plays?? He didn't do it Saturday. However, it's only game 3 of his tenure. I still don't think the D has completely figured out how to run his 3-4 scheme the way he wants it done. Have to give him some more time.

Two other observations about the UGA/Arkansas game...
1. Ryan Mallett is more mobile and even better than I thought. He proved me wrong saturday. He moved well in the pocket and rose up to the road challenge in Athens.
2. UGA and Aaron Murray are desperately missing AJ Green. AJ was needed during that game. They are now 0-2 in the SEC without him. Bet he wishes he had kept that lousy Independence Bowl jersey right now. More on Richt and UGA later this week...


Florida v Tennessee

Florida won their 6th straight over Tennessee in Knoxville on Saturday, 31-17. However, the Gators started out slow for the 3rd game in a row. I agree with Tony Barnhart aka "Mr. College Football", Florida is a team that is still trying to find its identity. Here's the scary thing, they are far from playing their best football, but they are still 3-0 and 1-0 in the SEC. They are finding a way to get it done and they will only improve as they move forward.


Alabama v Duke - Bama 62 Duke 13

Mark Ingram came back and ran for 151 yards and 2 TD's as Bama rolled. Here is why Bama is so good...At halftime, Saban was asked about the first half and he called out his guys saying that their defense in the first half was unacceptable and that guys were not doing their job. The football game was already over, but Saban wasn't happy. He is NEVER satisfied, and he doesn't let his players ever be satisfied either. He treats every possession like it is the most important possession of the season, and his players buy in.


Vanderbilt 28 Ole Miss 14

The Commodores beat Ole Miss between a battle of two of the SEC's worst teams. The year continues to be a nightmare for the Rebels, who threw away a good opportunity to win an SEC game at home. It is only going to get harder from here, as the REb's still have to play Bama, Auburn, Arkansas, and LSU. OUCH! Props to Vandy.


LSU 29 - Miss. St 7

LSU improves to 2-0 in the SEC while Miss. St falls to 0-2. Good thing LSU took care of business in this game, because the rest of their season may not be so great. Miss. St. sets the stage next week to play the 0-2 team in the cellar of the SEC East, UGA. Sounds weird to say UGA is in the cellar in the SEC, doesn't it?

In other games...
Kentucky rolled over Akron 47-10. South Carolina beat Furman 38 - 19, and yes, Spurrier still hates Garcia.

That'll do it for this week. Excited about next week...Alabama at Arkansas at 3:30 on CBS. Can't wait to hear Vern Lundquist say "WOW" 100 + times during the game. I have been looking forward to his commentating all season. At night, South Carolina travels to Auburn. Seems like Auburn plays more night games than any other team in the Country. Going to be a big test for South Carolina and Garcia, assuming Spurrier doesn't punch him in the face and give him a concussion this week at practice.


The Urban Peach SEC Player of the Week:

Ryan Mallett - Arkansas. Mallett was 21-33 for 380 yards and 3 TD's, including a game winning drive and touchdown pass.

Arkansas Game Huge for Mark Richt's Future

It is only week three of college football. It is only Georgia's second SEC game. It is only their third game with a completely new defensive staff and scheme. But for Mark Richt, there has never been as much riding on a game since he has been the head coach at the University of Georgia. Mark Richt, you CANNOT lose this game if you want to keep your job at UGA.

Now before I start talking about why this game is so important for Richt, let me first start by saying I defended him all spring and summer. In an earlier post, I talked about how Paul Finebaum, a very influential SEC media member, continually predicted that this season would be Richt's last. He wrote an article about it that you can read right here: Finebaum's article on Richt

But all spring and summer, I continually disagreed with Finebaum on Richt's future in Athens. I felt that Richt would make the necessary changes that he needed to make on defense, which he did. I felt he would get tougher as a football coach because he had to and because his calm demeanor and loving father-like figure image just wasn't cutting it anymore in the SEC. I felt Richt would change. I said he would change some things. Richt even said he was going to change some things. However, the South Carolina game proved that some of these things simply have not changed quite yet.

Now, I also predicted a few weeks ago on this blog that UGA would lose to South Carolina. However, I did say that they would get it together and rebound against Arkansas the next week. This is what makes the Arkansas game so important. The Bulldog nation is ticked off. UGA didn't tackle. UGA's highly touted offensive line wasn't tough enough. Spurrier was too good. This Saturday, UGA fans need to see change. They better see UGA's defense flying and hitting all over the field. They better see UGA's running game dictate assert its dominance on offense. They better see Richt light a fire under somebody.

To Richt's defense, he did the right thing with Aaron Murrary against South Carolina last week. He protected his freshman quarterback on the road in his first SEC game. Murray passed the test. Hes a player. We knew he would be. Well Aaron, you better be ready to sling it on Saturday, because you better believe Richt is going to pull it all out now. He can't afford not to. He has to make a statement. Because here's the thing: if UGA falls to 0-2 in the SEC, basically eliminating themsevles from getting to Atlanta without yet having played Florida, Richt may be done. It would be one thing if he won more than 7 games last year, but in this conference, with the success UGA has had, with the talent UGA and the state of Georgia continually has, there is just no excuse for the mediocrity.

Me, I still have hope. Like I said, I thought they would lose last week. I also think that last weeks loss will help the team grow up real fast and find its identity. If UGA wins Saturday, they very well may start rolling. I am hoping it happens. UGA fans, its make or break Saturday for Mark Richt.

Tough weekend for Atlanta

GA Tech was upset by Kansas. UGA got dominated and out-coached against South Carolina, the Falcons could not even score a touchdown and lost to a bush league quarterback, and the Atlanta Braves' Ace, Tim Hudson, got rocked and lost his third decision in a row.

Things are not looking good in Atlanta right now. Lets start with the Braves. I am really starting to get worried about the way things are going. Pitching is the first thing that is bothering me. The Phillies are playing lights out baseball right now, and their Ace pitchers are playing their best ball in September, while our pitching seems to have deserted us as of late. Huddy is our ace, and if he is losing then we are in trouble, plain and simple.

Second thing troubling is our first base play. Troy Glaus has bad knees and has been one of the worst hitters in the game for the last 3 months. What do we do, we go and get Derrek Lee, someone who I really thought would help us. He has not. He has hit 1 homerun with the Braves so far and continues to make outs in clutch situations. Should we go with Freeman? Some people would not want to throw a young guy in there in the thick of a pennant race with 18 games left, but I don't have a problem with that. If he is the Braves best first basemen than it is time for him to be a man and step up. I am just not sure he is the Braves best first baseman right now. And I don't think we are going to bench DLee. Like it or not Braves fans, were going to roll with this guy.

The third thing that concerns me is the NL West. The Rockies have won 10 in a row. The Giants are coming on strong. A week ago, I was not as worried because I knew that even if we lost out to the Phillies, at the time we had a wild card lead of 4 games. Now that lead is down to 1. And the way the Giants and Rockies are playing, it looks as if that 1 game lead may be over quickly.

However, with all this being said, there is still hope. We have been playing our second worst baseball of the year (worst was 9 game losing streak in April) and we are only down 1 game. We play the Phillies 6 more times before the season is over. Forget everything that has happened so far, those 6 games are going to decide the Braves 2010 season.

Also, keep in mind that we have a major league leading final at bat victories this year. This is living proof that this team believes in one another and does NOT give up. They are on a mission to win for Bobby and I still believe in them. So with all this being said, lets forget what has happened as of late and enjoy these last 18 pivotal games. And if we are in Atlanta or can make it to Atlanta, GO TO THE BALL PARK. We have the best home record in the national league, we are in a pennant race, and we need the fans to SHOW OUT. Lets GET IT BRAVOS!!!

On to the Falcons...

A few of my observations a day after the game:

1. No ice in "Matty Ice's" veins - We really need to stop referring to Matt Ryan as "Matty Ice". What has this guy done to deserve a nickname that refers to how clutch he is?? Now I am not saying hes not a good QB. I am not saying he can't be great. But I am tired of all this hype surrounding him. His rookie season is now 2 years removed and the NFL is about "what have you done for me lately." As of late, MR2 has not done much. I'm not sure if MR wanted that nickname, and I'm not even sure he embraces it, but he definitely has not been living up to it. He didn't get us in the endzone 1 time yesterday, and although the Steelers made a great pick with 1:40 left in the game, he is responsible for it.

I think MR is a tough player, I think hes incredibly smart as well, I just think hes not as good as Falcons fans, NFL commentators, etc. give him credit. I'm not going to give him unjust credit based on "potential". I'll give him the recognition and credit when it is justly due.

2. We lost to a pretty bad QB in Dennis Dixon. The guy didn't get his team a touchdown until OT, and that was a 50 yard aka a complete meltdown by the Falcons D. With Dixon playing QB, the Falcons should have jumped all over this opportunity. Instead, we struggled to score the entire game as well. I know Pittsburgh is still good, but the Falcons are already a game behind the Saints and lets just say they can't afford to get another game down if they want to have a chance to win the division...

GA Tech...that was a really bad loss. TERRIBLE day for the ACC. VA Tech goes down to James Madision?? So much for Boise States big win. Miami gets beat @ Ohio St. and Jacory Harris threw 4 picks. Then GA Tech lost to Kansas. Thats weaksauce.

More on UGA and Mark Richt tomorrow....

-Sports BRO

SEC RECAP - WEEK 2

The picture on the right was given to me courtesy of my buddy JJ Pettit who just Graduated from USC. JJ traveled to Columbia for the game this weekend and took this pic for me. His Gamecocks may finally have a legit shot at getting to Atlanta this year


Week two in the SEC was burning up! I mean it was HOT in the Southeast this weekend. I went to Tuscaloosa to see JoePA and Penn St. come to town and when I walked to gameday at 8AM it was already 90+ degrees outside. Erin Andrews was wearing jeans and a freakin' jacket! Not really sure what she was thinking. And yes, just to let you guys know, she looks even better in person than she does on tv. She and Kirk "frosted tips" Herbstreit went out to Innisfree Friday night before the game as well. Innisfree is a really cool bar in Tuscaloosa, probably my favorite one there. It's a huge Irish pub that has a big patio out front and on the side. College students LOVE this place.

Speaking of Kirk Herbstreit, Alabama fans did not give him a warm welcome on Saturday morning after he predicted Auburn to win the SEC west a few weeks ago. There were quite a few jeers from the crowd when he spoke and numerous signs about him. He's not a very popular guy in Tuscaloosa. However, his gelled hair and frosted tips were perfectly constructed. He must have spent extra time to make his hair look right since it was so humid. I give him credit for that. One of the coolest signs I saw was from a Penn St. guy that said, "Bro Paterno is a BRO KING." Simple but to the point. That guy really is a Bro-King.

The atmosphere in Tuscaloosa was unbelievable and Penn St. fans were swarming. Even after they lost they crowded the streets looking to have a good time. I think they knew they were going to lose because it seemed like they just wanted to experience an SEC football weekend.

Since I on the subject of Alabama, I'll start with the recap of this game...

Alabama v Penn St.

Nick Saban's boys absolutely dominated this game from the start. It is Saban's goal every week for Alabama to physically dominate their opponent on EVERY play, and Alabama did just that. The o-line made a statement with their physical play early, and Trent Richardson was unreal. He rushed for 102 yards in the first half and broke tackles seemingly every time he touched the ball. Alabama fans aren't surprised though, they know there is not a drop off without Ingram. It is going to be scary when Ingram comes back. McElroy may not even throw the ball the rest of the season. Speaking of McElroy, he was solid as usual. This guy is Mr. consistent. He made great reads the entire game and led a balanced attack. I think he may be the best leader in college football right now. The guy has not lost a game since 8th grade!

Did anyone see when the camera showed Bro Paterno around 8:30 PM in the second half? I really think he fell asleep during the game. Poor guy. Those night games are probably tough for him.

South Carolina v Georgia

This game was frustrating for me since I am a UGA fan. Marcus Lattimore was absolutely unstoppable against the Dawgs. They could not tackle him. Our defense seemed to be a step slow the entire game. I am sure they were tired too. South Carolina did a really good job on offense with long drives. They first drive of the game was 8 minutes long! You have to give a lot of credit to South Carolina, because they clearly came out ready to play. The Evil Genius outcoached Richt again. He also was hilarious after the game when asked how his QB Stephen Garcia played. Spurrier just won't give this dude a compliment. Garcia must have some thick skin to play for that guy. He also may be the ugliest QB in the SEC. That dude really needs a haircut!

As for UGA, Aaron Murray looked solid in his first SEC test of his career. He made good reads and didn't seem to force the issue. He underthrew Kris Durham a little bit in the 3rd quarter and if he hadn't then Durham would have ran in the endzone untouched. Two plays later, Ealey fumbled the ball at the 1 yard line, which turned out to be the turning point in the game. If UGA punched it in there, I think it would have been a whole different game. Tough break for the dawgs. However, UGA does NOT need to panic. It was an early road loss against a good team. UGA's offense is still clicking, and the defense has only played two games under Grantham. The D was not spectacular, but it definitely got better as the game went on, which is a promising sign. AJ Green was definitely missed though. Aaron Murray threw a few deep balls that I think AJ catches if he is out there.

With that being said, next weeks game against Arkansas is a MUST WIN for the Dawgs. It will be a huge game for both teams because if UGA falls to 0-2 in the SEC, they are done after week 3. If Arkansas loses, they have Alabama waiting. And they are not going to beat Alabama. It is going to be an interesting game.

Auburn v. Mississippi St.

Cameron Newton is really good. But Mississippi found a way to lose this Thursday night game. That dropped pass at the end of the game cost the Bulldogs. There was no excuse for dropping that one. Seems to be the story of Mississippi St. They will play teams close but just can't get over the hump. Look for Newton to continue to put up good numbers. Auburn goes as far as Newton takes them this year.

Florida v South Florida

The Gators once again got off to a slow start against a decent South Florida team. They were down 7-0 at the end of the 1st quarter but eventually found their stride and pulled away in the second half. I still am high on Florida though. It is just going to take a little time to adjust to a completely different QB in John Brantley. JB can sling it though. But right now, it looks like Alabama is going to roll on the gators in a few weeks.

In other games...
Kentucky rolled against Western Kentucky
LSU drilled Vandy 27-3. Not really shocked about that one.
Tennessee got off to a good start but Oregon eventually woke up and pounded the Vols 48-13.
Arkansas defeated Louisiana Monroe 31-7
Ole Miss defeated Tulane 27-13 in New Orleans. The Rebels still are not looking so good. But I guarantee they will beat someone that they have NO business beating this year.

Sports Bro's SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

Marcus Lattimore RB South Carolina - True Freshman Marcus Lattimore rushed for 182 yards against UGA. This guy is a STUD! He was the difference maker in the game and is what Spurrier has been missing the last few years.

SEC Week 1 Recap

Don't get too confident just yet big guy...You got to face the Evil Genius next week...






Ole Miss Stunned by JSU????
Seriously Ole Miss? Jacksonville State University? JSU...otherwise known as "Just Show Up" by many that attend. Located in Anniston, Alabama...this University just went into Oxford and left Ole Miss fans stunned. So much for the hype about Jeremiah Masoli. Losing to JSU kind of puts a damper on the NCAA ruling. I am not going to lie, this is an embarrassment to the SEC. My question is, how do you rebound from this if your Ole Miss? You just lost to "Just Show Up" at HOME. How are you going to feel when you guys play at Alabama? I really hope none of those players went out to party Saturday night after that loss!

Alabama Rolls

I did not get to watch the game because it was on Pay per view, but the outcome was as expected for Alabama. 48-3 victory. Defense did not give up a touchdown. I heard Alabama's backup quarterback A.J. McCarron looked good, which is good news for Tide Fans. Although you have to keep in mind that he looked good against San Jose State. I heard the new addition to the stadium looked amazing inside Bryant-Denny. I have seen it from the outside, hoping to see it from the inside next week against Penn State. FYI - Saban's statue is not up yet, but his name is engraved and 2009 is already engraved as well. Looks like it is about to go up. Can you imagine walking into work and looking to the right to see your own statue?!? That's when you know your big time!

UGA looks better than expected!

No AJ Green, no Washaun Ealey, no Alec Ogletree (suspended for stealing a $35 scooter helmet aka hes an idiot!) And a few others that did not play as well. I expected UGA to look a little rusty on offense, but 55 points negated that theory. Aaron Murray looked poised and confident, and didn't try to do to make any crazy Matthew Stafford throws. However, he better be careful with some of those runs he made. Richt may want to talk to him about sliding on some of those because South Carolina is going to hit a lot harder than the Ragin Cajuns'. And even though Hutson Mason threw a touchdown pass on his first play, I don't want to see him playing against South Carolina next week. Defense looked great! I loved how when UGA's defender (can't remember who) bit on that pumpfake to give up their only big play, Grantham GOT IN HIS FACE! He was PO'd to give up that play. It was relentless pressure and the D seemed to have fun out there. Next week's game is HUGE.

Florida looks rusty

Look, I'll be the first to say it...the Gators looked bad. Really bad. They have about 12 bad snaps to new qb John Brantley. They struggled against a team that only won 1 game last year. However, they are still really good. They will get the snapping situation under control, and we still have not seen all that Brantley can do. This man can sling the rock. They are still the team to beat in the SEC East.

Les Miles gets lucky...AGAIN!

Once again...LSU escapes a game that they probably should have lost. Make no mistake about it, LSU's talent is incredible, but their coaching sort of equalizes it. UNC was miss 15 players!! They should have won the game. My old basketball team mate TJ Yates almost pulled off an unbelievable comeback. This was an entertaining game to say the least, and its going to be an intertaining season for LSU to say the least. I can see Les Miles being canned at the end of this year.

Stay tuned for an SEC week 2 preview later this week...

- Sports Bro

SEC Predictions

Look for this guy to be holding up that finger again this year

With College Football approaching, I felt it was necessary to put together a little SEC predictions preview. I won't bother with any of the other Conferences because A. I love the SEC, and B. The SEC is the BEST Conference - no doubt about it!

Let's start with the SEC West...

SEC WEST PREDICTIONS

SEC WEST CHAMPIONS - Alabama
2. Auburn
3. Arkansas
4. LSU
5. Ole Miss
6. Mississippi St.

Alabama - The defending National Champions from a year ago, Alabama Returns some significant weapons on offense including Heisman Trophy RB Mark Ingram, QB Greg McElroy, and Wide Receiver Julio Jones. Let's not forget about their backup RB Trent Richardson who has blazing speed and would most likely start on any other team in the country. Their defense loses 9 starters but that should not matter - because of their head coach. As long as Nick Saban is at Alabama, their defense will reload. Saban has it going at Alabama and as long as he is there I am not sure I can pick against them. In my opinion he is the best coach in the country, hands down.

Auburn - Kirk Herbstreit went on ESPN and predicted Auburn to win the SEC West last week. While I am not the biggest fan of Herbstreit (Ohio St., Gel frosted hair etc.), I do agree with him that Auburn will be much improved. However, they won't be good enough to beat Alabama, and will finish the year with 3 SEC losses. Look for QB Cameron "fig" Newton to have a solid year.

Arkansas - So many people seem to be jumping on Petrino's band wagon this year, but I don't see why. Yes, Ryan Mallett may be the best passing quarterback in the SEC and is definitely the best pro QB prospect in the SEC right now. But did anyone see their defense last year? It was worse than UGA's, and UGA defense was pretty bad. Mallett and Petrino won't be ready for the hype and they will lose back to back games at Georgia and Alabama.

LSU - the Les Miles train is about to come completely off the tracks in Baton Rouge. This guy is arguably the worst coach in the SEC, and seems have no idea what he is doing at times. If they lose to UNC this weekend, look out, because it could get ugly quick. However, they still have talent and speed, and those are two things Les Miles does not have to coach. They are capable of beating anyone, but losing to anyone as well.

Ole Miss - look for Oregon transfer Jeremiah Masoli to win Ole Miss a game or two that it shouldn't win, but they will not be in contention to challenge Alabama in the SEC West. With that being said, Ole Miss plays better in an underdog role, and could play the spoiler role a few times this year.

Mississippi St. - Unfortunately for Dan Mullen, the SEC West is stacked this year. Although he is a good coach, he will find himself at or near the cellar once again.

SEC EAST PREDICTIONS

SEC EAST CHAMPIONS - Florida
2. Georgia
3. South Carolina
4. Tennessee
5. Kentucky
6. Vanderbilt

Florida - After a strange off season in which Urban Meyer quit and then sort of quit and then came back, Florida is loaded again this year. Although Tim Tebow is gone, I am afraid that the emergence of John Brantley will not be too much of a drop off. Although he is completely different from Tebow, he can really throw the ball well. Florida will lose one regular season game, but they will be back in the SEC Championship.

Georgia - Look for freshman QB Aaron Murray to struggle some at South Carolina on Sept. 11, but to really find his stride mid way through the season. UGA will be improved on defense this year thanks to new D-coordinator Todd Grantham and his 3-4 scheme. UGA will lose to South Carolina on the road early, but will win 9 out of its last 10 to finish second in the SEC East and set the stage for a better year in 2011.

South Carolina - The Gamecocks will be riding high early after their win over UGA, but as has happened the last few years, they will level out in November. They will finish third in the SEC East only because Tennessee will be down and Vandy and Kentucky will be...well...Vandy and Kentucky.

Tennessee - Look for new coach Derek Dooley to have his hands full in year one. He will go into Athens wearing orange with his parents and lose. Then he will play Alabama two weeks later and get pounded. However, this guy can coach. It will just take him a few years to get rid of the mess Lane Kiffin left him.

Kentucky - They are capable of one upset but that is about it. Hopefully it won't be against UGA again this year.

Vanderbilt - They had a good coach the last few years - but he left and that should tell you something about how confident he was that Vanderbilt could compete for an SEC East Championship. Look for new coach Robbie Caldwell to have a frustrating year one in the SEC.

SEC CHAMPIONSHIP - Alabama v. Florida
Winner - Alabama 24 - 17. Look for Alabama to get back to the National Championship and hopefully play Boise St. so that the nation goes into an uproar about a playoff system!

An article I wrote about the Birmingham-Southern Baseball Team this Spring for the Hilltop News

http://www.bscsports.net/news/2010/7/8/BB_0708104923.aspx?path=baseball

St. Louis Bound

Off to St. Louis today to visit Coach Kevin Carroll. Coach Carroll is undoubtedly one of the best young basketball coaches in the country and has already landed a head college coaching job at Maryville University. Still in his early 30's, Carroll is one of the youngest head college basketball coaches in the nation. Mark my words, down the road, you'll be watching this guy work wonders on CBS in March!

Coach Carroll was my high school coach, and the thing that I remember most about him was his tireless work ethic and his demand for perfection. He put his heart and soul into getting the most out of his players. Once when I was a junior in high school, Coach Carroll told me that his goal was for his players to appreciate him and love him 5 years AFTER he coached them. His goal was not to be our best friend while he coached us. Rather, he wanted us gain appreciation for him after we were finished playing. He promised me that I would have a new perspective on all the hard work he demanded from us after I had finished playing basketball. Well, I am now done playing basketball and I promise you I now appreciate Coach Carroll way more than I did when I was in high school. I can also promise you that every single player that played for Coach Carroll feel the same way. When we were in high school, there were many times we hated Coach Carroll and all the drills he made us do that seemed pointless at the time. However, now we all think back on those days and understand the full value of those grueling days in the gym. They won us a championship, and that is something no one can ever take away from us. So thank you Coach Carroll, for being hard on us and demanding the absolute best out of each and every one of us. None of us would be where we are today without your influence.

If you have love for this country, than this book is a must read. Marcus Luttrell's story is inspiring, motivating, and heartfelt. The book really touched me. Read it, and I promise it will touch you as well.

The Dunes in Nags Head

NAGS HEAD

I got back from Katie and I's beach vacation yesterday and I wish it never had to end. We went to the Outer Banks NC to a beach called Nags Head. The place was unbelievable. It was such a cool and unique beach town. It had so many locals, great restaurants, great waves and beautiful beaches. Also, it had the largest and most incredible dunes I have ever seen. Some of the dunes had to be about 80 feet high. From the top of one of the dunes, you could look each way and see the ocean as well as the sound.

It was a great vacation and I wish I never had to leave. Now it is back to reality. BUT...college football starts soon and I am highly anticipating the start of that!

Off to the Outer Banks in North Carolina tomorrow! Time to relax and do some surfing! I have not been there since I was a little kid, but heard the waves are pretty big for the East Coast. Probably not as big as San Deigo though!

UGA Football Preview - Excitement and Uncertainties in Upcoming Season

This guy doesn't need to be spectacular, just get the job done.

As the 2010 college football season gets ready to kick off practice on August 1st, UGA fans have reason to be both excited and nervous at the same time. It is no secret that the Bulldogs have underachieved the last two years. In 2008, the Bulldogs began preseason number 1 in the nation, only to finish with a loss to rival Ga Tech at home and playing on January 1st in the Capitol One Bowl.

In 2009, the Bulldogs struggled on both sides of the ball and finished with an overall record of 7-5 (4-4 SEC). They were embarrassed in Knoxville and in Athens against Kentucky on senior night.

However, after the 2009 season Mark Richt made some tough but necessary changes that have many believing there will be a turnaround in 2010. Lets take an in-depth look at some things to be excited and uncertain about this fall in Athens...

Excited

UGA has 10 of 11 returning starters on offense. The offensive line is rated by some as the number 1 offensive line in the country. They have played together for three years now, and have developed great toughness and chemistry. Also, the emergence of Caleb King and Washaun Ealey late in the season last year has fans excited about the running game this fall. And lets not forget about the best receiver in the nation, AJ Green (sorry Julio Jones).

Schedule
Georgia has a favorable schedule in 2010. No more LSU, no Alabama, and no extremely tough out of conference games. Now, Mark Richt shot this down when asked about their schedule being easier at SEC media days in Hoover, AL last week saying that there is no such thing as a favorable schedule in the SEC. While this does have some truth to it, I am not buying it. You can bet Richt is happy that he does not have to play Alabama in the west and that his freshman quarterback is not opening up at Oklahoma State this year. Look for Georgia's three toughest games to be at South Carolina, Arkansas at home, and of course in Jacksonville the last saturday in October.

Uncertainities
The First uncertainty about the 2010 season is obviously Aaron Murray. As I stated before, Georgia returns 10 out of 11 starters on offense. The one starter they do not return on offense happens to be the most important one...Quarterback. However, lets remember that Murray does not have to be spectacular. With the talent and experience of the offensive side of the ball around him, he just has to make the right decisions and put the ball in the right places. Think of Greg McElroy at Alabama last year. He was a first year starting quarterback in the SEC and Nick Saban didn't ask him to be spectacular. He just got the ball where it needed to go and stayed within himself and within the offense. In the national championship game, McElroy only threw for 60 yards! I see Aaron Murray's first year having many similarities with Greg McElroy last year. He also has more experience than many people think. He enrolled at UGA early and has had the oppertunity to play in two spring games. Not many freshman are as experienced as Murray will be this year. Lets also remember that this kid is a winner. He came back from a broken ankle in high school to lead his team to a state championship. Gutsy and tough kid.

Todd Grantham and the Defense
While many fans at Georgia are fired up about Grantham and the new defense, lets remember not to get too excited too quickly. We have to remember that this is a completely new system for UGA. From my experience and from watching many teams change coaches and put in new systems, it usually takes a year for the new system to get rolling. With that being said, it is hard to be much worse than UGA has been defensively the past two years. My prediction? I think the UGA players will begin to really grasp the new system in the middle of the season. Look for their defense to be peaking at the end of October and into November. Just in time for you know who in Jacksonville October 30.

Mark Richt
Yes unfortunately Mark Richt is a question mark this year. However, he is not a question mark to Georgia fans. It is kind of weird, because usually it is the fans that want the coach gone and the media tends to begin to agree with the fans after a while. However, in Georgia's case this off season, media members have predicted this to be Richt's last year while the fans have backed him up. After living in Birmingham the last 3 years, I would always listen to Paul Finebaum's radio show. For those of you unfamiliar with Finebaum, he is a very influential SEC media member who focuses on Alabama and Auburn but also covers the entire SEC. Last spring, Finebaum continuously predicted that this year would be Richt's last. He said numerous times that the UGA football program had gotten away from Richt and there was nothing Richt could do to repair the damage. He repeatedly said that Richt let go of Willy Martinez a year too late and that it would only be a matter of time before he is canned at the end of this season. To Finebaum's surprise, Georgia fans continuously called into his show to back and support Mark Richt. Fans called so much to support Richt that Finebaum began to think UGA fans were delusional. Was this because Richt is such a nice guy? Was this because maybe in Georgia the fans are not as passionate as they are in Alabama? Maybe. But I agree with UGA fans on this one. I think Richt is going to have a rebounding year and silence all the media critics. Richt is not oblivious. He hears this stuff, he knows people are saying he has lost his fire. And make no mistake about it, while it doesn't seem like he is on the outside, this man is as competitive as they come. Look for Richt to have a new fire and intensity in him in 2010.

While I am a Georgia fan and a little biased, I really do think there are good things in store for the bulldogs in 2010. I can't wait for September 4th. GO DAWGS!!

This guy looked much better in a Pirates uniform

FRANK WREN - Please get rid of Nate McLouth!

Let me just start by saying that although I am not the biggest baseball fan, I do LOVE the Atlanta Braves. And with this being Bobby Cox's last hurrah, I am extra glued into every game they play. However, today's loss against the Marlins really put me in a bad mood.

Unfortunately, I could not watch the game because I am currently on a road trip in North Carolina visiting family and going to the beach. However, my cousin and great friend William called me to update me with the terrible news. Nate McLouth was up with the bases loaded in the top of the 11th inning and one out. What did he do? Grounded into a freakin' double play! Now, I understand that baseball is a game of failure. The best hitters in the game only get a hit around 30% of the time (or somewhere around there). I also understand that all players go through slumps. But unfortunately for Nate, this year has been one big entire slump.
Lets take a look at his stats....

He has played in 61 games this year, is batting .169 with only 14 RBI. He only has 31 total hits on the season!

My friend William told me today that he would rather have Tim Hudson up to the plate than Nate McLouth. At first, I thought this was a little harsh. However, after I got off the phone I looked up Tim Hudson's plate statistics this year and saw that he was batting .261. Almost .100 points better than Nate McLouth's average! Although Hudson only plays every 5th day, there is no excuse for McLouth to be hitting almost .100 points below a pitcher.

If the Braves keep McLouth in the lineup, I fear that he will keep coming to the plate in key situations and continue to not produce. So Frank Wren, for the sake of Bobby Cox and my friend William, (who is a much bigger Braves fan than me) please take Nate McLouth out of the lineup so that the Braves can hold on to the NL East Division lead.