Out of Bounds

New Stadium for the Falcons?

House Bill 903 details taxes to be levied on hotels and motels in an unspecified county in Georgia to help fund a brand new “multi purpose domed facility”, i.e. a new stadium for the Falcons.

The bill was introduced in January by Rep. Mark Burkhalter. Burkhalter is the District 50 representative from Johns Creek, Ga., a district that happens to include parts of Fulton County. Needless to say, his district has a lot to gain if a new structure is built – Fulton County would most likely be the home of the new facility, meaning a substantial portion of the hotel and motel tax money would be generated through the Red Roofs and Super 8′s of Fulton County.

But the rest of Georgia loses. We all get caught up in the hoopla of “new, state of the art” stadiums. Retractable roofs, super mega jumbotrons, and ergonomic seating seem on the surface to be a major upgrade from what is now, apparently in some eyes, relic of a stadium in the Georgia Dome. We, the Georgia tax payer, will be footing the bill for what would range anywhere from a quarter billion dollars to possibly $1 1/2 billion. The Georgia Dome cost a shade under $250 billion when you factor in the improvements from the past few years.  If you compare that to the newest two football homes in the NFL, it is but a drop in the bucket.

The Dallas Cowboys new facility opened in 2009 sporting a cost of $1.3 BILLION. That pales in comparison to the new Meadowlands, with a price tag of a whopping $1.6 BILLION!

You could build a new Georgia Dome inside Cowboys Stadium, and still have $50 million in the bank before you matched the Meadlowlands cost!

Suprisingly, the bill was met with very little opposition in either the House or the Senate, garnering over 70% at each read through. These men and women who respresent us must see the Georgia Dome every once in a while during their trips to A-town for legislative sessions. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT! In fact, in the few times I’ve seen games inside the Dome, from lower level to up in the rafters, I haven’t had a bad seat.

The Georgia Dome is fine. It works. It still looks good. It’s hard to believe it’s almost 20 years old – a testament to the fact that a new facility is NOT needed!

“If you build it they will come”. Thanks Kevin Costner. That line of thought has deterred Georgia Legislators from figuring out a way to lower the unemployment rate or improve education, cut down crime or feed the hungry. Instead, taxing Georgians (the base of the Falcon’s fans), and building a new Dome that is nowhere near needed.

That is, unless they write a bill stating the Georgia Dome be turned into an unemployment office/charter school/jail house/soup kitchen.

Read the bill HERE

Has Talent in the Big 12 Surpassed That of the SEC?

If you watched the 1st round of the NFL draft, or even just read about it, you’ve heard several Big 12 draftees talk confidently how it means the conference is vastly underrated, and should be considered the best in college football. Five of the first six selected yesterday were from the conference, with two of the 1st three coming from Oklahoma. That must mean their conference is the best right?

Absolutely NOT!

“I know the Big 12 has been getting a lot of slack lately,” Number 1 overall pick Sam Bradford said. “People for some reason didn’t think that we played much football in the Big 12 and sure didn’t think we played much defense, so for two defensive tackles to go in the first three picks is a credit to the Big 12.”

Sorry Sammy, it’s a credit to those players. Said two defensive tackles came from OU and Nebraska, teams which were a combined 18-11 last season.

“It’s insane isn’t it?” Gerald McCoy said with a huge smile. “We can’t play football in the Big 12, but the first four picks went out the Big 12? Mmmmm — three of ‘em from Oklahoma, by the way.”

Yeah, Ger, crazy. Oh yeah, and Oklahoma went 8 and 5 last year. Great players, but not a great team.

Nebraska’s out of conference games last year featured powerhouses FAU and Arkansas St. Their lone out of conference game during the regular season against another BCS conference school was against Virginia Tech. Anyone remember who won that game?

Oklahoma split their out of conference games, 2 wins to 2 losses. The wins came against Idaho St. and Tulsa. The losses? ACC team Miami, and BYU. So, once again, winless against BCS conference schools.

The point is, this was a great draft year for individual players from the Big 12. It’s not indicative of the overall team play of the conference. Three other Big 12 teams with players drafted in the 1st frame -  Oklahoma State, Missouri, and Texas. The Longhorns were conference champs last year, and only had one (1) player drafted in the first round.

More proof that there were some great football players in the Big 12, but not necessarily great football.

Just a Few Amusing Videos from the Week

From the amazing to the funny to the just plain entertaining, here are a few videos from around the web for you to enjoy this morning.

I know it’s not sports related, but this is unusal so I have to share.  Behold! The Sheeppig!

Now on to the sports -

Baserunner goes airborne…Willie Mays Hays style! 

“I’ll take fun things to do during a rain delay, Alex”

And the Braves won in walk off fashion 2 games in a row. On Sunday, Jason Heyward was mobbed by teammates after he singled in the winning run in Atlanta’s win over Colorado. Tuesday, the dugout had a slightly different response to Nate McClouth’s walk off winner

Enjoy your Thursday. Don’t forget the NFL draft starts tonight!

4 – 6 Games for B. Roth…Just Punishment?

I guess now we know why the Pittsburgh Steelers picked up Byron Leftwich yesterday. The front office must have been preparing for Ben Roethlisberger’s impending suspension.

Big Ben will miss the Steeler’s  first 4 to 6 games while serving his suspension for a crime he was never charged for. That’s the fact, whether you believe there was any wrongdoing or not. Roethlisberger will miss the 1st month and a half of the season for NOT committing a crime in the eyes of the law.

The alleged rape was investigated by the G.B.I. The District Attorney decided there wasn’t enough evidence to arrest the QB. Why does Roger

Goodell and the NFL think he should be suspended? Is his presumed innocence until proven guilty (which will never happen now, because of not being charged) tarnishing the reputation of the league that has let other proven egregious behavior continue in front of blind eyes.

Everyone knows Michael Vick fought dogs. He was arrested, tried, and convicted. He served his time, and has returned to the game after serving his suspension from the league. He was rightfully suspended for that. But what about his other transgressions? Remember water bottlegate? Vick at the airport with the secret compartment in his water bottle. We all know what the compartment was for, just like we “know” Rothleisberger must have done something wrong. What was his punishment? Suspension? No, it wasn’t.

That slid by. Just as his giving the fans the finger fiasco and who could forget the Ron Mexico incident?

I’m simply using Vick as an example, not to make this a Mike vs. Ben thing. My point is, the punishment should fit the crime, and said punishment should be just – BUT FAIR. In the case of Big Ben, it’s neither.

I could see the NFL levying a fine for causing such a media stir, but he shouldn’t miss games. There’s no actual proof he did anything wrong. We all have our opinions about the case. I, in fact, think he’s guilty as hell; of something, just not sure what.

Apparently all it takes now is an accusation, and you will miss up to a quarter of a season. I think the league is setting a bad precedent with this one.

Decision Time for Thompkins

The time is finally here when Georgia basketball fans will be able to let out a collective sigh of relief…or groan of disappointment.

Trey Thompkins is close to making his announcement on whether he’s decided to hang around Athens for another year, or bolt early  for the NBA draft. Thompkins is reportedly making his announcement Friday. I don’t expect anything flashy, just a “here’s what I’ve decided”.  Will his decision be a wise one?

I have no doubt that whatever he decides, he will be successful. There are a few factors I do hope he’s considering though throughout this process. No doubt he’s an NBA talent, but no doubt, there are several others with more NBA talent.

I’m no draft expert, but at this point, I would have Thompkins going somewhere in 2nd round, which is quite an accomplishment. If he decides to stay in college for another year, I could see him moving into the 1st, possibly as high as a lottery pick, which will mean millions more on his contract.

I think there are just too many players as talented, or moreso, in this years draft. With other early defections such as DeMarcus Cousins from Kentucky and Derrick Favors from Georgia Tech are sure to be more coveted than Thompkins. More underclassmen who will rate around or above Thompkins include Wesley Johnson from Syracuse, Al-Farouq Aminu from Wake Forest, and Patrick Patterson from Kentucky. That’s FIVE players at the same position that could go ahead of Thompkins in the draft. There are probably more.

On top of that, he must also consider the other players in the draft that are just too good to pass up if available. John Wall and Evan Turner would almost assuredly be picked before Trey Thompkins if he were to decide to jump ship early.

It’s a story similar to former UGA safety Rashad Jones – lots of talent, but not the most talented. Jones opted out of his senior year of football for the NFL draft. He will be drafted in a couple of weeks, but not as high as he could have been if he stayed in school another year. And that’s simply because of more talented players leaving college early.

Thomkins is in the same situation. He’ll do himself a huge favor by staying for his Junior year at Georgia.

He’ll be doing the Dawgs a favor as well.

Who Will Be Your QB? – CU Edition

After watching and reading and listening to three different spring football games this weekend, I’ve got more questions than answers regarding who will open the 2010 season at quarterback for Clemson, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Clemson’s QB situation shouldn’t even qualify as a situation. But, when you are as good of an athlete as Kyle Parker, these kinds of things happen.

Not only does Parker take snaps for the Tigers on fall Saturdays, he also fields fly balls in the Clemson outfield in the Spring. And he’s good. Really good.

Good enough to be mentioned as a high round draft pick in the upcoming June Major League Baseball draft. That’s where the questions begin.

Will Parker stick around for football, or take the money and run towards the dream of playing in the majors? That’s a question we don’t know the answer to. And, we probably won’t know the answer to that until we find exactly how high Kyle Parker is drafted.

So, let’s get plan B ready, just in case. There’s Willy Korn…no, not anymore. Korn transferred out of Clemson in the winter. I’m sure he’s kicking himself for that one right now.

Like their arch rival in Columbia, Clemson doesn’t have any proven depth on their roster at the most important position on the field. That’s why it is paramount the Tigers know at least which way Parker is leaning from moment to moment. Literally, if KP decides one morning over breakfast he wants to play football, then change his mind after lunch, he should call Dabo at the second he has those feelings.

Unfortunately, though, for the Tigers, they won’t know anything for sure until Parker takes the first snap this fall. It is also unfortunate for Clemson that Parker won’t have to make a decision immediately regarding baseball. Contract negotiations could buy him weeks to hash out what he wants to do.

Hopefully Dabo is being proactive and getting someone ready to fill Kyle Parker’s cleats (the football ones). If not, it could be a long season in Tiger Town.

Who Will Be Your QB? – USC Edition

After watching and reading and listening to three different spring football games this weekend, I’ve got more questions than answers regarding who will open the 2010 season at quarterback for Clemson, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Actually, South Carolina should be the easiest to peg. Stephen Garcia is the only QB returning in the SEC East that started last year. He’s entering his 4th year in Steve Spurrier’s “Cock ‘N Fire” offense. Two potential players thought to at least make somewhat of a push are no longer with the team.

So why is there a question mark regarding who starts for the Cocks in September? Steve Spurrier.

Spurrier has been known in the past to use the media to motivate his stars or potential stars. He’s tried this tactic on Garcia in the past, which makes me wonder why he would resort to this method again. Is there no other way Garcia will get the message? Does Spurrier really think Garcia can be “a great quarterback”? Does all the Evil Genius mean when he says “he just doesn’t do anything extra” that he simply wants Garcia to do something extra?

Or, is there someone on his heels, pushing for playing time? I think this could have something to do with it.

Many reports out of winter workouts and spring practice have noted the quality play of freshman Connor Shaw.

Shaw has impressed teammates and coaches alike with his work ethic, mechanics, and understanding of what is going on with the offense. While it is unlikely for a rookie to come in and unseat a 4th year player, it is possible for said rookie to push the veteran to play better.

Whatever the case may be, Stephen Garcia does need an extra push to improve. I have no doubt #5 will be lined up behind center the first weekend in September.

 His will to be great, and a hot shot freshmen itching to play will determine how long he stays there.

Who Will Be Your QB? – UGA Edition

It’s another year, another debate amongst fans as to who should be the starting qb at UGA. Logan Gray has the most experience, albeit limited. Zach Mettenberger has the best measurables, although his skills aren’t polished. Aaron Murray delivers the leadership and moxy desired in a Southeastern Conference signal caller, but is nowhere near the prototypical size.

Before Saturday, everyone had their favorite. After Saturday’s annual G-day game, fans vehemently defend their choice.

Each QB had their moments of greatness. Each delivered a head scratcher or two. Most Dawg fans have been on either the Mett or Murray bandwagon, with Gray being an afterthought. After watching all three play, I would say one of those two would be a safe wagon to hitch a ride on.

Mettenberger came away from G-day as the star of the show. He connected on two touchdown passes against the Bulldog defense. He looked poised in the pocket, calmly making razor sharp accurate throws amid the surrounding chaos.                                     

Unfortunately for Mett, he may have reserved himself a spot on the bench (or standing room next to the coach with a clipboard) before he even had a chance. When Louisiana-Lafayette rolls into Athens in September, Mettenberger will have watch the game from the sidelines due to a discipline issue. It is hard to imagine Coach Mark Richt giving a Freshman his first action of the season on the road in Columbia, therefore, who know if, or when, Zach Mettenberger will have a chance to display his talent when the game actually counts.

So this leaves the battle between Murray and Gray. I don’t think there’s much question that Murray leads in the talent category. But Gray is talented in his own right, plus he’s the only one with game experience. Coach Richt values that experience – see Joe T. III. But, I think Richt will make the right call between these two signal callers and announce Aaron Murray will be the starter come opening day.

From that point on, unless Murray forgets how to throw a football, he will be the Dawgs’ quarterback until he graduates in 2013.

NCAA Rules on Archie

It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t unusual. It wasn’t uncalled for.

But it effectively ended Dominique Archie’s playing career at South Carolina.

Archie injured his knee the 5th game into his senior season by landing awkwardly after a dunk. The school petitioned for a 6th year of eligibility, but the appeal was denied by the NCAA. It was deemed the former Josey standout redshirted his freshman year due to roster depth, not injuries, therefore he will not be allowed to play an extra year.

It’s not terribly shocking that he was denied, but it is unfortunate. Archie was moving his way up several of the school’s career leaders lists. He finishes his career with 1013 points, 562 rebounds, and 90 blocked shots. His value on the court was evident – the Gamecocks only won 11 of 27 games after Archie’s injury.

It’s unknown at this point what Archie’s next move will be. He still isn’t fully recovered from the knee injury, so he can’t fully train to further his basketball career. 

However, he is on schedule to graduate from USC next month…so not all is lost for Archie.

Georgia Basketball Lands One of its Two Biggest Recruits

The University of Georgia basketball team got great news when it was announced that star guard Travis Leslie will be returning to Athens for his junior season. And what a wise decision it is.

Leslie was not much thought of as a potential NBA’er before this season started. He only played sparingly his first season; a season cut short due to academic issues. Apparently, he hit the gym as well as the books. There has been no word of classroom struggles this year and his game has improved by leaps and bounds – literally.

Travis Leslie is hands down the best dunker in college basketball. He’s the best Georgia has had since Dominique Wilkins. But, Leslie has added a jump shot to his repertoire. Not only can he take you to the hole, he’s becoming increasingly better in his mid-range game. If he improves half as much next season as he did this, he will no doubt be a first round draft pick in  2011.

The Bulldog Nation is still awaiting word from their other star underclassman, Trey Thompkins. Thompkins would more than likely be picked this June, but how far down the list would he be?  With DeMarcus Cousins as one of many talented big men entering the draft this year, it seems not so much a stretch that Thomkins could fall deep in the draft. If he stays one more year in Athens and fine tunes his game a touch more, he will be a lottery pick.

The Dawgs have two commitments from high school players for the upcoming season. But, keeping Leslie on board for another season is the biggest prospect landing so far for Coach Mark Fox. The only way to top it: convince Trey Thompkins to stay in school.