Out of Bounds

List is Growing of Colleges Where Mettenberger WON’T be Playing Football

Of course UGA was the first. Coach Mark Richt felt he had no choice. The trust had been broken, Zach Mettenberger had to go. Now the question is, where will Mett continue, rather begin, his football career?

Zach Mettenberger

Looks like Valdosta State may be out of the question. It’s not that Mettenberger wouldn’t consider the Blazers or the Blazers wouldn’t consider Mettenberger. But the 18 year old may not have the option to continue his education there. He’s been banished from the town of Valdosta for a year.

Banished?  Banishment is still a punishment? From the entire town? Considering he was arrested by the REMERTON Police Department in REMERTON, Ga, makes the punishment seem even a little more strange.

But alas, it’s part of a plea bargain. The charges of  underage possession, disorderly conduct, obstruction and two counts of having a fake ID were dismissed due to the deal after the more serious sexual battery charges surfaced. Mett will serve 12 months of probation and pay a $2000 fine, and of course, stay the hell away from Valdosta!

Oh, and he’s not allowed to contact either directly or indirectly the victim. Who, by the way, Mettenberger apologized to in a statement after his sentencing. He must either get a mulligan on that one, or apologies don’t count as contact.

He is also not allowed during the term of his probation to visit ANY establishment that serves alcohol. Party’s over for you Mett; no more bars, significantly less choices of resturants, and, worst of all, no more Chuck E. Cheese!

Zach Mettenberger was  a few weeks away from potentially being named the starting quarterback at a major university, and couldn’t contain his ego and feelings of being above the law.  I do hope the fine, the 80 hours of community service, and the banishment (still sounds weird) teach him that he’s not, and keeps him from becoming one of those guys who consistently get their name in the news for these types of situations (*cough* Roethlisberger *cough*).

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!

#1 Overall Pick Sam Bradford

“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.

McCoy Taken 3rd

“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

Big Ben out first 4 to 6 games

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.

Bobby Cox – Take Advantage of the Off Day; Practice Writing the Name “Heyward” Higher in the Lineup

Celebrating Sunday's game winner

Jason Heyward proved once again yesterday that he is ready for the big time. With the bases loaded and two outs, the rookie phenom rifled a full count pitch to left field, scoring two runs and giving the Braves the 4 to 3 win over the Rockies. So why, Bobby Cox, is Jason Heyward still batting 7th in the lineup?

I understand we’re only a few weeks into the season, but the time has come to shake things up. The Braves have run into some of the same problems they had last season – trouble producing runs. That’s why they got Troy Glaus. That’s why they got Melky Cabrera.

But those two aren’t getting the job done. Glaus is batting a paltry .195 through the first 12 games, with Cabrera hitting well below that with an abysmal .119.

I’m sure at some point the two new pick ups will come around, but the time is now to take advantage of what IS working for you – Jason Heyward.

Chipper scowls at his lack of run production

The rookie leads the team in homers (3) and RBI (15), and is batting at over a .300 clip. Yet, Cox still has him hitting in the 7 hole, while Glaus and Chipper Jones (a combined 10 RBI) still occupy the three and four slots.

I imagine Bobby is hesitant to move J-Hey up in the order for a couple of reasons. One, he believes Chipper and Glaus will be on the upswing soon. Two, and more importantly, he doesn’t want to push the rook Heyward too quickly. Well, in my opinion, if there ever were anyone ready at 20 years old for that kind of pressure, it undoubtedly is Jason Heyward.

Take a look at what has probably been the two most pressure filled at bats in this infancy stage of his career – his first, and his last. In his first Major League at bat, Heyward sent a Carlos Zambrano fastball 450 feet away from home plate for his 1st homer of his career. His last at bat? He worked the Rockies pitcher to a 3-2 count before lining a 98mph fastball through the gap to score two and win the game in the bottom of the ninth.

He’s ready.

What Cox should do, is act on how the guys are playing now, not what he feels they’re capable of doing. I’m going to give him a little help with that, in hopes that Cox will practice filling out his lineup card differently during today’s day off.

Martin Prado should bat leadoff. He’s hitting over .400, and has decent speed. Next, Yunel Escobar. His average is a little low right now, but his 8 RBI show he has the penchant for moving runners around. Brian McCann to the three spot. He’s a great combination of power and average. Plus, he’s a doubles machine. Cleanup would be Heyward. This is the best place to take advantage of his hitting prowess. Chipper Jones would be next. As a switch hitter, he’ll keep the lineup from featuring three straight left handers. Matt Diaz would bat 6th. Diaz doesn’t do too much that wows you, but he definitely gets the job done. Troy Glaus would drop to 7th. Of course, if his bat comes around, he’ll move up. And 8th would be a platoon of Melky Cabrerra and Nate McClouth. Both of these guys offer great defense and excellent speed, and would make those sac bunts by the pitchers more successful.

I guess the bottom line is - If Bobby Cox thinks Heyward is ready for the rigors of a 162 game schedule in the majors, why wouldn’t he think he’s ready for the spotlight of the lineup position carrying the most pressure?

This fan believes he is.

Video of the All Americans

*chronicle.augusta.com*

The ASU disc golf team captured the national championship over the weekend by a Tiger Woods-esque 16 shots. I was there with a video camera on Saturday to record the record setting performance by the three Jags named All Americans – Lee Jones, Patrick May, and Out of Bounds’ own Jason Lynn.

Mettenberger Gone

Zach Mettenberger

I’ve said ever since it was announced that Zach Mettenberger would be suspended the first game of the season for his arrest on spring break. Looks like I’m right, although not how I predicted. Coach Mark Richt dismissed Mett from the team earlier today.

Apparently, there is more to the story from Remerton, Ga., the town Mettenberger was arrested in last month. He was cited for underage drinking, and possession of two fake id’s.

Something happened that night that brought the attention to Mettenberger, although that something hasn’t been made public yet.

Georgia’s quarterback race now consists of only Logan Gray and Aaron Murray. Incoming Freshman Hutson Mason will have his chance to impress coaches in August.

Richt has now dismissed two players this offseason. Defensive End Montez Robinson was let  go just a couple of weeks ago.

Brace yourself Bulldog fans. This offseason is starting to feel a lot like the one before the 2008 season.

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.

“What are you gonna do now that you’ve won the Masters?”

The common response is “Disneyland”. Not the case with Phil Mickelson.

Mickelson packed up the kids, donned his brand new Green Jacket, and stopped off at the Krispy Kreme on Washington road.

A “Tweeter” even got a snapshot –

Priceless pic, considering how Phil has always seems to be battling his weight. This would be like getting a shot of Tiger at a brothel, or a pic of John Daly leaving the Highlander!

And to think, I always thought Phil just had a glandular problem.

Click here for more!!!

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.

Parker throwing passes

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.

Swingin' for the fences

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.

Clemson's next QB...Your guess is as good as mine

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.