According to Script............

And ....they played a game........

In this southern college town, the University of Georgia open its 2008 campaign against the smaller intra-state team of Georgia Southern. Georgia Southern.......a team built from athletes not big enough, strong enough, fast enough.....to be recruited by UGA.

And then ........there is this gigantic "bulls eye"........as in the number 1 ranking in the nation these Bulldogs carry.

So.....the game was played.....according to script. Georgia ran out to a 38-0 lead........played the entire student body in the 2nd half......and beat the Eagles by a final score of 45-21.

Knowshon Moreno scored 3 touchdowns........Matthew Stafford threw for 2.....and true freshman, Caleb King rushed for 95 yards on only 12 carries.

Georgia, as expected played a rather "vanilla" defense........not wanting to show the rest of the SEC anything other than basic.....11 on 11.



Freshman, A. J. Green........the much hyped wide receiver........scored a pair of touchdowns. He may indeed be the real deal.

The negative? 11 penalties..........most of them against that young offensive line. Off sides.......holding.......But they did allow Stafford time to throw, and they created huge holes for the running backs.

Total offense? Georgia racked up 535 yards versus Georgia Southerns' 290.


Oh.......and Uga VII was introduced to the bulldog nation in a pre-game ceremony.




One side note..........Larry Munson, the legendary UGA broadcaster, who is what.....around 80 years old? Well, Mr. Munson was on..........didn't miss a beat. He sounded like the Munson of 10 to 20 years ago. He has had to recover from brain surgery ..........and will only call home games. Nice going, Larry.

So .......this "scrimmage" was a success.....seems nobody important got hurt......UGA took care of business.......and they did not embarrass their colleagues from south Georgia.

Opening Weekend Questions

College football.........

Let the games begin! But first, let's pose a view questions.......which we have no answers .....at least not at this time.

Which division 1 coach will lose his job .......first this season? Any what other coaches will be fired?

How many weeks will the Georgia Bulldogs hold down the #1 ranking.

Will any team go undefeated ....this year?

Can former Hawaii coach June Jones rebuild a program at SMU?

How long before those rabid Alabama fans run Nick Saban out of town if the Tide....doesn't turn?

Is little old Wake Forest ready for the big time?

Where the heck is Miami and Florida State? Neither is ranked in the top 25.......

Will Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow of Florida make it 2 in a row?

Is this the year the Irish of Notre Dame grow tired of Charlie Weis and his act?

Will the SEC beat up on each other all season.....and fail to have a team in the BCS Championship?

Will Ohio State make it to the title game ........for the third consecutive year?


Just........a few questions......you guys (and gals) can provide the answers.

Sports Talk Radio.......is Alive.......& Well...

AM radio....you remember.....from 530 KHz.....to 1700 KHz.....on the AM dial. My young colleagues (including my daughter) do not realize there is an AM part of their car radios. All of their pre-sets are on FM stations.......


But in this southern college town, one AM station holds true. WRFC...........960 the Ref........


There have been growing pains.......it all started with the "One on one" network....then "Sporting News Network".......now.....that self appointed world wide leader in sports, ESPN.

There was a time .......on Friday nights........WFRC would broadcast high school football games...

Times change.......ownership changes.......high school football ........doesn't move the meter....

So .....what does? That passion....that home town bias.......that sincerity........Whether it's Dave Johnston, Chris Brame , Jeff Danzler, or Stephen Hartzell..............They bring it.

We at 5 on Five....can only hope...... this even new ownership of Southern Broadcasting (Now owned by Cox Broadcasting).......will let this AM station continue to be an outlet for sports fans...........

WRFC?.......you guys have come a long way.......I can remember when your studios were in that little building on South Millege Ave.

But today.......you are alive and well..........and that is good.

Long live ........sports talk radio.......and long live 960, the Ref.......

Hump Day News & Views

The Democratic National Convention is in full swing. Say what you want about Hillary Clinton, but she didn't miss a beat in her speech last night. I was a little taken aback with that orange pant suit........Looked a lot like Tennessee orange.

We are just days away from final cut down day in the NFL......As of September 1st.....all teams must get their rosters down to 53 players. How many big names are we going to see.......without a team?

College football kicks off tomorrow.....Hard to believe. Has it been a year?

Rain drops actually fell on this southern college town. About 5 inches of this liquid ....sorely missed over the last 6 months. I could have sworn I heard the grass and trees utter in harmony, " Thank you , Jesus"!!

Why........am I even watching the Democratic National Convention?

ESPN and the Southeast Conference (SEC).......have inked a 15 year multi-billion dollar deal. This means........almost every single SEC football game will be aired somewhere on the ESPN family of networks. They are going to name it, " The SEC on ESPN"..........The rich....just keep on getting.......richer.

Finally..........This weekend is Labor Day weekend....noting the end of summer. It's been the normal southern summer. Hazy, hot, humid, and dry. It can't end soon enough for me.

Have a great Hump Day........

What.....is .......Grits?

Grits.......

In this southern college town.....grits are known here....as "Georgia ice-cream".....

Fish and grits.......grits and bacon........grits with sausage gravy.......grits and eggs.......fried grits....shrimp and grits (I still have yet to make that recipe).......

So.......just .....what is a grit? For this ....we go to Wikipedia:

Grits is a Native American corn-based food common in the Southern United States, consisting of coarsely ground corn. It is similar to other thick maize-based porridges from around the world such as polenta. It also has a lesser resemblance to farina, a thinner porridge.

Huh? What?

Native American? I beg to differ.......We African Americans brought the grits across the Atlantic. Farina? Cream of wheat? That was the white man trying to put their spin ...on ...grits.

Anyway.....we came across an interesting article on grits...

Enjoy:

The Ten Commandments of Grits

I. Thou shalt not put syrup on thy Grits

II. Thou shalt not eat thy Grits with a spoon or knife

III. Thou shalt not eat Cream of Wheat and call it Grits, for this is blasphemy

IV. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors Grits

V. Thou shalt use only Salt, Butter, and red eye gravy as toppings for thy Grits

VI. Thou shalt not eat Instant Grits

VII. Thou shalt not put ketchup on thy Grits

VIII. Thou shalt not put margarine on thy Grits.

IX. Thou shalt not eat toast with thy Grits, only biscuits made from scratch.

X. Thou shalt eat grits on the Sabbath for this is manna from heaven.

So there........we have completely gotten off course here........

To talk about grits........

To the readers of this blog who complain that we only talk sports.......this is for you...

Grits.........satisfied?

Another "Pistol Pete" ?

Those of us.........

Old enough to have seen "Pistol " Pete Maravich play in the 70's couldn't help making comparisons during the Olympic basketball games featuring the Spanish team with a shaggy haired 17 year old guard named, Ricky Rubio.


Among NBA scouts, Rubio is considered the best guard prospect ever to come out of Europe. He stands just shy of 6' 4" and weighs 180 pounds.

I was amazed at his maturity at such a young age in the game against the USA. And ....he can shoot, pass, and dribble.

In 2006, Rubio led the junior Spanish national team to the FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship. In the 110-106 over-time victory over Russia in the finals, he scored 51 points, grabbed 24 rebounds, dished out 12 assists, and stole the ball 7 times. Oh, by the way, he was named tournament Most Valuable Player.

This year, he was selected to play on the real National Spanish team.......thus becoming the youngest player ever to play in the Olympics.

Read this article from a year ago:

1. ^ http://slamonline.com/online/2007/04/the-best-basketball-player-youve-never-heard-of/

Meet Mr. Rubio: Courtesy of Wikipedia.com...

Position	Point Guard
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight	180 lb (82 kg)
League	Spanish League Euroleague
Team	Joventut Badalona
Born	October 21, 1990 (1990-10-21) (age 17) El Masnou, Catalonia, Spain
Nationality	Spain
Draft	Ineligible until the 2009 NBA Draft
Pro career	2005–present
Awards	2006 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship MVP

Thrown.....to the Wolves

It's official........(and some mighty big shoes to fill)..........

The Atlanta Falcons announced today, first round draft pick, quarterback Matt Ryan will get the start to open the season as the leading signal caller for this NFL franchise....

Are you guys nuts?

Are you insane?

Do you have a "death wish " for this young man?

So.........Matt Ryan did........OK...........in preseason....yes..........and .......even ......I .....can hit a fast ball ....in a batting cage....

But .....when the real season begins........when defenses unleash an array of stunts and fronts.......how will a rookie QB respond?

History says, he'll get his brains beat in.........The Falcons offensive line is ........well.....porous at best.

In an attempt to make the ATL forget about Michael Vick.....the Falcon front office has put an enormous amount of pressure on this young man.

Over/under? 6 games..........He will be either hurt or ineffective...........and will not finish the season as the starter.

Mr. Ryan? We feel your pain.

Some Final Thoughts....On Beijing

The 29th Olympiad.....

2008 edition has come to a close.....Here are our final thoughts:

China, once know as Communist Red China, put on a really great show. There were zero issues of terrorist threats, no violence, and they treated the United States with a lot of mutual respect and dignity. (Of course they do understand the economic value of our U.S. dollars).

NBC brought you these games via the best technology of our time. Thanks to the NBC family of networks, we were able to watch........everything. Live or taped delay.......we saw it.

Beach Volleyball again led the ratings charge.....I wonder why?

Personally, I could have done without the seemingly endless hours of gymnastics and synchronized swimming.......but .....who am I?

Speaking of gymnastics......Those Chinese gymnasts sure didn't look 16..........but ....if they can still be the best in the world at 12 or 14.....who cares?

Weren't you amazed at the number of athletes....including the "fastest man on earth"....Usain Bolt........from Jamaica, went to colleges ....and trained.......in the United States?

I could have done without all that rowing stuff also.

Remember the glory days of boxing for the USA in the Olympics? Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard? Well , boxing is officially dead in the U.S. The Americans won only one medal. Yes.......one.....and it was a bronze.

Lisa Leslie has ended her Olympic competition in womens' basketball in style. The USA again won the gold.......and Lisa ended .....with a won-lost record of 32-0......Wow!

The Redeem Team is still the story of these Olympics...........They could have easily folded in the championship game against Spain..........But.....the "team" came through.

Here is China's slant on the final medal count .....from a Chinese newspaper(Accenting the Gold, Silver, and Bronze):

1	CHN	51	21	28
2	USA	36	38	36
3	RUS	23	21	28
4	GBR	19	13	15
5	GER	16	10	15

Here is the medal count you will see in U.S. newspapers:

2008 Medals

Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
USA	36	38	36	110
CHN	51	21	28	100
RUS	23	21	28	72
GBR	19	13	15	47
AUS	14	15	17	46

• View full medal standings >>

A different perspective.......

Hope to see you in London........2012!

USA 118, Spain 107

The Redemption is complete........

But it was not easy. This Spanish team the Americans beat by 37 points just last week ....gave Uncle Sam's boys all they could handle.

In fact , the U.S. trailed by 5 points in the first quarter, and led by only 2 with just eight minutes left.

That's when the superstars .....as in Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade....took over the game.

Kobe , hitting big shot after big shot.......Wade hitting clutch 3 point goals.....and LeBron bringing that defensive force and will.

The U.S. never panicked.....never lost their composure.....

They never really figured out how to stop Spain on this day........but they slowed then down ....just enough to out score them.

And .......to think I watched the entire game.......at 2 a.m. !!!!

Go figure.....

And congrats.......USA!!


BEIJING - AUGUST 24: (L-R) Kobe Bryant #10, LeBron James #6 and Dwyane Wade #6 of the United States wait to receive the gold medal after defeating Spain in the men's basketball final during Day 16 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the Beijing Olympic Basketball Gymnasium on August 24, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Dropping the Baton.......Twice

Not a good day for the USA's mens and womens 4 X 100 meter relay teams....

Olympic Medal Update

As of Saturday, August 23.....China time:

2008 Medals

Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
USA	31	36	35	102
CHN	47	17	25	89
RUS	17	18	22	57
GBR	18	13	13	44
AUS	12	14	16	42

• View full medal standings >>

Obama versus........Joe Public

This cartoon says a lot about the medias' perception of what .....some of the public thinks about the pending presidential race......

Courtesy....Matt Wuerker:

Gene Upshaw........1945-2008.......R.I.P.

Eugene Thurman Upshaw, Jr. ...........

Born in Robstown, Texas and attended what is now Texas A & M, were he was a member of "Alpha Phi Alpha", the first intercollegiate fraternity established exclusively for African Americans.

Upshaw took his 6' 5", 255 pound body and played for 14 years in the NFL as an offensive lineman for the Oakland Raiders.

His career included being named All-pro 11 times, playing in the Pro-bowl 7 times, and winning two Super Bowls. Upshaw was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987.

Yet, it may well be the last 25 years in which he will be most remembered for. As head of the NFL Players' Association (NFLPA), he was charged with the task of keeping the peace between owners and players in America's most popular sport.

It was not always easy. Remember the unsuccessful players' strike of 1987? The seemingly endless anti-trust litigation against the league?

Finally, the Upshaw led NFLPA struck a deal which led to free agency, a salary cap, and increased revenue sharing with its union members.

Gene Upshaw died Wednesday night. He was only 63. He succumbed to pancreatic cancer, after being diagnosed .......only this past Sunday.

Our thoughts are with his wife .......and family.

Olympic Update

It's a foregone conclusion....

The United States may win the total medal count.....but China has all the gold.

From NBC sports.....the latest tally:

2008 Medals

Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
USA	26	28	28	82
CHN	45	14	20	79
RUS	13	14	18	45
GBR	16	10	11	37
AUS	11	12	13	36

• View full medal standings >>

Hump Day News & Views

The fastest man on earth..........

Bolt.......what a fitting name. (Bolt sets 200m mark to cap sprint double (AP)).......Usain Bolt has put himself in the record books yet again by doing what hasn't been done in the Olympics since 1984......winning both the 100 meter and 200 meter dash. Carl Lewis did it in Los Angeles that year.

Bolt set a new world record with a time of 19.30 eclipsing Michael Johnson's 19.32 time in the 1996 Atlanta games.

Bolt has made Jamaica proud.....That tiny vacation island has now won 4 gold medals and 3 silver........all in track and field.


Another aging star leased out for the stretch run....


Yesterday, Greg Maddox joined the list of future hall of famers like Ken Griffey, Jr and the likes. The San Diego Padres traded Maddox to the L A Dodgers for cash and a player to be named later. ( Dodgers acquire Greg Maddux)

Maddox will bring his 353 major league wins to a Dodger team slugging it out with Arizona to try and win the National League western division. Maddox can still deliver 5 to 6 innings, has pin point control.....and won't be in awe of a pennant race. Good move, L A .





One down.....two to go........

The USA men's basketball team......or the "redeem team" (as they are constantly referred as), blew out Australia today, 116 - 85, in the quarter finals of the Beijing Olympics.

Argentina is next....in the semi-finals. I have never been so sure of anything in my entire life. I said they would not only win........but dominate.....as well.

We always knew the United States had the best pure athletic talent in the world.....but this team is showing that a total "team" effort beats an ego tripped out all-star team.....any day.











Cincinnati ....what message are you sending?

Leave it to the Cincinnati "bungling" Bengals to set yet another precedent when dealing with troubled NFL players. ( Bengals bring back WR Chris Henry).

Yes.....it's true. It was April 3rd of this year, when the Bengals released Chris Henry, following his 5th arrest since 2005, saying his conduct off the field would no longer be tolerated.......and his services were no longer needed.

Well, well.......after injuries to key members of the receiving corps ........the Bengals have decided.....hmmmmmmm....if he can still play.....let's re-sign him. Just another hypocritical decision among the NFL front offices.

This is the same team that also released line backer Odell Thurman for virtually the same reasons........

Hang in there, Odell........there's a chance of injuries in the line backer ranks.....stay by the phone.....these are the Bengals.....

If you can fill a need.......they will forgive and forget.

A Few Things........Learned From the Weekend

Normally....we do this on a Monday......

But Monday came....and Monday went. Sorry, but some of us still have to work for a living. And in my line of work, the hours can get a little crazy.

Anyway........back to what we learned.....

In the Beijing Olympic.........

It was thrilling to watch the 10,000 meter race on Sunday........Ethiopians and Kenyans.....These guys were actually lapping world class runners.

The last 800 meters..........was a sprint.....And when I say sprint.....consider this. The last 2 laps were clocked at 55 seconds each......The race ended up with Ethiopia 1 and 2, with a Kenyan claiming 3rd.

USA 106, Germany 57.......

The Americans played perhaps their best game ..........We said here first.....that this team would dominate...........well........take a look: Americans drub Germany 106-57 in men's…



WFAN has some changes.....

The "Mike and the Mad Dog" show..........is history. Chris "Mad Dog" Russo has left WFAN....Leaving Mike Francesa to go solo. Sources as Russo will sign with Satellite biggie , Sirius. For all of us one time New Yorkers, we remember 66 WFAN, "the fan"........When they took over 66 WNBC....some 20 years ago. Nothing stays the same ...forever. Good luck , dog.





"Transformers"...........was a pretty entertaining movie.

In this .......southern college town.....it was move in day for all incoming University of Georgia freshmen over the weekend. Am I glad.......I've already been there. My daughter is a senior........married...lives off campus. But I still remember her freshmen year.....utter chaos.

Did we...........really learn .......anything?

This weekend?

A Little Humor....On a Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Top 10 sports most awkward interviews........

Courtesy of ESPN and YouTube....

Enjoy...

Olympic Update

Here's the latest medal count....by country....

Courtesy of NBC Sports:

2008 Medals

Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
USA	19	20	24	63
CHN	32	13	12	57
AUS	8	10	11	29
RUS	6	10	10	26
GBR	11	6	8	25

• View full medal standings >>

Writers Agree With Coaches?

So it seems.....


Yesterday, the Associated Press released there writers' poll of the pre-season college football rankings..........and just as the coaches did.......the writers voted the University of Georgia number 1.....to start the season.


Here's the AP ranking......courtesy of the AJC:

Associated Press Top-25 College Football Poll

Team (First-place votes)	Record	Points	Previous Rank
1. Georgia Bulldogs (22)	11-2	1,528	2
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (21)	11-2	1,506	5
3. U-S-C Trojans (12)	11-2	1,490	3
4. Oklahoma Sooners (4)	11-3	1,444	8
5. Florida Gators (6)	9-4	1,415	13
6. Missouri Tigers	12-2	1,266	4
7. L-S-U Tigers	12-2	1,135	1
8. West Virginia Mountaineers	11-2	1,116	6
9. Clemson Tigers	9-4	1,105	21
10. Auburn Tigers	9-4	968	15
11. Texas Longhorns	10-3	966	10
12. Texas Tech Red Raiders	9-4	786	22
13. Wisconsin Badgers	9-4	771	24
14. Kansas Jayhawks	12-1	707	7
15. Arizona State Sun Devils	10-3	631	16
16. B-Y-U Cougars	11-2	590	14
17. Virginia Tech Hokies	11-3	578	9
18. Tennessee Volunteers	10-4	509	12
19. South Florida Bulls	9-4	496	NR
20. Illinois Fighting Illini	9-4	483	20
21. Oregon Ducks	9-4	366	23
22. Penn State Nittany Lions	9-4	293	NR
23. Wake Forest Demon Deacons	9-4	227	NR
24. Alabama Crimson Tide	7-6	89	NR
25. Pittsburgh Panthers	5-7	85	NR

Others receiving votes: South Carolina 84, Fresno State 83, California 59, Utah 53, Cincinnati 44, Florida State 41, Michigan 36, Boston College 32, Rutgers 32, Michigan State 21, Boise State 17, Arkansas 14, North Carolina 14, Connecticut 10, Tulsa 7, U-C-L-A 6, Oregon State 5, Mississippi State 4, Virginia 4, Arizona 3, Nebraska 2, Notre Dame 2, Hawaii 1, Washington 1.

As of August 16, 2008, at 10:33 AM ET

A "Grave" New World

From 1991 to 2005.......

The Atlanta Braves were the most successful team in all of Major League Baseball, winning an unprecedented 14 consecutive Division titles. Throw in 4 World Series appearances, 1 World Championship, and one could argue......this was the team of the '90s.....and part of the 2000's.

From 1991's "worst to first" season.....to the championship in 1995......to extending their Eastern Division dominance through 2005.....The road to the NL pennant....always went through Atlanta.

Professionalism..........It was taught and practiced in the farm system. From the Braves rookie leagues, to A , AA , and AAA clubs. How to throw.....how to catch....fundamentals....

Player development was a high priority and a major key to success.

But time changes.....people change.......the world around us changes.

The 2008 Atlanta Braves.....well, they are just an average franchise. For the 3rd year in a row........the road to the NL pennant.......will not be going through the ATL.

And .....as is always the case.....it starts at the top.

First, there is the ownership. No longer are the Braves owned by one individual.....Ted Turner sold his majority stake to AOL-Time Warner..........who sold it to a conglomerate , Liberty Media in 2007......

General Manager , John Schuerholz has stepped down.......long time pitching coach Leo Mazzone left.....and Manager, Bobby Cox is only signing one year contracts these days.

The "darlings of the nineties"........that pitching staff of John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, and Greg Maddox.......well ........2 of the 3 still are trying to pitch for the Braves (Maddox is with the San Diego Padres).....but both are on the disable list.......and both are now over 40 years old.

Prospects from the minors?

Who knows........with all the injuries this year......and all the call ups from the AA and AAA teams........No one has stepped up.....to become the next Chipper Jones or Brian McCann.

Trades?

Without 5 ........or even 4 star prospects........they can't get a front line player in return.

Solution?

Blow this team up and start over. This is not New York.....Atlanta will be patient....but it has to be done right. Development of the farm system has to be tops .......again. The focus must continue to be on the development of young arms......

Hire a successor to Cox........Nobody lives forever.......get a young, hungry manager, who knows the game of baseball.

Get back to basics........bunting.....stealing a base every now and then?

But the reality of it all is simple......

Instead of a "Brave New World"..........

2008 has given us ....a "Grave New World"