Toom's Soapbox

Dawgs

There are so many things wrong here, it is just too much to get your arms around it. Some of it is beyond our control and others speak to our overall personality.

1. Lack of senior leadership and playmakers. Joe T is a leader but needs to do so from the bench. A flukey recruiting class where from 2002:

6 guys are now gone, or playing at the next level including both our starting CBs. Max, Golston, McClendon, Minter, Pope, Jennings. Hmmm. The OL anchor, a stud DT, and our best receiver for red zone and short yardage.

6 guys had career ending injuries. If that isn't weird, I don't know what is.

6 guys booted off the team or transferred. In my estimation, 4 of these were
potential difference-makers.

6 4 or 5 star recruits who simply have not lived up to their billing. Check it: Elmore (5th string), Dixson (lost starting job), Gant, Inman, Raley, Joe T.

Sometimes, the stars align and sometimes, you get a solar eclipse. The good news is, barring another crazy set of circumstances, we are flat LOADED for the future. Take a look at our roster sometime and look some of these individuals up. I don't like to think we will even have rebuilding years anymore, but when you consider all that happened to this class, it is what it is.

2. Lack of swagger on defense. This is the only long term fear I have. The defense has played great at times when the O was struggling but if you look at the really big games, we've been woeful. Turnovers aside, 30 points should be enough to beat UT. You give that 2002 - 2004 defense a 24-7 lead against the Vols or a lead against Vandy in the 4th qtr, it is over. The Flowers injury was more critical than we knew. And guess what Dawgs, Evans is starting this weekend. I don't remember a secondary this bad since MR has been at the helm and this time, there's no pass rush to cover it up. The LBs look confused and I don't know if this is execution or scheme.

3. Mis-management of the qb position. I wish I could find my original prediction on this bc way back in the spring, I said that Richt would NOT make this call. I said he would leave Joe T in charge and force his own hand by watching it play out on the field. I even said, I hope we can do this and still beat Carolina and have the decision made for us by the time the Vols come to town. It has all happened. Richt has waited too long, probably because Stafford hasn't performed up to what Richt thought he would do. I think Richt thought MS would come out and blow doors and make it a no-brainer. Instead, drops and other issues put us in a bad spot and put us behind in that whole development. All of that is predictable except for losing to Vandy.

4. Kicking game. Who would have thought you could screw up kickoffs so badly? Coutu, you are sorely missed. To have a KO returned for a TD and 2 punts and still say we lose on special teams is to have some serious issues.

5. Turnovers. Timely turnovers to be exact. Though we lose by 18 to UT, it was starting to remind me of '05 when we had a lead and came out in that third qtr and played like men and ran the ball. An ill-fated interception (after a manly run by Lumpkin, I might add) turned all of that around. The fumble to start the 2nd half in the Vandy game had the same effect.

6. Red zone. It has become cliche to criticize Richt's system as being ill-suited for tough yardage inside the 20. But watching the tape, I don't feel that way, at least not about our current woes. We had a play called on 2nd down that was the right play and Milner dropped a ball that my grandmother could've caught. We simply...don't...have...enough...playmakers who get it done when it needs to get done.

7. Gameplan. While I think the defense needs some re-tooling and needs game situation adjustments that simply haven't happened, the offense is what it has been. Sophisticated. Too sophisticated for this team. But, I'm not saying the system needs to be canned in favor of a simplified plan. I believe in what we've been doing for the past 5 years because I believe we generally have the guys to get it done. But when we don't have what it takes, what is so wrong with going with the hot guy? When you have a qb who is out of sync and receivers dropping passes and you're getting 6 yards a clip running the ball, run the stupid thing! If they stop it, throw. There's no shame in not running the great plays designed for NFL caliber playmakers when you don't have it that day. Richt's Achilles' Heel has been the inability to feel the game and call it according to feel. I'm all for balancing the run and pass and I know MR believes this is the formula for success but sometimes, you gotta improvise.

Overall, even knowing we were young and down, I saw our schedule and saw 10-2 or 9-3. I didn't think UT would be as good as they are and I didn't think Tech would be good at all. Looks like 4 or 5 losses now.

All told, I will be there Saturday and I will be in Jacksonville and I will be at Auburn and at the Tech game. How sweet would it be to ruin some seasons? It is a pretty good thing to go into some ballgames with nothing but the ballgame to play for. I think the SEC is lost without a complete and unexplainable turnaround and without a complete collapse by the Vols. But we can still make the Techies mad and possibly take Auburn out of a championship.

Anyone see this quote on the UGA qb situation: "I'd stick with the guy who was around longest, unless he flat-out can't play," said former BYU coach LaVell Edwards.

Check out the latest of Bulldog Illustrated for a picture of the Heaton fam. I haven't seen it but I'm told we're in there. The guy who takes pictures is a Kappa Sig and was up in the suite on Saturday, endearing himself to the old Kappa Sigs.

Sports

All around, it has been a pretty bad year for Pea Ridge. Braves are out of the playoffs for the first time since my freshman year in college. Tucker has lost 3 in a row. Auburn, Florida, Tennessee and Tech are good and I don't even want to think about having to play Carolina where they are now.

Anyone catch the end of the Monday night game? I have always liked the Bears, behind the Falcons and Steelers but I turned it off down 13 with minutes to play and the Cardinals had the ball. What a comeback. The Bears appear to be the early pick for NFC and possibly the Super Bowl.

I'm torn with this baseball thing. Assuming the Cardinals take Game 7, I'd like to see them win it because they're just a great franchise and St. Louis is such a baseball town. Then again, Detroit was so bad and it would be nice to see them win it. It would also save us from hearing Hiney talk about St. Louis. What the heck, I'm going with the Cards.

I don't know if it made the papers or not but there was a funny moment in yesterday's Richt press conference. Beau Bock asked about getting Mikey some touches and then in a follow up asked MR if he could get Thomas' touches. Richt looked at him like he was crazy. He said something like, Mikey's a little guy. Thomas is a short guy, but Thomas is a man, strong, powerful. No offense to Mikey but Mikey is not powerful. Then he made some crack about Mikey trying to block a 250 lb. linebacker. Beau also asked if there was another position for Joe T. Apparently, T assessed the punt unit and decided the guy out there is doing a good job. Richt made it sound like T could be a tight end and do an admirable job, but that he's just not physical enough. Interesting because it sounded like they actually gave it consideration.

Mark Bradley was very critical of Falcons offensive coordinator Greg Knapp in today's column. http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/sportscolumns/entries/2006/10/19/should_knapps_d.html
I hope Vick doesn't become Mora's Quincy Carter. The Falcons, like the Dawgs, are what they are. A better than average team with glaring weaknesses in the passing game. I think the Steelers game is going to be ugly.

Bradley also has Florida #1 in his basketball preview. Really chaps me that these rivals of ours have made such great strides and we're so pitiful. LSU at #6. Alabama at #10. Kentucky #24. Methinks Tubby is out after this season.

In case you missed it, Terence Moore wrote a column on Sunday's paper and I had to admit, it was the most insightful, honest piece I think I've ever read from him. Tough job: to write on the Vandy game when the fan base can't stand you but I think he wrote a good piece. He had a good feel for this one, in my opinion. http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/sportscolumns/entries/2006/10/14/dogs_coaches_no.html

In a rare turn of events, Saturday night marks the first meaningful game between GT and Clemson in a long time. Go Tigers!!! Tech is riding the "close loss to ND" wave and the "beat a VT team who isn't that good" wave like a champ. Time for a reality check. I hope.

Thomas Brown says he will be back in 2007. I'm thinking they need to have a long talk with that cat. Even if he can get healthy, (and isn't that an 18 month injury by most accounts?) I would rather them hold him until he can be up to full speed and get some confidence on that knee so that his senior season is all it can be. That's a ways off, I suppose.

Entertainment

I sat down the other night and watched a good flick. "The Constant Gardener", based on the novel by one of the finest writers out there, John Lecarre, was well done. Of course, these days, I'm usually watching the Little Mermaid or some sort of thing. Ariel, by the way is still the best looking thing out there. In "The Constant Gardener" (Doozie said it sounds like a porn flick) the acting, the story, and the setting were all really good. This was about the pharmaceuticals and corruption and aid to Africa and while it sounds like a preachy political thing, I thought it was very touching. The publisher initially said it wouldn't fly because no one liked to read about Africa, but that was several years ago as recent developments have put Africa at the forefront of human rights concerns. Perhaps a bit over-the-top in its portrayal of what the corporate world is capable of, it still hit the mark if trying to raise awareness for how these aid programs are actually carried out. Chef recommends.

Other

Its voting time and I can't say I'm motivated to read up on it enough to make an informed decision. Sadly, that seems to be the feeling of most Americans these days. I'll probably read who the AJC endorses and vote the opposite, like usual. In case you care... http://www.ajc.com/news/content/opinion/stories/06generalendorse.html

Went to Moe's and Joe's the other night. It was amazing how little has changed down there. Still $3.25 per, still campy, still fun. Only the crowd has gotten a lot younger! They have a new sign, a tribute to the PBR emblem. Juice is still on my wanted list for standing me up.

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Toom