Wednesday Links (9/10)

I love sports. That probably seems obvious, but you'd be surprised how many sports writers actually hate sports. I can only assume it's like working at a Taco Bell and wanting to vomit every time you see a Chilupa. But I really do love sports -- watching them, talking about them, playing them when my body still allows me to do so.

I can't help, however, but wonder if my love of sports is all part of some masochistic nature because they rarely do anything but make me miserable. Watching my beloved Eagles win this weekend, my only real thought was that they'd only beaten the Rams, and disappointment was still just over the horizon. After a year of joyous celebration over my favorite baseball team -- the Chicago Cubs -- they've dropped seven of their last eight and I realize my excitement will only serve to make the disappointment of another playoff loss hurt more. And then there's my regular Week 1 fantasy football matchup in which my team posts the second-highest score in the league, only to lose. (The fact that Willie Parker scored three TDs against me after scoring only two all last year -- when he was on my team! -- just added salt to the wound.)

But for all the disappointment and frustration, I keep coming back. I think it makes me a better person. Or at least it lowers my standards for the rest of my life. Either way, I must say that it's nice for those arrogant Boston fans to finally get what's coming to them .

Anyway, sorry for the rant, here are today's links...

-- Speaking of the disappointment of sports, my Syracuse Orange are really excelling at it. The most telling stat from this piece: Syracuse has topped 20 points just three times in its past 21 games.

-- I have a story in today's Telegraph and Ledger-Enquirer about Matthew Stafford's increased ownership of the offense.

-- This post on Georgia Sports Blog made me laugh out loud. Thank God computers have allowed people with too much free time to come up with stuff like this.

-- A terrific story from the AJC's Chip Towers on the great Mark Richt.

-- After Mark Richt spent the summer on the speech circuit, the Dalton Daily Citizen writes that Georgia's water girl has taken over the speaking engagements.

-- Terence Moore is among the many still talking about Knowshon Moreno's legendary leap. Of course, so is Deadspin, which takes some shots at ESPN. Total UGA's Brett Jensen, however, tries to put the controversy to rest by going straight to the source.

-- ESPN's Scott Van Pelt -- one of the few truly tolerable personalities at the network any more -- tries to end the hubbub, too, by posting at Dawg Chat.

-- Total UGA also discusses Darius Dewberry's return to the lineup this week against South Carolina.

-- David Pollack will be working with both CBS on its SEC coverage this fall and now will be talking football on 790 the Zone in Atlanta.

-- Speaking of Pollack, he chimed in on the Knowshon play as well.

-- The UGA Web site catches us up on the performances of several Dawgs now in the NFL.

-- Rivals has a story on Demarcus Dobbs' development as a leader on the Bulldogs' defense.

-- And finally, Darren Epps of the Chattanooga Times Free Press calls out Urban Meyer for running it up against Miami. More important than hurting Miami's feelings, however, was that Meyer's completely unnecessary last-minute field goal gave Florida a 23-point win. The spread on the game for those inclined to wager on such things: 22.5.