Wednesday Links (6/3)

I've been trying to complain less lately, but the bottom line is this: It's too hot.

Don't get me wrong, I'd prefer this over the snow any day. But that's really beside the point. It's not snowing right now. I wasn't given that choice. I'm simply stuck in weather that is too hot.

I have a complete inability to appreciate temperatures that I am not currently experiencing. If a store has a sale on sweaters in July, I'm not buying. Not because I don't enjoy a good sweater, but because my mind is incapable of understanding the idea that it might be cold again in a few months. Ask me to purchase a new pair of shorts in January and I feel the same way.

Packing for vacations up north is always a disaster, and when we went to Orlando for the Cap One Bowl in December, I had to go shopping for polo shirts when we got there. I had only brought long-sleeved shirts with me, assuming Orlando was the same temperature as Athens. I would have made a similar leap in logic if we had been going to the fifth circle of hell (which, in truth, is a label I did affix to Orlando at one point while sitting in tourist-heavy traffic on my way to cover practice at one point).

In any case, all of this is a long way of saying that I wasn't going to post any links today, but it's so hot that going outside seems far too unpleasant, and the alternative is an extra blog post for the day. Lucky you...

-- Yahoo! profiles Joe Cox's long road to the job of starting quarterback.

-- Georgia has reported a half-dozen minor violations so far this year, but none resulted in any significant penalties.

-- Heisman Pundit thinks Mark Richt is overrated, and Cousin Walter isn't buying it.

-- Bubba N Earl pay tribute to Marcus Washington, who is set to return to action this year after missing all of the 2008 season.

-- Matthew Stafford's first action with the Lions was pretty impressive, according to the Detroit News.

-- Fourteen Bulldogs found spots on Phil Steele's preseason All-SEC teams.

-- Bleacher Report takes a look at what should be the strength of the Bulldogs' offense in 2009: The offensive line.

-- After predicting four losses, Mark Bradley responds to some optimistic fans.

-- Georgia Sports Blog follows up on Rex Robinson's post about the kickoff problems for the Dawgs. Bottom line -- it's a lot harder than it looks.

-- When describing a coach's feelings for his starting QB, the words "cautiously optimistic" don't exactly instill tons of encouragement... unless you're a South Carolina fan, I guess.

-- What's more entertaining than a Florida player getting arrested? A Florida player getting tasered while being arrested, of course.

-- This link is dedicated to Senator Blutarski... A Seattle scribe points to the Women's College World Series as reason for why we need a college football playoff.

-- Dean Legge has a good story on Damien Wilkins, who is finally getting his degree from Georgia six years after he left for the NBA.

-- 960 the Ref has a couple of good golf interviews -- one with Chris Haack and the other with the pro at UGA's golf course, which will be hosting a Nationwide event starting in 2010.

-- In my ongoing quest to offer coverage of the Bulldogs equetrian team, here's a link to a story about all the community service the riders have done.

-- Matt Cerione is in the doghouse with baseball coach David Perno.

-- The MLB draft is right around the corner (and for the first time, it will be broadcast on TV). While San Diego State's Steven Strasburg looks like a lock for stardom, this site counts down the 10 worst No. 1 overall picks in the draft's history.

-- This is sure to make my buddy Perkins cringe, but Brady Anderson wrote a letter to the Baltimore Sun defending Orioles owner Peter Angelos. He has no defense for those sideburns or for how he miraculously hit 50 homers in a season though.

-- So how about this? Joe Posnanski is the best sports blogger in the business. His latest post has roughly 30,000 great bits of insight, and concludes fittingly with five great lines from "Spinal Tap."

-- Bleacher Report has a countdown of the 10 worst ceremonial first pitches of all time.

-- The Citizen argues that federal stimulus money ought to be used to build a rail line between Athens and Atlanta. Couldn't agree more.

-- The A.V. Club has an interview with Ed Helms. I must say, I'm treating his new movie the way Steve Spurrier is treating Stephen Garcia -- cautiously optimistic.

-- And finally, I'm surprised that there is no crossover between these two lists: This one counts down pop culture's 10 greatest nerds, and this one counts down the 20 sexiest ugly people. And no, I didn't make either list.