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Monday, August 16, 2010

Afternoon stuff

Today's the first day of classes at Georgia, which begs a question that's always bothered me: How come classes start earlier in the South? Growing up in the north (well, Maryland anyway) we always started school right after Labor Day, and wrapped up mid-June.

The high school football seasons also start later up north. It always would've made sense to me to flip it, because of the heat. Now I suppose for school reasons you're sort of trading one hot time for another - start earlier in the heat in the summer, but finish up earlier in the summer.

When it comes to football, however, the southern schools are practicing in the heat earlier, and playing in the heat earlier. And the northern schools are stretching their seasons longer, to when it gets much colder up there.

I suppose there's a real good reason out there that someone will enlighten me on. It's just always sort of confounded me.

Anyway ... First day of school, Georgia's practices are starting an hour later than the previous two weeks, blah blah blah ...

- Aron White has been named to the watch list for the Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end.

Coincidentally, White is also on the watch list for the starting tight end job at Georgia.

White entered the fall behind Orson Charles on the depth chart list, though it’s understandable why the Mackey people would pick him out: White started 12 games last year and caught two touchdown passes in the Independence Bowl.

But Georgia’s tight ends depth chart is so deep – Charles was a freshman All-American, Arthur Lynch played in 11 games last year, and Bruce Figgins has started three times – that the Mackey people could probably just have put “TBA, Georgia” on the list.

- Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com does not include A.J. Green in a ranking of top 20 Heisman hopefuls. He quickly got asked about it on Twitter, and replied that he was "skittish" about the quarterback situation.

I probably would've put Green somewhere in there, but Maisel's right to hold back a bit. Plus, receivers don't often start the year out as Heisman favorites.

- Another ESPN.com entry, this time from newbie Andrea Adelson (recently hired from the Orlando Sentinel). Adelson asks who would you rather be this year, Mark Richt or Les Miles.

Ah, a hot seat question. From my vantage point, you'd probably rather be Richt. But that's just me.

4 comments:

heyberto said...

When I was at school at UGA, we started mid - late September and were on the quarter system. What's nice about this setup is that students are back on campus and settled for the games.. that student section is a big help on gamedays.

peacedog said...

Heyberto said it, but UGA changed to an earlier start when it went from the quarter-system to the semester-system. I started out at a semester school, but spent some time at UGA when it was quarters. My experience was that semester schools always started towards the end of August - last week, typically, but that has moved up since then, obviously.

Matt H. said...

Wow... This Andrea Adelson has it in for Georgia... Richt Hot seat talk (as Seth has mentioned), Leaving the Cocktail Party off of the "20 Can't Miss Games" list and leaving Georgia off of the "20 Teams With the Best Title Shot" (while including Auburn and Arkansas). Guess she's not worried about showing bias even having come from the Ever-Dawg-Loving Orlando Sentinel... She's getting pounded in the comments of both posts, but unfortunately most comments are completely sexist and revolve around her being a woman and not about her commentary.

As for the starting school earlier in the south, I'm a teacher and have taught in GA and am now in Maryland. I believe the trend towards "Year-Round-Schools" has moved school starting even earlier in the South than it used to, as the model has been more popular in the South. That's my only guess as to the reason.

Irwin R. Flecther said...

ESPN is such a sack of self-importance crap. I'd love it if someday they hired journalists.

#1- Ms. Adelson must have a short memory. "Maybe neither is really on the hot seat at this point"- Adelson, 8/16/2010

"Georgia coach Mark Richt is coming off a disappointing 8-5 season, leaving some to wonder whether he is on the hot seat going into 2010.

The answer is an emphatic no."- Adleson, 6/3/2010

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/college/os-grid-adelson-beat-0604-20100603,0,3239899.column

So 2 months and switching employment has made that big a difference? Durrrr...

#2- Maisel can eat a bowl.

Shakey about the QB situation? And you are going to list Locker, Ponder, and Pryor in your top 5 on potential?

Seriously...at least those guys can at least be argued for with a straight face. What about Michael Floyd at ND? Let's see....new offense? check. new QB? check? first year as the #1 target on his team? check. Somebody explain how he can rationally put Michael Floyd on the list and not put Green.

I can even buy Julio Jones (despite the fact that AJ has been better against the same competition for two years straight) for the sole reason that he plays for the defending national champ. Fine. That's logic. The other stuff is stupidity. Masiel is better than that. At least I thought he was.