From the Mailbag: Recruits, Projections & Al Bundy

You know what I could really go for this morning? Some mailbag. Let's get to it...

Timothy writes: There is conflicting info all over the internet whether Jarvis Jones will have to sit out this year and have 3 years left or will he be able to play immediately. Could you find the straight answer?

David: I've got a full update on Mr. Jones for you, but let's get to one more inquiry first...

@ugakerri writes: Will (Jarvis Jones) play OLB or ILB?!

David: OK, first off, Jarvis Jones could apply for a waiver that would make him eligible to play this season, although the likelihood of that petition being granted by the NCAA could be slim.

Regardless, it won't matter. Jones won't apply for the waiver and is instead planning to redshirt the 2010 season, giving his neck a bit more time to heal and giving him a full year to learn the 3-4 defense at Georgia.

As for where Jones will play, he tells me the current plan is for him to start out at outside linebacker, but he feels he could handle either position and could make a switch down the road depending on how things go this fall.

So, no real impact from Jones this year (on the field at least) but he could step in nicely in 2010 if Justin Houston bolts early for the NFL draft.

Jim writes: Was Chip Brown informing us or being played? or both? Have you been in that position were information came too easily?

David: I don't know how Chip Brown came about all the information he had during the chaos of conference realignment during the past few weeks, but I do know he had much of the best information out there.

Of course, as Team Speed Kills wrote yesterday, not everything Brown wrote was accurate, and much of his information appeared to strictly favor whatever leverage Texas needed throughout the process. That's the problem with story sourcing -- those sources almost always have an agenda.

Now, the question becomes, is it OK to write stories based on sources that are clearly leaking info for a reason?

In most cases, I think that it is. After all, you have to get info from somewhere, and its rare that folks "in the know" are giving up juicy details without an agenda they're trying to further. Where Brown can be criticized, however, is in not pursuing things beyond the sources he had. The thing about having an agenda is -- if someone benefits, someone else is losing out. So when you have info that you think is likely good intel, you still need to follow up with others who may be affected. Had Brown talked to Baylor or members of the Texas legislature or key folks at Colorado or Missouri -- maybe some even better details emerge and the story is so clearly spun in the direction Texas wanted.

Part of being a reporter is being able to get information from trusted sources. But good reporting is about more than just accuracy. Just because the facts you have appear to be correct, that doesn't mean you have all the facts. And in Brown's case, that was usually the problem.

This whole scenario really was yet another good example of why journalism -- even in sports -- is something readers should respect and appreciate when its done properly. These decisions aren't easy ones, and I'd much rather have people who can be trusted making those calls.

Carter writes: Entourage has become so terrible that its hard for me to remember that I actually enjoyed the first few seasons. Its a little difficult to pinpoint exactly when things took a turn for the worst. I was still enjoying things up to when Vince balked at Aquaman 2, but its clearly been awful ever since the fire Ari/ hire lady agent/ Medellin crap. It really is a Sex and the City for bros, minus the dumbass puns.

David: Agreed. I can still watch and occasionally enjoy "Entourage," but it's clearly a shell of its former self. The problem is that, rather than making the characters deeper and more interesting, each season seems to make the guys more one-dimensional and boring. Of course, perhaps that's what makes it an accurate depiction of Hollywood.

In any case, if you're looking for a good "Entourage" replacement, might I recommend "Party Down" on Starz? It's about a bunch of aspiring actors schlepping as caterers to make ends meet. It stars Adam Scott, who was recently added to the cast on "Parks and Recreation," Ken Marino, who was awesome on "The State" back in the day, and Lizzy Caplan, who was apparently in "Mean Girls," but hasn't gotten famous by doing a bunch of coke and crashing her car into things.

The first two seasons are available for instant download on Netflix, if you're interested. I just watched the one where they party at Steve Guttenberg's house the other day, and it's an instant classic. Guttenberg!

David W. writes: I wonder what type of affect the Big 10 getting a championship game and Pac-10 maybe/probably getting one will have down the road on BCS. I feel like a lot of leverage the SEC "had" over the Pac-10 and Big-10 was the SECCG, but now if there's three comparable teams at the end of the season with the same record, and all can claim a conference championship game win, who goes to the national title game?

David: This is an interesting way of looking at the question, since most people view it the other way around. Texas and Oklahoma, for example, were both somewhat against the championship game because they felt it was an unnecessary obstacle to the BCS title game (not that playing a Big 12 North winner was much of an obstacle the past few years), and certainly the lack of a title game didn't keep USC or Ohio State from finding its way into the national championship hunt.

I think I tend to follow David's logic though. The conference championship game brings a ton of money and exposure, and it's as good a resume-builder as a team gets all year. Sure, someone has to lose that game -- but in the case of the SEC, the title game loser has still gone to a BCS game the past two season, too.

My only real concern now would be that, with the addition of a title game in the Big Ten and Pac-10, is there an increased motivation to avoid scheduling decent non-conference foes during the year?

Daniel writes: when can you start the Ealey for Heisman bandwagon? Is that bus empty, if so Ill drive. That guy scored 7 tds in one half in highschool. Thats beats Al Bundy by 3.

David: Ealey might have to get in line behind A.J. Green this season as Georgia's Heisman hopeful, but something tells me he has a much brighter future than selling women's shoes and driving a beat-up Dodge, too. Perhaps you can get a good deal on "Ealey for 2012 Hesiman" t-shirts now and be ahead of the game.

Vincent writes: Am I being overly pessimistic in that I expect AT LEAST 4 losses this year? each year we've broken in a freshman QB under Richt we've lost four. Before anyone mentions to me how easy our schedule is I'd like to point out 2001 and 2006 were not very difficult schedules in that 1. We had a fairly easy SEC west rotation and 2. We had a fairly easy OOC schedule.

David: I don't know if I'd call it overly pessimistic, particularly given how disappointing last year was despite a good bit of guarded optimism during the preseason. Still, I'd say four losses would be the high end of the spectrum for Georgia in 2010.

In 2001, everything was new for Georgia. There's much more stability in the coaching staff and particularly on offense this time around.

In 2006, Georgia lost two games (Vandy and Kentucky) that it would have won had Andy Bailey not missed numerous field goals while filling in for an injured Brandon Coutu.

Plus, as good as Stafford was, he was a true freshman with mediocre talent around him on offense. Aaron Murray will have been at Georgia for nearly two years by the end of the 2010 season and has 10 returning offensive starters, including a potential dominant O line, two high-caliber running backs and the best receiver in the country to throw to.

And then there's the schedule. As I wrote earlier this week, I'd expect Georgia to be the underdog in three games -- South Carolina, Florida and Auburn. Obviously Arkansas and Georgia Tech won't be easy wins -- although you can argue otherwise about Tech if you like. And I'm thinking Mississippi State keeps things interesting. But I just don't see the Dawgs fairing worse than 2-4 in those six games, and I just don't see another loss on the schedule.

So yeah, four losses might be just the right amount of pessimism. But I could probably make a better case for optimism.

Anonymous writes: I did NOT post that post. If I told you 6 times, you might finally get it.

David: Ah, our favorite anonymous poster is getting a little annoyed that I have written on several occasions that he penned a comment ranking SEC coaches which listed just 11 total coaches, ranked Derek Dooley five spots ahead of Mark Richt, and referred to Dan Mullen as "that coach from Mississippi State."

Apparently, Mr. Anon doesn't like when someone continuously writes misleading and ill-informed information over and over again without provocation despite the objections of others.

Irony really is hilarious, isn't it?

Gatorhater writes: Have you ever considered instituting a word limit on comments?

David: Sure, but it only takes two words to write, "You Suck." Although, that's the type of concise analysis I can usually get behind.

Anonymous writes: David, this anonymous fella really is ruining your blog. Yea, I know he has a right to speak his mind, but that isn't what he's trying to do here. What he's doing is some sort of self-help to relieve the demons in his head that are telling him that he is a loser, and that he can only liberate those demons by unleashing them on us. It is not your responsibility to care for the well-being of this little sick fella. Seriously, for the well-being of your blog, or at least the comment section, simply delete his posts so that the rest of us can read sensible posts. You do want to have sensible posts, right, and not posts from people with an agenda?

David: I get your point here, but I sort of resent the notion that our anonymous poster is mentally unstable. When I lived in San Diego, I used to occasionally listen to the homeless guy on the beach who wore a thong and camouflage jacket talk to himself about a CIA conspiracy to kill him… and he was far more coherent and rational than our anonymous commenter is.

Anyway, yes, I'll zap comments from him that go overboard. If they're kept to a paragraph or two and aren't utterly obnoxious, they can stay. The rest is simply inhibiting reasonable discussion, so I don't mind getting rid of it.

MauiDawg writes: Out of all this expansion talk I have yet to hear any explanation of how and when these schools will be incorporated into their new leagues....and what will immediately happen to the Big 12 for the upcoming season with members already out of association?

David: To the best of my knowledge, Nebraska is set to join the Big Ten in 2011, while Colorado is scheduled to bolt to the Pac-10 in 2012. From what I've heard, there's a sentiment to speed up that process for Colorado because no one is looking forward to two lame-duck seasons from the Buffs (not including this year with Dan Hawkins), and all parties probably benefit from moving on as quickly as possible.

As for this season, there won't be any significant effects to the schedule. There could be some shakeups for 2011 and beyond, however, as those schools swapping conferences will likely have to rearrange their non-conference slate to fit their new digs. Those decisions are still a ways off though and will be just a few of the many hiccups in this process as it continues to play out.

Bad writes: Why doesn't the Big 10 and Big 12 just switch names and be done with it? They are dumb names anyway (and people up north can't count), but that way the "history" can continue. Sort of. No one will notice...or care.

David: The creators of "Family Matters" thought that when they switched moms, too, but I'll be honest… after that, I just couldn't take the show seriously anymore.

Steve writes: How much will this affect recruiting in the southeast now that USC won't be able to poach there as effectively?

David: Wait, wait, wait… you mean to tell me you think a little thing like serious NCAA sanctions, reduced scholarships, a post-season ban for two years and a massive amount of bad publicity is going to stop Lane Kiffin from recruiting in the Southeast? Seriously, Steve, you're going to end up pumping gas for a living with that kind of talk.

Seriously though, by my count USC has grabbed nearly a dozen players out of SEC states since 2006, and you'd have to assume this hurts the Trojans ability to nab those types of athletes. For one, USC's reputation has been badly hurt. But more importantly, with the scholarship reductions, USC has to be even more careful who it offers, and the bottom line is that trying to recruit kids from the other side of the country is a much riskier proposition.

Anonymous writes: Is the photographer for the telegraph really named Jason Vorhees, or is that some kind of inside joke?

David: Nope, that's his real name. He's an excellent photographer, too. You should see the stunning series of landscapes he did at a small New Jersey-area park called Crystal Lake. Just beautiful. He does some interesting woodwork with a chainsaw, too.

HVL Dawg writes: When are you going to tell Mark Richt that his part-down-the-middle hairstyle is outdated. It looks terrible after a couple of hours under the headset. Tell him that he's old enough for a crewcut now.

David: I'd like to remind you that I spent most of the 2008 season working tirelessly to convince Richt to grow a mustache to no avail, so I'm not sure my opinion will carry much weight with him.

That said, showing up in a van for an in-home visit with the part-down-the-middle haircut and a '70s porno 'stache might have sent the wrong message to recruits, so he was probably right not to listen.

Anonymous writes: "Aaron is a special guy. He's very, very intelligent. He's going to bring a new energy, he's a fiery competitor and I can't wait to see what he does

Didn't I hear the same quote last year about Joe Cox?

David: To quote a very wise man, "Everything looks bad if you remember it."



Bernie writes: What is Kris Durham planning on studying now that he's graduated?

David: Durham graduated with his degree in education in June and is already enrolled in grad school to get his masters in the same subject. "I had my first and second graduate class (last week)," Durham said. "I didn't quite realize how much reading and writing I'd be doing, but it's awesome." He's taking six hours this summer, nine in the fall and hoping to have the degree finished by this time next year.

OK, a quick timeout from your usual mailbag festivities…

I had a handful of recruiting-related questions, and as you may or may not know, our old pal Fletcher Page is now covering recruiting (and other stuff) for Dean Legge's Dawg Post site. So, rather than offering you my own half-hearted attempt at answers, let's turn the mailbag over to Fletcher for a few minutes...

Hannah writes: I saw this morning that Nick Marshall committed to UGA as a dual-sport athlete -- and as a defensive back for football (not QB--guess I missed that scholarship change from Richt). I think this is great news!

My question is, how does doing football and basketball at the college level work? The seasons overlap, so what does the athlete do in Nov and Dec and Jan? Just asking what Marshall's athletic life might look like once he gets up here.

Fletcher: Nick is on football scholarship, which means he’s all football first. Anything he does with basketball will be after he has fulfilled his football responsibilities. Nick may practice some, or shoot around, or attend walkthroughs, but he most likely will not report for basketball until January.

He’ll miss mat drills, but will be ready to go for spring practice, unless of course the basketball team is making a run the NCAA Tournament.

This will be difficult for Nick to accomplish. Playing two sports is doable, but to perform effectively in both takes a special talent. I personally think Nick can become an SEC caliber shooting guard, but he is just as talented on the football field. I usually would be skeptical about a player trying to do both, but with Marshall I say let him do what he does. He’s just a ball player.

Jason C writes: Dean highlighted 4 guys UGA should try to get. Is it possible to get his take on where UGA stands with those 4 guys and how likely it is for them to actually sign?

Fletcher: Charone Peake, the top wide receiver in South Carolina, committed to Clemson this week. Georgia was his second choice, but in actuality, the Bulldogs were way behind Clemson for Peake’s pledge. In recruiting you never say never, but Peake looks to be a Clemson lock.

Isaiah Crowell will choose between Alabama and Georgia. The Carver Columbus running back initially wanted to wait until signing day, but lately he’s said he’s thinking about making his decision known at an All-Star game in early 2011. Georgia was Crowell’s childhood favorite, but he likes what Alabama does with running backs. This will go down to the wire.

Ray Drew is an elite defensive end, in my opinion. Dean Legge and I visited Drew in February, and I left that visit thinking the Thomasville Central standout was all Georgia. Since then, he has opened up, and seems to be enjoying the process. On the record, Drew is wide open, but I feel Georgia leads. The Bulldogs should sign Drew come February.

Stephon Tuitt does not appear to be high on Georgia. He attends Monroe High School, which is a short drive from Athens, but the proximity isn’t helping. Georgia Tech leads for Tuitt, and his mother really likes what the Yellow Jackets offer academically. Georgia is in his top five, but I Clemson, Notre Dame, Florida and Auburn appear to be ahead of the Bulldogs. Don’t count on Tuitt to sign with Georgia.

Will writes: What type of impact do you see Christian Lemay having in recruiting? I know he's said that he hopes to get some big uglies drawn in, but could he have some pull on the defensive side of the ball as well?

Fletcher: Christian already has helped reel in some talent to Georgia. Receiver Justin Scott-Wesley and East Hall’s Sterling Bailey mentioned Lemay after committing, both citing his abilities and Lemay’s religion as his strong points. (Obviously Lemay has run into trouble, but still).

Bailey, who projects as a defensive end or outside linebacker in particular was taking by Lemay. He said he wanted to room with him. Many kids I’ve talked to at camps and combines have mentioned getting texts from Lemay, asking to join in this Georgia class. I think a big name quarterback who enjoys texting should help. Lemay fits the bill.

David: Many thanks to Fletcher for his insights. He's actually posting a similar mailbag with a bunch more info -- including an update on the intentions of Watts Dantzler -- over at the Dawg Post today. You can check it out HERE … but it is a subscription site, so keep that in mind.

(Update: Here's more from Fletcher, posted for free, over at The Chapel Bell.)

Reptillicide writes: I'd be interested to know how Durham views his role this season, whether he thinks he can be the #2 guy behind AJ.

David: Durham expects to be more of a jack-of-all-trades among the wideouts this year rather than a true No. 2, but that doesn't mean he might not be second on the team in catches. But while Tavarres King and Rantavious Wooten are still working primarily at one or two positions, Durham has the experience and knowledge to play the X, Y and Z positions, giving him the versatility to stay on the field often. And from what coaches and players have been saying, that could be a big plus.

“From Day 1, I know he’s going to be a weapon," Green said. "The question is just going to be can he stay healthy, but he’s going to make some big plays."

Of course, the other big role for Durham will be as the savvy veteran leader -- and that's one he said he's actually relied on Green to pick up the slack with. “It’s definitely a new role for me because I’m usually more quiet and do my own thing," Durham said. "But A.J.’s definitely helping me out a lot.”

Anonymous writes: When did they get those combine stats, anyway? Do you have the date?
I am wondering if Washaun or Caleb participated in any of the run/jump stuff because of their knees (both of them... I mean both of the players, not both of their knees)

David: The combine that produced the rather dubious 40 times was part of an offseason workout held about three weeks after spring practice ended. It was actually the first time they'd done those drills in the past few years because it was the first time that Georgia had enough healthy players to make it worthwhile. Still, there were a few that didn't participate due to precautionary reasons, and I'm guessing Ealey and King were among them.

Harold writes: What are your thoughts on Bobo's security going forward? Could it be that Bobo is a great QB coach, and a work in progress as OC? Richt does not have the luxury of providing Bobo with a protracted learning process.

David: Bobo really seems to be the new Willie Martinez for fans, which I suppose makes some sense. Someone has to step up into the role of scapegoat, and he's the next logical choice.

I'm not going to bother making the case for or against Bobo, because I imagine it would have been much like doing the same for Martinez in years past. Your minds are likely made up until you see more success on the field. But I don't think that Bobo's job security should be in question. The bottom line is, if Bobo's head needs to roll at the end of this season, there's a good chance Richt is going, too. I'm not sure if there are too many head coaches around the country that get a mulligan on two coordinators in two years.

That said, I think this year will be a good stepping stone for Bobo. First off, he's been -- on average -- a pretty good coach during his three years as OC. Secondly, he's got a lot to work with on offense this season, and if he could turn Joe Cox into one of the most productive QBs in the SEC last year, I'm certain he can find some success with Aaron Murray.

But the biggest problems with Bobo have never been the big-picture issues. It's always about moments -- play calls so bizarre and frustrating that they tend to cloud all the quality work he does. Whether it be missing the fact that Cox was tipping plays with his footwork last year or the absurd toss sweep to Washaun Ealey at the goal line against Kentucky or any number of a dozen other micro issues -- that's what I think has turned so many fans off in recent seasons.

But again, I think this could be the year Bobo takes a step forward there, too. Richt insists he's going to be more involved in the day-to-day of the offense, sitting in position meetings and giving his input on plays. So perhaps the head coach's expertise can help iron out a few of the flaws in Bobo's game plan, and in the end Georgia ends up with a really strong identity on offense.

Or perhaps someone will be registering the domain name for FireMikeBobo.com by Week 4.

OK, folks, that's it for today's mailbag. But… we're actually getting some time with a handful of players this afternoon, so if you have some questions you'd like posed to Aaron Murray, Justin Houston, Brandon Boykin or Josh Davis, let me know and I'll try to track down some answers for you.

Mailbag: Blog Spam, Capitalism & Dating Advice... and Some Football

A quick point on the mailbag: I still have a handful of questions sitting on my desktop, but I either haven't gotten sufficient answers to them yet or I'm holding off on replying so I can write a longer post on them later. So if you've emailed me an inquiry and I haven't responded, there's a good chance I'm still planning to do so.

For the rest of you, here are a bunch more answers to your burning questions…

Brent writes: Do you think that CMR will use more two TE sets this year to take advantage of the four quality TE’s we have and help take some pressure off the depleted WR position?

David: At the Macon Bulldog Club meeting a few weeks ago, Richt told fans he expected more two-TE sets this year than in any season since the Randy McMichael-Ben Watson heyday. That was more than enough to excite a few members of the Bulldog faithful.

I revisited the issue with Richt this week though, and he backed off that sentiment a bit.

“We’ll have it ready, but a lot’s going to depend on how does Durham come back," Richt said. "You don’t just have receivers competing against receivers. You have a third receiver competing against another tight end coming in the game. You have fullbacks competing.”

His point is that, if you put a second TE in the game, you have to pull someone else from the lineup. Is that going to be Shaun Chapas, who is as good a blocker as any of Georgia's TEs, and a decent weapon out of the backfield, too? Or will it be the third receiver like Durham, for example? The answer may still be that a second TE in the game is the right call more often than not -- but the point Richt wanted to make, I think, was that it's very good to have options.

“I think we have enough tight ends right now that are mature enough that we will be very legitimate playing with the two-tight end set,” he said.

Mario writes: Have you heard anything about the UGA VIII mascot search? I haven't heard anything about it since the bowl game. If we don't have an UGA VIII by Kickoff, will Russ be standing in? He is 2-0 after all, and Aaron Murray and Todd Grantham could use a little winning luck on the sidelines!

David: Yes indeed. In case you missed it, I wrote about the search for Uga VIII on the blog earlier this week. Bottom line: There are plenty of options right now, but none will be ready for Week 1, so Russ will have a shot to extend his winning streak a bit longer.

Here's my question though: Could Georgia possibly retire Russ while he's still undefeated? That'd be like taking a pitcher out of the game while he's throwing a no-hitter. Perhaps we need Jim Joyce to make that call.

Joeski writes: David, I'm afraid that you're going to have to start deleting the anonymous moron's posts... not only does he pointlessly ramble, he's also factually inaccurate.

Seriously David, this schmuck really degrades the quality of your blog with his false statistics, his flawed knowledge of football, his nonsensical ramblings, and even his turgid style of writing. I hope to God he is also lying that he is an alum, because he certainly tarnishes the academic reputation of UGA, and I like my diploma to mean something.

Please start deleting this garbage.

David: Ah, our pal Mr. Anonymous. He really has created a bit of a stir at our once cozy little blog, which I imagine was his hope all along.

In truth, I'm really not sure how best to handle this situation.

It would be easy, of course, to point out the absurdities of his comments.

For instance, when he compares Dooley's run from 1980 through 1988 to Richt's nine years in Athens, I could easily mention how stupid it is to cherry pick the best nine-year run of Dooley's career and compare it to Richt's.

Or I could point out that in Dooley's first nine years on the job -- a far more apt comparison -- his winning percentage was .711, which pales next to Richt's .769.

Or I could point out that, if you're reasonably comparing Richt's numbers to the greatest coach in Georgia history, you probably aren't making a valid argument for firing the guy.

Or perhaps I could point out how unlikely it is that Caleb King has been injured "all four years he's been at Georgia" since King has only been at Georgia for three years (and only injured during one -- a year in which he continued playing despite a broken jaw).

Or I might mention to Anonymous that, if he's going to cut and paste his diatribes from the AJC's blog, he could at least do us the courtesy of deleting the parts that refer to other comments that don't appear on my blog.

But something tells me all of that would only serve to further encourage our friend. And why would I go to all that trouble to make him look silly when he's doing a great job of it himself?

The other thing I could do would be to simply delete his comments, as Joeski (and others) have suggested. I've considered it, but I'm also exceptionally cautious about censorship -- no matter how ridiculous the material being censored might be. My livelihood depends on free speech, and I'm reluctant to curb that freedom under any circumstance, particularly when it becomes a slippery slope once you start deciding what is worthy commentary and what isn't.

You don't have to be a Mark Richt fan to read this blog. In fact, I strongly support the expression of differing opinions, and I'm usually pleased to see the debate carried out in a sensible way. Of course, I also support the rights of deposed Saudi princes to access any funds they have frozen in off-shore accounts, but there's a point in which their best efforts go from free speech to obnoxious spam -- and as one reader pointed out, my Memorial Day post included 709 words written by me and 1,649 words written by Mr. Anonymous.

So instead of jumping to the realm of censorship, and rather than simply ignoring the growing problem, I'm going to propose a compromise.

Ideally, Mr. Anonymous will reconsider his approach. If he'd simply like to rationally and concisely note his ideas when they are pertinent rather than rehash the same rambling, 1,000-word diatribes, then we're good.

If you're not so inclined to disagree in a more mature manner, Mr. Anonymous, here's what I'll do for you: You email me with your name, address and phone number. I'll then let you know the next time Richt will be meeting with fans in person, and I'll supply you with an introduction. That way, rather than clog up my blog with your opinions on his failures, you can tell Richt how you feel in person. Since you're so vociferous and passionate here, I'm sure you'll have no problem removing the cloak of anonymity and telling Richt to his face why he's such an awful coach.

I look forward to seeing how it all turns out.

Fratt Stinchcomb writes: Any idea of the (hoops) schedule next year yet? I looked on the UGA site but couldn't find anything. Just trying to do a little predicting about the season before it gets here.

David: As I wrote last week, the Georgia Tech game appears set for Dec. 7, and the Dawgs will play in the Old Spice Classic -- also featuring Cal, Temple, Texas A&M, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Manhattan and Boston College -- Nov. 25, 26 and 28. Beyond that, however… everything is still up in the air. Mark Fox said no contracts have been agreed upon with any other non-conference foes yet, and he said trying to agree on deals has been tougher this year now that Georgia appears to be a more competitive opponent.

Pete writes: Good news, this frees up another scholarship for next season. Time to start extending the "Dream Team" concept to basketball...

David: I'd be a little bit careful what you wish for, Pete. On one hand, the five players who have left Georgia in the past two years were none starters, and only Anyaorah probably had a legitimate chance to develop into one at Georgia. So the end result of the departures probably won't dramatically impact the product on the court this season. Plus, all five were Dennis Felton recruits, and there was bound to be some of those players who felt they didn't fit under the new regime.

But… that's also a lot of depth that has departed, and if Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie leave for the NBA as expected after the 2011 season, here's what will be left: Gerald Robinson, Dustin Ware, Vincent Williams, Marcus Thornton, Cady Lalanne, Donte Williams and Sherrard Brantley.

While I think a couple of those guys -- Thornton and Robinson in particular -- have a chance to be very good SEC players, there are just two on that list who have played a minute in an SEC game so far.

So yes, Anyaorah's departure -- and the other transfers -- open up some scholarships for potentially better players to come in next year. But there's now quite a bit of pressure on Mark Fox to land a number of solid recruits in 2011 or it's going to be tough to field a solid starting five.

South FL Dawg writes: To tell the truth, I've been envisioning Malcome at fullback after Chapas and Munzenmeier graduate, because it seems like Charles White fell off the face of the earth.

David: Interesting idea, and I'll admit, one of the things that probably struck me the most about the post-spring depth chart was just how many walk-ons were listed ahead of White at fullback. Malcome's size and powerful style might make him a natural fit at the position, too. Plus, with the long history of NFL fullbacks at Georgia, it's not the hardest position change to sell a guy on. My guess, however, is a lot will depend on whether Georgia lands a top tailback in this year's class. If it does, then I think Malcome to fullback has a lot of potential.

JPerez writes: Sad to see no mention of the Hold Steady concert from last weekend. Thought it was a kick ass show.

David: You're totally right… I should have made a point of writing about it earlier in the week. I guess my problem is, while I'm a huge music fan, every time I try to write about concerts or offer a music review, I end up sounding like my mom does when she tries to talk about sports.

Anyway, I caught The Hold Steady at the 40 Watt last Thursday, and the show was phenomenal -- high energy, great set list, awesome time all around. See… can you believe I'm not working for Rolling Stone?

That was actually the opening act to my concert weekend, too. I saw Neil Young at the Fox Theater in Atlanta last Sunday, which was also an enjoyable show, but absurdly expensive and he played for just under 90 minutes, which may mark the shortest concert I've ever been to that didn't involve a band angrily storming off stage.

As for future shows… May I suggest getting your tickets for The Morning Benders and Broken Bells at the 40 Watt on June 11. I'm actually not as enthralled with Broken Bells as I thought I'd be, but I absolutely love the Morning Benders and can't wait for the show.

Oh, and one more concert tidbit: I was actually hoping to make it up to NYC a couple weeks ago to see Band of Horses and Pearl Jam at the Garden, but I couldn't put the whole trip together in time. I was bummed, but now even more so. One of our readers, Scott, was at the show and said it was great, and also included a link to this YouTube clip of Pearl Jam and BoH's Ben Bridwell doing "Hunger Strike." Damn, I'm jealous.

Brian writes: I saw the Vance Cuff thing and I was impressed. But do you have any other numbers from this "mini-combine"? I know that the athletic dept doesn't publish these kinds of numbers anymore, but word often gets out.

David: Sorry, but I don't have any of the numbers. Perhaps a few will get out after players are made available for interviews more, and Dave Van Halanger typically releases the end-of-summer workout numbers in July. But as for the spring combine numbers, where Cuff reportedly clocked in with a 4.2 40 time, they won't be released -- which, as it turns out, is a bit of a double-edged sword for Richt.

“Sometimes guys get bent out of shape like, oh that 40 time may hurt me or if my name isn’t in the top 10 it might hurt me," Richt said. "But for the most part, I think it would have been positive. We’ve got some big, strong guys.”

Anonymous writes: "Sometimes capitalism is hard to defend."

Come on Hale. What is harder to defend is your decision to actually purchase the coffee.

I am sure price controlled coffee would taste great.

David: I always knew I had more Friedman economists reading this blog than Keynesians. But that's the problem with you monetist school proponents. You have no taste for sarcasm.

Seriously, I was joking. It was a joke. And not even a very good one since, to some degree, the market created by the Hilton is anything but capitalist.

I complained about the price of a Starbucks coffee at the hotel where the SEC meetings took place. That price was so high because Hilton uses artificial barriers of entry into the marketplace, thus allowing specific retailers to artificially inflate the price of the products they sell. Like at a sporting event or concert, customers are less inclined (or prohibited) to leave the venue to make a purchase, therefore the venue itself becomes the marketplace. And since the venue allows just one retailer to sell their product on the premises, a monopoly is created. In a properly functioning capitalist marketplace, a monopoly wouldn't exist because another vendor with a substitute product could enter the marketplace and sell at a reduced price, causing all prices to fall to a point in which marginal cost meets marginal revenue.

So… the Hilton Starbucks isn't functioning under a pure free-market capitalist umbrella. So, what I should have written is: "Monopolies are hard to defend sometimes."

But that wouldn't have been as funny. Aside from the Community Chest card stating that I won a beauty contest, monopolies rarely are.

By the way, this answer marks the most I've used my economics degree in a decade. I'm going to forward this to my parents to prove their student loan money wasn't wasted.

SECC in '10… Please writes: Just back home from Destin (i highly suggest club 10), it's great. Actually came back from the trip with a girlfriend. Which leads me to my question. I'm a student at UGA and my girlfriend is a cheerleader at LSU...what are the chances Richt can light a fire under Miles' ass to get the Bayou Bengals to ATL and visa versa?

David: Allow me to pass along a little bit of advice that I've picked up over the years.

1.) What happens at places with names like "Club 10" should stay at places with names like "Club 10." Don't believe me? Imagine telling your kids one day, "Well the first time I met your mommy I was doing body shots of warm tequila off her at Club 10 in Destin."

2.) Having a girlfriend in college is roughly the same as Michael Jordan playing minor league baseball in 1994. You're wasting your prime years. (Although, admittedly, the cheerleader aspect may create a loophole.)

3.) A long-distance relationship is doomed to failure, particularly when you both have routine, convenient access to massive quantities of alcohol. Proximity of one member of said relationship to New Orleans increases the likelihood of problems tenfold.

4.) If you insist on breaking the first three rules, I'm not necessarily saying you're wrong, but I am saying you're no longer allowed to question Les Miles' decision making techniques.

I'm kidding, of course. Or am I? Either way, good luck to you both, and if we all end up in Atlanta the first Saturday in December, the first round of drinks is on me. You pick the bar.

Anonymous writes: Does CMR see any true freshman starting this year?

David: Hard to say until they actually start practicing, and so far, only Kolton Houston has -- and he's not cracking the starting line up.

Richt pointed to outside linebacker and the defensive line as places where the depth chart might allow a true freshmen to earn some extra PT, but even in those situations, I just don't see how any of the freshmen are going to crack the starting lineup right away.

My best guess is that you won't see any freshmen starting in September, but after a few weeks into the season, there's a chance that Garrison Smith, Alec Ogletree and one of the OLBs could be pushing for a starting job. But the biggest impact of this year's class in 2010 may well be the depth they add, which is a good indication of how much talent was already in Athens.

John writes: Was curious if you have a list of jersey numbers for the incoming freshmen who weren't early enrollees like #66 Kolton Houston.

David: Unfortunately, there's no list yet. That's probably a week or so away still, as players are still trickling back onto campus. But I did confirm that Ken Malcome will be Georgia's new No. 24. Demetre Baker reports he'll be wearing No. 52, Brandon Burrows will wear No. 41, and Hutson Mason tells me he believes he'll be donning the No. 14 jersey.

ChicagoDawg writes: Can you elaborate on your comment about Ealey having "gained a bit of a reputation for stirring the pot"? The Spring game swing at Williams is well known, but I was unaware about this developing reputation. Especially given the opportunity to exploit the Spike eye gouge affair, which he seemed to diffuse.

David: Truth be told, I probably shouldn't have written that the way I did. The comment probably stirred the pot a bit too much, too. But following the swing Ealey took at Nick Williams during G-Day, I got more than a few reports from folks who said Ealey had instigated the situation with Brandon Spikes during the Florida game last year, and I've had a number of fans bring up some rather questionable posts and pictures on Ealey's Facebook page -- all minor things, but put together it's easy to see how a reputation could develop.

Again, a potentially bad reputation is not the same as saying Ealey is a bad guy. I don't believe he is. But, given that the public doesn't get a chance to see much of Ealey behind the scenes, he'd probably be wise to be careful about what he does let fans see. In fact, that's probably true for all of Georgia's athletes who, more and more often, are letting people behind the curtain via Twitter and Facebook without always considering that some of those people won't like what they see.

Andrew writes: I did have one question about (Hutson) Mason: I only saw him play once, on the internet no less, against Colquitt County. The game is on Georgia PBS, and may still be there. I was not overly impressed with his work that night, I believe 1 td/5ints. Of course, this is a snapshot of his work (N=1) but have you seen or heard anything aside from Andre Ware/David Klingler numbers that make you feel overly optimistic that he will be a player?

David: The game is still up on the PBS site, if others want to check it out. (Warning: Given the fact that Mason may be getting serious playing time this year, you might want to skip it.)

Lassiter came into that game 12-0, but Mason was dreadful against Colquitt County, tossing five INTs without a touchdown.

Does that mean he's going to be terrible at Georgia? Certainly not. Everybody has their bad games, and this was clearly one of Mason's worst. But his overall numbers as a senior were spectacular.

It's really impossible to make any comparisons yet for a guy who hasn't even taken a snap during a college practice. At just 190 pounds, Mason definitely needs to fill out some. And while he matured throughout his senior season at Lassiter, college is a big transition. But there's potential there, and ideally he won't be asked to do too much too soon.

In an ideal world, maybe he becomes a David Greene-type of player (although it won't likely happen as a freshman the way it did for Greene). Or he could be another Joe Cox type of guy -- gritty leader with a questionable arm who serves as a bridge between two more productive QBs. Even the latter wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, as long as that bridge isn't being employed this season.

Anonymous writes: Appreciate the outreach, but, respectfully, 99% of your readers don't care (about softball). If there isn't already, I think that a blog for softball, women's b-ball, etc. would find a few followers. I just doubt that there's a lot of overlap between that hypothetical blog and your readership.

David: Fair enough, but the team is playing the WCWS, and I'm sure there are some fans interested. And what I think some of my readers fail to consider is that, I'm never shortchanging you on football stuff when I write about other things. If I have football info, it gets posted. So the rest is just a bonus. Enjoy it if you like, and if not, there'll be another football story around the corner.

Jferg writes: My "original" question for two-a-days was: "how can I be an assistant or intern for the day and get a set of field passes for a home game"?

David: Well, JFerg, your advice to hit up Another Broken Egg for breakfast while in Destin has you in very good standing for the job. My bananas foster pancakes were absurdly good (although they looked like you could put sparklers in them and give them to children on their birthdays). Now, if you'll just wash my car, mow my lawn and grab a sixer from the Bottle Shop, I'd say we have the makings of a serious employment opportunity for you.

Anonymous writes: In the past, we've talked about the importance of a WR emerging as a counterpart to Green. Kind of like MoMass and Green two years ago. This spring it seems that several showed promise: TKing, Wooten, Durham, but none of these has clearly emerged to claim the position. Are we going to have someone at the other WR spot to take pressure off Green? Thanks.

David: I'm reluctant to predict that Georgia will have someone turn in a performance like Mohamed Massaquoi did in 2008 because, frankly, those performances don't come around too often. But I do think there's a good chance that Georgia's receiving corps can be very good. I've heard from numerous sources that Mark Richt and Mike Bobo are both very excited about the prospects for Kris Durham and Tavarres King this season, and both have also lauded the progress made by Marlon Brown, who Richt said might be "the most physical receiver we have." Add that to the stellar group of tight ends, and the biggest question mark in the passing game might be, just how often will Aaron Murray throw the ball?

In any case, here's Richt's synopsis of things: "I like how Tavarres and Durham played. The other receivers are coming. You've got tight-end play with Aron White and Orson Charles is pretty darned good. Even in the spring game, you saw what Artie (Lynch) could do. Bruce is coming. We've got more than just a couple tailbacks and A.J. Green. We've got some guys that have got a chance."

Justin writes: Quick question I wonder if you have noticed that GT replaced their defensive coord the same year UGA did, and at the same time, they are also running a 3-4 now. do you think this is any kind of coincidence, they are trying to keep up with the dawgs in my opinion. Would love to hear your thoughts in a mailbag or something. Thanks in advance

David: I don't know that it has much to do with Tech trying to keep up with Georgia so much as it is both teams are trying to be ahead of the curve in what could become a widespread trend throughout college football in the coming years.

First, you have Alabama winning a national title with the 3-4. That's enough to spark some copy-catting alone. Second, you had some very accomplished coaches available in Al Groh and Todd Grantham, both of whom run the 3-4. As Mark Richt has noted, it wasn't so much about the system for Georgia as it was about getting the best guy for the job. And third, the 3-4 simply makes a lot of sense to run at the college level.

The 3-4 is definitely a bit more nuanced than the 4-3, which can be a drawback when you're tasked with teaching it to 18-to-22-year-old kids. But… that nuance makes life a lot more difficult for opposing quarterbacks, too. While at the NFL level, you'll find 10-year vets who can read a 3-4 with ease, in college, even the most experienced QBs only have a year or two of playing time under their belt. So why not run a D that puts pressure on a player who generally is ill-equipped to make those quick decisions? The 3-4 also allows for a bit more flexibility in terms of how you use personnel, and for teams looking to get the most out of players, my guess is you'll see more and more programs jumping on the UGA and Tech bandwagon.

Marc writes: just curious after your two a days and reading the writing styles of many other beat writers. (Your the best by the way, without patronizing). My question is this, now that your journeys have now brought you to the deep south...what's your take on the differences you have noticed among journalists from different regions e.g. journalists from the north and south? Would you say there's a difference specific to football journalists as well? I know this would be making a generalization but is that a fair question?

David: Many thanks for the kind words, Marc. I think the mistake people tend to make in judging the media is assuming there's a grand plan to create a certain style. The truth is, most of the time, the media reflects the community it covers. Don't believe me? Check out how much The Big Lead -- which is essentially a Diet Deadspin -- just sold for.

The site is mostly pandering, ESPN bashing and gossip, and but it sells because people want to read it -- not the other way around.

As such, New York and Boston media tend to be a lot tougher on the players they cover, as are their fans. Philly media are critical almost all the time -- as are their fans. Media on the West Cost tends to be a bit more laid back, just as their readers tend to be. Competition also creates a bit more of a hard-nosed effect. The more reporters in an area, the harder they have to fight to get a story.

And as for the writers around Georgia? I'm probably a bit to bias to judge.

Rob writes: Didn't the Senator have an article a few weeks ago about how returning starts on the offensive line was one of the better indicators of a team's success? I can't remember exactly, but it just seemed weird to me to get two different stances on the same issue so soon.

In addition to that, I know that Phil Steele uses returning starts on the offensive line as one of his biggest predictors of success. I'm not saying you're wrong or your facts are wrong, it just seems like you could have a bit of a sample size issue.

David: The Senator did write about this a bit last month, but his theory was actually much the same as what my numbers illustrated. In fact, his summary was this: "A significant lack of returning starts on the offensive line is a negative; otherwise, experience on the o-line isn’t that big a deal."

Of course, I don't have the tools or software or time to do any significant regression analysis over more than just one season, so inherently there are going to be concerns of sample size. And obviously my rather simplistic analysis doesn't consider that different teams run different styles of offense that can either accentuate or reduce the significance of their respective offensive lines. And while what might be true one year (as the WSJ article pointed out about 2008) may not be true the next (as appeared to be the case in 2009).

But I think the biggest point of my post on offensive lines was this: Returning starts aren't nearly as important as returning talent. Or, as Phil Steele put it: "Experience on the O-line is not the only criteria for an offensive line’s potential for the next year. You have to add in the Blue Chips, how last year’s line performed (ypc rushing and sacks allowed), size, etc. That is how a team like Florida can be just #32 in career starts returning but rated as my #4 OL this year."

Alabama overcame a lack of returning starts last season by bringing in new talent. In Georgia's case this year, however, the Bulldogs are lucky enough to have both.

NCDawg writes: Another interesting view would be to consider starts from bench players. Offensive lineman get hurt; it's a tough job. I would expect depth at O-line is important to winning throughout the season. Can any team match Georgia's starts from bench players? How many teams even have bench players with starts?

David: I investigated this, too, and really it's a non-issue. No team has a bench player with more than a handful of career starts other than Trinton Sturdivant, who I think we can effectively call a bit of a wild card. And the thing to remember about Georgia is that, while A.J. Harmon and Chris Burnette could be very good when given the chance, and while Tanner Strickland has been on the team for a while -- none of them have ever started a game. In fact, other than Sturdivant, the only non-starters on Georgia's roster who have starting experience are both playing on the defensive line now. (That'd be Kiante Tripp with 3 starts and Bean Anderson with 12 starts.)

Dawg19 writes: I see Alabama is playing at Duke. I will probably take a beating for this question, but I'm curious how often the defending football champion plays the defeding basketball champion in either sport. I imagine it's fairly often.

David: You actually have to go back a pretty long way to find the answer. The last time it happened was in 1993, and it also involved Alabama playing an ACC foe. The Tide, coming off their 1992 national title, beat North Carolina (the '93 hoops winner) 24-10 in the Gator Bowl.

As for the last time it happened during the regular season, you have to go back two years earlier when Georgia Tech (co-champs in 1990 with Colorado) visited Duke (the '91 hoops champ) and won 17-6.

So, in each of the last two times it's happened, the football school has won. And I'm guessing that's a trend that will continue this time around, too.

Texas Dawg writes: Walsh himself just said that with the new kicking away strategy he is "hoping" (hoping) he will kick the ball for a touchback around 30% of the time 30%. And if we say those 8 additional touchbacks gain a total of 80 yards (assuming kicks that would have landed on average at the 10), assuming Walsh has 77 kickoffs again in 2010, that's an additional 1.03 yards per kick.

1. Fonking. Yard.

This kickoff thing has been so stupidly blown out of proportion more than any I can ever remember in several decades as a sports fan. DHale, let's go. You're better than this. Help stop the madness.

David: I'm with you to a point, Texas, but this is one of those cases in which the stats don't tell the whole story.

Yes, on the whole the difference between booting it deep on a kickoff and what Georgia was already doing was minimal, statistically. But it wasn't about the aggregate, it was about the individual moments -- and those lapses are well chronicled.

The problem was never the philosophy of directional kicking. The problem was that the philosophy did not fit Georgia's strengths, and Georgia's coverage team was unable to routinely execute the philosophy properly. The result of all of that was a handful of nice place, but far too many bad ones. On something like kickoffs, there may not be a huge difference between an average return of 20 yards or 21 yards, but there's a big difference in how you get there. It's great if each return is roughly 20 yards. You know what you're getting. In Georgia's case, some returns were 20, some were zero, and far too many were 40 and 50 yards. Much like with pass defense, Georgia simply gave up too many big plays.

Of course, to your other point: Any fans who are expecting Blair Walsh to boot touchbacks on 80 percent of his kickoffs this year are going to be very disappointed. Thirty to 35 percent would be a good number.

Trey writes: Hey David, how bout a lost post breaking down what happened....I'm so confused.

David: What happened was, after all hell broke loose on the island, Miles had an emotional farewell with Trapper John and Klinger; Kate, Sawyer, Ben and Desmond were sentenced to a year in a Massachusetts jail for laughing at Hurley as he was mugged; and Jack woke up in his old house from "Party of Five" and realized the whole thing had been a dream. Then, the screen cut to black in the middle of a Journey song. What's so confusing about that?

Anonymous writes: Man, you sure do watch a lot of TV, Mr. Hale!!

David: It can't be all football blogs and relationship advice, Anon. I need my "me" time.

Coon Dawg writes: "Justified" is one of the few I watch. Most of the shows you mention are for metrosexuals.

David: Surely you're not referring to "Project Runway"!

Anonymous writes: Your silence regarding the LOST finale is deafening. Please post soon.

David: OK, fine. I guess eventually I have to cave and address the 1,200-pound polar bear in the room.

In last week's mailbag, I hinted that I didn't enjoy the finale. That's not true. I actually thought it was an exceptional 150 minutes of television. There were a ton of emotional moments, some great callbacks to previous episodes (like Jack and Locke looking down the waterfall), and the action scenes were all done very well. I'll admit, the room got dusty a few times.

But what was great about the episode is also what made me so unhappy in the end. The finale was all about remembering the high points of the show. It was a retrospective as much as it was a coda. And that was great, because I've truly loved those moments it reflected upon. But the only way I can say I really liked the finale was to judge it in a vacuum without considering everything that came before, and I can't do that.

Essentially, my feeling is this: The episode was great, but it sort of ruined the series for me.

Now, I write that acknowledging the following:

1.) I didn't demand answers. I was OK with letting a lot go. I didn't need to know who shot at Sawyer & Co. on the outrigger or why Jacob could leave the island and Flocke couldn't.

2.) I loved the "Sopranos" finale and, although I wouldn't call it great, I have a genuine appreciation for the "Seinfeld" finale. So I'm not simply a person who can never be satisfied by an ending.

But the way "Lost" wrapped up was, in my opinion, an insult to anyone who cared about the show all along.

Yes, the writers always said it was a show about the characters, and in many respects the finale did them justice. But it was also a show about the mysteries, a show that begged its audience to analyze every detail, to hypothesize about what each word meant, to dig deeper every week.

As it turned out, 95 percent of that was just a tool to lead viewers on, and there was never a payoff.

Two lines from the finale really summed things up for me.

"Trust me, everything matters." -- Jack

This was essentially what the writers said all along. "Trust us. We have a plan." But what was that plan exactly? In the end, it was all pretty arbitrary. We don't know what the island was or why it was so important. The vast majority of the mysteries we followed for six years led nowhere. Even stories developed earlier this season -- like Dogan and the temple -- turned out to be irrelevant in the big picture. How can that happen? They knew they only had a handful of episodes left and instead of taking time to wrap up shorelines from the first five years they created more that had no impact on the conclusion.

The finale was great at reminding us of the high moments of the show, but looking back… Did the hatch really matter? Did the freighter really matter? Did Sun's baby really matter?

After watching the finale, all I could think about was… no, none of it really mattered.

"Those were Jacob's rules. You can do things differently." -- Ben

That was Ben's advice to Hurley on how he could handle being the island's protector. It was a lot like Jacob's answer to Kate about the list of candidates -- "It's just a line of chalk on a cave wall."

In the end, this is what the first five years (and then some) meant. It was all arbitrary. The rules could be changed at any time. It was all, metaphorically speaking, a line of chalk on a cave wall. So why the heck did we invest so much time in trying to figure out what it all meant?

There were other aspects of the finale that bothered me, too -- and not just Kate's absurdly ripped shoulders that were a little too female bodybuilder-esque to have her delivering a baby in a strapless dress.

In retrospect, the alt-universe was really a worthless and contrived storyline that's only use was to afford the show an opportunity to inject emotion into the finale. I'd have been OK with that if the ending had made more sense. Why, for example, were so many of the island's key characters not in the church, but Penny -- who never set foot on the island -- was? And why would Shannon be Sayid's traveling companion and not Nadya? Or why would Aaron be there, but not Ji-Yeon? And if this was all essentially purgatory, why could Keemy die and why did Jack randomly have a son and why, for the love of God, did we need to spend sooooo much time learning about this world during the entirety of Season 6 when in the end it was all The Matrix -- a false universe designed to delude its inhabitants from realizing the truth? Again, the payoff spoiled the journey.

And all of that isn't to say that I'm angry I watched the show now. There were moments during the run of "Lost" -- Charlie sacrificing his life, holding his hand up with the note "Not Penny's boat" or Desmond's frantic phone call with Penny aboard the freighter or Boone telling Jack it was OK to let him die -- that I would put on par with any moments on any show in TV history. I'm glad I watched them, and I didn't need context for those moments.

But what's sad for me is, knowing what I know now, I don't think I can re-watch those episodes now and enjoy them the same way.

When I was 23, I moved from Delaware to San Diego. I had never been West of Chicago at that point, so the whole thing was an adventure. My roommate and I drove across the country -- leaving during a blizzard -- and it was one of the best experience of my life. We went to Graceland in Memphis (where we asked if we could take pictures on the toilet Elvis died on), ate a steak as big as my arm in Texas (the car ride after that was uncomfortable to say the least), watched the sun set over the Grand Canyon (a moment lessened somewhat by three fat Midwestern women next to us talking about going to the mall afterward), and stayed up all night gambling in Vegas (calling our friends on the East coast who were already at work for the day that morning). Legitimately, a life-altering journey.

But as great as it was, when I finally got to San Diego, I was thrilled that the trip was over. You couldn't have paid me enough to get back in the car and drive back in the other direction. I wouldn't have traded the journey for anything, but I also never wanted to do it again.

That's sort of how I feel about "Lost" now that it's over. I have no regrets about investing myself in the show the way that I did. I enjoyed almost every minute of it. But it will be a long time before I want to go back and watch those old episodes again, and that's kind of a shame.

Alright, I'm wrapping up my time in Destin, but I'm hoping to have another mailbag in the next week or two, so feel free to send in some more questions and I'll do my best to keep getting you some answers. Have a great weekend!

Long Awaited, Much-Anticipated, Double-Stuffed, Super Deluxe, Director's Cut, Critereon Collection Mailbag... Part I

You ask, I answer. Let's get to it...

JLove writes: whats up on that mailbag mr. hale?

David: Mailbag? Come on, J Love. I thought you were a real fan. This blog isn't about just giving you answers to intriguing mysteries! It's about the characters! You don't really want me to give you all the answers, right? Some mysteries just have to go unsolved, and you need to remember I never promised to answer every question. Sure, I led you to believe that all these issues were really important. And yes, you spent hours and days and weeks discussing possible outcomes. But it was never my job to provide you with a pay-off that made any sense. It's about the journey of asking the questions, not the solutions of a true finale-like mailbag. You need to just be happy with some "Get to Know" posts and not worry about why Clint Boling was in the mental hospital with Hurley or how it is that Jon Fabris could turn into the smoke monster.

And yes, I'll be making numerous other snide allusions to "Lost" in the next few thousand words…

Rob writes: Multiple times a day I go to your blog. Each time, for a majority of the last couple weeks, I’ve been saddened to see no new content. Is this just a confluence of events, the doldrums of off season plus the end of the UGA Spring semester, leading to the limited writing?

David: A "confluence of events" is probably a good way of putting it, Rob.

First off, I didn't really take much down time last year, and the result was that I was utterly exhausted by the end of football season. So I'm trying to conserve a bit of energy this offseason so we're running at full speed by the time SEC Media Days gets started in July.

Secondly, we have been limited in terms of player availability since the end of spring practice. The only real interview opportunities we've had have come with the coaches at the Bulldog Club meetings, so it's been tough to get quotes or background for new material. And while I could try to recycle some stuff just for the sake of content, I'm not real excited about doing that. But I do have a few projects in the works that will hopefully be well worth the wait in the coming weeks.

Third, I started a beer card at Pauley's downtown. If I drink 100 different beers, I get a free t-shirt. And I could really use a t-shirt.

In any case, I'm hoping to post 10-12 times a week going forward, assuming there's enough to write about, with even more coming next week with SEC Meetings in Destin kicking off.

Oh, and also, feel free to pop a bottle of your finest sparking beverage today to celebrate this mailbag, which as fate would have it is... my 2,000th post! I feel like that should get me a free t-shirt, too.

(And don't worry... I already know what my final post will be, so all of this will definitely make sense when we get to the finale. Trust me, it all matters.)

Harin writes: My fiance is a huge softball fan and wants to go tot he CWS if her DePaul blue demons and the lady dawgs make it...she was asking why you aren't giving them any love cause she loves your blog too

David: Well, I could give you the Pauley's beer excuse again, but the truth is I just didn't make it over to cover them much. Super-regionals kick off today, however, so I'll see what I can do about giving the softball team a bit more love this weekend.

Barton writes: I was wondering what you think about conference expansions? I know the Big Ten is talking about expanding to 16 teams. If that occurs, the SEC will likely expand also. My actual question is who will the SEC target if an expansion happens within the next 5-10 years? (FSU and Miami) or (Texas and Oklahoma)

Geographically FSU and Miami seem to make the most sense. I also heard that if Texas and Oklahoma leave the Big 12, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State would follow. Just curious to see what you think and look forward to the mailbag.

David: My best guess is that the SEC won't expand unless it has to, and for now at least, I'm not inclined to think that the huge landscape-altering changes that have been discussed will become a reality. That said, if Texas essentially becomes a free agent, I don't see how the SEC doesn't at least explore the idea of bringing the 'Horns in. Texas has access to a huge and lucrative market that would expand the current SEC footprint and also fields competitive teams across numerous sports. So there's a lot of upside to considering the idea.

As for other teams, the obvious responses have been Clemson, Florida State, Miami and Georgia Tech. I'd also figure that, wherever Texas goes, A&M would follow. I suppose it's also possible teams like North Carolina and Virginia Tech could be in play. But all of that is fodder for water-cooler discussion more than a reality for the near future. And if I had a vote, I'd stick with things the way they are.

Chuck writes: I am trying to find out what’s happened to the Georgia baseball team!?! This was supposed to be a good season, and it seems to have unraveled badly.

David: Two major issues for the Diamond Dogs this year -- pitching and youth. The latter was a problem in terms of fielding a consistent lineup this season, particularly when injuries added up early in the season. But in the long run, it might have been a good trial by fire for a group of guys who will be back with a lot more experience next season. The pitching, however, is a real concern. Georgia's team ERA for the season was 8.51 -- more than a run-and-a-half behind the next-worst team (Mississippi State at 6.92) and nearly two full runs worse than the all-time low point in Bulldogs' history. What's worse is that virtually none of Georgia's younger pitchers showed significant progress as the year went on. What was a giant black hole for Georgia this season is going to be a huge question mark again next year, and allowing eight-and-a-half runs a game isn't going to get it done no matter how good the offense is.

John F. writes: Let me first say that I don't think using A.J. Green as a punt returner is a good idea. But, I got to thinking why not? The biggest reason is risk of injury, but how often does a returner actually get hurt on punt returns? I can only think of one in recent memory, Mikey Henderson sustained a concussion in the Sugar Bowl against Hawaii from a personal foul. Mikey was a much smaller guy than A.J., so I don't think a concussion is likely for A.J., but who knows. The point is, I hear a lot of people say it is very risky, but I don't hear many reports of injuries of punt returners. But that may be just because I haven't been listening. Besides, Rambo and Boykin are pretty valuable to the team as well.

David: I'm inclined to agree, but I still don't think using Green as a returner is such a hot idea. It's really an issue of risk-reward. Are the chances particularly high that A.J. will get hurt returning a punt? No. But the chances that his punt-return skills will be the difference in many games isn't particularly high either. And while A.J. is a remarkable athlete, there are other quick, elusive guys on the team who aren't as important in their offensive or defensive roles as A.J. is. Add to that the fact that Green has been banged up both of his first two seasons in Athens, and I just don't see how the case can be made that it's a good idea to put him out there regularly. Now, if you wanted to use him in "must win" situations, like the field-goal block against Arizona State, for example, then I'm all for that.

Jarrett writes: I read your first article about the Facebook page when it first came out. I got the exact impression that you meant when you wrote it. I understood that it had nothing to do with a divide in the locker room and that it was just some of Mett's friends offering condolences and support to someone who is obviously very down. Just wanted to let you know that not everyone took it the wrong way.

David: Yup, between the Facebook story and my "bias" for Aaron Murray and my stoking the flames under Mark Richt's hot seat… I've been a real jackass this offseason. On the upside, at least I haven't written anything controversial about the softball team.

Trumely writes: Dawg Chat - "David Hale, That guy is all business all the time." How do you feel about that Dave?

David: I feel like it's time for me to build a bed under my desk for naps, a la George Costanza.



Byron writes: Hey David, was wondering if you could find out why the club tour doesn't come to Jacksonville anymore.

David: I talked to Claude Felton in the sports information office about this. He said that visiting Jacksonville hasn't been abandoned, but that the plans for now are to focus on the primary locales within the state -- Macon, Augusta, Atlanta, Columbus, Savannah -- then rotate other cities each year. This year the tour hit Statesboro. Last year, I think there was an appearance in South Carolina. Jacksonville will be back on the docket eventually, too.

Stuart writes: Do you know if CMR ever plans on doing a bulldog club outside the south? Say like Los Angeles?

David: Now this might be a bit tougher. I'd imagine if a visit like this could be fit in around another rationale for being in the area, sure. But the problem is that there are a ton of other responsibilities on Richt's plate during the offseason, and a major trip like this would be far more time consuming than a few hours in Macon, for example. The other aspect, too, is that L.A. residents might make it out to Athens for one or two games a year. The in-state fans are far more likely to make visiting Sanford Stadium (or Stegeman) a routine.

Wooly Butts writes: Is the idea to cross-train Gamble for both jobs? To take a starting ILB and make him a backup OLB, or start him at OLB in front of Washington? I assume that Dowtin will now start with Dent at ILB? Are Robinson and Gilliard solid 2nd-team ILBs, with time available for Samuel (if he doesn't RS) and Hebron or incoming freshmen?

David: I'll be interested to see how they end up using Gamble this fall, and my bet is that a lot of that decision will come down to how some of the freshmen -- like Demetre Baker and T.J. Stripling -- perform in fall camp. I think Gamble is probably more valuable at ILB, where his experience and leadership are a bigger part of the on-field responsibilities of the position. But in terms of depth, obviously the bigger need for UGA in the short term is at OLB. In talking to DG, he's happy playing both positions, and he said he's comfortable moving back and forth if it keeps him on the field more. So perhaps that will be how things end up.

Alan writes: How about a post that compares UGA football players to LOST characters. It would provide intrigue, frustration for non-losties, and transvestitism. All the makings of a Pulitzer if you ask me.

David: Well, I suppose four straight years out of the SEC title game feels a bit like purgatory, right? And perhaps Todd Grantham is the perfect "candidate" to turn the light back on… whatever the heck that means. But I'm just not sure I have the energy to do this anymore.

Steve writes: just read your getting to know Demetre Bake feature and was wondering how big he is these days. When he won shot and discuss I read somewhere that he was 6-2 but I'm pretty positive that's a generous height for him. Any help would be appreciated; glad you're back and blogging after a slow few days.

David: Self-reported numbers from Mr. Baker is 6-foot-1 and 213 pounds. As a point of comparison, Rennie was 5-10, 225.

Meansonny writes: A couple of quick questions on some points made anonymously... Who are the 4 Other juniors that will be leaving the Bulldawgs after the 2010 season? I'm sure someone might leave with AJ. But there's a good chance that it only follows a great performance this season. If we get 4 other Juniors to go Pro, I like our chances in the East next year

David: Well, given the relative levels of lucidity displayed by Mr. Anonymous from time to time, I'm at a loss to tell you which four juniors he might have had in mind. But just for fun, let's look at Georgia's top draft-eligible underclassmen and handicap their NFL prospects for 2011, from most likely to depart to least likely.

A.J. Green. He'll be missed.

Justin Houston. If he hadn't missed three games last year, he likely would have led the SEC in sacks while playing on a mediocre-at-best defense. This year, he's playing OLB in a blitz-happy scheme with a full 12-game slate and no suspension awaiting him. Something tells me he might be NFL bound sooner than later.

Cordy Glenn. He's become one of the best guards in the SEC and received rave reviews for how much he improved this spring (with Mike Bobo saying Glenn had the best spring of anyone on the offense, despite having no back-up pushing him for playing time). If the line comes together this year the way many expect, Glenn could be joining Clint Boling near the top of some NFL teams' draft boards.

Brandon Boykin. Excelled as a returner last year, has NFL-level skill set and was solid in his first year as a starter despite Georgia's disastrous secondary. If Scott Lakatos is successful in helping him take that next step and refine his game, Boykin could easily be NFL ready in 2011.

Ben Jones. Probably not prototypical NFL size, but he sure has the prototypical NFL approach. None of the first four guys would surprise me if they entered the draft in 2011. This one probably would, but it's not completely out of the question.

Caleb King. If he's healthy and playing a lot, he could certainly turn some heads of NFL scouts. Of course, if he's healthy and playing enough, would he want to leave? Again, I'd doubt this one would happen, but it's not impossible.

Aron White. He's a versatile athlete who has made steady progress and is at a crowded position where he's already been (at least nominally) passed by a younger player on the depth chart. So you could envision a scenario in which he goes to the NFL early. But he's also not the prototypical NFL tight end by any means, and he's a super smart kid who clearly understands the value of getting his degree. I'd be very surprised if this happened.

Bacarri Rambo, Nick Williams, Jakar Hamilton, Marcus Dowtin, Cornelius Washington, DeAngelo Tyson. This group is essentially all in the same boat. Each has an NFL skill set and would be a player you'd figure will get drafted whenever they move on from Georgia. All will be draft eligible at the conclusion of the 2010 season, should they choose to depart. But none have been a full-time starter before, and each has a lot to prove. There's a decent chance that one or more will do just that this season and find their NFL prospects bright by December, but it's anyone's guess as to who that might be. Of course, this should also be a nice little reminder of how much potential there is on Georgia's D this year. Six guys who didn't start last season that all have a reasonable shot of playing in the NFL. That's a lot to like.

ECDawg writes: Andy Staples noted today that SEC teams control local TV rights and that Florida receives $10 million/year from Fox Sports. How much does UGA get for local rights?

David: There's not an easy apples-to-apples comparison here, since Florida's SunSports deal is a good bit different in its structure than Georgia's. The closest comparison I could give you is the Dawgs' deal with ISP Sports, which handles marketing, Internet, radio and a mess of other things, too. That deal, signed prior to last season, is for eight years at $92 million.

Dawgjammin writes: how much better is the press coverage AJ is facing in practice/scrimages this spring and the early part of fall going to make him? You gotta think he hasn't faced that in practice his first two years…

David: He certainly seems to think it's going to make him better, and I think it's been reciprocal. A.J.'s getting to see more press coverage in practice, which will help him on game day with the more physical opponents he'll go up against. Meanwhile, Georgia's corners are getting a taste of what it's like to press the best receiver in the country during practice. If they can slow A.J. down on a Tuesday, there aren't many receivers who will have success against them on Saturday.

Quantoid Dawg writes: Given a population of approximately 200 college males and a time span of 3.2 years, what is the number of incidents we should expect? As you correctly observe, one way to measure this is against the student population as a whole. Without some base line of a reasonable expectation, the discussion is an only argument about perceptions.

David: There was a lot more to Quantoid's question about Georgia's recent arrest record, but for the purposes of space, I think this summarizes his basic inquiry pretty well. The idea is that there are obvious differences in how discipline is handled at other schools, both in-house and by the local police force. So the best point of comparison is between the UGA football team and Athens Clarke County as a whole. Luckily, our pal Jim F. did some of this research.

For Jim's research, he estimated that about 160 different players had come through Georgia since 2007, including walk-ons. During that time span, as I noted in my post on the subject last month, there were 37 "incidents." Since then, two more arrests occurred, but several of the "incidents" I noted originally didn't result in arrests. So let's use 32 as our number of total arrests since 2007 for Georgia. That means that roughly 20 percent of all football players during that span have found themselves in some sort of off-field legal trouble.*

(*Note, some players have been arrested multiple times, so while that average is correct, the total number of players involved in incidents is actually lower.)

As Jim found out, the overall numbers for ACC in general since that span are far lower. There have been 6,471 arrests in ACC since 2007, according to FBI crime stats. Divide that into the population, which is estimated at 104,313, and you have a crime average of 6.2 percent -- or roughly one-third of the rate of football players.

Just in terms of violent crimes, the rate in ACC is roughly 0.4 percent, with a total of 387 incidents reported. Among Georgia players, I'd count six (Zach Mettenberger's recent guilty plea in Remerton, two incidents by Montez Robinson, Michael Lemon's fight, Jeremy Lomax's gun charge and assault charges against former walk-on Tripp Taylor). That's a rate of 3.7 percent -- or roughly 10 times the ACC average.

Now, with that context, is it fair to say there's a real problem with behavior on Georgia's football team?

I probably wouldn't argue much if you said there was. But there are mitigating factors here, too. For one, it's nearly impossible to simulate the spotlight that football players are under, and those stats don't measure criminal activity, but rather the rate people are caught and charged with criminal activity. Secondly, ACC stats include a wide variety of demographics, while the football team is far more specific. Odds are the large number of retirees in ACC aren't going out on the town too often, and even if they do, there's no risk of them getting charged with underage consumption. But the highest rate of crime tends to be among 18 to 25-year-olds, which just so happens to fit with the demographic make-up of the football team.

There are no doubt numerous other factors to consider, too, so even these numbers don't help to provide true context. But I think it does show that, regardless of the explanations or justifications, Georgia's image problem in this regard is largely self-created, and it is something that needs to be addressed and resolved rather than simply explained.

Anonymous writes: Why does attrition hit UGA so much harder than some other SEC schools like UF and UA? What can UGA do to be be better prepared for attrition (injuries and descipline)? The lack of for sight seems negligent. Whether the negligence is just stupidty or a holier than thou attitude is what I can't figure out. What is your opinion?

David: Given some of the problems of this year -- particularly at QB and OLB -- I can understand this thought process, but I'm not sure the evidence really backs it up. Yes, losing Mettenberger and Robinson have left two positions pretty thin for Georgia. And yes, a few years back there was a significant issue with depth on the O line and at tight end. But the players who left from those positions weren't likely guys who would have made an impact -- and none did at other schools after leaving UGA.

So my guess is, attrition hasn't really hurt Georgia as much as you might think, although the lack of numbers at some position has been a problem.

Part of that problem is likely about recruiting numbers in general, and Georgia has brought in significantly fewer players per year of late than many of their SEC counterparts. Auburn, for example, has landed nearly 30 signees per year during the past five years, while Georgia's number is closer to about 21. Mark Richt also makes a point of never removing a player from scholarship for reasons like underperformance or injuries, so there are a handful of players each year who just aren't likely to make an impact on the field under any circumstances.

Having said all that, Georgia is hardly the only team to go through some hard times in terms of attrition. As Wes Rucker told me during our Two-A-Days interviews, Tennessee will be going to bat this season with only about 70 scholarship players.

Jim F. writes: TV had 3 maybe 4 long series end this month (both season and series ending): Lost, L&O, 24 and if you count Simon leaving Idol then 4 - your grades plz?!?!

David: First off, I've never watched an episode of "American Idol." I watched roughly three minutes of the show its first season and that's three minutes of my life I'll never get back. I can only assume that Simon's goodbye will have little impact on my daily life.

As for "Lost"… I'll get to that in a bit.

I gave up on "24" this season, and with the talks of a "24" movie, I was less inclined to tune in for the grand finale of the show. Still, I have a soft spot for the show, which definitely had its highlights and low-lights over the years. Terri's amnesia and Kim's run-in with the cougar will always be bad-TV highlights for me, but I'd also argue that no show has ever done action on the small screen quite as well as "24" did. My guess is that one day, another show will come along using "24" as its archetype and do an even better job of progressing the genre, and that the impact of "24" will live for a long time. As it should.

Perhaps the most interesting of the shows you mentioned, however, is "Law & Order." You can make a good case for the significant impact "Idol," "Lost" and "24" have had on television, but "L&O" was around far longer and yet… I'm not sure what its impact was. It never really tried to be anything other than a self-contained legal drama that rarely broke any barriers but always managed to appeal to the masses without being awful (which, if you watch most TV dramas, is a very difficult thing to do).

For me personally, I'll always have fond memories of L&O because it got me through what was probably the most difficult time in my life. After college, I had absolutely zero going on. I was unemployed, living in Delaware, utterly miserable and perpetually broke. What I did have was an intimate knowledge of how to find a L&O rerun on TV at virtually any time of day.* I believe my record was 14 hours of L&O spread over four channels in the same day -- and this didn't include any of TNT's L&O marathons. The show was so easily digestible yet still intrinsically entertaining that it made for great time-killing fare. And at that point in my life, killing time was all I had to do.

(* Side note on what I'll remember most about those days: I know everyone has their vivid memories of 9/11… part of mine was how long it took me to actually figure out what was going on because I was so completely exhausted when my mom called me and told me to turn on the TV. I'd stayed up until almost 7 a.m. the night before watching L&O reruns on A&E and TNT and had only been asleep for about 90 minutes when she called. The whole thing would have been utterly surreal under any circumstances, but my L&O- induced semi-coma made it all that much more unbelievable. And the funny thing was, I spent much of the next few days doing nothing but watching the news coverage, as most people did. But when I needed a break, when I couldn't watch any more of the realities of 9/11, I was really glad there were still reruns of L&O on at all times to take my mind off it.)

Anyway, as one final fond farewell to L&O, I'll ask you guys this question: What's your Law & Order dream cast? I'd probably go with Adam/McCoy/Claire on the legal side and Van Buren/Logan/Briscoe on the cops side.

Castleberry writes: I noticed Samuel pretty far down at LB. Any chance he redshirts?

David: Part of Samuel's low slot on the depth chart was that he missed the final week of the spring with a concussion. Part of it, too, is that I don't think the coaches have much of an idea on how he'll fit this year.

On one hand, Samuel has a ton of talent. That's no secret. But his problem -- at least for right now -- at linebacker is just what it was at running back. He lacks the basic natural instincts he needs to play wide open and use his talent to its fullest.

“I just think the key and diagnose of blocking schemes," Grantham said about where Samuel needs the most work. "He has a feel for where the ball’s going, but is it a downhill run? Is it a wide play? I just think it’s more the recognition of the blocks and where do I need to fit based on the recognition of the call. That’s based on experience, but the guy was in here after meetings watching tape trying to get ready because he wanted to get better. If our guys will do that and work to improve, I think we’ll be fine.”

Both Grantham and Richt have been pretty cautious about setting any sort of bar of expectation for Samuel, and my guess is at this point, they expect a redshirt. But with as much talent as he has, and as little experienced depth as there is at any LB position, that could easily change this fall.

Greg writes: I saw on ESPN.com that Mettenberger had plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of sexual battery. Where do you think Mett will end up? Apparently he is going to be visiting Louisville and Cincinatti. Is he free to sign anywhere or is he limited to a list of schools approved by Georgia?

David: Mettenberger is free to sign anywhere he wants to, and a number of schools have been reported to have interest. I know he visited Cincinnati, but I'm not sure what other options have been out there. UGASports reported a potential JuCo destination, which might make some sense in allowing him to get some PT under his belt and rebuild his image a bit, which could open up more doors down the road. I tried contacting Mett, but he didn't return my calls.

Billy writes: In light of Mettenberger's guilty plea, do you think he would have been booted from the team, if he had been totally honest and repentant with Richt in the first place?

David: This is impossible to say, and I highly doubt either Richt or Mettenberger will ever give us a straight answer. But I think it's safe to say this decision was as much about sending a message as it was about punishment for Mett. Although, even if that wasn't the case, I think the punishment was probably appropriate.

MauiDawg writes: we are all hungry for a SEC title game and NC...but you don't ax one of the highest winning percentage coaches in the nation and one of the best representatives of a major football program. He's making some important changes now..granted he should have done it 2 years ago..but he's done it now... So just chill out man and have faith and some loyalty in the guy. Otherwise, you'd be a perfect fan at Auburn or Tennessee..you'd get along great with their football admin.

David: Here's the thing about the "hot seat" questions… what SEC coach isn't on the hot seat to some extent? The fact of the matter is, in this league, the expectations are always high, and only one team can win a championship each year. That means 11 other coaches fell short of the ultimate goal and have something to prove the next season, and Richt is no different.

What makes Richt's seat a slight bit warmer than some others is a combination of last year's failures and the length of his tenure. Heck, Auburn and Georgia finished roughly the same last season, and Georgia won their head-to-head matchup. Yet Richt is supposedly in trouble, but Gene Chizik apparently won over fans? It's all about perspective, and I'm willing to bet -- as MauiDawg points out -- no Georgia fan would be thrilled about dumping Richt to get a guy like Chizik.

Yes, Richt needs a better on-field performance in 2010 if he wants this talk to disappear next season. But there's virtually no way he goes anywhere unless it's his decision, and that's probably a good thing because the options for finding a suitable replacement would be few and far between. And really, that's the mistake so many reactionary fans make. It's easy to want change, but that only works if you have a better alternative. All due respect to Will Muschamp or Kirby Smart, but they haven't accomplished a fraction of what Richt has.

Anonymous writes: It is time for Mark Richt to go. Anyone who defends him and says it is the players forgets he selected the players. He cannot win big games against worthy opponents and continues to have player issues. I have been a fan of GA football since 1975 and this program is at absolute bottom. What a joke.

David: First off, I'm glad to know that Anonymous has made a good recovery from the coma he was apparently in from 1993 through 1996.

Secondly, this brings us to the best suggestion we've had on the blog in a while...

Kathleen writes: I think the new troll on your board should create a drinking game for us... like every time he mentions Knowshon being redshirted. Drink! Or Washaun not playing until the fifth game! Or when he addresses you by name, David Hale.

David: If I had only instituted this policy a week ago, I'd be done with my beer card already. But I love the idea, so everyone should probably head to their nearest purveyor of malted hops and barley and stock up for the remainder of the offseason.

And yes, I know I haven't written about "Lost" yet… it's coming in the second half of the mailbag on Monday. Stay tuned… the answers are coming. Or perhaps we're all just in purgatory and this was all meaningless.