Headed to see the Dawgs Dance! (And a little football)

First things first, if you're going to be in DC tomorrow, the Dawgs will be leaving Atlanta around 6:30pm (which means about 8pm arrival at Reagan-Nat'l and let's call it 8:15-8:45pm arrival at their hotel) come out and show them your support for winning the SEC Tourney!! More to come tomorrow when I get a better update on the times, etc. Second . . .

Well, I spent WAY more than I should have for the tickets, but I'll be there live & in person for the UGA-Xavier match-up on Thursday at noon-thirty-ish, depending on when the media idiots allow after they listen to themselves blather on for 30-45 min. AND I CAN'T WAIT!!!

I never would have thought that within 2.5 months that I'd see UGA in the Sugar Bowl & the NCAA Tourney at the same time. Last time that came about there were two guys named Herschel (following the 1982 Sugar Bowl) and 'Nique (following the 1981-82 season) who left their respective Dawgs' teams a year early. (why do the Heisman site and wikipedia have easier-to-find biographical articles on 2 of UGA's greatest sports legends than does georgiadogs.com?).

That's right sports fans both of the greatest players in Georgia's football & basketball programs left a year early. The result, trips to the Cotton Bowl & Final Four respectively. Yes, the Human Highlight Film left a year earlier than the Goal-line Stalker, but the point is that both teams did relatively well.

A Sugar Bowl berth in football followed by an NCAA berth in basketball courtesy of an SEC Tournament Championship, sounds oddly familiar, almost like it's happened before. Almost like it happened the last time UGA won an SEC Tournament Championship in Men's Basketball! The result . . . the Final Four.

Yes, I'm hoping beyond hope. But at this point, is there anything that can really tarnish the 2008 SEC Tournament Champions, 25 years after the last feat for the Dawgs? (check out this great article on the mindset of the players & coaches during the SEC Tourney from AJC: Four Days to a Championship Worst to First).

AND oh, by the way . . . how much of a welcome event is the SEC Tournament Championship for Mark Richt? First the man said he wept for joy for the team, damn I love that man. Second, how much more is it a boon-doggle for him to say to his players 'See what can be done!' and 'See! you count somebody out, and they'll bite you.' Just in case we all forget the preseason rankings mean absolutely squat except for where you end up. And if you do poorly, they mean nothing.

And, oh by the way, now at least the next 2-3 practices are forgotten about with the back-drop of the Tourney win and the NCAAs. So, if no one else wants to give Dennis Felton a raise, maybe Mark Richt and his assistants should pony up a little bit from his recent raise for taking some of the external focus off the 2008 football season and allowing him a better opportunity to re-focus his players' energy on the next practices rather than the coming season.

Good News: I get to see the Dawgs play in DC!
Bad News: Marcus Washington is gone for the year b/c of a lingering shoulder injury/shoulder surgery.

. . . All for Now.
. . . And to HELL with Georgia Tech!

-DCC '08
Washington, DC