Georgia Tech Swing Dancing

GT Swing Dancing

SEC Scheduling and Parity: Can the SEC learn from the NFL?

Currently, the SEC operates under a 6-1-1 scheduling format, meaning that 6 conference games are played against a team's division opponents, 1 game against a rotating team from the other division, and 1 game against a rival/tie-in from the other division.

This scheduling format has sparked significant debate, notably since the SEC expanded to 14 teams.  Coaches, such as Steve Spurrier (South Carolina) and Les Miles (LSU) have argued that the current format is not fair due to their conference tie-ins.  South Carolina's tie-in is Texas A&M, while LSU's is Florida.  When creating the tie-ins, the SEC tried to match cross-division opponents based on a combination of rivalry and success. Other notable conference tie-ins include Tennessee-Alabama and Georgia-Auburn.  

From a traditional standpoint, Tennessee-Alabama and Georgia-Auburn make sense. Looking at the all-time AP rankings of NCAA programs, Alabama and Tennessee are the only SEC programs in the top 10, and Georgia and Auburn, in addition to being the "Deep South's Oldest Rivalry," are ranked in the 10-15 range.  However, in recent years, Tennessee and Auburn have struggled, providing Alabama and Georgia with weaker tie-ins than South Carolina and LSU.

Steve Spurrier made the argument that it's not a coincidence that Georgia and Alabama made the SEC Championship last year.  To a large extent, Spurrier makes a sound point.  From his perspective, Georgia avoided Alabama, LSU, and Texas A&M, while South Carolina played LSU and Arkansas (South Carolina’s previous tie-in who was ranked in the top 10 preseason).  I believe he is ultimately arguing for more conference parity, which is reasonable. Sure, Georgia and Alabama were good teams, but their tie-ins were significantly weaker than those of LSU and South Carolina. Steve Spurrier and Les Miles are not alone.  Others have argued that the SEC should abandon the tie-ins all together.

But, as Mark Richt (Georgia) argues, it would destroy longtime rivalries, such as Georgia and Auburn, which have lots of meaning for the players and fans involved.  Richt also noted how the Florida State-Miami-Florida rivalries were abandoned during conference expansions and how important games and traditions were lost.  Further, other rivalries such as Nebraska-Oklahoma or Texas-Texas A&M have been nixed due to conference expansion (and other reasons).  So, why can't the SEC take measures to be the exception and maintain rivalries?

Here's what I suggest. Many may not realize what the NFL does for parity in terms of scheduling.  Did you know that division winners from a given year are required to play the other division winners the following year. That is, since the Atlanta Falcons won the NFC South during the 2012-13 season, they are required to play Washington (NFC East winner), San Francisco (NFC West winner), Green Bay (NFC North winner) during the 2013-2014 season.  This format allows for parity in that past division winners must continue to prove themselves year after year, while other division teams who didn't win benefit from not playing all of the division winners.  This format ultimately helps the NFL product, as there is frequent shuffling at the top of divisions, keeping fans engaged in their team.

So, why can't the SEC adopt a similar format and still keep the conference tie-ins? Let's look at last year as an example.  Alabama won the SEC West and Georgia won the SEC East.  Suppose the 6-1-1 format were tweaked where the rotating 1 game required the division winners to play one another at the site of the losing team from the SEC Championship.  Thus, for the 2013-14 season, Georgia would play the other 6 SEC East teams, Alabama (SEC West winner), and Auburn (conference tie-in). This would seem to silence Spurrier's and Miles's opposition at least a bit, and maintain the conference tie-ins.

Some may argue this is a scheduling nightmare that has to be addressed every year. But, I argue that if the NFL can do it, why can't the SEC?  For, the SEC is the closest thing to the NFL in college football.

The Beer and Whiskey Elitist

Trappeze Pub in Athens, GA, is where my beer diversity all began.

Coors Light was the first beer I ever liked. I haven't even touched a Coors Light for about 6 years now. For a light American beer from a major brewery, it is an average beer, but for the beer connoisseur I have become, it is awful.

This entry is to try to start cataloging all the beers I have tried to reflect on the greats and the not so greats.

St. Bernardus Abt 12- My Favorite Beer So Far

The Top 5

1. St. Bernardus Abt 12 (A+)

2. Chimay Grande Réserve (Blue) (A+)

3. De Dolle Stille Nacht (A+)

4. De Dolle Bos Keun (A+)

5. Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier (A+)

TOMLONIOUS

The Others

Allagash White (A)

Allagash Dubbel Ale (A)

Allagash Tripel Ale (A)

Amstel Light (C)

Anchor Steam Beer (B)

Ayinger Brau-Weisse (A)

Bell's Oberon Ale (A-)

Blue Moon (C+)

Brasserie de Silenrieux S.A. Noel de Silenrieux (B+)

Brooklyn Sorachi Ace (A-)

Bud Light (F-)

Bud Light Lime (D-)

Budweiser (F)

Budweiser Select (D-)

Caracole Troublette (A)

Chimay Premiere (Red) (A-)

Chimay Tripel (White) (B+)\

Coney Island Human Blockhead (C+)

Coors Light (D)

Coors (C)

Corona (D)

Creature Comforts Athena (A)

Creature Comforts Tropicalia (A)

Delirium Tremens (A)

Dogfish Head Black & Blue (B+)

Dogfish Head Midas Touch (A-)

Dogfish Head Red & White (A-)

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron (A)

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale (B)

Gouden Carolus Classic (A+)

Green Flash Le Freak (B-)

Guinness Original (B)

Heineken (C)

Holy Mackerel Special Golden Ale (C)

Kasteel Donker (B+)

Kasteel Rouge (B)

KettleHouse Cold Smoke Scotch Ale (A)

König Ludwig Weiss- Royal Bavarian Hefeweizen (B)

Lagunitas Imperial Red Ale (B)

Lagunitas Olde GnarlyWine (B+)

Leffe Blonde (B)

Liefmans Goudenband (A)

Malheur 12 (B+)

McGuire's Reserve (B)

Michelob Ultra (F)

Miller High Life (B)

Miller Lite (D)

Monday Night Brewing Drafty Kilt (B+)

Monday Night Brewing Fu Manbrew (B)

New Belgium Dig (B)

New Belgium Fat Tire (A)

New Belgium Matt's Ale (A)

New Belgium Peach Porch Lounger (B)

New Belgium Trippel Belgian Style Ale (A+)

New Belgium Vivante Biere de Garde (A+)

Newcastle Brown Ale (C)

Ommegang Abbey Ale (B+)

Orpheus Atalanta (A+)

Orpheus Serpent Bite (B)

Ovila Quad (A-)

Pabst Blue Ribbon (C-)

Peroni Nastro Azzurro (C-)

Petrus Aged Pale Ale (B)

Red Hare Gangway IPA (B)

Rolling Rock Extra Pale Ale (C)

Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale (B+)

Samuel Smith's Organic Lager (B+)

Samuel Smith's Organic Raspberry (B)

Sapporo Black (C)

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (B-)

Sierra Nevada Summerfest (B)

Sixpoint The Crisp (B)

Southern Tier Eurotrash Pilz (B)

St. Bernardus Christmas Ale (A+)

St. Sebastiaan Golden (A-)

Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale (B+)

Straight to Ale - Brother Joseph's Belgian Dubbel (A+)

Sweetwater 420 (B)

Sweetwater Blue (B)

Terrapin Easy Rider (C)

Terrapin Golden Ale (A-)

Terrapin Hopsecutioner (B)

Terrapin Pumpkinfest (A+)

Terrapin Rye Pale Ale (B)

Terrapin SunRay (B+)

Terrapin Tree Hugger (B-)

Terrapin Twilight Road Warrior (B)

Trappistes Rochefort 8 (B+)

Trappistes Rochefort 10 (A)

Unibroue Maudite (B+)

Victory Festbier (B)

Victory Golden Monkey (B)

Victory V-Twelve (B+)

Westmalle Tripel Ale (A)

Weyerbacher Merry Monks' Ale (B)

Wild Heaven Eschaton (A)

Wild Heaven Invocation (B+)

Yuengling Traditional Lager (B)

Whiskey

The Irishman

Rittenhouse Rye (A+)

Weller Special Reserve Wheated Bourbon (A)

Thought's on Bama's Win...

First off, I will say that I absolutely despise the University of Alabama: the academic institution, the athletics program, the band, the chess team, the sidewalks, EVERYTHING...

However, I was rooting against Texas for the National Championship because I support the continued dominance of the SEC. As long as the SEC keeps winning, it makes my team, Georgia, look better.

Congrats to Alabama on their win. They displayed once again that their defense is incredible, and that the SEC plays so much more defense than the Big 12.

I still do not think that Greg McElroy is that great of a QB, and Mark Ingram continues to impress me as a RB. That guy is an amazing, power runner.

Some make the argument that if Colt McCoy played the entire game, then it would have been a different game...Perhaps so. I personally like the argument of my esteemed colleague, Bo Mann. Bo stated, "sure having McCoy would have made a difference, but injuries are part of the game, and McCoy is just not used to taking blows from powerhouse, SEC teams..."

(Bo Mann and I think McCoy would have helped Texas, but that the SEC was too much for his hip, and hips don't lie- Shakira)

SEC! SEC! SEC!

The Life of a Varsity Girls Basketball Intern: First Head Coaching Gig

Going into this past Saturday's game, I had been the Assistant Coach for both the Varsity Girls and JV Girls, as Coach Hamilton coaches both. For this past Saturday's JV game, I was named the interim head coach of the JV Girls.

Obviously, Coach Hamilton and I don't emphasize the JV games as much as the Varsity because there are no Championships or playoffs. However, we do take the games seriously because they are important to the girls and are critical in their development as individuals and in basketball. So, there was some pressure for me to do well, especially considering the way in which the JV head coaching reigns were handed over...

About an hour and a half before the JV game, Coach Hamilton approached me at 10 AM, and basically said, "oh yea, you're gonna be the head coach of the JV girls today."

As Jim Carrey would have said when playing the Mastermind Pet Detective in Ace Ventura, I responded by stating "well, alrighty then," as our JV girls were about to play one of their better opponents and I was hardly mentally prepared for the challenge. Further, my attire did not necessarily look the part of a head coach either, and, to girls, appearance is generally very important. My outfit included hunting boots, khakis, and a polo button-up, with the "hands on the hips" power stance. Fortunately though, the fashion police probably don't exist in Eatonton, GA, based on some of the costumes I saw in the crowd...

(Ace Ventura frequently uses the phrase, "well, alrighty then." That was my exact thought when told shortly before the game that I would be head coach)

However, in a strange way, not being mentally prepared can be a great thing because it does not allow for pressure to build up over time. There were few expectations. I figured once I get out of college, I need to be able to make quick decisions on my feet; so, I welcomed the challenge.

I felt I did well overall, as I was able to keep a light mood with the girls, while seriously implementing schemes and strategies. But, I did have one regret:

I WAS UNABLE TO ESTABLISH A PRE-GAME WARM-UP ROUTINE FOR THE GIRLS.

I concluded that if I were to have the girls perform a pre-game warm-up, it would look similar to that of the Purple Cobras in Dodgeball-Wouldn't that be great?!?

Slap, Slap...Hiss!

(Modeling our pre-game routine after that of White Goodman and the Purple Cobras would have intimidated the crap out of the other team)

Unfortunately, we lost the game, but, considering we did not have two of our best players, I was very pleased with the JV Girls' performance and effort.

The Life of a Varsity Girls Basketball Intern: On The Road, SCOUTING

(Sandersville, GA, 2009)

Scouting Trip to Sandersville, GA

One of the aspects of my internship as an assistant coach involves traveling to cities, which probably still have 56K dial-up internet connections, to scout teams that our girls will play in the near future. What a blast.

On my most recent trip to Sandersville, GA, which is 3 hours round trip from Athens, GA, luckily, one of my best friends, Rob Murry joined me. Rob is engaged to be married in March and is a full-time pharmacist. So, for him to join me on my scouting venture to Sandersville really meant a lot.

Considering Rob and I don't even travel 5 min to Stegeman Coliseum to watch the #9 Lady Bulldogs basketball team, but we traveled 3 hours round trip to watch Varsity High School Girls basketball, I can only imagine what Rob's fiance thinks about our recent excursion. I'll leave the explanation part up to him...

When we went to scout Brentwood, we sat on the home team's side. I'm sure the home crowd was a little baffled by the presence of a graduate student and full-time pharmacist at a Varsity Girls' game in "Civilization Central." They were probably really confused because of our presence, especially during the most intense part of the game, when Rob and I yelled statements that were ambiguously clear...Some examples included yelling "Cat in a Corn Field" after a bad call and "Pickle in a Pea Patch" after a missed free throw.

Considering they didn't know us, I'm sure they were wondering what the heck we were doing there. Rob and I thought about this before entering the gymnasium, and concluded we would tell them that "We were Uncle Ned's Kids," if asked.

(Owen Wilson and Vince Vaugh would have told the Brentwood faithful that they were "Uncle Ned's Kids" too)

Aside from the game itself, which reminded me so much of "the intensity of a home Georgia football game," Rob and I had a great trip.

On the way to Sandersville, somehow, we got into a "real light"discussion of free will vs. predestination/determinism. We even discussed R.C. Sproul's book, Chosen by God, which offers a Reformed view on the matter if you're interested. I really value our conversations together and am glad we could talk about such interesting matters.

Due to our fatigue, we had slightly less discussion on the journey home, but more "male bonding" time. And, by male bonding, I mean listening to reflective music that a lot of guys would admit they liked behind closed doors, but would scoff at amongst peers. We felt it was ok because we're secure in a our friendship.

Some of the Music from Our Post-Game Soundtrack:

1. Now We Are Free- Gladiator Soundtrack
2. Something in Celtic/Gaelic Language- Enya
3. Braveheart Theme
4. Revelation Song- Kari Jobe
5. Our Great God- Fernando Ortega
6. Comfortably Numb- Pink Floyd
7. Stairway to Heaven- Led Zeppelin

(Enya's Watermark CD creates some great road Easy Listening, which we found out)

The Life of a Varsity Girls Basketball Intern: Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, BUT, some Women are from Mars, Part II

Different Audiences

Knowing your audience definitely helps, but sometimes, audiences are composed of members with different preferences and personalities that cannot be lumped into one box or formula!

Yes, there is some general truth to the statement, Men are from Mars, and Women are from Venus, asserting that men and women are different, but sometimes, some of the girls I coach seem to be from MARS!

Recall the scenario in Part I, with the basketball player missing a wide open lay-up, where I broke down how I would generally handle the situation with a guy vs. a girl. I said that I would normally criticize a guy for his mistake, while encouraging a girl...Trying to apply that formula to each girl backfired once or twice.

Some of our varsity girls' respond differently! For example, one time, one of our forwards missed a lay-up, and I began clapping, saying "It's ok, you'll get it next time." She did not get pissed, but nicely told me to basically "stop B.S.-ing her." She told me that if she screws up, she wants to know it because it motivates her to play better when a coach criticizes her for mistakes.

I took her advice, and given my edgy sense of humor, have found creative ways to apply criticism to her. For example, after she shot the ball, and it was an "air-ball," hitting nothing and going out of bounds, I "encouraged" her, stating, "WOW! That was an NBA-caliber shot!"

For those who don't know what the acronym stands for besides "National Basketball Association," it also means "Nothing But Air."

Conclusions

From my observations of Coach Hamilton and my experiences, I have found that getting to know your players is one of the most important aspects of becoming an effective coach. Knowing your players can help you better understand them and treat them differently in different situations.

But, most importantly, I have learned that in coaching girls, as a coach, where I would normally criticize a guy several times for the same bone-headed mistakes until my corrections were entrenched in his brain, with most girls, sometimes, you just have to let it go and let them figure it out themselves.