Georgia's Gov. Deal Names Lackey to Key Transportation Post

In one for the ages, Georgia's Gov. Nathan Deal tapped a long-time Republican operative to head up the state's important transportation department. The transportation planning director basically picks the projects that get funded from large parts of the state’s $2 billion gas tax budget! What follows are excerpts from the AJC.com article:

The Senate Transportation Committee on Monday voted swiftly and unanimously to confirm Toby Carr as the state’s transportation planning director, the semi-final step in his appointment.

Gov. Nathan Deal nominated Carr, a political aide, to replace Todd Long, a career transportation planner and engineer.

The planning director has perhaps the strongest single hand in picking which projects get funded from large parts of the state’s $2 billion gas tax budget.

Carr is former director of the Georgia Republican Party, led Deal’s gubernatorial transition committee, and recently has been Deal’s transportation policy advisor. He’s been acting as planning director pending his confirmation.

But his background raised no questions for the committee members. After Carr delivered his opening remarks to them Monday and braced for questions, the senators, both Republicans and Democrats, voted to confirm him without asking a single one.

In interviews, some said they had worked with Carr when he was Deal’s liaison to the General Assembly, so they were not concerned about his education, experience or the approach he would take for the transportation planning position.

“We’ve had great experience with him already,” said Sen. Bill Jackson, R-Appling, a member of the committee. “You know you have faith somewhere. You have to have faith in the people that you’ve known. You could criticize or ostracize anybody. But this young man is a fine young man, demonstrated right in this building.” Jackson had begun the meeting with a prayer that the committee “justify” “the appointment of a good man by a great governor.” Committee Chairman Jeff Mullis said the senators didn’t need to ask Carr questions the public could hear, because they had each spoken to Carr privately beforehand. “We had a copy of his resume,” Mullis said.

Carr has degrees in finance and agricultural engineering, which he earned with honors.

Long has degrees in civil engineering from Georgia Tech, for which he studied subjects including transportation planning, traffic flow, and geometric design for transportation.

Sen. Steve Thompson, D-Marietta, defended the unquestioning support of Carr. “I don’t know how good you have to be to size a project up,” he told a reporter after the meeting.

A 2009 law passed as SB 200 set up the planning director position so the governor would have a strong hand on the front end of choosing projects, in hopes of avoiding conflict with the DOT board at the back end.

The House Transportation Committee will consider Carr’s nomination after the primary elections, said Chairman Jay Roberts, R-Ocilla. Roberts said he did not anticipate roadblocks for Carr, but he would hold both a subcommittee hearing and committee hearing so representatives could have adequate opportunity to question Carr.

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plez sez: georgia's good ole boy network strikes again! i'm always hearing how the republicans are about individual responsibility and hard work... they tend to leave out the part about licking the boss's boots and being a faithful political operative.


this story in the ajc.com got me so riled up, i had to respond: "so… a $2 billion gas tax budget is taken from a guy with degrees in civil engineering and given to a UGA grad (who, i’m sure is a nice guy, but is nothing but a political lap dawg) w/ with ZERO transportation experience on the eve of a statewide vote on spending an additional $1 billion transportation tax (have you people even looked at what parts of Metro Atlanta are going to get a lion’s share of that new construction?) … and NO ONE (democrat or republican) even asks him a softball question?!? you gotta love this state! i am voting NO on T-SPLOST (as many times as they’ll let me)!"


you got it, this yokel gets to "plan" what to do with $1 billion of basically discretionary spending... and i can guess where he'll use his discretion in spending it! the following picture shows the breakdown of the planned spending. my little area (plezWorld is circled in RED) is earmarked for 3 or 4 projects because the I-20 MARTA Expansion project is "contingent upon additional funding"! but the MARTA improvements from north springs to holcolm bridge road is mysteriously fully funded by t-splost! 

oh yeah! i thought republicans were against any new taxes?!?

~ ~ Citations ~ ~

Read the AJC Blog article about Gov. Deal's New Transportation Planning Director.


Go to the Untie Atlanta to see how Georgia plans to spend $6 BILLION transportation tax money.


Read the AJC.com article about the mystery of $1 BILLION in transportation tax money.

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Georgia Tech QB Josh Nesbitt for the Heisman Trophy

Josh Nesbitt leads a deadly triple option oriented attack for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The video below highlights how Nesbitt (and the Tech defense) dismantled No. 4 Virginia Tech to take the ACC Coastal Division lead.

To: All Heisman Trophy voters

Fr: Brian McMahon, PhD; School of Psychology; Georgia Institute of Technology

For Your Heisman Consideration: No. 11 Georgia Tech QB Josh Nesbitt

The Heisman Memorial Trophy is awarded to "an individual who deserves designation as the most outstanding college football player in the United States" (www.heisman.com,; 2009), and this is a call for Georgia Tech junior quarterback Josh Nesbitt to be fully considered for this prestigious award. This proposal deviates from the Best Player from the Best Team (BPBT) model that involves awarding the trophy to a player from one of the teams competing in the BCS National Championship Game or its predecessor (e.g., Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, Troy Smith, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, Jason White, Eric Crouch, Chris Weinke et al.). The BPBT model is not without merit, of course, and indeed it is certain that the best teams in the nation feature very good players. However, and also paradoxically, the best teams in the nation likely are so good because they have so many very good (i.e., outstanding) players. Nesbitt, on the other hand, while certainly surrounded by many very good players, leads a Yellow Jacket team (No. 11, AP) that likely does not possess the depth and breadth of talent that does, say, Florida, Texas, or USC (www.rivals.com,; 2 007; www.scout.com,; 2007). It is suggested here that Nesbitt's relative importance to a surging Yellow Jackets (7-1, 5-1) team coming off wins against Virginia and then-No. 4 Virginia Tech - and whose only loss was at then No. 20 Miami - makes him the most outstanding player in college football and worthy of the Heisman Memorial Trophy.

In an effort to place Nesbitt and his performance over two thirds of the season in the appropriate context, it is necessary to understand the player, what he has done, and the importance of his accomplishments to his team. This step is undertaken with the aim of demonstrating that Nesbitt's season to date is superior to any player from a larger-market or higher-profile team afforded more media coverage than Georgia Tech (e.g., Florida, Texas, and USC). First, Nesbitt is an elite athlete who was ranked the 10th-best quarterback prospect of 2007 and received scholarship offers from, among others, Auburn, Florida, and Georgia (www.rivals.com,; 2007; www.scout.com,; 2007). Thus, while he is quarterback at Georgia Tech, a university with four national championships in football (the most recent being 1990), Nesbitt likely could have achieved greatness at schools with higher national profiles. Second, Nesbitt has been the most important player on an 11th-ranked (AP) Yellow Jackets team that has played the nation's 15th-toughest schedule to date (www.cbssportsline.com,; 2009), rushing for 88.4 yards per game (4.1 yards per carry) and 11 TDs on the nation's leading rushing team (292 ypg).

Additionally, Nesbitt has thrown for 979 yards and 4 TDs and has a quarterback passing rating of 149.4 that with more attempts would place him among the nation's most efficient passers (e.g., preseason Heisman favorite Colt McCoy of Texas has a rating of 143.3). Perhaps more important than his own statistics is Nesbitt's role as primary facilitator of Tech's triple-option offense in which the q uarterback must make a series of almost instantaneous decisions on each play. Should the ball be handed off to the fullback, pitched to the halfback, or kept by the quarterback? In wins against Virginia, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Clemson, and Jacksonville State, Nesbitt has made the correct decisions that have enabled his team's success, while also leading the Yellow Jackets to the seventh-best third-down-conversion rate (48%) in the nation. This last statistic is notably critical because offenses that convert third downs build and maintain momentum while keeping tiring opponent defenses on the field. Finally, Nesbitt's contributions and Tech's offensive success must be considered in relation to a Yellow Jacket defense that surrenders nearly as many yards (355) as the offense gains (421) each game. By comparison, Florida's offense gains nearly twice the number of yards (457) than its defense allows (230) per game; Texas amasses 438 yards per game while surrendering 236; and USC gains 440 and allows 292. This suggests that Nesbitt and the Yellow Jacket offense - of which he accounts for 50% - have a slim margin for error that has been navigated successfully over Tech's seven wins.

To consider something is to think carefully about it (www.merriamwebsters.com,; 2009), and the individuals who vote for the Heisman Memorial Trophy are "informed, competent, and impartial" (www.heisman.com,; 2009). In the spirit of this these guiding principles and the great tradition that is the Heisman Memorial Trophy do we request that you vote Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt for this illustrious honor. In addition to the evidence presented above and Georgia Tech's place atop the ACC Coastal standings, additional support for Nesbitt's candidacy abounds. For instance, against then-No. 4 Virginia Tech, Nesbitt's 39-yard, fourth-quarter TD run increased the Yellow Jackets' lead to double digits and e ssentially put away the Hokies. In Tech's thrilling 49-44 win at Florida State, Nesbitt accounted for 105 of Georgia Tech's 116 yards in the fourth quarter as the Yellow Jackets won for the first time at Doak Campbell Stadium. In that same game, Nesbitt demonstrated his character, will, and strength by wrestling away the ball from a Seminoles linebacker who had temporarily recovered a fumble by another Yellow Jacket; Nesbitt's effort allowed Georgia Tech to maintain possession and, eventually, he sealed the win with a 22-yard TD run. Finally, in a game in which Mississippi State was committed to slowing the Yellow Jackets' running game, Nesbitt was 11-for-14 for 266 passing yards and one TD as Tech defeated the Bulldogs in Starkville. Most striking about Nesbitt's passing in that game is that it came a week after he rushed 32 times in a win over then-No. 22 North Carolina. As opposed to the seemingly perpetual search for a Heisman candidate when none readily appears on the national landscape (e.g., recent discussion of an Alabama lineman who blocked two field goals against an unranked team; talk of a Notre Dame quarterback on a 5-2 team with the nation's 25th-toughest schedule), this proposal aims to present a candidate with credentials and intangibles superior to any player in the country. To be outstanding is to literally stand out, and Nesbitt does that from his peers because of both his tremendous statistical season and his relative importance to the No. 11 Yellow Jackets. This is a request for you formally recognize Josh Nesbitt as the nation's most outstanding college football player.

Note: Brian McMahon works in the Georgia Tech School of Psychology. McMahon and some of his fellow psychologists are hoping that voters for the Heisman Trophy will take a strong look at Josh Nesbitt.

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plez sez: this is a plausible argument. as the person who is responsible for 75% of the offensive production on a single-loss team with a passing efficiency among the best in the country, i could see josh nesbitt at the new york athletic club hoisting the trophy that sports the name of past georgia tech head coach john heisman.

we had another plausible candidate a few years ago, joe hamilton came second in voting when he was up for the award. plezWorld would love to see the award sit in the athletic complex of the school where its namesake once coached. JOSH NESBITT for the HEISMAN TROPHY!!!

~ ~ Citations ~ ~

Read the Georgia Tech Official Sports Report article about Nesbitt for Heisman.

Read the BBuzzOff article about the argument for Josh Nesbitt.

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Hampton University Homecoming Queen Controversy

Is it me, or does it seem like a fair portion of this homecoming court is not happy?

As my business partner would say, "Whoa, Nelly!" And plezWorld has exclaimed, "What the...!" when the situation warrants... well this is one such situation.

Hampton University, the alma mater of my oldest brother, has taken to a peculiar way of finding the winner of their homecoming queen, Miss HU, she is selected by a panel of judges. It appears that they don't the title to be a mere popularity contest (and judging from the article that follows, the winner participates in the Miss Virginia pageant, so that may play into how they pick the winner, as well).

Well, this year's winner attends a satellite campus of Hampton University in Virginia Beach... and she's not Black! GASP! You see, Hampton University used to be Hampton Institute, a historically Black university (HBCU) that was founded in 1868 for Blacks who had recently been freed from slavery. When the winner of the contest was announced, some people expressed their displeasure by walking out... and I'm sure there were some unsavory comments made as well.

To make matters worse, Nikole Churchill - Miss HU - wrote a letter to a fellow Hawaiian, President Obama, urging him to intervene on her behalf and help the student body learn to embrace diversity at her college. Well, after the letter was sent, she re-thought that approach and apologized to the school... you can't make this stuff up!

The entire Daily Press article about the controversy:

HAMPTON — Miss HU apologized one day after writing a letter to President Barack Obama that said her crowning was not widely accepted on the Hampton University campus because she is not black.

Nikole Churchill, 22, is a student from Hawaii who won the pageant Friday. On Sunday, she asked Obama to help her convince close-minded people on campus to support her title.

She issued a statement about 9 p.m. Monday that said she regrets writing the president and did not intend to bring negative attention to her school.

"I took the comments of a few and blew it out of proportion," Churchill wrote. "In reality, all comments that have been directed toward me and the reception I received at the (HU vs. Howard University football game on Saturday) were genuinely supportive."

Churchill competed against nine other contestants, who were all black, and was selected by a panel of five judges, including two certified by the Miss Virginia pageant, in which Churchill will compete next.

Her crowning was followed by complaints from some students that aside from not being black, she attends the university's 90-student satellite campus in Virginia Beach and doesn't know what real HU life is like.

Churchill issued the apology after meeting with student officials and leaders Monday afternoon to discuss her term as Miss HU, said school spokeswoman Yuri Milligan.

About 110 people attended the meeting, including business management senior Brandon Northington, who is in the student leadership program. He said Churchill, who transferred to HU from Virginia Commonwealth University, was genuinely apologetic.

Northington said she explained that as a newer student, she wasn't familiar with HU protocol and didn't initially realize she overstepped her boundaries by taking her complaint directly to Obama.

"I thought she should have contacted the student government president or even (HU President) Dr. (William) Harvey, not the president of the United States of America," he said. "If there's a problem in the house, a family problem, you keep it in the house. You don't display your dirty laundry for everyone to see."

Student Government Association President Matthew Washington said her approach made HU students seem intolerant, while they really are not. Churchill would easily have found the support she needed to feel more welcome if she contacted him or Harvey, Washington said.

"The feelings of 50 or 70 students don't reflect 5,700 students," he said. "I went to the pageant myself, and she did an excellent job. There may be some students unhappy about it, but she rightfully won her title."

Milligan said Churchill was not granting interviews to the media Tuesday.

Her win came just one week after HU held its 10th annual Mr. Pirate pageant, which is named after the school's mascot. The winner was Jonathan Lee, an accounting senior who is a third black, a third white and a third Asian, said Northington, who is his roommate.

Lee was also selected by a panel of judges.

Northington said Lee's race was not an issue when he won, and that his title was met with complete support because Lee is well-known on campus. He is a member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity and on the student leadership council.

The controversy following Churchill's win could have been avoided if she'd reached out to students instead of writing Obama, said Regina Powell, a 1975 HU graduate.

"I'm tired of people saying or doing things and then you come back to apologize," she said. "Think before you act. Barack cannot save everyone. The way she's going to get the students to accept her is to reach out to them."

Washington said Churchill pledged Monday to visit the Hampton campus as often as possible, including at community service and social events where she can connect with students.

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plez sez: i think this situation is referred to as a conundrum. what does an archaic institution (the hbcu in question) do when one of its archaic institutions (homecoming queen contest) is won by an outsider?

hampton university has been around all of 140 years! isn't it about time the school (and its students) embrace this diversity? shouldn't they be happy that a non-traditional student be embraced?

i was a student at georgia tech in the early 80's when its first Black homecoming queen was selected... back then, the student body voted on the winner. and i remember racist comments being made about her. but only two years ago, georgia tech picked another Black homecoming queen... and it wasn't a big deal. the crowd cheered as she was driven around the stadium in the ramblin' wreck.

now, i have to be honest, plezWorld isn't a big fan of hbcu's. not because i feel they are bad schools (because hampton university happens to be a very good college), but because i feel they have served their purpose. until the 1980's, most Black college graduates had matriculated through hbcu's. but i feel that today's college students have many more options and Black colleges and universities are doing themselves a gross disservice by clutching to the vestiges of a bygone era. has racism end? i would reply with a resounding, "HELL NO!" but i feel strongly that institutional racism has become so marginalized as to be largely ineffective.

and don't even get me started on the sexism associated with a homecoming queen contest! once again, this miss homecoming queen is a relic from a time when MOST women did not receive secondary education and the menfolk of the college wanted an attractive and sexy co-ed to parade campus. i would think in 2009, there would be a shortage of young women who would desire to be objectified in such a manner... i guess not! where's the women's lib movement when you need 'em?

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and no snide remarks about mr. pirate, please!

[Photos courtesy of dailypress.com]

~ ~ Citations ~ ~

Read the Daily Press article about the tiff at Hampton University over their homecoming queen.

Read the Daily Press article about how a non-Black homecoming queen divided a campus.

Take the Daily Press poll about the crowning of a non-Black contestant at an HBCU here .

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Open Thread for Sunday Morning in plezWorld XI

Okay, the social media bug has bitten plezWorld big time. A few weeks ago it was Twitter and for the last few days, I've been consumed by FaceBook. I've been finding folk from the Sleepy Hollow, New York (where I grew up), from my high school in Hampton, Virginia, from Georgia Tech, relatives, and long lost frat brothers... and even made a few new friends in the process.

Follow plezWorld on Twitter.

Send me a tweet... and I'm the only plez on FaceBook!

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The Commodores sang, "That's why I'm easy... easy like Sunday morning."

Write what you'd like, because plezWorld should be taking it easy on Sunday... watching some NBA playoff games.

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GT Defensive End Derrick Morgan on Lott Trophy Preseason Watch List

Derrick Morgan, defensive end for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, has been named to the Lott Trophy Preseason Watch List. He is the only starter returning from last year's defensive line.

Lott announced the 42 candidates for the award, which goes to players who have the biggest IMPACT (Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity) on their respective teams, on and off the field. Named after Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, the Lott Trophy is awarded to college football's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year. Now in its sixth year, The Lott Trophy is the only college football award to equally recognize athletic performance and the personal character attributes of the player. Past winners include David Pollack of Georgia, DeMeco Ryans of Alabama, Daymeion Hughes of Cal, Glenn Dorsey of LSU, and James Laurinaitis of Ohio State.

Derrick Morgan (6-4, 270) was honorable mention All-ACC last season after starting all 13 games and registering 51 total tackles. A Coatesville, Pennsylvania native, Morgan had 9.5 tackles-for-loss, 7.0 sacks and 4.0 recoveries as a sophomore. He is a good student and he's even an officer in the Georgia Tech Chapter (the Lambda Delta) of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

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plez sez: i saw Derrick when i attended a meeting at georgia tech on sunday evening... he's looking good! he is definitely bigger and has more muscle than last year. barring an injury, he'll definitely be one of the nation's leaders in sacks and tackles for his position.

if he doesn't win the lott award this year (it's rarely given to juniors), he'll definitely be a finalist for it next year.

you can take this to the bank... you'll be seeing this brother playing on sunday afternoons in the next 2-3 years.

~ ~ Citations ~ ~

Read the Georgia Tech Athletics article about Morgan on Lott Award Watch List.

Read the AJC.com article about how Derrick Morgan shined in Tech's first scrimmage of the spring.

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Open Thread for Sunday Morning in plezWorld IX

At this posting, plezWorld is dog tired: I'm coming down off of the presentation high I got from the MoveOn.org Power Up! America Campaign event that I co-hosted yesterday in Stone Mountain, Georgia (I really appreciate the 10 people who braved the torrential rains and a major power outage that lasted over an hour), I've also been prepping for a training class that I have to deliver on tomorrow (I just found out about the class on Friday morning and I still haven't received all of the training materials), and then later this evening, my new fraternity brothers at Georgia Tech are having their probate show.

WHEW! I'm tired just typing it... much less, having to live it. And to think that I have to be up at the break of dawn on Monday to get ready to deliver the first of two whole days of training... yippee! At least it's a paycheck (something that I haven't seen in the past couple of months)!

~ ~ ~

The Commodores sang, "That's why I'm easy... easy like Sunday morning."

plezWorld won't be taking it easy today, but I'd still like for you to write what you'd like.

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plezWorld on the 2009 NCAA Basketball Tournament

Louisville, UConn, and Pittsburgh stroll into the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament from the Big East Conference (with a strong showing from North Carolina from the ACC).

Surprising? No.

Fair? Maybe.

What about Duke (winner of the ACC)? What about Memphis (from last year's tournament final and winner of Conference USA)?

Excerpts from ESPN.com article about the 2009 NCAA brackets:

(ESPN.com) -- The Big East made history again. The conference that came together for basketball decades ago hit another milestone Sunday, when three of its teams earned top seeds in the NCAA tournament.

Louisville, Pittsburgh and Connecticut were all No. 1, joined by North Carolina of the Atlantic Coast Conference, never an outsider this time of year.

The conference also broke new ground in 1985, when it became the first to place three teams in the Final Four.

"It speaks volumes for what it means to win the Big East," said Louisville coach Rick Pitino, whose Cardinals are the tournament's overall top seed and will play in the Midwest.

The Cardinals (28-5), winners of the regular-season and conference championships in the nation's top-ranked conference, will open against the winner of an opening-round game Tuesday between Alabama State and Morehead State.

The Final Four is scheduled for Ford Field in Detroit on April 4 and 6. Last year, all four No. 1 teams made it to the Final Four. But Pitt (East), Carolina (South) and UConn (West) all know its called March Madness for a reason -- things rarely go to form.

So, time to break out the brackets, sharpen some pencils and pay into an office pool (or two).

Maybe do a little griping here and there.

Among the aggrieved: Duke and Memphis, both overlooked in the quest for top seeding, settling for No. 2 seeds despite winning their conference tournaments. Memphis is often downgraded for playing in the less-than-steller Conference USA, but John Calipari's team proved people wrong last year, making it to the national title game.

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plez sez: not much interest in plezWorld until the second weekend (when all those 10 thru 16 seeds have been eliminated). i really enjoy it when it comes down to the elite eight.

the only upset i see is memphis taking out uconn to go to the final four.

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in a related story, the georgia tech women's basketball team is going to its third ncaa tournament in three years... GO JACKETS! they have become a bigger force in the acc than the men's team!

~ ~ Citations ~ ~

Read the ESPN.com video and article about 2009 NCAA bracket breakdown.

Read the ESPN.com articles breaking down the EAST, SOUTH, MIDWEST, and WEST.

Read the AJC.com article about how Georgia Tech and UGA are sending teams to the 2009 NCAA basketball tournament - the women's tournament.

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Open Thread for Sunday Morning in plezWorld VII

I spent all weekend in South Carolina doing my duty as alumni advisor for my fraternity chapter at Georgia Tech - by the way, the chapter has four new members. As you can guess, I'm tired and road weary after the long drive back home... so I'm going to take it easy and take a chill pill in plezWorld today.

See you on Monday.

~ ~ ~

The Commodores sang, "That's why I'm easy... easy like Sunday morning."

plezWorld is taking it easy today, so write what you'd like.

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Old School -- 27 Years

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Lambda Delta
Atlanta, Georgia
February 6, 1982

Snatched from the Headlines II

Obama warns of TRILLION-DOLLAR deficits

New York Times -- Yeah, trillion with a "t"!

President-elect Barack Obama on Tuesday braced Americans for the unparalleled prospect of “trillion-dollar deficits for years to come,” a stark assessment of the budgetary outlook that he said would force his administration to impose tighter fiscal discipline on the government. In his most explicit language on the subject since winning the election, Mr. Obama sought to reassure lawmakers and the financial markets that he was aware of the long-term dangers of running huge deficits and would take steps to limit and eventually reduce them.

Big deficits force the government to borrow more money, saddling future generations with large financial burdens and leaving the nation reliant on foreign governments and other big investors to lend cash. The problem is even more acute now because credit markets, which in recent months have made it much harder and more expensive for businesses and individuals to borrow, could be further strained by financing a huge government deficit.

plez sez: george w. bush has left the u.s. (yeah, i meant to use him in the past tense) in a pinch!


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No earmarks in Obama stimulus package

CNN.com -- Members of Congress won't be allowed to slip earmarks into the economic recovery package that will be making its way to Capitol Hill. Obama said that getting a handle on the country's skyrocketing budget deficit must begin with the economic stimulus plan, and that the plan must include changes in the way Congress does business. Obama said:

"We're going to be investing an extraordinary amount of money to jump-start our economy, save or create 3 million new jobs, mostly in the private sector, and lay a solid foundation for future growth. But we're not going to be able to expect the American people to support this critical effort unless we take extraordinary steps to ensure that the investments are made wisely and managed well."


plez sez: this is a theme that echoes back to his days on the campaign trail. it is refreshing to see a politician who lives by the high standards that he has set for himself. the departure from the way bush ran the country is already a stark contrast weeks before Obama takes office.


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Sen. Feinstein supports seating Roland Burris

CNN.com -- Outgoing Senate Rules Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein said Tuesday she disagrees with her Democratic leadership's move to block Roland Burris from being seated in the U.S. Senate. She is quoted as saying:

"Does [Gov. Blagojevich] have the power, under law, to make the appointment? And the answer is yes. Is the governor discredited? The answer is yes. Does that affect his appointment power? The answer is no, until certain things happen. [Failure to seat Burris] ramifications for gubernatorial appointments all over America."


plez sez: as if plezWorld didn't tell you so... keeping this guy out of the senate is petty and small-minded; and it does NOTHING to diminish or weaken blago! but it does weaken and diminish the democrats in the senate who have taken this course of action. this is an issue for the state of illinois and the constitution is on the side of the burris appointment.


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CNN's Sanjay Gupta fingered for surgeon general?

CNN.com reports that the Obama transition team approached Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's chief medical correspondent, about becoming U.S. surgeon general. Gupta apparently went to Chicago in November to meet with President-elect Barack Obama on the matter. The President-elect is reported impressed with Gupta's credentials: past government experience, as a White House fellow in 1997 and a special adviser to then-first lady Hillary Clinton, along with his medical career as a neurosurgeon and his communication skills. Gupta is a member of the staff and faculty of the Department of Neurosurgery at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. He regularly performs surgery at Emory University Hospital and at Grady Memorial Hospital, where he serves as associate chief of neurosurgery.

plez sez: another clintonista in Obama's cabinet? even though, i'm generally impressed with the way that Obama has handled his transition and cabinet selections, i'm reserving judgement on his apparent need to stock his cabinet with people who had close ties to the clinton administration.


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DeKalb County, Georgia cuts back on school buses

AJC.com -- Georgia rang in the new year in a recession, and DeKalb County public school students and parents will be among the first to feel the effects. Starting on January 6 — the first day back from winter break — fewer buses will be taking kids to school, one of several cost-cutting measures expected in DeKalb schools this year. Most students who attend schools outside their neighborhood face the busing cutbacks. The change affects about 5,600 of the district’s 99,600 students, including those in magnet schools, charter schools and academic theme schools or who transferred from lower-performing campuses. DeKalb has designated some schools as transportation hubs. Parents must drop off their children at these campuses to be picked up by school buses and taken to school. Parents are responsible for picking up the children at the same hubs after school. This is a change from the system’s former policy, which bused many students almost door to door.

plez sez: my nephew lives in south dekalb and is in the magnet school program at a middle school in north dekalb. instead of his bus showing up in front of his house in the mornings, one of his parents must take him to a nearby middle school (hub) where he catches the bus for the one hour ride to the other side of the county. plezWorld predicts that by next year, the county will do away with cross county school buses, in most cases, kids' parents will have to provide transportation for kids out of their home district.


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Georgia Tech Football has highest SAT scores

AJC.com -- As if having a successful fall campaign, ACC Coach of the Year, ACC Player of the Year, the most All ACC players on the roster, and having a gorgeous campus in the glory of downtown Atlanta weren't enough... Georgia Tech’s football players had the nation’s best average SAT score, 1028 of a possible 1600, and best average high school GPA, 3.39 of a possible 4.0 in the core curriculum. Non-athletes at Georgia Tech average 1350 on the SAT.

The biggest gap between football players and students as a whole occurred at the University of Florida, where players (average score: 890) scored 346 points lower than the school’s overall student body, that’s larger than the difference in scores between typical students at the University of Georgia and Harvard University.


College Football SAT Scores:
THE TOP 10
School, Average
Georgia Tech, 1028
Oregon State, 997
Michigan, 997
Virginia, 993
Purdue, 974
Indiana, 973
Hawaii, 968
California, 967
Colorado, 966
Iowa, 964

THE BOTTOM 10
School, Average
Oklahoma State, 878
Louisville, 878
Memphis, 890

Florida, 890
[University of Floriday is playing for National Championship on Thursday evening]

Texas Tech, 901
Arkansas, 910
Texas A&M, 911
Mississippi State, 911
Washington State, 916
Michigan State, 917

plez sez: *brushing the dirt off my shoulder*

i didn't go to GEORGIA TECH on an athletic scholarship; it was a full scholarship from NASA. i was one of the students that scored around 1350 on my SAT!


~ ~ ~

The Hazards of "Third-Hand Smoke"

New York Times -- Parents who smoke often open a window or turn on a fan to clear the air for their children, but experts now have identified a related threat to children’s health that isn’t as easy to get rid of: third-hand smoke. That’s the term being used to describe the invisible yet toxic brew of gases and particles clinging to smokers’ hair and clothing, not to mention cushions and carpeting, that lingers long after second-hand smoke has cleared from a room. The residue includes heavy metals, carcinogens and even radioactive materials that young children can get on their hands and ingest, especially if they’re crawling or playing on the floor.

Third-hand smoke is what one smells when a smoker gets in an elevator after going outside for a cigarette, he said, or in a hotel room where people were smoking. A researcher said, “Your nose isn’t lying. The stuff is so toxic that your brain is telling you: ’Get away.’”

plez sez: have you stopped smoking yet, barack obama?!?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Derrick Morgan - Who to Watch in Chik-fil-A Bowl

A December 16, 2008 post at the Georgia Tech Football Blog has highlighted the Top 10 players to watch in the early bowl games. Of course, one of the players is a Yellow Jacket!

Michael Johnson, the 6'7" defensive end on the other side of the Georgia Tech line, gets more of the spotlight, but inside the Jackets' program people rave about Derrick Morgan, a 6-4, 270-pound sophomore who might just get pre-season all-American honors going into next year. Morgan had 48 tackles and tied Johnson with a team-high seven sacks. Tech's D-line is as good as there is in college football this season and they'll face a very experienced bunch from LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta on December 31.

Prior to the last regular season game, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution lauded the defensive line as a whole and Morgan in particular:

While Georgia held its auditions, Tech kept getting letters of recommendation. First Team All-ACC Senior defensive tackle Vance Walker was on the watch list for the Outland Trophy, the Lombardi Award and the Bednarik Award, given to the nation’s best interior lineman, defensive lineman or linebacker and defensive player, respectively. First Team All-ACC Senior defensive end Michael Johnson was up for the Bednarik as well as the Ted Hendricks Award. Second team All-ACC defensive tackle Darryl Richard is one of four finalists for the Ronnie Lott Trophy, given to the nation’s best defensive player.

And though he is just a sophomore, a consensus is growing around the team that [defensive end] Derrick Morgan, who leads the team with 6 1/2 sacks, might be better than all three of them before he is done.

~ ~ ~

plez sez: derrick morgan was the top defensive player coming out of pennsylvania two years ago (he enrolled at Tech in the spring to get a jump on his freshman season). he is big, strong, quick, nimble and he has a motor that won't quit. he is a beast on defense and will be joining michael johnson in the NFL in two years!

in addition to being a fifteen-year Georgia Tech Football season ticket holder, plezWorld is also the advisor of derrick's fraternity chapter (Kappa Alpha Psi) at georgia tech... in a word, i know him well! he is good people, a good student, a family man, and he is respectful. and he is an officer in the fraternity chapter!

i look for him to have a break out performance against LSU in the Chik-fil-A Bowl and then have a stellar junior campaign for the Yellow Jackets. next season, he will undoubtedly draw the double teams that are now being thrown at michel johnson, but he'll handle it en route to an All-ACC year.

Go Jackets! Sting 'Em!

~ ~ Citations ~ ~

Read the AJC.com article about Tech's bad ass defense.

Read the AJC.com article about Tech's All ACC Team members.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Georgia Tech's Johnson Gets $17.7M Extension

On the strength of exceeding all expectations during his first season as head coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team (and to ensure that he doesn't jump ship anytime soon), for posting a 9-3 record, and for whuppin' the Georgia Bulldogs for the first time in 7 years, ACC Coach of the Year Paul Johnson was given a 7 year, $17.7 million contract extension.

Next year, he'll make $2.3 million and an opportunity to make more in incentives (probably based on the bowl selection and team wins). This deal makes Johnson the second-highest paid coach in the ACC, behind Bobby Bowden at FSU (around $2.4 million a year). He joins Frank Beamer at Virginia Tech and Butch Davis at North Carolina in the $2 million-a-year club in the ACC.

Johnson was named the ACC coach of the year after leading the Jackets to a 9-3 record, including wins over FSU, Miami, Clemson and Georgia. Tech will play LSU in the Chick-fil-A bowl on Dec. 31. A win would be their second 10-win season in the past decade.

Johnson was hired by Tech AD Dan Radakovich in December of 2007 after Johnson spent six seasons at Navy. He has a 116-42 career record as a coach at Tech, Navy and Georgia Southern.

~ ~ ~

Here's to you Coach Johnson,
the "Ramblin' Wreck Song"



GO JACKETS! STING 'EM!

~ ~ ~

plez sez: this is a well-deserved contract... he is worth EVERY PENNY! and i'm sure he will get an upgraded contract in a few years when Tech becomes a perennial threat for top ACC and national championship honors. johnson turned around the attitude and play of a football team that was comfortable in its mediocrity. he took players that he didn't recruit and turned them into winners. imagine what he's going to do with a team that is stocked with his recruits?

we were competitive against north carolina and just weren't mentally prepared to finish off virginia. if we'd won those two games, not only would we be in a bcs bowl game this year, but we would've been getting some serious consideration for national championship play. we haven't had a team this primed for national exposure since george o'leary slithered off in 2001 to scratch his notre dame itch!

oh yeah, he's a really nice guy, too. during the hub-bub after tech's win over fsu, johnson stopped amidst the throng of well-wishers to autograph the back of my daughter's t-shirt while we waited for the team to emerge at the players' gate. a true class act in plezWorld!

~ ~ ~

AS AN ASIDE: i'm pleased as punch with this development, because this will ensure that coach johnson will remain on the flats for at least a few more years. but on the other hand, this news is a bit disturbing in light of the nation's economic woes and the growing unemployment figures for the state of georgia. georgia tech is a state school and a number of programs that i've supported over the past couple of years at the school have either had budget cutbacks or have been eliminated completely... and NONE of these programs have budgets that come close to a million dollars, much less $2.3 million.

it's a shame that tech can find $2 million to pay a football coach, but cannot find a fraction of that amount to support the students of a leadership development program who i mentor.

~ ~ Citations ~ ~

Read the Atlanta Journal-Constitution article about Paul Johnson's contract extension.

Read the Atlanta Journal-Constitution article about Georgia Tech going to the Chik-fil-A Bowl.

Read the Sports Illustrated article about George O'Leary's short tenure at Notre Dame.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Myron Rolle - Student, Athlete, Scholar, Kappa

Florida State safety Myron Rolle won a Rhodes scholarship less than three hours before the Seminoles kicked off in College Park against Maryland.

Rolle was one of seven finalists who interviewed in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, November 23rd. He then boarded a charter plane and flew to Baltimore to join his teammates.

Rolle is the third Florida State student, and only football player, to win the award in the last four years. NCAA shot put champion Garrett Johnson and Joe O'Shea also won. Rolle, an aspiring neurosurgeon, will now decide between the NFL and an all-expense paid scholarship for two or three years of study at Oxford University in England.

He finished the interview in Birmingham, Ala., around 6 p.m. EST before boarding a private plane to catch up with his teammates for the game that started around 7:45 p.m. Rolle arrived to the stadium in the second quarter.

~ ~ ~

A Rhodes Scholar is a winner of one of the approximately 90 Rhodes Scholarships awarded each year by the Rhodes Foundation. Rhodes Scholar recipients study at Oxford University, in England, for one to two years. This study may be applied to the degree the Scholar may be working towards at another University, or it may serve to complete a degree. The Rhodes Scholar may also be seeking an advanced degree. In fact, many use their scholarship to pursue Master's or Ph.D. programs at Oxford.

The Rhodes Trust was established in 1902, through the will of Cecil John Rhodes. Students eligible to apply to become a Rhodes Scholar were and still are supposed to have a fondness for sports, or success in sports, strong moral character, devotion to duty, interest in one's fellow citizens and desire to lead. Initially the scholarship was awarded to students solely from the US, the UK, and Germany.

Official Press Release of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Myron L. Rolle, born October 30, 1986 in Houston, TX to Beverly and Whitney Rolle of the Bahamas. He is the youngest of the five Rolle brothers, Marchant, Marvis, Modecai, and McKinley all his senior.

The Rolle family would later find themselves in the city of Galloway, NJ. Beginning his high school career, Myron attended the Peddie School. In addition to playing football he played the saxophone in the school band, sang in a school play, and was the sports editor of the school newspaper. After transferring from the Peddie School, Rolle played high school football at the Hun School of Princeton, where the All-American made 112 tackles including 14 for loss in his senior season as the #1 High-School Football prospect in the country while maintaining a flawless 4.0 GPA.

Prior to graduation, Myron received a reported 83 scholarships offers from schools around the country. However, even as a teenager Myron's focus was on academics during the recruitment process. In a recent interview in Sports Illustrated (SI.com), Myron told reporters he chose Florida State "because it was the only school that was committed to aiding me in reaching my goals as a standout student..." In keeping with tradition, Mr. Rolle has exemplified achievement at every turn in his collegiate career. As an Exercise Science/Biology Pre- Med student, Brother Rolle has maintained a near perfect GPA of 3.75.

Recognizing his academic talents, Dr. Tim Logan, professor of Biochemistry, offered Myron the opportunity to conduct stem-cell and cancer-cell research in his lab. Furthermore, president of the university Dr. T. K. Wetherell appointed Myron as a task force facilitator to educate student members of the Seminole Tribe of Florida about diabetes, obesity, and other health-related issues. For his participation in Dr. Logan's research and numerous other projects, Myron was awarded the prestigious 2008 Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Award. These experiences confirmed Myron's passion to pursue an advanced degree in medicine. His long term desire is to become a medical doctor and return to the Bahamas to establish 'Free Clinics' for its citizens.

After only two and a half years of course study, Brother Rolle completed the requirements for his bachelor's degree while looking toward course work for a Master's degree in Public Administration. Myron was recently been nominated by FSU Faculty to be a world-leading Rhode's Scholar, and at no surprise, Myron's petition has been accepted by the Rhodes committee. Brother Rolle will represent the United States as 1 of 32 Rhodes Scholars to pursue graduate study at Oxford University in England in the Fall of 2009 and the third FSU Student in 4 years to be granted the honor.

As a student Myron has also been involved on campus in a number of organizations. His own development has been undoubtedly aided through his membership in Kappa Alpha Psi. of which Myron noted, "Our fraternity is founded on the principle of achievement. 'Iron sharpens iron.' Spending time around like-minded men of color who are excelling in every aspect in their lives has pushed me to reach even higher." He has also served as the Vice President of the Student Athletic Council, member of the prestigious Burning Spear leadership circle, Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honorary.

Myron's strength and knowledge in the classroom of nutrition, physiological adaptations to training, metabolism, and biochemical pathways affected by exercise undoubtedly contribute to his performance on the football field. At 6' 2" and 220 pounds, Myron has been a leader for the Seminole defense since he joined the team.

In his first season, he closed 77 tackles as he was named ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year and Freshman All-American for his aggressive play at Strong Safety (SS) for Florida State. He was further honored by the presence of one of Kappa Alpha Psi's honored past times when he received the Arthur Ashe Foundation Academic All- American award [Tennis great Arthur Ashe was a Kappa man]. In route to his third and likely final season, College coaching legend and FSU Head Coach Bobby Bowden selected Rolle along with nine other players to represent the "Core" leadership team for Seminoles as well as being named a defensive team Captain.

Myron is considered a blue-chip safety in college football and is a highly probable first round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. Each season he has spent time working out with NFL players such as Baltimore Ravens Cornerback Samari Rolle to get his game ready for the next level; his diligence on perfecting his skills in the off-season has paid off.

Brother Rolle was recently named 2008 Preseason All-ACC and All-American candidate. He was also named to the Chuck Bednarik Award, Ronnie Lott Award, and Bronko Ngurski Award watch lists. To date, Mr. Rolle has been a shining example to the nation of what can be achieved with determination, perseverance, hard work, and dedication. As a world class scholar, athlete, thought leader, and inspirational manifesto his record has most certainly been promising.

However, with a future like his, the best is yet to come.

plez sez: what a remarkable young man. i am the Kappa Alpha Psi advisor for the Georgia Tech Chapter, so i can truly understand how proud his advisor and chapter brothers must be of his accomplishment.

the motto of Kappa Alpha Psi is "Training for Leadership."

the fundamental purpose of Kappa Alpha Psi is "Achievement in Every Field of Human Endeavor."

MYRON ROLLE simply exemplifies everything that our fraternity stands for. and even though, the georgia tech yellow jackets (with Kappa Alpha Psi members, defensive end DERRICK MORGAN and cornerback MICHAEL PETERSON) stung the Florida State Seminoles a few weeks ago, plezWorld still sends up a big "YO" to Brother Rolle for his accomplishments.

~ ~ Citations ~ ~

Read the Sports Illustrated article about Rhodes Scholar Myron Rolle.

Read the ESPN.com article about Rolle winning the Rhodes scholarship.

Read the New York Times article about Myron Rolle.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

plezWorld on 2008 Georgia Tech Football

For the second time in one week,
let's hear the "Ramblin' Wreck Song"

A year of contrasts concerning the state of college football in the state of Georgia. Georgia Tech started out the college football season in late August as a BIG A** QUESTION MARK; our chief rival, University of Georgia (known as UGA to some and the Bulldogs to others) started the season ranked number one and apparently a lock on a national championship bid like their SEC brethren LSU and Florida. What a difference a season makes...

Week after week of stunning victories pulled from the jaws of defeat, the Yellow Jackets and their old school triple option offense and their blistering & intense defense finished the season at 9-3 and the only ACC team ranked in the Top 15. On the other hand, the Bulldawgs watched their season flame out after getting throttled at home by Alabama (who still doesn't look that good, but will be representing the western half of the SEC in this weekend's SEC Championship game), losing while getting outclassed by Florida at the World's Largest Cocktail Party, and then getting a seven year winning streak halted at home by Georgia Tech. To make matters even worse, Tech ends the season ranked higher than the UGA!

Well, the total dismantling of UGA and their slackjawed fans (except my wife) was the cake. What has happened over the past couple of days to celebrate the return of Georgia Tech Football is the icing on said cake:

• Head Coach Paul Johnson has been recognized as the ACC Coach of the Year. After taking over a program that was wallowing in mediocrity, it took one spring practice to turn the entire thing around while using another coach's players to incorporate his new scheme effectively. I have no doubt that this was a unanimous decision... and it is only a matter of weeks before he is recognized nationally for the job he did at Georgia Tech.
  
  
• Jonathan Dwyer was named ACC Player of the Year. Dwyer is the standout running back who would single-handedly break opponents backs with his stunning 40-, 50-, and in Georgia's case 60-yard runs for touchdowns. He led the ACC in rushing yards (1,328), rushed for over 100 yards nine times (a school record), and he also scored 12 touchdowns. If there was a missed assignment on defense, Dwyer ended up in the end zone!
  
  
• Tech had the most players named All-ACC First Team: Sophomore running back Jonathan Dwyer, left tackle Andrew Gardner, defensive end Michael Johnson, and defensive tackle Vance Walker, all seniors. plezWorld is surprised that standout sophomore safety Morgan Burnett (who is tied for the nationally in interceptions with seven and will be playing on Sundays in a few years) was All-ACC Second Team. And my frat brother, sophomore defensive end Derrick Morgan (who will also be playing on Sundays in a few years) received honorable mention.
  
  
• Lastly, Tech will play on December 31st in the Chik-fil-A Bowl here in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome. More than likely, we'll be playing LSU or SEC bottom feeder South Carolina. The Chik-fil-A Bowl has the first choice of any bowl-eligible ACC school that is not playing in a BCS game. The winner of the ACC Championship game goes to a BCS Bowl.

~ ~ ~

plez sez: this football season far exceeded my expectations, i'd even toyed with not purchasing my normal full compliment of season tickets... that would've been a BIG MISTAKE!

congratulations to paul johnson... he did a tremendous job in coaching these boys up... they were ready to play every week (except for the UNC game).

~ ~ ~

plez sez, "hmmm": as micheal wilbon (of ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption") said earlier today, "the SEC is the ACC with Florida!"

this has definitely been a down year for what many claim is the toughest conference in college football. but if you remove Florida from the mix - and look at Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, LSU, Kentucky, Auburn, Vanderbilt, the two schools in Mississippi, and Arkansas - you're not looking at the top conference in the nation. if you look at the Big 12 with Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State (all of whom have been in the Top 10 this season), you'd be hard pressed to find a team in the SEC other than Florida that would give them a run for the money. the only reason Alabama is undefeated is because they haven't played Florida yet - and that will definitely change on Saturday evening.

~ ~ ~

in other college football news plezWorld: charlie weiss - the overpaid, overblown, overhyped, underperforming head coach of notre dame football - has been asked to hang around south bend for a fifth year, even though he hasn't had a winning record for the last two seasons, and his record over the past two seasons is WORSE than his two predecessors last two years - bob davie and ty willingham - willingham was fired after only THREE YEARS. he didn't get the opportunity to watch his first recruiting classes finish four years. and if you haven't figured it out by now, ty willingham was notre dame's only Black head coach... ever!

over the past couple of weeks, the fighting [sic] irish lost to lowly Syracuse, notre dame's first loss to an 8-loss team, and this past saturday, they suffered the worst blowout loss against USC - the score was 38-3. the irish have lost 15 games the past two seasons, the most by any notre dame team in a two-year span. some would say they have hit rock bottom. some would say had ty willingham still been the coach, he wouldn't be the coach today!

let plezWorld go on the record: i think ty willingham sucks as a head football coach, he is winless this year at washington in that cupcake Pac 10 conference (and knew he was getting fired before the season ended). that said, he was given a much shorter leash at notre dame and the tolerance of his losing was much lower than the historic losses that weiss has posted the last two years. and i'm gonna break off right there...

~ ~ Citations ~ ~

Read the AJC.com article about Paul Johnson - ACC Coach of the Year.

Read the AJC.com article about Jonathan Dwyer - ACC Player of the Year.

Read the AJC.com article about GT players with All-ACC honors.

Read the AJC.com article about GT playing in the Chik-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta.

Read the ESPN.com article about Charlie Weiss hanging on at Notre Dame.

Read the ESPN.com article about Ty Willingham's coaching career at Washington ends.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tech Stings UGA 45-42

For the past seven years, the Georgia Bulldogs have owned the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. For the past seven years, UGA has won the rivalry game in every way imaginable: low scores, high scores, blowouts, close games. Since 9/11, Tech couldn't figure out how to beat UGA... until Saturday, November 29, 2008.

Clean, Old-fashioned Hate lived up to its billing!

Under a steady drizzle at Sanford Stadium in Athens, the Georgia Bulldogs came out breathing fire on Senior Day. Pinpoint passing on the part of Georgia QB Matthew Stafford to Senior WR Muhammad Massaquoi led to four first half scores. The lack of a credible running game on the part of the Yellow Jackets had Tech going into the half time locker room down 28-12.


Tech Head Coach Paul Johnson had a simple message during his half time speech, "Hey, it’s sixty minutes. Anybody who came over here and didn’t think it’s going to be that kind of game, don’t come back out. [We’re] going to get the ball first [to open the second half] and we’re going to go down and score."


The Yellow Jackets responded with 26 unanswered points in the third quarter alone (RB Jonathan Dwyer scored a touchdown on a 60-yard run on the first play in the third quarter) - the comeback and eventual win was jump started just like that!.

Tech piled up 409 yards rushing (Dwyer had 144 yards and RB Roddy Jones had 214 yards) to Georgia's 407 years of passing; Tech won.

And left the Bulldog Faithful in dazed wonderment, "How did Tech football catch up with Georgia football so quickly?"

Just last year, Tech limped away from a game that was thisclose to being a bona fide blowout... now this year with a new coach, a bunch of young players, and an old-fashioned option running game, Tech beat the Bulldawgs at home! When the season opened, Georgia was at the top of the national polls, after today's game, they're not the number one team in the state of Georgia!

When the season started, Coach Johnson asked the team what was their number one goal for the season. The answer was unanimous, "Beat Georgia!"

~ ~ ~

Shortly after the game, Tech learned that Virginia Tech prevailed over Virginia; the other Tech will represent the Coastal Division in the ACC Championship game in Tampa next week.

It would've been a nice capstone to the season to go down to Tampa and win the ACC Championship, but this win was much bigger than that little game next week. Much bigger.

we may not be going to Tampa for the ACC Championship,
but we beat the Dawgs,
time to strike up the band with the "Ramblin' Wreck Song"



GO TECH!

~ ~ ~

plez sez: what's the good word? TO HELL WITH GEORGIA!

~ ~ Citations ~ ~

Read Jeff Schultz's Atlanta Journal-Constitution article predicting a Tech upset of UGA.

Read the ESPN.com article about Tech's shocking win over UGA.

Read the AJC.com article about how the Yellow Jackets stung the Bulldawgs.

Read Furman Bisher's Atlanta Journal-Constitution article about the game.

All game photos courtesy of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution game photo gallery

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The 2008 Hate Bowl - Tech vs. UGA

Other college football rivalries have cute, little names for their bowls, battles, and trophies: Iron Bowl (Alabama and Auburn), Egg Bowl (Ole Miss and Mississippi State), Old Oaken Bucket (Purdue and Indiana University), Floyd of Rosedale (Iowa and Minnesota), the Little Brown Jug (Michigan and Minnesota), the Keg of Nails (Cincinnati and Louisville), and the Bayou Classic (Grambling State and Southern University). But the most bitter and more than likely most vicious of them all is the rivalry between the University of Georgia Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, simply referred to as "Clean Old-Fashioned Hate"!

To add fuel to the fire around this game, plezWorld is a graduate of Georgia Tech and plezWife had the misfortune of graduating from the University of Georgia! All season long, she is a devoted Tech fan, coming to all of the games and cheering for the White and the Gold. But come that Saturday afternoon after Thanksgiving, her allegiance swerves to the dreaded Red and Black.

Despite their records, this game is usually close and fought to the bitter end. For the past 7 years, the Bulldogs have been winning the game and last year, it wasn't very close. But this year, the Bullpups started the season as favorites for the National Championship and a Preseason Number One ranking. They've lost two games, actually, they were BLOWN OUT of two games, falling behind by 31 points at home to Alabama and getting their arses reamed by Florida to the tune of 49-10 (and it wasn't even that close). They won the rest of their games, although they struggled with Auburn and Kentucky. They aren't even in the Top 10 (while they finished last season at number 3).

Georgia has seen a precipitous fall in play on the defensive side of the ball, they are not nearly as menacing as last year's version (remember how they dismantled Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl earlier this year?). The offense should be on point with one of the top QB's in the nation, a top Heisman-quality running back, and two outstanding wide receivers (Massaquoi and Green). But the O-line is suspect and Tech's D-line is SOLID!

Georgia Tech is currently in first place in the ACC, despite having a first year coach in Paul Johnson, a sophomore quarterback who had to learn a new offensive scheme, and a very young team. When healthy and playing to their ability, the offense and defense has been unstoppable, but they did lose two games that they should've won: Virginia and North Carolina. They did counter those losses with a trio of upsets: Florida State, Boston College, and Miami.

A healthy defensive line for Tech will give Bulldog's QB Matthew Stafford fits and not enough time to hit his standout receivers nor will it allow SEC rushing leader Knowshon Moreno the freedom to run for big yardage. If Tech's triple option offense can get the run game going and can free up some running lanes for ACC rushing leader Jonathan Dwyer, the Bulldogs will be in for a long afternoon. With a Virginia Tech loss to Virginia, Tech will be headed to Tampa for the ACC Championship game next week - and that game will be played at the same time as the UGA-Tech game, so the players won't know the outcome until the end of their game. A win on Saturday may line Tech up for a BCS Bowl game!

The Bulldogs are tough to beat at home, but it can be done (see Alabama game). And with little to play for - no SEC championship, no BCS Bowl game, and probably relegated to some non-New Year's Day bowl - the Bulldogs may not be as motivated to beat a team that they've owned for the past 7 years with no big reward hanging on the outcome. With this being a down year in the SEC, a loss to Tech won't change the Bulldog's bowl picture by much.

Clean Old-fashioned Hate

~ ~ ~

plez sez: the bulldawgs are favored by 7 1/2 points. tech is going to play 'em close... look for an upset!

~ ~ ~

BLOG UPDATE: (11/29/2008 5:00 PM) Tech wins!

~ ~ Citations ~ ~

Read Jeff Schultz's Atlanta Journal-Constitution article about a Tech upset.

Read the Atlanta Journal-Constitution article about Georgia Tech and Georgia's leading running backs.

Read the Atlanta Journal-Constitution article about rivalry between UGA and Georgia Tech.

Read the ESPN.com preview about game between UGA and Georgia Tech.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~