Georgia Bulldogs: 2012 DB Prospect Deion Bonner

Deion Bonner is one of the top defensive back prospects in the country for the 2012 recruiting season. He's been offered by Georgia, Auburn, South Carolina, and Alabama thus far and, barring any missteps, was on par to pick up a few more looks as the season progressed.

He was also a sure-bet to land at Georgia in 2012 but, somewhere between 'sanity' and 'have you lost your damn mind', Bonner decided it would be cool to steal a few items from the players at one of his suitors' facilities—that suitor being Georgia and those players being his potential teammates.

I have to tell you, this incident had me scratching my head because it screams of the type of idiocy that seemed to plague the Georgia football team last season when the program became the butt of just about every SEC joke involving a criminal, an arrest, or a suspension—it wasn't a happy time.

So, naturally, my first thought was that coach Richt would yank this kid's offer and concentrate on landing someone else—maybe send a little more attention in Ryan Dillard's direction. Don't know who Dillard is? Well, he plays for AA Buford High School and, so far, has only fielded one offer—Harvard.

Dillard's claim to fame is shutting down former 5-star recruiting prospect, Da'Rick Rogers in 2009's AA finals—call that a plus—and, oh yeah, not being a thief (sorry, if that seems harsh or insensitive, but...whatever). 

However, when you look at Mark Richt's comments today, it doesn't look like he's ready to cut bait on Bonner just yet. Said Richt, "...these were just 16-, 17-year-old kids, that kids do different things, and it’s part of growing up".

Well, alright then.

Listen, thieving was never a part of my indoctrination into post-adolescence but, hey, different strokes for different folks, I guess.

Quite frankly, given the giant microscope Mark Richt is under this season, it would surprise me to see Bonner given an opportunity to play at Georgia. After all, what teammate wants a thief as his roommate and what on earth would Georgia's continued pursuit of him do to team morale?

Chances are Bonner will have to pay his penance playing football somewhere outside of the 30605 zip code.

In the end, I think T Kyle King of DawgSports.com summed this situation up best with the following statement:

...Visitors to Athens are alleged to have committed a crime against Georgia players, yet the likely outcome is that the purported perpetrators still will receive scholarship offers commensurate with those they would have received anyway, rival institutions will snag players they otherwise might not have gotten, and the only folks meaningfully harmed in all this will be the ones in the Classic City, who were the only ones with clean hands in the entire affair.

Such is life in Bulldog Nation, where forthrightness and honesty cost us our best offensive player for one-third of a season while other schools’ stonewalling and obfuscation earned them conference championships and BCS bowl victories. Maybe I watched a few too many cowboy movies growing up, but I’m about ready for the good guys to win one for a change.

Amen to that, Mr. King. Amen to that.

Related articles

• College prospect allegedly steals from Georgia players' lockers (georgia.scout.com)
• Three Football Recruits Named In Georgia Locker Room Robbery (sbnation.com)
• Prep prospect among three charged with theft from Georgia locker room (sports.espn.go.com)

Atlanta Falcons: Should They Bet The Future To Land A.J. Green?

According to Jeff Schultz, of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Atlanta Falcons need to give away whatever they can to secure A.J. Green in the 2011 NFL Draft. Said Schultz, "...Thirty-two games, 166 catches, 2,619 yards, 23 touchdowns. He’ll be better than fine. The Falcons shouldn’t let him leave the state."

While it's true that Green could be the next star in the NFL, the Falcons need help on defense—not offense.

Sure, Green would be a welcome addition—if they could land him—but sitting at No. 27, the Falcons would have to give up a lot for the potential that Green brings to the table. And, for my money, I'm willing to bet that Thomas Dimitroff isn't interested in mortgaging the team's future on any one player—no matter how much "wow" he has to offer.

In truth, if the Falcons are looking to move up for any Georgia Bulldog, they may need to take a hard look at Justin Houston. Houston showed well at UGA's Pro Day as well, and he would make a nice compliment to John Abraham coming off the opposite edge. Furthermore, he's projected as a late-first, early second round pick—more than gettable for the Falcons—and has the kind of work ethic and attitude that Dimitroff covets.

As a Georgia fan, it would be great to see A.J. Green continuing his success in the state of Georgia but, to be honest, I'd much rather see the Falcons fill the needs that will immediately help the team—not just put more rear-ends in the seats. 

Related articles

• McShay says A.J. Green is better than Julio Jones (profootballtalk.nbcsports.com)
• Scouts don't get in-person look at A.J. Green at Georgia's pro day (football.rawsignal.com)

Flashback: Lewis Grizzard Interviews Herschel Walker's Mom (VIDEO)

The late Lewis Grizzard was known not only for his phenomenal coverage of the Georgia Bulldogs—via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (he has to be turning in his grave at what they do over there now)—but for his great sense of humor, and catchy one-liners, as well.

In this video (circa 1981) his quest is to find and interview the mother of Herschel Walker but, I have to tell you, the commentary he lays on the camera prior to meeting her is the money-grabber here—said Grizzard, when referencing the size of his hometown, "it's so small a truck stop is a nail in the highway"—priceless.

Enjoy.

(h/t ghostoferkrussell)



You had to love when Mrs. Walker said she didn't want to see her son "hurt nobody", just classic. 

Georgia Bulldogs Football: Either You're With Richt or You're Against Him—It's That Simple

At this point, the Georgia Bulldog faithful are drawing a line in the sand and, quite frankly, it's coming down to one question: Are you a Mark Richt supporter or a Mark Richt detractor? Period. There is no gray area, there are no compromises, and there is no room for further discussion.

If you listen to the media, Richt should be gone yesterday. People like Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC)  have all but laid out a simple plan for why Richt should accept his fate and move on.

But, Bradley is just looking for blog hits. Don't think for one minute he actually cares about the state of the Georgia football program. The longer Mark Richt stays around, the more material

Bradley has to produce for the contingent that are looking for a reason to believe their feelings towards Richt are valid.

A pot-stirrer is a pot-stirrer—it doesn't matter what kitchen he/she is standing in.

That said, at some point, you have to decide, as a fan, what you feel is best for your beloved program. If you love Georgia football, then you are no more right if you want Richt to stay, than you are wrong if you want him to leave. It's a matter of personal opinion and, both sides, have legitimate arguments.

The pro-Richt side will point to the last ten-years, the change in coaching, the lack of A.J. Green to start the season, the bad defensive playcalling of the previous regime, etc. The anti-Richt side will point to the SEC record of the last three-years, the poor recruiting class of 2009, the perceived refusal of Richt to hire/fire based on performance not personal relationships, etc.

There is no winning no matter what side of the fence you stand on, yet, the argument still rages on.

However, it must be said, the parallel that so many want to draw with Phillip Fulmer seems irrelevant. No offense to the Vols, but, is that what you want as a Georgia fan? Seriously? Because, last check, Tennessee hasn't been that much better without Fulmer than they were with him.

Tennessee might get back to being a power in another year or two, but, do Bulldog fans really want to follow the Vol's trajectory? Is that, in your mind, the better option?

Or, more disturbingly, those same fans are now pointing to what Gene Chizik is doing at Auburn in just his second full season. Well, should we point out the obvious? Let's do for the heck of it: Cam Newton is the difference.

Gene Chizik got the best player in the nation to play in Gus Malzahn's high-powered offense.
Take Newton out of the equation and Auburn isn't undefeated.  Those close wins against Kentucky, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and LSU are nulled.

Don't bother second-guessing it, Newton made those wins happen—no question.

Mark Richt has become a divisive figure within the Bulldog nation and that's a pity because, if not for all his early success, there wouldn't be the thinking that Georgia could do better. He's as much a victim of his prior success as he is his recent failures—go figure.

In the end, Mark Richt is the head coach at the University of Georgia until further notice and, personally, I stand behind him.

Why?...Well, because until he's fired or resigns—in my opinion—he's Georgia and, quite frankly, so am  I.

Does that mean you are wrong for wanting him gone—if you do? No, it simply means we'd have to agree to disagree and, honestly, that shouldn't be a problem.