DAWG RECRUITING: QUALITY NOT QUANTITY; CHARACTER NOT ATHLETICISM!

I have continually harped in several of my blogs, I am sure to the chagrin of some of you, about the necessity to pay more attention to the character of the recruits we go after instead of how high can they jump and how fast can they run. The purpose of this is to not only get athletes who are more “team” oriented instead of “me” oriented but to also cut down on the misbehavior problems we have had at Georgia for the last several years. The bottom line is that if do not target recruits in this manner, and you do not care where or how you get “talent” it leads to the old proverb: “If you lie down with dogs, you come up with fleas!”

In one of my prior blogs, where I referenced a problem I had with the behavior of a certain Carver High School running back at a play-off game, where the primary purpose of the blog was to punch home the theme referenced above, I was actually accused by two commenters of being a racist. Where they got that from I have no earthly idea. The entire blog was referencing Georgia’s problems with misbehavior from players, and how our perception of recruiting needs to change because of this. One of my personal biggest disappointments regarding behavior at Georgia was Mettenberger, who in my mind had piss poor upbringing and a pathetic character to do what he did and blow his career, and as best as I can tell he is as white as milk. I did not respond to either of those comments, because I figured that anybody that somehow, after reading the entire blog, thought it had anything to do with race was a total jackass just trying to stir up some sh@t, and that it is totally pointless to try to reason with these kinds of people.

It is kind of nice that this theme that I have harped on is starting to finally be validated by other bloggers, commenters, and even Coach Richt himself. In response to a recent Atlanta –Journal Constitution blog regarding Georgia recruiting, the following comments were printed:

“Bremen Dawg
December 16th, 2010
10:47 am
Maybe we are looking at recruiting wrong with all of these pre Madonnas. Maybe the UGA coaches should go to all of the high schools and bypass the 4 or 5 star player and say “point out some players who have a lot of heart, talented and has improved every year that you have coached them. Justin Houston was a 3 star player and look at him now. He was able to progress and improve every year. Look at how well our 5 star players are doing now. Sign some players who want to be Dawgs not how much attention can you give me.
Johnny Too Good
December 16th, 2010
10:50 am
I agree with Bremen Dawg………. “

Coach Richt was quoted in this same blog saying the following about the recruits this year that are being looked at: “I think that recruiting is always crucial, it’s always important. I don’t know if you could say this season more than any other. I do think this recruiting year in the state of Georgia, even as we were mapping it out a year ago because you are looking that far down the road. This class in particular we thought was going to be extremely strong, and we still believe that. Not only strong in athleticism and ability, but very strong in character from what I’m seeing. I really like the young men we’ve been dealing with as people too. It’s been a very encouraging year in that way too, which is kind of nice.”

Maybe if every Dawg fan would get on this band wagon and start writing letters and/or e-mailing Athens, sooner or later we will get the types of athletes we need; the arrests will come to an end; and we will actually have a “team” taking the field instead of a bunch of “self centered” egomaniacs.

GO YOU HAIRY DAWGS!

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By: Dawgman1973 (Gary K.) Lead-Blogger “Dawn of the Dawg”