You already know this is a busy time in my household, but much is afoot elsewhere, as well, from the athletic fields of Bulldog Nation to the blogs---yes, "blogs," not "blog sites"---throughout which intercollegiate athletics are discussed, with respect to which a few matters of interest warrant our attention. These are they:
- After posting a 12-0 record in dual meets, the Lady Bulldogs swimming and diving team was ranked No. 1 in the final 2007-'08 College Swim Coaches Association of America dual-meet poll. The Georgia equestrian team won road meets at Auburn and at Kansas State over the weekend. (I hate Auburn.) Meanwhile, despite falling at Michigan on Friday, the Gym Dogs remain the top team in the land and they are the subject of our current poll question.
- Although the Georgia women's tennis team fell to 10-2 overall and 3-1 in conference play after the No. 3-ranked Bulldogs lost to fifth-ranked Florida, the Red and Black men's tennis team got the better of the Gators.
Hope y'all enjoyed it while it lasted.
- Over at Roll Bama Roll, new pinup gal Brittany Snow is producing buyer's remorse among Crimson Tide voters, while Bruins Nation boasts what undoubtedly is the feel-good story of the year.
- My congratulations go out to Rocky Top Talk and Sunday Morning Quarterback on their respective victories in the Best S.E.C. Blog and Best Writing categories in the 2007 College Football Blogger Awards. Counting the 2006 C.F.B.A.s, Dawg Sports has received five nominations, including two for Best S.E.C. Blog and two for Best Writing, and MaconDawg and I have four runner-up finishes to show for it. Unfortunately, Paul Westerdawg already beat me to the Susan Lucci line and, not only did the post-presentation conversation include a rehash of my debate with BCSBusters, it also included an observation by TigerBait's Joshua that the weblog you are now reading "is not that good." In short, in blogging, as in the rest of life, you have to take the good with the bad, but much-deserved congratulations are due to Joel and Matt. If we had to lose, it's good to know we lost to the best.
Kudos, y'all.
- Ordinarily, I wouldn't make a big deal out of this sort of thing, since I can't say I know much about the validity of how such rankings are compiled, but, since I could use a little validation after the C.F.B.A.s, I'm going to call your attention to the fact that Wikio has Dawg Sports pegged as the 32nd most influential sports weblog, at least for this month. Really, that may not mean much of anything, but I got an e-mail from a guy there about putting a Wikio R.S.S. button up on the sidebar. As all of you know, I am terminally unhip, so much so that I don't mix my media: I don't watch movies on my laptop or have phone conversations over my computer; I don't surf the internet on my television and I don't send e-mails from my cell phone. Instead, I watch T.V. on my T.V., I use my computer as a computer, I make phone calls with my phone, and the only thing I use to make pictures is a camera. Honestly, I don't know what R.S.S. is (or is that "are"?), but I know a lot of folks younger and hipper than me (read: those of you who are neither Bobby Bowden nor Joe Paterno) use them (or is that "it"?), so I'd be interested in getting your feedback on what sorts of new-fangled gadgetry you innovative whippersnappers would like to see here at Dawg Sports. Leave your comments below . . . but do it quickly, before I shuffle out onto my front porch brandishing my cane and yelling at y'all to get off of my lawn.
- The anticipated battle of the beards by the St. John's River will not happen, as Orson has capitulated in the face of my much superior beard, which nine of you think looks awful but five of you wisely believe looks great. Of the 78 ballots cast, the largest portions of the electorate took the view that I look like George Lucas (27 votes) or Lewis Grizzard (21 votes). Eleven of you opine that I look like the embodiment of the "Evil Richt" persona that will produce a national championship in 2008, whereas five of you think I resemble Obi-Wan Kenobi, although there is some dispute as to whether I better capture the essence of the Ewan McGregor or Alec Guinness portrayals. Honestly, though, it dawned on me the other day that the correct answer wasn't even among the choices at all:
Only younger, of course.
Go 'Dawgs!