when it comes to being in the company of well known Dawgs.
First, went to Athens to play golf at Athens Country Club. Got there and saw David Greene, D J Shockley and Loran Smith were in our group. Got to the first tee and found out DJ was in our foursome, so I got to spend an entire round of golf with DJ. Greene was in the foursome behind us, so we were able to have some good natured banter with them as well. DJ is an incredibly nice guy and we had a great day on the course. I'm not a golfer so my play was horrific, but it was a best ball format so everyone could contribute. DJ has only been playing for about 3 years. He can crush the ball, but he's not 100% sure where it's going. No one in our group was in any danger of getting a Masters invite, so we all had a great day and no one felt like they were a drag on our foursome (that was especially comforting to me).
Next, we went to football practice. Being that close to the players gives a real appreciation for how big and how fast they are. Tooth was absolutely correct when he said it is amazing how fast paced and physical the practices are. He was also correct in saying it is fairly obvious why the 1s are the 1s and the 2s are the 2s. The scrimmage portion of practice is supposed to be less physical than actual game conditions regarding tackling to the ground, but the players get into it and there is some real hitting going on out there. Theus and a D player got into a fight that lasted a long time, it was not just a few seconds of pushing and shoving. It was so intense and the guys were so big, the coaches couldn't get them apart and finally some of the other players pulled them apart. All three qbs played with the 1s and it looked like Park had the best day, Ramsey next, and Bauta had a tough outing. Ramsey threw the ball well, but he had the most problems with sacks. Park looked great and was much more mobile than Ramsey and hit Mitchell deep right in front of us. I went down and watched Rocker coach the DL. The players really seem to like him and want to play well for him. CMR talked to the entire team at the beginning of practice and then spent pretty much all the rest of the time with the qbs and behind the O during the scrimmage. I really thought I would see more of CMR going around to the different positions and watching what was going on, but I guess the coaches meet and talk about that kind of stuff. Pruitt was as intense as you would imagine and really got after guys who did something he didn't like. There is a lot going on out there and it's hard to really see everything and take in all the activity.
Finally, we went to Loran's house for a cookout. Loran has a very nice house in Five Points, btw. As if going to eat at Loran's house wasn't enough, Charlie Trippi was there and I got to meet him. Trippi is very old, 93 to be exact, and can't hear well, but is still in good shape and gets around well. He is a bourbon drinker and I can now say I've had a drink with Charlie Trippi. Loran and his wife are great hosts and we had a nice meal and a great visit. I would have loved to have stayed longer and Loran asked me to stay and sit on the patio and have another drink but I had the 2 hour drive home.
All in all, a very good day.
First, went to Athens to play golf at Athens Country Club. Got there and saw David Greene, D J Shockley and Loran Smith were in our group. Got to the first tee and found out DJ was in our foursome, so I got to spend an entire round of golf with DJ. Greene was in the foursome behind us, so we were able to have some good natured banter with them as well. DJ is an incredibly nice guy and we had a great day on the course. I'm not a golfer so my play was horrific, but it was a best ball format so everyone could contribute. DJ has only been playing for about 3 years. He can crush the ball, but he's not 100% sure where it's going. No one in our group was in any danger of getting a Masters invite, so we all had a great day and no one felt like they were a drag on our foursome (that was especially comforting to me).
Next, we went to football practice. Being that close to the players gives a real appreciation for how big and how fast they are. Tooth was absolutely correct when he said it is amazing how fast paced and physical the practices are. He was also correct in saying it is fairly obvious why the 1s are the 1s and the 2s are the 2s. The scrimmage portion of practice is supposed to be less physical than actual game conditions regarding tackling to the ground, but the players get into it and there is some real hitting going on out there. Theus and a D player got into a fight that lasted a long time, it was not just a few seconds of pushing and shoving. It was so intense and the guys were so big, the coaches couldn't get them apart and finally some of the other players pulled them apart. All three qbs played with the 1s and it looked like Park had the best day, Ramsey next, and Bauta had a tough outing. Ramsey threw the ball well, but he had the most problems with sacks. Park looked great and was much more mobile than Ramsey and hit Mitchell deep right in front of us. I went down and watched Rocker coach the DL. The players really seem to like him and want to play well for him. CMR talked to the entire team at the beginning of practice and then spent pretty much all the rest of the time with the qbs and behind the O during the scrimmage. I really thought I would see more of CMR going around to the different positions and watching what was going on, but I guess the coaches meet and talk about that kind of stuff. Pruitt was as intense as you would imagine and really got after guys who did something he didn't like. There is a lot going on out there and it's hard to really see everything and take in all the activity.
Finally, we went to Loran's house for a cookout. Loran has a very nice house in Five Points, btw. As if going to eat at Loran's house wasn't enough, Charlie Trippi was there and I got to meet him. Trippi is very old, 93 to be exact, and can't hear well, but is still in good shape and gets around well. He is a bourbon drinker and I can now say I've had a drink with Charlie Trippi. Loran and his wife are great hosts and we had a nice meal and a great visit. I would have loved to have stayed longer and Loran asked me to stay and sit on the patio and have another drink but I had the 2 hour drive home.
All in all, a very good day.
