Special Thanks

Wanted to thank Jeff and Company over at Ramblin Racket for giving us a nice shout out and welcoming us to the GT Blog family.

Jeff is correct, MOTG originally was just away to help us organize the Davis Family & Friends GameDay Experience, but I just keep writing. Here's hoping I can keep it up!

Make sure you stop by Ramblin Racket often, a link is provided on our sidebar under "Other Georgia Tech Resources." It's definitely a must for Ga Tech News and Commentary.

Happy Friday

Why do I have a feeling this kid will end up in Juvie
Click to enlarge

Also, Congratulations to Reggie Ball who signed a one year deal with the Detroit Lions!

Here is a fun read from ArmChairGM on their ranking on College Football's Top 15 Unis
They have Tech at #8, thought it would go nicely with our Uniform Poll and our Helmet discussion.

Here's some info on Tech's 08 Running Backs

Southern Pigskin has GaTech listed at #11 in their Pre-Season Power Poll

Finally the 2007 Ga Tech Football Media Guide is available, you can get a PDF version here

News

Ban smoking at Boddy Dodd?
Looks like the Vols have decided to do so as Tennessee sets smoking ban for Neyland Stadium. What do you think?

Wheeler the 3rd best Defender in the ACC?
Well Tony Barnhart thinks so. Here is his list of the ACC's top 5 defenders.

Gailey considered going back to calling the plays
As it turns out, Gailey nearly returned to calling plays himself. All I can say is I'm glad he didn't. I'm not sure how good of a play-caller Nix was but I do know that last year we finally broke the 7 win season by going 9-5, only missing the last 3 games by 3 points each. Won the division, played for an ACC title. Over all scoring went up more than six points a game from the year before, Tashard led the ACC in rushing, and Calvin set school single season records for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. The numbers don't lie, lets hope that Chan's decision for hiring John Bond as OCC turns out to be the right one.

Time rules changing again
They tweaked the time rules for college football last year in a effort to shorten games, it worked, it also lowered the chance of a second half comeback. Looks like there will be some more tweaks this year.

Per the News & Observer
"Games in 2006 averaged 14 minutes less than in 2005, but quickness came with a cost. There were also 14 fewer plays per game, a development that many coaches found agonizing throughout the season. The plan now is to correct what coaches saw as an overcorrection in '06."

Here is a rundown:
• Relocation of kickoffs from the 35-yard line to the 30
• Offense will have to snap the ball in 15 seconds after a TV timeout
• 30 seconds for no TV timeouts rather than 65 seconds
• After a changes of possession, the clock will not start until the ball is snapped. This means they are going back to the previous rule. Last year, the play clock started as soon as the ball was placed on the line of scrimmage.

FSU wants to play at the Georgia Dome in 08.
Yep, Florida State is in talks with the The Atlanta Sports Council to play one non-conference game at the Georgia Dome in 08. I'm not sure how I feel about this. On one side I think it's great for FSU and their recruiting, I'd also like to see the ACC get a foot in the door on the strangle hold that the SEC has on Atlanta. Which is something that really irritates me since this should be an ACC town, I mean, the only school in this town is an ACC school. Right? But that doesn't seem to matter considering Atlanta is a transplant mecca for both SEC and ACC alums. I will say that if/when this happens, it better not be opposite a Ga Tech home game.

Sporting News Predictions
I'll be the first to admit that preseason predictions don't mean much, especially when not one game has been played. I think the only reason it's done is so we can have something to talk about. Either way The Sporting News predicts that Coach Chan Gailey will be Coach of the Year and Philip Wheeler will be Defensive Player of the Year. Lets Hope.

Why Reggie?
In the article referenced above, Gailey explains one last time why he stayed with Reggie when he would struggle instead of switching over to Taylor Bennett. Here is what he had to say:

"Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey, on if he had second thoughts about playing quarterback Taylor Bennett more last season after his impressive fill-in performance in the Gator Bowl for suspended -- and longtime average/below average -- starter Reggie Ball:

"No. And here's why: he never showed consistently in practice that he could be that kind of player. We just didn't see it. Some guys when you get out there and play, it's a different game." ..."

Seems to make sense to me. I'm not gonna bash Reggie and even though Taylor played great in the Gator Bowl he is still a little green, especially in big game situations. I always had to assume that Gailey had access to info that we as fans didn't, and it was that info that kept Reggie in the game.

ACC Football Kick-Off
Here is a run down of some of the info from ACC Media Days:

TC discussing Offensive changes "Tashard Choice indicates that it may be a change in personnel rather than in schemes under new offensive coordinator John Bond that will be most noticeable at Georgia Tech next fall. He said, "I don’t know if the offense (scheme) will be noticeably different.” He added that last year “the focus of the offense was Calvin Johnson,” and that he expects the Yellow Jackets to run the ball more." LINK

Philip Wheeler discussing Taylor Bennett and winning them all
"ATTENTION-GETTER With his shoulder-length dreadlocks, Georgia Tech senior linebacker Philip Wheeler is easy to pick out in a crowd. His fiery play makes him equally visible on the field.
And losing the final three games of his junior season by a combined nine points -- 15-12 to Georgia, 9-6 to Wake Forest in the ACC championship game and 38-35 to West Virginia in the Gator Bowl -- definitely got Wheeler's attention, priming his focus for 2007.

"Losing the last three games by three points, it don't matter who we play. We're gonna get after them the best we can," Wheeler said. For the first time in recent memory, the Jackets won't have the experience of Reggie Ball, who made 49 career starts for Tech, at quarterback. But Wheeler expects big things from junior quarterback Taylor Bennett. "I think he's gonna shock a lot of people. He's not gonna shock me, because I know what he can do, (but) other people don't know that he can play," Wheeler said. "Taylor's a quick passer. He don't hold the ball too long. He makes good decisions, has good vision." Unlike Ball, who would often tuck the ball and run, Wheeler said Bennett is a pure pocket passer. And Wheeler is hoping the Jackets can ride Bennett's arm a long way. "People tell you you can't win them all," Wheeler said. "I say, why not? This is my last season. I want to try to go undefeated." LINK

Chan Gailey Speaking at ACC Kick-Off
Finally to close out the news for today. Here is a clip of Chan Gailey speaking at the ACC Kick-Off. Nice candid comments.

"I hate to not see people be the best they can be."

Ranking ACC Helmets

Since our new poll features a uniform discussion, I thought it would be fun to give my rundown on the best ACC Helmet designs. After all the helmet is what the entire uniform is built on and it's the first thing we identify with. This is just my opinion based completely on my personal "feelings" along with my professional perspective as a graphic designer.

Let me say that I believe the helmet should be a number of things. Aside from the obvious of good graphic design and good representation of school colors. It should also be original and it should illustrate the school, team or mascot in a unique way. There is also something to be said for simplicity, and tradition.


#12 - Wake Forest
Although the school colors of Black and Gold are represented nicely, I get the feeling they didn't even try. Does WF decal even qualify as a logo? Not in my eyes. Sure there is simplicity, but without a storied tradition to back it up it comes off as lazy. Sorry Wake, I like you, but you get last place for what feels like a complete lack of effort. I preferred the 90's helmet a little more.






#11 - Duke
Duke keeps trying and trying. In the past several years it seems every time I watch them play I see a new helmet design. OK, maybe I'm overstating that. I do think the stylized "D" is better than the helmets that actually said "Duke" on the side, but I did like the dark blue helmets better. The black face mask is completely out of place and I'd recommend trying white or blue. It's getting better, but still not quite there.






#10 - North Carolina
The NC logo has always been nice, although it feels "fat." If they would commit to slimming it down a little it would play much better. Personally NC will always lose points in my book for having a baby blue football helmet. You call it "Carolina Blue" if you like, but I just can't believe you'll strike fear into the hearts of the opposing team with this color blue. I would love to see them play with some ideas featuring the darker blue and use the "Carolina Blue" as an accent. Yes, I know Carolina traditionalists are throwing items at their computer monitors, I just blasphemed in the House of Butch.

#9 - Miami
Nice use of color and I will give the Canes points for originality. But Miami's helmet has always come with one big question, What's with the big "U?" Does it mean something? Is there historical significance I'm missing? Sorry Miami, you're not the only University. If I didn't know college football I would probably ask , "Is that the helmet of the University of Utah?"









#8 - Boston College
The Eagles get most of their points for simplicity and the tradition to follow it up. It would almost be a shame at this point to plaster a large flying eagle on the side and break that tradition, but that also means you could never try anything different.











#7 - North Carolina State
I think this is probably the best NC State helmet they've had. It's much better than the horrible diamond shaped NCS logo of its predecessor. With that being said, NC State has one of the more unique mascots in college football, "The Wolfpack," so it's kind of a shame the helmet design doesn't use that to its advantage.










#6 - Virginia Tech
I'm not really sure how I feel about VaTech's helmet; part of me thinks it made it to number 6 by default. The Hokies have one of the more unique color combos in college football. Is it an off-shade of maroon, or a McDonald's "Grimace" purple? Yes, Ronald's buddy, the talking eggplant. Plus a hue of orange that can only be found in the 72 box of Crayola Crayons, you know, the one with the built in sharpener. The VT logo says what it needs to say while the uni-tone helmet and mask feel complete. So, I guess in the middle is where it belongs.






#5- Maryland
I gotta say I've never been a fan of writing your name or your mascots name on your helmet, which pushed Maryland to number 5 in my book. That being said, I think it works fairly well. Terrapin is unusual so "The Terps" get points for being unique and using that uniqueness to illustrate something different about the team. If it makes those watching a Maryland football game for the first time ask, "What's a Terp?" then it's a good design. I'm just grateful it doesn't say "Fear the Turtle."







#4 - Clemson
Clemson has always had one of the better helmets in the ACC. It fills all the requirements: it stands alone, it's easily recognizable, it's a nice use of the school colors and best of all, it represents the school, mascot or team with the design. The Tigers get points for using the purple but downplaying it at the same time. The white paw provides a good contrast against the orange backdrop. In the end Clemson loses points to drop it to number 4 due to the fact that this paw print design is used by half the high schools in the country.







#3 - Georgia Tech
Yes, I have made a valid attempt to be objective and there is a chance that my love for seeing the Ga Tech gold helmet shining in the sun helped push it this high on the list. In my defense, it's a great helmet, and the Ramblin' Wreck does get points for tradition. It's also the best of what I call the "name logo" helmets. Those logos that are built off the schools name. Examples include, VaTech, North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, and NC State. Maryland and Clemson would be examples of what I refer to as the "mascot logo" helmets. To be fair, I admit that it doesn't do the best job in promoting Tech's color scheme which is White, Gold and Blue. NOT Black. The White throwback helmets from 2006 did a perfect job of addressing this problem by using Tech's navy blue in the correct way.

#2 - Virginia
The Cavaliers helmet design hits correctly on all points. Good design, good color usage, good representation of team with the logo. I'm not a huge fan of the stylized stripes and I would like a little more contrast, but overall it's a nice design.










#1 - Florida State
Historically, the Seminoles have had a collection of the worst and almost comical helmets, but not this time. Like Clemson, Virginia and Maryland, this design fills all the requirements of a good football helmet. Great use of color (in the way I wish GaTech's helmet did), great representative logo, simple in idea yet graphically aware. Also there is a chance that my love for gold helmets helped push it to the top.




Like I said, just my opinion. Leave comments, let me know what you think. Next time I'll take a stab at SEC helmets. Yes, I do watch the SEC and yes, I do pull for some of their teams (although, the SEC wasn't part of the wedding vows).

New Jersey Numbers

Just incase anyone was wondering, "Who will be wearing number 21 this season?" or "How about number 1?" Jersey digits have been reassigned to incoming freshman or transfers from those numbers vacated by players who either graduated or left for the NFL.

Here is a list of the reassigned jersey numbers:

#1 Morgan Burnett
#2 Mario Butler
#9 Josh Nesbitt
#21 Jon Dwyer
#24 Roddy Jones
#28 DJ Donley
#35 Michael Peterson
#44 Albert Rocker
#48 Jerrard Tarrant
#51 Brad Jefferson
#59 Kyle Jackson
#70 Joseph Gilbert
#76 Nick Claytor
#78 Clyde Yandell
#88 Willie White
#91 Derrick Morgan
#92 Jason Peters
#96 Logan Walls

LAST DAY!!!!

If you wish to come to the game, make sure to let me know today.

Sneak Preview – Football Commercials

Per "The Sting," Ga Tech will be running a series of Football Commercials for the upcoming season. Watch via the links below, then watch again. Guaranteed to get you pumped for the upcoming season!

Movie Trailer Ad
Drumline Ad

Also, check out the 2007 Ga Tech Football poster. What are the chances Philip Wheeler drives a Honda Fit? Slim to none? He barely fits in the photo.

Click to enlarge

New Poll - and Other Stuff

Well, the MOTG iPod Music Player poll has been up for awhile so I guess now is as good time to call it. Interestingly enough there was no clear winner. As many people liked the music to play by default as those that didn't, 51% to 49%. Without a clear mandate, I'm making an executive decision to not have the MOTG iPod play by default on the main page. I understand that many people take a few minutes to read at the office, and we don't want to get those folks in trouble.

You can still listen to the music anytime you like by just clicking the play button. Also the music will still play by default on the secondary pages.

New Poll
Summertime is always a good time to have the traditional Ga Tech uniform discussion/argument. Thought it would be good to get an over all opinion. There are those old school traditionalists out there who think Tech should only be in White & Gold and hate the Navy Blue Jerseys, some like your's truly love the Blue Jerseys. Gold Helmets vs. White Helmets. Old Gold, Vegas Gold, Muted Gold. Blue Numbers vs. Gold Numbers. On and On. So, take a few moments to give us your opinion.

Menu Changes
A few changes have been made to the tailgate menu. Both Lindsey and Vicki have signed up for items.

Calvin Booker
With Threet gone, looks like Calvin Booker will be the #2 QB this fall. He looked good in spring practice, shame he didn't get more snaps but at the time who would have known Threet would be gone. I'd hate to be a D-Lineman trying to take him down, the guy is huge.

Calvin Booker - #18 - Spring Practice

Tashard Choice getting some Heisman love.
Athlon Sports has Tashard Choice on their 2007 Heisman Watch. Here is a great quote from the article,

"Last season might have represented the ACC’s best chance to stop Choice, and it failed miserably."


GT Day at Turner Field (per The Sting)
Enjoy a day at the Ted surrounded by Georgia Tech when the Braves take on the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday, August 17th at 7:35pm! Come take part in the fun and excitement of GT Day at Turner Field. Watch performances by the Georgia Tech Marching Band, Cheerleaders, and Buzz during pregame in the plaza area. Also get autographs from some of your favorite Georgia Tech Athletes. Stay around to watch fireworks after the game!

HALF PRICE TICKETS
The Atlanta Braves would like to extend a special offer to Georgia Tech supporters: Half price tickets for the August 17th game available at braves.com/gatech


The Great Jacket Encounter I (per The Sting)
Don't miss your opportunity to meet the Georgia Tech Football team on August 18th from 3pm-5pm. The Great Jacket Encounter I, formerly Fan Photo Day, will be held in Callaway Plaza and the North end zone concourse. Come get autographs from the team and Coach Gailey. There will also be games and an appearance by the Cheerleaders, Buzz, and the Band.

Vick Indicted in Dog Fighting

Well, if it all turns out to be true, it's pretty sick. I'm an animal lover and in my opinion the mistreatment of an animal is one of the most horrible things you can do.

Here is a quote from ESPN about some of the things that went on,

"executed approximately 8 dogs that did not perform well in 'testing' sessions." These animals, the indictment claims, were killed "by various methods, including hanging, drowning, and slamming at least one dog's body to the ground."

Link to ESPN Article

Mopeds Rock!

Well, UGA's highly sought-after freshman recruit running back, Caleb King, has been arrested for driving with a suspended license and driving the wrong way on a one-way street in Athens. Not so funny, well he was on a moped.

The AJC said,

"Any disciplinary action is usually handled internally and does not result in any loss of playing time."

No surprise there. Playing time is the most important thing!

Well to be fair, they have suspended starting tight end Tripp Chandler for one game, he was arrested on alcohol-related charges along with backup quarterback Blake Barnes. Freshman linebacker Akeem Hebron has been suspended after his second arrest for underage possession and finally backup offensive lineman Ian Smith will miss the first five games due to a suspension which followed his November arrest for underage possession.

Sounds like things are going great over in Athens this summer. Especially considering that recently DL Taylor has been implicated in a Memorial Day brawl in which the following happened, per the AJC

"a University of Georgia football player who, along with several other college kids, allegedly stripped him of his clothes, beat him and then urinated on him during a Memorial Day weekend attack at Lake Allatoona."

Urine and Vespas, Good times.


Links:
UGA's King arrested on traffic violations
Caleb King jailed on vehicular charge
Dogs DL Taylor implicated in brawl
Georgia players Chandler, Barnes arrested

ONE WEEK LEFT!!!!

Time keeps ticking down to the deadline for tickets.
If you plan on attending the game please let me know by this Friday, July 20th

If you're still not sure if you will be attending the game then let me know so I can help work out a solution for tickets.

The Clemson game will likely sell out, so we can't wait.

As always you are more than welcome to just come to the tailgate if you do not plan on attending the game. It's a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

William Bell TD Run - 1990

How can anyone say they don't like the blue jerseys???

Boston Terriers Rock - and some news

Is the dog being a Smart Ass? Who called the PoPo this time? PoPo don't like smart asses. The Man is always trying to keep me down.

Now for some news:

The AJC is reporting the repairs on The Wreck are coming along well. Around 20 grand has been raised and several businesses have chipped in.

John Bird who is the student elected to drive the car for this year said,

"It's going pretty good. The interior is stripped, the fenders are off and it looks like a hot rod. The body work is pretty much done. What's slowing them down is all the wood that holds up the soft top was destroyed in wreck. We had to order a new kit, and that's holding it up. That [wood] frame has to be used as a gauge for the straightening of the body."

Per the AJC here is some info about the businesses that have helped out. So a special thanks them.

Awesome Specialists, a Lawrenceville fiberglass and body repair shop.

Mike's A'Ford-Able Parts, one of the nation's premier parts collectors for Model A built between 1928-31, is near Commerce and helping with parts.

Eco-Clean, a restoration shop in Austell, has offered help with upholstery and the softtop after pieces of the trailer punctured the car's roof and seats.

Coker Tires of Tennessee is helping with tires.

Tech's textile engineering department, where Bird is a polymer and fiber engineering major, vowed to help gather interior fabrics.

Tech's mechanical engineering department will manufacture parts like the flag poles and struts for the sides of the car's roof. "They're also going to help with a brass emblem etched with a 1952 Yellow Jacket that would have been difficult to replace," Bird said. "As long as we give them materials, they'll do it free in the machine shop."

Here is the link to the full AJC article: Pledges pour in to repair Ramblin' Wreck



Looks like Steven Threet decided to explain why he left, take it for what you will. He has to sit out a season but will be transferring to Michigan: Threet explains his decision for leaving Tech. He basically said that the departure of the coaches that recruited him, Pat Nix and Geoff Collins, made him decide to go elsewhere. I have my own theories. The possibility of sitting 2 years behind Bennett and still not winning the starting job with 6 QB's at Tech all fighting for it. And although he said it wasn't homesick, I think anyone would be a little homesick. So even if it wasn't the main reason I believe it helped him make the decision.

CFN has a rundown of what they think will be the top 50 games of the year, Tech has a few in there. Early Predictions of the Top 50 Games

I'll take all these scores except the obvious.

40. Boston College at Georgia Tech, Sept. 15 Don't be shocked if this is a preview of the 2007 ACC Championship game. This might be Chan Gailey's best Georgia Tech team yet, while new Boston College head coach Jeff Jagodzinski inherits a loaded team led by the ACC's best quarterback, Matt Ryan. It'll be a battle between the great Yellow Jacket offensive line against the tremendous BC defensive front seven, led by a pair of 300-pound tackles. This will be the breakout game for Tech QB Taylor Bennett, who won't outplay Ryan, but will be effective enough to come away with the tough win. Predicted score in July: Georgia Tech 23 ... Boston College 17

35. Georgia Tech at Notre Dame, Sept. 1 Georgia Tech had them. It had the Irish beaten in the 2006 season opener, but Calvin Johnson didn't get the ball enough, and Brady Quinn fought back after getting the tar beaten out of him to pull off the 14-10 win. This year, the Irish offensive line will be great over the course of the season, but it'll hardly be ready for primetime in the opener. The defensive front seven will be the bigger problem, and will get hammered on over and over and over again by the loaded Tech offensive line. Notre Dame would probably win this game if it was played in late October, but it won't be ready yet. The home field advantage will keep it from being ugly. Predicted score in July: Georgia Tech 24 ... Notre Dame 10

34. Georgia at Georgia Tech, Nov. 24
In what's been one of the most interesting rivalry games over the last few years, the last three have been decided by a touchdown or less. All were Georgia wins with the Bulldogs winning the last six. Will all of Georgia's potential problems (secondary, receiving corps, young offensive line) be sorted out by the end of the year? Yes, no, and a big-time yes. Georgia Tech will have the better team, but even though it'll have the home field advantage, Georgia has the hex over its rival. If this game was played early in the year, the Yellow Jackets will win. It's not, and they won't.
Predicted score in July: Georgia 17 ... Georgia Tech 14

23. Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech, Nov. 1
If this doesn't decide the Coastal Division title, it'll come awfully close. Georgia Tech established itself as a major player last year, and made the Hokies play the role of chaser, after a 38-27 win in Blacksburg. This year's Yellow Jacket team is far better on the lines and should be steadier on offense. While the Hokies will have had a little bit of extra time to prepare, coming of a Thursday game with Boston College, the Yellow Jackets will have two weeks to rest up and relax, and in reality, it might be three weeks considering the game before is a layup against Army. Home field advantage, along with the extra time, will be just enough to win a defensive slugfest.
Predicted score in July: Georgia Tech 17 ... Virginia Tech 14



Sunday Morning Quarterback has released their "A Somewhat Obligatory Assessment Of: Georgia Tech" - nice read.



If Miami can insist we "Fear the U" since they are apparently the only school that is a "University" why can't we insist everyone "Fear the I"? We are the only "Institute." Not sure who put these together on Cafe Press, but it's a great idea. Too bad we can't have them in our actual school colors, White, Gold and Blue.
"Fear the I" t-shirts



The front page of ESPN the other day had a poll asking:

"Which ATLANTA area team will win a championship first?"

1. Braves
2. Falcons
3. Thrashers
4. University of Georgia (in football)

Did Shirley redraw the city limits last night? This kinda stuff makes me wanna cuss in church!
By the way, the answer should be the Thrashers.
Don't bother looking for it, they've moved on.




Tony Barnhart says Tech's offense may actually be better without Calvin.

"1. Georgia Tech lost Calvin Johnson, one of the best receivers you are ever going to see. But is it possible that the Yellow Jackets’ offense is actually going to be BETTER in 2007? Call me crazy (and I’m sure some of you will call me worse) but I really think Tech is going to be more productive and much less predictable on offense. It starts up front where eight of the Top 10 offensive linemen are back. Tashard Choice, the ACC’s leading rusher (105.2 ypg) is back and is going to have a huge year. What quarterback Taylor Bennett did in the Gator Bowl game (326 yards passing) was not a fluke. This guy can manage a game, read coverages and throw it to the right guy. Would he be a better quarterback if No. 21 (Calvin Johnson) was still at Tech? You bet he would. But the receivers coming back, including James Johnson, are pretty good. Georgia Tech fans are going to like John Bond, the new offensive coordinator. Here is a guy who fielded three Top 25 offenses in four years at Northern Illinois. He knows how to use good running backs (go back and check the stats of Michael Turner and Garrett Wolfe). I think it all adds up to a pretty special unit that could get Georgia Tech back to Jacksonville and the ACC championship game."



Saban wants the Tide to play Tech. Roadtrip to Tuscaloosa would be a blast! Right now we are scheduled to play @ Bama in 2012 and at BDS in 2014
Saban would like to face Tech, Notre Dame


Bobby Ross and Keith Booking will be inducted into this years Ga Tech Hall of Fame.
Link on RamblinWreck.com

Our Boys. Don't worry Mr. Bear, Cocker Spaniels rock too!

2-Minute Review Thursday (well, 2 min plus)

Transformers
Transformers is the complete definition of a popcorn movie the way Schindler's List and Passion Of The Christ are not. This could be one of the few big time summer blockbuster epics over the last few years that actually lived up to the hype. So buy the big bowl.

The special effects are incredible and a surprising amount of time is spent on story development. The Jerry Bruckheimer/Michael Bay combo delivers more than what you've come to expect and you will be entertained along the way. The story gets a little muddy towards the end but you honestly don't care at that point.

Peter Cullen, as the voice of Optimus Prime, is as important to the film as the effects; the film might simply collapse without him. Cullen's voice missing would be like Lucas doing Vader without James Earl Jones. He could read the phone book and you'd listen. In fact I think it would be a great idea to have him read the State Of The Union every January, maybe then people would pay attention. Also Hugo Weaving is nice as Megatron, although I would have liked to have heard more.

Shia LaBeouf plays Sam Witwicky, and is excellent as the a bumbling and lovable nerd with a high level of cool. Mikaela Banes, Sam's love interest, is played by Megan Fox. There are shots of Ms. Fox that I'm surprised didn't melt the film stock, but sadly I felt her character was pushed to the background in favor of her looks.

Melting, slowly

The title tag line could have been "Introduction of the Autobots" since they are truly the stars and the Decepticons are basically given subtitle intros, literally. There is a large cast of supporting characters including government agents, computer hackers and soldiers, but the story largely rests on Witwicky and Banes as the "Earth Guides" to their Autobot protectors.

I do wish that the bots showed a little more personality, but I imagine you'll get that in part 2, for which they door is left wide open.

If there are any complaints here they are:

Although I'm very happy the movie didn't play like a giant GM commercial and the new Camaro is sweet, there was part of me that was really hoping BumbleBee would be a badass VW Beetle like the original. At least the filmmakers paid a visual homage to the original yellow Beetle.

Overacting, especially by Anthony Anderson and John Turturro. Why is the kid climbing in the tree? Why is Jon Voight even here? Was rent due? And please don't bother us with anymore George Bush jokes.

And above all I was somewhat devastated the credits didn't roll to a Smashing Pumpkins remake of the theme song. I was, however, very pleased they didn't overlook using the "transforming sound effect" that is so recognizable.

Maybe you didn't grow up on the cartoon as I did. Maybe you didn't rush home from school to witness the greatest hour of television a child could hope for, 30 minutes of G.I. Joe followed by 30 minutes of Transformers. With the WMGT Channel 41 Wild Bill's Gerbil Derby sandwiched in between. (Disturbing? Yes I know.) If you didn't, you'll still enjoy the show. Overall Transformers is great summer time extravaganza and I'm looking forward to watching it again.


Here are a few facts that you might find interesting:

Megatron's classic alternate mode was a Walther P38 pistol, but Hasbro, the owners, and official distributors of the toyline stated, they would not produce a gun of any kind for their characters (it's also illegal to make replica toy guns in several jurisdictions). So it was changed to an "interstellar jet." Megatron was also given a less humanoid face to make him more menacing.

A few little things that only hardcore Transformer fans would notice. Two of the Decepticons in this film are named Bonecrusher and Devastator. In the original toy line and television series, Bonecrusher was one of six Decepticons, known as Constructicons, who combines to form Devastator.

It took approximately 38 hours for the animators of Industrial Light & Magic to render one frame of the CGI animation to portray the Transformers. This breaks the record set by Weta Workshop for Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, where it took 20 hours to animate a frame of CGI to portray the Ent Treebeard.

Working out the transformations was done with the help of a mathematical equation, which explained where each of the parts of the robot went when it become a vehicle. See kids, Math is important.

My buddy Joe Tamanini sent some shots of the Autobots he spotted around L.A. Hope he doesn't mind me sharing.

Bumblebee guarding the gate at Paramount Pictures

Don't forget your ID badge

Boomer Sooner - You must vacate

Yes, I know this is a Tech Blog, but I also grew up a Oklahoma Sooners fan so don't be surprised if you find OU info on here from time to time.

Looks like the NCAA will make the Sooners vacate wins from 2005 season along with a few other penalties.

Additional Penalties:

Two additional years of probation, extended the period through 2010.
The loss of two scholarships through the 2009-10 season.
A reduction by one of the number of coaches who can recruit off campus.
A public reprimand and censure.
A disassociation with the dealership manager for five years.

In case you didn't know, Rhett Bomar (the starting QB) and J.D. Quinn (starting O Lineman) were dismissed from the team after it was learned that violated NCAA rules by working at a private business and taking "payment over an extended period of time in excess of time actually worked."

In other words they were getting paid for working 40 hours a week and were only working 5.

We all know this kind of thing goes on all the time, just ask Reggie Bush. How about the time I'm sitting in an elevator and one UGA fan is telling the other UGA fan about so and so wide receiver's new BMW 7 series that was a "gift." That wide receiver played that week.

Hummmmm...


Links:
The Crimson and Cream Machine Blog
Oklahoma dismisses starting QB Bomar
NCAA: Oklahoma must forfeit 2005 season

QB Threet has transfered from Tech

With rumors swirling it's finally official. Steven Threet has left Ga Tech and will be enrolling elsewhere. Coach Chan Gailey confirmed it today.

"That is the case," Gailey said. "He gave me reasons but I don't like to speak for guys. He was in school this summer and I don't know if he has withdrawn from class, but he has gone back to Michigan." per the AJC.

QB Threet from Adrian, Mich was one of Tech's top recruits of the 2007 signing class. He enrolled early and participated in spring practice.

The rumor mill said that he was homesick. Which is completely understandable considering the distance from home. According to the "About Me" section on his MySpace page, Threet had this to say,

"School is hard and I don't really like it. I always look forward to when people visit me, and when I get the chance to go home."

This info is unconfirmed but if this is the case it's not a surprise. The transition to college is difficult enough, I can't imagine being so far from everything you know and love. From what I understand he was a good student pulling all A's a B's but once again, unconfirmed.


I had the pleasure of watching Steven at the Spring Scrimmage and I can say I was impressed. It appears he will make a great QB for someone in the future, just not for Tech. This is a tough loss but I don't think it will tarnish a great recruiting class. We are loaded at QB.

We wish Steven well and good luck!

Threet was one of the top pro style QBs in the nation by Scout.com

Story from the AJC

ONLY 2 WEEKS LEFT!!!!

That's right, there are only 2 weeks left to RSVP for TICKETS to the Davis Family and Friends GameDay Experience.

DEADLINE: July 20th
I'll need to know the number coming to the game and your payment. Please checkout the "RSVP and PURCHASE TICKETS" page for all the details.

I know it seems early, but in order to get the best seats for a large group it's imperative that I get them as soon as they go on sale. If not we'll be in the visitors section breathing thin air.

Remember if you're not planning on attending the game you are still more than welcome at both the before and after tailgates!

Only 8 weeks until the first game of the season!!!! It's just around the corner, don't wait to let me know!

Talk To Me Goose...

Yea, they can have all their "Woof Woofs" and their "How Bout Dim Dawgs" cause we got FIGHTER PLANES!

Just for a good Friday laugh

I don't think any words are required.

Just a couple of things,

1. Don't forget to vote on the poll, trying to get an idea if you guys like the music to play automatically when you come to the site. Right now I think we are tied.

2. Jackets pick up two commits this week.


B.J. Machen - LB from Ohio

Here is some info about Machen courtesy of the Ga Tech Sports Blog

"Rivals lists Machen as a "3 star" guy, for what it's worth, the #37 LB in the country, and #21 prospect in the state of Ohio............. While some schools actually recruited him as a safety prospect, he's coming to the Jackets as a LB prospect"









Sean Renfree - QB from Arizona

Here is some info about Renfree courtesy of the Ga Tech Sports Blog

"Renfree is a "3 to 4-star" caliber guy and Rivals ranks him as the #8 pro-style QB in the nation right now. He's the #17 QB from Scout.com. In addition, he won a spot in the prestigious "Elite 11" QB camp (put on by EA Sports). He passed for 2,500 yards and 25 touchdowns his junior season and was intercepted only five times. He's more of a drop-back pocket passer with a quick release (important to John Bond), and good accuracy. He also happens to be a 3.7+ GPA kid with a high SAT score and a transcript full of AP and honor courses, so he's got the smarts."

Here is a video of Sean

Sean Renfree Highlight Video - video powered by Metacafe

Once again, check out the Ga Tech Sports Blog for all the details.

2-Minute Review Tuesday

I'm a big fan of movies and film-making: from a love of the motion picture as an art form to the enjoyment of it for pure entertainment value. Tiffany and I are avid movie-goers, so I thought I'd start a new addition to MOTG: 2-Minute Review Tuesday. If we happen to catch a new release or rent a DVD/PayPerView, I'll just give you our quick opinion, which should take you less than 2 minutes to ingest. The time limit also helps me keep the stream-of-consciousness- writing to a minimum.

Since the 4th of July is a big movie-going holiday, I thought now would be a good chance to give an overview of what we've had to pleasure to take in so far this summer. Since there is a small backlog, we have 7 movies for you this week: 7 movies at 2 minutes each means 14 minutes. for those UGA fans reading and those of you in Rio Linda. Not that our opinion means much to anyone; most of these movies are still playing if you'd like check them out.


Live Free or Die Hard
The Die Hard series has always been one of my favorites in the action genre. John McClane returns after a long break in the 4th edition which is nonstop trills and well worth the ticket price. The DVD won't do this film justice, it needs the big screen. It's impossible not to root for Bruce Willis's everyman character who gets by on guts, luck and a strong sense of "someone's gotta do it." Justin Long is good as the computer hacker sidekick, and from what my wife tells me, is very "hot" with the long hair. I'll have to take her word on that, but this is a girl who has Harry Potter in her Top 5, and she married me, so her judgment may not be entirely reliable. The villain is not bad enough, a little too likable. It's also the first time I've seen an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter since the PBS documentary of Lockheed vs. Boeing. Don't let the PG-13 rating fool you, I hardly noticed. They simply toned down the language and truncated the famous "Yippy Kay Yay..." DieHard 4 is a good choice for 4th of July .


Evan Almighty
Evan Almighty doesn't try to be anything more than what it is: good clean family fun. This modern retelling of the Noah story is well within it's PG rating and nothing I wouldn't be more than willing to let my non-existent human children watch (although I'm sure the Boston Terrier would love the animals). The message may seem a little fortune-cookie to adults and the jokes a little forced, but it should ring true in the minds of kids. Steve Carell spends most of the movie as straight man to the animals so I don't believe fans of The 40 Year Old Virgin or The Office will enjoy Evan that much. If you're offended by the religious overtones because it's not exactly what you were taught in Sunday School then I would recommend loosening your Bible Belt a little. Although not as good as its predecessor "Bruce Almighty," Evan Almighty is a good summertime family film.


Oceans Thirteen
In the 3rd installment of Steve Soderbergh's ode to the Rat Pack, Oceans 13 is a good continuation to 11 and 12. At this point I'm not sure who number 13 is and I'm not certain that there wasn't a 15 and 16 involved at some point. Overall it's not as strong as the first 2, mainly because I felt the story was lacking in complexity and development and there were a few too many gags. Also, that old married couple chemistry that was a source of many laughs in the first 2 between Clooney and Pitt wasn't as obvious this time around. In the end, if you enjoyed 11 and 12, you should enjoy 13.




Knocked Up
From the makers of the 40 Year Old Virgin come a movie whose name says it all. Much of the cast of 40 has been brought back with Seth Rogen playing the slacker with a good heart and Katherine Heigl as the up-and-coming entertainment reporter. Writer/Director Judd Apatow, who is responsible for both 40 and Knocked Up, has a unique ability to combine a Bevis & Butthead raunchiness and a sincere social commentary. For this reason it's a great date movie, as it appeals to both guys and girls. Knocked Up is an intelligent and from-the-heart character-driven circus. Plus there is a terrific Ryan Seacrest cameo.



Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Well, you go to see Pirates for the swashbuckling, not for a well thought-out storyline. Action you will get, as there is plenty of sword fighting, cannon fire and Johnny Depp's "Keith Richards meets Peppy le Pew," Jack Sparrow. This is what everyone is going to see. It's fun, but it's too long and if you missed any of the first 2, it will not make a bit of sense.







Spiderman 3
I feel that I will not be able to give Spiderman a fair shake since I look back and realize I hardly got to watch the movie. Between the infant crying through an 11 pm showing of a 3-hour action epic and the amazing number of people who feel they are so important they have to not only check their cell phone every 30 seconds, but also answer it and have full conversations, it's amazing I was able to enjoy any of it. I will say that I feel like 3 didn't live up to 1, or especially 2. They simply tried to do too much. Pick 1 villain, not 3:Venom, Sandman or Green Goblin. Forcing all 3 into the story just bogged it down and made me not want to invest in the plot. Maybe I'll feel differently after another viewing without the screaming baby.


28 Weeks Later
I have to admit I was looking forward to the release of this one. 28 Weeks is the sequel to 28 Days Later, one of the more original horror films in decades. Finally zombies are actually scary, but not really for the reasons that zombie movies hold on to, but for the virus that causes it. Days and Weeks are both realistic, modern, post-apocalyptic stories rooted in today's headlines. The visuals of an empty London are a precursor to the New York City scapes of Will Smith's upcoming I Am Legend, another film I am greatly looking forward to seeing. 28 Weeks Later picks up at the beginning of the re-population of London after the virus appears to be eradicated. I highly recommend checking this one out. The soundtrack is great, as are the visuals.

Athens Engineering

Do they still teach engineering in Athens? If memory serves me right they replaced the engineering program with the "Recreation and Leisure Studies" degree. I mean the most important thing in college is to stay eligible, right? So, if they do still teach engineering over there I'm sure this is a perfect example of a Graduate Thesis. At the minimum a class project for Kinematics & Dynamics.



Look at the bright side. At least they didn't eat him like the rabid raccoon this time.


The Chronicle of Higher Education - 2004
http://chronicle.com
Section: Short Subjects
Volume 50, Issue 26, Page A6


After they killed and ate a raccoon that had been behaving erratically, three members of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity at the University of Georgia avoided contracting rabies but didn't escape disciplinary action (The Chronicle, January 23).

Erik R. Zimmerman, a sophomore who allegedly killed the raccoon by beating it with a traffic cone and shooting it with a pellet gun, surrendered to authorities after a warrant was issued for his arrest on misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty. Mr. Zimmerman will be arraigned in state court on April 20 and could face up to a year in jail and a maximum fine of $1,000.

His two accomplices were not arrested. Their actions -- skinning and eating the raccoon -- occurred after the animal was dead. But all three students have been penalized by the university. They must prepare a report on the "appropriate treatment of animals" so that all fraternities "can benefit from their education," says Claudia Shamp, the university's associate dean of Greek life.

Ms. Shamp also assigned the students to perform 25 hours of community service at the local Humane Society, before she learned that they were not welcome there.

News

Just a little news.

I'm sure most of you know by now that Thaddeus Young went #12 to Philadelphia and Javaris Crittenton went #19 o Los Angeles in this years NBA draft. Congrats to both of them and we wish them well.

Mario West gets Globetrotters tryout.

Jackets adding more depth at QB

Andrew Gardner gets himself married

Nice hometown story about Joe Burns

More as it comes...enjoy.

Barbecue Adventures - Dusty's

Tiffany and I have been exploring the local Atlanta BBQ scene for a few months now. I thought a nice regular addition to MOTG would be a short review of each place we try. Remember this is completely our opinion solely based on the feedback from our taste buds. I'll make an effort to be short on fluff and hit the important points.

Dusty's BBQ is a quaint, no frills old little wooden house at the corner of Briarcfliff Rd and Clifton Rd. This location has been open since 1981 but I believe Linda (the owner) has been making the Q much longer.

Here is the rundown. Dusty's is one of the few places in town where you can get North Carolina style Q, which I've come to find out seems to be more about the sauce than the style of cooking. I'm OK with that, I love sauce, but since they don't rely on the smoke in cooking as much the meat does seem to lack that smoky flavor. Dusty's offers 3 sauces all of which were very good. Regular, Sweet, Hot and Sizzlin'. I highly recommend the Regular and the Hot. For those of you who don't know what NC style sauce is about, imagine the sweet sauce you've come to know and love, remove the sweet, add tons of black pepper and extra vinegar to the point where it's down right fluid. If you want it spicy just throw in some hot peppers. I was raised on the sweet tomato based Georgia Q but have found that I enjoy the change of pace that a NC style sauce can bring. Lucky thing Dusty's sells it by the bottle and the gallon jug.

The inside was a little cramped and I felt it could have been a little cleaner. Maybe I'm a little obsessive-compulsive, but no matter how clean the establishment is, it really seems like an oversite if I have to wash my hands every time I touch the tabletop sauce bottles. The service was good, our server was friendly and easy to talk to, she was also honest regarding the side items and even allowed us to taste before making a final decision. Good service always goes a long way.

The Slaw and Corn Salad were both good selections and offered cool complements to the Hot sauce. The beans were average and the okra was boring. The potato salad was so bad I can't believe they still have it on the menu, or at least haven't changed the recipe. On a more positive note the Brunswick Stew was much better than average and so far one of the best I've had in awhile. Also the hush puppies are a great touch.

We got the combo plate. You receive pulled/chopped pork, chopped beef brisket, 2 sides, stew and puppies. It's nice when restaurants allow you to try a large cross section of their offerings without breaking the bank. Sadly at the end of the day it's about the barbecue. I can say with confidence that Dusty's was simply lacking and falls into the average category, no matter how badly I didn't want it to. Both the beef and pork seemed to be better vehicles for the sauce than able to stand alone. I would like to add that I felt like the overall prices were very responsible and you get plenty of food for your money.

A couple of other points. For the NC natives now living in Atlanta Dusty's does serve Cheerwine. A Carolina favorite that's hard to come by in these parts. We did not try the selection of homemade cobblers they have to offer, but I've heard good things. We also can't offer a review of the chicken or the ribs since we just didn't get to it.


THE VERDICT (Scale 1-5)

Service - 4
Chopped Pork - 2
Chopped Beef Brisket - 2
Brunswick Stew - 4
Price/Value - 5
Sides - 4 (good selection and extra points for the puppies)
Would I go back? Yes, but only for the stew and the sauce. On a cold night I would certainly stop by on the way home from work. Grab a large order of stew and some puppies to take home for dinner. I would also gladly keep a few bottles of sauce in my kitchen cabinet.