Athens, GA-   An Athens icon went down this morning, as the Georgia Theater burned down. With only the walls and marquee left, the smoke filled the Athens skyline all day and left many, many memories behind. With the likes of R.E.M, John Mayer, Dave Matthews, Corey Smith and countless other musical acts taking the stage over the years, the Theater was as much of an Athens tradition as any other venue in town. I can't begin to count the nights I personally spent the wee hours of a Sunday morning partying down after a Georgia football game.
As the saying goes, "It's great to be a Georgia Bulldog on a Saturday night.." And, if you've ever spent a night at the Georgia Theater listening to the Kinchafoonee Cowboys after a Georgia home game, then you know the true meaning of that!!!

***Please read below, from http://georgiatheatre.com/***

If you would like to donate memrobilia including pictures, thoughts, etc, then please mail to:

Friends of the Georgia Theatre
215 N Lumpkin St
Athens, GA 30601

1. Joe Cox- The new starting quarterback brings a fiery presence to the the position in the "post Stafford Era". The team seems to have embraced Cox as a leader and I can't wait to watch him do his thing....

2. Running Backs- Fans will get a chance to see what Carlton Thomas can do this spring, as he and Caleb King share some carries. (Richard Samuel and Dontavious Jackson are apparently out for the Spring, with injuries)

3. Which wide receiver(s) will step up?- With A.J. Green holding down one side of the field at WR, there are a host of other receivers that will be battling for playing time at the other wide receiver position. Micheal Moore will get the first shot at it, but, the Dawgs also have Kris Durham and Tavarras King in the mix. Fans have been waiting to see what Tony Wilson and Isreal Troup can do as well.

4. Who's gonna bring it?- The pass rush, that is.... The Dawgs will be looking for the defensive ends to bring some "heat" this spring. The pass rush was not up to par this past year and the defense desperately needs some playmakers to emerge.

5. New-look secondary- The secondary will have a new look this spring, as Asher Allen, C.J. Byrd and Ramarcus Brown have moved on. Prince Miller is the most experienced cornerback and Rashad Jones returns at safety. However the other two spots (corner and safety) are up for grabs. Stay tuned to see who emerges and how the secondary takes shape.

- Two of the Top 10 nationally-ranked QB's in the country in Aaron Murray and Zack Mettenberger.

- Washaun Ealey, one of the top running-backs in the nation, who rushed for 2,982 yards and 58 TD's as a junior in high school.

- Cornerback Branden Smith, who owns the 4th fastest 100 meter time in Georgia history and is ranked #5 in the nation at his position.

** Check out the recruiting link at the top of this website for more information.

Georgia Basketball and G-Day....

- By now most everyone knows that Georgia has parted ways with coach Dennis Felton and has begun a search for the next head coach of the basketball program. Rumors have swirled around that former coach Tubby Smith and/or Bobby Knight could be candidates for the position. And, I'm sure many more names will surface as athletic director Damon Evans narrows his list of finalists. It has become more and more apparent that Georgia has HUGE potential in basketball with the amount of talent in the state. Taking a blueprint from the football program and "putting a fence" around the state, with it's home-grown talent, would go a long way in restoring the basketball program.  It's an exciting time for Georgia as the search continues and interest builds, as a new era will begin in Athens....

- ESPN will be broadcasting the annual G-day game at Sanford Stadium on April 11, 2009. The storylines, I'm sure, will be how the Dawgs will be replacing NFL first-rounders Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno.... Can't wait to get a first glimpse of the 2009 Dawgs!!!

Georgia Basketball Competition

When you play in the SEC, you're expected to compete on a national level year after year. Felton's Dawgs have lost to the likes of Loyola of Chicago and needed overtime to beat Wofford. That does not measure up at the University of Georgia......any ANY SPORT!! Last year, with perhaps Georgia's best basketball team under coach Felton, the Dawgs lost to East Tennessee State and Tulane. Even with the miraculous SEC Title, Georgia lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Xavier. The SEC champion should not loose in the 1st round of any tournament of any major sport.....period.

Georgia Offense

While I'm a firm believer that defense wins championships in any of the major collegiate sports, it's the lack of offense that has been so disappointing under coach Felton. During last year's SEC Championship season, Georgia scored over 80 points only 8 times the entire season. They scored less than 67 points in 3 out of 4 SEC tournament games. Again, defense wins championships, but, you have to have SOME offense when it comes tourney time (...again, the Dawgs were one-and-done in the NCAA tournament). As for this season, the basketball team has scored 80 or more points ONCE since November 25th!!! Georgia's record in those games is 4-8.

I have nothing against coach Dennis Felton as a person. I believe he is a great person. He has ran a fairly disciplined program, making some tough decisions to release a few players for disciplinary reasons. He has recruited well and helped upgrade our facilities with a first-class player's lounge, practice gym and other amenities. However, the bottom line is winning and winning consistently. And, with the level of high school talent in the state of Georgia and with the resources available at UGA, Georgia basketball deserves better.

Meet Georgia's new starting QB,  rising senior Joe Cox, by clicking on the video below. Cox has been in the program since 2006 and has paid his dues. He was the #7 ranked Pro-Style quarterback in the nation coming out of high school. And, Cox lead the Dawgs to a victory over Colorado in 2006, as he lead the offense to two fourth-quarter scoring drives in a 14-13 win. Cox is a very accurate passer and plays with a "fire" that, I believe, can help lead the Dawgs in 2009. I'm so glad that Cox finally will get his chance and look forward to seeing him under center come this fall. Of course, the Dawgs will have Logan Gray and two highly-touted freshmen coming in to compete this Spring. And, when the dust settles after the annual G-day game, I believe the Dawgs will be in good shape whoever they have at QB.

Joe Cox Video

It's official.... Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno announced today that they are entering the NFL draft this spring.  Stafford, the projected #1 overall pick, is expected to be drafted by the Detroit Lions. Moreno is believed to be one of the top three running backs available for the draft. What a dynamic duo!!! We wish them both the best as they turn Pro.

Press Conference

Dawgs pick up two more commitments

Cornerback Branden Smith of Atlanta, the #1 player in the state of Georgia, has verbally committed to play for the Dawgs!! Smith was a standout this past weekend in the Under Armor high school Allstar game and has big-time speed... Defensive end Montez Robinson, rated as one of the top 10 defensive ends in the nation by Rivals.com, has also verbally committed to play for the Dawgs... Welcome aboard fellas!!

Top UGA Targets

Now is the time to be Christmas shopping for the Bulldog fan on your Christmas list…… If you don't want to be in the dog house on Christmas Day, you better get shopping right away! Be sure to visit the Georgia-Store at the top (and on the right-hand side) of this web-site. Whether it’s Georgia jewelry, clothes, game tickets, posters or other merchandise,  we’ve got it covered. When it comes to Georgia, we’ve got it covered like kudzu!!!!

Follow Georgia's 2009 verbal commitments right here on Between the Hedge's "Recruiting" page (see linkat the top of this website). We'll have regular updates, right up to Signing Day 2009, as well as links to player profiles, videos and other information on our Recruiting link, above.  We have broken down the verbal commitments by position, so that you can easily search through the page. So, check back for updates and enjoy!!