Category: Lifestyle

UGA AD Greg McGarity ‘planning as if a football season is going to happen’

UGA athletic director Greg McGarity says the school is ‘planning as if a football season is going to happen’ for Georgia football

Colleges across the country are starting to feel the significant financial burden on sports that comes with the coronavirus.

Prior to the cancellation of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the NCAA was set to disperse $600 million to Division I schools. Now it will only be sending out $225 million, a 62% cut.

Now we all know that we will be without a college basketball postseason, as well as all other major professional sports for a while, but the question still remains; will we have football in 2020?

“Depending on football, obviously, that’s the big unknown now,” University of Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity said in an interview with Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald.

“We’re planning as if a football season is going to happen. If that doesn’t happen, that’s a whole another environment.”

All universities spring football games have been cancelled but we are still a ways away from the regular season. McGarity’s statement is a good sign for Bulldog and all football fans, but schools are still starting to prepare for the worst.

Georgia sold $33.4 million in ticket sales for the 2019 season, and that’s just revenue from fans who go to the games. They also have a number of other major sources of football revenue that will be lost if football is not a reality for 2020.

“We’re hoping and praying that doesn’t happen,” McGarity said. “We also have to be realistic if football was not part of that what does that mean with our reserves, how much of the reserve can we utilize to make us somewhat whole. That’s why we have a reserve, thank goodness. We’re probably in better shape than a lot of institutions because of our financial stability.”

ESPN’s college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit is among those who have a more skeptical outlook on the upcoming 2020 CFB and NFL seasons.

“I’ll be shocked if we have NFL football this fall, if we have college football. I’ll be so surprised if that happens,” said Herbstreit on ESPN Radio.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on this matter, but Herbstreit brought up the point that vaccinations are estimated to take roughly a year or more to become available.

“Just because from what everything I understand, people that I listen to, you’re 12 to 18 months away from a vaccine,” he added. “I don’t know how you let these guys go into locker rooms and let stadiums be filled up and how you can play ball. I just don’t know how you can do it with the optics of it.”

McGarity also mentioned that the athletic department will only be spending on essential operations and virus related issues until the pandemic is over.  Georgia should be able to handle an economic dip like this and is preparing for the absolute worst, but hoping for the best.

There are still 162 days until Georgia is scheduled to kickoff the 2020 football season against Virginia.  We will keep you up to date with the latest coronavirus news and the impact it will have on the 2020 football season.

Former Georgia swimmer helping fight coronavirus in NYC hospital

Lauren English, a former swim captain at the University of Georgia, is fighting COVID-19 on the frontline in New York City.

Lauren English, a former swim team captain at the University of Georgia now in Hackensack, NJ, is treating patients and helping to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

English studied speech pathology and audiology during her time as a student athlete in the Classic City. She graduated in the class on 2012 and now works as a neurology nurse at the New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.

“Right now, that (COVID-19) is what we’re dealing with,” said English in an interview with the Athens Banner-Herald. “This is what we have in our country. We have this crisis. I don’t think any health care worker is not faced with working with these patients. We’re in it. Even though I’m in neurology, that’s what I’m focused on right now. You don’t have a specialty at this point. Your goal is to help with this pandemic and to help society.”

Many people who contract the coronavirus show little to no symptoms, but complications can be had for others.  The virus can lead to much more serious things such as pneumonia, which can very often be fatal.

Read full story by Marc Weiszer here.

English is one of many employees in the medical field putting her own health on the line in order to help those in need in this chaotic time in our world’s history.  Her main job is to make sure patients who tested positive for the virus are able to breathe properly.

English emphasized the importance of stopping the spread of the virus in addition treating it.

“That is our armor,” said English, talking about her mask and a protective medical clothing. “We can’t be good workers unless we keep ourselves safe because then we’ll be sick.”

“It’s hard for people who haven’t seen these types of patients to know what they’re socially distancing for,” she said. “It’s beyond important because we don’t know how much longer this thing is going to go on. My brothers and sisters in healthcare are working tirelessly to make sure that the people who did get the virus are back on their feet as much as possible. If you don’t social distance, these things are just going to get worse. Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there.”

New York City has the most cases in the United States, with the confirmed number rising to 20,011 on Thursday, as well as 280 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

English had an incredible swimming career during her time at Georgia.  She helped the Dawgs capture 3 SEC championships and was runner-up twice in the NCAA championships.

It is amazing to see a former Bulldog fighting this disease on the frontline and making a difference in the world.

Herschel Walker tells us how to stay fit during coronavirus quarantine

Georgia football legend Herschel Walker tells us all how to stay healthy with this home workout routine during your coronavirus quarantine.

When you think of Herschel Walker, the words “fit,” “beast” or “ripped” may come to mind.

Herschel, now 58, is still all those things that he was 30-40 years ago during his days at Georgia, in the USFL or the NFL.

But he was not always that way. Actually, as a child, Herschel was overweight and the victim of bullying. That is until one day he decided enough is enough.

“I grew up overweight,” Herschel told Daniel Williams of NFL.com. “I used to have a speech impediment. I was picked on. And I realized that if you dedicate yourself to anything, you can do it.”

Eventually, Herschel sought out to lose that extra weight and replace it with muscle. Every day after school in Wrightsville, Herschel would head out to the train track that ran behind his house and raced the trains that passed by. When he was finished and would go home, he would turn on the television like any other kid would. But his workout was not complete. Each commercial break posed as an opportunity to get in extra push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and squats.

To this day, Herschel still does 1,500 push-ups and 3,000 sit-ups each day.

Herschel wants you to remain fit during coronavirus lockdown:

For a lot of us, our workout routines have been thrown off greatly thanks to the coronavirus quarantine happening around the world.

All that hard work you’ve put in to get healthy and fit can be undone if exposed to weeks on end of a sedentary lifestyle.

Herschel does not want to see that happen to you. On Tuesday, the greatest college football player of all-time took to Twitter to share some easy home-workout tips with you.

He also strongly suggests that you read up on the CDC guidelines on how to stay healthy, safe and mentally stable at a time like this.

“People always talk to me about my workout, and I always say that my workout came from reading books,” Walker told Fox Business in 2018. “Particularly, reading about a Marine who did all these push-ups and sit-ups and really dedicated himself. And that’s what I try to encourage kids to do.”

The Athletic Build did a profile on Herschel and touched on his workout routine, noting that he has never been a fan of weight-lifting. What you saw dominate the football field in the early 80s was a product of years of body weight exercises.

From TheAthleticBuild:

If you think Herschel Walker is some kind of weight room warrior you would be wrong, Herschel has never been into weightlifting, all of his exercises are body weight exercises. He started doing sit-ups and push-ups as a kid, as many as 5000 a day and still to this day he does 750-1500 pushups every day as well as 3000 sit ups. He also mixes in 1,500 pull-ups, 1000 dips, and 1000 squats every day. For cardio, he will run up to 8 miles and do sprints as well. He also does a regimen of martial arts and MMA after he has completed this workout every morning.

Herschel’s diet is also a bit on the unorthodox. He does not eat breakfast or lunch. The only meal he eats is dinner which consists of soup, salad, and bread. He does not eat red meat but will have chicken on occasion.

Georgia SEC Network Takeover all day Friday

Starting at midnight, it’s Georgia’s turn to takeover the SEC Network. The network will show recent Georgia sporting events, an SEC Inside and multiple showings of SEC Storied. Here’s the schedule: 12:00 am: SEC Storied: Herschel Walker 1:00 am: CFB …

Starting at midnight, it’s Georgia’s turn to takeover the SEC Network.

The network will show recent Georgia sporting events, an SEC Inside and multiple showings of SEC Storied.

Here’s the schedule:

12:00 am: SEC Storied: Herschel Walker

1:00 am: CFB – 2019 Georgia vs Auburn

3:30 am: SEC Storied: Scramblin’ Fran

4:30 am: SEC Storied: Dominique Belongs to Us

5:30 am: SEC Inside: Georgia Basketball

6:00 am: WBB – 2020 UGA vs Florida

8:00 am: Softball – 2020 Georgia vs Kansas

10:00 am: CFB – 2019 Georgia vs Notre Dane

1:00 pm: Baseball – 2020 Georgia vs Clemson

4:00 pm – CFB – 2019 Georgia vs Florida

6:30 pm: SEC Storied: Miracle 3

7:30 pm: MBB – 2020 Georgia vs Auburn

9:30 pm: CFB – 2020 Georgia vs Baylor

Athens-Clarke County announces local state of emergency

The proposed curfew was briefly revised to be 7:00 p.m. but has since been approved to be imposed at the original 9:00 p.m. limit.

The University of Georgia community is panicking following three confirmed COVID-19 cases in Athens-Clarke County. County officials drafted emergency plans for a city-wide 9:00 p.m. curfew.

The proposed curfew was briefly revised to be 7:00 p.m. but has since been approved to be imposed at the original 9:00 p.m. limit.

None of the five bordering counties (Barrow, Jackson, Madison, Oconee, Oglethorpe) has a confirmed case.

Following the NCAA’s ordered cancellation of all winter and spring sports, Clarke county residents like myself now have more pressing concerns than whether or not G-Day is still on in a few weeks.

To paint a picture of what it’s like in Athens, a town with a population density of 1,038 people per square mile:

I’ve seen neither paper towels nor toilet paper on store shelves in six days. I can’t remember the last time I encountered disinfectant wipes or hand sanitizer. I saw about three loaves of sliced bread and maybe half a dozen baguettes at my local grocery last night. I drove to four stores before I found a dozen eggs.

My friends who work in UGA offices haven’t been able to work for about two weeks. They’re concerned, rightfully so, about how they will pay their bills this month.

My bank is now drive-through only and hasn’t guaranteed if they’ll stay open this week.

Almost all restaurants, if not closed, are drive-through or takeout only.

Heads turn in any public space in which a cough or sneeze is overheard.

The University of Georgia has yet to provide an update on when campus activities will resume. Nobody can predict a timeline of when all of this will blow over, but the lack of update remains disheartening.

For other inquiries into how the global health pandemic affects the world of college sports:

Georgia football produces positive video amid coronavirus pandemic

Finebaum: NCAA president Emmert’s handling of cancellations “inexcusable”

Coronavirus forces NCAA to make big decisions regarding eligibility, recruiting

SEC cancels its men’s basketball tournament due to coronavirus

NCAA grants spring season athletes an extra year of eligibility

Will Georgia football cancel G-Day due to coronavirus?

Georgia football Pro Day postponed amid coronavirus outbreak

Georgia football produces positive video amid coronavirus pandemic

Georgia football and head coach Kirby Smart released a video message urging the local community to stay cautious regarding COVID-19. 

Amid health concerns not limited locally Georgia football and head coach Kirby Smart released a video message urging the local community to stay cautious regarding COVID-19.

Smart and his family traveled outside the country recently and were required to self-quarantine. UGA Athletic Director Greg McGarity confirmed that a 14-day quarantine applies to all employees of the school’s athletic department who traveled outside of the United States for recent weeks.

Smart further urged the University of Georgia community to take health precaution seriously in a video message.

Athens-Clarke County has three confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of March 16.

County officials originally drafted plans for an Athens-wide 9:00 p.m. curfew. Earlier this evening, the proposed curfew was revised to 7:00 p.m. and has yet to be approved.

For other inquiries into how the global health pandemic affects the world of college sports:

Finebaum: NCAA president Emmert’s handling of cancellations “inexcusable”

Coronavirus forces NCAA to make big decisions regarding eligibility, recruiting

SEC cancels its men’s basketball tournament due to coronavirus

NCAA grants spring season athletes an extra year of eligibility

Will Georgia football cancel G-Day due to coronavirus?

Georgia football Pro Day postponed amid coronavirus outbreak

NCAA grants spring season athletes an extra year of eligibility

The NCAA announced student-athletes for spring sports will be granted a waiver for an additional season of eligibility after coronavirus.

Due to the unprecedented affects and uncertainties of the coronavirus, the NCAA shut down the balance of winter sports and cancelled all spring sports this week.

Now the NCAA has announced that student-athletes for spring sports will be granted a waiver for an additional season of eligibility.

“Council leadership agreed that eligibility relief is appropriate for all Divisiion I student-athletes who participated in spring sports,” the NCAA released in a statement. “Details of eligibility relief will be finalized at a later time. Additional issues with the NCAA rules must be addressed, and appropriate governance bodies will work through those in the coming days and weeks.”

The coronavirus is an unprecedented event and to the credit of the NCAA, took immediate and unprecedented measures. Granting the relief to student-athletes does create several logisitcal issues and costs could be substantial. With every sport having scholarship limits, the NCAA will have to elevate scholarship limits for the next four years.

And who and how will that extra year of scholarships be paid by? Most athletic programs are underwater financially and don’t have the means to fund additional scholarships. Will the NCAA step in and help fund those programs?

As for winter sports, particularly men’s and women’s basketball, the committee “will also discuss issues related to seasons of competition” for those athletes who were not able to play in conference and NCAA championships.

With the exception of women’s tennis, spring sport athletes are overwhelmingly on equivalency scholarships and thus additional seasons of playing eligibility would come with an additional cost not only to their athletic departments or the NCAA, should it finance the cost, but to the athletes and their families.

Concerns over Coronavirus result in UGA swimming, NCAA championship games to be held without fans

The NCAA released a statement Wednesday that it will hold all championship events without fans in attendance, due to the fear of spreading coronavirus. All championship games will be held with only limited staff and immediate family members, NCAA …

The NCAA released a statement Wednesday that it will hold all championship events without fans in attendance, due to the fear of spreading coronavirus.

All championship games will be held with only limited staff and immediate family members, NCAA president Mark Emmert announced in the statement.  This means both the SEC swimming and diving championships held at Georgia and the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will be held with no fans.

The decision was in hindsight a no-brainer. The Golden State Warriors, along with a number of professional sports teams world wide announced that they would not have fans for the remainder of their seasons.  The risk for all those in attendance would be too great to allow admittance to tens of thousands of fans.

“The NCAA continues to assess the impact of COVID-19 in consultation with public health officials and our COVID-19 advisory panel,” Emmert said in the statement. “Based on their advice and my discussions with the NCAA Board of Governors, I have made the decision to conduct our upcoming championship events, including the Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, with only essential staff and limited family attendance.

“While I understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our sports, my decision is based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States. This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans and, most importantly, our student-athletes.”

This all has been sparked by the World Health Organization terming the virus a pandemic.

Emmert also told The Associated Press that there could very well be changes in game locations, especially for the Final Four, set to take place in a lonesome Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

$867.5 million in television and marketing revenue was brought in from last year’s men’s basketball tournament, according to the NCAA’s most recent financial statement.

Roughly 1,350 fans bought tickets to the swimming and diving championships in Georgia’s Ramsey Center.

All locker room media access will also be prohibited for all NCAA championships.

“The health and well-being of student-athletes and teams is an ongoing priority for the SEC,” the league said.

The Bulldogs take on Ole Miss Wednesday as the last game with fans in attendance for the SEC Tournament.

“Tonight’s SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament games will continue as regularly scheduled. We are evaluating plans for the remainder of the tournament.” said the SEC on Twitter.

“Not too many people touching me, putting their arms around me, nothing like that,” said Georgia superstar, and recently named SEC freshman of the year Anthony Edwards. “We’ll take pictures, but keep your distance…I’m not trying to get sick or anything like that. No disrespect to anybody.”

The current available number of confirmed cases in the United States is at 1,000, with the death toll at 31.

This is truly something we have never seen in our lifetimes, and the effects are now being seen in the sports world.

Prayers to all who have been affected by the virus so far and to keeping not just the country but the world safe.

ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit congratulates David Pollack on CFB Hall of Fame induction

ESPN’s College GameDay’s Kirk Herbstreit congratulates Georgia football great David Pollack on being inducted to the 2020 CFB HOF class

A co-worker, but more so a good friend.

Kirk Herbstreit, who hosts ESPN’s College GameDay, congratulated his co-worker David Pollack on Wednesday after the news broke that Pollack will be inducted into the 2020 College Football Hall of Fame class.

Pollack had an illustrious career in Athens, earning the honor of being one of two players in UGA history to be a three time first team All-American.

The two have been on the program together since 2011 when Pollack joined the GameDay crew. Those who watch the show know these two go together like bread and butter on TV.

High praise from the Ohio State Buckeye alum as Pollack will be forever ingrained in College Football History.

Look: former UGA HC Mark Richt has hot dog delight for birthday

Former Georgia Bulldogs and Miami Hurricanes coach Mark Richt currently works for the ACC Network.

Former Georgia Bulldogs and Miami Hurricanes coach Mark Richt currently works for the ACC Network. Richt still weighs in on important issues in college football, like the recent surge in transfers.

Richt may be done with coaching, but you never know. Richt cited health issues as a reason for his retirement. He seems to be enjoying retirement.

In fact, Richt celebrated his 60th birthday on February 18th! He ate hot dog delight to celebrate:

Hot dog delight would not be my choice as a birthday dinner. What exactly is hot dog delight anyways?

Well, let Mark Richt describe the recipe:

Is this a ‘delightful’ birthday dinner idea or not something you’d roll with? It makes us wonder if Richt ever shared the recipe with players at UGA or Miami.

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