Wreck Ramblin

Happy Easter

For many, this is a very special day. If you're in need of something to believe in which will guide your life in a positive direction, consider the teachings and promise of Christ. If you believe in something else, and it doesn't lead you to saw cut off heads or blow people up, you might be right, and in any case your faith guides you to a good lifestyle. We'll all find out if our faith matches fact in our own time.

How about those dedicated souls who walked up Stone Mountain (or rode) for a 6:15 AM service 800 feet up on a record cold Easter morning? That's being even more gung-ho than attending a late-morning scrimmage yesterday at BDS.

Coach Chan Gailey is a dedicated Christian who shows Christians can be strong. He often speaks at Fellowship of Christian Athlete functions. He recently attended a Christian luncheon at GT. We are blessed to have a man of such high character, who reminds older fans of Coach Dodd in this respect. Recruits often say he influenced their decision to play at Tech.

We'll hold him in even higher esteem when one of his teams loses less than five games.

Are you familiar with Messianic Judaism? They observe Easter in their own way.

Falcons eliminated, Mora decision pending

Atlanta was officially eliminated from contention Saturday night when the New York Giants beat the Redskins 34-28 in Washington to virtually clinch the NFC's final wild-card berth. The only thing on the line for the Falcons in Sunday's season finale at Philadelphia is a chance to finish 8-8.

[Steve Wyche, AJC, 12/31/06]

Falcons owner Arthur Blank will decide this week whether to fire coach Jim Mora.

According to several team officials who spoke to the AJC on the condition of anonymity, they believe the amount of evidence stacked against the third-year coach greatly exceeds the case to keep him.

[Steve Wyche, AJC, 12/31/06]

Legendary James Brown dies

The "Godfather of Soul" had been admitted to Emory Crawford Long Hospital, Atlanta, with pneumonia and died around 1:45 AM Christmas morning.

The star was famous for hits such as Papa's Got a Brand New Bag, (Get Up I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine, I Got You (I Feel Good), Say It Out Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud and Living In America. He has also been regularly sampled by Hip Hop, most notably by the Fat Boys, Ice-T and Public Enemy.

He was known globally. Online papers around the world are carrying the story this AM.

[Entertainment News, 12/25/06] [NPR, 12/25/06]

Older GT fans remember when James performed live on campus and at other Atlanta locations at the peak of his career.

Auburn athletics cleared, but two administrators resign

Athletes at Auburn were in classes which required little or no effort.  One administrator resigns. Another is reassigned. But, the AA is cleared of any complicity in the matter.

Compare this to GT, in which an administrator's mistake resulted in probation and lost scholarships.

NCAA may expand SC postseason ban

[LINK] DTI news service

The NCAA will look into expanding its ban of championship events in South Carolina, possibly disallowing baseball and football teams from hosting postseason games because the Confederate flag is displayed on Statehouse grounds.

Robert Vowels Jr., the head of the NCAA's Minority Opportunities and Interest Committee, said his group received a request from the Black Coaches Association about expanding the ban, which currently prevents predetermined postseason events - like basketball regionals and cross country championships - from being awarded to South Carolina sites.

The BCA should go after the SC state government directly, instead of penalizing teams in the state.

Atlanta-to-Athens (A2A) "Brain Train"

[LINK] Sunday Paper

Supporters of the proposed Athens-to-Atlanta "Brain Train" commuter rail system are stoking up for a fall term blitz in their campaign for the train.

Supporters hope for a 2011 start for the 72-mile rail line, which would tie together Athens’ soon-to-open transit facility and downtown Atlanta, with stops at or near the CDC, the Highway 316 biotech corridor, major universities including Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Emory University, Atlanta University Center and UGA as well as the cities of Tucker, Lawrenceville and Lilburn.

Athletes & Academics @ Auburn

[LINK] Opelika-Auburn News

Auburn University is investigating a complaint that some athletes may have been given preferential grading by a single professor.

According to Auburn University officials, an anonymous complaint came in through a system called Ethicspoint in May, alleging that a single professor gave grades to student athletes for courses that required little or no work.

[LINK] Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

Gundlach's research indicated players received 81.1 percent A's and 16.8 percent B's, but those numbers changed to 40.9 percent A's and 51.7 percent B's after his confrontation with Petee. Gundlach said the players received an average grade point average of 3.31 in Petee's classes, compared to 2.14 in all their other credit hours. Gundlach said he compiled his information by cross-referencing Petee's student list with a list of athletes receiving varsity sports credits during a two-year period.

[LINK] AJC

The professor making the charges went one step further Thursday night, telling the Journal-Constitution that the pervasive atmosphere of athletics over academics at Auburn is rampant.

Zidane head butt animations

[LINK] The Awful Forums (via InDoddWeTrust)

Based on press coverage, the 2004 World Cup will be best remembered for THE HEAD BUTT (and what was said to precipitate it).

Some are having fun animating it.

Clemson assistant killed in watercraft accident

[LINK] AP

An assistant men's track coach at Clemson has died from head injuries suffered in an accident on Lake Wateree, the university said Sunday.

Jarrett Foster, 32, died Saturday while riding a personal watercraft on the lake near Seneca.

GSU WR dies in motorcycle crash

[LINK] AP

STATESBORO - Georgia Southern senior wide receiver Teddy Craft, who played at Hart County High School, has died after being injured in a July Fourth motorcycle accident in Statesboro.

Craft, 22, died at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, two days after a collision with another motorcyclist threw him from his Suzuki GSX motorcycle just outside the Statesboro city limits.