GT: Fingernails on a Chaulkboard

 

 

For me watching Tech football is like fingernails on a chaulkboard. Sure it’s process. Sure the uniforms and music are to attract recruits. Sure I’m old school. Guess starting over from scratch means you have to do things UGA, Alabama, and Clemson don’t have to do. I don’t have to like it. I don’t have to put up with it. Tech football is hardly watchable.

As much as I dislike the navy jerseys and pants combo, it appears the Jackets have won two straight wearing them. But they can’t help make poor old slowpoke Tech linebacker David Curry look cool (#6, above). Kid, cover up those big burly white knees. The biker shorts look sure don’t look good on you. Reminds me of Paul Mokeski of the Milwaukee Bucks.

You’d think that by game four a major college football team would be able to kick an extra point. This inability costs them games.

Louisville tried repeatedly to give the game to Tech. Turnover after turnover. Too many dumb penalties. No wonder they came into the game 1-2 like Tech. Not impressed with Cardinal QB Malik Cunningham. GT QB Sims is improving. Better play-calling by the GR OC. Several of the read option handoffs by Sims could’ve been better.

Friday night college games on ESPN just a four hour commercial for the Saturday games on ABC/ESPN.

Tech ices the game with a meaningless touchdown with 28 ticks left on the clock. Not sure that during the pandemic Tech players should be tossing sweaty wristbands to kids in the stands. 

As soon as the game ends ESPN switches to boxing. Joe Tessitore is announcing. Maybe I’ll watch.

Not much to report here. Came home last night and pretty much crashed. I took work home but just couldn’t do it. Watched a little Yankees/Rays, some of the Braves postgame show replay, some ESPN about college football, and some Bears/Bucs. Had on Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy but couldn’t pay much attention. Did a little more cleanup in M’s old room. 

Hope to watch some of the Tech game tonight. They’re wearing navy blue uniforms because they special grey superhero uniforms didn’t come in from China on time. Good.

Saturday evening we’re getting takeout from Superica for M’s birthday. Hope to be able to watch Tennessee@Georgia and Miami@Clemson. More to do around the house.

JOE MEDWICK [SABR Bio] was the last National Leaguer to accomplish a feat that’s since been accomplished in the American League six times. It had been accomplished 6 times in the NL before Medwick’s. Medwick hit for the triple crown for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1937. Since then this rare feat has only been attained by American Leaguers:

Ted Williams twice for BOS (1942, 1947),

Mickey Mantle for NYY (1956),

Frank Robinson with BAL (1966),

Carl Yastrzemski with BOS (1967) and

Miguel Cabrera with DET (2012). 

He once said, "This was the longest slump of my career.  I had gone 0 for 20 before, but never 0 for 20 years." Medwick, a lifetime .324 hitter, said this at his Hall of Fame induction in July 1968.  It had been 20 years since he’d retired but he’d been voted on by the BBWAA only 11 times.  Nevertheless, it was his last year of eligibility.  He was the only player voted in by the BBWAA that year but his HOF class included Goose Goslin & Kiki Cuyler, elected by the Veterans Committee. No other National Leaguer has ever hit more doubles in a season. Medwick hit 64 doubles in 1936, breaking the NL record of 62 set by the PIT’s Paul Waner just 4 years earlier. The MLB record is 67 by Earl Webb of BOS in 1931. (Webb never even had half that many again in a season whereas Medwick was consistently among the leaders. His 540 career doubles ties him with Dave Winfield for 39th all-time).

He is credited with two nicknames. One he played down. The other he played up. His walking gait led some of his minor league teammates to start calling him “Ducky” or worse—"Ducky Wucky”.  He justifiably resented that nickname, but it stuck. For years afterward, sportswriters regularly referred to him as “Ducky Medwick”. He much preferred “Muscles” and talked at least some of his teammates into using that instead.