News on Suggs

This whole "not knowing the plays" thing is a joke. I've watched every game this year, and it looks to me like we've only got 6 plays anyway.

A friend of mine who was an undergrad at VT said that Mike Vick NEVER knew the plays the whole time he was up there. Some guys just have the talent to get things done on the football field, and from what I've seen of Bilbo, he just makes plays. It would be a shame if this playbook thing is the real reason he hasn't had any reps, although I agree with other posters that it does seem fishy.
 
I agree with what ahoisee stated. I don't buy into the "not knowing plays" and have beaten that dead horse for some time now. I would hope that the coaches use the bowl game as an opportunity to experiment with lineups and plays, and thus get someone else at QB (preferably Bilbo).

Also, to think that the coaching staff would suddenly decide that Suggs will never take a snap at QB again is hard to believe. In the end, it will have to work itself out during the spring practice and until then we can speculate but we won't really know anything.

BTW, one thing I have noticed this year is that Gailey has done an exceptional job of controlling what info is leaked out to the public. I personally think he has alienated his fan base by being so quiet but "to each his own" I suppose.
 
Bellyseries and OldFoggy, I agree with you that Gailey deserves the credit for Hollings. He also deserves credit for utilizing the talent of Clinkscales. The coaching staff in 2001 acted like Joe Burns was the only running back we had. It's a shame that we didn't use Clinkscales to attack the corners in 2001 instead of constantly running Burns up the middle. However, Gailey mishandled the QB situation. The argument that Bilbo "doesn't know the offense is bogus. What would Bilbo done as the starter? Thrown 3 ints against one of the worse pass defenses in the country (BYU), thrown a pass beyond the line of scrimmage resulting in a costly penalty, thrown an int at the goal line on 1st down when the ball didn't need to be forced and then go to the sidelines and laugh it up with a teammate like it was no big deal? For whatever reason, there was a double standard in regards to Suggs and Bilbo. Thre may be more to the story than what's gotten out. However, if Bilbo had started and flopped, we could at least be giving Brian Camp and Pena a look in the spring.
 
Regardless of what Gailey has done, he's not getting off the hook for the way he handled the QB situation. Week after week, he keeps saying that Bilbo is too good of a talent to not play, and yet he usually sat on the bench. As mentioned above, some of us here have seen videotapes of Bilbo's HS games. Then, as Beezoner said, there's guys like Mike Vick, who is a master of improvisation. Just why is memorizing an entire playbook so important if you can get the job done on the field during the game? In addition, to say that Bilbo cannot memorize plays is an insult to his intelligence. If he is that incompetent, then he wouldn't and shouldn't have been admitted to this school.

If you think the GTAA's been in the bunker for the past week, Gailey's been in the bunker all throughout the regular season about Bilbo. I really can't stand his avoidance of the fans and the media. I never found it acceptable in pro sports and I find it even less so on the college level. There's an entire university and an alumni association affiliated with that gold GT helmet. I don't think we're paying Gailey $900K to keep quiet.

When AJ was laughing it up at the end of the FSU game, I pretty much decided that I couldn't give the kid anymore sympathy, excuses, etc. for the heat he's gotten all season (even though I don't feel any sympathy was warranted in the first place). I'm not going to make any subjective character judgments about him here, but he doesn't get his teammates to respond to him as well as Bilbo does. A QB needs to be a leader on the field and on the sidelines and to say the very least, AJ hasn't visibly demonstrated those traits.

Also, just a friendly reminder, his name is Clinkscale. Gordon Clinkscale.
 
AJ lacked that leadership intangible and it lead to the Georgia debacle. When Georgia went up early, the players knew AJ was not going to lead them to victory. Our QB situation will be a mess next year and that is Gailey's fault.
 
Originally posted by law_bee:


We can have a platoon of qb's until Pena or whoever gets up to speed. Smith is a unique player he got his jaw broke in the 1st half of F$U and then came back in the second half. Do not sell him short.

There are many options.
Click to expand...
<font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">Not to take away from J. Smith, because I think he is a great player, but it was Kelly Cambel that broke his jaw against FSU. It was the '99 season in Tallahasee. He had it wired shut and still played the rest of the season. I don't think J. Smith ever broke his jaw or I just never heard of it, which is possible but very improbable. I am not trying to flame, but I just want to credit the right person. I am sure J. Smith would have played too like K. Cambel.
 
Originally posted by mississippi_jacket:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">Originally posted by law_bee:


We can have a platoon of qb's until Pena or whoever gets up to speed. Smith is a unique player he got his jaw broke in the 1st half of F$U and then came back in the second half. Do not sell him short.

There are many options.
Click to expand...
<font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">Not to take away from J. Smith, because I think he is a great player, but it was Kelly Cambel that broke his jaw against FSU. It was the '99 season in Tallahasee. He had it wired shut and still played the rest of the season. I don't think J. Smith ever broke his jaw or I just never heard of it, which is possible but very improbable. I am not trying to flame, but I just want to credit the right person. I am sure J. Smith would have played too like K. Cambel.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">see what law school will do to you mississip. They teach you how to make up stuff and try to slip it by.

I hope thinks are going well for you. You are in law school right?

Well anyway thinks for the correction I must be losing my mind
 
I agree 100% I do not understand the Bilbo/Suggs problem. I also can't believe any guy smart enough to get in to Tech is smart enough to at least run more than a few plays per game. The passes I saw had zip, sure he (DB) had an int but even the great Johnny U. had a few ints. So I also would like to know CG's reasoning behind DB not playing. I feel that that CG should explain more than he didn't know but a few plays. What was it 20, 25% of the plays?
 
Originally posted by 3518techie:
Bellyseries and OldFoggy, I agree with you that Gailey deserves the credit for Hollings. He also deserves credit for utilizing the talent of Clinkscales. The coaching staff in 2001 acted like Joe Burns was the only running back we had. It's a shame that we didn't use Clinkscales to attack the corners in 2001 instead of constantly running Burns up the middle. However, Gailey mishandled the QB situation. The argument that Bilbo "doesn't know the offense is bogus.
Click to expand...
<font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">3518, I have no problem with your post at all, or with anyone's opinion. I posted what I did because it is so tiresome to hear nothing but negativity. Your post was not all negative, and in fact I too want to know what the deal was with QB this season. On the other hand the assumption that CG is a fool, incapable of handling QBs (you didn't say this, I know) just seems laughably absurd to me. Maybe Chan doesn't think that it is best for the team and the players involved for him to be talking a whole lot about it. I prefer to assume that over the notion that he is intentionally or incompetently subverting GT football by not playing someone.
None of us really knows exactly what is up, and none of us is in a better position to make the decisions than Chan and BO'B. I certainly am not, and I am amazed that a bunch of anonymous posters on a sports board think they know so much more than our coaches that they are willing to come on here and bash them.
 
Belly series, saying Coach Gailey and staff deserve credit for discovering Tony Hollings is about as valid as giving Sam Phillips and Sun Records credit for discovering Elvis Presley! Hollings asked for the chance to play running back and everything I saw of him was pure instinct and talent. Just as the King walked into Phillips studio and asked to record a song for his mothers birthday.
 
Originally posted by statelinejacket:
Belly series, saying Coach Gailey and staff deserve credit for discovering Tony Hollings is about as valid as giving Sam Phillips and Sun Records credit for discovering Elvis Presley! Hollings asked for the chance to play running back and everything I saw of him was pure instinct and talent. Just as the King walked into Phillips studio and asked to record a song for his mothers birthday.
Click to expand...
<font size="2" face="Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif">And bashing him because our QBs were unsatisfactory is like blaming Sam Phillips for all the wannabe Elvises who didn't make it.
You can't have it both ways, stateline.
 
Belly series, Quarterbacks have to be developed. Not most runningbacks, or else Mike Vick would have started for the Falcons last year. Quarterbacks as a rule have to be developed. Not runningbacks, or else we would not have seen Hershel as a freshman, or Tony Dorsett and Earl Campbell are other examples. Hey just looking at Joe Hamilton should show you the logic in this. I am not trying to have it both ways Belly Series, Its just the way it is, Quarterbacks have to be developed regardless of having outstanding natural ability while runningbacks can star right away when blessed with the same abilities.
 
You guys are taking the "Not knows the plays" line way to literally. Bilbo knows the plays as far as what 32 dive etc is. He does not know enough of them to the level he can execute them properly, which is know what everybody on the offense is doing every play and being able to recognize what the defense is doing and throw to the right receiver based on the coverage. Trying to hang Camp on Gailey is complete BS. Camp had plenty of chances with the previuos staff and fact is they moved him to fullback. He is a good kid and knows the plays but simply is not a Division 1 QB, not that Suggs is either. I think we will see Bilbo make significant strides before next fall and likely be the starting QB
 
To add my two cents, if we are not playing Bilbo because he "can't learn the plays" and at the same time are recruiting a more "athletic" style QB, that is complete idiocy. The more "athletic" types, like Vick, rely more on improvisational skills and less on memorizing the playbook anyway. Neither Reggie Ball nor Al Pena have any better academic credentials coming out of HS than Bilbo or Suggs. They've been slightly lesser regarded as prospects. Give me a break. Looks like Bill O'Brien's Ivy League mind has twisted itself into an anal-retentive pretzel!
 
In my book nobody gets a free pass; not on effort, not on resume, certainly not on excuses. The only thing that counts is results.

This bowl for this team (players and coaches) is pre-season 2003. Except for those paid to be there, everyone has to earn their spot on the field starting Dec 31.

Have I mentioned that I'm getting impatient not hearing from the coach? I consider myself a part-owner in this enterprise and I want to hear from those being paid to manage the place; especially when things have gone wrong.

Final exams start Dec 31 and continue for twelve weeks beginning in September.

All this debate about individual players and coaches will be resolved when we see the grades they earn in 2003.
 
The one thing I tried to stress in my position under this thread is that none of us know for sure that it was Gailey or O'Brien to withhold playing time for Bilbo.

I don't believe I have read one post where the poster had first hand information from Gailey and/or O'Brien regarding the decision not to play Bilbo.

My position was one of disbelief in the rumor/fact given for Bilbo's absence of playing time, not who to blame it on. Many under this thread have directly attributed it to Gailey where they have no proof. I think that aspect of the equation is up in the air until we hear definite word from Gailey and/or O'Brien.

No one else has the authority to lay the blame on either one over the other at this point. It may come out in the future, but at present we do not know.

rolleyes.gif
 
Ahso, I think there is at least some evidence it was Gailey's decision to play Suggs. The confrontation between O'Brien and Gailey during the Wake Forest that was overheard by a number of people when O'Brien wanted Bilbo in. Despite some posters on this thread, Gailey deserves credit for Hollings. He could have kept Hollings at safety. Nobody knew Hollings would be a star. He had never carried the ball as a college running back. Gailey also deserves the blame for the QB situation. It was clear AJ wasn't the answer but he stubbornly kept saying AJ would prove the naysayers wrong. He finally expressed some frustration with AJ's performance after the UGA game. I don't if Bilbo is the answer but he needs to play a whole game to be judged fairly.
 
Here are my opinions if anyone cares:

Bilbo / Suggs Issue
1. Bilbo has a much stronger arm.
2. Bilbo is faster.
3. Bilbo is much better all-around athelete.
4. Bilbo played better when is was in the game as measured by points per drive (which I believe is the most effective measure of an offense's production).
5. Bilbo has better field vision.
6.
7. Bilbo makes quicker decisions (which is better than hesitating and getting sacked or throwing under duress in my opinion)
8. Bilbo has a quicker release.
9. Bilbo interacts and encourages / cheers for his teammates

I could understand keeping Suggs in there, if believed that Bilbo would turn the ball over more than Suggs. But Suggs turned the ball over a lot and was fortunate to have a lot of balls dropped by opposing defenders. If we are going to throw J Smith out there and run option all game with a few passes here and there, that would be fine with me at least it would be better than Suggs. Before you ask, yes, I really do believe Suggs is that bad. I do not question Suggs willingness, effort, or character, but I do question his ability.

On the RB's are born not developed issue:

Coaches that beleived RB's don't need to be developed aren't good coaches. Sure a RB needs to be a good / great athelete, but good coaches maximize this talent through development and putting them in schemes that give them the best chance for success. A good RB coach will teach the RB to how to read a defense's alignment, how to use this read to anticipate where the initial hole will be, and how to hit the hole in order to set up the LB's / DB's after he breaks through the line. In this area, I think we are vastly improved over the previous staff. I could just see Hollings get cursed out by O'Leary everytime he cut the run outside instead of going north / south. Oh wait, if O'Leary was here Tony would be warming the bench. It is mind boggling that we would allow a player with Hollings' atheletic abilities to ride the pine for two years. I guess Hollings was the Bilbo of the previous staff if you get my drift.
 
Romejacket - thanks for the info. I respect you for not disclosing your source since that is obviously what you promised your source.

If you disclose your source it will be embarrassing to your source and you - and us - won't get any more info.

So, thanks for thinking of us when you got the info. All of us individually will have to make our own judgments as to what to make of it, but thanks for sharing it.
 
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