Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Bernie's National Signing Day Journal



Before the Ink Hits the Paper, the Rubber
Must Meet the Road

At the risk of boring you to tears, here is Bernie's NSD experience...

5:45 - alarm goes off, Jenn calls me crazy...again. Then goes back to sleep.
5:48 - Shower water finally warms up.
6:15 - Truck echos Jenn's sentiments...temperature is like, one.
7:06 - I nearly swerve off the road when word comes that Branden Smith is ink'd.
7:07 - Smith officially receives the Early Bird Award for the '09 class.
7:15 - Jessica at McDonald's gets my order correct. It's gonna be a good day.
7:23 - I see that Sons of Italy has moved to South Milledge...
7:30 - Park at Stegeman and begin to walk towards Butts-Mehre.
7:32 - My hands second the motion that I'm crazy...the temperature is like...three.
7:38 - I walk into BM right behind the paper delivery guy bringing in about 6 reams of paper on a hand truck. That should be enough right? Yeh...it's gonna be a good day!
7:42 - Successfully avoid the doughnuts.
7:57 - Officially hear the first of many Hurriance Willie rumors in the room.
8:00 - Damon Evans enters building. Bobby Knight nowhere in sight.
8:05 - Evidently CMR and UMs Shannon had handshake deal not to disrupt '09 classes with coaching moves. (Hey, just passing it along...)
8:10 - Read Magill's letter to the Augusta Bulldog Club back in '72. Reaffirms the fact that Dan Magill = DamnGoodDawg
8:16 - Jordan Love ink'd in as a Dawg. (Watchout for this sleeper)
8:20 - Shawn Williams' fax arrives. Video airs his highlights. Impressive.
8:23 - Again avoid doughnut table, but give in with the coffee. And Derrick Lott's letter arrives.
8:26 - Chris Burnette completes a calculus equation that should help him become Troup's 2009 Valedictorian. On his way to AP Physics he faxes his LOI.
8:31 - Arthur Lynch's fax comes from somewhere where it is even colder than Athens.
8:32 - Austin Long of Memphis signs on.
8:39 - Rumors in the room that Coach Willie is indeed Miami's next defensive coordinator. In other news, Bobby Knight agrees to let Dickie V be his chaffeur.
8:44 - Finish my examination of both Heismans in the building. I see no differences despite the fact that 40 years separates them. Impressive.
8:49 - Chase Vasser puts pen to paper. The kid has smarts and can play. Next Rennie..??
8:59 - Big Dawg Mike Woods brings his painted head into Butts-Mehre. No stocking cap for that beautiful bald head. GATA!
9:00 - Kevin Kopp and Kelin Johnson begin their show and analysis.
9:11 - Bobby and Dickie still looking for limo. Coach Willie still answering texts for CMR.
9:20 - Rantavious Wooten is ink'd. Highlights show him in the Wildcat...hmmm...
9:31 - Coffee and coke have kicked in. I'm juiced up! Better find the restroom..
9:34 - Pass by the doughnut table and there's still plenty. No thanks. Just some water.
9:52 - An official Coach Willie sighting. Still sunny outside and he's not wearing a poncho.
9:58 - Word spreads that for the first time in months, Reid held to his word for more than 14 hours and signed with Papa Bowden.
10:04 - Word also spreads that Stephen Hill has decided to block at Tech rather than catch at UGA. Is she putting out more doughnuts...??
10:12 - Room is really filling up. Second camera man sets up right in front of me.
10:13 - Wish I had brought a tripod...
10:21 - All-American Washaun Ealey delivers depth to backfield with a fax correctly dialed.
10:24 - Dexter Moody joins Vasser as another LB on UGA stationary.
10:25 - Not worried. But hoping Gilliard's LOI comes in soon before Reid drags him down to be another Criminole.
10:33 - Michael Gilliard's ink'd. Wahoo!
10:33:31 - Abry Jones completes the list of committed players to put pen to Dawg paper.
10:33:32 - Fans rumble about targets across the southeast skipping Senior English to spend time with a cake in their Media Center.
10:40 - Bryan McClendon joins Kelin in front of crowd and cameras. Mentions that Wooten is explosive. Hmm...
10:50 - Kevin Kopp announces that any cars parked behind Foley's left field wall are in jeopardy of being towed.
10:50:01 - Take a moment to pat myself on the back for opting to pay the $5 to park in the deck.
10:51 - Marian Mozingo grabs guy in crowd a gives him three cracks at some Dawg Trivia. Ward, Pollack and Bobo were the answers. I got two right, guy in front of mic got one. Although in his defense crowd goaded him into false Zeier answer.
11:00 - Second Evans sighting. Crowd listens for Vitale's mouth...nope, no sound of any ESPN to SEC job pandering inside these sacred walls.
11:10 - Coach Richt take the stage. Assistants and other staff file in behind him.
11:10 - 11:24 CMR will not answer questions about Toby Jackson for obvious reasons/Says he's pleased with completeness of class/Hopes to have a couple more, without mentioning names, specifically hints at Brown and Charles/Says he doesn't pressure kids to commit (those are just the highlights)
11:25 - CMR defers question about QBs to Bobo. He likes them.
11:35 - CMR defers question about new safety to Coach Willie. How fast is his 40? Fast enough. Love it!
11:40 - CMR defers question about Special Teams to Fabris. Nothing of consequence in the answer. But CJF seems grumpy.
11:45 - Coach Willie emerges from stairwell to show text to Coach Bobo. Door closes.
11:52 - Question and Answer ends.
11:55 - Bernie confirms that there are 7 doughnuts left.
12:10 - Surprised to see that Steverino's is no more...Ugh! Are you kidding me? Back to see Jessica...
12:55 - On Chuck and Chernoff, Jamie Newberg says there are rumors that Brown has eliminated KiffyBaby and that he believes Dawgs are the leader.
1:05 - Bernie makes it home in time to pick up his daughter from pre-K.
3:25 - On with Buck and Kincade, CMR is asked about WRs. He says we may feel better by the end of the day...
3:48 - Marlon Brown is a DAWG! Hellz Yeh!
3:49 - Orson Charles' phone rings....

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