"Better players cost more money, and the Bulldogs won't climb much higher in the SEC without a bigger payroll."
I just don't buy it. Would throwing money at the program help? Of course. But it's not fair to blame it all on money.
If you take the Power 5 conferences + the Big East, you know how many currently have a longer tournament appearance drought than Georgia? 5 out of 76. If Nebraska keeps doing what they're doing, it'll be 4 after this season.
You know how many have a longer tournament win drought than Georgia? 2 out of 76. And if Nebraska gets in and wins, it'll be 1.
You can't convince me 70+ teams have a "bigger payroll" than Georgia. You can be a good program even if you're not resourced like Duke or UNC.
It's about money, yes, but it's also about commitment. Georgia stuck with Mark Fox for way too long because it was easy - he was winning enough and he wasn't embarrassing the school.
They handed out the best seats in the arena to football fans and ticket resellers and kicked the loyal basketball fans to the rafters because it was easy and because it kept the "important" people happy.
They made a lazy hire in Tom Crean. They made another lazy hire (in my opinion) in Mike White, though I'm not giving up on him yet.
That said, he has to show something. Compare the shots other teams are getting with the shots we're taking, Look at the assist numbers in the South Carolina game - they're laughable. He's being out-coached as much as he's being out-talented. You know what you get for being competitive in losses? Zilch.
I wish just once these journalists would ask a tough question or two...that they'd even kinda try to hold the athletic administration responsible for the sad state of affairs. Instead, they insist we're making progress (our record is identical to last year) and suggest that, if we just cared more...donated more, it would all fix itself.
One more, then I'm done:
"Football is the engine that drives the revenue train and pays for most all of the other Georgia sports along with those free bobblehead, hat and jersey giveaways that keep students coming to support the basketball team."
It's been a few years since I looked it up, but Georgia Basketball is profitable. This is lazy journalism at its finest. And you know what would happen if the basketball program got better? It'd be more profitable and the school would make more money. Suggesting investing more would take money from other programs is ridiculous.
Rant over. Go Dawgs. Beat Florida