Beer of the Week: Magic Hat's Wacko

Let's tackle another summer brew. We've looked at the Allagash White and the now infamous Son of a Peach. How can Magic Hat's Wacko stand up to the brews designed to quench that ridiculous thirst that only July can produce?


Magic Hat tends to do things a little differently. And this seasonal beer is definitely different. It pours a hearty pink; even the head has a pinkish hue. I didn't let that deter me though and gulped the first one down...and didn't like it at all. I'm not a fan of beets, but it was more than that. The beet sugar is pretty faint, a minor flavor.


But perhaps that was the problem, Wacko isn't very flavorful. I will say however that I enjoyed the rest of the six pack more and more. And I did find it refreshing, enjoyable...especially sitting on the deck in a nice rocking chair. But it never stood completely on its own taste wise. It's a little sweet, but the hops and malts...as well as the alcohol for that matter, just isn't there.


It's not a bad drink, but doesn't make for a good brew experience if you ask me. There's plenty of other great summer brews out there for the money and the time.


And...in other news:

• While I was golfing this week, Mac sent in this list of the top 50 American beers from the American Homebrewers Association. Proud to say I've had many, but #1 still eludes me.
• The Suwanee Beer Fest still has tickets available and is offering a buy six get one free. If you have a large enough crew, email info@suwaneebeerfest.com.
• Lastly, I had a couple Shock Tops this week too. If you're looking for a good fruity and flavorful beer that isn't named Son of a Peach, Shock Top is a good one. And it's easy to find. Better than Blue Moon if you ask me and certainly better than Wacko.

Hoover around the corner

Before he hit the road on vacation, Weiszer tells us that Aaron Murray, Ben Jones and Brandon Boykin are the player reps heading to Hoover for SEC Media Days. Traditionally, Richt has taken seniors with him but last year included AJ Green and Drew Butler in his travel arrangements. 


The event is the kick off for the football season and means that practices are right around the corner. Using the SEC Digital Network we should be able to live stream it here at BDB.


64 days...

Helping out the engiNerds

h/t Dawgtoons


Sad. Senseless. Like a deliberate pass out of bounds...on 4th down...

courtesy of uga1980

Balls to the wall...

...and across the ESPNs yellow digitized line.


Year2 has a great post on why coaches need to be more aggressive in game planning and play calling. It's broken into areas of onside kicks (ones that aren't necessitated by time remaining and the score), going for the 1st down marker on 4th down instead of punting and underdog strategies.


If you can get past the memory of the field goal attempt in the Liberty Bowl, this is a great read:

The number of fourth down conversion attempts per game has a clear negative correlation with winning percentage. That's not surprising given that teams don't tend to go for it on fourth down unless they're behind. Teams that spend a lot of time behind are usually bad, and that extra time being down leads to more fourth down conversion attempts. The conversions per game is still negative but a lot closer to zero, as good teams attempt fewer fourth down conversions but tend to be good at making them. How do we know that? Because conversion percentage is correlated quite positively with winning percentage. The better the team, unsurprisingly, the better chance it has to succeed on fourth down.

A good seasoned quarterback certainly helps coaches have the confidence to go for it. A bullish line would help as well. But it's also worth a thought that Richt has shown some swagger this off season. Of course, not taking any crap from a fan on a road tour stop is a lot different than deciding you're gonna step on the head rooster's throat. But it could lead to another spectacular state trooper fist bump.*

courtesy of RedStripeDawg

*may be forced, but I always look for a way to fit that video awesome sauce into a post. Apologies.

Yet to be determined

I found this to be an appropriate video. Starts with some painful highlights then journeys into the high points. 

courtesy of uga1980

I'm determined not to buy into any off season hype. But I'll admit I'm more than anxious to see Murray play football again.


66 days.

New Capital Hill Ruger

Too funny not to share. (h/t Mac)


New pistol being introduced as the Politician. 

Doesn't work and can't be fired.

On Benedict leaving...

WiFi here is sketchy at best. So while I'm connected (I think) I wanted to weigh in some on the next chapter in the off season book The Thin Red and Black OLine.


Brent Benedict and Coach Richt parted ways officially on Sunday. After sticking with Bruce through some dark days of knee rehab (and truthfully when not many were absolutely certain that he would play again), Richt was cast aside over what seems to be a difference in conditioning opinion. I agree with ecdawg, this was another case of a player not seeing eye to eye with the S&C program.


And today Socrates backed up ecdawg's words of Benedict visiting Gainesville before he was released. If this is true I've gone from being worried about him leaving at a time when depth is so thin to saying good riddance. I understand feelings and situations change, but Richt and his staff deserve and have earned the courtesy of being treated with respect. Alleged meetings with rival coaches is as close to the opposite as it gets.


Also in a related post, Weiszer looks at the state of the offensive line here.

Channing Crowder, master of cryptic messages

Former Gator Channing Crowder's words are difficult to decipher in this quote from his radio show:

"I'll say hypothetically I don't have any more of my Florida jerseys," Crowder said Sunday. "There were some Jacksonville businessmen that really hypothetically liked my play."

I'll follow his lead and say hypothetically that I think did a good job of networking back then...assuming these Jacksonville businessmen weren't yet of Facebook in 2004.


I'm sure AJ Green is somewhere (as the kids say) smh...

On air with Coach Fox

- Posted using BlogPress from Bernie's iPhone

Eligibility questions looming this morning

The Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus is reporting that the NCAA is aware of benefits Jarvis Jones and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope may have received from AAU boosters.

Columbus police interviews conducted during an investigation of the Parks and Recreation Department reveal that director Tony Adams and top lieutenant Herman Porter may have jeopardized the amateur status of two University of Georgia athletes who played on the Georgia Blazers, their city-funded, Nike-sponsored AAU basketball team.

Police records show that an unauthorized bank account controlled by Adams and Porter was used to pay for flights to and from Los Angeles for Jarvis Jones, a two-sport star at Carver High School who played football for one season at the University of Southern California, and for the cell phone bill of the mother of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a five-star shooting guard from Greenville High School.

The report goes on to say that UGA Compliance Director Eric Baumgartner has not heard or received anything form the NCAA at this point. Jones is expected to make a large impact in his first season at Georgia and Caldwell-Pope is Coach Fox's prize recruit, also much needed after the early departures this Spring.


Stay tuned.