UGASports.com yesterday gave a heads up that three players could be facing suspensions to begin the season. The suspensions are of the dreaded "violation of team rules" variety, so no arrests are involved. It’s still disappointing, especially for Houston who was the one bright spot at defensive end since the end of last season. For Figgins, it could prove to be a turning point in his career. He had already missed time due to injury, and his chance to earn a starting role entering his junior season will be affected by any suspension. White and Ros are more than willing to step in, and Mark Richt has indicated that both incoming freshmen tight ends might play this year.

By this point we shouldn’t be surprised when news of suspensions hits. It’s amusing though that the reactions are usually as inevitable as the suspensions themselves. They’ll go something like this:

• Righteous rage: Make an example of them! Bring down the hammer! Yank the scholarship!
• Rationalization: Let he who never (had a drink / got a ticket / etc.) in college cast the first stone. Boys will be boys.
• Myopia: How come this only happens at Georgia? We have such bad luck.
• Unhinged conspiracy: Adams and Evans make us play by an unfair set of rules while Florida and Tennessee players could run over someone in the street and play the next week.

This year we’ll probably see additional comments along these lines: so much for all this leadership stuff we’ve been hearing about. Look – I’ve asked as many questions as anyone about whether things are really different this year, but even I don’t see a few discipline cases as evidence of failing leadership or a rudderless program. It was unrealistic to expect the program (any program, really) to go through the offseason with zero incidents. They’re almost like injuries now – you know they’re coming, and the only questions are how many, at which positions, and how severe?