ATHENS - Arthur Lynch, the loquacious tight end from Massachusetts, is this year's media favorite. But we didn't forget about last year's: In fact we honored him even more.

The beat writers covering the Georgia football team began a new tradition last year: We bestowed an award on the player we voted the most gracious and helpful during interviews. We called it the GATA - in our parlance, that meant Gracious Attitude Towards Answering.

Christian Robinson won the inaugural edition of the GATA, and it wasn't a very close vote. And with Robinson a senior this year, and still around, that meant he had a good chance of being a repeat winner.

(The kid may be the most intelligent, quotable college athlete I've ever run across.)

So to avoid a two-time winner, or at least to add some drama to this year's voting, we did this: The award is now called the Christian Robinson GATA award. And with Robinson taken out of the running, that opened it up to new candidates: Lynch ended up being the winner.

Lynch was presented the award after Thursday's practice. Robinson was present as well.

The voting was done in the same format as the Heisman: First place, second place and third place, with first place earning three points, second place earning two points, and third place earning one point.