Mettenberger Sacked
I hate to see it, but apparently Zach Mettenberger was arrested over the weekend for underage drinking among other things. His bid to become the man come September may have taken a serious hit, and might also give Aaron Murray the opportunity to solidify his place as the team’s starter. Most people thought it would end up like this anyway, but as a coach you want that true open competition to ensure all the contenders are working their hardest.
If Zach misses one or two games, it might be too much to overcome. At the same time, I hope he doesn’t let this derail him long term, we may need him down the road.
ZM should have known better. A great talent, he seemed to have been the underdog in the QB competition. This may have sealed the deal. ZM needs to take responsibility for his life. This means re-examining his commitment to the team as well as his own desire for future success- NFL. He may have to consider what is most important- stay with the team, or look for a school to transfer to that could use his talents. Either way, he will need to take more charge of his life.
03/11/2010 at 10:48 AM
wasn’t this the kid that broke somebody’s jaw in high school and got recruited because his mom had some connections in the Athletic Dept?
maybe cutting this one loose would be the appropriate move..
03/10/2010 at 8:39 PM
Give him a chance to atone himself (running, missing games, community service, etc.) – but just one more chance. Gotta have some accountability.
03/10/2010 at 9:54 AM
Aaron Murray better get ready. Zach is self destructing. Man we do not need this kind of crap in spring training.
Someone needs to sit Zach’s ass down and make him realize what he is about to piss away. This is the opportunity of a lifetime.
03/09/2010 at 1:02 PM
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Its a shame for this young man but the team comes first. Zach has legal troubles that makes any discussion of his future with the team mute until he resolves them on his own. Then discussion of if and how he may rejoin the team will be appropriate. I believe in second chances but he must take responsibility for his actions and resolve any legal issues first. As of right now Zach is not a Bulldog. I think this is the way you must deal with every player to show no favoritism and let the team know that it will always be the team First!
03/09/2010 at 10:57 AM
I know that having a fake id is perhaps more of the norm in Athens than not having one. And I personally see nothing wrong with college students consuming alcoholic beverages, as long as it is done in a responsible manner.
HOWEVER…………………
Given the issues that have surfaced the past couple of years concerning discipline, or lack thereof, as a result of Coach Richts somewhat cavalier attitude, perhaps making an example of Zach is what needs to be done.
Coach Richt should yank his scholarship, and do it now. Set an example to the current and future Bulldogs that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.
This goes against my philosophy on giving people, especially young kids, a couple of chances to get things squared away. It’s unfortunate that it is a talented young man, but what better way to set an example on how CMR has changed than to send Zach packing.
He would be scooped up by another program, lose a year of eligibility, and perhaps most importantly, will learn a very valuable life lesson.
Current and future UGA players will think twice before they engage in behavior that could lead to their dismissal.
In this case, it truly is a WIN WIN… Zach learns a lesson and gets to start over, UGA raises the bar on how athletes conduct themselves(at least in public anyway).
03/08/2010 at 9:57 PM
This sucks for him, but most everyone does not realize that in a post 9/11 world a person holding a fake ID with a state logo is a felony. Major screwup on his part. Yes I know most kids have one, but getting caught is a whole new ballgame.
03/08/2010 at 3:05 PM
I hope that he learns from this mistake. Most young people’s college stupidity doesn’t have such huge consequences.
03/08/2010 at 2:39 PM