Can You Break Your Own Heart?
The Georgia Bulldog’s loss at the hands of the Florida Gators was especially difficult. There have been many years in the past 21 that the Gators beat us. This was NOT one of those games. We beat ourselves…again.
Sure Urban Meyer had some wrinkles and/or tweaks, but those did not win this game. Aaron Murray unfortunately picked the wrong time to struggle. There were early opportunities in this game that we did not take advantage of. I am very proud that Aaron did come back and make some plays late in the game to get us in to overtime.
But we should have never been in overtime.
This Georgia team is not great. They could still be a good team, but they have to learn to not beat themselves. I was very out-spoken on-line yesterday and used some strong language in the face of fan’s gloom and doom attitudes when we were down 21-7. Florida was not beating us then, nor did they ultimately truly beat us in OT.
We beat ourselves.
The three game winning streak was not nearly as dominant as it may have seemed. The Vanderbilt game was a very solid game overall, but the Tennessee and Kentucky games were won because of our playing with more intensity and being in position to take advantage of the other team’s miscues. Those same gift wrapped opportunities went unopened yesterday and it made all the difference.
I’m sure many people, including Coach Richt will say, give Florida credit, because that’s the classy thing to do. So let’s do that. I give Corch Meyers credit for the fast paced offensive game plan. It thwarted the early pressure that the Dawgs were putting on Brantley. It also forced Todd Grantham to make some substitutions he normally might not make, including an entire series with number two’s in the front seven I believe. I give Corch credit for a third “QB” in the mix with Brantley and Burton. I give Corch credit for a lot of things, but his true genius lies in his willingness to sacrifice for his team.
Urban Meyer sacrificed his integrity for the good of the team.
His decision to reinstate Chris Rainey after what was universally considered a heinous crime(click), was a new low, even for Corch. It actually gave us an unobstructed view into the depths of his soul. Not that it’s that deep. Chris Rainey’s impact on this game was immeasurable, but let’s measure it anyway. 84 yards on 16 carries…5.3 avg…1 TD. 2 receptions…9 yards…6 KO returns…148 yards…24.7 avg. That pretty dang good, but Rainey’s real impact was that Georgia’s defense could not focus on Trey Burton who truly ran wild gaining 110 yards and scoring two TD’s .
Let’s call it the “AJ effect”.
Having that one additional option has an exponential impact across the board. When I looked at the TV screen and I saw Trey Burton in the shotgun, with Demps to his left and Rainey to his right? I thought, “Holy crap”.
Even so, we were in a position to win by forcing an overtime, a first in this series. Many people questioned Coach Mike Bobo’s play-calling all game. I admit, I had flashbacks to the infamous Georgia Tech philosophy with Calvin Johnson, but I’m not sure if it was a Bobo thing or a Murray thing. The third option was suggested by a friend last night. We’ll call him “Coach Pain in the Arse”. His thought was that Murray was under so much duress(my word, not his), that he didn’t have time to find all his options, including AJ Green. I countered with AJ needs to be your first option most of the time.
We’re not going to have AJ much longer, we better get all the juice out of him we can.
I actually believe CMB gave us chances throughout the day. Many early opportunities went for naught because of Aaron’s struggles, but make no mistake, the plays were there. All in all, I was proud that this year, unlike so many in the past, we fought our asses off. We fought the adversity and we fought the Gators, toe to toe.
It just so happened that their “toe” got the last chance.
Beware the Gator Kicking Game
In case you didn’t know, the Georgia Bulldogs have perhaps the best over-all special teams in all of college football. The Ray Guy winner in Drew Butler, a Lou Groza finalist in Blair Walsh and perhaps the best kick-off returner in Georgia history in Brandon Boykin. That’s all well and good but that’s just part of the equation this weekend. A lot of people have wondered about whether Florida might tweak their offense or defense in their bye week. The easiest thing to do is put in some wrinkles in special teams. But why would they do that?
The Florida Gators kickers have been struggling. Caleb Sturgis, the PK who had missed several games because of a back injury was going to try and come back for the Georgia game. He aggravated the injury Wednesday and punter Chas Henry will continue to placekick. Henry started out okay versus Alabama, but has struggled since.
The news you may not have heard is that the freshman kicker that had been kicking off, Brad Phillips pulled a hamstring last week. That means Chas Henry might kick off as well. I have not worked with him in four years but I will be shocked if he is a super strong kick-off man at this point. Florida may employ the pooch kick at times to keep Boykin at bay. The fact that Chas may do all the kicking changes his weekday preparation, his pre-game warm-up and in game preparation.
Here’s the other thing.
Chas Henry was a high school quarterback at East Paulding HS and has shown the ability to both run and throw for first downs on fake punts. I would not be surprised if UF did not try to pull out the stops on special teams tomorrow. A part of “Urban Renewal” was Corch relinquishing the special teams. Having the off week is plenty of time for him to assume control once again.
The one thing that they have not done with Chas is a fake field goal. Beware!
So, in review, beware the short KO….fake punts and/or FG’s…and punt blocks as well.
Henry to Kick vs. Bama
Florida’s Chas Henry has earned the reputation as one of the best punters in the country. As a Ray Guy finalist last year, he has seldom allowed any return yards in 3+ years as the Gators punter. Now he is being called upon to kick field goals tonight versus the top ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.
The starting placekicker Caleb Sturgis has been attempting to play with a back injury for weeks. Just this week, an MRI revealed a cracked vertebra and slipped disc. The injury apparently happened while lifting weights.
I spoke to Chas’s dad by phone this morning and he confirmed that Chas was kicking field goals and extra points and a walk-on freshman was kicking off for Florida tonight. This could prove to be a huge development because it changes everything for Henry. From weekly practice routines to pre-game and in-game preparation,
One positive is that Chas, who also is the holder when Sturgis kicks, feels very confident in his freshman holder. I hope Chas does well. I met Chas when he was a junior at East Paulding HS near Atlanta and I helped him prepare for the combine where he was discovered and ultimately offered by Florida.
To be perfectly honest, I hope Chas kicks four field goals and no extra points, if you know what I mean.
Alabama 24 Florida 12
News From Ill-Gotten Gainesville
I case you have not heard, Urban “Don’t call Me Corch Meyers” Meyer has decided to take another run at leisure. He was supposed to start said leave after signing day, but he just didn’t have the heart. I’m also sure it skipped a beat when he heard that his DT Gary Brown had been arrested for slapping several women at a party over the weekend.
Meyer is to take this time between now and spring football, which is set to start at UF on March 17th, as his much publicized but never realized leave of absense. It would be interesting to see if Las Vegas has a line on how long this attempt will last. His prior foray into relaxation lasted only a “miserable” 36 hours.
T-Minus Two Weeks and Counting
Signing Day is two weeks away and basically a free for all has ensued in SEC recruiting. Many fans are pulling their hair out. Between Alabama’s championship, Urban Meyer’s intermittent “health” issues, Lame Kiffin leaving Tennessee in the lurch, Derek Dooley trying to save the day, Georgia finally naming their DC, this two week home stretch promises to be one for the ages.
Remember the tag-line for the MTV show”Diary”,
You think you know, but you have no idea…
Hey, did you think two days ago, that Chan Gailey would be a head coach in the NFL this year? SEE? There is no alternative universe aka Bizarro World. We LIVE in the Bizarro world.
That’s why I’m concerned about commits like Da’Rick Rogers taking visits with his buddy Nash Nance to Tennessee and possibly Florida. The Gators have continued to clean up with commitment after commitment, with Urban Meyer’s future “up in the air”. How can that be? That is some “leave of absence” he’s got going on.
I am very concerned about Derek Dooley. He’s young and looks even younger. He’s a great communicator. He’s going to be a pain in our collective buttocks.
Then there is National Champion, Alabama. Winning will create additional recruiting momentum and they will be formidable for the forseeable future. I remember how 1980 led to some the most loaded teams UGA has ever seen.
Just now is new Georgia DC Todd Grantham able to hit the road. He has some catching up to do. New Defensive Backs Scott Lakatos apparently arrives in Athens today and hits the road tomorrow. On the surface it seems Coach Richt and company have kept our commits intact. The lone exception was a mutual parting it seems.
The roller coaster is leaving the platform, are you buckled in? Let’s see if you can ride this “Scream Machine” with no hands…
Go Dawgs!
Disarray Oh Disarray
Here we sit on January 9th , 2010 and the football world as we know it is in complete disarray. First Florida’s Urban Meyer goes off what he thought was the deep end and hit his head. Now Pete Carroll is rumored to be leaving the college football mecca that is USC for the NFL. Both programs have enjoyed tremendous success but both now face an uncertain future. Disarray oh Disarray.
Meyer’s health issues and putting family first was apparently just a 24 hour bug. Now he says he feels in his gut he will be back for the 2010 season. Looney Tunes was always my favorite. Stay tuned for more hilarity.
Pete Carroll has been ultra successful as Trojan Man but ongoing investigations about impropriety going all the way back to Reggie Bush’s apartment and more recently Joe McKnight driving a Land Rover around LA. Nice! Charlie Weis also put a spot-light on the RUMOR that ole Petie had a sweetie on the beach in Malibu. All of this,in addition to a sub-par season and several early defections make the future less than golden in the Golden State.
Former USC RB Lendale White said he was very disappointed in the idea that Carroll would leave after preaching family and loyalty for 10 years. White went on to say that he expected Carroll to be stay at USC like Bobby Bowden did at FSU. Lendale needs to understand that those days are gone.
Ambition and attrition are the realities of the day.
Urban Meyer is full of it
I am sitting here watching the press conference where Florida’s Urban Meyer is announcing his choice of a leave of absence versus resigning. Yesterday, when I heard he was resigning, I was shocked and pleasantly surprised. I don’t wish him any ill will and I did not make fun of the situation as many people chose to do. But a Florida Gator program without Urban Meyer is a plus, period. More and more it appears his condition is self induced and not life threatening.
This seemingly endless presser is turning into a glorious recruiting infomercial for the Florida Gators, during a time when coaches cannot contact recruits directly. Do you not think every player whether committed or not is watching this crap?
All the love and family espoused for the players and how it figured so prominently in his second decision in 24 hours. The bottom line is that all the decisions made and changed in the last few days could have been made quietly in the off-season. He could have reprioritized his life and not tell us about it, because honestly, I don’t care.
Mark May just said the same thing…all this could have waited til after the bowl game.
Thanks Mark!
Black Dawg Down
Alpha Company, Alpha Company…we have men down! Too many casualties to count! You may not recognize our guys because they are not in UGA issue. For some reason, they are in black helmets and black pants. Something about juice?
Folks, it’s far worse than any of us imagined. If you need “juice” to get ready for Florida, you are a loser and have already lost . We have misplaced whatever degree of substance we ever had. It’s all about the fluff, and fluff don’t get it.
I almost titled this post, “So you think you can dance”?
Don’t think for a second that the Urban Crier did not use the 2007 celebration as continued motivation. They must have been insulted more by our dancing than we were by their time outs last year.
And why was this necessary? Just play football…
I know many of you relished in the original black-out game against Auburn and the accompanying soulja boi dance during the time outs..hell…even Verne and Gary joined the party. I liked the jerseys(past tense), but not the dancing. That was rubbing their nose in it. Well those chickens are all coming home to roost. Do you not think Auburn will be playing those replays in a few weeks? Please.
What used to be a meat and potatoes program has regressed in to a cake and icing program and I’m sick at my stomach. Georgia doesn’t need new jerseys, the red ones are fine. Georgia doesn’t need new pants, the silver britches are fine. Georgia doesn’t need new helmets, the red ones are fine. By the way, one of the most recognized and best looking helmets in all of college football. Thank you very much.
What Georgia does need is players that are motivated from within. That is something you can build on and have a sustained effort with. Motivation imposed from outside is superficial and temporary. Apparently Mark Richt doesn’t think they are sufficiently motivated, without the fluff. Why else would he do it?
Additional “juice” for the Florida game…my ass.
Georgia-Florida, Then and Now
It’s that time of year again. The air is crisp, the leaves are changing and Jacksonville, Florida is the center of the football universe. The fact that the “WLOCP” falls on Halloween this year means the crazy meter might reach an all-time high, but that would take a lot. It is the one game where the amateurs are encouraged to stay home and let the professionals do their thing.
I was fortunate to play in four Georgia/Florida games. The good guys went 3-1 and ended the era with one of the most famous games in the series; the 1980 game. It does not matter if you wear red and black or jorts, you remember this game. It’s the game where Georgia QB Buck Belue hit WR Lindsey Scott with a short pass and Lindsey raced 93 yards to totally deflate a previously euphoric Gator sideline. It was 3rd and 11 after all, with 1:03 left in the game. There was no way Georgia could win. But miracles do happen and believe me, this was a miracle.
Georgia may need another miracle this week if they are to beat a superior Gator team. Florida is 8-0 and ranked number 1 in the nation by the BCS poll. But let me ask you this. Do you know what dogs do to polls(poles)? That’s correct. That’s what Old Coach Erk Russell used to tell us every preseason. It was great motivation for us to exceed expectations.
Many of you have only heard about the recent history of this series where Florida has dominated 16-3 in the last 19 contests. It’s as if college football was invented in 1990. Well, it was not, and even with the impressive run that the Gators have enjoyed, the Dawgs still lead the series.
Good Guys- 47 Bad Guys – 38 Ties – 2
What’s that you say? That’s impossible Mr. Robinson?
Oh no, I’m not lying. We used to spank that armor plated fanny on a regular basis. Do the math. That would mean at one point it was 44-22-2. Ouch! Georgia’s series with the Gators ranked right up there with the Vanderbilts, South Carolinas and Kentuckys of the world. Yep, it was that good.
But then Florida hired freakin’ Steve Spurrier aka “The Ole Ball Coach”. Man, I knew as soon as it was announced that he was going to be trouble. He took Duke to an ACC Championship. Nuff said. Back in the day everyone acknowledged that Florida had talent, it just never had the teams you thought they could have. The rest, as they say, is history and with the advent of Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow, Florida has truly reached their full potential.
Two eras, B.S.S., before Steve Spurrier and A.S.S. after Steve Spurrier….as different as they could possibly be. Georgia dominated the first three quarters of the series and Florida has dominated the last quarter. If Georgia wants to stem the tide, they must do everything better.
Recruit better…Coach better…Play better…It’s just that simple.
Go Dawgs!
Walker vs. Tebow
Tim Tebow just tied Herschel Walker’s SEC Career record for rushing touchdowns. There is a very good chance he will break the record this Saturday against the Dawgs. I am frustrated because this is one of those times when the numbers just don’t add up. Having seen Herschel up close and personal in 1980 and obviously watching him as a spectator after that, all I can say is this.
I know Herschel Walker.
Herschel Walker was a teammate of mine.
And you Mr. Tebow, are no Herschel Walker!
Now don’t get me wrong, I am not a Tim Tebow hater. I respect him as a player and as a young man. He can’t stop the ever expanding circle of man crushes and PDA’s shown towards him every single day on ESPN. Now, he is one of the best to ever play college football. But there can only be one best, and that is Herschel Walker. Until someone surpasses his rushing total in the same number of carries or games played, the rest will have to sit down and vie for number two.
Now, I’m not going to enumerate the statistics of Tim Tebow. If you have not heard them a thousand times, you must be new to our fair planet. Welcome. I hope you come in peace. I have always had a problem with all the hoopla surrounding the rushing touchdowns piled up by Tim Tebow. I bet his average TD run is no more than 4-5 yards. That is hardly spectacular, particularly when it’s basically all Florida tries to do in that situation. Over and over until it works.
Tim Tebow’s skill set is truly unique.
But uniqueness does not automatically equal greatness.
Urban Meyer coming to Florida provided the exact scenario that Tim Tebow needed. It was the perfect storm. It allowed him to thrive. If he had chosen Alabama instead he might have been successful to some extent, but nothing close to his production at Florida. No Percy Harvin, no Louis Murphy, no Brandon Jacobs, no Chris Rainey, no Jeff Demps. These guys have provided the home-runs and other extra base hits. Tim is the pinch hitter that come in when it’s close. Now he does deliver…but then so does Pizza Hut.
The Football Planets Are Aligned
After watching a Saturday devoid of Georgia Football, I swear the planets are aligned for an upset this week. Too bad our ship has been in the shop. It’s like those times when every week you take your car in to get it fixed and every week it’s something else. Do the Lemon Laws apply to football teams?
The Vanderbilt game was a little better, but we still had a hard time getting things started. All in all, it was a better game. A.J Green not only made a catch. He made a catch and a great run. That was cool. The offense ran the ball better at times. The defense played better. Last Saturday was a step in the right direction, but will it be enough?
I’ve always believed players and teams win because of what they do in January…March…and June compared to their opponents. The best of the best get better every day. As a player, if you wait until the week of the Florida game to get ready for Florida, you’re done. Especially these days, with the Gators having dominated the series for nearly two decades.
All the off-season hype pointed to Florida being the best team in America, but I don’t believe it. Florida is beatable. There are many teams that could beat Florida. Alabama will beat Florida if they meet in Atlanta in December. Bama can carry out the formula like no other team in the SEC. Pressure Tim Tebow.
The problem is you have to pressure him with multiple sources, leaving yourself vulnerable in the secondary. Mississippi State seemed able to cover Florida’s wide receivers and it flushed Tebow out of the pocket and ultimately he made mistakes he normally does not. Two pick-six interceptions in one game? Awesome.
Since DE Justin Houston has returned, Georgia’s ability to apply pressure has dramatically improved. Baccari Rambo has added a play-making ability in the secondary that was sorely lacking.
The problem for Mississippi State was no offense. Sound familiar? In the second half, Coach Dan Mullen panicked, tried to create something with a fake punt. It did not work and it was all over. Georgia’s bye week has hopefully allowed them to implement a game plan sufficient to create the upset.
Maybe “the mechanic” had enough time to get everything fixed this time.
Jacksonville, Home Sweet Home!
Well, it seems the “powers that be” have chosen to keep the Georgia -Florida Game in Jacksonville for now. Damon Evans made the announcement today that UGA will play UF in Jax for at least 6 more years. President Michael Adams said he was in full support of Evans’ decision. Okay, we’ll go with that.
Earlier this year, the WLOCP became a divisive issue for Georgia fans. Strong opinions supporting a home and home or even an occasional Atlanta game in the Georgia Dome seemed to gather some momentum. I think this issue was pretty clearly divided between Old School Dawgs and the Bark Nouveau.
I understand the young fans have pretty much never seen Georgia beat Florida. Does the fact that we were once something like 44-20 versus Florida not tell you something? All but a very few games were played in Jacksonville. We are STILL 47-38-2 in the now lop-sided “rivalry”.
Having been 3-1 against the lowly lizards myself, I don’t think, I know that geography has nothing to do with it. He who shall remain class-less brought Florida up from the abyss and after a slight “bump in the road” with Ron Zook, the Gators program has obviously been light years ahead of not just the SEC, but the entire college football world. Maybe not this year. Based on the games so far.
I believe Alabama wins this year’s SEC Championship.
Coach Mark Richt has brought the Georgia program to it’s highest level to date. There are now other hills to climb. Time will tell if he can do it with his present staff.
The SEC just keeps getting better and better.
Follow-up Friday
- For the answer to the question, “What is your Pregame Ritual? The acquisition of an adequate supply of beer was not just the NUMBER 1 answer, it was the only answer. I guess I forgot who my readers were!
- It’s Game Day Eve and I am about to bust for real. I think writing this blog and interacting with the Dawg Nation has heightened the anticipation for the season for me. Sort of a like..well never mind.
- The South Cracka-Lacky LameCocks and NC State WoefulPack were hard to watch…Don’t get over confident, though. Let’s stay focused next week so we can pound Spurrier into retirement!
- I am sooo glad that Oregon and Boise State shook hands before last nights game. Almost immediately after, they had to be separated due to trash talk and posturing near mid-field. I love it when I’m right! Oh yeah, an Oregon RB sucker punched a Boise State player who looked to be trash talking after the game.. Wow.
- I sincerely hope Richard Samuel is ready for a heavy work-load tomorrow. Caleb King’s hammy has been slow to heal and is not even going to Stillwater. I bet he will be at the Parkview or Greater Atlanta Christian Game tonight.
- Georgia’s defense is scary good when focused. Think Hawaii…I look forward to them being that defense tomorrow.
- Prediction for the Georgia Tech-Jacksonville State game….224-0….Paul Johnson will try and set a new Tech record. The Cumberland score of 222-0 has stood long enough.
- The Florida score? Who gives a….
SEC Media Days…Character vs.Characters
SEC Media Days have come and gone without incident. I am very, very disappointed. There were no jabs verbal or otherwise, and I have been waiting for this for weeks and pfht! Nothing! Now I must say I am very relieved to hear that Tim Tebow is still a virgin. I’m not sure how that matter’s in the football world unless it can be proven it aids in his training regimen, i.e. overall conditioning and strong passing arm.
What inspired this missive is something else I just read attributed to the Big Bird, the King of Snipe, Darth Visor himself. In an article about Lane Kiffin, Steve Spurrier is quoted as saying when your program is not winning maybe you should keep your mouth shut. He went on to say:
Does that mean if some how the planets aligned and South Carolina won an SEC Championship, that it’s okay for him to morph back into the appendage of his youth? That could be dubbed as a type of moral relativism. I’ll be humble while I suck, but if I’m ever great again watch out brother the gloves come off!
I’m not sure Lane Kiffin needs that kind of mentoring coach, but thanks!
Once again, I am thankful to have a coach who is seldom involved in negative news of any type. This is because he chooses to be a man of character, rather than attempt to maintain a character.
Mark Richt and Tim Tebow are both men of faith.
How can we love one and hate the other?
Just sayin’…
SEC Football Fan…Take a Sabbatical from the Fanatical
Sports fans are great, sometimes. Well some of them are great, sometimes. Well, a few are great; some are fickle, some need professional help. No seriously. Fanatical is defined as being possessed with or motivated by excessive, irrational zeal. Last summer, I tried to participate. I actually got down in the trenches of fandom; but the message boards were not for me. There are way too many people whose whole lives revolve entirely around college football. I totally believe in supporting your team, going to games, the tailgating experience; the great feeling of knowing that these are my people and I am theirs.
I don’t even mind the guys who are ORD, that’s a newly discovered syndrome, first diagnosed by yours truly, Dr Robinson. It stands for Obsessive Recruiting Disorder. You may know a few of these. They stay on Rivals.com or Scout.com for hours on end. Correction, one browser is open to Rivals, one to Scout. The worst cases I have seen, include putting the latest poster of Jamie Newberg, the Recruiting Guru on your wall. I hear he has a Swimsuit Calendar coming in 2010. Now that is scary.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with supporting your school/team with all your heart, mind, soul and strength; that sounds rather Biblical. What I can’t get my arms around, is when that love of the game morphs into something else, something ugly. I have a new word for you.
Fannibilism
It’s when you are so out of control, you can’t be happy ripping the opponents players to shreds, you turn on your own as well. THAT is sick, and I’m not even joking. I don’t know when it happened, but somewhere along the way, our values got turned upside down. At least in the past, you might go after the other guy , on the other team, but you took care of and supported the ones in your “family” (team).
Let me clarify, before I go any further. I believe you can criticize an action(playing football), without attacking the player himself. Let me give you the perfect example. A couple of weeks ago the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers were engaged in the Eastern Conference Finals series, a sports writer, appearing on the TV show, “Rome is Burning”, stated that Mo Williams, a Cleveland guard was, “DUMB AS MY SHOE”. Is that insightful sports commentary? No, it’s a personal attack; but at least he was attacking an adult, a professional. There are way too many “fans” who take it upon themselves to attacks kids as well.
Remember those now famous words, “Talk to me! I’m a man! I’m 40!
Coach Mike Gundy took alot of heat for that tirade, but I admire him for it. A reporter had crossed the line and coach put him on blast. I really hope this blog never becomes a place to bash kids, whatever colors they wear on Saturdays. Hey, I almost got sucked into it last week. I posted a short blog about Janoris Jenkins, the UF cornerback that was arrested and tased. That post was up about 15-20 minutes, then I had to take it down. I “detest” Florida, not their kids. Hey, I coached one of their kids, the punter, Chas Henry. You can say what you want, but Tim Tebow is a great kid and is definitely a great football player. He can’t help it if the guys at ESPN have man-crushes on him.
Athletic excellence does not preclude human emotions. Hmm, human. As in human beings, with strengths, weaknesses, and issues, just like the rest of us. Why is that so hard to understand?
The New F-word…
It’s not what you think. I just wanted to get your attention. I am so sick of hearing about THAT place and THOSE people, I don’t think I’m ever going there on vacation ever again. My dad moved back from PCB last year, I know what Mickey Mouse looks like, I get my oranges from Publix.
We must draw a line in the sand!
It’s all some people can talk about. Can we cross the border and ever win on a regular basis? Uh yeah…it’s not the Bermuda Short Triangle, which some believe exists and is thought to be between Fernandina Beach, McClenny and St Augustine. Apparently great football players, at least those wearing red and black, all of a sudden lose their athletic ability. I think it’s called Ereptile Dysfunction. I call it BS.
Those teams from the F-State have always had great players with tremendous talent. I heard on one radio show or maybe it was on the Dawgvent that stated that the growth in the state of “F” have changed the dynamics of the W.L.O.C.P. shhhh or as some would say, the AA meeting for a beating. Well, unless the next QB is an 80 year old red shirt freshman named Haime Abramowicz, I ain’t making that excuse. The Dynamics that have changed is the Coitch…SS and UM…see I don’t even say their names in mixed company anymore.
See that face! We can make him do it again!
There is a fine line between focus and obsession and an even finer one between obsession and you are just being stupid. Are you one of those that has lost all perspective? I have talked about it once in the past week, because of someone else’s(MR) comments regarding the “F”.
Believe me, we should be worried about the “OS”.
Nothing neutral about losing…
The first few years of the Mark Richt era, I always spoke of those teams as teams that maybe didn’t win every game, but they were always IN the game. They never, ever got blown out. Coach Richt ALWAYS had the guys ready to play….INSERT CRICKETS CHIRPING HERE…Why did I have to go and say that? The last two years when we lose, we LOSE!!
Tennessee two years ago…Alabama and Florida this year…and I’m sorry, the Tech game felt like a butt kicking to me. So what has changed? Well, not totally sure. You know I have been around long enough to have been on both sides of games where nothing went right for one team and nothing could go wrong for the other. As you all know we gave up a butt load of points in 2008. Not good.
I have a good friend, who is a big Dawg fan that has been on the “Fire Willie Martinez” bandwagon for a while. I think he even started a Facebook Group by the same name.
I DID NOT JOIN FOR THE RECORD!
As a old school guy that played when Coaches Dooley and Russell were in control, I understand the bend don’t break philosophy of defense. I also understood the ball control offenses we employed then. Ya’ll hated both of them then and you hate them now. Some things never change! The thing is, if you are gonna employ that conservative approach to defense, you have to be able to tackle and we couldn’t much of the time last year. Especially the blowout games.
I have come to a conclusion. Coach Richt comes from the George Bush school of loyalty, and thats not a compliment. Bush lost me after the second election when he fired Rumsfeld after the election…AFTER….If he had done it six months earlier maybe we don’t lose control of the Congress and eventually the White House. SORRY, I digress.
Let me be clear, I love and respect Mark Richt. I hope he stays forever, but does that mean he’s perfect and does not make mistakes? No. I just want him to scutinize the performance of his coaches and hold them to the same level of accountability as he does his players. If they don’t perform, they don’t play.
Now he and UGA want to play the Florida Gators in Atlanta once every four years. I don’t like it. Sounds like an admission that we can’t win in the State of Florida. No, we can’t beat the University OF Florida in any state or Puerto Rico. But hey, guess what? Nobody can to speak of. Instead of worrying where we play, we should focus on how we play. Recruit better, coach more effectively, work hard in the off season and by all means teach ‘em to tackle!
But something I think we can all agree on, there is nothing neutral about losing.
Tell me what you really think!