Radio host apologizes for question to Richt
Sports radio talk show host Chuck Oliver said Monday he was guilty of “horrible timing” in asking UGA Coach Mark Richt a question about losing big games after Saturday night’s SEC Championship Game.
Oliver, part of the “Chuck and Chernoff Show” on 680 the Fan, said he used “awful, terrible, wretched, horrid judgment” in posing such a question after Georgia’s emotional 32-28 loss to Alabama, a game many are calling the greatest SEC championship game ever.
In the exchange at a post-game press conference, Oliver asked Richt: “There are some people, whether its fans, media or whomever else, that may want to make further conclusions about you or your quarterback specifically in big games. Would you have any response to those people?”
Richt: “I don’t know what you’re saying. Why don’t you just say it straight up what you’re trying to say.”
Oliver: “There will be people who say that you and Aaron Murray specifically come up short on the biggest stage against the biggest opponents. Do you have any response to that?”
Richt bluntly asked if it was Oliver who was saying that, and Oliver responded that’s what he hears on the radio every day. Richt then says, “That’s for you to worry about then — if that’s what you say then I’ll answer the question; if you think other people are saying that, I’m not worried about that.”
After leaving the press conference, Richt returned briefly and said, “If anybody thinks our guys didn’t play their tail off, and Aaron Murray didn’t play his tail off, they’re crazy. That’s unbelievable that anybody would even bring that up.”
Oliver said his first reaction after the exchange was, “I really wish I could undo the last 90 seconds of my life.”
Was Oliver out of line in asking the question when he did or did Richt overreact to a legitimate question?
View the Oliver-Richt confrontation.
Listen to Oliver’s explanation.
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587 comments Add your comment
Erin "spike the ball" Murray
December 4th, 2012
11:44 am
hey coach what should I do on the goal line versus nebraska ???????????????
Rafe Hollister
December 4th, 2012
11:44 am
Chuck, go after a high school coach next time. Out of your league here.
Paddy
December 4th, 2012
11:44 am
Never heard of the guy. So it should not matter to CMR! Dawgs have nothing to be ashamed of for that performance.
gdawginkalamazoo
December 4th, 2012
11:45 am
Defense was the field for close to 40 minutes. At some point the offense needed to either score every time they touched the ball or sustain a drive or two that ran some time off the clock to give the D a rest. Especially against that OL of Bama’s.
Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned once by Bill King & Chip Towers but only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
December 4th, 2012
11:46 am
Chuck Oliver ask the Next Real Questions………………..Coach Richt Will you Pee Test the players before the bowl game? Will you do it in the Off season since you open with Clemson next year? Will you do the Test after Spring Break EVER again?
Rafe Hollister
December 4th, 2012
11:47 am
and don’t hide behind “I hear people say”.
ChipperIsBest3rdBaseman_EVER
December 4th, 2012
11:48 am
Totally legit question. Oliver shouldn’t have had to apologize. Right should have apologized for being such a sensitive baby.
deano
December 4th, 2012
11:48 am
fair question overall about richt, but not at that time, after a gut wrenching loss
TY
December 4th, 2012
11:48 am
Chuck, just what were you trying to prove? You are not gonna be promoted for such an act. My goodness man. I really liked you fellas program…but, it is not as important to me now…just cant believe you thought you would get some great praise for being so insensative…..ya know the I think about it…..I just will turn the radio when you are involved…sorry man.
dap01
December 4th, 2012
11:50 am
That Oliver is an idiot. He sounds life a jock sniffer who believes ESPN’s constant hype. Stupid, poorly constructed, and poorly thoughtout question that he was really trying to make into a comment.
He was trying to be the story instead of letting the players and coaches be the story. There are other sports stations other than 680 the joke
dawgfacedboy
December 4th, 2012
11:51 am
I like the Chuck and Chernoff show and yes I think Chuck was out of line. If you watched the game you would know it was neither Murray’s or Richt’s “fault” they lost the game.
AL Dawg
December 4th, 2012
11:51 am
King of What? no longer isten to 680 on the way home….just on the way to work or at lunch. Brig back Buck to drive time.
boots
December 4th, 2012
11:51 am
Oliver is at best a talk show host, not a reporter. He should leave that to others. CMR handled himself well and showed what kind of man he is (once again) by initiating a call to Oliver to correct things. I heard Oliver’s “apology” which was more like an explanation. He blamed Richt as much as himself, and I thought it was a bumbling, sorry excuse for an apology. He has bashed Georgia constantly, and he let it spill over in to the press conference in an unprofessional way. Shameful.
Southgate
December 4th, 2012
11:52 am
It was a poorly worded question but a fair question none the less. The media in Atlanta has long been and is known to be soft when addressing our sports teams. Media in many other markets hold their teams, players, coaches, etc. much more accountable than the local Atlanta media does. These things happen. The question was fair. The response was fair. The apology was fair. All and all good journalism.. bad timing.
National Organization of Winners
December 4th, 2012
11:52 am
After reading this blog, no way we hold our annual convention in Georgia. We’ll probably hold it in Tuscaloosa, Green Bay, or another city where winning is understood and expected. Apparently winning will not grow in Georgia clay.
364 yards rushing.....
December 4th, 2012
11:52 am
GET EM NEXT YEAR!
Wally Butts
December 4th, 2012
11:52 am
Chuck Oliver is a “man-gina”.
Fleischman in Chi Towns Bed
December 4th, 2012
11:53 am
Did Mark Richt order his team some SEC 2nd place championship rings? That would be so special.
Put in Timeout by Ken Sugiura,Filtered by Mark Bradley, Banned once by Bill King & Chip Towers but only slightly loved by Jeff Schultz.
December 4th, 2012
11:55 am
Well RICHT PROVED he will never be an NFL coach……..I’m a man I’m 40……Playoffs Playoffs are you talking about the playoffs……Richt need or well the UGa fans wanted an apology. Richt NEVER should have gotten into the back and forth with Chuck. He should have said, “I’ll get back to you when you have a well formulate question. Next. Yes, Chuck Do-little-to-upset-me UGa Grad and WSB TV hack what Softball question do you have foe me?”
15 Minutes from 'Dem Hedges
December 4th, 2012
11:55 am
Thanx coach R for not allowing Cooter to bait you into doing or saying something stupid…your Christian character is worth much more than an SEC title…I personally would have jumped over that table and snatched Cooter by the throat…but then again, that’s why CMR is the coach and I’m not…just as Prez Obama is the Prez and I’m not…you have to have a certain temperament for these jobs…because you’ll always have to contend with imbeciles like CO…or RLimbaugh…GO DAWGS!!!…
A listener
December 4th, 2012
11:56 am
I am certainly not an auburn fan but Chuck Oliver does a good job on 680 on a daily basis. His show is entertaining and an easy listen as compared to the other segments of the morning crew and Buck/Kincaid. Personally I would get rid of Perry and Kincaid to improve the situation as they are just plain painful to listen to. Why do you think his show was moved to the afternoon slot? Bad timing on the question but he will be ok. As for all the Chuck haters, sorry your team lost again.
Alphare
December 4th, 2012
11:56 am
Chuck Dowdle must be really proud of himself now. He never has to apologize.
dmr
December 4th, 2012
11:58 am
I think from beginning to end, both Richt and Oliver handled the event like grown men. Maybe Oliver’s timing was bad. That’s the only thing wrong with what happened in the press conference. Oliver wasn’t criticizing Richt. But Georgia fans have seen Georgia come up short in some crucial games. The SEC TITLE GAME was a battle for the ages. I have not criticism of Richt or Oliver. I too question why we didn’t spike the ball with 15 seconds left.
Oliver handled the interview properly. Richt responded with fire like I would hope he would in a situation like that. Oliver explained himself. Richt spoke with Oliver and both men have put it behind them and understand where each was coming from. THIS IS HOW GROWN MEN SHOULD SETTLE A DISPUTE OR MISUNDERSTANDING AND RICHT IS A GREAT LEADER FOR UGA.
In reality
December 4th, 2012
11:58 am
Looking at the UGa record against ranked teams in the last several years does lead to that question.
Not doubting they all tried their best, but the facts are the facts.
Tony Barnhardt is a fat bloated loser
December 4th, 2012
11:59 am
AARON’s MURRAY IS A TRUE CHAMPION!
check out my gobbler!
tmerggotech
December 4th, 2012
11:59 am
Valid question, poorly timed. Chuck addressed it on air and that should be the end of that.
But I’m looking forward to seeing how long the memories of people like Brian E last when UGA hits bumps in the road next year. The fact remains that the Dawgs can’t win the big game.
demhairydwags
December 4th, 2012
12:01 pm
Wow nice time to finally show some EMOTION COACH! You dont care when we’re losing and your making STUPID DECISIONS but when a reporter ask you a question here comes BIG TIME CMR! WHAT A JOKE FIRE MARK RICHT! we will never win a NATIONAL champonship with CMR time to GET RID OF THIS CLOWN!!! FIRE MARK RICHT FIRE MARK RICHT FIRE MARK RICHT FIRE MARK RICHT FIRE MARK RICHT FIRE MARK RICHT FIRE MARK RICHT FIRE MARK RICHT FIRE MARK RICHT FIRE MARK RICHT FIRE MARK RICHT FIRE MARK RICHT FIRE MARK RICHT
AltamahaDawg
December 4th, 2012
12:01 pm
No its not a fair or legit question. You have to ask a question for that to apply.
“hey some folks might say this about you and your player, can I get a sound bite as to what you would say to some people that might say that”
ok there was an implied question mark in his voice inflection, but as close to a “question” as it got.
And again, don’t call out a PLAYER in front of his coach, minutes after a gutsy performance by that player, and expect to get some good material for your talk show.
Devil's Advocate
December 4th, 2012
12:02 pm
What constitutes a “legit question”? To me it’s a question that produces a meaningful answer. I’m still waiting for what possible meaningful answer can come from Richt.
I think people want Richt to say “I dunno, I can’t coach” then hand Oliver a Peabody.
For me personally, the only 2 questions that matter are:
1. Why didn’t UGA sell out to stop the run and force Bama to beat them with the pass?
2. Why didn’t you respect the offense more to spike the ball and give them time to setup? By not spiking it you were willing to hurt your own offense in hopes of surprising the Bama defense.
For the record, I support Richt but I do think those two questions point at the continued softness of the program. It is undeniable that Richt is a quality head coach capable of producing SEC East Champions and even SEC Champions. The only question in my mind is will he learn from this experience. With so many young guys on the OL coming back and these stud young RBs, UGA is poised to actually improve on the offensive side of the ball next season. The defense might be losing several stars but they will also be losing Mr Personal Foul Williams and inconsistent Mr. “Can’t Catch An Interception In A Big Game” Rambo. If this next batch of younger defensive players have a better attitude then fewer penalties might be better in the long run.
Fat Chuck Oliver
December 4th, 2012
12:02 pm
Was it something I said?
GB's Hamburgers
December 4th, 2012
12:05 pm
Chuck told the truth. It is what he hears on the radio. As for his “timing?” In the intercourse of life, Truth is an unwelcome intruder. There is no good time to speak it.
tony
December 4th, 2012
12:06 pm
AltamahaDawg
December 4th, 2012
11:39 am
__________________________________________
If you think Mr Richt handled himself as a christian, that’s your business not mind.
Jesus Christ
December 4th, 2012
12:07 pm
Don’t throw stones at a glass house
Jimmy Crack
December 4th, 2012
12:08 pm
1. Idiotic question in the first place.
2. Horrible timing.
3. Overwhelming public backlash followed by apology to save local credibility.
4. Richt forgives Chuck and because he does, so do we.
5. Too bad Chernoff couldn’t take the fall for this.
Plain as day
December 4th, 2012
12:09 pm
Oliver’s question was perfectly legitimate. To question Richt about his abysmal record against ranked teams is only asking the same question that at least 95% of UGA fans are asking.
And of course Richt is tired of hearing it, but for him to try to act like he doesn’t know what Oliver is talking about is just plain absurd.
Gay Dawg
December 4th, 2012
12:11 pm
Chuck Oliver is not a good looking guy
obama SIN LADEN
December 4th, 2012
12:11 pm
punk presser. gata cmr.
AltamahaDawg
December 4th, 2012
12:12 pm
One thing I have learned from many mistakes over the years in my dealing with people is that my “intentions” are not the responsibilty of the other person. If they perceive my actions or comments differently from what I meant by them, thats My problem. How I came across, the appropriatnes, the wording, even the timing, was on ME.
My intention only matter after the fact, and how we resolve the situation.
I believe Oliver had no ill intention, but owed Richt reaction because he screwed up, then apologized. . And it sounds like that was all resolved.
James E. "Jimmy Bob" Roberts, Esq.
December 4th, 2012
12:14 pm
It is apparent that 1) Chuck Oliver knows more about college football than most of you commentators here and 2) many of you will listen to the Chuck and Chernoff Show on 680 The Fan beginning at 3 p.m. today for the very first time.
AltamahaDawg
December 4th, 2012
12:15 pm
Oh? you seemed pretty eager to make it your business, tony.
Piney Woods Pete
December 4th, 2012
12:16 pm
If Richt ever wins a few big games, then the questions will stop. He’s p*ssed off because someone dared to openly ask him the question where he couldn’t just stick his head in the sand and ignore it.
Maybe next time, some reporter will ask Richt how much he enjoys his $4 million a year for beating a lot of nobody schools.
AltamahaDawg
December 4th, 2012
12:16 pm
owned
what of it?
December 4th, 2012
12:19 pm
the only thing inappropriate was Chuck’s lack of nerve and tail-between-his-legs apology. he’s a reporter, and he’s allowed to ask tough questions.
He's a What?
December 4th, 2012
12:19 pm
My problem with this story is Oliver being called a “journalist.”
Gator Guy
December 4th, 2012
12:20 pm
Richt should be the one who apologizes. To consistently under perform with all these so-called top tier recruiting classes is tragic. And since when does a state football coach get to be placed on a pedestal and not have to answer tough questions that are relevant about his mediocre record in games that count (although thUGA played well saturday, overall they have wet their pants under Richt when it comes time to play with the big boys). Richt has two options if he doesn’t want to deal with questions like the one Chuck posed: 1. Go to a program with less scrutiny, or 2. WIN WHEN IT COUNTS. Whichever you do, stop with the primadonna act. Richt knew darn well that people are saying exactly what Oliver stated, and the professional move here would have been to answer the question and acknowledge that overall, you could do better (like spiking the ball or actually having a play ready for your team in these circumstances). Why thUGA is still a second tier SEC program.
Mad Dog One
December 4th, 2012
12:20 pm
There are footballs, baseballs,basketballs,golf balls with luck chuckie can borrow some of these as he has none of his own. GO DOGS & GATA
All Saints
December 4th, 2012
12:21 pm
Today is the anniversary of the death of our beloved martyred Saint Jan Kemp. In tribute to her, let’s all bow our heads for a few moments of silent prayer. Thirty years ago, this courageous young lady risked everything to expose the corruption and academic fraud instigated by Vince Dooley, sleazy practices that continue to this day under douchebag coach Mark Richt. Gone but never forgotten, Saint Jan lives on in our hearts and minds as a guiding inspiration and as a symbol of resistance to the malevolent evil and corruption that dwell in Athens.
And now, let us all pray for Saint Jan…
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Thank you, you may now resume your normal activities.
SMYRNA
December 4th, 2012
12:21 pm
Why is it ok for any GA team to play in the BIG GAME but not WIN IT? GA BULLPUPS will never win with CMR, Murray and definitely not with BOBO! CMR is to soft, Murray has been overrated since High School and BOBO has never won anything so how do you expect him to win now!
MR. AD please give us an OVERHAUL!!!!!!!!
Hmmm
December 4th, 2012
12:23 pm
Can you say “Fran Tarkenton”?
Athens
December 4th, 2012
12:25 pm
When Ritch was winning most of those big games prior to 2008, he was always humble saying “winning and losing big games usually comes down to a few plays.. The team that makes those few extra plays usually wins”. I would suspect he would have the same answer now, post 2008. Recently, we have been on the other end. That’s way I love the guy and am proud he is our coach. Things will roll around again.