Grantham should be suspended and fined–now
The University of Georgia, led by President Michael Adams, should run the school’s football program the way it sees best. Dr. Adams delegates that task to his athletics director, Greg McGarity, and his head football coach, Mark Richt.
But if I’m in charge at Georgia, three things would happen today:
**–Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham will be informed that he’ll be watching Saturday’s game with Idaho State from somewhere other than Sanford Stadium.
**–His wallet will also be considerably lighter because I’m taking a sizable chunk of his $750,000 salary.
**–He would know, in no uncertain terms, that if he ever repeated the behavior in question again and it could be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, he would be fired on the spot.
It took a couple of days to sort out but the facts are no longer in dispute. Grantham, Georgia’s first-year defensive coordinator, did something in the Georgia-Florida game that is so far over the line that it can’t even be debated. He gave a student-athlete from another school, Florida kicker Chas Henry, the choke sign as Henry was preparing to kick the game winning field goal. Grantham was caught in a screen capture and the image went viral in no time at all. Jeff Schultz showed you the video where Henry told Tracy Wolfson of CBS that coaches on the Georgia sidelines were telling him that he was going to choke.
Since the first posting of this before 8 a.m. it has come to my attention that there was some taunting going on from both sides. In other words, Grantham was provoked and lost his cool. In other words, he took the bait.
Okay. It has been duly noted. Every story has has two sides. I got it.
Still, this is totally unacceptable on any level. And I don’t want to hear this “heat of competition” crap from anybody. I don’t care how intense a game is. A coach does not attempt to intimidate a student-athlete from another school. You don’t do it. Period. I don’t care what the other side is doing.
This not about competition or the intensity of the Georgia-Florida rivalry. This is about the adults in charge acting like adults. Georgia fans complain to me all the time that they think Mark Richt’s program doesn’t have enough discipline. If the adults can’t control themselves how in the hell do we expect the players to do it?
Now in fairness I have to say that I have yet to meet Todd Grantham. He may well be a perfectly fine fellow. I hear that he is. His defense is starting to play better. They might play better still if he would concentrate on coaching them instead of trying to harrass players from another team.
This is unacceptable and embarrassing for the University of Georgia. Grantham said Tuesday wants to “move on.” I’m sure he does because he knows he screwed up big time.
But before Mr. Grantham moves on he is going to apologize to Chas Henry and apologize to the University of Florida. Then he’s going to apologize to the University of Georgia for embarrassing the institution on a national stage.
Then he will accept a one-game suspension and a fine and keep his mouth shut.
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Barnhart and Durham: Today we are joined by Ohio State coach Jim Tressel and Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, whose Hokies host Georgia Tech on Thursday night. Join us at 10 a.m. on www.790thezone.com.
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1,919 comments Add your comment
King Gator
November 3rd, 2010
10:35 am
If the Dawgs can’t beat the Gators maybe they can beat the AJC… talk about a bunch dogs*it. Who cares if they fine, suspend, fire, flog, whatever Coach Grantham.. it won’t matter the Dawgs D still sucks .. slightly better than KY, Vandy and the Gators Kicker .. Go Gators!
Typical Thuga Fan
November 3rd, 2010
10:35 am
@Bdawg you a former player? When you be gettin outa jail so we can hang?
404
November 3rd, 2010
10:35 am
Its just amazing that UGA fans cant see juvenile & unethical behavior
when its: 1)blatant and, 2) right in their face.
Just pathetic.
BAMA dude
November 3rd, 2010
10:35 am
Dave Cutler
November 3rd, 2010
10:32 am
AJC wont post my comments because they make UGA look bad. Hilarious.
Self absorbed much?
greg
November 3rd, 2010
10:36 am
Hey frozengator. Your team won the game and your are crying because the UGA players were arm in arm and dancing on the sideline? Really? It looks like the fan base at UF is taking on the persona of their cry baby coach. See CUM wants it both ways…he’s a little #$tch. He wants to be able to taunt and do anything he wants but doesn’t want it returned in kind. If you were at the game (which I doubt) you would know that CUM made it a point to do the gator chomp directly at our coaches and players AFTER the game…not in the heat of battle. Now thats classy….maybe you should give it a rest…
CopyandPaste
November 3rd, 2010
10:36 am
These players are ADULTS, too. Every single one of them. All he did was tell the kicker he was going to choke. The kicker responded in the best way possible and won the game for his team. Kudos to Henry for that.
I didn’t appreciate him running toward the GA sideline and doing the gator chomp with the rest of his team. I thought that was classless on the kicker’s part.
Lanier Dawg
November 3rd, 2010
10:36 am
Not only that, but many coaches have done something similar in recent years. Tuberville’s constant badgering and mocking of the Bama fans while Auburn was handing it to them for 7 straight years, Pete Carrol and his hijinx against some of this rivalry opponents, and let’s not forget about the mad hatter Les Miles and his comments about Saban after he took over at Alabama. This kind of stuff happens all the time and people are overreacting about a DC doing a choke sign to an opposing kicker?
Skitty Fritty
November 3rd, 2010
10:36 am
Tony:
I guess you will write any opinion to get people to respond on your blog or tune into your radio show. This is a non story. Where was your outcry last year when Spikes tried to blind Ealey? Where is your outcry over Rainey being put back on the team and actually playing again.
JK
November 3rd, 2010
10:36 am
Enter your comments here
getalife
November 3rd, 2010
10:37 am
If Tony Barnhart got suspended for bad articles he’d be on the street along with the rest of you haters. Get a life…
jbirdawg
November 3rd, 2010
10:37 am
Maybe an apology would be appropriate, but since this is Florida and I have yet to hear an apology from Urban Meyer for two of the worst examples of unsportsmanlike behavior at the end of the 2008 game then I don’t see any reason why Grantham should apologize. Does what he did pose a worse example of sportsmanship to the student athletes on the UGA team than what Meyer did by calling two timeouts at the end of a blowout so Tebow could pound his chest for the UF fans? Don’t tell me that was alright because UGA held a team celebration in the first five minutes of a 7-0 game. By the way, Mark Richt called Meyer personally that Sunday and apologiezed. He also apologized to the University of Fl and everybody else in the SEC. Did Meyer apologize to the SEC or the UGA fans? Was he chastised at all by the media like this? There was a little media attention pointed to it but very little. Suspension and fine? Nah. Over the top there. Is what he did worse than Spikes gouging Ealey’s eyes? No. Not close even if we are comparing coaches to players. Not like it was a throat slash. Chaz Henry was seen blowing kisses at the UGA side when Richt called TO. I agree coaches need to not allow their inner competitiveness make them do something as immature as give the opposing kicker a choke sign. It isn’t what UGA or any other institution wants to exhibit. But…..should he get any worse than what Meyer got for his actions? Negative. A simple reprimand will suffice.
JK
November 3rd, 2010
10:37 am
Get off your high horse. You’re a football columnist, not anderson cooper.
BAMA dude
November 3rd, 2010
10:38 am
Lanier Dawg
November 3rd, 2010
10:36 am
Not only that, but many coaches have done something similar in recent years. Tuberville’s constant badgering and mocking of the Bama fans while Auburn was handing it to them for 7 straight years, Pete Carrol and his hijinx against some of this rivalry opponents, and let’s not forget about the mad hatter Les Miles and his comments about Saban after he took over at Alabama. This kind of stuff happens all the time and people are overreacting about a DC doing a choke sign to an opposing kicker?
Which of these examples involves a coach taunting a player on the opposing team? This is the problem.
Mike Hunt
November 3rd, 2010
10:38 am
Aww, Grantham hurt someone’s child’s feelings. Tony, quit being such a puss! Football is a tought sport. No place for pansies like yourself and Durham!
Driving Ms Dooley
November 3rd, 2010
10:38 am
OVER REACTION Tony. Not that big of a deal. This wasn’t racist or lude and doesn’t offend anyone. It’s like telling your players to be quiet when he lines up for the field goal so you don’t distract him. I guess you’re against calling time out to ice the guy now.
Proper action by UGA. Tell the guy to be smarter next time.
Can’t we talk about how unfair it is that their are 3 teams in the top 5 that play 2 or 3 game schedules. Or how we need a playoff.
I give that choke sign to my daughter when I’m playing tennis against her. It’s part of the game. Tony, you are too busy with all your different media. Take a day off and go play golf. If it’s close on the last hole, give the choke sign to somebody before they tee off. It’s fun. Just like the game of football should be.
G8R GRAD
November 3rd, 2010
10:39 am
Bottom line is:
TG is an adult and a role model and acted like neither.
King Gator
November 3rd, 2010
10:39 am
Apologies are for chokers! Urban OWNS the Dawgs – CMR 2-8 (that includes the Zooker) .. get your red thongs out of a bunch and move on.. you’re not really mad at Tony B. .. you’re mad because the Dawgs choked on Saturday. Go Gators!
ken
November 3rd, 2010
10:39 am
Wow, tony your ratings must need help!
Can’t believe your lib dribble….
PT
November 3rd, 2010
10:39 am
dawgphan – Well, I’m glad that you pointed out something that Georgia is better at than Florida. I was beginning to wonder.
Grantham has B@lls
November 3rd, 2010
10:40 am
Grantham has emotion. He is the polar opp of Richt and it is nice to see and have. Guess he never got the note that he had to be a robot. He made a choking signal, whoopiee freaking do. Did he run out on the field and choke Chaz or another gator? No? Watch teams when they are signaling in plays they go to the neck or strangle holds all the time, guess we better suspend the coaches and players sending in calls too. You idiots are too liberal and everything offends you, that’s whats wrong with this country, we have turned into a bunch of little cry baby my feelings are hurt. Its football and football is a violent game if you do not like it, change the damn channel and watch soccer or the world poker tour.
DAWG Trapped in Bama
November 3rd, 2010
10:40 am
Tony-
I think this is a little over the top. How is what Grantham did any different than a head coach calling a timeout, or even 2 timeouts prior to a field goal try? Are those head coaches not effectively trying to make a kicker choke? Give me a break…. find something worth talking about. Let’s try and wear our big boy pants to work tomorrow
MrCoachKlein
November 3rd, 2010
10:41 am
Further proof that for all Tony knows about SEC football he never actually spent any time playing it. If you want a guy who stands there holding his own hand have at it. I’ll take a guy who gets a little fired up instead. Where was Tony when Will Muschamp was “Boom MF’ing” on the sidelines? Oh yeah, there weren’t any pageviews to be had for it. That explains a lot.
BAMA dude
November 3rd, 2010
10:41 am
ken
November 3rd, 2010
10:39 am
Wow, tony your ratings must need help!
Can’t believe your lib dribble….
Not the first time I’ve seen this today. You think this is a political issue? Idiocy.
GETALIFE
November 3rd, 2010
10:42 am
the man did something he is sorry for. yes it should not have happened, but this is a big game and he did not do it to the player or in his face. what about a bigger thug being allowed to play after what he did only because urban myer was about to lose his job. i feel you as a writer are trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill. what about taking on urban for playing the player he did.
FRED
November 3rd, 2010
10:42 am
TWO STUPIT COLUMNS IN A ROW. TONY PLEASE SOME ADVICE FROM A 72 YEAR OLD WHO LIVED IN NEW JERSEY, YOU ARE HANGING AROUND WITH TO MANY POLITICAL CORRECT PEOPLE NOW, WHAT OUT BECAUSE YOU ARE BECOMING ONE OF THEM.
Paul "ManBoobs" Johnson
November 3rd, 2010
10:42 am
Tony — DId Oprah ghost write this crap for you? One of your all time worst efforts. Seriously, of all of the things in the world of CFB, this is the mountain of righteousness upon which you have chosen to express your angst and outrage??? Go wring your hands about something meaningful.
Jdawg
November 3rd, 2010
10:42 am
If Grantham should be suspended and fined, then Steve ( CRY BABY ) Spurrier should have been barred from college football for his pour sportsmanship.
Big Time?
November 3rd, 2010
10:42 am
Driving Miss Dooley gives the choke sign to his own daughter when they play frickin tennis?
Why am I not surprised?
Jeez, you guys are classic.
Will
November 3rd, 2010
10:43 am
Will this season ever end??????? I have never said this before but I am ready for Nov 28th and I pray UGA does not go bowling. It’s time to put the 2010 campaign in the past forever.
TECH FAN
November 3rd, 2010
10:43 am
This is beyond retarded. The guy works for and is paid by UGA and happens to root for UGA by hoping the kicker choked and the problem is …oh I get it. This is political correctness for retards. Tony Blowhard thinks the coaches should have a love pow wow. Now we know why Blowhard has never been successful at anything other than baffling people to what the heck he is thinking. Stop trying to create controversy and report something relevant.
jtdawg
November 3rd, 2010
10:44 am
WHo does this really offend?
Sure didn’t offend the kicker. Sure didn’t seem to bother anyone else after the game, until Jeff Shultz got a hold of it….
Joseph
November 3rd, 2010
10:44 am
http://blutarsky.wordpress.com/2010/11/03/one-choke-over-the-line/
ralph starling
November 3rd, 2010
10:45 am
You are dead wrong!!! i will never watch your show or read you junk again.it was done in the heat of the game.mr college football???? give me a break. i have forgotten more about college football than you will ever know!!!!!!
Good Grief!
November 3rd, 2010
10:45 am
BINGO!!! jtdawg!
jtdawg
November 3rd, 2010
10:45 am
How many times have we’ve seen college coaches rant and curse on the sidelines?
Maybe we should just suspend and fine them all – the money can be divyed up among all the BCS schools so they can make even MORE money, and still not have a playoff
huckhound
November 3rd, 2010
10:46 am
Barnhart has lost his mind.
Joseph
November 3rd, 2010
10:46 am
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/10/scarbinsky_nick_saban_said_it.html
BAMA dude
November 3rd, 2010
10:46 am
Here’s a question for the bloggers. Those of you who played varsity high school ball or higher, how many times did you ever see your coach address the opposing players in any negative fashion? I played and have been working the chains at a top level HS program for some years now, and I have NEVER seen a coach do it. Ever. This reeks of a man who struggles with self-control.
MichiganDawg
November 3rd, 2010
10:47 am
It’s journalism such as this that makes people hate the media. A Georgia coach is trying to get an opposing kicker to miss a potential game winning field by telling him he is going to choke and you make a huge deal out of it. Yet, on the other sideline their is a player who threatened to kill his girlfriend and you have little to say about it. You are such a liberal.
I will no longer give you any credence what so ever. You have confirmed to me what you are.
Jiggy Smaha
November 3rd, 2010
10:48 am
Kiss my a$$ Barnhart. Not a word about Meyer allowing Time-to-Die-Guy play but you want a coach suspended for a heat-of-the-battle emotional reaction. It is a non-issue. It has been discussed with McGarity and Richt and Slive—and it is over. Nobody is going to dredge it back up because a self-poroclaimed mr. college football (LMAO) says so. Go saok your head. I just wish the choke sign had actually caused Florida’s punter to actually choke.
katherine
November 3rd, 2010
10:48 am
404
November 3rd, 2010
10:35 am
Its just amazing that UGA fans cant see juvenile & unethical behavior
when its: 1)blatant and, 2) right in their face.
Just pathetic.
Yes its very immature behavior for sure….just like the gators doing the chomp to uga. To make this about all uga or florida fans is also immature and in your words…pathetic. The few immature idiots don’t represent the majority of fans…..you should think before you paint a whole fan base with such a wide brush.
Mobile Dawg
November 3rd, 2010
10:48 am
This has nothing to do with being cry babies, being offended, or anything else. It’s about having a little “class”, nothing more. CTG didn’t break any laws, he did cross a line that very few coaches have crossed. Also his gesture was fueled by obscenities. There are SEC guidelines that prohibit that type of behavior by coaches. Victoria, why would you wonder why UGA is being singled out so often? If the shoe fits, wear it.
Apparently there is a lot of class within the Bulldawg Nation, just the wrong type as evidenced by the volume and content of the posts on this topic.
Like a previous poster said this morning and it describes my feelings about our program exactly, I’m “furious” with the OVERALL state of our football program. Another word comes to mind also, “DISGUSTED” with CMR’s Leadership.
Rick
November 3rd, 2010
10:48 am
The sad thing is that if Grantham’s D had just picked up one of the fumbles UF put on the ground or made one stop after we tied it at 24, overtime and the choke sign would not have been necessary. The Dawgs are nearing the end of a miserable season, and although the defense has unquestionably improved over last year and is no longer losing games, they are realy doing nothing to win them either.
King Gator
November 3rd, 2010
10:49 am
He has emotion, he cares, he’s fired up, he’s passionate… his defense sucks .. does any of the other b.s. matter. Willie II! Go Gators!
jtdawg
November 3rd, 2010
10:49 am
G8R GRAD -
That may be true. If this were the head man, I’d be a slightly more bothered by it. But still, did this really offend you, the kicker, the players, the coaches or anyone else invlovled?
Are we THAT sensitive?
The next time any coach screams and curses the refs, should they NOT be treated with the same shock and disbelief? ANd according to Tony, Fined and Suspended?
They ARE role models you know, and god forbid a 20 year old “kid” gets heckled or cursed around….
Driving Ms Dooley
November 3rd, 2010
10:49 am
Tony, could you come in here for a moment please….
You’re suspended for tomorrows column.
You’re assignment is to go out and play a sport. You remember, right? A sport. Anything. Have some fun. Try to win. Compete.
Ok everybody, we’ll see you on Friday. Good luck Tony
Joe
November 3rd, 2010
10:49 am
Tony Barnhart is a fat blowhard who has nothing else to talk about. So they blow up a mole hill into a mountain. He really needs to shut up.
Scott
November 3rd, 2010
10:50 am
This blog is interesting reading. If I had a dollar for every “time to die”/Rainey reference, I could buy a couple of tickets to the UGA/Tech game (they’re cheaper now).
The funny thing is, I’m a tech fan and I was cheering for UGA this weekend because I despise Urban Meyer for keeping Rainey on the team. It was a simple decision. The guy is a scumbag. Anybody who threatens a woman is a scumbag, end of story. This being said, Grantham’s act is independent of Raineys. They don’t relate to each other. It’s like a burglar arguing his innocence by saying at least he’s not a murderer. Who cares, you still did it. As a teacher who has been dealing with this type of logic for years (every time I give a detention I receive the line “But _____ did the same thing/something worse.”) I’m hardly surprised.
Also, Kudos to the rational and reasonable fans out there.
King Gator
November 3rd, 2010
10:50 am
I liked it better when the Dawgs danced after TD’s, way more fun! Of course the Gators celebrate SEC Championships and BCS Titles .. how do you like those apples Dawg fans – Go Gators!
MURPHY
November 3rd, 2010
10:51 am
Bama dude,
This is unacceptable at any level of sports.I coach High School football and if this occured at our level the coach would be repremanded or fired.This is not an example to set for your players.It is yeat another embarassment for our football program.McGarity and Adams need to handle this in a professional manner and not just sweep it under a rug.This coach must be disciplined.