Even if you’re a Gator hater, there is no joy in Meyer’s departure
It’s a tough business. I get that. And over the course of six seasons a head football coach in the SEC can rub a lot of people the wrong way, especially the people he beats.
But if you’re a Bulldog or a Volunteer for a Gamecock or a member of the Crimson Tide Nation, you really shouldn’t be celebrating today over the news that Urban Meyer is leaving as the head coach at Florida.
I’ve had my own issues Meyer.
He was flat wrong when he suspended linebacker Brandon Spikes for only one-half game after Spikes clearly tried to hurt Georgia’s Washaun Ealey (sticking his fingers in the facemask). Only after the public outcry did Spikes “suddenly” decide that his suspension should be for one game.
He was wrong when he dressed down a reporter in practice in front of cell phone cameras. If he had an issue with the reporter, then there is a right way–a professional way–to address the concern. He chose the wrong way. I don’t know if Meyer was trying to put on a show for his players but it was unprofessional behavior. You don’t use people as props because you want to win football games.
He was flat wrong when he allowed Chris Rainey to return to the team and I said so. There are certain lines in life that you do not cross and threats against women is one of those lines. The rationalizations about who Rainey was and his background, etc., may have all been true. But all that pales in comparison to a text message that said “Time to die, ——-.”
The more success Meyer and the Florida program had, the more withdrawn and insular it became. They became like rock stars who once basked in the attention that brought them fame and fortune but ultimately found it suffocating and just tried to block it all out.
But instead of managing the media and managing the very high expectations, which successful people do every day, Meyer chose to throw up walls and pull in the ranks and adopt this silly “us agains the world” mentality. Coaches do that because it’s easy and the players will easily buy into it. It’s much easier for a coach to tell a player “they are all out to get us” instead of “dealing with the media–good and bad–is part of growing up. If you want to play at the next level you need to learn how to deal with these people and be smart about it. We will teach you how to do that.” But that takes work and, in some coaches’ narrow view of the world, it has nothing to do with winning and losing and so it should simply be eliminated as a factor. It is short sighted but if you win enough games, being short sighted eventually becomes a virtue.
Having said all that, Meyer is/was a helluva coach and the record certainly proves that. He won two national championships in three seasons (2006, 2008) and was certainly good enough in 2009 to win a third but for Alabama. For five years at Florida his star burned as brightly as any I’ve ever seen. But on Wednesday he announced, in so many words, that he was burned out.
I know you love your school but most of you I hear from also love your conference and college football as a whole. And so there is no reason to celebrate when the sport burns out a talented coach. You would rather he stay so that when you finally beat him it is all the more sweet.
Florida will find another talented coach. Frankly, I’m going to be surprised if its not Dan Mullen. Whoever it is will be very successful. Steve Spurrier forever changed Florida’s football program in his 12 years (1990-2001) at the school. Before Spurrier arrived Florida had never won 10 games in a season and had never won an SEC championship. Spurrier raised the bar and so Florida will never go back for more than a year or two.
And for Urban Meyer? I predict that he will be out of coaching for only one year and will surface again. This year he got caught in the perfect storm of talent losses and coaching losses and the inability to summon up the fire in the belly that had burned white hot for five seasons. We were all guilty of thinking that Florida could just reload after four years of Tim Tebow. The Florida program took a dip as all programs do (see Texas). The Gators will be back sooner rather than later but Urban Meyer will no longer be their coach.
If you love the game, there is no reason to celebrate that.
And one last thing: If Urban Meyer goes to the Denver Broncos in the next two months, I take it all back.
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621 comments Add your comment
Atlanta Gator
December 9th, 2010
1:58 pm
Georgia Peach—-
Did I miss something? Did Steve Spurrier announce his retirement?
gdawginkalamazoo
December 9th, 2010
2:02 pm
Atlanta Gator, LMAO! “Tin Foil Hat” brigade? The “Aluminum Collander” bridgade is a little more reasonable.
Maybe Urban has secured a job at NIKE.
Georgia Peach
December 9th, 2010
2:04 pm
@Atlanta Gator
No. I think Spurrier is waiting for Jo Pa to retire first.
Georgia Peach
December 9th, 2010
2:05 pm
Then again… He could be on the list and just hasn’t announced it yet?
Flag on ATL Gator
December 9th, 2010
2:05 pm
I guess they just got “leaked” to Fox sports out of thin air then? YOU know if it wasn’t Meyer himself it HAD to be an assistant coach on his staff!!!!! I guess you missed the bus on this one! Better luck next time, pay attention to the post before you start running your misinformed yap!!!! You say I’m a conspiracy theorist? Urban Meyer might track me down via IP address & sue me for slander because of what I post on THE CF BLOG AT THE AJC? THAT my friend is truly the funniest thing I’ve heard in a miiiiighty long time LoL
Atlanta Gator
December 9th, 2010
2:06 pm
gdawg~zoo—-
Like “Give’m Hell, Harry” Truman said: “I tell the truth, and they just think it’s Hell.”
BTW, I’m impressed an Old Dawg like you knows what a “collander” is. How did that happen—-did Mrs. Zoo decide to let you do some of the cooking?
Georgia Peach
December 9th, 2010
2:07 pm
I would not be shocked if half of the SEC’s head coaches have different (or no) jobs next year.
FUNNIEST POST EVER!
December 9th, 2010
2:10 pm
You, however, have just accused Urban Meyer, albeit anonymously, of committing a federal felony under the student records privacy laws. Got anything to back that up? Otherwise, let me introduce you to two other legal concepts . . . libel and slander. In fact, if the rumors about Newton’s academics are untrue, you may have just libeled and/or slandered both Newton and Meyer. Hmmm.
Remember the snarky female blogger in New York who accused an acquaintance of sleeping around? She was sued, and settled, after she was identified by her IP address. I’m not saying either of these gentlemen would feel the need to sue you, but . . . .
And I’m a conpiracy theorist…judge for yourself folks. I’m sure Urban is reading every one of these posts trying to track down another “anonymous” source. I’m archiving your post so I can show it to all my friends now that is truly a CLASSIC!!! LMAO
Even though BTW ATL Gator can’t disprove anything I suggested LoL
gdawginkalamazoo
December 9th, 2010
2:11 pm
“Urban Meyer might track me down via IP address & sue me for slander because of what I post on THE CF BLOG AT THE AJC? THAT my friend is truly the funniest thing I’ve heard in a miiiiighty long time LoL”
You know,now that Meyer is retired, he will have time to do that. Kind of like “Make money from the comfort of you home”
You may end up a Mr College Football story one day.
URBAN THE FELON
December 9th, 2010
2:13 pm
Little reading for you ATL Gator. Since you know so much: If Urban wasn’t the source who was??
Source for FoxSports.com story on Cam Newton likely violated federal law
Auburn, Florida Gators, Football, Urban Meyer — posted by Rachel George on November, 9 2010 6:58 PM
In the past week, Auburn QB Cam Newton has faced accusations of recruiting violations and academic cheating. (US Presswire photo)
Florida coach Urban Meyer has denied being the source for a FoxSports.com story alleging academic cheating by Auburn QB Cam Newton during his time at Florida.
Whoever leaked the info, however, could face legal repercussions.
According to The Buckley Amendment, a university or institution cannot release confidential information without the consent of the student.
From the UF website:
“Student directory information that can be released to the public is limited to name, class, college and major; dates of attendance; degree(s) earned; honors and awards received; local, permanent and e-mail addresses; telephone number; most recent previous educational institution attended; participation in officially recognized activities and sports; and the weight and height of members of athletic teams.”
Explanation of the Buckley Amendment on the school’s website also says:
“Non-directory information, such as grades and/or disciplinary records, will not be released to a third party without express written consent of the student.”
According to the FoxSports.com story, Newton allegedly had three different instances of academic cheating during his two years at Florida. The story said Newton faced expulsion at UF before leaving the school after the fall 2008 semester (although, this story says it’s unlikely Newton would have been expelled).
“We can’t comment on federally protected student records,” UF spokesman Steve McClain said.
It’s unclear who the source for the story was, but UF seems the likely place to start looking
Atlanta Gator
December 9th, 2010
2:13 pm
gdawg~zoo—-
Did you hear something? I thought I heard something. Sort of like one of those little yappy poodle-doo dogs? Never mind. I must have imagined that.
= )
gdawginkalamazoo
December 9th, 2010
2:13 pm
Atl Gator, Let me cook? Hell, how about makes me cook and clean. Never ending “honey better do” list. Urban will next anounce his retirement from the family life. He will find that coaching is a much easier job.
MURPHY
December 9th, 2010
2:16 pm
Atl Gator,
Im still laughing-I do as well know what a collander is.
Atlanta Gator
December 9th, 2010
2:16 pm
gdawg~zoo—-
Mrs. Dawg Zoo can bark and bit, eh? Or at least make you sleep in the Dawg house, so to speak.
Georgia Peach
December 9th, 2010
2:17 pm
That noise is just TrishaDisha freaking out because she’s convinced that Urban will spill the beans on Cammie-gate.
Ron Zook
December 9th, 2010
2:17 pm
See, damnit, I told you he was no good for Florida!! Quiter!
Atlanta Gator
December 9th, 2010
2:17 pm
“Bite,” dang it, I meant to type “bite.”
MURPHY
December 9th, 2010
2:18 pm
Atl Gators,
Techies can be very irritating on this blog at times. Especially when they use many different blogging names to hide behind.
Ron Zook
December 9th, 2010
2:18 pm
You guys know where to find me…..
Atlanta Gator
December 9th, 2010
2:19 pm
Georgia Peach—-
There it was again. I would swear that it sounded just like one of those stupid little ankle-biter dogs.
URBAN THE FELON
December 9th, 2010
2:19 pm
Again, with the conspiracy? Who leaked Cam Newton’s Florida academic records? I don’t know that anyone leaked his Florida academic records. We haven’t had confirmation of any of those rumors of academic misconduct
ANOTHER OUTRIGHT FALSEHOOD!!! READ THE STORY FOLKS….IT HAPPENED!!!
It’s unclear who the source for the story was, but UF seems the likely place to start looking
So chances are someone on the UF coaching staff has committed a felony. Yes or no? IDK who it is and neither do you, but the “leak” did in fact happen.
Sigourney
December 9th, 2010
2:21 pm
You are like the buzzing of flies to Vigo!
Georgia Peach
December 9th, 2010
2:23 pm
@URBAN THE FELON
Common sense would lead me to believe that a fellow student (possibly a teammate) leaked the story about Cam’s academic problems.
But that doesn’t mean that Urban won’t spill the beans. I hear they’re already printing “Auburn – 2010 National Champions*” tee shirts.
URBAN THE FELON
December 9th, 2010
2:24 pm
Atlanta Gator that sound was the entire blogosphere laughing at your scumbag weasel of a coach who is so jealous of Newton’s success at AU that he attempts to bring him down by using his connections. Are you to blind to see that?
URBAN THE FELON
December 9th, 2010
2:26 pm
Nope GA peach if you read the story a teammate would not have known the details that were leaked. He may have known about trouble in class, but this was waaaay too detailed….
Urban Crier
December 9th, 2010
2:26 pm
I know the doctor who treated Urban after his breakdown last year and I know for a fact that the hospital staff helped keep Misses Meyer from meeting his mistress who was present at the hospital in a different waiting room. Urban Meyer is classless and he was being blackmailed with the information of his affair. His marriage is on the verge of ending and he knew he couldn’t provide UF with adequate coaching while going through a nasty divorce. Urban Meyer is a scumbag and a bunch of his skeletons are getting ready to surface.
gdawginkalamazoo
December 9th, 2010
2:27 pm
ATL Gator, some people call it a dawghouse, I call it my permanent residence. And yes, the drive by poodle patrol is annoying.
boog
December 9th, 2010
2:28 pm
Man…Barnhart…You’ve had just got it all figured out don’t you. How people are supposed to act in every situation. I had no idea you had it so together. Lately you have been coming off as so Holier than thou… and self righteous that I am about to throw up. Sometimes people spout off to the media… sometimes they make judgments concerning how to punish players that you might not think is the best. But when did you become the judge of all that is appropriate and proper. Let me remind you that you are just… pause…. a freakin sports writer! You act like you are the new leader of the morality police… with this latest drivel and your preaching about the Cam Newton situation.
gdawginkalamazoo
December 9th, 2010
2:32 pm
“I know the doctor who treated Urban after his breakdown last year and I know for a fact that the hospital staff helped keep Misses Meyer from meeting his mistress who was present at the hospital in a different waiting room”
I read that same story but it involved and trapped Chilean coal miner. By trapped I mean in the mine not the marriage. Although he might have felt the same about the mine and the marriage.
MURPHY
December 9th, 2010
2:33 pm
gdawginkala,
Thats not a drive by poodle,its a swarm of bee’s!
BAMA dude
December 9th, 2010
2:36 pm
Easy solution for the honey do list. Tell the b*tch to do it herself or hire it out. I got better things to do.
Atlanta Gator
December 9th, 2010
2:37 pm
gdawg~zoo—-
You really are “best in show.”
Gotta scoot, y’all. Client appointment at 3, and I need to make some money so we Gators can go buy us some fooball playas.
Fun chattin’ with you.
gdawginkalamazoo
December 9th, 2010
2:37 pm
MURPHY, silent bees. But wait till baseball season.
Georgia Peach
December 9th, 2010
2:37 pm
heh heh heh…
Florida’s HC retires and Aubies are convinced that it is all part of a grand conspiracy to expose cheating in Lee County… Again!
MURPHY
December 9th, 2010
2:38 pm
BAMA dude,
It aint that easy I assure you
Atlanta Gator
December 9th, 2010
2:38 pm
BAMA dude—-
Spoken like a bachelor. LOL
Gotta go.
AG, over and out.
gdawginkalamazoo
December 9th, 2010
2:39 pm
Good luck Atl Gator have a nice afternoon.
MURPHY
December 9th, 2010
2:40 pm
gdawg,
Lose in baseball they will need to be committed.
BAMA dude
December 9th, 2010
2:40 pm
Later Gator. But no, not a bachelor. Took me quite a while to convince her of my “incompetence”. She doesn’t even ask me to do stuff any more. I just make sure to bring in enough cash to pay for what we need done. Lets me hang out on some ballfield or another.
gdawginkalamazoo
December 9th, 2010
2:42 pm
BAMA dude, I think Adam was the first man to use that line. Two things happened shortly after Adam came up with that line, Eve invented the word NO and clothes.
Dirty Dawg
December 9th, 2010
2:44 pm
I have another thought about UM…I think he’s such a competitor, and so infatuated with his place in NCAA coaching history, that he can’t get over the fact that Foley, or the UF President, or whoever, wouldn’t let Cam Newton stay on, even after all his mis-deeds, and finish his eligibility at Florida…think about it, Newton combined with Tebow last year, and Newton combined with whoever else they had this year, and the man would very likely have had four National Championships in six years and been the Knute Rockne of the 21st Century. Just suggestin’.
BAMA dude
December 9th, 2010
2:44 pm
Good one, gdawg. That’s funny.
WhineWhineWhine
December 9th, 2010
2:48 pm
The Thuga Nation is blaming Urban Meyer’s departure on Nick Fairley.
WhineWhineWhine
December 9th, 2010
2:50 pm
Hey Georgia Peach,
It’s been almost 4 weeks since the beatdown of Thuga in Auburn and you are still whining. Get over it and don’t freeze in Memphis watching that mighty 6 and 6 team. At least they beat that powerhouse Idaho State.
Cobb Dawg
December 9th, 2010
2:54 pm
I wonder if Urban Meyer’s decision had anything to do with the $cam Newton saga. Maybe there will be more info coming out on his extra-preferential treatment at UF and subsequent transfer to Blinn C. Maybe Coach Meyer doesn’t want to drag UF into the fray when all of the NCAA and FBI info is released. Stay tuned *Aubies. The weeks to follow should be interesting!
Georgia Peach
December 9th, 2010
2:59 pm
WTH do I care what happens to the Dawgs? I just live here, I’m not a Georgia fan.
Most of the whining going on on this blog is in regard to the upcoming asterisks for Aubarn’s “magical season”.
Josh
December 9th, 2010
3:03 pm
nobody wants to follow your crap on Twitter Tony.
Bama "Dude" Is A Gomer
December 9th, 2010
3:05 pm
Little light reading for those interested in finding out who the REAL cheaters are (Hint, Hint)
Former coach says he took payoff in Alabama recruiting scandal
By Woody Baird, The Associated Press
MEMPHIS — A former high school coach testified Tuesday that he took a $150,000 payoff to send his top football player to the University of Alabama.
Lynn Lang said he received the money from Logan Young, a Memphis millionaire who is on trial on federal bribery and money laundering charges.
Lang is awaiting sentencing on a guilty plea to racketeering conspiracy. He said he took the money to convince defensive lineman Albert Means to sign with Alabama in 2000.
Young’s lawyers contend Lang is lying to save himself from a long prison sentence.
Means, who has not been accused of wrongdoing, testified earlier in the day that he let Lang choose his college.
Lang said he began shopping Means around to various colleges when he realized in 1999 how many schools wanted him. He said he was referred to Young, a longtime Alabama booster, by former Crimson Tide assistant coach Ivy Williams.
Lang said he began the bidding for Means at $50,000, and Young “took to it like water.”
Lang said he kept upping the price until it topped out at $150,000, which he received in a series of payments each smaller than $10,000, the threshold at which bank transactions must be reported.
Young told him that since the payments were in cash, “If anything happened, it was his word against mine,” Lang testified.
Beginning his cross examination, defensive lawyer James Neal questioned Lang about denials of taking a payoff he made to federal investigators, the NCAA and officials with the Memphis school system.
Neal was to continue his questioning Wednesday.
In his testimony, Means said he depended on Lang to deal with college recruiters.
“He took care of everything else,” Means said. “That’s why I trusted him.”
Means also said someone else, who was not identified in court, took his college entrance exam for him, and he acknowledged lying about that to a grand jury.
“I was afraid,” he said.
While entering his guilty plea in 2002, Lang said he arranged for a stand-in to take Means’ entrance exam.
Means, who said he had never met Young, stayed at Alabama for one football season. He transferred to the University of Memphis after reports of a payoff to Lang became public.
Alabama’s recruitment of Means became part of an NCAA investigation that led to sanctions against the Crimson Tide in 2002 that deprived the team of scholarships and bowl eligibility.
Means wrapped up his eligibility to play college football last season and expects to graduate in May. He said he hopes to have a professional football career.
Lisa Mallory, a former girlfriend of Young’s, told the jury he is a heavy drinker who likes to brag about Alabama football.
She said Young talked about Means, saying, “He’s mine.”
Under defense questioning, she said Young also made similar comments about other high school players who did not sign with Alabama but went to other colleges.
Mallory said Young often carried large amounts of cash, spent heavily at bars and restaurants and gambled with sports bookies and at casinos.
One of the charges against Young accuses him of setting up bank withdrawals to hide a crime. The defense contends he often makes bank withdrawals under $10,000.
“He spends a lot of money doesn’t he?” defense lawyer Robert Hutton asked Mallory.
“A lot,” she replied.
With the jury out of the courtroom, prosecutors sought permission to call a witness who would say Young boasted about sending other athletes to Alabama.
U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Breen said the prosecution failed to lay a legal foundation to directly link such testimony to the charges against Young. Breen denied the request but said he might reconsider it.
——————————————————————————–
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed
Kenny Powers
December 9th, 2010
3:06 pm
If Meyer went to the Bronocs, I would laugh my butt off.
NFL Films would make a video package of Tebow and Meyer to the backdrop of Abba
Bama "Dude" Is A Gomer
December 9th, 2010
3:08 pm
Most of the whining going on on this blog is in regard to the upcoming asterisks for Aubarn’s “magical season”
Or is it whining from those who are desperate to PLACE an asterisk by this year, because they know they lost ON THE FIELD!! Sour grapes form the ThUGA masses…..