Tech’s Johnson ranks with the greatest
If I had to go to a football game — and I’ll say this with all honesty — I’d pick one in which Paul Johnson is coaching. This is not some overnight observation. This comes from a guy who has seen Neyland, Dodd, Blaik, Wade and Lombardi coach, not to mention having sat for hours with Bob Zuppke. You know, the guy who coached Red Grange at Illinois.
Of course, they’re all gone now, so I’m left with the new fella at Georgia Tech, like it or not. I bring this up after an evening of watching him on “white-out night” Thursday — and let me add, that I despise mid-week night football games. This may or may not appeal in the least to the present-day students in the stands.
(Though, did you notice that during the Georgia Tech-Clemson game, a synchronized cheer of “Fight, fight, fight” broke out in the quite intelligent home-team section? That’s old-time Ivy League stuff that you don’t hear any more, drowned out by that dreadful pregame ear-splitting stuff.)
On the subject of coaching, I will surmise that this was not one of Johnson’s scientific highlights. His Yellow Jackets athletes had rumbled along to a 24-0 lead then went into a mental fog.
Sort of the same affliction that struck them in the opening game with Jacksonville State, no powerhouse but bothersome. One of those touchdowns scored against Clemson totally addled a lot of us. We looked up and the place-kicker, Scott Blair, a junior from Calhoun, was actually throwing the football to Demaryius Thomas, better known as “Bay-Bay,” for a touchdown, and looked quite comfortable at it. That gave Tech a lead of 24-0, and that looked rather well-invested.
Johnson’s athletes must have felt the same way, for they began to bumble and bobble about. And — get this — they never scored again until the fourth quarter, by which time Clemson had taken charge, 27-24.
Keep this in mind, since Tommy Bowden took leave last season, the Tigers have re-tooled their coaching staff. An assistant named Dabo Swinney, unfamiliar to most of us, but an Alabama alum, took his place, and surprising to some, was eventually cemented in place. He hired a young and rather promising offensive coordinator named Billy Napier, and it was Napier’s offense that pummeled the Jackets before Johnson could stem the tide, as they say.
It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t slick. It was all done by Blair and his field goals. Tech never scored another touchdown. After Napier and his offense took the lead, 27-24, Blair tied the score from 34 yards out, then kicked the deciding field goal from 36 yards in the last minute, and color came back in the faces of all those people dressed in white. The next problem was traffic.
Johnson had thrilled them, but not as planned. On the other hand, the Tiger folk got a thrill of their own. More to come from Dabo Swinney, who admires Mack Brown so openly that he went to Texas and sat at Mack’s feet for hours, learning how to be like Mack Brown. I’d say, he’s off to a good start.
As for Tech, I’d suppose that those kids will be spending more time in the football lab before they get to Miami.
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197 comments Add your comment
2BT
September 12th, 2009
4:22 pm
Furman, the ‘fight – fight – fight’ you heard was no Ivy league reference – there was ACTUALLY A BIG FIGHT in section 207! Should’ve seen it!
wreckmaniac
September 12th, 2009
4:50 pm
Mr Bisher: Your comments about P Johnson are amplified by the performance that Navy (his prior team) had at Ohio State last week.
A four point loss. That was a shocker. Of course, tremendous credit goes to the new staff at Navy but Paul’s influence had to be there somewhere.
Walter
September 12th, 2009
5:13 pm
Furman, always enjoy your articles. Been reading them I know since the early 50’s. Sure do wish you would reminisence sometime about those great Tech teams of the 50’s and 60’s. I remember the Tech-Tenn game in 1956 when both were top ranked and Johnny Majors came to town and beat Tech 6-0. I was sick for several days. Great time, great team and great memories.
truth
September 12th, 2009
5:21 pm
Johnson is a genius. no bobo can beat a johnson
ExcitedbyJohnson
September 12th, 2009
5:31 pm
Paul Johnson is a demi-god. All hail, false prophets!
Gordon
September 12th, 2009
5:36 pm
Paul Johnson sits on the right hand of Barack Obama, from whence he shall judge the quick and the talented.
That was a pivital game,
September 12th, 2009
6:13 pm
Enter your comments here
David Granger
September 12th, 2009
6:14 pm
I agree with you, Mr. Bisher. And I think that Coach Johnson will win at Georgia Tech about as much as it’s possible for ANYBODY to. (Hard to admit, being a staunch Dawg fan.) It’s not easy to recruit at Tech, because you don’t have those “General Studies” kinds of majors to help keep players eligible. And because of his offense, GT will rarely get the four and five-star recruits. The top-rated QBs and WRs want to play in a passing scheme, and the top-rated RBs want to play the I-formation so they can carry 35 times a game. But you get some smart kids running that offense…especially if they BELIEVE in it….and you’ll win some games. I’ll bet Coach Johnson takes some of those three-star recruits…who might have a little chip on their shoulder from not being rated higher…and beats a few teams with better talent along the way.
The UGA-GT game is going to be competitive in the coming years, I think.
and Johnson has Tech on the right track,
September 12th, 2009
6:16 pm
Wonder how Clem(p)son will react? Dabo has indicated that they will only lose that game one time and it will not determine the rest of his season.
drummer
September 12th, 2009
6:17 pm
I think it’s a little early to rank PJ up there with Lombardi. I’d say the same think about MR, also.
GTOldSchool21
September 12th, 2009
6:26 pm
I was looking for some insight on the actual coach and what he has done to deserve the high rank billing. Instead, the article talked around things, was descriptive, and as always well written. Probably could have just wrote the title and left it alone unless some true comparisons were made…i.e. how many wins did Dodd have after his first 15 games, etc.
Pi$$onaDawg
September 12th, 2009
6:51 pm
If I agree or not with anything you put in prose I will always enjoy the read. Thanks for the PJ love, but houw you say it is so beautiful. Would you please pen some pros for me to use to tell my boss off? You would make it sound like a complement.
Pi$$onaDawg
September 12th, 2009
6:54 pm
houw? ment “how”. pen “ME” some “PROSE”
go tech
September 12th, 2009
9:53 pm
Mr. Bisher,
Nice article, thank you. I’m one of those younger generation folks, but looking back at the early Tech articles, I appreciate how you told the truth about what the Bama people did; it was truly eye opening and I can never root for Bama knowing how low they (esp. Bear Bryant) stooped. It’s really a shame Bryant is held in high regard at all given his lack of class and ethics.
Josh
September 12th, 2009
10:07 pm
Bisher….this is worthless crap.
panhandlebuzz
September 13th, 2009
12:37 am
I beg to differ Josh. You, sir, are a worthless piece of crap with no respect for your elders. Mr. Bisher has forgotten more about college football than you will ever know. I suspect that you are part of the Bulldawg Nation Trailer Park alumni, not to be confused with the Fightin’ Irish Subway alumni.
classy
September 13th, 2009
12:43 am
josh….you are worthless crap.
surfrider
September 13th, 2009
1:07 am
One feels like Tech will have a chance to win the game at the end end of the game. Even UNC last year with a few breaks would have been much closer. Johnson and staff and Nesbitt (as well as the whole team) seem to be gamers. Meaning they find ways to try and win particularly when the chips are down. The only critique I can offer is to work at getting the passing percentage up without turning the ball over. One idea would be to hit more passes in the short and med. range to open up both the long pass and the option game. One or two passes were dropped so 50% completion was’nt that far off. 300 yards rushing again is phenom with no turnovers. Johnsons coaching and special teams play were the difference. Sometime the Defense or offense are’nt up to par so other aspects make a difference. Miami by the way is for real and we need our “A” game to show up across the board. Great Blog, Furman.
VeryOldDawg
September 13th, 2009
1:20 am
Well, Furman, why don’t you tell us about your son’s football exploits? Oh! Wait, he never played a down. But Bobby Dodd gave him a scholarship. Of course, this free ride never influenced your writing–slick as it is. I just wish there were a drop of honesty in it.
VeryOldDawg
RomeDawg
September 13th, 2009
2:28 am
Mr. Bisher,
With all due respect, to start an article about Paul Johnson and mention the names you did is…bizarre. The guy has yet to really win now that he is coaching the big boys. He was out coached several times last year and was clearly out coached this past game, but was saved by a “booster club bonus” to the refs. I realize and respect he had a great win last year in Athens, but one win hardly qualifies as a great coach. Les Miles, who I think is a complete goob, completely out coached him last year, frustrating him so badly he called maybe the worst fake punt ever. (Inside his own 30 and run by a defensive end in the first half) and then yelled at his players for lack of execution. Time will prove him to be the run oriented version of Hal Mumme. Has anyone else noticed that he looks like those California Raisins from a few years back? I do still love you though Mr. Bisher and will always be grateful to have read your articles.
sarfdawg
September 13th, 2009
3:19 am
If I read this correctly, he mentioned that the old names are all gone, but he’d just as soon see Paul Johnson coach over any of the current coaches. I still think that is very inflated praise considering the likes of Meyer, Carroll, Stoops, Saban, and Tressel are all out there and are proven commodities. Even within the ACC, you still have Beamer and Butch Davis – who I think is one of the most underrated coaches in the nation.
This is basically a column to get the yellow and white all excited. Great. Mission accomplished.
NotVeryOldDawg
September 13th, 2009
7:15 am
VeryOldDawg: The world would be better off without you in it. For those that don’t know, Furman’s son passed away while at Tech.
Jim Grogan
September 13th, 2009
8:15 am
Furman, I’ve read your by-line since the old days of the morning Constitution with Jesse Outlar and the evening Journal with you. Thanks for still making the effort, we all appreciate it!! Of all the spectacular plays Thursday night, two that stood out for me were: (1) Richard Jackson’s 53 yard field goal that would have been good from over 65 (maybe 70)yards, and (2) Gerrard Terrant’s touchdown saving leap and knock away of the deep ball thrown to C. J. Spiller with a few seconds to go. What a game!!! Go Jackets! THWG!
War Jacket
September 13th, 2009
8:32 am
There’s a lot to like about PJ, especially for Tech fans after having slogged through the Gailey years. But for me, the jury is still out. I think he is a very good coach, time can only tell if he belongs in the Dodd/Lombardi class.
I did find it curious that in his list of coaching greats, Bear Bryant and Vince Dooley were both omitted. I guess character does count in Mr. Bisher’s evaluation criteria.
THWG!!!!
Buddy
September 13th, 2009
8:39 am
Furman you’re thinking with your heart not your head. Would you say the same thing if Paul Johnson was coaching at any other school. Time to lay down the stone tablet and retire
Paddy
September 13th, 2009
8:48 am
Over the years Furman has written many good articles about Dooley. I guess he could not list all great coaches he has seen. Now leaving Bear Bryant out was easy. Ethics and Bryant just didn’t go together and would not gets “props” from a ligit sportswriter like Furman.
Toe Meets Leather
September 13th, 2009
9:10 am
Furman, you have more college football history in your little finger than these “puppy fans” do in their last 2-3 generations. Some of that old gold and white history – “Toe Meets Leather”, Tech’s 1990 victory over Virginia – can now be bought at http://www.stingtees.com !
superDawg
September 13th, 2009
9:25 am
How does Mark Richt rank.
Tombo
September 13th, 2009
10:23 am
Way off base Fisher. You belittle the greats. Johnson may indeed turn out to be fabulous…and initial indications are that he is solid. However, let’s see a few years of consistent fabulous production at Tech before you call him one of the greatest.
David Granger
September 13th, 2009
10:27 am
Big Dawg fan here, superDawg, and I’ll give you my two cents’ worth in response to your questions about MR:
Coach Richt does two things very well. He’s an outstanding recruiter, even by Georgia standards. The state of Georgia produces a lot of athletic talent every year, and if you get…say…25% of the four and five-star recruits here…along with an occasional blue-chipper from outside the state (ala Matt Stafford from Texas, for exampe) you’ll have the basis for a strong team. Add to that an occasional Jr. College or three-star recruit to either fill a specific need or who looks like they might develop further, and the team should be pretty solid (talent-wise) year-in, and year-out. Coach Richt has done that, and I guess that’s the most important ability for a coach. Georgia should be a competitive team just about every year.
He also represents the university well. He’s a clean-cut, nice-looking guy…well-mannered…makes a good speech and says the right things. He talks about God a little too much, which can begin to sound a bit disingenuous. (I do think he’s sincere, just wish he’d tone it down a little because a little bit of that goes a LONG way.) Also, I think he’s respected and genuinely-liked by his peers.
And (to me), that pretty much concludes his positives. The negative…and it’s a big one, to me…is that he’s a very bad game coach. We do some real silly things on the field, at critical times.
Perfect example: Last week, against OSU, we were playing a team that is KNOWN for occasionally sneaking in a “quick snap”, to catch the defense unprepared…especially in short yardage situations. So you prepare your team for that, right? Yet…in the second half “crunch time”, when the game was being decided…OSU caught us with short-yardage quick snaps TWICE. Once getting a crucial first down, the other time getting an easy touchdown. And they didn’t do it by just out-powering a strong defense waiting for ‘em…instead, UGA was just standing there looking around, with half the players not even set.
And look at how many times UGA gets hurt when we blitz in critical third and long situations. I don’t know if we telegraph it, or if our short-middle coverage setup is poor, but it seems that at least three or four times a game we blitz…the opposing QB picks it up and hits his “safety valve” receiver slanting in right over the middle, and he runs for the first down because there’s nobody there…all the LBs are pass-rushing, and all the DBs are back deep. (The 13-yard TD pass yesterday to Brian Maddox that made the score 14-7 SC was…what else? A UGA blitz that Garcia picked up and hit his safety-valve, who strolled in for an easy TD.)
I like Coach Richt…but his one real negative is a big one.
calvin
September 13th, 2009
10:30 am
It’s a fine thing that the winners of the only two
all-ACC games this season will play this week, even if
it is one of those Thursday night games.
j
September 13th, 2009
10:43 am
furman is an old crud. Someone is posting his articles for him. This guy is stuck in his own world. Somebody should give him his meds and wheel him to the nearest retirement home.
He is out of touch his best days are behind him. AJC retire this SOB.
bb
September 13th, 2009
10:57 am
Intelligent home section? Ha, only at Tech would the home fans shake their car keys in the air with 20 seconds left following Clemson’s incomplete 4th down throw. Or, consider the throngs of Tech fans that cussed the Athletic Department for hiring PJ because a Navy coach was not good enough for Tech.
WilliamG
September 13th, 2009
11:16 am
I’m always struck by the anonymous haters on these blogs. Furman is a fine writer, maybe the best sportswriter Georgia has ever seen. He’s also a good man.
The only consolation – when I see crude remarks aimed at Bisher – is realizing that these are made by meek and powerless people who have a chance, because this is anonymous, to act if they are tough. The little people of the world have found a way – for just an anonymous moment – to act as if they had earned power and respect.
Indydawg
September 13th, 2009
11:21 am
Furman, seriously…
It’s 2 games into the season…
Seriously….
Jesse Outlar
September 13th, 2009
11:23 am
Shouldn’t a coach need to win a conference much less a national title before you declare him the greatest you ever saw? You have lost your mind. You and Lou Holtz should hange ‘em up, you’re decades past your prime.
ND Alum
September 13th, 2009
3:02 pm
Great, Furman? And what one have to accomplish to achieve “greatness” in Bisher’s world. Win a NC in a lower division on a team built and handed to him by Erk Russell? (Chan Gailey won a lower division NC too.) Win 4 games in 6 years at Navy against teams with winning records? Not exactly the stuff of Dodd or Lombardi Furman. His greatest achievement so far is winning 9 games at Tech. (Chan Gailey did that too Furman) Paul Johnson has yet to play in an ACC championship game and you already annoint him as “great”? Furman your standards are way to low. By no measure does Paul Johnson pass the litmus test of greatness. Can you just wait until he actually does something of note Furman?
Hugh Folk
September 13th, 2009
3:45 pm
Those who insult others anonymously are cowards and are obviously ashamed to reveal their identities. Some of these comments are indecent. I will admit that Bisher asked for it. Surely he must understand by now that labeling a few coaches great will annoy those who admire a different bunch. To put someone with as short a record as Mr. Paul Johnson among the greats takes a lot of guts. No one can predict the future performance of anyone in any profession. Mr. Bisher has more experience at prediction than any of us, and his opinions deserve respect, not insults. Those who hire head coaches for million dollar jobs must predict future performance. They are nearly always wrong. Only a few stars will turn out to deserve the label of “great.” Coach Alec succeeded John Heisman, and never was accorded the fame of his predecessor. He had some great successes, such as the Rosebowl year, but that was his last real winning team for a decade. Every year there were alumni who wanted to fire him. That would have been a great mistake. He never had another national championship caliber team, but when he got Clint Castleberry and Eddie Prokop he had great success. He was demanding and respected. One day at practice in 1940 he was so disgusted with the guys that he walked over to where a group of us kids were messing around with a footall and tried to teach us how to play. In those days we judged coaches on their character, not their won-loss ratio. Good thing we did. When Dodd succeeded Coach Alec, he had no immediate success. Many people wanted to dump him, but the school hung on. The undefeated 1951 and 1952 teams were evidence of a greatness which few had predicted after his first few seasons. Today few coaches could survive the years of losses that Coaches Alex and Dodd overcame. Alumni are not nearly as patient as the school was in the 1930’s and 1940’s. I think it is demanding too much of Mr. Johnson that he join that handful of “greats” who led football factories to national championships. Tech is a university that strives to rank academically with UCBerkeley, UCLA, Stanford, Michigan that win more Nobel prizes than national championships. Harvard, Princeton and Yale that dominated the early years of college football have long retired to the football sidelines and will never again contest national championships. No one expects their coaches to be coach of the year ever again. I believe that demanding a Georgia Tech coach be “great” to be successful is absurd and demanding too much. If he teaches players character, effort, and indominable spirit he will be great (regardless of wins and losses) and Mr. Bisher’s prediction will turn out to be inspired. Check back in ten years or so to see if Mr. Johnson has met Mr. Bisher’s or even more stringent standards of greatness. .
mike
September 13th, 2009
4:17 pm
MR. BISHER, WOULD YOU HAVE WRITTEN THIS ARTICLE IF THAT REF HAD NOT CALLED THAT BOGUS HOLDING CALL AGAINST CLEMSON AND THEY WENT ONTO MELT THE CLOCK AWAY AND KICK THE WINNING FIELD GOAL TO END THE GAME? GIVE ME A FREAKING BREAK. IF HE IS SO GREAT, HE AINT GOING TO STAY AT THAT CESS POOL CALLED GA TECH FOR LONG.
GT4Ever
September 13th, 2009
4:29 pm
Only time will tell about CPJ but it looks great so far. 11-4 in his first 15 games isn’t too sabby, now is it? A lot of coaches would take that. By the way, what’s CRM’s record during that time, 11-4. Granted the ACC isn’t all that right now but I do see definite signs of improvement. UM looks to be the real deal. UNC despite the showing yesterday to UC, they are on the rise and FSU will get it back real soon. GT and VT are the pack leaders right now. CPJ has definitely taken this team to a new level. Things are only going to get better. It’s finally great to be a Jacket fan again. GO JACKETS!!!!
GTPak
September 13th, 2009
4:32 pm
You nitwits, Mr. Bisher simply voiced his opinion about whose games he enjoys watching. Try rereading the first paragraph. I don’t consider that he compared CPJ to these outstanding coaches, he was simply telling you a bit of his background, coaches that he has known (none of those listed are alive) and considering current day coaches, he enjoys watching CPJ coached games.
You dawg fans need to go back to your kindergarten school in Athens and learn to not only to read but to comprehend what you read..
“If I had to go to a football game — and I’ll say this with all honesty — I’d pick one in which Paul Johnson is coaching. This is not some overnight observation. This comes from a guy who has seen Neyland, Dodd, Blaik, Wade and Lombardi coach, not to mention having sat for hours with Bob Zuppke. You know, the guy who coached Red Grange at Illinois.”
By the way, your insults to Mr. Bisher show you to be the classless punks we always knew you to be. THWG
Sunshine
September 13th, 2009
5:17 pm
At least GT can beat the best team in South Caronlina. USCe is a doormat team, and it took University of Houston to beat OK State for you! UGA 7-5 season at best with loses to Ark,FL, LSU, and GT.
Joe Schmoe
September 13th, 2009
5:19 pm
And you wonder why UGA is ranked as some of the worst fans in NCAA football. Typical, and as well shameful!
Darn Truth
September 13th, 2009
5:24 pm
Furman,If you like watching gimmic football being played then Paul Johnson is your man as far as a coach is concerned. I don’t think he can coach any other kind of offense..he’s never proven he can.Tech has also not played any team yet this year that is better than average. They will lose at Miami next week…and at Fla. State and Va. Tech and on November 28th they will lose to Georgia by at least 17 points. Let’s face it the only great athletes that you will ever see playing at Grant field in the future will be those playing for the team Tech is playing. No athlete with his eye on the NFL will ever go to Tech and play in a gimmic offense.The Tech fans should have fun while they can because their team will lose when they begin to play against teams with coaches and athletes that are far superior than those found on the flats.
GatorFan
September 13th, 2009
5:30 pm
UHouston>OkState>UGA, never will win anything significant with CMR, and full of 5 star underachievers!
Darn Truth
September 13th, 2009
5:32 pm
I like guys!
Nate
September 13th, 2009
5:44 pm
Darn Truth, what an idiot. If our offense is such a gimmick then why did we win 9 games last year and beat UGA? I guarantee you we beat at least one and probably two of those teams you mentioned. Tech will fair well against VT with their start RB out and should take down FSU after what I’ve seen recently from them. I’m more concerned about us dropping a game to a team we shouldn’t. CPJ is a great coach and whether you see that or not is your problem. It’s people like you that make people at Tech hate UGA fans. Personally, I was one of the people actually congratulating you guys after your win last night, but no just keep on bringing the hate.
SwimtrunkDawg
September 13th, 2009
5:44 pm
Anybody with a Johnson already has a leg up on me.
Gatorhater
September 13th, 2009
6:04 pm
Hey GatorFan…If my memory serves me…a CMR coached team kicked the Gators a$$ the year before last and made your coach and QB cry. Have fun while you can..when boy wonder graduates this year we’ll see how goood your coach really is.I watch the Ole Miss win over Florida last year every chance I get….I love to watch Meyer cry!
John Davis
September 13th, 2009
6:15 pm
GTPAK, thank you. It’s amazing the reading skills the nadlickers have.
Booger
September 13th, 2009
9:15 pm
45-42
CPJ
September 13th, 2009
9:31 pm
Just remember I learned how to coach from UGA’s Erk Russell!
SiddyBoy
September 13th, 2009
10:07 pm
What you been smoking Mr. Bisher???
SiddyBoy
September 13th, 2009
10:10 pm
Classless in Conyers !!!
SiddyBoy
September 13th, 2009
10:11 pm
GTPak: Thanks for the compliment !!!
SiddyBoy
September 13th, 2009
10:13 pm
Classless in Conyers. Thanks GTPak for the compliment!!
Rabun Dawg
September 13th, 2009
10:15 pm
If coach Johnson’s offense is a gimmick,it is a good one! Thursday night first time I had watched his offense a full game, and I must say I had some trouble at times figuring out who was going to, or who had gotten the ball, as did Clemson for a while. However, give credit o Clemson, they did adjust and shut it down for a while. That being said, that offense is tough to defend, as it appears that no one else runs it quite like Johnson’s teams do. While I think he is a very good coach, to call him great in the company of the aforementioned coaches that Mr. Bisher places him might be a “stretch” at this stage. Give him more time,then, just maybe he can be placed in that conversation.
DBCOOPER
September 13th, 2009
10:38 pm
How many championships has Johnson won at Tech? Now he’s as good as Dodd? HOLY COW! This internet blog stuff is officaly out of hand! Give me a break!
Metal Jacket
September 13th, 2009
11:02 pm
GO JACKETS
dawes
September 13th, 2009
11:07 pm
have can you say that johnson is one of the grested and he had not won ncaa champion like the gators have he had done nothing go hurricane beat ga tech
Metal Jacket
September 13th, 2009
11:10 pm
You’re right Mr. Bisher the music before the game was awful.
Bobby Hood BSBC '66
September 14th, 2009
12:00 am
Enjoyed the article and have been reading your articles ever since you came to Atlanta. I can’t rank him that high based on last years LSU game though…Coach Dodd would never have and never did get whupped like that in a bowl game.
VeryOldDawg
September 14th, 2009
12:41 am
NotVeryOldDawg
I won’t debate with you about whether or not the world would be better off without me. I will point out your ignorant attempt to lend sympathy to Bisher. Furman Bisher has three sons, two of whom are very much alive. The third, Roger, graduated from Tech in 1977 and died in 2000, never having played a down.
VeryOldDawg
VeryOldDawg
KJ
September 14th, 2009
2:36 am
“How does Mark Richt rank.”
CMR never beat the likes of Jacksonville St. and Gardner-Webb, so he’s just not quite worthy of the pantheon of Paterno, Bowden, Bryant, and of course, Paul Johnson.
Cosmo
September 14th, 2009
7:35 am
I apologies if someone else has hit this point, but I just can’t stand to read most of the sophomoric drivel and finger pointing that are passed off as comments. First, this article is an opinion and last I checked the author is still entitled to having one of those as long as it doesn’t include something about the non-existence of Global Warming or “Climate Change”. Secondly, the greatest (Dodd, Lombardi, etc) weren’t always known as such. They had early careers where people thought they were really good and, later the culmination of their work became great, but by watching them you could tell they had great qualities or, as I believe Mr. Bisher is inferring, were great to watch. Such is the case with Coach Johnson. Not always perfect. but he is great to watch and has those qualities that inspire thoughts to the greats of yesteryear. Thirdly, it isn’t always about the stats. Sometimes the situations don’t lend themselves to allowing for a Great to have the greatest wins, yet, but keep discounting what they have done and soon you will be left behind.
Cosmo
September 14th, 2009
7:35 am
*apologize (oops)
James Nales
September 14th, 2009
7:56 am
I remember when you had a football contest out called “Beat Bisher” and win a “T Shirt. I won so many T shirts I could have started my own T shirt business. Will you ever venture into another “Beat Bisher” contest?
gdawginkalamazoo
September 14th, 2009
8:56 am
I saw the headline and thought you were going to talk about Calvin Johnson as one of the all time greats. Which he is. You better give PJ a lot more time to get “elite”. Sure he has done a great job so far.
Von Jennings
September 14th, 2009
9:13 am
I am a lifelong GT fan and granted, I think CPJ is a very good coach, but to put him in the class of Dodd, Lombardi, and even Vince Dooley is premature. Over time, maybe, but not now. Go Jackets..
juvenal
September 14th, 2009
9:26 am
good look at the mental part, just being a good gamer-Bobby Fisher was also recognized early as good & unconventional…
Buzz Belle
September 14th, 2009
10:25 am
Very Old Dog- you are right in that Roger Bisher passed away long after he graduated from Tech. The problem is you appear to be just another one of those many, many classless dawg fans that only live for the fall season when football rolls around. So what does it matter if a kid got a scholly and never played a down. What exactly is it to you? Why should you care, especially if it is a rival school. Do you hate Bisher so much because he likes Tech and what it stands for? Are you that small? Does it make you feel big to try to make other people look small? I would never say the world is better off without someone in it. I will say with you being in it, it makes Tech look that much better! THWG
VeryOldDawg
September 14th, 2009
11:06 am
Buzz, whether or not he played a down is nothing to me. What I think is important is that Bobby Dodd gave him the scholarship at birth. Do you think this gift might have influenced Bisher’s writing?
I’ll let you be the judge.
Tech alum
September 14th, 2009
11:57 am
Mr. Bisher is the last link to Georgia Tech football of old. My hopes are that Johnson will pick up the torch and return us to what we use to be.
macrotech
September 14th, 2009
12:09 pm
VeryOldDawg, and yet, Mr. Bisher has stood the test of time….something, judging by your “name”, you should know something about. Mr. Bisher, like a fine wine, gets better with age. You seem to be more like milk …..you’ve soured with age.
sharecropper
September 14th, 2009
1:07 pm
Better late than never, but: while I would not want to coach against Johnson, and certainly wouldn’t once he gets three recruiting classes in — and make sure we give Gailey credit for that 2006 class that is the backbone of this team — I thought the headline went way beyond Bisher’s observations. Headline writers do that, you know, and it is far more prevalent on web sites (unedited, apparently) than in print. Sometimes you wonder if you’re reading the same story. But the omission of Bear Bryant from his list is very odd. I will give him the benefit of a doubt and say he just forgot. I am of that age, too. I forget a lot. Dodd was in a class by himself, as a coach and as a person, and nobody was even in second place.
dap01
September 14th, 2009
1:16 pm
Furman, you are joking? What are you basing this opinion on? Have you seen other football games lately? What great insight!!
dap01
September 14th, 2009
1:23 pm
I do agree with one thing. Johnson, even though he does not have a record to support it, deserves to be placed amoung the greatest of all time, he has made GA Tech average. Heck, they may even buy rings if they win 3 in a row.
If they can average 50,000 per game this year, deserves all kind of credit.
Furman, your title is not even remotely supported by what was written.
Julian B
September 14th, 2009
1:26 pm
Mr. Furman,
Why is there no talk on the illegal punt play that Ga Tech used for a quick seven in lieu of changing possesions (a punt to Clemson). The ACC officials are possibly issuing a media statement today bc it was determined an illegal substitution after review- no question ( an ACC official is a friend and he confirmed this). Also, that call with the phamtom holding call in the final minutes to change another possession and as well mostly likely points with Clemson negated on a 3rd down completion to near the 30yd line. A team that goes 8-4 vs 9-3 for example and miss an ACC championship game is worth millions. Yes, many calls do not matter in the overall game, but those two combined really damaged any chance for the Clemson team to win.
sunshine
September 14th, 2009
1:52 pm
Julian B… sour grapes… poor loser… get a grip.
Robert V Leftwich
September 14th, 2009
3:01 pm
Perhaps Furman waxes too eloquently when he mentions Paul Johnson in the same paragraph with coaching legends. Only time will tell. Nevertheless; the cheaps shots taken at the venerable writer indicate a lack of class on the part of the bloggers. Many of the most strident Georgia fans I know never attended a class at UGA and couldn`t even find their way to sanford Stadium from Bogart if vendors were giving away free beer and pretzels.. I am a UGA grad but I like to see GT excell in sports also. You don`t have a real rivalry if one institution wins most of the time.
Alabama Jack
September 14th, 2009
3:27 pm
Julian B – get a life…
GT
September 14th, 2009
4:12 pm
CPJ brings a coach’s personality to Tech. Ross has a little of it, Spurrier has a lot of it, but CPJ is the best at looking like he rather be on a practice field coaching, not on a radio or TV interview. I have never seen a good coach that didn’t have an edge when he was on camera looking at the reporter with huge restraint not to call him or, nowadays, her a dumb ass. Bill Curry has exactly the opposite personality.
Keith
September 14th, 2009
4:55 pm
Ha ha. This was a funny one. Johnson will never be what Mark Richt is. The little bees will end up with 4 losses.
dap01
September 14th, 2009
5:29 pm
Another bad thing about this article, it that it will stay up for a couple of weeks before another article is written.
Perhaps it takes that long to come up with an article with such substance.
Ttibitz
September 14th, 2009
7:03 pm
You Mutt fans are disgusting. Why???? My grown daughter attended several games at Grant Field with me a couple of years ago. Says she will never attend another Tech/Mutt game. I’ve been going to Tech games periodically since 1972 and the obscene verbal abuse from the Mutts that day was way beyond anything I have ever experienced.
The Mutt comments on this blog just reminded me of her shock and disgust.
THWG!
midtowncowboy
September 14th, 2009
7:24 pm
funny flag. hall of fame and no ACC championship. HAHA.
What a goon.
Blawgdawg
September 14th, 2009
9:59 pm
All time greats after one year ? Were the Beatles all time greats after releasing ” I wanna hold your hand ? ” They turned out to be, but they could also have been a one hit wonder. Only time would tell. To pronounce a coach an all time great after one season is just plain dumb !
Mr. Papagiorgio
September 14th, 2009
10:07 pm
Furman, this is the funniest article I’ve ever read. What a Tech homer.
macrotech
September 15th, 2009
1:02 am
dap01, I bet you STILL get all riled up when reminded of last seasons outcome of the Tech/uga game. I’m bettin’ that you have nightmares of Yellow Jackets AND Cowboys whenever you close your eyes! Well….bless your little heart. You spend all your time countin’ up those stadium seats…we’ll just go ahead and add a few more national championships! Hell, doesn’t seem like the mutts are going to anytime soon!
Keith, if it’s all the same to you….we’d like to add a few more national championships to go along with our collection! We’re VERY okay with Johnson not becoming like cmr!
Blawgdawg, this isn’t CPJ’s first rodeo….he’s been doing this for a long time, now!
dap01
September 15th, 2009
7:59 am
Macrotech: Numbers dont lie. UGA lost to Tech. I was commenting on a strangely titled article that was poorly supported.
By the way Tech is second rate. Numbers don’t lie. Enjoy Thursday nights.
richtfan
September 15th, 2009
8:22 am
Furman, you must be senile. Paul Johnson may be one of Tech’s greatest coaches, but I would not put him anywhere near the top of the pile as far as the best in the NCAA or in the history of the game. what have you been drinking?
FBR
September 15th, 2009
9:41 am
Furman! Talk about a premature anointing!! Has your blood somehow changed from a beautiful Carolina blue to a baby puke looking GT gold?
hroth
September 15th, 2009
10:11 am
I’m not sold yet. The O is too preditable; until the passing game is working, GT will not have a good year. The Navy offense looked much better than GTs.
hroth
September 15th, 2009
10:13 am
woops – predictable
Pi$$onaDawg
September 15th, 2009
11:05 am
I like Thursday Nights. Still in town to go to the game is good for fans. I guess the SEC needs Saturday Night games to make money. All the beer and alcoholic beverages sold, tickets, tailgating supplies, and then the DUIs and lawyer fees. Man SEC football is a real money maker for everybody.
LET THE BIG DAWG EAT!
September 15th, 2009
11:59 am
Paul Johnson could not carry Vince Dooley’s jock strap. How many conference chapionships has he won? How many national championships? How many bowl games? Let’s wait until he actually does something before we proclaim him the second coming of Bobby Dodd.
His high school offense is working for now in the inferior ACC but even those guys will catch up to it before the year is over. What’s that you say? He beat Georgia last year. Listen, even a blind squirrel gets lucky every now and then and finds a nut. The true test against the SEC was in the bowl game against LSU and I’m sure you don’t want to talk about that one. In the SEC, Tech and Johnson would be fortunate to break even each year. Paul Johnson and Tech are just like Furman Bisher – mediocre at best.
TechCrybaby
September 15th, 2009
12:00 pm
“Buddy,” in comment written above, asks whether you, Furman Bisher, would be so enthusiastic about the great Paul Johnson, if he were coaching for some school other than Georgia Tech? Answer: “Yes.” After all, Mr. Bisher, you were one suggesting Paul Johnson for Tech, when he was coaching at Navy. “Buddy” may learn to read some day.
All I'm Saying Is...
September 15th, 2009
12:35 pm
Furman:
Go back to sleep would you? Tiger has to win the career grand slam before you finally give him his props yet Paul Johnson is the apple of your historical eye and he’s yet to win any championship at the highest level of college football (nice bowl game performance by his team this past season, by the way). You besmirch the name of all those truly outstanding coaches you mentioned by prematurely putting PJ in the same sentence. Geez.
TechCrybaby
September 15th, 2009
12:40 pm
I cannot remain silent and still retain my status as the champion commenter on others’ comments. Therefore, when “Darn Truth” rejoices that Tech cannot get top-ranked athletes as readily as do the “football factories,” I think that statement has much merit. Tech under Johnson is not in the SEC, as Tech under Dodd was, for 19 of Dodd’s 22 years as Tech head coach. His leaving the SEC for independency brought the criticism that he who had rebuilt Tech football, then turned around and tore it down. The criticism was unfair. Dodd took that action because the envious SEC changed the rules on him, favoring the “football factories” who didn’t mind signing a horde of athletes, and then running off many, to get down to the approved limit. Those “factories”
were in a business, and, “if an employee doesn’t please you, throw him aside like dirt.” Dodd and Tech didn’t do that. The SEC is great entertainment for the masses, and is lucrative business. So, “Darn Truth,” if Tech, in the more scholarly ACC, has to use a gimmic ( sic: “gimmick” )offense to survive, so be it.
Chipper Jones
September 15th, 2009
1:54 pm
Can you tell I got a dip in.