Johnson apologizes for comment
Greetings-
Notes from Tuesday.
1. Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson, whose oft-unfettered tongue and unwillingness to back down to rival Georgia have earned him the admiration of Tech fans, apologized for a poor choice of words on his radio show Tuesday night.
Near the end of his show, a caller, presumably a Georgia Bulldogs fan, came on the air and said, “Hello? Hello?” and then began barking before either hanging up or being cut off. Johnson responded, “Hello? Hello? He just got off from Walmart.”
Johnson, who earlier in the day had commented how most Georgia fans he encounters are cordial, said, “Anybody who calls into a radio show and barks is either retarded or doesn’t have a life.”
After the show, Johnson said he meant his response as a joke, “but it was a poor choice of words on my part and I sincerely apologize. It was not my intention to offend anyone.”
Advocates for people with mental disabilities have campaigned to stop the use of the word “retard” or “retarded” as a slur, calling it hurtful and dehumanizing.
(Not sure what to say. It was a poor choice of words.)
2. A-back Orwin Smith, who sat out last Saturday’s game with a toe injury, practiced Tuesday and will try to play in Saturday’s game against Georgia.
“I will at least try,” Smith said Tuesday. “The worst that can happen is me going out there and me not being able to play, but I will give it a shot.”
Smith said he ran full speed at practice and “limped around a couple times,” but overall said he felt great. Smith is the Yellow Jackets’ most dangerous playmaker on offense. He averages 10.8 yards per carry and 23.8 yards per reception and has scored 11 touchdowns in 65 offensive touches. He has been receiving a variety of treatments, including hot and cold tubs and ultrasound, to stimulate healing of his turf toe injury, typically a painful malady.
Wide receiver Stephen Hill and A-back Roddy Jones were held out of practice for the second day in a row, but both expected to return to practice Wednesday and play. Guard Will Jackson practiced but was kept out of contact drills.
(The fact that Smith may be hampered is, obviously, noteworthy. Bears watching.)
3. Hal Miller, an All-American offensive tackle and a co-captain of Tech’s 1952 national championship team, died Monday following a short illness. He was 81.
In 1952, Miller helped lead the Jackets to a 12-0 record and a Sugar Bowl win over Mississippi, giving them the titled awarded by the International News Service. Born in Kingsport, Tenn., Miller was enshrined in the Georgia Tech, Georgia and Tennessee sports halls of fame.
The school is working on a tribute to honor both Miller and legendary Georgia play-by-play voice Larry Munson, who died Sunday, at Saturday’s game.
(While it’s sad news, I do hope that both are honored before the game.)
4. Hill is friends with one Georgia player he’ll likely see plenty on Saturday, cornerback Branden Smith. The two hung out last summer, Hill said. They played each other in high school and Hill played basketball and long jumped against another Georgia corner, Brandon Boykin.
“They’re real fast,” Hill said. “Their technique is great, so it’s going to be a challenge.”
5. Defensive coordinator Al Groh on Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray:
“He’s certainly as good as we’ve seen. We compare him and his skill level to (Clemson quarterback) Tajh Boyd. He moves very well within the pocket as well as getting out. … He’s always got his feet underneath his shoulders. He re-sets very quickly. He makes a lot of big throws when the rush initially makes him move off his normal throwing spot without leaving the pocket.”
(One thing I appreciate about Groh: No player assessment will ever be, “Kid’s got a rocket for an arm.”)
6. Wide receiver Tyler Melton has been playing his best football the past two or three games, Johnson said. Melton has seven catches in the past three games for 122 yards, including three for 54 yards against Duke. The seven receptions are more than he had in any of his first three seasons and as many receptions as he had in the first eight games of this season. He has also blocked particularly well over that stretch.
Johnson said he’s not making a concerted effort to get Melton the ball, “but when the ball’s gone his way, he’s made a couple of nice catches and come down with it.”
(Melton has shown some nice ability to adjust for passes. I have no idea what his draft stock is, but he’s shown plenty of other skills – namely blocking ability and special teams play. If he can keep up his pass catching, he’ll hopefully get a shot in somebody’s camp. Remember that Kevin Cone – who caught six passes last year – fought his way onto the Falcons practice squad.)
7. Tuesday, Johnson dismissed an Internet report that Mississippi had contacted representatives for Johnson regarding its coaching opening.
“I don’t know anything about it,” he said. “That stuff’s crazy.”
I want to thank the posters who have kept things clean and respectful, for the most part. I was very tempted to not post the notes on the blog, because this seems like a fire waiting to happen, but decided that you deserved a chance to comment on it. If the posts aren’t respectful, however, I’ve got no problem closing commenting, and probably for the rest of the week. Please don’t be the bad apple that spoils it for everyone.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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422 comments Add your comment
GT70
November 23rd, 2011
9:47 am
“If he had simply said “mentally challenged” instead of “retarded” all would be OK. ”
That’s the problem with PC. If he had used “mentally challenged” would anyone have conjured up a different mental image than “retard”? You can sweeten up the names all you want but the meaning doesn’t change. I don’t see the comment as that god awful but he shouldn’t have said it and he quickly realized it and said so.
The nature of blogs and rivalries are such that, of course, UGag fans are going to scream to high heaven just as we would if Richt had said the same thing. Let ‘er rip!
T3
November 23rd, 2011
9:47 am
Just remember……
This is the SAME UGA fan base that gave Jan Kemp and her family…HUNDREDS…
of Death Threats….for exposing the instituional fraud & corruption that had
been going for a YEARS & YEARS at UGA. A US Federal Court agreed with Kemp.
And, this is the SAME UGA fanbase that sent multiple Death Threats
to UGA WR Terrence Edwards when he dropped a TD in a game vs Florida.
So, all those UGA fans that have suddenly gone PC…STHU.
2011THWG!!
November 23rd, 2011
9:47 am
Why am I so miss understood?
I am going back down to the basement and play some D&D!
RambleOn84
November 23rd, 2011
9:49 am
People will leech onto ANYTHING to “confirm” what they already wanted to believe.
I guess no one should be allowed to say “stupid” or “dumb” anymore since there are so many afflicted with sub-average IQs. Of course, most of them are dog fans.
DawginLex
November 23rd, 2011
9:49 am
Johnson shouldn’t have said it.
He apologized.
Move on.
I do appreciate Tech honoring Larry Munson at the game.
Amazing how death drops a lot of the barriers?
Gonna be a close game.
Don’t eat too much tomorrow.
Hit a Single
November 23rd, 2011
9:50 am
T3- That is true, but it was still Billy Payne that made the presentation (human presentation) that helped get the Olympics. Stated by the IOC. The bottom line was if it had not been for the Olympics you would still have Techwood Drive and all the problems that it had. The facilities were definitely upgraded.
RambleOn84
November 23rd, 2011
9:51 am
Exactly, T3…which is why so many of them are so offended. They clearly showed, in their hatred of Jan Kemp, their utter disdain of education. So I’m sure a large portion of them are considered to be “mentally challenged.”
DawginLex
November 23rd, 2011
9:52 am
Jan Kemp was a sick warped human being who tried to commit suicide at least twice. While her cause was noble, the way she carried it out was classless and epitomized someone deperate for attention. Instead of making the cause the focus, she put all the focus on herself.
Hit a Single
November 23rd, 2011
9:55 am
This Saturday I will think about, Larry Munson, Al Ciraldo, Ernie Johnson, and Skip Caray. We can have all our fun on these blogs, but it was men like these that made sports so enjoyable. On this Thanksgiving I am so thankful that I got to listen to all of these.
RambleOn84
November 23rd, 2011
9:56 am
Yeah, I’m sure the suicide attempts had nothing to do with all the hate and vitriol aimed at her from dog fans who care nothing about academics and everything about sports at all costs.
Character
November 23rd, 2011
9:56 am
I have a 10 year old daughter with special needs and she has been nothing short of the greatest gift in my life. I take real exception to personalities running their mouths ( Shapiro has a history, and now PJ) to get a little laugh and show their true character. If they really had it, good character, this wouldn’t roll off the tongue effortlessly. My daughter has dealt with heart complications and leukemia, and struggles everyday with tasks you and I take for granted. My daughter has fought for her life and won, and is now striving to be a productive student and citizen in our society. I’m glad PJ apologized, but fear this man’s true character has been exposed. Prop up the special needs community. Most of these individuals have more character than all of us!
Enough already
November 23rd, 2011
9:57 am
This has become tiresome. You people will argue about anything. It’s just plain retarded!!!
Woofy One
November 23rd, 2011
9:57 am
Coach Paul is great for his passion but talks too fast every now and then. His comments about leaving because he can’t get the players he wants into school may well come true if he repeats them often enough. Notre Dame and UGA are bringing in better GPA players and have better graduation rates.
1eyedJack
November 23rd, 2011
9:58 am
“They clearly showed, in their hatred of Jan Kemp, their utter disdain of education.”
We certainly don’t abide a rat.
Brock
November 23rd, 2011
9:59 am
Good god, now everyone of you that doesn’t like Tech or PJ are now PC advocates? Get over yourselves people. There is not one of you that has posted on this blog that haven’t said something un-pc once in your lives.
DawginLex
November 23rd, 2011
10:00 am
rambleon
It was how she handled it. She was already on the edge emotionally and mentally and then this thing became her whole life. She expected total support and that was naive on her part. You are never going to please everyone. Her expectation of that led to further mental issues.
I don’t care how bad it got, her attempting suicide showed her mental instability.
johnsonisaplaygroundbully
November 23rd, 2011
10:00 am
UGA fans could care less what Johnson says.
I hope he continues to open his mouth.
I felt more embarrassed for Johnson than I did for the kid who called in…
juvenal
November 23rd, 2011
10:00 am
maybe he is starting to realize his record vs. uga will be the #1 item that is remembered….
RambleOn84
November 23rd, 2011
10:00 am
A “rat” is a term affixed to people with courage by those who don’t possess it.
George Stein
November 23rd, 2011
10:03 am
It seems quite clear UGA fans (including you) care deeply about what he thinks, playground bully. And the caller wasn’t a kid.
Tom Davis
November 23rd, 2011
10:03 am
Why was Chellini so mad at CPJ? Chellini basically was saying CBJ was a CLASS A JERK.
George Stein
November 23rd, 2011
10:04 am
Dude, Ramble, you are all kinds of fired up!
George Stein
November 23rd, 2011
10:05 am
I was the caller that told him he was unprofessional.
Brock
November 23rd, 2011
10:06 am
Idiot savants are a group of humans that are incapable of learning, writing or reading, yet they have unlimited access to specific, accurate knowledge…….
I can say idiot savant but can’t say retarded? Huh?
RambleOn84
November 23rd, 2011
10:09 am
George,
All year long I pull for Georgie and try to be civil. And then the losers’ real colors come through…I can’t fathom the depths that these dorks will sink to in order to insult Tech, its coaches, players, students, etc.
I say with all honesty right now, “TO HELL WITH GEORGIE!”
All Cupcake Conference
November 23rd, 2011
10:11 am
CPJ is a jerk and this just confirms it.
Using the word “retard” is never acceptable.
He should resign over this but because he coaches at the cesspool that is Tech it wont matter.
DawginLex
November 23rd, 2011
10:11 am
Thanks ramble for the kind words.
gt4ever
November 23rd, 2011
10:14 am
DawginLex,
Surely you jest, yes she had problems, but the problem was not her intent on doing the right thing… Her problem was facing the mentally challenged people of the Dawg nation. Good Grief…
As I have said in the past, it’s all about football for UGA, pity to the people who care about anything other than football…
George Stein
November 23rd, 2011
10:14 am
Fair enough, Ramble. For the life of me, I can’t understand why what Johnson said is a story.
Also, his comments to Schultz are totally uncontroversial. All he said was if we look at the SEC 1-12 instead of 1-3 it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Whatever.
George Stein
November 23rd, 2011
10:16 am
Thanks for your input, headley. We really appreciate it.
RambleOn84
November 23rd, 2011
10:17 am
George,
These dog fans will use anything to denigrate Tech and Johnson. And the local “reporters” will do all they can to drum it up even further.
What was he supposed to say? “Yes, Georgie’s talent level is unlike anything we’ve ever seen…we have no shot and we could NEVER compete in the SEC?”
The Institute
November 23rd, 2011
10:18 am
Wow, lots of mutt fans on here. Did they all just get off from Wal Mart?
HAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Retarded Mutt Fan
November 23rd, 2011
10:18 am
I’z wuz offendid…
All Cupcake Conference
November 23rd, 2011
10:19 am
And here is the other thing. He really isn’t even that good of a coach.
His combined record at Tech against Va Tech, UGA and the Bowl Game is ….
2 – 8
If he loses to UGA and the bowl game this year his record will be 2 – 10 in his three biggest games.
Some kind of coach let me tell you.
All Cupcake Conference
November 23rd, 2011
10:19 am
Thanks for your input, headley. We really appreciate it.
No problem
DawginLex
November 23rd, 2011
10:20 am
Ok, I’m out
Institute sealed the deal for me.
Can’t talk football over here.
JD
November 23rd, 2011
10:20 am
Mentally challenged describes all “other team fans” that call in to shows to disrupt them. Hope the guy brags about it, so all of his friends will know how stupid he is. (Like they don’t already).
@george stein
November 23rd, 2011
10:22 am
1. Using “retard” among your friends in private is one thing, using it on-air as the representative of a major public university is much worse. In using that word, he represents all GT fans, and reflects poorly on the state of Georgia.
2. Grantham may throw choke signs, and he may get in another coaches’ face when both sides are upset and yelling, but he has never encouraged fans to hit fans of other teams. Nor has he, at least on-air, used a slur when describing another team’s fans.
George Stein
November 23rd, 2011
10:22 am
Hmmmmm… I’m going to find the facts that most support my point put those forth. The entire picture should not be presented.
All Cupcake Conference
November 23rd, 2011
10:23 am
And the local “reporters” will do all they can to drum it up even further.
Are you kidding. The Atlanta media go out of the way to kiss CPJ’s backside.
Bradley likes to tell us every year after UGA wins what a genius CPJ is.
Can you imagine if Mark Richt had used that word ?
I can guarantee you both Schultz and Bradley would have already done stories slamming him for it and calling for some sort of suspension.
But notice how quiet they are when its CPJ
Double standard. You betcha.
Dwight Schrute
November 23rd, 2011
10:23 am
Institute, you would be excited if Tech had any fans, no matter their socioeconomic level. Tech football simply does not generate the level of discussion or excitement as UGA does and it drives Tech fans crazy. Since Tech rarely wins this game, the fans must resort to childish, idiotic statements about the fanbase.
George Stein
November 23rd, 2011
10:25 am
Those are distinctions without differences, @georgestein.
Soybean standard is a losing argument, headley. Try again.
George Stein
November 23rd, 2011
10:26 am
He compared Charles to Bruce Allen, one of the three best tight ends in the country, Ramble. On what planet is that an insult?!?!
All Cupcake Conference
November 23rd, 2011
10:27 am
And one other thing. This is what ive always hated about Tech fans. This we are better than you crap.
Whats so bad about working at Wal Mart?
Alot of those people are hard working blue collar Americans.
Are they the sharpest knife in the drawer. Not usually .
But they work hard for little pay and few benefits so you can get a bath towel for a dollar.
CPJ should be ashamed of putting them down in this way.
They guy is a grade a jerk and the lengths Tech fans will go to apologize for his behavior is disgusting.
George Stein
November 23rd, 2011
10:28 am
*double standards is a losing argument. Stupid auto-correct.
GTFan1
November 23rd, 2011
10:29 am
People take things too seriously!!!!! Why is a Georgia fan calling CPJ barking to begin with?? I am so sick and tired of UGA acting like they’re so perfect, and were so-un classy. Give me a break!!!!
George Stein
November 23rd, 2011
10:29 am
When we compare ourselves to people like you, headley, how are we supposed to come to any other conclusion?
T3
November 23rd, 2011
10:29 am
Attention dawginlex:
FACT: Jan Kemp REFUSED to FALSIFY grades.
FACT: Jan Kemp was FIRED by her boss, “Dr.” Leroy Irvin because
he ORDERED her to FALSIFY grades.
FACT: It was INSTITUTIONAL policy at UGA to FALSIFY grades for
revenue-generating, illiterate athletes.
FACT: UGA President Fred Davison TESTIFIED in US Federal Court
that “YES” it was instituional policy to do so.
FACT: Fred Davison was told to resign or be fired. He resigned.
FACT: A US Federal Court agreed that UGA had broken US Federal Law,
by threatening and firing Jan Kemp.
FACT” A US Federal Court awarded Jan Kemp $2.5 Million dollars because she had PROVEN HER CASE against the fraud & corruption that UGA was BLATANTLY GUILTY of.
FACT: Jan Kemp had mental health issues after YEARS of her and her family
getting repeated Death Threats from…..HUNDREDS….of UGA fans…FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
This…is UGA’s PATHETIC & FACT-BASED legacy.
GTFan1
November 23rd, 2011
10:30 am
All Cupcake Conference
November 23rd, 2011
10:27 am
And one other thing. This is what ive always hated about Tech fans. This we are better than you crap.
Whats so bad about working at Wal Mart?
Alot of those people are hard working blue collar Americans.
Are they the sharpest knife in the drawer. Not usually .
But they work hard for little pay and few benefits so you can get a bath towel for a dollar.
CPJ should be ashamed of putting them down in this way.
They guy is a grade a jerk and the lengths Tech fans will go to apologize for his behavior is disgusting.
Please, UGA has some of the nasty, rudest fans around!!!!
juvenal
November 23rd, 2011
10:31 am
i think cupcake is the better handle, still don’t get what heddy lamar has to do with sports……everyone have a great Thaksgiving, esp. Lex & cupcake…..