No more excuses — Georgia’s arrests fall on Mark Richt
Mark Richt has been buried in police reports since March.
(UPDATED at 3:30 p.m. with booking and suspension.)
Before you dismiss this as just another trivial arrest in a 24-7, TMZ flip-cam media world, ask yourself this:
What would you be thinking if this was Florida or Alabama or Tennessee? Would your first reaction be, “This is no big deal. Everybody is picking on us”?
What if this was Nick Saban or Urban Meyer or Houston “I’m Just Trying To Save The World One Quarterback At A Time” Nutt? Would you really be absolving the head coach — in this case, Mark Richt — of any responsibility?
Georgia’s football program has hit nine on the arrest chart. That’s nine since March.
Kickoff is Saturday. There’s still time to run out of fingers.
Here’s the latest: Campus police have booked freshman safety Alec Ogletree on misdemeanor charges of theft by taking and he has been suspended for the season opener. Ogletree, a prized member of their 2010 recruiting class, is charged with stealing a $35 scooter helmet from the Rankin Smith Center on June 15 (police discovering only this week that the helmet was in his possession).
Forget that we’re only talking about a $35 helmet. There’s no such thing as a minor incident any more. There’s a cumulative effect.
I realize this is difficult for some people to accept. We live for this time of year, not just because of our obsession with college football but because, as Richt said this week, “It’s good to be undefeated.” What you feel in Athens, they feel even in Starkville.
But when nine players get arrested between spring and opening kickoff, something is wrong.
Please, no more apologies.
I’ve had it with apologists. They live among the fan base (who claim police are just out to get athletes). They live among the coaching fraternity (because to blame another coach sets themselves up for higher standards). They live among the media (some of whom are too afraid of burning bridges with the program and not having the coach smile at them any more).
Bottom line: This falls on Richt. It’s his program. It’s his responsibility. It’s on his watch.
He doesn’t have to be the one drinking-and-driving. Or hitting-and-running. Or drinking-and-groping. Richt recruited these players, signed these players and ultimately determined, “They will represent the University of Georgia well.” Either he is picking too many of the wrong guys, or he’s not saying or doing enough of the right things when they get here. Regardless, don’t deny the problem.
Richt said Friday he was “disappointed” and that Ogletree is “responsible for a poor decision and will serve a minimum one-game suspension.” He was so angry when running back Washaun Ealey was arrested for a hit-and-run — which occurred while he was driving with a suspended license — that he didn’t even want to speak to Ealey. That anger is justified. The question is whether his suspension of Ealey will last beyond the Louisiana-Lafayette game — because that’s a small notch above running steps in Sanford Stadium.
Forcing Ealey to miss the South Carolina game — that would hurt. Of course, that also would hurt Georgia, and the South Carolina game is really important, right?
When asked at his news conference this week if, in so many words, there was a flaw in his discipline structure, Richt responded: “The flaw is if a guy does something that deserves to be disciplined and you don’t discipline him. That’s where the flaw is. The flaw is in us as humans. We’re flawed, we’re human, we make mistakes. When we make a mistake, then we get disciplined for it. As long as we have 18- to 22-year old guys who are human beings, they are going to make mistakes. That’s just all there is to it. If you don’t discipline it, you have a problem. If they don’t learn from it, then they have a problem.”
Actually, it goes beyond that. If players don’t learn from it, Richt has a problem. And he does.
No more excuses. This falls on him.
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1,737 comments Add your comment
Ted M
September 3rd, 2010
2:01 pm
Delbert D.
September 3rd, 2010
1:47 pm
It wasn’t stolen from a store, so it is not shoplifting. It was stolen from another Georgia athlete’s scooter while it was parked at the Smith Center.
Delbert you know what this sounds like to me, particularly if Ogletree doesn’t own a scooter? It sounds like he was being a bully and wouldn’t give the helmet back and the other kid got sick of it and went to the police.
ryan
September 3rd, 2010
2:01 pm
I have a solution to send a clear message no bowl game this year i think what CMR should do is have a 1 strike and your out policy and cancel the scholarship that could slow it down some .
Jake
September 3rd, 2010
2:01 pm
Jeff,
This is somewhat irresponsible on your part. I mean, it must be nice to just sit back and point fingers about things which you know nothing about. I’m embarassed by the arrests. I want them to stop. Richt should be accountable. But these are arrests that aren’t arrests in most places. Period. Jonathan Owens was arrested for using a scooter that was slightly too big to operate with a regular license. The Campus police ARRESTED him…yet, the judge scoffed at the charges and dismissed them. Mettenberger and Robinson were kicked off the team. It isn’t like these guys aren’t being punished. And point the finger elsewhere if you are going to talk about guys being suspended for trivial games. Please. Thats the way it works. The LL game will mean just as much to Ealey as SC. Give me a freaking break Jeff. Where was your Ruben Houston column a few years ago? JOKE columnist when it comes to college football.
Boca Baby
September 3rd, 2010
2:01 pm
Enter your comments here
Lefty LaRue
September 3rd, 2010
2:01 pm
“Hey, Julius . . . let’s have some fun after practice. See that 7-11? . . . ”
HAHAHAHAHAHA
TTTT-Thumbody Thed Thats Thupid!
September 3rd, 2010
2:02 pm
Now we know why Richt keeps jumping in the pool. He’s trying to drown himself. One thing Richt does need to do though, is go to law school and become a lawyer like Dooley at TN. That way he can represent them in court and make some extra money. Dang, just realized,now I have to change my prediction on the score of the GA-TN game. I had predicted it based on the number of arrests. Change that to GA 10(includes Evans) and TN 7.
Soy Boy
September 3rd, 2010
2:02 pm
Jeff’s had it with the 80%+ apologists, who disagree with him. Funny.
Say What
September 3rd, 2010
2:02 pm
masivatack – You dumb hick! Better think before throwing stones….
http://blogs.onlineathens.com/taxonomy/term/1221
McGruff the Crime Dog
September 3rd, 2010
2:03 pm
My new arch nemesis is “Uga the Criminal Dog”. I am moving to Athens permanently to help “Take a Bite Out of Crime”. Actually, once most of the UGA players are in jail, crime should drop about 85% in Athens.
Too tough 44
September 3rd, 2010
2:03 pm
Look Shultz….lay off….my goodness! Look there are consequences for all our decisions…however, CMR V dooley, bear bryant, can b with a college student 24/7…cmr is just fine! Cmr is not the problem…i dont know who is ? Wait…its the athletes responsibility to be responsible! I am sure CMR has kept his obligations regarding players education, scholarships etc….ITS THE PLAYERS RESPONSIBLITY!!!
SHULTZ….U NEED A NEW TOPIC…LOL…..U A TECH FAN..RIGHT?
Disagree
September 3rd, 2010
2:04 pm
I blame the cops. They are not practical about the situation.
Shoeless Joe Jackson
September 3rd, 2010
2:04 pm
Berry, I think accountability has to fall on both coach and player. I believe the players should catch more flack and rightfully so but Richt should also being taking some heat too. Hate to say it, but the multiple arrests that happen EVERY offseason aren’t really news in my book anymore. Like I said, it happens more than once every year. How about they go a whole calendar year without a single arrest, hmmm? Now that would be news.
Jared Jones
September 3rd, 2010
2:05 pm
so Richt is supposed to recruit these guys and decide while recruiting if they will ever get in trouble? A good question, well, if you actually wanted to do some investigating, would be, “Is Richt recruiting people who already have records and histories of ‘troublemaking’.” Because if he was, not that those guys don’t deserve a shot at changing their lives, but if he was recruiting them and they continued to act out, then it would fall on Richt. But I’m not sure how Richt is to blame if he’s been recruiting people who have great records and then decide to act out in college. Unless he’s supposed to get them to confess everything they’ve ever done wrong while recruiting him, then decide whether their sins are too many to come to the University of Georgia…
Come on, Jeff. This article was easy. You said everything that everyone else had been saying with every arrest. Don’t try to add in comments about how other members of the media won’t say anything because they’re scared but you’re really gonna blow the whistle on this one, and then do no real investigating and just throw out things like, “Mark is recruiting the wrong guys,” “Mark obviously only cares about winning.” Dumb.
Reid in EAV
September 3rd, 2010
2:05 pm
A question about incentives: is Richt potentially in more trouble for not winning or for not fielding a team of Boy Scouts? Something tells me it’s the former.
I dearly wish the entire team could be composed of Dale Murphy types, but you know and I know that that’s not how you win. And if you bring home an SEC crown, no one cares how many minor arrests your team has racked up. Not even sports columnists.
Just a question: how would you solve this? And what if, by “solving” it, you went 5-6? or 4-7? Worth it to you?
Reese
September 3rd, 2010
2:05 pm
85% of AJC bloggers say it’s the player’s fault for player’s arrests. 15% agree with Jeff’s view, that when a player gets arrested, it’s all Richt’s fault.
Here’s that survey:
http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/2010/07/12/blame-mark-richt-hes-not-the-one-whos-embarrassing-uga/
5150 P.O.A.D
September 3rd, 2010
2:06 pm
DUDE why are you BOGARTing the JOINT? Can’t you see I am on the UGA blog telling people how good UGA students are. Look DUDE that ain’t no microphone. Hit the doobie and pass it to me. I have to back CMR and the dawg players. DUDE that was a good hit. I don’t know if I can make it to my first class at 3:30. HAHAHHA. It is just lawn maintance 405 my capstone class, but who cares the DAWGS Play Tomarrow. WOOF WOOF WOOF.
Buster
September 3rd, 2010
2:07 pm
Jeff,
When 85% believe you are wrong, isn’t it prudent to reconsider your position?
DOG GONE
September 3rd, 2010
2:08 pm
Lets see,now if uga wins 11 games uga will keep Richt and all the arrest will be OK. If he looses 9 games he will be fired. uga football has sunk to new LOWS. It is ALL about winning at ALL cost !!!
WHY would someone want their kid to come play at uga ? Well maybe they just want their kid to be at a party school !!!
5150 P.O.A.D
September 3rd, 2010
2:08 pm
I think Men from Tech are hot!
Lefty LaRue
September 3rd, 2010
2:08 pm
Has anybody seen the arch? Did the football players steal the arch? HAHAHAHAAHAHA
Idot
September 3rd, 2010
2:08 pm
Shultz maybe you should talk Richt into keeping all of his players under lock and key for the four of five years that they are at UGA.
Then you could rest easy at night, knowing that Richt has done his job, at least in your eyes anyhow.
masivatack
September 3rd, 2010
2:09 pm
Disappointed -
If you had any idea of the life Montez has lived, you would understand Richt’s comments. Add some context an maybe you could remove the question mark from your handle… Maybe not. I’m not trying to make excuses for anybody, what Montez did was absolutely wrong, but to simply cut and paste an article without knowing the full story doesn’t give you any true insight at all.
http://savannahnow.com/sports/2009-11-12/montez-robinson-feeling-more-home
http://dawg-extra.blogspot.com/2010/04/monday-mini-mailbag.html
(read down to the second to last mailbag item)
CB
September 3rd, 2010
2:09 pm
Schultz,
This is an absolutely moronic article. Please explain to me how anybody(coach, parent, friend) can stop an 18 year old kid from making a split second decision to snatch an unsecured helmet off a scooter. I know you are in the business of stirring up conversation and arguments, but this is just flat out ridiculous reasoning.
Like someone said before, when the arrests have been for egregious actions such as Mettenberger, the player has been dismissed. There’s not much anybody could have done to prevent this idiotic decision to take a bike helmet, absent the player himself being smarter.
I generally don’t like your articles, and find you extremely unfunny and uncreative, but this is just a ridiculous column with no basis for your ultimate conclusion. At some point, it is up to the kid to not make stupid decisions. Do you think Richt doesn’t reinforce the importance of making good decisions? The fact that you wrote so many words and ultimately said nothing other than this being Richt’s fault is laughable.
Do better work next time.
This guy gets the point of Schultz' blog...
September 3rd, 2010
2:10 pm
senoiadawgs
September 3rd, 2010
1:59 pm
While it is not Mark’s Richt fault these players got arrested, he sure as heck can make it very unpleasant for anyone else to even think of doing something stupid enough to get arrested.
BeefATL72
September 3rd, 2010
2:10 pm
5150 P.O.A.D – “BeefRTL72 how do we know Ealy was not Stoned or Drunk. He was arrested 4 hours after he HIT and Ran from an accident. The police may call the cahrges less than what they are, but it was a HIT-n-RUN. Let me do the same thing to your car and we will see how you feel.”
Right, so because he wasn’t found to be drunk or stoned, you get to mandate that he’s guilty of being drunk or stoned because he could have been. THAT’S STUPID!
On top of that, you’re now making up your own rules to suit your hatred. By LAW it’s “Failure to report an accident”, NOT “Hit-n-run”. Hit-n-run is a higher offense to be charged with. They have different distinctions by law, different penalties. You don’t get to make it sounds worse than it really is. Ealey WALKED away from the scene knowing the extent & circumstances of what he did. Which, by the way, is a whopping 2 inch scratch on the parking attendant truck which is already FULL OF SCRATCHES & DENTS worse than what he caused.
You are just a HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER HATER!
Gator
September 3rd, 2010
2:10 pm
If you are going to get arrested, go big!!! Steal a dead girls credit card, fall asleep at a red light or shoot an AK47. Stop all the petty arrests – stole a $35.00 helmet? Come ON!!
DOG GONE
September 3rd, 2010
2:12 pm
Runaway train on a wrong way track !!!!!!!!!!!!!
HugoStiglitz
September 3rd, 2010
2:12 pm
85% of the people on this blog wouldnt blame Mark Richt if UGA went 0-12 the next 5 years. Its like a mother trying to look objectively at her children. She thinks they are perfect and refuses to admit to any possible issues.
Boca Baby
September 3rd, 2010
2:13 pm
The bottom line is that you can thank most of the problems most colleges have with the conduct of scholarship athletes on the NCAA’s ludicrous decision to not allow schools to have separate living quarters for those athletes. You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink. You can counsel a player until you are blue in the face but you cannot be a 24/7 babysitter. By allowing the athlete to live in the quarters of his/her choosing there is even less supervision. And let’s face it, it is all the more obvious that most of these guys need all the supervision they can get. Instead of some neighborhood prank or act it turns into a full-blown “I don’t know if you are going to be allowed to continue here son” action. Either this was a prank or Ogeltree is not very smart. Why would you steal something and then wear it around campus?
On the other hand if McGarity is to set the bar Mr Olgetree may just become a sacrificial lamb. It may just be what the doctor ordered. “You cannot not behave yourself and remain here. No matter how big of a recruit you were.” A painful lesson for someone with such potential.
DawginLex
September 3rd, 2010
2:13 pm
general neyland,
did you really call UGA thuga?
Paid attention to the happenings in K-Ville?
Talk to the cop who ended up in intensive care and ask him if he would be ok with swapping places with thw wimp from the track team who cried because he got his helmet stolen.
DOG GONE
September 3rd, 2010
2:13 pm
Hello, If ya run with dogs you gonna get fleas !!!
5150 P.O.A.D
September 3rd, 2010
2:14 pm
BERRY OK blame the player! Now, Richt has to be a MAN and kick the player off the team. Richt is a JOKE. UGA is a JOKE. Bulldog fans are JOKES. Excuses only ENABLE the offender. Take the players scholarship and let his family pay for a year of school and then walk-on next year to try and make the TEAM.
Too tough 44
September 3rd, 2010
2:15 pm
ONE MORE THING…SOME OF THE ARRESTS MADE BY THE CAMPUS POLICE ARE MIND BOGGLING…WASNT ONE FOR FIREWORKS ON THE 4TH JULY LIKE THE OTHER 100,000 PEOPLE IN THE STATE OF GA PARTICIPATED IN…..LOL GOOD GREIF!!!
THE CAMPUS POLICE, THE CAMPUS POLICE, HI HO THE ARREST WE GO. THE CAMPUS POLICE, THE REAL CRIME FIGHTERS! FIREWORKS, SCOOTER HELMETS…OH MY…WHAT A SILLY THING TO DO, TAKE A SCOOTER HELMET? WHY?????
Exley DAWG
September 3rd, 2010
2:15 pm
This is nothing serious, move on.
senoiadawgs
September 3rd, 2010
2:16 pm
I imagine Ted M. hit the nail right on the head:
“Delbert you know what this sounds like to me, particularly if Ogletree doesn’t own a scooter? It sounds like he was being a bully and wouldn’t give the helmet back and the other kid got sick of it and went to the police”
I also agree with the Gator on page 7. Take it old school on them, 1 of you screws up you all screw up. Peer Pressure is a real BI%$H. That will stop the madness. Ealey knew he had been busted by the attendants and he still left.
uga21
September 3rd, 2010
2:16 pm
Shultz… you are a class A idiot. Whatever happened to personal responsibility? Are the police responsible because people continue being criminals? No. People make personal choices to do good or bad. They make their own choices on right or wrong. Mark Richt did not force these kids to make poor, stupid judgments. The only thing he can do is start laying down the hammer. No excuses- get arrested and found guilty? Off the team. Otherwise, he can’t be held responsible for kids making bad choices. If we were going that route, you’d have to blame their parents too!
5150 P.O.A.D
September 3rd, 2010
2:16 pm
The team I cheer for is even more of a joke! UGA owns us and I can’t stand it.
Dr. Doom
September 3rd, 2010
2:16 pm
The future is doomed to be a repeat of the past. All future events are predetermined and written in the stars centuries before they occur. There is nothing Richt can do to stop future bad events from happening. It’s fate. Embrace the inevitable negativity. There is no hope. Abandon ship.
GTPHISH
September 3rd, 2010
2:17 pm
I have a solution for all of the problems, NEW CONSTRUCTION.
1) Start w/ a Department of Motor Vehicle Services-annex funded by the UGAy athletic dept. to ensure compliance w/ all the new thugas to ensure they have valid drivers licenses
2) Build a small-medium sized temporary jail-holding and processing center in the Buttz-mehr building (also funded by UGAy) to keep tabs on all the criminal activity
Problems solved!!!
Idot
September 3rd, 2010
2:18 pm
Shultz, maybe CMR should hire a mind reader, that can see into the future, to help him recruit his players.
Do you know any mind readers that can see into the future, that may be out of work, looking for a job?
If so, you might be able to put in a good word for some of them, to CMR.
733 comments when got on here
September 3rd, 2010
2:18 pm
that’s gotta be a record.
DawginLex
September 3rd, 2010
2:18 pm
Anyone who calls the University of Georgia “UGAY” does so to mask their own sexual issues.
GTJAX
September 3rd, 2010
2:19 pm
GTPHISH – that is the worst post of the day and I am a Tech fan.
Ted M
September 3rd, 2010
2:19 pm
Jake,
“Jonathan Owens was arrested for using a scooter that was slightly too big to operate with a regular license. The Campus police ARRESTED him…yet, the judge scoffed at the charges and dismissed them.”
That is a downright despicable indictment of the Athens Police Department and I would truly hate to be subjected to their rotten jurisdiction. But reporters still need to report the arrests. He was arrested and not convicted. Even though at least 25 people have accused Schultz of finding him guilty, he did not, he reported he was arrested.
I, like Jeff I suppose, think CMR could have prevented this latest incident with better preemptive measurers.
doug dawg
September 3rd, 2010
2:19 pm
hi, guess my last entry was refused, well, so be it. but i still maintain we need to clean our own house at uga before citing the transgressions of others. go dawgs
masivatack
September 3rd, 2010
2:19 pm
Say What –
Yes the kid was kicked off of the team… And it was well documented by folks here at ajc and other outlets…
You can stop trying to pretend that nobody at tech does anything wrong…
http://onlinesportsguys.blogspot.com/2010/03/reuben-houston-you-have-problem.html
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/02/04/authorities-arrest-georgia-tech-student-allegedly-stabbing-man-sword/
http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/1857
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/16749899/detail.html
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2009/aug/12/georgia-tech-professor-arrested-child-porn-charges/?mobile
Get what I was saying about throwing stones, guy?
Flyin' Dawg
September 3rd, 2010
2:19 pm
Who said that Bama has not had any arrests in three years? Are you crazy? Last one was last August for Domestic Assault.
NCJacket
September 3rd, 2010
2:20 pm
You don’t see this happining under Paul Johnson’s watch! Say what you will but our guy runs a clean , disciplined program and wins. If this keeps going we can have the annual game at the Athens Clarke County lockup.
Flyin' Dawg
September 3rd, 2010
2:21 pm
SO PJ has no arrests either? Give me a break NCJacket.
Soy Boy
September 3rd, 2010
2:21 pm
Hey Jeff,
Show Richt how much better your system is, than his. Just go ahead and list all the players you think are ‘good’, then the ones who are ‘bad’.
Show him how simply doing things your way is.
then we can all track their results and see just how much better your judgement is than Richt’s.
Tell you what, just list 20 ‘good’ players on the team, who you are certain using your system will turn out ‘good’.