Urban Meyer slammed again for Chris Rainey decision
Chris Rainey (with football, not cellphone).
Urban Meyer is still on a losing streak — on and off the field.
Any hopes the Florida coach had that the backlash over his decision to reinstate wide receiver Chris Rainey would fade pretty much imploded again.
The latest slam comes from Carol Wick, who runs a domestic violence shelter in Orlando. Wick told Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: “I think somebody in sports has got to take a stand. Given Urban Meyer’s well-known moral values, I think it would do a lot of good if he were the first coach to step up and say, ‘No, this is unacceptable behavior. I wouldn’t tolerate it in my home. I wouldn’t want it to happen to my daughter and I’m not going to tolerate it on my team. Violence and threats against women are not acceptable.’ ”
Urban Meyer: Not making friends.
The background: Rainey, the Gators’ wide receiver, sent a text message to his estranged girlfriend: “Time to die, [bleep].”
When Wick was informed that Rainey has been painted as a good guy by Meyer, she responded, “Good guys don’t send threatening text messages telling their girlfriends that it’s time to die.”
Rainey was suspended indefinitely but partially reinstated last week. The expectation is that he will play in Saturday’s game against Georgia in Jacksonville. Meyer said he’ll make that call on Thursday.
The Florida coach, whose team has lost three straight, tried to sound like the tough guy again today. He didn’t pull it off. Speaking on the weekly SEC coaches conference call with media members, he said: “As of now he has done everything he’s supposed to do. … We’re going to keep a tight rein on Chris Rainey. He’s never been an issue before and he certainly better never be again.”
Meyer also echoed some the remarks he had said on Tuesday, saying that the bye week will “result in some changes” to the offense.
Also this: Rainey would play both wide receiver and running back.
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Previous Georgia-Florida posts
♦ This is the week Georgia’s defense needs to step up
♦ Dogs’ key to beating Gators: QB, defense or something else?
♦ Early Georgia-Florida primer (and why Meyer is catching heat)
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361 comments Add your comment
Dawg Tired
October 28th, 2010
10:58 am
While I see Marietta Gator, whose first comment appeared yesterday afternoon at 1:53 has been properly chastised by others. However, I am reasonably sure that Marietta Gator is not really a Gator because that would require him to have actually graduated from college. His inability to comprehend the seriousness of Rainey’s conduct is astounding. Anyone with a college degree, even one from the University of Florida, would have better analytical thinking abilities than he has demostrated.
Preston
October 28th, 2010
11:45 am
To be honest, I think this is another situation that’s blown way out of proportion. It sounds worse than it really is. Does anyone believe that he was actually going to kill the girl or do you think (like me) that he was just talking s@#$ to show how pissed he was at her for whatever reason. I haven’t read anywhere that he has a violent record or even a record at all so I’m not ready to condemn the kid for what he texted to the girl. He deserves to be reprimanded but give me a break. It’s not like he stole a dead girl’s credit card or something like that that we hear out of Gainesville.
Gator Mike
October 28th, 2010
1:11 pm
I agree with everyone that Rainey should not be on the team, and I am a loyal Gator. There may or may not be more to the entire situation. None of us really know. Also note the the president of UF and Foley have made the decision on Rainey. I have not cast a stone at UGA because some of their guys got in trouble. Nearly all of us who went to college and even high school did something stupid. Rainey crossed the line, and most of the comments directed at Coach Meyer cross the line of decent competitiveness.
I recommend the UGA Fans worry about UGA and the same for the UF fans only worry about the Gators. For the UGA fans who live in Fl and hate everything about Fl, please go back to GA which is alos a great state. The same for my FL brethren.
Go gators beat the DAWGS!
Gator Mike
October 28th, 2010
1:20 pm
Dawg Tell, I totally agree with you. You are a class act. All the best.
Jeff
October 28th, 2010
5:32 pm
Georgia fans are so full of it! Meyer should have kicked Rainey off the team without a doubt. But let me ask a question. How many players has UGA had arrested JUST THIS YEAR? Your whole freaking team was recruited from a jailhouse!
Sports Review
October 28th, 2010
9:20 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Wagtheworld.com » Florida’s Meyer: WR-RB Rainey will play against Dogs; K Sturgis out – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)
October 29th, 2010
3:47 am
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Lisa
October 29th, 2010
1:35 pm
Ok, when is it time to make these athletes take responsibility for any of their actions. They are just passed along from the time they are kids to the time they are men, playing pro sports. You end up with Mike Tysons, who rape women, and Rothlisbergers who are accused of sexual misconduct not once but twice, Michael Vicks who are just as disgusting. You have these kids that can barely read, or write and have no social skills but are elevated above everyone because they can throw a ball, score a touchdown, or knock someone out. When will it ever stop when we have coaches like Myers and many others who are willing to turn a blind eye. So it is only when something horrible happens when we take a stand, but no one will take a stand before the horrors happen
Pmanissoopa
October 29th, 2010
3:25 pm
Marietta_Gator – may I suggest that you recall the murder of student athlete Yeardley Love at the University of Virginia by another student athlete? Anyone who threatens the life of another individual (especially a male threatening a female) should be expelled immediately from any school.
Urban Meyer has really exposed himself without any defense on this one.
18-3 "Time to loose Bit$#"
October 31st, 2010
12:06 am
I love it
Utah Pete
November 2nd, 2010
4:24 pm
Urban Renewal has no morals. He only has a public image. Utah is a much better place without his and his wife’s phoniness. If you cannot win with integrity, you really do not win. Urban Renewal has never won a thing…