Grantham’s antics were over the line — it’s not even close
Todd Grantham appears to be giving "choke" sign before Florida lines up for field goal attempt.
(Tuesday, 8 p.m.: This blog has been updated throughout, now that Georgia coach Mark Richt has confirmed that defensive coordinator Todd Grantham gave the choke sign and shouted something well south of the King’s English at Florida kicker Chas Henry Saturday. Just added: Grantham quotes)
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This isn’t about football. This isn’t about how we’re just too politically correct, or about how some of us just aren’t tough enough, or how we’re all just picking on the poor Georgia Bulldogs because, you know, that’s just what the leftist, evil media does.
This is about right and wrong. A 44-year-old college coaching grabbing his throat multiple times and shouting, “You’re gonna [bleepin'] choke,” at the opponent’s 21-year-old kicker?
Folks, that’s wrong. It’s over the line. It’s not even a close call.
Todd Grantham shouting “Choke” at the opposing player doesn’t make him or his team any tougher or better. It just makes him look classless. The Georgia defensive coordinator owes everybody an apology, from the Bulldogs’ program to Florida kicker Chas Henry, the target of Grantham’s sideline antics in Jacksonville.
Dogs coach Mark Richt confirmed Tuesday what had become obvious Monday, when he was unavailable for comment. Grantham gave the choke sign to Henry multiple times and he was wrong for doing so. The picture above tells part of the story. The two videos below tell more of it. In short, Grantham — who can be a little on the excitable side, which in itself isn’t a bad thing — let his competitive spirit push him over the line of what’s right and wrong. He grabbed his throat four times while the Florida kicker lined up for a 37-yard field goal attempt in overtime.
Henry, a native of Dallas, Ga., acknowledged seeing and hearing Grantham but he made the kick anyway, giving the Gators a 34-31 win.
The above screen grab from the Florida sports cable network “Sun Sports” showed Grantham on the sideline. Below are two videos:
VIDEO No. 1: Here is Henry’s post-game interview with CBS when he references what he saw when he looked to the Georgia sideline during the timeout. Quote: “Some of their coaches on the sideline were giving me a little grief, saying I was gonna choke.”)
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VIDEO No. 2: Here’s one view of Grantham going through his motions before the kick, via Sports by Brooks.)
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It was at about 6:30 p.m. Monday night when Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun sent a note out on Twitter: “Just checked the CBS broadcast again. Todd Grantham grabs his neck and says ‘You’re gonna bleepin’ choke. You’re gonna choke’ to Henry.”
By then, it was clear that Richt had a mess to clean up, and for once it had nothing to do with his players and the Athens-Clarke County police department
As I wrote earlier, it would be understandable — even expected — that Grantham would think, “Choke!” or “Miss it!” in his head. It wouldn’t even be surprising if a Georgia player yelled, “Choke!” or grabbed his neck. But that’s not something a college coach should be doing, and Richt acknowledged that.
Grantham himself expressed regret about the incident, saying after Tuesday’s practice: “As a competitor, sometimes you get caught up in the heat of the moment. I wish the situation hadn’t happened.”
Earlier in the day, Richt also referenced that “emotions run high,” adding: “People do things they probably wish they didn’t do. I think that was what was being communicated. I don’t think he’s necessarily proud of it. We’re just going to learn from it and move on.”
Not the first thing this year the Dogs are trying to learn from.
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1,682 comments Add your comment
Willie Martinez
November 2nd, 2010
7:42 am
Finally a competent DC. Now that’s coaching right there!
USC GAMEC0CK
November 2nd, 2010
7:42 am
where is that DawginLex dude at?? I bet you are so proud right now….puke-breath…USC hopes you keep that grantham loser for a bunch of years….”and there goes Lattimore….right up the gut!!
Smart like a Fox
November 2nd, 2010
7:44 am
funny U(sic)GA is always elbow deep in crap….its one thing or another. Hey Coach, Thanks for keeping the laugh train rolling.
Jeff
November 2nd, 2010
7:46 am
Only you Jeff would find time to add fuel to the fire…..you are an absolute moron and a poster child for what sewage really looks like. I am done even giving your articles the time of day.
THIRTY FOUR POINTS to your thirty one points
November 2nd, 2010
7:46 am
USC
Yeah, where is that big-mouth dawginlex? Kinda like all mutt fans, can’t find em when they lose, can’t shut em up when they win. I guess he’s in his trailer “chokin”.
Disappointing
November 2nd, 2010
7:46 am
I know the field goal was bitterly disappointing to the dawg players and fans.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
34-31
34-21
34-21
34-21
34-21
34-31
34-21
34-21
34-21
34-31
34-21
34-21
34-21
34-31
34-21
34-21
34-21
Jesse Stone
November 2nd, 2010
7:47 am
Ask Pete Carrol if it’s a big deal, and he was an NFL Head Coach when he did it. This was perceived as immaturity at the time and was replayed over and over again when he lost his job. Can’t say I’m surprised.
What’s funny is the UGA homers trying to explain this. “Maybe he is telling the players to keep their chins up.” So damn predictable.
GatorBait
November 2nd, 2010
7:47 am
This bush league coach just added another 7 years of bad karma for the bulldogs. Too bad, Georgia had worked it’s way out of 3 of the 7 years of bad karma from Richt famous Endzone dance in 2007. Now the dawgs will have 11 years of bad karma to work off, let’s see at the rate things are going the Georgia record in 11 years will be 4-28 against the Gators. You poor bast#@$% bring all this on yourselves.
Mr. icht
November 2nd, 2010
7:47 am
This is how you coach young men who have no ability to make responsible choices?? Dawgs are a classless program without ANY scruples. Notice how close he is to Richt in the picture. He believes this behavior is acceptable to the coach. I wonder why? From Adams to Richt to the players, it is no wonder this kind of thing goes on. UGA is so out of touch with reality, even Dowdle comments that everyone in the locker room believed the best team didn’t win(except for the 50 miscues by the dawgs). WHAT? WHAT??!! This is the biography of a bunch of losers/haters whatever you want to call them.
Horsie
November 2nd, 2010
7:47 am
He just ate on campus.
Phil
November 2nd, 2010
7:49 am
Grantham is a low life clown for this type of behavior. Did Richt address this on the call in show last night? Richt hasn’t done many things right lately but canning this clown ASAP would be Step 1 in turning the program around.
ricardo
November 2nd, 2010
7:49 am
How to make a story out of a non story by Shultz. There are bigger worries for the Georgia program. I Get the choke sign every day in traffic and the press says nothing.
gtforever
November 2nd, 2010
7:50 am
You pay that GOON 750K a year….. GOOD GRIEF, what a JOKE UGA has become!
Coach Grathem
November 2nd, 2010
7:51 am
Look what I did for you:
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
34-31 makes it 3 for 21 or 3-18
buck
November 2nd, 2010
7:51 am
I guess the gators have become a bunch of whiney bitches just like thier coach urban crier.
Another waste of time comment "Jeffey"
November 2nd, 2010
7:53 am
You are like a jealous little baby Jeffey. I don’t understand why every day you and Shultz and now King, want to attack UGA coaches. They must have decided several years ago to stop giving you any inside information and this is your way of trying to bring down the coaches. It won’t work. Ritch and company will be there as long as they want to be.
GatorBait
November 2nd, 2010
7:53 am
buck
and you point is???????????????? Losers call people names they can’t beat.
GDAWGS65
November 2nd, 2010
7:56 am
The news media can fantasize anything to get attention. Big deal – let it go.
Favre's Bad Pass
November 2nd, 2010
7:56 am
A cheeky “chins up”? or a dastardly “choke” invocation? Or did he drink hemlock rather than witness the game ending field goal?
I guess we’ll never know.
Gen Neyland
November 2nd, 2010
7:56 am
This blog has been a test. Those of you that see this blog as an irrelavant waste of space have been cross-checked from previous blogs on coaches from other programs that pulled perceived bone-head stunts and your reaction to those stunts have run 74% to 26% in favor of calling out the coaches of those other programs as mean, vicious, unsportsman-like jerks. Grantham’s hand signal has run 17% to 83% as an attack on Schultzy as a total waste of time in favor of supporting the Bulldog coach. Thanks for participating in this study…
Burma Shave
November 2nd, 2010
7:57 am
The game is over
The dawgs are dead
Grantham’s the sleaziest
When all is said.
Burma Shave
Larry
November 2nd, 2010
7:59 am
Hey, Nothing else has worked this year for the Dawg’s defense. Although, that incomplete pass play they used against Florida did keep the Gators from scoring 70 points. What a coach! What a coaching staff! What a team! Fire Richt, and all his minions, now!
Justin
November 2nd, 2010
7:59 am
Clearly this board is a fantastic outlet to the most immature behavior anyone can possibly show. Grownups acting like a bunch of petty 12 year olds after their team wins or loses. Pathetic.
GatorBait
November 2nd, 2010
7:59 am
This is the perfect storm for Greg McGarity, he can get rid of both Richt and Granthem for cause.
Richt won’t fire Granthem for cause, so McGarity can fire Richt for cause for not firing Granthem. McGrarity can then fire Granthem for cause since Richt didn’t.
Look how many millions of dollars McGarity can save Georgia while getting your program back on track much earlier.
THIRTY FOUR POINTS to your thirty one points
November 2nd, 2010
7:59 am
buck
Urban “Crier” has 2 National Championships. How many does suntan boy/thug king have?
On a rail
November 2nd, 2010
8:00 am
It’s time to fire all the coaches and start over. And let Grantham be the first one to be ridden out of town on a rail.
GatorBait
November 2nd, 2010
8:01 am
Burma Shave
great work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Game Time
November 2nd, 2010
8:03 am
Doesn’t surprise me at all. No class at all in the UGA program. The low bar set for behavioral/character traits in recruiting athletes apparently extends to the coaching staff. Just pathetic.
USC GAMEC0CK
November 2nd, 2010
8:03 am
Do NOT fire Grantham…keep him in charge of that so called defense
Do NOT fire BoZo…keep him in charge of that offense at least it is better than the D.
Do Not fire Richt…he is just now really starting to hit his stride.
But do puke on Dawginlex when you find him…give him his well deserved breakfast
Reminder
November 2nd, 2010
8:06 am
There’s a reason why UGA is better known as The Cesspool of the South.
And winner of the Fulmer Cup.
Home of the moist red panties.
Sleaze piled on top of sleaze.
Sharkman
November 2nd, 2010
8:07 am
Normally Jeff your columns are pretty humorous, but, is this all you can think of to write about today? Get a life! Really!
lisa
November 2nd, 2010
8:08 am
Oh get over it gaytors..you won…now move on…GO DAWGS!
swgaboy
November 2nd, 2010
8:10 am
There’s just no excuse for this. I honestly hope that TG is brining the fire to his players on the practice field and in the games themselves. But this set a very bad example for a group of guys that already has enough issues. At one time UGA football players were taught to play tough as nails on the field but to do it with sportsmanship and then to be gentlemen off the field. That’s just not the case anymore.
You can get by with some things when you’re winning. But going 8-5 and backing that up with a 5-6 win season is going to bring every little thing under scrutiny. Things like this need to be addressed. Coaches have to be held accountable just as the players are held accountable. And rightfully so.
DOG GONE SOUR
November 2nd, 2010
8:10 am
What else would you expect from THUGA !!!
And Why?
November 2nd, 2010
8:11 am
Would any recruit want to go to UGA? This program has got to be one of the worst in the country right now.
NO Character
NO Leadership
NO Support
NO Talent Development
NO Class
NO Winners
NO Direction
NO Future
These things are cyclical and we are headed for the gutter, if not already in it. Pretty pathetic – I am not renewing my season tickets anymore (after 12 years).
dawgslikballs
November 2nd, 2010
8:12 am
Do not fire Richt.
Today is voting day, cast your vote for CMR!!!
4 more years.
4 more years.
4 more years.
4 more years.
swgaboy
November 2nd, 2010
8:12 am
Reminder….don’t know which team you pull for because you’re sole purpose here is just to bash UGA. But you have no class. You’re no better than what you are criticizing.
Choking Hazard
November 2nd, 2010
8:13 am
Enter your comments here
No apology
November 2nd, 2010
8:14 am
The fact that no one at UGA, including Grantham, has apologized for his boorish behavior means that no one cares.
Ugly incidents like this typify why UGA is known far and wide as The Cesspool of the South.
Once again: The Cesspool of the South
Vain Jangling
November 2nd, 2010
8:14 am
1088th?
Vain Jangling
November 2nd, 2010
8:14 am
Yeah baby!
JimDawg
November 2nd, 2010
8:16 am
Who cares. I wish Richt had the fire in his belly that Coach Grantham has.
USC GAMEC0CK
November 2nd, 2010
8:16 am
How can Georgia claim they are cleaning up the program then have a DC act like a 12 year old??
How can Georgia fans actually stand up for this loser?? btw, have you seen his defense?? seriously?
Georgia is a real laugher right now…red panties, choke signs, DUI, hit and run, assualt and battery, failure to appear,..etc,
Gerogia and Tennessee must recruit right at the prison gates…both are pathetic
Chihl Dawg
November 2nd, 2010
8:16 am
Wow . I can’t see why this is a big deal. Maybe if he ran out on the field and grabbed the kid. Would someone please list the rule that was broken? The average age of the responders here must be 12. Don’t be late for school.
DOG GONE SOUR
November 2nd, 2010
8:16 am
Its OK at THUGA if you are a punk just so long as you are wining !!! Win at all cost at THUGA !!!
Three Rs
November 2nd, 2010
8:17 am
“… you’re sole purpose here is just to bash UGA.”
No, my other purpose is to point out that dawgtards like you have zero spelling and grammar skills.
swgaboy
November 2nd, 2010
8:18 am
Just to keep this in perspective though, its not like he told Henry, “Time to die.”
Damon Evans
November 2nd, 2010
8:18 am
So what….
Chihl Dawg
November 2nd, 2010
8:19 am
USC GAMECOCK- Take a deep breath and stop taking yourself so seriously. You beat us twice this decade.
swgaboy
November 2nd, 2010
8:20 am
Three R’s…….whatever else you are calling yourself……..don’t have kids and don’t vote. You come from the bottom of the gene pool.