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
Mike Bobo 17 INT
November 2nd, 2010
11:52 am
Jeff, just to let you know, the AJC is not the only media source calling out the choke sign, there are many other professional sports outlet calling out Grantham’s gesture.
Matter of fact, I suspect Jim Rome is going to get ahold of this and this will be additional fuel for his anti UGA fire.
Dawgfan
November 2nd, 2010
11:53 am
Schultz is trash from California. What do you expect?
PDX Dawg
November 2nd, 2010
11:53 am
whole lot of false rage going on here. pretty sad. would hate it if anyone got their feelers hurt during a football game. give me a break. too mnay people playing the victim these days.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
November 2nd, 2010
11:56 am
Just in case Doggie nation thinks this is only local:
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Georgias-Grantham-seemingly-gives-Florida-kicker-choke-sign.html
http://leeinks.weei.com/sports/2010/11/02/georgias-defensive-coordinator-todd-grantham-gave-choke-sign-to-florida-kicker
http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/Georgia-coach-assistant-Todd-Grantham-caught-on-TV-giving-Florida-kicker-choke-sign-110110
Any everyone wonders why the entire country despises and disrespects this progam so much. It is an automatic.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
November 2nd, 2010
11:58 am
Thanks again Jeff for being objective and honest about your writings. UGA could go 0-12 and they would still try and find something positive from it, and avoid cleaning their own house.
I am looking forward to the Auburn game……should be a blowout and position UGA for .500 or worse this year. Keep writing those booster fees, please.
Dawgfan
November 2nd, 2010
11:58 am
UGA coaches have more important things to worry about. And b/c of this Los Angeles white trash reporter, they’ll have to answer lots of questions about how their play signals could be misinterpreted as choking. Schultz, why don’t you take your Enquirer reporting back to LA where it belongs and stay there?
Spurrier
November 2nd, 2010
11:59 am
Any D-Coordinator that makes Addazio’s offense look like a well oiled machine should be burned at the stake. He is court jester, and every SEC offense has had their way with his weak schemes and rah rah BS. Todd Grantham At DC=Get Gouged and Dominated.
Cameron Newton
November 2nd, 2010
12:04 pm
See you in a couple weeks pups. I am about to superman some hos in the red and black.
Producer
November 2nd, 2010
12:05 pm
So what if he did? Hell, I appreciate the passion!! At least he isn’t a walking zombie like Richt!! Enough “nice guy” from our coaches. Make this guy the head coach!
Bigdawg8
November 2nd, 2010
12:05 pm
Mike Bobo 17 – Why do you nerd tech fans come on here and hold your neck and say we are going to choke? Just because uga beats you every year doesn’t mean you have to live on our blogs and spout your hatred to make yourself feel better.
Gator76
November 2nd, 2010
12:12 pm
So what about the so called celebration by the Florida players when it looked like we won the game. What do you say about Ealey spiking the ball after his touchdown run right in front of the ref? Why that didn’t receive a penalty I’ll never know!!
gatorsforcmr
November 2nd, 2010
12:19 pm
Did he really say on his show last night that it was a play call by Grantham???
Nate McLouth
November 2nd, 2010
12:23 pm
Who cares. Where the hot guys at?
OregonQuackAttack
November 2nd, 2010
12:24 pm
I am not a UGA fan or a Florida fan or a fan of any SEC team for that matter but I find it laughable at the number of naive UGA idiots trying to rip Mr Shultz for simply doing his job. This story is not on the front of the AJC nor is it in a column. It’s in a blog! If this had been my team I would be embarassed! Quit trying to make excuses for the fact your program is in shambles and your coach should be chased out of town. When you can actually put together a perennial winner with those top 5 recruiting classes you have every year I’ll listen to what you have to say. Until then kick rocks…
From Where I Sit
November 2nd, 2010
12:25 pm
Classless, as just what Spikes did last year.
Bottom line, UGAY lost so KICKER TREAT!!!!!!
LMAO, BTWM THE MORON OF A COACH NEEDS TO BE HANDLED BY THE NCAA!
Better team Won, as Gators win the East again in 2010!
Enough Said!
sweetmanleybrown
November 2nd, 2010
12:28 pm
Welcome to Meltdown Nation!
timthebrave
November 2nd, 2010
12:29 pm
Did he threaten to choke the punter? Why is this a story? Am I missing something? The kicker made the kick…It was less distracting than a time out…. I really honestly don’t understand how that is any worse than calling a timeout as the kicker is running up to kick. I guess Grantham should have given the Florida kicker a good pep talk for sportsmanship sake. Give me a break
Eddie Long
November 2nd, 2010
12:29 pm
I think we need to step back and look at the big picture. Are we going to condemn a man for losing his cool around young men? I think what goes on between a middle aged man and a young adult is between the two of them.
Just my $.02
UGA rules in 2011!
November 2nd, 2010
12:31 pm
Giving the choke sign is good coaching–no big deal. Henry had choked in a bunch of earlier games and blew an easy field goal early in the Ga-fl game. Fla fans need to get over it. They were lucky to win and in 2011, Ga wins this game easy! The fla run is over!
SEC lunch links | The Fan Sportsradio 1410
November 2nd, 2010
12:31 pm
[...] Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham give Florida kicker Chas Henry the choke sign? Looking at the video, it appears he might have … four [...]
coach myer
November 2nd, 2010
12:32 pm
there i told you he did it. i here ron zook is looking for a job he’s a great def. coach.
OneEyed Jack
November 2nd, 2010
12:34 pm
Arrest him immediately…if there is room in the Athens jailhouse…
Got 13?
November 2nd, 2010
12:38 pm
Youre coaches are a disgrace just like your players are. Coach Saban would never allow someone on his staff to act this way. I here that Saint Richt hasn’t even addressed this issue yet. Weak!
Rooooooooooolll Tide!!
blahblah
November 2nd, 2010
12:38 pm
Let me get this straight, UF plays a guy that threatened to kill his g/f not once, but two times, both confirmed by the police. And yet, we’re making a big deal of a coach hoping that the dude chokes. Maybe he was referring to his defense that just gave up 34 points, or maybe it was the 4-5 record he considered choking. Coming from the cowboys this guy should be used to losing.
orlarkman
November 2nd, 2010
12:38 pm
typical of white uga trash no class bitches who got beat AGAIN FOR THE 18TH TIME IN THE LAST 21 VS THE GATORS- HEY YOU PATHETIC MUTTS – I HOPE U ENJOYED THAT AND EVERY LOSING SECOND OF THAT GAME.AND YOUR SORRY ASS RECORD-YOU’VE BEEN OWNED BY THE GATORS AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.AS FOR CLASSLESS THIS ONLY CONTINUES FROM WHAT HAPPENED BACK IN 2007 AND THAT STUPID ENDZONE DANCE-I WOULD OF THOUGHT U LOSERS WOULD OF LEARNED YOUR LESSON BY NOW-I GUESS NOT-IM JUST GLAD THAT JACKASS ISNT ON THE DALLAS COWBOYS ANYMORE-F*CK UGA F*CK YOUR FANS AND F*CK THAT JERKOFF FOR DOING THAT CHOKE SIGN-YOU SORRY ASS DOGS CAN CHOKE ON THE GATOR D*CK YOU LOSERS GO GATORS GO TO HELL UGA
Mike Bobo 17 INT
November 2nd, 2010
12:38 pm
Bigdawg8
I am not a GT fan, I am an equal opportunity hater of terrible programs and GT is worse than your program. I admire top-tier programs like Florida, Alabama, LSU, Texas, Miami and even OU. The UGA program is pathetic and it would be nice for someone from Athens to step up and admit it, but there is no chance of that, since everyone in Athens is in major denial.
Also, UGA material is just too easy. Not only have you lost 18 of the last 21 to Florida, your DC gives us more classless material with the choke sign. You just don’t get it do you?
wesleywhatwhat
November 2nd, 2010
12:39 pm
NOT a good year to be a georgia bulldog fan.
Mike Bobo 17 INT
November 2nd, 2010
12:40 pm
Athens should not even attempt to compare their arrest records with Florida. Even if Florida has more, they win national titles, UGA does not. Everyone in Athens is looking for that second title since 1980….well, it is not going to happen anytime soon.
wesleywhatwhat
November 2nd, 2010
12:40 pm
maybe grantham was saying “time to die, B*TCH!”
SC Gator
November 2nd, 2010
12:40 pm
Been a Gator since I went to UF from 1978-1983. I’ve seen the good and the bad. Watched Lindsay run in ‘80 in person when I thought we had won. Watched Spikes nail Moreno on the first play in 08, (you get the point)
I’m qualified.
The “choke” gesture thing is a NON-ISSUE
Let it go.
Cameron Newton
November 2nd, 2010
12:40 pm
Prepare for total domination. Let grantham do that to me and he will get his ass whipped. I will have time to light up a joint on my way through your swiss cheese defense. Bow to the greatness that is me.
wow
November 2nd, 2010
12:41 pm
Great job on reporting before you talk with him and make sure all the facts are straight. you know what they say when you assume…
WJH
November 2nd, 2010
12:42 pm
Georgia – lowest rated public schools but hey UGA is the number 1 party school according to Playboy -
david
November 2nd, 2010
12:44 pm
UGA has no class. Never has, never will.
Cameron Newton
November 2nd, 2010
12:44 pm
Your horrible players should have to pay me to breathe oxygen that comes out of my superior lungs. I might t-bag Murray on my way out of the stadium.
DILLIGAF
November 2nd, 2010
12:46 pm
orlarkman:
Wawawawaw…STFU, douc..bag.
Cameron Newton
November 2nd, 2010
12:48 pm
Nuts on yo tonsils. I will be signing autographs in the pocket while your inept defense tries to corral me.
Consider
November 2nd, 2010
12:49 pm
Grantham came out of a trailer park. Typical uga class act. Just more of the Bowden/Richt show.
Dawgfan
November 2nd, 2010
12:53 pm
I almost forgot, Schultz is trash
Erik
November 2nd, 2010
12:53 pm
Our coaches are at opposite ends of the emotion spectrum. Grantham puts it all out there and Richt holds it all inside (or maybe he doesn’t have any to begin with).
The bigger problem is Richt never showing any emotion. I’ll take Grantham any day over a guy who acts bored. Football is not chess.
you're garbage
November 2nd, 2010
12:57 pm
You think this is a bigger deal than a head coach who lets one of his players resume playing roughly a month after threatening to kill a woman? You think this is a bigger deal than a head coach who didn’t want to suspend one of his players for deliberately attempting to gouge another player’s eyeballs?
Why don’t you ever write your sh*t pieces on Meyer you a-hole? You’re a 2nd rate journalist at best.
Spurrier
November 2nd, 2010
12:57 pm
I wish we could play the dawgs every week. Marcus says Hi
timthebrave
November 2nd, 2010
12:58 pm
Grantham was not giving the choke signal to the field goal kicker, he was just trying to give Chris Rainey advice on how to deal with future girl friends
Native Atlantan
November 2nd, 2010
12:58 pm
It is beyond comprehension how so many UGA fans can’t ignore video evidence here. No coach should ever call out and taunt an opposing player like that.
And UGA apologists wonder why they are seen as the most delusional fan base in the country. This isn’t on a Gator message board. It’s on virtually every message board in the SEC and ACC, as well as on national sports outlets. In hight school, the coach would be fired. In the pros, the coach would be fired after being physically beaten by the other team. At any respectable university, the coach would be fired. Let’s see how Richt’s zero-tolerance policy applies to coaches.
Again, the video evidence is irrefutable folks! He’s staring at the UF kicker, with his hand around his throat, and his lips read “You’re going to ******* choke! You’re going to choke!”
Embarrassing to the state…
Eddie Long
November 2nd, 2010
1:10 pm
We need to be a more forgiving society. Who hasn’t had their hands wander into places/positions they weren’t meant to be in? I think we are all forgetting that it is hard to think clearly when you are consumed with emotions.
uga1989
November 2nd, 2010
1:10 pm
Wow, some world class lip readers here. You absolutely certain that’s what he’s saying?
NWGADawg
November 2nd, 2010
1:11 pm
Your fat friend Tony B. says football is a game of emotion, so there, who cares if he wanted that complete douchebag “Chas” to miss, we all did. Come on for Christ sake his freaking name is Chas.
Remember!
November 2nd, 2010
1:14 pm
Meyer and the UF players will remember this low class insult by the georgia coach and will be looking for revenge in 2011! Ga never learns—more low class stuff every year.
droopydawg
November 2nd, 2010
1:14 pm
Who cares?
Mike Bobo 17 INT
November 2nd, 2010
1:17 pm
WJH
Disagree with you on the UGA ranking. UGA is ranked 1st in US News in terms of education return on investment and it is a great academic school, they just need to hang up football.