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
Dawgfaninjaz
November 2nd, 2010
7:08 pm
You know what I can’t believe…that Tech fans think we really care what they think about our coaching staff, players, or AD. What I find funny is that you all actually think that because we are in a down year you are going to beat us. The “Choke” signal or whatever it was, I couldn’t care any less.
USC GAMEC0CK
November 2nd, 2010
7:10 pm
I can’t believe georgia pays grantham $750,000 per year to put a defense on the field….seriously, you call that a defense??
Seriously?
I coached little league and my defenses were way better…
georgia would have won that florida game if i were coaching the defense and believe me, i would not have been so classless as that moronic grantham eitther.
hey coach richt….call me bruh…you won’t regret it later either.
Brian
November 2nd, 2010
7:21 pm
Jeff, thank you for your objective analysis. I agree, this was contrary to true sportsmanship. Under no circumstances should coaches ever taunt opposing players. This significantly damages Grantham’s credibility to mentor young men. Imagine Urban Meyer mocking Florida State with a half hearted tomahawk chop. Everyone would go bonkers. If Grantham does not own up and apologize, it damages his integrity further, and shows the kind of person he really is.
MarcAntony
November 2nd, 2010
7:35 pm
What is funny is all the UGA fans actually holding a straight face while claiming it isn’t what it was.
You guys gotta be kidding me? Richt already admitted that’s what he was doing! Repeat after me:
There is no mystery. Our coach was out of line and showed classless behavior in the heat of the moment. It has been a tough season for all involved.
Thanks.
USC GAMEC0CK
November 2nd, 2010
7:44 pm
Who knew that georgia futbol would blow up like it has since last season when richt fired those defensive coaches…think about it…..arrests, red panties, losses, emabarassments, and now this….geesh…if this were my team i would go have a talk with them….the coaching staff especially.
USC GAMEC0CK
November 2nd, 2010
7:50 pm
the worst defense i have ever seen at georgia…i mean the worst ever….you name me one season that was worse….you can’t ….keep the grantham dude…nobody really wants him fired.
USC GAMEC0CK
November 2nd, 2010
8:02 pm
Oh and for you georgia people who think grantham will field a better defense when he gets his own players in ….yeah, you keep on believing that….I got that bridge in Arizona you can buy too.
Dr. Phil
November 2nd, 2010
8:10 pm
On top of everything else, we now have a coach yelling obscenities and making threatening gestures at an opposing team member. That plus the Georgia player elbowing the UF player in the neck. Don’t say that eye gouging is worse. It is kind of the same, and I don’t care what UF does. Georgia is the national poster child for criminal behavior and bad sportsmanship.
NoSpinDawg
November 2nd, 2010
8:17 pm
Why is this a big deal? He didn’t scream “Time To Die” or threaten to beat him up after the officials walked away.
southy706
November 2nd, 2010
8:17 pm
dude really who cares stop making a mtn out of a molehill. it is no worse then urban meyer making a gator chomp towards fans and stuff like that. it was a taunt, end of story.
klazz
November 2nd, 2010
8:23 pm
Schultz, come on. You are making too much of this gesture. You always turn a little nothing into a big deal for the purpose of a worthless article. So worthless that I quit reading and went straight to your post at the end. Get a life.
Eric C.
November 2nd, 2010
8:24 pm
Jeff, way to go dude…give the haters even more ammo. Do you think the players are a bunch of wusses? It is bad enough every bit of media is already monitored and people are fired for anything that remotely resembles a personal attack. Grantham’s conduct is not something I would expect from a coach, but it is far from being “not even close.” Good grief…
Eric C.
November 2nd, 2010
8:29 pm
USC GAMECOCK, yada yada yada. Speaking of choke jobs…how about that loss to Kentucky?
As much as I hate it, Florida is going to win the east again because they will beat the GAMECHOKES later this year.
Choke, Jeff, Choke
November 2nd, 2010
8:32 pm
Jeff, you’re a “sports writer” without a story and this diatribe reflects that unfortunate reality. It means nothing, plain and simple.
Eric C.
November 2nd, 2010
8:36 pm
USC GAMEC0CK, yada yada yada…speaking of chokejobs, how about that loss to Kentucky? Unfortunately, UF is going to win the east this year because they will beat the GAMECHOKES.
chazzo
November 2nd, 2010
8:36 pm
It was a total misunderstanding. Grantham was simply displaying the universal sign for choking because his defense was turning blue.
blazer
November 2nd, 2010
8:37 pm
Classless! -Kicker must have disregarded the sign from him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Time to Die
November 2nd, 2010
8:37 pm
WAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! He’s 21. He can drink, vote and shoot people for Uncle Sam.
He can handle it.
I wish the whole sideline felt as much passion.
Oh well, maybe after McGarity hires a new HC
Shameful
November 2nd, 2010
8:39 pm
I rarely agree with you Jeff.. but you are right.. classless.. and no way for a grown man … A COACH .. to behave… Things have to change in Athens… kids getting locked up all the time.. coaches behaving like children… and Richt, who could care less because he has made his millions.. seems to not care… SHAMEFUL
Eric C.
November 2nd, 2010
8:48 pm
“Shameful,”
Frankly, Henry was probably laughing inside when it happened. Why do coaches call time outs before FGs? They want the kicker to choke…Grantham made a fool of himself, I will agree…but it is hardly worth getting upset over and it obviously had no effect on the outcome.
Virginia DAWG
November 2nd, 2010
8:56 pm
Now, after Grantham actually admitting he was giving the choke sign and yelling at the kicker, I am disgusted and understand why our players prance and hotdog it on the field when they should make a play and then just act like they have been there before. If I wanted to see dancing I would tune in to Dancing with the Stars. If I wanted to see self promotion I would watch wrestling. I want to watch young men play hard and excel at college football….with a team mentality and respect for others. It used to be that way.
SEC Observer
November 2nd, 2010
8:58 pm
We can always count on the Georgia program to give us something to talk about.
You guys never learn and are the laughing stock of college football.
BOBBY CATHEY
November 2nd, 2010
9:01 pm
schultz you make a mountain out of a moe hill
papa johns welcoming committee
November 2nd, 2010
9:01 pm
how many pizzas will guys need if you make it to Birmingham?
Dwayne CalhounGA
November 2nd, 2010
9:03 pm
Jeff schultz you write bad stuff about the UGA coaching staff not having fire in them and when they show some fire or emotion you write bad stuff about that too?!?!?! So what do you want from them?
gunter
November 2nd, 2010
9:05 pm
Come on Jeff, give us something interesting to read. This is yet again another non-story by you………
wolfman
November 2nd, 2010
9:11 pm
Things just get worse and worse for UGA… AD grabs the red panties and the coach grabs his throat.
net
November 2nd, 2010
9:12 pm
So overanalyzed and singled out…by the media..he wanted him to miss like he had before…the game was at stake…come on…an awesome “come back” and no one on the sideline wanted that to go for naught…leadership and calmness under pressure…yeah maybe… but good grief we idolize the visor throwing, chair chunking, out of the dugout in your face guys all the time. get a grip
Howdy
November 2nd, 2010
9:15 pm
What’s wrong with you Jeff? What is anyone who wants to win a game suppose to do treat everyone with mitten gloves. Where is your competivness? Where is your support? What happened to blood is thicker than water? The GUY is 21 years old ,not 10. He clearly rose to the occasion. What if he missed it I can hear it from you and kicker now, The big bad Dawg made a gesture and hurt my wittle feelings sniff sniff Its his fault i missed it come on Jeff why don’t you grow up put the purse down, sorry european shoulder bag, and grow a pair!!!!!
dawgsfan1990
November 2nd, 2010
9:15 pm
Schultz, you lost me on this one. What you’re saying is, because you didn’t have money on this game and didn’t really care who won, you weren’t giving the choke sign at the end so it’s wrong for someone who actually wanted the Dawgs to win to wish a choke on the opposing kicker? If you’re truly that self righteous, I’ll expect never to see an illegal gambling reference or some murky drug reference in any of your blogs ever again.
Howdy
November 2nd, 2010
9:17 pm
Yeah Grantham grabbed his throat,but Rainey was trying to do it first. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it wolfman
Howdy
November 2nd, 2010
9:33 pm
And one more thing Jeff its amazing how our coach Grantham is being lobbyed to say he is sorry and Urban Meyer is being praised for out coaching us with a player (Rainey) Who really needed to be kicked out of the program for his actions. HMMM something just does’nt seem right here can’t put my finger on it HMMM
gatorsforcmr
November 2nd, 2010
9:37 pm
Howdy Doody…love how you guys try to deflect bad behavior in your program by talking about someone else. Psychologists have a clinical term for that…in plain English it’s call “loser”.
Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What would Sideshow Bob do?
November 2nd, 2010
9:43 pm
Maybe he wasn’t really giving a choke sign. Just like Sideshow Bob didn’t want to kill Bart Simpson.
Bart: “Really, judge, I promise. Sideshow Bob wants to kill me. He even has a tattoo on his chest that says ‘Die, Bart Die!’
Jury: “Gasp!!!!!!”
Sideshow Bob: “That doesn’t say Die, Bart, Die. It’s German, for The, Bart, The!”
Jury: “See, he really likes the boy! He can’t be guilty.”
Note: All lines paraphrased to protect from the copywrite police.
Richard
November 2nd, 2010
9:50 pm
Mr. Schultz, so you decide to provide morale commentary on Todd Grantham , but not a written word on Urban Myer’s reinstastement of Chris Rainey. Congratdulation on setting a high moral compass for everyone else while your scraps the bottom of the barrel. Myer all week used coach speak about Rainey’s possible reinstatement. Looking at the box score you would have to conclude the Mr. Rainey’s use was well planned. I guess permanent suspension is subject to saving a coach’s job. Guess that coincedentally slipped right by you. I don’t think I will let you give me any advise on character matters.
LakeDawg
November 2nd, 2010
10:01 pm
Jeff won’t let this go, because he received such a verbal lashing from the posters on this vent. Jeff, I normally enjoy your articles even when they denigrate the Dawgs, but this article is much ado about nothing. Grantham’s actions were no worse than Meyer calling two time outs so Tebow could make his towel waiving stadium tour. In fact, it wasn’t nearly as bad. Meyer’s actions were premeditated and Grantham’s were in the heat of the moment. I admit that Grantham was wrong, but let’s not make this out to be the equivalent of Watergate…jeez.
The Ole Ball Coach
November 2nd, 2010
10:04 pm
Well big deal” LOL – Why has the AJC not ran a story on Tennessee DE J,.Smith being arrested for assault over the weekend or why Meyer let a Chruis Rainey play after threaten death to his girlfriend, where is the National organiztion of women………… No we have real news a UGA coach grabbed his neck,,,,,,” well big deal”.
gatorbait
November 2nd, 2010
10:06 pm
this typifies ga’s program. I mean come on, could you see spurrier, or saban, or paterno or bowden doing something like this? Where is your class buddy? It’s almost comical!! This dude will probably be busing tables at the varsity by this time next yr., so I wouldn’t waste alot of time writing about him anymore
The Florida-Georgia “Choke-Gate” controversy : Acrylic Sports
November 2nd, 2010
10:10 pm
[...] AJC also has a picture of Grantham giving the choke sign, plus here’s the [...]
athdog
November 2nd, 2010
10:14 pm
During the four game losing streak, the story was that our coaches had no ‘emotion’. Now the story is they are showing ‘emotion’. Good Grief!
Richt downplays Grantham’s choke sign | The Fan Sportsradio 1410
November 2nd, 2010
10:24 pm
[...] as Florida’s Chas Henry was about to kick the game-winning 37-yard field goal in overtime was indeed a choke sign. Georgia coach Mark Richt acknowledged as much Tuesday during his weekly press conference, [...]
DAWG4LIFE
November 2nd, 2010
10:25 pm
WHat else would you expect to hear from a Jeff Schultz article. I mean I found more news worthy items in Charles Shulz’s submissions to newspapers than what I read in Jeff Schultz’s ramblings. As a UGA fan and supporter I do think that it may have been a little overdone, but frankly I am HAPPY to see the passion back on the sidelines. See the fire and desire to WIN. I say kudos to CTG but just beware of the evil left cameras stalking you.
Time to Die
November 2nd, 2010
10:28 pm
gatorbait
“busing tables”?! u know he was an NFL coach, right?
he may or may not work out at UGA but he’s not a schmuck from alachua county in his first rodeo.
p!$$ off
Howdy
November 2nd, 2010
10:31 pm
gatorforcmr, you are far from a psycologists just from what i have read. Its not deflecting ,its who gives a sh*t that he did. I rather have a coach getting caught up in the heat of the moment, than a coach who knew he is putting in a potential serial killer of woman, a predator of the night. Your the type of person who would let his daughter date Rainey, O he has changed, he is not like that NOW! You might say different on the blog ,but we both know you would!
doggoneit
November 2nd, 2010
10:39 pm
YOUR WRONG! ALLS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR. LOOK UP THE DEFINITION OF PASSION!
GatorForever
November 2nd, 2010
10:40 pm
Ok, Ok…so maybe this is not a big deal to some but I just wish everyone would get all their facts straight! For whoever said it was a screen shot picture and out of context, watch the video..it is obvious what he is doing. No, it did not harm Chas, but YES it is class-less and UGA fans should expect more of their staff! If u were at the game, you would have also noticed another poor display of class when the UGA players lined up and started doing some stupid dance on the sideline while the coin toss for overtime was going on…didn’t they learn anything from that dancing display a few years back. This is just another example of the lack of control that the UGA coaching staff has on their players. As for Chris Rainey…all the facts on that were not put out but there were NO charges filed and he could have played a few weeks ago but Meyer made him sit out!!! It puts a damper on an otherwise great game because both teams played their hearts out and it was sad that someone had to lose! Just proud to be a GATOR!!!
Yellow Fuzz
November 2nd, 2010
10:44 pm
DawginLex
November 1st, 2010
3:17 pm
I wanted Richt to hire Manny Diaz but what did I know?”
NOT A LOT
drbasic1
November 2nd, 2010
10:47 pm
If you people think giving a choke sign and swearing at a ‘21″ year old is, classless in a football game, you need to grow up….who cares???
DAWG4LIFE
November 2nd, 2010
10:47 pm
GATORFOREVER…get your facts straight here is the scoop in Rainey. “Although I believe that probable cause existed for a felony charge because the facts involve an at least arguable threat, which is within the legal definition of felony stalking, the Defendant was never in a position to have acted on that threat and there is little if anything in his actions that night or in his background to suggest that he would have done so,” Gainesville state attorney Bill Cervone said …
The Victim has in fact essentially stated that she was more annoyed than threatened, and that she did not want an arrest or prosecution, only the resolution of an immediate problem.”
So Rainey PLED GUILTY to a misdemeanor that included counseling and fines. But the idea still is sick that UF would want that kind of character on a football field
Wow really???
November 2nd, 2010
10:51 pm
If we had won that game no one would even be bringing this up. I don’t care what kind of hand gesture Grantham, Richt, Bobo or the waterboy makes from the sideline if as long as they beat the gators. This season is bad enough already the last thing we need is everyone freaking out about a gesture.
GO DAWGS