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)
♦
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.”)
♦
VIDEO No. 2: Here’s one view of Grantham going through his motions before the kick, via Sports by Brooks.)
♦
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.
♦
Follow me on Twitter @JeffSchultzAJC and Facebook.com/JeffSchultzAJC
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,682 comments Add your comment
Bitter bitter bitter
November 1st, 2010
4:54 pm
I detect some bitterness on the blogs today. I suppose having a 4-5 record and being killed by the Gators for the 18th time in 21 years will do that, especially after being ranked in the preseason polls.
At least you won the Fulmer Cup. That’s something.
OMG . . . this is the worst gesture ever
November 1st, 2010
4:54 pm
Cmon, who cares. It isn’t as if he dropped his pants as the kick was being made.
Maybe he was hoping for Coach Creyer to choke, or his head to explode. What kind of parents name their kid Urban?
chem
November 1st, 2010
4:55 pm
I once yelled “hey batter batter swing” in a little league game and the blogosphere exploded.
blame jesus
November 1st, 2010
4:55 pm
Mark will be in church and pray for his coach. All will be forgiven.
gadawgs
November 1st, 2010
4:55 pm
Come on….This is nothing!! It’s not like CTG was coaching Pop Warner 10 year olds and gave the choke sign. These are ADULTS! Yes, college age adults but adults nontheless. The kicker is 21 years old for goodness sakes. If anyone is upset about this gesture in the heat of a football game they need to follow a different sport.
Rob
November 1st, 2010
4:55 pm
Defensive stats -take out LLa-Vandy-Tenn and they would be close to last in everything.
Terrible on pass defense and third down-did good job in third quarter because UGA offense had the ball the whole time
blame jesus
November 1st, 2010
4:56 pm
The Dawgs need to spend more time in prayer and ask for salvation. Coach Richt loves me and all will be forgiven.
Bee Lover
November 1st, 2010
4:56 pm
Just exactly what would you expect anyway?……like coach, like players……he’s a jerk, just like a lot of his starry eyed, overrated players.
Dawg Whisperer
November 1st, 2010
4:56 pm
In this world of political correctness, this is rates as mabe a 1 on a scale of 1 to 10. If this is a rally ing cry for anyone, they are hypersensitive and might consider another sport than the violence that is football. Who cares if gator fans or players are upset? If they are, get a life!
bob
November 1st, 2010
4:57 pm
But the act of calling timeout just as the ball is being snapped was a classy move used by the lord and savior CMR.
UGA = Irrelevant
November 1st, 2010
4:57 pm
UF is looking forward to playing UGA without A.J. Green next season.
Monkey Says:
November 1st, 2010
4:57 pm
Grantham is a fiery coach and that is what UGA needs to offset the laid back approach and do gooder attitude.
On the other hand I am more embarrassed by the blatent play of RAMBO with all his late hits, helmet to helmet hits, trash talking, piling on, and cheap shots.
TheAntiMe
November 1st, 2010
4:59 pm
Rooster
You’re a co ck.
Brandon
November 1st, 2010
5:00 pm
Why would you speculate on something like this until you get a response from Grantham himself? It’s a rhetorical question, of course… You did it just to stir up crap like all of you sports bloggers do. Junk like this is the reason people hate the media… It could easily be a play call, him telling players to keep their chins up, or about a million other things. Yeah, it COULD be him hoping that the kicker chokes, and expressing it with a choke sign as well. But you don’t really care what it is. What you care about is stirring the anger pot… Get a life. This isn’t “news.”
UGA = Irrelevant
November 1st, 2010
5:00 pm
“In this world of political correctness, this is rates as mabe a 1 on a scale of 1 to 10. If this is a rally ing cry for anyone, they are hypersensitive and might consider another sport than the violence that is football. Who cares if gator fans or players are upset? If they are, get a life!”
——————————
Why would UF players be upset? I’m sure they thought it was hilarious considering the outcome.
The irony of the whole thing is what’s relevant. If there’s ONE coaching staff that should think twice before taunting a Florida player, it’s UGA’s coaching staff.
gadawgs
November 1st, 2010
5:00 pm
Besides that….UGA has been unfairly penalized by refs all season and the campus police is out to shut the team down (campus police funded by donors who do not like Richt and Adams but do like fomer AD). This team should be in the hunt for BCS national title game no minor bowl game.
huckhound
November 1st, 2010
5:00 pm
Look, this is big-time journalism for the AJC. Cynthia Tucker, Mike, Luckovich, Jeff Schultz. Come on. Everyone knows he’s a bed-wetting, premature-ejaculating worm. This is not news-worthy of a blog, much less a so-called major newspaper.
Monkey on Mark Richts back
November 1st, 2010
5:01 pm
Grantham is a fiery coach and that is what UGA needs in comparison to the laid back “do gooder” CMR..
I am more completely embarrassed by the play of RAMBO with all his blatent late hits, helmet to helmet contact, trash talking, piling on and undiscipline attitude.
Rooster
November 1st, 2010
5:01 pm
UF is looking forward to playing UGA without A.J. Green next season.
___________________________________________________________________________________
I don’t know that UF really even gives a flip if UGA has Green or not….he wasn’t exactly effective. They did what all morons on the UGA pre-game show were saying UF couldn’t do…cover Green one on one for most the game.
CDAWG
November 1st, 2010
5:01 pm
Granthams D has given up less points in his first 9 games than Saban did in his first nine games in 2007. UGA has scored 3 less points in this years first 9 games than Saban did in his first 9 games in 2007. UGA this year so far 283 PF, 187 PA. Saban, 2007 first 9 games 286 PF, 217 PA. Bama rebounded just fine. We have a new D this year maybe we should cut UGA a little slack.
kirk herbstreit
November 1st, 2010
5:01 pm
Not what I’d expect out of a mark richt staff. coaches going after players in any way is wrong and can’t be conded under any circumstance.
htowngtr
November 1st, 2010
5:01 pm
@Hospitalexec
Who caught your first TD? Wasn’t that the convicted DUI guy, King? LMAO @ the hypocrisy.
cadawg
November 1st, 2010
5:02 pm
how is this a story? there is a lot to talk about after the florida game, but this is hardly noteworthy. i wouldn’t care less if meyer had done this to murray. congrats to florida for a tough win, and i’m proud of our boys for fighting hard for 60 minutes. if they keep doing that, we’ll be back where we want to be sooner than folks think.
Rooster
November 1st, 2010
5:02 pm
TheAntiMe
You’re still a delusional idiot.
BigDawg
November 1st, 2010
5:02 pm
After a game of yelling his throat was not working as well and he simply grabbed his own throat in an effort to yell more effectively. On TV he was clearly yelling….FIRE MARK RICHT!…which caused Richt to turn away in disgust as clearly shown in the picture above.
Harry from da Burn
November 1st, 2010
5:02 pm
This is the most stupidest article I have ever seen on AJC.
JMar
November 1st, 2010
5:03 pm
Who cares?
Crappies
November 1st, 2010
5:03 pm
Seriously??????
No more bad press Georgia.
No more – please!
gadawgs
November 1st, 2010
5:03 pm
Whoever took my handle and posted that garbage at 5:00 needs to do some growing up.
gadawgs
November 1st, 2010
5:03 pm
kirk i bet your mom can be conded!
kirk herbstreit
November 1st, 2010
5:03 pm
BidDawg LOL!!!!
gadawgs
November 1st, 2010
5:04 pm
Likewise with the 5:03 post.
co-nun-drum
November 1st, 2010
5:04 pm
So you wouldn’t wait for the explanation before writing this crud. Will you write a retraction when the answer comes? I doubt it.
Ed
November 1st, 2010
5:04 pm
Who cares, it is the Georgia coaching staff that choked away the first half, as usual.
kirk herbstreit
November 1st, 2010
5:04 pm
Sorry for the spelling and yes mom has been conded countless times
Too tough
November 1st, 2010
5:04 pm
Hey Jeff….ha ha ….I hope he ws giving the choke sign…lol! Good for him! Its not illegal! ha ha ha ha…..way to go TG I like him even more now! He’s my Dawg if he dont never hunt! Go Dawgs….Dawgs will be back strong! Auburn lookout!
DawgInLex Eats Idiot Sandwiches
November 1st, 2010
5:04 pm
Nothing new from THUGA University or The THUGA coaching staff. Stay Classy THUGA!
somebody's on crack
November 1st, 2010
5:05 pm
gadawgs maybe?
gadawgs
November 1st, 2010
5:05 pm
i wear a tutu and am unemployed
RC
November 1st, 2010
5:05 pm
Grantham is a douche bag! You pups should be proud. Antics like that ruin a great game!
Monkey on Mark Richts back
November 1st, 2010
5:05 pm
My fellow UGA homers,
As Bill King, and Mark Bradley have written scathing article yesterday and today about our Bulldawgs, you guys are way overboard with the beat down of these writers. No where in any of those two article was a mistruth spoken or written.
Get past the fact that this is just a lousy coached team in a lousy year and a once good program that is now average. Get over it and accept the fact we are now just average.
maybe
November 1st, 2010
5:07 pm
he was trying to put himself out of his own misery?
just sayin’
gadawgs
November 1st, 2010
5:07 pm
Jeff,
Why don’t you police your blog and eliminate the poser who is using my handle.
RC
November 1st, 2010
5:07 pm
GT is going to whip your butts then the ACC and then the National Title of America
St. Clarkston
November 1st, 2010
5:08 pm
He could be saying or doing anything there. However, if he was motioning for the young man to choke, it’s a classless gesture.
Who cares
November 1st, 2010
5:08 pm
UGA is a crappy team going nowhere. Not even Shreveport. Spurrier was right…Georgia gets all these good players but something seems to happen to them. Underperforming, undercoached, overindulged 4-5 lousy football team.
Tom, Resident Georgia Fan
November 1st, 2010
5:08 pm
The guy was nervous, clearing his throat. Enough with this politically correct bullsh*t!
wolfman
November 1st, 2010
5:08 pm
This is UGA! Should anyone be surprised???
rc is on
November 1st, 2010
5:08 pm
crack too… and I’m a GT fan.
rc is on
November 1st, 2010
5:09 pm
Enter your comments here