SEC punishes players, but why no reprimand for coaches?
Vanderbilt coach James Franklin stated his case to Mark Richt after the game.
(Updated with SEC statement on coaches.)
Georgia’s attempt to achieve a rare exacta — 1) beat Florida; 2) win the SEC East — just got a little more difficult.
The SEC, in an expected move, has suspended two Bulldogs defensive starters — safety Shawn Williams and nose tackle Kwame Geathers — for their actions in last week’s victory over Vanderbilt. Each must sit out the first half of the Florida game. Also suspended for a half was Vandy center Logan Stewart.
Meanwhile, the conference chose not to act on the actions of Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham or Vandy head coach James Franklin. That’s odd. It sends mixed messages.
This is not to suggest either Grantham or Franklin should have suspended, and a conference spokesman wasn’t even aware if there is precedent for a coach being fined for an on-field action. But the minimum of a public reprimand certainly seemed in order.
I sent an email to SEC associate commissioner Charles Bloom asking why there was no publish discipline of any kind for Grantham and Franklin. This was his emailed response: “Matter handled internally between league office and schools.”
Coaches should be held to at least as high a standard as players. Actually, higher. They are the adults in this scenario, at least theoretically.
As for the impact of the suspensions: The Dogs’ defense has improved this season — notwithstanding a poor second half against Vanderbilt — so the loss of Williams and Geathers, even just for a half, hurts. Williams has been one of the defense’s best players, but was flagged for a flagrant personal foul in the third quarter. Geathers drew two personal fouls, one stemming from a punch at Stewart, who clipped him from behind.
Williams reportedly also was one of the initial sparks to the post-game scrum involving the two teams. Various videos from news sites have popped up, the most recent indicating that Williams was popping off after the game to Franklin, who then returned verbal fire, which brought Grantham into it. Then things exploded.
WSMV television in Nashville released raw video footage on Tuesday that showed a post-game conversation between Franklin and Georgia coach Mark Richt, who apologizes to the Vandy coach for the actions of Williams and Grantham (while also calling each a name).
Suffice to say, Richt did not intend for those comments to become public, even if he probably was right.
Here’s the transcript from the news video:
Franklin: “36 comes up, after a tough game, talking **** to me!
Richt: “Okay.”
Franklin: “Rubbing our face in it right after the game!”
Richt: “He’s a dumb***.”
Franklin: “And then your coach when I tell him about it, then he goes after me and the fight starts.”
Richt: “That’s what I thought happened, I apologize. It’s horse **** horse ****.”
Then coach Franklin finds another coach to express his feelings to.
Franklin: ” Hey, 36 after a tough game, come over and going to talk **** in my face after the game. That’s NOT how my guys do it!”
This is two strikes for Grantham, including last year’s episode when he gave multiple choke signs to a Florida place kicker. But there has been no official statement from the school, and athletic director Greg McGarity has only referred to Richt’s post-game comments, in which the coach expressed regret for the way his team acted after the win.
On the field, the Dogs definitely will take a hit in the first half against Florida next week. But they take a hit off the field as well.
By Jeff Schultz
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724 comments Add your comment
IL Jacket
October 19th, 2011
3:58 pm
Good post, SavannahDawg.
AJC is crap
October 19th, 2011
3:58 pm
Jeff,
Article should read, SEC punishes players only at UGA.
Evansdawg
October 19th, 2011
3:59 pm
All of this excitement will definitely seep into UGA’s preparations for Florida. I think people should expect a VERY focused team next Saturday that is going to handle their business. These things have a way of tightening up a program. UGA will be sharp against the Gators….and this hoopla will be the catalyst. The players and coaches know that in order to get past this little incident that they are going to have to kick a hole in the Gators, and its none too soon.
dawg3
October 19th, 2011
4:00 pm
Jeff I just called AJC and got 9 more to call to give you a raise for Professional reporting. Keep up the good work. I’m a dawg fan and Richt fan but have no love for that SO* Gratham. He should be fired. I’m also worried that UF will kick our AZZ back to Athens because every week we have some sorta BS involved with our team. Is there no control over this team.
JB
October 19th, 2011
4:00 pm
Mark Richt is 11-10 since the beginning of the 09 season up to now in SEC play, with no wins over a ranked team during the same time period. His schedule, which he does NOT control, is his best friend right now. Replace the 2 Mississippi schools this year with say LSU and Arknsas and this team would probably be 3-4. Yes, we have seen a few bright spots. Could he get this program turned around. Sure. But in big boy college football, mediocre for 3 years is 9 lives to a cat. I assume how he ends up the year will tell us if he gets an extension or is replaced. Just like this country, the Dawg nation is split on that.
Kantspell
October 19th, 2011
4:02 pm
Did Mark Richt really cuss?
AltamahaDawg
October 19th, 2011
4:02 pm
Does the ACC even have a league office?
Tim
October 19th, 2011
4:02 pm
How much more are you going to write about this, Jeff? Can’t you find something else more newsworthy? I’m going to quit reading your baloney. You have no idea what you’re writing about most of the time when it involves UGA.
Dollarbills
October 19th, 2011
4:03 pm
Dang Jeff a little touchy today aren’t ya?
Fleming Island Dawg
October 19th, 2011
4:04 pm
This stuff goes on with all teams. It’s football. Other teams just don’t get the publicity. Someone above mentioned the Fullmer Cup from last year. Who won it this year? No reporting on that probably Florida. Our players get arrested for drinking and everyone says Richt should cut them. Florida player gets arrested for same thing you never hear about it. Georgia player pushes a player in the head after that player hits him first but you only hear about the GA punch. Florida player punches AL player but he is right back the next game.
Jboy
October 19th, 2011
4:05 pm
With apologies to Teddy Roosevelt……..It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.(Teddy Roosevelt)….after all Schultz you are a critic and not a very good one.
JB
October 19th, 2011
4:06 pm
It’s Vandy and Jeff wants to be sure he’s on the side of that place, just in case a job offer came to him, teaching blogging or something…
JB
October 19th, 2011
4:08 pm
I hope we rush the field after our first TD against the Gators……………………I’m kidding….
Bham Dawg
October 19th, 2011
4:08 pm
Jeff, what is your end goal here? why are we still on this subject when it is Oct. 19th? Is it becuase it is a bye week for the Dawgs and there is nothing else to write about on the subject of football? I mean you journalists are sitting here crying for justice to be done esp. against Georgia players (even though a player almost got his knee blown out by a cheap shot, so I have to agree with Mr. Geathers on his stance) but yet those actions that happened in the game (cheap shots, cut blocks, punches thrown, etc.) happen at every level of every college football game. And shockingly enough it happens at the High School level and just to let you know it probably happens at Pee Wee level as well.
So now justice is served and two starters on Georgia’s team are suspended. That’s great and you got what you wanted.
Now the next tragic step that is going to happen is that Georgia looses to Florida and you and the rest of the journalist posse are going to be screaming to fire Richt. Even though you (but not only you obviously, there are other journalists as well) probably have had some sort of fraction of responsibility for that hypothetical chain of events (Georgia loosing to Fla. because two key players are suspended) to happen because this is the only “sensational” thing to keep reporting on. So basically back to my original question, what is your goal here? Please don’t hide behind the “I am just reporting the news” shield. That left town quite a while ago.
Blind Homer's Odyssey
October 19th, 2011
4:09 pm
I guess I really am blind as it just now occurred to me that the bug-eyed temper tantrum just elevated Grantham past St. Richt’s sainthood to deity? I must have missed the meeting. The majority of the perspectives apparent of us blind homers is that God Grantham was sacrificing his dignity, such that it is, in protection of his poor little defenseless motormouth and enforcer. Of course perspective is a narrow thing with us blind homers. We don’t see the just to the brink of flag dropping celebrations and exuberant dances after tackling a guy downfield as either offensive or ignorant. We also don’t see the jaws working and all of the other after whistle shenanigans as anything other than God Grantham’s inspiration. Of course, if a ref finally gets enough of the cumulative effect and finally drops his hankie it is only because Richt has always had a discipline problem.
Then in the end God Grantham gets to increase his legend with the blind homers by justly dispensing his wrath upon a vicious attacker to his flock. Never mind that the receiver of the attack had kicked sand into the eyes of the Great Satan Franklin. Never mind that he had coached and turned a blind eye himself to his own defensive player’s post-whistle handiwork, actually even blessed it by not even pulling the player for receiving the wrath of the referee. All can see that this is all the pretender St. Richt’s fault for not excusing these sinners and the newly deified Grantham’s star is on the rise.
Head Coach Grantham, Georgia’s Grantham, the True Dawg Fan’s champion and defender of the faith (albeit via taunts and tantrums), these are all being whispered and bandied about. A fine representative of a fine institution.
Lakedawg
October 19th, 2011
4:11 pm
Schultz—It’s a good thing that you write for an Atlanta newspaper and that Dawg fans are tolerant of your inept articles. If you were in Alabama you would be hanging from one of those dying oak trees. Ypu don’t have to write anything positive about the Dawgs, but man every little chance to geta dig at the program. Try being objective occassionally.
And Slive suddenly starts dishing out suspensions after letting all kind of crap go the klast two years, go figure. Anyway Schultz you did your part .
5 Time National Champs Nebraska
October 19th, 2011
4:14 pm
keepinitreal
October 19th, 2011
3:46 pm
Wow.
Someone from Nebraska just called us rednecks.
———————————————————————————————————————————————–
Only the ones that behave like rednecks.
Calhoundawg
October 19th, 2011
4:16 pm
Come on, Jeff, you keep responding to lesser posts than mine, but you won’t answer my question. For the 400th time, why didn’t/haven’t you addressed the behavior of James Franklin, which not only contributed to, but for all intents and purposes initiated, the incident with Grantham. How ’bout if I throw in an “I know you are, but what am I?” Those are the type of posts you have been responding to, but not mine. Why? While your lily-livered self doesn’t answer my first question, go agead and don’t answer this one; Since when does a clipping penalty incur a 1/2 game suspension. Thanks so much. You’ve been a great help ……….. NOT!!!!!!
Mark Richt
October 19th, 2011
4:17 pm
Shultz….You are a dumbass.
Russ, the Temporary Mascot
October 19th, 2011
4:18 pm
When I was just a little puppy I met a fan who called himself Dawgarithm and I found out he was once head of the math department. He would get down on his knees and bark and slobber and lift up his leg like he was going to wet fans from the other team but – this is important – he never wet anybody. This was acceptable behavior then and remains so now. I don’t see the big deal with Coach Grantham since he never got his hands on anybody and no charges can be brought. It’s the new game day experience and now it’s just a little more Miami-like than we’re accustomed to.
Richard Hungwell
October 19th, 2011
4:20 pm
2 questions,
1st – What is an ACC?
2nd – Don’t good reporters and good writers find worthy topics and write unbiaised articles?
gdawginkalamazoo
October 19th, 2011
4:22 pm
Franklin “That’s NOT how my guys do it!”
No your guys try to end other guys careers. I didn’t hear him apologizing for #60’s cheap shot. You won’t see that on film. Franklin you are the supposed man on the field disregard #36 and get off the field you idiot. Instead of crying about it on the field call Coach Richt on Monday and tell him what went on. That’s they way a professional coach would have handled it.
Dawg48
October 19th, 2011
4:23 pm
Hmmmmmm it looked like shultz was getting a littlle up set at some comments maid toward him! Glad their was not a camera on him he may have looked like GRANTHEM did last sat night defending himself and the ajc! Thatwas not very ” classy” to tell a customer to click some where else or call a customer a liar!
Mildly Amused
October 19th, 2011
4:23 pm
Q: What’s funnier than using a phallic pun as your screen name while posting on a penal colony blog?
A: Todd Grantham.
HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!
Jim
October 19th, 2011
4:24 pm
If the officals had ejected Geathers and the Vandy Center and taken control of the game the rest would never happened. It didn’t happen that way now lets get ready to turn the table on the annual beatdown from Florida. Chokedawg….is that you Nancy Grace?
shultz fan
October 19th, 2011
4:25 pm
this article stinks! Just started reading the Augusta paper for a breath of fresh air. chronicle.augusta.com/sports/uga
Evansdawg
October 19th, 2011
4:25 pm
EXACTLY g-kalamazoo!!!! Exactly! Thats how its supposed to be handled, but he took issue with the player immediately after a super-charged emotional game while still on the field. That was Franklin’s inexperience and immaturity working against him. He drew the ire of the wrong coach….TG.
Joe
October 19th, 2011
4:26 pm
Jeff~
This is the wussification of America at it’s finest and Slive the NCAA and yourself are leading the way. This is football people! Not a polite society game. The coaches shouldn’t be reprimanded and if the SEC is going to punish Geathers they should suspend all that punch. (See the Florida player against Bama) If they are going to suspended Williams which 99% of people would say is stupid then they should have suspended Fairley for his hit on Murray last year. They are picking and choosing and don’t have a standard for what they are doing. Auburn (Could be any school in the SEC in the hunt for a NC) gets preferential treatment on all accounts last year to make the SEC $$ while UGA and VAndy are not in the hunt so suspensions. Why don’t we put flags on the boys and take tackling out!! You people amaze me. Jeff………….you don’t know football. I am betting you never played and if you did you didn’t play at a high level.
Bill Stanfill
October 19th, 2011
4:26 pm
How ’bout those Nebraska CornDawgs!!?
Rusty
October 19th, 2011
4:27 pm
Jeff, you’re a tool.
Jonathan
October 19th, 2011
4:27 pm
Jeff: Why not a comment on Franklin’s behavior. I am particularly taken by his comments that he seldom has any regrets and that he thinks all of this through beforehand. Does this mean he came to midfield looking for someone to bicker with?
"Chef" Tim Dix
October 19th, 2011
4:28 pm
For those who dare to compare what happened here and what happened the next day?
Please.
McDawg
October 19th, 2011
4:28 pm
??????????????????
GAINESVILLE — Junior linebacker Jon Bostic will not be suspended for the swing he took at an Alabama player on Saturday, coach Will Muschamp said.
Bostic was assessed a personal foul late in the second quarter after he and Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker, who was blocking him on the first-down run, continued to battle long after the whistle had blown. Bostic missed on a wild punch and was promptly pulled from the game, with an irate Muschamp meeting Bostic on the field to scream at him. Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron scored on a 1-yard sneak on the next play.
gdawginkalamazoo
October 19th, 2011
4:29 pm
Jeff, the SEC would have had to reprimand Muschamp or suspend him for using foul language and cussing out the refs at the Auburn game. Thank ESPN for that write up they did on Muschamp or Grantham would have been suspended.
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
October 19th, 2011
4:30 pm
So this is the easy button crowd. The real story…a HC from Vandy complains about a thug player from UGA. Then a Coach from UGA talks up for the Thug player to the HC. There was a time when the HC from Vandy would have picked up the phone on Monday and called the HC at UGA to discuss what happened and those two would have either agreed on a resolution or agreeded not to agree!!! Thugs have taken the game and no class can be found and that my college football fans is the real problem but then again just look at this country. Hell…everybody wants to play two innings regardless to whether they’re worth a sheet or not.
gdawginkalamazoo
October 19th, 2011
4:31 pm
McDawg, I think it has to connect to be meaninful. Kudos to Muschamp though for pulling the kid. Franklin should watch that film.
Strange Murphy
October 19th, 2011
4:31 pm
Hey Jeff! You’re a dumb arse!
@SavannahDawg
October 19th, 2011
4:32 pm
A agree with alot of what you had to say. But, I think what alot of the Dawg fans are upset with is the disparity in which the NCAA and the SEC hand out punishment. Takio Spikes intentionally tries to gouge out one of our players eyes and the SEC does nothing. Nick Fairley spears our QB in the back after Murray has already thrown the ball and is unpunished. He also crashes into his leg after a pass in which could have easily taken out a knee. The NCAA suspends AJ Green for 4 games for selling a jersey but does nothing when Cam Newton’s dad is trying to sell his son for a 100,000. And it’s not just UGA getting a raw deal. While Auburn will apparently keep their championship, Tech will not, and it wasn’t that Tech did anything all that serious, just that the mighty NCAA did not like their cooperation, or lack of. Honestly, both of the UGA suspensions are the result of retaliations and were not premeditated.
jddawg
October 19th, 2011
4:33 pm
Coach Grantham has all the support in the world from me. As a strong Bulldog supporter for years, I was one of those many fans who have argued that we need an emotional coach with some fire. Hopefully those bashing CTG are not the same ones who argue for Coach Richt to be more emotional. To be quite honest, as much as I support CMR and want to win with him at the helm, I am extremely disappointed in the comments he made and his failure to support his players or staff. Maybe that has been the unseen fall of the red and black over the years. Then again, those statements are being reported to us by Jeff Schultz with the AJC who obviously doesn’t know his butt from apple butter.
Roark
October 19th, 2011
4:34 pm
What is with your moral high horse JS? Seems that the tone of this highly judgmental/ultra critical piece is way over the top for a sports blogger at a left-wing, below average daily…..and Leave it to you (suffice to say) to spread around info that you knew CMR didn’t want to be made public.
Bill Stanfill
October 19th, 2011
4:34 pm
Wet Willie–
How much have you had to drink? You’re weaving all over the road. Better pull over and take a nap.
7576DAWG
October 19th, 2011
4:34 pm
This mess has been going on for 5 days now . Nothing like diverting from the real problem which is why can’t Bobo and Murray get the ball into the end zone when we get into the red zone. Why did Walsh have to attempt 6 field goals? We should have beaten Vanderbilt by 3 touchdowns just like we should have beaten South Carolina by 3 touchdowns.
Rich
October 19th, 2011
4:35 pm
ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? Nick Fairley and Brandon Spikes get hall passes on intentionally trying to injure players and this week the SEC decides to get in the discipline game??? Unbelievable….
jddawg
October 19th, 2011
4:35 pm
Just for those with the AJC interested, Jeff Schultz is the only reason I read the AJC for free online as opposed to buying it each day. Your welcome.
Choke
October 19th, 2011
4:35 pm
That’s 2 strikes, Jeff? Who do you think you are to be issuing strikes? Do you honestly think anybody in the UGA athletic dept. cares about your ridiculous commentary on this overblown situation? Why does a verbal shouting matches b/w coaches need to be dragged through the public more than it has? Why would that be warranted? The majority of fans think that this should be handled in-house, like it is being handled. “Journalists” like you, however, want this to be an even bigger public spectacle. Get off your high horse, man.
Choke
October 19th, 2011
4:37 pm
testing
Harvey Updike
October 19th, 2011
4:37 pm
The only thing a Jeff Schultz article is good for is lining the bottom of your birdcage or wrapping up some dead fish. His articles are a waste of ink and the paper that they are printed on. I gave up on him years ago. http://WWW.FireJeffSchultz.Com
Born2Buzz
October 19th, 2011
4:39 pm
@AltamahaDawg – yes, the ACC has a league office but they don’t have to come out and suspend players from teams. The HC for the school takes the discipline upon themselves – See the Miami story.
Harvey Updike
October 19th, 2011
4:39 pm
I think that Mark Richt was referring to Jeff Schultz when he said “He’s a dumb***”
Ben
October 19th, 2011
4:40 pm
Schultz at least get your facts straight. It was Williams who garnered two PFs not Geathers. Geathers did what anyone else would do after being blindsided, he reacted physically. Should he have said thanks and got up? Secondly, why would you publish an unsubstantiated transcription of the comments in that video? I watched it 5 times and couldn’t make out what Richt said.