It’s not always fun being No. 1
The glare of the spotlight often isn’t very flattering.
Over the weekend, an Associated Press story widely reprinted in newspapers across the country and on numerous Web sites became the latest of many recent media examinations of the Florida Gators’ rap sheet during the Urban Meyer era.
The numbers are probably better known than Tim Tebow’s stats: 24 arrests of Gator football players in the four years since Meyer became head coach.
Of course, Florida is many folks’ preseason pick as No. 1, and this kind of attention comes with the territory. This time last year, it was the Georgia Bulldogs occupying that lofty perch and it was a string of UGA players’ arrests that was getting much media attention.
By August, when the AP and coaches polls made UGA the official No. 1, a friend who lives in New Jersey told me that on sports radio talk shows up there the Georgia team was being portrayed as a lawless gang of thugs assembled out of prisons just to win a championship. (Yeah, I know. Sounds like the pitiful rants of Georgia Tech fans who can’t find their own blog.) I pointed out to my friend that many of the arrests in question were actually traffic violations or typical alcohol-related college student stupidity.
So now it’s Florida’s turn. The AP story pointed out that other schools have had arrest problems and noted that Georgia has more arrests over the same four-year period (30). Fortunately, though, Mark Richt’s players seem more focused this year and aren’t getting in trouble as much as in recent off-seasons (and let’s hope they keep it that way).
The bottom line is that nobody’s picking the Dogs to be a national championship contender this preseason, so their arrest numbers are no longer of interest outside the Bulldog Nation. Tennessee is close behind the Gators with 21 arrests, although that’s sort of lost amid the Lane Kiffin Follies. And the Vols aren’t anyone’s preseason pick, either.
The Gators are No. 1, so they’re in the spotlight. And it doesn’t help that some of their transgressions during the Meyer tenure have been a tad more sensational, involving AK-47s or a dead girl’s stolen credit card.
Is it fair that the No. 1 team’s off-field activities come under greater scrutiny than other teams? Nope. It wasn’t last year and it’s not now.
But that’s the way the media game is played. So this year the Gators are the lawless gang of thugs assembled out of prisons just to win a championship.
And the Dawgs are flying under the radar.
I think I like it better that way.
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139 comments Add your comment
Dawgs09
July 6th, 2009
10:51 am
Under the radar is where we need to be. Enough said.
MiltonDawg
July 6th, 2009
10:56 am
exactly, let all the attention focus on UF. We will be the “dark horse” this season. 2 months baby!!!
T-Rav and the Eastside Grainger
July 6th, 2009
11:04 am
Except Florida actually does win championships. Just thought I’d point that out.
reality is
July 6th, 2009
11:06 am
Most of the Gators “transgressions” took place in 2007 and prior. The few that have happened this offseason have been extremely minor. So yes the media spotlight is going to shine large.
Just look at what Bill himself did…try and imply that the 2 most aggregious offenses (AK 47 and Credit Card) of UF players were actually recent when in reality they weren’t and have nothing to do with the focus of this year’s team.
Gordon
July 6th, 2009
11:09 am
You guys are pathetic. You make fun of Tech (”pitiful rants”) because of how they pick at you about non-football related things since they can’t beat you consistently on the field, then you turn around and do the exact same thing with Florida.
Tech should shut up until they can at least hold their own with Georgia, and Georgia should do the same with Florida. Georgia fans are not any different than Tech fans, and that includes going to their blogs as much as they come over here.
Thurman Merman
July 6th, 2009
11:13 am
Gordon is gay. I think I’ll make him some sandwiches.
Ben
July 6th, 2009
11:19 am
Gordon… I don’t think you read the article. It says that UGA has had more arrests in that time, although less have been beyond a misdimeanor. We’re not talking smack, it’s just a fact that the gators will be scrutinized most because they are a consensus number one. That’s just the way it goes. Don’t get into a hissy because of it.
DawGone
July 6th, 2009
11:20 am
I like the Gators good enough, they are an SEC team, we All make mistakes. What’s up with that lawyer they all use ? Google “Huntley Johnson” and you can read a disturbing appellate court decision regarding him. UGLY ! http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data2/floridastatecases/app/app1_7_2001/00-2040.pdf
coachdawg 2000
July 6th, 2009
11:26 am
Being #1 is alot more fun than having to deal with our guys talking about “this year will be different” and “we have excellent leadership and we’re working harder than ever”. These are mantras of the teams on periphery. I’m tired of being a wait till next year team (i.e. chicago cubs, bad news bears,etc.) The fact is every 4 (2000-Donnan’s dream team, 2004-Davids as seniors, 2008-knowshon/stafford show) years we are hyped and without exception we wilt under the glare of the spotlight. I would like to see our guys live up to expectations when they are expected to challenge for the MNC. I would like to be where the USCs, Oklahomas,Texas’, and unfortunately the floridas are. They get preseason hype and they are in the mix until at least first week of december most years.
Tim Tebow
July 6th, 2009
11:31 am
God Bless
YoungDawg
July 6th, 2009
11:41 am
Gordon,
Bill was just illustrating the point when you’re ranked pre season #1 any blemishes you have will be reported on. This time it just happens to be FL. The he called out the Tech fans that would rather comment negatively on a UGA related blog rather than posting on a Tech blog. Personally as a Dawg I get sick of all the Gator hype & don’t like that the media puts Meyer & Tebow on a pedestal. However if we can start beating them on the field then that will all work itself out! So while it’s annoying to see an archrival get all that attention there’s not much you can do especially when they’ve earned some of it. On the other hand there’s some Tech still blogging about beating us the first time in forever! I hope there weren’t any Bulldogs on Gator blogs 6 months after we beat FL in 07 gloating about that victory! I shouldn’t be surprised because usually when Tech, SC or Clemson beat UGA it’s a historical event for them!
Pi$$onaDawg
July 6th, 2009
11:44 am
Bill hope you enjoyed the 4th, but I am sure it was different with your son in DC. Did he come home for the holiday or go to the MALL for the celebration? The arrest thing is getting funny at all schools and could truly be ever higher. We are talking about kids that are away from home for the first time but that is not an excuse for Guns, Bombs, Rape, Assult, and Drugs.
dawgfanatic24-7
July 6th, 2009
11:44 am
A preseason #1 means nothing. Its finishing #1 that matters. Let Fla have the target on their backs this season. I like where we are to be honest.
Pi$$onaDawg
July 6th, 2009
11:58 am
Yes, Bill this TECH fan will continue to post on the UGA Blog because the UGA Grad running the TECH Blog never post anything. You can all laugh and say it is because there is nothing to report, but this Blog has talked about bumper stickers, eating, and your first game in Athens. The Tech Blog man just doesn’t try to fill space, but he doesn’t try to keep people coming back and talking either.
Thurman Merman
July 6th, 2009
12:11 pm
Pi$$onaDawg sounds irritable and unhappy with his life. Everyone should make him some sandwiches.
coachdawg 2000
July 6th, 2009
12:12 pm
Bill,
Congrats on continuing to call out these tech dweebs for going on our blog instead of their own. They are 3rd class citizens in this state. Their grads usually retrun to their home conutry to be tech support guys for the computer companies. So their tiny fan base must try to discuss topics on our blog becuase there are probably more georgia southern fans in this state than techies and we know they have a more relevant history in the last 50 years than tech (except techs pathetic 1990 season) they would not have outright won acc if clemson wasn’t on probation.
Huh?
July 6th, 2009
12:15 pm
Florida is also one of the worst teams in the SEC as far as ON FIELD behavior. They are always the biggest smack talking punks on Georgia’s schedule. I got a big kick out of how they were playing the poor innocent victim with the 2007 excessive celebration incident about a year ago. They got as many personal fouls and unsportsmanlikes in that game as we did. They were jiving in some UGA player’s face after every single play and pushing and shoving long after the play had been blown dead. 2008 was no different. How in the hell Brandon Spikes didn’t get flagged for taunting Moreno after that first play I will never know. Oh I get it, it ain’t bragging if you can back it up, right? Sure thing. We’ll just see how long that holds true. What goes around comes around in college football. That’s what’s so great about it. Good luck with the preseason #1 Gators. You’ll need it.
Gator Growl
July 6th, 2009
12:15 pm
Being #1 is only fun when you can back it up. And I can tell you, it can be a WHOLE lot of fun! As far as the negative part, everyone is always trying to take down the champ, whether it be negative publicity, false accusations or stupid rumors (wish I had a dollar for every Urban Meyer to Notre Dame “story” I have read on rivals blogs). As far as Florida arrests, 5 years from now it won’t even be a footnote if this year results in another championship. Some people are trying to weave this into UF being the next ThUg U, but unlike Miami, you won’t find our team embracing the image while coaches look the other way. And you won’t find us getting off the plane in fatigues or having bling wearing rappers on the sideline. What you will find is a program trying to get better and doing the best to minimize these situations.
Kenny Powers
July 6th, 2009
12:20 pm
My awesomeness is more awesome than a crocodile posing as a gator.
coachdawg 2000
July 6th, 2009
12:23 pm
Gator hurl err growl,
You are the new thug u. get used to it. urban meyer is a classless dweeb and i for one hope that little lane-y puts it on yall. maybe we can get some shots of urban pulling his pants up like in 2007 or tebow crying, or urban picking his nose with his thumb. go blog on the gainesville sun site and leave the junkyard bawg to fans of the georgia bulldogs. You have your own area. and as far as people trying to tkae down the champ you guys have been the benefactor of espn’s man-crush on tebow and your team to a sickening level. so go and email jesse palmer while he waxes poetic about being a gay-tor and herbstreit’s crush on urban meyer. 2009 florida is crushed by their own hype.
Pi$$onaDawg
July 6th, 2009
12:25 pm
coachdog 2000 Why don’t you call out the dogs on the Tech blog? I like Cuz to stop by and send some fun pointed barbs. I don’t like the hate filled crap and the stupid crying. Your right the HOPE has made most colleges in Georgia bigger than TECH. The majority of students in Georgia can’t handle the riggers of the Tech core classes and that is a fact. Tech did have great years in the 50s and 60s because the GI Bill allowed servicemen go to school. Those MEN knew what the future was and it was Engineering to rebuild the US after the war years. Now, if you wish to discuss this further please respond with a real point of view.
coachdawg 2000
July 6th, 2009
12:30 pm
P….dawg,
You’re a dweeb go blog about your big weekend of watching the star wars triology and say hello to your dad at the convenience store or at the chinese restaraunt.
Helluva Engineer
July 6th, 2009
12:30 pm
Mutts need to be worried about Tech, OK State and AZ State. They will lose all three of those games. Don’t worry about FL’s preseason ranking. Just shows what a complex the Neck Jawja fans have with FL.
Silly Puppies. National Championships are for real teams.
Huh?
July 6th, 2009
12:36 pm
“As far as Florida arrests, 5 years from now it won’t even be a footnote if this year results in another championship.”
I think that about sums up the priorities of the Gator nation. Chomp chomp.
JB
July 6th, 2009
12:42 pm
UF to lose 1, My Dawgs 2- 3 ( not Tech) Tech loses 4…………
m
July 6th, 2009
12:43 pm
Funniest joke of all time was ugag being ranked #1 last year….you fools weren’t even #1 in Clarke County….certainly not in the state of Georgia or the USA.
There is a new sheriff in town…Paul Johnson….i believe you guys met him at sanford and son stadium last year….45-42…just the beginning.
Pi$$onaDawg
July 6th, 2009
12:46 pm
See, Coachdog 2000 ask a simple question to respond with class to and then you prove the stupidity you so love to wallow in. How, did you know they played STAR WARS ALL WEEKEND? You were watching too? My 7yrld nephew was watching it while I prepared the Ribs, Baked Taters, Shrimp, Corn, Hotdogs, and Burgers. Yes, My 2 sisters are Adopted Koreans and one is finishing her Doctorate in Theology & Law. The other is a great mother that lived at UGA with her Hubby and child while she drove a campus bus wearing a Georgia Tech hat before she finished her college at KSU in teaching. So, now tell me how smart your are?
Poirot knows all
July 6th, 2009
12:46 pm
Richt has found a way to cover up arrests by dispatching an attorney, in some cases, before the police arrive. In spite of that, he still had to spank the wrists of the three drug users caught earlier this year. And, Richt’s boys were second in the country last year with penalties and first with nine player arrests with a number swept under the rug.
JB
July 6th, 2009
12:50 pm
It hit me today why Tech fans hang out here and are concerned about everything said and written about the Dawgs. Because other than them of course, Who cares about Tech in the college football world. Exactly !!!! NOBODY. None of their ACC peers care for them, no national coverage to speak of.
Play on regional TV 2-3 times a year…….NOBODY CARES……AND THEY KNOW IT…………
They are second class citizens in the college football world, so they lather everyone up with “we’re smart and we’re rich BS”………….It just hit me……….NOBODY CARES ABOUT TECH FOOTBALL.
Gordon's Stupis
July 6th, 2009
12:50 pm
This is a UGA blog so we’re not like Tech whatsoever. UGA fans are commenting on a UGA blog…not going to other’s blogs like Tech and Gaytor morons do. By the way Gaytors (Tebow makes out with boys), football wasn’t invented in the 90’s.
david
July 6th, 2009
12:56 pm
I hate UF but they’ve won consistently and earned the talk. I hate the techmites because they shoot off at the mouth like they win consistently. Then again, they only have so many chances to spew verbal diarrhea(see the 12:43 post) by winning once a decade.
Helluva Engineer
July 6th, 2009
12:58 pm
Whew….mutts are sensitive today.
Must be hungover from all that Natural Light they drank all weekend.
jeff
July 6th, 2009
12:59 pm
just give it time…Kurt, Lee, and the usual cast of charaters that sleep with the Gators will be out defending them shortly
coachdawg 2000
July 6th, 2009
1:00 pm
p……dawg,
i didn’t know that there was star wars marathon. congrats on operating grill. have fun your half empty stadium this fall until we show up in november. you need to come to grips with the FACT that your football team is irrelevant. Ask bill curry why he left, or o’leary, or bobby ross. yall are a stepping stone job. NOBODY CARES ABOUT YALL!!! the more that you and the other losers hang out on our blog the more the affirm the fact that you desperate to be acknowledged as something other than academic school and that academics only applies to students not your eligible only athletes. You’ll see when pajamas gets sick of being ignored on north avenue.
cry me an f'n river
July 6th, 2009
1:00 pm
-a friend who lives in New Jersey told me that on sports radio talk shows up there the Georgia team was being portrayed as a lawless gang of thugs assembled out of prisons just to win a championship-
Sounds about right. Unfortunately for Richt they are not smart enough to carry out any assignments.
jeff
July 6th, 2009
1:03 pm
to the engineerJackette…not sensitive…just telling it like it is. same story…different decade.
JB
July 6th, 2009
1:03 pm
m……………when you mail back 10,000 season ticket request and play on national TV 4 or 5 times a year( hell, once other than against us)…..and play in a BCS bowl more than once every decade or so, then Tech will be back……………………Nobody cares about TECH FOOTBALL………1 in 8 by 3 points.
Hope your sheriff has more than a six shooter and blue pajamas…..He’ll need it…..
Joe
July 6th, 2009
1:07 pm
Tech is having a fire sale on season Tickets….buy one set and get 2 free. It also includes free drinks and a cd of “Cry me a River” that can be played after UGA visits Grants Tomb and starts another 8-0 run
coachdawg 2000
July 6th, 2009
1:08 pm
Right on JB!
imagine if all georgia had to worry about was one non-conference game per year. we play in the best conference in america , the acc isn’t even in the top 4. I’ve never heard of uga having to put billboards up to beg people to buy season tickets much less hiring an ad agency. Sad state for tech footall.
Huh?
July 6th, 2009
1:09 pm
“UF to lose 1″
Making them the biggest bust of the 2009 season. Have you seen the schedule? Tennessee has a new coach and Georgia is in a rebuilding year. Winning the East should be a walk in the park. They don’t play Alabama or Ole Miss. They get Arkansas and Mississippi State instead. They’ve got one of their usual conveniently timed off weeks before going to LSU. That should be an easy W for the defending champs. And as for out of conference, lets just say that Tebow’s stats might take a hit this year because Meyer might actually play his backup for once. This is one of the more laughably pathetic SEC schedules than I have seen in a long long time. I see absolutely no reason whatsoever why the Gators should not go undefeated with all of their returning starters and a Heisman trophy winner at QB. NONE. I expect double digit victories in all of those contests too, except for maybe the LSU game. Anything less than the foregoing and they should lose the #1 ranking immediately.
Jefferson
July 6th, 2009
1:09 pm
Wonder what the excuse will be this year…
coachdawg 2000
July 6th, 2009
1:11 pm
huh,
i heard tebow is doing free circumcision evaluations down in key west this summer.
coachdawg 2000
July 6th, 2009
1:14 pm
I heard kirk herbstreit was circumcised at birth but he wants tebow to double check just in case. Janoris jenkins says “don’t tase me, bro”
SSI gator
July 6th, 2009
1:16 pm
huh
you guys complain when UF has a week off before the GA game. Now you are irked about them having a week off before LSU. How about they don’t have a week off at all. Would that finally make you guys happy? Get a life.
Buckhead Bulldog
July 6th, 2009
1:17 pm
Good one Helluva Engineer! THAT was funny…I’m seriously LMAO at my office right now.
Helluva Engineer
July 6th, 2009
12:58 pm
Whew….mutts are sensitive today.
Must be hungover from all that Natural Light they drank all weekend.
Josh
July 6th, 2009
1:18 pm
Gordon…just thought youd like to know that we lead both series between Tech and Florida…so we can say whatever we want about the Gaytors. Go Dawgs!
JB
July 6th, 2009
1:24 pm
Who will be this years “OLE MISS” for Florida ? Tebow better cry early this year.They will lose one………Might be those little doggies from Athens……..Better get a shop Vac if that happens….more tears than that field could drain….. I hate it when they cry……….
Minnesota Dawg
July 6th, 2009
1:30 pm
Has Florida ever won a National Championship after being the pre-season #1? I don’t recall it! My point is that it’s hard for anyone to stay #1 after they are the pre-season #1. They should wait till after the first couple of weeks before they come out with the poll, but I know that won’t happen because of the bottom line – money!!
Hey, P-onadawg...
July 6th, 2009
1:34 pm
…just what “riggers” are you talking about at Tech – the ones your engineers design to attach to machinery to keep them from tipping over while doing the job? Or the “rigors” of the courses you guys have to take to remain eligible? Let’s see if you know the difference?
NewnanVol
July 6th, 2009
1:47 pm
Tennessee may be a close 2nd with 21 arrests but those were on Fulmer’s watch. If you would notice, since Kiffin as taken over there have been no arrests. Say what you want about Kiffin’s arrogance, but he is changing things on Rocky Top. If only we had a decent QB.