Fan talk: Richt vs. Crowell, wayward tailbacks, armed Dawgs and Grantham’s future!
Was there more to the Isaiah Crowell story than we knew? (Associated Press)
Let’s get right to some timely Junkyard Mail …
Bobby Dupree writes: Bill, I have to say I was shocked by the speed with which Mark Richt dismissed Isaiah Crowell from the team after his arrest. And I’m a little bit baffled. Why would the coach move so quickly to kick the kid off the team without even waiting to see if the charges stick or get reduced?
I’ve had that question from several fans, and unless Richt fills us in on why he acted so quickly, whatever we say is sheer speculation. I had expected Richt to wait to see what happened with the charges and then, if they were dismissed or reduced to misdemeanors, suspend Crowell for half a season. Depending on how the player reacted to that, I figured the coach would then either reinstate Crowell or dismiss him. But with Richt moving so quickly to get rid of Crowell on the same day he was arrested, I’ve got to figure that Isaiah was already on thinner ice with his head coach than any of us imagined. Perhaps there was more to last season’s troubles than was made public. The fact that Crowell also had three freshmen in the car with him and his buddy probably didn’t help matters. Richt may have seen him as a bad influence who needed to be removed. Also, I think that Richt, in acting so quickly and decisively with Crowell, was sending a message to the rest of the team. Frankly, I think if Richt had waited, he would have been only postponing the inevitable. Yes, it’s likely that if Crowell gets the felony charges reduced or dropped he’ll wind up playing for some other major school, possibly within the SEC. And, who knows, this time he might actually come to his senses and apply himself, stay out of trouble and become a star player. But I’d say there’s an equally good chance that the same deficiencies that hampered Crowell in Athens will show up wherever he plays.
Jerry Doster writes: Bill, what is it with Georgia’s tailbacks? OK, I know college kids are known for getting in trouble and our athletes aren’t the only ones crossing the line, but the string of incidents in recent years involving the Dogs’ tailback corps is really ridiculous. Dontavius Jackson, Washaun Ealey, Caleb King, Carlton Thomas, and now Isaiah Crowell — all in trouble in one way or another and all gone from the program before their eligibility expired. What’s going on here? No other position on the team has had such consistent problems. Is it time to look at the position coach and maybe ask what he’s doing wrong?
Ken Malcome and the other UGA tailbacks don't need to worry about being the next Herschel Walker. (Brant Sanderlin / AJC)
You’re not the first to ask whether any of this continuing turmoil with the running backs can be laid at the feet of their coach, Bryan McClendon, who got a hefty pay raise last year, up to $200,000, in large part because of his considerable prowess as a recruiter. There’s no denying his value to UGA in that regard. His two latest successes: Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley. Only those intimately familiar with the workings of the team can say for sure whether there’s anything McClendon could do differently that might make a difference, but it’s tough to pin the stupid things that college students do on their coaches. Still, I’d be surprised if McClendon isn’t part of some rather urgent discussions of what can be done to put an end to this. Perhaps Georgia needs to look at how it evaluates the non-football aspects of its recruits. As for Ken Malcome, Marshall, Gurley and the others stepping up to take on the seemingly cursed tailback spot at UGA, I like this piece of advice from Chris White of the Athens Banner-Herald: “You no longer have to be the next Herschel Walker. You just have to make it through college.”
Jim Parry writes: Bill, Has gun possession become another topic our athletic department staff and coaches need to address? We do not want to become the U. of Oklahoma and their Switzer-coached wild west teams. Last I heard, Americans have the right to possess firearms, with certain legal restrictions, of course. Maybe our coaches need to dig deeper as to which players own or possess firearms and just make sure 1) They are not obviously [illegal], i.e. scratched off serial numbers like Crowell’s Luger. 2) They are a legal type to possess. 3) Registered, if need be. 4) Proper permits are carried to own and/or conceal such weapons. 5) Mandate proper use education for firearms (maybe at a local firing range). 5) Find out WHY these athletes feel the need to carry around weapons in the first place (especially ones that aren’t of the weekend deer hunting variety). Do they need to pretend they’re “gangsta” in a college environment? Get ’em out of here, if that’s the case. Are they being threatened by others and feel they need it to defend themselves? Coaches, parents and maybe even police might need to know if that’s the case. Coaches, like it or not, are the closest guardians these athletes have on campus and they need to know personal information about their “kids” to help protect them. Even if it means protecting them from themselves.
Hey, remember the whole flap about the need for Georgia’s coaches to insure the kids all have valid driver’s licenses and all the effort that went into that? If they also have to take on weapons inventory, I’m not sure they’ll have any time left for coaching.
Travis Hill writes: Hey Bill, I hope and pray that we are able to keep Coach [Todd] Grantham around a long time, but truthfully in the back of my mind I am afraid he is going to be such a hot commodity that he will have a lot of options after this season. Do you think UGA would ever put the “Coach in waiting” tab on Grantham?
That whole coach-in-waiting tactic didn’t work out very well for West Virginia and Texas, so we may not see many more schools going that route. And I’m not sure Georgia would consider Grantham to be head coach material yet, based on much-publicized incidents the past couple of seasons. From Grantham’s point of view, I think it would depend on what sort of job offer he got. I don’t see him leaving Georgia simply to return to the NFL. As for a head coaching job, it would depend on where the offer came from. If it was from a mid-major or below, he’d have to ask himself if being a head coach there was really better than being a defensive coordinator in the SEC.
I’ll answer more Junkyard Mail next week, so if you have something you want to discuss concerning UGA athletics or a question for the Junkyard Blawg, send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
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334 comments Add your comment
dawgincarolina
July 2nd, 2012
9:43 am
Norcross, Re-read my post. I call out the very topics that you do: record vs UF, record vs top 20, and recent bowl performance.
UGA Insider
July 2nd, 2012
9:50 am
It could be worse we could be Penn State.
norcrossdawg
July 2nd, 2012
9:50 am
dawg” I do see that,,and I agree…Its just that we need greener grass(no pun intended). UGA can do better with a different HC..A HC that is 110% committed to the football program,,not a part time HC..This isnt high school ball…CMR just needs to resign, go do his missionary projects,,We all will be proud and happy for him..Spurrior going to Honduras to teach the gospel in July, 60 days b4 a game,,or Saban, or madhatter? NEVER,, because they are 110% committed to their programs..CMR isnt, plain and simple…I have to leave now for work..go dawgs..SELAH
UGA Insider
July 2nd, 2012
9:56 am
The seat is hot again my friends. McGarity is a letdown and Adams is a lameduck. The new president will come in and clean house I hope. CMR knows this and could not let IC stay on the team. If there are many more problems this offseason CMR may not even make it until the first game. When the new administrationt takes over I hope McGarity and CMR are let go. It’s time for Grantham to get his chance.
AltamahaDawg
July 2nd, 2012
10:03 am
Mobile, if you say that you were openly calling for the dismissal of Isaiah Crowell, because of your perceived exchange between him and the coach durring the CG, then I’ll believe you. I just don’t remember any such declaration at the time.
AltamahaDawg
July 2nd, 2012
10:07 am
UGA insider, please ask you wife to post in here, instead of you. She would probably be less emotionally unstable from week to week.
Joe
July 2nd, 2012
10:14 am
A neat trivia question. Who was the last UGA Tailback to stay four or five years at Georgia and get a degree? I do not know.
Destin Dawg
July 2nd, 2012
10:15 am
Crowell is a thug.. energy vampire .. needs to be gone.. good for Richt!! glad we have Gurley, Malcome , and Marshall .. Grantham has been around coaching long enough to know he has a super opportunity, likes recuiting, $ 900 K in Athens, Ga. is a comfortable life style
DawginLex
July 2nd, 2012
10:18 am
norcross
Hey, let’s bring back Vince Dooley. He had a great bowl record, better than Richt, er, well he never lost to Miami of Ohio in the Tangerine Bowl, er, well…. he must have been better, his kids did great in school, er, well Jan Kemp was insane, er, Pulpwood smith was a Rhodes Scholar, er, …. oh well
AltamahaDawg
July 2nd, 2012
10:22 am
Richt is in EXCATLY the same position with the board (of folks who actually DO know what is going on from the “inside”) as he was last week. Exept for some fans getting thier egos bruised this deal with Crowell means nothing other than it hurts our running game, same as any loss would. Nobody of any authority doesn’t think that Richt handled the entire short lived career of Mr. Crowell as well as any coach could have, except that he was probably harder on him, than most.
And WHO exactly is going to fire Coach Richt in July if one of our college boys gets into trouble again? Hmm?
The fact is, most of the Georgia fans could give a rats behind about Crowell not going to tutoring or who is smoking pot, they just hate the embarrsment of hearing about it, and its the UNIVERSITY that elected to make sure that was known. So…….not likely they are going to fire thier coach over thier own policies.
Now if you think that the new adminsitration will elect to handle much more of that stuff “in house”, I would be willing to bet you, that nobody would be more relieved than Mark Richt.
AltamahaDawg
July 2nd, 2012
10:25 am
Note to self:….don’t caps a typo.
shankit
July 2nd, 2012
10:27 am
Why Richt acted so quickly on Crowell?
Bad influence on the other three recruits in the car.
Read any of Crowell’s “twitters” lately?
One bad apple was on it’s way to spoiling the whold barrel.
AltamahaDawg
July 2nd, 2012
10:45 am
Everybody wanted Crowell. Anybody would have signed Crowell. We really needed Crowell, but Richt did the hard thing and let him go.
Conversely, when Ken Malcome QUIT the team, Richt handled that perfectly and now everybody is glad to have him.
Can’t really manage 2 bad situations much better, IMO.
AltamahaDawg
July 2nd, 2012
10:50 am
Good read.
http://www.dawgsports.com/2012/6/29/3127304/mark-richt-isaiah-crowell-georgia-bulldogs-arrest-firearm-gun-dismissed
ugab
July 2nd, 2012
10:54 am
I can remember the High School I went to won the state championship. A few players on that team went to D1 colleges. I believe all of them got into trouble in college. It is sad to see the players back home. Waist of talent. I know alot of the players are young, I know alot of the players have smoked adn sold dope all of there life. Young kids just do not realize this is their opportunity in life. As Bobby Bowden said, ” There aren’t any father figures in alot of these kids homes.”
King Saban
July 2nd, 2012
11:09 am
I hear ya’ll got a problem with a complete lack of discipline, lack of championships, and a whole lotta thuggishness going on over there with Georgia football. Nothing new there.
King Saban
July 2nd, 2012
11:12 am
If it makes ya feel better he wouldn’t have lasted one summer at Bama. Once word got out about his lazy work ethic I woulda canned his arse. Discipline folks. Its how you win championships. No one knows better than me and Bama fans about championships.
kingdaddy
July 2nd, 2012
11:16 am
There’s this little thing called “common sense”. Some have it , some don’t. I wonder why they don’t do a study on that, maybe they (psycologist) have and I just didn’t get to read it. Some of the smartest (book-wise) people I knew, were totally bereft of everyday common sense. They were straight A students, but acted like one of the Three Stooges in everyday life. Kinda like Sheldon on “THE BIG BANG THEORY”. Maybe I.C. had no “common sense” ir he would have known the position he put himself and the other people in the car with him in. Well, he’s someone elses problemo now…
kingdaddy
July 2nd, 2012
11:18 am
KS
Funniest post I’ve read in a while, thanks…
AltamahaDawg
July 2nd, 2012
11:31 am
I’m sure Derrick Crudup Jr. has already been in contact.
cynicaldawg
July 2nd, 2012
11:32 am
I feel sorry for Crowell and especially his Mother. He’s an immature kid that would have been really good, but messed up a great opportunity. Hopefully he will learn from this. I’m sure he play somewhere on a lower level. As for Richt, here we are 14 scholarships short before the season starts, this happens everly season. Just one more short coming with our Head coaches football philsophy. If we can win this year, will we ever win. I say tell give the job to Gramthan now before the misery sets in after another disappointing season.
OK DAWG
July 2nd, 2012
11:36 am
Look what Isaiah posted on Twitter on June 20th. Also, just read his comments on Twitter. Talk about a HORRIBLE representative of UGA. This is not the type of guy we need. He’ll be locked up for a long time before it is all said and done.
“If i never have to use IT still i got it JUST IN CASE!”
Well, by “IT” I assume he is referrign to his untraceable luger. I’m sure he needed to pack heat cruising the mean streets of Athens. He’s is nothing but a thug that didn’t see a massive opportunity right in his face.
Teenagers of the world, take Isaiah’s life as a way NOT to live your own.
Go DAWGS!
AltamahaDawg
July 2nd, 2012
11:49 am
Why on earth, when we already paid for the inexperience of hiring a long time Coordinator from one of the top programs at the time, would we hire a guy with 2 years of college experience total, neither of which remotely proves he would be a successful head coach?
SSIgator
July 2nd, 2012
11:50 am
If he had only listened to Keith -
28 Jun Keith Marshall @Truthh4
@iSAIAH_RIP_STEV let’s watch some film today bro
Oh well.
UGA Insider
July 2nd, 2012
11:52 am
Word is McGarity had a players meeting this morning and got on some azz. He is starting to feel some pressure as well.
UGA Football- Horrible offseason so far. CMR is out of town who knows where.
UGA Basketball- Not competitive with no end in sight.
UGA Baseball- Embarrassment for the talent on the team.
UGA Women’s Basketball- Once a national program can’t even beat Marist.
Get the picture???
AAAAA Athens Bail Bonds R Us
July 2nd, 2012
11:56 am
Any arrests this week?
AltamahaDawg
July 2nd, 2012
12:15 pm
Yea, I am sure Greg McGarity wasn’t feeling any pressure from his job, till just now, because of this Crowell situation. Poor guy, the whole building in collapsing in the first week of July.
I’m sure he would feel better if he knew about Pittsburg’s secret playbook.
virginia dog
July 2nd, 2012
12:18 pm
Men … lets try to think like a young african american from columbus georgia that has been hearing about how three simular african americans got gunned down at a Auburn apartment complex just a few weeks ago. Now i’m not saying what he did was not stupid and wrong. But i’m not a member of a demographic that is more likly to be shot than a soldier in Iraq so i guess in a way i can follow the logic. Just saying … i can see how this happened.
OLDdog
July 2nd, 2012
12:24 pm
We are who we were. All of us. Crowell’s behavior was predicable, in spite of the warnings and discipline he received from Coach Richt and others. He’s gotten away with it all of his football life and will probably continue to. He will end up at a school that will not only tolerate his behavior but will cover it up. There are many schools and coaches that will do just that. If that school happens to play and beat us, so what.
Those of you that subscribe to the win at all costs attitude have been bashing MR since he got here. Just think for a moment what you are saying.
You want your son or daughter to be taught that immoral behavior, lying and covering up illegal actions, all for the sake of winning, is how they should lead their lives? You would sacrifice your kid for a NC?
Come on, it’s a game, a short lived game. I want my kids, heck, all kids, to walk away from their college sport experience with positive memories and values that will give them the best opportunity possible to have rich fulfilling lives. That WILL NOT come from negative coaching, leadership, or teaching.
I have a tremendous respect for Mark Richt. He is a man of character, embracing and practicing christian principles. He does this through word and deed and applies them in a consistent and just manner to all of those around him, not just his football players.
Yes, I get frustrated with the play calling, the strategy and the use of players. But that is a different matter then what I’m talking about and has little if any relationship to cause and affect.
Nit pick if you must, split hairs, point out poor play calling (after the fact) and focus totally on the negative but understand this. Coach Rich’s goals are simple. His players will leave UGA with positive experiences, values and warm memories that will serve them a life time. And they will be WINNERS.
Unfortunately Crowell and those like him will not have such an ending, save the possibility of winning a few more games. Yes, he may make it to the NFL where his behavior will be more suited but his life will be….you know.
AltamahaDawg
July 2nd, 2012
12:25 pm
All the more reason to not be out at 2:30 in the morning.
50 arrests in four years
July 2nd, 2012
12:29 pm
Crowell tweet four days ago: “Ill never change on my ni**as and dats on my unborn SON”
[The asterisks are mine - Crowell uses the N-word in at least half of his posts]
———————————–
It sounds like he’s knocked up some girl. I guess Richt will ve recruiting Isaiah Junior in about 17 years.
Dawg House
July 2nd, 2012
12:39 pm
I don’t see Crowell ever making it to the NFL. He will almost certainly self-destruct long before then. And even the NFL is beginning to look down at off-the-field thug behavior. Exhibit #1: the Minnesota Vikings (Caleb King et al).
Crowell is more likely to end up in prison or be killed in a gang shootout.
7576DAWG
July 2nd, 2012
1:06 pm
UGA Insider
I still think Mark Right can become a great coach. He just needs to start acting like a Head Coach and not like a youth church leader all the time. If that is the life style he is looking for he needs to quit coaching and go full time into working with the church or volunteer work. Being a great head coach is a lonely job because great Coordinators are not going to be around very long.Great Head Coaches will constantly be hiring Coordinators to replace their old Coordinator because they left for a better importunity.
Everybody knows there are 2 DGD’s that just haven’t been preforming their job and if they had they would have had so many job interviews by now they would have left on their own to be NFL coaches or Head Coaches at another College with a huge salary increase. Garner is suppose to be Recruiting Coordinator and coach of Defensive Linemen. I think he does a great job recruiting and coaching Defensive linemen but everything else is not very good. We need an energetic younger Recruiting Coordinator who can keep up with everything associated with recruits starting in their Freshmen year of High School. We don’t need to hear that Saban or Florida has been talking to them for over a year before we even make first contact.
The other failure is Mike Bobo. He was hired as Offensive Coordinator only a few years after he first became a coach. Very little proven worth as a coach. Over the years I think he has proven that he is a pretty good Quarterback coach but he has a lot of improving to do and is no where near the talent of some of the beat Quarterback coaches. Mike Bobo’s main worth is his ability to recruit in South Georgia. If you want to make him a Co- Recruiting Coordinator , I have no problem with that but from day one Offensive Coordinator has been so far over ahead of his coaching abilities it’s obvious to everyone willing to grade him being unbiased.
If Georgia doesn’t win at least 12 games this year they there is no way we can win more than 7 or 8 games next year because we will be losing so many great players to the draft. I agree that if CMR, Bobo, Garner and at least three of the coaches don’t start making decisions on what they know needs to happen and stop making decisions on emotions and what they hope will happen the new President will be looking to McGarity for answers.
chris
July 2nd, 2012
1:18 pm
Funny……..If Richt had waited he would be crucified for being to light on the players and the reason we have so many problems is because he isn’t tough enough. This time he waste no time getting rid of a player that has been one problem after another and has been given multiple chances already and now people complain because he acted so fast.
Richt can’t win no matter what he does!!!!
OK DAWG
July 2nd, 2012
1:25 pm
virginia dog – walking/driving around with unmarked Lugers is no way to help your “people” in their quest for equality. The absolute best way for anyone to be accepted by society is to consistently obey the rules of society. Just look at Isaiah’s tweets (or the tweets of MANY people, both black and white) – society WILL NOT welcome people that choose to act like a thug and I don’t care where he came from. This is not a Racial thing as thug white folks aren’t welcomed into mainstream society either. Anybody that comes from a rough background that is GIVEN an opportunity for a GREAT life and throws it away just doesn’t want to live a good life. Make a choice – keep living the thug life and be preapred for a hard life or DO THE RIGHT THING, LIVE BY THE RULES AND MAKE YOUR LIFE AND THE LIVES OF YOUR FAMILY BETTER. If people say you are “selling out” SO WHAT!! It is your life and if others want to remain miserable, shunned from the mainstream then that is their problem. IT IS YOUR CHOICE.
Hail to Georgia...
July 2nd, 2012
1:25 pm
Rossvile Bulldog- please stop… you’re making dawgs and Georgians look like dumb hicks.
Vance Duly
July 2nd, 2012
1:38 pm
The Red & Black is reporting that Leonard Floyd qualified, but John Atkins did not….
AltamahaDawg
July 2nd, 2012
1:39 pm
Naw, cramming in every single trite critisism he can remember reading from the past 10 years, in a single post, always comes across as well thought out.
50 ARRESTS/4 YEARS
July 2nd, 2012
1:46 pm
We OWN The Richt Cup!!!!
Hail to Georgia...
July 2nd, 2012
1:51 pm
Virginia dog- maybe surrounding himself with better people and making an effort to stay away from trouble would be a safer – and more legal- alternative to carrying a gun. How is it fair of us normal residents of Athens to have to worry about gun toting thugs? He may be have had no ill intent and had it for safety- so why not register it and NOT alter the serial?!?! Why ride around that late at night with a gun?!? Sounds like trouble to me.
Mobile Dawg
July 2nd, 2012
1:55 pm
Where are the players in all this? The leadership of Murray, Samuel, JJ, and a few others. And why would they let one guy mess it up for everyone else. Bible says, spare the rod, spoil the child. There are some pretty stern lessons learned, there’s nothing that says a Christian can’t be tough Coach Richt.
Alt, I didn’t call for his dismissal publicly. I don’t post all my thoughts, I would make a lot of enemies immediately if I did. Just like you’ve never heard me say “Richt should be fired”. My belief, he’s done less with more than most at this level. I don’t think he’s earned his paycheck for several years now. Unless he can really show something special this year, I’m on record as of now hoping he resigns, or is let go. Sometimes change just for the sake of change can be a good thing. I realize he’s a good man, and a popular one, that’s why it’s so tough. Bottom line is that it’s a business.
AltamahaDawg
July 2nd, 2012
1:56 pm
BTW, I believe it is not only possible, but likely, almost certain, that Crowell WAS having a good spring, WAS showing signs of maturing, and WAS impressing the team with his attitude and hard work, and STILL he made a stupid decision that cost him the chance to do anything with that. I doubt that Richt convinced the entire team to go along with a lie, and go out of thier way in public to say it, in order to perpetuate that “BS”.
AltamahaDawg
July 2nd, 2012
2:03 pm
Good lordy Mobile How much tougher could Coach Richt have been on Crowell in a short years time? Twice suspended him, for things that’s few coaches would even make public, (and as we know wouldnt have even been an issue at some places) and then kicked him off the team. And we have no idea what all he had to do internally in between all that. I have no idea what you are continuing to say he was too soft on this kid. It’s just not a factual or logical point.
Mobile Dawg
July 2nd, 2012
2:13 pm
Very likely that you’re right Altamaha. I have a thirty year old son that had a hard head, wanted to do everything his way. Trouble was, he was a good kid, but got into alcohol at a young age, ran with the wrong crowd. All the while he kept his grades up, wrestled and played baseball in high school. Never got into any trouble other than mischevious stuff, like stealing a pig and bbq’n it, mailbox vandalism, etc. Sent him to military school his Junior year. Still no help, couple of DUI’s, some probation, finally kicked him out. He struggled for several years, slowly, surely, he realized, figured things out. Now he’s my business partner, just made me a proud Grandfather.
Maybe if IC wants it badly enough he will start looking at himself as being the problem, not the establishment. I would like to see Richt extend him the opportunity to “redshirt” this year after he works out his legal problems. Allow him to mature some, if he will. IC would be a better person taking the back seat for a year IMO.
I like that Coach Richt tries to help these kids, but sometimes to much help just continues to enable bad behavior. Sometimes the swift kick in the rear is what they need. It’s a tough decision when a human life is in the balance.
Nothing Could Be Finer
July 2nd, 2012
2:15 pm
Crow Big
or
Crow Home
AltamahaDawg
July 2nd, 2012
2:19 pm
And its obviously NOT just business, or we would be having a long debate about the nuances of life lessons for one of our players. He would be suiting up and running the ball in Sept.
AltamahaDawg
July 2nd, 2012
2:20 pm
wouldN”T be having a debate…….
AltamahaDawg
July 2nd, 2012
2:24 pm
So he tried TOO hard to keep the #1 RB on the team for all of, less than a year, and that is the problem? So much for that bottom line it’s a business in this case.
Mobile Dawg
July 2nd, 2012
2:26 pm
Filter keeps eating my posts.
Nothing Could Be Finer
July 2nd, 2012
2:26 pm
Yea, you’ve got a point Altahama.
Richt had to make that tough business decision to cut the Crow loose.
Despite that weak o-line he’ll be fielding next year.