Blame Mark Richt? He’s not the one who’s embarrassing UGA
Even tougher love goes only so far. (Special to the AJC)
Mark Richt is a nice guy. Mark Richt believes in forgiveness. Mark Richt looks for the best in people. Mark Richt coddled Odell Thurman.
All of this is true. None of it explains, at least not fully, why Georgia players keep getting arrested.
Let’s stipulate that Richt was too lenient for too long. But he has toughened since the egregious offseason of 2008, when eight Bulldogs got arrested and stole a goodly part of the luster that should have descended on a team ranked No. 1 in preseason for the first time in school history. He has kicked more guys off the team. He has instituted an automatic one-game suspension for anyone arrested (for the first time) on an alcohol-related charge. Yet here Georgia sits, two summers later, having cut its offseason arrest total by …
One.
Seven Bulldogs have been arrested this calendar year. Three have been dismissed from the squad, including Montez Robinson, who figured to play at linebacker, and Zach Mettenberger, who might have challenged Aaron Murray as Georgia’s starting quarterback. Backup tailback Dontavius Jackson, arrested Saturday on DUI and five other charges, has been suspended for half the 2010 season.
This is no longer the Richt of repeated second chances, but it hasn’t much mattered. Bulldogs are still messing up — even as we note that an arrest isn’t a conviction, we must also face the reality that getting arrested generally isn’t a signal of meritorious behavior — even though they should know their actions can and will have consequences.
No, Georgia isn’t alone in having football players make the wrong kind of headlines. But it has happened so often with these Bulldogs that each incident bears a subtext: It isn’t that a Georgia player has been arrested but that another Georgia player has been arrested. And Richt, as head coach, must bear some responsibility. But responsibility isn’t the same thing as blame.
This man is a football coach, not a prison warden. In the name of discipline, he cannot put his men under dormitory lockdown. If he did, it wouldn’t be discipline. Discipline is about having the freedom to make choices and then choosing wisely. Too many Georgia players continue to be, for want of a better word, unwise. And that’s not on the head coach. That’s on them.
Maybe Richt needs to be more careful about the players he pursues — recruiting risks tend to bite the hand that signs them — but that can be said of every program everywhere. Richt is in business to win games, not to oversee the glee club. He’s going to be in a lot more trouble if Georgia goes 8-5 again than if another 19-year-old gets caught with a beer. But the 19-year-olds have to smarten up.
Loading ...If they can’t grasp that there’s increased scrutiny on this program — especially after the arrest and resignation of Damon Evans — they’re not bright enough to attend an institution of higher learning. If they can’t understand that being a Bulldog is both an honor and a responsibility, they shouldn’t be allowed to wear the red jersey.
Too many college athletes (and not just Georgia athletes) have been so pampered they believe they’re untouchable. Reality check: They’re not. Just because a bunch of folks followed their recruiting and got excited when these blue-chippers put on a certain school’s cap doesn’t mean a player can’t be arrested, can’t be disciplined, can’t be forgotten in the time it takes to say, “You’re off the team.”
Say what you will about Mark Richt, but for more than a decade he has carried himself in a way that has conferred honor on UGA. He is, alas, only one man. He cannot make choices for 85 others. He can try to lead them, teach them, punish them when necessary, but in the end everything comes down to free will.
Too many Bulldogs act as if they’ve been handed a free pass through life. (Reality check: Nobody gets one of those.) Too many Bulldogs need to grow up or go home.
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831 comments Add your comment
Huh?
July 12th, 2010
4:08 pm
I have no idea what that means, bdawge71.
Scott W.
July 12th, 2010
4:09 pm
Why do you care what Tech fans say about CMR, of course they want him gone.
PTC DAWG
July 12th, 2010
4:09 pm
No excuses offered for the DUI…but the MIP is ridiculous. Drinking age should be 18…this would have been a ticketed citation in most areas.
y
July 12th, 2010
4:10 pm
Since when was weed a drug? Just kidding…but seriously you know you’ve all smoked it.
benchwarmer
July 12th, 2010
4:10 pm
There is simply a culture of intitlement amounst todays younsters. Double that for college(ie..pampered) atheletes and thet results in the arrest rates being so high.
10SEConds
July 12th, 2010
4:10 pm
Sorry, Mark, I’d like to agree with you, but just can’t. I’ve been a diehard Dawg almost 50 years and hope Mark Richt is in Athens a long time. But close examination of recent history shows it isn’t just Athens’ (or even UGA’s) finest who are arresting Ga players. I live out of state, and the plain fact is that UGA’s football program is better known for arrests than for championships. The 2 things our players have in common is they play for UGA and Mark Richt is their head coach. Certainly the players are responsible for their own actions. But it is Coach Richt who has had 9 years now to build a “we will not tolerate knuckleheads” culture, and that hasn’t happened.
Speaking of knuckleheads: will the AJC please nuke the despicable commenters who lace their comments with racism, express or implied? They disgrace our university’s reputation far more than do errant young players. They should bear in mind that Zach Mett (not to mention Ben Roth) is not a man of color, and that our institution has had no finer representatives (as men and players) than Herschel Walker, Hines Ward and DJ Shockley.
Beast from the East
July 12th, 2010
4:10 pm
DP,
Kind of biting, but otherwise well said.
dog789xyz
July 12th, 2010
4:11 pm
Mark Richt is a joke and a reflection of Bobby Bowden. Bobby Bowden dodged joining the SEC in a very cowardly way. Now FSU has fallen to ACC levels.
Richt can’t coach, he can’t evaluate talent, he can’t hire asst. coaches to help UGA. CMR must go! UGA needs to get a real coach. Look at Alabama and Florida when they hired their last coaches. National Championships!
UGA has it all. Great facilities, great fan base, great recruiting base. UGA has it as it all except leaders and coaches. We need to quit settling for second best. Let us look for a nationally prominent AD and Head Football Coach. Look at Alabama, they don’t have anything on UGA except their fans refuse to accept less than the best. UGA should dominate the SEC. Please fire the incompetents. Replace them with no nonsense winners. Do it now!
ac
July 12th, 2010
4:11 pm
Athens cops R evil…I would rather have a person responsible for a DUI charged then the lot of them let go. No matter what their affiliation to football
Huh?
July 12th, 2010
4:11 pm
Intitlement? What is that?
ac
July 12th, 2010
4:12 pm
O u t…o f…here. Jackson dismissed, King 3 game suspension.
Scott W.
July 12th, 2010
4:12 pm
So after a decade of insignificance with one NC Alabama is the golden standard? I think not!
Otto
July 12th, 2010
4:13 pm
Cochran agreed.
Saw a post about Miami in the 80s. The 80s was a very changed culture and when was the last time you heard of a Miami arrest or scandal? Shannon is running a clean program in Miami. It is a shame they have to fight an image earned by previous coaching staffs.
I would not doubt local law enforcement has an impact on the arrest record, it is night and day how a police force can change from responsible and upholding the law to overzealous with a new Chief.
Gbal
July 12th, 2010
4:13 pm
Really think that if the legal age went back to 18 it could help everywhere.
No more need for fake ID.
No more minor in possession.
The students can drink in bars (legally).
DUI … Lower the boom. Athletes and other students alike.
No doubt, the world would be a better place without booze, but its here to stay and it is a part of college life… Has been for a long time and will continue to be. Just had a kid graduate from UGA and 7-8 of 10 had a fake ID’s. Standard issue.
Gotta recognize, the change to 21 from 18 back in the late 70’s has not stopped a thing and it is only causing people to break the law.
dog789xyz
July 12th, 2010
4:14 pm
Furthermore CMR needs to go. Parents should teach children to behave. Head football coaches should teach players to compete and win.
The Georgia Sports Report
July 12th, 2010
4:14 pm
Is Coach Richt’s Model Flawed?
http://gasportreport.blogspot.com/
JT
July 12th, 2010
4:15 pm
You know, it’s easy to be armchair recruiters/coaches/quarterbacks, etc., but truth of the matter is, these young men are PRACTICALLY GROWN when they reach college and the path is already embarked upon. It goes back MUCH further, to the days when I was in high school, coaches would get Linnie Patrick out of jail on fridays nites so he could play football(he was amazing in high school) and players didn’t have to make grades, just play football(sound familiar?) until that old practice was vanquished. Now, it’s hard to change a persons blueprint, but it is POSSIBLE. To ‘TL’, who made the reference to Alabama and the lack of arrests there…look at the coaches please….Nick Saban will kick his own son off the team if he felt the need to and the players FEAR that and KNOW that!! Coach Richt, whom I respect, is that ‘Dr Spock’ kind of coach, he ’spares the rod’ so his outcomes are going to be MUCH different and also this, ALABAMA has 13(yes, I count the split with USC in ‘79!) National Championships….it’s just a different atmosphere when you’re an historical WINNER(I grew up there, I know)….hell, he can’t kick everybody off the team, and EVERYBODY(except Charles Manson and Jeffrey Dahmer)deserves a second chance….
wiley
July 12th, 2010
4:16 pm
Gbal has a valid point. The drinking age should be 18…you can join the army and vote at 18…why should you not be able to enjoy an adult beverage. Glad we see eye to eye on something…finally a sensible UGA fan. DUI is the real issue here.
Seven Bulldogs Arrested This Calendar Year
July 12th, 2010
4:16 pm
Seven Bulldogs Arrested This Calendar Year
DP
July 12th, 2010
4:16 pm
Mark, you’re right. I get those drunk QBs who force themselves on women mixed up.
Would you have believed there are so many Delusional Dawgs who actually think the Athens police have a unique standard of law enforcement within the SEC?
From now on, every time the AJC reports on a Georgia player getting arrested, it should note that it has it on good authority that similar or worse incidents also occurred at every other SEC school but the coaches and police departments covered it up.
Hal
July 12th, 2010
4:16 pm
I really hate to see this. Mark Bradley has become another Mark Richt apologist.
Georgia Pride
July 12th, 2010
4:17 pm
Everyone in the world knows why UGA schedules a cupcake as the first game every year. Get arrested and (maybe) get suspended for the first game. Perhaps if Saint Mark were to suspend a key player for a key game, then perhaps the message would get through. Praise Saint Mark all you will, but he is playing the 1-game suspension wink, wink for all its worth, and UGA fans wink, wink along with him. Same as when the AJC praises Dooley all day long even though CBS sports online calls Dooley one of the biggest cheaters in the NCAA (see CBS Sports online article about Jim Harrick). There is a tradition of cheating and scandal at UGA, and the AJC will NEVER put the dots together. Can you say Jan Kemp (Vince Dooley days) , Jim Harrick, and Damon Evans in the same sentence? What a joke of a school and Athletic Department.
Randy Marsh
July 12th, 2010
4:17 pm
I hate hearing about this, but some of this gets blown out of proportion. It’s not like these are armed robbery charges. They’re college kids drinking. It goes on everywhere. GA is recruiting the same players as AL, FL, and the other schools, but the Tuscaloosa and Birmingham papers don’t report on it as much as the AJC likes to.
Let's Be Honest..
July 12th, 2010
4:17 pm
I love the use of “thug” to refer to a DUI and MIP. I think “thug” is now used to only refer to black men since other words will get you in trouble. It helps spot the racists more quickly. Now are there thugs in the world? Yes. But Damon Evans and King are without question not thugs. I don’t remember thug being dropped Mett was arrested. And he did a heck of a lot worse stuff than these two.
Off that soapbox… I do feel that King’s punishment is fair. But remember Richt said initial punishment because he hasn’t heard all the facts. Mett wasn’t kicked off the team immediately. But once Richt heard what he completely did he was gone.
So let’s wait and see. Unless you are a Tech fan. Then if I were you, I’d be worried just walking on campus. The odds are high you will be mugged.
Leroy Jankins
July 12th, 2010
4:17 pm
The Athens police like getting their name out there. Jimmy Williamson is a star.
Beast from the East
July 12th, 2010
4:18 pm
Cover Up,
Nice story you made up about Meyer and his players. Nice story. I’d make up my own about Richt but I don’t have as creative an imagination as you do. I’m more of a real world kind of guy.
Once again, kudos on your imaginary short story.
Mark Bradley
July 12th, 2010
4:18 pm
I believe Georgia played Oklahoma State in its opener last season, did it not?
Gee
July 12th, 2010
4:19 pm
Recruit players from better parts of town… Not from across the tracks. Just because at 17 they haven’t been arrested doesn’t mean that its not coming soon. You can take the kids out of the hood but not the hood out of the kids.
UGA police chief Jimmy Williamson
July 12th, 2010
4:19 pm
I’m sick of Georgia football, especially night games! I’m not staffed to handle it!
(Instead of taking this up with university and getting more staff to handle major college football, I’m complaining about it in the media…and writing about it on blogs.)
kerryb
July 12th, 2010
4:20 pm
Great column Mark, that’s what I was trying to tell everyone in the other blogs. How can this be Mark Richt’s fault. It’s the parents fault for not teaching their kids what is acceptable and what is not when they were growing up. All he can do is offer them a scholarship to play football. He has over 80 guys and can’t watch all of them all of the time. He can’t help it if they are stupid teenagers.
Glenda
July 12th, 2010
4:20 pm
How much did it take to buy Mark Bradley off? This column wasn’t journalism, it was a press release from UGA.
wiley
July 12th, 2010
4:20 pm
lets be honest…so grabbing a female is worse than risking peoples lives while driving drunk?? Im willing to bet more people die from DUI related accidents than sexual harassment…jeez you need to put this in perspective.
Jennifer
July 12th, 2010
4:20 pm
The only explanation the Dawgs can come up with for why our players don’t get arrested is that Saban bribes the cops with season tickets. No evidence supporting that of course.
It couldn’t possibly have anything to do with:
-taking character into account when recruiting
-kicking the bad eggs off the team early on
-putting the fear of god into players so they’re afraid to act up
-instilling in them such a sense of pride and self-respect that they do not feel the need to act up
-motivating them academically and involving them in the community so they don’t have time to act up
Really, if you told me Mark Ingram had been arrested I would never in a million years believe you. But, yeah, let’s go wit the bribery angle because that makes us feel better.
Scott W.
July 12th, 2010
4:20 pm
Mark Bradley isn’t a CMR apologist, Mark Bradley is just generating comments. Next article will be about how CPJ doesn’t have man boobs. UGA people will be up in arms that he does and GT people will be mad that Bradley insinuated that he could have had them.
dawgster
July 12th, 2010
4:22 pm
A lot of the discipline problems that seem to be going on really begins at home, not always, but to a large extent, and as it is in the middle schools and high schools you would be shocked at some of the discipline problems,, but yet we expect the coaches to tame everyone and to install morals…I believe Coach Richt does try to do that as i also believe most coaches do, but unfortunately the message doesn’t get thru….Everyone seems to want a magical answer on how to prevent these issues and as someone previously posted, you could lock them all up and only let them out on game day…The truth is many of the athelets have been given the star treatment their entire life and may or may not have had the right guidance from their parents…way too often its left up to the schools and their peers for guidance..Fortunately i think that the majority of the atheletes at these schools do well but its the few that unfortuately get all the press when they do mess up…
dawg's dawg
July 12th, 2010
4:22 pm
I think I’ve got the solution. Get the NCAA to hand out a National Chanpionship Trophy for highest number ofCollege athletes arrest and then we will see UF and BAMA step up.
GA_ t
July 12th, 2010
4:23 pm
The last time I checked, you still have to be 21 to drink…nuff said!
DIT
July 12th, 2010
4:23 pm
Was Jackson just dismissed from the team? That would be a step in the right direction if this is confirmed! Good Job CMR!
kerryb
July 12th, 2010
4:23 pm
You can blame Mark Richt about as much as you can blame their Social Studies Professor for it.
DIT
July 12th, 2010
4:24 pm
Any update on Jackson being dismissed Mr. Bradley?
HugoStiglitz
July 12th, 2010
4:24 pm
I wouldnt blame Richt for anything that has happened but its up to him to help correct it. UGA is one of the most undisciplined teams in the nation on and off the field. He either needs to get tougher on his players or start recruiting guys with a little more character.
Mark Bradley
July 12th, 2010
4:25 pm
Haven’t heard one, DIT.
Harry the Hat
July 12th, 2010
4:25 pm
Mark Bradley has just lost any semblance of objectivity with this piece of apologist drivel. Maybe it’s time for him to go to DC and work for Obama.
Tide Rising
July 12th, 2010
4:26 pm
Mark,
You are completely wrong. The reason the players are getting in trouble is because they have no respect for themselves, their institution, or for coach richt. And more importantly they have no fear of consequences or of their coach. Until there is that fear of what will happen they will continue to get in trouble. Plain and simple.
When Saban came to Bama he had the same problems with 7 players arrested his first year. In the past year we have had one single player arrested and in that case the charge was dropped.
What Saban did was start forcing transfers of players for breaking team rules. Not arrests but simply for breaking team rules. There was fear of consequences. Even with Dontavius Jackson being suspended 6 games there is no fear of being booted from school.
I like coach Richt and think he is one of the fine, classy men in college football. But until there is fear of real consequences for small things like breaking team rules the dawgs will continue to have major discipline problems.
DIT
July 12th, 2010
4:27 pm
Thanks Mark!
I was Hoping it to be true, but had a feeling it was a false rumor
wiley
July 12th, 2010
4:27 pm
I agree with you Jenifer…Alabama is a team full of champions. They willed and won so many close games last year…you dont do that w/out some sort of character. I’m sure some bad seeds have shown up at Alabama but it seems like Nick runs them out of town quickly….he signs 30 + in his recruiting classes every year so he has to run off some of them. Usually winning and character are one in the same in today college football…look at players like Tebow, McCoy, Ingram…etc…seem like humble players that dont boast and brag all the time. The days of winning with THUGS(yes you Miami and FSU) are over…would anyone agree with me that college football has changed in that respect? Your probably all just gonna say Alabama covers it up…I dont think they do.
Georgia Pride
July 12th, 2010
4:27 pm
Yes – UGA played Oklahoma State (at Ok St) first last year and LOST by 2 touchdowns, which is what happens when you play a good team without your best players. This is why UGA schedules a cupcake for its first game whenever it can, and why LA – Lafayette is the first game this year. Big punishment.
Richt actually punishes his players
July 12th, 2010
4:28 pm
Richt suspended Jackson for 6 games. That’s about 4 or 5 games more than the punishment most SEC coaches would have dealt. And most would have suspended him for the lesser games – pinpointing the easy one(s) on the schedule to enforce the suspension.
Joe Fan
July 12th, 2010
4:29 pm
CMR has got to place the emphasis on kids that a want an education and recruit accordingly. Its time to recruit kids with some smarts, not just ones that want to float through school and hope they get to play pro ball. Kids need to realize that its a privalege to get your education paid for and not their right. UGA is an institutional of higher learning not a football factory as many of you want to believe. Its way past time that it became identified with quality institutions.
Jimmy Williamson
July 12th, 2010
4:30 pm
I’m not staffed to handle night games!