Fran Tarkenton on 680 The Fan: UGA ‘is in in big trouble’
If you haven’t heard what Fran Tarkenton had to say regarding Mark Richt last Friday on 680 The Fan, you probably should. The most famous former Georgia Bulldog (non-Herschel division) eviscerated the Bulldogs’ coach and strongly suggested the program needs a new leader.
Francis T. began boldly — “What has happened over the last week with Georgia has been the most disturbing time I have seen in a long time; you know, people don’t want to look at reality” — and didn’t pause for breath. (A partial transcript is available at SportsRadioInterviews.com.)
Richt’s all-is-well press briefing of Jan. 4 apparently set Tarkenton’s teeth to gnashing. Concerning the announcement that Richt would re-immerse himself in the finer points of football, Tarkenton said this:
“Holy cow! Yesterday, where Mark Richt says, ‘I have been freed from administrative duties to spend more time on football.’ Then I quote him, he said, ‘The moves give [me] more time to study the game of football and be an expert and be on the cutting edge.’ What has he been doing for nine years? I have never heard any college, high school, professional coach [say] that [he] was not able to spend enough time on football.”
Asked by host Christopher Rude if Rich might have been devoting too much time to academics or somesuch, Tarkenton said:
“No, it sounds like a cop-out! It sounds like, ‘I am not taking responsibility. I have other things.’ We hire people to be football coaches. We pay him and others millions of dollars to be football coaches, not to be administrators. He didn’t do a very good job there — we had 12 people arrested this year, including a top-ranked quarterback who was a top kid that is now going to play LSU [Zach Mettenberger], and that has been going on forever.
“[Richt] is a wonderful guy. He is a good Christian guy. He wants to be a missionary. He goes on missions. That is a wonderful thing. But do you know the religion of Nick Saban? Or Gus Malzahn? Or Chip Kelly playing for the national championship? I don’t think we care what their religion [is]. We hire them to be football coaches. If we are hiring religious instructors, let’s go to the Candler School of Theology over here in Decatur and get some of their people to come and coach our football team.”
Let the record note that Tarkenton is himself the son of a preacher. Which isn’t the same as being the son of a diplomat, and is evident throughout this diatribe. More Fran: “You’ve been there nine years [10, actually] and you say [you] haven’t had time to spend on football — if you don’t think that’s a problem, Georgia people, and [athletic director] Greg McGarity, if you don’t think the signs are there, my friend … Bad news does not get better with time.”
Regarding last week’s announcements that two top in-state prospects plan to sign with Alabama and Auburn, Tarkenton said:
” We’re going to lose the elite players this year. We haven’t in the past — we’ve gotten the elite player. We either didn’t choose right or we didn’t coach right, because we didn’t have success.
“Right now our program has had three years of regression, and I don’t see any way this thing is going to get out of the ditch. When I read comments like [Richt's] … we’re putting spin on everything. In the meantime Alabama and Auburn and Tennessee are working and kicking our butts and recruiting people and getting coaches that have spread offenses. I mean, can you imagine? We scored two field goals against Central Florida.”
The son of a preacher then offered a benediction: “I think Greg McGarity has got to look at this awfully hard, I think the signs are that we have a program that is in big trouble.”
And now you’re asking: How noteworthy is this? My answer: Very. It’s one thing for some newspaper guy (like this one) to carp about Richt, quite another for a most distinguished alum to sound the alarm. In the space of nine minutes, Sir Francis essentially said what more and more folks are thinking: That Georgia needs a new coach.
By Mark Bradley
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1,032 comments Add your comment
Dumbo
January 11th, 2011
9:16 pm
Shouldn’t we expect the Preacher…er I mean..Coach to spend most of his time worrying about football and not his Missionary work. Shouldn’t his missionay work consist of bring all of us fans together under the UGA banner and granting us salvation by getting UGA football out of the toilet? Well shouldn’t he?
Rick
January 11th, 2011
9:17 pm
Perry…oh never mind
59bulldawg
January 11th, 2011
9:17 pm
Thanks Fran for speaking out. Maybe more former players will speak their mind now. All you Richt defenders are in denial. Where are you Hershel? Where are you Andy Johnson? Where are you Horace King and Richard Appleby and Scott Warner and others? Tell us how you feel! The Bulldawg Nation needs you to speak out. Richt needs to go!
kral
January 11th, 2011
9:18 pm
you maybe right so why don’t you bet the boise st game right now..you are certainly not a homer just do not know if you are blind are not only time will tell
Fran who?
January 11th, 2011
9:18 pm
It is funny how talkative Tarkenton is now. He is less involved in the Georgia program than any other former player with a profile as high as his. Through the years he has offered very little support and plenty of criticism. He has never been concerned about the program through good time or bad. Why should anyone care what he says now?
JustAThought........
January 11th, 2011
9:20 pm
I bet none of the kids being recruited today even knows who Fran is or was……….so to them he’s probably just another guy
kral
January 11th, 2011
9:20 pm
well dodo I mean dumbo if you need to be brought together..I hope it is still snowing or freezing where you are .step outside please
FA Hayek
January 11th, 2011
9:21 pm
Richt’s avid Christianity is a symptom of his lack of innovation and his persistence in staying the course no matter how irrational it is.
It certainly gets him no extra touchdowns.
Dumbo
January 11th, 2011
9:22 pm
Fran who?
Rememer who Tarkenton’s old teammate was…uh… Donald Leebern, the same Leebern who got Dooley canned, the same Leebern whom Adams sucks on. You think old Fran doing his buddy’s bidding??????????
kral
January 11th, 2011
9:24 pm
that;s to humerus to address ..well hel… your about to ..thank you fa ..does that stand for fart aaass or you just a farthead ordinarily
Dumbo
January 11th, 2011
9:24 pm
kral….nah…It’s hot as witches a britches here, save me Richt
Julian
January 11th, 2011
9:25 pm
Fran has some dang nerve calling out anyone. Take a look at his professional career outside of football, specifically, Knowledgeware. He is lucky that he did not serve time. Funny how none of the local media seem to report that dirty little secret while he continues to run his big mouth on the local sports radio stations.
His best scrambling job, was scrambling his way out of federal prison.
TopDawg
January 11th, 2011
9:25 pm
C
dawgster
January 11th, 2011
9:26 pm
Thank you Matthews Dawg…I hadn’t had a chance to point that out and figured if i did they would continue..I think by now everyone knows pretty much how my posts are going to be and the support i give to UGA…and anyways i never, ever Capitalize my first initial…”dawgsger”…go dawgs and thanks again Matthews Dawg…
I'm Not Blind Nor Named Homer
January 11th, 2011
9:26 pm
Well said FA Hayek! I just can’t believe how many people drink the kool-aid.
Rick
January 11th, 2011
9:27 pm
Would you guys like a hardass man like Saban or Meyer? Nah, lets just stick with Richt..he’s a good man even if he doesn’t STRIVE TO BE THE BEST…
BaseballBuff
January 11th, 2011
9:27 pm
I have been a staunch supporter of CMR up until the Central Florida fiasco, but it is now painfully obvious that he has lost control over the program. He has built enough political capital to keep his job through 2011, but it is hard to envision things getting better. It looks very much like we will be humiliated in the Kickoff Classic next season against Boise State. I believe Richt’s contract runs through 2013, so the UGA Athletic Association is looking at an expensive buyout. I am hoping against hope that Richt can turn this mess around.
Dawgs Man
January 11th, 2011
9:27 pm
Thank you Fran. Richt needs to preach. We need a coach, not a minister.
Matthews Dawg
January 11th, 2011
9:28 pm
Bob at 9:01…Thank you for the comments about Christianity! You are right on point! People love to see Christian people struggle! It’s called life, we all struggle. I/we just struggle with hope! Go Dawgs
Jack
January 11th, 2011
9:28 pm
Fran is a bitter old fool that has nothing to do with UGA football. He needs to stick with his business scams and IRS problems and leave UGA football alone. He is the most bitter person in the world. If you want to get involved with UGA, open up your check book and not your mouth. Fran needs to STFU if he wants to help the Dawgs.This BS coming out 2 weeks before signing day shows the look at me Fran that needs to be relevant again.
Of Base Again
January 11th, 2011
9:28 pm
Mark…you and Fran are pathetic. It will never end with you. Richt will be fine…Richt will have a great recruiting class, and get things turned around. The two kids that signed with Alabama and Auburn were not elite nor that high on the recruitment trail…UGA will sign a top 5 class and nutcase Fran will have done nothing to help the program. Go back to Kentucky and leave Fran to his drunken ways and the selling of the dispised 15 year variable indexed annuities to the high net worth/low IQ crowd.
teewest
January 11th, 2011
9:29 pm
Mark I doubt you read this, but enough with fried Mark Richt dinners you serve them all the time!!! You are gonnna make me think you want to break your records for readers on your blog! We all KNOW what is going on give the guy his year to fix things he has earned that. Fran Tarkenton Mark???? Sheesh!!!!!
TopDawg
January 11th, 2011
9:29 pm
Fran, how many failures you had? Super bowls, businesses, family? CMR is the fifth active winningest coach in the game right now. Why do you pay back people you still owe money to from your chapter 11’s and crawl back in to your hole. No credibility to talk about how to recover from tough times.
Realist
January 11th, 2011
9:30 pm
UGA will battle KY and Vandy for 4th in the SEC East in 2011 no matter who is coach.
Rick
January 11th, 2011
9:30 pm
Matthew..I have no problem with a church boy leading the choir, just deliver the messiah…I don’t see it happening here.
Rick
January 11th, 2011
9:32 pm
Get off the koolaid Off Base Again…you are STONED!
BAMA BILL
January 11th, 2011
9:32 pm
Fran, things are going to get worst before they get better, BAMA will win the 2011 National Championship next!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm Not Blind Nor Named Homer
January 11th, 2011
9:32 pm
Rick:
Yes! I want a hard ass. I want man who has a passion for football and shows that passion with wins, and emotions on the sideline. Rick sounds like you should be going to more games down there by Techwood.
Rick
January 11th, 2011
9:33 pm
You got that right BAMA…but screw you anyway
kral
January 11th, 2011
9:33 pm
That was funny dummy..I mean dumbo no disrespect intended
Don't call him Francis...call him Psycho...
January 11th, 2011
9:33 pm
Fran Tarkenton also said on the other Atlanta Sports Talk station that Mike Vick would never make it with another NFL team….stick to whatever you have been doing since you developed Big Canoe, you land speculator……vote for the Single Tax!!!!!
P.S. Get a hair cut…you look horrible.
TopDawg
January 11th, 2011
9:34 pm
Btw, CMR faith and influence is a huge plus for the program, kids and the game. Tough love is what they need. CMR will produce a winner again. Fire him now and it will be against UGA one day.
Hill Dawg
January 11th, 2011
9:35 pm
If you have watched Tarkington for the last 15 or 20 years, you know he has made a lot of really dumb a$$ mistakes. His age is now amplifying his misstakes. Just be nice to him and let him say whatever, but don’t publish it. Someone might believe it.
bitter dawgs fan
January 11th, 2011
9:35 pm
dang—talk about WAR ZONE—-sic-em dogs
PS:—round 1 to fran da’ man////JUST SAYING —SH—–, LEFT RIGHT, LEFT RIGHT
Matthews Dawg
January 11th, 2011
9:36 pm
dawgster…no problem! you would and have done it for me! We all have to stick together. I did email McGarity the other day and he responded. He may respond to everybody or maybe just past letterman and donors. He was supportive of CMR and said it was about 50/50 in support he has heard from others. I’m out in a few minutes. These negative articles are driving me crazy. Misery loves company! Go Dawgs!!
Ken
January 11th, 2011
9:36 pm
what a piece of crap Tarkenton is. he is a bad guy and he is saying bad stuff about CMR? he peaked in 1959.
kral
January 11th, 2011
9:36 pm
let’s see rick and blind azz have cut MR heart and anlyzed his passion..they might like mike Singletary as our next coach…you guys are wonderful..but full of shizzzzz
Rick
January 11th, 2011
9:37 pm
sounds good matthews, lets all get together for a little kiss ass..
HoustonDawg
January 11th, 2011
9:37 pm
Rick,
Thank You. COACH MEYER IS AVAILABLE!
Bruce
January 11th, 2011
9:38 pm
You better be careful what you wish for….Michigan did not upgrade……
Rick
January 11th, 2011
9:40 pm
Meyer is burned out…retreads not apply.
Rick
January 11th, 2011
9:42 pm
Unless Meyer is given type to re-group, the passion may return…
kral
January 11th, 2011
9:43 pm
hd I hope that was sarcastic …only 2 coaches would turn me from GA fb ..urbane.. and visor
kral
January 11th, 2011
9:43 pm
hd I hope that was sarcastic …only 2 coaches would turn me from GA fb ..urbane.. and visor
Rick
January 11th, 2011
9:44 pm
Thanks for your work Mark Richt, it is appreciative but now is the time to move on, not hold on to mediocrity….
kral
January 11th, 2011
9:45 pm
you know you can kiss ass one way or you can kiss ass another way ..go into deep thought and think about..rickie
Big D Dawg
January 11th, 2011
9:46 pm
where you been Bradley, this is old news.
UGASlobberknocker
January 11th, 2011
9:47 pm
I dont care how truthful Tarkentons comments were, his method and timing of his comments prove once again what a first class a- hole he is. If he was trying to be constructive then go speak with Dr Adams or McGarrity. He just craves attention since he is no longer relevant.. He is an embarrassment to UGA..He is just a bitter old man who nobody cares about any more. Thankfully,most of these recruits dont know Fran Tarkenton from Adam’s house cat anyway. Lucky them.
Big Bob
January 11th, 2011
9:48 pm
Tarkenton doesn’t know what the H____ he is talking about. I recall earlier in the year he also said that Aaron Murray had absolutely no confidence in himself. Looks like Aaron did ok with a record setting season. Tarkenton is a has been.
Land
January 11th, 2011
9:48 pm
Fran Tarkenton = Jimmy Carter.