Heat Check: Grantham needs to sit; Johnson needs to chill
Todd Grantham is shown here debating the finer points of decorum.
Our weekly Heat Check arrives a day late due to Columbus Day. (Wait. That was last week? Never mind.) And we start at the obvious boiling-over point.
Todd Grantham, Georgia: He’s proving he’s a good defensive coordinator. (The Bulldogs rank eighth nationally in total defense.) He’s also showing he’s a bully. Giving the choke sign to an opposing player was bush league. Getting into it with the Vanderbilt coach — the Vanderbilt coach, I emphasize — after a victory tainted the whole winning effort and cheapened the Bulldogs’ brand, which had been in the process of undergoing some needed touch-up.
It’s one thing for players to get excited and stomp on a logo. (Georgia managed that trick at Vandy a while back.) It’s another for a grown man — Grantham is 45, which means he meets the Mike Gundy standard for grown-man status — to embarrass the program twice in 12 months. And I don’t buy the whole I’m-just-standing-up-for-my-players line: You can stand up for your players without baying at the moon.
(An aside here: I’d also be careful about angering this Vandy coach. James Franklin is going to beat some big names very soon.)
Don’t know what the SEC will do regarding Grantham. Don’t know if the SEC will do anything. Were I Greg McGarity and/or Mark Richt, I’d suspend Grantham for one game.
And who does Georgia play next? Florida. Yes, it’s a massive game for this football program. But sitting Grantham would also send a massive message: This is not how we do it at Georgia.
Now, do I think such a suspension will occur? Nope. But it should. Heat Index: Too darn hot.
Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech: His team lost at Virginia and looked bad doing it. His postgame briefing was a classic in sardonic semi-humor. A highlight was PJ’s description of the long field goal attempt that was kicked “into the back of the line.” The word “bonehead” was invoked. From a dispassionate perspective, these sessions are always entertaining. That said …
I wonder, not for the first time, how Johnson’s players take them. No, they’re not in the room for his media sessions, but I’d imagine they read the highlights somewhere. I also imagine they hear similar sentiments expressed by PJ himself behind closed doors. And it’s undeniable that the feeling around Tech is that the Jackets win only when they do what the coach says and lose whenever they don’t.
And that, if you’re a player, gets old. As smart as a coach is — and Tech’s coach is very smart — he’s not out there getting smacked by 500 pounds of opposing manpower. Johnson is a great play-caller, but somebody wearing shoulder pads does have to make even the clever plays of his work.
I’m sure it’’s a lot of fun to play for Tech when everything’s working and you’re gaining 768 yards, but I wonder how much of a treat it is to be around Johnson when his team just laid an egg in Charlottesville. Can’t blame a coach for wanting more and better — that’s pretty much his job — but I think he needs to cut his men a bit more slack. Heat index: A chill pill for PJ would not be unwarranted.
By Mark Bradley
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900 comments Add your comment
DC
October 18th, 2011
1:42 pm
I feel like every UGA fan is taking crazy pills…”keep up the great work coach Grantham”…”he is showing passion”…yeah you guys know this is same coach you wanted fired last year right?…this is same coach you wanted fired after week 2 right? The only reason they are #8 in defense is b/c they have played teams with a record the university of west GA would laugh at…lets be real guys..
KOOL
October 18th, 2011
1:42 pm
The feminization & sissification of our society continues… Grantham & Franklin raised their voices at each other & no blow were exchanged. Get over it!!! I am a pure UGA fan, and Grantham hasn’t embarrassed me at all… he’s a football coach. Coaches yell. Deal with it.
Larry
October 18th, 2011
1:44 pm
GDawg 10 I have three degrees from UGA and I do disagree with you.
JB
October 18th, 2011
1:44 pm
The post at 1:32 listing those coach’s may the best post I’ve seen on here in a year to answer the argument of ” we’ll have to give up football if we fire Mark”….. Great post !!!!!!!!
DC
October 18th, 2011
1:45 pm
I feel like alot of UGA fans are taking crazy pills..You do know Coach Grantham was the same coach you guys wanted fired last year right? You know this was same coach you wanted fired after week 2 right? Only reason they are #8 in defense is b/c they have played teams with a record the university of west ga would laugh at…lets be real guys..
gdawginkalamazoo
October 18th, 2011
1:46 pm
Saints HC Sean Payton called Franklin to offer his condolences for getting yelled at on the field. Told him that he couldn’t image the pain that Franklin has been going through.
An SEC Fan
October 18th, 2011
1:46 pm
Here is a picture of a Georgia staffer in a Vanderbilt players face. Would one of you fact laden Dawg fans please post the one of Coach Franklin.
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111018/SPORTS0602/310180020/Vandy-coach-stands-behind-post-game-actions?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Sports
T3
October 18th, 2011
1:47 pm
See Bradley wants to try and put CPJ’s post-game comments on
the same level as Grantham, as if to somehow minimize the effect
of Grantham’s immature behavior.
UVA won for several reasons including:
1. UVA had 14 days off after putting 496 Total Yards on Idaho
UVA spent 3 straight weeks doing EXCLUSIVE prep for GT.
Thats why UVA played so bad against Idaho. UVA hadnt bee prepping
for a non-option opffense like Idhao. UVA HC London has
already been quoted in Virginai newspapers on that.
2. UVA players finished mid-term exams the week of October 3rd, and players and students had
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off. Thats why UVA players had so many EXTRA practices before Saturday. GT players finished mid-term exams LAST THURSDAY, Oct 13th.
3. UVA has players. I counted at least 7 starting linemen over 300 lbs.
4. GT was without Defensive LB starters: Attachou & Drummond, Missing those 2 was BIG.
5. Bradley wasnt at the game, nor did he even watch the game.
So he obvioously didnt see Washington audible and check-out of
CPJ’s specifically called play on 7 separate occassions.
All of the advantages were simply going in UVA’s favor…BEFORE…the game.
Seriously folks.
What can Bradley even offer on this topic.
He wasnt at the game. He didnt watch the game.
Bradley is not even allowed past the lobby at the GTAA building.
So Bradley is the LAST & WORST source of GT sports information.
Duh
October 18th, 2011
1:47 pm
Mark, there is one big factor that is here that you just did not talk about. Head Coaches do not, and I mean under any circumstance, do not talk to an assistant after a game to complain. Whatever Grantham said was Franklin’s fault. Franklin crossed a line that instigated the whole thing. Common sense and common courtesy, no matter how angry a coach gets,says that you do not search out an assistant and complain. There is no way he should sit. Have a conversation with him and ask him not to speak again to a head coach after a game and warn him about this, sure. But he didn’t ask for this. Nice to see all that fire coming from a Vanderbilt coach but he needs to understand the boundaries, and he crossed one.
JB
October 18th, 2011
1:48 pm
Did we back down when the Germans bombed pearl Harbor ??? Hell no we didn’t…Go CTG.
Gbal
October 18th, 2011
1:48 pm
My view of the video…
Franklin yelling at #36 and walking towards him. #36 was walking away.
Franklin and Grantham happen to cross paths and TG hears the words being yelled at #36. (Franklin did not attempt to find CMR as he has stated. He didnt have time, he met up with TG) Grantham supports him player and blasts Franklin for his comments. TG did not go seek out confrontation. He just happend to be in the path of Franklin and overheard the comments. .. and he addressed them.
The vandy admin has it together and with the support ot the VU media. They have covered up brilliantly and made light of Franklins involvement and responsibility for the incident. All supportive of one another. Franklin … i have no regret for my actions and I am sure that Coach Richt is going to take care of the situation.
In the mean time Richt has let it out that he supported Franklins comment and version of the story and that “This is what I thought happened and I am sorry”. … Before looking at tape and hearing other views. Mcgarity seems to not be in support of TG and the AJC reporters have written no less than 5 pieces on the subject, all with the “throw TG under the bus” attitude…. and this is no fault of Franklin’s.
I call BS on this. The AJC has blown this out of porportion as they normally do dumpon UGA in the interest of Blog hits. Another case of the ACJ being UGA’s worst enemy.
Me thinks this issue is going to have a big effect on the emotional attitude of the team. Richt not being supportive…. I think we have a firey coach it TG which is what we UGA fans have been saying for years that we did not have in CMR. He is making a big salary, but I dont blame him if he hit the road after this year for another job in the pros where men dont get their feeling hurt so easy.
Chuck
October 18th, 2011
1:48 pm
Sorry GA_DAWG10, but you are wrong – but it’s okay, the AJC buried that tidbit, and I don’t expect non-UGA fans (you, AJC, etc.) to pursue the facts too hard on it.
The Florida kicker admitted to blowing the kiss when UGA called timeout. Grantham’s reaction was to the taunt. Which is apaprently okay, based on the free pass Franklin has received from the UGA-haters who infest this rotting carcass formerly known as a newspaper.
Gbal
October 18th, 2011
1:50 pm
ttt
ToccoaBird
October 18th, 2011
1:51 pm
JB the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor. But I get your point
DJDawg
October 18th, 2011
1:51 pm
@An SEC Fan
Idiot. it expains it at the bottom of the picture!!!!! I will say it slow……………………… he was seperating two players! Not in anybodys face!!!!!!!!!!!!!
gdawginkalamazoo
October 18th, 2011
1:52 pm
An SEC Fan, the dude was separating the two players, he was bound to look at both of them at some point. I think I saw a post game interview with the #80 Boyd saying that the game was hard fought and that was that. Boyd didn’t seem to have a problem with it.
Dawg48
October 18th, 2011
1:53 pm
@snoop dawg
I can say we finally found something to agree on and it’s mark Bradley being a dumb………….
ToccoaBird
October 18th, 2011
1:53 pm
Why does the Georgia Alumni and fans keep putting up with Richts PC BS. That should be the real question here. A coach defends his players and Richt apologizes for it? seriously?
Browndog
October 18th, 2011
1:53 pm
So the USC quarterback coach is suspended for a week (out of season, I believe) for public intoxication and peeing in the street and the UGA coach should sit for a game? Both reflect badly on their schools but so does the UF coach with his rantings on the sideline. Next topic.
True Dawg Fan
October 18th, 2011
1:53 pm
T3
October 18th, 2011
1:47 pm
See Bradley wants to try and put CPJ’s post-game comments on
the same level as Grantham, as if to somehow minimize the effect
of Grantham’s immature behavior.
UVA won for several reasons including:
1. UVA had 14 days off after putting 496 Total Yards on Idaho
UVA spent 3 straight weeks doing EXCLUSIVE prep for GT.
Thats why UVA played so bad against Idaho. UVA hadnt bee prepping
for a non-option opffense like Idhao. UVA HC London has
already been quoted in Virginai newspapers on that.
2. UVA players finished mid-term exams the week of October 3rd, and players and students had
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off. Thats why UVA players had so many EXTRA practices before Saturday. GT players finished mid-term exams LAST THURSDAY, Oct 13th.
3. UVA has players. I counted at least 7 starting linemen over 300 lbs.
4. GT was without Defensive LB starters: Attachou & Drummond, Missing those 2 was BIG.
5. Bradley wasnt at the game, nor did he even watch the game.
So he obvioously didnt see Washington audible and check-out of
CPJ’s specifically called play on 7 separate occassions.
All of the advantages were simply going in UVA’s favor…BEFORE…the game.
Seriously folks.
What can Bradley even offer on this topic.
He wasnt at the game. He didnt watch the game.
Bradley is not even allowed past the lobby at the GTAA building.
So Bradley is the LAST & WORST source of GT sports information.
You lost bc GT is a joke. you have still played no one. You will lose 3 more this year and finish at 8-4
old dawg
October 18th, 2011
1:53 pm
mark,
you are way wrong. you, bill king, and schultz have been working at the ajc too long. you have absorbed the pc at all cost attitude the permeates that place.
you comment on an emotional and physical game. when people who are actually involved don’t act like the tea cup club, you become offended and demand punitive action.
turn about fair play. how about the publisher suspend you guys when you offend us? sound ridiculous? look in the mirror.
Cdpridg
October 18th, 2011
1:54 pm
MB let me ask you a couple question. Do you report facts? Do you even investigate? Is the AJC a factual newspaper or a lynch mob paper like the enquirer? You write this article and then go hide under a rock. You write it …get on here and defend your drivel. My thoughts are if you don’t have facts or have never been in the arena so to speak….keep your mouth shut until we know ALL the facts. That is called professionalism and responsible journalism. This is for you and and Shlitz…now I have to go and set John Kincade straight with his uninformed opinions. I ask again Mark…are you a responsible journalist. You guys know when you write trash about UGA players, coaches and fans you 2 are going to hear it and be held accountable by the masses. I want to hear what you have to say for yourself?
JPG
October 18th, 2011
1:55 pm
I am a Gator fan and from my view, both coaches should have kept their mouths shut. The Vandy guy probably did start things, but Vandy is small time. UGA is the bigger and better program and should act like it. Come on, now we have high school football teams attacking each other after games. The grown-ups need to get control of things. That said, I think this inspires the UGA defense even more for the FLA game, and Dawgs roll at the WLOCP.
B'dawg
October 18th, 2011
1:57 pm
Football is changing for the worst every season. In college and as well as the pros. Before it is all said and done, the quarterback will be wearing a pink jersey to remind everyone not to hit him because he’s a girl. For crying out loud people this is football! Emotions are going to run wild, people will get hurt, coaches will get pissed off, players too. You didnt fine Dick Butkis for ripping off helmets back in his day. And you didnt fine him or suspend him!! You cheered for him for being a man and taking it to another man. This is football. A mans game. If you dont want to get your feelings hurt syay home with momma and let the men play! LET THEM PLAY!
DJDawg
October 18th, 2011
1:57 pm
@JPG
I wish I could agree with you,but at this point I really dont know!
IL Jacket
October 18th, 2011
1:57 pm
Old Dawg, your post @11:56 is spot on.
True Dawg Fan
October 18th, 2011
1:59 pm
Wow Mark just when i thought the AJC couldnt get any dumber you throw up this article. You are a pathetic little igrl if you think CTG should be suspended. That is the DUMBEST thing I have heard regarding this situation. CTG is going to be at UGA for a long long long time. If he isnt then we have made a huge mistake. He brings the fire this team needs. Richt cools them down and keeps them in check when needed.
And to all those Idiots calling for CTG to be fired. Youre just as idiotic as Mrs. Bradley here. Grow a pair and realize that football is a brutal sport. If you cant handle it then find a different sport to watch, maybe rythmic ribbon dancing is more up your ally.
As for you Mrs. Bradley. Do us all a favor and go right up the traffic report or something bc that is all you are good for. You know nothing of football that much is clear.
At this point i dont know who is dumber, you or Shultzie. either way your both retards and shouldnt be allowed to have an opinion anymore.
ToccoaBird
October 18th, 2011
2:00 pm
@ JPG , I look for a good hard fought game since both teams should be well rested and will get some injured players back. I hope both teams can get threw the game without those serious injuries.
An SEC Fan
October 18th, 2011
2:01 pm
My point is that a picture exists of a GA staff person “in the face” of a Vanderbilt player regardless of the circumstances. Where is the one of Franklin? These fans seem so ready to believe unsupported ideas and claims without proof. Just because somebody said it doesn’t make it
DJ Dawg: Your spelling, punctuation, lack of sentence structure and name calling in lieu of proper dialogue says more about you than I ever could.
JB
October 18th, 2011
2:01 pm
I hope if the SEc is looking into this, they get the tape of every move Franklin made in slow mo after the final second ticked off and watch him. 99.9% of the time, a Head Coach will cross at mid field and meet the other coach within 5 yards of the 50. WHERE was he? Where did he head to?
Mark Bradley
October 18th, 2011
2:01 pm
For the record, I did in fact attend Georgia Tech’s game at Virginia. I believe I even wrote about it.
Baton Rouge & Tuscaloosa
October 18th, 2011
2:02 pm
Meanwhile as Dawg nation is spending time talking about their epic Vanderbilt game, grown men, including players and coaches, will be meeting in 11 days.
No coaches will be demonstrating the choke hold, no mass running to the field by the entire bench celebrating a TD, no special jerseys or helmuts, coaches and players will be good sports after the game and of course the fans will not be trashing and defecating on campus grounds.
T3
October 18th, 2011
2:02 pm
@ True Dawg Fan:
Uhhh, we are were discussing your azz-clown DC.
Even CMR thinks TG is an embarassment.
True Dawg Fan
October 18th, 2011
2:03 pm
who cares mark your journalism skills are next to 0. You have no clue about football
Xiaoming Hsu starring as Randall Smallwood
October 18th, 2011
2:04 pm
T3, keep it simple. UVA won because they scored more points than GT.
ToccoaBird
October 18th, 2011
2:04 pm
T3 go cry about losing to Va and leave the Georgia blogs to the grown ups.
True Dawg Fan
October 18th, 2011
2:04 pm
T3
October 18th, 2011
2:02 pm
@ True Dawg Fan:
Uhhh, we are were discussing your azz-clown DC.
Even CMR thinks TG is an embarassment.
Richt is just pleasing the media and the SEC. He couldnt care less about it. If you believe otherwise u need a catscan
gdawginkalamazoo
October 18th, 2011
2:05 pm
Richt ought to be apologizing for the offense not being able to move the 10 yards at the end of the game to kill the clock. That’s what he should be sorry for.
JB
October 18th, 2011
2:05 pm
I don’t beleive this…Toccabird… You never saw the movie Animal House with John Belushi? It’s the best line in the movie……
True Dawg Fan
October 18th, 2011
2:06 pm
If richt didnt come out and apologize and say things were being handled blah blah blah, then retards like Mrs. Bradley would have had a field day with him too. He is just trying to get the stupid media to shut their traps and let them play football.
Calhoundawg
October 18th, 2011
2:06 pm
Does anyone think this incident would have happened if Vandy had actually won the game? I think not, nor do I think Franklin would have anywhere near the trouble “finding” Richt after the game. The truth is that Franklin is obviously a poor loser and, as a head coach, all he could do to vent his frustration (at losing) was to take it out on our players. If anyone really, truly wants to get to the bottom of this, they’ll start at the top. It’s just that simple.
Hot Dawg
October 18th, 2011
2:07 pm
Mark, this is what happens when you get a guy that comes from the NFL. Some (not all) assistante in the NFL think it is appropriate to act like this. Have you seen Rob Ryan (Rex’s twin bro) with the Dallas Cowboys. This kind of confrontation is the norm in the pros, and Grantham forgot he was in college. I appreciate his passion for his players, but I do think he overreacted.
All that being said, the main problem with this GA team is that they have no discipline at all. when a guy messes up, Richt just acts like he doesn’t care. Watch Nick Saban and Bama if you wnat to see a focused coach. When a player makes a stupic mental mistake, he grabs the guy by his facemask and pulls them to the sideline for a butt chewing. I’ve about had it with Saint Richt.
JB
October 18th, 2011
2:07 pm
Richt ought to apologize to the State of Georgia for collecting 10.5 MILLION dollars over the last 3 years for poor results!
And to think...
October 18th, 2011
2:07 pm
I actually felt sorry for the delusional Georgia fan-base for maintaining their false hopes that Mark Richt could ever build a championship football program in Athens.
Now, they finally want to fire the man, but for all the wrong reasons. Any decent, self-respecting football coach would be an idiot to even consider taking this job.
jerry
October 18th, 2011
2:07 pm
The hotsy totsy ex-NFL DC just got gashed for 200 yards on the ground—by Vanderbuilt. The utter temerity of a football nobody doing that to the ever proud, $650,000 a year Todd Grantham. But of course, that had nothing to do with it, he was just looking out for his players.
crusher dawg
October 18th, 2011
2:07 pm
Ye without sin cast the first stone. Mr. Bradley how many could be cast at you. Know a bunch could be cast at me.
T3
October 18th, 2011
2:08 pm
OK then Bradley, surely you will now be able to SPECIFICALLY identify
which plays on which downs in which quarter Washngton checked-out of CPJ’s called plays.
Surely you’ll be so knowledgable about those details to factor that in to your criticism of CPJ.
Right?
Bradley, dont be an AW by trying to compare CPJ to Grantham.
True Dawg Fan
October 18th, 2011
2:08 pm
Come one Mark only going to defend that you were at the game????
What about your opinion of CTG??? Let us in on how you came up with you just punishment for him???
Stop hiding and be a man and answer the questions
bsquare
October 18th, 2011
2:09 pm
As a dawg fan, I’m not proud the incident happened but give me a break. Grantham shouldn’t be suspended. If Vandy’s coach hadn’t chosen to dress down the Dawgs player, nothing would have happened. Why is he being given preferential treatment ??
bamaguy
October 18th, 2011
2:09 pm
I was thinking the same thing JB. “Six years of college down the drain”