Kiffin knocks Gators, so what’s the big deal?
Leave that man alone.
Well, this time.
The way things are going for Lane Kiffin, the self-inflicted tackling dummy during his first weeks as head football coach at the University of Tennessee, there will be a next time. There also will be a few more times after that.
As for this time, Kiffin was absolutely right to tell our Michael Carvell that he is done apologizing to Florida and everybody else over his erroneous comments about Gators coach Urban Meyer and his recruiting practices.
Remember? During a recruiting breakfast last month, Kiffin boasted to Tennessee supporters (note: Tennessee supporters) that Meyer tried to “cheat” and still didn’t get wide receiver prospect Nu’Keese Richardson. That’s because Richardson stiff-armed Florida down the stretch before sprinting to Tennessee.
It turns out that, contrary to what Kiffin told those Tennessee supporters (note: Tennessee supporters), Meyer didn’t violate an NCAA rule when he phoned Richardson during a recruiting trip to Tennessee.
So help me out. Where’s the controversy here? Kiffin was talking to a bunch of … Tennessee supporters.
Have you ever been to one of these booster-type events for an average college team from a power conference? They are pep rallies that often go over the top, with the head coach serving as school mascot, drum major, standup comic, resident psychologist, PR man and grand poobah between talking X’s and O’s.
They say stuff. They say silly stuff. Then, during one of the few times when some or all of their stuff gets into the public domain, they say predictable stuff — such as, “I didn’t say that,” or “I was misquoted,” or “I was taken out of context.”
Even Kiffin tried to back away from his words to Tennessee supporters (note: Tennessee supporters) by telling Carvell, “It was not as bad (as it was made out to be). I didn’t mean any disrespect toward the University of Florida or Coach Meyer.”
Yes, Kiffin did, but so what? He was saying that stuff to Tennessee supporters.
It happens.
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108 comments Add your comment
KenFromCalifornia
March 26th, 2009
7:05 pm
everyone thought al davis, owner of the oakland raiders, was just a bitter, senile old man when he held that press conference after firing kiffin.
kiffin is proving daily that al davis was on target.
GT
March 26th, 2009
5:20 pm
I noticed watching the Georgia, Georgia Tech game rerun last night that my favorite coach CPJ gave the fans behind the Tech bench in Athens a little what for before walking off the field to shake Richt’s hand. Apparently and according to Buck Belue the announcer those Georgia fans had been riding CPJ and the Tech team pretty hard the whole game and CPJ could not resist a little “how do you like me now” back at them with two seconds left in the game. If a coach hasn’t got some of that in him why is he even in this game? That Florida coach probably knew that recruit was on Tennessee soil. His call was not that innocent and I am sure the things he was saying about Tennessee to that recruit while he was on the Vol’s dime were not that flattering about the school. It wasn’t cheating but it was cheap. When in the make up of things has college football showed much class in the last few decades on any subject. It boiled over so much in the 90s they had to tone it down in Miami, FSU which all competed with Florida in recruiting. I mean those thugs even made the NFL nervous. I was thinking the other night how much I hate Duke and that Coach K and how much enjoyment those flopping whining yankee transplants bring to basketball because they get my blood boiling. It would be so damn dull without them to hate. To watch Spurrier, I being a disinterested third party observer, work these country boy coaches who are defenseless in the cross hairs is pure entertainment. They can make him quit all that by just beating him, but he gets them so knotted up knowing that is the only revenge they have they get the stadium backups, and their players feel it in the coaching staff and they get constipated too, along with the fans. At one time and maybe even today all Spurrier has to do is walk into Athens and say boo and he has picked up seven points in the translation.
BeauregardRippey
March 26th, 2009
4:57 pm
Georgia fans are feeling left out because Lane hasn’t insulted their coach or program yet.
Don’t fret about it, Bulldog fans– Lane isn’t ignoring you because he thinks UGA is insignificant… he is ignoring you because UGA fans and coaches aren’t nearly as obnoxious as those in Tuscaloosa, gainesville, or Columbia.
MegaT
March 26th, 2009
4:39 pm
Man do I L…O…V…E SEC football! It’s only March and SEC fans are in a tizzy. You gotta love it no matter which of the 12 teams you pull for.
Grant Parker
March 26th, 2009
4:34 pm
You know, Steve Spurrier did the same thing all the time when he was at UF.
MegaT
March 26th, 2009
4:33 pm
Hey Mac! Got a issue or something? Sounds like King Kiffin has gotten under your skin too!
Carroll
March 26th, 2009
4:31 pm
Florida and CUM don’t impress me the least. They are seting themselves up for a big fall. Its going to happen folks!!! Go Dawgs and Mountaineers.
Steve
March 26th, 2009
4:24 pm
I was at Augusta National’s media day last year when you played, and you were the joke of the crowd. You’re the worst sports writer at the AJC and harshly looked upon by your peers.
Your shock articles about polarizing topics are the only reason people read your stuff. It CERTAINLY isn’t your writing ability.
Tyler Forsyth
March 26th, 2009
4:02 pm
wow this is crazy. kiffin and co has braught in a incredible staff and people want to bash him. what a joke!
steve
March 26th, 2009
3:48 pm
It is articles like this from people like TM that are the reason why this paper is dying. TM and CT need to start their own liberal rag and then maybe the AJC could get some readres back