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
Around The SEC East - 3/26/09 | MrSEC.com
March 26th, 2009
10:30 am
[...] the AJC believes Lane Kiffin did mean to disrespect Urban Meyer last month… but in his words, “so what?”UT: Vol signee Nu’Keese Richardson — the man at the center of the Kiffin-Meyer war of [...]
Sandy
March 26th, 2009
10:00 am
Kiffin first told Jeffrey that South Carolina players will “pump gas all their lives”. Kiffin got caught lying because there were 2 credible witnesses on Jeffrey’s end of the speaker phone. Rather than owning up, Kiffin pretended Jeffrey had privately recanted his statement. But the only person who claims the recant is none other than Lane Kiffin. Jeffrey, another player and his high school coach stand by the original account and Kiffin is left claiming “That’s just not something I would say.”
This is the same guy who claimed folks at Pahokee High School would have lost or tampered with signing documents. Kiffin can’t deny that, because he got caught on tape. By the way, Kiffin promised a public apology to the Pahokee Coach and community but then suggested they were whiners.
SEC links: Bama waiting on Grant’s decision | MrSEC.com
March 26th, 2009
9:21 am
[...] AJC columnist Terence Moore wants to know what’s the big deal about Lane Kiffin knocking Florida? [...]
Mark
March 26th, 2009
8:54 am
Paul, the issue is that Lame Kitten is a pathological liar (ask Al Davis) who will do absolutely anything to try to get ahead. Encouraging recruits to lie to their coaches, families, teammates is certainly an indication of his character (or lack of it). It was not only Florida involved in his lack of ethics, but also LSU (Kitten lied to in incoming recruit about others being brought in at that position), Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. Competing is one thing, lying and cheating is another. Spurrier certainly had some interesting barbs directed at other schools, but there is a difference between poking fun at them and calling them cheaters. I can only wonder what they paid for Bryce Brown – I am sure that is under the NCAA microscope given all the smoke he has created in 2 months.
KingGator
March 26th, 2009
8:25 am
Let’s turn the tables for a minute, and say that one of your colleagues at the AJC had a few choice words to say about you and your quality of reporting and doing your job. And let’s just say that the comments were not very favorable of you, yet unfounded, and created a negative image of your professional style of work. Now I’m no genius sir, but something tells me you might be a bit miffed, and harbor some ill feelings toward that dude that denigrated your character in the national spotlight. This guy is no Steve Spurrier trust me. SOS had won a conference championship at DUKE before he ever stepped up to the plate of the SEC. He had won a Heisman Trophy as a player. So he had credibility from the very beginning. All this Kiffin dude has done is be whacked by Al Davis after a couple mediocre yrs., and here he comes to the SEC all BIG and BAD!! My take on all of this would be to judge a book by it’s cover, and Mr. Kiffin’s cover is pretty tattered with no substance in the book.
KG
» SEC links: Bama waiting on Grant’s decision John Clay’s Sidelines
March 26th, 2009
8:01 am
[...] AJC columnist Terence Moore wants to know what’s the big deal about Lane Kiffin knocking Florida? [...]
Snoop Dawg
March 26th, 2009
6:52 am
Hey Terence,
I hope you were one of them
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2009/03/25/ajc_job_cuts.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab
Paul The Vol
March 25th, 2009
11:52 pm
What has Kiffen done? He has taken a fan base that had grown disenchanted and hoped it could beat Florida to one that is energized and now believes it is only a matter of time until we once again stand with the SEC’s best. The other schools – and their fans – don’t matter and we don’t care what you think. He has also kept Tennessee’s name in the forefront during this recruiting period. Read the book “Meat Market” and you will see that CLK is following the model of Pete Carroll at USC who followed the model of Jimmy Johnson at Miami in the early 80’s. The common link? Ed Orgeron and his recruiting ability.
Matt
March 25th, 2009
11:10 pm
Oh, by the way, MelHarris, keep in mind that most of those recruits were recruited by Phil Fulmer and his staff. Don’t pretend that Lane Kiffin did all that work. And don’t kid yourself about UT’s chances this year. I bet you’re one of the ones who will be screaming for this jerk’s job mid-year when the Vols have lost huge to Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. I bet you’ll wet yourself when you lose by three touchdowns to Vandy.
melharris
March 25th, 2009
10:32 pm
Great start for Kiffin. Hired an all star coaching staff. Secured a top 10 recruiting class in a few weeks. Rejected some highly ranked players because they didn’t fit his system. Sent message that he will level with recruits and not recruit them to sit on the bench or change positions.
He is making sure players go to class. Has kept them out of jail. Weeded out some undesirables. Implemented respectable dress code and hair cuts. Implemented rigorous conditioning program every morning at 5:30am. Players are buying in and getting fired up about the program.
Has UT logo on Gator’s bulletin boards. Everyone is talking about him getting the attention of prospects. Most top prospects will at least look at the Vols next year. I believe he is doing the right things to build the program. I’m not sure if he has a QB to carry the team this year, but he will get top players future years.
You can YELP at Terrance Moore all you want, but the truth is you know UT is coming after you. You hope Fla hangs 70 on Tenn, but I remember 2 years ago when UT hung 51 on the pups BETWEEN THE HEDGES WITH NoSho and Stifford. Don’t look back, something is about to giiit you.