Richt on taxi incident: ‘I hope in the future people just reserve their opinions’
ATHENS — At his post-practice meeting with reporters Tuesday night, Georgia coach Mark Richt reacted at length to Monday’s statement by Athens-Clarke County police that UGA football players were not involved in an alleged March 28 attack on a married couple in an Athens taxi van. Police said the only UGA player in the cab acted as a peacemaker.
Richt’s reaction:
“I’m just glad that it all came out and that none of our guys were a problem. . . . The thing that is hard to take is just all the time and all the speculation and everybody just assuming it was our guys and assuming they would do these things.
“That’s just the thing about the Internet and police reports and all that kind of thing. It’s hard for anybody to really know what the reality is, but your mind starts racing and you start assuming things that may or may not be true. . . .
“That [why] the first time [reporters] asked me about it, I was, like, ‘I don’t want to underreact, I don’t want to overreact, because I really don’t know.’ Even me as a coach, I could assume that thing is true and get all bent out of shape and make myself crazy. But then on the other hand you don’t want to act like there’s not a possibility it could be. You don’t want to underreact or overreact. . . .
“I’m just thankful the news came out the way it did. . . . Let’s say it had taken another week or two. Who knows how much longer people would be forming their opinions on our guys when, in fact, they weren’t involved in this? That’s just kind of the way it goes. . . .
“I just hope that as much time as everybody spent reporting that, I hope they spend as much time reporting it was not our guys. If anything, somebody [the player who police said acted as a peacemaker] was trying to help out some people who needed help. . . . I hope in the future people just reserve their opinions and their posts and whatever they may have and just wait until you find all the information before you start throwing stones, you know.”
Also:
Tuesday practice notebook: Gamble moves to outside linebacker, etc.
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262 comments Add your comment
SEC links: Archie denied sixth season at USC « MrSEC.com
April 7th, 2010
9:20 am
[...] Mark Richt reacts to taxi incident aftermath, reports Tim Tucker of the AJC. [...]
24 Florida Players Arrested...
April 7th, 2010
9:21 am
Every team in the SEC has players arrested, nothing new reported on this thread at all.
For those who havn’t seen it yet, unlike others on this thread hwo make claims but don’t back them up, Meyer has had 24 players arrested during his run at Florida, here’s a breakdown of the 24 arrests:
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_college_uf/2009/06/janoris-jenkinscharge-misdemeanor-affray-and-resisting-arrest-without-violence-for-his-role-in-a-may-30-fight-outside-a-down.html
Gators Break Law 251 Times
April 7th, 2010
9:24 am
In another area, Florida Gator football players have broken the law an additional 251 times during Meyer’s BRIEF stay at Florida, about 50 per year.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2009-12-22/sports/os-uf-traffic-tickets-1223-20091222_1_dui-charge-charges-don-t-result-traffic-citations
Me
April 7th, 2010
9:25 am
And as long as we’re banishing “BuLLdog” and “Reality” from these blogs can we nix “Tim Teblow” as well. Low class and disrespectful is the person behind that moniker… plus the guy doesn’t even play for the hated Gators anymore. Get a new line, pal.
Stone Thrower
April 7th, 2010
9:25 am
We throw them cause they are an easy target and usually correct.
Delusional Dawg
April 7th, 2010
9:26 am
When did patrick get out of rehab??
Joe
April 7th, 2010
9:28 am
I like it- the first time out of literally a hundred times the “public” is wrong my main man Richt feels a need to chastise- what is really like to live in a glass house?
Checker Cab
April 7th, 2010
9:30 am
“Peace”………. at 2:00 a.m. in a cab full of thugs from Heard County.
Southside
April 7th, 2010
9:30 am
As long as you recruit thug like athletes, you will get this conduct. The University should address the taxi cab procedures. How come the driver picked up 4 guys who had been clubbing when he already had a couple in the cab? Worse still is why the player was clubbing with these guys who hit a woman. You can bet it hasn’t been the 1st time
jimbo dogs
April 7th, 2010
9:34 am
Please share the link to ALL the websites of all journalists who say Georgia has had 90 players arrested under Richt. I havn’t seen those links yet. Thanks in advance for sharing this evidence of your accusations. I’m sure that will be quick and easy for you to pull up.
Taxi Driver
April 7th, 2010
9:36 am
His Mo-Ped broke down and I gave him a ride at 2:00 a.m.
Give our players better treatment
April 7th, 2010
9:39 am
A Limo would have been more appropriate.
McDawg
April 7th, 2010
9:42 am
moped alert moped alert another player arressted
Georgia Fan
April 7th, 2010
9:42 am
See “Southside” comments for a perfect example of a misinformed opinion. “The University should address the taxi cab procedures” What in the hell are you talking about? There are PRIVATE cab companies in Athens that shuttle Athens area residents around town. It’s not like it’s a friggin school bus.
Also, the cabs in Athens are BIG VANS — like a church van that can hold 15-20 people. Especially when the bars close at 2:00 a.m., there is a mad rush to get in a cab as fast as you can. The drivers let as many drunks as can squeeze in then make the rounds at $4-$5 a piece, only to return downtown to fill up another load. Sometimes you wait for 30-45 min for a cab to show up, depending on the size of the crowd downtown. While you wait, it isn’t uncommon to grab a hot dog or a bratwurst from the Grill. Bottom line is that you will go to jail if you try to drive from downtown after the bars close so the cabs (a.k.a. VANS) are really the only option.
10% of Gator Players Under Meyer Get Arrested
April 7th, 2010
9:43 am
Accoring to the Orlando Sentinel, under 5% of the general population get arrested, yet 10% of players Meyer recruits get arrested. What does this say when Meyer’s arrest rate for his players is 2X higher than the general population’s?
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2009-06-06/sports/collegeinsider_1_number-of-arrests-urban-meyer-uf
OVER-RATED
April 7th, 2010
9:43 am
Richt is already making excuses for another losing season.
DawginLex
April 7th, 2010
9:43 am
HEY OVER-RATED,
DawginLex
April 7th, 2010
9:44 am
LIST THE PREVIOUS LOSING SEASON THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA FOOTBALL TEAM HAD UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF COACH MARK RICHT.
DawginLex
April 7th, 2010
9:44 am
I WILL POP SOME POPCORN AND AWAIT YOUR RESPONSE
wes
April 7th, 2010
9:44 am
Sorry, Mark. Typically where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
Run a clean program and folks will stop assuming the worst about your boys.
OVER-RATED
April 7th, 2010
9:45 am
I stand corrected, playing in the New Orleans Bowl last year was a highpoint of his career.
DawginLex
April 7th, 2010
9:47 am
OVER RATED,
YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY A CONFUSED CHILD.
YOU ARE THINKING OF MTSU
Either you are an idiot of the highest level or you are horrible at trying to be funny…………………..
Urban
April 7th, 2010
9:48 am
I see that both of those articles on UF arrests (??) linked to articles written by a Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel…why does that name sound so familiar??
OVER-RATED
April 7th, 2010
9:49 am
I CAN TYPE IN ALL CAPS TOO LEXINADAWG.
The Orlando Sentinel
April 7th, 2010
9:52 am
The TMZ of sports “reporting”.
The San Clemente Clinic
April 7th, 2010
9:53 am
Paging patrick…
Urban Meyer Goes Off on a Reporter
April 7th, 2010
9:55 am
Who is Jeremy Fowler? He’s the guy Urban Meyer went off on, here’s the video for those of you who missed it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgqQshESm8s&feature=related
jimbo dogs
April 7th, 2010
10:00 am
Hi UGA Richt Stone Throwers-
Still waiting on ALL those links about ALL those (90???) arrests under Richt? Please pull ALL those links up real quick, since so many journalist have written about it. I’m sure you’d agree this is a reasonable request.
Cherokee
April 7th, 2010
10:04 am
Where is…. For dawglessville he needs to read the above stories on his beloved Gators. Maybe now he will see they are not as perfect as he thinks they are.
OVER-RATED
April 7th, 2010
10:04 am
Jimbo – 70% of all stats are made up on the spot half of the time everytime.
SaintsLSU
April 7th, 2010
10:05 am
Is that true, 10% of UF recruits have been arrested under Meyer? Wow! I am not naive, and I do realize many SEC players get arrested, like LSU’s Terrance Toliver in a bar fight. But man, this outbreak is crazy. You have to wonder about the discipline of UF. I mean, Dunlap getting arrested a few days before the SEC CG. I am not saying Florida would have beaten Bama with him, but I’m sure that was a distraction.
sling blade
April 7th, 2010
10:10 am
Urban Meyer Goes Off on a Reporter, Good morning Patrick. A day without Patrick is like day without sunshine!! I am sharing him with all of you.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1158327737&ref=name
Bleacher Report Says Meyer Vying for Lead in Player Arrests
April 7th, 2010
10:10 am
Bleacher Report is also saying Meyer is vying for the lead in player arrests. Not a good thing to show leadership in.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/128766-a-full-line-up-22-florida-football-players-arrested-under-the-meyer-regime
Odell T.
April 7th, 2010
10:13 am
Admittedly the thugs were in the company of the “peacemaking football player” at 2 o’clock in the morning. Richt’s spin on this incident is worthy of Michael Adams. It looks like it will be another year of off field arrests and thuggish penalties on the field.
sling blade
April 7th, 2010
10:13 am
I am Patrick but dont have the balls to post so I blog like this:
Bleacher Report Says Meyer Vying for Lead in Player Arrests but this is what I look like:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1158327737&ref=name
sling blade
April 7th, 2010
10:15 am
The funniest was on page 1 where someone said that Richt was guilty of stealing Helen Hunts face. hahahahah I am still laughing.
Helen Hunt
April 7th, 2010
10:16 am
Jerk
sling blade
April 7th, 2010
10:17 am
DawginLex
April 7th, 2010
9:44 am
LIST THE PREVIOUS LOSING SEASON THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA FOOTBALL TEAM HAD UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF COACH MARK RICHT.
If your program didn’t have such low expectations, I would say losing to Kentucky at home and going to the weedeater bowl would be losing.
59bulldawg
April 7th, 2010
10:22 am
I hear ya coach. And I’m glad this turned out to be a non-incident. But I’m going to speak to you as an alum and fan and supporter of the University of Georgia. The numerous run-ins with the law of your players over the last several years have gotten you to this point. When incidents happen every year . . . when players are suspended virtually every season . . . people are naturally going to think the worse. I know you can’t be with each of your players 24/7 but I’m really getting sick of hearing about the stupid things our players do to jeopardize their playing time and the team’s chances of winning. For instance this year so far our young quarterback fighting for a starting job who will be suspended for one or two games at the beginning of this season and the linebacker we just kicked off the team even though we are short on outside linebackers. I’m not saying they didn’t deserve the discipline they received. But why do we keep shooting ourself in the foot and do it pretty much every year. Hence the negative speculation! You’re either not getting through to all of your players or some of the players you’re bringing into the program should not have been recruited. People used to poke fun at Florida State when they had these types of problems and now we have them at Georgia. Hope you’re not the common denominator! If you want a change in public perception, then the ball’s in your hands coach. Figure out why these incidents keep taking place and find a way to stop them. Sure this kid in the taxi was innocent but why was one of your players out at 2:00 AM? I know athletes have freedom too but they also have a responsibility to the program . . . especially when it provides them an education that is increasingly becoming out of reach for many without their athletic skills. Perhaps instead of circling the wagons and getting defensive, an honest evaluation of what you’re doing to stop such incidents from taking place would be a more appropriate response. I know it’s a difficult assignment coach but it’s your program and ultimately your responsibility. That’s why you make the big bucks.
Over Rated
April 7th, 2010
10:22 am
HAHAHAHAHAHA
sling blade
April 7th, 2010
10:27 am
59bulldawg, all of your ideas are admirable, but all programs have problems because of the types of atletes required for success. That is all but 3: West Point, Annapolis and the Air Force Academy.
RRG
April 7th, 2010
10:28 am
BuLLdawg, you fail to mention two other requirements you want from Coach Ritch: Hire only black coaches and recruit only white players. Then you and your other klanmen will be very very happy even if UGA didn’t win any games. Why don’t you break down the incidents along racial lines and see who are the “real” thugs.
Homer
April 7th, 2010
10:29 am
59bulldawg, Georgia isn’t poked fun of like FSU used to be; because unlike FSU used to be, Jawja is not relevent.
...what REALLY happened
April 7th, 2010
10:30 am
The young “peacemaker ” was up studying late at 2:00 a.m. and needed a cab ride back to his dorm from the library.
Chris Hansen
April 7th, 2010
10:35 am
It’s kind of creepy when men 30+ obsess over 18-20 year olds playing sports.
A fine upstanding young man.
April 7th, 2010
10:35 am
The UGA player plans to join the PEACE CORP and work the ” graveyard ” night shift.
Homer
April 7th, 2010
10:36 am
Hi Chrisie, glad to see you join us.
Sun Sentinel Wonders: Is Florida "Thug U"?
April 7th, 2010
10:38 am
The Sun Sentinels David Hyde makes a strong case that Florida, under Meyer, is Thug U. Miami had 40 players arrested to get that moniker, Meyer has already had 24 players arrested in just 5 years.
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2009-05-28/sports/0905270362_1_miami-player-florida-players-miami-fan
Billy Bob Thornton
April 7th, 2010
10:38 am
I’ve only broken the law a couple of times, think I could make the Dawg roster?
Patrick
April 7th, 2010
10:39 am
Sun Sentinel Wonders: Is Florida “Thug U”? = me!!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1158327737&ref=name