Postcard from Honduras: No ticket for Boise State fan
POSTCARD FROM HONDURAS
Mark Richt was nearly 1,400 miles away from the Georgia Bulldogs’ practice fields this week, touring impoverished areas of Honduras served by the Christian charity organization World Vision International. It was his third visit to Honduras , but the first time any media has accompanied him. This is the last of daily postcards provided by AJC reporter Steve Hummer, who followed Richt and his wife Katharyn to chronicle their trip. Look for an in-depth report on Richt’s journey in Sunday’s AJC.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — The return to what in Mark Richt’s world passes for normalcy began Friday before he and his wife, Katharyn, boarded the plane for home.
In the Honduran countryside, no one knew Richt or really understood what he did for a living. You try explaining his job to someone with no knowledge of The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
“Coach Mark,” he often was referred to, without any real concept of the title.
But in the airport in the Honduran capital, fellow Americans, many of them returning from mission trips, lined up to have their picture taken with the Bulldogs coach. Here, he was Coach Richt again.
The story of this trip was about caring and sharing. As a way of transitioning to the more cutthroat world of college football, let’s consider one story Richt told on himself this week.
Yes, there are limits to his Christian charity.
While the Richts were in Honduras, three of their four children were at a religious camp in Missouri. One of the counselors there, a close family friend, had asked the Richts for a ticket to the season opener against Boise State. Katharyn initially said no problem. But when her husband learned that the ticket actually was for a friend of their friend — a Boise State fan — he turned down the request flat.
“He’s a good kid, but I’m not going to help Boise State. We’re going to do battle, and the last thing I want to do is help some of them,” the coach said.
The process of getting back his game face has begun.
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133 comments Add your comment
19DAWGFAN59
June 25th, 2011
8:04 am
GO YOU HAIRY DAWGS … TIME TO R I S E U P BULLDAWG NATION !!!!!!!!!!
tell me again
June 25th, 2011
8:07 am
Yeah, all of you mentally challenged posters who are sick of hearing what a good man Coach CMR is – I guess you had rather be talking about your coach the way Ohio State fans are talking about theirs about now? Lotta pride there, huh???
gt4ever
June 25th, 2011
8:10 am
tell me again,
We will see how far the “good man” thing takes him when he goes 6 and 7 again…. My guess is that Richt wont finish the season…
tell me again
June 25th, 2011
8:11 am
You Tech fans are so funny…Hey Techmate! What would you like for a headline? ANOTHER TECH STUDENT MUGGED ON NORTH AVENUE!? Would that be more to your liking? Go back to your Tech blog and barf on your own blog. Geez….
mo dawg
June 25th, 2011
8:12 am
We are at war and you better look out.
He’s only so nice. | Get The Picture
June 25th, 2011
8:13 am
[...] Mark Richt has his limits. … The story of this trip was about caring and sharing. As a way of [...]
Producer
June 25th, 2011
8:17 am
Unfortunately the “good man” mantra is the only thing that has kept this incompetent putz on the football field the last three years. “But, he’s such a good man…” “What a great man he is, let’s give him just oneeeeeee more year…” What a manipulative douche bag he is. Machiavelli has nothing on Richt.
fla dawg
June 25th, 2011
8:31 am
get this story out of the sports section where it doesn’t belong. if you think you are building up more “good will” for richt then stop wasting everyone’s time. the “he’s a great guy” reasoning for not firing him doesn’t work anymore. we all know that he is a great guy. if you have a choice and you can get a great coach who is also a great guy then that is fantastic. next choice is a great coach who is a jerk. sadly, richt falls into neither of those categories. the great coach component is missing. it is win big this year or have lots of time for “good guy” things and I am not convinced that is not his preference anyway. I wonder sometimes if richt is not using the football coach as a job to have a platform for and financial device to fund his good deeds. the world needs more people like mark richt, I just don’t want him as the head football coach at UGA.
not a boise state gan
June 25th, 2011
8:31 am
I am not a boise state fan at all but if you think that you have a chance against them, its going to be a sad sight. There are going to be alot of weeping puppies coming out of the dome.
Lebrick
June 25th, 2011
8:35 am
It will be hard to root for UGA on 9/3/11, but it will finally end this Boise State B S talk about them being a powerhouse…put them in their place UGA and by 40
joe
June 25th, 2011
8:41 am
Coverage of the Mission Trip????Are yoiu kidding? This rag of a newspaper has had someone in South America to write a two three paragraph article about his mission trip and it will not even pick up a phone and or write about the Augusta Golf team or the GA Southern playoff run to third in the nation in FCS football….If the ajc is gooing to cover a missin trip DO IT!!!! If you are going to cover good stories and good sports stores DO IT!!!!! If it were not for the AP this business would be nothing but fish wrapper material. Oops!!! Maybe they do not use newspapers for that anymore.
Dawgs42toTech's34
June 25th, 2011
8:41 am
Prayers sent to CMR and Katharine, may God bless you for all you’ve done!
GATA
joe
June 25th, 2011
8:42 am
Oops! Mission Trip!!!!
big john 360 lbs
June 25th, 2011
8:48 am
Quit complaining about what the AJC is covering and whether or not it’s in the sports section. If you don’t want to read about CMR going to Honduras then don’t click on the article! Dawg fans do want to read it because we love our coach and know what a good man he is.
Beast from the East
June 25th, 2011
8:53 am
“I CAN ONLY HOPE All OF THE FOLKS THAT SELL THEIR GA/FL tix’s To gaytors read this article…. In addition, shame on any dawg that either dates or is married to one….. Once a Dawg always a Dawg….. Don’t believe muschamp was ever really a Dawg …. He could have waited and either taken over at Texas or gone to another school…. Sic Um CMR…..”
Nub,
Pretty narrow-minded commentary. There are great men and women that are fans and alumni of both universities. Pretty sad that you are so consumed by your passion for a game played by college kids that you would think that way. Sad.
Stud
June 25th, 2011
9:00 am
Yeah right. Like I believe that story re the ticket.
Gator Trey
June 25th, 2011
9:01 am
How many have you won in the last 20? I said it sucks, to be a georgia bulldog fan.
Carol Brennan
June 25th, 2011
9:04 am
Wow! Souns like he’s scared to let another Bose State Fan in the dome. Boise State Fans are the most dedicated, true fans in College Football. We support them when theyare winning and when they are losing. 2005 was a LONG time ago. It is a new team and Boise State is going to put you dogs back in the doghouse. Can’t wait for this game. I BLEED BLUE…BSU forever!
big john 360 lbs
June 25th, 2011
9:11 am
Gonna be a long way to come Carol to get that tail whupped.
jeremy
June 25th, 2011
9:16 am
Where does this kid live? I will buy him a ticket!
GO BOISE STATE BRONCOS!
June 25th, 2011
9:18 am
REVENGE IS COMING!
Dawg-Hatin'Hacket
June 25th, 2011
9:20 am
Dawgpile Nation must be pretty worried if they think one more Boise St fan is going to give them THAT much trouble in the Dome. Hunker down and tremble you scaredy mutts.
MamaD
June 25th, 2011
9:30 am
Bless your heart Hoopster.
Dirty Dawg
June 25th, 2011
9:37 am
Some are making way too much of this ‘ticket’ thing. If the ticket were for the ‘kid’ then I expect that Richt would have gone through with it, regardless of where the kid’s loyalties might be…but since all he was gonna do was give it to somebody else to ’score some points’ with them, then to hell with it…shoot, all he’s got to do now is call the Boise office, tell ‘em that they were the kid that CMR wouldn’t give a ticket to, and they’ll be golden. Of course, come the morning after that game my bet is that they’ll wish they had just stayed at home.
Producer
June 25th, 2011
9:38 am
It’s been almost an hour since some drooling sycophant has written “what a good man” Richt is. I thought I better post something along those lines quick! LOL!
Toad
June 25th, 2011
9:48 am
Put that in the “who cares” box.
ROLL TIDE !!!!!!!
June 25th, 2011
9:52 am
What Would COACH SABAN Do?
Dirty Dawg
June 25th, 2011
9:52 am
I’m sorry, but just what is it about any Boise State victory over any ‘non-sisters-of-the-poor’ (or whatever you wish to call ‘em) program that gives you folks the idea that they’ll handle Georgia…with ease or any other way? The only games I can think of are the Oklahoma one a few years back where they had to pull-off several miracles just to win it at the wire against a team that wished it were some place else playing somebody else…and last year against Va Tech where they – Boise – had to rely on VT giving them the game all night long, but particularly at the end…and, of course, that year they came to Athens with ‘high-hopes’ of beating us and went home ‘truly’ blue – and black. If by some chance they should win this game – and it would be by chance – then folks can write about it all they wish, but to think that they stand any chance of blowing out UGA is a true pipe-dream. If there’s a blowout, the blue team is the one that’ll experience it…but don’t worry guys, there’s always those ‘other sisters’ you’ve got lined up to play. Beating them ought to get you invited to something or another bowl – maybe the one they play on that blue-rug of yours.
THE Dixie Redcoat Band
June 25th, 2011
10:00 am
So why doesn’t this Boise State kid just order a tkt from…….Boise State?! Come on people…
.
June 25th, 2011
10:11 am
If Boise St. were only playing the Maggots, he would have NO problems securing a ticket, he could walk up the day of the game and secure 50yd line seats and GT would throw in a Coke and a Hot Dog to boot.
But of course, no one has any interest in a Boise St vs GT match-up. So, the Maggots will have settle for playing UT-Chattanooga, Wofford or some other crap D-III team in a 3/4 empty dump in the middle of Techwood Homes.
ROLL TIDE !!!!!!!
June 25th, 2011
10:20 am
Coach Saban may wind up burning in Hell with Coach Bryant, but at least those two men know how to WIN!!!!!!!
ROLL !!!
TIDE !!!
ME
June 25th, 2011
10:24 am
I was just in boise and i was talking to the people at boise state. Boise has already sold out their tickets.
Tom
June 25th, 2011
10:25 am
atta boy! CMR did exactly what he should have done
Old Dog
June 25th, 2011
10:39 am
Exactly why are we seeing articles about Richt’s private life and his mission trip. He is paid big bucks to do one thing: coach his teams to winning seasons. He has been failing miserably at his job for several years (a fact that is particularly irritating since his losing seasons had coincided with my daughter’s years at UGA). What he does with his big bucks is none of my business. If he does not produce a good winning season this year, I hope that he becomes a full-time missionary, whether by his own choice or forced by others.
No Mas
June 25th, 2011
10:42 am
The athletic history of UGA is full of so many sordid, sleazy incidents – dating back to Vince Dooley and continuing through Mark Richt – that it’s impossible to overlook. The school has come to stand for drunkenness and lawlessness, coddling of illiterate athletes who should never have been admitted to college, and rampant cheating by coaches.
Richt is no hero, stop praising him.
mcdaviddawg
June 25th, 2011
10:44 am
I’d rather hear how he’s going toi get interestewd in the football season, but than what to you exect for a few mil.
DILLIGAF
June 25th, 2011
11:09 am
MattMD….what does the MD stand for? My guess is Mindless D-bag.
TRUE Dawgfan
June 25th, 2011
11:11 am
All the negative comments are so stupid and hateful! If you don’t want to read about it then don’t open the link! Simple as that. And I’ll tell what SABAN WOULD DO! He’d go play golf for a week instead of doing something for others like Richt has done for years. Do really think he doesn’t take time off this time of year? Yeah right!
AlphaFemme
June 25th, 2011
11:13 am
As a ‘good Christian’, he needed to ask himself ‘What would Jesus do?’. He got it wrong.
The Absolute Truth
June 25th, 2011
11:14 am
Coach Richt is doing the right thing. It is great that he has a deep desire to help others. I believe he has learned a lot and will come out this season with an intensity we have not seen before. The question is whether or no the team follows suit. Let’s face it, The Dogs are in the middle of some rebuilding years and need a lot of hard work to be top tier again. They should be able to greatly improve over last season though and will kick South Carolina’s skinny butt for sure. Tech will also go down. All I can say is that Boise State better be ready as I know the Dogs will be. This will be Murray’s coming out year. Thank goodness Ealey our wimpy running back who was always afraid to get hit, always went down on the first hit, and who had the smallest feet (size 6 ladies – I guess) of any running back ever – (no wonder he couldn’t stay on his feet) went away. The Dogs will win at least 8 and possibly 9 regular season games – bank on it.
Old Dog
June 25th, 2011
11:14 am
So let’s just say it – Mark Richt is a fine upstanding Christian man – and a loser of a coach.
DIT
June 25th, 2011
11:35 am
The small memories of some of you morons. Do you not remember the last time these 2 schools played each other and some UGA folks wanted to buy a ticket for a man in the military that was a BSU fan? The NCAA came down on them and said no way! Can’t do it! CMR wanted to nip that one in the bud so the NCAA does not come around snooping and throw some kind of lousy violation at them .
Everyone knows that the NCAA is looking for every chance to try and prove itself.
I firmly believe they would make a big deal of a “rumored” ticket being given to a BSU fan from CMR.
Read between the lines and use your brains instead of just shooting off your pie holes because you hate CMR!
For those of you that don’t like this article BECAUSE you hate CMR and positive stories just simply go to another blog. You’re not wanted here. I’m proud to have a “stand up” guy like CMR coaching the Dawgs. He may not be the best coach in the country, but he is by far not worse coach.
Go Dawgs! Beat Boise State!
reality
June 25th, 2011
11:57 am
How about instilling some discipline in the team you joke? dont you think that would do more to help beat boise state than keeping one fan out of the seats. And try beating UF more than twice a decade moron! If this guy was at UF they would have fired him years ago for losing to GA. every year. Why do we put up with this? we WILL lose to SC and UF this year….again. While richt is handing out bibles in third world countries, Sban is spending every waking moment thinking about how to beat LSU. Thats the difference folks. Being great human beings doesnt win football games. Otherwise Spurrier selling insurance by now.
DIT
June 25th, 2011
12:02 pm
@reality
I have a question for you. In overall life what do you think would be more important, handing out Bible and telling others about Jesus or just thinking about winning football games? Just curious
PR
June 25th, 2011
12:06 pm
I love seeing that Richt is taking the BSU game seriously. I have a good feeling about the upcoming season with all of the things I’m hearing…
LunarCanyon
June 25th, 2011
12:10 pm
This story is already on the Boise State blogs. Thanks coach for firing up Boise State. Go Broncos!!!
Terry
June 25th, 2011
12:10 pm
If the kid can afford to come to Georgia, he can afford to buy a ticket, why would this kid be anymore deserving of a ticket than anyone else? Just because he’s a friend of a friend, and to those who don’t like what’s written, don’t read it, all your doing is making yourself look like an idiot, when I read a persons post, and it starts off running someone down I just skip to the next poster that way I don’t waste my time on drivel.
AttomicDawGMISS.
June 25th, 2011
12:19 pm
Coach Richt i hope u stay at UGA as long as u wanna………..I WANT A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP NOW. Thank you ill hang up and listen……..click
Boise State....
June 25th, 2011
12:48 pm
Will be exposed………again……………by 24! Hate UGA, but I’m so tired of hearing about this nothing school that would be beat by Vandy! Duke would even give them a run for the money. Dogs just take care of business and shut these pretendes up once and for all. Pound them hard enough and they will never want to see an SEC team OR any team from the south again!
Dosta Dawg
June 25th, 2011
12:55 pm
@LunarCanyon
If you need this story to fire you up to play UGA, you are in serious trouble.