UGA not only football program dealing with domestic violence issues
ATHENS – I was traveling yesterday when UGA announced it had decided on a two-game suspension for starting cornerback Sanders Commings at the start of next season.
Even though Georgia coach Mark Richt has avoided commenting on the subject so far, a spokesman told me Richt decided on the two games Wednesday after a series of meetings with Commings and conducting his own investigation into the matter. Commings, 21, was arrested by UGA police on Jan. 21 and charged with domestic violence/simple battery for allegedly hitting his former girlfriend.
Commings is scheduled for a March 22 arraignment before an Athens-Clarke County judge, so his legal case remains unresolved. Meanwhile, the incident is also being investigated by UGA as a possible violation of student conduct code. That review is ongoing, though I’ve reported on some of the interviews that were already available through the Freedom of Information Act. Those documents lead one to believe it the case might not be as cut-and-dried a case as the original police reports indicated.
Meanwhile, Georgia is not the only SEC team having to deal with a domestic violence issue. According to a report in the Orlando Sentinel today, Gators freshman tight end A.C. Leonard was arrested Wednesday night on domestic violence charges. Leonard was due to be released on his own recognizance Thursday and Florida coach Willi Muschamp has yet to comment on the situation.
Said spokesman Steve McClain: “Coach Muschamp is currently traveling and unavailable, but he will address the matter later today.”
There have been some other recent precedents as well:
On Feb. 3, Clemson dismissed wide receiver Joe Craig due to a domestic violence incident. However, apparently that was Craig’s second such charge. He was indefinitely suspended and ultimately missed three games last season due to the previous incident.
Conversely, Alabama’s Courtney Upshaw did not miss any playing time after he and his girlfriend were both arrested on domestic violence charges in 2009.
Which brings us to where we are today. Commings has already been issued a two-game suspension while his legal issues remain unresolved. So how do you guys feel about that? Should the Bulldogs have waited until his matter had run its course through the university and local legal systems? Do you trust Coach Richt’s judgment and/or did he get it about right? Is Georgia going too easy on Commings?
Intelligent, thoughtful comments only, please.
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547 comments Add your comment
Thomas Brown
February 18th, 2012
3:07 am
# 6 highest paid coach in The SEC Mark Richt based on 2011 salary, not counting his truck commercials which he would not have not being our head coach, either, and not counting bonuses.
We are the # 2 school in the nation in CASH, profits.
We are # 6 at GOING OUT AND PAYING OUR FOOTBALL COACH who produces these monies for our school.
The fact is that 48 other schools have actually gone out and BETTERED themselves better than we did in replacing Jim Donnan with Mark Richt.
We are LAGGING BEHIND.
Other schools are getting better, and they are PASSING US BY.
And, over the last Six (6) Seasons now, he has
LOST 25 GAMES, more than 4-Losses a season average
for 6 years.
It was 2005 when Mark Richt last “won” The SEC, yet Eight (8) Seasons ago now this up-coming 2012 season, in 2005 Mark Richt IN FACT ENDED UP # 3 of just SEC teams IN EVERY SINGLE SOLITARY POLL.
Win percentage recently for Mark Richt, TODAY NOT HISTORY, it has been now 8 seasons ago since he last “won” The SEC ending up in fact # 3 in The SEC according to EVERY single solitary poll there is for the season 8 seasons ago now in 2005.
-he does not beat the teams with better talent # 173
-he does not beat the cupcakes # 43 beat cupcakes
-he does not beat equal talent teams either # 158
-he does not win bowl games # 32
-he does not graduate his players or have high APR # 81
-he gives out scholarships to 26 great 4-star recruits who transferred from this 2012 UGA team
-he avg # 8 recruiting class
-he is # 35 Special Teams (w/o Special teams’ coach) his entire Mark Richt era
http://coachesbythenumbers.com/coach-rankings/?reportId=52
And, his Offensive Coordinator Mike Bobo is # 81 in the nation for the entire Mike Bobo era for 3 and outs.
_____________________
“We’re just fine.”
Thomas Brown
February 18th, 2012
3:19 am
# 37 as head coach during Mark Richt era scoring TD
http://coachesbythenumbers.com/coach-rankings/?reportId=59
He SETTLES for field goals by policy
# 40 as head coach during Mark Richt era 3 & outs
boykin
February 18th, 2012
3:23 am
Thomas, who you talkin to my brother?
Thomas Brown
February 18th, 2012
3:32 am
# 52 on 3rd Down Offense as Head Coach Mark Richt era
There are a LOT of BETTER COACHES than Mark Richt no matter what topic you want to discuss during the Mark Richt era than he.
AREN’T THERE ?
NFL Draft Picks :
# 1 Mark Richt during Mark Richt era NFL Draft Picks
# 1 in NFL Draft Picks and # 37 at scoring TD
# 1 in NFL Draft Picks and # 35 in Special Teams
# 1 in NFL Draft Picks and # 43 beating cupcakes
# 1 in NFL Draft Picks # 158 beat equal talent teams
# 1 in NFL Draft Picks # 173 beat superior talent
GRUESOME COACHING
GREAT RECRUITING
And, his PROBLEMS are on OFFENSE and always have been.
We don’t do much on special teams, but that is by design and he says he is going to quit giving scholarships to walk-ons who only play special teams without a bloody coach to even teach them diddle-e-squat. I find that hard to believe. He whined to this AJ-C that he was not going to put AJ Green back there to return punts and kick-off because he “did not want him to get INJURED.”
That’s what he said.
Now, everything is going to be fixed by not just playing walk-ons but actually putting our best players out there on Special Teams 2012.
You want better special teams than # 80 in the nation last season ?
Make Todd Grantham coach special teams AND defense.
That will leave glaringly Mike Bobo and Mark Richt with their abysmal OFFENSE as to why we LOSE to cupcakes, lose to equal talent teams, and lost to superior talent teams the DEAD LAST WORST in the nation at all 3.
[ SO MUCH TALENT JUST WASTED. ]
Thomas Brown
February 18th, 2012
3:34 am
Boykin will play running back in The NFL which is what
I SAID 4 YEARS AGO
and
every day since.
Thomas Brown
February 18th, 2012
3:43 am
# 88 at HOME Sanford Stadium against the spread
26-35-2 ATS HOME entire Mark Richt era
# 88 best coach at HOME ATS Mark Richt era
LIKE I DIDN’T KNOW THAT with all the boos
all the games walked out unimpressed
NONPLUSSED
-why am I the only 1 to use these tools to present the facts?
Thomas Brown
February 18th, 2012
3:45 am
52-51-4 as FAVORITE entire Mark Richt era
duh
Thomas Brown
February 18th, 2012
3:48 am
# 76 best coach Mark Richt era ATS
66-68-4
http://coachesbythenumbers.com/coach-rankings/?reportId=5
Thomas Brown
February 18th, 2012
3:51 am
# 86 when he is an UNDERDOG against the spread
13-16
Mark Richt is
NOT the coach to bet on
(Which is why I did not root for Michigan State, but picked them over us. Because I wanted to win the bowl pool.)
Thomas Brown
February 18th, 2012
3:56 am
17-24 vs teams finishing AP Poll top 25 entire Mark Richt career
Thomas Brown
February 18th, 2012
4:01 am
# 27 best coach during Mark Richt era vs teams ending up under .500
Active coaches today, only.
Add in the inactive coaches who were BETTER than Mark Richt DURING the Mark Richt era and he is far worse.
Already not top 25 and with the # 1 most NFL Draft Picks
How can you be not in the top 25 best ACTIVE COACHES in America during your entire Mark Richt era vs teams ending the season under .500 LOSING RECORD OPPONENTS and have the # 1 MOST NFL Draft Picks ?
Silly coaching is the answer to that.
That and that alone. (You’ll can all now just skip past all this (with URL Links to EVERY FACT HERE.)
Happy in your ignorance.
boykin
February 18th, 2012
4:03 am
Naw Thomas, I’ll be a”SHUTDOWN CORNER” like Champ! Maybe run back some kickoff’s.
Thomas Brown
February 18th, 2012
4:05 am
# 81 best coach at beating cupcakes Mark Richt era
http://coachesbythenumbers.com/coach-rankings/?reportId=30
duh, again.
boykin
February 18th, 2012
4:05 am
TB: Ever thought about Grantham as our HC?
boykin
February 18th, 2012
4:07 am
But 20% of the time CMR SEC Champ winning coach…Not too shabby, eh?
Thomas Brown
February 18th, 2012
4:07 am
There are only 3 other coaches in America who have coached as many games as Mark Richt to compare.
Let’s compare him against just those other 3 and rank him # 4 best coach in America.
Yeah, I have no street cred.
boykin
February 18th, 2012
4:10 am
#4 aint too shabby my brother, is it? Quit Dawg hatin and accentuate the positive my bru!
Thomas Brown
February 18th, 2012
4:13 am
How can he be 20% ? He has coached 11 years. He has
“won” 2002 when only other team Coaches’ Poll Top 25 was 4-loss Auburn
DOWN YEAR for SEC 2002, not since.
2005 ended up # 3 of just SEC teams in EVERY POLL.
I submit Mark Richt has NOT won WON ANY SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS
or
*SEC Championship 2002 DOWN SEASON only 1 other ranked in Coaches’ Poll Top 25 a 4-Loss Auburn team.
Thomas Brown
February 18th, 2012
4:15 am
I am accentuating the positive.
He is a really great recruiter.
He SUCKS as coach.
boykin
February 18th, 2012
4:16 am
Too late to keep hatin,,,give my coaches another year ,,go coach some RB’s at Chattavegas and go to bed you unfiltered Jacket turd!
Thomas Brown
February 18th, 2012
4:17 am
I don’t think Boykin will play cornerback in the NFL.
boykin
February 18th, 2012
4:17 am
Hmmm..look at his overall record TB…
boykin
February 18th, 2012
4:18 am
Where will I play Nostradumass?
boykin
February 18th, 2012
4:24 am
TB: BBBIIIAAATTTCCCHHHIIIINNNN but giving a better alternative to CMR!!LMAO
VADAWG
February 18th, 2012
8:21 am
wait until the legal process is over!!!!!!
Derrs
February 18th, 2012
8:23 am
A million thanks to Thomas Brown for pointing out what a really crappy coach Richt is.
Let’s run Richt out of town on a rail and be done with his third-rate coaching and coddling of lowlife punks.
Dawg Food
February 18th, 2012
8:25 am
Richt made the correct decision at this point of the investigation. Richt sends a message to all players about their behavior. Richt can always reduce the penalty. I would guess Commings ends up sitting out only one game against Buffalo if all the reports are true and he is exonerated by the courts and the student judiciary.
Time will tell…
In the tank for UGA
February 18th, 2012
8:26 am
Only Chip and the AJC would write/publish an article that attempts to minimize the arrests of UGA football team members by drawing parallels to other programs. No one jockey’s UGA’s football program like Chip and the AJC….pathetic! And yet sooooo very predictable.
Thomas Brown
February 18th, 2012
8:43 am
I thought the same thought, myself, obviously.
It’s ok to have twice ( 2 times) have been involved in an altercation where a lady student at UGA is physically taken advantage of by a starting football player, because well there is this other guy on 2 other teams also who faces or faced this same charge which Mark Richt has suspended him for Missouri and another game after having interviewed him himself.
But, of course Mark Richt is wrong to suspend him before the bloggers to this blog have the opportunity to hear said EVIDENCE provided to Mark Richt by the accused himself from either student judiciary or the courts themselves.
rednecknation
February 18th, 2012
8:47 am
CMR going with a wrist slap on a football player at rednecku, I gotta tell you boys, I did not see that one coming, DAWG BOYS DAWG BOYS WHAT YA GONNA DO WHEN CMR COMES FOR YOU !!
Tom
February 18th, 2012
9:00 am
No suspension should be handed down until the legal system has its say.
flo-ri-duh
February 18th, 2012
9:55 am
I don’t think Richt would suspend a starting CB without a good reason and he knows a lot more about this than we do. What good are our opinions when we don’t have the facts? This story was a waste of time – what I call filler.
Chilidawg
February 18th, 2012
11:01 am
CMR may have acted too quickly on this situation. Comments from two observers of this fracus indicated the girl was the aggressor. CMR gains little by taking action before the court system and/or the Student Disciplinary Board, but if Commings is vindicated by these boards, CMR has stepped in it. Also, his action may prevent the Student Board from looking at this situation with open minds since the coach has already found Commings guilty.
Scott Anderson
February 18th, 2012
11:02 am
little beechs that hit woman need to be kicked off the team
how was he brought up where that is acceptable.
in third grade he was tripping little girls and laughing.
in high school he knocked a hooor out on the school steps for back sassing,
get rid of these jocks that cant leave it on the field but have to search out ex girlfriends and lay the wood to them,
next thing you know he will steal a PC or a motorbike, get a DUI , or caught driving without a license.
Georgia Football
Sarah
February 18th, 2012
11:44 am
What else do you expect when Richt consistently recruits gangbangers and drunks?
There’s a reason why everyone calls UGA the Cesspool of the South.
Dawghater
February 18th, 2012
12:14 pm
CMR does not practice what he preachs!
Fats OKelly
February 18th, 2012
12:54 pm
I agree with A Father…………………………A man attacks my daughter with fists and beats on her,will have me lying in wait for him. He will never see it coming. Richt has no guts to do anything unless he runs it up the flag poll of opinion first. Just quit Richt if you cant be a man.
T
February 18th, 2012
1:01 pm
2009? You are an idiot.
01HAWK
February 18th, 2012
1:05 pm
CMR is BOOBY COX without a TITLE.
Fats OKelly
February 18th, 2012
1:10 pm
A Father
February 16th, 2012
4:44 pm
and
Sarah
February 18th, 2012
11:44 am
Relevant posts
Richt never takes a stand on his gangbangers just like his Mentor Coach Bobby Bowden at FSU.
kral
February 18th, 2012
5:16 pm
booby cox??? oh the one who will go in the Baseball Hall of Fame…thanks for the compliment hawk..thought you did not like CMR…Guess I was wrong
Fan of the Game
February 18th, 2012
6:50 pm
The truth hurst doesn’t it.
Fan of the Game
February 18th, 2012
6:50 pm
meant hurts!
To Tell the Truth
February 18th, 2012
6:53 pm
@01HAWK who said anything about winning? This is the freakin problem. There are players that are chosen and given the red carpet treatment who do not deserve this as they have not gotten it done in the classroom and have no respect for someone’s property or the law. This is my point! We continue to recruit the wrong type of athlete as we have kids that are making the grades like everyone else and getting it done on the field and staying out of trouble. These are the kids who should not be looked over
Ckgator
February 19th, 2012
9:15 am
Unfortnately football players often do not make for the best citizens. Too many of these kids don’t know how to behave as they have had horrible examples. A problem for many teams, but much more so for society overall.
Have seen this story 100 times unfortunately.
Thomas Brown
February 19th, 2012
9:37 am
THESE COACHES AT THESE SCHOOLS LAST 8 YEARS 2004-2011 WINS
1 Ur ban Mey er Utah 12-0 for 100 %
2 Chris Petersen Boise St. 69-6 for 92 %
3 Pete Carroll Southern California 68-10 for 87 %
4 Bobby Petrino Louisville 32-5 for 86 %
5 Brady Hoke Michigan 11-2 for 84 %
6 David Shaw Stanford 11-2 for 84 %
7 Chip Kelly Oregon 32-6 for 84 %
8 Jim Tressel Ohio St. 72-15 for 82 %
9 Brian Kelly Cincinnati 30-7 for 81 %
10 Nick Saban Alabama 51-12 for 80 %
11 Rich Rodriguez West Virginia 38-9 for 80 %
12 Urb an Me yer Florida 61-15 for 80 %
13 Gary Patterson TCU 77-19 for 80 %
14 Les Miles LSU 71-18 for 79 %
15 Mack Brown Texas8 81-21 for 79 %
16 Dan Hawkins Boise St. 19-5 for 79.%
17 Bob Stoops Oklahoma 82-23 for 78.10 %
18 Frank Beamer Virginia Tech 79-23 for 77.45 %
19 Dave Doeren Northern Ill.10-3 for 76.92 %
20 Barry Alvarez Wisconsin 19-6 for 76.00 %
21 Hugh Freeze Arkansas St. 9-3 for 75.00 %
22 Nick Saban LSU 9-3 for 75.00 %
23 Dana Holgorsen West Virginia 9-3 for 75.00 %
24 Tom O’Brien Boston College 26-9 for 74.29 %
25 Bret Bielema Wisconsin 54-19 for 73.97 %
26 Lloyd Carr Michigan 36-13 for 73.47 %
27 Gene Chizik Auburn 27-10 for 72.97 %
28 Tommy Tuberville Auburn 43-16 for 72.88 %
29 Bronco Mendenhall BYU 62-24 for 72.09 %
30 Lane Kiffin Southern California 18-7 for 72.00 %
31 Kyle Whittingham Utah 62-25 for 71.26 %
32 Paul Johnson Navy 32-14 for 69.57 %
33 Bo Pelini Nebraska 36-16 for 69.23 %
34 Jeff Jagodzinski Boston College 18-8 for 69.23 %
35 Mark Richt Georgia 67-30 for 69.07 %
53-18 w/ Superior Talent 2004-2011 – Click w/ Superior Talent # 92
14-12 w/ Equal Talent 2004-2011 – Click w/ Equal Talent # 107
TALENT BASED UPON RECRUIT RANKINGS PREVIOUS 4 YEARS BEFORE GAME
These coaches at these schools 2004-2011, all games, win percentage – Click Overall # 35
http://CoachesByTheNumbers.com/Coach-Rankings/?reportId=24
Rural Education
February 19th, 2012
11:21 am
Clemson is a multiple violator, the difference is that the local police cover up as much as possible. There are advantages to being located in a small town.
Tell Burke
February 19th, 2012
12:05 pm
It appears there is a lot of conflicting reports and /or mis-information being posted. Perhaps there should be a way to temporarily neuter these guys til college is over. I’m also aware of how the primo-donnas are. The little heifer-cats are probably as much, if not more to blame than the guys !
@thomas Brown
February 19th, 2012
12:33 pm
Whys don’t you try posting coaches that have been at the same scholl playing in the SEC for 8 years , more of your benign drivel.
@thomas Brown
February 19th, 2012
12:40 pm
http://coachesbythenumbers.com/coach-rankings/?reportId=1
coaching rankings , always reporting the most negative.