Georgia coach Mark Richt sidesteps questions on player suspensions
ATHENS — Georgia coach Mark Richt didn’t shed much light on the Bulldogs’ suspension situation when he addressed an unusually large media contingent at the end of Thursday’s practice. In fact, he didn’t as much as flick on a flashlight.
Richt would not even confirm that there are new suspensions despite numerous report Thursday that at least two of Georgia’s defensive stars have run afoul of the athletic association’s drug policy.
“I can’t confirm anything,” Richt told more than a dozen reporters and two Atlanta television news crews. “I’m just going to be waiting for us to go through our process. When there’s something to report, I’ll report it to everybody.”
Earlier Thursday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was able to confirm that All-America safety Bacarri Rambo is facing a four-game suspension for failing a UGA-administered drug test this week. Rambo’s high school coach, Alan Ingram of Seminole County, said it was Rambo’s second violation of Georgia’s drug policy regarding marijuana, which according to the student-athlete handbook calls for a 30 percent suspension from the total number of competition dates. Rambo plans to appeal the suspension through UGA’s appeals process.
Ingram said he understands from his conversations with Rambo that junior linebacker Alec Ogletree also failed a similar drug test and is facing a similar length of suspension. In fact, Ingram said he believes as many as five UGA players failed drug screenings that were administered shortly after spring break.
But Richt refused to confirm or deny any of it. Before he entered the interview room on the second floor of Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall, UGA sports communication personnel passed out a brief written statement from him.
It read: “There is a process we follow regarding team guidelines and policies. I cannot make many comment until that process has run its course.”
Afterward, when Richt was asked questions regarding suspensions or player behavior in general, he referred to the statement.
“Don’t know if you’ve seen our handout but you might want to read it because you’ll hear it repeated again,” he said, smiling.
Asked exactly what process to which he was referring, Richt said: “Just, we’ve got our guidelines, we’ve got our policies. There are certain things we’ve got to do when we’re taking care of business and that’s what we’re talking about.”
Asked how he felt about handling player behavior issues, he said, “I don’t like distractions, that’s for sure.”
More details to come. . . .
Chip Towers, The UGA Blog
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417 comments Add your comment
Pitbull
March 30th, 2012
1:14 pm
Another Chip Towers piece of garbage article. It must be tough to have to pay the bills by writing garbage every day.
If Coach Richt wasn’t enforcing the rules he would be slammed like his predessor Jim Donnan for having no discipline on the team.
Kids break the rules or don’t do the schoolwork, then they pay the price. It happens at all of the schools except the football factories like Alabama.
Chip, go get a job where people don’t hate you because we do here.
bham dawg
March 30th, 2012
1:15 pm
@Dawg Insider… Why is ogletree getting 4 games? I thought the first suspension calls for 1 game.
Pitbull
March 30th, 2012
1:19 pm
Oh, and all of the hater Tech fans have something to thump their sunken chests about until the first kickoff this coming season.
bham dawg
March 30th, 2012
1:21 pm
@The Bammers… Discipline- (noun) PUNISHMENT INFLICTED by way of correction and training. How can bama be more disciplined when they don’t even suspend players for a failed drug test?
Reality Check
March 30th, 2012
1:25 pm
Let me offer a possible reality: The current GA players as a group are, no better or worse, no less moral or honest, no less ethical or honorable, than other scholarship athletes at other schools. They do not skip more classes, use more drugs, break more rules, do more things that are illegal, or commit more acts that would bring embarrassment to themselves, their team, or their University. My guess is that as a group, they are in fact, all things being equal, well down on the “good” side of the Bell Curve of Team Morality & Integrity. We are now left with the “all things being equal” question. Having been friends with many Georgia athletes in the early & mid 80’s, as well as hearing my uncle’s stories of his & his Wally Butts’ teammates’ extra curricular activities (no, not drugs), I can’t imagine that those teams, in todays environment would not suffer at least as many suspensions. But back to apples & apples, I would suggest that it is not the players, but the environmental & systemic variables that are responsible for a higher number of suspensions relative to other D1 & SEC schools. Are the Athens & University police more aggressive & less lenient in their enforcement activities? Is the Athletic Department’s drug testing protocols more likely to catch casual drug use? Are Team rules more inclusive & onerous? Is there less likelihood of ignoring infractions? Of course our athletes need to follow the rules and be good teammates & citizens. They need to learn that their actions have personal & broader consequences. We just need to realize that except for game days, The Dawgs are playing on a different field.
magnolia dawg
March 30th, 2012
1:29 pm
Man i hope this is a April fools day trick. GOOOOOOOO DAWGGGGGGGGGGGsss
Dawg Insider
March 30th, 2012
1:29 pm
@ bhma dawg… Discretion of the Coach. It was a negligent violation of team rules
bham dawg
March 30th, 2012
1:34 pm
Everyone please check this out. Coming from a very respectable coach on drug testing and how that some schools “the he won’t name” don’t even drug test AT ALL.
http://www.macon.com/2012/03/30/1968523/bobby-bowden-defends-richt-and.html
bham dawg
March 30th, 2012
1:35 pm
@Dawg Insider… Well that’s BS.
AltamahaDawg
March 30th, 2012
1:39 pm
I can assure you that, a few of our more recognizable names, were as quick to fire one up during thier days here, as anybody on this current team.
Tape Worm
March 30th, 2012
1:40 pm
Drug policies are administer by the University’s athletic department. It has nothing to do with the NCAA; they only test for performance enhancers. You can test as often as you like to control the program or as little, it’s their choice. Leaking such information to the press or media can be detrimental to a person’s ability to function with regard to the Athletic Department. Some programs tend to handle these matters internally and it works well if everyone has “bought in”. Suspensions are not always a reflection of a program’s substance, but it is often perceived.
Crab Island Dawg
March 30th, 2012
1:43 pm
Do you guys/gals actually think that other schools are not having similar problems? Sure they are, their policies are just not as stringent as UGA’s &/or these schools are keeping it secret. These kids if they thought that there would not be a UA test after springbreak…….then they’re not to bright. It is extremely frustrating that these guys don’t realize what a negative impact this has on the entire team. If a prospect wants to smoke weed then he probably doesn’t want to attend GA maybe this is hurting us in recruting? Hopefully it does, & we can “weed” out these prospects during the recruting process.
SawThat1nce
March 30th, 2012
1:46 pm
Rev. Richt
7576DAWG
March 30th, 2012
1:48 pm
I am not saying it’s okay to smoke pot or be around it but to put things into perspective a little I do think a questionable use by Rambo and minimal exposure for his first offense DOES NOT WARRANT A FOUR GAME SUSPENSION. Even though we all know that pot is illegal for me this offense is extremely minor compared to other drug exposure and other illegal activities.
I lived a few miles out of town my senior year at Georgia but the other years I lived close to the college, in 1973 and 1974 and every , EVERY fraternity or apartment I went in have pot in it ,somewhere. I did not smoke but ALL of my friends did and unless you wanted to be a hermit and live in a cave somewhere you were going to be around pot. Most of my friends made top grades and were extremely intelligent , good kids. Sorry , I just can’t take a hard a@@ stance on these extreme punishments for pot use or in an attempt to keep kids away from it’s exposure.
AltamahaDawg
March 30th, 2012
1:52 pm
…..and I am not taking about Q. Carter. More like, names that come to mind every Saturday.
AltamahaDawg
March 30th, 2012
1:56 pm
or such a hard stance on what your passengers has in here purse?
AltamahaDawg
March 30th, 2012
1:57 pm
her
Tape Worm
March 30th, 2012
1:57 pm
Obviously, UGA’s policy concerning marijuana use is that you can remain on the team and suffer a suspension. In other words, you can smoke their (teammates) weed, but you better not steal from them.
blord
March 30th, 2012
2:05 pm
Snoog Dawg is Back. HaHaHa. Brownies and milk on spring break. HaHaHa
Jmiccey
March 30th, 2012
2:07 pm
I agree with you all, Rambo needs to be booted.
FrmSoGAboy
March 30th, 2012
2:17 pm
This is BS. And some of these guys are there on scholarship, too. If Rambo was so worried about getting testing, maybe he shouldn’t have gotten stoned. I say, suspend him for his 30% and then bench his dumb ass as second-string for the rest of the season. If he wanted to smoke weed that badly, maybe he should have declared for the NFL draft.
"dawg-hater" hater
March 30th, 2012
2:26 pm
we will be fine in our first four games, im not worried and none of the fellow “UGA FANS” should be either. we have more depth than you realize, we can get through these games with a little less ease than we first thought, but we can get through them. obviously we all would like to see the NCAA impose the same rules for every team, but if they werent suspended, that could damage our look even more if we tried to hide it. im proud to be a UGA fan, even though it doesnt seem some of the players are proud to be UGA players. WE WILL BE FINE!!!
SHOCKED & ALARMED
March 30th, 2012
2:28 pm
Pitbull March 30th, 2012 1:14 pm
______________________________
No, Jim Donnan was fired for having 19 Loses here his 5 years.
19 Losses Jim Donnan his 5 years here
21 Losses Mark Ricth his last 5 years here
SHOCKED & ALARMED
March 30th, 2012
2:34 pm
This is not in the least about
JUST
DRUGS
It is a lot more than drugs.
So, get off your high horse that drugs are ok.
Which there are not.
It is ALSO about these SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL LOSSES
# 21 in wins Current 6-Year Period
&
28 Scholarships WASTED should’ve played vs Mizzou
SHOCKED & ALARMED
March 30th, 2012
2:39 pm
Yeah, right Mark Richt is the # 4 best coach in America which
explains why we are # 21 Current 6-Year Period in Wins
bham dawg
March 30th, 2012
2:40 pm
@Shocked & Alarmed… look many it is not 28 wasted scholarships. When people choose to transfer it is their own choice. It is a free country and students are allowed to transfer to different schools. Now the disciplined players and the players kicked off the team you can say is a wasted scholarship which is 12.
The Commissioner
March 30th, 2012
2:43 pm
For those that still don’t believe that there’s a coaching problem, that’s unfortunate. It was only almost 3 months ago that this guy fielded a bust field goal kicker on 3rd down in OT against Michigan State.
Ask yourself the question: If Willie Martinez didn’t get fired, would Georgia’s defense have much of a chance last year? Or would they be further back in the dark ages than they are today?
Ask yourself the question: If Willie Martinez were still Defensive Coordinator today, do you really think he’d outwit Auburn next year going up against Van Gorder, the guy who helped put UGA’s defense on the map and Willie couldn’t keep up with it?
Ask yourself the question: Before Richt got here, were we worried about South Carolina, Kentucky, and Vandy? Who would’ve ever thought that there would be years where South Carolina would look better than UGA in the SEC and UGA would struggle just to beat Vandy?
Lastly, knowing that Alabama mopped the floor with you a few years ago when you went for the ineffective “blackout” for the 2nd time, why would you come out in Jacksonville with the black helmets / red facemasks?
What has Richt done since his early years that positions him to take this program further than it’s been at it’s peak (an SEC Championship)? Can you answer that question with confidence?
Remember, there have been 4 coaches (Urban, Nick, Les, and Gene) that have succeeded with national championships in the SEC in a smaller amount of time than Richt’s tenure. Some have done it multiple times at multiple schools. Some have moved on. Regardless, you have a Florida State disciple running an offense that’s obsolete. Period.
How can you be # 4 best coach in America when you are # 21 in Wins Current 6-Year Period ?
March 30th, 2012
2:43 pm
I-A Winning Percentage 2006-2011 (6 years)
—- ———————– ——- —- —- —- —–
Rank Team name Win-Pct Won Lost
1 Boise State 0.92405 73 6
2 Texas Christian 0.84615 66 12
3 Louisiana State 0.80000 64 16
4 Southern Cal 0.79221 61 16
5 Oklahoma 0.78049 64 18
6 Florida 0.77778 63 18
7t Ohio State 0.76923 50 15
7t Brigham Young 0.76923 60 18
9 Virginia Tech 0.76829 63 19
10t Oregon 0.75949 60 19
10t Wisconsin 0.75949 60 19
12 West Virginia 0.75641 59 19
13t Texas 0.74359 58 20
13t Utah 0.74359 58 20
15 Alabama 0.72464 50 19
16 Penn State 0.71795 56 22
17t Auburn 0.70513 55 23
17t Cincinnati 0.70513 55 23
17t Oklahoma State 0.70513 55 23
20 Missouri 0.70000 56 24
21 Georgia 0.68354 54 25
http://football.stassen.com/cgi-bin/records/calc-wp.pl?start=2006&end=2011&rpct=&min=&pt=on&by=Win+Pct
The Commissioner
March 30th, 2012
2:47 pm
And don’t start ranting and raving on how Richt should use Bobo as the scapegoat. Most of you people were asking for the promotion of Bobo to Offensive Coordinator years ago when you thought Richt had play-calling issues. Is it really coincidental that the same team now has the same issues because there’s a head coach that might have control issues? Can you honestly say that Bobo’s calling all the plays with confidence? If you can, great…but unfortunately, bloggers, it’s still the coach’s fault, because he chooses to do nothing about it.
Remember, McGarity helped him delegate all of those assignments so he could focus more on the team. Besides hiring Todd Grantham, who may have saved his job, what has Richt done that proves he’s more focused on winning games and going for the big prize?
Dawg Insider
March 30th, 2012
2:51 pm
@bham dawg…
Just got a text from my source. Ogletree suspension is not four games. It will be a two game suspension. I can confirm that there was dialogue between Coach Richt and Alec Ogletree, in which Coach Richt asked for the truth and Ogletree was dishonest about why his test result came back positive for Marajuana. Rambo suspension will be upheld more than likely, regardless of his pending appeal.
How can you be # 4 best coach in America when you are # 21 in Wins Current 6-Year Period ?
March 30th, 2012
2:55 pm
Type this in your Google Search engine :
arrested suspended uga
it goes on for 4 days back to 2001 when Mark Richt got here
where do you think I got the list ?
It’s over 150
wrestler
March 30th, 2012
3:00 pm
Duuuuuuuddddeeee
wrestler
March 30th, 2012
3:00 pm
Rambo’s favorit number: 420
bham dawg
March 30th, 2012
3:02 pm
@Dawg Insider… thanks man i think the 2 game suspension is more reasonable than 4. What are the chances Ogletree reaches 100 tackles in 10 games?
bham dawg
March 30th, 2012
3:03 pm
@The Commissioner… ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
The Commissioner
March 30th, 2012
3:06 pm
@ bham dawg…take the magic sunglasses off. Then you’ll wake up and realize that you’re rooting for a coach that will bring you nothing but 10 win seasons when he’s lucky.
Cohutta Dawgman
March 30th, 2012
3:15 pm
With all the good green bud in Athens we should have a top 5 recruiting class every year. I’m just saying.
bham dawg
March 30th, 2012
3:17 pm
@The Commisioner… I don’t have magic glasses on. I am very upset with the discipline problem at uga and although i put more on the player and his decision more than the coach it doesn’t excuse Richt. I just don’t need troll losers like you to tell me what my school needs to do and doesn’t need to do. Thank you
The Commissioner
March 30th, 2012
3:24 pm
Troll losers, huh? Already into the personal insult name calling…I’ll take the high road on that one…you can stay down there. You showed me. Because I was “telling you”.
It will never happen.
March 30th, 2012
3:27 pm
“Enough is enough; kick Rambo off the team.”
It will never happen. UGA isn’t about coaching disipline. Looking at how we tackle it may have nothing to do with coaching.
DawgfaninEtown
March 30th, 2012
3:29 pm
Hmmmm…….if you keep doing what you have been doing, you will keep getting what you have been getting. Recruit some classy guys with a decent amount of talent and a lot of heart and watch things change.
bham dawg
March 30th, 2012
3:32 pm
@The Commissioner… Troll = fan of another school cluttering a blog he doesn’t belong on
Troll = loser
Loser = i have nothing better to do than live on tha ajc even though my team isn’t even being talked about.
The Commissioner
March 30th, 2012
3:44 pm
@ bham dawg: who are you to say I am from a different school? Where did I mention that?
Class of ‘98 Terry College of Business.
Until 2005, I could count every UGA game that I missed, home or away, dating back to 1990; on both hands (less than 10). Ive seen alot of uga football; and what I see now is a potential inrecoverable problem in the long term.
Who are you to make judgement?
Farewell
March 30th, 2012
3:49 pm
I reckon all five of those players ate the brownies. If you believe that, I’ve got ocean front property in Arizona for sale cheap.
bham dawg
March 30th, 2012
3:56 pm
The Commissioner
March 30th, 2012
2:43 pm
For those that still don’t believe that there’s a coaching problem, that’s unfortunate. It was only almost 3 months ago that this guy fielded a bust field goal kicker on 3rd down in OT against Michigan State.
Ask yourself the question: If Willie Martinez didn’t get fired, would Georgia’s defense have much of a chance last year? Or would they be further back in the dark ages than they are today?
Ask yourself the question: If Willie Martinez were still Defensive Coordinator today, do you really think he’d outwit Auburn next year going up against Van Gorder, the guy who helped put UGA’s defense on the map and Willie couldn’t keep up with it?
Ask yourself the question: Before Richt got here, were we worried about South Carolina, Kentucky, and Vandy? Who would’ve ever thought that there would be years where South Carolina would look better than UGA in the SEC and UGA would struggle just to beat Vandy?
Lastly, knowing that Alabama mopped the floor with you a few years ago when you went for the ineffective “blackout” for the 2nd time, why would you come out in Jacksonville with the black helmets / red facemasks?
What has Richt done since his early years that positions him to take this program further than it’s been at it’s peak (an SEC Championship)? Can you answer that question with confidence?
Remember, there have been 4 coaches (Urban, Nick, Les, and Gene) that have succeeded with national championships in the SEC in a smaller amount of time than Richt’s tenure. Some have done it multiple times at multiple schools. Some have moved on. Regardless, you have a Florida State disciple running an offense that’s obsolete. Period
______________________________________________________
you are correct that you never actually said you weren’t a georgia fan. I just came to that conclusion from this post. No TRUE fan would write this about their school. And if you are in fact a fan then you should start supporting your school through the down times as well as when things are going right. I just have a hard time believing you are truly a fan when you come to a georgia blog and talk down about the team.
Rod
March 30th, 2012
4:21 pm
The guy who said his brother is a failure because of WEED he would be addicted to Advil if he took it your brother is just a weak addict he will be addicted to anything STOP blaming it on the weed SMH
bham dawg
March 30th, 2012
4:24 pm
@Rod… agreed
Jmiccey
March 30th, 2012
4:32 pm
I think you will see the Dancin’ Dawgs make a comeback because so many of our guys will be on the sidelines suspended this fall and smilin’ and groovin’ to the music!
AltamahaDawg
March 30th, 2012
4:50 pm
We may the only fan base in the south who have as many fans that rush to pile on if there is a bad headline. We need to change our name to Thin Skin University.
Hairy Dawg
March 30th, 2012
4:52 pm
The problem here is the bad fans that a trying to hot sit Coach Richt over this. We just got to get good players to knows when the testing coming so they not have weed then till afterwards. Then we can cut the stinkys players that turns out not good enough for schollie based on drug test framing. But first we got to fix Adams for not letting us run team and testing. But the bad fans always complaining no matter what even when every team doing weed to. Weed is no big deal and shouldn’t be punished unlike playing bad on fields. And when play is bad is when they should suspends and bring up Hargraves but not for weed.