Only a blind loyalist would deny that Mark Richt inhabits some shaky ground these days. It’s my hope that he’s able to get things turned around this season, but there’s a part of me that’s starting to brace for what may come if he doesn’t.
That’s one reason I’ve taken a lot of interest lately in what Brian Cook and Michael Elkon have had to say about the coaching change (and the process which led to the coaching change) at Michigan. Obviously, no two situations are identical – for one thing, I’ve got more faith in Greg McGarity than they have in Dave Brandon – but as an exercise in be-careful-what-you-wish-for, it’s been useful.
With that in mind, take a look at this post at mvictors.com which Brian linked to yesterday. It’s an attempt to put the Michigan fan base on the couch and break down the various factions in play and how they’re responded to events on the ground. Because it does so without getting emotional and without taking sides, I found it fascinating.
Things aren’t as complicated with the Georgia fan base, due, I suspect, in large part to the length of Richt’s tenure and to the fact that he’s had more success than RichRod did, but we’ve certainly got our share of clans. Rather than spell out my version of the state of the Dawgnation, I thought I’d let you guys give it a shot. What resonates with you from that post?
Get The Picture 
Interesting and fairly complex assessment of the Michigan fan base. I’m not sure about the percentages, but I could definitely see all those clans represented.
I think you could probably split these clans generationally and come up with almost the same major groupings. You are going to have Bo’s, Lloyd’s, and RichRods. The impact and program expectations will have more to do with the age of the fan and what coaching regime they have experienced as a fan.
LikeLike
There would also be a split along which rivalry is stronger. Those that hate Tech more than anything (usually older and probaly more local to the Athens area), those that hate Auburn (also older but more central and west Georgia), and the ones that have Florida as their biggest focus of disdain (the under 35 crowd). The enthusiasm for Mark Richt would vary among those subsets
LikeLike
Very true. I didn’t consider that. I am from South Georgia/North Florida and so I hate Florida. My friends from North Georgia tend to hate Tech with just as much enthusiasm. Even this year I was complaining to them about our record against Florida and how we need to focus on beating them as our #1 goal. Their comeback was that I don’t have to live around Atlanta and hear the Tech fans. Tech is our #1 priority from their perspective.
LikeLike
Heck, I live in Atlanta and my brother went to Tech. But we need to beat Florida. Period. More than once.
LikeLike
Who you hate worst as a Bulldog fan may vary depending on where you grew up, or even which team gave UGA the most trouble while you were in school, but we ALL hate Tech, Florida, Auburn, Clemson, etc.
Asking a diehard Bulldog which game you want to win more than any other, or which game you dread losing more than any other, sometimes seems like a false dichotomy to me. Nobody wants to lose to any of those teams, for a variety of reasons. Florida? Who isn’t tired of that broken record? Tech? Who respects them? S Carolina? Wannabes AND Spurrier? And so it goes.
To me, it’s like asking me which finger I’m prepared to have chopped off. It’s going to hurt no matter which one it is.
LikeLike
I’m a metro Atlanta guy and definitely “hate” Tech more than Florida. That being said, there’s not doubt that beating Florida at least half the time is the most important obstacle of our program now. Until we can prove we’re capable of that, we’ll never amount to much nationally.
LikeLike
I think Georgia fans fit into fewer categories because we don’t frame our current feelings for Richt around Dooley or any other previous coach (except occasionally Donnan). Our frustrations with Richt are with Richt, not with some ghosts from our past. Given the talent we have, we should be doing a lot better than 6-7. Not national title, but not a losing record. Especially frustrating is that so far everything Richt has done to right the ship has just let it sink further.
There’s tons of talent in the state of Georgia. We have a couple of future NFL starters on our roster. Richt has a knack for picking up solid QBs. Why are we losing? It’s sheer frustration.
I personally think we let Richt finish up his contract and if we start fresh do it from there. That gives him time to right the ship and if he doesn’t it sends a message to the next prospective coach that we honor our contracts. And in the meantime the athletic department needs to support him as much as possible. But I’m really really really not happy that with the best WR in the nation (probably the 3rd or 4th best overall player in the nation), a decent QB to get him the ball, and a veteran offensive line, we lost more than 3-4 games given our schedule and what a dumpster fire the SEC East was this year.
LikeLike
They’re not letting him finish out the contract at this pace primarily for recruiting purposes. Recruiting will tank miserably with a lame duck coach at the helm.
It is next season or bust for Richt. What constitutes a “make” year is the big question, though. That’s why McGarity gets paid the big bucks.
LikeLike
I hope by “make” year it’s a SEC title or bust, but it’s probably win the East or, God forbid, be competitive for the East.
8 wins isn’t going to be enough to make me feel good about the direction. But then, my feelings aren’t that important.
LikeLike
I am with you, but you and I both know there’s going to be the “but he won us 2 SEC titles in 5 years, we’re so spoiled!” crew that’s still going to be barking for him to come back even with 8 wins and another loss to Florida.
I think everyone not in the lunatic fringe can all agree we love Mark Richt the person, but most can also see that Mark Richt the coach has clearly lost whatever mojo was there in the beginning of his regime.
LikeLike
i think dawg fans are less balkanized than they were even two years ago when you could still find a good many people who were willing to argue vociferously that stats proved–proved!– that wm wasn’t nearly as bad as our lying eyes showed us. honestly, my recollection is that it took his actually firing before some people stopped defending him (which i took to be a proxy defense of richt). my sense is that “oh, shit: we’re going to be looking for a new coach” is a very big tent now.
in my own circle of fans, both in state and elsewhere, i don’t know anyone anymore who doesn’t think next year will be richt’s last. i tend to think of them as early adopters of reality.
LikeLike
Senator, I am confused as to which clansman I am. Time to see a shink I think
LikeLike
Most of the frustration with Richt (and the root cause of his latest failings) has been his stubbornness to admit that there are problems with coaches, training, etc. until that aspect of the program has completely failed. He hasn’t been willing to break out the fire extinguisher when it was a small, kitchen fire. He waited until the whole damn thing was up in flames before calling in the authorities. All the while, people (on teh interwebz) were standing outside, knocking on the window screaming to put the fire out. But, because we were on the outside looking in, we couldn’t possibly have any insight into when a fire needed to be looked at, and any criticisms were dismissed automatically.
If he was acting CEO, he was doing a horrible job making strategic decisions regarding the direction of the program. If this were in the realm of business (oh, wait, this is) Richt would need to make significant improvements in the direction of the program or his ouster would be imminent. I hate it for him, because I think he is capable of being a great coach (and hope he turns it around at UGA). But, he’s done it to himself.
LikeLike
To continue your CEO analogy…Is CMR our Steve Jobs?
The question is then if BVG was our Woz…
LikeLike
I like it …but Steve continued after the Woz. Still if it wasn’t for the Woz and the Apple IIE there would be no Apple. Same might be said of Gates investment into Apple when they went broke. And we saw the IPAD long ago in the form of the Newton. Yeah I am a Georgia guy…no Tech here. 😉
LikeLike
I’m from South Georgia live in Athens and most of my vitriol I save for Tech. My brides people are mostly Techsters. Maybe that explains part of it. Friendly rivalry. Can we call it a rivalry? My sons both attend UGA and they can be really harsh about Tennessee. They are usually subdued about Tech around grandparents and Uncles even though we have an annual flag football game- UGa Vs. Tech during TG holidays. That they are subdued is more about good manners and civility than lack of attitude. I think we all expect Richt to finish his contract here at Georgia. I don’t think he will be extended at the end of 2012. Another season like 2010 and he may not get to 2012.
LikeLike
Having been at UGA during the Goff years, the one thing I remember the most was how gut-wrenching it was to have the fanbase split down the middle. A likable guy who we all couldn’t agree on. Once half wanted him gone and half wanted him to stay, the rest was pretty inevitable.
While I think that should mean we go ahead and make a change in 2011, that’s not going to happen. And so, what I take from that is anything short of a dramatic turnaround (probably means SEC championship game) SHOULD mean the end for the current staff.
LikeLike
2012 is pretty much out of the question because of the 2010 season coupled with the performance in the Liberty Bowl and the looming National TV opener that has very little chance of turning out well for UGA. The attitude that was shown to the world when a plaque counting a win before it was won got presented to players is how the program could be summed up at this point. Entitled is fine when you are good but is damn ugly when it overshadows the truth. CMR is a good man and a pretty fair coach, 2011 is his Swan Song for those reasons. Anywhere else he would have been fired for sticking to his guns about CWM even when it was painfully apparent to everyone else that he had to go. I can’t say that I’m happy or sad about any of this. While I would like for the Dawgs to win sometimes it feels like this is how it should be.
LikeLike
I love mark Richt, have supported him from day one and really, really hope he can turn things around in 2011. But I don’t know anyone who thinks he will be here in 2012 if he doesn’t. This is his make or break year. As far as factions go, I have heard very little other than those who support Richt (the vast majority at this point) and those who don’t (a very vocal minority). My generation grew up with Vince and he was our coach while we were in school. But Damon was his guy and he blew it. I am not aware of any remaining sentiment for his former disciples. Few people ever really got behind Goff or Donnan and I have never once heard anyone complain about their firings. Erk died. Most folks tend to see Adams as the biggest problem. While many think we can hire a better coach than Richt (I’m not so sure myself) almost no one thinks we can find a better human being. This tends to keep things from deteriorating too much. There is very little vitriol and it tends to come mostly from those for whom criticism and contempt are what they know. They will be just as happy to direct it at Richt’s replacement as soon as he fails to meet their unrealistic expectations.
LikeLike
Please define “unrealistic expectations”. Do you feel the fans of awburn, bama, florida and LSU deserve top teams and championships, and Dawg fans don’t? CMR has made himself into the posterboy for mediocre coaching. He represents a state and school chuck-full of resources and talent. Would you prefer fans to stay silent – or cheer, as he squanders talent and opportunities?
LikeLike
No, I don’t think we should cheer while we squander talent and opportunities. I am critical of Richt when I feel he deserves it and he certainly deserved it this year as well as last. However, the point I was trying to make is that there are folks who are going to be critical no matter what. Nothing short of the mythical National Championship will satisfy. Every program ebbs and flows. There may be stretches of sustained excellence but let’s be realistic, those are rare. Don’t get me wrong, we should always strive for the best. Sustained excellence is always the goal. However, we have to understand that the far more likely scenario is a few good years followed by some rebuilding. Historically, it’s generally the way things work. There are very, very few Bear Bryants or John Woodens in this world. That’s why we celebrate them. Sometimes rebuilding requires a new staff. Sometimes it doesn’t. Every team you mentioned has been up and down. All have hired and fired various coaches with varying degrees of success. However, turnover always involves calculated risks and those need to be understood. New blood doesn’t automatically equal success.
LikeLike
And even Bryant had years at least as bad as this one for Richt.
My expectations, which are realistic for me, are that we’ll have a genuine shot at the glass football now and then, and are competitive and exciting all the time.
I am, frankly, becoming bored with the idea we will be, for instance, Bama, when we have not ever, in any way, been Bama.
Anybody who thinks we will be a consistent top five team is hanging out with Bama people too much.
I live in Tennessee so it gives me great joy for UT folks to avoid me in the grocery store. I grew up thinking Tech was the Great Satan, but I have kind of lost interest in that….till we lose one to them.
But I also grew up when we were beating the living shit out of Florida on a very regular basis. Until that happens again, I can not, and, frankly should not, be completely happy.
So I hate Florida right now. I used to hate UT, but how can you hate a program that has shot itself in the foot so completely.
LikeLike
+1.
I’ve also heard the rumblings about coach Mack Brown….imagine that!
LikeLike
Sorry, I don’t get the comparison between Mack Brown or Bear Bryant, and CMR. The first two coaches won championships. CMR hasn’t. Other sec teams have won 6 mnc’s since CMR’s been at UGA. The other sec schools demanded results and got results. We exercise patience and get what?
LikeLike
WCD….our last national championship was thirty one years ago.
In between we have been close quite a few times, and up, and down and all around.
And that, my Dawg brother, is the way Georgia has been….always, and always will be unless there is a true infusion of a new institutional will which ain’t likely to happen under the current administration, or any other administration for that matter.
Georgia exercises patience as you see it, but as I see it we do that because we are Georgia, not Bama.
Being Bama, and I suspect Texas, too requires the full comittment of the administration to do everything that the football program needs to be Bama or Texas.
Do you really see that happening in Athens?
If this frustrates you, I am sorry, but there is nothing any of us can do about it. Nothing.
LikeLike
These are great comments today. Over the years I went from the must win game had to be Tech [probably because I was a freshman when Dooley was hired and remember hearing the announcement on the radio], lived in Gwinett County, but when I returned to Southwest Georgia and the fields it moved to Florida and Auburn. There seems to be a good number of those alums, along with FSU grads and fans, in my circle. It has been difficult, but that comes from being a grad of a universiy in the greatest conference in NCAA. Competition is tough, and it takes alot to be a winner, win consistently, and garner champsionships. McGarity has seen a template for success. I think he has hit the ground hard in Athens. Success for him will be a very high bar. But I can tell you from this neck of the woods, nearly every alum I talk with has the same conclusion. It must be a solid turn around in 2011. Not only wins but performance in wins and losses. There is more than enough high school talent in this state for the Dawgs to win and win big. Richt seems to recruit a high star player or that comes for awhile, but never sees it through his senior year. Then he recruits a player that sits alot and burns bright one season and flames out. I agree with McGarity about Richt’s passion, but I think many alumns saw that too. My complaint is with his offense. It is not physical, lethal, and consistent. For me that is coaching. There are stretches in the game where I’m not sure where CMR and Bobo are with a gameplan and attack of a defense. When you look back at the Arkansas game at the end, the Colorado game at the end, the Florida game in OT, the Auburn game after we go up at 21 and have the ball at midfield, and the dead space in the UCF game after each opening possession in the first and second half. Where do they go? This year’s recruiting class will be an indicator, what they look like in the spring, and the off field stuff between now and Boise will set the tone for CMR. It will show me how focused, hard working, and innovative these coaches will be in 2011. I like CMR, but if it is another 2010 season, time to change and quite wasting the assets and investments.
LikeLike
Good comments.
We haven’t seen that killer instinct, or the willingness to bury another team since the lip jar left Athens.
Even with the BCS computers, scores still matter. Focus and intimidation on the field still matters.
There are emotional highs and lows in football, but when remove the risk of the lows by applying only positive motivation to our players and coaches, we also limit the highs achieved when applying both positive and negative motivation.
This is a characteristic common in teams that are often close but are never the best and I believe it describes the entitlement culture in Athens well.
It is not gentleman’s league anymore nor will it ever be again. There is too much money involved.
LikeLike
I have to disagree with Dante about the “ghosts” of past coaches, at least for us older Dawg fans. Dooley conditioned many of us to expect a program that rarely lost to “inferiors” and usually played well in the fourth quarter. Those with vivid memories of the Goff era have been a bit less intolerant of mediocrity. And I think a lot of older fans are obsessed with Erk as the symbol of a team with a ferocious attitude and an emphasis on D, and went south on Richt the moment Van Gorder left.
Among the fans who frequent blogs and boards, the big division seems to be between GATA and Brains factions. GATA fans are into displays of emotion, defining wins, and rivalry games generally; it’s obvious why Richt increasingly drives them nuts. Self-identified Brainiacs used to think of Richt as running a very smart program, but now view him as inflexible and anachronistic, and falling behind the regional competition (especially as reflected in recruiting). The decision to go for the FG in the Liberty Bowl was a galvanizing event for both factions, which is why the general mood of the fan base turned so very dark after that meaningless bowl.
LikeLike
Good comment. I think Dooley/Erk still represent a very specific fan viewpoint even if it’s not especially polarizing (who doesn’t want a GATA defense?). But I still hear people around me in Sanford from the “run the damn ball” school who thinks that even Richt’s Jurassic offense relies too much on finesse. It helps that it’s been 30+ years since the arrival of Herschel – we’re nearly to the point where he has as much current relevance to the identity of Georgia football as Trippi did in 1980.
I came to Georgia after the Dooley era, so his legacy and that philosophy isn’t as sacred to me. There were a lot of lean years (many of which we’d give the “mediocre” label – that favorite term of message boards). Yes, even under Erk. It’s a very smart observation to say that “older fans are obsessed with Erk as the symbol” of a certain kind of philosophy and style because the symbolism is often what they’re more interested in than the results which were generally good but certainly mixed.
LikeLike
Man, I love way you divided the fan base here. GATA vs. Brainiacs. Brilliant. This is way better than the “Disney Dawg” vs. “realistic” (?) factions that usually get thrown around.
And FWIW, Erk Russell was before my time, but through reading about him and hearsay, the guy has become one of my personal heroes. Us young guys can still appreciate the greats before our time, even if we weren’t there to see them in action and watch our boys whoop Florida’s ass on the regular. :p
LikeLike
Good point there. Just as well all realized we would lose to Florida the moment we saw the black uniforms, everyone knew we would lose the Liberty Bowl as soon as we went for the kick. It just sucked the life out of both fans and team alike. Perhaps it’s a function of my age, but I don’t know anyone who fancies Georgia a cerebral team. It’s either GATA or go home. If you ain’t a GATA kind of guy you ain’t a Dawg. Don’t get me wrong. Football has evolved into a pretty complex game. You have to be smart. We’ve all seen way too many gifted athletes who simply can’t keep up with the mental aspects of the modern game. But you have to be able to GATA while you’re using that brain.
LikeLike
The great majority of Georgia fans support Richt but are realistic enough to know that he must win 9 regular season games in 2011 and that might not be enough. The problems are too obvious to ignore even for Richt’s strongest supporters. The vocal minority on blogs screaming “Goff” and “Donnan” days again weren’t even around in 89-00 to really remember that. They jumped on the bandwagon in 02 and thus their contempt for Richt now. They were spoiled rotten by 13-1. They still hold that 1 against Richt. What will eventually kill recruiting is Richt’s apparent lame-duck status for going on 3 years now so a move will have to be made. Am I the only one that believes that whatever happens, Adams, not McGarity, will make the decision?
LikeLike
I think in a UGA fan breakdown the biggest segment would be the schizophrenic. We love Mark Richt the man but have come to hate Mark Richt the coach. This is a hard thing for fans to get through. It’s easy to fire an SOB and a bad coach. It’s not easy to fire somebody you truly like and admire. This is one of those times that if it has to be done it should be done quickly and cleanly. I think Mark is man enough to not take it personal and I hope he won’t but he has lost most of the fans as a coach. His non-emotional demeanor works fine as long as the team thought of itself as the under dog and fought hard to overcome. Once the team got successful the non-emotional coach was not able to convince the team that they needed to actually study film and be responsible for their personal behavior. We are Georgia and we will win. The bowl game was the worst example of this mentality under Richt. It has happened before under all of our coaches but it was usually with UGA teams of lesser talent. I was one season ticket alum that hoped that we would have Mark for the rest of my life but it just is not going to happen so the AD needs to do what he needs to do quickly.
LikeLike
Interesting. I read a lot of assumptions about MR’s “emotions,” but he doesn’t have to be overly emotive to motivate or discipline the team. All he has to do is set expectations and consequences. If he clearly defines the goals for each coach and player, then holds them to those goals, he needn’t holler or scream or cry or whatever it is he is supposed to do to be “emotional.”
I’m done with this regime already because for me it’s about attitude and nothing whatsoever about “emotion.”
At this point, this staff would have to get everyone targeted for signing day, beat Boise like it’s 2005 and win the SEC. I just don’t see it happening, but I’ll gladly take it all back if they pull it off.
LikeLike
The rivalries aren’t that important to me. The question I ask is whether CMR is capable of fixing mistakes. I’m sorry, but saying Bobo & Searels had a “great year” is a lie. Fans know it. Players know it. Bobo & Searels know it. I’m not saying get rid of the assistants, but what good does it do to start the off-season by telling everyone a lie. If he’s not willing to admit a problem exists, how can we expect him to fix it?
LikeLike
“what good does it do to start the off-season by telling everyone” that Bobo and Stacey had not only a Goodyear http://www.adclassix.com/images/55goodyeardrivers.jpg
but a great year:
a. Using codewords to send a signal to his base?
b. Get their votes for most popular head coach?
c. See if anyone was paying attention?
d. Show his passion to assembled dignitaries?
LikeLike
It is a bit depressing to note that in his early years CMR was willing to admit and take responsibility for mistakes as well as correct them but lately, not so much. However, the man is not stupid. He knows this is the year and he knows what is a stake.
LikeLike
What I find interesting lately is the very small minority of self-deprecating Dawg fans that come around trying to tell everyone how we expect too much from the team because our history just isn’t that great and this is how it’s always going to be. This type of sentiment usually comes from the older guys, too.
We’re 11th in all time wins, 3rd in SEC titles all time, top 5 in A.D. profits every year, and our state is one of the 5 best in the country for football talent. Everything is there, folks. Time to raise expectations, not slink back into some diminished sense of our own history.
LikeLike
I mentally call those fans the Ole Miss fanbase…because for some warped reason they think UGA’s annual expectations should be equal to that of Ole Miss’s.
Other than a similar # of attractive coeds, I don’t see it.
LikeLike
For me, I gave up on Richt after watching the bowl game with Michigan St.. Who runs the clock oout before the half?……….. in a bowl game when you have two 1st round draft picks?
The overall mentality of the program is in the ditch. Say what you will about oversigning and all. The kids better perform or they are out(one way or another). Not Georgia, they have how many walk on schorships and 3 kickers on scholarship. It is a country club mentality. How many kids are still given scholarships after they have serious injuries in high school? While that is nice and all, the guys winning crystal footballs aren’t running their programs the way Georgia runs theirs. Players know they have to perform to stick around. On top of everthing else, the SEC is not your daddy’s SEC. Dooley couldn’t make it today. Dooley’s claim to fame was a running back from Wrightsville and the few years afterward with an awesome D-coordinator.. Erk made Dooley like BVG made Richt.
Dooley wanted Goff and Damon “red panties” Evans. Not very good calls were they?
Honestly ask youself, when has Georgia beaten a team with more talent than themselves?
Last time I checked, I don’t think they vote you in the top 25 because your coach is a nice guy. The man doesn’t know how to fix the problem, because he never has had to fix the problem. Even at Florida St., look at how they dominated the ACC because of the superior talent alone. Same with him at Georgia. He did good when everbody else was down and he had the better talent. As the linebacker at Florida said “it is fake juice”. Georgia is running on “fake juice.”
LikeLike
This is as good a job of “poor mouthin” as I have seen in awhile. Put on some orange or whatever but please post this drivel somewhere else. Jan 17 was suppose to be the all out downer day for the blues. I see you just had to extend it a day.
LikeLike
1) You are an idiot.
2) Erk left after the 1980 season. He was not the DC on the 11-2 1981 team, the 12-1 1982 team or the 12-1 (Herschel-less) 1983 team. Dooley won as many SEC championships without #34 as with him and won 2 of 6 without Erk. The thing that was special about Dooley’s teams was that with the exception of #34 they played at a pretty high level without tremendous talent. As far as I know Dooley never coached an NFL Hall of Famer. Not one in 25 years. You’d need all your fingers and some toes to count the ones that the Bear had. Auburn and Florida and Clemson were literally stealing players from Georgia and, for the most part, we beat their asses on Saturday afternoons. Dooley wasn’t the greatest ever. He won’t be in the same class as Switzer or Johnson or Bear as far as NCs and winning %, but we never sold or souls to win games and neither will the guy we have.
3) Vince Dooley did not hire his replacement or participate in the decision making process. He did make one recommendation: Erk. The reason we got Goff was Chuck Knapp not Vince Dooley.
4) Adams put Damon in as AD. Dooley wanted to remain as AD for 2 more years but was forced out.
5) You’re still an idiot, but hopefully a bit wiser.
LikeLike
A
Excellent retort
LikeLike
My understanding is that the succession was bit more complicated than Chuck Knapp choosing Goff, but otherwise a very good, and very accurate assessment of the Dooley years.
And we can’t forget the contribution of the trial of Jan Kemp, which effectively ended any attempt by Georgia to take a step up to the level of say….Texas or Bama.
Following the trial, rules were put into place which Dooley has been quoted as saying were “unilateral disarmament.” That institutional standard still exists, and probably will till way past the end of my hunt, for sure.
LikeLike
Maybe an idiot, been called worse. Nothing recruits better than winning and money. Wonder what a Georgia booster had to pay HW to come to Athens? What did Dooley do without HW and Erk? Maybe the Cotton bowl win against Texas.
Call me an idiot, but this idiot thinks Richt is gone after 2011 because of the reasons I stated. Prove this idiot wrong about what I said about Richt and the state of the program. Derek, you probably believe in the “Dream Team” too. The only way Dooley would make it in today’s SEC, would be to bring Mike Caven back with sacks full of cash.
And by the way, I’m still waiting on somebody to tell me a game Richt has won wtth less talent.
LikeLike
Richt is gone because erk was the key to the three sec titles from 80-82 and because dooley hired goff and because Dooley gave Evans the ad job? You are entitled to your opinion but not your own facts. If you think Dooley sucked, we were only good cause we cheated and richt sucks too so tge best two coaches we’ve ever had suck, it seems to me that you need a new team. May I suggest bama? They like making shit up too.
LikeLike
Richt is gone because BVG is gone and he has no clue on how to fix the issues and culture he has created. Richt’s offenses were never really that great during the first five years. The defense along with alot of talent made Richt / Georgia successful. Richt allowed loyalty to run the program into a very deep ditch( Martinez and Van Halanger). Bobo and Searles did a great job this year also. Mark Richt is Tommy Bowden made over. Bowden just didn’t have a Van Gorder. Like I said in an earlier post, Richt showed the world his snatch when he ran the clock out in the 1st half of the Michigan St. game. Georgia has gotten by on more talent, and now the talent isn’t what it was. The result is the last 3 years. Your kennel blind cuz.
To say that Dooley had no imput on Goff’s hire is crazy and he was all behind Damon Evans once he was gone.
Well tell me two things Mr. Derek. What game has Mark Richt won with lesser talent, and what did Dooley do without HW or Erk? Please Derek, enlighten me with your knowledge by answering these questions. Cause I don’t want to make shit up. Do you think Georgia wins a few of those SEC championships without HW? Wonder why HW waited so long to sign LOI ? I ain’t naming names, but I think we all know the deal.
I guess 31-0 at the half against Bama was made up too. Fake juice on national tv is always nice. I guess somewhere Jan Kemp is to blame 20 something years later.
LikeLike
No, Kemp is not, but the dimwits that allowed her case to go to court and into the public view most certainly are.
And if you don’t think the Kemp case still resonates with the administration you are delusional and I am sad for you.
LikeLike
So how does the Jan Kemp case hurt the football program today? Specific ways?
LikeLike
Ask Jamar Cheney how it impacts the football program…
LikeLike
Didn’t seem to hurt AJ Harmon, Caleb King, Branden Smith,or even Charles “I like boiled peanuts” Grant. One guy Chaney? I remember Georgia missing on the Brinkley boys, but then next year was able to get kids into Georgia from GMC.
LikeLike
clearly you know more than I do….so you must be right.
But I would still suggest you talk to Jamar…not that you might learn anything, but, you know, just for perspective.
Or the LB from Atlanta who had a similar experience after signing with Georgia last year.
Following the Kemp fiasco, an extra layer of bureaucratic (read administration) “examination” was added to the mix to decide who was suitable, ultimately, to play football for Georgia. I don’t know what, if anything, your examples have in common with Jamar Cheney. Apparently, you don’t either.
LikeLike
Bottom line and common thread…CMR must have super year or he’s gone.
The question is …can he do it?
I say “probably”. I won’t be suprised either way it goes. Support could even go down the middle with eight wins or something like that.
Under Dooley, Georgia owned the second half, and especially the fourth quarter of games. He was a master of the half time adjustment.
The defining play of Goff’s tenure was the dropped pass for a first down to beat Alabama..or maybe it was the phantom time out called by Florida when Zier threw the two point conversion to beat them .(thus the nomer “one play away Ray”) I thought Goff was a good coach with extremly bad luck.
The defining play of CMR’s tenure might very well be the field goal against UCF..He’s the anti-Dooley when it comes to second half adjustments and domination.
There are a lot of mixed emotions expresssed here, but I see a lot of agreement.
Everyone seems to be hoping for the best this year, but not expecting it.
I expect the best. The coach and his team have their backs against the wall.
As far as rivals go…if you don’t hate Tech then you haven’t had to endure being around their geeky fans in the days following a rare victory over UGA.
Most of them really care for and know little about football…they just hate Georgia.
LikeLike