January 23, 2012 · 9:09 AM

“Some worried that Richt had lost control of his team.”

My, the Red and Black is singing a different tune after Commings’ arrest.

I guess that’s a natural reaction to Zach Dillard failing to get the Pulitzer he so richly deserved.

48 Comments

Filed under Media Punditry/Foibles

48 responses to ““Some worried that Richt had lost control of his team.””

  1. Go Dawgs!
    January 23, 2012 at 9:17 AM

    Love the fact that the editorial finishes off with, “for now, we shouldn’t condemn the entire Georgia football program…”

    Just let us know when, R&B.

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  2. Dog in Fla
    January 23, 2012 at 9:25 AM

    I think the time has come to adopt the South Carolina idea of awarding fractional points for Fulmer Cup violations.

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  3. Zdawg
    January 23, 2012 at 9:39 AM

    “Commings’ arrest does not mean the team has slipped back into the depths of criminal activity of the 2008-2010 seasons.”

    Was Richt running some sort of criminal organization for a few years? Good that the R&B stayed on top of it.

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    • AusDawg85
      January 23, 2012 at 10:10 AM

      Depths of Criminal activity = Emerging from an alley

      Is there a Hyperbole course in the J-School?

      Seriously…if we have one of the finest journalism schools in the country, and if this is an example of what they are teaching, is there any wonder about the state of the 4th estate these days?

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      • Go Dawgs!
        January 23, 2012 at 11:42 AM

        Isn’t it also hyperbole to suggest that emerging from an alley was the worst thing that a Georgia player did during our string of arrests?

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        • AusDawg85
          January 23, 2012 at 1:45 PM

          Perhaps, but I’m an accomplished hyperbolist writing on an internationally acclaimed blog subject to constant peer review (and the Senator’s ban button).

          And if we remove the EFA and other minor traffic offenses, do we not dilute the “string of arrests” phrase? Maybe something like “…series of incidents…” would be less inflammatory, but then again, what was the point of the piece?

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          • Zdawg
            January 23, 2012 at 2:03 PM

            Don’t forget ‘string of arrests’ that highlighted the ‘depths of criminal activity’ that the team was engaged in.

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          • Bevo
            January 23, 2012 at 4:44 PM

            While your equation above involved a little hyperbole, your point about the original — and less forgiveable — hyperbole is well taken.

            Characterizing the UGA arrests as numerous and dumb would be accurate, but the “depths” reached by many of the charges were in fact quite shallow.

            So I agree with you that referring to that period with a phrase like “depths of criminal activity” is hyperbole and just not very accurate.

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  4. BulldogBen
    January 23, 2012 at 10:18 AM

    So now we’re taking shots at kids who are there to LEARN to be journalists or writers?

    Good job.

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    • Senator Blutarsky
      January 23, 2012 at 10:24 AM

      So what you’re saying is that it’s okay for them to take public shots at others, but no one should point out their (publicly published) shortcomings?

      Good job back at ‘ya.

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      • BulldogBen
        January 23, 2012 at 11:21 AM

        I’m saying you’re a grown man and can realize the difference between the AJC and a college paper that’s free.

        Yes, they are technically adults but I certainly don’t give much weight to their world view.

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        • Normaltown Mike
          January 23, 2012 at 11:38 AM

          That’s ageism!

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        • Tdawg
          January 23, 2012 at 11:41 AM

          So just let them get through school feeling like they’re above criticism and then expect them to suddenly adapt in real world?
          Plus, once someone makes a public accusation, it’s completely fair game for criticism.

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        • Senator Blutarsky
          January 23, 2012 at 12:42 PM

          So if they espouse an opinion at the R&B, get hired professionally two months later and repeat the same argument at their new digs, I can criticize the latter but not the former?

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        • stoopnagle
          January 23, 2012 at 12:49 PM

          Taking criticism is part of the education.

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          • ThetaDog
            January 23, 2012 at 4:50 PM

            +1 sez a Grady grad

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          • UGLYDAWG
            January 23, 2012 at 8:09 PM

            They should be subjected to the same hyperbole as they dish out on CMR and the football program, which also falls under the label of “amature”.
            By the way, when has an amature journalist ever filled a stadium or made the U millions in tv, bowl and logo money?

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        • Mant
          January 23, 2012 at 1:43 PM

          Somebody played in the “Everyone Gets A Trophy” League when they were growing up.

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        • Edawg
          January 23, 2012 at 2:03 PM

          Some of the same bozos who think it’s fine to criticize the college writer think it’s NOT fine to criticize the players on the team (i.e. they get their panties in a wad any time a boo is heard in Sanford Stadium, even if they don’t know who the boo is directed at).

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          • TDawg
            January 23, 2012 at 5:08 PM

            Didn’t realize the players were out on the field making false accusations against fans and other players and then getting booed for it. Will pay better attention next time.

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            • Edawg
              January 23, 2012 at 6:59 PM

              Are you talking about the kid who wrote today’s article? Because he did no such thing, yet he’s receiving plenty of criticism on here. Paying better attention next time is probably a good idea.

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              • Puffdawg
                January 24, 2012 at 10:25 AM

                Hello, Tucker Green. So glad you could join us. For the record, I think the criticism here is aimed towards Zach Dillard, for now.

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    • Hogbody Spradlin
      January 23, 2012 at 10:27 AM

      If they’re going to write in a childish immature manner, then it helps them learn when we tell them they’re writing in a childish immature manner. You should congratulate us. We’re only doing the little twerps a favor.

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    • kdsdawg
      January 23, 2012 at 11:13 AM

      So everybody gets a blue ribbon and a juice box for participating, huh? No negatives, just lollipops and rainbows. Just like the real world. Geez, we are raising a generation of entitlement.

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    • Doug
      January 23, 2012 at 2:41 PM

      I hate to be the cranky old man giving the “In MY day . . . ” rants, but when somebody wrote something dumb in the R&B while I was there, people would tell us off in e-mails to the editor, and we’d print ’em on the opinions page. They’d hear about it from professors, too (especially if they had a guy like Fink). These writers are not “kids” — they’re professionals (yes, most of them get paid per article for stuff that’s not opinion columns) who are representing both the newspaper and, in most cases, the J-school. They’re not handled with kid gloves by anyone. So they’d be “taking shots” from people even if GTP had never existed, and nobody on that staff is under any illusions otherwise.

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      • Hogbody Spradlin
        January 23, 2012 at 3:43 PM

        Why these young whippersnappers have it easy! Things were a lot tougher when I worked for the Red and Black!

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  5. Doug
    January 23, 2012 at 10:28 AM

    Yeah, the turnaround in the R&B’s attitude is remarkable, but I don’t know that it’d be much different anywhere else. It all comes down to the difference between winning and losing. When you’re 6-7, one arrest means your team is undisciplined and rife with discord; when you’re 10-4, it means things are generally on an even keel and the guy’s just an isolated bad apple.

    I mean, look at how long Urban Meyer got away with overseeing a program that had just as many legal issues as Georgia’s, if not more. The difference was the writers covering him could distract themselves with stories about Tebow and national-title runs. Once Tebow left and the win totals started dropping, though, folks started paying more attention to the Chris Raineys and Dee Finleys of the world. (With the notable exception of the local media, of course, who curtsied for King Urban to the bitter end.)

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  6. Irishdawg
    January 23, 2012 at 10:46 AM

    What, no one is supposed to point out shitty writing if it comes from a 21 year old? 21 is too delicate an age to point out that breathless hyperbole is a lazy way to write?

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  7. Scott W.
    January 23, 2012 at 11:00 AM

    Honestly what do you expect from something that is free? GTP aside, of course.

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  8. ericdawg
    January 23, 2012 at 11:22 AM

    Is the R&B run and owned by those North Ave Traders? Sounds like. They might as well call themselves Y&G.

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  9. H-Town Dawg
    January 23, 2012 at 12:33 PM

    For now, we must keep from using Commings’ arrest as an occasion to condemn the entire Georgia football program.

    WTF? Douchebag… Why would we “condemn” the entire football program?

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  10. PNWDawg
    January 23, 2012 at 2:30 PM

    Surpised no one has commented on the true issue rather than the student newspaper.

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  11. Will Trane
    January 23, 2012 at 3:10 PM

    “For now”. Now, sorry to repeat, but just how damn long is that in time…24 hours, a couple of days, week, weeks, month, months, and etc.
    Just how long do they want to hold onto this kind of reporting? Frankly, I’m not interested in the personal life of a player, Atlanta housewives, or anybody else in this current youthful media. This stuff has been going on for decades…not like it started with players that signed LOI’s and showed up on a roster under CMR. Amazed this story has this long of a life…for now.

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  12. Macallanlover
    January 23, 2012 at 11:11 PM

    1. When the writers at the R&B step onto the public stage in an article, they should damned well be held accountable. It isn’t like this is an assigned project between professor and student. No cover provided. Reap the rewards of a job well done, or get blasted for your mistakes/errors in judgement.

    2. Anyone who doesn’t see the difference between unpaid parking tickets/scooter violations/underage drinking and the armed robbery/assault charges, which we have blessedly had few of, is lacking any common sense. I am pleased that we have had “light” issues for the most part and never understood the foolish Foolmer Cup points assignment.

    3. I am proud that CMR has always issued punishment to players, regardless of who they were, and what games were involved in the suspensions. How writers and other media members cannot distinguish between a coach’s handling of bad behavior, and the players’ responsibility for the bad behavior is beyond me. The control issue is a crock, these players are fully responsible for their actions at this stage of life. I don’t know what Commings did yet, but if he hit/abused that girl, I don’t care how far CMR goes with his punishment. Anywhere from nothing, if it was minor and involved no violence, to dismissal if SC hit her in anything other than self defense….totally trust CMR’s judgement. And the incident has no reflection on Richt to me, writers need to hold the criminals fully responsible in these cases.

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  13. IveyLeaguer
    January 23, 2012 at 11:12 PM

    Richt DID lose control of the team. It was shattered in pieces. But the last two offseasons he put Humpty-Dumpty together again.

    Now he’s gotta hold it together. It could use a little more work this offseason.
    ~~~

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