Brian VanGorder may be at Auburn now, but there are some things about his experience at Georgia that stick with him.
Like that whole in state rivalry thing. Sort of, anyway.
“The first time at Georgia when we played Georgia Tech, when I walked on the field, I felt a difference in the programs, and I’ll kind of leave it at that,” VanGorder said. “I see the Auburn-Alabama rivalry as more of a level field and a great rivalry in respects to the chances of winning in looking at the records through the years. This one has been back and forth, and I’ve always felt that the emotions of this game from the outside looking in are a bit more intense than Georgia-Georgia Tech…”
Hey, Paul Johnson did say it’s just another game.
On the other hand, I’m not sure I buy this casual toss off about coaching against his former employer:
Said VanGorder: “I loved my time there, and I have a lot of respect for Mark Richt. He is really the guy who gave me my big break in this profession, but that’s kind of where it ends, because I will view that game far more from an intellectual standpoint than any kind of emotional standpoint as we go into it.”
I don’t think he’ll be overcome with emotion by the occasion, but I do suspect he’ll be a little less detached than he lets on.
Get The Picture 
Given BVG’s ‘stache, I fully expect Auburn to run out of the tunnel to this music.
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Maybe, it’s been a long time and he really was only here 4 years as an assistant — 8 years ago, and 4 new stops since then — in a profession that moves around quite a bit anyway. At some point it is different, but not life and death. This isn’t LeBron going to Cleveland. Or Saban back to LSU, etc.
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You mean Van Gorder isn’t as obsessed with us as we are with him?! What?!
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You’d better have “respect” for Mark Richt. He plucked you out of complete obscurity and put you on a path that eventually led to you landing a (previously) great head coaching job at Georgia Southern. It led to you landing a coordinator job in the NFL as well as other major college programs. You’d better have love for the man, too. VanGorder has seemed like a punk to me ever since he left Georgia over his spat with Garner. This lukewarm comment about the man who made him only furthers that feeling.
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Who made who? I wonder if CMR would still have a job at UGA if not for BVG’s defenses. The defenses were national leaders. The offenses were (and continue to be) nothing special. If you’re a DC for CMR you’re definitely going to earn your pay. And if that’s not sufficient evidence, look at the team now. Would CMR have his job if not for CTG’s defense.
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“The offenses were (and continue to be) nothing special.” Huh? Whaaatttt?
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I’ve always loved this line of reasoning. It’s almost as if Richt had nothing to do with BVG or TG coming to Athens in the first place. I guess they just showed up on their own and refused to go away when Richt asked them what they thought they were doing there.
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Nice hair cut
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Eh, I don’t expect VanGorder to be all gushy about a former employer he now has to square off against on an annual basis. I’m certainly less offended by his “detached” demeanor than by Will Muschamp tossing off his entire Georgia career as “temporary insanity” just to throw some red meat to his new Gator overlords. Now that was f%$#ing insulting, and I’m glad we made him pay for it.
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Agree. Muschump is a complete ass, and his immaturity is an embarrassment to UGA and CFB. I already disliked him before he dissed his UGA affiliation, but that shows his lack of character.
Like Go Dawgs, I don’t have anywhere the same feelings about BVG, haven’t cared for him at all since the way, and timing, of his leaving UGA. Nothing he has done since has made him desirable as a coach to me. In fact, he has shown himself lacking in judgement. Decent Defensive Coordinator but not a guy who should have been put on a pedestal by UGA fans. I am sure he will be better at AU than Roof, but so would Martinez. BVG said the right things in his comments, but I am sure the UGA game will mean more than he indicating.
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gotta disagree sir, Will Muschamp is a fine individual of extremely high character and from a very fine family as is his wife. I think it is unfair to actually form such an abrupt opinion about a man based on press clippings that are oftern riddled with misquotes…..and in turn, those misquotes are batted about all the while growing in their negativity. I’m a new poster here but have read for a long while and I have respect for you sir; but, on this, I must take you to task. you are totally misinformed about Will. He is not an ass and he has a very high moral character. in short, he is “good folks” and he really comes by it honestly as his Mom and Dad are two wonderful people. I’m not sure what all led you to form such a terrible opinion about him, but you are badly wrong.
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Maybe its the bulging veins in his neck as he screams F-bombs at the refs?
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Remember the title imposed here by Blutarsky with emphasis on the “bind” word.
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could you please explain the title which has been bestowed by the Senator….I am a newby and have read for a while here…i know you are well respected, well read and a very good writer, but am i wrong or do I detect you being cryptic here with regard to me, or at least that title….please clue me on it if you will be so kind, thank you
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Dog in Nam- How could I disrespect those fine words? They are like alixir to my eyes. This is not meant as deprecating toward you or even self-deprecation;- I am a lousy writer who has to resort to long-windedness to express myself. The good and brighter writers on here use far less words to express themselves better and I’m envious of them. It would take too long to list them here. But I do thank you for the nonaggressive thought.
My reference to the word “bind” was a negative connotation in that Boom has been chafing at his ties to UGA that binds the hell out of him when he placates Gator fans by disavowing his Bulldog credentials. Bet he didn’t do that when he worked for Johnny Mack. The point is that his bluster toward his current employers shouldn’t override his loyalty to UGA what brung him there. They don’t require it any more than we require those who coach at UGA to disavow who they played for in college. It becomes pandering and if he isn’t proud of his playing days at UGA, it must grate or bind the hell out of him to put it in his resume. Tough crap to him and not a good character reference. Same goes for “guarantee”ing a win over Georgia to an 11yr-old female fan at a Booster Meeting. But that’s just me and everyone knows what a blindass homer I am.
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Respect your opinion Dog in Nam, and we may be reacting to different areas of his life. Muschamp is a fine father to his kids, and much more of a gentleman away from the field. I have known his wife, and her family for a long time; nothing I said is intended for her. My comments reflect that a man in his 40s should not act like a 12 brat having an obscenity tantrum on the sideline where millions see him. Nor should he act like that around the young men he is responsible for.
I also don’t think you turn your back on those who helped develop you and open doors for you (UGA) just because you want to please the new crowd you are working with/for (UF). That may not bother you, but it does indicate a gap in character and integrity to me. It doesn’t say he is an ass 24 hours a day, or in every situation of his life, but more people see him in his role as HC and his former roles as DC on national TV. Be a good person all the time, and I am not talking about a single incident. You choose to focus on what he does well, and what he comes from, I speak of the times where he can have the most influence on people. We all have opinions, and that is just mine.
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That should read “12 year old brat). Sorry.
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I respect your opinion and didn’t mean to imply that you were including his wife or family in your criticism. But still, i think press coverage, including video, leaves a lot to the imagination…and sometimes make an easy target for someone to fill in the blanks. You have not filled in any blanks; yours is a well thought and reasoned opinion and I understand and respect it…just disagree in part….I’m sure he would like to take back some of his outbursts, and over time, like all of us, he will mellow a bit….but I do respect your opinion, and i am sorry to butt in….would like to know that to which Cojones refers
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No problem at all, you are not butting in. My opinion seems to be driven by the “professional”/public side of CWM,, and yours is more on the personal side. No qualm with that. I don’t feel my opinion is based much on press coverage at all, nor subject to quotes that could have been taken out of context. His comments on Georgia have been stated several times, and have never been refuted by him. (He also no longer displays his UGA jersey in his home office in Gainesville as he did in Austin.) His outbursts during games at Auburn, Texas, and now Florida, are well recorded on video for all to see. Just depends on the amount of weight you feel those carry. As stated, it isn’t one, isolated event of acting tempermental, it is spread over several years. Time to grow up, particularly if you are in a position of responsiblity for over 100 young athletes, and thousands of even younger, impressionable fans.
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If he is all that great then he should reflect it in his outward actions that millions of people see.
I know of a certain D1 coach that is of high moral character and he does not have issues of being misquoted by the press.
I’m not saying, but I’m saying…
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Thanks for the compliment J-Dawg. It was me that you were saying had “high moral character” wasn’t it?
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The “intellectual” battle between Van Gorder and Bobo? Yikes.
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Van Gorder is a good coach, but he simply needs to learn who he is in football now. He is an assistant on the staff at Auburn. And Auburn, like BVG, have a common thread. Lack of loyalty. Coaches move through Auburn like BVG changes employers yearly.
Speaking of Auburn, employers, and moving on, will some one in Athens, like the AD, tell Perno it is time to coach somewhere else.
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Perno has been to 3 of the last 8 college world series. Last visit was in ’08 and Georgia was the runner up. We get some great ball players interested in playing here …..so good some go pro before they play or leave early. He has a .556 winning percentage. He has been here what 8 years? Mark Fox has coached 3 seasons and took a big step backwards this past season. Tied for 10th place in the SEC. Fox has a .52 while at Georgia. So how long do you give a coach to turn things around? And how long should we pay ’em before we cut them lose because they didn’t bring home that trophy every year? Finally, Is loyalty a two way street?
just typin’
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In the pecking order of history, success, etc., Georgia basketball is worse than Miss State football.
Fox has said he won’t play the AAU “game” in ATL and while it may stink we don’t ink the top players, I’d rather not taint the school like so many basketball programs do with the AAU element.
IMHO, if Fox can avoid losing seasons and contend for an NCAA bid every other year I’m happy.
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+1 on Fox. I think he can make us competitive, but I thought that about Felton, so what do I know?
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Van Gorder is a walking example of the Peter Principle. He is a good to very good college DC. He left the Falcons one step ahead of being fired. That and the head coaching SNAFU at GSU showed his level of incompetence.
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Heh, heh… you said, “… casual toss off…”
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At least he took a subtle jab at the Techies…even if was just stating the obvious truth.
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BVG is about to learn what it’s like to be GT in a state rivalry. Only it’s going to be a lot worse, because most of the people at Auburn can remember beating Bama occasionally. And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time before it happens again. AU fans are more patient than Bama fans in this regard, but in a state where they poison trees and throw bricks through coach’s windows, BVG better hope he still has touch.
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Damn Ug, I have been saying on this blog that you were a smart guy–now this. Exactly how many times has Auburn beaten Bama in the past 10 years? How many times in a row? That’s a lot more than “occasionally.” If you don’t think Auburn is going to beat Bama again for “a long, long, time” history is not on your side for that one, Ug.
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I’d completely forgotten about the “bigger fish to fry” comments from Johnson. The Techies still believe the ’08 game and the letting Ealey score move make him the better coach, but he is just at a personnel disadvantage when playing Georgia. I thought part of being a good coach in college football is being able to attract and develop talent. Then again, these are the same people that are reveling in the recent extension that Richt received because other teams can beat him.
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And the funny thing is other teams (outside of UF) CAN’T beat him, at least on a regular basis. Doesn’t he have a winning record against every SEC team* except the Gators, which he is started to reverse in 2011?
*He’s 3-4 against LSU, but let’s not forget the 2009 LSU win gift wrapped by Penn Wagers and Co. on the excessive celebration TD with under a minute to go.
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That wasn’t Wagers. It was Marc Curles.
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They both suck.
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Yes, Russ. They do.
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All right you two! Outta the pool!
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Refs + poor KO coverage + Marcus Dowtin’s inability to wrap up and tackle.
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Plus LSU players literally tackling Rennie Curran on the scoring TD that won the game for them. No holding call from the SEC ref crew though!!!
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What does it matter, we probably won’t play Auburn next year.
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Whatever kind of man Muschamp is off the field – just talk to any SEC ref about what kind of man he is on the field.
Muschamp has taken the light off Richt as far as the SEC officials go and that is a good thing !
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