Call ’em bashers. Call ’em realists (that’s how they refer to themselves). Greg McGarity’s got his own catch phrase for a certain segment of the Georgia fan base.
He understands there’s still an unhappy segment of the fan base. But he refers to them as, “the society of the miserable. They’re going to vent when things are going really well and when they’re not.”
I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume none of the program’s big contributors fall into this category. Either that, or McGarity’s learned how to tap dance when he needs to.
Get The Picture 
Glad to see McGarity has a clear view of the state of our program. And I don’t think you’re going that far out on a limb, Senator.
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The article itself is a fair synopsis of the current state of UGA football. GM says he is happy but not satisfied because the Dawgs didn’t close the deal and win the SECCG with the resulting berth in the BCSNCG as the prize. Don’t take your foot off the gas Greg or let anyone else do it either. Pedal to the metal. We still have to get past Bama and Florida and South Carolina loom in the rear-view mirror.
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Good Lexicon.
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That is an excellent phrase, and very worthy of being added to the Lexicon, hopefully as an acronym. The bowl game is a great example of how “no win” works with this group: if we win it will be against a team that was destroyed by an average Wisconsin team (and of course they will no longer be ranked), if we lose it will be another sign that CMR cannot coach, or win the big one since it will be another loss to a ranked team. Only beating the Cornhuskers worse than Wisky did will keep the negatrons somewhat sedated, and that isn’t going to happen because there isn’t enough emotion to do so….and that would just indicate we are better than a five loss Wisconsin team. No accomplishment there.
McGarity is right on this one, and no one should give any credibility to that 2-5 percent of the fanbase as they hurt the program in many ways. Without attention, they may go away,
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Anyone checked on the Dawgvent to see how they’ve responded to this?
Also, I know some folks who still want Richt gone and are pining for Gruden.
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Better check out Dawgrun too.
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HirsuteDawg- It’s you! It’s really you! No one told me that Russ (Uga VIII or was that IX) was in our “Old Blue” Program at the Vet School. Of course, you could be our cartoon mascot just fresh out of Typing Class…..uuhh….Computer Keyboard Class.
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I think McGarity ought to be taken with a grain of salt. His biggest hire to date is that of the gymnastics coach and he has yet to address some tough decisions with facilities. Greg might become the best AD the school has had, but he should put a lid on characterizing the fanbase until he has actually done more than dumbing down the football schedule and hiring a gymnastics coach.
Blast away.
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Eeyore…..is that you? Hijo?
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The one and only.
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I am not a huge fan of GM, bit unless the miserable ones, I give credit when he is right. As for characterizing the “extreme negatrons” in the fanbase asa miserable, you don’t have to look for at people who feel that way. Even rival fans are mystified at how impossible it is to please so many UGA fans. It has cost us for years and is unlikely to change; all you an hope for is to have them go drag another program down. A huge anchor would be removed, what they lack in numbers they make up for in volume via anonymous venues.
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Mac,
It is just the nature of the beast. All programs have that same sub-set of n’eer do well’s. You accept it and move along as part and parcel of the circus. Winning and making good decisions will make it all null and void without any hand wringing over their negativity. I think is also important to note Richt left himself open to much of the “noise” with his own performance on and off the field. I was at the UCF debacle and most of that mess was self-inflicted by the head coach.
I know we all agree that we hope McGarity and Richt have solved the internal issues that led them into the quagmire.
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Agree, it does exist everywhere. I don’t think it is just me that feels it a more vocal minority at UGA as there have been many media members bringing up the “hotseat” issue, even when it was clearly too early for fans to abandon a successful coach. The amount of dissatisfied, loud fans on the internet and sports talk radio have hurt our image, and rightly so. I reiterate, it isn’t questioning calls, performance, etc., that bothers me because that is pretty normal for all fanbases. The hatred spewed and the number of attacks that damage this program by the waythe criticism is levied by this group is in a league of its own. As bad as things are at Texas you hear the criticsm but there is a balance that distinguishes it from UGA’s haters. The more balanced fans keep them in check, yet CMR has endured more vicious attacks while accomplishing more. And this from a program that has had more recruiting success, has better facilities, and plays in a league that is less challenging. There are many more examples, but that one is an easy one to see on a quick glance.
I do think we are past the worst of it, but look for a close win to bring it back quickly. Even an impressive win will be minimized because these folks have an agenda and aren’t big enough to admit they have been out of line. They just sit in the weeds ready to pounce. The fairweather fans have left them now so they wait until the opportunity to get more “manpower presents itself then they get bak up on the bandstand. Let’s hope things continue to go well so we can have a little peace.
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+1
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+2 you go girl. 😉
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I agree with your sentiments. I think at times Richt suffers from “the nice guy never comes in first” fable. It is pure fallacy to think he’s not a ferocious competitor.
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Yes, he needs to throw childish tandrums, and curse loudly to be a real coach, or fit some people’s stereotype. These same folks would have fired John Wooden too, and replaced him with BVG.
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Agree with Chadwick. CMR’s football team has made some big strides the past 2 years, and I certainly like the wins and recent changes with recruiting numbers, S&C hire, etc. But CMR was successful long before McGarity hit town.
Otherwise, I don’t see much for McGarity to brag about as an AD. Like him or hate him, a strong argument could be made that Damon Evans had better results as AD. So I wouldn’t call attention to myself if I were Greg.
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Westy, what are you smoking? “…Damon Evans had better results as AD?” The slide for the football team coincided with Evans’ appointment as AD. He hobbled CMR with outside duties that the AD’s office should have handled. The first thing that GM did when he showed up in Athens as AD was to take those outside duties off CMR’s back so he could coach full-time again. GM still has a way to go but GM has had an awful lot to do with the turnaround in the UGA football program IMHO.
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I think you’re missing my point. I’m no Damon fan and hated him for firing Freddie Jones. But other than supporting CMR while turning things around (and it was CMR’s job on the line, not GMs) I have a tough time seeing what improvements GM has made to the athletic programs. Isn’t he AD for more than football.
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The Rolopranos
http://deniskitchen.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=bios.joe.btfsplk
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Rick Pitino has a similar phrase, “The Fellowship of the Miserable.”
-I wonder if Greg is borrowing from that one.
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While he’s in the bookstore, Greg should check out ‘Drive’ by Daniel Pink. He may have second thoughts about performance incentives. Once you reach a certain level, they are actually counterproductive. Think Richt gets up a little earlier in the morning thinking to himself ‘I gotta get up early so that I can score some extra money with an SEC title’.
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An excellent choice. Daniel Pink’s work is brilliant.
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Maybe I am a little thick skin and don’t care how an AD, a fan, a supporter, a player, a coach wants to categorize some fans. Those guys at the AJC that is what they do to sell papers and to get readers. But Jeff is a journalism major…he sees the world a lot different than most people.
The word which I picked up on are “paranoia productivity” and “gratified”. For me what the AD is saying is I am not in the miserable lot, but I could be on the edge. Apparently he is not one of those guys who are ever satisfied. The latter is a term used often in the female world. Do not think men on the edge and always looking to stay out front get to that point. Even the photo says that.
ADs are important in many ways to the collegiate programs. McGarity has been very productive, tempered, fair handed, and driven. Hopefully the Athletic Board, Trustees, and incoming President will like the AD. If somebody needs a word of thanks other than this 2012 Dawg football team and coaches, it is GM.
Think not, then look at Bama, LSU, Florida, and Carolina. I would dare say the AD is very restless for the Dawgs to have a SEC championship in one of the men’s big three. We get close but can not finish the drill or complete the deal. The AD is man on the hunt. If I was a coach at UGA, those three words and two phrases would give me pause…and motivate me to get my ass going at work and keep the hammer down full throttle..
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Will, I consider that Greg created a portion of the SotM when he deliberately “left the door ajar” in the Regent’s meeting and let the anti-Richt Pome ‘d Rue drift out the door with his flavor on it. His handy acronym for us “Disney” mnemonicsphiles to enjoy is still a mite hypocritical.
My alumnus eyes are glued on McGarity to see if he can put a proud foot forward in his salary discussions with ALL coaches this year in a manner that would signal where the hell he is. It’s hilarious that Richt and the players have made him the target for fan ire after he threw our coach under the Regents/OBS(Old Boy School) bus.
The acronym, GOMORRA (Give Our Miserable Old Ranters a Ration of Acrimony) fits jingly with his SotM. Either direction, there’s some sinful screwing going on.
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Stop that. 😉 My sons think you are more intense than me. Gee I hate it when I’m outdone.
Listen up Hijo de Sancho… “Hell is coming to breakfast”.
Good work Cojones.
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Ironically the quote appears in the AJC
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Disney Dawgs:Doomsday Dawgs
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if you win titles, you can write your own contract and checks. But I do not know how much that is. Generally it is predicated on performance. I’m not miserable, but I am puzzled why there are no titles lately in the men’s big three programs in Athens. If the AD and the Board can not start finding a solution, a lot of seats and TV apperances are gone.
Frankly, I’d let the coaches know not to come out of the Capital One with a loss and another back to back season of closing out with 2 losses.
Plus I crank that D line coach search up big time. The LOS has been an issue of both sides of the ball for a few years. It is better, but it can be much better and a position of pride.
As for Gardner, I’d feel like a prick if I left players on the side of the road as I road off in a bus to Auburn. I would have had more class and character than that not to finiish the season with a team I had put that much into. Money is important, but some where class and character will tap you on the shoulder. Gardner, be hard to be recruited by a man who quits on you.
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Never mentioned the advantages to early recruit signing day, but you have presented a good example for one. If those players were already signed to LOI, you would hardly hear a peep about Rodney’s going.
What could Rodney do? I think that he was asked to stay until the JC players signed on, but Auurn’s need for him was almost to a crisis level. Waiting until Feb was never in the cards for his services there because they need him too badly for the same recruiting purpose at his Alma Mater. If I read a little into the tea leaves, his days were numbered here especially after losing JJ in the bowl play, but place yourself in his shoes and you will see there was no good time to leave and to still take the offer.
He (and we) left at the best time under the circumstances. Parting was not acrimonious, but neither was it sweet sorrow. My eyes watered up, but not from sadness or feeling of loss; it was more like my 36 shorts pulling tight in the crack of my 45 ass.
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With Rodney gone, that pretty well closes the Auburn coaching gates. Hopefully UGA does not go down that road again.
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