Mark Richt, Renaissance man

You learn something new every day.

“… It was a good visit. It was interesting. We did a lot of getting-to-know-each-other talk, like favorite movies. I didn’t know that Coach Richt was a wrestling fan. I was a wrestling fan growing up, as well. We talked about Jerry “The King” Lawler and Ric Flair. It was funny because he said ‘You are a wrestling fan?’ I said ‘Of course I am’ and we started naming wrestlers. It was a good conversation…”

At least he didn’t insist it was real.

39 Comments

Filed under Georgia Football, Recruiting

39 responses to “Mark Richt, Renaissance man

  1. Merk

    Richt Flair, that is all.

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  2. HVL Dawg

    It was funny because he said ‘You are a wrestling fan?’ I said ‘Of course I am’ and we started naming wrestlers.

    Coach Richt doesn’t walk into the living room without doing a little research first.

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    • Texas Baller

      Of course he does research…The boys at Sports & Grits are teaching him not only about football, but the finer things in life like Rasslin!

      Like

  3. Old DAWG

    It’s not real ?!?! I used to pass by a bear of a man going into the games. He wore a giant wrestling belt. One Saturday, after I had a few adult beverages, I walked up to him and said “TO BE THE MAN, YOU HAVE TO BEAT THE MAN – WOOOOOO”. For a second I didn’t know if he would kill me. But, he gave me a big hand shake and a pat on the back. We (mostly me) got a big laugh out of it. I promised wife not to ever, ever do that again. It’s just another on the list.

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  4. no thanks

    I guess I should not be surprised that coaches, recruits, & parents DONT talk or concern themselves about school& academics anymore. It is all about playing position, playing time, & developing an NFL career. Lets stop wasting classroom space & use it for real students & parents who want their kids to get a degree.

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    • AusDawg85

      I could have let this slide if not for your last sentence being insulting to so many. The AJC article was hardly a transcript of a 2 hour visit. Who is to say academics were not discussed? And UGA graduated 82% of the football team last year. “…real students & parents…” indeed.

      Like

    • Dawgfan Will

      It’s called finding the nugget of info that is different and interesting from other recruit interviews. Lighten up, dude. 😉

      Like

  5. Cousin Eddie

    Maybe Goldberg can “drop in” during his visit or is that just a Saban thing?

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  6. Tronan

    Growing up in north Florida and then Atlanta/Athens from the mid-70s through the late 80s made me a connoisseur of the squared circle. I would have given my own mother a toss suplex and/or atomic knee drop if she stood in the way of a WTCG donnybrook (a pier sixer, if you will).

    In any case, at the WLOCP in 1988, some of the guys I was with and I saw Ric Flair a few rows over and decided that he would like nothing better than to see some of his devoted fans. We made our drunken way through the crowd, shit-eating grins on our faces, and let out a “Wooo!” in unison. His expression said “Aw, jeez, can I just get some time with the missus here?” However, he graciously and quietly replied, “Um, yes. Thanks for your support, boys.”

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    • Normaltown Mike

      Great story.

      Sid Vicious a/k/a Sid Justice lived across the street from me for a short time when I was young and said that he would be out eating with his family and some young fans would get down on their knees and give him his own victory taunt (down on knees, waving crowd forward).

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      • Tronan

        I was at Dante’s Down the Hatch one night in the early 80s (fondue! in a sailing ship!) and Gordon Solie was at the next table. His and his companion’s cigarette smoke kept wafting in our eyes. My mother asked politely if he could move his ashtray. He grudgingly complied. I was excited about my brush with celebrity until he acted like a dick.

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        • Normaltown Mike

          awesome.

          Can anyone explain the allure of Dante’s? I certainly recall being told by my folks that it was some swank joint (and they didn’t dare take me). Never knew why.

          I just found out it closed last summer (and I missed the chance to buy some captain’s chairs!)

          http://www.dantesdownthehatch.com/

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          • Tronan

            There weren’t a lot of options in Atlanta back then, the cuisine was unique (not necessarily good), and it was in a prime location. And, come on, this just screams guilty pleasure.

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            • The Lone Stranger

              I’m not from anywhere near The ATL, but this privateer would have gone there anytime and in a heart’s-beat … I’m into the outwardly kitschy delivery.

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            • Reservoir Dawg

              Kobe beef chunks stuck into bowls of boiling peanut oil over an open flame after too many Jack-n-Cokes? Been there, got the bandages…

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          • Haha. Dante’s. Never thought I’d hear that name again.
            Went to a formal with cute sorority chick in ATL, needed a good restaurant to take her to first. ATL buddies recommended Dante’s. Fun night.

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  7. Will Trane

    CMR is a man for all seasons! Cool guy. Snowing in Athens? Ask the AD about an all weather facility. Diamond Dawgs have indoor hitting / pitching facility? Some south Georgia high schools have at least that! Not fun when it did. Remember driving up and out of it a few times. Snow from Attapulgas to Dog Island to Nahunta to Micanopy…blow Seminole wind.

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  8. Normaltown Mike

    For you Ric Flair fans out there, give this a listen. 960 the Ref interviewed the new (and former) HFC at Cedar Shoals, Scott Wilkins, and he shared a great tale about Flair.

    http://www.960theref.com/Player/102230521/

    Like

  9. Bob Kazy

    “Last year I spent more money on spilt liquor in bars from one side of this world to the other than you made. You talking too the Rolex wearing, Diamond Ring wearing, Kiss stealing, Wheel and dealing, Limousine riding, Jet flying son of a gun and I’m having a hard time holding these alligators on. Whoo”

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  10. Macallanlover

    Liked the discussion about how it wasn’t decided exactly how he would be used. You really get the feel for Richt’s honesty with that, getting the person to understand they will used to their, and our, needs. So many coaches just tell these guys what they think they want to hear even though it will ultimately be what they decide later. I expect that film discussion over the weekend to be the deciding factor for Carter and UGA. Pruitt seems capable of being impressive in that type of impromptu environment. Regardless of who coaches LBs, he be da man.

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    • Will (the other one)

      The FSU folks also raved about how he would move players from previous positions and have them be even more successful.

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  11. shane#1

    I met Ric on the pier at Mexico Beach Fl. He liked to fish as much as I did so he was out there every day. Nice guy and soft spoken,[really!] I had a beer or two with him but he seemed want to be left alone so I didn’t bug him.

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  12. Hogbody Spradlin

    Ric Flair, meh. You wanna drop names: Gordon Solie.

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    • Dog in Fla

      Whenever I’m in Tampa frequenting the many fine establishments for gentlemen there, I don’t always see Hulk Hogan but when I do it still doesn’t make me care about wrestling but I always care about namedropping.

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  13. Dog in Fla

    The “Mark Richt and new UGA defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt (AP)” photo needs new captions for peak recruiting season:

    a. “They’re the ones who knock.”
    b. “Licensed to Recruit.”
    c. “Jeremy Walks Point.”
    d. “Desperately Seeking Andy Kaufman.”

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  14. durrtydogg

    I wonder if coach knows about the Von Erichs, Mad Dog Buzz Sawyer, Magnum T.A, Ronnie Garvin and the hands of stone, The Great Muta, Midnight Express, or Arn and Olé Anderson. Ohhh those were the days!

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    • Normaltown Mike

      I used to loathe Arn & Ole Anderson, along with the rest of the Four Horseman with the buringing anger of a thousand suns.

      One of my fondest memories from that era was a 3 man tag team match pitting the good ole U. S. of A. against those lousy commies from Russia. The Americans were repped by Dusty Rhodes (obviously), Magnum T.A. (solid) and lastly, and strangely “The Flying Mexican” Hector Guerrero (I think I’m right on that).

      The cursed commies had the Kolof brothers along with Krusher Kruschev.

      Do you need to ask who won?

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  15. Brownesman

    Senator, in the years I’ve been reading your blog, this is by far the most I’ve ever seen you talk about recruiting.
    Seems like Pruitt has even you juiced up!

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  16. Reservoir Dawg

    Where’s all the Dusty Love?
    “It’th big! It’th big Gordon Tholie! It’th bigger than John Wayne drivin’ three white hortheth down the main thtreet of Yokohama Japan! 10,000 thcreamin’ Japanethe thayin’ ‘The Dream, the Dream, the Dream…’ “

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    • Normaltown Mike

      Best part about Dusty is that his taunt segments also served as commercials for upcoming events:

      For example: “Tully Blanchard, if I don’t catch you in Brownsville, Texas on February 2nd, I’ll chase you down in Memhis, Tennessee at the Delta State Auditoreum on the 9th, tickets on sale now…”

      Like