Now here’s a surreal exchange:
Weeks later, a caller identified as “David from Athens” on Paul Finebaum’s show on the new SEC Network told the host that it was national title or bust in his mind, and that “if we can’t do it this year, Mark Richt needs to be fired.”
Finebaum, who has been tough on Richt in the past, quickly put the brakes on that, saying “he’s one of the best coaches in the league.”
The caller told Finebaum that anybody can come in and win 10 games at Georgia.
Finebaum’s gone soft.
Get The Picture 
Finebaum is a turncoat in my opinion. Now that he has new handlers signing his checks, he doesn’t dare say anything bad about anyone in the SEC anymore.
I can’t even stomach to watch that horrid show. Very subjective programming.
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+1 He has a new financial handler and his new allegiance is to the SEC now not the mighty Alabama. The last thing ESPN wants is to start something with one of the coaches and turn the Network to dodo. Any Richt bashing is now going to come from the regular ESPN talking heads not the SEC Network talking heads.
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I never watched/listened to him to begin with so why start now ? Had always heard he might as well be the voice of bama, I have better things to do than listen to that….
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CMR needs to over to the Varsity and tell David how to properly operate the fry station.
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Nice!
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Yes, “David from Athens” isn’t smart enough to get into UGA if he listens to FBomb, much less calls in waiting behind Phyillis from Mobile.
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Derek, he’s on fries and training up to rings.
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Hey, I LIKE the people who work at the Varsity.
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I parted ways with Finebaum and his ilk when he called CMR “a woman” one day on his show.
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When he once talked about Richt “grinding in his own filth,” I knew he was full of it.
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Unless David has his name on a building at UGA, he is in for some big disappointment. If and only if the really big donors turn on him does Mark have to sweat what the great unwashed have to say. So David STFU already.
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The national title or bust mentality is outrageous. However, I do think that we’re in a bit of a “no man’s land” with Richt in that he’s clearly not an elite coach like the ranks of Saban, Meyer, Miles, Spurrier, etc. but he’s good enough to where it’s difficult to see us landing someone who is definitely better if we fire him. There are a few who are inarguably better, but they aren’t coming to Georgia. Instead we’d be taking a risk and could very well end up worse off. Thus, we keep Richt and hope that one year the chips finally fall in our favor
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Acceptance of mediocrity and fear of the unknown are the two driving forces in UGA athletics, not only in football but in all sports. If Bama operated like Georgia, Mike Shula would still be the coach. As long as the checks keep coming in and the folks at Butts Mehre can keep on making the big money, nothing at all will change at Georgia. Richt is not going anywhere anytime soon unless he decides to leave. My hope is that we can stumble into a championship of some sort one day.
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Miles is not an elite coach, he is the definition of “right place at the right time”. Saban built the LSU juggernaut and Miles has just managed to not mess it up since he has been there.
Don’t give me the MNC argument either, we all know what would have happened in ’07 if the Vandy or UK kicker could have hit a damn field goal.
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I agree Rocket. Miles ain’t anymore elite than Richt. He wins a title with two losses and Richt has had three seasons with 2 or less losses. It is patently absurd to pronounce him as “great” and then knock Richt. Saban for sure. Spurrier as well. But spare me the Miles stuff…not to mention that he has a losing record against Richt to boot.
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So does Spurrier…..just sayin
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Exactly, it is a very short-sided argument made by simpletons. Dooley, Osbourne, and many other elite coaches wouldn’t hit that criteria either. And Richt does damn well with one armed tied behind his back and some whacky, subjective voting where the record is all it takes. Look at some of the Ohio and Michigan teams who didn’t face any elite teams and then hid in the Rose Bowl.
Richt’s tenure in the SEC is analogous to tour pros trying to win majors in Tiger’s strongest years. He has not only won and competed well, he has done it the right way. Since I cannot change the way others behave, I support focusing on the big picture. UGA fans have not been slighted, I have looked forward to every year he has been there and have only had a couple of disappointing seasons out of the 13. Let incidents like “time to die”, “camgate”, the “cop stomp”, or multiple, ignored drug tests stay in other programs.
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I wonder if Larry Coker is an elite coach. He does wear that NC ring. 😉
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Straw man for the win, eh?
It’s like clockwork with some of you.
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Now that’s funny… I was thinking the same thing.
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Where’s my straw man?
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It’s like clockwork with some of you
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Gene Chizik, not there’s an elite coach.
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Miles is 95-24 in 9 seasons with a MNC and another appearance in the MNC game. Not too bad if you ask me. He also has only one 5 loss season and one season not ranked in the top 15 since he has been at LSU. You may not think he is “elite”, but his record would indicate he is better than Richt.
Richt has finished four of the past six seasons unranked. 3 of those seasons saw 5 or more losses. Richt is a good man but he is not a great college head football coach.
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And both of those MNC games happened for him because someone else that was in front of him lost.
If you want to claim Richt is a rung below someone who led an undefeated team to a MNC, fine, you have a point. If you want to claim he’s inferior to any coach who won an MNC with 1 or 2 losses, I and several other people on this blog are never going to buy it.
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I’m not hung up on the MNC thing. It takes too much luck and timing to get to that game. I look at the results compared to the other coaches/programs and determine he is not a great coach.
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Fair enough. I only mentioned it because it IS the only measuring stick for some people.
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Dude, LSU was undefeated in 2011 and played probably the hardest schedule in the country.
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My mistake. I forgot that his one loss in 2011 was in the national championship game.
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Well said
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That referred to Mac.
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You gotta have a Crystal Ball to be an elite coach. It’s just a fact. Saban, Spurrier, Miles, and Chizik are elite!
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Yeah, see what I said to AHD above. You homers are so predictable. It’s like your self esteem depends on having the best football coach in the land and you can’t feel good about yourself unless you convince yourself it is so.
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You see? You Eeyore Dawgs are all alike and you just won’t see the forest for the trees.
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I love Georgia, man. Loving uga and acknowledging we aren’t perfect aren’t mutually exclusive like you and others perpetually insist.
People can still love uga and have different opinions than you. Get over it. (And back up your opinions with logic like I have constantly done)
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You’ve trashed one aspect or another of this program in every post I’ve ever seen from you. Maybe I just don’t appreciate your brand of tough love, but you definitely don’t come off like a fan.
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Lol. What exactly have I trashed here, dash?
I’ll wait.
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….crickets.
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If Georgia operated like Alabama there would be a lot more bling for you to ooh and awe over.
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I made it pretty clear that the MNC or bust mentality was ridiculous, but since you clearly have no logic to back up your feelings, I’ll let it slide 😉
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I hope you’re not cross. I couldn’t stand it if you were cross.;-)
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So you’re trolling? Got it. I should’ve known better than to expect objective reasoning from someone with “homer” in their handle.
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Ya know I got a nephew that is 14 and you are starting to sound a lot like him. Did you get on your Dad’s computer and steal his handle? You shouldn’t do that.
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Why are you bringing up teenage boys? Is that you Sandusky?
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Comparing Mark Richt to Mike Shula, even indirectly, kind of undermines your entire premise.
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You stole my stick i have been saying this for 7 years. Plus UGA fans are happy with 10 winds they want nothing more. What suckers!
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“If Bama operated like Georgia, Mike Shula would still be the head coach.”
That’s truly one of the dumbest things someone has posted here at GTP. If I remember correctly, we got raked over the coals by the national media for firing Donnan purely because he lost 3 straight to Tech. Goff kept his job longer than he should have for precisely the opposite reason – he beat Tech consistently after 1990.
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Wow. Lots of hurt fee fees over my comment. It’s funny how everyone brings up 2007 for Les Miles but ignores 2011. When’s the last time UGA was undefeated SEC champions? When’s the last time LSU had a losing record?
I appreciate the personal attacks as well. It makes it clear that you have no logic to back up your stance.
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I didn’t see any personal attacks. I think you got as good as you gave. Let it go.
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Mac called me a simpleton, but don’t let facts get in the way 😉
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Looking at the comment, I think the “simpleton” remark was directed at those who measure success only in national championships, not at you specifically.
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Nobody here (except the occasional troll) measures success by MNC. Nobody.
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I may not be an exceptionally active commenter, but I’ve been a reader of this blog for a LONG time. While I disagree with a lot of your posts, you always present a well-reasoned argument. This comment, however, is just plain old false. Not having an MNC has been the albatross round Mark Richt’s neck to many posters here for years. Some of them don’t come around as much any more (perhaps because the overall vibe on here is too positive for them), but that doesn’t mean nobody sees that as the measure of success, especially in the SEC.
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It’s really simple go pull for LSU because unless you have a ton of money the AD does not care what you think.
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Get over yourself. Maybe you should see a shrink if it messes with your psyche so bad when someone doesn’t think your football coach is the greatest of all time.
I’ve made it pretty clear that I still want him as our coach. Are you unhappy with your wife when you acknowledge that she’s not Heidi Klum? Sounds like it.
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Wow What a piece of work you are. How old are 12.
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Don’t dish it out if you can’t take it. You made a rude remark toward me with obvious insinuation and I responded. If you treat me with respect I will return the favor. If you don’t I won’t. Deal with it.
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David sounds like this guy to me.
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We will still win our 10 games a year with CMR, the fear of bringing someone else in and the possibility of not winning 10 games a year, keeps CMR at UGA!
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I’ve seen several mentions in the comments of 10-win seasons being “mediocre”… I’m glad our expectations for Georgia are high, but most schools not named Alabama or LSU would kill to bring in a coach with Richt’s track record. (He wouldn’t win enough championships to earn a $6 million paycheck in T-town and he’s not corrupt or crazy enough to survive in Louisiana.)
In my opinion the reasons you mention are legitimate reasons to keep a coach. Nearly a decade ago Tennessee thought they could do better and look at where they are now.
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Well said – +1
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Nobody said ten win seasons were mediocre. It doesn’t matter though because we hardly ever have them (even if you include meaningless bowl wins)
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I also made it pretty clear that I didn’t think it was worth the risk to fire him, aka we should keep him. I’m glad we agree (even though you were trying to argue with me 😉 )
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You seem to be replying to me, but I’m not sure which comment of yours you’re referencing. So… hollow victory FTW!
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I’m replying to the one I clicked reply to. Shouldn’t be hard to figure out. It’s right above my comment. Here’s the quote though:
“I’ve seen several mentions in the comments of 10-win seasons being “mediocre””
There you go. Nobody in the comments said that. No one, so… Hollow argument FTW!
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…..crickets.
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I read where SOD would like to get back into the college game.
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Knowing what I “know” about these productions, “David” likely called from the office next door in Charlotte. In ginning up broader interest for a show with a regional listener base, producers will pull little stunts like this intending to goose interest.
Irrespective of all of that, Finebaum is an opportunistic douche. He adds nothing of value to the discussion.
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The “championship or bust” mentality of a segment of our fan base is maddening. For these idiots, if 2012 happens again where we end up on the door step and get left out of the playoff, are you going to call for Mark’s head on a pike? If so, please go be a fan of somebody else.
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Mark Richt has steered UGA to the 8th best record among all FBS teams during his 14 year career (and LSU is the only SEC team ranked higher). He has 2 SEC Titles and 6 Division titles.
For those who believe this is mediocre, I believe we have a new lexicon entry: “Davids”.
And for those who insist we should just keep hiring and firing coaches every other year until we win a MNC, we’ll call you “Tennessee fans”.
Finally, let’s look at some of the coaches who won the BCSCG during Richt’s current tenure: Coker, Tressel, Carroll, Meyer, Chizik. If you don’t see a problem with that group being your head coach, then you’re more caught up in wearing your UGA t-shirt in a bar and screaming “We’re #1” than being proud to be a Bulldog and representing one of the finest institutions in the land where we win both on and off the field every day. Good luck with that.
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Great post. “David from Athens” could be a lexicon entry, but plenty of competition from several posters here. It’s all just opinions so there is no “right”…but there are some “wrongs”. Some of those appear in your “group” of what seem to feel is elite. I will set the definition for myself, you pretty much destroyed theirs. But, if you like simplistic…….
I think I will just play this hand and not draw.
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Feels wrong. Whenever I think of Davids I’m thinking Greenie and Pollack. Hey do ya’ll remember when Pollack stripped and intercepted and scored the td against the cocks. The girl(woman, woperson…etc) reporter referred to him as Pollock. And Richt corrected her with ….” well, first of all its Pollack!” lol!
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I used to think that was Erin Andrews, but turns out it was Jill Arrington.
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I’d settle for this:
1) Finish in the top 25 4 out of 5 seasons or you’re fired
2) Finish in the top 10 2 out of 5 seasons or you’re fired.
Is it too much to expect a top 10 finish more than 1x over the last 5 years? With this talent base, and the resources, that’s underachieving. The last 5 years as a whole have been as disappointing a 5 year stretch as I remember.
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Beat Florida 3 straight and get an extension?
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Are you friggin’ kidding me? Other than the random 10-2 season, we were mired in mediocrity from 1989-2000 with Goff & Donnan. Zero SEC Championship Game appearances.
We’ve been to the Dome in 2011 & 2012 and you’ve never been more disappointed?
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I guess my standards are a little higher than beating a 4-8 Florida team.
Give me Donnan over this mediocrity.
The standard isn’t beating the Gators and Techies, that’s easy, GA South beat Florida.
Let;s win an SEC Championship.
Tired of these “ok with finishing in the top 10 1x over the last 5 years” fans.
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I’m sorry, how many SEC Championships did Donnan win?
I guess I lost count.
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Donnan finished in the top 20 the last 4 years at UGA.
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And lost to Tech and Florida his last three years at Georgia.
If Donnan’s your standard for Georgia coaching, you’ve set a pretty mediocre bar.
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Richt’s record vs ranked teams is something like 35% win record.
It’s that’s ok with you, great, brag about beating Tech and a 4-8 Florida team if it makes you feel better.
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I’m not bragging about beating Tech and UF.
I’m pointing out that you’re trolling.
Have a nice day.
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Donnan is running kinda low on friends and could use a good budrow like you. Give him a shout why don’t ya?
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Richt is 34-31 against ranked teams since he has been at UGA.
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Donna was also better than Richt in big games, like the Bowl games, where he went 4-0.
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Donnan never lead a Georgia to a BCS Bowl. So what you’re saying is you’re satisifed with never reaching higher than the Outback Bowl as long as you win the (big) bowl game.
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Really, I am amazed at the blinders some fans put on. When was the last
BCS bowl game, 2007? What is the bowl record the past 5 years (hint, we have one win)? Explain the record against ranked opponents. Explain the record against SEC teams with winning records (4-13, with two of those coming last year). I am more interested in how the team plays NOW, not how they were the first 5 years Richt was here. Richt has done less with an embarrassment of riches in talent over the past six seasons than anyone else in the country. With an offense that featured Matthew Stafford, A J Green and Knowshon Moreno Richt could not manage to win the SEC East.
I like Richt as a person, but I am honest enough to face the reality that he is not a great football coach. I get tired of all the “if only” and “next year is the year” and “one play away”. Georgia’s football program has become what we used to make fun of at South Carolina.
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Man, you are on the wrong blog. You are simply wasting your time with this crowd.
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That’s fine and all, but the dude he was responding to was saying we would be better off with Donnan. DONNAN. Knock Richt all you want, but to say we’d be better off with any our previous coaches (save, perhaps, Dooley; although he would have been gone too with these criteria) is just being contrary for the sake of contrariness.
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Jim Donnan’s Enduring legacy:
1999 GEORGIA BULLDOG DEFENSE
PLAYERS:
Orantes Grant (4 years in NFL-Dallas, Washington, Cleveland)
Tyrone Robertson (5 years in NFL-Buffalo)
Jamie Henderson (4 years in NFL-New York Jets)
Kendrell Bell (7 years in NFL-Pittsburgh, Kansas City)
Marcus Stroud (10 years in NFL-Jacksonville, Buffalo)
Demetric Evans (9 years in NFL-Dallas, Washington, San Francisco)
Richard Seymour (11 years in NFL-New England, Oakland)
Tim Wansley (2 years in NFL-Tampa Bay)
Terreal Bierria (3 years in NFL-Seattle)
Josh Mallard (5 years in NFL-Indianapolis, Atlanta, Denver, Cincinnati)
Charles Grant (9 years in NFL-New Orleans, Chicago)
Will Witherspoon (10 years in NFL-Carolina, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Tennessee)
Boss Bailey (6 years in NFL-Detroit, Denver)
1999 DAWG TEAM STATISTICS
Last in the SEC in total defense (382.6 yards/gm)
Last in the SEC in pass defense (278.1 yards/gm)
Next-to-last in the SEC in scoring defense (25.9 points/gm)
That’s just one of the many reasons I’ll take Mark Richt any day of the week (and twice on Sunday).
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Actually we have twice as many bowl wins the last five years than you give us credit for.
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you can add 85-89 to the mired in mediocrity years, although we still owned Florida and Tech pretty reliably then.
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The thing I can’t handle with Finebaum is the trailer-trash/Jerry Springer garbage. Just a bunch of garbage that they think is entertaining. No doubt is was entertaining to people in Alabama.
But he’s not in Alabama anymore. And the way they continue to promote the cheap trailer-trash junk is nothing short of shameful, when they could have a good SEC football show if they changed directions. There’s an untapped audience out there that even the ESPN people aren’t aware of.
I hate it the way it is, and hope it’s a big flop.
~~~
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+1 – who wants to listen to Phyllis from Mulga, Tammy, I-Man, and the rest of the People whose entire lives revolve around one Saturday in November?
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As I’ve pointed out before, Finebaum is ESPN’s big middle finger to SEC fans. The choice to highlight this clown and the dredge that he brings with it tells you exactly what ESPN things of the SEC fanbase.
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I missed that when you said it. Very interesting point. If ESPN’s aim is to make the SEC, and people like us who are its mainstream, look ridiculous, then they are wildly successful.
~~~
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He’s their Honey Boo Boo.
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Yes, but unfortunately Honey Booboo is our (the state of Georgia, that is) Honey Booboo. smh
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Does it bother anyone else that Coach Richt is the only coach to finish in the top 10 in recruiting for many years and not win a BCS Champshp?
Or are you guys ok with that?
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Hey Thomas!!!
~~~
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We’re totally okay with that. We hope it continues.
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I see Thomas Brown changed his name again.
This is like that scene in Casino where Sam Rothstein talks about the gambling cheats that keep coming back…
“If they weren’t so greedy, they’d be harder to spot.”
Except with Thomas it’s:
“If he didn’t write the same vapid crap EVERY TIME and post under the goofiest, nerd names, he’d be harder to spot.”
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“The caller told Finebaum that anybody can come in and win 10 games at Georgia.”
Isn’t that about what UT folks said when they fired Fulmer?
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Fulmer, Paterno, Bowden, Holtz, Mack Brown, etc….there comes a time when the turnip can only be bled so much.
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Th Senator only provides a glimpse of the call…..PF asks multiple times (like most Richtophiles) who would you replace Richt with….finally David spits out Chad Morris. I threw up.
A secondary call later from Georgia throws out Kirby Smart. PF laughs and says that’s an option for obvious reasons……cut to commercial.
R – philes get so damned defensive….
mediocrity v championships? It’s time piss or get off the pot.
The Alabama way??? That’s funny. Last I saw the Tide wasn’t on probation….graduating successfully…poaching Richts back yard….and winning titles. Read Saban ‘ s book How Good Do You Want To Be….it will enlighten you regarding the man.
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What you say about Saban may be true; my own opinion of the man became more positive after his remarks toward the Dawgs after the 2012 SECCG. However, as many on here have pointed out before, any coach at Georgia is going to be dealing with a lot of institutional handicaps that a coach at Alabama simply does not have to face.
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Here ya go. Thanks for dropping by. Come back soon now.
http://www.rollbamaroll.com/
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Funny….4 star LB/5 star student commits to Ala. I thought I had put you in your place last year at this time…..your videos are rad.
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How does Thomas Brown come up with so many handles.
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69
No TB here
An objective UGA fan/grad
I respect your past comments
You typically bring an objective opinion
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I think he was talking about Wink88.
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But the reflexive assumption tells you something, no?
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Sometimes you just can’t fight ignorance. But if we lose to USCe or come out of the box 0 – 2 (which is a real possibility as much as 2 – 0 would be) this blog is going to be filled with rancor over CMR. So let’s suspend reality for a moment and walk over to the other side of the “Richt is mediocre” argument and view the world through that prism.
First, we won’t use facts since only highly selective ones can make this world come alive. We’ll just accept that it is UGA’s God ordained right to win a MNC because…well, GEORGIA. Now that we’ve established that clearly, it is easier to see that a change in head coach is our answer. So we hire Saban. Ok..not fair. Most (not all, but most) will accept he’s not coming. So this next part gets tricky, and is also devoid of any facts. But again, GEORGIA so no doubt the next guy to fill the seat succeeds. Or certainly the one after him…or him…or him…or….
It can’t be Bobo. He IS Richt 2.0. It’s got to be Kirby whose credentials are endless because he’ll put on the headphones and channel Nicky all day long…just like he does now. But maybe Nicky annoints him as HCIW…who then?
(crickets….)
Ok, not our job to hire, that’s what the suits in B-M are paid the big bucks for, and the secret enclave behind the Board of Trustees who really control UGA football, interest rates, GPS coordinates and the secrets of the Nile. We just have to trust them to hire the right guy. They’ll do it too.
Yes…it’s so clear now! I believe!! Fire RICHT!!!111!!! The next guy IS guaranteed to win a MNC! Dang, it’s so obvious. And if they don’t get it right for a decade…say like back in the ’90’s, so what? We’ll eventually hit the lucky number and have a great coach who wins at over a .700%, wins SEC Championships, represents the University with class and dignity, truly cares about the lives of his players, and brings innovation to the game. He’ll be THE ONE and will guide UGA through the 64 team bracket to win our coveted MNC.
Better still, he will be from the Saban coaching tree…..Lane Kiffen.
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Or…some (a lot) of our fans could stop sounding like pathetic, delusional morons and accept that until the fans accept that Georgia is an above average program with an above average coach and quit yapping every year about “this is the year”, “15-0”, “all the pieces are in place” we will continue to be one of the biggest laughing stocks in college football. Keep Richt around, that’s fine, he’s a great ambassador, a decent coach, and he will never be knowingly involved in an ugly scandal that will embarrass the university. If we decide to stay on the path we’re on, let’s accept that we are pretty much on par with Virginia, Michigan State, Iowa, North Carolina, or Virginia Tech. We are a big school with a second tier football program. We will always be legit competition for the top tier teams, but we aren’t going to win it all any time soon, actually ever, unless we have a major change in the mindset of the fans and admin. Our biggest rivals are focused on winning big, they will not tolerate a coach who does not have them competing for championships for very long. We, on the other hand, are absolutely thrilled with a program that is “competitive” and “almost” wins something every few years. We went 20 years without an SEC championship. We are coming up on 9 years since the last one and everyone acts like we are silly to expect more from a program with our resources. In those 9 years, Florida, AU, Bama and LSU have won MNCs, yet we make fun of them and act like we are the premier program and have the best coach in the SEC. It’s no wonder other fan bases snicker at us.
Our fans and our admin simply do not have the drive, the hunger, whatever you want to call it, to do the things it takes to have a championship sports program. That is not a completely bad thing, but it is what it is and we are what we are. We will not fire Richt, he may leave on his own one day, and when that day comes, the admin will not hire a proven coach. They will go cheap, like they do with everything. They won’t hire Smart or Kiffen or Chad Morris. They will most likely hire Bobo or Pruitt if he stays around for a while. Then, the fans will embrace the new coach and unless he is a total disaster and loses to tech repeatedly, he will have a job for life if he wants it because that is what our fan base and admin is like.
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JC, I understand your frustration. Its your lack of faith and impatience that I can’t comprehend. Sure, we can’t continue to always look towards “next year” but if you can’t see that we were 1-2 plays away from a real shot a Natty in 2007 and 2012 then lord help us if you ever get to make the hiring and firing decisions in B-M!
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My frustration is not with the program or Richt, it’s with the delusional fan base that thinks we are something we are not. In 2007, we lost to SC and Florida in the regular season. Not playing for the NC was not a 1 or 2 play thing, it was failure to win our division, much less the SEC championship that kept us out. I agree 2012 was our most recent real chance to play for a MNC. That was truly one play difference. The schedule, the fact that our biggest division rivals were having down years, and us having loads of talent was a rare alignment of stars that probably won’t happen again for a long time.
I have been following Georgia football for 39 years, so patience is not an issue with me, nor is faith. I pull as hard as anyone every game, every season. I have simply come to accept what we are and want the rest of the Dawg faithful to do the same or start actually making some demands and putting some pressure on the AD to change things if they truly want things to change. I have no desire to be in charge of anything at Butts Mehre but I do want the people there to start doing what they get paid handsomely to do.
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I don’t understand what you mean when you say you want us to accept what we are or demand changes. The commentariat on this blog is full of fans who accept what we are; we just don’t think throwing out a very good coach who has shown flashes of greatness is worth the risk of going through what, say, Tennessee has gone through.
I like that my alma mater puts academics above athletics. I like that my coach sees himself as an educator at least as much as a coach. If I didn’t want those things, I would follow pro sports.
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Our biggest divisional rivals were having down years in 2012? Come on, man. Florida was 11-1 in the regular season and went to the Sugar Bowl. It’s only regular season loss was to us. South Carolina was 11-3 for the season. It whipped us. Neither Florida or South Carolina were down in 2012. Vanderbilt won 9 games. True, UT, UK and Mizzou had losing records but three of the five other East won a combined 31 games.
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This is the drumbeat of a certain element of our fanbase: if they beat us, they’re ZOMG awesome; if we beat them, they’re down that year. I’ll never understand it.
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You think Georgia should hire the Laner? Why, for God’s sake?
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Apparently, its only us delusional fans that can’t recognize the greatness of Kiffy.
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Well written AD85. The thing that really stood out in your last paragraph is the irony of canning Richt and having to then wait another decade to find another coach live up to the standards of Coach Richt. I guess it’s us older gentlemen that have a hard time forgetting when Goff and Donnan use to roam the sidelines.
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Finebaum is part of the ‘Tits, Temper, and Tampon’ talk show crowd and always will be.
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Lead story tomorrow for Finebaum: Tuscaloosa fast food employee (Bama fan) feeds rat poison to Auburn fan/customer.
Jump on that story Senator.
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Bulldawg165 pretty much stated my view: Richt’s a good coach not a great one, 13 seasons is a pretty accurate sample size. There’s clearly coaches who would be an upgrade (Saban, Miles) but they’re not just walking in the door tomorrow. You could also do a lot worse so you stick with Richt because the risk outweighs the probable reward.
I also agree that a Natty or bust is ridiculous but for every fan with that viewpoint you have 5 who get their panties all in a wad when someone has the viewpoint that we’ve underacheived relative to the resources the program enjoys. Said fans can’t seem to wrap their heads around the fact that there can be nuanced opinions and most importantly criticism does not equal disloyalty especially when backed up with facts.
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If Miles falls under the category of coaches who would be a “clear” upgrade over Richt, then explain the 2-3 record of the former against the latter.
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Exactly.
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Butch Jones is undefeated against Saban!!
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Do you think Zook was/is better than Richt, then?
Please don’t answer that.
The obvious response here is to point out that there are numerous, as in multiple, things that must be considered when evaluating a coach. Cherry-picking certain things makes for a weak argument
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“Said fans can’t seem to wrap their heads around the fact that there can be nuanced opinions and most importantly criticism does not equal disloyalty especially when backed up with facts.”
Yes. It makes it mind-numbing to have conversations on this blog sometimes. Saying something innocuous can bring out the most ridiculous responses imaginable.
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What you just said is exactly how many of us who defended Richt back in the dark 6-7 days felt like back then.
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Well, I was wrong in regards to the opinion I held of Richt at that point. Flat out wrong. No other way to say it. The 2012 SEC Championship game is when I finally admitted it to myself.
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“Richt’s a good coach not a great one.”
Charlotte, what’s the difference between “good” and “great”? Richt has the highest winning percentage of any coach that has lasted this long at Georgia. If it’s the national championship, Osborne, Bowden & Dooley wouldn’t fit that at the same point in their careers. What’s your opinion of Frank Beamer? IMO, he’s a great coach because he took a Virginia Tech program that was a laughingstock and turned it into a consistent winner. Whether he ever wins a national championship, he deserves a statue at Lane Stadium and a spot in the HoF in Atlanta for what he’s done.
“You could also do a lot worse so you stick with Richt because the risk outweighs the probable reward.”
This comment hits the nail on the head of many Bulldog fans including myself. I lived through the botched hiring of Ray Goff (DGD as a player – clueless as a coach) and the effect he had on the health of the program. South Carolina ’12 doesn’t hold a candle as a loss to Vandy ’94 and Florida ’95. I saw how Jim Donnan showed no respect to the tradition at Georgia and his disposition sent players to UT and UF, in particular. Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.
“I also agree that a Natty or bust is ridiculous but for every fan with that viewpoint you have 5 who get their panties all in a wad when someone has the viewpoint that we’ve underacheived relative to the resources the program enjoys.”
This comment goes beyond the Richt era and could go all the way back to the ’50s when the demographics of Georgia began to change. We have a deep tradition, a great in-state talent base, great facilities, and passionate fans. Those advantages were there before 2001 and will continue to be here when Richt decides he’s had enough.
I don’t have my “panties all in a wad” about this, but I would like to know from the “realists” and the skeptics what you would change without compromising our integrity.
Sorry for the long response, but I would be interested in your reply.
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Good post, working against a closed mind unfortunately, but nicely stated. We just have a group of unhappy people in our fan base who judge everything by what others tell them. Why not focus on anything negative and try to drag folks down with them? Sad group.
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I wouldn’t put IRcht in the “great coaches” category for a couple reasons. 1) You’ve had a handful of coaches come in and be more successful than Richt, often in a shorter period of time. Just within the SEC, Meyer, Saban, and Miles won more and won bigger than Richt. Or put another way, the peaks have been higher, more frequent and more consistent NCs aside. 2) I can’t consider one a great head coach when there are some glaring and persistent deficiencies within the program. A) It is absolute insanity not to sign up to your limit for scholarships. If we as a program don’t want to oversign because it screws up kids futures fine, but by god we better be making sure all 85 spots went to guys who had a reasonable chance of developing into an SEC caliber player B)Not having a competent DC for going on 9 years is unacceptable. I’m not in the meeting rooms at BM but I’d call that a lack of accountability for the coaching staff and poor track record of hiring by CMR which is a HUGE component of a HC’s job.
C) this is more qualitative but I think it’s a fair statement. We need an attitude adjustment within the program for lack of a better word and this goes above Richt. Great teams and programs have everyone doing their job, well, ALL the time. UGA wants to 80% it. we have an administration that supports the program about 80%. We have a coaching staff made up of about 80% good hires and we recruit about 80% of the talent needed to win in the SEC, 80% of our position groups are All SEC caliber and we put 11 guys on the field 80% of which do their job, for 80% of the snaps in the game. That’s what leads to UGA laying an absolute egg at least once a year. (Boise, USC in 2012, 2010 lost count, 2009 UT, Florida, 2008 Blackout, Florida). For christ sakes we’re calling 2013 an improvement because we never got blown out. This also manifests itself in our players consistently making mental errors or being unprepared all the time (like the Artie Lynch fumble in the Florida game or special teams blunders from last year) If a play happens a few times you cna chalk it up to a player having a brainfart or a couple bad games but we’re seeing this happen season after season. Do those seem like the markings of a great coach to you? because to me it sems like the markings of a team that isn’t disciplined or well coached, at least not as well coached as they should or could be.
I’m not calling Richt a bad coach, far from it. I will readily admit that he is the best coach we’ve had at UGA. But part of that is because we have an administration that frankly mismanages the resources entrusted to it so the bar is set lower. I also really want to see the guy succeed at the highest levels here, But if I’m being objective, I can’t place the guy in the top echelon of coaches when the body of work just does not support that label, at least not yet. String together some 12 win seasons and we’ll talk. Do I know what specifically Richt needs to do to take the program to the next level other than managing the roster better and loosening our conduct policies? No, I don’t and I’m not going to pretend to. But just like I don’t have to be a marriage counselor to tell if a couple’s having relationship troubles I can also tell the quality of coaching from obervation. My long response to your long response.
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Good, thoughtful response, Charlotte. You certainly have a good points about deficiencies in the program, and we’ll see if some of the changes Richt has made will address them.
You tap danced a little around the question of “good” vs. “great,” but I found two comments that gets to your definition:
“You’ve had a handful of coaches come in and be more successful than Richt, often in a shorter period of time. Just within the SEC, Meyer, Saban, and Miles won more and won bigger than Richt.”
Guess what, the only difference in the first few years of Richt’s time at Georgia, and the three you mention is that they won a national championship in the first 3 years of arriving at their school. You seem to forget that Richt won 13 in his 2nd year, but because there were 2 undefeated teams in front of him, we didn’t play for the championship (also an upset in Jax hurt).
“String together some 12 win seasons and we’ll talk.”
This comment indicates to me that you’re not going to call him “great” until he wins a national championship. You do realize Georgia has all of 3 12-win seasons in the history of the program, and 2 of those are CMR’s.
I’m saying Richt is a great coach in the context of the Georgia program and his time in Athens. The guy took a program that had the “lid screwed on” and knocked it off. The fact we are talking about whether a guy whose winning percentage would be #1 in the country if the Georgia program were only 13 years old is only good vs. great means HE has raised the expectations and standards of the program. That’s the definition of greatness, and so I guess I would say he has been a great coach for UGA.
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” Richt has the highest winning percentage of any coach that has lasted this long at Georgia.”
So what’s the sample size here? Two?
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It’s 3, by the way, and the others have their names on a facility somewhere on the Georgia campus.
The only Georgia coaches with a better winning percentage than CMR (.737) are:
Stegeman (1920-2) – .741 (20-6-3)
Winston (1894) – .833 (5-1)
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I was asking how many coaches were at UGA for at least fourteen seasons like Richt. The quote I gave makes it sound like those are the only comparisons that matter.
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Didn’t mean it that way … I probably would have used the data from my response @ 10:56am instead of the quote I used. Thanks for the opportunity to clarify. My opinion is he’s the best head coach to walk the sideline at Georgia. I know some would say, “That’s like being the ‘prettiest pig,’ but he’s still a pig.” Those other 2 are in the Hall of Fame, so CMR is a pretty darn good company.
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NCG appearances Mile: 2 Richt 0
BCS bowls since Miles has been at LSU, Miles 3 Richt 1
SEC Champs MIles 2 Richt 2, since 2005 2,1
11 win seasons Miles 5(05,06,07,10,11) Richt 4(02,03,07,12) since 2005 5,2
10 win seasons since 05 Miles 7, Richt 5
undefeated regular seasons Miles 1 Richt 0
Winning % in SEC, Miles 95-24 (79.83%) Richt 125-45 (.737)
I’ll concede Richt has one more victory of Miles, otherwise the bodies of work give a pretty clear picture of who’s been better
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Solid work Charlotte. Thanks for taking the time to do that. I suspected the results would be something along those lines.
Ironically enough, I bet we both still love UGA and I bet we’ll both still be watching the dawgs if/when we get eliminated from playoff contention.
Cheers!
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If I didn’t love my alma mater this wouldn’t frustrate me
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And to be clear by “this” I mean when UGA underachieves on or off the field or sabotages itself, not Richt’s record specifically
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Folks like this either 1) are trolling or 2) didn’t really follow UGA football during that gap between Dooley’s good years and Richt. In fact, CMR is a big reason that Sanford started filling up again and made it to where I didn’t have to GIVE my extra tickets away. I’m not exactly stoked by a couple recent seasons but the whole NC or bust thinking by some seems to mostly come from the folks who have never really invested much in the program. Richt brought in a lot of casual fans and the casuals always seem to have to biggest mouths and ridiculous expectations. There are times I think I should be a casual but it doesn’t seem to be in me.
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+1 – well said
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