Richt stopped in the middle of today’s presser to thank the administration for its support of the Schottenheimer hire (3-year contract, salary not divulged yet) and went on to thank Jere Morehead specifically. No mention made of McGarity, though.
The man has his subtleties.
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UPDATE: Let Weiszer extend my remarks.
–After Schottenheimer left the room, Richt unprompted made a point to thank Georgia’s administration specifically for stepping up to bring Schottenheimer aboard and give defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt a contract extension and a bump in salary to $1.3 million.
He specifically mentioned only president Jere Morehead.
“A lot of these things are market-driven so to speak,” Richt said. “There are people that pursue our coaches at time. And I guess there’s a cost of doing business.”
Richt was told he’s getting a boost in salary.
“That’s what I hear,” he said.
Asked if other assistants are getting raises or promotions, he said: “There’s some things cooking.”
There had been tension between the football program and administration before the bowl game, but Richt said he has not made any comments about that.
In other words, I’m not the only one who noticed the dawg did nothing in the night-time Richt’s choice of language.
Get The Picture 
This is great news, IMHO. Jere Morehead is definitely making the decisions–not McGarity. 🙂
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It certainly could mean that, Mayor, but could it not also mean that McGarity’s role or support was a given and did not need a mention?
It could also mean McGarity had to go to Morehead in order to do the deal, could it not.
Not saying you are wrong, but there could be other implications than Moorehead is taking control of the athletics department.
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Then why bother to thank the administration?
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Of course, but I really hope this is not the symptom you are hinting at. I hope the shout out to Morehead was because his involvement was unusual because of the size of the contract. But not thanking his boss, too, is troubling.
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Or merely truthful.
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Again, of course. I just hope this is not the first shot in some kind of civil war inside the athletic department, which can serve no useful purpose on the football field, I fear.
Fort Sumter did not work out too well, best I can tell.
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If it results in McGarity leaving it will be worth it.
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Is it fair to think that McGarity has, in essence, removed himself from any meaningful input into Richt’s future? The clumsy interview with Bradley, the public rebuke of CJP, throwing CMR under the bus with the comment that he (Richt) gets a salary pool for assistant coaches. And if the rumors are true, he might have made a feeble backdoor attempt to remove Richt in December.
My point is that with the resources Morehead is now commtting to the program, it is going to have to be an obvious situation for CMR to get fired over the next several years. No way would McGarity survive a judgment call type firing of Richt.in the next few years.
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McGarity haz no crayons. 😉
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Don’t you think it would have made sense to mention mcgarity to show solidarity given the rumors of discord that have been swirling if he had been really helpfu?
My hope is that this means that mcgarity is on his way out. The power certainly seems to have clearly shifted to Richt.
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I hope McFrugal is shown the door after his years of ineptness and bumbling the Fall so publicly. But whether he is, or not, smarter heads prevailed. I don’t think there is any way Richt overlooked including the ad accidently, clearly he knew who deserved help for getting things done and continuing down a positive track. I had also heard there was “intervention in the tension”, I would like to thank those folks as well. I cannot blame CMR for just thanking the person who signed off on this, he owes mcgarity nothing after his pitiful attempt to make to throw our HC under the bus and fully risk the very positive energy we have going at a very crucial time for the program. Things look so much brighter than they did just 1-2 weeks ago. 2015 is going to be a big year for UGA, I can just feel it the vibes all lining up.
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Can you spel K-o-o-l-A-i-d?
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Perhaps you can recap something, just anything, about Georgia’s current situation that is problematic about the coming year (s). You can make up things, you can wallow in your past misery, you can scream that the sky is falling because we don’t have an OL coach yet, or that we will have to start a first time starter at QB, etc., if you choose a negative assessment at this point reflects you aren’t enjoying life much or just don’t like being a Dawg fan. If that is drinking Kool Aide, I may give up Macallan and my new tasty bourbons because this new drink is making me feel mighty fine….and it is good for you. You and a few others here that are unhappy should just order doubles and kick back with your feet up. It is gonna be a damned good fall in 2015. Book it, Dano!
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Bourbon? Bourbon? Now I am absolutely sure the sky is falling, Mac.
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The absence of an expected occurrence is a clue. 🙂
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“Coach Richt . . . what happened?”
“I won.”
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LOL
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He is the one who knocks. He is the danger
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Love that show. Just started the final season.
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name of show please
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Breaking Bad. It is outstanding.
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Loves me some Evit Richt and the fact that he is making his titular boss look like he is “running” Dunder Mifflin.
You can bet McMilquetoast with his wounded pride has filed this one away for future reference.
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I don’t know, senator – I’d be tempted to let this drop. Just as you started to put together a pretty compelling argument that all was not well B-M, McGarity has pulled an unbelievable about face. Have you been doing the mental calculations on what the staff is going to get paid next year. It’s going to be top third of the conference easily, maybe top 3, which is absolutely in line with where Georgia is as a program.
Whatever the reason for the recent turn of events, I think our best option is to give the AD, our AD, the benefit of the doubt. To whatever extent your blog influenced things (which I know you think is zero, but it’s not), we are all thankful, but McGarity has clearly taken pains to prove that everyone is pulling in the same direction, why not take him at face value?
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Tell you what – watch the presser and let me know what you think of Richt’s delivery when he says this. And then don’t miss his response to the later question when he starts talking about coaching compensation and the market.
I have been doing the math and will post about it.
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Where can I watch it? Not super easy to find through google it seems.
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Should be able to watch it here.
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Yep, unconvinced
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Count me as one who isn’t happy that there may be trouble in the kingdom. If there is, do something Jere. Otherwise reading these tea leaves just makes me uncomfortably. Lets have a kumbaya moment and know we are all heading down the same path. Frankly, i’d think that our new oc may have been a little gun shy if he felt the dynamics were as poisonous as are being suggested that they are. So also count me as being a little suspicious that things really are that bad over at BM.
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Athletics is about competition and a little tension may very will be a good thing.
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Guys, there’s no trouble, because Mark wins. The integrity and high level of winning (of which neither have ever been seen in Athens) is the trump card. He plays by the rules and wins a bunch of games — a bunch. He never embarrasses us and could run for governor and win.
It’s no contest, and Greg would be wise to hitch his wagon to St. Mark and enjoy the ride. If Richt wants him gone, it won’t be long before it happens. Football is what matters. Winning football means more exposure and more money, and my guess is Jere gets that.
I’m starting the early campaign for Matt Stinchcomb to be our next AD. Almost 40 years old, UGA degree, NFL experience, media experience. In today’s world, the AD has to have media savvy (see McG, Foley, and Long for bad examples of this). Matt is brilliant, well respected and loves the Dawgs. He’d probably do it for 15 years before being elected president of the NCAA. Cast your vote today!
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The actions taken in the past two weeks appear to support the letter we received at the beginning of the year.
I don’t care who gets credit for it. I am just glad it is happening.
https://uga.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1721474
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That’s been my feeling all along.
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A guy I respect immensely once told me it was surprising how much you could accomplish if you were not interested in the credit, but in the accomplishment.
I watched the video, and while I can see and understand your point of view, I hope to hell you are wrong, and I suspect you do too.
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I have no dog in the hunt. I just want everybody on the same page. If it took Morehead stepping up to accomplish that, so be it.
I will say I don’t see Richt tipping his cap in McGarity’s direction if McGarity wasn’t involved in the call. Do you?
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No.
But, it could be, could be that when Richt says something like “it is always the president’s decision on hiring (or something very close to that) he is just telling the truth, too.
But I will admit I don’t want a rift of any kind that causes disruption in the force, so maybe I just don’t see it.
After watching the whole press conference I am now ready to throw down some Kool Aid….who’s mixing? 🙂
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Exactly. Some people in our fan base seem more interested in a soap opera or picking a side (Richt, Pruitt, AD, boosters who want Richt gone, etc) than outcomes. Reminds me of the sad state of political discourse – more about which camp you’re in than your behavior.
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These are all men with pretty substantial egos. Even Saint Richt. That being said that any in-fighting that is going on between Richt, McGarity and Morehead has the potential to tear our program apart. They all have to be all in or the odd man out needs to get the hell out. I am not young enough to wonder in the wilderness for a decade like a Tennesse Vol.
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Why do Georgia fans only see Tennessee when they see change? Why not think Bama, FSU, AU or Texas A&M? I’m not calling for firing anybody but, geez, don’t you people ever think a change can be a good thing?
I can only imagine how upset and worried everyone was when Goff and Donnan were fired.
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People were ready for Goff to go at least a year before Dooley finally made the decision. Not many tears were shed when Donnan was shown the door either.
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You can state success and failure stories galore on both sides. Fact is not many teams win 10 games a year on average..so I would say our chance of success would be less than 50/50
That is why the UT and Michigan debacles stand out so..they were winning..
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Which change at Bama? When they eased Stallings out for Dubose? Or when they fired Dubose for Fran? Or when Fran ran & they got Price? Or when they fired Price for Shula? Or when they fired Shula for Saban?
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Who’s on first?
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Because all those teams fired crappy coaches and got good coaches…eventually. Our situation is more similar to Tennessee’s in that Fulmer was a very successful coach who had seemed to bottom out and wasn’t necessarily given the best chance to right the ship.
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And about A&M and Auburn: one good season doesn’t equal improvement. Give Sumlin and Malzahn 5 years and see where they are.
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Bama, FSU, AU and T A& M were getting won/loss records below their historic levels, history being recorded from the time they established themselves as major powers. Richt has gotten UGA won/loss records better than its two Hall of Fame coaches. Firing Dubose and firing the winningest coach in school history are not comparable acts.
As 81 wrote a few weeks ago, sure, if you don’t hit on 19 at the blackjack table you will not get 21, but is it smart strategy?
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Could be tough for McGarity if the President is stepping in to make things right. I think “neutered” is the term that comes to mind.
Fortunately for us the fans, it seems to be going in the right direction. Too often, the meddling of a President is counter productive to achieving success (a la Adams vs. Dooley).
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A good CEO doesn’t meddle in all decisions but does know when to step in a make a decision that needs to be made when his staff don’t seem to be headed in the right direction.
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I’ve read that Abraham Baldwin was a total micro manager of the rounders team back in the day.
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That is why he has a Hall named after him.
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Nice work, Sherlock Blutarsky.
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Methinks that’s parsing inflection a bit too much. As an afterthought, CMR wanted to thank the Administration COMMA and President Morehead. Sorry, but I think that is simply McGarity = Administration and they had to get Morehead involved because of the money, PR, board reaction, etc.
But hey…9/11 was an inside job, so who knows?
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Even if that is so, lumping your boss in “the administration” isn’t quite the grateful shout out it could be.
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I agree—and this is coming from someone who firmly believes there was/is a bit of friction inside the AD. UGA fans are ready way too much into this, and I suspect CMR will, sadly, end up having to clarify his remarks early next week as a result (thanks to all the gossip taking place now and into the weekend).
But hey, these things tend to happen when whispers of palace intrigue run amok.
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That’s kind of how I see it as well. I don’t see McGarity being able to sign off on a $1M hire, so of course it’s going to the president.
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If McG just needed approval for a compensation budget increase it would come from the Athletic Board, not the president.
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The president had to okay university hires? Damn, Morehead has to be one busy man.
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I have no idea as to what is going on inside B-M. What I do know is that Richt does not lie and that he is humble. If he thanks you he means it. If he does not thank someone he means that as well.
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One thing you have to love so far about the Schott hire presser – he did not throw his alma mater under the bus to make cheap circus points. Good for him. Wouldn’t ask him to, or want him to. Only an insecure asshat does that(cough Muschamp)…….
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+1
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Coming to the Valdosta Bulldog Club this spring/summer …
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Here I eat crow. Clearly McGarity is what many said he was. Nice to see Jere understands the value of a strong football program.
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I get the impression the message to McGarity has been to handle matters in a certain way or that his replacement will handle it correctly. Would not be the first time a UGA AD has been given such direction.
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I’m not going to pretend to know what is going on here. I’m sure people will applaud Richt for taking a subtle shot at McGarity. I won’t. I don’t know what good can come of him doing something like this. I’m not sure what Richt is up to but unless McGarity is on his way out there is no way Richt wins some sort of war with his boss. I’m pretty well sick of this TMZ crap about him and McGarity.
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I disagree Mike. It looks like Richt has already won a war with his boss. When you make 6 times more per year than your boss, it’s not surprising when you win battles with him.
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Share your distaste for this TMZ crap but doubt GM wins any power struggle with MR.
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Maybe you are right. But i just don’t see how anybody, Richt included, can win a fight, a public one no less, with their boss. I know Richt has banked a lot of good will with a lot of people, and I know he is well respected. But he still works for McGarity. I wish they would both drop this if there really is something to be dropped. I’m not sure how much of it I buy, so entires it seems very real. But sometimes I think it might be getting blown into so etching bigger than it is. For good of the program, those two need sit down, lay it all out there, agree to move for award in solidarity, shake hands, and move on. At the very least, they should stop with the public shots at each other. I know that has mostly come from McGarity but Richt doesn’t need to get sucked I to it. I just don’t see anything good coming from it.
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Mike, I think you are right in the sense that you can’t win a public fight with your boss. However, I’m not sure that ADGM is truly Richt’s boss in the sense that he can fire him, etc. I believe that if McGarity walked in Monday and fired Richt, there is a very good chance that someone over McGarity would step in, rescind the firing and then fire McGarity. I don’t think McGarity is Richt’s boss in the sense that he can fire him.
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True, the organization chart in Athletic Departments are more like recording/film studios to their biggest money making stars. And Richt wouldn’t have taken that subtle jab if he hadn’t been publicly cheap shotted by McFrugal.
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Jere Morehead is Mark Richt’s boss just as Michael Adams was Jim Donnan’s boss. The organization chart may indicate McGarity is the boss, but the power to hire and fire for the revenue sports especially football sits in a large office on North Campus. I guess a better way to say it is Morehead has the ultimate veto power over a decision McGarity would consider related to the football program. McGarity is the GM (except for player personnel), but Morehead is the owner for an NFL analogy.
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I’ve always appreciated and respected how Coach Richt has handled everything about his job and how he’s always been himself. It’s no wonder he gets the best to coach and play for him.
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And frankly, taking a shot at anybody in a press conference, other than Steve Spurrier of course, seems totally out of character for Mark Richt.
Richt has always been the soul of discretion about almost everything.
Again, I am not saying the rumors of war are wrong, because I don’t know, but after listening to the appropriate parts of the press conference again, my take is that there is not as much here as some folks believe.
And, I have to say if Mark Weiszer is aware of problems, it is his job to write what he knows, if he can’t get anybody on the record he needs to shut up till he can.
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McGarity gives a one-on-one to Bradley, but Weiszer and Emerson don’t have an interview with McG or Richt…yet. Journalism?
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Emerson has interviewed McGarity recently.
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Any of the regular beat writers could normally expect to be able to do a one on one with McGarity or Richt, if Weiszer has not been given that opportunity he must not have asked, or he has fouled the nest of the corps commander in some way.
For any journalist to write there has been friction between the football program and the athletic director with no attribution or explanation, and to present that statement in a manner that seems to say “Everybody knows that..” seems questionable journalism to me, as if the reporter has heard the rumor but could not get any attribution.
But, obviously, YMMV.
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How do you know what Weiszer’s been given?
Seems to me you’re doing exactly what you’re accusing him of doing.
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Sorry Bluto, I must have missed Weiszer’s piece on his interview with McGarity….was there one?
Did I miss the attribution for Weiszer’s statement on friction in the coverage of Richt’s press conference?
And while it is flattering to know you consider me a beat writer journaliste, what I may or may not do does not excuse unattributed statements by Weiszer…journalistically speaking, there.
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If your standard for journalists these days is that every assertion must be backed by an attributable source, I regret to inform you that there is very little journalism going on these days.
Just because Weiszer doesn’t share with you doesn’t mean he hasn’t done his homework.
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“Just because Weiszer doesn’t share with you doesn’t mean he hasn’t done his homework.” Of course not.
But if the statement is Weiszer’s opinion he should state that, or not put it out as a statement of fact, which he does.
What’s the point in doing his homework if he can’t write about it, which is his job as a reporter?
If he has been told something off the record, which most serious journalists don’t do, then his statement violates that.
If you mean there is very little journalism in the blogosphere, I obviously agree, but I am trained to hold Weiszer to a higher standard, and so are you.
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What Weiszer has intimated has been expressed by others. Maybe they all got together in the press box during the Belk Bowl and decided to express their opinion en masse. I kind of doubt that, though.
The point of doing your homework without naming names is that you don’t want your sources to dry up due to being outed. I can sympathize. I get a lot of information about B-M that’s of interest, but is told to me in confidence. I’m not going to violate that, but I’m also not going to deny that it doesn’t color my point of view when I write about the athletic department here. Sorry.
You should read how political reporting sources these days. Nobody goes on the record by name anymore.
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Ok, thanks for the reminder, but didn’t this article sort of set some of this ruckus in motion? Especially the remark that Richt gets a budget to allocate for coaches (our so-called “toss Richt under the bus” quote). It’s a month later and you are suggesting there is more than smoke coming from B-M. I would expect an UGA beat writer to be more aggressive in getting CMR, CJP and/or McGarity (and their associates) to shine some light? Especially some follow-up to that wretched Bradley interview.
Then again, we don’t need any kind of crap before signing day.
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CMR was forced to address his “pending retirement” rumors immediately after the Belk Bowl win-a moment which he should have been allowed to enjoy after the Dawgs had soundly thrashed Louisville. Call me naive, but this could have been avoided had McGarity been better at doing his job. Richt’s omisssion of McG’s name may have well been very vocal by beiing non-vocal. I have seen NOTHING from McG which makes me believe that he is the man for the job. Between the two, CMR’s resume is far more impressive and it’s not even close. Morehead has to recognize this as well.
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+1 Solid post.
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Sounds like Richt has been reading Sun Tzu:
“Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting. ”
You got to have wa. Miles and miles and miles of wa.
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🙂
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Richt & CJP pushed for better facilities, higher pay, etc. I think McGarity is justified in pushing back by telling CMR to dump useless buddies from the payroll, like Van Halanger, and to produce on the field. Seems like both CMR and McG are getting out of the ole comfort zone. So I see some confrontation as a good thing if it cleanses the program of hangers-on, improves our facilities, and lets everyone know being Ms Congeniality every season isn’t good enough.
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I enjoyed that book. Well played, Senator.
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