Mark Richt may be gone, but the Paul Oliver Network lives on. And that’s a good thing.
Mark Richt may be gone, but the Paul Oliver Network lives on. And that’s a good thing.
Filed under Georgia Football, Life After Football
“And Georgia fans, don’t be turds. Enjoy this. Soak it up. It’s awesome. If you don’t win this year, it’s still not a failure. It’s a heck of a run. Back-to-back in the Playoff era hasn’t been done. So, to ask for a third I feel like it’s gluttonous. I feel like it’s not OK. But we’ll be in the mix.”-- David Pollack, On3.com, 5/9/23
Good one both men. I hope they can get it to a point where it is self-sustainable. This builds on the good things that come from playing a team sport.
LikeLike
When I think of Paul Oliver, it reminds me of the game where he shut down Calvin Johnson.
LikeLike
That was a beautiful thing and maybe the last time someone really made Megatron irrelevant in a game.
Can you imagine if he had David Greene, DJ Shockley and Matthew Stafford throwing him the ball instead of the guy who can’t count to 4?
LikeLike
Mark Richt may have left behind a strong foundation upon which Kirby Smart’s first teams can build, but I think this will be his lasting legacy at the University of Georgia, and it’s a good one. I’m proud to see our school leading the way among other programs in going above and beyond to support the members of our family long after they’ve played their last game for Georgia. Some day when he’s done coaching at Miami, I hope that we’ll have some chances to welcome Richt back to Athens so he can see how the seeds he’s planted here have grown. He’s a Hurricane now, and maybe he always will be. He’ll also always be a Damn Good Dawg.
LikeLike
For Richt’s faults, I still say the positives he brought the program both on and off the field outweigh them. I’m looking forward to seeing what Kirby can do to build on Richt’s legacy. You’re right … he’s a DGD that the Bulldog Nation never really got to say thank you to.
LikeLike
Couldn’t agree more and very well said!
LikeLike
Sounds good to me.,
LikeLike
Joke about the U network and cocaine in there somewhere.
Obviously these programs are wonderful. I am proud of the University for starting, continuing, and growing there programs for our student athletes.
LikeLike
Greg McGarity said. “We’ve taken it in-house now.”
This is going to be GREAT!
LikeLike
The PO Network is an independent 501C3 because the board that CMR put together knew that the effort would become an ineffectual lip service program that accomplished nothing if the athletic Dept were to run it. While the board is “working with” the athletic dept, they are not beholden to them or their silly policies and that alone is the reason it has a chance to be sustainable and survive any coaching or administrative changes. This is a group of men who operate anonymously because their sole purpose is to help these young men become gainfully employed once they’re player ineligible. It was formed because CMR, after years of begging our pathetic administration to do something, decided in the wake of Paul’s suicide, he could wait no more. So he formed the group and requested that they become an independent organization as he had zero confidence in this administration to be able run something like this and not pervert it for their own PR purposes and self interests. This group of men continues to operate in the shadows and actually get player’s jobs despite constant assault by the current administration stating that there are “NCAA and eligibility” issues if the group continues to operate independently. Thankfully, Kirby in a short time, was able to see the wisdom in and need for this group to remain independent as he is already all too aware of just how inept the people inside the BM are. So while this administration continues to try and take credit for something that, not only they have nothing to do with, but worse, was created because they wouldn’t do anything to help these young men, the board of the PO Network continues to perform…and thank goodness for them.
LikeLike
Richt is in the process of starting ‘The U Network’ at Miami, and some members of the board of the PO Network are going to Miami to talk to potential U Network board members about how they set up PO and how it works.
http://miami.247sports.com/Bolt/Richt-to-Launch-The-U-Network-for-Former-Hurricanes-46462995
LikeLike
Cool stuff.
LikeLike
Kudos to Kirby to realize there a are other thing just as important as rings. Lives do not gather dust when gainfully used.
LikeLike