Monday, October 19, 2015

IF you think Richt should go...

There is only one valid reason. That reason would be the "buck stops here" idea.

Look, if your contention is that his performance in recent years has not been up to snuff, and further, you don't feel Richt is capable of getting it back up to snuff, then hey, he's ultimately responsible for his football team. I can see that mentality.

However, there are some real loons out there with some of the most idiotic arguments (I use that word in the loosest way).

Some people contend he is not competitive enough.

After the narrow victory over Mizzou, Richt stated that he told Marshall Morgan he loved him no matter what (i.e, whether he made the winning kick or not). I've actually heard/seen some people make the comment that such an attitude might be part of the problem. Seriously?

Another group of silly suppositions is that Richt should not be "happy" that Georgia beat Missouri. This is such a stupid notion, and yet Richt knew he had to preface his being happy by asking rhetorically, "Am I allowed to be happy?" before stating such. Come on, folks. He's happy Georgia won the dang game. I assure you he's not happy that the offense failed to score a touchdown. Moreover, I promise you that what he says publicly has been and continues to be a far cry from what is said behind closed doors and on the practice field.

The list goes on and on from people who are so uneducated...well, let's call them what they are....dumbasses. There are people who are such dumbasses that they will throw any flavor of the month reason why Richt is apparently a horrible football coach.

"Georgia doesn't know how to tackle!"

"Georgia's receivers don't know how to catch!"

"Georgia doesn't play with enough passion or anger, and that's a reflection of Richt!"

"Georgia is too undisciplined!"

I mean, I realize that there are a lot of people out there, and as such, there are going to be a lot of different, equally moronic opinions.

If you are getting a little angry with some of these statements, then it might be because you've made one or more of them yourself. If so, just take a deep breath and ask yourself some of the following questions.

"Do I really believe that Georgia's assistant coaches are teaching kids how to tackle or catch a football differently than all the other schools out there?"

"Do I really think that all the assistant coaches from all the different schools they've coached at come to Georgia and secretly think to themselves, 'Wow. Mark Richt doesn't seem to care if players don't perform. He doesn't seem to care if players are practicing hard, listening to instruction, and playing with heart?'"

"Do I really believe that Richt is unaware his team seems to have a real letdown game or two every season, which rears its head as either a blowout to a good team, or an inexplicable loss to a lesser team? Further, do I think that he hasn't taken multiple approaches to trying to limit or eliminate these?"

Let me be clear. This is not a rant to quash the "Richt must go" argument. While I won't state my opinion on that matter at this time, I'm not trying to suggest that that particular viewpoint is necessarily unfounded.

Rather, the point of this is to implore the dummies to shut up, and the passionately-misguided to re-examine some of the "reasons" Richt needs to go.

Again, the buck stops with Richt. He's the coach, and if things haven't been working out for whatever reasons, then it rests on him. That's why he makes the big bucks. Just stop making these completely unfounded claims about things of which you have absolutely no knowledge or insight.

10 comments:

  1. As a long time, passionate Dawg fan, you nailed my thoughts exactly.

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  2. While I don't completely disagree with your assessment, I do think there is some validity to the frustrated comments like, "Georgia does not know how to tackle." The tackling issue has been one for years. You do not have to be tied into the program to see we have players that simply can not tackle. Now, is it because the coaches are not teaching it? Of course they are working on it, but with the talent that we have and the coaches we have had through our program, how is it still a problem. Alabama does not seem to have a problem tackling. I watch plenty of teams in the top 25 tackle much better than UGA. Why is that?

    I would argue that the dumbasses' comments you refer to are part of the systemic problems at UGA. Does Richt have enough fire in the belly? His appearance would suggest it is debatable at times. Can he coach or get the team up for the big games? In this case, stats don't lie and the answer is a resounding NO. 37/33 in games against top 25 teams would hardly show that he or his staff have the big game capabilities.

    The bigger question is, what is the real expectation of our program. If it is to win 10 games against mediocre opponents, then we are right where we should be and Richt is the man. If we have greater aspirations, then the numbers do not lie.....he is not the man. 3 wins against directional schools, beat vandy, UK, GT, and a meaningless bowl game gets him to 7 wins....go back and look at the winning % against teams above .500 and it will make you wonder why we as loyal UGA fans are not more concerned about the state of our program.

    Oh and 1 last point, yes the buck stops with him and as a former QB and QB coach, he let us come into this season with a starting QB who lost his starting QB job at UVA. That is probably my one of my biggest concerns!

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    1. It's the nature of fans, when they see things like poor tackling, to think that their team is behind the curve. Regardless, my point there is that there have been too many different coaches come through to think that there's something wrong w/ Richt's coaching ability on that front.

      The 'fire in the belly' comment is really what I'm talking about. People's outward displays of their thoughts and feelings are vastly different. Suggesting he doesn't have it just because he doesn't display it the way you may prefer just doesn't make sense. I've seen coaches who seem extremely calm have very physical and successful teams. I've also seen fiery coaches get run around, through, and over plenty of times.

      The numbers and stats you list are definitely valid reasons why one might want Richt gone. You say, "Here's where we are and what we've done, and that hasn't been good enough."

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  3. After a great start here 2001-2007 where he teams playing in a bowl game, beat top 25 time of game teams, beat top 25 for season rankings' teams, beat top 10 teams, Mark Richt has been asleep on the sidelines after 2007 and not only lost to all those groups, but he has 12 losses to teams unranked time of game or season after 2007 and lost to 6 teams by more than 3 TD when he had lost to NONE 2001-2007. His demeanor changed after 2007. Repeatedly, Mark Richt tells us that he sees his job to temper motivation he called for prior to Alabama of his players. He tells us now that there's something besides winning that's important here at Georgia. He tells the players he has kicked off the team after 2007 now that he loves them. He has a different agenda after 2007. Does Mark Richt have that fire in his belly after 2007 ? Clearly the poster you are replying to is 100% correct and the reason is that he is screwed-up on his ideas of motivation. It's not what defines him, he tells us, whether we win or lose - but what Mark Richt tells us precisely and plainly and repeatedly after 2007 is that Jesus Christ is what DEFINES HIM as a person, and that he is a PEACE with that - NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS HERE AT GEORGIA.

    He has had 95 games prior to Alabama game 2008 - the black-out game and that game marks the last 95 games now.

    80% win percentage at kick-off 2008 vs Alabama and 67 % win percentage starting that 2008 Alabama black-out.

    Has the guy changed fundamentally ?

    There is NO QUESTION of that.

    We are averaging MORE than 4 losses a season after 2007.

    We have a losing record vs top 25 time of game after 2007 when we were winning those when he 1st got here.

    We have a losing record against top 25 end of season teams now, when he was winning those too 2001-2007.

    We have a 54 % win percentage against teams who even play in a bowl game after 2007.

    When sir, we are now losing as many games as we win after 2007 against even teams who play in a bowl game, we are not the # 11 All-Time Win Program after 2007, but the # 20 team.

    All this with the average recruiting ranking # 8 consistently all 15 years, and next year the same # 8 ranking.

    This not only is 2nd best in the nation, but his 86 NFL Draft Picks, are ALSO 2nd best in the nation.

    So, despite all this talent, he can't beat anyone any longer.

    Do you really think that he is calm outwardly and torn up inside about his results after 2007 ?

    Then, why does he tell us things like he loves the guys he has kicked off the team ?

    No. I submit he REALLY DOES love the guys he has kicked off the team.

    No. I submit that he REALLY DOES love the guys whether they do their job and win or not.

    He does NOT have that fire in his belly.

    He tells us that EVERY DAY in EVERYTHING he does after 2007.

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  4. In 2001 when he first got here, he was ALL EXCITED about beating these teams, and his players demonstrated his excitement. We beat EVERYONE.

    Now, that he has changed and become CEO and stepped back, Mark Richt actually told us all that now, that if he is know just a football coach, that that would be a disaster. That what defines him is leading others to the Lord.

    I go to Church 2 days a week for half a century. On the teams at Church, yes, it is more important for me to play everyone, let everyone know it doesn't matter if we win or lose, but how we play the game.

    Over $ 4 million dollars a year until 2019, is not Church League.

    He is expected to go and win.

    That means being the same guy he was when he first got here.

    It's sad what's been passing as coaching and motivating and not giving mixed messages to the players after 2007, and the results of such are self-evident.

    # 7 nationally top 25 time of game 2001-2007, # 26 since.

    # 6 nationally vs teams who played in a bowl game that year, what the poster you are replying to Dave referred to as opponents with a winning record, and # 31 since.

    # 7 nationally vs top 25 end of year season ranked teams 2001-2007 and # 20 since.

    So astounding are the differences from this type of leadership shift by Mark Richt after 2007 on points such as motivation, winning is everything and nothing else matters is at the VERY HEART of the issue nowadays after 2007 with Mark Richt.

    Do I really believe he has changed and does not care about that that that does not define him, that there's something besides winning that's important here at Georgia since ?

    You bet.

    Because (1) the results are so astonishingly different and (2) because he has repeatedly TOLD US it is not what defines him and that it's not important and that he does not see himself as just a football coach, and that he is at peace WHATEVER HAPPENS HERE AT UGA now.

    There is no question the man changed after 2007. Not only do results not lie Dave, but I believe that Mark Richt would NOT lie to us about being at peace now no matter what happens here at UGA winning and losing, and would not lie to us about there's something besides winning that's important here.

    If you need those URL Links to these quotes, or his results, I can provide them to you as a season tickets' holder including my Dad's before me since 1957.

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  5. URL link to each fact.

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    1. Not sure. Thank you for taking the time to read and reply. Some good facts intermingled with overt speculation.

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  7. How many times in the last few years have we upset a favored team? How many times over the last few years have we been upset by an underdog team? The answer to those questions are decidedly in favor of our opponents. The solution is quality of coaching and having one's team ready to play each week.

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    1. It's true, the results have been average at best in recent years. In reality, this happens to Richt's teams about once a year more than it happens to Saban's, on average. No excuse for Alabama to turn the ball over 5 times and lose at home to what has proven to be a pitiful Ole Miss team. That's not a defense of Richt, just pointing out that even the absolute best coach in college isn't able to get his team ready to play sometimes, but at least he has the luxury of falling back on 5 star athletes 2-deep at just about every position.

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