Bye Bye.......Urban Meyer

From ESPN.com:

 

Meyer to coach final game at Sugar Bowl

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida coach Urban Meyer, who was admitted to a hospital because of chest pains following the Southeastern Conference championship game, is stepping down because of health concerns.
Meyer resigned Saturday, calling it quits after five seasons in Gainesville and two national titles. He goes into the bowl game with a 56-10 record at Florida that includes a 32-8 mark in league play and a school-record 22-game winning streak ended early this month against Alabama.

HISTORIC RUN

Urban Meyer is stepping down at Florida after the Allstate Sugar Bowl, and he goes out on top among current FBS coaches. His win percentage is the highest among active coaches with at least five years experience.

Coach	School	Record	Win pct.
Urban Meyer	Florida	95-18	.841
Pete Carroll	USC	96-19	.835
Bob Stoops	Oklahoma	116-29	.800
Mark Richt	Georgia	89-27	.767
Gary Patterson	TCU	85-27	.759

Meyer, 45, says he consulted with his family, his doctors, school president Bernie Machen and athletic director Jeremy Foley before deciding it is in his best interest to focus on his health and family.
Meyer will hold a news conference in New Orleans on Sunday afternoon and will coach his final game in the Sugar Bowl against Cincinnati on New Year's Day.
"I have given my heart and soul to coaching college football and mentoring young men for the last 24-plus years and I have dedicated most of my waking moments the last five years to the Gator football program," Meyer said in a statement. "I have ignored my health for years, but recent developments have forced me to reevaluate my priorities of faith and family.
"After consulting with my family, Dr. Machen, Jeremy Foley and my doctors, I believe it is in my best interest to step aside and focus on my health and family."
"Coach Meyer and I have talked this through and I realize how hard this was for him to reach this decision," Foley said in a statement. "But, the bottom line is that Coach Meyer needed to make a choice that is in the best interest of his well being and his family. I certainly appreciate what he has meant to the University of Florida, our football program and the Gator Nation. I have never seen anyone more committed to his players, his family and his program. Above all, I appreciate our friendship."
Meyer helped the Gators win two national titles in five years at Florida. He is the only coach to win two BCS titles.
A three-time national coach of the year, Meyer is 95-18 in nine seasons.
Meyer came to Florida from Utah, where he closed out his stint with 16 consecutive wins. He began his head coaching career at Bowling Green in 2001, where he engineered the top turnaround in NCAA Division I-A football, showing a six-win improvement from the previous season. The Falcons rebounded from a 2-9 record with their first winning season (8-3) since 1994.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Another View...... From Mark Bradley.....

We were not the only ones.....burning up .....over the Georgia Bulldogs latest futile attempt to play a competitive football game against that enemy ....and arch rival........Florida.

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution & columnist, Mark Bradley:

His headline read:

Another black Saturday in Jax reveals UGA as second-rate..... Ouch!!!

8:39 pm October 31, 2009, by Mark Bradley

One is hunting a third BCS title; the other isn't bowl-eligible. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)

Jacksonville — The game was a total loss, but the lesson imparted need not be. After yet another lost Saturday in Duval County, this much is beyond dispute: Georgia is no longer a major player in its division, let alone the nation.

Mark Richt began his somber media briefing by saying, “Well, here we are again.” And there they were, lopsided losers. It was 49-10 last season and 41-17 this time, and for all the good work Richt did in the early part of this decade, he and his program have been lapped by Urban Meyer. And Richt, once so clever and driven, seems to have run out of ideas.

He tried the color-scheme gimmick Saturday, presenting his players with black helmets after they’d warmed up in the usual red headgear. The upshot of this was to make Georgia look like an Arena league team and to cow the nation’s No. 1 team not one whit. After 11 1/2 minutes, the guys in the orange hats led the guys in the black hats 14-0.

“It’s not the helmet,” safety Reshad Jones said. “It’s what inside the helmet.”

Well, yes. With an extra week to prepare, Willie Martinez seemed even more witless than usual. As bad as the Gators’ first two touchdowns were, the third was an affront to everything Red and Black. Facing third-and-3 at the Georgia 23 with 1:32 left in the half, Florida ran a simple option. Tim Tebow faked a handoff and burst up the middle. He scored the touchdown that put him ahead of the hallowed Herschel Walker without being touched.

“They’re a good team,” said defensive end Justin Houston. “But it seemed like every time we made a bad play, they capitalized on it.”

In the first half Georgia had eight penalties. In the second it had four interceptions. If it was to have any chance against the Gators, it had to play a clean game. Instead it authored another in a series of messes.

If we’re to believe recruiting rankings, the gulf between Georgia and Florida shouldn’t be so pronounced. But Saturday was another installment of men against boys, and it called to mind the barb Steve Spurrier sunk into Ray Goff in this stadium 18 years ago: “Georgia gets all these players — I don’t know what happens to them.”

Players go to Florida and get, to invoke another Spurrier-ism, coached up. Players come to Georgia and are left to their own devices. Martinez is a substandard defensive coordinator, and no other position coach can be said to have done fabulous work. (Unless you count Kevin Butler, who isn’t a coach but who did sire the prodigious punter Drew Butler.)

Said Richt: “We’re 4-4 this season. I don’t think it’s an indictment of the program. I think it’s an indictment of where we are this year.”

Except Georgia has underachieved three times in the past four seasons, and as Richt himself noted Saturday: “There’s no guarantee of a bowl. The question is, will we play a game when we don’t do something that hinders us from being the best we can be?”

The Bulldogs have never lost more than four games under Richt, but they’ve never been 4-4 under this coach, either. Regarding possible changes, he said: “It’s not good to make decisions within minutes of an emotional game. You’ve got to settle your mind and settle your spirit, and then see where you are.”

As darkness fell on Halloween 2009, Georgia was again where it has been too often. The program that has all the resources was left to wonder why it has fallen so far behind Florida. And the ugly truth has never been more apparent: Florida might or might not have better players, but it absolutely has better coaches.

Thoughts.....on a Friday.....

A rainy night .....in Georgia.....


In this small southern college town......it is gloomy and raining. It is almost Halloween. It is late October....the leaves are a changing......the mornings are cool.....

Fall........is in the air.

Michael Jackson (God rest his soul) and his movie ....."This is it"......is breaking box office records.

The NY Yankees...came alive and won game 2 of the world series to even it at...1-1.

Why can't........people drive normally .....when it rains in the ATL?

I sure hope.......UGA doesn't embarrass itself....against Florida.

The ...."Worlds' largest Outdoor Cocktail Party"....is tomorrow......

Georgia--Florida..........or Florida--Georgia.........depending on your school.

It's a ........"border war" .....none the less.

And..........It's Halloween.

And.......the end of ....."Daylight savings time".

Can ......it get any better?

An Uprising...........in Athens

In this small, southern, college town......

The natives are circling the wagons......the "Bulldawg Nation".....is up in arms.....the sky is falling....it's doom and gloom.

For their beloved University of Georgia football team.......is 3-3. and has lost 2 games in a row....(to then 4th ranked LSU, 20-13.....and last Saturday to an un-ranked Tennessee team, 45-19.)

"Fire Mark Richt!!!"......."Fire (Defensive Coordinator) Willie Martinez!!!!"......"Fire (Offensive Coordinator) Mike Bobo!!!"........"Bench QB Joe Cox!!!!"......and finally, "Fire the Bulldog mascot, Uga VII!!!!"

These headlines saturated message boards all across the south.

Blind passion...can be a dangerous thing. Expectations can be even more dangerous.

Last year, these very same dogs.......were pre-season #1....in everybody's poll. Losses to Alabama, Florida, and Georgia Tech......rendered them to a 10-3 record.....but still ended up in the top 10 in the final poll.

This season........UGA started out ranked #15......despite losing Matthew Stafford (the #1 pick in the NFL draft), the best QB in the nation....and losing Knowshon Moreno (drafted 7th), arguably , the best running back ....


Still........these blind loyalist.....thought all Georgia needed to do was ..."reload"......and still contend for the SEC championship.......as well as the national championship.

To the "Bulldawg Nation": Take the blinders off. Look to the north.....there is Tennessee, with a young new coach in Lane Kiffin......Look to the west, with that beast of a team (Alabama), coached by Nick Saban......and ....yes....look to the south, with Florida, led by a guy named, Urban Meyer.

The competition in the SEC is brutal......gone are the days where one team beats every opponent, 50-7.......and goes 12-0.

Reality check.........since coming to Georgia, Mark Richt is 85-23....with 2 SEC championships, and 5 top 10 finishes......in the last 7 years.

Mark Richt did not .......get ...."dumb" over the winter. He will assess the season......evaluate the coaching stall........make changes where needed.......and all will be well.....in the "Bulldog Nation".

Walking on Water........

Tim Tebow.....

He of the University of Florida.....has made quite a name for himself as the quarterback for the national champion Gators.

It was last September, 27.......Florida was upset......at home.....by Ole Miss, 31-30......

In an emotional speech following the game, Tebow held back tears and vowed this would never happen again. And.......it didn't..........The Gators went on to win every other game.......and their second national championship in three years.

A few days ago.......a plaque was placed on a wall outside of the Florida Field field football facility.

People say ........he's corny........to good to be true.....

I'd take on my team......in a Miami minute........

Here's the speech........courtesy of YouTube:

Your Tax Dollars......at Work

So this is what our congressmen and women discuss.....in the midst of an economic meltdown.....a savings and loans crisis.......the AIG scandal .....and so forth.

Corrine Brown, a congresswoman from Florida.....should concentrate on all of the above....and leave the sport's world to us.

"Gradulate" ?????

From YouTube:

Things We Learned From the Weekend..........

Let's not buy play-off tickets.....just yet.....

Oh what might have been. The Atlanta Falcons trailed the Denver Broncos 24-20 with less than 2 minutes left........On third-and-18 from the Denver 45 - yard line, receiver Roddy White got open .....if for just a split second.....and was there for Matt Ryan's heave....

The pass went just off his finger-tips.......and instead of a Falcon lead of 27-24 with just 1:16 left.....The Birds were left.....and the Broncos had won.

Strange game..........a very subdued crowd. And even though it was a sell-out........there were an awful lot of empty seats.

Meaning the ATL has not really gotten as behind this team as much as the talking heads have advertised.

Maybe this team is not quite ready for "prime time"........much less the play-offs.....

Let the ATL take a deep breath........take a good look..........within this team.....

Something is missing........All those empty seats........all that silence........I think the average fans know........These Birds are not there yet..........


Another uninspiring win...

Speaking of not being there yet..........The former "pre-season #1"...........Georgia Bulldogs won a game Saturday........17-13 over an Auburn team which has been less that stellar this year.

And the "Dawgs" had to once again hold on for dear life to win the game......Same old Georgia......stupid penalties........red zone problems for the offense.......special team mishaps.....defensive lapses.....


At 9-2, one might wonder, why is there such a negative attitude surrounding the program?

Well........Maybe it's because the 2 losses were, 41-30 and 49-10.........against the 2 SEC leaders in Alabama and Florida.

And the games were not even close........2 losses..........2 blow-outs..........too bad..........

The Bulldog Nation is famous for making excuses for their beloved "Dawgs".......Too many injuries........bad officiating.......difficult schedule.......

Maybe.......just maybe...........these Bulldogs are just not as good as advertised...........These Dogs have yet to put 4 quarters of dominant football together on any Saturday they have played.

And pressed ..........on the highest level ........against other big time schools.......these Dogs have not bothered to show up and compete. See Alabama and Florida..........


Speaking of Florida........

The Gators spanked Steve Spurrier and the South Carolina Gamecocks, 56-6............"fiddy"......as in a fifty point win.......Spurrier's worst lost.....as a player or coach.....ever.

Vegas was not kind..........

Friday Picks saw us go 2-3........2-1 in the college games ........and 0-2 in the NFL..........It makes one want to just quit........

But ........there is always next week.

Things ....From the Week-end....Learned & More

Waxed......in Jax....

As in totally destroyed....as in "taken to the wood shed"......as in getting bitch slapped by your biggest SEC rival......on national TV......as in getting "paid back".....as in .....all of the above.

The University of Georgia got a beat down, (49-10) in Jacksonville, Saturday....at the hands of their long time rival, Florida.

Florida was better coached, faster, and the better team on this day. The Gators took a 14-3 lead into half-time....then steam rolled the Bulldogs in the third quarter.....to give Mark Richt his worst lost in his head coaching career.

Suspect play calling....stupid penalties......you name it .....it happened.

And....one question we have for a Mr. Knowshon Moreno...."Why do you always take yourself out of the game...after 2 or 3 carries? You are a good running back....but what gives? Seems you are always out of breath...after making a few runs....Do you have asthma ?"


Undefeated?......

I know.....it's only 2 games.....but the Atlanta Hawks are 2-0. And 1 of those wins game on the road.

Go Hawks.


A shutout in Oakland.......

Were you as surprised as we were about that Atlanta Falcon performance at Oakland?

24-0 was the final score.....and it was not even that close. Consider this: The Raiders gained just 79 yards the whole game. 1st downs? Atlanta had 30....Oakland 3.....and their first 1st down did not come until the 3rd quarter.

This is a bad Oakland team.....but to get beaten like this....at home.....this is unheard of ....


A. I. coming back east......


Allen Iverson has been traded to the Detroit Pistons ......The Denver Nuggets have given up on their 2 year experiment and shipped Iverson to Detroit in exchange for Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess .

Iverson never really fit in with the Nuggets.....and this could be a good move for the Pistons, who are looking to challenge the Boston Celtics again in the east.





Happy Trails Phillip Fulmer....

The Tennessee coach announced today....he will not return. (Of course his lawyers worked out the $6 million buy-out of his contract).

Fulmer played, assisted, and coached at the school for over half his life.

But if you don't win......





Tuesday.....November 4th.....

I don't have to say a thing..........

Hump Day News & Views

Election 2008.........

I have voted.....Monday.......in the "early voting" system in this state of Georgia. There have been war stories galore about people waiting in line for up to 8 hours.

I ..........was in and out.......in less than 60 minutes.

I urge all of you........if your state has "early voting"........take advantage.....vote this week.

And if you cannot ..........please .....please.......vote on November 4th.

Republican or Democratic..........let your vote be heard.



This young rookie.......looks mighty old to me......


Yes ........Greg Oden.....he of the Portland Trailblazers........the 19 year old.......going on 50. Oden finally made his NBA debut last night after missing all of last year with injuries. And folks.......he is not ready. He didn't even last a half. Went out with a foot injury....and the L A Lakers blew out his team, 96-76...... Uh....Greg? This is an 82 game season here..... Another first round bust.

This guy has never been healthy.......Too much weight.......too little muscle.......his knees and feet cannot support his 6' 11" frame.

Too bad.......from what I hear.......he is really a nice guy.......with a great attitude.




Mini World Series game.....


Tonight, Major League Baseball will attempt to complete game five between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays.......

Philly leads the series 3 games to 1. The game will be resumed in the bottom of the 6th inning, tied 2-2. Simply put........the Phillies have to get 6 outs........and the Rays, 9.

Look for this thing to go about 14 or 15 innings....and still not end until the wee hours of the morning. MLB deserves everything they get for selling their soul to Fox Sports.

By the way.........last we checked.......there were "lake effect" "ice showers" in the greater Philadelphia area.....





Mums the word.......


As in the gag order........ordered by Florida coach, Urban Meyer.......

If you have watched any of ESPN this week .......you have been constantly reminded of Georgia's end-zone celebration last year........(the entire 95 Bulldog players danced in the end-zone, following their first touchdown).

Meyer has instructed his Gator team to not dare speak out on the topic. Mark Richt of Georgia is also tip-toeing around the controversy.

Memo to Florida..........and ESPN........Georgia beat Florida last year, because they hit them in the mouth.....strong armed Tim Tebow........and made more big plays.....simple.....

This game Saturday features two of the most talented teams in the country........and the winner will be the team that best executes its offensive and defensive schemes.

Nothing more ........nothing less......

What happened last year........means nothing.


Things.......I think I think...........

Fall is fast becoming one of my favorite seasons........No humidity........beautiful scenery .......

TNT's NBA studio show .......is the best in all of sports with Ernie Johnson, Jr, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley.

Why can't Fox News........just admit they are a spokes-person for the republicans.......and be done with it....I would respect them more.....Instead of hiding behind, "fair & balanced....you decide"..... We have decided.......and you are so.......biased.

When does Hockey begin?

Just kidding........

Have a great "Hump Day"........

Finally...........UGA......Makes a Statement

Blow out in the Bayou........

52-38

This is the game the "Bulldog Nation" has been waiting for .........

52-38

As in scoring a half a hundred....plus 2..........against the defending national champions...on their home field....(Death Valley)........in Baton Rouge.......

52-38

Georgia has made a statement. The "Dawgs" soundly beat LSU Saturday on the road. This is what the pre-season #1.......was supposed to be.

After getting slammed by Alabama a month ago........the Bulldogs........with a make shift offensive line........dominated the Tigers...

Knowshon Moreno rushed for 163 yards.......scored a 68 yard touchdown.......And Matthew Stafford and the defense did the rest.

Next up? Florida..........The Gators tuned up by dismantling Kentucky, 63-5........I think that score got Georgia's attention.

So here we are..........Georgia - Florida..........again.......With the winner almost guaranteed to play in Atlanta for the SEC Championship.

The worlds largest "Outdoor Cocktail Party"......In Jacksonville......

A "neutral" game........though Florida takes a bus..........and UGA has to book a flight.....

Yes, UGA has made a statement.....

Saturday is a new day........

But this past Saturday........these "Dawgs" showed why they were so highly ranked..........

52-38

Now.....go finish the drill.