Blatant Homerism: Georgia (Article Response/Rant)

TGN has a Facebook page where I link to articles that apply to the Gator Nation. Most recently after the Florida-Georgia game, I posted the link above in the title section with the comment “This one is blunt and to the point. Not for young children’s reading, either.”

There were a few expetives in the article just for your warning. Of course, there were expletives in some of the responses. Gators will be Gators. None the less, I found the article, the response and the mood not only entertaining, but enlightening.

So read the article and then review the following comments:

MH: Geez, are things really that bad at UF? he seems awfully negative. Admittedly i have not seen many UF games this year. I was wiating for the “it’s Urban’s fault” quote.

RRD: Sheer brilliance. And dead on balls accurate. (TGN here: the last sentence made me wince a bit)

AA: Can’t argue with anything there.

EA: Frowning Face Emoticon

TGN: Muschamp is a coach…he had shown no ability at all to run and lead a program. That is the crux of the issue. (TGN Here again: I may have more to say about this comment later).

RRD: He MUST go. And now, before he does any more damage.

MP: Yah, it’s getting more and more difficult to go to the SD Gator Club viewing parties to watch the game. This week’s is at 9am and it’s against Vandy, so I don’t expect a big turnout.

SS: how encouraging. I don’t think you should be able to cry like a spoiled (expletive deleted) without offering any solutions. just a pet peeve of mine. so my 2 cents is for him to stf up. no one would be ranting about our script logo if we were winning. but muschamp will go. personally i’d like to LAF to weigh in.

LAF: (TGN Note – some very good points about to be made) While some salient points are made, there are some errors as well. the supposed strength of this year’s Gator team – the offensive line – but they never even had that chance in losing starting tackle Chaz Green before the season started. Transfers Garcia & Moore seemed to be only onkay in playing in big boy’s conference, the SEC. Moore especially – he of the drive–killing offensive procedure calls. Lose another LT in Humphries, Halapio playing through injury to his pec and this last week throwing in junior college transfer Brown to start his first ever game with a true freshman at running back (albeit, Mr. Taylor will be a good back with the glimpses of playmaking ability one cannot teach, but only admire). Another game, another patchwork offensive line. Continuity along both the offensive and defensive line makes anyone look okay. One cannot replace first the ability of Dominick Easley and second the intangibles he brought with his effort, leadership and presence. No QB likes to see his pocket invaded up the middle. Easley did that, his replacements cannot. In postings I hae made throughout the year, I have ripped our play calling as OFFENSIVE. One likes to place the blame wholly on Pease, yet one wonders if his hands are being tied in multiple ways: #1) a back-up QB with no real gametime experience since coming to Florida having to learn how to read SEC defenses on the fly, #2) a head coach trying to play “Saban” ball without the same pieces or “head coach” mindset, #) WRs still learning how to get open, 4) TE – I forgot – how often do we ever throw to them (no Burton is not a TE and I think they are still trying to figure out how to use him effectively. I am all for promoting from within, but DJ Durkin is not a qualified SEC defensive coordinator. I think even Morrison regressed this year, but not sure if that’s due to losing Easley in front of him or watching all those unsportsmanlike conduct penalties being called EVERY game on the Gator dfense or his off-the-field lack of maturity issues in his head. As far as coordinators without head coaching experience doing okay, I guess one should not look at what Charlie Strong has done for Louisville or Jimbo Fisher has done at Florida State (oops, I guess you were wrong there as well). All this being said, I think Muschamp may have the opportunity to have one more year provided he makes changes on both sides of the ball with some of his staff unless he stumbles and loses 3 of the remaining 4 games – yes I am giving us a W versus Georgia Southern, they of the single wing. I probably missed countering or agreeing with certain points made, but we are only human.

RRD: It’s all too depressing to even think about. Not that long ago we were the national champions. WTF?

FK: A BS comment on the inuries not affecting the O-Line. Chaz Green was supposed to be the mainstay at LT, and he was gone before the season started to the labrum inury. While they have not performed well, that, and other minor injuries have forced the coaches to constantly have to rearrange who is playing on what on the O-line.

FK: So this guy complains for no end, and then he offers no solution. His entire thesis is that Will should be fired, and then he gets to that point, states that there aren’t any vialbe alternatives, and says he shouldn’t be. The author can’t have it both ways. What IS his solution to a mess that’s been going on before Will got here (wasn’tthe 2010 season fun?).

TGN: speaking of the O-Line the Gators just lost Tyler Moore for the season to a….scooter accident. The Gator Football program needs to take a comprehensive look at the injury situation. Most of the injuries occurred either in practice or off the field. This has a been a recurring theme, of course not to this extreme, for several years now and we have one of the top Sports Medicine programs in the nation. I’d expect Muschamp to stay, but the program needs some serious evaluation.

WHEW!!

I don’t know Spencer Hall from EDSBS, but if he wanted to generate interest he surely did so. To his credit, it was clear he wasn’t putting things out there that the entire Gator Nation was frustrated with watching on game day. Whether accurate or not, I’m not entirely sure that was ever his intent. He did capitalize on a growing mood across the Gator Nation. While I don’t think Will Muschamp will get fired this year…or probably even next year, the Gator Nation needs some venting because we do expect more from our Gator Football team.

The Gator Nation is frustrated and justfiably so. This is not even remotely what we are accustomed to seeing on Saturdays. We have definintely been spoiled in the last twenty years. Muschamp will have to make some major adjustments in the off season, but this too has to be tempered. These Gator players have had a cornucopia of coaches in recent years. There is also a good argument for stability. Some of these players need some stability right now.

My thanks to everyone who participated in the conversation. It’s on the TGN Facebook page if you want to check it out live and in person. I will leave you with this parting thought—even with the rant above, there is always a flip side:

On Will Muschamp, Florida Football, and Everything

Go Gators!