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Post by RHVGator on May 12, 2009 9:17:38 GMT -5
blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_college_uf/2009/05/mark-richt-has-problems-with-neutral-site-for-ufuga-game.htmlMark Richt has problems with neutral site for UF-UGA gameBooster club season is generally a time of handshakes and smiles, when coaches go out and give pep talks to the fan base at different areas across their state. Jeremy gave us a glimpse at a Gator club event with Urban Meyer in a blog posting yesterday. But several coaches have made headlines this year with comments they have made at these meetings, lighting up message boards and the blogosphere. The latest coach to mouth off: Georgia’s Mark Richt, who apparently has a problem with the game between his Bulldogs and the Florida Gators being played in Jacksonville. This seems to be a topic that comes up every year, and it did already this past March, when the Atlanta Sports Council inquired about moving the game to Atlanta. Georgia AD Damon Evans said at the time there were no talks about moving the game. It seems Richt is unhappy about that. At a booster club meeting in Columbus, Ga., last week, Richt was asked whether the Georgia-Florida game should be played in Georgia sometimes. His response: “I don’t know what’s going to happen. But when people ask me the question, ‘Do you really think [Jacksonville] is a neutral site?’ I say, ‘No, it’s not neutral.’ When you play in the state of Florida every year –- we fly, they drive; it’s hotter for us, it’s cooler for them. It’s played in a stadium that [used to be called] the Gator Bowl. But what the heck? If nothing else, we’ll make Jacksonville pay more to keep it there. . . . I wouldn’t feel bad having a ‘neutral site’ game in Georgia – in the Georgia Dome.” His comments follow several others from coaches in the last few months: FSU coach Bobby Bowden said at his final Bowden Tour stop in West Palm Beach that the NCAA was “stepping out of bounds” with its ruling that could potentially take away 14 of his victories because of a cheating scandal. Urban Meyer made it clear at a Gator club meeting in Orlando that criticism of his program by former players wouldn’t be tolerated. Though it didn’t happen at a booster club function, Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin made his cheating allegations against Meyer to fans at a signing day breakfast celebration. It is understandable that coaches want to fire up their base with rhetoric aimed against big rivals. But at least for Meyer and Richt, these quotes seem uncharacteristic of them. Richt is obviously entitled to his opinion, but his comments somewhat contradict those of Evans. Saying: “I don’t know what’s going to happen is misleading,” considering Evans said the game wasn’t moving, unless Richt knows more than the rest of us. Meyer’s comments also seemed out of place, especially with over 700 fans there cheering hard for him and what he has accomplished at UF. Winning two national titles in three years should be enough. No need to start picking battles with comments that were made six months earlier following a loss that had all of Gator Nation upset. Who knew that booster club meetings had the potential to be such newsmakers?
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Post by athens on May 12, 2009 9:22:29 GMT -5
Saying "I don't know what is going to happen" is misleading? Richt doesn't negotiate with Jacksonville/Atlanta/anybody else. Richt could not possibly honestly say that he knows 100% for sure that the game will never leave Jacksonville.
Now the rest of them are douche bags... ;D
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Post by raleighrebel on May 12, 2009 9:29:39 GMT -5
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Post by tonythegator on May 12, 2009 9:34:03 GMT -5
Richt is just a crybaby. If he had more success at the WLOCP, he wouldn't be crying. Dooley never had a problem with it.
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Post by BTB07 on May 12, 2009 9:35:30 GMT -5
I didn't have one for Richt...so this one will have to do.
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Post by Bradimous1 on May 12, 2009 9:36:42 GMT -5
Gators fans calling Richt a crybaby!!!! now that's ironic.
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Post by athens on May 12, 2009 9:49:18 GMT -5
Gators fans calling Richt a crybaby!!!! now that's ironic. Hey kettle? Yeah this is the pot. You're black.
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Post by bigdawgs on May 12, 2009 9:51:34 GMT -5
Look, I am all for keeping the game in Jax for the fans.
But Richt is abolutely right from his perspective. Georgia does have to go a lot further and to think it is not a road game in everythng but fan ticketing is freakin crazy.
Florida has a short bus ride. Georgia has a bus ride to Atlanta...security. Flight to Jax. Bus ride. That is a difference.
I don't want the game moved, but from the perspective of a coach it sure as hell is not a neutral site. OU and Texas are equidistant from Dallas. Jacksonville is no where near halfway between Athens and Gainesville.
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Post by RHVGator on May 12, 2009 9:52:10 GMT -5
I didn't have one for Richt...so this one will have to do.
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Post by BTB07 on May 12, 2009 9:52:59 GMT -5
Florida has a short bus ride. Sorry...this part made me laugh BD all the Gators have to ride the short bus...
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Post by bigdawgs on May 12, 2009 9:54:40 GMT -5
BTB,
;D
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Post by tonythegator on May 12, 2009 9:58:50 GMT -5
Look, I am all for keeping the game in Jax for the fans. But Richt is abolutely right from his perspective. Georgia does have to go a lot further and to think it is not a road game in everythng but fan ticketing is freakin crazy. Florida has a short bus ride. Georgia has a bus ride to Atlanta...security. Flight to Jax. Bus ride. That is a difference. I don't want the game moved, but from the perspective of a coach it sure as hell is not a neutral site. OU and Texas are equidistant from Dallas. Jacksonville is no where near halfway between Athens and Gainesville. Yes, but this is the best opportunity for fans in southern Georgia to see a game. We have had this discussion before, and our consensus has been to keep it in Jax. Richt just needs to put on his "big girl panties" and figure out how to win the game. If this game is moved, it will ruin the tradition of one of the greatest rivalry games in CFB, the WLOCP, period.
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Post by tonythegator on May 12, 2009 10:01:30 GMT -5
Florida has a short bus ride. Sorry...this part made me laugh BD all the Gators have to ride the short bus...
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Post by BTB07 on May 12, 2009 10:04:38 GMT -5
I can see the tradition and do think that it will stay there in all likelyhood.
But maybe they would like another home game every other year.
I don't know what type of monetary agreement they have in Jax, but home games are certainly prized.
Part of what is great about college football IMO is having to go to an incredibly hostile environment to beat your rival (it happens all the time in other SEC games, maybe they want to keep this one special, don't know).
Probably a topic that will never get a resolution...
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Post by athens on May 12, 2009 10:08:06 GMT -5
I can see the tradition and do think that it will stay there in all likelyhood. But maybe they would like another home game every other year. I don't know what type of monetary agreement they have in Jax, but home games are certainly prized. Part of what is great about college football IMO is having to go to an incredibly hostile environment to beat your rival (it happens all the time in other SEC games, maybe they want to keep this one special, don't know). Probably a topic that will never get a resolution... I believe Jacksonville pays them quite well, more than a home game brings in. I also believe that the Orlando Sentinel is blowing this wayyyyy out of proportion. Probably just trying to make Urban look not like such a douche canoe...
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Post by 75tranzam on May 12, 2009 10:10:09 GMT -5
Richt has every right to voice his opinion on the WLOCP when someone asks him if "it's a neutral site." He's not crying about it but just giving his opinion. I have no problem moving it to a neutral site in Georgia (say the Georgia Dome for example) every other year. It puts money in the State of Georgia that's going into Florida's economy. It also would be money the State of Georgia would get off Hotel and Alcohol taxes that the State of Florida gets now. I was against moving it permanently to another site but have no problem with the every other year move to a site in Georgia which is what Mark talked about.
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Post by bigdawgs on May 12, 2009 10:17:37 GMT -5
You know, I have always supported the game in Jacksonville. But I do find in amusing that the Gators seem to be paranoid about it. My goodness, you really don't need a passport to leave Florida.
Richt is 100% right. He is asked this question all the time and he answered it the way he feels and frankly the way it is. It is not a neutral game for him and his players. Period...end of discussion.
It is a neutral game for the fans and yes it is great for the fans in South Georgia. And I vote to keep it in Jax because it is for the fans. But don't expect Richt to come out and agree that this game is neutral in all aspects.
As I have said all along, the biggest deal has been the grotesque advantage Florida has had in coaching, players and the WEEK OFF prior to the WLOCP. Those have been a much bigger issue than the game location.
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huntgator
Magistrate
Son.Of. A.Bitch!!!
Posts: 2,256
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Post by huntgator on May 12, 2009 10:17:41 GMT -5
Oh, Oh.....I see the flea circus is stirred up again...
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Post by bigdawgs on May 12, 2009 10:19:48 GMT -5
No hunt, it appears someone poked a stick in a dumb ass Gator's eye. ;D
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Post by athens on May 12, 2009 10:20:13 GMT -5
Oh, Oh.....I see the flea circus is stirred up again... Zip it, crooked meat...
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Post by RHVGator on May 12, 2009 10:24:07 GMT -5
when 2 threads collide:
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Post by tophb21 on May 12, 2009 10:24:30 GMT -5
I can see the tradition and do think that it will stay there in all likelyhood. But maybe they would like another home game every other year. I don't know what type of monetary agreement they have in Jax, but home games are certainly prized. Part of what is great about college football IMO is having to go to an incredibly hostile environment to beat your rival (it happens all the time in other SEC games, maybe they want to keep this one special, don't know). Probably a topic that will never get a resolution... I've probably only ever tuned into the game a couple of times myself, so I probably really don't "understand" the tradition of it being in JaX. That being said, it doesn't seem like it's the most neutral site. For instance in the Red River Rivalry, the game at the Cotton Bowl is pretty much equidistant for both OU and UT. Is that the case for this game?
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Post by bigdawgs on May 12, 2009 10:26:05 GMT -5
No toph its not. But the tickets are split evenly and there are tons of UGA alumni in Jacksonville, N. Florida and South Georgia. For the fans it is great. But it is not the same for what the teams have to do.
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Post by tonythegator on May 12, 2009 10:26:30 GMT -5
No hunt, it appears someone poked a stick in a dumb ass Gator's eye. ;D Dumb ass? What could be more "dumb ass" than licking one's own balls and ass, and sniffing other 'Dawgs' shit? ;D
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Post by tonythegator on May 12, 2009 10:27:53 GMT -5
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Post by bigdawgs on May 12, 2009 10:27:59 GMT -5
Throw that lazy, sleeping reptile a dead rabbit. BTW, is it a Gator or Croc? ;D
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Post by bigdawgs on May 12, 2009 10:30:34 GMT -5
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- What a croc!
A large crocodile -- and not the school's namesake alligator mascot -- is featured on the cover of the University of Florida's 2003 football media guide.
A photo of Florida coach Ron Zook leading the team onto the field is superimposed over the olive green crocodile. The words "Florida" and "2003 Football Guide" also appear on the front, but the word "Gators" is absent.
Florida spokesman Steve McClain said he regrets the error.
"We asked for an alligator, we paid for an alligator and unfortunately we did not get an alligator," McClain told The Associated Press late Tuesday in a telephone interview. "It's unfortunate, it's somewhat embarrassing obviously, but the bottom line is we thought we were getting an alligator."
The school was looking for a certain "design element" for the cover, McClain said, but none of the school's stock photography matched what the media relations staff needed.
The school sought outside help for a picture, employing a number of production companies to help with the search. After a picture was found, the error was unfortunately not caught before production, McClain said.
American crocodiles have pointy snouts and are found mostly in mangroves where fresh and saltwater mix. They are a light, olive-green color.
Alligators have broad snouts, live mainly in freshwater surroundings and are nearly black. They are found throughout Florida and vastly outnumber the state's stock of crocs.
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huntgator
Magistrate
Son.Of. A.Bitch!!!
Posts: 2,256
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Post by huntgator on May 12, 2009 10:31:00 GMT -5
OK, got it Big!
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Post by BTB07 on May 12, 2009 10:31:15 GMT -5
Give them a break on that one BD. That was during the Zooker era...
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Post by tophb21 on May 12, 2009 10:31:33 GMT -5
No toph its not. But the tickets are split evenly and there are tons of UGA alumni in Jacksonville, N. Florida and South Georgia. For the fans it is great. But it is not the same for what the teams have to do. Gotcha. Probably wasn't an issue when you guys only lost 5 times in a 20 year span in the 70's and 80's.
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