Folks, a win is a win - STOP COMPLAINING!

[O-town Gator]

After reading Ben Volin's newest blog entry at the PBP after the Vandy game (http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/gatorbytes/2009/11/08/sunday-rewind-yes-urban-meyer-the-gators%e2%80%99-win-over-vanderbilt-was-%e2%80%98ho-hum%e2%80%99/#more-2612 ) I wanted to ask this question: Are we a little too jaded as a fanbase?

Sure, we had some good old-fashioned RUTS wins last season with a potent offense, strong defense and stellar special teams, but we haven't really seen those "blowout" games this year, and just like 2006 Gator fans are complaining.

To some of our fanbase, merely winning isn't enough.

On other boards, I can't believe the whining going on. In spite of the fact that we're 9-0 at this juncture, held Vandy to only a field goal on Saturday and remain atop the BCS and coaches' polls, fans are still finding nit-picky things to complain about.

It's a fact that we don't have the weapons on offense as we did last year; hey, when Percy Harvin was interview on the sidelines during the game he made mention of the same. Still, Tebow & Co. are still finding ways to get points on the board - but the fingers are now being pointed at new OC Steve Addazio because they're not happy with the offensive scheme.

I agree with Coach Meyer's post-game comment: “To the people in that (locker) room it’s not ho-hum, I can assure you,” Meyer said. “At 19-0 in the Southeastern Conference, if that’s ho-hum then you have one exciting life, man. … I don’t want to ever take anything away from what those cats have done. There is absolutely nothing ho-hum about what this team is doing.”

Coach is right. With the exception of red-zone offense we are leading the SEC in many areas, and are the second-least penalized team in the league, which is a HUGE improvement over years past. Still, fans are whining.

Gang, we don't live in a perfect world. Even though this team is a little more conservative in their approach from last year, we're still getting the "W" as an end result - but still, the armchair quarterbacks and cyberspace know-it-alls pick this team to pieces. If we're not picture-perfect, it's not OK in their eyes.

Urban Meyer isn't a clone of Steve Spurrier, and he doesn't have to pull a Ron Zook and repeat that fact X number of times. Coach knows what he's doing, has his Plan to Win implemented, and when things get a little dicey manages to find a way to capture a win in the end. In spite of that, some jaded fans still complain.

As Coach will say, at this point we're 9-0 with a chance to go 10-0. By whatever means possible, we're heading up to South Carolina to find a way to get that 10th win chalked up - if we win and it's not a pretty one, I'll still be pleased - if other Gator fans aren't, then that's their problem.

Gang, let's just rally behind this team and support them, no matter now ugly a win may be. We're ripe to have our first undefeated season in the history of our program, and that's a hell of an accomplishment - one more feather in Urban Meyer's war bonnet. These fans who won't stop griping should take a step back and see what Coach Meyer has done in the past five years; as far as I'm concerned he's taken Gator football a step further and deserves a lot more credit than he's being given by that one faction of our fanbase who seems to be singing "I cain't get no satisfaction" along with Mick Jagger.

In spite of all the fan whining back in 2006, we managed to do what some thought impossible and beat Ohio State 41-14 for the National Championship.

We can do the same again in 2009 in Pasadena.

GO GATORS!!!!!!!!!!! :gator::gator::gator:

*(FWIW, here are Buddy Martin's post-game comments: http://www.gatorcountry.com/football/article/nothing_ho_hum_about_winning/7571

 

[CinciGator]

I think some of the complaining stems from the fear that if UF isn't blowing out the unranked teams that they will somehow get bumped down in rankings. Such a thing is within the realm of possibility. Cincinnati was ranked 4th behind Iowa, squeaked by UConn and was subsequently jumped in rank by TCU.

 

[ShortBus]

I'm happy with a win, if it's by one point or 50 pts.. don't matter to me. I think a lot of the complaining comes from people know what this offense is capable of, or atleast think they do, and they want to see it week in and week out. I know i gripe about the o-line a lot. but it's a serious concern. tebow shouldn't be getting sacked 3-4 times a game. that irks me more than anything on this team is our lack of pass protection. I'm glad we can grind out games and win. if anyone notices we eat a ton of clock on our drives. it doesn't allow for high scoring games, yet we still usually come away with points.. and most importantly a W. i'll take a W over an L any day.

 

[O-town Gator]

I think some of the complaining stems from the fear that if UF isn't blowing out the unranked teams that they will somehow get bumped down in rankings. Such a thing is within the realm of possibility. Cincinnati was ranked 4th behind Iowa, squeaked by UConn and was subsequently jumped in rank by TCU.

Maybe, but they're making much ado about nothing. Honestly I don't see us slipping in the rankings, as long as we keep winning.

Based on what I've been reading, I'd like to conk some of these fools over their noggins. Since Navy beat Notre Dame, there are those who start reading too much into things, the rumor mills are spinning (kindness of that troublemaker Adelson at the "Slantinel", in part), and some of our fans are starting their nonsense as well - what part of Coach Meyer stating that Florida is now his "dream job" and that "I'm not going to Notre Dame - ever" do they fail to understand?

If some fans are expecting Urban Meyer to be a clone of Steve Spurrier, they need to cut this ridiculous crap. SOS has his own style, and so does Meyer - and that won't change. That being said, I'd hate to see Meyer leave Florida because of all the "nonsense" and the unrealistic expectations/demands/etc. from some of our fanbase who expect our guys to be nothing less than picture-perfect. For crying out loud, Tebow could wiggle a finger in a certain way and there are some who would get all bent out of shape.

Joseph Goodman at the Miami Herald is only exascerbating all this insanity, which is what we don't need - members of the media only making matters worse and egging this nonsense on: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gator_clause/2009/11/open-letter-to-florida-gators-fans-enjoy-it-while-it-lasts.html

As Susan Powter from the early informercials used to say (any of you remember her - the one with the bleached crewcut?): STOP THE INSANITY.

Everybody needs to settle down, take a deep breath, stop all their pissing and moaning - and enjoy the ride. Sensible Gator fans - I like to think I belong to that genre - are enjoying the Meyer era and are thankful that he and his family are in Gainesville instead of that rust-belt town at the tip of Lake Michigan somewhere in northern Indiana.

 

[shandsgator8]

Who is truly complaining?

I think most people are just expressing their concern that when/if we play a team like Alabama or Texas, our problems on offense may cost us the game.

It's not just that our offense isn't as explosive as last year, but those turnovers from the Arkansas and MSU game really stick in our minds. Are we going to have another game like that? Probably not, but if it's happened once, it can happen again.

 

[O-town Gator]

Who is truly complaining?

I think most people are just expressing their concern that when/if we play a team like Alabama or Texas, our problems on offense may cost us the game.

It's not just that our offense isn't as explosive as last year, but those turnovers from the Arkansas and MSU game really stick in our minds. Are we going to have another game like that? Probably not, but if it's happened once, it can happen again.

Based on my random lurking at other Gator sites, there are some fans who wouldn't be satisfied even if they were presented the world on a silver platter.

What really irks me is that the media encourages a lot of this negativity; I was annoyed beyond ad nauseam at those ESPN announcers calling the game who were going on an on about the apparent lack of enthusiasm in The Swamp that I hit the mute button on my TV remote just like I do whenever Tim Brando starts his stupid schtick on CBS broadcasts. It's bad enough the "Orlando Slantinel" keeps on playing the devil's advocate; some bozo (George Diaz) just wrote some drivel about the Gators becoming complacent before the SECCG, which won't likely happen knowing how much Coach Meyer and this team want to avoid a repeat episode of 2007.

We weren't as explosive in 2006 as we were in 2008, but our guys were determined to win and found ways to win games - and this year's team is no different. Last year's SECCG and the National Championship weren't easy games for us either, but once again we came through in both. Since the Miss. State game this team has re-focused and is committed to winning. In spite of all the negativity in the media last week, it didn't seem to permeate the locker room at all.

I have faith in these kids that they'll get the job done; I'm not sure about everybody else.

 

[GainesvillebornNraised]

Who is truly complaining?

I think most people are just expressing their concern that when/if we play a team like Alabama or Texas, our problems on offense may cost us the game.

It's not just that our offense isn't as explosive as last year, but those turnovers from the Arkansas and MSU game really stick in our minds. Are we going to have another game like that? Probably not, but if it's happened once, it can happen again.

exactly, i mean the goal is to win a championship right? why is ok to play mediocre most of the season then? and then you say i cant complain about it? :mad0235:

 

[O-town Gator]

exactly, i mean the goal is to win a championship right? why is ok to play mediocre most of the season then? and then you say i cant complain about it? :mad0235:

How is being 9-0 at his point in the season and ranked #1 in the BCS mediocre? Like I've said already, we weren't anywhere near last year's 2008 team back in 2006 and we won the National Championship.

If anybody thinks they can do a better job right now of coaching the Florida Gators than Coach Meyer's been doing, let them be my guest.

 

[MahxFahn]

Bottom Line........

2006 after the vanderbilt game
UF them
237-117

2008 after the vanderbilt game
UF them
385-107

2009 after the vanderbilt game
UF them
315-91

 

[Escambia94]

The way I see it, the problem occurs on at least 3 layers:
1) On the field, the Gators are doing what we want--winning.
2) In the eyes of the media, the Gators are not winning in such a way as to live up to sensational adjectives like "unstoppable", "juggernaut", "mighty", or some headline like "Fun-N-Gun on steroids" or "Urban Attack."
3) In the fan forums, we don't have the ammo to defend our fanaticism of the Gators. We can't claim we are the #1 offense with the #1 schedule with the #1 defense in the #1 conference. Parity has caught up to NCAA FCS football and the cool thing to do now is show how Boise St, TCU and Cincinnati belong in the limelight, because they are the headline-du-jour. The cool thing to do is show how the mighty SEC "only" has two strong teams, the rest are powderpuffs, and that Bama and Florida are not as dominant as they should be. The cool thing to do is show how Texas beats its opponents with a larger margin of victory and with gaudier numbers.

In reality, O-Town Gator is right--a win is a win, and we, as in the fans, the media, and the players, should be happy with the most important statistic, the "W." If you look at my other thread, we look good statistically. Once I found that, I stopped complaining. I realized that we are winning for a reason, it isn't just because of the referees--we are doing the minimum that it takes to win. UM knows we don't need to light up the score board in order to win, as did SOS. We will see the fruits of the team's labor at the end of this year when we win the national championship. Again. Go Gators!

 

[Leakfan12]

Well Bama fans are probably doing the same thing we are here. Complainting and reminding people they're team hasn't lost.

 

[Escambia94]

True. But, Alabama doesn't hit the headlines as much. The media is not doing Florida any favors. Alabama is barely whispered about in the sports media.

 

[O-town Gator]

2) In the eyes of the media, the Gators are not winning in such a way as to live up to sensational adjectives like "unstoppable", "juggernaut", "mighty", or some headline like "Fun-N-Gun on steroids" or "Urban Attack."

If Coach Meyer could get away with it, I'll bet he'd love to say to all these media pundits "kiss my ass". He doesn't do his job (or do anything, for that matter) just to appease the media, and neither do our guys - and it'll be a cold day in hell before they ever do.

Luckily, he lets all their drivel roll off his back. He has a job to do as do our players, and the best thing they can do right now is remain impurvious to all this nonsense and just play their game.

 

[Escambia94]

If Coach Meyer could get away with it, I'll bet he'd love to say to all these media pundits "kiss my ass". He doesn't do his job (or do anything, for that matter) just to appease the media, and neither do our guys - and it'll be a cold day in hell before they ever do.

Luckily, he lets all their drivel roll off his back. He has a job to do as do our players, and the best thing they can do right now is remain impurvious to all this nonsense and just play their game.

We, as loyal Gator fans, can be the voice of Coach Meyer. We can say things like, "Suck it, ESPN!" "Kiss my ass, CBS Sports!" Coach is being very humble in victory and "defeat", if you use media pundits' definition of "defeat."

 

[O-town Gator]

We, as loyal Gator fans, can be the voice of Coach Meyer. We can say things like, "Suck it, ESPN!" "Kiss my ass, CBS Sports!" Coach is being very humble in victory and "defeat", if you use media pundits' definition of "defeat."

Like I said before, Coach Meyer could give a rat's ass whether the media likes him or not. Types like Tim Brando and Paul Finebaum are acting petty and immature over the fact that Meyer won't grant them an interview, and they're the ones who look ridiculous. Meyer has a job to do, and paying lip service to the media is not one of his priorities. Those he does talk to seem to have some scruples, won't misinterpret his words, don't raise any controversy, and show some degree of respect towards him - examples being Buddy Martin, Pat Dooley, Tony Barnhart and Robbie Andreu.

As loyal Gator fans, the best we can do is grab Meyer's back and support him. He knows what's best for Gator football, not some hack in a broadcast booth rambling away at a computer or behind a mike, a blogger, a rumor-monger, or your average message board poster.

 

[O-town Gator]

Must-read article here: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Goals-in-sight-the-only-fair-expectation-for-Fl;_ylt=AjNQpPchV2Cex3bw9UorNAccvrYF?urn=ncaaf,202394

 

[gatorsare#1]

I'm not complaining, rather raising questions.

We need our best effort if we're going to beat Alabama and I have several questions about this team's play when they do face Alabama.

And we're still not assured of an undefeated regular season. Rag on FSU all you want about their defense, but their offense is good even with Ponder out. Hopefully we can run through their defense with ease but we're going to have to score if we want to win.

 

[Floridagators13]

yeah im just glad we got out with the W..

 

[O-town Gator]

I'm not complaining, rather raising questions.

We need our best effort if we're going to beat Alabama and I have several questions about this team's play when they do face Alabama.

And we're still not assured of an undefeated regular season. Rag on FSU all you want about their defense, but their offense is good even with Ponder out. Hopefully we can run through their defense with ease but we're going to have to score if we want to win.

I'm not all that concerned about that school out west; knowing that Coach Meyer won't tolerate complacency our guys will be ready to play that afternoon. They know too much is at stake, and they're determined to get to 12-0, which has never been done at UF.