Now That I Think About It...

[DRU2012]

Given everything that has happened in the time since Meyer "went weird"--I figure everything that's happened since that "drama queen"-episode, the subsequent lack of attention or interest in his team, the poor choices and bad coaching , the sleazy exit and everything else, was at least "possible", if not "predictable" if we were all thinking straight and seeing things clearly--we should probably be thankful that we didn't end up on sanctions ourselves as a result of that period...
I just hope I'm not speaking too soon: I suspect there'll be more revelations and recriminations coming in the months ahead. It is somewhat ironic that our best chance at that NOT happening is that the supposedly nonexistent "Circle of Trust" really DOES belatedly fall into formation and show some solidarity with their mentor, enabler and protector, and manages to keep their collective mouths shut during this period of competitive digging among the anti-Gator Nation media. As long as whatever "tales" out there stay second- and third-hand, it'll all likely stay smoke, not fire, and finally catch up with Meyer himself, if anyone at all--which is as it SHOULD be. I guess what worries me is that so seldom is there such justice in the end.

 

[Escambia94]

I hate to say this, but all the winning programs go through this. USC and its Hollywood, private school atmosphere revels in it. Alabama with its crooked police that cover up athletes--they build dynasties off it. Miami buying thugs off the street, and only recent has fallen behind because those thugs now come to public universities like Florida and FSU.

Hate Meyer all you want. Finding an honest coaching staff like Spurrier was a rarity. We hope that Muschamp can duplicate it, but it history and statistics are not on his side.

 

[Escambia94]

And, yes, if I knew that we would win two MNCs with 22 arrests in 6 years and go 15-13 over the last two years...I would still do it again. Those MNCs give us clout to build an honest program if we choose to.

 

[DRU2012]

"Like" AND "Agree":
Your last point is ESPECIALLY well-taken E-: Not only do they "give us the clout", but they set a benchmark starting point of where we (and Coach Boom) were starting from when he arrived, AND an abject lesson in the chaos, weakness and turmoil produced in the end by Meyer's, indeed anyone's decision to "win now and damn the costs"--especially if/when you lose interest, get distracted, or the escalating need to wall-off what's done and go even further to repeat similar success otherwise inevitably gets away from you.
I am starting to believe, btw, that we are truly witnessing a similarly well-timed change from manipulative, cynical exploitation to more tough-minded-yet-honorable steady-handed long-term managing of a program to be based on tight bonds and a Head Coach's personal vision of "the right way to do things", just as we did when SS came in a generation ago--and once again, just in time.

(PS--I notice your change-in-"Location" is now reflected in your "Thumbnail profile": Is that in anticipation of the move, or has that by now actually taken place--or something "in between"? Interested, just asking...)

 

[Escambia94]

The move will occur in two weeks.

I should modify my statements slightly. The best teams have thugs and kids with questionable backgrounds that are led by exceptional leaders on and off the field. The good schools attract both the thugs and the good kid leaders. This is true historically, but there are exceptions.

 

[Leakfan12]

I hate to say this, but all the winning programs go through this. USC and its Hollywood, private school atmosphere revels in it. Alabama with its crooked police that cover up athletes--they build dynasties off it. Miami buying thugs off the street, and only recent has fallen behind because those thugs now come to public universities like Florida and FSU.

Hate Meyer all you want. Finding an honest coaching staff like Spurrier was a rarity. We hope that Muschamp can duplicate it, but it history and statistics are not on his side.

I think finding an honest coaching staff today is going to be hard. I think most (if not all) football programs are doing something shady and the Big time programs (TOSU, The U) are getting away with it because the NCAA have no guts. AT least with the two titles, they've won more titles than FSU. Also anyone like to see Meyer on a motorcycle with a blonde staffer (sadly I did go there).

 

[DRU2012]

Leakfan12, Escambia94
The most realistic-yet-hopeful thing I can say in relation to both of your assessments is this: I believe the best of the young Head Coaches must walk a tightrope wire out there...Our own Coach Boom I think really does have a vision of us (as he puts it) "doing things the right way, the Florida way"--and understands that the "fine edge" he's walking cuts the air between going after talent, while at the same time taking into account the character that underlies that talent, AND the likelihood that each of these individuals can become part of the team he envisions. That is, to never lose sight of the degree to which all the parts may eventually be able to FIT TOGETHER. He and his coaches can never hope to get it ALL right, but with that attitude and level of awareness, they can at least hope to get enough of what they're after and enough of it right to give them an edge over the full-on "star-chasers"--and ultimately field a TEAM of self-disciplined, self-motivated and mutually supporting hard-chargers who are able to accomplish things together that a selfish collection of "highly-rated" individuals somehow will never achieve.

 

[DRU2012]

(PS-- Leakfan12 While I give him props and the benefit of the doubt that, despite a long and still growing list of criticisms I have for him (now and in retrospect), Urban Meyer IS by all overt and covert signs a truly faithful husband and family man, the fact that I can in no way even imagine him on that mythical "motorcycle with a blond on the back"--and don't believe HE can imagine that either--is, on a certain level, its own kind of "problem" for him:
That is, he's got a poker so far up his butt I don't think the man could relax if it ever even occurred to him that it might be a good idea to do so. The thing is about guys like that, they have a way of eventually self-destructing, one way or another (we may well have already seen what is only "Warning Episode 1", back in late-'09)--all for want of a single, "kick out the jams" moment. Just sayin', Lf.)

(In some alternate universe, a doctor might naturally write a prescription along the lines of:
"Patient has pre-cardial breakdown male uptightness syndrome...recommended treatment=
Take one blond-on-back-of-Harley and call me in the morning."
Would any wife and family object if it were believed this "saved his life"? In THIS world, sadly, YES...Thus, we have Corvettes.)

 

[DRU2012]

Here's another thought entirely (just throwing it out there):
While I'm either (choose one) (1) waxing ironical with tongue planted firmly in cheek, OR (2) suffering from intense post-spring interseasonal Gator Football-withdrawal, it occurs to me in all of this that we have GOTTEN ABSURDLY LUCKY TWICE regarding coaches the last couple of years:
The first time was when, in our willful blindness we refused to see and/or fully realize how our once top-performing Head Coach was completely "losing it", and in the process presiding over the fumbling near ruination of a once-Championship caliber team and program in near-record time, Meyer's own cop-out and eventual betrayal opened the way, even forced on us what is turning out to be a full-on, just-in-time upgrade at the Head Coach-position here at UF.
When that admittedly defensive-minded coach, Will Muschamp, with our blessings and wide-eyed approval and optimism brought in Charlie Weis as OC that same year to install the "Pro-style offense" he wanted run in counterpoint to his defense, and THAT turned out to be a major if unforeseeable error, once again it was the coach himself, this time Weis who, contrary to his sworn promises when he arrived of "this being a long-term move" and (as we heard in Meyer's case) him "being a proud member now of the Gator family", bailed on us for the first Head Coaching job offered to him after just the one season, despite our immediate fears that this might be disastrous, in truth we AGAIN caught a break in his leaving AND in Pease, his eventual replacement, again an "upgrade" (in every meaning of that word) and THEN some.
All in all, I'm starting to believe there's a certain "destiny" at work here: yes we've got Jeremy Foley, and now Will Muschamp and by now a slew of coaches all smart, dedicated, driven and on the same page, there's been a clear run of good fortune here as well, a real "complex personnel-combination-shot", you might say.