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Good article on Kirby
Posted on 12/26/22 at 11:50 am
Posted on 12/26/22 at 11:50 am
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Smart took what he learned under Saban, put his personal spin on it and created a powerhouse underpinned by toughness, competition and top-shelf talent.
Even former Florida and South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier -- a constant thorn in the Bulldogs' side who once joked that he liked playing them early in the season because he could count on 2-3 players being suspended -- had to admit that Georgia will be "hard to catch." They're so much bigger along the line of scrimmage than they were in the past, he said, and every year they're around the top of the recruiting rankings. Last week, Georgia landed a seventh consecutive top-three signing class. "They're a big, good-looking team," Spurrier said. "Kirby's done an excellent job with their attitude and the way they play, the way they prepare each week. They don't get full of themselves. They get ready to play every week, and they have a plan, and the plan is to win 'em all. And, so far, they're on schedule to do that."
Smart took what he learned under Saban, put his personal spin on it and created a powerhouse underpinned by toughness, competition and top-shelf talent.
Even former Florida and South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier -- a constant thorn in the Bulldogs' side who once joked that he liked playing them early in the season because he could count on 2-3 players being suspended -- had to admit that Georgia will be "hard to catch." They're so much bigger along the line of scrimmage than they were in the past, he said, and every year they're around the top of the recruiting rankings. Last week, Georgia landed a seventh consecutive top-three signing class. "They're a big, good-looking team," Spurrier said. "Kirby's done an excellent job with their attitude and the way they play, the way they prepare each week. They don't get full of themselves. They get ready to play every week, and they have a plan, and the plan is to win 'em all. And, so far, they're on schedule to do that."
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Posted on 12/26/22 at 1:44 pm to Rex Feral
Very good article but hate the fact that he's giving McGarity credit for ANYTHING.
He sat on his arse and didn't wanna spend a penny when it came to staffing recruiting and facilities and the main reason he pulled the trigger on Kirby was because SC was about to snatch em up.
Screw em
He sat on his arse and didn't wanna spend a penny when it came to staffing recruiting and facilities and the main reason he pulled the trigger on Kirby was because SC was about to snatch em up.
Screw em
Posted on 12/26/22 at 4:19 pm to RD Dawg
quote:
hate the fact that he's giving McGarity credit for ANYTHING.
Yeah, I nearly lost it reading McCheapity opened up the pocket book after keeping us behind the 8 ball so many years.
Josh Brooks is the man. Watched a reply of the Natty and saw him giving Nakobe a giant bear hug afterwards. You would never see anyone hugging McGarity.
Posted on 12/26/22 at 5:45 pm to Rex Feral
I mean, maybe McGarity thought Richt would be a poor Steward of any investment, or, perhaps, Smart convinced McGarity that he was the man who would use the investment to take the program to the next level?
Is the new narrative that Richt would have won a natty had McGarity made these investments? I've heard the narrative that Richt, with a playoff, would have won one.
Is the new narrative that Richt would have won a natty had McGarity made these investments? I've heard the narrative that Richt, with a playoff, would have won one.
Posted on 12/26/22 at 5:48 pm to Cheer
Or it was Richt saying we didn't need all that shite, publicly.
Posted on 12/26/22 at 5:48 pm to Cheer
McGarity will always be OK in my book for making the unpopular decision to fire Mark Richt. It was the right move, and he took a ton of flack for that. He "anguished" over even making the decision, possibly because of just how unpopular the decision would be.
And he did open up the purse for Kirby.
Dude deserves a statue.
And he did open up the purse for Kirby.
Dude deserves a statue.
Posted on 12/26/22 at 5:50 pm to deeprig9
quote:
Or it was Richt saying we didn't need all that shite, publicly.
I only remember hearing Richt bitching about an indoor practice facility. I agreed with him about a new IPO, fwiw.
Did he really publicly say that?
Posted on 12/26/22 at 7:58 pm to Rex Feral
I posted the link for this article over on tRant and it was thusly pissed on and dismissed by the Gumps.
Ignorant douchebags.
Ignorant douchebags.
Posted on 12/26/22 at 8:04 pm to Cheer
quote:
I only remember hearing Richt bitching about an indoor practice facility. I agreed with him about a new IPO, fwiw.
Did he really publicly say that?
IPC was the hangup. So you also remember that. And that he said it.
Posted on 12/26/22 at 8:05 pm to RD Dawg
quote:
Very good article but hate the fact that he's giving McGarity credit for ANYTHING.
He sat on his arse and didn't wanna spend a penny when it came to staffing recruiting and facilities and the main reason he pulled the trigger on Kirby was because SC was about to snatch em up.
Yeah that was my only qualm w/the piece.
Howdy Doody did jack shite. In fact if it weren't for Billy Payne and other prominent boosters stepping in and telling Howdy Doody to stay in the corner and let the adults handle things, Kirby would of gone to S.Carolina and we would of been stuck w/Cousin Eddie.
Glad he's gone
Posted on 12/26/22 at 8:08 pm to Cheer
quote:
McGarity will always be OK in my book for making the unpopular decision to fire Mark Richt. It was the right move, and he took a ton of flack for that. He "anguished" over even making the decision, possibly because of just how unpopular the decision would be.
And he did open up the purse for Kirby.
Dude deserves a statue.
Posted on 12/26/22 at 8:12 pm to SteelerBravesDawg
quote:
I posted the link for this article over on tRant and it was thusly pissed on and dismissed by the Gumps.
Ignorant douchebags.
What did you expect?
It's a long article that could be summed up in a couple sentences.
Kirby brought Saban's blueprint to UGA and it is working well. Saban seems to be becoming a shell of his former self (despite winning the NC in 2020, beating UGA for the SEC Championship in 2021, and going #1 in recruiting this year). Insert 3 amusing anecdotes. Print.
Why wouldn't an Alabama fan piss on that article?
Shlabach is a formulaic writer. This is red meat click bait for UGA fans like us, but this is not a "great" sports article.
Posted on 12/26/22 at 8:23 pm to Cheer
quote:
McGarity will always be OK in my book for making the unpopular decision to fire Mark Richt. It was the right move, and he took a ton of flack for that. He "anguished" over even making the decision, possibly because of just how unpopular the decision would be.
And he did open up the purse for Kirby.
Dude deserves a statue.
I agree with all of this. Firing Richt wasn't popular. So many of us were content with 10 wins and the occasional contending for a title. I was on the fence about the firing, I saw both sides, and there were many melts. My favorite melt was "Now Jacob Eason won't come here! Our program is doomed!" They said this out loud and weren't kidding.
As an aside... there's a very interesting Venn diagram with those people overlapped with the Stet-hating cvnts of 2021.
Posted on 12/26/22 at 8:52 pm to deeprig9
You're giving most Bama fans too much credit for even being able to read
Posted on 12/26/22 at 8:53 pm to deeprig9
quote:
Firing Richt wasn't popular
I didn't agree w/firing CMR but I understood it.
Posted on 12/26/22 at 9:15 pm to SteelerBravesDawg
quote:
Dude deserves a statue.
Hell yeah. Put it right up the hill from BM so me and the dogs can piss on it when we walk by ever day
Posted on 12/26/22 at 11:26 pm to deeprig9
quote:
Firing Richt wasn't popular. So many of us were content with 10 wins and the occasional contending for a title.
I was totally on board with firing CMR after the shite-show of a Georgia-Florida game that year. But ONLY if they had a plan for his replacement and they were able to get their man.
Clearly, Smart was their man and they got him. Only time would tell if he was going to be a success, but I was okay with it regardless because they clearly had a plan, stuck with it, and were successful in pulling it off.
Looking back on it, I don't think any other university in my lifetime has pulled off a similar feat. Fired a coach averaging 10 wins a year and then got an even better coach. Amazing.
Posted on 12/27/22 at 3:17 am to deeprig9
quote:
My favorite melt was "Now Jacob Eason won't come here! Our program is doomed!"
Yep. "Eason committed to Richt!"
There was a very real outcry about Eason, which was, really, just a facade for those who would have made Richt HBC for life, no matter the state of the program (which was terrible in 2015, no matter the record.) When Eason committed anyway, their collective head imploded. That was a big get for Kirby, as our QB room was dogshit. No one ever talked about how a "great recruiter" and former QB, QB coach, and OC, could ever allow the room to come to such disrepair that one recruit would make or break a class.
These folk were also the ones that spent 2016 (and into 2017) pointing out every growing pain experienced by Kirby and posting Mark Richt "Miss Me Yet?" memes.
I really came to despise that part of the base, as it was clear, to me, that as long as anyone listened to that SIZEABLE portion of the base, UGA would never achieve it's full potential. Thankfully, most have come to accept that shite-canning Richt was the right move, but will still downvote you into oblivion for mentioning Richt in a negative light or pointing out his flaws, one of which was his recruiting. People literally said that Richt was a great recruiter and that Richt did so well because "Mama's want their sons to play for a Christian man like Richt". Lulz.
Richt was recruiting stars, not positional needs, and his classes were, usually, forth best (or worse) in the SEC.
I couldn't say much about this venn diagram between Richt acolytes and Stet. I could have been quoted as saying that "if Stet is our best option at QB, then we haven't recruited or developed that position well".
I was wrong about Stet but right, I believe, about recruiting that position, at the time. I think that has been rectified.
Posted on 12/27/22 at 3:18 am to miledawg
quote:
so me and the dogs
...so the dogs and I...
Posted on 12/27/22 at 3:32 am to GoldenDawg
quote:
Looking back on it, I don't think any other university in my lifetime has pulled off a similar feat. Fired a coach averaging 10 wins a year and then got an even better coach. Amazing.
You're probably right, which makes the McGarity decision all the more ballsy and amazing. A true riverboat gambler.
Maybe Ohio State and Tressel?
Anyway, as much as I loathed Richt, I was shocked when I initially read the news, so I don't begrudge anyone the initial reaction. On the surface, it made little sense. To the casual, most programs would have fricking killed to have had UGAs results over that 15 year stretch.
But there were some that knew that UGA was capable of much, much more.
Honestly, if Richt would have had a working blueprint and the unfettered access to any funding he needed in 2001, I do believe that he could have made the leap to the top. But throwing $$$ at 2015-2016 Richt would have been throwing good money after bad. I think he was tired and past giving a shite, on cruise control. You saw it with his staff, his recruiting, and his development. The joke was that he was going to retire and become a missionary, and perhaps there was some truth to that.
But, his firing shocked him as well, and I think rekindled a bit of desire in him, which is why he took the job at UM.
Then retired two years in.
Richt was, really, just clocking in and drawing a paycheck at the end.
Who would invest in that?
So, in that light, firing a 10 win coach made sense. But, we all knew about Pelini and Nebraska, so it was a tough pill to swallow for most.
Ballsy move. Stuff of legend.
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