Identity Crisis: How Will We Remember the Richt Era?
by donkeydawg on Jul 7, 2009 10:20 AM EDT
10 comments
As it happens, I'm a blogger by trade, and just yesterday wrote five posts for three different national political sites. But I've been as nervous and excited as a prom-night teenager about the invitation to do a guest post here at Dawg Sports.
The obvious thing to write about today is the Senate hearing on the BCS' alleged antitrust violations. But that's too much like the day job, and frankly, the whole subject bores me to death. I'm sure the Senator himself will cover that story with the requisite skill and skepticism. Just wake me up when the whole issue is resolved.
Instead, I'd like to ask everyone a question that's been on my mind as we look forward to this most unpredictable of Georgia football seasons: after eight seasons under Mark Richt, has the Georgia program formed a clear identity? And if so, what are the characteristics of the Richt Era, beyond the Ws and Ls and the individual stars?
I don't know when, exactly, the identity of Georgia football formed during the Dooley Era, but it was indelibly clear by the early 1980s. It was summed up by two phenomena that we saw over and over on the field: the long, fourth-quarter drive that ate the clock, clinched the game and broke the spirit of many an opponent; and the defensive stand deep in Bulldog territory. With that identity came three deeply reassuring features of the program that fans of less stable regimes had to envy: Georgia rarely lost to inferior teams, rarely blew leads, and rarely played poorly at home. Yes, there were rare exceptions. I was in Athens in 1977, and suffered through the previously unimaginable ignominy of a 31-0 loss to the snooty Cavaliers of Virginia at homecoming. But soon Herschel arrived, and all was forgiven.
That's why the South Carolina game of September 30, 1989, so shockingly marked the end of the Dooley Era. That day the Dawgs lost at home to a second-half Gamecock surge, and ended the game with Georgia QB Greg Talley being sacked three consecutive times. It was deeply confusing; it wasn't Georgia Football; and it was a sign of very bad things to come.
So tell me, ye grey-headed Boomers who remember the Dooley Era, and ye pups who grew up with the depressing formlessness of the Goff and Donnen tenures. What's at the core of the identity of Georgia football under Mark Richt? Is it the remarkable road record? The offensive innovation? The dominant defensive line play epitomized by Pollack that briefly seemed to reemerge late in 2007? Will we most remember the brilliant All-Americans and the stunning individual wins from the Hobnail Boot to Evil Richt and the First Blackout?
I'm sure I don't know. But I do think the program's identity may hang in the balance this coming year. Richt's brilliant road record will be burnished or tarnished at Okie State, Arkansas, Tennessee and Tech. We'll soon know if the inspiring defensive performances so common under Van Gorder are a thing of the past. We'll find out if the Dawgs can excel without established superstars at the skill positions. And by December, we should have a much better idea whether Mark Richt is building a perennial powerhouse or just a very good if somewhat erratic program whose low points (Tennessee in 2006 and 2007, and last year's three losses) are offset by moments of greatness that will nourish our memories for many off-seasons to come.
Go Dawgs!
0 recs |
10 comments
Email
Print
Comments
Interesting post
My question to you is this: Does the Mark Richt “era” have to be defined by a singular ‘thing’ or event?
I say no simply because of the way college football has continued (and will undoubtedly continue) to evolve over the past decade. If anything I look past the attitude our team displays on the field or the memorable plays we’ve seen over these past eight years (and there have certainly been many memorable plays) and I look more to the man himself. I mean honestly, is there a man you respect more in the game of college football? He simply does things the right way on the field (cocktail celebration excepted) and off it. In a society full of ‘me too’s’ and ‘what have you done for me lately’s’ CMR is a breath of fresh air.
The 2009-10 campaign is sure to be an interesting one if for no other reason than the sheer number of question marks we have moving into the season. But I, unlike many in the Bulldog nation, am confident and I think a few folks in the national media are going to be munching on some crow come November.
Time will tell how we remember the Mark Richt Era, but I for one am glad that the story is still being told. It’s been a great ride thus far and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Go Dawgs!
by Texan_Dawg on Jul 7, 2009 6:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
A a guy who restored UGA to national prominence:
And this is perhaps where Mark Richt is under appreciated by some fans (b/c they measure success by NCs):
You really can’t underestimate how drastically the climate of college football changed in the 80s and 90s. In that short time the state of Florida quickly produced three football programs that were arguably the most dominant/successful of that time period. In short, the state of Florida signaled that they were here to stay as a major player in college football (both as a recruiting hot bed as a competitor).
Moreover, not only did UGA slip behind the big three from the state of Florida but we also slipped behind SEC rivals like Auburn & Tennessee. Heck even Tech won a NC in the 90s.
To be frank I think UGA’s program developed a bit of an inferiority complex during this time, especially going into Jacksonville.
So when Mark Richt came onto the job, he had a lot on his plate. And he’s really tackled the job in a step by step fashion the way you’d handle any restoration job.
First, he got us back on par with programs in the south outside of Florida. I mean within his first two years he put the program back on par with Auburn and UT. As of the close of the 08 football season, I’d say it would fair to say that he had taken UGA passed both of those programs. (We won three in a row vs. Auburn for the first time since the Herschel Walker era and have won the vast majority of our contests with UT. Moreover, the fact that CTT and CPF also helps).
2) Recently he’s made a concretated effort on overcoming that psychological block in JAX. I mean post 07 I’d say we’d under performed in JAX. Heck even in 04 with Zook on the way out we still nearly lost the game. It seemed pretty clear that we needed to play loser and more confident if we were gonna have a shot at winning that game. That’s why the celebration was huge. We came out confident, hell cocky and put one on them.
And although UF really rubbed our nose in it in 08, CMR seems like he’s made this year’s contest a primary focus this offseason. (posters in the weight room with the score). He’s hungry for another W. And he knows that winning that contest gives us the best chance of playing in the SECC and earning a chance of playing for the NC. Heck with just one less loss or one more UT loss and we’re in the SECC and who knows maybe even the NC.
3) Next,, with his website, twitter etc., he’s really working on making UGA football a national brand the way his mentor Bobby Bowden at FSU (albit without the computer technology). We’re certainly recruiting players from other areas of the country just as FSU has been able to do for so long.
by charlottedawg on Jul 7, 2009 7:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Charlottedawg hit the nail on the head
I’m not sure what label you put on it but CMR brought a once proud program out of the darkness that is mediocrity. In the 90’s I went into games against our rivals hoping to win. However in the CMR era I go into games against our rivals expecting to win.
by deanpat92 on Jul 8, 2009 7:59 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
One year won't make his reputation
The 2009 road schedule won’t
burnish or tarnishRicht’s legacy at Georgia. That’s trying to look at a broad topic through a small lens.
The on-field characteristics of the CMR era thusfar:
-Dominance over the SEC non-elite
-Winning records over the SEC elite, except..
-Unable to turn the tide against UF
-Dominance over Tech
-Insane road record
-Undefeated in season openers
-Great bowl record
-Confusing positional placement of some talent (Brandon Miller, Marcus Howard, Richard Samuel, Ricardo Crawford to name a few)
-Loyalty to/stable coaching staff
That’s really about it. As the years go by, these will change some. It’s a mistake though to place ultimate importance on something as small as one season’s road schedule. If this question were posed after 2005 and then again halfway through 2006, you’d have probably had extremely different opinions. You’ve got to step back and take all evidence into account and weight it equally.
by Hobnail_Boot on Jul 8, 2009 3:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
2009 as an "identity year"
I really appreciate Hobnail Boot’s willingness to offer a detailed summary of CMR’s legacy so far, and feel the need to reply to his unhappiness about my emphasis on 2009, and specifically, the 2009 road record.
Perhaps I wasn’t clear enough, but my hypothesis was that after eight years, CMR’s not a new coach anymore, and the program can’t perpetually be evaluated (pace Charlottedawg) in terms of a revival from the previous two regimes. Moreover, the team’s performance since 2005 has been ambiguous enough that we can’t simply assume the program is on some sort of endless upward trajectory. There have been some incredible highs and some very depressing lows during that time, a not a few surprises. 2009 seems significant to me because it’s the kind of season where the key intangible may well be coaching, if only because we have a lot of raw talent and few superstars. If, as I personally expect, we have a very good year, then a lot of the doubts about the program that have emerged since 2005 may well be put to rest.
Hobnail Boot is right that 2009’s road record won’t massively change CMR’s statistics, but it’s the sort of schedule that could well challenge or confirm the assumption that the Dawgs are virtually impervious to the home field factors that are usually so important in college football. All four of the road games I mentioned are likely to be “statement games” for our opponents, with an enormous amount of pregame hype and fan-base excitement. If we win them all, then the “Road Warrior” rep will, in fact, be burnished.
by donkeydawg on Jul 8, 2009 6:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Thanks for the further clarification. As to your point that all of our road games have the potential to be “statement games”, I can buy that theory.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think that a lot of the questions you have – along with a lot of other people, too – stem from the fact that for the first time since Richt arrived in Athens, there really is no clear-cut “story-line” going into the season. I actually am considering writing up a fan post about this, but briefly:
01 – New Regime
02 – Clock/TO management
03 – Oh-so-close, can the momentum continue? Pollack/Greene. Will we ever beat UF again? Will DJ transfer?
04 – High expectation. Great senior class. Revenge against LSU.
05 – DJ’s year. Can Richt win w/o Donnan’s recruits? Can Richt win w/o Van Gorder? Big test against Boise.
06 – QB battle
07 – Stafford’s the man. Will Knowshon be as good as we hope? Big test against oSu.
08 – Championship or bust. Offseason arrests. Injuries.
09 – ??
So, that’s my running theory anyway.
by Hobnail_Boot on Jul 8, 2009 11:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
a fine coach
Born in 75, so too young to remember the early 80s, my first game was the 89 Peach Bowl in Atl Fulton County against Syracuse, lived through the Goff years, went to school with the Donnan years. Lived in Athens in the Richt years.
Sorry, I’m the spoiled little kid – I want the NC. I think the people who argue the only “true” championship is the SEC are just in denial of the importance of the NC in terms of national perception. I appreciate that we run a clean program and compete at high levels and loved every minute of the 02 and 05 SECC games. But I fall into that camp that thinks while CMR is a fine coach and a good man, I worry that he doesn’t have the killer instinct to win it all. It’s fine to believe that if we just play the games, eventually all will fall into place. But I want the Evil Richt of late 2007 that went out and stepped on people’s throats. I want him to make our luck rather than have it fall our way. I think that over the course of the next 25 years, he’ll continue to average 10 wins, win an SEC every couple of years and we’ll be a perinnial top 10 program. Would I fire him if that’s all that happens over the next 25 years? Nope. And I do hope that that consistency will be met with all the right things falling into place one year (or many). But at this point, would I trade him for Carroll, Stoops, Tressel or Meyer? Yes.
The identity at this point and no matter how long he’s here, until he wins a NC (fair or not) – the identity of will be exactly what the national perception is – nice guy, good coach of a top 10 program that coughs up the inexplicable loss and can’t win the big one.
Yes, that is my son. Yes, that is a bottle of Crown.
by BCDawg97 on Jul 8, 2009 8:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Richt, This Season, and NCs
Thought I might crash the party all you dawgs…..and applaud the perspective that this season is a definitive crossroad for Richt and his staff. I would be the first to tell you I fought the same fight up on The Hill in honor of Fulmer and lost in dramatic fashion. While there were several events that had transpired over numerous seasons and Richt has no where near worn out his welcome as Fulmer did, the Dawg Nation will have a much clearer and stronger picture about Richt’s tenure at UGA after this year.
In my eyes, the SEC Championship is the undisputed crown. You win it and you have won the championship of the best college football conference in the nation. As for the NC quest, it is a noble one that is likened to electoral votes for an election of a position of status for the university that can be leveraged to reel in recruits in the following years. Oh, and bragging rights when you are arguing with me at the water cooler. So while a good quest, don’t make the same mistake the Vol Nation has and use it in the argument in deciding the fate of the Richt era. Good luck.
See ya October 10th. Oh, and don’t forget to wear your big boy pants.
by Rocky Top on Jul 9, 2009 10:58 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
CMR Ain't Quite "Standin' At the Crossroad"
Pleased as I am that this thread attracted one of our orange friends from the Smokies, I must say I don’t think “crossroad” is the right term for CMR or the Dawg program in 2009. I used the term “identity year,” because eventually we have to stop comparing CMR to his two predecessors and get a fix on the program he is creating. “Crossroad” implies a struggling situation that appears likely to go either up or down decisively, and I understand that’s where Fulmer was after his first losing season in 2005.
Richt hasn’t had a losing season, and for all the frustrations of the last two years, has won 21 games in those “disappointing” years. So he’s at a pivotal year, but not quite standin’ at the crossroad.
by donkeydawg on Jul 9, 2009 10:02 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Fell Down on my knees.....(or Stillwater Blues)
Good point, which I think I eluded to when I said, “Richt is nowhere near wearing out his welcome.” My point is, and I am actually defending Richt-why I don’t really know, I have lived in Athens for five years and your fan base that I live and work worth, wife included, is showing signs of running the danger that we as Braves fans knew after all those Pennants. Which Richt has had only two, the same number as Fulmer, if I am not mistaken.
If the Dawgs have a four loss season which you have to admit is very possible, it is safe to say that the rumblings that started in 2000 on The Hill will start on North Campus. Truth be said, this Vol thinks you have the best coach in the SEC and if it hadn’t been “bring your dad to work day” up at UT I would’ve been fine with us keeping the Great Pumpkin, as you say in these parts, and keeping our 3-2 record vs. you crazy Dawgs in the last five years.
by Rocky Top on Jul 10, 2009 8:02 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
