Critic responds to barking fans
October 17, 2007 by The Red and Black Archives
Filed under Opinions
Ignorant. Hypocrite. Absurd. Redneck. Blowhard. Pompous. Micromanager. Arrogant. Traitor.
These are just a few insults I can print in a family newspaper. If I had suggested the Bible is a hoax, I might have stirred up more debate than last week’s commentary about the Georgia Bulldogs.
Maybe.
Many people are advocates of free speech – until you disagree with them. Then you become a babbling fool. They think the First Amendment applies only to them.
So far, the e-mails and calls were either:
1) You are an idiot with no brains.
2) Thanks for having the guts to tell the truth.
This translates into 24 percent angry. The angry want to run my “how-dare-you-say-that, sorry behind” out of Sanford Stadium forever. And 76 percent barked, “Amen!”
Despite what my critics think, I am not anti-Coach Mark Richt. He’s right for the University of Georgia. His actions and comments on national TV after the last-second win over Vanderbilt proved Coach Richt is a treasured asset.
My hypothetical “tough love” conversation with the coach was meant to be constructive, not destructive.
Consider our losses and close wins over the last couple of seasons. You don’t have to wear shoes with cleats or headphones to know we need more defensive hustle.
Too many times we’ve been caught flat-footed. In business and athletics, winning is accomplished by doing all you can and then some. Many of us yearn for the defensive intensity ignited by the bald-headed butting of Erk Russell and his Junkyard Dogs. Erk was a master at extracting “and then some.” Losses are inevitable, but let’s go down giving it all we’ve got and then some.
A few fans were incensed that I called for an incentive pay plan. Coach Richt already has one.
I proposed doubling his base salary and increasing the stakes in his bonuses. Like it or not, football is a huge economic engine for the University.
The more successful the team, the better everything is across the campus. That’s why I like the businesslike approach of increasing incentives for winning. Look what the Herschel Walker Era did for us. Look what the Mark Richt Era has done to bring Glory, Glory back. And he’s just beginning.
Twenty years ago, when I was on the Univ. athletic board, I was uncomfortable with the side deals coaches made with Nike and broadcast companies. I still believe all revenue should go through the Athletic Association’s cash register. And the University can add the appropriate amount to the coach’s pay.
In the last few days, I have amended my stance on one issue – the graduation rate of football players.
Coach Richt has extraordinary leadership skills. And when he leads the Bulldogs out of the SEC basement to the top in this category, I’m for splitting a $1 million bonus with him and the staff who helped in achieving this goal. Football is temporary for most, but a degree is forever for all.
For the hecklers who question my loyalty, I invite you to examine the last 41 years. You are entitled to draw your own conclusions.
And when my family can gather for a meal, under the table are 16 feet that have stepped forward to receive diplomas from the University of Georgia. We are 100 percent University grads – and lifetime members of the Alumni Association. Even two grandsons under the age of four are members.
Coach Richt, we bleed red and black. And we’ll bleed for you and our team. Sic ‘em, woof, woof.
- Dink NeSmith is a 1970 University graduate and the president of Community Newspapers, Inc., based in Athens. He is also the former president of the Georgia Alumni Association and is an emeritus member of the Board of Directors of the UGA Athletic Association.
