Time for the children to grow up.

Posted by Mike

For two seasons now it has been my belief CMR is drowning in a quagmire of his own making. In a moment of weakness he encouraged his team to get penalized against Florida. He encouraged them to break the rules.

Small zebras, afraid of a possible riot, toss the flags to gain control. If you won't, we will. We have been living under their thumb ever since.

Two seasons ago Jeff Owens was injured. On the Sunday morning show CMR said he felt bad for his player getting hurt, but at least he a Jeff would get to hang out together for one more year. Owens, CMR, Stafford and Moreno were on a bowling team together.

“Hang out together.”

We must have practiced and lifted and conditioned somewhere between the bowling team and trips to the university pool for swim time.

There is no doubt CMR loves his players and UGA, but being liked and loved can only get you so far. Unless the players finally realize they had better do it for CMR bad things wait. Their friend is in trouble. He has protected, coddled and covered for them. His faith strong tells him there is a difference to be made and he'll turn the other cheek in arrest after arrest, penalty after penalty, fumble after fumble, never throwing a kid under the bus, always taking the heat for them.

He is in short a good man, but not a great coach. We've heard his accolades for ten years, and somehow we have known the truth.

There is a similar coaching personality just an hour from Athens, and he was heralded as a hero last weekend. Bobby Cox will get between umpires, fans, media or anything that may threaten one of his players, and in turn, professional spoiled brats will fight like the devil to deliver for the old boy and claw your eyes out to win for him.

The difference is one of professionalism and maturity.

The question now is will the UGA players grow up and deliver for their embattled coach? Will they discipline themselves, cut out the off field crap and beat Tennessee? Can they stop dancing on the field long enough to realize what is at stake for their coach, university and state?

A further meltdown and coaching change will set the program back years. Oh sure it worked out at Alabama, but lets review a few names. Shula-Price-Frachione-Dubose. It didn't happen overnight and it wouldn't here either.

UGA players, your friend is in trouble. Time to grow up.