Pre-Signing Day Distractions of Diplomacy

BUI had big plans for this year’s recruiting season. Those plans have not panned out for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is my lowered expectations.

I have long feared we would have a down year in recruiting due to all the negative muckraking about Coach Mark Richt and the Georgia Bulldogs. Chris Low has made it his personal mission to the solid foundation Coach Richt has built.

Nick Saban and ‘Lil Kiffin both understood their success would be built upon the fertile recruiting grounds of Georgia. As a Knoxville homer and a Saban sycophant, Low was all too willing to do their bidding.

Paul Finebaum, who believes Saban could show Tebow the proper way to walk on water, got the “Mark Richt Smear Campaign” underway in earnest last summer.

A disappointing season resulted in the dismissal of some coaching “wood” and led to a dramatic coaching search. The muckraking narrative, born for recruiting purposes, was deployed during the DC search, feeding off of itself. The refrain became, “Why would Kirby take the DC position at Georgia when he can wait a year or two and be the HC in Athens?”

An effective weapon of distraction should be imitated. Auburn’s Gene Chizik, Carolina’s Spurrier, FSU’ Fisher, and Florida’s Meyer have all gotten in on the act. Each warning Georgia recruits of Mark Richt’s uncertain status in Athens while proclaiming they only want what is best for their young 17-18 year old audience.

That is right, the dean of SEC Coaches, the most stable man in the league, is being sold as “uncertain” and recruits are buying into it. Why? Because ESPN and Paul Finebaum say so. The coaches point them to the articles, the kids believe it must be true because they read it on ESPN.com.

The “SEC Arms Race” has been written about on several occasions. The topics most often mentioned include coaches’ salaries, facilities, and budget bloat. Never, never will you read a piece published by a main stream media organization citing the arms race that is going on with the recruitment of media personalities and the stories they write.

This is where Georgia is most vulnerable and the flank from which we receive the most damage.

For years, all Steve Spurrier had to do was pick up a phone and he could have a narrative in print on any topic he chose. Never one to work the recruiting roads very hard, Spurrier preferred to let the “journalists” do his recruiting for him. They did his bidding, he gave them access. I don’t know if he was the first, probably not, but Spurrier perfected the technique. Saban has taken it to a new level.

Georgia, Mark Richt’s Georgia, does not utilize such techniques.

The Grady school has graduated many exceptional journalists to positions of national prominence in the sports journalism world. Unfortunately, the Grady school must do a good job of teaching its pupils to remain neutral in their coverage.

Tony Barnhardt’s stage is probably bigger than Finebaum’s but Tony checks his Georgia loyalties at the keyboard. In the ESPN world, Chris Low couldn’t be Mark Schlabach’s water boy. Schalbach, ever the professional, resists all temptations to defend his alma mater from Low’s attacks. In fact, Schlabach can be accused of going to far in the other direction in his efforts to remove even the slightest appearance of bias. It should also be noted Alabama’s most prominent media member, Rece Davis, goes out of his way to remove his Bama loyalties from his work.

These fine journalists are to be commended. Even if it frustrates me.

The same can not be said for others. Chris Low does two things, he links to other’s articles and he takes assignments. Unfortunately, his assignments originate from his Knoxville heart and his heroes, Saban, Spurrier and Meyer. Those coaches’ rivals are often the intended victim of his work. Not just Georgia, but Auburn and LSU have oft been the victim of his allegiance with these SEC coaching icons.

Every year we are treated to Low delivering a piece on how this is going to be Spurrier’s break out season. Why? What shred of evidence does Low have beyond Spurrier telling him to print it.

Finebaum, a Knoxville grad but Bama wannabe, plays the ratings game. Bama’s success is his success, therefore Georgia, LSU and Auburn must fail. Auburn and LSU for obvious reasons, Georgia for recruiting. In fact, Finebaum is so devoted to his mission and keeping his status as one of the most powerful men in the SEC, that he was the first to take shots at Urban Meyer. Before last season even started.

Who came to Meyer’s defense, none other than Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel. There are many defenders of Florida in print, and like Low, most of them have no ties to the school except their desire to have access. Dennis Dodd loves him some Urban Meyer. Matt Hayes is a Florida loyalist. Urban, like Spurrier before him, uses them all.

Mark Richt does not operate in this way. I, for one, am thankful he does not. Coach Richt’s pitch is simple, “Come to Georgia and I will make a man out of you, get you educated, and we will play some great SEC football.” He never tells a recruit why they should not go somewhere, he only informs them of why they should choose Georgia. Coach Richt is true to himself. He will not stoop to the sub-gutter levels of our foes.

In this “American-Idol” culture we live in, recruiting is only going to get worse. With journalists valuing access over ethics and high school coaches caring more about their moment in the spotlight than the future of the students, things will not improve. Many of these recruits are under-educated and under-parented which makes them all the more vulnerable to falling for tactics and sizzle.

I contend the recruits that commit based on substance are the only recruits we need. The AJ Green and Marlon Brown types. We have lost a few verbal commitments these past few days. I tell you we have lost nothing, nothing but potential problems. We want recruits of substance, character and maturity. Young men that want to be a part of the Georgia family and all that entails.

Our amazing streak of 8 top 10 recruiting classes may end tomorrow. Should it happen, I will not be worried. We have plenty of talent on campus. We can afford a set back in quantity as long as we continue to recruit quality.

The muckrakers have effected Mark Richt’s program and validated their existence, but only temporarily. They will never best him over the long haul. In the end, good always triumphs over evil.

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