CFB: Cheat or Go Home

[GatorGray]

Maybe this is why we are having such a slow build:

"You're either going to do it the right way or the wrong way. You have to pick a side on the first day of the job."

That comes from recently fired Texas coach Charlie Strong. When Strong took over as the Longhorns head coach, he was adamant about doing things the right way. He inherited a team with locker room problems and got right to cleaning it up, kicking two players off the team immediately and nine by the end of his first season.

What did he get for it? Fired after three straight losing seasons.

This is the reality of college football: If a coach taking over a program chooses what Strong would call "the wrong way"—whether that means active involvement in recruiting violations or cover-ups, or whether it means turning a blind eye to the behavior of his recruits, assistants, current players or boosters—it can and often will come back to disrupt, damage and possibly destroy the program and his reputation.

If he does it "the right way," he might not have the job for long.

LINK

 

[bradleygator]

Even doing it the right way, it seems like he had enough talent to win more than he did this year. With Herman sitting there ready to take the job, Strong wasn't going to survive that record.

Herman apparently said he's going to kiss all his players on the cheek as they come out of the locker room. He also badmouthed Strong a little bit, saying something like the "pressure" of the job, that Strong talked about, is what happens "when you're not prepared." Guy sounds like a psycho.

Bigger picture, it definitely does seem like it helps to have a scumbag or an absolute psycho as a coach. I really wouldn't want someone like Franklin or Petrino as our coach. But I'm pretty sure they would win big at UF.

 

[instaGATOR]

Bama has the most football championships, in the SEC.
UA has the most NCAA violation probation's in the SEC.

Kensucky has the most basketball championships in the SEC.
UK has the most NCAA violation probation's in the SEC.

Florida hasn't had a probation in either since 1990, (last quarter century).
But they have 2 football and 2 basketball NC in that span.
And I believe that they lead the SEC in Honor Roll student-athletes.
They are also the only school in the NCAA with 32 consecutive Top 10 finishes in the National All Sports (Directors Cup) rankings. The BEST All-around in the SEC.

As a long time Gator fan, I'm fairly satisfied with those results, and I'll take the Gator way of doing things, over what anyone else does or is doing in the entire NCAA.

 

[oozie7]

Nothing new and all schools do it including us. It has been going on forever.

 

[instaGATOR]

Nothing new and all schools do it including us. It has been going on forever.

IF you mean the old traditional and occasional rich alum $100 dollar handshake, then I'll have to agree. Small chit happens most everywhere I suspect (no personal knowledge).

However, there's a big difference in that kind of small chit and a new recruit reporting in and being given a chit to go pick up his free used car/truck from the local used car dealership. Or maybe his family getting a whole new furniture and/or appliance lay-out for their homestead. Or family member(s) being given 'cush, over-paid jobs' with the school or some alum's business. That kind of stuff doesn't go on everywhere, or all the time imo.
And I'd be real unhappy with UF/UAA if that kind of chit did go on or was going on.

 

[oozie7]

Well think about this...since the inception of recruiting rankings we've consistently been in the top 5 on average. And in all those classes we've signed recruits coveted by every major program, including those we know to give large amounts of benefits. So what is the logical conclusion...all our recruits decided to pass up those benefits because they love UF so much? That doesn't pass the sniff test.

 

[bradleygator]

I don't even care about paying the players. That's just the market at work. I have more of a problem with covering up or ignoring criminal behavior. I also don't like blatant exploitation of the players, like greyshirting and oversigning. And I'd like a coach to put at least some effort into getting his players to see the big picture and get into a classroom.

 

[oozie7]

I don't even care about paying the players. That's just the market at work. I have more of a problem with covering up or ignoring criminal behavior. I also don't like blatant exploitation of the players, like greyshirting and oversigning. And I'd like a coach to put at least some effort into getting his players to see the big picture and get into a classroom.

Same.

 

[keyzer soze]

Nothing new and all schools do it including us. It has been going on forever.

Yup.

 

[MJWilliamson]

Well think about this...since the inception of recruiting rankings we've consistently been in the top 5 on average. And in all those classes we've signed recruits coveted by every major program, including those we know to give large amounts of benefits. So what is the logical conclusion...all our recruits decided to pass up those benefits because they love UF so much? That doesn't pass the sniff test.

I think a lot depends upon what the HC and the AA is willing to put up with. Spurrier and Foley were very careful about NCAA rules. That did not mean the players and boosters did not mess up. Tank Black and a few other incidences come to mind. But when those kinds of things DID come to light, they were dealt with promptly and harshly. There is no looking the other way or benign neglect on NCAA issues.

This is not the case at other programs. Witness the Cam Newton saga at MSU and Auburn. Think about Johnny Football autographs and how the TAM folks handled that. Look at FSU's academic scandals and how the players, coaches and administration looked the other way when all that was going on.

 

[instaGATOR]

Well think about this...since the inception of recruiting rankings we've consistently been in the top 5 on average. And in all those classes we've signed recruits coveted by every major program, including those we know to give large amounts of benefits. So what is the logical conclusion...all our recruits decided to pass up those benefits because they love UF so much? That doesn't pass the sniff test.

I guess that depends on where your heads at when you're doing your sniffing...

Heisman and BCS-NC sCam Newton's father is quoted as saying (before sCam went to Auburn) 'that sCam would not be signing for free this time around.' That indicates to me that UF didn't pay him, but the next school was sure as hell going to. There was so much 'smoke' around that deal that everyone was choking and coughing before it was over, but nothing was able to be proven so the fire just went away and sCam/All-barn skated out....