(Image: DawgPost.com)There are times when one is exposed to the pure Hobbesian environment, where the laws of the jungle, not the law of man or God, rule supreme. As an example, it is thought that if one enters prison, the smartest strategic action to establish oneself on the right side of the foodchain is to fight someone the first day simply to show the other inmates that you are not to be trifled with. And the more frenzied the beating the better. Far better to be thought of as crazed than considered polite and vulnerable. Show everybody you are crazy and they are less likely to try you.
Mark Richt, polite and kind, acted like the latest inmate to arrive Saturday. As you all know, Richt ordered his players to incur a celebration penalty after Georgia's first score. Knowshon dove over the goal line for the game's first score and the entire team came out on the field to jump up and down, give the Gator chomp, and dance, dance, dance! The celebration was unprecedented, drawing considerable criticism. It was shocking, bold, and just what the Dawgs needed to set the tone in a series that has come to represent fear and sad defeat to the Bulldog Nation.
It was not the most polite or "classy" action, for sure, but it was necessary. Just as the prisoner needs to establish his willingness for ruthlessness, the Dawgs had to show that they were ready to fight. This willingness has at times seemed absent in Jacksonville. The Dawgs either got rolled by Shiny Pants or got all the bad breaks against Zook or Meyer. The defeats were either noncompetitive or excruciating and heartbreaking. The celebration announced that the Dawgs were here to fight, openly and unabashedly. But frankly, I think the celebration was more about Georgia, not Florida.
Our prisoner doesn't just fight to scare other inmates, he fights to show himself he can, girding himself for the long sentence ahead. It was meant to get the Gators off their game, but more to get into Georgia's head. It was calling the Gators out for a fight and inspire some confidence. Confidence that the Dawgs have left back home on most trips to Jacksonville. It's hard to play shy after that kind of spectacle.
Other than a single terrible throw by Stafford, the team played its best ball of the year Saturday. The Dawgs played like it meant something. And it meant more than they will know. Finally, the Gators have to refer to series history, class, jean shorts, or anything else we had to resort to when the scoreboard cruelly trumped all arguments.
As for class, I can certainly understand some of the criticism. We aren't accustomed to Mark Richt letting his team loose. The celebration was brash, ballsy, and on some level, crass. These aren't words commonly used to describe Richt. But, when you've been dominated in a series by being flat, tight, and error prone, why not do something dramatic to loosen your players up? It's out of character, but it was a change that Richt felt he needed to avoid another inevitable loss.
And I really don't want to hear about class from a team who runs reverse passes when they are up by 24 in the fourth quarter. Go hit Stafford while he's kneeling.
Quinton
Mark Richt, polite and kind, acted like the latest inmate to arrive Saturday. As you all know, Richt ordered his players to incur a celebration penalty after Georgia's first score. Knowshon dove over the goal line for the game's first score and the entire team came out on the field to jump up and down, give the Gator chomp, and dance, dance, dance! The celebration was unprecedented, drawing considerable criticism. It was shocking, bold, and just what the Dawgs needed to set the tone in a series that has come to represent fear and sad defeat to the Bulldog Nation.
It was not the most polite or "classy" action, for sure, but it was necessary. Just as the prisoner needs to establish his willingness for ruthlessness, the Dawgs had to show that they were ready to fight. This willingness has at times seemed absent in Jacksonville. The Dawgs either got rolled by Shiny Pants or got all the bad breaks against Zook or Meyer. The defeats were either noncompetitive or excruciating and heartbreaking. The celebration announced that the Dawgs were here to fight, openly and unabashedly. But frankly, I think the celebration was more about Georgia, not Florida.
Our prisoner doesn't just fight to scare other inmates, he fights to show himself he can, girding himself for the long sentence ahead. It was meant to get the Gators off their game, but more to get into Georgia's head. It was calling the Gators out for a fight and inspire some confidence. Confidence that the Dawgs have left back home on most trips to Jacksonville. It's hard to play shy after that kind of spectacle.
Other than a single terrible throw by Stafford, the team played its best ball of the year Saturday. The Dawgs played like it meant something. And it meant more than they will know. Finally, the Gators have to refer to series history, class, jean shorts, or anything else we had to resort to when the scoreboard cruelly trumped all arguments.
As for class, I can certainly understand some of the criticism. We aren't accustomed to Mark Richt letting his team loose. The celebration was brash, ballsy, and on some level, crass. These aren't words commonly used to describe Richt. But, when you've been dominated in a series by being flat, tight, and error prone, why not do something dramatic to loosen your players up? It's out of character, but it was a change that Richt felt he needed to avoid another inevitable loss.
And I really don't want to hear about class from a team who runs reverse passes when they are up by 24 in the fourth quarter. Go hit Stafford while he's kneeling.
Quinton
