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Monday, November 30, 2015

I Can't Even



There are many things that I am. One of those things is a Georgia Bulldog. BUT after yesterday's firing of Mark Richt, I just can't even explain how disappointed I am.

You may think it is silly. You can call me a crazy, deranged fan. So be it. I may be all of those things, but I am an alumni, and I am a fan.

So when I tell you that I shed a few tears yesterday. I mean it. I shed a few because I am sentimental. I also shed them because I felt sick at my stomach. I don't pretend to know everything about football, and god knows I have said he should be fired a few times in haste after a disappointing loss. But I have grown up in the Mark Richt era. He has been there since I was in high school. He was the coach I cheered for in the student section. He made me feel proud, safe, and at times superior.

When everyone said he was soft--I always followed it up with saying, but he doesn't cheat. And I believed it. I still do. He did it the right way, and I respected that.

So I feel like it is a death in the family. Maybe a much less significant one, but it feels like a real loss. I feel scared and anxious over our future, and I have never had to feel that way since I really started watching Georgia Football. For that I am sad.

I am sad that winning a national championship seems to take precedence over being loyal to someone who has given his all to our university, and who has proved countless times that he is a great role model and ambassador for us. It is a shame that that was simply not good enough.

BUT...come August, I will sit and watch the games with my red and black on. I will cheer on whoever comes next. It may never feel quite the same to me, but I am a fan. So I will cheer on. And so will Richt.

As a coach I know that what we do often comes with very little appreciation. It is frustrating. We give our hearts and our time away from our families to mold athletes. It is a hard job, yet rewarding. So today--even though my heart hurts--I will say. Well done, Coach Richt. Thanks for the memories. I will miss you, and GO DAWGS!