There will be some quick to point out the latest tv numbers and declare the sport has never been better or healthier and the increased parity and competition will only drive it greater heights. I'm not so sure these aren't short term gains that will continue to distance older fans connected to that school loyalty and tradition while not fostering the sort of deep connections to younger generations that will last past the next hot thing. I'm ok with my concerns turning out to be wrong, but this is an open question yet to be answered. Personally, I'm a little less interested in the sport all the time, regardless of our won/loss record. And that was unthinkable to me years ago. My own kids only have a passing interest, though some are UF students/alumni and both the boys played HS ball. There's a reason why certain regions and certain people connected with such passion to college football instead of the NFL, and that's not a love of "inferior" football. It's all the other stuff about the sport that felt meaningful and lasted through generational connections. But that seems to become less and less a part of things all the time.
I don't disagree with any of that. My point is that we are going there regardless of approach by coaches. Napier and several other more successful coaches still use the old method and yet we see talent transferring left and right sometimes for a few extra bucks and potential snaps.
Might be easiest, but no guarantee of success. Nothing against Monken or any other potential OC, but it seems to me there are problems everywhere, offense, defense and of course special teams. It just depends on the week. I have no faith that simply hiring an OC rights the ship at this point. Still trying to understand what those 50+ analysts do.
If most of us yielded aa shitty results as Billy has against what he's paid, we'd be deemed radioactive, and lucky to get a job washing dishes. Cry. Me. A. @$%^&n. River. If he goes 0-fer the rest of the season, he gets to retire in ridiculous luxury, while we have to suffer the consequences of his gross negligence.
Last I looked Smart wasn't an offensive coordinator. That was the comparison for Kiffin, Sark, etc at Bama.
Same with all those other schools too. They have great education too. One of my sons is at Texas and he cares zero about football. I’d have a problem if he went to certain schools but his choice was dependent on a certain program. Education wins out but there are plenty of educational institutions if you can get in. My cousin went to Princeton on academic scholly which certainly didn’t have to do with sports.
I don’t think there’s any gross negligence and there won’t be any Napier’s restaurant. He would certainly be happier if every gator he ever met admired him. He will get over it and live nicely but success is measured in ways besides money.
What do you think Napiers next job will be? He’s likely unable to get a OC P5 job and likely not even a G5 HC job. He will be an analyst somewhere or an OC at like FAU. Yeah he has money but that is crushing. Imagine you going backwards 10-15 years in your career. How would you feel? Money doesn’t buy happiness for these guys
I’d have to retire a rich failure. He could probably go back down where he came from and be successful there if he just loves coaching but his dreams of national titles is over.
Dan Hicken says he was told over the weekend that UF had a WIW (whale in waiting), don’t laugh, but I did. Kiffin is not a “whale”, at least not IMO. Not sure who would even be considered a whale now, that’s currently coaching college ball?? They talk about it around 1hr19min.
Slightly off topic: as a kid I remember watching a singer named Tom Jones. My dad said, “He’s from Wales.” I struggled with the concept of a singing man coming from whales.
wow, a whale -- I didn't' realize bill self coaches football now, him, Hurley and Kirby might be the only whales left in college coaching.
