Buddy Martin and Mat Houchens Rip Paul Finebaum a New One

Executive editor of Gator Country, Buddy Martin, took time out his day to respond to a ridiculous article by Paul Finebaum of Mobile Press-Register.  It was a great read and had spurred my own responses as well.  Original article is in quote boxes and Buddy’s response in Blue, my response in Orange.

Is it too early for President Obama to place FEMA on red alert for Gainesville? A big storm is brewing and could possibly leave many in Florida brokenhearted.

Urban Meyer is probably leaving Florida after the season to go to Notre Dame. Meyer says he’s not going. He insists he loves it in Gainesville and has no intention of taking a position he once described as “my dream job.”

So how do I know Meyer is not telling the truth? Easy. Meyer’s lips moved when he denied the story.

Really Paul? Because I was in the room with Meyer by myself when he said it and I didn’t see you—unless you were disguised as a championship ring. Nothing he said – and his lips WERE moving – indicated to me that there’s even a remote chance of Meyer going to Notre Dame anytime soon – if ever. And I’ve got it on tape.

I don’t think there’s anything else to add here except… IN YOUR FACE!

Perhaps there was a time when Meyer was about what’s right in college football. They say he was just a normal guy out in Utah. Maybe he was even a decent cat for about 24 hours in Gainesville. Since then, Meyer has become obsessed with success and power (see the blatant strong arming of quarterback turned talk show host Shane Matthews). The lure of being “the man” at South Bend might be too intoxicating for him to turn down.

Seems to me “might” is a big leap of faith without any facts.

“Meyer has become obsessed with success and power” – In what way?  You use a comparison of someone that is not Urban Meyer.  Show me how Urban has become this way!

Besides, Meyer knows better than anyone that Superman (Tim Tebow) is gone after the season and Florida’s reign of terror in the SEC will be over. Don’t think Meyer isn’t just a tad concerned about Nick Saban stockpiling warehouses loaded with blue-chip talent in Tuscaloosa. Meyer knows he dodged a bullet in the fourth quarter of the SEC title game last year. However, that wasn’t enough for the self-absorbed coach. Beating Saban once wasn’t enough. He needed to beat him a second time.

I guess the news hasn’t reached Alabama yet about Johnny Brantley, but, then, this year’s Sears & Roebuck calendar probably hasn’t either.

You’re absolutely right, Tebow is gone after this year.  But that has nothing to do with our reign.  I agree that Saban is putting together something truly special for years to come at Alabama but Brantley is turning into quite a quarterback by being able to watch Tebow and shadow him and learn from him.  Don’t think that Brantley won’t continue the success we’ve had on offense because he will.

Why else do you think that leading up to the Sugar Bowl Meyer was burning up the Salt Lake City telephone towers to his one-time assistant Kyle Whittingham, helping construct the game plan that beat the Tide 31-17 in the Sugar Bowl?

Instead of a Senate hearing this week on (Utah senator) Orrin Hatch’s spurious attack on the BCS, wouldn’t it be interesting to ask Whittingham and Meyer to show up with phone records intact?

Here’s a guess that Meyer enjoyed the beating of his rival Saban as much as his own second national title.

SEC Commissioner Mike Slive just cracked down on league coaches accusing each other of cheating. Luckily for Meyer, he didn’t mention league coaches aiding and abetting out of league opponents in showcase BCS games.

Wow, you mean coaches (who are also friends) actually talk about that stuff on the phone? If that’s illegal, they’re all going to NCAA jail.

It’s great how you take something and spin, spin, spin until it fits into your tyranical post the way you need it to.  Mike Slive got tired of hearing the “he did this, he did that” whine from coaches about things.  Your last comment doesn’t even make sense due to the fact that he cracked down on coaches making the accusations, he never made a statement regarding who he felt was innocent and what was right or wrong.

Had Meyer spent even a fraction of that time employing some sort of discipline program on his own campus, Florida wouldn’t be teetering on being completely out of control right now. In case you don’t own a police blotter—or have the DVD collection of the television series “COPS”—the Gators recently celebrated their 24th arrest since Meyer’s arrival.

Let’s see now, what year was it that Alabama and Auburn didn’t have a single player arrested? And, oh yes, NCAA probation may not be against the law, but they take scholarships away and they vacate victories.

They’re kids. I would be willing to bet that less than 25% of parents of college kids can truly state their kids never got into some sort of trouble with the law.  Not to mention that out of the 24 arrests, the majority of them had charges dropped.

Apparently, that doesn’t seem to bother school President Bernie Machen, who just brazenly promoted the idea of Meyer getting a raise. Meyer has four years left on a contract that pays him well north of $3 million a year. He works at a school that recently cut $40 million from its general budget.

However, the megalomaniacal Machen knows all about the Notre Dame threat and wants to be on the record, just in case Florida wins another national title, three in four years, making Meyer a legend in all parts of the universe and perhaps opening the door for him to finally take his “dream job” that he supposedly doesn’t want. What’s the old line from “Hamlet” about protesting too much?

Megalomaniacal? Aw, c’mon, Paul — now you’re flaunting that Tennessee degree.

I think you’re on this “dream job” kick and you can’t just get it out of your system.  I think it was his dream job a few years ago.  Is it still his “dream job”?  I can’t say for sure and neither can you but I think he’s found a new home that he has no reason to leave any time soon.  Are you the one spreading rumors to these recruits about coaching changes that are questioning their committments?

You can call Meyer lot of things. He’s arrogant. He’s cold blooded. He recruits like a serial killer. But he’s not stupid.

Meyer doesn’t have to study history to understand that staying in Gainesville would be the wrong move. All he has to do is walk across the street from his office and ask Billy Donovan.

Billy Who? Following an exhaustive search, I discovered he’s still the head basketball coach at Florida. Remember, he’s the one who won back-to-back national titles, accepted and rejected a job with the Orlando Magic (who just lost in the NBA Finals), and hasn’t been seen since.

It is unlikely Meyer has to worry about falling as far as Donovan (who is no longer even considered the best coach in his division). However, for all of the beatings Meyer has put on and will likely continue to put on schools this fall, he will become the hunted next year. His arrogance (see Ole Miss debacle last year) won’t be able to handle that.

Boy, I don’t even know where to start here — but maybe with research and your geography, since Billy’s office isn’t exactly across the street from Urban’s.  Hunted? Well, better than always having to be the hunter. As for “arrogance” — you need to read the locker room account after the Ole Miss loss last season in the paperback edition of Urban’s Way. I’ll send you one when it comes out in September.

Are we really attacking the basketball program now?  I mean you lose 6 of your players with 5 of them being your starters and 6th one being the best 6th man in the country arguably and you expect another run for a title?  I mean, Stevie Wonder can see here that it doesn’t work like this.

In one of the most anticipated battles of the upcoming season, USA Today’s sports analyst Danny Sheridan says Florida could be favored by as many as “25 to 27 points” for the Sept. 19 game between Lane Kiffin and Meyer at the Swamp. Florida could win by 50, that is if Meyer can get all of his starters out on parole by then.

Okay, finally we see a little Tennessee orange bleeding through the screen, Paulie.  You had me fooled all these years that I’ve known you. I’ve always considered you one of the most credible writers/broadcasters in the South. And I’ve always thought you were better than this. But, then, what do I know? I also happen to think Urban Meyer is a helluva coach, an honest man and a decent person.

It’s not going to be whether our players are eligible for the TN game.  Urban Meyer is going to let the points do the talking in the battale against the Vols after all the accusations that Kiffin made against Meyer of cheating AND then come to find out he was doing.  Kiffin is a prime case of the “pot calling the kettle black”

About Mat: Mat is the owner and founder of Title Town FL. He brings his web admin experience from several previous popular sports websites. With a fresh take on how websites should have news available, he makes it a fresh read on every page.

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