Mark Richt's unusual TD celebration

CrimsonSEC

Hall of Fame
Jan 8, 2007
7,822
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Brewton
I haven't seen a discussion on this yet. For anyone in a cave today, Richt told his boys that after they score the first touchdown...if they didn't get an excessive celebration penalty he would "run them off". After they scored, the entire bench emptied onto the field and celebrated like it was a walk off touchdown.

So, my question is good idea or bad? The ensuing penalty and kickoff resulted in a Florida TD.

I say it was a mistake, if you have to go to those means to fire your team up for a rival game, you haven't done your job during the week. He gave away a seven point lead early and made a few people think he was "dissin" Florida in the process. I don't believe that's true, I think it was a purely in house motivational decision, but I also think it was misplaced.

How 'bout ya'll?
 

silentsam74

All-American
Dec 30, 2005
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After listening to multiple interviews I have a slightly different perspective. He did tell the team if they didn't get a celebration penalty after the first TD he would run them in practice. That would've been enough for me to celebrate! :D I don't think he expected it to happen the way it did (with the rest of the team coming off the bench and participating). But, they did what he asked so all he could do was shake his head and smile. He did say he clarified it for them that he wanted it to be a team thing and not just a single person dancing around acting like they did everything on their own. Do I think CNS would ever do anything like that? Absolutely not. But, Richt can be a nice, classy guy all he wants and it isnt going to help his job security if he continues to keep losing to Florida. This time, he beat them. UGA had only won two of the last seventeen against Florida. I guess desperate times call for desperate measures. I sure would hate to see a day in which Bama had only beat the barn twice in nearly two decades. OTOH I'd hope it wouldn't take something like that to get the win. First time I've ever heard of a coach demanding his team get a penalty. It sure made for an entertaining start for an entertaining game.
 

CrimsonSEC

Hall of Fame
Jan 8, 2007
7,822
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Brewton
I agree, I think the biggest problem with his pre-game motivational speech is that he wasn't specific enough on what his excessive celebration meant. I think he meant it to be restricted to players already on the field.
 

Athens-LA-Tide

All-SEC
Feb 6, 2001
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www.urbagedesigns.com
Good move.....I like it!!! I dont see it as classlesss at all. I guess the one dude trying to be Timberlake or something and he got flagged for it, but na, not classless. Sometimes it just takes different messures for a coach to change the tempo of the game. Meyer was flustered, he didnt know what to do. For us last week, we on side kicked to change the the game up, for Richt, it was a "fun, yet different way" to change and and fire up his team. To me, classless could have been if they went to the middle of the field on the logo or there sideline, but it was a "TEAM" deal ALL together right there where they broke the plain in the endzone....
My rambled 2 cents...........RTR
 

Hankster2

All-SEC
Jan 18, 2006
1,025
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in a house
Excessive celebration is a penalty in college football because it often leads to fights between players. I think this was a bonehead move by Richt.

Granted he didn't order his players to go out and illegally chop block or grab some facemasks but he still ordered them to break a rule that exists for a reason.
 

roninfla

1st Team
Aug 30, 2007
334
0
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Belle Glade, FL
It was an awsome game, going back and forth all day. I thought it was funny, but I hate UF, so I'm biased. When I was up in GA allbeit the Ritz-Carlton on one of them man made lakes,lol, I met some of the classiest UGA fans I have ever met. And let's not forget what our student section did during our game vs them, classless, i think we all agree on that. But, on the flipside if UGA would have lost CMR would be taking serious heat for that celebration.:wink:
 

CrimsonSEC

Hall of Fame
Jan 8, 2007
7,822
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Excessive celebration is a penalty in college football because it often leads to fights between players. I think this was a bonehead move by Richt.

Granted he didn't order his players to go out and illegally chop block or grab some facemasks but he still ordered them to break a rule that exists for a reason.
I forgot mention that there were 9 personal fouls total in the game.
 

rkwilkerson

All-American
Feb 20, 2006
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Tuscaloosa, AL
It was a great idea...

they took the flag -- case closed

They have that penalty for a reason and the flag as well :)

CMR is cool in my book -- he didn't refuse to accept the penalty,

UGA paid the price for the celebration, again, case closed!

It was a great decision that got the crowd into the game and helped them beat UF, something they haven't done much these last 20 years or so,
 

IAmNotWill

3rd Team
Jul 29, 2004
212
0
0
40
I thought it was great entertainment. Don't get me wrong I would hate to see Bama do that. I live in GA so I am around many UGA fans, they were all convinced with what the commentator was saying, getting pumped up. If the UGA players, who had 2 weeks to prepare, were not pumped up then how is a 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct foul going to change? Those players were already pumped I think it was more of a "Listen up Florida, this is how we do it, rude and classless, now we'll give you 30 yards for an easy TD"
 

OreBama

All-American
Sep 26, 2005
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I liked it. There was nothing "rude" or "classless" about it. It was a bunch of kids dancing around and psyching the other team out. It worked.

They didn't stomp on the logo or even do the faux gator chop. It was silly fun. I don't get all the feigned indignation around here.
 

Vegas4Bama

1st Team
Oct 24, 2005
713
0
0
LA$ VEGA$, NV
I do "not" see it as a good thing!

Coach Richt is suppose to be a motivator in himself; "not" using some silly, risky tactic to do it!

What he "encouraged" could have back-fired and caused an all-out "war" between the two schools on the field!

What if Florida had also emptied onto the field and a huge fight ensued?

The sheer numbers of people, along with the fact that the whole stadium could have emptied onto the field as well and caused one huge riot that got outta control!!!!

I know, I am painting a "huge" picture that did "not" take place....but, it certainly could have!!

........and, it would have been Coach Richt's fault for inciting his players to "celebrate"!

See my point in all this?

What the Coach did was "not" good in so many ways and if the SEC Commissioner does NOT fine the school for it, I would be surprised!!!

No doubt, Coach Richt is a fine coach; but what he did was totally "bone-head"!!!

PS: Two or three weeks ago, The University of Kentucky was fined $50,000 for fans emptying onto their football field after a victory over LSU, and I certainly think this was on even par with that; if not worse, don't you?
 
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Vinny

Hall of Fame
Sep 27, 2001
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Rockaway, NJ
Sometimes you have to light a firecracker under their butts. I liked the move, not bad and they kept the celebration to themselves. It's not like they were enticing Florida to a rumble in the endzone. :pDT_nzd:
 

CapstoneTider

Suspended
Dec 6, 2000
7,453
6
0
I don't see Richt doing something like that in any other game.......and this was the biggest outdoor cocktail party. I say Go Bulldogs!
 

CajunCrimson

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Mar 13, 2001
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So, my question is good idea or bad? The ensuing penalty and kickoff resulted in a Florida TD.



How 'bout ya'll?
The penalties didn't result in a Florida TD. Florida scored, but they started on their 30-something yard line when it was all said and done........

I liked it too.....because URBAN MEYER DIDN"T INVENT "WHOLE TEAM ON THE FIELD CELEBRATIONS".......but i'm sure he'll still try to claim it
 

CajunCrimson

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I do "not" see it as a good thing!

Coach Richt is suppose to be a motivator in himself; "not" using some silly, risky tactic to do it!

What he "encouraged" could have back-fired and caused an all-out "war" between the two schools on the field!

What if Florida had also emptied onto the field and a huge fight ensued?

The sheer numbers of people, along with the fact that the whole stadium could have emptied onto the field as well and caused one huge riot that got outta control!!!!

I know, I am painting a "huge" picture that did "not" take place....but, it certainly could have!!

........and, it would have been Coach Richt's fault for inciting his players to "celebrate"!

See my point in all this?

What the Coach did was "not" good in so many ways and if the SEC Commissioner does NOT fine the school for it, I would be surprised!!!

No doubt, Coach Richt is a fine coach; but what he did was totally "bone-head"!!!

PS: Two or three weeks ago, The University of Kentucky was fined $50,000 for fans emptying onto their football field after a victory over LSU, and I certainly think this was on even par with that; if not worse, don't you?
Wow......lay off of the Red Bull....lol......If an "all out war" had ensued, that would have been all on Florida.......like a previous post said, they kept the celebration to themselves, and to be honest, made good television.....I think the SEC will have a conversation with Coach Richt, and I'm guessing you won't see it again, but as far as using something like that to gain the "mental edge", you can't deny it worked!
 

tidefan23

All-SEC
Dec 11, 2004
1,343
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Hoover, AL
Good idea...it worked. Sent a message to the Gaytors, the entire stadium, and everyone watching. The celebration was far more benign than the late hit on Stafford. The offender should have been tossed out of the game.
 
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