Monday's Meatloaf - Layin' the Cards on the Table

Some quick programming notes. Today's meatloaf has an untraditional shape, form....taste. Desperate times, desperate measure. All that jazz. Also, yesterday's thoughts have been edited a bit. Matt (aka Dawgmjs) helped me realize that my words had been carelessly typed. I in no way believe that a house cleaning should be the order of business in Butts-Mehre this morning. But a good cupboard cleaning...that sounds about right.

Now grab a fork. Hope this isn't too hard to digest.

Getting whallop'd by the voWels is a big story. But there's a bigger one brewing after Saturday's early matinee. And the plot of this tale has a bitterness to it.

Georgia's rockstar is under fire. To make matters worse, it's a fire he started himself. The 45-19 drubbing in Knutsville led many to the common knee-jerk reaction: fire the coach! And while that reaction has a true lunacy to it that may be comforting to some, for Damon Evans to follow up in that direction would certainly be a mistake. Mark Richt has led our Dawgs to the promised land. He's showed us the road to BCS riches goes directly through Atlanta in December.

He's given us a taste. We cheered.

Things the last couple weeks have been less cheerful. And while Coach Richt can survive (by my estimation) an ass handing of epic proportions from the HillBillys to our north, there are a number of things he cannot survive.

Again, my estimation:

• The Stones to Shuffle Look, I get it. I have friends who I would give countless chances to disappoint me further. But there comes a time when separate roads can lead to a more lasting relationship. We've tried to be patient. The results only get less favorable for the hand we're trying to play. Barring a surprising resignation, there should be no drastic changes in staff in October. But there can be tweaks. And when the time is right (should it arise in earnest), there can be a reshuffling of the deck.
• Call a Spade as Such We've all grown tired of the relentless stream of bull(crap). If I can recognize that it's not the placekicker's fault we give up several free first downs a game, surely the head coach can. It does not become him when he spins it a different way. I'm effin' sick of it, so I assume I can say with relative certainty that we're sick of it. If you can't let your words to the media hold accountable parties as such, then let your actions. Case in point: kick it deep for goodness sake!
• Play the Hand You've Dealt A head coach cannot force a seventeen year old to choose his program, but that same head coach can choose his own staff. Blaming those players who have moved to Athens to help better the Georgia Football program is doing us no favors. It's an old, very tired method of operation. The fans don't like it, the media sees through it and I would imagine recruits soon should take notice. When a coach on staff fails to prepare those under his tutelage to do their job on Saturdays, let's remove any appearance of impropriety and be honest. If that won't work, then repeat after me: No comment. If you couldn't blow sunshine after Okie St. or LSU, it ain't gonna fly after Tennessee.

Sure, there's more to do. But this is a start. And in case I wasn't clear yesterday, lemme be clear today. Coach Richt is my guy. He was my guy as a coach from the moment Haynes crushed their face. And he was as a man when he stayed an extra hour to satisfy a long line of fans who had waited to have their picture made. My daughter and I were at the end of that line.

So I'll always return the favor. Have yourself a Columbus sized Monday Reader. And if a HillBilly gives you any type of hell, just show em your dental insurance card.

Boom. Roasted!

Bernie