The things you think will go well don't go as you hoped. We all have an urge to watch something burn, but rarely do we get the flaming debris we seek. We get the conclusion, but not the show in between.
When it was announced that Urban Meyer would become the coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, we were not prepared for the fiery crash that he had given us. We all thought it could happen. This was yet another college coach trying the pros and also doing it with the most bass-ackward franchise the NFL can offer. We all hoped that this would fail because we needed the entertainment and Meyer needed a karma kick for a while. You wouldn't have to feel bad for anyone.
Josh Lambo said that he had been kicked during pre-game stretches of a preseason game by the man who fired him, and that he was fired just days later. The chef kisses his boss? Lambo said Meyer was the head ball coach. I will kick you whenever I want. When you say you're a ball coach, players will respect you more. It makes them feel like you are up to date. You can't script shit like this. Meyer called him a "dipshit," according to Lambo.
Lambo has this all wrong, says Meyers.
Meyer told the Tampa Bay Times that Josh's characterization of him and the incident is completely inaccurate. Trent and I met with him many times to encourage his performance, but never brought it up. I was supportive of Josh during his time with the team and wish him the best.
Meyer tried to sell his coaches down the river, but nothing can possibly be his fault. He characterized himself as an "asshole idiot" after he felt a woman at a bar that wasn't his wife.
There have been many embarrassing moments.
It is rare to see someone who deserves their world to crash around them actually have their world crash around them.
Every week you will hear analyst talk about how college and pro gameplans get closer and closer to each other, such as the RPOs we see with every team and the like. Few coaches seem to be able to navigate both worlds. It can't be the gameplanning that's getting these guys.
It has to be something else. It is clearly how they handle their players. Guys like Meyer are used to opening the doors and watching the talent come in. Because of the stature of the programs that they are riding, instead of creating, and the competition for each spot on the team, and the promise of getting to the pros for kids, they can behave however they want and the players are powerless. They need scholarships and starting spots at those schools more than ever. They call it coaching, but it's all about being mean. The money the schools have makes them able to get the best coordinators. That doesn't mean that there wasn't a time when Meyer and Saban were good coaches. But now? They are basically CEOs.
The coach is not the most powerful person in the pros. Meyer could have been fired whenever Lawrence wanted, but that isn't necessary now that the owner has done the deed.
I am bitterly disappointed that the conclusion that an immediate change is imperative for everyone was reached after a thorough analysis of Urban's tenure with the team. In a statement last night, Khan said. I told Urban of the change this evening. I stated in October that regaining our trust and respect was essential. It did not happen. Darrell Bevel will be the interim head coach.
The media in a collegetown would be subservient to the press in the NFL. The media in Tuscaloosa or Columbus are happy to kneel at the feet of the coach.
Meyer acted like a gift when he showed up in Jacksonville. He is not. His players knew from the beginning that he hadn't proven anything at this level. As of right now, they mean precisely dick, when you are someone like Meyer, whose accomplishments all came at the college level, when you get to the pros.
It is all over.
We know that Meyer is not a good guy. Sometimes they get what they want. Let's enjoy this.
