National media frenzy about Urban Meyer a good thing for Gators

GAINESVILLE -- As predicted, the national media is hammering Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer for his conversation with an Orlando Sentinel reporter. If you think all the negative press is a bad thing, you're wrong. The old adage applies here: All press is good press.

Florida Gators football is the most interesting thing going right now in college football. It's spring, for crying out loud. Spring football is usually so boring. Not in Gainesville. In Hogtown, the buzz around spring practice sounds like a chainsaw. Here's a sampling of all the press Florida is receiving today:

BULLYING THREATS ALL PART OF MEYER'S GAME PLAN by FoxSports.com

URBAN MEYER OWES ORLANDO SENTINEL WRITER JEREMY FOWLER AN APOLOGY, by the San Francisco Chronicle

FLORIDA GATORS COACH CONFRONTS ORLANDO SENTINEL REPORTER OVER DEONTE THOMPSON QUOTE, by the New York Daily News

URBAN MEYER ISSUES NEW RULES FOR MEDIA, ESPN.com Page 2

MEYER WRONG -- AGAIN -- IN CONFRONTATION WITH REPORTER, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

SO MUCH FOR EASING BACK INTO THINGS, ESPN.com blogger

FLORIDA COACH THREATENS REPORTER OVER RECEIVER QUOTES, Chicago Sun-Times

MEYER GETS MAD, Deseret News (Salt Lake City)

MEYER'S BULLY ACT EMBARRASSES FLORIDA, Fanhouse.com

URBAN MEYER DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT, Topeka Capital-Journal

URBAN MEYER: THE SMOKE MONSTOR OF COLLEGE SPORTS, Fanhouse.com

DID URBAN MEYER GO TOO FAR?, Birmingham News

URBAN MEYER VERBALLY ATTACKS NEWSPAPER REPORTER AFTER FLORIDA PRACTICE, USA Today

FLORIDA NEEDS TO CONTEMPLATE URBAN RENEWAL PROGRAM, Fanhouse.com

What do all these headlines tell us? Well, for starters, it tells us that Fanhouse.com needs a content editor. Seriously, do three columnists really need to weigh in on this one topic? Besides that, it tells us that Florida is the most talked about college football team in the country.

You know who's not ripping Meyer right now? Florida fans. That's all that really matters, right? During the Canes' heyday, did all the negative national press hurt UM? No, it actually fueled UM's success. The same logic applies here.

-jo-

Comments

[we gots 11 pro bowlers]

I won't waste my time reading all those pissing contests.

who cares

[cane60]

Guess 4 years with Tebow didn't teach Meyer how to relate to people. Only person he seems to be good friends with is the lawyer who gets his players out of jail.

[Cane in hogtown]

Its good for exposure Jo, and to be honest alot of recruits like this sort of stuff. But even keil types dont like it. this will only help short term. He needs to think ahead and when someone beats Florida bad this year and I am looking at Tuscaloosa, even the wrong facial expression from Meyer and the press is gonna clobber him, as cant handle the pressure.
just food for thought.

[sully]

Wow, that coming from someone with "cane" in their post name? Makes a lot of sense.

One things no one's mentioning is the players' opinion about the matter, you know, the people who actually play the game. What player wouldn't like support like that, even if it's the wrong time/place?

[chris H]

Meyer was way out of line. UF deserves better. No excuses, none of this "protecting his players" garbage. He threatened to beat up a guy. That's against the law.

Meyer acted like a punk. He needs to man up and apologize, or he will be showing that he truly is a punk.

[Don1096]

Ha, ha, good for Urban! The only punk in this scenario is the reporter....misleading tweet, change the article after the fact. I loved the video, he couldn't even look Urban in the eye. Freedom of speech goes both ways pal!

[Too Shy Shy..Hush hush..I do I]

And Don you forgot to mention that "chris H" is also an immense punk.

[Ripped by A homer]

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_bianchi/2010/03/urban-meyer-threatens-reporter-over-tim-tebow-quot.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sports_bianchi+%28Open+Mike%29

From the king of gator homers.

[Ripped by A homer]

Cuckoo for coco puffs. He hit the nail on the head with that one!

[PUNA]

Urban is a media hungry slob. I'm retiring because I need to spend more time with my family and I had chest pains. He wanted to take the shine off of Alabama's NC and keep the spot light and his program. Well he fooled all of you because he has been on the lips of everyone since that day. Congrats Urban, you have a job on Madison Avenue when you retire!!

[K-Man]

I do not see anything wrong. If I was a recruit I would be loving that. A coach who stands up for you like that. Sweet. (Cane's Fan btw). The media is really annoying. They do not do news anymore. Just gossip. I want facts not B/S. They should have a transcript of the interview with the receiver and let people make their choice on what was said. Media changes things to often to sound one way

[Johnny "B. REAL" Brantley]

How did I look at practice today Jo ?

[Cane in hogtown]

Sully.... I hear ya man, all players want the coach to have there back. The story behind this is DT wanted the ball last year and was unhappy, I believe there was an unwritten agreement with the press not to push this in Respect to Tebow wich he earned.

[MILF.com]

The San francisco guy is a sackless wimp.

whines like a cane fan

[www.fireshannon.com]

Man I wish our coach stood up for players like that. All he does is throw guys under the bus. How many QB's will he run off before he gets fired? It's time for Shannon to go.