How Will Meyer Handle Florida Coverage?

 Send This Story To A Friend

Since yesterday’s announcement that Urban Meyer would be joining ESPN’s college football coverage team, one question has popped up again and again all over the dadgum the internet:

“But how will he objectively cover Florida?”

Here’s guessing he’ll be about as pro-Florida as Lou Holtz is pro-Notre Dame and pro-South Carolina.  If you’re looking for journalistic integrity, look toward the actual journalists on ESPN’s shows… not the ex-coach / ex-jock analysts. 

Pro, college, basketball, football… the exes usually don’t bite the hands that fed them.  Tiki Barber was a notable exception to that rule and he has been all but excommunicated from the New York Giants organization because of it. 

No one should expect Meyer to rip into the Gators after a loss or question Will Muschamp’s gameday decisions.  Bill Cowher doesn’t trash Pittsburgh.  Tedy Bruschi is still loyal to Bill Belichick.  Everyone knows that Dick Vitale is quite fond of John Calipari and Mike Krzyzewski.  Journalists report, analysts chat.

ESPN’s executive VP for production Norby Williamson says the network hasn’t gotten into Meyer’s specific assignments yet, but that there’s “no sort of moratorium or, ‘Let’s not talk Florida,’” movement at play.

“We have this with coach Holtz all the time with Notre Dame, but you also have Mark May sitting right next to him and Rece Davis.  And there is sort of a balance of perspective.  Just because something happens whether it’s the SEC or at Florida doesn’t recuse him from having his perspective heard on whatever may transpire there.”

And Meyer’s take?  “I’m a Florida fan, and I’m not going to be ashamed of that.  The depth that I’m going to assist Florida hasn’t been finalized yet.  And that will have no impact on what I do at ESPN.”

Well, as we’ve noted a blue million times, it would be best if Meyer and Florida simply parted ways.  If Meyer does keep an office in Gainesville and does take some sort of job with UF then that will set him apart from Holtz because Dr. Lou is no longer on the payroll at Notre Dame or South Carolina.

But we at MrSEC have few worries about Meyer being pro-Florida on ESPN because we fully expect him to be just that.  He’ll likely be pro-Utah, also.  We go in with that expectation.

Around here we’re more interested in seeing something else — we want to see Meyer’s first one-on-one interview with Southern Cal’s Lane Kiffin.

(Sidenote — George Diaz of The Orlando Sentinel finds it ironic that yet another anti-media coach has now joined the tribe he once stonewalled.)