Always love it when people come here and are ugly… then when I treat them as they treat me… they claim that I'm thin-skinned.

If you had come here and disagreed in a respectful manner, we'd have no problems. Folks do that all the time. But the ones who are ugly always cry when I'm ugly back. As if it's their right to come rip me without consequence.

Ridiculous.

If I came to your place of work and critiqued you — much less got smart alecky about it in front of your co-workers — you'd be outraged. But since you're anonymous and I'm in the media, you feel you can do whatever you like.

John

As far as finding another website to read, I of course already have those. But I'll continue clicking on the links you work so hard to provide and ignore the commentary that you are so thin-skinned about.

I've made my point very clearly over the last year. I think Richt is a good coach. I think he's the best representative the SEC has. Heck, I've even shown that in the current climate Vince Dooley would have been fired three times. Point being — Richt deserves to rebuild. (Anti-Richters have emailed to say that it IS a different era and Richt shouldn't get the same leeway the Dooley got.)

Yes, Richt can rebuild. Fulmer rebuilt. And then when things went south again, people remembered the first stumble and he was gone. I fully and completely believe that will happen with Richt as well. The next time he loses 5 games in a season, his goose is cooked. And that will happen at some point. Short of a national title, he can't erase the last two years from the memories of most Dawg fans.

That's my view.

And I do think it's very fair to compare the situations of all three coaches (having talked with multiple people involved in both the Fulmer and Tuberville situations).

Now, if you can't accept that someone has a different view from your own or if you dislike my view, I suggest you go find another website to read.

John

As for Tuberville, he had a record of 42-9 the four seasons prior to his last year. The dynamics of hiring and firing Tony Franklin during the 2008 season led to one of the oddest divorces of a head coach and a school ever seen in the SEC. I don't believe it's fair to compare that situation to that of Richts' (or any other SEC coach for that matter.)

So instead of INSISTING that Richt is "Doomed!", "Done!", "a Dead Man Walking!", etc., etc., can you be at least be somewhat rational and level headed and acknowledge that he might be able to right the ship? I seriously doubt it.

See if you can follow this:

1. Mark Richt is in serious trouble. His tenure — in our opinion — is on the backside heading downhill. He has lost a good number of fans and media. While a few may met get back on with him if the Dawgs have a good year this year, they'll be waiting to say I told you so at the next sign of trouble.

2. This is a cumulative effect. It happened to Phillip Fulmer. It happened to Tommy Tuberville.

3. But that does not mean Richt will be canned if he loses to Boise State. He'll be given this season to turn things around. But his next bad year… I think he's done. Again, see the last "dean of SEC coaches" Fulmer. He had a losing season in 2005. Bounced back with a bowl in 2006 and an East title in 2007, but his losing season in 2008 cost him his job. Fans stopped coming to games in 2008 because those who grumbled in 05 became outraged in 08.

Richt's on the same path. As we wrote in the pieces you quoted — once fans start downplaying and "yeah but'ing" a coach's WINS, it's the beginning of the end. My pieces didn't say he'd be fired in 2011. They said he's doomed. And he is. (Sadly, because I think he's a good coach.)

Now I don't think that's too hard to follow.

As for admitting when I'm wrong, I do that all the time. I just don't do it when I'm talking about an OPINION or when a reader can't follow something that sure seems to make plenty of sense.

John

No, I stand by them. Fully. The fanbase and half the media have turned on him. The clock is ticking because of that. Once you lose fans, you can't ever get them fully back because people who call for your head on talk radio will never admit that they were wrong. I did a radio show in Macon not two weeks ago and the host admitted that Richt can't win him back.

That said, when Richt does lose his job — and we don't think that he should, as we've stated numerous times — it will be because Greg McGarity (and UGA's mega-boosters) judge him on the work of a full season and a long trend… not on one or two games.

That could happen this season, could happen next season… but once coaches achieve "Dean of the SEC" status, their days are numbered.

But thanks for trying to be a smart aleck.

John