coach Lane Quittin'-Revisionist Historian

Having chosen the worst economic times of my adult life to start a business, other matters have superceded bloviation for quite some time.

However, things are running along reasonably smoothly and this matter begs comment.

As it relates to UT, Mergz has adequately demonstrated that our defensive and offensive performances in 2009 were somewhat better than 2008. There has been adequate discussion of the conservative UF game plan and the underlying rationale.

What Lane Quittin' celebrates is not a "moral victory", but his personal cowardice and gutlessness, character defects that devalued the hard work of a UT team that put itself in a situation to have the possibility of winning the game and ameliorating the embarrassment of 2008.

Let's review 2008 a bit more in depth, particularly UT's first half possessions, that's where they gave us the game:

1. After UF drove 44 yards for a TD on the opening possession, on 3rd down, Hardesty fumbles on the UT 23. After advancing exactly 0 yards on the ensuing possession, UF kicks a field goal. (3 point swing).

2. After returning the kickoff to their 21, UT advances to their 42 and punts. Brandon James returns the punt for a touchdown (in one of the most exciting and important of his many exciting returns-one I don't consider a point swing since based on B. James' proven abilities).

3. UT begins driving from their own 26 and advances to the Florida 2 where Crompton fumbles on 2nd down. UF then marches 75 yards for a field goal. (6 pt. or 10 pt. swing, depending).

4. After ensuring kickoff, UT begins driving from their 39, 11 plays and 60 yards later, Crompton throws an interception to Janoris Jenkins which is caught in the end zone and returned to the UF 3. (3 or 7 point swing). We intentionally run out the clock, taking it to half-time.

Subtracting the UF points resulting from UT's Red Zone turnovers (I consider anything inside the 25 yard line as the red zone--it's only a 42 yard field goal which is physically possible for almost all college kickers and have never understood the arbitrary assignment of the 20 as the red zone boundary) and UF has 24 points (14 at the half).

Now, if you give UT 6 points for their 2 turnovers inside the UF 5, the score is a respectable 24-12 (14-6 at the half). If you grant them 14, it's a close 24-20 (14-14 at the half). But, instead of a 14-6 or 14-14 game at the half, what occurred left UT so far behind, 20-0, they never had a chance.

We can all be fairly certain our coaching staff was fully aware the score of last year's game did not represent UT's potential or, frankly, the close physical contest.

In 2009, each team played better, for the most part, than 2008. In my opinion, Tebow's Red Zone turnover was our only sloppy play (I thought Berry's interception was a magnificent play on what appeared to be an uncatchable ball).

Which brings me to coach Quittin' and the fallacy of the "moral victory".

UT choked last year--no two ways about it. Any doubts? Review their 1st half. What should have been a close contest was gift-wrapped for the Mighty Gators. UT's players (pretty much the same motley crew as last year) had demons to exorcise, and they put themselves in a position where that possibility existed.

What happens?

Their coach quits on them, ostensibly to impress recruits by advertising that he "covered the spread" against UF.

UT's players deserved better, they deserved the chance to win or go down swinging, not have their manager refuse to have them come out of the corner for the 15th round.

I have read the calls from Lane Quittin' to have SEC Commissioner Slive look into Coach Meyer's comments on this anti-competitive behavior. The more interesting, and appropriate, inquest would be Quittin's behavior from 6:01 remaining in the 4th quarter to his almost immediate claim of moral victory in his post-game comments.

In the often cleverly written UGA blog, Get the Picture, there is an interesting comparison of Lane Quittin' to Eddie Haskell. In one of the comments, the writer compares the "moral victory" spin to Esprit d'Escalier, a french colloquialism meaning "staircase wit," used to refer to one who thinks of the witty or clever response after the fact. While quite amusing, I'm afraid I disagree.

coach Quittin' began planning this canard before the game clock expired. I will never refer to him as "Coach" (that term being a term of respect) again. Hereafter, if reference to him is necessary, a lower case c will be used, i.e. coach Quittin'.

What would Vince Lombardi say?