In one of the strangest events of this football season, Urban Meyer quits, unquits, kind of halfway quits in a 24 hour period. Along the way he had (choose your own number of) heart attacks that he just ignores, is overstressed, loves his family (but not enough to fully commit to them) and grabs back some of the attention that he lost to Nick Saban (but complains its the problem). Basically Meyer came across as the biggest drama queen since Jimmy Swaggart got caught with a $20 hooker and a can of STP.

None of this is highly unusual. The Gators have been jumping in the air, waving their arms and yelling, “Hey, look at me”, ever since Tim Tebow arrived on campus, all the while constantly keeping the press informed that all of the attention just causes them too much pressure. The whole thing reeks of Paris Hilton and her mangy little chihuahua calling a presser to say leave me alone. The Gators love the drama when it suits them. When every team in the SEC had outbreaks of flu, Florida’s was worse, even though it was just “flu-like symptoms.” 100 guys had concussions this year, but Tebow was the bravest of them all when he played. It is like discussing summer vacation with a bunch of Jr. High kids, one guy always has to one up everybody else.

What is unusual is that Florida failed to control the message. They have been masters at only allowing the positive spin on any subject. Even their multiple arrests and subsequent dismissals get played off as Meyer and Timmy doing what’s best for these wayward youth. The GatorNation is a shadow state, where everything is hidden just enough for nobody ever to have to face any direct responsibility. Anything that they want made public, they send the village idiots, Dooley and Fowler, out to spread the word. Typically, Sunday’s press conference was dominated by questions from UF beat writers and other sycophants, with little input from the national guys that we know were in attendance.

Now, this whole story is starting to unravel right in the University’s face. A high level Florida official who, for obvious reasons, spoke on the condition of anonymity, has admitted that this has been more smoke and mirrors than anything else. Coach Meyer’s chest pains are a result of anxiety and panic attacks, not a heart condition. As a result, he was prescribed Xanax. As Meyer’s mental and emotional state worsened, so did his dependence on the drug. The 911 call was not a result of Ambien or a possible heart attack, two of the more widely reported excuses, but because he was unresponsive after taking 10 mg of Xanax.

Florida officials went into crisis control mode. The recruiting season had to be saved and a cover story invented to hold until the quiet search and acquisition of a new head coach could be completed.  One thing that was certain, the Sugar Bowl or maybe even the SEC CG, would be Meyer’s last game as head coach.

Courtesy: imac

Of late, the facade was already staring to crack. The sleezeball DUI, petty theft lawyer, who is all but on staff, gave a smirking interview that left anyone with any sensibilities wanting a bath after reading it. Opposing coaches made warranted and loud complaints about officiating. The Gators’ dirty play drew enough attention to warrant a direct, if quiet, warning before the SEC Championship Game. That left two of their worst offenders, Spikes and Wright, virtually ineffective. In the week following that game, the lid blew off some of the team’s and coaches behavior in the previous two weeks. That left Billy Gonzalez banished to Baton Rouge and a huge CYA effort was under way throughout not only the football organization, but the entire athletic department.  Another source close to the Gator program has let it be known that not only was Carlos Dunlap not the only team member involved in the drunken revelry on that now infamous night, but that night was not an isolated incident. Gonzalez knew about the consistent rule breaking, and in all fairness to Meyer, did not inform the head coach until later. When Meyer did find out, none of the players were punished (other than Dunlap of course), but Gonzalez is now in Les Miles hell. This isn’t the first time Gonzalez has taken the rap. He has been Urban’s scapegoat for awhile now. Of course, Dunlap will play in the Sugar Bowl.

Meyer has accomplished a lot in 5 years at Florida and by their low standards, it has been amazing. Still, the question has to be: has success caused Meyer all of this stress or is it the constant coverup and double life? A lot of coaches have won a lot more for a lot longer period of time than Meyer. Different ones handled it different ways. Bud Wilkinson exercised and was involved in his community when cameras weren’t around. Woody Hayes studied history and screamed and yelled. Bear Bryant had whiskey, Chesterfields and an occasional bet on the ponies. The difference is, those men never claimed to be anything other than what they were. They coached football, changed the lives of young men and let the results speak for themselves.

If Meyer is going to relieve himself of some of his stress,  he is going to have to be honest about his addictions and the cause. Reportedly, Tim Tebow is working with him and plans a laying on of hands. This will not do it. Addiction is not curable, is not a religious failing. It is a serious disease and the only remittance is total honesty and acceptance of your part in the problem. In my 15 years as a recovering alcoholic and addict, work as a counselor and a member of several substance abuse advisory boards, I have never seen one case where the addiction symptoms were successfully treated in another way.

At this point, we don’t know where and when Urban Meyer will coach again, but we are almost certain it will not be in Gainesville. He is a hell of a coach, but his behavior begs yet another question: Is the sense of entitlement and lack of respect for opponents displayed by the team and fans a result of Meyer’s attitude and personality or is it the other way around?

The relationship between Meyer and Tebow has always been a little odd.  It is hard to lose someone who has meant everything. The relationship between the two sometimes seems to be the reverse of the norm between a 45 year old man and his 20 year old pupil, but the extremist religious sects are built on just that kind of role reversal. The con makes himself indispensable to the point where the victim feels all things must flow from him. Maybe Meyer’s dreams and insecurities collided last week and caused that moment of high anxiety.  If the victim already has insecurities that can be exploited, he is in danger of abuse by himself, as well as others.

Tags: BCS, College Football, Florida State, Gators, NCAA College Football, NCAA Football, SEC, Southeastern Conference, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 31st, 2009 at 11:49 am and is filed under Authors Blogs, Creek's Crystal Sphere, Featured Article, On the Sideline. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.