Kirby Smart rubs ESPN’s Mike Greenberg the wrong way for the wrong reason
Georgia football coach Kirby Smart recently blocked running back A.J. Turman from transferring to certain schools, and ESPN’s Mike Greenberg took exception.
When Kirby Smart dropped the hammer and said former Georgia running back A.J. Turman couldn’t transfer to Miami or Florida, it drew some eyebrow-raising from around the nation. This wasn’t what people were used to hearing out of Athens, and it was a clear sign that a new sheriff was in town…and it wasn’t Reggie Hammond.
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Turman was a little-used (actually not used at all) running back in a Georgia backfield loaded with 5-star talent. Perhaps he just hadn’t gotten his turn yet, or maybe he just hadn’t impressed coaches on either Mark Richt or Kirby Smart’s staff enough to warrant some on-field time.
But ESPN personality Mike Greenberg pulled a Game of Thrones on Smart, walking behind him, ringing a bell and yelling “Shame, Shame…”
"“Shame on you Kirby Smart,” Greenberg said Wednesday. “You’re scared of some 19-year-old kid going some place, who’s obviously barely playing for you and that’s why he wants to transfer in the first place or has whatever other reason to go someplace else. And you’re so terrified to allow him to go to someone you (may) play on your schedule?“Shame on you. You’re making millions of dollars and this kid’s one chance in life to play college football. He should be allowed to go wherever the hell he wants and for some coach to sit there and put restrictions on because he’s in the conference or on his schedule is a disgrace and it shouldn’t be allowed.”“Kirby Smart may never speak to me again and I don’t care. This is a disgrace, an absolute disgrace. If a kid decides for whatever reason to go from one school to another, he should be allowed to no matter what. You got to take whatever job you want and get paid millions of dollars.”"
Greeny says he doesn’t care if Smart talks to him again, and in all probability, Smart doesn’t care what Greenberg has to say about his policies regarding transfers.
If Mike Greenberg, or anyone else, wants to call out coach Smart for blocking transfers to another school and they haven’t gone down the list of the hundreds of coaches across the country who have similar policies, they’re showing a bit of inconsistency. Funny that very little shade is thrown Nick Saban’s way for doing the same thing.
Despite Greenberg’s observance that Turman was “barely playing” and it was silly for Smart to be concerned about where he went, this wasn’t about a particular player.
Kirby Smart wanted to send a message, and Turman was the first player who had announced a transfer since Smart took over the Georgia football program. Under Richt’s “life is too short” leadership, there were never any restrictions about where players transferred other than NCAA regulations. Everyone (Greenberg included) branded Richt with the “too nice and unable to win a championship” label and that in part is why Richt is now back with his alma mater in Miami.
Yes, Greenberg is right. Smart is being paid millions of dollars…to do what? Win a championship. What does win championships? Taking an all-business approach and putting humanity to the side? Perhaps, and that’s what Georgia signed up for when they hired a 10-year Saban disciple.
So Smart let it be known, if you leave his program regardless of whether you’re first or third team, you may face restrictions on where you can go if you want to be released from your scholarship.
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Smart may look like the bad guy, but he’s only portraying the image it seems everyone wants when it comes to building a championship winner. The nice guy was ridiculed and run out of town, so now deal with the scowl and cold demeanor of the Saban Hammerdrone.