January 30, 2008
Patriots owe Super Bowl success to... Urban Meyer?
Who does NFL uber-coach Bill Belichick turn to when he needs new ideas for his New England Patriots? Not an NFL coach. Nope. Belichick gets help from Florida head coach Urban Meyer.
No, as Belichick steams toward a fourth Super Bowl title, which would match Pittsburgh's Hall of Fame coach, Chuck Noll, his closest coaching confidante appears to be the University of Florida's Urban Meyer, a man with whom Belichick never has worked, but with whom he has nonetheless developed an extremely close relationship.They have watched each other's team practice. They have addressed each other's team in a meeting. They have exchanged strategies and philosophies. They trust each other's instincts. They are, in effect, a mutual admiration society.
"For him to watch us practice, watch me for a day or a day and a half, and to be able to say something as an outsider (is valuable)," Belichick said in a recent interview. "Frankly, he's had a chance to observe a lot more pro (teams) practice than I have. I only see this organization.
"I don't know how many pro teams he has seen practice, five or 10, but he has a viewpoint on what we're doing, and whatever his thoughts are, I think the team is very receptive to hearing them."
Belichick makes an annual pilgrimage to Gainesville to trade ideas with Meyer and seek his insight.
Said Belichick: "Sometimes, I bounce stuff off him. Sometimes, he bounces stuff off me. I value his opinion and advice when he gives it to me. I appreciate it."...
"I went down there (to Gainesville), and it was good for me," Belichick said. "The offense he runs is very ... I won't say it's a pro-style offense, but it's an open offense that has a lot of pro elements to it.
"From what I know about Urban, he runs a program similar to the way we run our program, so we talked about lots of things relative to technical football, Xs and Os, how to deal with different stuff that's common (to both pro and college football)."
Comments:
posted on January 30, 2008 6:11 PM — 64.12.116.136 — link — abuse?War Eagle Atlanta
said:
I see what's going on here--Belichick using Meyer as a shill to spy on his opponents. No pro team minds a college coach observing practices. Belichick then pumps him for the information and saves tons of money from not having to install spy cameras. Meyer receives extra income, forgoing the need to launch an online insider newsletter a la Franchione. Classic!!!
See. This is how rumors get started...
posted on January 30, 2008 6:22 PM — 64.12.116.136 — link — abuse? said:
Yea, Ramblin, had I left off that last sentence, someone down the line would believe that nonsense and it might grow legs on another site.
Maybe I was meant to be a farmer 'cuz I just love to plant little seeds of deceit!
Zac said:
posted on January 30, 2008 6:53 PM — 64.12.116.136 — link — abuse?
Posts 3 & 4: Now you 2 cut dat out! You know that sort of thing only happens under the table...
Ahem, come on now everyone. I don't recall reading anything here about "Butt Buddies."
WarEagleA, you do spin a conspiracy theory with the best of them.
Anyway, if it spells success and it don't hurt nobody, why not?
gatorstud said:
posted on January 31, 2008 8:27 AM — 69.95.111.248 — link — abuse?
gOSU27.....tebow has already stated that he will stay for his entire career at florida......if you look at his life and how he has gotten to where he is at....it follows the same path as spurrier and wuerful....
from how they were brought up all the way up to getting heismans at florida...he is a class act.....but you never know..the lure of nfl money is quite enticing....and jeff #11....the bowl game against michigan didn't mean anything except that it was a bowl game...that's all.....it's not like we lost our first game of the season to APPL. STATE.....LOL..LOL..LOL..LOL..LOL..LOL...LOL....especially when everyone at the beginning of the season had michigan and their 3 big seniors (mann., hart, & henne) already in the title game...and then came along APPL. STATE....LOL...LOL...LOL..LOL...LOL....so please STFU....
go gators......
gatorstud said:
posted on January 31, 2008 9:01 AM — 69.95.111.248 — link — abuse?
i know this is going a little off-topic..but since the superbowl is just a couple days away..what the hell....
being a 35 yr. STEELER fan....i am torn about the patriots....what they are doing or should say what they are about to do..is simply freaking amazing....a part of me wants them to win because we will witness history if they do...i really don't remember the 72 dolphins and i want to see the pats do it for the same reason i want tiger to win all 4 majors....to see history made....
but then there is the other part of me...the part of me that loves football and for fair play, and the integrity of the game....and what the pats did on the first game of the season against the jets, and what occured afterwards was dispicable...they cheated...plain and simple....you can have the argument that "everyone does it", but that is not good enough for me....it is nothing personal against the patriots, or it's fansbase....
what roger goodell did was just as diplorable....as a new commish. to come in and hand down punishments to players for activities outside of football, as well as those who broke the law or used drugs.....those punishment were hefty and even cost a player the whole entire season....and then let a coach get away with cheating....CHEATING....the punishment was equivelent to a slap on the wrist...to lose a first round draft pick when he knows good and well that the pats are loaded with talent and are pretty much a lock for the superbowl even before the season started, which, in the end, results in their draft pick being the last pick of the first round...or you could say the first pick of the second round.....oh and then there is the lame-ass fine that KRAFT probably picked up for billy b...
i remember a news story asking pats fans not to watch the next patriots game if the commish took that game away from the pats....now you think about that for a second....how many patriot fans are out there....pretty much the whole northeast of the country above new york.....a lot of freaking people....how much t.v. revenue would the nfl lost if new englanders turned their t.v.'s off on sunday...how much money.....and how did that affect the commish's decision not to viod the game.....
and this is where i am at....so.....i will root for the pats.....to make history...but i will also root for the giants to set things rite.....
thank you roger goodell.....you are truly an a$$bag......
this is just my opinion on this matter, this is not a jab at pats fans, or the pats orginazation....
go gators...
gatorstud said:
posted on January 31, 2008 10:14 AM — 69.95.111.248 — link — abuse?
c-dogg.....with the problems that miami has, i really don't see how miami is going to win this game....but you never know....it sucks that when we finally have miami back on the schedule, they aren't playing well, well at least last season they didn't play well....but this will be a new year for shannon and the hurricanes and you never know how it's gonna play out.....the gators schedule favors them....this could be a title year if we play well enough...and with the additions that are coming in......the future is bright for the gators....
go gators.....
U. of S. C. 1978 said:
posted on January 31, 2008 10:30 AM — 97.82.188.250 — link — abuse?
" No, as Belichick steams", "
"his closest coaching confidante",
"Urban Meyer","
"an extremely close relationship."
"They have watched"C'mon now, any fool can make this seem inappropriate. I just did.
I say Pat's 41, Giants 7.Bevo Boy said:
posted on January 31, 2008 3:51 PM — 205.188.116.136 — link — abuse?
gatorstud #14, Goodell isn't even taking away the first round pick that the Patriots got from the 49ers (7th overall). They get shorted one first round pick, but still get the better of the two. Not to mention, the Patriots should have lost to the Ravens, but because a timeout was called that could not have been called (unless it was by the head coach, who didn't call it). If that timeout would have been called correctly, Tom Brady would not have thrown the TD that won the game. History? Shouldn't be, with spy-gate and all. Fixed? Maybe. Everything in every close game has gone their way. I'm not sayin, I'm just saying. They are the most talented, but it takes more than talent to win the game (just ask the Ravens).
Cowbell05 said:
posted on January 31, 2008 6:07 PM — 76.107.119.247 — link — abuse?
Damn, looks like Jeff doesn't have too much to say about that. Gatorstud, I understand where your coming from but, they got caught the 1st game of the season. Its not like they went 15 weeks in without getting caught. So IMO that should shut all of the Pats critics up. New England is UNDEFEATED, You could let some teams cheat EVERY week and still not be in the position they are.
Thats my 2 cents
Hail State
Hotty Toddy said:
posted on January 31, 2008 8:35 PM — 75.105.128.37 — link — abuse?
Go ahead, all you haters -- count the Giants out. You've counted us out every other game, and its always ended up in our favor.
Weren't supposed to beat Tampa at Tampa -- whoops, looks like Tampa got a mudhole stomped in their back.
Beating Dallas AT Dallas? Thats an impossible feat, says the analysts -- uh oh, looks like the Cowboys fans gotta cancel their plane tickets...
Favre's too hot right now -- he's destined for the Superbowl. Plus Eli can't handle those kinda weather conditions -- wait, whats that? Its up.. its going... its GOOD!
Puh-lease.
Giants - 27
Patriots - 24Big Tide said:
posted on February 1, 2008 7:07 AM — 12.208.88.211 — link — abuse?
Filming the other team in secrest is probably what they discuss. The US Senate is about to crawl up the commisioner's rear end about this destroyed evidence. It's obvious those guys had something they didn't want the public to know. Lot easier to win when you know what the other team is doing...
By the way, Pats win and cover Sunday. Heard it here first.......
Zac said:
posted on February 1, 2008 11:06 AM — 205.188.116.136 — link — abuse?
Hey, HT (Post 21), howza MS man become a NY fan? Last I heard, when Conway was singing to Loretta, she was a LA Woman. Just curious, is all.
Manning has been unconscious throughout the play-offs. That said, the odds are now against him. He has neither thrown an INT, nor has NY committed a T.O. That game between NE & NY was tough and close with NE playing catch-up throughout, before they finally overtook and beat NY. I don't see this game as being much different, except I see NY as being the one to have to play catch-up, but falling short. T.O.'s will be the difference.
NE 34, NY 24
That's not hating; that's telling it like it is.
TampaGator said:
posted on February 1, 2008 11:10 AM — 205.188.116.136 — link — abuse?
G-stud/#14:
Solid post. Frankly, my conservative nature--and my Florida roots--have me pulling for the NYG. I've always liked that sort of mythical status the '72 Dolphins enjoyed; I love going to Don Shula's, eating one of the best damn steaks money can buy (second only to Ruth's Criss), and enjoying the whole aura of that '72 team. I celebrate with them, every time the last undefeated team falls.
What's more, my wife is a big Steelers' fan (she grew up in P'burgh, graduated from Pitt)--and so are my kids and I (secondarily to Bucs and fins). Their 4 SB's in a decade--along with '72 Dolphins perfect season--both stand to be eclipsed this Sunday.
I also agree wholeheartedly, that the punishment is a complete embarrassment to the NFL.
So, with that background in mind, I'd love see the Pats stumble--and if not, to have a gigantic asterisk hung on their accomplishment, due to the "spy-gate". That said, an asterisk--or virtually any caveat--would simply be disingenuous, IMO.
Unlike other cheaters, the Pats have shown--without any doubt--that "cheating" wasn't necessary to their winning--especially not this season. Contrast that with 'roids in baseball. Who's hit 60+ homers, since they started testing? No one. Clearly 'roids were why those guys were bashing. Had NE gone 10-6 this season, or similar, one could infer that stealing the defenses' signals before the game was why they were so great. At 18-0 since spy-gate broke--who can make that argument?
Frankly, if NE wins on Sunday--they deserve all the accolades that go along with a perfect season, and the 4 SB's in a decade. It may be a bitter pill to swallow, but I'll take my hat off to them. They earned it.
(...though I won't be patronizing Bilichick's steaks--or whatever he does--anytime soon).
My $.02.
GO GATORS!!
Cowbell05 said:
posted on February 1, 2008 6:34 PM — 70.152.103.16 — link — abuse?
#25,
Hes not a die hard NY fan, he just likes them cause od Eli, but then again so does everybody else around here. Hey Toddy, I'll give you props if you can name the other Mississippi boy on NY. Can't look it up, thats cheating.
Jeff said:
posted on February 1, 2008 7:44 PM — 12.188.148.226 — link — abuse?
#13-gator stud... I guess that joke would stillbe funny if, like, it happened anytime recently...
That was months ago...and besides, if that's the case, then how does it feel to lose to the team that lost to App St?? (laughing anyone??)
Thought so...
Go Blue!!
Urban (in not-so-urban Gainesville) Meyer sucks...
Bevo Boy said:
posted on February 1, 2008 8:52 PM — 207.200.116.5 — link — abuse?
Cowbell #27, first of all, I cheated. I looked it up www.nfl.com. There is no player from Ole Miss on the roster other than Eli. There is one player from Miss. St. Is that who you meant? I won't say his name so it's not cheating, but it might have given him a hint.
TE
said:
posted on January 30, 2008 4:45 PM — 204.68.245.11 — link — abuse?He & Saban would spend a week together immediately after the NFL season...and I do believe they still do...They sequester themselves and talk X's & O's...