Bill Belichick and Urban Meyer Are Run Up the Score BFFs

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Usually it is college football coaches (*cough* Old Ball Coach *cough*) who are masters at running up the score -- the NFL has too much parity, generally speaking, to see most teams let the score get totally out of control. Except, of course, if we're talking about the 2007 New England Patriots.

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, seemingly horrible victims of karmic restitution, mastered the art of embarrassing opponents last year en route to a perfect regular season record. So who better to dole out advice on how to manage a team hellbent on destruction to the suddenly white hot Florida Gators and Urban Meyer, coming off a 50 spanking of SEC "rival" South Carolina, than the hooded one himself?

Which explains why one of the voice mails on Urban Meyer's phone over the last 24 hours was from close friend and New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Florida has outscored opponents 299-63 since a Sept. 27 loss to Ole Miss, and its defense has risen to No. 6 in the nation.

[...]"I had a very nice call from Coach Belichick, and he said just make sure you stay on top of them because they are going to be hearing how good they are," Meyer said Sunday morning. "When you watch film, we still can be a lot better."

MUST. KILL. OPPONENT. MERCILESSLY ... Seems to be the theme here. Which may or may not explain why my personal preference for both Belichick and Meyer is to disdain them personally while respecting their ability to succeed at their craft.

And, honestly, it's not all that surprising that they're really good friends; they both happen to run dynastic football entities and like to beat other teams into the ground. I'm sure those phone calls are fun.

(H/T: LBS)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

11-19-2008 @ 7:35AM

Eric said...

I know it seems unsportsmanlike, but in the BCS system "W's" just aren't enough. Its style points that determine who makes it to the national championship game. Why shouldn't a 1-loss team, that while few doubt is the best team in the nation, is still ranked no higher than 3rd in the polls, work to rack up every style point they can? The fact is if Florida only beat their opponents by 3-7 points a game, would everybody be talking about them as much as they have been? I don't think so. Don't blame the coach, blame the system that forces you to prove your worthiness by embarrassing your opponents. Personally, I don't "blame" anyone because I don't see it as running up the score. Why should my team deliberately play down to the level of my opponent just because they suck? John Heisman sure didn't do it in his 222-0 game against Cumberland in 1916 and nobody calls him a jerk.

11-19-2008 @ 7:45AM

pak said...

Well said Eric.

11-19-2008 @ 7:44AM

Pak said...

Really, really now. If the head coach of YOUR favorite football team could rack up 50 points or more nearly every game, would you criticize your team for it?
When Steve Superior was the coach of the Gators in the 90's, his teams blew out many, many of his opponents. Back then when a sports reporter told him that others were critical of him for "Running up the score" and "Do you realize you are the most hated coach in the SEC", his reply was "It is my job to score, and it is their job to stop me" -and- "(If I am the most hated coach), that's good. It means I am doing something right. I don't want my competition to like me".
That may not be politically nice and correct, but it is honesty at it's most brutal. We all need to do ourselves a favor and do the best we can when it's time to compete. The best scenario will usually play itself out.
In my humble opinion, the only bowl game for Political Correctness should be in the Toliet Bowl. Agreed?

11-19-2008 @ 9:19AM

Cusco said...

Boo-Yah! Pak!

12-02-2008 @ 7:29PM

VoltronShakespeare said...

Unfortunately, a perfect regular season for the Patriots didn't translate into a perfect post-season. They didn't exactly get a chance to run the score up on the G-men, and Florida won't get a chance against the Crimson Tide. Meyer even has Harvin in a walking boot, shades of Tom Brady the week leading up to his embarrassing Superbowl performance. An odd coincidence, likely, but you never know.

Nick Saban certainly doesn't bother with that bull, nor does he pay attention to it. The mind games he plays are played on the gridiron. Alabama plays conservative and intelligent football instead of arrogantly padding stats. When you play unnecessarily aggressive after the game is beyond the opponent's reach, you run the risk of injuring a key player such as Percy Harvin.

Alabama's going to win this Saturday, they're going to go on to win another national title, and they're going to do it because Saban will have his team better prepared. No one has managed both sides of the ball throughout each game of their season like 'Bama. Our offensive and defensive lines are almost always in control of the play(even when they're getting chop blocked by Auburn). I don't mean much disrespect toward Urban Meyer. He's a brilliant coach, but he plays a bitterly contemptible style of football; one I believe isn't likely to match up against Nick Saban's or his team. Roll Tide!

12-04-2008 @ 12:25AM

Carol said...

I may be wrong but didn't Texas, Oklahoma, USC, and Texas Tech. run their scores up.... and didn't their quarterbacks play the whole games. Tebow didn't always play the second half..Just asking..I AM and Alabama fan. Have always been one and always will be one.

12-04-2008 @ 8:14PM

The SEC has always been above that with the exception of Steve Spurrier. Funny how all that's working out for him now, haha. Elitism aside, Florida and Alabama both knew for a long time they'd be seeing each other in the post-season, and they knew the winner would go on to the big game. Florida wasn't in any crucial need for "style points" like Texas, T. Tech, and Oklahoma. They were each trying to tip the scales of a three-way tie decision, and Oklahoma's romp of Texas Tech ended up winning out. None of Florida's blowouts put them in any more of an advantageous position than they would've been in had they won any other way. They'd still be where they are right now: two days away from getting beat by the Crimson Tide. :D