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Mitchell Headed to 1st Conference Finals 🔥
Urban Meyer The 'Swamp Fox'
David ThurmanJun 7, 2018
Drew Thurman (2:55 pm)
War is not a civilized endeavor.
Dust off your history books and look back at the American Revolution. I can promise if you do you'll find a section entitled "Guerrilla Warfare." One of the great stories of the war was that the American militia men used hit-and-run tactics (aka Guerrilla Warfare) against the British forces, hiding behind trees, fences and rocks in dark clothing to gain an advantage. The British on the other hand were "gentleman" and viewed war as such. They wore red coats and marched in straight lines, and followed a civilized style of warfare. In fact, they viewed the guerrilla warfare tactics as ruthless.
One of the largest thorns in the British's side was Francis Marion, who would gain the name the "Swamp Fox." He mastered the art of the surprise hit-and-run tactic, and the British hated and feared him. In fact, they still do. When The Patriot came out in 2000 honoring his character (and exaggerating it too), the London Evening Standard made their disdain for the film well known. They described Marion as "a thoroughly unpleasant dude, who was, basically a terrorist." I'm sorry, but I'm chuckling as I type that quote out.
Flash ahead to 2012. In the battle on recruiting in the B1G, it appears the other powers in the conference also want a gentleman's war. Whether overtly stated or not, several coaches made it abundantly clear that they expect other coaches to not talk to or steal their recruits, to fight nice, and to be ethical. The latter is rather ambiguous, but more on that in a minute. Apparently Meyer, like the Swamp Fox, isn't playing by those rules and is winning the war, so much like the British they have resolved to complaining.
Michigan State assistant Pat Narduzzi was the first to speak up, or should I say cry. Early in the week, he complained about Urban Meyer not being nice to Dantiono like Jim Tressel because Meyer flipped Se'Von Pittman.
"The only thing I said is guys like Jim Tressel and Mark Dantonio never would've done that to each other," Narduzzi said. "When I have best friends out there that someday if I were the head coach, I won't take their guys. That's just part of how it goes."
War is not a civilized endeavor.
Dust off your history books and look back at the American Revolution. I can promise if you do you'll find a section entitled "Guerrilla Warfare." One of the great stories of the war was that the American militia men used hit-and-run tactics (aka Guerrilla Warfare) against the British forces, hiding behind trees, fences and rocks in dark clothing to gain an advantage. The British on the other hand were "gentleman" and viewed war as such. They wore red coats and marched in straight lines, and followed a civilized style of warfare. In fact, they viewed the guerrilla warfare tactics as ruthless.
One of the largest thorns in the British's side was Francis Marion, who would gain the name the "Swamp Fox." He mastered the art of the surprise hit-and-run tactic, and the British hated and feared him. In fact, they still do. When The Patriot came out in 2000 honoring his character (and exaggerating it too), the London Evening Standard made their disdain for the film well known. They described Marion as "a thoroughly unpleasant dude, who was, basically a terrorist." I'm sorry, but I'm chuckling as I type that quote out.
Flash ahead to 2012. In the battle on recruiting in the B1G, it appears the other powers in the conference also want a gentleman's war. Whether overtly stated or not, several coaches made it abundantly clear that they expect other coaches to not talk to or steal their recruits, to fight nice, and to be ethical. The latter is rather ambiguous, but more on that in a minute. Apparently Meyer, like the Swamp Fox, isn't playing by those rules and is winning the war, so much like the British they have resolved to complaining.
Michigan State assistant Pat Narduzzi was the first to speak up, or should I say cry. Early in the week, he complained about Urban Meyer not being nice to Dantiono like Jim Tressel because Meyer flipped Se'Von Pittman.
"The only thing I said is guys like Jim Tressel and Mark Dantonio never would've done that to each other," Narduzzi said. "When I have best friends out there that someday if I were the head coach, I won't take their guys. That's just part of how it goes."
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Bret Bielema also had some beef with Meyer he wanted to make public after Kyle Dodson flipped to the Buckeyes on signing day.
"There's a few things that happened early on I made people aware of that I didn't want to see in this league that I had seen take place at other leagues," Bielema said. "Other recruiting tactics, other recruiting practices that are illegal. I was very up front and was very poignant to the fact. I actually reached out to Coach Meyer and shared my thoughts and concerns with him and the situation got rectified."
He was far from done complaining though. He would go onto let the public know that he wants the war on recruiting to continue to be a gentleman's game, unlike the SEC.
“We at the Big Ten don’t want to be like the SEC—in any way, shape or form.”
Obviously, Bielema would rather whine about how the war is being fought than do what needs to be done to win the war. No wonder the Badgers have one of the worst classes in the B1G this year. Ironically, Bielema was neither a gentleman in airing his grievances to the media (that were supposedly already rectified), nor in the fact that he made it clear that he had tattled to AD Barry Alvarez, who would be talking to B1G commissioner Jim Delaney. So much for ethics and chivalry. Thankfully, Alvarez shut the whole thing down and declared recruiting to be an open war like a man.
Next in line was Mark Dantonio, who decided Pat Narduzzi's words hadn't been enough. He had this to say:
"They've got a new coach, and it's different. I would say it's pretty unethical, in the end."
Do you hear it? Another coach screaming, "How dare you not wear a red coat and march in straight lines. That's what GENTLEMAN do!" Who cares if the tactic isn't producing results or helping anyone in battle, as long the battle is being fought civilized, that's all that matters.
Like Bielema though, Dantonio should have looked in the mirror before making such comments. His past is far from spotless in the "ethics" game, and it would probably do him and the rest of the coaches in the conference some good to come down from their ivory towers and join in some guerrilla warfare. In fact, they will be doomed to a repeated history lesson from the American Revolution if they don't decide to start altering their tactics and egotistical judgment.
Meyer did what had to be done to produce victory, and don't count on him feeling badly about it any time soon. Not only did he dismiss that he was doing anything wrong in his signing day presser, but he shot back at the negative comments from other coaches in true Swamp Fox fashion.
"You're pissed because we went after a committed guy? Guess what, we got 9 guys who better go do it again," said Meyer. "Do it a little harder next time."
War is not a civilized endeavor. I'm glad to see Meyer understands that.
"There's a few things that happened early on I made people aware of that I didn't want to see in this league that I had seen take place at other leagues," Bielema said. "Other recruiting tactics, other recruiting practices that are illegal. I was very up front and was very poignant to the fact. I actually reached out to Coach Meyer and shared my thoughts and concerns with him and the situation got rectified."
He was far from done complaining though. He would go onto let the public know that he wants the war on recruiting to continue to be a gentleman's game, unlike the SEC.
“We at the Big Ten don’t want to be like the SEC—in any way, shape or form.”
Obviously, Bielema would rather whine about how the war is being fought than do what needs to be done to win the war. No wonder the Badgers have one of the worst classes in the B1G this year. Ironically, Bielema was neither a gentleman in airing his grievances to the media (that were supposedly already rectified), nor in the fact that he made it clear that he had tattled to AD Barry Alvarez, who would be talking to B1G commissioner Jim Delaney. So much for ethics and chivalry. Thankfully, Alvarez shut the whole thing down and declared recruiting to be an open war like a man.
Next in line was Mark Dantonio, who decided Pat Narduzzi's words hadn't been enough. He had this to say:
"They've got a new coach, and it's different. I would say it's pretty unethical, in the end."
Do you hear it? Another coach screaming, "How dare you not wear a red coat and march in straight lines. That's what GENTLEMAN do!" Who cares if the tactic isn't producing results or helping anyone in battle, as long the battle is being fought civilized, that's all that matters.
Like Bielema though, Dantonio should have looked in the mirror before making such comments. His past is far from spotless in the "ethics" game, and it would probably do him and the rest of the coaches in the conference some good to come down from their ivory towers and join in some guerrilla warfare. In fact, they will be doomed to a repeated history lesson from the American Revolution if they don't decide to start altering their tactics and egotistical judgment.
Meyer did what had to be done to produce victory, and don't count on him feeling badly about it any time soon. Not only did he dismiss that he was doing anything wrong in his signing day presser, but he shot back at the negative comments from other coaches in true Swamp Fox fashion.
"You're pissed because we went after a committed guy? Guess what, we got 9 guys who better go do it again," said Meyer. "Do it a little harder next time."
War is not a civilized endeavor. I'm glad to see Meyer understands that.
Mitchell Headed to 1st Conference Finals 🔥
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
