Irish Eyes … Crying? Meyer Drops Another “Dream Job” Line, Tebow “50/50″ on NFL
College Football, NFL December 18th. 2008, 9:00am
A couple weeks back, Notre Dame decided to keep embattled coach Charlie Weis, a decision that may have Irish fans a bit huffy this morning in light of recent news.
1) 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, who said last weekend that he was “leaning” on returned to Florida, and quickly upgraded that to “50/50,” sent a wave of agita through Gator Nation (and joy through the rest of the SEC) Wednesday by saying he’d fill out the necessary paperwork to find out where he’d fall in the NFL draft. Teammates Brandon Spikes and Percy Harvin have done or will be doing the same.
2) The hottest coaching name in the college game – with respect to Turner Gill and Paul Johnson – UF’s Urban Meyer, did a radio interview this week where he said, “‘Well coach, I thought you said (Notre Dame was) your dream job.’ I grew up in the North and that was my dream job. Probably always will, but that has nothing to do with this.” Of course, Meyer quickly backpedaled yesterday, but the damage was done.
“This is my dream job. This is my job. I hope to be here for a long, long time. I hear that out there and it’s my fault. But this is everything I want in a school. This is the best job in America. You don’t give your life to a school like our whole staff has. We plan on doing this for a long time.”
In hindsight, this probably was the ideal season for Meyer to make the move to the Irish. Notre Dame’s core talent will be sophomores and juniors with experience, and the schedule is favorable. The Gators could be primed to lose their top two pass-catchers and Tebow, and offensive coordinator Dan Mullen has already taken the Mississippi State job. (Of course, you could always say that once the experienced Florida defense mostly graduates after next season, it’d be ideal to leave, too.)
Could Meyer-to-Notre Dame still happen? Seems unlikely, as Notre Dame would take a massive PR hit for giving Weis the public vote of confidence and then firing him six weeks later. And Meyer, currently a media darling and poised to match/overtake Spurrier’s legacy if he’s able to win a second title this year, would probably find his luminous star dimmed quite a bit in the venomous court of public perception.
34 Responses to “Irish Eyes … Crying? Meyer Drops Another “Dream Job” Line, Tebow “50/50″ on NFL”
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December 18th, 2008 at 9:04 AM
She’s built like Mickelson.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:05 AM
The only way Meyer ever coaches the Irish is if he goes to the NFL first and fail. It’s too much of a latteral move from Florida to ND
December 18th, 2008 at 9:07 AM
A PR hit? I don’t think so.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:08 AM
both from wiki
Notre Dame has the most consensus national championships and has produced more All-Americans than any other Football Bowl Subdivision school. Additionally, seven Fighting Irish football players have won the Heisman Trophy. (Plus it has its own channel)
In 100 years of play, Florida has been recognized as SEC champions eight times (finishing first in the conference an additional three times), were national champions of the 1996 and 2006 college football seasons
December 18th, 2008 at 9:08 AM
There she is, Miss Godzilla Biscuits.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:11 AM
That picture should accompany every post, whether it be about the NBA, Stephen Curry, Terrell Owens, or current Bobcats owner Sweetriver Baines. New commenters might ask why, but answering to them is a small price to pay.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:12 AM
So Notre Dame is like the Yankees. They have the most titles ever and a rich history of great players so people confuse that with them actually being good in current day.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:12 AM
Shouldn’t we be trawling facebook,myspace,etc for more pics of Miss Biscuits?
December 18th, 2008 at 9:13 AM
As one of the people who sent this to you yesterday: of course Tebow and Harvin filed for paperwork; draft-eligible players who DON’T do this are stupid, and those who do are just getting more information. McCoy filed for it, remember, and then said he would return; it’s been done before by others, too. It’s not actually that big a deal.
“Their top two pass catchers” includes, I assume, one of seniors Riley Cooper and Louis Murphy and junior Harvin; if so, the Gators were going to lose those seniors anyway, and Harvin’s absence has been dealt with all year.
Oh, and this “experienced” Florida defense? No seniors start. NONE. And there are only three juniors (Spikes, who, because of his financial situation, with a brother in jail, is as good as gone already; Dustin Doe; and Jermaine Cunningham) who will be seniors next year. So, graduating is unlikely; it’s possible some of the talent goes to the NFL, but it wouldn’t be a bunch of seniors until at least 2010.
While ND’s core is sophomores and juniors, so is Florida’s, and Florida’s got more speed, more size, and more proven commodities. Oh, and with Tebow on the brink of coming back, they’ve got one (and with Harvin, two) of the ten best players in college football.
Just fixing facts.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:13 AM
Give it up, TBL, he’s not going anywhere, and ND is not an elite program anymore.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:17 AM
Notre Dame has the most leather helmets in its trophy case, evAr!
December 18th, 2008 at 9:17 AM
http://thebiglead.com/?p=4312
December 18th, 2008 at 9:19 AM
Her name’s Erin Drewes; she’s not on Facebook anymore.
As a UF student who tried to friend her, I should know.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:19 AM
@TBL – I can’t see the pictures, but if I recall correctly, that’s Lucy Pinder.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:20 AM
http://www.facebook.com/people/Erin-Drewes/2011324
December 18th, 2008 at 9:21 AM
i doubt tebow’s going to the NFL when his likely destination is the Detroit Lions.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:21 AM
Reggie…your gut feeling…does tebow stay?
December 18th, 2008 at 9:22 AM
Do you think the Lions would be crazy enough to draft Tebow with the first pick of the 2nd round?
December 18th, 2008 at 9:22 AM
3rd rounders don’t have likely destinations
December 18th, 2008 at 9:27 AM
With their 4th round pick?
/keeping it going’d
December 18th, 2008 at 9:29 AM
5th!
December 18th, 2008 at 9:32 AM
My gut says yes, Tebow stays, because this year’s not good for him (he wouldn’t go before Bradford or Stafford, and I think both of them come out because Stafford’s stock is trending down and he needs to go before a senior season wrecks him and Bradford’s goes no higher), and because he sincerely prefers being in Florida’s cocoon.
And I give Tebow a 30% chance of going; Harvin’s about 75%; Spikes is around 90%.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:33 AM
If Tebow goes I hope Jacksonville drafts him.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:35 AM
You have to also consider that many Juniors, not even 1st rounders, are strongly considering leaving because of the impending NFLPA labor negotiations. There is a distinct possibility of a rookie salary cap as early as the 2010 draft.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:37 AM
Yes, her name is Erin Drewes and she’s my friend on facebook…but I think she has like 800 or so friends, so she’s not too selective.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:38 AM
seriously guys there’s no way the Lions take Tebow with their 6th round pick
December 18th, 2008 at 9:39 AM
coop, I get that, but I don’t think Tebow really cares about the money; it’s going towards housing, feeding and watering a family, and then missionary work. I think he would rather have the platform he’s got for a while longer, then a bigger splash in the NFL.
And his family’s not exactly scrounging for pennies.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:41 AM
Are the Lions going to start running the option? If not, I see no way they sign him as an undrafted free agent.
/taking it too far’d
December 18th, 2008 at 9:42 AM
Yeah Yeah, God with feed him and love will heat his house, blah blah puke. If its between leaving this year and getting 10 mill guaranteed and staying and getting 1.5 mill, dudes leaving.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:44 AM
I’ll agree with that, but I don’t think anyone’s drafting Tebow high enough to give him 10 million guaranteed.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:52 AM
I think the 50/50 percentage is fairly accurate. You figure that if the draft advisory board tells him he will be a mid first round pick he goes, any lower and he probably stays. As a UGA fan, I am hoping the advisory board tells him he will be the first overall pick.
December 18th, 2008 at 10:03 AM
Erin Drewes awaits my friend request.
December 18th, 2008 at 11:06 AM
Come on TBL…citing info about ND is irrelevant as they have been awful for over a decade. Back in the day they most certainly had all of those studs but they don’t anymore. Right now FLA is so much bigger than ND it is not even worth discussing. As for Tebow leaving…if he wins a title this year his stock will never be higher. I don’t necessarily think he will be a great college QB but if one team wants to take a chance on a good PR move and take him in round 2-3 he should go. I don’t think he will ever be a first round pick but who knows. Maybe the NFL will love his “it” factor.
December 19th, 2008 at 5:57 PM
What does Meyer care ife he makes people angry if he elaves after the bowl game and takes fat weis’ job? if he wins a title at ND I dont think he there would be any scorn from people who bashed him after he left Florida with 2 titles.