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... nothing to be sorry for..Maybe you could specify who are these mythical "same 8 guys" or "the option crowd". What fonts do you consider to be illogical in their posts that fall on the "pro" "blind" option preference? It could be that there are some fonts who are illogically pro-ption to the detriment of them being logically pro-GT that are slipping my mind, and maybe if you reminded me of them, I might agree with you. But, in general, from what I've seen, the "option crowd" is nowhere nearly as driven by emotional tantrums as the general population which is why this board in particular has been an outlier of maturity for GT boards over the past 10-11 seasons. It's no coincidence that this board became what it was during the CPJ-tenure. Fonts like @Boomergump, @steebu, @stylee, @Longestday, @AE 87, among others have set the tone for this board with actual football talk, film commentary, stat commentary, etc rather than the typical "are we settling for mediocrity" BS after every loss or "we're going to the natty" after every win that you see on other fan-boards or "this guy is the next Hershel Walker" after every 4-star recruit looks our way (GT included). And, from what I've seen, the emotion level, the schtick level, the internet tough guy level, went up a few notches after the CPJ-retirement, CGC-hire. I absolutely plan to give CGC a fighting chance and the benefit of the doubt and at least 2 or 3 years to properly evaluate. Doing this and believing that we missed the mark on not hiring Monken are not mutually exclusive. I would expect every "option guy" to do the same because usually they have a lot of football and common sense. It's the "Option, LOL" guys that make it a little harder for me to enjoy the board and to actually want to see positives about CGC (and there definitely are some). So, if you want to drive those kinds of folks away or put a pseudo-wedge between them and CGC succeeding then keep doing what you're doing, I guess. When I say "you" I don't really mean you, @Milwaukee, you're not that bad. I mean it as a generic "you" to all those who go a little nuts anytime someone mentions anything to do with the option and GT.
For my part, to lay my cards on the table (as I think I've already been doing), I loved the CPJ era, the option, the culture created, and many other things. I wanted Monken badly because I think we had the chance to be extremely successful some years (with a good QB and a couple other pieces) and enjoy good success most years (without those pieces), and because I think Monken himself has about the best resume in the country regardless of scheme. We finally had a defense that looked like it was going somewhere and stats that could back up that feeling. I loved that we weren't trying to be anybody else and were trying to be the best in the world at what we do. I'm also probably very different from most on here who share those sentiments with me in that I also loved Coach Gailey. I played for him and saw what kind of man he was. I also thought that there was a lot of illogical criticism of him as well (though some was warranted). He had a great running game and a great defense; all he was missing was QB play which could've come through one player or a simple coaching change at that position or a tweak in the OC department. And, he was starting to get the recruiting going in a way that we've actually never seen at GT. (They fired him right after the '07 class, which was pretty darn dumb, if you asked me). But, hiring CPJ is what saved it for me - it made a ton of sense to me, and he won me over even more during his time here. I will not be able to not think about the option and what we had (double negative, sorry) as we go forward. If that gets on your nerves, I apologize and ask you to bear with me on that.
I promise that...
1. I will give CGC time to make his own mark on GT football (at least 2-3 years, even into the 4th) before serious judgment.
2. I will look for the positives and offer constructive comments on any negatives without personal attack.
3. I will try to be understanding of the "giddiness" over CGC and the new hope for recruiting.
4. I will not nitpick every move CGC makes or every aspect of the new offensive system.
5. I will try to be objective in evaluating all aspects of the team, using the best stats available to do so.
Here is a sincere question: what else would you have me and the "option crowd" do? I mean that sincerely. If there is anything else that you would like to see from any of us who share these sentiments, I want to know. I have blind spots, I don't know everything, and can grow in wisdom from your constructive criticism of me. Any requests, please don't hesitate to make them.
My only requests are:
1. Have sympathy for me in not being able to quickly leave the option and CPJ-tree thoughts behind.
2. Don't compliment CGC and his tenure at the expense of the CPJ tenure.
3. Don't act like the option is some lesser form of football.
There may be more that I think of as we go, and I'll share them with you if you want to hear them.
Sorry for the long post - this is some pent up stuff. Thanks for listening. Go Jackets!
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