The Myth of Ron Zook
Zookism is a cult. In order to belong to the cult you have to drink the Kool-Aid. Like any cult, there is a mythology surrounding it. In Zookism's case a big part of the mythology surrounds the proverbial cupboard.
You see there once was a house in Gainesville and when Ron Zook moved in the cupboard was bare. Ron worked hard, very hard in fact he hardly got any sleep, to buy the groceries (and by buying we may be using a metaphor and we may not be depending on who you believe). And Ron loaded that cupboard up only to be thanklessly evicted.
So it's no surprise that Ron Zook rated the Gators number 2 in his coaches poll ballot. You see Urban Meyer is winning with his groceries players. This only helps build up the Zookist mythology.
But like all cults, the mythology is far from the reality. When Steve Spurrier lived in the same house as Zook he took the groceries that were there and immediately whipped up some fantastic meals. When he would shop for groceries he's often bring back the ingredients that didn't have fancy packaging or that were loaded with empty calories, he brought back real stuff that was often overlooked by other grocery shoppers and worked wonders with it. He was a true chef coach.
Zook on the other hand was like a child. If he saw a commercial for a breakfast cereal on TV he immediately wanted it, especially if there was a toy trinket inside. The fact is that the cupboard wasn't bare when Ron Zook moved into that house in Gainesville, it was loaded with good stuff that Zook wasn't interested in.
For those of you former Zookists there is hope. Keep reading this blog and go to places like Zook Free Zone. You'll be deprogrammed in no time.
1 comment:
Zookism is also a CURSE, especially where quarterbacks are concerned.
In a way, Zookism can be partly to blame for Rex Grossman's struggles in the NFL and Chris Leak not making the cut as Zook manipulated their once-strong mechanics once he got his hands on them.
It SUCKS that Grossman digressed from the top of the stats and Heisman runner-up into just another QB during his last year at Florida. Hindsight is 20-20, and looking back he should have risked it all, bailed on Zook and entered the NFL draft in 2002 rather than stay on under Zook. Who knows - things may have been different for him had he done just that.
Rex was once chastised for calling a Spurrier-playbook auduble during a game in 2003 - some may have looked upon that as defiant, but if you read into it perhaps Rex was trying to make the best of a bad situation and generate some offense since Zook didn't have a CLUE to what was going on.
Leak had the benefit of a strong offensive line and receiver corps around him in 2005 and 2006 that made him effective once Urban Meyer came to Florida, but he too struggled at first with the Meyer offense as he was so programmed into the Zook mode.
Zookism isn't doing a damn thing for Illinois, either - especially where quarterbacks are concerned. Tim Brasic didn't accomplish a damn thing under Zook, and if Juice Williams succeeds it'll be a miracle (I really pity Juice playing for Zook, I really do!)
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