Why I still hate Zook
The Kool-Aid drinkers often ask me in the comments why I am obsessed with moRon Zook. After all, he has been gone for four years now and is someone else's problem now. There are three basic answers to that. They are:
1. He made my life miserable for three years. Watching the football program at my alma mater begin to disintegrate was torture for me. When I entered the University of Florida as a Freshman in the late 80s there wasn't much to cheer for except Emmitt Smith. Then we turned the corner under Steve Spurrier. A winning tradition was established at Florida. Then Ron Zook came along and almost single-handedly destroyed it. His tenure was an unmitigated disaster.
2. He won't shut up about how "unfairly" he was treated by the fans. He points to the creation of fireronzook.com as an example. Well he could have taken care of FRZ very easily. All he had to do was WIN. Then we would have had to shut the fuck up. I would have been ecstatic. But no. When the Gators won the BCS Championship in 2006 Ron Zook made the claim that he would have won it too, and perhaps even earlier. That would mean that Ron Zook would have had to win a championship in 2005. That was a team that Urban Meyer (who now has two of those BCS championships under his belt) went 9-3 with. That 9-3 record was better than any year Zook has had as a head coach to date, including last year's "Rose Bowl Team".
3. I keep finding out little things about how the program was under Zook that infuriate me. Like how he basically abandoned Jarvis Moss. I recently read Buddy Martin's book "Urban's Way" and you get a lot of hints about how the Gators Meyer inherited from Zook were in many ways bad characters. Meyer was able to reach some of them and others, not so much. But by talking about how players responded with disbelief to some of the policies and discipline instilled by Meyer we gain insight into how poorly Zook had managed his job as coach. After winning the BCS Championship last Thursday Meyer said that the 2006 team was a good team but that at that time is was a bad program. Another veiled insinuation that UF football was a mess when Urban Meyer arrived.
In the vein of number 3 above, I found this article today very interesting. Here's what I mean:
Tim Tebow is coming back.Read between the lines. Zook recruited a bunch of guys who only cared about the NFL. Of course many of them didn't know what it was like to win big time in college, so who can blame them?
But what about Florida's two other juniors who are considering leaving for the NFL?
Linebacker Brandon Spikes and receiver Percy Harvin have yet to announce their decisions, and UF coach Urban Meyer said Sunday he's not sure what either is going to do.
"The good thing about these guys, you're talking about quality families and you're talking about educated guys," Meyer said. "Four years ago, if you asked me that, I had no idea. I wasn't involved. There were some people that shouldn't be involved. Some making horrible decisions. I don't blame them. I didn't recruit them. I didn't know them. They weren't my people. You would think after a while, I'd be their coach, but that didn't happen.
"These guys will make the right decision."
So as long as I have something to say about moRon, I'll be here saying it.
Have a nice day.
24 comments:
I also could sense some subtle nuances by Urban Meyer about his not being too happy with the shape of things at UF and the mess Zook left him to clean up once he took over in 2004.
I also read and enjoyed reading "Urban's Way" (and can't wait to have Meyer autograph my copy1) Meyer also made a comment that he'd laugh if somebody couldn't figure out a way to make a scheme work with a group of players - which is exactly what Zook said when he was hired back in 2002. Meyer inherited a team of soft players, miscreants and jerks that, once he got them to buy into his program, found a way to work together and win football games - sonething Zook didn't have a clue how to do.
Meyer knows what side his bread's buttered on and finds solutions to problems - he's innovative and finds ways to make things even better, even a step ahead of the rest. Zook wallows in his inability to solve problems, makes dumbass excuses and couldn't figure out a way to pull a trick play out of his ass.
Google the phrase "From the Rose Bowl to the Toilet Bowl", and you'll find a really good blog article by an Illini fan disgusted with Zook and the 2008 Illini season. It's preaching to the choir to a Florida fan reading it, but to an Illini fan it should be enough to make a fan start to take Zook at face value, and realize that we UF fans were right all along.
Florida football under four years of Urban Meyer has come full circle, and IMHO has gone a step further beyond what SOS accomplished. Meyer isn't done yet, and there are better things on the horizon as far as I can see. In retrospect I'm glad we hired Meyer back in 2004; not only has he cleansed Florida football of Zookism, he's righted the ship, brought quality talent in and has the program headed in the right direction. Not only is he smart, he's wise and shrewd - URBAN MEYER is the "master recruiter" - NOT moRon Zook.
I too will always continue to despise moRon Zook; in my book he's not a Gator and deserves nothing from Gator Nation. Screw that bastard.
'Linebacker Brandon Spikes and receiver Percy Harvin have yet to announce their decisions, and UF coach Urban Meyer said Sunday he's not sure what either is going to do.
"The good thing about these guys, you're talking about quality families and you're talking about educated guys," Meyer said. "Four years ago, if you asked me that, I had no idea. I wasn't involved. There were some people that shouldn't be involved. Some making horrible decisions. I don't blame them. I didn't recruit them. I didn't know them. They weren't my people. You would think after a while, I'd be their coach, but that didn't happen.
"These guys will make the right decision."
To build on what you've said in your original post and also on mine, NB, I also get the impression that the guys Zook recruited were resisting and/or rebelling against the changes Meyer was making as far as discipline and other expectations - that, or some may have been working against him instead of with him. No wonder why he gave everybody that ultimatum after the 2005 South Carolina loss to either work with him or get the hell out.
Meyer also gave hints earlier that he liked this 2008 squad much better than his 2006; I'm sure that because there were (1) with only a few exceptions HIS recruits and (2) he finally had everybody on the same page that he was getting way better results with them overall.
Meyer seems to be a lot more sincere and genuinely cares about his players; I get the impression that Zook really didn't give a shit what they did.
I don't think it's fair to judge Meyer against Spurrier. Meyer would have never come to Florida if not for what Spurrier built and showed what Florida football could be. Meyer stands on the shoulders of Spurrier. That's not a knock on Meyer. Zook couldn't do it.
Zook made your life miserable for three years? Um, how pathetic was your life that a college football coach could create such widespread and thorough misery? ROFL
Very pathetic but not as pathetic as someone who reads the blog of someone who puts such importance on something that they don't apparently care about.
Let's see. I spend virtually no time thinking about you or this blog and will happily continue doing so, while you spend an inordinate amount of time stewing over a man who has only created misery in your life because you've foolishly allowed him to, and you think the former is more pathetic than the latter?
Congrats on living in Opposite World. :)
Yeah, well I'm betting that you won't be able to stay away. In fact "anonymous" I'm betting you're a regular reader. Pathetic.
Actually, you'd lose that bet. I haven't kept up with your blog. Oh, every once in a while some random event will prompt me to think, "Oh, yeah, I wonder if that guy is still wasting his time hating Ron Zook." And then I'll google "fire ron zook" since I that's the only way I can remember this place.
I couldn't begin to tell you the specifics of what you've written here because I really don't care. I've found that when I do remember to drop by, all I need to read is a portion of the first post on the front page to see that you're still bellyaching over things that no sane person would care about.
Enjoy your whinging. Those of us in the real world will stop by from time to time in the hopes that abject misery hasn't yet consumed you. :)
Thank you for your continued readership.
Fret not, dear soul. I'll be back should something else completely off-topic prompt me. Until then you'll simply have to settle for the zookian voices in your head.
I'll be here waiting, darlin'.
Still sour over that no bowl season huh? Get used to it...LOSER. One day you will come back and admit we are right
That's three bowl-less seasons out of four and the one bowl appearance was an embarrassment. But Illinoise fans consider that a fantastic accomplishment. And indeed, the ass-kicking they took at the hands of USC will be Zook's high water mark there.
I also notice the "master recruiter" isnt raking them in anymore and is slipping in the rankings.Guess everyone can see for themselves what the score is.
Here is a guy that has seen the light.....
RE: Drummon de-commtiment?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IlliniSchmitty wrote:
illtex wrote:
Our problem last year wasnt recruiting, but game day planning by coaches and execution by the players.
and this is what has me worried. If recruiting slips, which it most definitely is doing at the end of this recruiting season, what are we left with?
Exactly Zook has proven himself not to be a good game day coach, and his recruiting ability is now even being questioned.
What is left?
This is truly looking like Zook is repeating the issues that got him fired at Florida. And, once Florida fired Zook, and brought in a good game day coach, they won two national championships! Florida looks brillant for its move!
"This is truly looking like Zook is repeating the issues that got him fired at Florida. And, once Florida fired Zook, and brought in a good game day coach, they won two national championships! Florida looks brillant for its move!"
How refreshing it is to actually see an Illini fan who can take Zook at face value - now if only the rest of his ilk and other Zook apologists, including Gator fans who still opposed the Zook firing, would wake the hell up, stop feeling sorry for this idiot and making excuses for what he did wrong.
Zook is not coaching material in any capacity; you could put him in a coaching position at ANY school and you'd get the same results.
Yeah, I also read about Craig Drummond de-committing and considering Ole Miss; this is what he had to say: ‘‘Illinois no longer is in the picture,’’ said Drummond, a 6-5, 265-pounder who is rated among the top 100 seniors in the nation. ‘‘There was some stuff going on with them. I don't want to talk about it. But I didn't feel it was the right place for me. This is the best decision for me.’’
Something isn't too peachy-keen in Champaign.
mann, what is really wrong with the person who still runs this site? Ron Zook recruited a good bit of the players who won the Gators first BCS championship...but it is what it is, just continue to hate on somebody who im sure has a better life than you...
Very good ,dickhead..he did recruit them and turned them in to average players. It took a real coach to get them on the winning track.
Illinois will be a contender for the next few years,after they fire Zook. Watch and see. Zook is gone after this season,when the Illini have another losing record!
how do we get www.fireronzook.com - live again - there's a whole new market for in the midwest
So it finally sinks in after 49 games that Zook is the worst coach in the country!
Bet they arent crowing about how he recruited our players now!
Zook is the biggest waster of talent in college football - and others have said that as well. The sooner Illinoise realizes that, the better - another no-bowl season should call for the moRon to get shit-canned.
Urban does not win a championship without Ron Zook. Ron Zook built your program, Urban just rode his coattails.
You are right about Zook. This year when the fans started trashing the Meyer program, he knew enough to get out of Dodge (ah Gainesville) with grace. He didn't complain that we were booing him and the team for their inept play, he took it like a man. And now, we have a new coach, and he better win or will zook him too !
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