As expected, the Urban Meyer situation dominated the talk leading up to Florida’s Sugar Bowl matchup against Cincinnati.
Coaches and players on both sides were constantly hit with questions like:
What did you think when you heard he’d retire?
Do you think he can change his ways and still be successful?
Are you afraid he might die?
That last one sounds pretty ridiculous, but then again, we don’t really know what’s up with Meyer’s health. He’s keeping the specifics quiet, and that leads some to run wild with speculation.
To me, he’s a very successful and super-rich 45-year-old who needs to take a vacation, step back and re-evaluate the way he operates to cut down some stress.
His daughter, Nicki, said after the Sugar Bowl that her dad just needs a break.
“We’ve all seen how stressed he is, and for him to be able to recover for once and do something for himself for one time in four years is so great for us,” she said. “He deserves it. He has worked his butt off for five years, and he needs to recover and be healthy.”
She added: “He’s so good at what he does, and it’s because he literally puts every minute of his life into that team.”
All week in New Orleans, a cure was staring him in the face.
Just six blocks from the Gators’ team hotel, there’s a magical place made for those in need of relaxation and unwinding.
Bourbon Street.
Ever seen that picture of Meyer with his wife Shelley, a glass of wine and a slightly buzzed look on his face?
That’s the Urban Meyer that needs to be released for the next few months: Bourbon Meyer.
I’m not suggesting he go on a bender. He just needs to hand off the BlackBerry to an assistant to take care of the recruits and then skip town.
Go back to New Orleans and hit Bourbon Street, I’m sure UF will make the jet available. Check out the piano bar at Pat O’Brien’s and sing karaoke at Cats Meow.
Think he’s too square for karaoke? I thought I was too until I did it. He loves Jimmy Buffett, so I’d recommend “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” as appropriate.
After a day or two of a little drinking, a lot of eating and listening to some jazz, he should head up the road to Baton Rouge with a boombox, stand outside Billy Gonzales’ bedroom window and blare Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes.”
There — in a moment ripped from John Cusack in “Say Anything” — he can make things right with his former receivers coach, who left UF for LSU, and maybe win him back.
While he still has the jet, maybe stop by Knoxville and toilet paper Lane Kiffin’s house. Go to Atlanta and visit Nicki, who plays volleyball at Georgia Tech, and eat at Gladys Knight and Ron Winans’ Chicken and Waffles.
Then, he needs to spend a week or two at a remote beach resort, somewhere without access to a phone.
He has a good system in place at UF, and it should be able to carry on without him for a little while. Then, after his assistants get used to bearing a little more of the load, things will run more smoothly for Meyer upon his return.
This all boils down to needing a break from the daily grind and the pressures of being Florida’s football coach, and if Meyer hangs around Gainesville, I can’t imagine how he’d accomplish that.
If he’s in town, he won’t be far from the football offices or spring practice when that starts up. And if that’s the case, it’s hard to believe he’d stay away, especially after he said his gut feeling is that he’ll be on the sidelines by August.
