Take Two: Florida players have received death threats
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* Players unfazed by being big underdogs
* McElwain Blog: Injured Gators pushing to return
* Mid-season two-deep depth chart defensive grades
* Mid-season two-deep depth chart offensive grades
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THE STORYLINE
The week of Florida’s showdown with No. 3 Georgia, the biggest story coming out of Gators head coach Jim McElwain’s Monday press conference is about fans, specifically angry fans.
McElwain was asked at one point in the press conference if Florida players deserve credit for not quitting during a season that has included nine suspended players, a game canceled due to a hurricane and mounting injuries. After giving a coach-speak “no excuses” answer about the players, McElwain was asked a follow-up about coaches deserving credit for dealing with those same obstacles. He surprised reporters and others when he noted – unprompted – that players and families have received threats.
"Credit in this business is internal, it's never external. I think ... it's ... you know a good lesson for the way things are,” McElwain said. “There's a lot of hate in this world and a lot of anger and yet it's freedom to show it. The hard part is obviously when the threats against your own players, death threats to your families, the ill will that's brought upon out there, and yet I think it's really one of those deals that really is a pretty good testament to what's going on out there nationally. A lot of angry people. In in this business we're the ones they take the shots at and that's the way it is."
On three follow-up questions about the threats, McElwain did not offer any more details. Though “McElwain” and “death threats” are together in headlines all over the internet, the coach did not say that he or his family have received any threats.
“You're in the business, that's all part of it,” McElwain said. “When it's directed towards your players, when it's directed to families, wives, that kind of thing ... and yet at the same time they know what they signed up for as well. That's part of the business."
Sophomore safety Chauncey Gardner Jr. pointed out that getting caught up in the threats can only hurt the team on the field.
“I guess they want us to feed into it I mean, we don’t care, we’re playing football,” Gardner said. “So I mean you can say all those things you want about his family about this team, we’re playing football we’re not worried about outside. That’s not going to win you a ball game so we’re not focused on were gonna do what we got to do to win football games.”
UAA STATEMENT RELEASED MONDAY EVENING
ANDREW OLSON
It is sad, disturbing and disgusting that spouses and families connected to the football program are receiving threats. Fans are always going to have opinions and many hold strong opinions. It is one thing to believe a player lacks talent or plays poorly. It is fair to criticize a coach for things such as poor play-calling and failing to develop players. This should go without saying, but any kind of threats – not just death threats – cross a serious line.
I will also say McElwain did not help the situation as he failed to provide details. Many people will see the headlines and come to their own conclusions. In the quotes, McElwain only says that players have received “threats” and families have been on the receiving end of death threats.
There is obvious fan frustration after a 3-3 start. It is classless, however, to make threats to student-athletes. It is classless, criminal and dangerous to threaten anyone, especially college students, to threaten someone’s life over a poor performance.
It should not be lost on those who threaten players and coaches that they are making Florida Gators fans look bad to high school recruits and other coaches. Fans have a right to be angry, but nothing justifies what McElwain described Monday.
MARK WHEELER
Last week, ahead of a scheduled rally of a hatemonger (no need to publicize him further by giving his name), we saw the governor of Florida order the National Guard to be put on standby and declare a state of emergency in order to preserve law and order as well as protect the safety and well being of those on campus at the University of Florida.
On Monday we saw the head football coach of the Florida Gators thumb his nose at the notion of protecting himself, his staff, their families and most importantly his players from threats of a much greater nature.
Fans react to wins and losses in many ways.
Cheering, booing, critiquing and criticizing, are all acceptable. However, as if it needs to be said, issuing death threats goes from super fandom to seriously deranged.
There is no room for that type of behavior at Florida, or anywhere in the world of sports for that matter.
The fact that there are idiot fans in sports isn't at all surprising. Finding out that the Florida head coach took it upon himself to decide what is and isn't a legitimate threat isn't just surprising, it's disappointing.
What are his qualifications to do so?
What if he is wrong in making an assessment as to what is and isn't a legitimate threat?
What do the parents of players think of this?
A risk taking head coach is one who may go for it on 4th and 1 from his own 45. Failure in that situation results in a change of possession. A coach should never take a risk when it is a matter of player safety.
An even bigger surprise is that apparently, if you go by the statement they released this evening, the UAA is perfectly fine with this approach.
Jim McElwain is a grown man, if a threat is leveled against him and he decides not to act upon that, that is his prerogative. He, and he alone, can face the consequences of his own actions.
However, if a threat is made against a University of Florida football player, it is common sense that that threat should be forwarded to the proper authorities. If it isn't common sense that dictates that being the action taken, then perhaps he should be contractually obligated to do so.
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