"Must-Win", "Hot Seat", I used buzzwords, so read this blog.

Some of you (one person) have been asking me to be a bit more prolific in my writing. I do apologize that my posting rates have slowed a bit. However, I've been dealing with a few personal issues and as such haven't devoted myself to reading everyone else's blogs so that I can complain about what they say and offer a self-righteous and indulgent commentary on why they're wrong.

That being said...

I'm becoming increasingly annoyed with the overuse of phrases such as "Must-Win" and "Hot-Seat" and anything alluding to the one surefire way to championships being the firing of a head coach.

The University of Georgia plays in the Southeastern Conference, and has a fanbase that is unduly arrogant, prideful, and extremely die-hard. This is why I loved playing there, and why I continue to write about the football team eleven years after playing my finals downs in the Oahu Bowl. Still, playing in the SEC makes EVERY GAME a "Must-Win." Why? Here's Why:

The Fans Believe the following:

1) Out of conference games are automatic "W"s. If they don't play in the SEC, they aren't as good as Georgia, because the SEC is the best conference, and all teams outside of the SEC are set to a lower standard.

2) Vanderbilt is a team of slightly athletic nerds, and should never offer any competition to any team outside of Kentucky or the Mississippi schools. They were only brought into the SEC to increase our academic standings and none of their players would even make the 3-deep at Georiga.

3) Kentucky is only better than Vanderbilt. This is why they plant the ridiculous bluegrass in their stadium - they need any edge they can get because they'll never compete athletically with "real" SEC teams. They are in the conference to aid in Basketball standings.

4) The Mississippi Schools do not recruit quality athletes from out of state because the state is a poor one, and the Universities are massively underfunded. This means the out of state recruits end up filling the benches at LSU, AL, AU, and any 1 of the 700 texas schools. Also, all the good athletes in Mississippi want to go out of state to college because honestly, who would want to stay there?

5) South Carolina Sucks.

6) Tennessee is a lost program which showed glimpses of glory but has since returned to the dregs in which it was meant to toil. Besides, checkerboard endzones and burnt orange? You should NEVER lose to that. Ever.

7) Arkansas is full of hicks and rednecks, and produces politicians like Bill Clinton. In short, nothing good ever came out of Arkansas.

8) Auburn Sucks.

9) Florida, Alabama and LSU are the upper-echelon of college football and as such, we have to beat them in order to be considered Championship Caliber. They recruit at or above Georgia's level. No title will ever come to Georgia without first going through at least 1 of these schools. (1980 - beat FL in season) (1981 - beat FL in season) (1982 - beat FL in season) (2002-beat AL in season) (2005-beat LSU in SECCG).

10) Championship Games and Bowl Games are always must-wins.

So, since this is what the fans believe, EVERY game is a must-win. We're supposed to go undefeated every season and we're supposed to win the national title every season. Every season that we don't (which has been the VAST MAJORITY of the 100+ seasons of Georgia Football) is a slap in the face to all the die-hard fans who pour their lifeblood into Georgia Football.

It's ridiculous. Also - What's the repercussion of losing a must-win? Does losing a "must win" automatically result in the firing of the coach? I'm gonna go with "no" on this one. Why? Well, Richt is still coaching at UGA. But, he's lost a few "must wins" over the years. So, I guess they weren't really "must wins." Unless of course, what we're saying is -

"You MUST WIN this game, or...well...we're gonna be mighty upset... and we're gonna call radio shows and complain... and we're gonna blog about it... and...and...and you're gonna hear from us gosh darnit! So you better win it. You better."

And the same goes for "Hot Seat." Shut up about "Hot Seat" already. There's no such thing as a "Hot Seat." A coach has a job, or he doesn't. "Lame duck coaches" (working in the last season of their contract, without any hope of extension) are not on the hotseat....they know they're done. A head coach's job is packed with pressure on a daily basis. I hate to tell you guys (read: I love to tell you guys) but your opinions on how well he's doing his job really don't factor that much into his life. Simply put - he has bigger things to worry about. The Hotseat is a buzzword created by the media in order to entice people to read articles, watch sportscenter segments, etc. It's not a real thing. But, like moths to a flame, the masses will be drawn to these articles and reports about which coaches are or are not on the hotseat. And then, a couple of wins later, the coach suddenly ISN'T on the hotseat anymore...until the quarterback fumbles the ball in the fourth quarter, and they lose a game they wanted to win. Then, OF COURSE, the coach should again be fired.

The fact is - if a coach fields a competitive team, one capable of winning games and competing for titles, he's going to have a job.

Readers - do yourselves a favor. When you see an article or an upcoming segment regarding this week's "must win" game or how Richt's seat is really "Heating Up"...instead of reading that article or watching that segment, go hug your wife - or play catch with your kids - or cook a really good steak. All of these will do your life a greater amount of good than losing the fifteen minutes forever over some bull that doesn't exist.

Go Dawgs.