Keith Niebuhr of GatorBait.net reports that Wednesday Urban Meyer verbally attacked ORLANDO SENTINEL reporter Jeremy Fowler for reporting what Deonte Thompson’s recently said about the Florida quarterback situation.
Thompson said of the Gators transition from Tim Tebow to John Brantley:
“You never know with Tim. You can bolt, you think he’s running but he’ll come up and pass it to you. You just have to be ready at all times. With Brantley, everything’s with rhythm, time. You know what I mean, a real quarterback.”
Full text of what was said between Meyer and reporter Fowler is below.
Meyer: “You’ll be out of practice … you understand that? … if you do that again. I told you five years ago: Don’t mess with our players. Don’t do it. You did it. You do it one more time and the Orlando Sentinel’s not welcome here ever again. Is that clear? It’s yes or no.”
Fowler: “Urban, come on. Don’t make any threats. That’s fine. I’ll play by rules.”
Meyer: “What’s that? (walking away, then turning back)”
Fowler: “I’ll play by rules, but all I was doing is quoting the guy. I don’t think I was the only one.”
Meyer: “You’re a bad guy, man. You’re a bad guy.”
Fowler: “Thanks, Urban. I appreciate that.”
Meyer: “Maybe when you get a chance, call his family and all that and help them out with it [the controversy the blog post created]. The kid has never been in trouble one time. He’s a great student, a great kid and you’re going to do that [to him]?
“If that was my son, we’d be going at it right now.”
Meyer then walked away and left a few minutes later without speaking to the media.
Ironic that Meyer brought up Thompson’s family, as the coach cited his own family as a primary reason for taking the entire 2010 season off.
If Meyer’s family can apparently recover that quickly, I think Thompson’s will be just fine.
8:20 am on March 25th, 2010
Leave it to Urban Meyer to make me feel sympathetic to the media.
8:57 am on March 25th, 2010
I’ve been a big Urban fan since his days at BGSU. He’s still a dick.
9:01 am on March 25th, 2010
The last couple years, he’s really shown what a dick he is.
9:13 am on March 25th, 2010
I’d totally do Nicki Meyer.
9:41 am on March 25th, 2010
The reporter is the butt. He was only looking for a head line. He did not care whom it hurt. Only a good coach would stand up for his players in this situation. My kid can play for him any day. The player needs to be awear of the word twisting/out of context quoting media when he talks to them or keep his mouth shut.
9:43 am on March 25th, 2010
Everyone is so eager to be heroic that no one can think straight. Urban the Hero. What a great, great heroic man he is for….hmm…..? What even happened here? A reporter interviewed a player and the player made an innocuous comment about playing with a traditional qb versus a scrambler and Urban blows his load over the chance to show off some of his excess heroism. I hate Urban Meyer now and I wish him the worst. What an idiot. I’m so sick of people just looking for an opportunity to play the hero when the situation isn’t calling for one at all. Hey Urban, if you wanted to be a hero, you should be serving right now, not dinking around with a bouncing ball. Get over yourself. Maggot.
9:43 am on March 25th, 2010
I guess that in Urban’s “little hypocritical god-land garden of Eden they don’t allow free speech? Grow a backbone Fowler!! Urban doesn’t decide who gets into heaven. Especially an absentee father who clearly wishes that Tebow was his son so he could completely dis-own his daughters. Better yet, Fowler should have baited dick-head Meyer into hitting him (because god would have wanted that) .I would love to see a police mug shot of St. Urban.
9:58 am on March 25th, 2010
I agree with Meyer!. I’d love to see a reporter or two get there butt kicked. It’s one thing to talk about professional athletes, but I don’t agree with reporters racking college athletes over the coals, unless the break the law. Keep it up Urban, your doing a great job.
10:10 am on March 25th, 2010
Did that quote knock Tebow in any way? No!!!!! Brantley is a tradtional type quarterback were Tebow was doing all kinds of things and I am sure it made him tough to read on plays. Urban Meyer needs to get a clue. If Gator fan reacted to that quote from the receiver then get a clue on watching football.
10:10 am on March 25th, 2010
In theTopGun Voice:
“Mav, we have a problem here, that MIG (Saban) really messed him up….I don’t think he can make it back.”
Damn straight, we take credit for this entertaining unravelling. Just like we take credit for all 122 of our National Championships.
C’Mon Bama!
10:19 am on March 25th, 2010
Urban is spot on in defending one of his players. The attitude of this reporter is very evident. We need to remember that our default setting on how we view sports reporters, probably should be that they are complete jerks unless they prove otherwise. Most of them would through their own mothers under the train for a headline.
10:22 am on March 25th, 2010
How could anyone could possibly agree with Urban Meyer on this little episode is beyond me. All the writer did was quote what the athlete told him.
What’s he supposed to do? Ignore it? Don’t think so.
This is very revealing of Meyer’s problems.
10:24 am on March 25th, 2010
I find it a little humorous that Urban is being raked over the coals in this little thread here. Meyer was taking a page right out of Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods book on media relations- control. MJ did it better than anyone. If reporters say something you don’t particularly like, don’t grant them interviews anymore. If it’s for a big enough star, playing nice in an article is better than having no coverage at all. The Orlando Sentinel has not always been particularly nice to Meyer, Tebow, or the Florida football program (no journalistic company ever is to anyone outside of the President) and Meyer used this instance to teach them a lesson. No biggie here, just human nature.
10:26 am on March 25th, 2010
Urban is defending Thompson. And he’s right. The reporter is trying to make an issue out of a quote by a kid that’s being taken wrong. Read what Thompson said. As in, try to understand it. He’s saying Brantley is more of a pure QB - and he’s 100% correct, he just chose the wrong word.
Look, getting questioned by reporters when you’re a college athlete isn’t easy. If you don’t choose every word correctly, someone might try to exploit it to make a story. Cheers to guys like Urban and Mike Gundy who stick up for their guys, when arrogant reporters forget that they’re dealing with kids and not millionaires.
10:39 am on March 25th, 2010
Rediculous… The reporter “quoted” the kid… the reporter never said the kid was bad, had been in trouble, so why did Urban feel he had to cite THAT? What a joke Urban is!!!! Get over yourself!!!! Just because you make a GO -ZILLION dollars a year, you think you can push some reporter around?? Make him feel guilty for quoting a kid?? That’s his freaking job… try sticking to YOUR JOB Urban!!!
10:43 am on March 25th, 2010
Many journalists are also like many lawyers twisting words, statements to benefit their position or cause controversy. We all have to learn to keep our mouths shut from time to time, but I applaud Coach Meyer for standing behind his player. Good student, good player never in trouble!!!! Wish all collegiate athletes could be in this category!
10:46 am on March 25th, 2010
Can you get a full body shot of Nicki Meyer?
10:53 am on March 25th, 2010
What these comments reveal here is some think the reporter blew the quote out of proportion, and others think the same about Urban’s reaction. Is it possible, then, that we have merely a cause, then a reaction, and now possibly commenters, in the often divisive and anonymous blog era, also are blowing things out of proportion? The reporter was not trying to create a headline; he’s not a dick for doing his job. And a coach was just defending a player. It’s not all that uncommon, people. Life just might return to normal sometime.
11:01 am on March 25th, 2010
Well, the video says it all. Urban making a physical threat to a reporter who was simply quoting a player. No big deal, right? Well, when you think you can control everything and everybody all of the time, little things become big things and the next thing you know you will be waking up with chest pains in the middle of the night.
Urban should go after all of the NFL GM’s and scouts who rightly criticized Tebow’s poor mechanics - because that was a direct shot at him and his coaching abilities.
Prediction: Meyer will continue to have a series of meltdowns either openly or in private and will be in deep mental/marital/coaching/public troubles before too long.
11:06 am on March 25th, 2010
This reporter should b fired. The sential should not b allowed on Gator land any more. This is a good example of the media right. Where is that in the consitution? This is why sports reporter should not b called sports reporters any more just reporters. The old reporters used there brain intheir job. Now they dont it is ablout what can I get out of this. How much money and attention will come from this controversy. University should not allow reporters to interview any player without prees people helping. Like a lawyer. This kid just didnt know how to explain it. Tim is my friend but is much easier on recievers with drop back passers. This is common knowledge to people who follow sport. What happened to this reporter I guess he missed that class? Send him back to get it right. The 911 tape of Mrs. Meyer trying to get help for her husband should not b allowed to the public either. It does nothing but create tabliod and bad reporters. The Sential also was one of the papers fighting for Dale Earnheart pics to b released. That should say it all after another stunt like this.
11:14 am on March 25th, 2010
Look up the definition of sociopath and you will find Urban Meyer.
11:25 am on March 25th, 2010
Robert wants everything anyone says to the press to be censored so all we get is what Urban Meyer wants us to get. Hey, thanks Robert, then we would all be totally in the dark.
11:45 am on March 25th, 2010
I am disappointed in Urban Meyer. If the reporter “created the quote out of thin air” then I can understand why Urban would be upset but the the reporter only reported what he was told.
As far as his statement to the reporter; “If that was my son, we’d be going at it right now.”… This was totally out of line. He should be reprimanded by the University of Florida for this since it was a threat. And that is uncalled for.
12:16 pm on March 25th, 2010
it’s a shame the reporter gets blamed for quoting a player that happened to be speaking the truth.
12:16 pm on March 25th, 2010
Poor little Urban. Is he gonna’ cry?.
12:42 pm on March 25th, 2010
Urban Meyer is a class A….
12:51 pm on March 25th, 2010
what a dink.
1:30 pm on March 25th, 2010
The one thing that bugs me the most about these overpaid coaches is the way they treat the media and the referees. THESE PEOPLE DON’T GET PAID ENOUGH FOR THESE OVERPAID COACHES TO ABUSE. COACHES DO! COACHES, ZIP IT! IGNORE IT! LET IT ROLL OFF! If it is true, it will stick. If it’s not true, the reporter’s job and reputation is at stake. If a referee makes a bad call, they usually even it out, if they don’t, they will lose their jobs if enough bad calls are made. Everything is on film these days. THEY ARE NOT PERFECT AND THEY DON’T MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO BE ABUSED. The court, the fields belong to the referees, you live and play by THEIR RULINGS. SHUT UP!!
2:19 pm on March 25th, 2010
Like Meyer is really going to burn bridges to the Orlando area. I’d still like to know what strings he pulled with the refs in their Arkansas game last year. What a farce that was and I dont follow Arkansas or Florida…
3:19 pm on March 25th, 2010
Urban was just puttin’ on a for the little show for the boyz..You know ……show the team he’s got their backs…build solidarity and all that. Go Big Guy!
1:20 am on March 26th, 2010
Meyer is a bully asshole covering for his QB who threw like a girl.
6:26 am on March 26th, 2010
Seriously I did hit Nicki, she gives great BJs while drunk
7:22 am on March 26th, 2010
I’ve never been anti-Meyer, and I think Tebow was a fantastic QB, but this reveals Meyer to be a bully, no question about it. The reporter was not at all over the line in his report. Meyer is a disgrace and owes the guy an apologize, but bullies never apologize unless they are forced to.
7:42 am on March 26th, 2010
I love Urban for this. These college kids say a million things a day, not meaning anything by it, and some jerk reporter makes a national story out of it. In the meantime, it tears teams and friends apart. If you want to do that with pros, fine, but not with unpaid, 22 year old, amateurs. I say BZ to Urban for not tolerating it!
9:46 am on March 26th, 2010
Urb’s a butthurt pussy. Move on tool. Or quit, or not. Or get some rest. Or do more … whatever it is that keeps you up at night. Dick.
2:13 pm on March 26th, 2010
Who cares about a stupid reporter anyways. They are brainwashed idiots. Doesn’t matter if they cover Gainesville or the White house. They are almost all the same. The reporter is worthless. They are as plentiful as scummy lawyers, for crying out loud. No respect for muck raking “journalists”! Urban should’ve b*#^@ slapped him!
2:32 pm on March 26th, 2010
What makes Urban a tough guy? I guess he thinks he is so very important he can tell the press what to do. His treatment of Tebow is going to ruin Tebow. The guy is not prepared to play QB in the NFL and he is not prepared for criticism if he gets to play in the NFL. Is anyone shocked that a receiver would rather play with a more conventional QB? What is so shocking about that?
7:32 am on March 28th, 2010
urban meyer is a punk. always has been. always will be. used bowling green for utah. used utah for florida. now uses what his players did to make himself feel tall. now that tebow is gone and he’s average, its his health he uses, then threats. If I was that reporter, Id be in jail right now, being cheered by america for breaking that little cry babies jaw.
9:00 am on March 28th, 2010
as a proud fla alumni and a huge gator fan, i’m having a hard time trying to understand how anyone can agree with meyer and the action that he took.
please someone help me. i must be missing something unless the facts as i know them aren’t accurate.
meyer is an embarasment to the university and all gator fans.
10:24 am on March 28th, 2010
Hey Urban, come get in my face about publishing an actual quote from a player (i.e. doing my job) and see what happens. You can enjoy watching practices from the hospital you d-bag.
8:44 pm on April 2nd, 2010
I wish Coach Meyer had kicked the SOB ass up in his throat. if Tebow was a sorry SOB the media would be rallying around him all the time. screw the media and the horses the peices SHIT rode in on!!!!
10:20 pm on April 2nd, 2010
UM’s a real hero. First he quits, then he changes his mind to keep Florida’s recruiting class in tact now he’s gonna quit and leave all those recruits that signed with him high and dry. Great job you scum bag.
1:41 am on April 3rd, 2010
Jeez. There is no defending Urban unless you are one of the America’s growing blinder-wearing contingent of people who hate all media that doesn’t tell them what they want to hear. You just can’t blame the reporter because he published the kid’s actual quote and the kid regrets saying it. News Flash - The reporter who reports a bonehead statement is not the one making the bonehead statement.
5:10 am on April 3rd, 2010
Come on people….I have to agree that Urban was right!! I don’t care what anyone says, these KIDS in college (and they are kids) shouldn’t have to worry about someone taking what they say out of context…Urban is just standing up for his players and for that I commend him…
8:33 am on April 3rd, 2010
Urban is one of the greatest college head coaches of all time. Can the Orlando Sentinel (one of the nation’s most controversial monopoly papers) say the same. Their readers think not.
10:12 am on April 3rd, 2010
I really like the fact that Urban from his own view point stood up for his player, Now after all of this if the same situation occurred again with Urban knowing what he knows now would it be the same results? Who knows I do know this from fact that a split second decision can stay with you the rest of your life good or bad. I am an x Police officer so my reaction time was quite a bit different than a football coach. I watched a person one time being interviewed by the press and every question asked to him his response took any where from 5 to 15 seconds. I really liked that because once you say something it can’t be taken back. The press is looking for a story not whether its right or wrong its how powerful it will be. It kind of reminds me know days of the judicial system. They don’t care whats right or wrong all they want to do is WIN and that’s exactly why now your hearing of so many people in prison wrongfully convicted. It’s there reputation on the line if they keep losing they’ll lose there job.For a Head Football Coach to excel in today’s thoughts he MUST HAVE A VERY,VERY UNDERSTANDING SPOUSE. they SPEND 85 TO 90% OF THERE AWAKEN TIME WITH THERE COLLEGE NOT THERE FAMILY. the family has to learn the coach is doing this for his family. One of the most successful that stands out to me is your Tennessee head coach for the women’s basketball. Sit her down and ask her the time difference in work and home. I guess out of all this is two things,1. make sure your reporting the true facts 2. Take a few seconds to respond to reporters when asked a question. I’m very proud of Urban Myers and of his wife to allow him to do whats in his heart.
9:02 pm on April 3rd, 2010
Urban is just trying ti imitate his biggest competition of late. Nick Saban. Have you seen any of his post game interviews with the press the week following the game. He usually leaves a few in tears he grills them so hard. They are always trying to put words in his mouth and he just simply wont play their game! I dont blame him a bit. Anyone remember the incident where he told a joke involving a Cajun and was assured it was completely off the record and wouldn’t go any farther?? That Reporter couldn’t get to his laptop fast enough to report the joke and other details. Haven’t heard his name since then either! Hmmm..