To "reservations" re Shannon:
AGAIN, of course I totally understand a cautious, conditional approach to this hire--but as I said, I figured coming in that McElwain HAD to take some chances, make some bold moves if he wants to see this thing turned around, headed in the right direction and FAST--before we "lose what we've got" talentwise here at UF, for one thing. That especially includes recruiting in our own state, which we all agree has been falling off last few years. Acceleratingly so: we've missed on a NUMBER of kids, all over the field, and it's showing, not only in the gaps and weaknesses on our team but (at least as frustratingly) the resulting improvements to our instate and regional rivals' getting them instead. Shannon-hire a risk, true, but one that definitely qualifies as one of those "bold moves": He can coach, do a decent job I think with the football-end of things, so it is his recruiting "skills" that comprise the "gamble" here--and like any gamble presumably has the inherent potential for major gain. I mentioned the important assumption that Foley undoubtedly having ultimately signed off on this hire being a good sign, but let's face it: We ALL have been coming around to the idea of late that determined as Muschamp rightly was to "clean things up", restore a certain amount of order, trust, and self-discipline to the Gator Football program, and successful as he was in that regard, we lost something during that time as well...Not sure to what degree that was "certain kinds of highly-talented players with a certain inherent attitude", or a certain general level of "look the other way" flexibility and freedom that has to be allowed in this day in order to get, keep and have the best group of young men loose and playing at a certain level of relaxed confidence come game day, but this is a different world than a scant generation ago. The Gators under Muschamp played TIGHT, with resulting screw-ups all over the field and a consistent tendency to start slow, fail to adapt well to curves thrown at them by teams that they were in fact superior to in talent and had begun to overtake, even dominate as the game wore on--and all too often tired and/or finally broke down the stretch.
It's a tough, dark world, these kids (certainly the best of them, the ones we are all after) have grown up in and been catered to, told they were "special" etc. long before WE got 'em. Shouldn't come as a complete shock that a Coach can only "influence" them, teach them some things--and even that only so much. He CAN'T "impose" a new set of values and ethics, not one that will change them OR the world around them in any fundamental way, after all. So the trick seems to be to somehow have standards, certain requirements inherent in a general "vibe" and attitude that surrounds, defines and embraces the whole team--while at the same time dealing with each on an individual basis, letting them BE that "individual" that this society (and, lets face it, all the girls, fans, media folks, and yes, to varying degrees EVERY COACH they've had since peewee/Pop Warner) has seemed to promise and encourage them was their "RIGHT". Just have to somehow accomplish all this without too far flouting "the rules", most of all getting CAUGHT--or losing our OWN souls in the process.