It’s not like he sent Henry a text message saying, "Time to die." That fact is important to note, because a coach directing a "choke" gesture is being rude, but not doing anything threatening. Some commenters have noted, and it bears emphasizing, that, in the context of sports, "choke" has a specific and non-violent meaning it is a "man enough" jab meant to imply that the player will not come through in the clutch. (By the way, in both instances, the kicker in question booted the game-winning field goal, so this isn’t just bad form, it’s bad mojo.) However, as Seth also notes, Pete Carroll’s use of a "choke" gesture at the next level was deemed "a breach of etiquette." Coach Carroll subsequently apologized to the kicker in question, and Coach Grantham should, as well. That would make sense, as this sort of thing would be a bit more understandable (albeit equally ill-mannered) between grown men and professionals. Seth Emerson makes the interesting point that this may be a carryover from Coach Grantham’s lengthy stint in the NFL. The line may be a fine one, but there is a line, and Coach Grantham crossed it. Erk Russell was as fiery a coach as we have ever had, and he used language with his players that would have caused blushes below deck on a troop ship, but I am not aware of any instance in which he directed profanity and demeaning gestures to an opposing player. Part of Coach Grantham’s job is to teach his charges managed aggression in order to do that job effectively, he has to be able to control himself at least as well as he expects his players to control themselves. Yes, I know Todd Grantham is a fiery guy, and I like that about him, but self-control is the essence of discipline, and personal foul penalties (particularly in Jacksonville) have been a problem for the Georgia Bulldogs for a while now. That’s unsportsmanlike and inappropriate. It was a bit much, particularly since it was directed at the field and accompanied by words directed at the player: Coach Grantham said, "You’re gonna choke" he didn’t say, "He’s gonna choke." He was speaking to Chas Henry, and Chas Henry heard him. It wouldn’t even be surprising a Georgia player yelled, "Choke!" or grabbed his neck.īut for a 44-year-old college coach to be grabbing his neck when a 21-year-old is lining up for a field goal? That would be a bit much. Now, it would be understandable if Grantham thought, "Choke!" or "Miss it!" in his head. While I appreciate Year2’s measured take from the preceding link, and while I recognize the reasonableness of Senator Blutarsky’s point that such things happen in the heat of the moment (a reality of which we cannot be overly critical, since we wanted a fiery defensive coordinator), I have to agree with Jeff Schultz, his over-the-top Woody Hayes comparison notwithstanding: Coach Grantham was not, as some suggested, giving a signal to his players. You’re gonna choke." Henry confirmed afterward that such a statement had come from a Georgia coach. A Gainesville Sun reporter who reviewed the film of the incident states that Coach Grantham said, "You’re gonna choke. In overtime, while looking onto the field at Chas Henry, Todd Grantham made a choking gesture. I am speaking, of course, of Todd Grantham’s "choke" gesture, which some quarters of the blogosphere deem to be the thing that will knock me off of my supposed "high horse." All right, I still just wanted to lie around, feel sick, and mope for a few more days, but, like Al Pacino in "The Godfather, Part III," I’ve been pulled back in by circumstances.
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