Urban Meyer is a tough guy…

For a guy supposedly slowing down and reducing stress from his life, Urban Meyer unnecessarily lost his marbles earlier this week.

The video above shows Urbie laying into the Orlando Sentinel’s Jeremy Fowler for a story the reporter penned on Gators’ receiver Deonte Thompson.

The feather-ruffling quote; “You never know with Tim,” Thompson said. “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.”

Those words caused the sixth-year head coach to shower Fowler with the following gems on Fowler after practice:

A threat to ban the Orlando Sentinel from future Florida practices.

Telling Fowler he was a “bad guy” for writing the story.

Praising Thompson for staying out of trouble, suggesting Fowler calls his family to apologize.

Letting Fowler know that if it was his kin, they’d be “going at it”, with physical violence his resolution.

Other media members are now speaking out and after half a decade, the Meyer love affair seems to be headed down a rocky road.

The media-friendly Tim Tebow story ended months back. The praise Tebow received as a Gator the past three seasons has been replaced with knocks on Meyer and the Florida staff for not developing the quarterback, having him NFL-ready entering this April’s draft.

Prior to that, Meyer took his lumps for premature ‘retirement’ talk. Citing health issues, Meyer temporarily stepped down. Rumor has it former Florida defensive coordinator and current Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops was interested in a return… which would’ve ended the Meyer era.

Athletic director Jeremy Foley presumably wasn’t keen on defensive coordinator Charlie Strong taking over in Meyer’s absence – temporarily or permanently – forcing Meyer to renege on his initial stepping down talk.

Meyer un-retired, saying he was “on leave” for a few months (*cough* cheap ploy to save his recruiting class *cough*), pushing offensive coordinator Steve Addazio to the forefront. Strong left for a head coaching position at Louisville and within weeks Meyer was back in the fold, supposedly feeling better than ever, but still ready to take it easy, keeping stress levels down.

Until this latest incident, which has media folk talking about Urbie’s latest meltdown.

ESPN’s Colin Cowherd feels Meyer should worry more about the twenty-seven Florida arrests on his watch, instead of scrapping with a beat writer. National columnist and TV personality Michael Wilbon chimed in, saying “If Meyer threatened me I could guarantee him the second swing because I’m taking the first swing.”

Veteran writer David Moulton praised Florida’s on the field accomplishments and athletic department, but made it clear he’s no fan of reporting on UF; “Covering the Gators, unless you deliver pure propaganda, is one of the least desirable things you can do in this business.”

Moulton points out a would-be, obvious solution; dealing with the reporter one-on-one instead of grandstanding, followed by cutting off all media contact with Florida football.

The Sun Sentinel’s Shandel Richardson took this opportunity to draw a parallel between a recent rift he had with Miami head coach Randy Shannon. Unlike most northern Florida writers who report through orange and blue glasses (Pat Dooley, anyone?), Richardson is an Indiana native and isn’t a self-proclaimed Canes fan. He’s simply a beat writer who covers UM for a Ft. Lauderdale paper without an ounce of bias. (If anything, some Cane enthusiasts rip him for oft mailing it in and under-covering UM sports.)

On National Signing Day, Richardson states that Shannon was short with him during the press conference. While leaving campus, Richardson received a call from UM’s athletic department, stating that Shannon wanted to meet with him – in private.

Turns out Shannon had issue with Richardson’s coverage of how UM recruited local defensive end Todd Chandler, stating there was a rift brewing between the Northwestern staff and Hurricane coaches.

Voices were raised and harsh language was used – again, in private. There was no grandstanding or egomaniac head coach looking to keep himself in the spotlight. Man to man, Shannon and Richardson aired things out and moved forward. Weeks later at the next pressure, Shannon asked Richardson if they were OK, Richardson joked “no” and the rift was put to bed.

If the past few months have proven anything it’s this; Urban Meyer is an attention whore. After this recent blow up, he’s proven he’s a bully, too.

Mark Kriegel of FOX Sports echoes this sentiment in his latest piece, “Meyer plays God, bullies reporter”.

In other arenas of American life, limiting access to public institutions is said to have a chilling effect on free speech. According to the Constitution, it’s a no-no. But in big-time football, in typically small college towns, it’s business as usual.

Invariably, the coach is bashing the press – usually by singling out one reporter – to defend one of his “kids.” Recall Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy. The kid quarterback he so passionately defended thought Gundy was such a standup guy he transferred to Texas Southern.

But the man who delivered the “I’m a man” rant seems stable in comparison to Meyer. Recall that Meyer announced his resignation back on Dec. 26, citing his health and his family. Apparently, he’d been hospitalized for “dehydration” after Florida’s loss in the SEC Championship game three weeks before. Then, on Dec. 27, Meyer said he wasn’t resigning, but would take an unspecified leave of absence.

The occasion of his return sounds like another fun day. Here I quote Sentinel writer, Andrea Adelson: “Meyer stared down anybody who even attempted to pose the “How are you feeling?” question.”

Sounds like a guy who could use a little more time off, no?

Preach on, brother Mark.

After years of unwarranted stroking, Meyer is starting the feel the backlash that comes from losing your perch a top the mountain. Success at Bowling Green and Utah paved the way to his run at Florida, which started when Ron Zook was fired, after stocking the cupboard nicely with top-flight talent.

Meyer won his first ring season two, in 2006. He followed it up with a 9-4 campaign Tebow’s first season as a starter and won it all again in 2008 – the season the media love affair with Saint Timmy kicked into high gear. Images of Meyer and Tebow were everywhere, while stories of Florida players delinquent behavior remained back page news.

The tide has officially turned, literally and figuratively. Besides Tebow running out of eligibility and moving on, Florida loses over a dozen starters heading into spring ball. A bid for back-to-back national titles and any ‘dynasty’ talk ended when Alabama worked Florida in the SEC title game, 32-12. Images of Tebow’s waterworks filled the screen, while Meyer was checked into Shands Hospital for ‘exhaustion’ soon after the team’s return to Gainesville.

Two titles in three years combined with losing the core of the team that put Florida on the map, doesn’t bode well for the Gators or their rabid, delusional fan base. Meyer set the bar extremely high, but inevitably this program will come back to reality in 2010. Especially with Alabama and several SEC foes taking a step forward. UF still boasts their fair share of talent, but they’ll lack the chemistry and leadership that brought along the past four years.

Back to business for Ego Meyer and his thuggish Gators. Time will tell what this negative press does to a fragile coach and a program trying to rebuild/reload. Either way, nice to see the same sports media that slurped everything Meyer the past few years finally calling him on his bullshat.

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