AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2007 > January > 16
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Why Chan hasn’t won more
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Do you really want to judge Chan Gailey’s tenure at Georgia Tech knowing that Reggie Ball has been his quarterback 4 out of the 5 seasons?
Here’s an exercise: think of the best 5 or 10 teams in football — college or pro. Who’s their quarterback? I bet he’s pretty good. My list includes Troy Smith, Chris Leak, JaMarcus Russell, John David Booty, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady. I’m sure you get my drift. The quarterback can make or break a team and a coach.
So you ask why didn’t Gailey play anyone else at QB — especially those last few games? I have the same question and I don’t think there’s an answer coming anytime soon. This is a disservice to the fans and I believe we deserve a good answer. After all, we’re the ones who paid to watch that nonsense.
The play of Reggie Ball contributed to Gailey’s biggest problem: he can’t beat UGA. Nobody likes to lose to a rival, much less five years in row. I thought the AJC poll question about choosing between beating UGA and winning the ACC was right on. Simply put, some Tech fans would trade conference titles, bowl wins, and rankings just to beat UGA. Chan would have more fans if he had a couple of wins against UGA.
I know Chan is an exceptional human being who genuinely cares about his players, his team, and his coaches. You hear the same rhetoric coming from players and coaches about how he has created a football family at Tech — an environment of respect, understanding, and trust. (You hear the same thing from recruits, so don’t undercut how important that is to a player).
If Chan stays, I’ll give him another chance. I want to move forward and forget about the Reggie Ball era. Let’s see what Gailey can do with a fresh quarterback, a solid offensive line, a seasoned running back, an experienced secondary, a favorable schedule, and one helluva recruiting class.
