BillDoodle
New member
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2013
- Messages
- 16
- Reaction score
- 1
Text from Mark Smith letter to Craig Littlepage
by Doug Doughty. Roanoke.com
Dec. 1, 2013
Dear Craig,
September of 1981 was my first official year affiliated with the UVA. My first year in school, Dick Bestwick’s last squad was 1-10 and hopeless….beating only an undersized squad from VMI. Coach Bestwick was soft on his players…he was a player’s coach. Soft and undisciplined, his 1981 team suffered injury after injury, penalty after penalty and loss after loss. There was an air of hopelessness in Charlottesville and he was dismissed. We were excited.
Next year the arrival of George Welsh ushered in the “Glory Generation” of UVA football. An ornery cuss, Welsh told it like it was—in good times and bad. His players feared but respected him and indeed later in life profess undying loyalty and love for the old salt. He professed execution and discipline. He diagnosed other team’s weak spots and found ways to exploit them with his team’s strengths. He played to win….against all comers. A master of adjustment and process….he simply was a leader. Late in his career, as age and health issues mounted, George was replaced after resigning…not because of hopeless desperation….but maybe he could no longer measure up to his standards. It was a glorious run, one that saw major changes in the program. Budget increases and major facility upgrades had us moving in the right direction. We were excited.
The Al Groh era brought arrogance and rancor among money. Early success was followed by a steady decline to mediocrity…but Al’s teams never were beaten up…just beaten too many times. He was a coach that had tons of experience and a lot of opinions…too much of both for the UVA faithful. He went to a few bowls and won a little more than half his games….but he did not inspire the faithful that he could get us to the next level. The status quo was acceptable. He was dismissed and we were excited.
In 2010 you and Jon Oliver alone hired Mike London. His time as a head coach consisted of two years at Richmond where he won with Dave Clawson’s 23 seniors his first year….and rapidly descended to 6-6 his second year. (See correction below. — ED) UR was all too happy to see him go! London’s teams have gone a combined 18-30! His last two squads have won 6 games while losing 18!! His teams are soft and undisciplined, his staff in disarray and fragmented, his ability to adjust and adhere to an evolving game plan nowhere to be seen. He says all the right things off the field and does all the wrong things on the field. His ability to make intelligent decisions on clock management and game management has directly cost us at least five games. The stadium is half full at kickoff and essentially empty by the 3rd quarter. His ability to recruit four and five star players is well noted. His ability to coach said four and five starts into one stars….less noted but certainly part of his legacy. There is NO hope, there is NO excitement and there is NO end in sight.
We have come full circle from 1981. You have returned us to one of the ten worst teams in college football. You have brought us our second winless season in the ACC. You have created a complete lack of interest in UVA football. We could not even sell-out games with #2 ranked Oregon, #7 ranked Clemson and our home date with VA Tech?? And, even though all of these facts stare you in the face….you profess confidence in London and have guaranteed his return stating “It’s not what happens on the field”. Claiming it is more important “at practice and off the field” as to London’s success??
Well, after spending an estimated $20,000/yr. in bowl seasons and $10,000/yr. in awful seasons to have “the right and privilege” to watch this team….I AM DONE. I literally shed tears leaving Scott last night as I knew 32 years of living and dying and bleeding orange and blue was over. I truly love UVA and what our programs stand for. I truly do not understand your actions supporting a clearly overmatched individual. You have destroyed our program and I, for one, cannot take it any longer. My donations and Season Ticket purchase of eight seats will no longer happen until Mike London is dismissed.
Thanks?
Mark Smith
Richmond VA.
(Ed. note) London was 13-2 in his first year at Richmond and 11-3 in Year 2.
- See more at: http://blogs.roanoke.com/insiders/2...ter-to-craig-littlepage/#sthash.2eBOhvy9.dpuf
by Doug Doughty. Roanoke.com
Dec. 1, 2013
Dear Craig,
September of 1981 was my first official year affiliated with the UVA. My first year in school, Dick Bestwick’s last squad was 1-10 and hopeless….beating only an undersized squad from VMI. Coach Bestwick was soft on his players…he was a player’s coach. Soft and undisciplined, his 1981 team suffered injury after injury, penalty after penalty and loss after loss. There was an air of hopelessness in Charlottesville and he was dismissed. We were excited.
Next year the arrival of George Welsh ushered in the “Glory Generation” of UVA football. An ornery cuss, Welsh told it like it was—in good times and bad. His players feared but respected him and indeed later in life profess undying loyalty and love for the old salt. He professed execution and discipline. He diagnosed other team’s weak spots and found ways to exploit them with his team’s strengths. He played to win….against all comers. A master of adjustment and process….he simply was a leader. Late in his career, as age and health issues mounted, George was replaced after resigning…not because of hopeless desperation….but maybe he could no longer measure up to his standards. It was a glorious run, one that saw major changes in the program. Budget increases and major facility upgrades had us moving in the right direction. We were excited.
The Al Groh era brought arrogance and rancor among money. Early success was followed by a steady decline to mediocrity…but Al’s teams never were beaten up…just beaten too many times. He was a coach that had tons of experience and a lot of opinions…too much of both for the UVA faithful. He went to a few bowls and won a little more than half his games….but he did not inspire the faithful that he could get us to the next level. The status quo was acceptable. He was dismissed and we were excited.
In 2010 you and Jon Oliver alone hired Mike London. His time as a head coach consisted of two years at Richmond where he won with Dave Clawson’s 23 seniors his first year….and rapidly descended to 6-6 his second year. (See correction below. — ED) UR was all too happy to see him go! London’s teams have gone a combined 18-30! His last two squads have won 6 games while losing 18!! His teams are soft and undisciplined, his staff in disarray and fragmented, his ability to adjust and adhere to an evolving game plan nowhere to be seen. He says all the right things off the field and does all the wrong things on the field. His ability to make intelligent decisions on clock management and game management has directly cost us at least five games. The stadium is half full at kickoff and essentially empty by the 3rd quarter. His ability to recruit four and five star players is well noted. His ability to coach said four and five starts into one stars….less noted but certainly part of his legacy. There is NO hope, there is NO excitement and there is NO end in sight.
We have come full circle from 1981. You have returned us to one of the ten worst teams in college football. You have brought us our second winless season in the ACC. You have created a complete lack of interest in UVA football. We could not even sell-out games with #2 ranked Oregon, #7 ranked Clemson and our home date with VA Tech?? And, even though all of these facts stare you in the face….you profess confidence in London and have guaranteed his return stating “It’s not what happens on the field”. Claiming it is more important “at practice and off the field” as to London’s success??
Well, after spending an estimated $20,000/yr. in bowl seasons and $10,000/yr. in awful seasons to have “the right and privilege” to watch this team….I AM DONE. I literally shed tears leaving Scott last night as I knew 32 years of living and dying and bleeding orange and blue was over. I truly love UVA and what our programs stand for. I truly do not understand your actions supporting a clearly overmatched individual. You have destroyed our program and I, for one, cannot take it any longer. My donations and Season Ticket purchase of eight seats will no longer happen until Mike London is dismissed.
Thanks?
Mark Smith
Richmond VA.
(Ed. note) London was 13-2 in his first year at Richmond and 11-3 in Year 2.
- See more at: http://blogs.roanoke.com/insiders/2...ter-to-craig-littlepage/#sthash.2eBOhvy9.dpuf
