My Newfound Respect for Urban Myer
My Opinion on His Decision to Keep Health Information Private and Confidential
At the time of the resignation announcement last Saturday, we the public were pretty much left in the dark as to why he was suddenly resigning. There were no details given other than Meyer was stepping down for health reasons. This came as a shock to most of us, as Meyer has always looked very healthy on and off the field. Days later this decision was changed and Meyer announced he would be taking an indefinite leave of absence instead of resigning.
Meyer was taken to the hospital by ambulance several hours after the SEC Championship game on December 6, 2009 in which the Gators lost to Alabama 32-13 with chest pains and a tingling sensation in his side. He was admitted to the hospital.
This information was not made public until just last week. Meyer decided to keep this information confidential and that is a decision that we should all respect. Meyer's reasoning for delaying the details of his hospital stay were to protect his family, his three children and his football team. He didn't want them to be alarmed and that is his right as a citizen, father and coach.
Was this all necessary? I think so. Having the media on top of you as a head coach for a leading collegiate football team is not an easy matter to deal with. They are always around you, whether you know it or not. It is like living your life on live television.
I agree with Meyer's decision to withhold his personal and private health matters from the public. And I respect him for doing it. In withholding this information, he not only protected those closest to him from media blitzes, but also from having inappropriate statements and misleading or incorrect information released.
Meyer had this to say to the media at a press conference in New Orleans on Thursday, December 31, 2009, "if that means not coming clean with full details about something very personal, if you can't understand that, then, first of all, I think you've got to recheck yourself."
Meyer is in New Orleans, LA and will be coaching the Florida Gators in the 2010 Sugar Bowl game against the Cincinnati Bearcats on January 1, 2010. Kickoff is at 7:30 pm Central Standard Time. He plans to be back on the field next fall to coach the Gators.
Sources:
Personal opinion
Published by Karen Gros
Karen is a freelance writer covering LSU Sports, news, country music, celebrities, fashions and 'œtwin' topics. She has been a Top 1,000 badge earner at YCN since 2007, published nationally in ma... View profile
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21 Comments
Post a CommentHe and his family are in my prayers, sincerely. I like his style. He's one of the great coaches. Cheers.
I think Urban "Unretired" to help with the recruiting efforts. I don't expect him to coach next season.
I was not very familiar with him until all the news about his stepping aside, but the more I learn, I admire the way he's dealing with all this. It must be a very hard life to have to put up with all the media.
I think he was right. The media or general public don't own you.
I agree with you Karen but he got my respect by being in the spotlight so long with so little dirt dug up on him. He is a good man, great article well written.
This has been interesting to follow, they just lost a good recruit this week.
Tricky question.
Here's the deal with Urban Meyer. Sure, he has a right to privacy, especially his medical issues. However, when you come to a press conference, talk of resignation, then pull a micro-Brett Favre moment, you're asking for it. And he got it. Not only that, he lied about it. I've never been a Gator fan, but I had much respect for Meyer until the Brandon Spikes episode and his unwillingness to discipline that musclebound moron. And then he pulls this ridiculous I am/I'm not? Every team in the SEC is thanking him for giving them second chances at scoring Florida recruits because of his ambiguity. Either coach or don't, but limbo is not where Florida football should be. He's still a great coach, but his head hasn't been in the game lately...
I think that this is a tricky question because, yes, it is personal, but he is also in the public spotlight. Why is ok for him to refuse to release personal information but not a singer (like Michael Jackson) or movie star (like Patrick Swayze) or policy wonk (like Rush Limbaugh)? If everyone should have the right to privacy, why does the public feel entitled to know about those in the public spotlight? I think he is a public figure, and while I think he should be extended this courtesy, then I think so should everyone else. It might make for some dull TV shows (like "Entertainment Tonight"). The question is what are the boundaries, and why aren't they universally applied?
Don't blame him.