Fox Sports college football broadcaster Tim Brando is tired of Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart’s politicking and his abrasive approach with the media.
Brando joined Crain and Company this week to discuss the flaws of the 12-team College Football Playoff and he didn’t hold back while discussing Smart’s recent comments about what it’s like to play in the SEC on a weekly basis.
“When I hear Kirby Smart in a post-game interview say ‘well just tell all those people to come down here to the SEC and see how their record looks’, I’m so sick and tired of hearing Kirby Smart tell me how everyone picks against him,” said Brando. “Ok, you’ve won two national titles. You’ve already been anointed by the good ole boys of the south as the next Nick Saban. And all you can do is shovel crap in the media’s face because they don’t pick you to win a certain game? Come on. Get over it, Kirby. You’re better than that. I mean, you’re better than that. Enough. It’s a tired, old, fatigued storyline that he keeps spewing out of his mouth.”
It’s hard to argue with Smart’s methods. He clearly uses slights (real or imagined) from the media to motivate his team. Considering Smart has lost just five games and won two national championships since the start of the 2021 season, I’d say his methods are working.
On the other hand, Smart’s act is certainly getting old. He claims that he doesn’t have time to pay attention to the media and the College Football Playoff rankings, yet he’s constantly referencing the media and questioning the playoff committee when a microphone is in front of his face (Smart could have a future in politics when he’s done with football if he wants).
By the way, when it comes to playing in the SEC, Smart isn’t wrong. The bulk of the top talent in college football resides in the SEC. And the atmospheres, even at the non-marquee programs, are elite on a weekly basis (which makes it incredibly tough to play on the road). There are teams in the other Power-4 conferences that are true championship contenders — no one is suggesting otherwise — but the grind of the SEC on a weekly basis in the fall is second to none.
