Last week, Urban Meyer made something of a professional boo-boo. He was honest.
In discussing Notre Dame's controversial hire of Charlie Weis, and his own feelings on the job, Meyer revealed that Notre Dame was still his 'dream job,' and that one day he hoped to return to it. That's a nice sentiment. But it's not the sort of thing football-crazed Florida fans want to hear. They'd like to hear that Florida is Meyer's dream job, that he wants to stay forever, and so on, even if it isn't true.
Today, in attempting to diffuse the situation, Meyer told them what they wanted to hear. Sort of:
“Our staff has given our life to Florida football for four years,” Meyer said following the team’s first bowl practice. “We plan on giving our life to Florida football for a long, long time. You start hearing, ‘Well coach, I thought you said (Notre Dame was) your dream job.’ I grew up in the North and that was my dream job. Probably always will, but that has nothing to do with this.
“This is my dream job. This is my job. I hope to be here for a long, long time. I hear that out there and it’s my fault. But this is everything I want in a school. This is the best job in America. You don’t give your life to a school like our whole staff has. We plan on doing this for a long time.”
Not to get too picky, but you'll notice the bold emphasis there. Meyer doesn't actually say Notre Dame isn't his dream job. He says Florida is his dream job now, and that Notre Dame always will be. Apparently, you get to have two dream jobs. Sweet, right? When we grow up, we want to be both a writer and an astronaut! Maybe even at the same time.
Anyway, Meyer's comments will either satisfy everyone or no one. Either Notre Dame fans will keep hope alive, and Florida fans will feel sated; or Notre Dame fans will feel scorned and Florida fans will be unconvinced. Nice work, Urban. When it comes to weasely professional ambition, you've got nothing on your rival at Alabama. Take some notes next time.
