Urban Meyer Tells Gumble He Thought He Was Dying

Yeah, he thought he was dying, but then he had an episode at home.

Perhaps. So he decided to jump right back into the pressure or he just doesn't care if he wins at tOSU? Must be some good meds he has now.

The last good good Burnout game was released in 2008. Urban Meyer got burnout in 2009. Coincidence?

davefrat said:

my point is really that these coaches are under immense pressure...pressure of the sort that most people can't imagine it.

i don't care for him, but i'm surprised more coaches don't have break-downs and similar episodes.

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I understood. Just joking more than anything. I strongly believe that if he wins that game you hear nothing about that because it doesn't happen.

But you are right with the pressure though. The money involved is enormous and that drives everything.

davefrat said:

my point is really that these coaches are under immense pressure...pressure of the sort that most people can't imagine it.

i don't care for him, but i'm surprised more coaches don't have break-downs and similar episodes.

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Many people would trade their every day pressure (how to pay the light bill and buy groceries too, how to tolerate an obnoxious boss or a demeaning job, etc...) for Urban's pressure coaching a game for megabucks.

And he wants sympathy for how hard his plight in life is? Please...

Life in the fast lane...sure to make you lose your mind.

So he's claiming he developed an unhealthy obsession with winning which gave him chest pains and insomnia and caused him to think he was dying, then took a year off before accepting a HC gig at a premiere college football program? I believe him actually. From watching him, his obsession is authentic and out of his control. Coming back so soon probably wasn't the best decision but clearly he needs football (big-boy football at that). Hopefully he'll learn to lower his expectations and manage his stress (and time) better, but it doesn't help that every season his team is gonna be right there in the NC discussion til the very end (this year is an exception) and when they lose it's gonna hurt. Just like losin that SECCG to Bama in 2009.

davefrat said:

because those are the only possible options?

have you considered that perhaps he made and irrational and unwise decision when he decided to return to coaching in a similar pressure cooker?

people have been known to make bad decisions.

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My comments were mostly "tongue in cheek." I believe Urban whines and has an excuse when things don't go his way. Pressure is high in coaching and if he can't handle it at one place I don't see how a move changes that. Perhaps he has found a way to balance his expectations and "spend more time with his family."

Does anybody really believe that if he had won that SECCG and the NC that year that any of this would have come up? It just seems disingenuous. Was there any mention or "paper trail" of this before that point?

davefrat said:

are you asking whether we would have heard about it or are you asking whether it's true?

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Both I guess..

The problem is...I can't really believe much of anything than comes out of Urban Meyer's mouth.

Why did Ray Rice's girlfriend marry him after he hit her?
Why do alcoholics keep drinking?
Why do people with a hacking cough have "just one more cigarette"?

The same reason Meyer keeps coaching.

davefrat said:

i don't know what you do for a living, but i'm in an extremely high-stress profession and the pressure can be crushing.

i know many colleagues who have suffered mental and physical health issues and serious substance abuse problems as a result.

things have never gotten that bad for me thankfully, but it can be downright bruising to the soul at times.

and i would imagine being in the public spotlight all the time would only make it worse.

i'm constantly perplexed by the widely-held notion that money and fame make real suffering bearable.

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I think the point is that UM has options if he doesn't enjoy or want the pressure of coaching college football. I'm guessing you and your colleagues also have other options. UM chooses to do what he does and is rewarded greatly, financially speaking, which is why people often mention the money or fame. I think another poster's point about real pressure is when someone doesn't have many job choices and has to worry about bills and feeding his family. Having hungry kids at home and struggling to keep a roof over their heads would be much greater pressure than winning some football games. So, it's not that money and fame make real suffering bearable, it's that this "suffering" you speak of only exists by choice. At least that is what it seemed like the other poster was saying.

teamplayer said:

I think the point is that UM has options if he doesn't enjoy or want the pressure of coaching college football. I'm guessing you and your colleagues also have other options. UM chooses to do what he does and is rewarded greatly, financially speaking, which is why people often mention the money or fame. I think another poster's point about real pressure is when someone doesn't have many job choices and has to worry about bills and feeding his family. Having hungry kids at home and struggling to keep a roof over their heads would be much greater pressure than winning some football games. So, it's not that money and fame make real suffering bearable, it's that this "suffering" you speak of only exists by choice. At least that is what it seemed like the other poster was saying.

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It's silly to think of mental illness as a "choice". It's no more a "choice" than breast cancer, stroke, heart attack, pancreatitis, and so on. Now, are there multiple factors involved, some of which you can control and others you can't? Sure, but ultimately it isn't a "choice" to have depression and anxiety. And in a world where mental illness still obviously has a stigma and is often seen as weakness, I actually have a newfound respect for Myers for putting it out in the open. There are others suffering through the same thing across multiple levels of the sport. Many are afraid and unwilling to admit to it for the reasons above.

davefrat said:

my point is really that these coaches are under immense pressure...pressure of the sort that most people can't imagine it.

i don't care for him, but i'm surprised more coaches don't have break-downs and similar episodes.

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No, I disagree. I have no sympathy for him or any coach that can't deal with the self induced pressure of your job. Cry me a river.

Depression is a very real illness that affects many people from all walks of life. The most difficult part is for the person to realize they have a problem and need help. More people deal with problem than many realize. I am not a fan of UM but I do wish him well in dealing with his problem.