Written by a sad soul on Warchant, the FSU message board:

Subject: Why are we here?

“Either we are the true FSU diehards, or just masochists. The number of times we’ve been kicked in the stomach as FSU fans the last couple years is unbelieveable. I mean it’s hard to even comprehend. What do we have, 8 scholarship OL from the last FOUR recruiting classes combined? Does our #3 ranked ‘06 class even crack the top 30 anymore?? Who is our best player? Do we have anybody left on our team that strikes fear in an opponent? Do we have any depth whatsoever? How about leadership? Or better yet, leadership from the coaching staff? This is beyond asinine.”

And here is where “nole96″ cranks his lament into overdrive.

“I wouldn’t wish what we’ve had to go through on our most hated rivals. I can’t even remember the last truly positive thing that happened to FSU football. I keep thinking we hit rock bottom, then we sink deeper. What will it be next? And will it be tomorrow?”

Indeed. What will tomorrow bring for what is our most hated rival? At the rate things are going… nothing good.

A quick look back on what brought the ‘Noles to this point:
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Vernon Macklin, a 6′ 9″, 230 lb. sophomore, sat on the bench behind Roy Hibbert at Georgetown. After a visit to Gainesville and extensive talks with Billy Donovan, now he’s a Gator. From Fox Sports:

“It’s a great decision because it gives Vernon a chance to sit out and work on some things,” said Macklin’s former prep school coach, Kevin Keatts, of Hargrave Military Academy. “He’s learned a lot in the last two years under John (Thompson III), but going to Florida will give him a chance to re-charge his battery a little bit.”

Macklin made the decision during a Friday visit to Gainesville.

Now, is this a big deal? It may very well be. Macklin is a former high school basketball star and earned both Parade and McDonald’s All-American honors. While Florida’s then-unlegendary ’04s were getting settled into their roles in the 2005 team, Vernon Macklin was being gushed over by the various recruiting services, who rated him thus:

Scout.com: #17
Rivals.com: #37
Prepstars.com: #12

And Prepstars had this to say about Macklin in ‘05:
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Tim Tebow gave an interview to First Coast News’ Dan Hicken over the weekend. Tebow spoke of his faith, how the Heisman has changed his life, and… dun-dun-DUN!… whether he’ll be suiting up in ‘09 as a Gator.

Hicken: “We were talking earlier about those mock drafts that are coming out. Your name is at the top of a lot of them for next year, so people are going to start asking you about your future even though I know you’re just focused on this season.”

Tebow: “I am. I’m focused on this season. After the season, we’ll talk to Coach Meyer and everything, but I love being a Gator and I want to stay there as long as I can. I’m just blessed to be in that position.”

So… not an iron-clad “will return” response, but I have to admit, I feel pretty comfortable with the notion that Tim will be back for his senior season. There are many factors contributing; perhaps most importantly is his emphasis on outreach and using his college football fame as a platform. Can NFL millions lure him away from that opportunity? Never say never, but I think a combination of his love for the University of Florida, his unique situation as perhaps the most beloved player ever to wear orange and blue, and his faith will keep him here.

It’s an amazing ride, the ride of a lifetime. When you hop off that train, you’re done forever. Tebow knows that.

The post-Tebow era is a dark and depressing thought. I dare not tread too far down that path. Just knowing that, at best, we have two additional seasons max to watch this brilliant athlete play quarterback is somewhat sobering. The sheer joy of watching Tebow command the Gator offense made a 9-4 season bearable. And with an upgraded defense, it’s Tim’s turn to win an MNC as the greatest Gator quarterback in the history of Florida football.

Say it with me: 2 more years! 2 more years!

So… I bought an Apple iPhone. It’s the first product made by Apple I’ve ever purchased and I’m favorably impressed. In fact, I’d be willing to say it’s the coolest piece of pint-sized technology I’ve owned. There’s something just slightly mindboggling about SCPing into your phone as root and messing with the directory structure, to say nothing of surfing the web at broadband speeds and enjoying an amazingly slick touchscreen interface.

Anyway, after jailbreaking the phone and installing Summerboard I couldn’t find a Florida Gators theme, so I made my own. Perhaps an O&B Hue theme is next? Gator fans with iPhones, enjoy.

Click here to download and install the theme on your iPhone.

Update: this theme is now available via the BigBoss repository. If you have Installer on your iPhone, just find the Florida Gators theme package and enjoy!

One of the faces on Florida’s Mount Rushmore of College Basketball Success has wasted no time in making an NBA impact.

For nearly the entire season, Horford has had to take a backseat in press coverage to vets Joe Johnson and Josh Smith. At 6-10, he’s had to play as a somewhat undersized center while Smith has excelled at power forward. And then there was Bibby.

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In one of the most surprising and controversial moves of the NFL draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars traded most of their picks to the Ravens to grab Gator defensive end Derrick Harvey 8th overall. The move was surprising, not only because Harvey was projected to Carolina at 13th, but also because Jacksonville staked a heavy portion of their future on the star prospect.

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Eloy Vargas and Kenny Kadji share more in common than they might realize. Both were snubbed for the McDonalds and Jordan All-America games. Both stand a lanky 6-10.

And both have moved down on the recruiting food chain. In the latest Rivals250 rankings, Vargas (American Heritage) slipped from 3rd to 9th in PF rankings. Kadji (Pendleton) went from 3rd to 5th. The worst part: both were demoted from five stars to four. But might this be a blessing in disguise?

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From Madison Square Garden to Beijing? Such may be path for Florida’s leading scorer and assist man.

According to the Independent Florida Alligator, Nick Calathes will try out for the Greek national team over the summer. If he makes the cut, he could potentially help Greece make the 2008 Olympic Games.

Nikos already has dual citizenship and will likely receive his Greek passport shortly. A medal probably isn’t in his future, as he’ll likely have to face Team U.S.A., Mike Krzyzewski, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and company if the team just happens to make the final rounds. But why not take a crack at it? This kind of thing only happens once every four years.

As one of only two college players who averaged 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists throughout the season (Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez being the other), Calathis certainly has a positive reputation.

Good luck, Nick.

One of the more interesting debates on the Gator roundtable is whether Tim Tebow can join Ohio State legend Archie Griffin in the Multiple Heisman club.

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By extremely popular request, it’s baaaaaack…