FLORIDA FOOTBALL: FOOD FOR A MAN'S SOUL
Somewhat Random Ruminations
I haven’t had any access to the Web in several days. Ideas for blogs just suggested themselves. Watching “Around the Horn” on ESPN just got to me.
Okay, got that out of my way. Unlike in some of my previous blogs, I’m taking a more generalized approach to my topics today. We start in Kobe Bryant’s birthplace.
Holy cow! It’s Mo and Elton!
Dunleavy rant or not, Elton Brand just made Mareesse Speights’ job a little easier.
The ex-Clipper and running mate Samuel Dalembert are established NBA vets, so Mo will likely sit on the bench. Since both command approximately 35 minutes a night, Speights will likely play about 12-15 minutes, or the equivalent of one NBA quarter, per game in his rookie season. Given his UF history, this is Speights’s cup of tea.
More specifically, Mo Cheeks will likely use Mo Speights as the first option off the bench in the event that either Brand or Dalembert get into foul trouble. Ideally, after his first season, Speights will see more minutes as his conditioning improves and will show traces of the dominant performer in college. Mo would have likely been a 20-10 guy at UF had he played 30 a night, and Ed Stefanski was fully aware of that.
If he performs well enough, the Sixers will exercise the team option on Speights for a third season and could even start him over Dalembert, who averages a 8.4 points and 8 rebounds for his career.
As an added bonus, he has a master teacher in Brand, who at 6′8″, is one of best little big men in the league. It behooves him to learn from a former All-Star who, coincidentally, also entered the league after two years of college.
Speights has the tools to succeed in the NBA. Let’s just hope he uses them.
One good reason why Gainesville is Titletown (Actually, more like four of them.)
ESPN’s latest PR experiment is starting to get a little irritating. Stanford? Titletown? Are you serious? (In the Cardinal’s defense, I also thought Chicago was
somewhat overrated. The Cubs’ curse sees to that.)
From a numbers perspective, the Gators are somewhat lacking in the titles department. But there is one good reason why Hogtown deserves a little love.
Florida, already one of only a few schools to have a national championship in both football and basketball, is one of only two to have multiple titles in both sports.
The other? Michigan State, who, ironically enough, won their second hoops title over the Gators in 2000.
However, Florida is the only school to have four uncontested national champions; State won their titles in 1952 (undispited), 1965, and 1966, back when the process wasn’t as united as it is now.
And Florida won all of those titles under one athletic director, Jeremy Foley (Who, by the way, doesn’t get nearly as much credit for the Gators’ sports prowess as he actually gets amongst fans.)
So this argument probably doesn’t hold with Boston, where the Patriots and Celtics cast their dynasties, or in L.A., where the Lakers, USC, UCLA, and the former LA Rams and Raiders spoke for themselves.
Nonetheless, amongst collegiate athletics, the Gators have few peers.
Dara Torres doesn’t act her age
I can’t speak for Pilot or KG, but the ex-Gator’s run for the Olympics hits close to home for me. The allegations of possible steroid use, even more so.
In short, if she’s clean, I’m fine with it. Otherwise, I understand people’s suspicions of her times. I just hope that she hasn’t stooped to comply with the masses.
For Teddy, crime “Dontpay”
If you break the law, there will be consequences. It was true for Florida State last season. It was true for Jamar Hornsby. It was true for Joakim Noah. And it’s true for Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin - football prowess notwithstanding.
These principles apply regardless of race, creed, or, college. ‘Nuff said.
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9 Comments so far
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Foley doesn’t get credit because:
1. He ran off Spurrier twice.
2. He hired Zook.
3. Hiring Urban Meyer wasn’t a “find”; it was simply the best available scenario for Meyer.
4. Donovan, the supposed pinnacle of his administrative career, was damn near lost to his inability to re-sign him.
By This Guy on 07.14.08 7:02 pm
I still say he gets at least some credit.
Donovan was a little bit of a coaching risk at the time that Foley hired him (youth movement) and he hired Spurrier to help keep the program clean.
As for signability issues, the basketball program’s success was unprecedented, so he might have had some trouble finding the money to get a contract extension
By Vince Gagliano on 07.14.08 8:13 pm
In response to This Guy; the UAA might be the most successful business in the State of Florida. That may not be saying much, but it’s Foley driving the boat. To sell his accomplishments short reveals that you feel there are three sports at UF; football, basketball, summertime. Trust me, there are more.
By mlmintampa on 07.14.08 10:59 pm
Every AD with significant time on the job will have ‘gaffes’ that appear on their record in terms of coaching hires. In Foley’s case, I do not think he was responsible for “running off” Spurrier; that was SOS’ doing, and maybe the boosters helped. Zook was a mistake, no question about it.
But Meyer and Donovan have been incredible hires and I think you have to credit Foley with pulling the hook on Zook 2 1/2 years into his tenure. Florida’s AD took a lot of grief at that time, especially from the national media who felt that Zook hadn’t been given “enough time” to prove himself. Fans and Foley knew better; watching the incredibly frustrating progression of a Zook-coached team playing an SEC game, it was quite obvious that Zook was not going to be successful at Florida. Foley could have let Zook languish another season or two; I personally would guarantee that Florida was going to become a middling 7-5 SEC squad year in and year out with Zook running the show. It was almost a certainty. Firing Zook quickly was the act of a strong AD who refused to let Florida slip from the ranks of the college football elite. If you don’t believe that couldn’t happen at UF, have a look at Nebraska, Florida State, Miami, and Notre Dame just for a short list.
Holding on to the wrong coach for the wrong reasons for too long is worse than hiring the wrong one in the first pace. I’ll always be thankful to Foley first and foremost for firing Zook when he did.
I’m pleased Zook is doing well (comparitively) at Illinois. I’m perfectly at ease with the knowledge that Zook would *never* have succeeded at Florida. Foley knew this and protected Florida football from further harm.
By GatorPilot on 07.15.08 7:21 am
You guys need to post this picture!!!!!
http://heismanpundit.com/archives/1614
By Wil on 07.15.08 9:52 am
Banner flying over the stadium at my first UF game as a freshman in 1989 (a loss to Ole Miss by the way):
“FIRE ARNSPARGER”
I think Foley has done an incredible job. UF competes well is almost every sport we participate in. Baseball is still puzzling to me, but even there we have a recent finals appearance.
All told, Foley gets an “A” in hiring of coaches at UF. Zook was a total failure, but don’t you sometimes get to drop your lowest score?!!?
This is a pivitol season for Meyer, because 2009 will likely be a rebuilding year (at least for the offense). Up here in Atlanta, it is amazing how cocky the UGA fans are about their upcoming season. Somehow, Stafford is now referred to as “a leading Heisman candidate.” Hilarious. He wasn’t even a top 6 SEC QB last season. Granted, Mark Richt has put together a great program at UGA - he has surely raised expectations, but UGA has never had to play with that target on their back during Richt’s era. Everyone will be gunning for them every game. They are preseason #1 in almost every poll and I just heard that 3 UGA players will be pictured on the cover of SI (jinx, anyone?). I personally don’t think UGA can handle that kind of pressure all season.
Another thing we Gators might think is amusing is the Bulldog nation has declared that the UF dominance over the Dawgs is history. That last year’s rushing of the field after the first TD marked the end of UF’s intimidation of UGA. Time will tell, but if I were Urban, I would get that tape ready to show about 1000 times that week!
One game at a time though….first up, Hawaii. Too bad June Jones won’t be there to witness our “system quarterback” in action!
By skigator93 on 07.15.08 10:28 am
It could be worse. Hometown Georgia Tech fans could proclaim that Coach Whats-his-face could actually lead the Yellow Jackets to an ACC title.
The Hawks could lose Josh Smith to free agency.
The Dream could have been an 0-21 Nightmare.
And the Falcons could be royally screwed by giving Matt Hasselbeck-Ryan the third-largest contract currently in the NFL (Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger get paid more.)
I’m not making this up, Ski: I actually could have booked a one-way ticket to Atlanta this time last year as a Georgia Tech student. As for why I’m not here, let me just give the highly cryptic reply that I’m passing the buck.
By Vince Gagliano on 07.15.08 10:44 am
Tebow’s gotta stop wearing those Crocs. I love the guy and all, but those are gaudy in the extreme.
By GatorPilot on 07.15.08 3:08 pm
A Gator … wearing Crocs. (Groan)
By Vince Gagliano on 07.15.08 3:37 pm
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