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!

THE ASSOSIATED PRESS -

Ever wish you could relive the glory days of college? Today, one lucky, overpaid man will get the chance to do just that.

In an unprecedented move, the NCAA has granted permission for Denver Nuggets center Marcus Camby to suit up for his alma mater, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, for the NIT semifinal game against the Florida Gators.

“Billy Donovan needs to learn a lesson about humility.” remarked head coach Travis Ford. “UF is weak around the low post, and bringing Marcus back was a prudent decision.”

“We don’t want to witness the making of another UCLA-type dynasty.”

The move gives UMass a feared inside prescence to counter Florida center Marreese Speights. Camby provides the perfect complement to swingman Gary Forbes, who leads the team with 19.5 points per game. Needless to say, most bookies have UMass winning in a blowout.

Upon further comment, Donovan was so irate that we had to edit out considerable portions of the transcript for vulgarity.

“Travis Ford is a ****ing b******! Everyone ****ing knows you can’t do this **** in college ball! This is ****ing bull****! Who do those guys think they ****ing are?? He’s lost his ****ing eligibility, a******s!”

The NBA’s season leader in shot blocks, Camby was drafted second overall in 1996. He has played for the Toronto Raptors, the New York Knicks (an added bonus), and the Denver Nuggets in 12 seasons in the NBA.

But Billy is not going down without a fight. The latest rumors have former Gator and current Knick David Lee spotted at Donovan’s most recent practice. Caught in its own web of hypocrisy, the NCAA will likely vote to include Lee in the Gator lineup for the sake of PR.

Either way, college sports may never be the same.

Vincent Gagliano contributed to this report

Okay, Florida fans, put on your Gator-colored classes.

It’s April 1. Florida has just beat Massachusetts. While the college basketball world fixates on the other Final Four, Florida quietly prepares for its last game - they are 40 minutes away from hoisting another banner in the O’Connell Center.

At the risk of looking ahead, let’s look at the potential finals matchups if UF does win.

#1: Florida vs. Ohio State

I’m not quite sure what to make of this. On the one hand, I’m supposed to be laughing until I fall over in my seat and hiccup uncontrollably. After all, they are “The” Ohio State University. The same Ohio State University that lost to Florida in football, Florida in basketball, and LSU in football again.

But on the other hand, I’m starting to get really sick and tired of seeing these guys *all* the time. There’s supposed to be parity, people! But then again, that means that I’m supposed to critize my own school for their national championship sandwich. Case closed.

The story lines are fairly obvious: In just 18 months, the Buckeyes have become the Buffalo Bills of college sports. Every single time, they win all the big games and appear to be set up for a national title. And every time, they end up falling apart miserably while the SEC shows why its initials could stand for “The Super Ego Conference” A win, even in the NIT, could finally silence their critics. But then again, maybe it won’t. What about the other big games?

#2: Florida vs. Ole Miss

Surprised? These are the same Rebels that beat Florida in the third game of the SEC season by a basket. At the time, the loss was just a bump in the road for 15-3 Florida, and the Gators went on to win their next three games. However, UF went 3-8 after that and proceeded to write its own rejection letter to the NCAA committee.

Much of the fascination will arise around David Huertas vs. Walter Hodge. For both, it’s their second trip to Madison Square Garden. Back then, they were on the same roster as Florida won the 2K sports Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. Both won a national championship with Florida. And both will aim for another ring on their finger.

The Rebs will look for a season sweep. The Gators will look to continue their winning ways.

Need motivation, Florida? Try these stats on for size:

*The Gators would become the first defending NCAA champion to win the NIT since City College of New York in 1950. Back then, they played in and won both tournaments. Since then, double-dipping has been disallowed so that this dominance would never happen again.

*The Gators would become the first team to win three straight nonconference postseason tournaments since the ‘67-’69 UCLA Bruins. That would make them only the second ever team in college basketball history to ever achieve the feat.

*By winning against UMass, the Gators would give Billy Donovan his first ever back-to-back-to-back 25-win seasons.

*The Gators would end the 2008 season on a high note, giving them momentum for ‘09.

Yeah, so there’s reason to take it seriously.

Tune in tomorrow when we put things back in perspective and look at the Minutemen close up.

This picture from UF’s sports website, and the quote from Nike, just about sum it up. Florida played typical Billyball: balanced scoring, tres-o-plenty, and a solid defensive wall. But in the end, St. Nick stole the show, giving the Gator Nation some record-breaking performances.

For starters, he dished out his 200th career assist when he fed the ball to “Old Man” Walter Hodge for a three early in the game. He is the only freshman, in fact, he is the only Gator ever, to have 200 assists in a season. Current tally for his season/career: 209.

Which brings us to the triple-double, the Holy Grail of a basketball player’s versatility. Despite scoring fewer points (11) than his season average (15.7), Little Bill put Mareese Speights to shame on the glass (He had 13 boards, Big Mo had 4), to say nothing of all his dimes.

It’s the second 3-D in Gator history (Corey Brewer had 15-13-10 against Jacksonville on Dec. 2005) And he’s the only freshman in school history to ever do so. Unbelievable.

Bear in mind, college games generally have fewer possessions and fewer scores than in the NBA, with eight fewer minutes of game time and eleven more seconds on the shot clock. That makes the triple-double an even rarer feat in college than in the pros. And Nick has come close several times before, like 18-13-8 in UF’s season opener.

He’s doing all of this as a freshman on a rebuilding team. Wait until he gets more big guys to pass the ball to.

Before you start typing remarks about how I’m going off topic and why the NFL won’t match college sports, hear me out.

I’m fully aware that the subject matter is somewhat out of the ordinary. I know that college sports have that unique sense of brotherhood and competitiveness that the pros find lacking. I even know that my post might be a bit overdue.

But in the aftershock of yesterday’s press conference, something must be said for one of the greatest athletes, ambassadors, and competitors that the sport has ever known. There never has been, and likely never will be, another football player with that exact same sense of playful glee that #4 embodied in 17 seasons of a distinguished NFL career.

(more…)

This is a Japanese game show version of the popular ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ game. You flash your play and if you win, you get to smack the other guy upside the head with a paper fan. A hardhat is thoughtfully provided by the game show staff.

That’s me, Florida Gators blogger and SEC chest-thumper, on the left.

Michigan is on the right.

H/T: FanHouse.

We’ll be back on Dec. 26th. Be good while we’re gone!

After watching Wake Forest defeat Florida State, it made me think back to their loss to Clemson and Miami’s loss to North Carolina. I began to ponder on something: some of the biggest losses that Florida teams have endured recently seem to be at the hands of teams from the Carolinas. Some of these include the 30-0 crushing and embarrassing home loss of FSU to Wake last year. There was also Florida’s 30-23 loss to South Carolina in 2005 which cost the Gators the SEC East title. The Miami Hurricanes of 2003 started the season 6-0 and were ranked 3rd in the nation before inexplicably suffering back to back losses against North Carolina and Clemson – this point essentially marked the beginning of the end for Head Coach Larry Coker.

Florida has an approximate population of 18 million and an area of 65,800 square miles. The Carolinas (North and South) has a combined population of 13 million and area of 88,600 square miles. There are 4 BCS conference schools in the State of Florida (UF, FSU, UM, USF) and 6 in the Carolinas (WFU, Duke, UNC, NCSU, Clemson, South Carolina). And recently the football between these two states has been quite ferocious. Using the BCS schools in each state I examined the head to head matchups in the past 3+ years (starting in 2004) to see if there is a noticeable decline in Florida football power or perhaps an improvement in the Carolina schools.

In this analysis I discovered the following. Currently the State of Florida enjoys a 21-14 (win-loss) advantage in direct competition. HOWEVER, if you remove Duke from the equation (one of the most consistent losers in all of Division 1 football) the current standings are 15-14 (Florida-Carolinas) in a virtual dead heat. What makes this so shocking is the background of these regions. Florida is a state known for big time college football and prep football talent. Florida colleges have 9 national titles and have dozens of former players littering NFL rosters. The Carolinas have exactly 1 National Title (Clemson in 1981) and a fraction of the NFL litany the Florida schools enjoy. But if anything, this dominance seems to be retreating as this regional rivalry heats up.

Individual school totals since 2004

- Univ of Florida 2-1 (with the South Carolina game remaining which will likely be the toughest remaining game on the Gators’ schedule this year)
- Univ of Miami 9-3 (1-1 so far this year in splitting with NC and Duke with NCSU remaining on the schedule)
- Florida State Univ 8-8 (1-2 so far this year Duke remaining on the slate)
- Univ of South Florida 2-2 (1-0 this year. Both wins were against UNC while losses were to South Carolina and NCSU) (more…)

Above: Appalachian State students in Boone, North Carolina, posing with the goalposts they ripped out of the turf at ASU Stadium, dragged down the street, and deposited in the University Chancellor’s driveway after the Mountaineers defeated Michigan in the “Big House” on September 1st, 2007.

With all the arrests and suspensions plaguing the Gamecock program the public has been wondering what is wrong with the people in Columbia.  Now, thanks to the recent revelation by Miss Teen South Carolina who when asked why one fifth of Americans cannot find the US on a map replied,

“I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some … people out there in our nation don’t have maps and uh, I believe that our, ah, education like such as in South Africa, and, uh, the Iraq, everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uh, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., or should help South Africa, it should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future, for our children.”

Uhhhh . . . . what???  And the saddest part is that Miss Lauren Caitlan Upton has a 3.5 GPA from Lexington High School.  Well at least I’m finally beginning to understand why so many Gamecock players are making stupid decisions.  And how the registrar at USC is turning away so many athletes based on academic concerns.  Can you imagine how the 2.5 GPA South Carolinians might respond?  *shock*

By the way, doesn’t the term “American” technically refer to everyone in North, South and Central America?  Who are the morons that write these questions?