Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Sneaka Heads




New Kicks for 2010

Spring 2010 of Nike Dunk Be True To Your School Edition

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

The Chosen One

Do Not Take HIM For Granted!!!

D Rod sent out these videos this week. I had heard of them but never actually watched them….




Last night I did… and the whole time all I could think of was……………………

“What if Tebow had gone to Alabama instead?”


How different would these last 3 years have been without him.


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We are so damn lucky to be Florida Gators…..

We have one of the most hungry competitors to ever take the field at our helm

Our team is led by a warrior that only comes around every 50 yrs.

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I implore you.

DO NOT take this season for granted, do not take a single snap to his hands for granted.

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This year you will be watching one of the Greatest College Football PLAYERS to ever take the field.

You will be able to tell your grandchildren that you saw this man take over the game

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You will witness a part of History.

Savor it… because it could have been a different story…

Go take every drip-drop, don’t you waste it
Go Gators

Monday, August 24, 2009

9-5-09

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A look back at the Elite 11



The elite 11 is now ten years old and the members of the 2005 class are now 4 years removed from high school so you can get a good look at just what happened to that class.

For those that don’t remember the 12 QBs that attended the 2005 camp were:

Neil Caudle – competing for the starting job at Auburn
Pat Devlin – transferred out of PSU
Zach Frazer – transferred out of ND
Josh Freeman – 17th pick by Tampa Bay Bucs
Cody Hawkins – poised to start for a third straight season at CU
Jake Locker – will return to starting role at UW
Mitch Mustain – transferred from Arky to USC
Kevin Riley – starter at Cal, Phil Steele considers him a Heisman candidate
Jevan Snead – transferred from UT to Ole Miss
Matt Stafford - #1 pick in NFL draft Detroit Lions
Tim Tebow – 2 titles, 1 Heisman, looking for 1 more of each
Juice Williams – 4 year starter at Illinois




It’s pretty interesting to look at what happens to elite HS QBs. Of the 4 transfers only 1 has gone on to be a known name that looks like a top NFL pick. Three others took redshirts their freshman years and are now starters but 2 of them are on pretty awful teams. There were 2 QBs who went on to start as Freshman, one of them ended up the #1 pick and the other plays for Ron Zook. Then there is Josh Freeman who is freakish athletically but never did anything of note in college and still got drafted in the Top 20.

Clearly, the headliner of that group is Tim Tebow, who played a major role for the Gators 2006 Championship team as a Freshman, won the Heisman as a Soph and then won another MNC as a Junior full time starter. If he somehow pulls off another Heisman and another MNC he will easily go down as the most accomplished of the Elite 11 QBs as he has already put himself ahead of the 2005 class the way Usain Bolt pulls away from the field in the 200m.

But not only is Tebow the best of his class, he might be the best of any class. The elite 11 began in 1999 with a class that included Brock Berlin, Casey Clausen, Matt Cassell and Chris Rix. Since then the program has hosted Gator QBs Ingle Martin, Gavin Dickey, Chris Leak, Justin Midget, Cornelius Ingram and most recently John Brantley. As well as some very notable names in the world of college football: Matt Leinart, Vince Young, Troy Smith, JaMarcus Russell, John David Booty, Mark Sanchez, Chase Daniel, and Tyrod Taylor.

Out of the entire list of Elite 11 QBs you get the feeling that it is as likely for these guys to become complete non-factors as it is for them to compete for championships. Still, the odds are better when you have an Elite 11 QB. Elite 11 QBs have accounted for 3 Heisman trophies in the past 10 years and 4 National Titles with 6 BCSCG appearances (Its actually more if you count Ingram and Brantley, which I am not). And many of the others have not been slouches either, winning conference titles and excelling at new positions. It is clear that the Elite 11 brings in a very talented group but it is not a guarantee for success.

It is however a very good gauge for which programs are the best. Looking at the list the most represented programs are also considered to be the tops of CFB. USC with 5 and UF with 7 seem to be bringing in one every other year and sometimes more. It is these top tier programs that consistently recruit at the highest level that will be competing for titles year in and year out.

Go Recruit Elite
Go Gators
Thanks to Leaf for this peice

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Op ed from my boy Leaf a Gator and Viking



Purple Haze

 

Percy Harvin has a new nickname, its about time as there never seemed to be one good enough for him in high school or college.

 

When the Vikings selected him they became one of the biggest winners in the NFL draft and the Florida Gators lost an irreplaceable player. In the NFL the Vikings have gained the Percy position and added 30 plays to their playbook. All for Percy. No one on the Gators roster will be able to fill those shoes alone. Not Rainey, Demps, Deonte or Debose. They may all have great seasons but none of them will be able to do all of what Percy Harvin did. No offense to any of those guys, I expect big things from all of them but if I were to be expecting them to replace Percy it would just be unfair to them. Instead, I think Gator fans should be happy with whatever production we get out of all of these talented athletes and know that it will take all of them to provide the electricity that Percy Harvin gave us for three years.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhb8eZY5EjI

 

For anyone hoping to continue to follow this great Gator's career you might want to pick him up in your fantasy league.

 

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/features/column.aspx?sport=NFL&columnid=125&articleid=33416

 

And for Gator fans who are hoping they will see another player don the Orange and Blue at the Percy position we may be lucky enough to get just that out of Andre Debose. Just try not to get too excited before he plays a game no matter what Urban says. 

 

http://thequad.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/the-percy-position/


All Heads Realize, Recognize.







AP BREAKING NEWS: Florida is No. 1 AP preseason Top 25, setiing a record for highest percentage of number one votes (96.7 % or some crazy shit like that) in the history of the universe. (http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_16006/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=9fT8x7gC).

Friday, August 21, 2009

Take That.


A good 26 yd return. Almost broke it. Still looks fast in the NFL.

Did you have your popcorn?


-- Post From My iPhone

Showtime




"Get your popcorn ready," Maydocks says.

Love popcorn, btw.



-- Post From My iPhone

Percy's Playing.





"He'll be all over the field tonight," commentator said during the pregame.

This dude hasn't heard: The Gator Nation is everywhere. He'll be all over the field every Sunday, man, get your mind right.


-- Post From My iPhone

Look out Weekend here I come




MGN's wishes you all a great weekend...remember we are almost there...leave you with a sick picture...and a great jam



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Thursday, August 20, 2009

Rankings Are Out. (47 < 50 < 102)

US News and World Report, the magazine that seemingly runs the educational system in this country, has released its oft debated rankings of the best universities in the country. The great University of Florida is the only SEC school in the top tier (top 50), coming in at 47, up 2 spots from last year. Florida has remained, to the best of my knowledge, around 48 or 49 for the past 6-8 years, so this is an improvement, if slight.

I'm sure you're all dying to know how those people who chose poorly upon coming out of high school fared. Good. I like that about you. That's why you did well to go to Gainesville and why you're likely doing well in life, it's that competitive Gator spirit (or that superiority complex that all nongators say about Gators). The University of Miami, also known as the University of Jersey Kids came in at 50, cracking the top tier for the first time in their pathetic history. Florida State University came in at a shockingly bad 102. I don't even want to rip on FSU because they are a public institution and exist to serve the people of Florida. It's a shame that they should be ranked so low, but, as I mentioned below, Florida's education system is horrifyingly underfunded, ranked 49/50, coming in second to Lousiana in per capita dollars spent on their university system (I think).

The in-state tuition for the University of Florida is $4,373.00, making it the cheapest tuition in the country, while being the nation's fourth largest institution. Consider that for a moment. The state of Florida has no state income tax and yet still manages to produce a top echelon education for a bargain price. SunTan U, by comparison, will cost a rich white kid's parents $36,168.00 per year so their son Caleb or daughter Meadow can party on SoBe blowing coke and/or their bridge and tunnel friends, and yet they still will be second best to a school which costs 1/8th of the price. It's all about the U.

Some interesting facts about your alma mater.
  • For the first-year students that enrolled at UF in 2008, the median SAT score is 1240 - 1410, and the Median GPA was 4.1 - 4.4.
  • The freshmen retention rate of 94 percent is among the highest in the U.S.
  • UF admitted 1,049 International Baccalaureate students for the 2004-2005 academic year - more than any other university in the world.
  • Faculty awards include a Fields Medal (means they're very good at math), two Pulitzer Prizes, NASA's top award for research, and Smithsonian Institution's conservation award.
  • There are currently more than 60 Eminent Scholar chairs, and nearly 60 faculty elections to the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, or Arts and Sciences, the Institute of Medicine or a counterpart in a foreign nation.
  • UF ranked 15th in the U.S. News and World Report "Top Public Universities" (2009); fourth in The Scientist magazine's "Best Places to Work in Academia" (2005); fifth among all universities in Kiplinger's magazine "Top 100 Public Colleges" (2003).
  • Milken Institute named UF one of the top-five U.S. institutions in the transfer of biotechnology research to the marketplace (2006).
  • Some 50 biotechnology companies have resulted from faculty research programs.
  • UF consistently ranks among the top-10 universities in licensing. Royalty and licensing income includes the glaucoma drug Trusopt, the sports drink Gatorade, and the Sentricon termite elimination system.
  • UF was awarded $518.8 million in sponsored research in 2005-2006. Research includes diverse areas such as health care and citrus production (the world's largest citrus research center).
  • In 2002, UF began leading six other universities under a $15 million NASA grant to work on a variety of space-related research during a five-year period.
  • UF began a partnership with Spain in 2000, to create the world's largest telescope in the Canary Islands. It is completed and you can read about CanariCam here.
  • For every dollar appropriated to the University of Florida, a total economic impact of eight dollars is spent within the state. Student spending supports local and statewide businesses and tourism.
  • UF is a major employer, with more than 35,000 employees.
  • The University of Florida contributes nearly $6 billion annually to Florida's economy and is responsible for nearly 75,000 jobs. UF is one of the largest research universities in the nation.
  • UF became the first university in the world to be designated a "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary" (2005) for environmental and wildlife management, resource conservation, waste management, and outreach and education.
  • UF is one of three universities to be the first in the country to offer an Organic Agriculture undergraduate degree program (2006).
  • Fresh Food Co., located in the Broward Dining Center, serves local fruits and vegetables for the benefit of product freshness and to support local commerce, as well as reduce transportation, fuel and packaging costs.
  • A school-record 12 Gator athletic teams turned in top-10 finishes in 2007-08, marking the seventh consecutive year that 10 or more Gator athletic teams finished among the nation's top 10. Those finishes propelled Florida to sixth in the 2007-08 Sports Academy Directors' Cup standings. Only Florida and UCLA appear in the top 10 in each of the last 25 national all-sports rankings.
  • Florida's 89 percent graduation success rate (GSR) of athletes reported by the NCAA in 2007 makes UF one of only three programs in the 2007-08 NACDA National All-Sports top 10 to post a GSR above 85%.
  • Florida's 2008-2009 National Champion Football team had a 100% graduation rate.
  • And finally, the most important of them all: The ratio of women to men is 54:46. Fuckin' A.
Go rank.
Go Gators.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

-73


The Champs are a -73 overdog against Charleston Southern for the opening game this upcoming 5th of September. That's more than two touchdowns and a fieldgoal every quarter for four quarters. That's pretty flattering, and, I reckon, a pretty safe bet. I wonder if they'll have a similar line when the Gators play FIU at home on Nov. 21-- that one should be a bloodbath.

Can't find any takers online, so you'll have to find a sucker.

Go win by more than the atomic number of tantalum.
Go Gators.

Love Letter to the "Pride of the Sunshine"

Dear Fightin' Gator Marching Band,

I am sorry on how bad I have treated you. I ignore you, take you for granted, live life as if you are a given. The only band I wanted to listen to at the Swamp was FAMU. During halftime I could give 2 shits what you did.

This all changed during the 2003/2004 basketball season. I got into a routine with Eddy Davis (Outereach) and Dr. Tone Portela (House 112). We used to go to the bars on University Ave. crush some adult beverages & make our way over to the O'dome.

It was my first time ever sitting in the Rowdy Reptiles section and during an intermission your Basketball Pep Band played a rendition of "You Can Call me Al". I lost my shit. We lost our shit. The Rowdy Reptiles blew a hole through the O'dome's Teflon-coated roof. The crowd would get into it as if we were at a wedding singing "Shout" ....we would take it a little bit softer now , a little bit lower now and then blow the whole place apart.


I was hooked. I thought niceeeeee...everywhere we go we get to watch good ass sports teams and jam on the side. I'm a big dancer in case you didn't know. I was born to shake it. JP and I watch So You Think You Can Dance faithfully.


Then I went to the BCS game in Glendale, Arizona and my seats where right next to YOU under that giant cactus turd they call University of Phoenix Stadium . Only an aisle separated my double-fisting body of booze from you. I was running back and forth, up and down, the aisle beggin' you to play "You Can Call Me Al" spilling beer all over YOU.

Then I saw the Drum Major break it down and I thought I was at a Quince in Signature Gardens...I mean wtf we are killing Ohio (cant spell cOck SUcker with out OSU) State and we are breaking it down on the sidelines. Life couldn't get any better.




I mean I'm just sorry that I have failed to tell you how important you are to me and my experiences with Gator Football and Basketball. I hope you can forgive me and realize you too are part of this greatness.

Thanks for keeping my blood flowing....

PS
Def. enjoy how you can freestyle with the GPD.. I didnt know the cops in G'ville were would let you jam out on their motorcycles.

Found on the Internet by Ol' Bill.

President Obama and Lord Urban shoot the shit after leading the International Summit on Cockiness.
Supercomputer Center dedicated solely to Chapter One of the Gators' offensive playbook

Gameday Shoes.




Gator Belle - Kari Klinkenborg










The Love (read: Hate)

The below from ESPN, link from Jewboy.



21. Urban Meyer -- Florida coach, 2005-present
Hated by: All of SEC, with special antipathy in Georgia.
  • Claim to Infamy: Biggest problem is obnoxious win total: 44-9 in first four seasons in Gainesville, with 2009 team favored to win a third national title on his watch. Has gained something of a bloodthirsty reputation after ordering late field goal in a 23-point win over Miami and using every timeout late in a 39-point mauling of Georgia last year. Considered by some critics to be excessively pleased with himself.

32. Steve Spurrier -- Florida coach, 1990-2001
Hated by: Entire SEC, most notably Tennessee and Georgia; Florida State as well.
  • Claim to Infamy: Head Ball Coach won huge and unapologetically tweaked his victims for 12 years while building the brand at his alma mater. Volunteers fans can still hear, "You can't spell Citrus [Bowl] without U-T" ringing in their ears. Bulldogs fans can still hear him referring to 1990s coach Ray Goff as "Ray Goof." And Seminoles can still hear the Spurrier barb, "Free Shoes University." Unlikely that any SEC coach had more fun angering more people than Spurrier.

34. Tim Tebow -- Florida quarterback, 2006-present
Hated by: All non-Gators in SEC, plus sizable pockets of resistance elsewhere.
  • Claim to Infamy: Too virtuous and too celebrated for many rivals' tastes. Scripture on eye black construed as religious grandstanding in some corners. Willingness to run over opposing linebackers and/or sever a limb to win does not help his standing with opposing fans. Mainly because he does win with tiresome regularity and irksome wholesomeness

Go irk 'em and beat 'em
Go Gators.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Almost Time.




That sensation you feel in the pit of your stomach means that it's almost time. Almost time.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Testing with question

Who do you guys think will be the biggest surprise this year on offense and defense? Last year I would say the award goes to: Jeff Demps and Ahmad Black

This year I am going to guess (and remember these are darkhorses, not obvious guys like Hernandez): Moody starts blowing up towards the middle of the season and on defense I’ll say Justin Trattou.

My backup picks would be Rainey/Cooper and Bostic on D.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Friday Links.

Don't Blink.



At 2:30, take a close look at how quickly Jeff Demps hits top gear, watch how quickly he breaks away from all the defenders. Typically one concentrates on how quickly the ball carrier is getting to the endzone. I like to look at his speed relative to the other players. I don't think I've ever seen a player break away so quickly, including Percy. In a way, Percy reminds me of Dwane Wade, moving like water through defenders, finding more gaping holes than Wall Street Gator did bouncing at Lush/Vibe (what is that place's name now/then?). Percy was and is magnificent at his first few steps in terms of speed and angle, but I think it takes Percy longer to hit his top gear, and even then, it's not as high as Demps's. I know, I'm a blasphemer.

At 2:36, it's just nasty. But keep in mind that they're playing Citadel. Still though, super chorny.

Tip of the hat to the Jewboy for the vid.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Short, but Good Piece on ESPN's Domination of Sports Journalism

This is a short, but thought-provoking piece on ESPN's domination and, some would argue, manipulation of sports news. The piece misses the competitive impact of blogs in reporting sports news so it misses in that regard, but it's still quite dead-on. The analogies are plenty and accurate.

Give it a quick gander and let me know what thou thinkest.

I Haven't the Words.



Let the commentary begin.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Monday's Link List.

In finals mode, so I'll be low key for the next couple of days.

In the Backyard.


Gator Clause (GC) blog reports that Tennessee will post a billboard ad on Oakland Park Blvd and I-95. GC says it's a move to go after Gator commit and Boyd Anderson High corner Demar Dorsey. Sounds like a lot of money and trouble just to go after a 4-star recruit who's committed to somewhere else, but nothing about this Kiffin fuck surprises me anymore.

It's a ballsy move to put up a billboard in another state's backyard. There are a lot of Gators in Broward, but truthfully, this seems more like a challenge to and dissing of the hurricanes than the Gators, even though it's probably directed at the Gators.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Changing Bigfoot's Tire.

The Timbow and the General lift a 600 lb tire.

They must work out.

Go Be Beastly.
Go Gators.