Gomersindo at the Guateque.

Let's Draft the Gators

Everybody play along, try to pick the round and team that each eligible Gator player will be drafted in. For our purposes with respect to picking rounds, just list either "bottom half" or "top half" with the cutoff for the bottom half of a round starting after the 15th pick, even though there may be more than 30 picks per round due to compensatory picks.

Here is the scoring system:
Pick the correct round and you get 1 point
Pick the correct half of the round and you get 2 points
Pick the correct team and you get 3 points (no points for saying an undrafted free agent does not get picked up by any team)

Below are my predictions, please contribute to this, would love to get your thoughts:

Markihe Anderson – undrafted FA by Jacksonville
Riley Cooper – top half of the 4th Round by Buffalo
Jermaine Cunningham – top half of the 3rd Round by Miami
Dustin Doe – bottom half of the 7th Round by New England
Carlos Dunlap – bottom half of the 1st Round by New Orleans
Troy Epps – undrafted FA by Jacksonville
Joe Haden – top half of the 1st Round by Seattle
Aaron Hernandez – top half of the 2nd Round by New England
Brandon James – undrafted FA by Miami
David Nelson – bottom half of the 6th Round by Pittsburgh
Jonathan Phillips – undrafted FA by Miami
Wondy Pierre-Louis – undrafted FA by Tampa Bay
Maurkice Pouncey – bottom half of the 1st Round by Pittsburgh
Brandon Spikes – top half of the 2nd Round by New York Giants
Ryan Stamper – undrafted FA by Jacksonville
Tim Tebow – top half of the 2nd Round by Buffallo
Major Wright – bottom half of the 3rd Round by Cincinnati

Go Gators!

LA ESQUINA

It has been a long time since the last issue (pre-Alabama) and there is a lot to talk about. The entire Gator Nation has been turned on its head since that glorious beat down of FSU on November 28th. It is difficult to fathom all that has happened in one month’s time. From the Dunlap DUI to the Alabama debacle which led to the Tebow crying incident along with Urban’s aggravated health issues and ultimately, his departure and sudden return to the Gator Nation. It’s exhausting just writing about it. Having lived it, I am sure most of you will agree that the term “rollercoaster ride” doesn’t do it justice. It was more like extreme bungee jumping. In the range of outcomes following the FSU win at the Swamp what has actually transpired since is, if not the worst case scenario, pretty damn close. Our beloved program is at a crossroads, can we keep the freight train rolling or has that Alabama loss truly derailed Florida football? Let us tackle these issues one by one.

ALABAMA

Let me just start out by saying that I had 5th row seats to the game so my vantage point was very different than in most games and I picked-up on things that I normally wouldn’t have seen and probably missed some other things that I am normally on top of. I also still haven’t been able to re-watch the entire game, but it is in my DVR and I expect to work up the courage to do so soon. Definitely before our trip to Tuscaloosa next year, which should be circled on all of your calendars (October 2, 2010). The excitement surrounding the game and the overall pre-game atmosphere were unparalleled. People were gladly paying over $500 for a ticket. The beers and shots were flowing at the tailgate, I can vouch for that. The in-game atmosphere also did not disappoint. The stadium was divided but it seemed to me like we were outnumbered. For whatever reason, their fans also seemed a lot more synchronized with their chants, etc. All of this generally resulted in a not so Gator friendly stadium. Then again, I am sure my account would have been different if we actually had more to cheer about.

Alabama came out and hit us in the mouth and we never recovered. The Alabama possessions tell everything you need to know about this game: FG, TD, Punt, FG, TD, Halftime, TD, TD, Punt, Ran the Clock Out. Our all-world defense that was allowing less than 10 points a game all year only stopped them on two (2) drives the entire game and forced zero turnovers. Think about that for a second…truly unbelievable…it’s incomprehensible really. There are two reasons for this in my opinion, (1) Carlos Dunlap’s absence had much more of an impact than anticipated, and (2) we were outcoached. That and the fact that according to the referees Alabama only committed one penalty while we were getting flagged every other play. But in all honesty that wouldn’t have made a difference. They just flat out beat our ass.

Back to the effect of Dunlap, I have to admit I thought we would throw somebody else in there and be fine…maybe have a little drop off but not an epic drop off. The impact of Dunlap’s absence on our ability to stop the Alabama running game was both surprising and highly evident. This is an area where Dunlap has really improved over the years. He is one of the strongest players on the team and his ability to run down ball carriers from behind I think is highly understated. We missed him dearly in run support. Of course, we obviously missed his ability to get to the quarterback as well. Over the past two years nobody in the SEC has more sacks so this was to be expected, but I didn’t anticipate such a big drop off. The only one getting any pass rush was Cunningham and he wasn’t getting to McElroy nearly enough. Trattou and everybody else we threw out there opposite Cunningham got stoned by the Alabama offensive line. Defensive End is a huge area of concern going into next year, especially if Dunlap leaves early for the NFL. This lack of a pass rush obviously forced us to blitz and right when Charlie Strong came in with one of his patented corner blitzes BOOM…Saban has the perfect play call against us…a screen pass to the eventual Heisman Trophy winner with the Red Sea parting that goes for a huge gain. That was a back breaker. That play was coming right down my sideline and I have to say, Will Hill really hesitated in trying to make that tackle…that kid needs to play more fearless and just needs to start to get after people a little harder. He is too good to be playing so poorly (then again, maybe he is just not that good). I also feel that Cunningham got blocked in the back on that play and it really sprung Ingram. That’s neither here nor there though, the point is that we were out schemed. Their play calling kept us off-balance the entire game, starting from the first series in which they unexpectedly came out throwing the ball. Then in the second half they surgically ran the ball down our throat. It seemed like every run was good for 4-5 yards. It was as shocking to see as it was disappointing. Where was Brandon Spikes? He picked a bad time to have one of his worst games ever as a Gator. Our entire line got pushed around. I just can’t get my head around how a defense that was so dominant all year was itself dominated by an offense that had looked so pedestrian all year.

There has been a lot of speculation about that one question and after pouring through much fodder and “insider information” the explanation that makes the most sense to me is the following: we were overconfident. We had beaten them last year (without Percy Harvin nonetheless) and their film was also unimpressive according to some of the players after the game. Remember, Alabama only scored 12 points (4 FGs) against Tennessee. That along with the toll of massive expectations that was weighing heavily on this team all year seemed to finally catch-up to the Gators. We laid an egg in the biggest game of the year.

On the offensive side of the ball I feel that the coaches panicked. Here is the most telling statistic, our non-Tebow running figures were as follows: B. James 1 carry, Jeff Demps 1 carry, Chris Rainey 2 carries and Emanuel Moody 0 carries. How do the running backs of the top rushing team in the SEC only get 4 carries in the championship game? All year all we do is run, run, run and then we get behind and all of the sudden we throw the playbook to the wind and start throwing the ball all over the place? I will say that I thought that Timmy was throwing the ball real well (save for the one interception which I will discuss in more detail below). It was the most comfortable I have seen him in the pocket all year, the pass blocking was there as were most of Timmy’s throws. What was also there were numerous drops, from the usual suspects like Deonte to the usually sure handed Nelson and Hernandez.

Back to that interception, we were driving the ball, we had some momentum and were moving up and down the field and then, as was the case all year, we made a huge mistake in the red zone. Hernandez was wide open; all Timmy had to do was lob it. But Arenas, being the great playmaking all-American corner that he is, dropped off his man and snuck in underneath Hernandez’s route, Timmy never saw him. I was right in front of that play, it was extremely deflating. It really did feel like somebody had stabbed me in the stomach when he threw that pick. It just absolutely made me want to throw up. That play and the 4th down drop by Nelson the next time we were in the red zone eliminated all chances of a comeback. It is funny how most games really do come down to a handful of plays. In this one, the Tebow Pick, the Nelson drop, the Ingram screen play along with the missed tackle by Janoris on the short throw to Maze all stick out. In the end though, you have to give credit to Saban and Alabama, they seemed to want it more and also were the better prepared team. Although in my heart, I still feel like we were the better team. Maybe that is a silly thing to say considering the outcome of the game, but that is how I feel.

Being at the game I was able to really gauge the team’s body language and for the most part, we were kind of flat. Now I don’t know if that’s because we got smacked early and never really got going (i.e. if Spikes would have had an early hit like he had on Knowshon Moreno early in the game would that have changed the vibe?) or because we just didn’t have it and nothing was capable of changing that. The latter is hard to believe considering the magnitude of the game. Two exceptions that stood out were Spikes, who was walking around in between TV timeouts talking to himself like a lunatic and throwing his hands up (although as discussed earlier, it didn’t show in his play) and of course Tebow, who was sobbing uncontrollably near the end of the game. I will never forget looking up at the video screen in the stadium and seeing that close-up of Tebow crying, as if it wasn’t bad enough we were getting our ass kicked. The whole place erupted on the Alabama side. It was really embarrassing for us and caught me off-guard. My first reaction was, “what the hell are you doing Tim, tighten up and get it together.” But then, I had a chance to step back as the days have passed and realized that there is plenty of precedent for this. Even the baddest of the U thugs, Alonzo Highsmith cried after they lost that game to Penn State in the 80s. It happens, and it happened to Tim and it happened because he really, really, really cares about the University of Florida. So in the end, although I am still somewhat embarrassed by it and I would have rather he not done it, I understand it and on some level, appreciate him even more for it. What was complete BS though was the assclown in charge of the video screen at the stadium deciding to zoom in and show that shot…that is border line criminal, no need to embarrass a warrior like Tebow in that manner. It was just uncalled for. If I saw him on the street I would stomp him, American History X curbside style.

Even though this game has been over for nearly a month now, its impact is still being felt through the program. The events following the loss have shaken the Gator nation and its de facto father, Urban Meyer, to the core. We really have to ask ourselves if this game will be thought of in the years to come as a defining inflection point for the University of Florida. Much like that Jarvis Moss block against South Carolina which resulted in a chance to play for Urban’s first national championship and set off an almost unprecedented string of success…but the exact opposite.

URBAN MEYER

Well, there a million different ways to interpret what has happened over the last week or so with Urban and everybody has their spin on it so I thought I would offer mine. On the whole, this is a bad thing. Having said that, the leave of absence approach is much better than an outright Urban resignation. Are Lane Kiffin, Nick Saban and virtually every other top tier coach who recruits against us coming in their pants about what has happened? Yes. Does the entire staff have a lot of work to do in terms of damage control with recruits? Yes. Will we be ok? Over the short term, clearly, we are still a team stacked with superior athletes top to bottom. Over the long-term, I am not so sure. It really comes down to what happens from here on out. Starting with our staff’s ability to maintain the pledges of our top recruits.

I want to examine this Urban situation a little deeper though because I am still trying to get my head around it. What do we know? Clearly we know that the man is a workaholic. We know that he does not take losing well (and that might be the understatement of the century). We know that he has had severe chest pains over the last few years. We know that such chest pains became increasingly more frequent following the Alabama loss. We know that he has a benign cyst in his brain that flares up under stress. We know that on Christmas day with his family he wanted to give it all up. We know that he changed his mind and now wants to take a leave of absence, allowing the possibility for a return as the head coach at UF.

Here is what we don’t know. We don’t know how severe his illness is. We don’t know exactly what his illness is. We don’t know if he needs to have heart surgery. We don’t know how this leave of absence arrangement is going to work. Is Urban going to be completely out of sight for a few months, or more? Will he pop up once a week at practice during the Spring? Is Addazio going to have complete carte blanche while Urban is gone? And most importantly, we don’t know when Urban is coming back. Even worse, we don’t know for certain that he is coming back. We also don’t know if Urban can really change and become more of a delegator to relieve some of that stress. This man is a micromanager. He is on top of EVERYTHING going on with the program. Every little detail from staying on top of kids to go to class, to disciplinary issues, to recruiting, to game planning etc. Can he change his approach to coaching, an approach that has catapulted him to the top of the profession in a very short time? And, can he do this while still continuing to win games/championships? He better figure something out, otherwise we are in a lot of trouble.

First things first though, the man needs to get healthy. We all need to stop being selfish and understand that he has already given a lot and that if he walked away from the program today for good we should all be grateful and should wish him the best. Now, putting that aside. He has put the program in a vulnerable and precarious position. The timing of the announcement (in the heart of recruiting season) leaves a lot to be desired. He essentially had a breakdown in front of a national audience. On the other hand though, we did get a lot of publicity over the past few days and you know what they say, all publicity is good publicity (Lane Kiffin knows a little bit about that).

My initial takeaways from that press conference were, wow this guy really cares and is trying to do the right thing by his family as well as the program. However, those two things are very much in conflict because usually one has to give and historically it has been his familial life and health that has taken a back seat to coaching. But you can completely sense the love, camaraderie and deep sense of caring between Urban, Jeremy Foley (our athletic director), Tebow and Stamper. By the way, has anyone else noticed that Stamper has completely taken over as the defensive spokesman for Spikes? The disappearance of Spikes as a vocal leader in this regard is kind of odd but I digress. Anyways, I thought the press conference put on national display what a true family and community feel the UF football program has. After some further reflection though, this does not mean that other coaches aren’t going to viciously attack our recruits and fill their heads with all kinds of questions and doubts. They will say that Urban will not be around 4 years and likely won’t come back at all. They will say that the program and Urban personally are both very unstable and ask why would a top recruit, who can go anywhere, not go to a place with stability that can also compete for championships (like Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Tennessee)? Some of that will surely resonate and we might lose some and maybe many recruits. So what is really important is what we do from here on out. People (both recruits and their parents) want stability. And when the issue is where your own kids will spend the next 4-5 years of their lives, as a parent I would think that you especially want to know who (i.e. what coach) you are entrusting their well being to. Not knowing what’s going to happen or how things are going to work has got to be very unsettling for a player as well as a parent. We need to figure out a specific and detailed plan of action and we need to have a solid outline ready to go when speaking to recruits and parents, and we needed to have this in place yesterday.

I know this will be difficult because it is evident from the press conference that Urban doesn’t know how much time he will need. But for the sake of the program, we need to provide concrete information. I hate to say this but even if to some extent we are selling them a bill of goods I think that’s what we need to do. I am not saying lie to the kids and parents but err on the side of providing well intended specifics. And if down the line some things change here and there that’s ok and we can cross that bridge when we get to it. But this general sense of uncertainty and instability needs to be quickly supplanted with details and a firm plan of action. One bad recruiting class can set the program back for a decade, that is a fact. The truth is we have a brand (Florida Football) that in many ways should sell itself. But that is not to say that other coaches aren’t filling 17-18 year olds’ heads with a lot of puffery. You know what would be a good start in terms of turning things around and building some momentum, beating Cincinnati.

CINCINNATI

Here’s what we know about these guys. They have a great offense and can light it up. A great tall, slinging quarterback who likes to fire the ball around (Tony Pike) and a top NFL level receiver (Mardi Gilyard). This guy had 80 catches for 1,150 yards and 11 touchdowns this year. That is almost double the production of Riley Cooper. Although, he wasn’t playing against SEC defenses. I am very conflicted about this game. On the one hand, we have better athletes and it’s Tebow’s (and possibly Meyer’s) final game – meaning we should blow them out of the water. On the other hand, with all the crap surrounding the program over the last couple of weeks who knows where these kids’ heads are at. You also have the looming NFL shadow hanging over some of our top prospects who are on the cusp of becoming millionaires. I just don’t feel confident about predicting what’s going to happen. I do think that this will be a somewhat high scoring affair. Our offense should be able to move the ball on their Big East defense. Similarly, they have a lot of firepower and I can envision one or two breakdowns in the secondary on our end. Bottom line, it’s not going to be a 13-10 game. But, if our guys have the pride and deep rooted sense of the moment that I think they do, we will show up and keep this behemoth of a program chugging along…at least for the time being.

There is not much we can do except trust in our coaching staff and in athletic director Jeremy Foley, who by the way represented himself and the university very well at Urban’s press conference. That and stay tuned.

Go get healthy Urban,
Go right the ship,
Go lock-up the recruits,
Go get Alabama next year,
Go Gators!

Meyer’s LOA

Florida’s Sugar Bowl game week has been one of the wilder ones in Gator history and none of it has to do with the game. By now everyone knows about Urban’s health and resignation, change of heart, leave of absence. His press conference offered little insight and made me feel that this was all an unfortunate airing of an issue that never needed to see the light. Now columnists all over the SEC are rejoicing and claiming the demise of the Gator dynasty. But, their doom and gloom predictions amount to nothing more than wishful thinking.

Urban Meyer proved something when he pushed the Florida program back to the top of college football in his first two years. Florida is more than Steve Spurrier and its more than Urban Meyer too. Still, Steve Spurrier is exactly who Meyer needs to look to if he wants to coach another five years. Spurrier was notoriously relaxed when it came to recruiting, sure he recruited but he knew that Florida sold itself. Meyer needs to learn to trust in his pipeline of talent, his scheme and in his own words the program he has built here. In the meantime he can step aside and let the program roll until he is ready to come back.

While I am less than excited with the prospects of Coach Addazio as the head man, or even the OC we should not fear a fall from our place atop the SEC east. If Meyer hangs up his whistle and blackberry from Jan 2 to the beginning of Fall practice we will be fine. Our staff is loaded with top notch recruiters and we should still lock up most of our committed recruits while adding a few more. The assistants can handle spring practice, there will be a lot of turnover on both sides of the ball but we are replacing Juniors and Seniors with guys who have been in the program for two or three years themselves. Summer is the domain of the Strength coach and we have a great one. That gives Meyer 8 months to get on the right meds and get his health straight.

If Meyer isn’t on the sidelines when we open the season I will be shocked. Still, the state of Florida football is in a much better place than the columnists in Tuscaloosa, Athens, Knoxville and Tallahassee would like you to believe. We are still more talented than the majority of our opponents. And when it comes to crunch time we will still be better prepared. So, don’t fall for all the negative opinions out there, the Gators will be fine.

Dooley - Finebaum

Did anybody see that notorious gator hator and Alabama columnist Paul Finebaum was on EPSN today side by side with our own Pat Dooley and apparently compared Meyer to Tiger Woods and made other comments like, "if you are a recruit you have to be crazy to go to Florida" and "the program is in shambles" etc. Basically he was lambasting Meyer and constantly taking shots at him...allegedly (not on ESPN but on his own radio show) he also said that Saban ran Meyer out of college football with the beatdown he gave him.

The worst part about the ESPN interview though, is that instead of Pat Dooley standing up for Urban and the Gators the word is he largely agreed with Finebaum and said that we would lose a ton of recruits and not have a top 10 recruiting class. HOW CAN DOOLEY STAND THERE LIKE A DUNCE WHILE THIS CLOWN WHO HAS HAD AN AGENDA AGAINST THE GATORS AND MEYER SPECIFICALLY SLANDERS HIS NAME? He is supposed to be there to counterbalance the radical anti-gator Finebaum and instead he sits there nodding in agreement and doesn't come back at him? I haven't yet seen the video but the message boards are all up in arms about this and many people are cancelling their subscription to the Gainesville Sun as we speak.

Wake up Dooley, for god's sake man show some backbone.

Rainey Stainey Put

Rainey decides to stay for at least one more year.

Go graduate
Go Gators

Gator Gary setting the record straight

This was posted by Gator Gary on GATORCOUNTRY....one of the best insiders refutes the earlier post. (both posts taken from GATORCOUNTRY showing you both sides of the story)


Setting The Record Straight Reply

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SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

Before I get into the meat of this post, let me preface my remarks with the following:

1. I have never seen the need or the reason to call out another poster. Many times I have read things on this Board, and others that were simply not true. I usually was successful in suppressing the urge to flaunt my knowledge and/or inside sources and “straighten them out.”

2. The only reason I began posting in the first place was to calm the fears of the “sky is falling crowd” after the 2005 loss to LSU. You remember, the “Meyer is a crier” game. After the game, the usual suspects are screaming that we made a mistake and that Meyer was no better than Zook.

3. For most of Gator Nation, Meyer was still a relative unknown. Although he had won at smaller schools, he had never stayed more than two years and the real question mark was could he recruit or if he had just won with “other’s players”? Most either wanted Spurrier back or in the alternative a “Big name coach” such as Stoopes, Shanahan, etc. The early struggles in 2005 just confirmed to those that Foley “screwed up again”.

4. I was fortunate enough to have inside sources that had told me that after the UT game earlier that year (Meyer’s first signature win) that no less than ten 4-5 star recruits had verbally committed in the locker room after the game. My first post was titled, ‘Help Is On The Way” and named names. As it turned out 8 of the 10 ultimately signed with UF.

5. I have tried to only bring information that is backed up by sources in a position to know. If I am stating an opinion I will label it as such. Therefore, I am extremely sensitive to others that appear to want to state their opinion as fact.

6. Also, as many on here are aware, I am a trial lawyer with over 30 years of experience and have made a living out of trying to ascertain what happened in a particular case and try to differentiate between fact and fiction. Thousands of times during my career I have learned that things are not what they first appeared to be.

7. Based upon recent events surrounding the Gator football team, there are those that stated their opinions as fact when they really had no idea what they were talking about. Their opinions have been repeated and expounded upon to the point that many have taken these opinions to be fact. The result is that innocent persons have been hurt and their reputations have been damaged. IT IS TIME TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT!

8. The following is based upon every single source I could muster. The two most prominent are two (2) members of the 2009 coaching staff. While I have always promised not to reveal their names, let me say that both have accepted jobs elsewhere for the 2010 season.

9. I fully and intentionally stake my reputation on the accuracy of the facts set forth in this post.

ISSUE #1 ? Billy Gonzales was NOT fired as has been alleged.

1. I had previously posted this FACT earlier and such was met with some skepticism. Even after Meyer came out a few days later and also stated that Billy was not fired, many just assumed it was “coach speak” and that and that Meyer was in essence lying.


2. A popular poster on Gator Country Naphta stated unequivocally that Billy was fired and stated some reasons why. Those allegations were brought to this Board and stated as fact. He could not have been more wrong. Did Billy know there was going to be a birthday party that faithful Monday night? Yes, however, he understandably believed it was no big deal. He did not know there would be alcohol, trusted the few players going to act responsibly and be home at a decent hour. Was Meyer pissed when he found out about the party and that Billy knew? Yes, however, he never blamed Billy for the Dunlap situation or anything else associated with the party. That party had ZERO to do with Billy leaving the Gator program.

3. The reason Naphta’s explanation was so readily accepted was that Gator nation was searching for a fall guy and a reason why this unbeatable team had played so poorly against Bama. Billy was the perfect fall guy and his sudden departure made sense except the firing never happened. The insinuation that he was fired was painful to both Billy and his family.

4. My source was Billy Gonzales himself. The only other person in the room, Meyer, also stated Billy was NOT fired. Naphta, who is your source that says he was, in fact, fired?

5. Naphta owes Billy Gonzales an apology. Anyone that repeated the version that Billy was fired also owes him an apology.

6. Based upon all of my information this is my OPINION as to what actually happened:

A. Billy was upset he was not the OC. (Fact)

B. He thought he should be at least the co-OC. (Fact)

C. He had more input in the play calling under Mullen than he did Addazio. (Fact)

D. LSU had been trying to hire Billy away from UF for the past three years. (Fact)

E. LSU wanted Billy for his coaching/recruiting abilities and because they thought hiring him would weaken UF. (Opinion)

F. Billy went to Meyer and told him he had accepted the LSU job that offered more money and more responsibility in the play calling. (Fact)

G. Billy thought that Meyer’s response would be an offer of more money and responsibility in the UF offense. (Opinion)

H. Meyer basically told him to not let the doorknob hit him in the rear on the way out. (Fact)

I. If Meyer had offered Billy the opportunity to stay at UF with more money and especially more “say so” in the game day offense, he would still be a Gator. (Opinion)

ISSUE #2 ? The Gator Juniors have been maligned and/or slandered:

1. Contrary to what has been written, there was NEVER a meeting at which the Juniors with NFL potential met and discussed leaving in mass for the NFL.

2. While this team is close and they do “hang around” with each other quite a bit, there was never an organized or orchestrated meeting for the discussion of going pro.

3. Of course, these guys would talk about NFL dreams and aspirations; however, nothing more than is normal and expected.

4. To even insinuate that they talked about playing less than their very best in order to avoid injury is SLANDER of the worst kind. How can they ever prove otherwise? To avoid injury you simply fake a minor injury, just “bad enough” to cause you backup to have to play. You don’t play soft. Everyone knows that playing to avoid injury is actually the best and easiest was to incur an injury.

5. The effect of these “opinions” and falsehoods is that a significant portion of Gator nation now believes that some of our best and hardest working players were selfish and quitters. Keep in mind that we are talking about players that got up at 5:00 a.m. all through the off-season and endured the “toughest off-season in Gator history”. Guys that played through numerous “nicks and bruises” to take the field in the orange and blue.

6. To “refuse” to name them by name but to lump them in the category of “Juniors looking at the NFL” painted all of the prominent Juniors with the same slanderous brush. Was it any less incriminating to not mention the Pounceys by name? What about Haden? Hernandez?

7. Naphta owes the Juniors a sincere and public apology! Anyone that repeated the lies without proof or qualification also owes them a heartfelt apology. These guys, although appearing to be men, are nothing more than boys playing a violent game. They do not deserve to be maligned because we are so upset with the results of their last game.

8. The fact that the Bama loss ended “our dream” of back-to-back BCS Championships does not give us a right to question their integrity or guts. It does not give us a right to call them selfish and/or quitters.

9. How can anyone think they did not want to win it all more than we did? Who had invested the time? Who have invested the pain, sweat and tears? Who risked and endured physical pain and injury? Who stood to earn a ring and the possible title of best college football team ever? To insinuate otherwise is asinine and insulting to all of the members of the Gator football team.

ISSUE #3 ? Why we lost to Bama:
1. I know for a fact that we went into the Bama game extremely overconfident.

2. Based upon the tapes of Bama from their previous games there was no fear of them by the Gator players or staff.

3. Even the coaches admitted to me that while they respected Bama they were not overly impressed with them. Bama’s strength (running the ball) played to our defensive strength of stopping the run. The Bama QB would have been at best third string at UF and folded under pressure. They were not concerned about their passing game and believed Haden was more than a match for Julio Jones.

4. The Auburn game further added to the overconfidence in that Auburn, a less talented team, had success by spreading Bama out. Bama was extremely fortunate to beat Auburn and since it was one of the most heated rivalries in college football, there was no thought that Bama simply was looking ahead to UF.

5. Bama came out, hit us in the mouth and we never fully recovered. The coaches panicked somewhat and never tried to establish the run. (Still a mystery to me)

6. The loss of Dunlap hurt as Bama capitalized on his absence to come out throwing which caught us by surprise. McElroy continuously rolled out to his left. He would not have been able to do that with Dunlap on that side. While I am not saying if Dunlap had played we would have won, his presence could have changed the early success Bama had and allowed us to get into the game mentally before it was too late.

7. We played our worst game of the year while Bama played their best. If you want an applicable analogy you need only think back to the 2006 BCS Championship game. We played our best game while OSU played their worst. They were extremely overconfident based upon our season long track record. While we may have truly been the better team we surely were not as much superior to OSU as we appeared that night.

8. Football is an emotional game and we were not emotionally ready to play Bama and it had NOTHING to do with the Monday night party or any Juniors contemplating an early exit to the NFL.

BOTTOMLINE ? Billy Gonzales was NOT fired and the Juniors did NOT quit or act selfishly against Bama. Apologies are in order.






Follow-UP:
Originally posted by jdizel01:
Gary, did you confront Naptha on his post? If so how did he react?
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Among other things, he called me a liar, a "fraud" and a "charlatan". He went on to say that I had absolutely no inside information and that I "make it all up".

Before I could respond, the entire thread was deleted.

Imagine that, for over a week they "sticky" his thread to the top in which he said (without even giving a hint as to who his source was) :

“3) I was told that there was a players meeting among some of these core contributors prior to the FSU game discussing NFL prospects and determining the list of who would be coming out and who wouldn't. A "core group" of players determined that they would all come out together. It was determined in this meeting that some kids would be minimizing their risks in the coming games. Some were offensive and some were defensive players. The impact of the looming rookie salary cap had a huge effect on the mentality of some players. The coaches were aware of some of this, but not the full extent, and there is only so much you can do even if you know, short of benching starters. Some of these were absolutely critical players we were counting on to come through, and simply quit on the team.”

and:

“7) So yes, some of the team "quit" after the SEC schedule. The partying was a symptom of that. Certain star players got a kind of entitlement mentality as they got closer to the draft and it spilled over into our final games. Urban thinks that it is touch and go whether we can get them re-focused for the bowl game. A loss would not surprise me with as widespread as the "relaxation" got. Urban may end up benching some starters if he can't get them focused on trying to win the bowl game. You may see some OL and O skill stalwarts sitting for the bowl game. Don't be surprised.”

And I research for a week and talk with numerous witnesses, including players and three assistant coaches to verify all of that was untrue and my thread gets deleted within an hour. I guess they decided to "rest the defense". Go figure.

Insight into the End of the Season

THE FOLLOWING IS TO SHED SOME COLOR ON WHAT HAPPENED....NOT TO SCRATCH AT THE SCAB..JUST TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT OCCURED. (taken from GatorCountry)
(again the post following the pic was posted on GATORCOUNTRY posted by someone else as you can see from the newer post above the following info was set straight above)



Background on the SECCG and the Immediate Fallout -Part 1

Some of this is dual source and some multiple source. None is single
source. But remember, this is hearsay info, in that it was not related to
me by participants, but by those who know and interact with the
participants. Some is my opinion or conjecture, but not without a great
deal of substantiation, or I would not put my name on it. There not a lot
of sweetness and light in this post, but it's darkest just before the dawn
and my next post will provide some positive developments.

1) There was a clique of players that were not serious about preparation,
and it was a core group that we are not used to thinking of in this way.
They are players we are accustomed to being serious-minded and to handling
their affairs in a mature way. This did not happen. There was a large scale
emotional/mental breakdown of discipline on the part of several players
that caused a rising lack of focus beginning with preparation for FSU, and
continuing through SECCG prep.

2) From a source close to the team: word spreads among teams and coaches in
the SEC faster than it does in public via the media, and Bama's staff and
players knew that many key UF players were not taking preparation
seriously, but were on the other hand focused on their own and not the
team's wellbeing. While it can't be proven, someone whom I trust stated
that several key players "lost their hunger to be champions" when they
began to get within sight of the NFL, and were listening to some very bad
advice. TT (the ultimate competitor) was, in fact, livid at these kids with
divided loyalties, and his anger erupted (as much as it ever could with
him) in the locker room confronting the commitment of these players to
winning (pre-SECCG). During the game he was pressing to make up for their
lack of intensity, effort. That group of players is likely gone (to a man).
We may see the return of one D star who lost his focus simply because his
draft value is now questioned. The team came out of the tunnel looking flat
because a lot of this stuff erupted on the trip to the game site and in the
hotel. The team looked flat because it WAS flat. Division and mutual
suspicion doomed them before kickoff. I was told by one source that he'd
"never seen Tim so angry at other players."

3) I was told that there was a players meeting among some of these core
contributors prior to the FSU game discussing NFL prospects and determining
the list of who would be coming out and who wouldn't. A "core group" of
players determined that they would all come out together. It was determined
in this meeting that some kids would be minimizing their risks in the
coming games. Some were offensive and some were defensive players. The
impact of the looming rookie salary cap had a huge effect on the mentality
of some players. The coaches were aware of some of this, but not the full
extent, and there is only so much you can do even if you know, short of
benching starters. Some of these were absolutely critical players we were
counting on to come through, and simply quit on the team.

4) Urban is glad for the coming cap and hopes it has some teeth, because he
is bitter about UF’s player attrition and feels that the NFL is harming his
program inordinately. UF is on national TV every day (playing or not), and
the NFL buzz starts very early here (yes, earlier than elsewhere where the
media glare is less intense). He is a realist and understands that the NFL
is a draw/dream for a lot of these kids who grew up with making it to the
league as their goal, but feels that the inordinately high 1st round money
is damaging college football, and particularly damaging the teams that are
more in the media glare. He feels that with the cap, kids will likely be
making more conservative decisions on coming out early, as there will be
less lure in an attempt to make that one, big life-changing score –missing
out on the full college experience and damaging the team with divided
commitment.

5) Urban has had a difficult time this year keeping the mentality of the
team managed. There have been some divisive parents (which always happens
when you have as much talent as we do). Complaint about playing time, and
locker room jockeying/division. Sometimes when you have players for as long
as some have been here, and they are of a certain background/mentality, you
lose them at the end. We had a star player we “lost” at the end of the year
last year. Sometimes it happens with kids who are a handful of weeks from
being millionaires, who have been working their rears off for years, and
who see light at the end of the school tunnel.

6) In some ways you could say we were a victim of our own success. Yet
unlike some other schools, UF is a fishbowl, and a star mentality can (and
did) develop with some key players. There were 3 whom I will not mention
specifically who were literally "saving themselves" for the NFL, and had
decided not to take any chances on injury. Spikes was not among them. He is
a warrior. If you looked at him carefully, you saw a frustration in his
eyes during the championship game, in that he knew there were players who
were not going full out. He’s been in their faces this year, but there is
only so much you can do when they have an “entourage” of hangers on
whispering in their ears about how rich they soon will be –people
positioning themselves to be “advisors.” You get a whole bunch of new
friends when you are about to become a millionaire.

7) So yes, some of the team "quit" after the SEC schedule. The partying was
a symptom of that. Certain star players got a kind of entitlement mentality
as they got closer to the draft and it spilled over into our final games.
Urban thinks that it is touch and go whether we can get them re-focused for
the bowl game. A loss would not surprise me with as widespread as the
"relaxation" got. Urban may end up benching some starters if he can't get
them focused on trying to win the bowl game. You may see some OL and O
skill stalwarts sitting for the bowl game. Don't be surprised.

8) One thing I can assure you is this: UF is going back to a blue collar
mentality, and the stardom thing will be nipped in the bud. He is not going
to tolerate a prima donna atmosphere to develop here, because it is what
poisoned the last coaching outfit: all talent and not much heart. And there
are some tolerant coaches on our staff who will be replaced with drill
instructor mentalities to purge the program of entitlement. Offseason
conditioning is going to be the most brutal ever, and there are NO (as in
zero) “starters” at this point. Even more so in the past, everyone except
John Brantley III will earn it. John is the future, and except for one more
game, this is his team now. Competition for playing time will be fierce.

9) There have been some slackers this year, members of the clique, who have
not taken to doing the things well that are not quite as glamorous, but
that contribute to a fundamentally sound team. At least one of those kids
is gone.

10) There were what I will call "negotiation and transition" distractions
for members of our coaching staff during SECCG prep week that we had tried
to fend off during the season, but at last came to a head, the interested
party being eager to get their replacement named to save a recruiting
class. We were bombarded with calls the 2nd half of the season with
inquiries about our DC, and this had a definite effect on the focus and
concentration of some of his kids. Urban was passive on the sidelines
because he a) knew the outcome already and b) was already ill and growing
more so as the game went on. As you've come to find out, he takes his job
very seriously and he's very good at it. But he needs to take a step back
get some rejuvenation. It was a long haul this season with the expectations
and the attitudes. The locker room has not been a fun place lately. One of
the things that Brantley brings to the table is a cool confidence that is
infectious. he know's he's just one flick of the arm away from a score at
any moment. UF has very serious talent in the WR corps that is simply
immature, and will bring in another haul this year. No worries in that
area. WR's want to play with Brantley (which is not damning TT with faint
praise). But there is an enthusiasm you see in recruits when we flip on the
Brantley film.

11) The good news is that we have been managing the probable transition
with recruits for some time now, and the names of potential candidates have
been shown to defensive recruits. So this was managed and massaged from way
back, and it was handled in a very conscientious manner. There will be some
minor fallout from the loss of Strong, but nothing considered critical I'm
told.

12) I'm currently being told that despite what I was told in the past, UF
is looking to perhaps go outside of the fold for a DC. Someone to fully
implement Urban's defensive philosophy is being sought. Mac and Heater are
thought to have the minds/mentalities necessary, but are perhaps too close
to/immersed in Strong's philosophy to bring fresh insight. It is also
possible that we lose one or two on that side of the ball to L'ville, so a
contingency plan is in place. Strong will be the de facto DC at L'ville,
but he will need a DC for organizational purposes. So we might lose some
coaches there. I would worry most about Bedford, who is considered a wizard
as a position coach. Brady has mentioned some of the candidates, but I'm
told that the list is slightly longer than what related. Internal
candidates will be considered, but it is thought that UF needs fresh blood
on the D side of the ball, and more of a "general" than a Sergeant Major
(which is not a comment on Strong).

13) While there are those with program contacts who assure me it is not the
case, I'm told by a couple of people I trust to look for changes on the
offensive side as well. Strong is thought to want to go in a different
direction offensively and will not poach our staff to any great degree, but
in a pinch he may turn to men he's comfortable working with and whose
character he knows.

14) There is a candidate list being floated on the offensive side of the
ball. You will be told that it isn't true. It will be denied to high
heaven, but there is a very strong chance we have a different OC next year.
I'm told Urban wants to get back to his roots offensively, and that he
feels we've made too much of a departure from the principles that got us to
this pinnacle. Look for a bit more razzle dazzle next year, and an OC
comfortable with flinging the ball around the yard is being considered.
They are not departing from spread principles -far from it. But they will
examine how they got away from what made them successful, and may bring in
a spread "Jedi Master." If you don't think Urban "works that way" then you
a) Are forgetting what happened to Hevesy and b) You are underestimating
the commitment Urban has to winning. Personal loyalties will not be
permitted to retard the program.

15) The "program" is thought to have taken a minor hit with the
loss/dissension and selfishness that showed itself at the end, but Urban is
actually excited to shake things up a bit a get back to roots. All our
recruits are thus far still on board. There is still a TON of talent on
this team, yet it is talent that needs to mature and needs to have greater
accountability than some of our stars showed late in the season. I'm told
that there is a sense of urgency/purpose in the staff that is dedicated to
staying.

16) I will come out with a full DC prospect list, but I'm told that John
Pease is still on that list (but is considered perhaps too long in the
tooth), and several "star" names along with several dark horse candidates.
The likelihood is that we bring in both a LB coach and a DC unless we can
get a two-fer. The position is too important not to have a specialist
there. Nix is at the top of the list. Trigger could be pulled very, very
soon on that.

Part 2 after I validate some things.

Chills...#15 The Best EVER

In Publix.

Love it. Eat it.