The Bull Gator (3/12/10)

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One of these days, I will resume some semblance of regularity to posting.  Been a little hectic lately added with the slowdown of college football stories over the past month or so.  Once I figure out a good flow, the posts should get more consistent.  Not necessarily better, just more consistent.

The Urban Meyer “leave of absence” may be coming to an end.  At least temporarily.  Florida’s spring practice starts on March 17 (Happy St. Patty’s Day Urban!), and Meyer will be there.  There is some question as to the capacity he will be there in, but he’s scheduled to be there all the same.  Since National Signing Day, Meyer has taken it easy in terms of head coaching responsibilities.  He’s been involved, but not to the level he was in the past.  Interim head coach Steve Addazio has taken on the bulk of the head coaching duties until Meyer is ready to return completely, but Meyer hasn’t been 100% gone either.  He’s still the Gators’ leader.  The coaches know that and so do the players.  And he still plans on being the one directing Florida from the sidelines when the 2010 season begins.  What will be interesting is what role he has after the Orange and Blue game and heading into the summer.  If my count is correct (again, I warn about ever trusting my math), 13 members of Florida’s 2010 recruiting class committed before the 2009 season began.  6 of those committed between the spring game and the start of the season.  The entire year is important for recruiting, so we’ll see how much more time Meyer truly takes “off.”

OH NO!!!  Did you hear Tim Tebow got a 22 on the Wonderlic test?!?  He must be the dumbest individual alive!  There is no way anyone could play quarterback at the NFL if they are that stupid!  If he really is such a great individual and can do anything he sets his mind to, he should have gotten a 48 on the test like NFL superstar Ryan Fitzpatrick.  Or at the very least, a 29 like Cleveland Browns legend Brady Quinn.  Only guys like Brett Favre, Donovan McNabb, Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, and Terry Bradshaw score so low.  You know, guys that amounted to a whole lot of nothing in the league and never helped their teams do anything right.  It’s a disgrace that Tebow would do so poorly on a test that has so much to do with actually playing the game on the field (sort of like the 40-yard dash).  He has shamed the entire Gator nation.  Never again will any Florida fan reminisce about the Tebow years.  He doesn’t exist to us.  We can’t support someone with such clearly subpar intelligence.  (Please note: This entire paragraph was typed with Pull Your Head Out of Your Ass, the Wonderlic Has Just as Many Correct Predictions as it has Absolute Failures Lock on.)

On September 12, 2008, Kansas and USF met on the football field in what turned out to be one of the most exciting games in either program’s recent history.  Less than 18 months later, both head coaches had been fired after being accused of mistreatment of their players.  Some say “it’s football and coaches should be tough because it’s a tough sport.”  Others say “you shouldn’t have to physically or mentally abuse someone to get their best out of them.”  I grew up in a generation of participation trophies.  Where you got something just for being on the team.  Until high school came along where that wasn’t so.  If you were the best, you got the hardware to prove it.  You got the praise as well.  The biggest issue may be where to draw the line with abuse.  Physically attack a player and you should be fired.  You can’t convince me that there is a need for physical abuse in motivation and building character.  But what exactly is mental abuse?  Or, more importantly, when does it cross the line?  I made plenty of mistakes (plenty!) during my sporting conquests and sometimes I needed to be told – forcefully or not – what I was doing wrong.  I wanted to win.  I didn’t just want to participate.  I wanted to win and I may have needed to verbal kick in the ass to improve my performance.  Then again, I never felt I had a coach that crossed the line.  Or even came close to it for that matter.  I’m not here to create that line, but for each of the coaches in question, if the evidence presented is indeed the truth, I can definitely understand why they are currently out of a job.

Oregon continues to have one of those off-seasons you’d really prefer your program never had.  Star quarterback Jeremiah Masoli has been charged with burglary in connection with an incident that occurred in January.  With LaMichael James in trouble as well, that’s a whole lot of Duck offense currently facing charges.  Both Masoli and James were scheduled to be in court today to face the charges and discipline shouldn’t be too far behind.  After last season’s situation on the field (I’m guessing you all remember it vividly), the Oregon offense has taken their trouble off the field.  Being the off-season, there are a variety of punishments head coach Chip Kelly could come up with.  Out for the spring, suspended for actual games in the fall, etc.  Too many times it seems players get a free pass of sorts if their trouble comes this time of year.  They may get disciplined, but it seems more of a slap on the wrist then when it comes during the season.

Today’s list reflects that I’m getting myself full into college basketball mode at the moment.  This is the time of year even the sports-challenged become somewhat interested.  Office pools.  Brackets.  Friendly wagers.  THE NIT!!!  Enjoy a few Florida Gator highlights.

1. Try to stay on your feet while guarding Corey Brewer.

The Sixth Man: Say your team doesn’t make the NCAA Tournament?  Who do you cheer for?  We determine through a series of polls that this site has a heavy South Carolina lean when the Bulls or Gators aren’t involved.  But how do you pick who to follow in the Big Dance when your team’s season is already over?  Do you just cheer for your bracket?  Or do you pick a horse and ride him until he’s out?  I stopped pulling for my bracket years ago when it became very clear I was good at predicting the national champion, but awful at everything else.  It didn’t hurt that there are very few surprise champions over the years.  One-seeds don’t always pull it off, but it’s hard to pick a team from recent years that really came out of nowhere to win it all.  So if Florida doesn’t get in this year – today’s game is huge – I’m not sure where I’ll turn.