SB Nation User Blog: mlmintampa

Gators Lose To Richmond

mlmintampa — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:34:01 -0000

That sound you hear is ankles breaking as people jump off the Gator Basketball Bandwagon. You can blame injuries, too long of a lay off and guys taking wayyyyyyy too many jump shots, but the Gators have now lost two in a row, dropping to Richmond 56-53. The Gators (8-2) lost an eight-point half time lead and managed to lose to a team that made only one field goal in the last 10 minutes of the game. This was the Gators' lowest scoring game of the season as they were 21-58 from the field (a horrific 38%), 3-16 from three (you think these guys would have learned to stop chucking) and 8-14 from the line (under 50% is bad, only 14 attempts is worse). Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton were a combined 5-23 from the field.

While this is nothing to panic over, it is a completely different team from the one that defeated Michigan State and hung with Syracuse for 30 minutes. The Gators have three games starting Tuesday, before their January 3 date at NC State. That is enough time to get healthy. But it might not be enough time to make them realize they are not a jump shooting team.

Gator Basketball vs. Richmond

mlmintampa — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 23:15:25 -0000

The Gators' Tour de Florida is in Sunrise tonight as UF (8-1, 13/13) faces Richmond (7-3) in the Orange Bowl Classic. Not only do the Gators come off their exam break, but they are not healthy. Florida's early season rise can become a fall just as quickly if they cannot fight off the injury bug. Of note tonight is Chandler Parsons following the Matt Walsh theory of leg injuries, and playing until he cannot walk as Parsons has a torn leg muscle. While he is the only starter win an injury, Ray Shipman, Kenny Kadji and Erik Murphy are sore enough to limit their minutes. If Florida gets into foul trouble or Richmond wants to run, we could see the Gators exposed.

Richmond is not a pushover, as they have defeated Mississippi State and led South Carolina on Wednesday at the half, before losing by 18. Both the Gators and Spiders allow about 61 ppg, but Florida is scoring about seven points more per game. With 16.8 ppg, Kevin Anderson leads the Spiders in scoring. His worst efforts, 12 points, came against Miss State and South Carolina.

16 Team Playoff With Bowl Games Kept Alive

mlmintampa — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:58:26 -0000

All simulated games, with an Oregon-Alabama Championship Game. From Kotaku, Gawker's video game site.

Carlos Dunlap Suspension Ends; Poor Precedent Set By University

mlmintampa — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:34:04 -0000

From the Orlando Sentinel (HT:Timmy C.)

Urban Meyer said Dunlap, who just started to work out with his teammates again, must "take care of his (business)" before the game. President Bernie Machen and Athletics Director Jeremy Foley were involved in the decision to bring Dunlap back..."There was a lot of discussion," Meyer said. "It's case-by-case. If there was another issue, there'd be an issue. But there hasn't been. The administration let me know."

The influence of the administration is interesting and troubling. In one sense, it shows how far up the chain this went. However, Machen has ruined lives by kicking kids out for a semester for doing things just as bad as Dunlap. I understand Meyer's comment that this is "case-by-case" but usually the case is to teach the kid a lesson and send him home. That is why UF pitcher Stephen Locke was kicked off the team before the State Attorney investigated and charges were dropped. (Note that 2 of 5 punishments for an alcohol violation remove a student from campus.) I guess it is possible that Dunlap's suspension was ended because he or UF has learned that the State Attorney will soon end their investigation with dropped charges.

I do not fault Meyer for ending the suspension, since his job is to get kids on the field not worry about an alcohol policy. (Of course, Florida rivals will say this is an example of Meyer running a lawless program, but they'd say the same if Dunlap played next season too.) If Machen's influence ended the suspension, and does not extend to students caught in the same situation, Machen has created a problem for the University. Unless Machen now changes the alcohol policy at Florida, he has set a clear line between athletes and students. I have no problem with athletes having access to more tutors or better dining facilities and gyms, since they make millions for the school. But I do have a problem when they are punished differently than students for breaking University rules.

Alligator Army All-Decade Team: Defensive Line

mlmintampa — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:33:03 -0000

Even during the Zook years, Florida had a very good defense (thanks to Charlie Strong) and very strong line. Vote for your two All-Decade defensive ends and tackles.

Ends

Alex Brown (1998-2001): 2000 Second Team Walter Camp, Third Team AP All-American. 2000 First Team Coaches All-SEC. 2001 First Team AP, Walter Camp, Football Writers All-American. 2001 First Team AP, Coaches All-SEC. 161 total tackles, 33 sacks, 46 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions.

Jarvis Moss (2003-2006): After suffering through injuries and illness, Moss became a star in 2006. His two blocked kicks against South Carolina in 2006 (the second seen below) saved the Gators' National Championship season. 86 total tackles, 15 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, 5 forced fumbles.

Derrick Harvey (2005-2007): 2006-07 Second Team Coaches All-SEC. 2007 BCS Championship Game Defensive MVP. 90 total tackles, 20.5 sacks, 31 tackles for loss, 6 passes defended.

Jermaine Cunningham (2006-2009): 2008 Second Team AP All-SEC. 2009 Second Team AP, Coaches All-SEC. 114 tackles, 18.5 sacks, 33 tackles for loss, 7 passes defended.

Carlos Dunlap (2007-2009): 2008 Second Team AP All-SEC. 2009 First Team Sporting News All-SEC. 2009 First Team AP, Coaches All-SEC. 2009 BCS Championship Game Defensive MVP. 67 tackles, 17.5 sacks, 24 tackles for loss, 4 blocked kicks.

Tackles

Ian Scott (2000-2002): 2001-02 Second Team AP All-SEC. 120 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, 18.5 tackles for loss, 2 fumble recoveries.

Joe Cohen (2004-2006): Played H-Back in 2003, defensive end in 2004-05, defensive tackle in 2006. 43 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, 8 tackles for loss, 1 interception.

Ray McDonald (2003-2006): Recruited as an end, moved to tackle, back to end and finished as defensive tackle. 2003 Football Writers Freshman All-American. 2006 First Team Coaches All-SEC. 133 total tackles, 10 sacks, 25.5 tackles for loss, 2 fumble recoveries.

Steven Harris (2003-2006): Started every game in 2005 and part of the line rotation in 2006. 64 total tackles, 6 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss, 4 passes defended.

Terron Sanders (2006-2009): Played in every game the last two seasons, except for FIU in 2009. 30 total tackles, 7 tackles for loss.

Lawrence Marsh (2006-2009): Started 13 of 14 games in 2008 including the SEC and BCS Championship Games. 30 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss.

3rd Annual Alligator Army College Bowl Pick'em Set To Begin

mlmintampa — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:45:33 -0000

At 4:30pm tomorrow, the bowl games begin and you'll want to be in the Alligator Army College Bowl Pick'em. To sign up to play, go to Yahoo College Bowl Pick'em join a private group, and enter group ID: 18183 and password: army . As was the case with last year's bowl pick'em, points are determined by confidence points attached to each pick. It does not matter if every one picks Florida in the Sugar Bowl; it does matter how confident you are in the Gators winning.

To see our list of prizes, a book about the History of Florida Football and a Gators car magnet, go here.

Alligator Army All-Decade Team: Quarterback

mlmintampa — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:35:49 -0000

Steve Spurrier made Florida a passing school and the tradition continued this decade. Here are Florida's three quarterbacks and your chance to pick who is the All-Decade QB. Be sure to also cast your votes for tackles, guards, center, tight end, wide receivers and running back. Starting tomorrow, we will have the defense and special teams.

Rex Grossman (2000-2002): 2001 First Team AP, Walter Camp All-American. 2001 Heisman runner-up. 2001 AP National Player of The Year. 2001 First Team AP, Coaches All-SEC. 677 completions out of 1110 attempts (61.1% completion), 9164 yards, 77 touchdowns (83 total), 36 interceptions.

Chris Leak (2003-2006): 2003 Freshman All-American. 2007 BCS Championship Game Offensive MVP. 895 completions out of 1458 attempts (61.4% completion), 11213 yards, 88 touchdowns (103 total), 42 interceptions.

Tim Tebow (2006-2009): 2007 Heisman winner, 2008 and 2009 Heisman finalist. 2007 First Team AP, Football Writers, Walter Camp, ESPN, CBS, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News All-American. 2007 and 2008 winner of the Maxwell Award (Best Player) and the Sullivan Award (Best Amateur Athlete). 2007 Davey O'Brien Award (Best Quarterback). 2008 AP Offensive Player of The Year and Manning Award (Best Quarterback). 2009 BCS Championship Game Offensive MVP. 630 completions out of 960 attempts (65.6% completion), 8803 yards (11699 total yards), 85 touchdowns (141 total), 16 interceptions.

Alligator Army All-Decade Team: Running Back

mlmintampa — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:30:52 -0000

This might have been the decade of the quarterback in Gainesville. But the best athlete was a running back. Remember, you can vote for Percy Harvin as a running back and wide receiver.

Earnest Graham (1999-2002): Fifth all time on the Gators' yards rushing list. Led the Gators in rushing three of the four years he was in Gainesville. 3065 yards rushing (3368 total yards), 33 rushing touchdowns.

Ciatrick Fason (2002-2004): 2004 First Team AP All-SEC. His 2004 season of 1267 rushing yards is sixth best in UF history. 1877 yards rushing (2285 total yards), 14 rushing touchdowns (19 total).

DeShawn Wynn (2003-2006): Led the Gators in rushing 2005-2006. 2077 yards rushing (2453 total yards), 25 rushing touchdowns (28 total).

Percy Harvin (2006-2008): 2006 Football Writers Freshman All-American. 2007 First Team AP All-SEC. 2008 Second Team AP, Coaches, Walter Camp All-American. 2008 First Team AP (as All Purpose), Coaches (as WR) All- SEC. 1852 yards rushing (3781 total yards), 19 rushing touchdowns (32 total)

Jeffrey Demps (2008-2009): Perhaps the fastest guy on the Gators and willing to run between the tackles. 1343 yards rushing (1667 total yards), 14 rushing touchdowns (15 total), two blocked kicks.

Our All-SEC Team

mlmintampa — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:35:47 -0000

Team Speed Kills will be compiling an All-SEC Team with members of the SEC Power Poll voting. Ballots are due today, so check in with Team Speed Kills in the next few days for the SEC Power Poll All-SEC Team. Here's our lineup;

Offense

Quarterback: Tim Tebow, Florida

Running Backs: Anthony Dixon, Mississippi State; Mark Ingram, Alabama;

Wide Receivers: A.J. Green, Georgia; Brandon LaFell, LSU

Tight End: Aaron Hernandez, Florida

Offensive Line: James Carpenter, Alabama; Mike Johnson, Alabama; Mike Pouncey, Florida; Derek Sherrod, Mississippi State

Center: Maurkice Pouncey, Florida

Defense

Defensive Line: Terrence Cody, Alabama; Antonio Coleman, Auburn; Justin Houston, Georgia; Cliff Matthews, South Carolina

Linebackers: Rennie Curran, Georgia; Rolando McClain, Alabama; Eric Norwood, South Carolina

Defensive Backs: Javier Arenas, Alabama; Eric Berry, Tennessee; Ahmad Black, Florida; Joe Haden, Florida

Special Teams

Punter: Drew Butler, Georgia

Kicker: Leigh Tiffin, Alabama

Returner: Warren Norman, Vanderbilt

Notes: Players are listed in alphabetical order, not in order of preference. Picks by team: 7-Alabama; 6-Florida; 4-Georgia; 2-Mississippi State, South Carolina; 1- Auburn, LSU, Tennessee, Vanderbilt. I apologize to Arkansas, Kentucky and Ole Miss.

Attacking Your Rival With Stereotypes And Prejudice

mlmintampa — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 07:55:14 -0000

As much as I enjoy Deadspin, it's not exactly the Wall Street Journal, so I should not be surprised to find this story, even if it is at 10:30 at night. Deadspin is merely relaying this blog post, which uses the concept of Carlos Dunlap's punishment being determined by the University (instead of Urban Meyer) to make the case that Meyer is losing control to the University administration. The candid photos of recruits Lynden Trail, Gerald Christian and Leon Orr (seen on Deadspin, apparently from myspace pages) push along the attempted story line of Meyer only recruiting drunks, assholes, idiots and gang members., which would increase the likelihood of University intervention.

First, I'll address the falsehood implied here;

Urban Meyer said on Tuesday that he wasn't sure if suspended defensive lineman Carlos Dunlap would be allowed to play in the Gators' bowl game, adding that university president Bernie Machen and athletic director Jeremy Foley will be in on the decision. Sounds like Urban has had his disciplinary powers taken away...

As we addressed, Meyer does not have discipline powers when it comes to Dunlap because the University has a standard DUI punishment policy. I guess it is the writer's interpretation that Meyer only suspending Dunlap for the Alabama and Sugar Bowl games, and waiting for academic or legal punishment, is immoral. We could also accuse the writer of being a homer (Tennessee fan) who has lost track of reality as he believes the Tennessee Orange Pride investigation is a multilevel conspiracy that involves the New York Times, Urban Meyer, Pahokee High School and the 1998 Syracuse football team.

The thing that pisses me off is the implication the three recruits named are gangland thugs using the common formula; Black kid + (bandana+baseball hat) x (money+jewelry/guns) = SCARY BLACK GUY COMING TO GET YOU! It is easy using standard stereotypes and capitalizing on people's long held prejudices, especially in the South. Forget progress, let's keep the old hatred going.

Of course, it does not pass the libel or slander test, because these are high school seniors looking at big time schools. If they didn't want people talking bad about them, they should not have been good football players or posted pictures on a social networking site with terrible security features. If these kids didn't want to be accused of being thugs or criminals, they shouldn't wear bandanas, carry money or live in a state with guns. I'm not making the case that these kids are 4.0 GPA/1600 SAT, but it's just as irresponsible to make the case they are gangland junkies.

Maybe I'm being a homer, or maybe I'd rather write about the games than the mind of a high school senior. But calling people out as gang members is bull shit, especially when two of the three recruits were also targeted by your own school. This is an isolated case that I picked out because Deadspin picked it, but we've all see the poison that flows on message boards. People have every right to swim through the bull shit and smear anyone they can get their hands on. But remember that the stink will never wash off, especially when it comes to the teenagers who you beg and plead to play for your football team.

Who are the All-Decade defensive ends?
	Alex Brown
	Jarvis Moss
	Derrick Harvey
	Jermaine Cunningham
	Carlos Dunlap

pollcode.com free polls

Who are the All-Decade defensive tackles?
	Ian Scott
	Joe Cohen
	Ray McDonald
	Steven Harris
	Terron Sanders
	Lawrence Marsh

pollcode.com free polls

Who is the All-Decade quarterback?
	Rex Grossman
	Chris Leak
	Tim Tebow

pollcode.com free polls

Who is the All-Decade running back?
	Earnest Graham
	Ciatrick Fason
	DeShawn Wynn
	Percy Harvin
	Jeff Demps

pollcode.com free polls