There Is Nothing to Second Guess

If you're a college football fan, then you've probably heard that Tim Tebow was injured during yesterday's win over Kentucky and likely suffered a concussion. You might have also heard columnists, fans, "haters" and experts second guessing Urban Meyer's decision to have Tebow in the game at that point in the third quarter with Florida leading 31-7. Though, to me that shows how little they watch the game, and renders their opinion just about worthless.

It's common practice to give your starters two to three sets of plays in the third quarter of a game that was a blowout by halftime. The game has a different feel after the break, and you want them to be used to playing after sitting in the locker room between the second and third quarters. If Urban Meyer sat his starters in the games that became blowouts by halftime, then they would have had eight quarters of football under the belts leading into yesterday's game. They then would have played 10 quarters of football(through four games) as they take two weeks off in preparation for traveling to LSU. To me, that sounds like the perfect recipe for not having a team that's game tested as they head into an extremely hostile playing environment. After all, you can only simulate so much in practice.

What about the other coaches that kept their starters in the game when it seemed like they had it in hand? Colt McCoy was still on the field in the third quarter after Texas had run out to a halftime score of 47-7 against UTEP. Terrelle Pryor played all four quarters of the 30-0 Ohio State blowout of Illinois(the score was 23-0 heading into the fourth quarter). Greg McElroy was still taking snaps for Alabama as the Crimson Tide was up 35-7 in the fourth quarter against Arkansas. Yet, you don't hear anyone criticizing Mack Brown, Jim Tressel or Nick Saban for keeping their starting quarterback(or any other starters) on the field too late in the game. Though, that's probably because none of them suffered a freak concussion by taking a knee to the back of the head by an offensive lineman. Which is exactly what happened.

Though, if you are one of those people bashing Urban Meyer and not one of the other coaches that did something similar yesterday I'm curious to know if it's because you don't follow football closely, you hate the Florida Gators and Urban Meyer or both.

Vinsanity Comes to Orlando

The trade that had been rumored during offseasons for the past couple years has finally come to fruition. Vince Carter will be playing for the Orlando Magic next season. For the most part, I like this trade, and it's not just because I'll get to watch hometown hero Vince Carter play night in and night out(Full disclosure: I grew up in the Daytona Beach area, and have always kept an eye on Vince's career).

The one part of the trade that I'm not too fond is the loss of Courtney Lee. He played extremely well as a rookie for the Magic this past season, and he's actually one of their better defenders. It would have been nice to have him locked up in a Magic jersey for years to come. However, this deal wasn't going to get done without him leaving town.

The rest of the trade is actually pretty good for Orlando. Alston was obviously unhappy with how his season ended. The damage done to the relationship between he and Coach Van Gundy could have been repaired, but I'm not sure there ever would have been good chemistry with Nelson starting and Alston coming off of the bench. Battie's contract made it necessary to shop him, and the strong possibility that Turkoglu isn't coming back made it imperative that Orlando make a move. Adding Carter lessens any blow that comes from Turkoglu leaving, and for those that say that Carter is too old, he's only 2 years older than Hedo.

Comparing the numbers, you'll see that Vince is a much better scorer and rebounder(Carter's career averages: 23.5pts/5.5 rebounds, Turkoglu's: 12.3pts/4.2 rebounds). Turkoglu probably shoots the 3 a little better. Even in his best season, 07-08, Turkoglu still averaged under 20pts/gm, whereas Carter has averaged 20+ pts 10 times in his career. Carter is stronger and more explosive, and can make it to the basket easier than Turkoglu. He can also shoot the mid/long range jumper fairly well, which makes him a good fit for the inside-out offense the Magic like to run.

The other thing to consider is that this trade relieves some of the pressure to resign Turkoglu to the big money deal he wants. While there's no doubt that he is talented player, Turkoglu doesn't warrant Orlando throwing a ton of money at him and putting a strain on any future signings.

Also, don't forget that Orlando is also getting Ryan Anderson. He's a quality forward that can shoot well, though, hopefully his defensive skills will improve just a bit.

All in all, I like the trade to bring Carter to the Magic. It not only helps the them on the court, but it also gives this small market team some big time press as they prepare to move into a new arena following the 2009 season.

The Mountain West Conference Requests A Bailout From Congress

I get that people want a playoff in college football. I understand that some don't see it as a "perfect system". They want a +1, or even an eight team playoff. But does Congress really need to be sticking its nose into this matter at a time like this?

Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, who has introduced legislation that would prevent the NCAA from calling a game a national championship unless it’s the outcome of a playoff, bluntly warned Swofford: “If we don’t see some action in the next two months, on a voluntary switch to a playoff system, then you will see this bill move.”

Seriously, Rep. Joe Barton of Texas you think going after the BCS on the issue of a playoff while your governor is riling up crowds with speeches insinuating secession, and violent Mexican drug wars are spilling over the border into your state is the best use of your time?

It is true that an change to the current system is probably going to have to come from the outside. The bowl structure is extremely lucrative for the TV networks, and the schools/conferences that receive automatic bids. Everyone that gets rich off of the BCS year in and year out really don't have any motivation to change unless they're forced to. However, right now is probably not the best time for Congress to be pressing this issue. Though, the MWC probably thinks that right now is the perfect time to request a bailout from Congressional leaders.

Lane Kiffin Has 126 Problems

Lane Kiffin has certainly made a splash in his short time in the SEC coaching ranks. Wait, before I go any further let's get a little background music going...



Anyway, his newest cannonball into the SEC pool produced allegations that Florida coach Urban Meyer "cheated" while trying to recruit Nu'Keese Richardson. Exactly what did Kiffin say?

"I'm gonna turn Florida in right here in front of you," Kiffin said, according to WVLT-TV. "While Nu'Keese was on campus, his phone kept ringing. One of the coaches says, 'who's that?' And he said, 'Urban Meyer.' "

Unfortunately for Kiffin, and the UT fans that rallied around his statement, there is no rule against that type of contact. NCAA and SEC officials confirmed that this afternoon.

So, not only did Kiffin try to pull a bitch move by "outting" Meyer over supposed cheating, but he did so without even being fully aware of what the rule did and did not prohibit. Now, he just looks like jackass, and has given Meyer and his team, you know the ones that won the SEC and the BCS last year, early bulletin board material for that September 19 showdown in Gainesville.

The Gators will be looking to extend their winning streak to four consecutive against the Vols, and Kiffin will probably be hoping that Meyer doesn't add too many more digits to those 126 problems that he's already dealing with. And exactly what are the 126 problems? That's the number of points that the Gators have totalled over that four game win streak, outscoring the Vols 126-53.

Welcome to the SEC, Lane. Try not to let your mouth write checks that your ass can't cash.

The Problem With This Year's (Not So) Super Bowl Ending

By now, I'm sure you've read or heard all about how the Super Bowl ended with a controversial call. In case you didn't get to see it I've posted it below.



The biggest problem with the officials seemingly not reviewing a crucial call late in the game(eventhough, they said there was a quick look in the booth) is that it pushes many of the casual observers over to the Cardinal's side of the argument.

There were probably quite a few NFL fans watching who really didn't care which team won the Super Bowl. However, when the Warner "fumble" wasn't reviewed those same fans realized that it could have very well been their team(well, except for you Detroit fans) getting screwed, and they threw their support behind Arizona and the outcry from its fanbase.

I thought it was eerily similar to the Brady "Tuck Rule" play, and that it warranted a look under the hood by the refs. When I saw Pittsburgh snap the ball before any review I was a little bit shocked. Though, after a season that featured quite a few controversial calls I probably shouldn't be surprised that the season ended this way.

The Quiet Stars of The UF BCS Win

For much of this(and last) season, most of the focus on UF's offense was on their proverbial homerun hitters. Tebow, Harvin, Rainey, Demps, James, Cooper, etc. Until Harvin's injury, wide receiver Louis Murphy wasn't mentioned all that often, and David Nelson was doing a great impression of the Invisible Man. However, when their team needed them most they showed up in a big way.

Against the Oklahoma Sooners in the BCS Title Game, Murphy and Nelson accounted for 12 of UF's 24 points. Murphy caught Tebow's first TD pass to put the Gators ahead 6-0, and Nelson caught Tebow's 2nd pass to basically ice the game at 23-14 with 3:00 left in the 4th quarter.

It was great to see these two players impact such a big game in such a big way, and for Murhpy it was an awesome way for him to close out his senior season in Gainesville.

Superman Returns

At the BCS celebration in Gainesville today Tim Tebow let the college football world know what his NFL decision was, and he's decided to return for his senior season.

Florida junior quarterback Tim Tebow made the announcement all
Gator fans wanted to hear on Sunday. After his speech he turned around and said,
"Oh and one more thing, let's do it again. I'm coming back!"

Personally, I am a little surprised because he doesn't really have anything left to prove at the college level. Two BCS titles and a Heisman really speak for themselves. Hopefully he doesn't take too much punishment next season because I would hate to see him get injured. Though, it is going to be great to see him donning the orange and blue for one more year.

I haven't heard any word on if Harvin and Spikes will return or not.

Everyday UF Is Hustlin'

Yes, that is a shitty screen capture, but thanks to FOX's reluctance to replay any game action at all it's the best I have. Anyway, it's Torrey Davis doing his very best Rick Ross impersonation. Which is fitting because the game was played in Miami, and the Sooners got hustled. Check out Davis around the 1:00 mark where he shows Bob Stoops that he's tha boss.

Florida's Speed Alters Time, Causes Large Scores

Last Saturday's game against South Carolina was a blowout. The Gators put up half-a-hundred on the Gamecocks, and thoroughly destroyed their highly ranked defense. However, it wasn't quite as a big of a beatdown as the Orlando Sentinel would like you to believe.

Yes, it did feel like the Gators scored 423 points, but in reality it was only 56. Sadly, it probably felt like 500 points to the OBC.

Motherf@ckin' Computers

I know that the BCS is not a perfect system. I know that right now it's the best we have. However, I can't say that I was exactly happy when I pulled up the latest standings and saw Florida sitting at #4.

I understand that if they win out, including a victory in the SEC title game against an unbeaten Alabama squad, they should play for the BCS Championship. I also understand that Texas lost to the current #2 team in the country, and that Florida's loss came at home against a middle of the road Ole Miss team. Those things I won't dispute.

However, what are the fucking computers doing ranking Utah at #4, and putting Oklahoma and Florida tied at 5th?

Seriously, Utah?

They play the 55th toughest schedule, and didn't beat their first ranked opponent, TCU(#11), until this past Saturday. In the 10th game of the season.

Obviously someone somewhere has a love affair with teams that "crash" the BCS. Hopefully they open one of those "A Card From Your Best Friend" e-mails, and their computer crashes next week.