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.

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Tebow Adds To Trophy Case

The Heisman is still the big one, but being named the SEC Male Athlete of The Year is pretty damn cool too. Today, Tim Tebow added that award to the trophy case.

Florida Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow was named the Southeastern Conference's Roy F. Kramer Male Athlete of the Year in a vote of the league's athletic directors, the league announced Wednesday.

He was joined in the honor by Tennessee basketball player Candace Parker, voted as the league's Female Athlete of the Year.

"The SEC is very proud to honor Tim and Candace, as they are outstanding examples of what a student-athlete can accomplish, both on and off the field of competition," SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said. "Their hard work and dedication to excellence have made them fine representatives of their universities and this conference. We congratulate them and wish them the best in their future endeavors."

Tebow, the only sophomore to win the Heisman, already owns Gator quarterback records for rushing yards (1,364) and touchdowns (37). In two seasons, he has thrown for 3,644 yards and rushed for another 31 scores. He also was the first quarterback in college football history to pass for 20 touchdowns and run for 20 scores.

It's another achievement that Tebow gets to add to the long list that he's compiled in a relatively short amount of time. Eventhough Tebow can obviously do a lot of things, I would like to know if he can dunk like Candace Parker.

SEC Football, A Great Icebreaker

I would like to think that there are a number of topics that I could conversate on fairly well. However, being that I'm a sportsfan anything related to sports is obviously much more in my comfort zone. And seeing as how I'm a college football fan, especially SEC football, anything falling within that realm is pretty easy for me to talk about. Which is a good thing when you meet someone(read: someone whose opinion of you is important) for the first time who is also an SEC football fan.

Going into the situation I knew that the other person was an Auburn graduate, and figured that they were probably a fan of Auburn Tigers football. So, I decided that the best thing to do was to let them know that I was a graduate of the University of Florida. Of course, the first thing I got in response was a reminder that the Tigers had defeated the Gators the past two seasons. Though, it was obviously good-natured. Just two SEC football fans interacting the way we do.

From there, the conversation lead to Tebow, Tray Blackmon, spread offenses, Al Borges' departure and Auburn's quarterback situation. Topics that, to other people, probably seem mundane, but are of the utmost importance to the two fans of those respective teams. Eventually, the conversation moved along to other topics, but that shared enthusiasm for SEC football definitely got it off to a good start.

You see, finding someone to discuss any aspect of college football with during the offseason is a very welcome thing, but when it's with someone whose opinion you value it's great to have that as a lead-in to other, more important(yes SEC football fans, there are more important things...gasp), topics.

You Might Have Seen The Newest Gator Football Player This Past Weekend

Yesterday, I wrote about the fastest student competition held before the Orange and Blue game in the Swamp this past Saturday. It went pretty much as expected, though one student stood out because of how close he was to Louis Murphy during their heat. That student's name was Bolaji Agbede, and you might want to remember it.

After the race, Coach Meyer commented that he needed to recruit the guy in the red shorts because of how well he ran. Well, I wonder what he would say if he knew about Agbede's strength? There's a very good chance that he didn't know about it because I didn't until I received this e-mail last night:

Hello,

I am an acquaintance of Bolaji Agbede, the student who currently is UF's fastest. I am writing to notify you about another record that is not known concerning Bolaji. As he recently won the competition for fastest this past weekend, many do not know that he also holds the title for strongest.
http://www.gainesvillesun.com/article/20080305/NEWS/803050328/1007/NEWS

As coach Meyer may be in the process of handing out walk-on scholarships, maybe he may want to consider the student who is currently fastest and strongest on campus. I was just writing to notify in hopes that maybe the word may be spread out if it's not already in Coach Meyers--knowledge.

Thank you for your time.

I figured that it was a friend just cruising the Internet drumming up support for the guy, but after reading the article and seeing how he ran on Saturday I think he deserves a legitimate shot. Prior to the 40-yard dash race he was on the Internet researching proper technique, and he turned in a very strong performance. Add to that that he was able to bench press 183% of his body weight this past March, and you can see that there is a lot of potential there. And if there are two things that coaches and fans love to see together it's potential and underdogs. Watching a guy who has the tools get a serious shot at success is something that everyone can support.

Hopefully, Bolaji Agbede gets that shot.

Yes, That Was College Football You Saw Being Played In The Swamp

It feels like an eternity since the college football season ended. Though, that just increases the hunger for anything related even for the most casual fan. So, you can't blame anyone that was rearranging their Saturday schedule just to catch a glimpse of the Florida Gators playing...well, uh, the Florida Gators.

Sure, it was just a scrimmage between players on the same team, but it did give an indication of just who might be ready to make a big impact during the upcoming season.

Obviously, Tim Tebow will be ready to play, and hopefully Percy Harvin's surgically repaired heel will hold up for the entire season. One thing that I noticed quickly is that the fleet of running backs that Coach Meyer has to use looks hungry to prove themselves. It appears that all of them are tired of hearing about how poor Florida's rushing attack is, and they want to kick some ass as a collective unit. Mon Williams ran hard with a lot of power. Chris Rainey's speed and ability to catch the ball out of backfield was impressive, especially when he broke Ahmad Black's ankles in the open field. Emmanuel Moody had some nice moves and quickness, and looks like he's up to speed. Brandon James is also a fast guy who is very elusive because of his size. All of the together will be a nightmare for defensive coordinators.

At wideout, Riley Cooper battled through some early drops to make some very nice catches, and he is deceptively fast. He really could have a breakout season because of his height, speed and accumulated experience. Louis Murphy used his speed to get some good separation, and make nice gain on short passes underneath. Aaron Hernandez is a big target at tight end that can make nice catches, and he's actually pretty quick.

On defense, Carlos Dunlap played extremely well. He looks ready to play, and like he could improve Florida's weak pass rush from last season almost singlehandedly. Lorenzo Edwards should contribute a good amount at the linebacker position. The defensive backs played pretty aggressive, and hopefully they're all able to improve the pass defense that was a major weakness last year.

Seeing the Gators back out on the field was a wonderful thing, and it provides a little nourishment for the college football fan's soul. Hopefully, it's enough to get us all through until the fall. Though, I'm pretty sure that it isn't.

Fastest Florida Students Just Not Fast Enough

I blogged about this on Friday, and was really looking forward to seeing how it all played out on Saturday. For the most part, it was a cool, though gimmicky, race event.

The first two heats with Deonte Thompson and Louis Murphy went off without a hitch. Thompson really looked like a man amongst boys in his race, beating the challengers handily. Murphy's race was a little closer, and caused Coach Meyer to joke that he needed to recruit the student in the red shorts(Bolaji Agbede) because of how well he ran.

Then came Chris Rainey's heat which had been pumped up the entire time because supposedly it had the fastest students in it. However, it ended up being the most disappointing heat because it didn't run very smoothly. First, Rainey false started. Then, he didn't leave the line at all when the students took off. Instead, he left a short while later and ran by himself. Then ESPN cut to a commercial, and no one got to see the real final race when Rainey lined up against the students and beat all of them. Leaving most with the impression that the coaching staff had been too scared to let Rainey race the students one on four. Though, that wasn't the case, and Rainey apparently didn't have any trouble beating them.

Even with his leg shaking because he was so nervous, Rainey, who ran a 40 alone before the final try, blew past everyone and crossed the line with a time of 4.24 seconds — the fastest time recorded during Meyer's tenure at UF.

“My goal was going for a 4.1,” Rainey said of his time. “I'm still working hard and I'm still trying to get it.”

Rainey might want to improve his time, but his competition was more than impressed with what they saw.

“All I know is we were still running and he had already crossed the line,” said Jeff Mesadieu, a criminology sophomore. “I knew he would smoke everybody. No one is in shape like he is. I was just trying to get through it.”

So no one won a scholarship, but Coach Meyer is still going to look at some of the students who performed well to see if they're walk-on material.

Meyer said he is planning to take a second look at a couple students to see if they have football scholarship material.

“We give more scholarships to walk-ons than any program in America,” Meyer said. “Every year, I probably give three out. I had a couple guys come up and ask me and we're going to certainly look at them.

All in all, it was a good opening for the Blue and Orange game, and showcased the University of Florida's football program in a positive light.

Naturally We Called Our Stuff "Gatorade"

I hate to bring news of another passing today, but Dr. Robert Cade, one of the inventors of Gatorade, has passed away. He was 80 years old.

Cade ultimately died from kidney failure, but not before he was able to let us all know where the term "Gatorade" came from.



R.I.P., Dr. Cade. I'll make sure to pour out a 32oz of lemon lime Gatorade for ya homie.

Domo Arigato Mr. Byrum

With the Gators loss to Auburn still being a bit raw and painful, like road rash that has to get scraped with the wire brush, I saw this video and felt just a bit better. Because when the fans of your team are doing this in opposing stadiums you have to win for them.

Or they suffer complete embarrassment, and maybe even an asskicking. Or two.

Domo arigato indeed.

Every Once In A While Those School Songs Work Out

So today, while checking out UF themed ringtones, I came across a rap song by a group called "Pearly Whites". This was no ordinary rap, no it was far superior to any of that bling bling hippity hop the kids listen to these days(seriously, a bay bay?). It was about the Florida Gators, and the first version I stumbled upon was about Florida whooping the Buckeyes in the BCS title game last season. Though, the demonish sounding "chomp chomp" at the end might scare the children a bit(especially the ones in Ohio).



What I didn't know at the time was that this was actually a "remix". The original is a rap about the SEC and the Seminoles. Here's a clip of that as well, please disregard the low-budget video.



I have to admit, most of the time I don't enjoy fan songs about particular teams. Too often they seem poorly put together, and result in the fans of that school enduring more ridicule. However, these two aren't that bad, though it helps if your team has some rings and trophies to redeem yourself with.

We Must Protect This Planet!

The safety of our planet.

That's right, the kickoff of the WKU vs UF game on Saturday was moved from 6PM to 12:30PM in order to protect Mother Earth.

"How can that be?", you say.

Too much speed.

You see, also playing on Saturday is the West Virginia team that fields guys like Steve Slaton, Pat White and Noel Devine. Three guys that appear to have booster rockets attached to their feet. Seriously, they're faaast.



Combine those three with some of the personnel Florida is going to put on the field such as Percy Harvin, Deonte Thompson, Chris Rainey, Brandon James and Jarred Fayson, and you can see why we would be in trouble.



In case you still haven't put it all together, here's some technical jargon from NASA(no, not the drunk ones):

"If the Earth stopped spinning suddenly, the atmosphere would still be in motion with the Earth's original 1100 mile per hour rotation speed at the equator. All of the land masses would be scoured clean of anything not attached to bedrock. This means rocks, topsoil, trees, buildings, your pet dog, and so on, would be swept away into the atmosphere."

Damn, that doesn't sound good. Eventhough the probability is "practically zero", all of those speedsters on their respective fields at the same time could alter the Earth's rotation to screw some things up. Hence, the earlier kickoff for the Florida game.

So, when you're sweating your ass off in The Swamp on Saturday don't be hard too on Lincoln Financial. They're just trying to save the planet from something like this...



And pray for the Florida game not to overlap with the 3:30PM kickoff of the WVU game. Though, by that point most of Florida's burners should be relaxing on the bench.

Welcome To Gainesville Emmanuel Moody

Emmanuel Moody, the Trojans second leading rusher a year ago, has decided to transfer to the University of Florida. He'll have to sit out the '07 season, but he'll be ready to contribute in '08.

"I followed my heart," said Moody, the Trojans' second-leading rusher last season. "It's when you get that feeling that you know something is right and you can't really describe."

Moody ran for 459 yards and two touchdowns at USC, averaging a team-high 5.8 yards per rush last season. He said he left the program because of the depth at his position, citing a "business decision" and his need to be the featured back.

Of the Gators, Moody said, "They get their playmakers the ball."

He was ranked as a top 10 running back prospect coming out of high school, and played well last year. However, he was battling some injuries during the spring, and competing with as many as 10 other players for playing time at tailback which added up to him requesting a release so he could transfer.

I can't wait to see him put on the Orange and Blue in '08.

Lincoln Financial Sports Would Like You To Sweat Your Balls Off

I heard on Monday about the Gators changing the kickoff time of their first game from 6pm to 12:30pm, though I didn't catch the reason. Well, as it turns out Lincoln Financial Sports decided they wanted to televise the UF game, and unlike last year when they wanted to do the same thing, there were no other games available as a replacement. Jeremy Foley let's us know about all of the in's and out's regarding the decision.

"The Southeastern Conference asked us to move our season opener to 12:30 to accommodate our television partner, Lincoln Financial Sports. We were in a similar scenario last year and the league had other options. This year, they had no other alternatives other than to ask us to move our game time and we are contractually obligated to do so."

Which really means "sorry everybody, but because of money we're going to subject you to possible heatstroke, definite sunburn and without a doubt dehydration from drinking too much alcohol and not enough of our wonderful Gatorade."

To give you an idea of the temperature difference between the two times here's what they averaged in Gainesville over the past two days(Sept. 1 isn't too far away, and it's hotter in the stadium anyway).

6pm: 84 degrees
12:30pm: 91 degrees

Remember too, that the game is going to last roughly 3 hours, which, when started at 12:30pm, pushes it into the hottest part of the day. Yesterday, the temp went from 91* at 12:30pm to 93*(2pm) to 96*(4pm). Compare that to 78* at 9pm, and you can see that it's about 20 degrees hotter for the duration of the game.

I knew they made this Gatorade commercial for a reason. Just replace "players" with "fans", and let Keith Jackson tell you what to do.