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Post by tapsgator on Mar 18, 2024 13:01:03 GMT -5
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 18, 2024 12:53:40 GMT -5
The only way to curb this insanity is for fans and alumni stop watching college football. These mercenaries who will play for 2, 3 and maybe even 4 different schools are no longer "student atheletes". They will eventually become employees of the university from what I have been told. If I want to watch professional football I will stick with the NFL. I mean were they ever really student athletes? I get what you're saying, but it requires us to assume that the kids are going to college and just happen to be playing a sport for extracurricular fun. I think allowing them to unionize could very well be the next step largely because the schools want them unionized or should, it would allow for a measure of uniformity and allow for the control that the schools want while avoiding the Pollyanna-esque "they're still amateurs" crap that hasn't been true in at least 40 years. At some level big time college football is absolutely professional and has been for a long, long time. Everybody knows Herschel Walker got paid to come to Georgia. Bo was paid while he was at Auburn. Miami was the Dallas Cowboys before the Dallas Cowboys. One thing that might reel it in: Limit portal transfers to one, apart from urgent family or medical situations. If a player transfers again, he or she must sit out a year if doing so. Do not open the portal until every game has been played for a particular sport. There also needs to be an agreed-upon cap for NIL distributions to a single athlete. If an NIL distribution is other than cash, an independent panel should determine the approximate monetary value of it. Prohibit NIL agreements prior to an athlete enrolling at a school. Again understand the theory, not sure it would actually work. At least without some tweaks, just some ideas: 1) The one portal thing is a good idea and has been instituted. I'll go one better though because what's good for the goose is good for the gander (just wanted to say gander it's my version of sustainability and repeatability), a coach can only get bought out of one contract at a time without a waiver. So Lincoln Riley has to stay at USC for the life of his contract or they don't have to buy him out. If you've got a hillbilly from North Georgia who trained on the bayou who you bought out to bring in to ruin your football team and somebody finally fires him, no buy out. If the kids have to bet on themselves, so do the coaches. It'll never happen because the ganders are all assholes, but on its face limiting the 18 year old with family and hangers on in his ear one "do-over" while not having a commiserate level of accountability for the 40-50 year old who in many cases manipulated him into that mistake seems insane. 2) I agree there needs to be a salary cap, standardized pay system (determined by an independent third party), or both. However, that should be limited to people with direct connections to the university. I think they should institutionalize the salary/compensation side. For the actual NIL, that's a market economy, so the Olivia Dunne's and Caitlyn Clarks of the world are free to make their money off their brand. This would also actually improve the quality of play (particularly in non-football sports) because there would be incentive to staying in school and many less stupid decisions because somebody gets in a kid's ear like what happens in basketball.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 18, 2024 11:46:01 GMT -5
My understanding about NIL is that it is intended to literally compensate players for the use of their name, image and likeness in advertising and merchandise sales (jerseys, covers of and presence in video games, television and print advertising, etc.). In effect, it is none of these. Players are being signed to paid contracts to play for certain schools, which is not my impression of what it is supposed to be. On it's face yeah to an extent, but it's always been about paying players, the courts ruled against the NCAA in the O'Bannon case damn near 10 years ago. Here's a summary courtesy of Wikipedia: On August 8, 2014, District Judge Claudia Wilken found for O'Bannon, holding that the NCAA's rules and bylaws operate as an unreasonable restraint of trade, in violation of antitrust law.[5] The Court said it would separately enter an injunction regarding the specific violations found. In September 2015, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed, in part, and reversed, in part, the District Court's ruling.[6] In March 2016, O'Bannon's lawyers appealed the case to the Supreme Court of the United States.[7] The Supreme Court denied certiorari on October 3, 2016.[8] In other words the NCAA tried to hide behind the "amateur" veil to avoid sharing billions of dollars with FORMER college athletes. That's billions off video games alone to former players. The bold is what matters though, 10 years ago the judiciary warned the NCAA and it's member institutions that the rules and bylaws restrict trade in a multi-billion dollar industry. Because they do. They gave them roughly 8 years to fix it, with additional shots across the bow the entire time. Funny part is there were so many easy fixes, primarily actually paying a decent standard wage, but that didn't happen because the NCAA is perhaps the most greedy organization in the history of the world. Not sure which is a more apt comparison the Mafia or Plantation owners, but this isn't the CEOs of McDonalds, Wendy's, and Burger King complaining that minimum wage is too high, this is them saying "we shouldn't have to pay them aside from the stables we let them sleep in and we provide training that they can use after they serve their 4 years." So, the Courts decided (correctly in my opinion) that the NCAA couldn't be trusted to "do the right thing" as it were, and just opened up a free market. Again, this is not a particularly liberal judiciary, so that kind of tells you just how greedy the NCAA is. I will shed no tears for the NCAA or the "good ole days" when everybody had a bagman and found workarounds. That wasn't better, it's just what we were used to. Just like pro sports weren't better before free agency. I will say it's hilarious hearing Jimbo Fisher decry NIL and the portal when he's being paid 95 million to go away and left FSU like a thief in the night in order to take the A&M job. Or the Dynamic Delta Duo who are being paid a combined 9 million dollars in 2024 to explain that they are THIIIIIIIS CLOSE to figuring out this whole NIL thing after 18-24 months as if there's different rules unique to the Gators that excuse their abhorrent operation of a 190 million dollar organization. And people buy it! A fanbase loyal enough to spend 190 million on a floundering product is called spoiled. BY OTHERS IN THE SAME FANBASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's insane. Sorry to go off topic. Short story long, NIL isn't the boogeyman that the super-rich make it out to be, it is only a necessary evil because of the very people we are allowing to spin the narrative, a lot of whom sign the paychecks of the "objective" media. Look up how much money the SEC made in the 2023 fiscal year and then explain to me how the 18-22 year olds who actually generate that revenue are to blame for wanting some of it.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 16, 2024 18:08:36 GMT -5
I don’t disagree necessarily but it’s going to have to be a market correction because otherwise it’ll just be the schools and ncaa preying on kids again. It’s the rich versus the super-rich. Except these kids aren’t rich yet. Of course the media is going to side with the super rich because guess who owns media conglomerates? It ain’t the single mother whose kid happens to run a 4.3.
Mike Locksley and the media marks that report this bullshit in that manner can go fuck themselves. Your 3rd string RB wants 100k? Grab some balls (they’re below your fat stomach that you filled with the hard work of the 1st and second stringers at Bama) and say “no.” Don’t cry to the media because frankly it doesn’t make me sad.
How bout we report about the kid you recruited with “I’m going to put you in the league” and promised the single mother you’d take care of and then when he wasn’t as good as the other 4 kids you told the same thing you parked on the scout team or if he blew out his knee you cut bait back in the day. As the coaches made 8 figures, the schools 9 figures and the industry made BILLIONS.
All those guys can be found bagging groceries or collecting welfare or dead. And there’s a helluva lot more of them than one 3rd string RB who bought the bullshit somebody fed him about being worth 100k.
Are some kids entitled? Absolutely in some, probably most cases. Are the vast coaches and universities trying to get back to glorified indentured servants? Across the board.
The federal courts are largely conservative right now. That’s why the NFL always wins. For the NCAA to get destroyed across the board their level of greed, PROVABLE greed to be exact, is disgusting and staggering.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 15, 2024 20:11:36 GMT -5
Starkville Scottie going down swinging. This is a pre-emptive excuse for his bestie from the bayou. “We’ve got a bigger budget now for the recruiting system, we’ve adjusted and we’re overhauling our systems and getting them in place.”
Also, if we’re pushing revenue into the recruiting budget (whatever that means at this point like can we not afford first class tickets to go watch kids play? It can’t mean NIL) and increasing staff budget (which I though was amongst the highest in the country already to pay for CWTs “army” of assistants) piled on top of a 400+ million dollar renovation, isn’t that gonna possibly affect NIL dollars? I mean how many kids want to go to a losing coach for not very much money? But I’m sure it will be the Bull gators fault because the fanbase just laps this shit up
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 15, 2024 11:01:00 GMT -5
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 15, 2024 10:53:48 GMT -5
He said we were going to lift heavy weights. And he loves numbers. Good enough for me Did somebody say Heavyweights? Greatest movie of all-time and what motivated Tattooed Tyler to become a strength intern turned coach. Specifically this scene which closely mirrors the Spring Practice weigh-ins:
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 15, 2024 10:45:47 GMT -5
I don't know how to embed YouTube shorts, but this is pretty awesome. Graham Mertz must be very blessed to have a girlfriend and haircut that look like that respectively.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 15, 2024 10:35:34 GMT -5
I hate to contradict the new guy, but it seem to me there are some pants on the defensive side of the ball that are in danger of bursting at the seams. Highlight of Spring Practice (other than that picture and Tyler the Tattooed Intern's Press Conference): x.com/camparker25/status/1765866474160209924?s=20Don't know how to imbed. A picture of Austin Armstrong doing anything and one of Russ Callaway talking to people would make a good complete collage for: Tell me you don't want to hire your interim replacement without saying you don't want to hire your interim replacement
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 14, 2024 11:14:43 GMT -5
Between that Mertz quote and Tyler the Intern's press conference that nobody asked for, I'm starting to wonder if part of the process isn't public speaking in a completely incoherent way.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 14, 2024 11:12:32 GMT -5
www.si.com/college/florida/football/florida-gators-billy-napier-right-combination-veteran-leadership-young-talent-2024Systems in place, players who have gotten a year older in the last 12 months, unfinished business and now the right mix of veteran leadership and young talent? Should we even play the games or just go ahead and take our bye to round 2 of the playoffs. This article has me fired up, I could walk through an open door really slowly for this guy if I know what was on the other side. "We won five games. Point blank, that's not it," said quarterback Graham Mertz, who opted to return to Florida in 2024 rather than enter the NFL Draft. "That's why I'm back. And that's why we're fixing it." I don't know what "it" is, but point blank, it's not that. Yet, because we finish our business around these parts, Gutsy Graham and his band of merry men are gonna fix it anyways. Diabetic Desmond will be leading the other side of the ball. That's a big man.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 14, 2024 11:02:15 GMT -5
Mertz to Dike. Probably sometimes Dike back to Mertz. All in a 5-7 yard radius. How can they fight us in a phone booth when we have Desmond Watson? They can't. Because Desmond doesn't fit in phone booths. Don't sleep on Tyler the Tattooed Dipping Intern and GM Mike Robinson either. Those dudes are a power couple.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 13, 2024 15:40:43 GMT -5
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 13, 2024 12:18:50 GMT -5
Two questions:
1) Does he have a dip in? 2) How much are we paying this kid?
This is preposterous. I had not actually seen him, seems like a nice enough guy who would make a great wingman hit the bars with when you were 25.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 13, 2024 12:07:37 GMT -5
www.on3.com/teams/florida-gators/news/lj-mcray-will-be-a-tremendous-player-per-gators-ron-roberts/This genius piece may require a subscription so here's the cliffs: "After months of pursuing five-star LJ McCray, a top-10 overall prospect, Ron Roberts is now one of his coaches. Of course, Roberts isn’t working with McCray at the school he recruited him to. Roberts was part of Auburn’s efforts to flip McCray from Florida in the 2024 cycle. He committed to the Gators on Oct. 21 but made a late visit to the Plains in December to give the Tigers one last look. McCray then delayed his announcement on signing day as Auburn made a final push. Billy Napier’s press conference was postponed an hour, and the UF staff worked the phones and eventually signed McCray." So, for those keeping score at home, 1) we lost 4 of our top 6 commits to flips prior to NSD on 12/20 2) The two that stayed got pushes from Auburn and Texas A&M so they failed to flip those kids 3) We subsequently hired Texas A&M assistant AD as "Chief of Staff" (real title by the way) and Auburn's de facto fired DC So, rather than target the guys who successfully flipped our blue chip kids we went and hired the 2 guys that didn't because they clearly suck at their job. The old "if you can beat them, pay them to join you" approach. It's a bold strategy Cotton, let's see if it pays off for him.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 13, 2024 10:11:00 GMT -5
So many Fitz stories from the greatest month in the history of S&C coaching, sure it was short but it was wonderful, Watson only gained 5-7 lbs., Graham Mertz was mentoring DJ Lagway on how to lift in the way that makes you the most accurate in the 5-15 yards of air time passes. Montrell Johnson was there, blocking people, dude loves to block, he does it whenever he can, on or off the field. The siren song of Bill O'Brien and his great record of success at each of his last couple stops was just too hard to turn down. The day that story came out that he was leaving will live in infamy in Gator History. Don't be surprised if 5-10 years from now we get a "the day the music died" style song about it. We still love you Fitzy, thank you for your time here and loyalty to the program. Also fuck you Etienne who came here and stayed despite not being a starter and Princely who stuck out 2 years under doppelgänger DCs who had never coached at the Power 5 level, you could learn a lot about loyalty (and love) from Fitzy the Gator.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 13, 2024 9:59:49 GMT -5
He's dumber than Zook, more stubborn than Mullen, and worse with the media than McGoober. He's a perfect storm. Of bullshit. You can add that he has also adopted Muschamp's offense, which works just as well now as it did then. When we aren't running up the middle, we're throwing five yard sideline patterns. I said this then, and it is just as true today: A defensive coordinator could put all 11 guys within 5-7 yards of the line of scrimmage and stop 95 percent of what we run. He likes to wait until the other team has a big lead and then really open things up by throwing under the prevent. If the Defense is bad enough he will throw short passes out of the gate, but they have to be really bad like LSU or Arkansas. He also likes to deviate like having Richardson throw short and intermediate passes on 9 straight plays ofter 1 run out of halftime in a tight game where we averaged 6 yards a carry and Richardson had completions of 52 yards (TD), 43 yards, and 32 yards (TD), all to Pearsall. In those 9 straight exactly 1 pass went to Pearsall. I believe there were 3 drops but it might have been 4. Sad part is that is par for the course and doesn't stand out as an isolated brain fart where he was trying to play call against his track record. Seriously the fact that he calls plays and runs an offense where there is even a remote argument that Mertz is more effective than Richardson is preposterous. You can't win or maximize talent that way in the current era of college football. It's also probably not the best selling point for unicorn players who consider coming to Florida, not as bad as 1st round RBs and Edge Rushers leaving because they want to win and be developed mind you, but pretty Fing bad.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 13, 2024 9:44:20 GMT -5
464 and 374 are "questionable" as suitable playing weights? They could only stop the run if a running back ran headlong into them and fell over. Don't worry it's in the capable hands of a former intern Tyler the disciple of the guy who "gave him his first job" as literally an intern, not an analyst, an actual intern, I'm guessing he was one of the jackasses that went to grad school in movement science and worked at LA Fitness who would constantly stalk me and ask "how do you do that?" when I used to be strong. Sankal is actually a qualified and seemingly good nutrionist but is used to working with professional athletes who don't generally gain 100 lbs. when told they need to lose 30 (his Freshman I think redshirt year the company line was "he can be an effective player at 350 when he was listed at 380-85). So between the two of them I'm sure they'll be able to accomplish what nobody else has and make Big Des an effective player not a national punchline until it inevitably turns tragic. I think the media is so incredibly desperate to keep things positive heading into the Orange and Blue game. Surely (stop calling me Shirley) they will run out of ways to spin things and create make believe stories. It has become an embarrassment. Luckily for us we are only nationally relevant when there is a scandal. I really don't think so, their propensity and willingness to peddle bullshit is matched only by the part of the fanbase that runs to the fertilizer store to buy it. Steve Spurrier basically put CWT on blast and the vast majority of these assholes (media and fanbase) are siding with the Dynamic Delta Duo and saying "that was out of line, who is he to criticize the program." It's unfuckingbelievable. Napier lost me remarkably quickly given that I was excited about the hire, but the fanbase and media "calling out" the greatest Gator of all-time because he thinks maybe some things need to be cleaned up given the 3 straight losing seasons for the first time in 75 years and very real possibility of the first time in the history of the program that it becomes 4 is really next level. It's always great to be a Gator, but that ain't being a Gator, that's being a dumbass and Napier fan. More Power to them, I'll support the program in all kinds of weather and supporting the program in the current shitstorm means accepting that CWT is not fit for the job and Starkville Scottie even less so.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 12, 2024 11:22:18 GMT -5
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 12, 2024 11:09:10 GMT -5
I am so confused as to how this is "taking a shot" at the Gators. Kid was asked why he transferred:
“For me, it was like, does the good outweigh the bad? I’ve been with Florida for two years. I went through that whole process of rebuilding, it’s kind of still rebuilding. I felt like there was a lot of uncertainty, so like, a lot of questions were unanswered. There’s a lot of unknown going on. I felt like I can stay here and do what I’ve been doing for another year or two, or bet on myself and take a chance somewhere else.” Etienne continued, “So I said, I can stay Running Back 2 on a losing team or go somewhere and possibly be Running Back 1 and win a natty.”
That's not a shot, those are factual statements. What Spurrier said wasn't a shot. Again, factual statements. Hell, it would be a lot worse to pretend like we're not rebuilding. Which we really aren't by the way, this is not building to anything different. "How dare you say that we're still rebuilding after 3 straight losing seasons for the first time in 75 years?" If you're not rebuilding then you just fucking suck. If he didn't leave because he was the best player on a losing team and still second string 2 years into his career he left because the coaches are bad people. These ain't shots. They're consequences, and all the apologists are not Gator fans, they're Billy Napier fans.
A Gator fan is furious about the state of the program, if you think he's the guy to fix it, fine, say "he's learning and I feel like he will adjust," delusional and contrary to everything he's saying, but maybe you think he's just trying to manage the narrative for whatever reason, but don't make constant excuses if you're actually a Gator fan. If you're a Napier fan, and I really can't think of a reason from a professional standpoint maybe people like repetitive words of the day sprinkled illogically through double talk, that's fine, say so, but don't claim "I'm the real Gator fan because I don't want a bad coach fired." All kinds of weather means rooting for the team to perform at all times not complimenting Nero on being a straight shooting fiddle player with steady hair as Rome burns to the ground.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 12, 2024 10:53:14 GMT -5
This is the second thing I've seen that has hailed the "size up front" as a good thing. I guess maybe when we had even mediocre football coaches the media seemed less stupid? I feel like the entire culture from the fanbase to the media has become about as uninformed and delusional as any in the country. It's 20 year old men crying and holding each other during a loss, YouTubers saying "stop being so mean," and writers alternately not following up when he spits garbage or flat false statements and then trying to spin news as a positive. It's an alternate reality. "Florida certainly has plenty of bulk at defensive tackle, as Des Watson weighed in at 464 pounds in camp, while Cam Jackson weighed in at 374 pounds. That mass could come into handy stopping the run, though it's questionable whether both are suitable playing weights in the SEC dealing with mobile quarterbacks. It will be up to new strength coach Tyler Miles and nutritionist Jake Sankal to determine suitable playing weights for both going forward." Wow. Just wow.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 12, 2024 10:46:40 GMT -5
Will Harris is letting people tackle him and Chatman has a loud voice. Tyler the intern learned a lot in not only his year under Hockey who is pursuing his dream to move out of strength and conditioning and into Xs and Os but also his month with Fitz who is a super duper guy who we should be grateful we only had for a month because tis better to have loved and lost than never loved at all. Callaway could easily be the next Austin Armstrong. We're looking good.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 12, 2024 10:43:06 GMT -5
He's dumber than Zook, more stubborn than Mullen, and worse with the media than McGoober. He's a perfect storm. Of bullshit.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 11, 2024 13:13:41 GMT -5
I love this so much. Video title since it's protected: Florida Gators ready for next step with Callaway, Mertz, and Boardingham | Enoch Wangoy commits
Enoch is a rugby player from England. Russ Callaway is a former defensive intern. Arlis Boardingham caught 26 balls for 270 yards last year. Graham Mertz is Graham Mertz. We are locked and fucking loaded. I also saw where it's a good thing that our 2 overweight Defensive Tackles gained a combined 55 lbs. because "that's a big dude."
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 8, 2024 11:40:03 GMT -5
And he is wearing #1, not a number reserved for a non-starter (unless you count special teams where we will have multiple wearing #1). No way he doesn’t start. Naw, he's not wearing number 1, I had a buddy say that but it's Justus Boone who is one of CWT's favorite players of ever because he's very transparent and of course Montrell Johnson because he's Montrell Johnson. The 1 in the article just means it's the most notable, and I guess I'll give them that. There was nothing about him in any of the Spring Practice Day 1 reports I've seen, just lots about how Graham Mertz is back and on a mission and serving as a great mentor for Lagway. I don't know if that means he didn't practice or they just don't want to talk about it. Either way it's comical that they allow him to continue being on the roster and taking up 1 scholarship and 3 seats on the plane.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 8, 2024 11:37:09 GMT -5
The company lines with regard to Etienne:
1) Etienne was kind of like a starter here because he got almost as many touches as Montrell Johnson. He wasn't really second string despite what the depth chart says.
2) He can't block, we knew it all along.
3) He probably won't even play at UGA because of the blocking. I've watched UGA in person 6 times in the last 2 years and at least twice that on TV. I cannot think of one time where I saw a 1st or 2nd string running back stay in and block on a blitz pickup, so I'm gonna go way out on a limb and say that the 5'8 205 lbs. back won't be the one breaking that mold.
Etienne is at 50-1 to win the Heisman. That's a value play. Tough for a non-QB but when Kendall Milton and his 4.62 40 averaged 6.5 yards per carry and had a long of 51, what Etienne can do with a real offensive line and a real offense that gets him the ball in space could be scary good.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 8, 2024 11:25:54 GMT -5
What is the difference between this list and just a list of potential recruits that I print off of my home printer and say, “man, would be great to have these guys”? Nothing as long as you have some "sources" and then dive into analysis of what those sources "Sources say that he knows Scott Sricklin does ritualistic fellatio on farm animals, so UF has some ground to make up here" That sort of thing.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 7, 2024 13:57:22 GMT -5
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 7, 2024 13:54:01 GMT -5
It really has passed the point of amusement, it is absurd to let someone who gained at least 30 lbs. and weighs 464 lbs. in the offseason to continue practicing football in Gainesville.
If the Dynamic Delta Duo allow him to participate in Spring Practice it will be the worst judgment call of their respective tenures far outshining Rashada, secret words, 2 guys wearing the same number, and even hiring at least 2 coaches who abused female athletes and ignoring multiple reports/complaints about the same.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 7, 2024 13:45:11 GMT -5
Beat me to it. I was just about to post that. Here's my 2 favorites so far and I'm struggling to get through it.
1) "Even though Trevor Etienne left, Montrell Johnson is still a solid running back who actually blocks." Yeah not so much as his blocking score was pathetic and nobody remotely objective thinks that Etienne's blocking should matter because why the Hell would Etienne ever be asked to block? Seriously, what scheme could you possibly design where your best offensive player who is 5'8.5 and 205 lbs. is responsible for blocking rather than receiving?
2) The whole "flaws have been addressed" is fucking hilarious, but my favorite is "Florida had Craig Fitzgerald, and while he left his disciple Tyler Miles has taken over the program." Aside from the glorious 30 day stretch where Fitzgerald was in Gainesville where his "disciple" had been working for a year under Mark Hocke former strength coach now football operations specialist, Fitzgerald and Miles worked together in Knoxville for 6 months when Tyler was an intern. I wonder if they actually ever spoke. What an awesomely stupid thing to print without doing any research whatsoever.
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