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Post by Mojave Gator on Feb 20, 2010 1:17:45 GMT -5
If you liked the Dire Straits song, you will love...
Money for Nothing - Ron Zook shows you how to get paid for not coaching your football team. Do even less work for the same pay, take all of the credit and none of the blame! It's flawless! No matter how bad things get, you can always find assistants to scapegoat, and lines to feed to your gullible athletic director to convince him to pay untested coordinators as much as some small college head coaches make - to do your job for you! If you win, you're a genius for letting your assistants run the show. If you lose, well, your AD should never have paid that much for guys who had never been coordinators before.
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Post by Mojave Gator on Feb 7, 2010 21:14:33 GMT -5
After recruiting 2010 "Hopefully, we're getting to a point where we don't have to continually count on freshmen playing. Although I think there will be some guys who have a pretty good opportunity to do that."
So in other words, you aren't getting to that point.
"There's been a lot of negative recruiting going on, but that's part of it. People don't have to say anything. They just take the articles that are written and show them. You're defending your manhood, you're defending everything about you every time you go out there."
There are articles challenging your manhood? I haven't seen those...By the way, coaches who point out that you suck isn't negative recruiting. It's stating the obvious.
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Post by Mojave Gator on Jan 24, 2010 16:30:25 GMT -5
Odds and ends“There were some interesting moments, but as I told my wife at 5:15 this morning, if we're not worried we're not recruiting the right guys. But it went exactly as we thought, and that doesn't happen. That might be the most surprising thing.” He's talking to his wife about recruiting at 5:15 AM? He must be a bundle of fun.“I know there will be an all-out assault on running backs a year from now, and there are some really good running backs in the vicinity.” And this assault will be carried out how? Grenades? Napalm? Navy Seals?“Right now, we're undefeated. I'm more excited about a spring than I've been in a long, long time. It's really reaching for something to be excited about when you talk about not losing a game by spring practice.“I think it's important that we get the right guy who can come in here and recruit and just continue doing the things that we're doing. The mistake would be to rush into something. We're fine; this thing is going to keep on going at the same speed. We're not going to slow down a bit. I don't foresee any change at all.” You won three games last year. Why mess with prosperity?“It's important that this game is competitive. This should give us a good chance and, hopefully, be entertaining for our fans.” Don't worry about winning. As long as you aren't blown out by the end of the first quarter, the fans will love it.“It's been different for them. Normally these guys would be walking the halls and talking to girls. When they're really going to be glad they did this is in August when the rest of the freshmen come to practice.” Talking to girls? God forbid!“There are two ways to change attitudes. You get new attitudes, and you continue to pound on the ones here.” You change attitudes by pounding on the ones here? No idea what this means...“So guys, I've got some good news and some bad news, ... How about the good news first. God knows we could use some after last weekend. Well, it's official, I'm still your coach!” Maybe that's good news for you, Ron, but...“We're not near in as bad of shape as I thought we were during the course of the game." Given time to think about it, your team is always better than people think.“You look at that first half, and we were awful, ... We weren't pretty at times, but we're going to be a better team than people think we are.” See above.“The more you can keep it the same, the better off you are.” Yeah, winning is such a drag. People expect you to do it all the time.“Cal is awfully good. We have a long way to go. We're hardly touching the iceberg. We're not ready to face Cal but we're excited about the opportunity.” I've never seen anyone excited about not being ready for a game before.“I just know I'm excited about it. I've been told I can't do things all my life and that's usually when I get excited.” “He's a defensive player, too, and a fast guy, ... Although if you watched, he got knocked down one time and that can't happen. We're just trying to accelerate his experience, and one way is to get him on the field more.” A player got knocked down? In football? He ought to be cut from the team!“I've seen more big plays this year than ever.” Too bad they were all by the other side.
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Post by Mojave Gator on Dec 6, 2009 0:00:03 GMT -5
After the Fresno State game, December 5, 2009, in which Illinois scored 52 points and lost
"You have got to have the belief that when they are driving the football they are not going to get in, that you are going to keep them out of there."
I see. You don't have to actually keep your opponent from scoring, just have the belief that you will. Who knew?
"Big plays are something that has plagued us a lot these past couple of years, and we have got to get it fixed."
You've only had five years, Ron. That's not nearly enough time.
About his seniors:
"I told them they are part of a foundation of this program, where this program is right now. There is no doubt in my mind that this program is going up. Obviously we have some work to do, but we're not nearly as far away as it may seem."
I'm sure that the seniors were touched to be told that they are the foundation of a program that is in the tank. It must make them immeasurably proud that they were one game better than the 2-10 debacle of 2006 when they were freshmen.
Zook's teams are eternally close to being great, no matter how many games they lose.
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Post by Mojave Gator on Nov 30, 2009 21:19:57 GMT -5
Cincinnati game, November 28, 2009
"They have the opportunity to play a football team and once again, still make a name for themselves."
Thank God. I thought they were going to have to play a hockey team.
"Last week was a very good week of practice. I came back and didn't spend a lot of time on Cincinnati but just had good practice. I was really impressed with the attitude they came back with. We came back and just made it like a game week. We started on Sunday and made it like a Monday. I've been very, very impressed, which tells us that these guys are excited to play this football team."
The important thing is to have a good week of practice, not to spend time preparing for your opponent. Who cares if they are in the top ten?
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Post by Mojave Gator on Nov 15, 2009 14:35:43 GMT -5
After the loss to Northwestern 11/14/09, a game in which the Illini once trailed 21-3 at home
"It doesn't matter what it looked like to me. I'm not trying to elude the question. There's no use getting into it. I'm not going to say anything. It's like I just told our football team, 'I'm tired of people pointing fingers.'
You're not trying to elude the question, by refusing to answer it?
"We shouldn't have been in that situation. We were. Everybody has bad games. Players have bad games. Coaches have bad games. And, obviously, officials have bad games. That's the way it is."
I suppose it was the officials' fault that your defense gave up a 99-yard touchdown drive.
On what happens now, now that his team has failed to establish themselves as being in the top half of Division I by failing for the fourth time in five years to make a bowl game
"Keep trying to win. That's the only thing I know. I don't know any other way. That's why they keep score. I'm pretty sure they're not going to cancel the next two games."
I always wondered why they keep score. Thanks for clearing that up. And you might as well cancel the next two games, to save yourself the embarrassment.
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Post by Mojave Gator on Nov 12, 2009 3:23:01 GMT -5
From the article "Zook, Illini attempt to emulate 2007 season", Daily Illini.com, October 22, 2009
About duplicating the success of the Rose Bowl season
“I’ve already done it. I’ve already gone back and tried to do a lot of the same things with practice times and the whole bit.”
So that's why you are losing! You're practicing at the wrong time!
“One of the things, if you go back and look at that year, is that we had some guys who made some plays and you wondered how they made them. We’re not making those plays this year and even to a certain extent we weren’t last year either. A lot of that has to do with passion.”
And the man who is paid, quite handsomely, I might add, to instill passion in his players is...
Does he really believe that motivation is the problem? Blame the players: A standard Zook staple.
“Talent is one thing, but productivity is another. Measuring productivity is what happens in the game of football, and obviously we’re not where we were two years ago.”
And you want to know why? Those studs recruited by the coach they fired to hire you have moved on.
“There are a lot of things that have to go right to have a successful season, and as I told them last night, the Tennessee Titans had the best record in football last year.”
Knowing who had the best record in the NFL last year should help a lot. Maybe that is one of the questions the officials will ask players before allowing them into the end zone.
“A lot of that has to do with passion. When our guys are finally tired of this and decide, ‘That’s it, I’m sick of it, I’m not going to take it anymore,’ that’s when we’ll get back on track.”
Back to blaming it on the players again. All they have to do is decide to quit losing. Brilliant plan, MoRon. You're worth every penny they pay you.
Looking ahead to Northwestern, after wins over Michigan and Minnesota (Illinois' first wins over Division I opponents all season)
''If we feel like Juice can't win, he'd be in more of a backup role. I may be getting ahead of myself, though. We'll have to wait and see.''
Sounds like he has a lot of confidence in his senior quarterback. He also sounds very decisive, as usual.
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Post by Mojave Gator on Oct 21, 2009 19:32:07 GMT -5
After the Indiana game, October 17, 2009 - in which Illinois trailed what everyone thought was the worst team in the Big Ten 24-7 in the second half
"We've got to make things happen."
Blame the players again. It was obviously execution, since the game plan was flawless.
"I told them, this is going to end when we decide it's going to end."
So all you have to do is decide it's going to end? Who knew? This man is a genius.
"I don't think this is a time to assess things as a whole."
You're right, because you would be gone if anyone did. Besides, this is only your fifth season. You need more time to build the program. That national championship is just around the corner.
"What we're doing right now isn't working. I don't think you can just stay status quo, but you can't get too forward from the center line either."
So in other words, change but don't change. I get it. I can understand why you want to keep doing what you're doing, because it's working so well.
“I’m not sure what I can say. It’s mind boggling. We’re better than we’re playing. Why we’re not productive, I don’t know. The only thing I know is, we have to keep pounding away.”
Three things we can all take away from this: (1) Things are better than they look, (2) Zook has no idea why they look the way they do, and (3) he's going to keep doing the same things even though they aren't working. It's good to know that there are some constants in the world.
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Post by Mojave Gator on Oct 10, 2009 17:47:35 GMT -5
After the Michigan State game, October 10, 2009 - a game in which the Illini once trailed 24-0, and MSU - with a QB who had never started a game before - had 14 points before Illinois got a first down:
"I don't think we're as far away as everyone thinks. It's not a lost cause. We have to fight through it together."
Sounds suspiciously like "We have a long way to go, but we're close." Yeah, Ron, you're practically undefeated.
"It's not musical chairs. Not by any stretch of the imagination am I done with Eddie or done with Juice. It's not just those two guys. Runners have got to run, blockers got to block, catchers got to catch."
So you're going to shuffle QBs until whatever grain of consistency that is left in the offense is obliterated. Sounds like a plan, Ron.
"We're at a crossroads, and I don't mean that in a derogatory way. There's a lot of really good things that happened out there but we're still kind of sputtering. A loss is a loss and that's what you're judged on. I still think we made progress."
Translation: "We got the crap kicked out of us for the umpteenth time this year, but I see progress out there that no one else can see."
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Post by Mojave Gator on Sept 7, 2009 12:18:30 GMT -5
After the Missouri game, September 5, 2009 (a 37-9 loss in a game in which Illinois was favored by 7-10 points)
"Well, all these new starters have a lot of experience, a lot of playing time."
By definition, a new starter doesn't have a lot of experience. This is another nonsensical excuse for having his team poorly prepared for a team breaking in a new QB.
"I feel sick for Illini Nation."
But not sick enough to quit cashing the check and let someone competent take over.
"I sure wouldn't have thought we would play that bad. That's not the kind of offseason we've had, not the kind of camp we've had and not the kind of preparation this last week that we had. I'm embarrassed with it, but I'm definitely not getting ready to throw in the towel. I know our guys will come back and fix it."
Excuse me, MoRon. you're the one who is paid to fix it, not "our guys".
"I don't know if it's because we talked about how great a camp we've had and they just thought they could throw it out there and that would take care of it.''
So now they didn't play well because they talked about what a great camp they had? This is almost as ignorant as Zook's comment after the 2003 Miami game that his team was tired from thinking before the game. He can't even make up a decent excuse. Throw it out there and that would take care of it? Sounds like a Zook game plan.
Note to Illinois fans: As much as you wanted to let Ron Zook off the hook and find another scapegoat, Mike Locksley was not your main problem. You dumped him and Illinois promptly scored nine points in losing by four touchdowns to an opponent you should have beaten (at least on paper).
After a 30-0 loss at Ohio State on September 26, 2009
"Obviously, we're going to continue to evaluate this thing. If those are some things that we feel like we need to do, then that's what we're going to do. I can assure you of that. I'm not going to sit here status quo.
I'm not going to discuss any changes with any position right now. I don't think you make hasty decisions. If you do make a decision with a position, you go with it."
He says that he isn't going to stay status quo, and in the next paragraph says he is going to stick with the decisions he has made. So which is it?
About Juice Williams' problems completing passes:
"It's not all Juice. We've been on this tape now for about eight hours. It's one here. It's one there. He's off because the route's too deep. He's off because the receiver doesn't run tight. He doesn't throw a good ball. All of those things, it's accumulation."
Do you think that maybe you aren't spending enough time on the passing game to develop timing between the QB and receivers? That would be the first place I would look. Another possibility is that Juice is the second coming of JaMarcus Russell and he will just never be an accurate passer no matter what. God forbid that Zook would make a change once he has made up his mind.
"What happens when the expectations are where they are, everybody wants results as we do also. That's our job as a coaching staff. We've got to get it fixed and we've got to get it fixed quick."
Yeah, things were so much better when people just bowed down to you because you had been head coach at Florida (never mind that you sucked at it) and didn't expect you to produce anything. By the way, MoRon: You're five years into this rebuilding project. You're way past getting it "fixed quick".
"There was no enthusiasm (in St. Louis)," Zook said. "(On Saturday) our guys came out of the tunnel ready to play. That was the one thing we didn't do coming out of the Missouri game. The energy was there. The excitement was there. The execution wasn't there. So, half of the problem was fixed. Now we've got to get the other half fixed."
So (1) He is admitting not having the team mentally prepared to play the first game of the season (I don't know how that is possible, as anxious as guys are to start playing after months of practice); and (2) he believes that having excitement is half the problem? This guy really is clueless.
"No. 1, you've got to go back and evaluate what the problems are. Whether it be a missed tackle. Whether it be a missed assignment. If this thing keeps popping up, you've got to either change what you're doing or change the person doing it."
After five years of coaching the team and eight hours of watching the game film, he still has to "evaluate what the problems are"? This guy couldn't buy a vowel from Vanna White.
"I'm more tired of saying it than you are of hearing it, but obviously we didn't play once again the way we are capable. Everyone's written us off and that's fine. I would too if I was in your shoes."
He's okay with everyone writing them off? I wonder if it ever occurred to him that his coaching is the main reason they have been written off.
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Post by Mojave Gator on Sept 3, 2008 9:04:06 GMT -5
After the Missouri game, September 30, 2008
"Number two, we may have defensively done a little bit too much. We may have tried some things to try to cataract our other formations and so forth that we didn't need to do. The third thing is that we have to listen to what people are saying and writing and we're going to get that corrected also."
I have no idea how you cataract a formation. He might also have to enlighten me on how you listen to what people write.
"With the different formations and things like that we would have been better off just lying out and doing what we do and trying to check some things that we weren't ready to do."
I'm not sure how you "lie out" during a football game (futons? lawn chairs?) or how you check things you aren't ready to do.
"I felt like with the couple extra days we could do that and I think we could've done that but I think in a big game, it was obviously a big atmosphere which is what you want to be in, which you want to play in, and that's on me 100 percent. Tackling is about 99 percent of motion and a lot of times the guys that you try to tackle have a tendency to make you look bad number one...."
Okay...
On Cumberland being ready to play: "No he won't. I think that's probably because of the doctors. Because if you ask him, he walked into the training room last night and he was dancing and I said 'Well, you ready to go?' and he said, 'Yeah, I'm ready,' but obviously he's going to be ready. He feels great. He was out there catching balls and telling jokes last night but obviously it's just a matter of the medical people deciding when he's ready to go. Your body is only going to heal so fast, but there's no pain, he can dance and walk and he will play. I think if the doctors will let him play, let him play, I think he plays next week but that's not my call."
He won't play but he's ready to play, and he won't play because of the doctors. Damned doctors, holding you out for no reason...
After the Penn State game, 9/27/08, in which special teams gaffes knocked the Illini out of the top 25 for good
"For some crazy reason, I've got, I guess, a good feeling. If that's possible."
Only Zook could have a "good feeling" about his team blowing a game - especially one in which one of his supposed areas of expertise, special teams, ruined the day.
October 25, 2008, after surrendering 17 unanswered points to underdog Wisconsin and losing:
"Two years in a row now, we haven't done that. That's where your leadership has got to come in. We've got to get it corrected."
It's a cinch Zook wasn't referring to himself when he insinuated that leadership was lacking. He never faults coaching, even though he is paid handsomely to prepare his team.
October 27, 2008, prior to the Iowa game: Statement in a press conference
"I don't know. Have you got any ideas? Everybody seems to have ideas. I'll take them all. Here's the deal, we'll be ready to go, OK. Don't worry about it, we're going to be ready to go."
He asks the assembled media for ideas to turn around his directionless team, then in the next breath says that they will be ready to go. Typical Zook nonsense.
After the 2008 season "I knew something was wrong last year and still don't know what it was."
It has to give Illini fans incredible confidence to know that the man in charge of their football fortunes has it all figured out.
Odds and ends “A year ago, I didn't know exactly where we were. I don't know that I know exactly where we are now. I do know we are improved from the fall and that the amount of work we were able to get done this spring was two-fold from last spring.”
He doesn't know where they are now, but he knows they're improved.
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Post by Mojave Gator on May 30, 2006 15:54:11 GMT -5
This did not appear on FRZ, but I liked this thread from SideSalad.com. It was posted in 2004, right after the loss to Mississippi State. The poster is identified only as Jeff.
FOOTBALL HOUCKU: A GATOR FAN'S SUNDAY LAMENT
The threads are beginning to unravel.
It's about damn time.
I was in Chili's yesterday in my neighborhood, eating with my family, when the manager walks up and says, "I saw you were watching the game. I have bad news: the Gators lost."
I did not flinch.
"I am not sad,'' I told him. "Every loss brings us one game closer to firing Ron Zook."
And so it shall.
The drum beats for Zook's replacement are getting louder, now that the Gators have lost to doormat Mississippi State 38-31. Don't bother trying to log on to FireRonZook.com. Too many people are already way ahead of you.
How bad is it? We drove up to see them play Middle Tennessee last week and were shocked to see 10,000 empty seats in the student section.
I know Middle Tennessee isn't exactly FSU, but that had to alarm the athletic director, Jeremy Foley. It has seemed at times that Foley and Zook were joined in some death pact, with Foley extending Zook's contract and acting like the coach was more a relative than an employee. But you can't overlook 10,000 people who aren't buying your beer, your popcorn and your souvenirs. Even the doormat opponents brought out a full-house during Steve Spurrier's reign, if only for one quarter so we could see what kind of crazy zook the ol' ball coach would throw at them.
Like Indiana Jones snapping out of his trance in "Temple of Doom," Foley seemed come to his senses this week with one simple quote: "This certainly is not acceptable at the University of Florida."
Even my friend Rommie sent a despondent e-mail. "Why do I continue to waste my Saturday afternoons watching Gators football?"
Because, I told him. You want to be watching when Zook coaches his last game.
Joe Henderson summed it up nicely today in The Tampa Tribune:
Ron Zook is not a bad man, just a clueless one.
He doesn't cheat. He works hard.
His players seem to like him - ``We stand behind him 100 percent,'' Harris said.
But they don't play for him. He doesn't get them ready and he gets outcoached. He turns blowouts into close games, and close games into losses. He turns 24 1/2-point favorites into losers.
All of which has inspired this ream of Houcku. Consider it therapy:
Were you not awake? You lost big to MSU. Bad things lie ahead.
If I were you, Ron, I'd start looking for new work. Retail sales, maybe.
A frog that had legs Wouldn't bump its ass to hop To see Gators play.
One question for Zook: How can we miss you if you Won't go away, Ron?
Ten thousand bare seats, For a home game in The Swamp? You call yourself "coach?"
Ha, Zook rhymes with hook, Which is what I'd give you if You were my head coach.
Here's an idea: Fire Ron Zook now and hire Teresa Heinz Kerry.
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Post by Mojave Gator on Nov 1, 2007 20:12:55 GMT -5
McPHERSON, ADRIAN 11/02 Two more charges were filed against former Florida State quarterback Adrian McPherson for his role in a November check scam at an auto accessories company. McPherson was initially arrested on a felony and misdemeanor charge of taking a blank check from the Tallahassee company. The check was later made out for $3,500 and cashed. Prosecutors contend handwriting analysis shows McPherson wrote the check. On Wednesday they added the felony charges of making out the check and then cashing the forged document. What happened to the money remains a question. Local and state authorities are investigating. McPherson could face additional charges for checks that were cashed at a supermarket chain, assistant state attorney Paul Driver said Thursday. McPherson has enrolled at Murray (Ky.) State, where he would be eligible to play football next fall.
11/02 Florida State quarterback Adrian McPherson was arrested Wednesday on charges of stealing a blank check and receiving nearly $3,500 after it was cashed. McPherson, kicked off the team Monday by coach Bobby Bowden, surrendered to police and was released about 45 minutes later after posting bail. The sophomore was charged with misdemeanor theft for stealing a blank check from R&R Truck Accessories in Tallahassee and felony grand theft for receiving stolen goods after the check was cashed. A McPherson friend, Melvin Capers Jr., was arrested this week and charged with grand theft and passing a forged check. He was released on bail Monday. Police said Capers cashed a $3,500 check and gave the money to McPherson, who then gave his friend $30 "to get something to eat.'' On Tuesday, McPherson admitted involvement in the theft of the check but said he did not cash it or receive money from it. Also Tuesday, McPherson blasted Florida State coaches for failing to gather all the facts before suspending him. ``I think they should have found out everything that went on before they kicked me off the team,'' McPherson said, adding that he never would play for the Seminoles again. ``How could I go on the field and give my all for someone who turned their back on me?'' he asked.
Former Florida State quarterback Adrian McPherson was charged with one misdemeanor count of gambling, including on games inn which he played. McPherson, who started four games for Florida State last season, placed bets over the Internet on college and pro games during the 2002 football season, the school said Tuesday. He bet on every Seminoles' game last season, always wagering that they would win, according to the school. Sources told investigators McPherson bet large amounts and owed a Tallahassee man thousands of dollars, the school said. That man and Florida State football team equipment manager Jeffrey Inderhees were charged with one felony count of bookmaking.
MINNIS, MARVIN One minute, Marvin Minnis is Florida State's All-American wide receiver, playing for another national championship. The next, he's out of school and off the team for failing three of four classes this semester. ``It's disappointing when a young person falls short,'' Florida State academic adviser Mark Meleney said Thursday. ``I think we all feel like we failed a little bit.'' Although Minnis, a fifth-year senior, met NCAA eligibility requirements, Florida State requires athletes to meet additional standards. By falling short in three classes, Minnis didn't keep his cumulative grade-point average above the school-required 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
MOSS, RANDY WR Randy Moss, a transfer from Notre Dame, was dismissed from team when he violated parole after testing positive for marijuana.
O OUTZEN, MARCUS QB Marcus Outzen was suspended one game after he allegedly punched a neighbor outside his apartment.
OWENS, ROD Arrested for DUI when Tallahassee Police pulled him over on a routine traffic stop. He was arrested around 4:30 AM on April 6, 2009. Police stopped him when they noticed his 2008 Nissan Altima traveling down West Tennessee Street with the headlights off. Owens' blood alcohol content was .155, almost double the legal limit. Arraignment is scheduled for April 28.
P PARKER, PRESTON Arrested for carrying a loaded .45 caliber pistol and a bag of marijuana.
PENDER, MARIO Arrested for committing domestic violence by strangulation and resisting an officer without violence.
PITTMAN, JULIAN Florida State OT Julian Pittman charged with burglary and fraudulent use of a credit card.
R RACKLEY, THEON Florida State S Sean Key charged with aggravated battery after allegedly kicking someone in the mouth at the student union. Teammate LB Theon Rackley charged with disorderly conduct in the same incident. Key pleaded no contest. Rackley ordered to pre-trial intervention.
REED, BERT Suspended for 11/15/08 game against Boston College along with four other players for his involvement in a brawl at the FSU student union involving several football players and members of a fraternity. Charges may be filed. Campus police are investigating.
REID, GREG Arrested 9/26/11 at 5:30 AM in Tallahassee on charges of resisting arrest and perjury. The police report indicated that he was trying to protect a friend from his hometown of Valdosta, GA who was being pursued for resisting arrest after being stopped earlier by police.
Arrested on July 10, 2012 in Valdosta, GA for possession of marijuana and driving without a license.
REYNOLDS, RYAN 10/03 A Florida State University football player and three other men were arrested for fighting at the Late Night Library club on Gay Street, reported the Tallahassee Police Department. Ryan Reynolds, a reserve walk-on running back from Fort Lauderdale, was one of the men arrested and charged with fighting in a public place, said Sgt. Kerry Nobles of the police department. The men fought after the FSU-University of Miami football game ended Saturday afternoon, he said. Police used pepper-ball guns when the men initially refused to stop fighting, said Nobles. After being struck with the pepper spray, the men were arrested without incident, he said.
RIX, CHRIS 12/02 Florida State quarterback Chris Rix must miss the Nokia Sugar Bowl against Georgia because he overslept and failed to take a final exam. Rix was declared ineligible Tuesday, leaving the Seminoles without their top two quarterbacks as they prepare to play the Southeastern Conference champion Bulldogs on Jan. 1. Backup Adrian McPherson was kicked off the team last month for his involvement in a check-writing scam. Rix slept through a religion exam, an automatic suspension under a rule established after former Seminoles' star Deion Sanders played in the '89 Sugar Bowl despite not taking any final exams. Rix apologized to his teammates, coaches and fans.
4/03 Adrian McPherson isn't the only Florida State quarterback taking a hit from the law. As Chris Rix battles this spring to regain his starting job, the junior still hasn't paid two speeding tickets he received last fall, and the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles has asked California to suspend Rix's license. Maybe Rix was just having a bad morning when he was nabbed by radar not once, but twice, within a half hour's time on Oct. 27 on Stadium Drive, in the shadow of Doak Campbell Stadium. Rix lost his starting job when players mutinied against him following a 34-24 loss to Notre Dame the day before. Rix regained the job after McPherson was suspended, but lost it a second time and sat out the Sugar Bowl after he overslept and missed two final exams in December. On the morning of Oct. 27, according to Leon County Circuit Court records, Rix, 21, was cited twice by the same officer, Anthony Gioannetti. Records, however, reveal that at 10:01 a.m., Rix was caught on radar driving 57 miles per hour in a 25 mph zone. By 10:30 he had eased off the pedal a bit, but was still cited for driving at 50 mph. Rix was behind the wheel of a 1999 maroon Chevy Tahoe purchased Aug. 26 from a Tallahassee dealership. The traffic cases remain open because Rix hasn't paid the fees that now total $348.
9/03 Florida State quarterback Chris Rix used an unauthorized handicapped parking sticker on campus, and paid a $100 fine after fellow students told police. Students recognized Rix as he parked his sports utility vehicle near one of his classes last Wednesday, and chastised him as he walked away. They then left a note on his windshield and called police, who put a lock on a tire so the vehicle couldn't be moved, school officials said. Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said Rix would be disciplined, but didn't specify what the punishment would be. This is just the latest problem for Rix, a redshirt junior from Santa Margarita, Calif. Last year, he was suspended for Florida State's Sugar Bowl game for sleeping through a final exam. During last season, he was benched after the Notre Dame loss, in part for being late for team meetings and for poor class attendance. Rix, who has his own Web site as well as No. 16 monograms on the side of his SUV, blamed last year's behavior on personal distractions. University President T.K. Wetherell met with Rix just before the start of classes to emphasize the importance of his off-field behavior.
9/03 Florida State quarterback Chris Rix was ticketed again Tuesday for a parking violation, this time for leaving his vehicle in a spot reserved for patients at the school's regional rehabilitation center, university police said. Rix was ticketed last week for parking in a handicapped-only spot and was fined $100. Tuesday's offense, which will cost Rix $20, was reported by a student who took several photos of Rix's vehicle, university officials said. Rix refused to comment about the latest incident after Tuesday's practice. Team officials imposed a punishment of extra running drills against Rix this week, in response to the handicapped-spot ticket he received after students called authorities when the player failed to heed their advice to remove the vehicle.
S SANDERS, DEION Front and center is Deion Sanders. And while he might be a Dallas Cowboy out of season, he was hardly a duck out of water Wednesday night, so to speak. Sanders was arrested for fishing on a restricted lake on airport property in his hometown of Fort Myers, Fla., where trespassing is still a first-degree misdemeanor, even when you're rich enough to buy the damn lake. According to the Lee County Port Authority police report, it took Deion about 15 minutes to respond to officers' orders to bring his small boat ashore. Those who feel impervious to rules and regulations are often afflicted with deafness. "He was saying things like, 'Call the Coast Guard, because I'm not coming in,'" police chief Gary Gosser said. Well, Deion and his good fishing buddy Stevohni Brooks finally obeyed the order and -- fish in tow -- surrendered to the proper authorities. But not before Deion whined about keeping his illegal catch, which he got to do. "The only defense I have is that I'm sorry ... but they were biting," said Sanders, who was released on his own recognizance. A court hearing has been set for July 8. The misdemeanor carries with it a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Brooks was issued a simple warning since it was his first offense. Sanders had been warned twice before, according to police records. But leave it to Deion to get in the last word. "I wasn't out there 10 minutes, and they caught me," he said with a shrug. "But I had 10 fish by that time."
Dallas Cowboys cornerback Deion Sanders described how he attempted suicide last year when his marriage was crumbling, his father was dying and everything seemed to be falling apart. Sanders said he tried to kill himself about a year ago by driving his car off a cliff in Cincinnati, where he was playing baseball for the Reds. ''I attempted suicide, but God had his hands on me,'' Sanders said. ''I ran the car off the cliff, and it was like a 40 . . . 30-foot drop. The car went down and hit and there wasn't a scratch on me or on the car.'' Sanders estimated he was driving ''about 65 or 70 mph'' at the time. He said he turned his life around after the crash and now loves the Lord with all his heart. ''You try to fulfill your time and your needs,'' he said. ''I was just empty. I tried cars, jewelry, clothes, women, money. . . . Everything, nothing could fulfill me.''
Deion Sanders' life revolves around baseball, football and faith, but not necessarily in that order. Since a dramatic spiritual turnaround in June, the flamboyant professional athlete says Christianity has taken center stage in his life. "I'm in love. I'm having an affair," he said, "with a man. His name is Jesus Christ." Trash-talking Sanders said he has asked God to "take all the trash out of my heart." His born-again experience comes at a high point in his multisport career but a low point in his personal life. Sanders is going through a very public divorce with his wife, Carolyn, and it's unclear whether he'll gain custody of his children, Deiondra Yvonne, 7, and Deion Luwynn Jr., 3 1/2. He has admitted to cheating on his wife but says he's no longer living a sinful lifestyle. A Paul-on-the-road-to-Damascus encounter in his Cincinnati apartment two months ago changed all that. "Since I've accepted Jesus Christ as my savior, I've put all those things away," Sanders said just before leaving the Cincinnati Reds for the Dallas Cowboys. Sanders believes he will be able to avoid future pitfalls and temptations, and realizes that the often cynical news media will be watching. Sanders was dumb-founded by reporters in Dallas who seemed to question the sincerity of his faith. "Whenever a city attacks you because of Christianity, it has problems," he said. Sanders said he will not be surprised if reporters trail him, waiting for him to slip up. Sanders said becoming a Christian will not change the fact that he's still "Prime Time." "The Lord blessed me with a quick wit," he said. "The charisma, the pizzazz, the flair for dramatics on the field. I can't stop doing that." Sanders wants to use his talents for God now. "I have a built-in audience that I can touch. Through the platform I have, I can go places that pastors and bishops can't go," he said. Sanders said he will wait until after the football season to see where God leads him.
Deion dazzled Dallas on Monday, but did owner Jerry Jones pay $35 million for a part-time player who won't play hurt? The question became an interrogation of Jones and Sanders at a Cowboys' celebration news conference. Jones said his doctors told him there were 15 players on the Cowboys who had worse ankle problems than Sanders. Sanders attacked any thought he should be rushed into action before he was ready. "When I step on the field I want to be 110 percent," he said. "I'm not a fullspeed. I can't cut. If I'm limping on the baseball field I know what it will be in football. I know what I can't do." Dallas particularly wants him on the field for the Nov. 12 meeting with the defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers. "I want the ankle to be the best it can be," he added. "I want to give my best when I represent the Dallas Cowboys. If I score after a touchdown I want to be able to dance and have the ankle hold up."
So Deion Sanders didn't show up for his first day in court. Or his second. This is the guy who has a customized Mercedes golf cart with vanity plates and a stereo system. He is famous and mouthy and handsome. This is not the point. He also has a lot of money. The former Reds outfielder will be paid $35 million to play football for the Dallas Cowboys for the next seven years. He moonlights as a spokesjock for Sega, Pizza Hut, Nike and General Mills. But when he was supposed to make a Cincinnati court appearance this week, he didn't show up. Apparently Mr. Sanders has no respect for the law. Who can blame him? Two years ago, an off-duty Cincinnati police officer said Mr. Sanders tried to drive his motor scooter onto a sidewalk reserved for pedestrian traffic. He was charged with resisting arrest, driving without a license, failure to comply and leaving the scene of an accident. The former Reds center fielder says he thought he was arguing with a security guard. Officer Herbert Kohus said he was injured when the football star took off on the bike and dragged him 30 or 40 feet. The officer went to Christ Hospital, where he was treated for bruises and sprains and released that night. Several employees of Cincinnati Sportservice Inc. at the stadium have said Mr. Kohus was not caught by the scooter. They said he was running alongside the moving bike, then tripped and fell. It took the jury of six women and two men less than two hours to decide that they believed Deion Sanders. They found him not guilty of all charges. Then they asked for autographs. A month later, he filed a lawsuit against Deion Sanders, seeking $500,000 in punitive damages and $500,000 in compensatory damages. Police officers should not have to wrestle people to the ground to make arrests. And it seems pretty hard to believe that Mr. Sanders did not realize that he was dealing with a police officer, one who was wearing his uniform, badge and gun.
SAUNDERS, TROY CB Troy Saunders, trespassing, no contest, 40 hours in sheriff's work program. Petty theft, no contest, 30 hours community service.
SMITH, LARRY Florida State DT Larry Smith arrested for marijuana possession.
SMITH, SAMMY Ex-Miami Dolphins running back Sammy Smith, 31, who once averaged more than $600,000 per season, is beginning the third year of a seven-year, three-month federal prison term in Florida for dealing drugs. Smith was caught on videotape selling 12 ounces of crack to an undercover narcotics agent in Miami. In all, he admitted to having 37.4 pounds of cocaine in his possession at the time of his arrest.
SMITH, SHEVIN Safety Shevin Smith had battery case dropped.
SURRENCY, COREY Suspended for 11/15/08 game against Boston College along with four other players for his involvement in a brawl at the FSU student union involving several football players and members of a fraternity. Charges may be filed. Campus police are investigating.
T TATUM, MALCOLM 4/03 Florida State receiver Talman Gardner and another former Seminole player, Malcolm Tatum, were stopped early Monday by Capitol Police. The officers had been following the players, who were driving slowly through an area of state office buildings. Tatum was arrested on a warrant for civil contempt, which he resolved before being released. Tatum, 24, who played little last season in his senior year, wasn't charged for the gun or the marijuana. The arresting officers noted that Gardner and Tatum were cooperative and consented to having the automobile searched, Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokesman Al Dennis said.
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WADE, CAMERON Suspended for 11/15/08 game against Boston College along with four other players for his involvement in a brawl at the FSU student union involving several football players and members of a fraternity. Charges may be filed. Campus police are investigating.
WARREN, DAVID Florida State defensive lineman David Warren must appear in court to answer to a misdemeanor charge of simple battery, police said. Warren, 22, allegedly pushed his girlfriend, who received minor scrapes when she fell to the ground. The incident occurred late Saturday night at the Pebble Hill Apartments northwest of the FSU campus, Tallahassee Police Lt. Mark Wheeler said Sunday. Warren, a senior, was not taken to jail because he had no prior arrests, but was served with a notice to appear before a judge on Oct. 10, Wheeler said. Police declined to identify Warren's girlfriend, citing an ongoing investigation, Wheeler said.
WARRICK, PETER Heisman Trophy hopeful Peter Warrick was suspended indefinitely following his arrest Thursday on charges he and Florida State teammate Laveranues Coles were allowed to underpay for clothes at a department store by about $391. Warrick, Coles and Dillard's clerk Rachel Myrtil were charged with grand theft. Warrick will be allowed to Heisman Trophy hopeful Peter Warrick was suspended indefinitely following his arrest Thursday on charges he and Florida State teammate Laveranues Coles were allowed to underpay for clothes at a department store by about $391. Warrick, Coles and Dillard's clerk Rachel Myrtil were charged with grand theft. Warrick will be allowed to practice with the team but cannot play at least until his case is resolved, under school policy. He will miss top-ranked Florida State's game against Miami on Saturday and possibly the rest of the season. Investigators met with the players at Coles' apartment and they turned over the clothing, police said. Each could face up to five years in prison if convicted, but they would probably get probation, Goodwin said. Warrick, 22, sounded confident that he and Coles would be cleared of any wrongdoing. "It's not like I killed the president," he said Tuesday. It's not the first time Warrick and Coles have been in trouble with the law. Warrick was charged in 1998 with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors, for a confrontation in the parking lot of a Tampa fast-food restaurant. The charges were eventually dropped.
Peter Warrick was picking up trash along a highway Thursday, five days after the Cincinnati Bengals selected him fourth overall in the NFL draft. Warrick, the star receiver who helped lead Florida State to the national championship, was completing part of 30 days of community service for his guilty plea to petty theft in connection with a department store scam in September. "I got in trouble. You know, I am tired of telling everybody, you know, that I made a mistake," said Warrick, who was wearing an orange jacket and carrying a garbage bag. "I am just out here doing what I have to do so I can finish it and get on with my life." He completed his fourth day of community service Thursday and has until Oct. 6 to complete his work days. Warrick, a former teammate and a store clerk were charged with felony grand theft when the two players paid $21.40 for more than $400 worth of designer clothes Sept. 29 at a Dillard's department store in Tallahassee. Under his plea agreement, Warrick also will serve one year of probation.
WILLIAMS, CLARENCE "POOH BEAR" Florida State RB Clarence "Pooh Bear" Williams arrested after allegedly passing a bad check. Charges dismissed.
WOMBLE, JEFF DE Jeff Womble was charged with possession of marijuana. Received undiclosed punishment from athletic department.
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Post by Mojave Gator on Nov 1, 2007 20:12:29 GMT -5
This isn't from FRZ, but here is the litany of criminality from Tallahassee: B BUCHANAN, YOHANNCE 1/03 Junior S Yohannce Buchanan has been dismissed from the Florida State football team and released from his scholarship. Buchanan was involved in an altercation with coaches at the Sugar Bowl. C CARR, NIGEL 7/10 Junior LB Nigel Carr is facing suspension after his arrest in Tallahassee for two counts of auto burglary, criminal mischief, credit card theft and fraud. He was also arrested on July 22 for possession of marijuana. CHARLTON, KAMARI TE Kamari Charlton, sexual battery, dismissed from school 1994-95 school year, reinstated after acquitted of charges. Sentenced to 16 months prison in Singapore for his part in a telephone scam. Pleaded guilty to five counts of dishonestly receiving stolen property. Was also originally charged with 21 counts of money laundering and overstaying his visa. CODY, TAY Tay Cody, a junior cornerback, was suspended Wednesday by Florida State coach Bobby Bowden following his arrest for possession of marijuana. Cody, of Blakely, Ga., was taken into custody near Colquitt, Ga., by troopers from the Georgia Department of Public Safety after a routine traffic stop led police to discover four bags of marijuana in the car he was driving, department spokesman Gordy Wright said. Wright said the amount of found was less than an ounce, a misdemeanor in Georgia. COLES, LAVERANEUS Heisman Trophy hopeful Peter Warrick was suspended indefinitely following his arrest Thursday on charges he and Florida State teammate Laveranues Coles were allowed to underpay for clothes at a department store by about $391. Warrick, Coles and Dillard's clerk Rachel Myrtil were charged with grand theft. Florida State athletic director Dave Hart said Coles was kicked off the team because he already was on probation because of past legal and academic problems. Investigators met with the players at Coles' apartment and they turned over the clothing, police said. Each could face up to five years in prison if convicted, but they would probably get probation, Goodwin said. Coles was charged last year with hitting his stepmother outside her home. He was suspended for last year's opener against Texas A&M and later served 150 hours of community service for the misdemeanor battery charge. He also was suspended for this year's opener for academic reasons. Agent Carl C. Poston III's company, Professional Sports Planning Inc., became the focus of that inquiry in July after university athletic officials learned that flights had been booked from Tallahassee to Houston for Laveranues Coles, Peter Warrick, and Ron Dugans. University officials became suspicious because the July 8 flights coincided with a lavish party being thrown in Houston for Poston's clients. Only Coles took the flight. He was withheld from the Aug. 28 season opener against Louisiana because using the ticket meant he had violated NCAA rules, which bar student-athletes from receiving cash or other benefits from agents. Eleven days before the NFL draft, when most of the hot-shot prospects could smell guaranteed victory in the pro-football version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?", Laveranues Coles was breathing something a lot less fragrant than the prospect of future riches. He was picking up trash on a roadside in Tallahassee, Fla. It was on that day when the former Florida State wide receiver, fulfilling his community-service obligation for his involvement in the nation's most infamous shopping spree of 1999, realized how far he had fallen and how much he wanted to get back to his former life. Back to the carefree days, when he was known for his football resume, not his rap sheet. This all became clear at a specific moment - when he came upon a dead dog alongside the road. Coles had to dig a hole and bury the dog. Coles wants to forget that now. He wants to forget about the shopping-mall scam that made him Public Enemy No. 1. He wants to forget about his other troubles at Florida State. Coincidentally, Coles' nickname is (or was) Trouble, but not for the reason you might think. His mother was in labor for three days with him, and the doctor said something like, "This boy's going to be trouble." It stuck. Coles was arrested in August, 1998, for misdemeanor battery. He struck his former stepmother several times with his fist, according to Tallahassee police. He was suspended for the opening game, served 150 hours of community service and ordered to attend anger-management classes. The latter incident, Coles' will tell you, was precipitated by his former stepmother's attack on his mother. Said one friend: "There was an argument, and his stepmother picked up a shoe and started beating his real mother, knocking her to the ground. Laveranues gets out of the chair, grabs the shoe and slaps her with it. Then she calls the police and he's arrested." A week before the draft, Coles was linked to a brawl at a Tallahassee gas station. His name was on the TV news and his phone started ringing. Turns out he was in Orlando at the time of the incident. Trouble seems to follow Trub. COLZIE, JAMES CB James Colzie served four days in jail after a jury convicted him of simple assault. COOK, DALVIN 7/15 Charged with misdemeanor battery for punching a woman in a Tallahassee bar - the second such incident within a two-week period. Quarterback De'Andrea Johnson was previously dismissed from the squad. Cook has been suspended indefinitely. D DOCKETT, DARNELL 12/02 Florida State junior defensive tackle Darnell Dockett was charged Wednesday with felony grand theft for his role in receiving unauthorized discounts on merchandise purchased at a mall last month. Dockett turned himself in at the Leon County jail and was released on $1,000 bail. The investigator's report said Dockett and two store clerks conspired on a 90 percent discount, and he paid them money for their assistance. University spokesman Rob Wilson said Dockett would not be able to participate in any athletic department activities until the case is resolved. 12/02 Florida State defensive tackle Darnell Dockett was suspended for the Sugar Bowl, the latest in a string of Seminoles punished this season. Dockett started all 13 games for Florida State and led the defensive line in tackles with 58. After Florida's 37-13 victory over Florida State last season, then-Gators coach Steve Spurrier claimed Dockett intentionally hurt his running back, Earnest Graham. E EDWARDS, MARIO Arrested after failing to appear at a court date for a petty theft charge related to a cellular phone. Sentenced to 30 hours of community service. Also allegedly slapped and choked a female acquaintance. One-year restraining order was issued. Formal charges were never filed. EASTERLING, TAIWAN Suspended for 11/15/08 game against Boston College along with four other players for his involvement in a brawl at the FSU student union involving several football players and members of a fraternity. Charges may be filed. Campus police are investigating. F FLOYD, WILLIAM Charlotte Hornets forward Anthony Mason and Carolina Panthers fullback William Floyd are banned from a comedy club after scuffling there last week. The two were sitting in the same row of the VIP section at the Comedy Zone Friday night when someone threw a glass from the area occupied by Floyd and other unidentified Panthers. The glass landed near Mason and his friends. Mason, 6-foot-8, 250 pounds, and Floyd, 6-1, 230, confronted each other. "I guess they got into a fight," club owner Patrick Schwenke said. "Most of my patrons took off running." The club's security guards broke it up within two to three minutes. Police were called, but the fighting had stopped by the time they arrived. No arrests were made, and damage to the club was minor. San Francisco RB William Floyd found guilty on two misdemeanor weapons charges and acquitted of drunk driving. Floyd was arrested on October 25 when officers found a loaded .357 Magnum in his car at the time he was pulled over. FORTSON, JARMON Dismissed from the team in August 2010 for a "violation of team rules". Sources close to the situation say that it was multiple failed drug tests. FULLER, COREY The trash talking from the secondary comes early in a game, and often. "Ain't happenin'! You're gettin' nothin' today!" is among the nicer things a receiver might hear from a Minnesota defensive back at the end of a play, according to Packers wideout Antonio Freeman. And it degenerates, with the defensive backs raising various issues related to their opponents' manhood. To be fair, left cornerback Corey Fuller and free safety Orlando Thomas do most of the talking. Fuller, however, has been known to cross the line. Last season he was fined $30,000 for poking Green Bay center Frank Winters in the eye. Clearly he believes part of his game is intimidation. And talking, he says, is just part of Minnesota's style of play. "It makes the game fun," he says. "Like against the Packers, where the fans are so into it, that's like Florida-Florida State every time we play. It's like Super Sunday, and you just get so excited out there." He's not proud of all the lip, though. "When I go home at night," Fuller says, "I pray to God to forgive me for some of the things I said that day." Earlier this month, Minnesota's Corey Fuller drew a $20,000 fine for his hit on Green Bay backup quarterback Doug Pederson. That was the third time he had been fined. G GARDNER, TALMAN 4/03 Florida State receiver Talman Gardner was charged Monday with marijuana possession and having a concealed and loaded handgun. The gun charge is a felony, the drug charge a misdemeanor. The 23-year-old player was released without bond under terms of Leon County's pre-trail release program. Gardner and another former Seminole player, Malcolm Tatum, were stopped early Monday by Capitol Police. The officers had been following the players, who were driving slowly through an area of state office buildings. The arresting officers noted that Gardner and Tatum were cooperative and consented to having the automobile searched, Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokesman Al Dennis said. A Ruger P-89 handgun was loaded and easily accessible in the drive's side door panel and the marijuana was in Gardner's pocket, investigators said. He told police he as given the gun by his brother-in-law for protection. GIBSON, DERRICK 7/00 Florida State safety Derrick Gibson, charged with soliciting an undercover policewoman for sex, will be kicked off the team if he gets into any more trouble, coach Bobby Bowden said Friday. Gibson faces ``automatic dismissal from the team should he be involved in any incident which misrepresents the team and university,'' Bowden said in a statement. Gibson also will have to perform community service projects the only three days the Seminoles have off before they open the season, forfeit his player tickets for the season opener Aug. 26 against BYU and face unspecified ``team disciplinary measures,'' according to a release issued by the university. ``I have told Derrick that if he gets into any more trouble with the law or something that reflects poorly on this program or FSU, then he will be dismissed,'' Bowden said. Gibson was arrested in Tallahassee July 27. Police said Gibson asked officer Joanna Baldwin how much it would cost for oral sex. She asked him, ``How much do you have?'' The player said he had $10 and had the bill on the console of his car, according to the police report. His first court appearance is set for Sept. 5. GOODMAN, RICHARD Suspended for 11/15/08 game against Boston College along with four other players for his involvement in a brawl at the FSU student union involving several football players and members of a fraternity. Charges may be filed. Campus police are investigating. GRANT, HANK Florida State S Robert Hammond and LB Hank Grant arrested for marijuana possession. LB Hank Grant dismissed from team for violation of team rules. GREEN, LAMONT LB Lamont Green, grand theft, third degree, no contest. 25 hours of community service, one-game suspension. H HAMMOND, ROBERT Florida State S Robert Hammond and LB Hank Grant arrested for marijuana possession. FS Robert Hammond dismissed from team for violation of team rules. J JACKSON, O.J. DE O.J. Jackson was charged with possession of marijuana. Received undisclosed punishment from athletic department. JANIKOWSKI, SEBASTIAN Star kicker Sebastian Janikowski goes to trial, facing a bribery charge that could result in deportation to his native Poland. A jury of four men and two women will hear the case Tuesday against the two-time All-American from Florida State who was the top draft pick of the Oakland Raiders. The 22-year-old player is accused of offering a Star kicker Sebastian Janikowski goes to trial, facing a bribery charge that could result in deportation to his native Poland. A jury of four men and two women will hear the case Tuesday against the two-time All-American from Florida State who was the top draft pick of the Oakland Raiders. The 22-year-old player is accused of offering a police police officer $300 outside a local night spot earlier this year to release his roommate who had been refused service by the club. Janikowski faces up to five years in prison, a $5,000 fine and possible deportation if convicted. The defense will claim Janikowski, who began speaking English six years ago, simply thought he was paying his roommate's fine. Star kicker Sebastian Janikowski was arrested early Wednesday on drug charges, his second run-in with the law since being drafted in April by the Oakland Raiders. Florida State University Police said Janikowski and two friends were found with GHB, also known as the ``date-rape drug,'' during a police sweep looking for underage drinkers. Janikowski, 22, and his two friends were charged with one count of felony possession of a controlled substance. He was taken to the Leon County Jail. Janikowski, the first kicker in 21 years to be taken in the first round of the NFL draft, was scheduled to leave this week for California to begin workouts with the Raiders. Lt. Linda Riley, a spokeswoman for the university police department, said a plainclothes officer saw Janikowski and two other men pull into the parking lot of the bar on the edge of campus, noticed one of them pouring a small amount of clear liquid into a container and decided to investigate further. ``He identified himself, used his flashlight to illuminate the inside of the car, and then he noticed more suspicious activity, what appeared to be that liquid being poured out,'' said Riley. She said a field test found that the liquid was GHB, a designer drug also known as ``scoop.'' GHB is colorless and odorless, and sells for $5 to $10 a dose. A teaspoon of the compound, mixed with alcohol, can render a person unconscious within 20 minutes. Janikowski is a resident alien, not a United States citizen. After his prior arrest, federal immigration officials said they routinely look at cases of any alien who is charged with a felony, with deportation considered on a case-by-case basis upon conviction. The Oakland Raiders and first-round draft choice Sebastian Janikowski finalized a contract Friday after the Raiders gained assurances in case the troubled kicker runs afoul of the law again. Janikowski signed a five-year contract worth $6.05 million. The contract includes a $2 million signing bonus. It also includes a clause that will force the kicker to pay back $25,000 for every game he misses due to suspension. "That's obviously something the Raiders were very concerned about," said Janikowski's agent, Paul Healy. "It's a unique situation for a lot of reasons." Most of them concern the kicker's run-ins with the law. He is free on bond and awaiting arraignment in Tallahassee on charges of possession of the date-rape drug. Prosecutors say it could be a few weeks before the next step in that case. Until then, he is allowed to leave the state for work. Another issue: The Polish-born kicker isn't a United States citizen yet and could face deportation. Given his history and his position, both sides had to work a little longer on the contract. Janikowski got a clause in the deal that guarantees his salary for three seasons if he scores 114 or more points this season, and stays out of trouble. The Raiders got the unique provisions on the signing bonus, in case Janikowski slips back into trouble. Sebastian Janikowski, Florida State's two-time All-American kicker, was released on $1,000 bail after he was arrested and accused of attempting to bribe a police officer into releasing his roommate. Janikowski, 21, was released from Leon County jail early Sunday. If found guilty, he faces up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Bribery is a third-degree felony, but it is up to the state attorney's office to officially charge Janikowski. However, police said he can be charged with greater or lesser offenses. The arrest stems from a dispute at The Grove nightclub, where police officer Chris Knight was working as an off-duty bouncer. The club told Knight that Janikowski was welcome, but his friends were not, police said. Knight told Janikowski's roommate, Aaron Silverman, to leave. Silverman refused, and after several warnings was taken into custody, police said. Janikowski approached Knight as he was doing paperwork in his patrol car and asked a few questions. When Knight looked up again, ``Janikowski was smiling at him and counting out money,'' police said. ``Janikowski stepped back to the car and asked, `How much?''' Police said Janikowski offered $300 to persuade Knight to let his friend go. Janikowski is known to frequent late-night spots around Tallahassee. While in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl, he missed curfew. Sebastian Janikowski may not be the dumbest rookie entering the NFL this season, but until someone comes along with a better case, we'll give him the title. When Janikowski missed curfew, reportedly by a mile, before Florida State's bowl game at the end of last season, coach Bobby Bowden laughed about it. He said he would invoke the "Warsaw Rule" (Janikowski is Polish). In July 1998, he was thrown out of a Tallahassee bar and asked never to return. A month later, he returned, then pleaded no-contest to a misdemeanor charge of failure to leave the premises following a fight outside the bar, and was fined $295. Three months later, he got into another fight outside a bar with a male Florida State cheerleader, although no charges were filed. In January 1999, he pleaded no-contest on an underage alcohol possession charge and was fined $215 and sentenced to spend a day collecting garbage along the road. JOHNSON, DE'ANDRE 7/15 Florida State freshman quarterback De'Andre Johnson allegedly punched a woman in the face at a bar in Tallahassee. The woman was waiting at the bar to order when Johnson tried to push past her. Facing misdemeanor battery charge. Dismissed from the team by Coach Jimbo Fisher. Video Shows FSU QB De'Andre Johnson Punching Woman In Face At BarJOHNSON, TRAVIS 4/03 Florida State defensive lineman Travis Johnson was charged with sexual assault Thursday, becoming the latest Seminoles player faced with an off-the-field problem. Johnson was booked at the Leon County Jail on Thursday afternoon, inmate information officer Michael Buettner said. Johnson was released on $10,000 bail about an hour later. Johnson, a reserve nose guard who played in all 14 games last season, was charged with a felony count of sexual assault on a person over the age of 12, Buettner said. He turned himself in on a warrant signed Tuesday, police officer Keith Meadows said. Florida State President T.K. Wetherell on Friday ordered a review of university policies in the aftermath of a highly publicized rape trial involving two student-athletes that left prosecutors complaining the school tried to keep the case out of court. A report by the school's inspector general criticized Florida State's handling of the case and Wetherell said he wants policies clarified to make sure the school avoids any similar missteps in the future. The rape case in question was heard last week in Leon County Court where junior nose guard Travis Johnson was acquitted by a jury of six women in less than 30 minutes. Although he and the 6-foot-2, 240-pound female shot putter had had sex on five previous occasions, the woman said they had sex without her consent on Feb. 6. Inspector general David Coury said the school's athletic department failed to report the rape allegation by the female athlete -- although she initially did not want it reported to authorities. The female athlete initially sought to have Johnson removed from campus, the report said. Coury said in his report written April 24 that the woman believed associate athletic director Pam Overton misled her and that the athletic department was more concerned about Johnson's welfare. An adult and championship caliber athlete herself, the woman eventually became frustrated with how the athletic department was handling her accusation and reported it herself. JONES, MARVIN Courting Trouble: LB Marvin Jones wasn't available yesterday to comment on a $2 million civil suit filed against him in June by a Queens man who alleges that Jones assaulted him at an Elmhurst club last October. Moses Rosario claims he was hit repeatedly by Jones, struck by a bar stool and tossed over the bar, resulting in fractured ribs and a collapsed lung. The police weren't notified, and no criminal charges were filed. "It was my client's decision (not to press charges)," attorney Steve Yudin said. "I can't speak for him on that." The NFL has a violent-crime policy, which could result in suspensions. This was Jones' second run-in with the law. Early in his career, he was arrested in Miami for an alcohol-related traffic violation. K KEY, SEAN Florida State S Sean Key charged with aggravated battery after allegedly kicking someone in the mouth at the student union. M MALONE, BYRNE A former Florida State football player, who had been charged with attempted murder, has been allowed to plead guilty to three lesser felony counts for a drive-by shooting in which no one was injured. Bryne Malone, 22, entered the pleas Tuesday to charges of shooting into an occupied building April 30. Circuit Judge Charles Francis sentenced him to 16 months in a work-release program with credit for about nine months already served at the Leon County Jail. He will be able to work outside during the day but must return to prison each night. Florida State coach Bobby Bowden kicked Malone off the team shortly after his arrest. Malone, a defensive tackle, and a friend, Julian Moore, 30, were charged with firing a rifle at the home of several Florida State students. Moore still faces charges in the case. Police said Moore had a running dispute with the students, one of whom he said ``disrespected'' him, according to court records. The judge also ordered Malone to pay $1,333 in court costs and restitution in an amount not yet determined. Malone also must serve three years of probation with a ban on consuming alcohol and possessing firearms. McCORKEL, SHAWN DB Shawn McCorkel, DUI, one game suspension.
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Post by Mojave Gator on Sept 4, 2007 16:24:10 GMT -5
...and some new ones.
After Illinois' 40-34 loss to Missouri in St. Louis, September 1, 2007 "We learned that you gotta play."
"We have to learn what we learn."
Sometimes you wonder why the guy ever bothers to answer a question.
After Illinois struggled to beat I-AA Western Illinois 9/8/07 "I really am getting to the point that I like the look in our defense's eyes."
Now he's getting excited about facial expressions? I've heard of reaching for something to be optimistic about, but this has to be one of the all-time most asinine statements.
September 19, 2007 You can decide why this was said, or what it means:
""I think that in coaching you've got to coach who you are."
After the Wisconsin game, October 6, 2007
About the expectations at Florida vs. those at Illinois: "There, the expectation level is, well, whatever it is."
After losing to Iowa October 13, 2007
“Coaches get very dumb in a week’s time.’’
And some have elevated stupidity to an art form.
Quotes from Frank Frangie article on Scout.com about Illinois spring practice 2008
Regarding the play of quarterback Isiah "Juice" Williams: He did some good things, but he has to do some other things better. He knows that. We've protected him, and that was the right thing to do, and he has done a nice job to this point. But the time has come for him to start hitting some of those passes he is missing.
I know he can do it because he's done it before. If not, then maybe he can't. But we all know he can. We've seen it. He knows he can. But no more excuses, it's time for him to do it. Period. Time to do it.
In other words, he knows he can. but maybe he can't. Okay...
About the running game: We'll run the ball. Our system will always allow us to run the ball and Locks does a really good job calling plays at the right time. Spring wasn't a good indication because we didn't have our center or tight end, who is a great blocker, and had one lineman (Jon Asamoah) playing hurt the whole time. And against a very good defensive front.
Remember, in the spring game, neither quarterback could run the ball -- once you are touched you are down. You have to play it that way because you have to protect your guys. But you know how many yards Juice makes -- shoot, that they both make -- after first contact. Part of our running game is the quarterback running the ball."
So our system will always allow us to run the ball, but our quarterbacks couldn't, and part of our game is the quarterback running the ball. I see...
Special teams, from the master himself: We won't be putting punters out there who haven't been out there. Okay...
About the receivers: And remember, (in the spring) we didn't have Rejus, we didn't have Ooh Ooh, and we have some real weapons getting here this summer. Those guys definitely will help. Never underestimate the importance of Ooh Ooh to your offense.
Bits and pieces
A geography lesson “We consider St. Louis in-state. You start at home and then you go as far as you have to go.”
So St. Louis is in Illinois now.
“You start at home. You start in Champaign-Urbana and go as far as you have to go.”
So he has figured out where he lives. That's a step forward.
“If this had been a game he would have played, but you want to be safe any time you have a head injury.”
You want to be safe, but he would have played if there had been a game. No idea what this means...
“There's no one on the team I know, and I've only been gone a year."
Your guess is as good as mine.
From a FoxSports.com article on the 2008 Illini: "We're going to find out what kind of leaders that this senior class is. The reason I say that is, we've got two (recruiting) classes that think, 'I come to the University of Illinois and go to the Rose Bowl.' Well, that's not how it works."
Apparently not, since the Illini are sitting home while teams like Florida Atlantic and Buffalo are in bowl games.
"I really think we'll be a better team this year, and I don't know what that means."
Better means you have improved over the previous season. Remember one of your favorite words, "improving"?
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Post by Mojave Gator on Jun 19, 2006 0:19:23 GMT -5
Statements after the 2003 Miami game
"But our team understands there's 10 games to go and we haven't even begun the SEC race. Our main goal is to win the SEC. Our players will do what we coach them to do. They're going to get better. I told them after the game I was proud of them. We fought and played for 60 minutes, and we came up short against a good football team."
No, you came up short. Your players had the game won until you took it away from them.
Zook made this statement after his team led by 26 points in the third quarter until he installed a three-man rush for the remainder of the game and essentially shut down the offense in an unsuccessful attempt to sit on the lead. A Miami team who had scored seven points in two and a half quarters scored 31 points the rest of the way. Zook put Miami back in the game. The Hurricanes were dead until the opposing coach did for them what their own coaches could not do.
"This has got to be a positive step for us. We're going to learn a lot more from this loss than we would have had we won the game. I know that sounds crazy, but I really believe it."
This is the most asinine thing I have ever heard a coach say after a loss - especially given that Zook cost his team the game with hyper-conservative strategies that put a Miami team that was on the ropes back in control of the game. His team had a 33-7 lead in the third quarter and Zook managed to blow it.
"We wore out. Some guys wasted some energy early in the game and early in the day thinking about the game. That will get better as experience comes."
Yeah, that thinking will just wear you out. I suppose that is why you are careful not to do much of it.
Don't get me wrong, Zook may do a great job as the head coach of Florida. He may go out and hire the greatest offensive coordinator in the world and average 50 points a game. He may also find a defensive leader just as good as a young Bobby Stoops, vintage 1996. But there is just nothing in his background that suggests any track record for having done this before. In fact, after the 1993 season, his defensive coordinator duties were taken away from him for what we were led to believe was not getting the job done. - Terry Bowden, ABC Sports
"I am not Coach Spurrier. I am not going to be Coach Spurrier. I have to be Ron Zook. That's the way it will work, and that's the way we will be successful."
Well, at least that is the way it will work.
"Those of you that saw us when I was the defensive coordinator here, we were not a sit-back defense. We were an attacking style defense. We were going to come at you. Our offense is going to be the same way. We are going to be an attacking offense. We are going to throw the football around the ballpark. Obviously, that is my style and personality."
Yeah, it worked so well you were demoted.
"Obviously, coming in behind Coach Spurrier is not the best thing you'd like to do. All he has done is set the standard; set the bar. It's our job to try to maintain that bar, and if possible, throw up the bar."
Ron Zook explains puking your way to success.
"People are going to do their best and do what you have to do when you have to prove something, and obviously we have something to prove. There's no reason why we can't just keep right on going."
Well, I can think of one reason.
"I don't understand why that's so important to everybody. Trust us and what we're doing. We feel this gives us the best chance to win." - Ron Zook explaining his failure to name a starting quarterback for the SEC opener against Tennessee - as if keeping his own team in the dark was somehow beneficial
Quotes after the Tennessee game, 9/20/03 "Everyone wants to throw the ball down field, but I'm not sure if that's throwing the ball 20 or 30 yards. I'm not sure what everyone is saying. Tennessee heaved one down the field and it worked. We can heave one down the field. Throwing the ball down the field... I'm not exactly sure if that means throwing it long or throwing it deep.
I have always believed that throwing it long and throwing it deep are the same thing, but apparently Zook knows something I don't.
"You have to have levels (in the passing game). You have underneath and intermediate and you have to go downtown with it as well. Not every pass is going to be high percentage. I'd like to be able to keep the chains moving and make first downs and get down there. If it takes throwing more underneath stuff, I'm for that. Tennessee knew we could go deep. It's maybe something we need to look at a little bit more."
Look at, but apparently not do.
“I felt like they thought we were gonna try to get points.”
Zook explains why he tried to go 50 yards in two minutes to try a 52-yard field goal into the wind, when his team had only managed 65 yards of total offense in the entire half. The Gators had to punt into said wind and this strategy handed Tennessee seven points before halftime and allowed them to take a lead they never relinquished.
Quotes after the Ole Miss game 10/4/03 "Just because their stats aren't very good against the pass doesn't mean they're not going to practice and get better."
Zook tries to explain why he spent the entire day running against the nation's worst pass defense.
"We've got a long way to go, but we're close. I know that sounds like I'm contradicting myself."
Yes, it does, and you are.
"You don't change offenses midstream. We're going to do what we've been doing. That's not going to change."
“We wanted to establish the run. We felt like we had to run.”
Zook's strategy: Determine what your opponent has trouble defending, and never take advantage of it.
It is not a good sign when your coach is asked about turnovers, and he has to pass on answering because he can't remember which interception was which. - Miami Herald
Moreover, Ron Zook makes Mack Brown look like a coaching genius. He has taken a Florida team that won the Orange Bowl in Steve Spurrier’s final year by 33 points and turned it into the laughing stock of the SEC. They should have lost to the Baylor of the SEC, Kentucky, last week and they will be lucky to make a bowl game this year. - SMU student newspaper, 10/3/03
“It's something you have no control over, so there's nothing you can do about it.”
“We told our guys it was going to be a 60-minute game, and it was.”
Zook shows his amazing grasp of how long the game will last.
"The big thing last year was that I wasn't going to be around. The Internet, with recruiting, it absolutely made it harder. It's something you have no control over, so there's nothing you can do about it. Any time I spend thinking about things like that is a waste of time."
Excerpts from ESPN Zook article 10/30/03 by Pat Forde Triumph and trauma are never far apart for the manic, motor-mouthed coach who speaks so fast yet says so little.
He also owns two losses apiece to Miami and Mississippi, two shamefully lucky victories over Kentucky and a record that in no way or shape approximates what Spurrier was able to do at Florida.
The Zooker lost five games his first year. It took the Head Ball Coach 25 games and more than two full seasons at Florida to lose that many.
They gasped past Kentucky one week and lost at home to Ole Miss the next to go 3-3, giving The Zooker three league losses in The Swamp in 10 games. Spurrier lost three SEC games in The Swamp in 12 years.
That's the way it's been for The Zooker in Gainesville. Every losing streak has a silver lining. Every winning streak is a false dawn.
After the Georgia game, 11/1/03 "I wanted to thank the fans. I didn't mean to get on the bench, but I thought that was the only way for them to see me.''
From a summary of the Vanderbilt game 11/8/03 After offsetting personal fouls were called following a second quarter punt, Zook and the Gators got confused by the officials and declined Vandy's penalty, allowing the Commodores to gain 15 yards in field position.
After the South Carolina game 11/15/03 "If that's what happens, then I guess we need to learn that we need to win all eight (SEC) games."
Tidbits "We are getting a little bit better each week, I saw some good plays, and I saw some bad plays out there, but we need to improve more from where we are improving now, and then we will be improving."
"When you're young, you don't know what you don't know"
In the dictionary under "redundant", it says "see redundant".
If you weren't among those people who thought Zook's hiring as UF's coach two years ago was a mistake, then you are either a Florida State Seminole or one of the assorted SEC rivals with Florida on a future schedule. - Mick Elliott, Tampa Tribune
"We're only 60 minutes from being right back where we were.''
Before the FSU game 11/29/03 Zook seems like a nice guy. Supposedly, he is a master recruiter. But the fact is, the guy can't coach worth a lick. Makes bad decisions. Can't manage the clock. Struggles to evaluate talent. Puts players in the wrong positions. The guy should be an exotic car buyer, not a football coach. He can get you the Porsche 911, but he has no clue how to drive it. - Loren Nelson, Bradenton Herald
Tgator post on FRZ, 12/24/03 I'm a hell of a lot more concerned about the accountability of our athletic department and coaching staff than I am of an officiating crew. You win some games from bad calls gone your way, and you lose some. But, if you have a crappy coach, you lose a lot more from that than from bad officiating.
It's easy to whine and say we got robbed, but truth is we are being robbed every time Zook runs out of the tunnel and can't find his way to his own bench.
I don't give a rat's ass about the officiating or the travesty created in the FSU game, please Santa, all I want for Christmas is a new AD and new HBC.
Before the Outback Bowl 12/03 "We have a job to do. This is a business trip. Obviously, this year we know the direction we want to go in, because we've been here before. It's exciting."
The only man I've ever heard of who finds a lack of progress exciting.
Pat Dooley, after the Outback Bowl 01/02/04 Two days after Steve Spurrier once again became a free agent, Zook’s team went on the field and gave a lifeless, heartless, passionless performance.
The team that wanted to make a statement did — that no matter how they got here, they’re no better in the record book than last year’s team.
“The responsibility of having this football team ready to play is mine,” Zook said. “We’ll look at things. Did we practice too much? Did we practice too hard? Should we have practiced harder?”
“There’s no question in my mind we’re on the right track. There’s no question we’re going to be where we want to be.”
After his contract extension, January 2004 "As I look at our roster, I feel pretty good about it. I'm sure I'll say it a million times, but a year from now we'll be a better team than we are this year."
"We have got to raise the level of the lower part of our team.''
That lower part will kill you if you don't raise it. Sounds like a poker bet.
"The truth is Zook is not head coach material." - Joey Ware, Pigskin Post
Recruiting 2004 “McIntosh Nicolas is the fastest guy, I don’t know how fast he is, but he’s the fastest guy I’ve ever timed. How fast that is, I don’t know, but it’s fast.”
Typical Zook gibberish, heaving superlatives he doesn't understand.
“Obviously the academics is a big, big thing in the morning.”
They aren't as important after lunch.
After the 2003 Kentucky game “Sometimes, you don't know how far you can stretch it until you've stretched too far.”
Before the 2003 FSU game “This is a game that we need to be focused on, and I just feel like it's important that that's what we focus is on this game.”
Maybe you should focus on the game.
After the 2002 Tennessee game “This one was big, but they're all big.”
“There are seven games to go in the SEC East.”
Zook shows off his considerable mathematics skills.
“Our special teams were improved immeasurably in bad conditions.”
About the 2003 season "One of the things we said is we want to get better every single day, and I think we did."
On Channing Crowder’s arrest "Obviously, I'm going to play a role in it. I've already done some things, just like you would with your children.”
“There is no excuse. You can't condone it. I don't condone it. We're not going to have it. We have to put a stop to it."
Gatorfey, 7/24/04 There are people here who way too much time invested in not believing in Zook. When he wins his 10 games this year this post will truly be one to remember.
CBS Sports, in ranking the Gators pre-season #9, July 2004 Ron Zook's recruiting classes begin to pay off. Chris Leak gets invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony.
That proved to be a little bit off
Ron Zook comments on legal problems of Taurean Charles and Channing Crowder 7/04 “First and foremost, I’m disappointed, very disappointed, that we have a few players that have put themselves in situations where things can happen. We’ve told them many times that when you are an athlete at the University of Florida, you’re held to a higher standard of behavior. It is sinking in, it’s just not completely in yet.
And what percentage is in, coach?
“I’m not going to tolerate it, obviously this university is not going to tolerate it, nor is the athletic department going to tolerate it. We’ve talked to them numerous times about conduct and what they have to do to keep themselves out of situations where negative things can happen and we’ll continue to talk about it, press it, push it. If things happen, we’ll take appropriate discipline action from there.
“The thing is that overall we have a great bunch of kids, we really do. It’s a shame that a couple guys get themselves in some problems that kind of overshadow the program. It’s too bad for the rest of the team, obviously the Gator fans, the Gator nation, the University of Florida and the athletic department.”
Excerpts from Zook Q&A 7/24/04 You preach it, you preach it and you go over it as a team. I really believe this.
That’s something that I’m not the only football coach in America dealing with it.
It’s a privilege to be at the University of Florida, and it’s our job as coaches to try to make sure we act the way we’re supposed to act to make not only the university proud, but the athletic department and everyone else proud in what we’re trying to get accomplished."
Threatening fraternity members was an important object lesson in Zook's comprehensive team discipline plan.
"Once again, the one thing that I’ve said many, many times is the more I’m around our players, the more I have the opportunity to talk with them and be with them, I really feel like I have a better chance of having more control in terms of what they're doing."
"Because of the way it's out there, the Internet and so forth, maybe it gets blown up a little more than it is, but I really think it’s better than it was. I know there are more stories out there than there were, but it’s because there's more exposure."
"There's two things that I won't be held hostage to. Number one is players, and number two is the job."
"I was in restaurant a couple of weeks ago with my wife, and I walk out and there’s a guy taking pictures with a camera phone. Those types of things are out there."
Zook keeps us up on the latest in technology.
"In some years, what happens in recruiting a lot of times is people judge the strength of an area on the recruiting services, is a guy a two-star, a one-star, an eight-star, a 27-star, whatever it is."
And how many 27-stars are on the roster, coach?
"When we get to the end of the game, we've got to either not make it close or we've got to be able to finish." "Sometimes young guys come out and they don't understand that it’s not acceptable to fumble, that it’s not acceptable to drop a pass, that it’s not acceptable to run a route one yard short."
And the person whose job it is to impress this upon them is...
"The thing about being able to fly players in, it would be nice if we could just fly them in and let them go commercial out."
A guy’s got a basketball game, and if you don’t have a major airport to get him into directly on Saturday morning, maybe he gets in on Saturday afternoon, so now what do you do? Do you keep him out of school on Monday? It’s our thing not to get them out of school where they miss another day of school. You have to change your weekend a little bit."
Perhaps Zook doesn't realize that there is a day between Saturday and Monday.
"Well obviously I have some opinions, but it doesn’t make any difference."
"The exciting thing about the wide receivers is the fact that everyone says you have to have a go-to guy."
Yeah, that's pretty exciting.
"He squatted 500 pounds four times. That’s a lot."
Gatorfey, 8/7/04 You'd think that the Division I coaches had us ranked in the top 10 or something... Wait they did! But what do those coaches know... they haven't spoken with the great FRZ minds apparently.
Never mind that we are the ones who were right.
GatorWheel, 8/6/04 Well, sit back and enjoy the gratification this year. We will win the east, be in Atlanta, lose one game, and be in the top 5. If not, I will help Zook pack.
I wonder if this happened.
Ron Zook, 8/9/04 "The success Coach Spurrier had at Florida makes it the job it is. Coach Spurrier is the No. 1 Gator. He wants to see the Gators be successful and I know that. It's not something we concern ourselves with."
Yeah, don't worry about being successful. It's much more important to blame the fans, the players and your assistants when things go wrong.
"We're not as far away as some may think. There's no question in my mind that we're going to be an improved football team over last year.”
Guess again.
After the Eastern Michigan game 9/11/04 “I don’t foresee them going out there and playing a game before the game starts, like they did at Miami.”
So that's why we lost to Miami. It was the second game of a doubleheader! Who knew?
“Not everything goes right in football.”
After the Arkansas game, 10/2/04 "We need to be able to play a whole game like we did in the first half. If I had the answer to why we didn't play like we did in the first half, I probably wouldn't be coaching."
The first half of the Arkansas game in 2004 - along with the first half of the Miami game n 2003 - was probably the best half of football the Gators played under Ron Zook. They were aggressive, and they took a 35-7 lead at the half - until Zook got conservative and the game was only saved on a deflected interception late in the fourth quarter as the Hogs were driving to tie the game. Still, his statement that he wouldn't be coaching if he had answers makes no sense.
After the LSU game, 10/9/04 You take about seven plays out of that game, and for us to get where we’re supposed to be, we’ve got to make those plays.
You change seven plays in each game and you can make the worst team in the country national champions. This was a senseless remark.
You go back and there’s a play here, a play there that changes the complete outcome of the game.
It’s my job to get the players in position to make the plays, and then obviously they’ve got to make the plays.
They were penalties. Once again, it doesn’t make any difference. They were penalties.
I’m not taking away from the aggressiveness and so forth, but a good team can’t have dumb penalties. I’m not saying they were dumb penalties, but we’ve got to be smart enough not to get personal fouls and penalties that keep drives going
“We’ve put ourselves back in a hole, a deep hole. It’s not one we can’t come out of. It’s not a place we haven’t been before. As I told our team, we get into a situation where we can win the game and we fool around and don’t get it done. Until we get that fixed, that’s where we’re going to be.
You look at time of possession, right there is the answer.
Loss to Mississippi State, 10/23/04
Fire Ron Zook. Just get it over with.
The Gators weren't ready to play. That's Zook's fault.
They were outcoached all afternoon. That's Zook's fault.
The program is going nowhere. Weird things are happening off the field, such as his dust-up at a Florida frat house. And he just lost to Mississippi State. “This is embarrassing for us.'' That's a quote from dazed and confused himself, Mr. Zook.
- Ron Henderson
“I'm at a loss for what happened to us on defense. I really am.''
Ciatrick Fason "When we wanted to play, we played. But a lot of players didn't play 100 percent every play, and you can't do that."
After getting fired, November 2004 "I just can't get my mind somewhere else. I'm not smart enough to do two things. I'm focused on one thing."
Who I can dupe into paying me for something I'm no good at.
At Illinois, April 7, 2005 There's a lot of thinking going on which isn't natural on the field, but I think we've made some improvements, particularly on offense.
Illinois spring practice, April 14, 2005 "I've never seen a dog stretch before he chases a car."
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Post by Mojave Gator on Dec 19, 2005 22:54:28 GMT -5
This is a post about a fictitious series of football training videos originally posted on the FireRonZook.com message board. All of it is based upon actual events - things Zook either did or said - while he was head coach at UF, and a couple of things that have happened since he went to Illinois. I wrote most of these myself, as therapy when things were going really badly in the program. Credit is given at the end of the post to others who contributed material in the same vein.
Be sure to check your favorite video vendor for these football training videos from America's favorite faux pas-meister, Ron Zook.
Learning More by Losing - Improve your players' mental skills by losing more often and in more creative ways. Learn how to turn certain victories into unbeatable educational opportunities for your players. Includes "Bubble Screens for Dummies" and "Prevent Defense - The Key to Something or Another". Learn how a three-man rush and loose zone coverage will totally bewilder a quarterback you have held in check for the entire game.
Offensive Predictability - Learn how to do things the opposition won't expect - like running the same handoff three times in a row, or running against a team who couldn't stop the pass if the future of humanity depended upon it. Baffle your opponents, amuse your fans...or is it the other way around? Contains play diagrams of four different bubble screens, five different off-tackle plays and four variations on that classic favorite, the shotgun draw.
Who Needs the Second Half? - Learn how to coast in the third and fourth quarters with less effort and none of those nasty in-game adjustments that tax your brain. Includes "Claiming Moral Victories at Halftime", and "Any Lead is Enough". Also check out "Reeling In Opponents From Ahead", which shows you how to make a game exciting for your fans no matter how big a lead you once had.
Mastering Post-Game Press Conferences - A must for any coach who has to deal with the news media. The phrase "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullsh*t" describes this volume with incredible accuracy. Learn phrases and statements that will leave press, family and friends wondering just WTF you said or what it means. Contains "Innovative Irrelevance".
Creative Excuses - Learn how to explain away any situation, no matter how catastrophic, in a way that shows the progress you are clearly making even if no one else can see it. Contains "Thinking Before the Game - The Great Energy Drain".
Getting Better and Better - And so you are, after mastering the previous volumes in this great series. This very helpful volume will show you how to convince virtually anyone that your team is improving, regardless of your record. Learn how to counter previously irrefutable statistics with unverifiable subjective statements that are sure to amuse your critics.
Talent Squandering - Learn new and innovative ways to be a master recruiter, rake in as many five-star and four-star recruits as humanly possible, and then learn what it takes to make sure you get the absolute lowest amount of return from your dynamite squad. Soon, you too will be able to take a preseason top ten team into the glorious territory of the unranked. After all, those high expectations are such a drag, aren't they?
Who the F*** Are You?: Public Relations on Campus - Learn the persuasive value of such phrases as "We own this campus." Learn how, through the magic of profanity and threats of physical violence, to rule your campus and earn the respect and admiration of everyone in your realm. Includes "Threatening to Close Down the Fraternity of Your Stadium's Namesake". As Ron Zook would say, if you don't buy this video, "I'm not going to let you bring this f***ing team down."
The Buck Stops Elsewhere: Shirking Responsibility - Learn expressions that place all responsibility for any shortcomings on your players. Through Ron Zook's easy-to-learn mental conditioning techniques (any buffoon can learn them, "obviously"), you can avoid any expression that implies that your coaching was in any way responsible for any loss, or that it is your responsibility to prepare the team. Why take the heat yourself when there are so many other places to put it? Includes "Meddling in the Offense: Scapegoating Your Offensive Coordinator".
Motivation is Overrated - Leave the responsibility for turning the season around to the players, where it belongs! Why waste precious time preparing game plans or speeches that could turn around a season? Let the players do it! Make your job that much easier! Why get the same pay for doing more work? Use your time for more useful things, like calling friends to beg them to give you a job after you get canned.
Rex Was Open: The Art of Trick Plays - Shows you how to create plays that amaze everyone. Learn how to make your quarterback the primary receiver on a deep pass (or is that a long pass? I just don't know) when trying to come back in the closing seconds. Why bother your All American quarterback with the trivial matter of leading a comeback when a running back can throw the ball? Includes "Bubble Screens in Your Own End Zone: How to Avoid Safeties" and "Slow Developing Running Plays on Your Own One Yard Line".
Playing Down to Your Competition - Learn what it takes to be a master egg-layer. This video will give you all the insights and tips on how to travel to an opponent's stadium when you are favored by 25 points and still manage to eke out a loss. Don't let the fact that your team is several times as talented as the opponent get in your way. Includes "Mailing it in: Because This Game Doesn't Matter at All" and "The Art of Losing to a Team With a Loss to a Division I-AA Opponent." Snatch defeat from the jaws of victory!
Elevating Your Opponent - These foolproof techniques can keep any opponent in the game, no matter how overmatched they are or how far behind they may be. Talent edges are no obstacle with these simple strategies. Why bore your fans with lopsided victories when they can stay on the edges of their seats for games against South Central Eastern New Mexico State College for Sewage Workers? Learn how to triple the scoring of any opposing team to keep your players focused.
Mastering Defeat Against Mississippi and Florida Universities - Ron Zook explains how to overcome the difficult task of "learning" from Mississippi and Mississippi State. Learn how to blow a big lead in the Orange Bowl and how to surrender a 50-yard touchdown pass to Florida State, just when it appeared that your players would not learn anything from the game.
One Out of Three Ain't Bad - Learn how to defeat your biggest rivals - at least once in a while. Ron Zook explains how to maintain rivalries by not winning all the time. After all, it isn't a rivalry if you win them all.
The Importance of Fund Raising - Any head coach at a major college or university knows the value of generous boosters, and the need to keep them happy. The money may come in handy sometime. For instance, to reimburse the athletic departments of other schools for damaged turf, dismantled goalposts and other stadium damage after one of your team's educational excursions to their campuses. You may also need the cash to help pay your long distance telephone bills as you call friends to see who might have an opening on their staffs for someone to coach deep snappers or holders for place kicks. After all, you can't have too many irons in the fire in this business, can you? Some of them may also own businesses that could be helpful to you down the line, such as nationwide movers and job search services.
Raising the Dead: Renewing Old Rivalries - Inject new life into long-dead rivalries by showing any opponent that victory is possible. There is no winning streak or talent advantage that cannot be overcome using these simple methods. Learn how to identify strengths even in teams who appear not to have any, play right into them and make the game close. Are your fans focusing too much on games with bigger rivals? No problem. Show them that any game can be exciting, no matter how weak the opposition. Add suspense that has long been missing from games with so-called "cupcake" opponents. This exciting video shows you how to make any opponent competitive, and add new excitement to both your campus and your opponent's.
Run Defense: How to Apply Pressure to a Team's Running Game in the Fourth Quarter - Tricks to apply pressure to the outside while opponent is running in the middle. Tips to spread the D-line out in attempts to not clog the line of scrimmage. Tips how to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Bonus video - Bubble Screens in Your Own End Zone.
Mastering the Two-Point Conversion - In this video coach Zook will show you the chart that head coaches use to determine when to "go for two". You'll need to recognize this chart so that you can ignore it, especially in the early stages of the game when botched two-point attempts are sure to come back and haunt you later. The epilogue explains how take to take calls on your coach's show and deflect the question. You'll learn key phrases like "If they aren't going to defend it..." Never mind the fact that your team team didn't convert it.
Selective Statistics - Learn how to defend your record against all who doubt you by culling only the things that cast your team in a positive light. Winless season? No problem. Refute your critics with indisputable facts, like "We lead the league in converting third-and-four in the last three minutes of the third quarter." Fired? No problem. You can make the people who canned you feel guilty by finding that one statistic you "lead the league" in, no matter how many games you have lost to teams with less talent. Also learn how to impress prospective future employers with these stats, showing them that you really were "getting better and better" (see cross-reference with the volume of the same name), and your current school just couldn't see it.
Sideline Discipline - The most important aspect of in-game coaching. In this video Coach Zook explains his techniques for keeping the players one yard away from the sideline so as to avoid stupid sideline penalties. You'll learn to yell "Get back!" from your diaphragm so that everyone can hear. You'll learn to detect the TV camera so that you can show the country how well you perform this fundamental aspect of coaching. Never mind the game on the field, it's the sideline that counts.
Halftime Interviews - Coach Zook explains how to say everything and yet nothing at all. After all, you need to get in that locker room quick to do your bench press and squats. You'll leave sideline reporters as well as the viewing public puzzled.
How to Store Your Only Suit - In this video coach Zook will teach you how to store your "Sunday best" in a cedar lined trunk with moth balls. It will protect the fabric to ensure that it's ready to go when you next need it. Coach Zook will also show you the secret of changing the color of the shirt and tie combo that will give you that "new" look you need to impress potential employers.
Filling Out Your Staff - Ron Zook shows you foolproof ways to replace assistant coaches who bail out right after you hire them just because they believe that they might get more money or a better opportunity, or that they might find a job under a head coach who won't set their careers back five years. Learn to inspire confidence in your followers by assuring them that the coaches you sign to replace them will be at least as good, and that coaches are lined up to take jobs with your program. When this doesn't happen, Ron Zook shows you how to explain it away by saying that you don't need a full staff until spring practice anyway.
Rugby Punt: The Ultimate Weapon - Ron Zook shows you how to gain big advantages on your opponents by giving up the ball on second or third down 20 yards from where you have it now. Why wait until fourth down and pin your opponent back inside their own 20 when you can fool them into taking the ball in your end of the field? They won't be expecting it! Contains "Undetectable Fake Punt Formations".
Express shipping is available, and if you order now, you also get the exciting video game "Ron Zook's Fraternity Showdown" free. Start your offensive at your choice of any house on Fraternity Row. Different play modes let you challenge every fraternity on campus one at a time or in any combinations you choose, until you shut them all down! Choose from the entire roster of UF players, coaches, deans and athletic department officials to create an almost endless variety of game scenarios. To add even more variety, cancel practice to allow for more players to join your strike force. You can choose from the provided list of threats and profane statements, or the Advanced Mode lets you create and add your own. Defeat the mighty Pi Kappa Phi house at the end of your quest to shut down the Row and win the game!
All of the above are original creations. I wrote most of them myself, but I would like to also acknowledge the following contributors: MilwaukeeGator, "Talent Squandering" and "Playing Down to Your Competition"; GatorFan4Life, "Run Defense"; FRZFishfan, "Mastering the Two-Point Conversion", "Sideline Discipline", "Halftime Interviews" and "How to Store Your Only Suit".
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Post by Mojave Gator on Dec 19, 2005 23:34:57 GMT -5
January 4, 2002: Steve Spurrier abruptly resigned as head coach of the Florida Gators to become head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He left behind a team that finished the season 10-2 and ranked #3 in the country. Days in the top 20 - let alone the top five - would soon become a distant memory with the hiring of Ron Zook to succeed him. Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley first tried no-chance visits with Bobby Stoops (who won a national championship at Oklahoma in his second season) and Mike Shanahan (who won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos). Shortly after Ron Zook's hiring was announced a Gator fan known only as Baghead established FireRonZook.com, a website and electronic bulletin board that would gain national notoriety and inspire countless imitators. Like many others, Baghead knew what was coming based upon Ron Zook's lackluster coaching career and his poor performance as the Gators' defensive coordinator. Baghead's board, to which this board is a successor, gave the average fan a place to vent and to express displeasure over this inexplicable and inexcusable hiring. Whether FRZ hastened the firing of Ron Zook is open to discussion. One thing is certain: FRZ was both highly visible and famous. Even today, some sportscasters refer to it. Zook supporters (back when there were any) immediately set out to discredit the new site. Rumors abounded, including one that Baghead was actually a Tennessee fan who was only fueling discord among Gator fans - although they never explained what motivation a Vol fan would have to do this. 2002 season: Rex Grossman finished the 2001 season second in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy. Ron Zook stated shortly after being hired that he would help Grossman win the award in 2002. Apparently Zook believed that handing off on draw plays, throwing screen passes and running option plays was the best way for Grossman to impress the Heisman voters. Grossman not only fell off the All American and Heisman charts, he wasn't even second-team All-SEC under Zook's tutelage. The first real hint of what was to come was a 41-16 drubbing at home at the hands of the Miami Hurricanes. Worse was yet to follow. A loss to Ole Miss on the road (Zook still managed to blow this game even though his defense largely shut down Eli Manning) and a 36-7 home loss to LSU fell between narrow wins over Kentucky and Vanderbilt. A 17-point loss at Florida State preceded the defining moment of Zook's first season: the Outback Bowl against Michigan. This game included a flyover by a plane towing a banner for FireRonZook.com, which stated "We told you so!". Website founder Baghead stated after the game, "It wasn't hard to find an angry Gator with an airplane." The Gators were driving while trailing by eight points late in the fourth quarter. The offensive genius made his former All American QB the primary receiver on a critical play as the Gators tried desperately to tie the game late. A wounded duck pass thrown by a running back was intercepted by the Wolverines, killing the drive. Zook explained after the game, "Rex was open". The Gators trailed by eight points instead of seven because Zook inexplicably went for a two-point conversion after an earlier touchdown - a try that failed. This team was neither young nor inexperienced - although Zook cited both as excuses for his team's disappointing season. Eight players from this team were taken in the 2003 NFL draft, among them Rex Grossman, a quarterback who arguably should have been awarded the Heisman Trophy the season before. As of the beginning of the 2006 season, 19 players from this squad held spots on NFL rosters. This team certainly didn't lack talent. Preparation is another matter. 2003 season: If the tide was to turn, this was the year we should have begun to see results. Instead, we saw more of the same. In order to halt the already extensive damage done to his stock by Zook's coaching, junior QB Rex Grossman declared early for the NFL draft. This left freshman phenom Chris Leak and inexperienced backups Gavin Dickey and Ingle Martin to run what passed for an offense under Zook. After a romp over an awful San Jose State team in the season opener, the Gators traveled to Miami to meet the Hurricanes. As the Miami team ran onto the field, Zook inspired his charges by saying "In three years, we will look like that." Zook's troops overcame his inspirational pre-game chat to take a 33-7 lead in the third quarter. Zook's defining moment was at hand. However, Zook found a way to negate his unexpected prosperity. Miami QB Brock Berlin, a transfer from Florida, had been unable to handle pressure all night. Zook decided to help him out, going to a three-man rush and loose zone coverage. The Gators ran a prevent defense - a strategy usually reserved for the last possession of the game - for most of the second half. Given all day to throw, Berlin picked apart the Gators' secondary. Zook also abandoned everything that had worked offensively in the first half, and the Gators continually went three-and-out in a game they had dominated to this point. The Gators' biggest road win in years turned into a 38-33 loss. Zook said after the game that his team learned more by losing the game than they would have had they won it, and that his players were tired from thinking before the game. A 65-3 trouncing of Division I-AA Florida A&M - a game in which Zook could have allowed his young quarterbacks to work on timing in the passing game against an overmatched opponent but did not - preceded another debacle: Tennessee at home. Prior to the game, Zook criticized both the media and the fans for questioning his refusal to name a starting quarterback before this game. He said that he was going to do what gave the team the "best chance to win" - as if keeping both his own team and his opponent in the dark about the quarterback situation would do that. With the Gators clinging to a slim 3-0 lead late in the second quarter and with 65 yards of total offense in the entire half, Zook decided that they could drive 50 yards in less than two minutes to try a long field goal - into the wind. The Gators were predictably forced to punt into said wind, Vols' QB Casey Clausen hit a long touchdown pass just before halftime, and the Gators lost 24-10. A narrow 24-21 escape at Kentucky - in which Wildcats' QB Jared Lorenzen bailed Zook out by throwing a late interception while in the grasp of a lineman with Kentucky driving for the winning score - preceded another blown game at Ole Miss. The Rebels were ranked dead last in Division I-A against the pass going into this game. Zook spent the entire game trying to establish the run against a team that had given up over 1,100 yards passing the previous two weeks, including almost 700 yards to Texas Tech the week before they played the Gators. During this game, former Georgia head coach Jim Donnan said in an online chat on the ESPN website, "I don't understand why they (the Gators) aren't throwing every down." Ole Miss, probably unable to believe the gift they were given, choked off the run and scored late to win, 20-17. Zook explained his failure to attack the Rebels' most glaring weakness by saying that because Ole Miss was weak against the pass "doesn't mean they aren't going to practice and get better." After handing the eventual national champion LSU Tigers their only loss of the season at Baton Rouge, another near disaster followed at Arkansas. With the Gators leading 33-7 in the fourth quarter, Zook backed off again. The Hogs scored three touchdowns within the span of a few minutes after scoring only seven points in three quarters plus. Only a questionable personal foul call against the Razorbacks on third and long during the Gators' last possession prevented them from having to punt to Arkansas leading 33-28 with about two minutes left. It was just the latest of several routs turned nail biters by Zook's conservative late game strategy. More help from the opposition came at South Carolina. The Gamecocks gave the Gators a virtual gift touchdown with a failed fake punt deep in their own end of the field - the difference in a 24-22 Gators win. Another Outback Bowl followed, this one against Iowa. After the Gators took an early 7-0 lead on a long post pattern, Zook never ran the play again. Zook said after the 37-14 loss that he was "scared" by how quickly his team scored, and that he didn't want his players to think that the game was "too easy". Apparently Zook believed that his job was to increase the degree of difficulty rather than giving his team the best chance to win. Ron Zook meddled in the offense all season long, and it was an unproductive disaster. His offensive coordinator, Ed Zaunbrecher, had previously coached the high-powered Marshall offensive machine with Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich, who both became starting quarterbacks in the NFL. With Zook's micromanagement the expected wide-open attack was reduced to draws, screens and short sideline patterns. After overruling Zaunbrecher all season Zook publicly blamed him for his team's poor offense, demoting him to quarterbacks coach. Zaunbrecher told the media afterward that he "just did what the head coach told me to do." Typically dodging responsibility for this failure, Zook said afterward "I think this move on our coaching staff will allow us to take advantage of all of our strengths." Although Zook's apologists again offered the "young team" excuse, the Gators started 14 seniors in 2003. Only Arkansas in the SEC started as many. 2004 season: Make or break time for Ron Zook. The Gators, who finished the previous two seasons unranked, were once again ranked in the preseason top ten - as high as #6 in some publications. After a victory over overmatched Eastern Michigan, the Gators opened the SEC season at Tennessee. The Vols alternated two freshman quarterbacks. With the Gators clinging to a one-point lead late and needing a first down to run out the clock, Zook ran the exact same off-tackle handoff on three consecutive plays. The Vols stuffed it each time, and the Gators punted. Zook once again went to a three-man rush and loose zone coverage. Predictably, the Vols' young QBs repeatedly hit their receivers and Tennessee kicked a game winning field goal as time ran out. Another example of Zook's poor game management followed against LSU at home. Despite the Tigers virtually handing the Gators 14 points with early turnovers deep in their own end, Zook's troops led only 21-17 late. With the Gators pinned back inside their own five and needing a first down to run out the clock, Zook called two slow-developing plays: a bubble screen completed three yards deep in the end zone, and a draw play. The Gators narrowly avoided safeties on both plays. They punted and LSU scored a touchdown with less than a minute left to pull the game out. Two weeks later came the defining blow: A road loss to hapless Mississippi State. The punchless Bulldogs had earlier lost 9-7 at home to Maine, a Division I-AA school who finished the season 5-6. They had also lost a home game to perennial SEC doormat Vanderbilt by three touchdowns. Zook had no answers all afternoon as his unprepared and confused team surrendered 38 points, including a deciding touchdown with less than a minute left. After the 38-31 loss it was very evident, even to Zook's supporters, that the Gators' football fortunes had fallen as hard as the goalposts that October afternoon in Starkville, Mississippi. October 25, 2004: The Monday after the Mississippi State game brought the announcement many Gator fans had prayed for for three years: Ron Zook would not be back in 2005, and this sorry chapter in Florida football history would mercifully come to an end. This was a loss so bad, so inexcusable, that even those who had steadfastly supported Ron Zook could no longer tolerate the damage he had done to the program. This Gator broke out a specially-bought and long-awaited victory cigar for the drive home from work. I watched ESPN SportsCenter for Jeremy Foley's announcement, just to make sure that it was really true. It may not have been a great day for Zook, but it sure was for thousands of Gators.The Gators rallied for an emotional win over Florida State at Tallahassee in what would prove to be Zook's last game as head coach, but they did far too little of that during his tenure. Poor discipline, awful game strategies, a totally absent off-season conditioning program and a complete inability to adjust on the fly defined the Ron Zook "era" at the University of Florida - that, and a shouting match at an on-campus fraternity house. Zook threatened to shut that fraternity down - the fraternity of Ben Hill Griffin, after whom the stadium the Gators play in is named. Not a good career move. It should be noted that while the season-ending victory at Florida State is widely credited to Ron Zook, defensive coordinator Charlie Strong actually ran the team that night. The assistant coaches were finally freed of Zook's micromanagement and constant meddling and overruling, and the aggressive approach paid immediate dividends. Zook ran up and down the sidelines yelling and looking clueless just like always, but he played no real role in the victory. Summary: Not since Doug Dickey had a Florida coach accumulated so much talent and done so little with it. Virtually every loss during Ron Zook's three-year stint can be directly attributed to abysmal game strategy, poor preparation, bad clock management, a failure to exploit opponents' weaknesses and a failure to adjust to what the opposition did. Several of the losses came to teams with far less talent. Leads blown in the second half and games lost in the waning seconds were a trademark of Zook's teams at Florida. During this time, the Gators were consistently the most penalized team in the SEC, largely penalties caused by lack of concentration such as offside, false start and illegal motion penalties. Zook never corrected this in three years as head coach. Zook's recruiting - supposedly his strong suit - was not nearly as good as advertised. He signed a number of good individual players, but he did little to address team needs. The Gators were heavy in some positions and razor-thin in others, indicating a lack of attention to the depth chart in the recruiting process. Urban Meyer was forced to move a fullback to linebacker in spring practice before the 2005 season just to have enough players on the field at that position - an inexcusable situation for a top Division I-A program. One thing that came to light after Zook left is that more than half his recruits washed out. This indicates serious problems with the assessment process and it contributed greatly to the serious depth problems Coach Meyer inherited when he took the job in Gainesville. The depth of Zook's poor preparation of both the team and of individual players came to light after his departure. Athletic department officials cited the complete absence of a mandatory off-season conditioning program. Coach Meyer also bemoaned the team's poor fundamentals, saying that it was "inexcusable for a top Division I program" to be in this shape. Chris Leak's mechanics were so bad (after two seasons under Zook and Co.) that Coach Meyer and his staff had to spend the entire spring correcting them - valuable time taken away from the task of installing a new offense. It was also revealed that Leak had never learned to call an audible - center Mike DeGory had been calling them. One wonders what Florida really paid Zook and his staff to do, since it appears that coaching football wasn't happening. Two seasons after Zook's departure, with essentially the same team Zook had lost five games with in his last season, the Gators were national champions. This illustrates what should have been happening all along. Replacing a bad coach with a good one was all that was needed. Some sports writers have tried to credit Ron Zook, at least in large part, with the Gators' success in 2006. While it is true that Zook recruited most of the Gators' starters, the fact that he never managed better than a five-loss season with the same players shows that he does not even deserve a footnote in the story of the 2006 season. That the Gators repeated the feat in 2008 with all of Zook's recruits gone eliminates the argument that his recruiting was responsible. The Ron Zook "era" (or error, if you will) is thankfully over at Florida. He is now Illinois' problem.
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Post by Mojave Gator on Jun 19, 2006 0:17:28 GMT -5
"Hello Ron, Sorry to wake you at this hour...
What, you were awake? Oh that's right you sleep real fast. Anyway I'm calling you from Las Vegas. My name is Mojave. MojaveGator actually. Yeah I know it's a cool name. Anyway I'm the moderator on an on-line message board. Which one? Well actually I'm embarrassed to say it's fireronzook.com.
Anyway I was calling because I know you don't pay particularly close attention to media reports and I thought that there was something you should know.
Yeah Vegas. It's in the Mojave Desert. Anyway it's being widely reported that you've been fired from Illinois. Oh, so you hadn't heard? I figured that's why I called. It seems that the AD, you know, your boss, is tired of all the "improvement" the team has had over the last two years. The straw that broke the camel's back was that loss to MSU. No not that one. Michigan State.
Your replacement? Oh it's a monkey. Well it's not really a monkey, it's a computer that's been programmed to pick random plays with no regard to strategy or situation. They did some trial runs already and frankly the monkey is much smarter than you, and it doesn't threaten frat boys. Another advantage is that the monkey is cheap which is good since UI still owes you a year's salary. Anyway everyone at UI is thankful for the recruiting you've done, especially the monkey. He thinks he's got a shot at a big 10 title with talent you've left him. Of course he's going to have to instill a little discipline first.
What? Yes this means you can stop looking at those game films. Yeah, get some sleep.
Good night,
Yeah you take care too.
Click.
(With credit to the author, FishFan-GatorMan)
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Post by Mojave Gator on Dec 14, 2006 19:35:04 GMT -5
In 2002, a man known only as Baghead created FireRonZook.com. The site was created to protest the hiring of an obviously unqualified head football coach at the University of Florida, and the message board gave like-minded people a place to vent. This board is a successor to FRZ, and recent circumstances at the University of Florida have unfortunately prompted us to revive the tradition. While Baghead is not associated with this board, many of the users here were active users there.
This board was known as Zook Free Zone when the break was made from the original FRZ. FRZ had been essentially abandoned for some time, and when a hacker destroyed what was left of the main message board we moved on. In April 2011 the decision was made to remove the reference to Ron Zook, since Zook had been gone for more than five years and as time passed he became less relevant to us. Members suggested possible names and Fighting Gator Forum was chosen. On February 1, 2014 we came full circle and became Fire Will Muschamp.
With the hiring of Urban Meyer and the two national titles that followed, it appeared that we could rest on our laurels, our place in history secure and our beloved Gators restored to their rightful place in the national rankings. Then came Meyer’s meltdown, his departure and a hiring almost as inexplicable as that of Ron Zook: Yet another defensive coordinator who had never been a head coach and who did not appear have the requisite qualities to successfully lead a program, another one of Jeremy Foley’s “undiscovered jewels” who no one else wanted as a head coach. The only difference is that he wasn’t demoted on the Gators’ staff prior to being hired. An 11-1 regular season in 2012 gave us all hope, but in retrospect the seeds of last year’s 4-8 season, the Gators’ first losing campaign since 1979, were already planted and growing even while we were winning games in 2012. Our offense was horrible, one of the least productive in the country, at the flagship university of a state known for producing outstanding offensive skill players. For that one season almost every significant break went our way, and defensive and special teams play was good enough to make up for the paltry production on offense. Louisville exposed the fraud that was our 11-1 record to the entire nation in the Sugar Bowl. The Gators’ defense, the strength of the team, was led by Meyer recruits who would be moving on. Our new head coach castrated the offense by insisting on a power running game and a ball control offense - the same kind of one-dimensional attack that did Ron Zook‘s teams in, only with less talented players than Zook brought in. A sickening feeling of déjà vu was about to hit - only what was coming would be far worse than anything even Ron Zook had concocted.
By the first week in November the Gators had already lost three straight games, including their third consecutive loss to Georgia in Jacksonville - the first time this has happened since 1987-89. The loss to Vanderbilt at Homecoming 2013 was both historically bad and inexcusable. A 17-point loss to a team who had not beaten us since 1982, and had not beaten us in Gainesville since 1945 - and they were starting a backup quarterback to boot. It was also a tipping point for the future of this board.
Then came the loss to Georgia Southern, an FCS team who had lost four games (one of which was to Wofford), had 19 players out due to injury and should have been run off the field by even a subpar Gator team. They won without completing a pass, and they ran for over 400 yards. This was a loss so inexcusable that it just had to cost Muschamp his job, just as the loss at Mississippi State cost Ron Zook his job in 2004. This was even worse, happening at home against a lower division opponent who had already lost four games against FCS opponents coming in. Instead, clueless Athletic Director Jeremy Foley said that he is “1000 percent behind Coach Muschamp” and that the program is “moving in the right direction”. Muschamp would remain regardless of what else happened. The inevitable blowout loss at home against eventual national champion Florida State - the most lopsided Florida loss in the series since 1988 - capped a seven-game losing streak to close out the season. It quickly became apparent that Foley cannot be trusted with anything other than the safekeeping of his own ego. He is apparently so concerned with being vindicated concerning his choice of Will Muschamp that he is willing to risk totally wrecking the football program to prove himself right.
Our services to the Gator Nation are needed once again, a dozen years after our first attempt to rid our beloved university of an unqualified and underachieving football coach. Fire Will Muschamp carries on in the tradition of our predecessor board.
We still maintain the FireRonZook.com Museum, which contains some of the best material from the original board.
Little known facts:
For a brief time we served as a host board for SEC Rivals, when a hacker destroyed their main board. We hosted forums for every SEC team during that time.
For approximately two years we hosted Illini Reservation, a forum for Illinois fans wanting to get rid of Ron Zook. As was the case with the Florida fan boards during the Zook years, the Illinois fan boards tolerated no dissent or contrasting opinions. We gave them a place to land.
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