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Post by Rock Gator on Mar 22, 2023 16:07:53 GMT -5
All coaches have to do this, the speaking tour. They go out and press the flesh with the rich alums, bring home some bucks for the uni.
CBN started the tour of 10 stops total, in Viera, FL just about 25 minutes away from me. I couldn't be bothered to go, but it looked like a bit of a yawner from the pictures I've seen. A few quotes, from multiple sources, so not necessarily in proper order:
"We've worked hard over the first year of making our product as good or better in every single area of the player experience. I'm extremely proud of the progress we have made. We're teaching systems, and teaching values, we've improved personnel, we've improved our operation, and right now I think we are executing at a much better rate than ever before. We learned a lot."
“We were very fortunate that we were able to add Graham Mertz to our team,” Napier said. “Graham’s a veteran player, he’s started 32 games and a guy that’s really impressed me so far. I think he’s making the other players around him better. There’s more competition there."
“Jack and Max (Brown) both are doing well. We’ve got a couple of new walk-ons as well. Really pleased with the effort so far and the focus.”
“One of our philosophies is we build our team inside out,” Napier said. “You get a young man who knows the history, knows the tradition. Typically there’s a connection to the University of Florida. He’s got to go back home to his home town and deal with it whether it’s good or bad. So it’s part of our philosophy and it‘s one of the reasons why we signed so many kids from Florida this year and I think we’ll continue to do that.”
"As a whole, right now, on schedule based on what I'm watching so far.".
All was good with me until that last line. In my opinion, right now, he's on schedule to be a lower-middle of the pack nobody in the SEC. You know, somewhere between Missouri and Mississippi State. I wish it weren't true, and I'm still hoping for him to pull a miracle out of his ass, but "right now" he's closer to looking for his next job than he is looking for championships.
RG
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Post by wahhappen on Mar 22, 2023 17:02:14 GMT -5
Everyone needs to calm down. We are only 10% into our 10-year plan.
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Post by Rock Gator on Mar 22, 2023 17:14:03 GMT -5
Ah yes, thank you. That's what I needed to hear. My liver went through hell during the Zook era. I guess it's going to have to toughen up again.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 23, 2023 13:18:04 GMT -5
Wowzers. I mean I get that there's always a rah-rah agenda to these engagements, but all of that comes off about as delusional as humanly possible.
Proud of our progress? He does realize we lost our last 3 games to Vanderbilt, FSU, and then embarrassingly to Oregon State right? We also were out-coached really badly in each and every one of those games. The #13 recruiting class in the country per Rivals is the 3rd worst UF recruiting class in the history of Rivals behind Napier's transition class (20), McGoober's transition class (23), and McGoober's second class (14).
Graham Mertz. I'm glad he's impressed with a guy who has gotten worse every year as a starting QB. Feel really good about that experience. Really likable kid and a leader. True gamer. Making everyone better. Deserved better than the 11th best QB in the portal. Iron sharpens iron. It's about the process. Am I doing this right?
Jack and Max are doing well. I thought Max Brown was playing baseball? The fact that Jack was mentioned with the 3rd string instead of Mertz makes me feel like we've got our starter and his name is Graham fucking Mertz. And how about some love for the walk-ons? Maybe it's a recruiting ploy to try to keep Lagaway in the fold.
Build our team from the inside out knowing the history of Florida. Gotcha, if only former Gator greats had been available for coaching staff openings that would have been a chance to really practice what you're preaching. I mean it's not like a guy who started working for Florida as a Graduate assistant 40 years ago and worked Spurrier (multiple times) and Meyer was available and you chose a 28 year old from the Sunbelt or the best receiver in program history campaigned for the job and got passed over for a guy who could have been retained a year ago if you really loved him so much.
Right on schedule? Man that's good news. I felt like losing a guy who looks like he's gonna be a top 5 pick (because the NFL clearly has no respect for the coaching the kid received the last 3 years) and a first round offensive lineman was going to be an issue, but now that I know that everything is going according to the top secret plan I feel a lot better.
I'm not expecting transparency or any kind of objectivity from these speaking engagements, but what would be nice is recognition of the need to improve in every area of building a football program. This isn't fake it until you make it. The program needs a total and complete turnaround. The ostrich approach hasn't worked and isn't likely to.
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Post by Mojave Gator on Mar 23, 2023 22:29:32 GMT -5
Wowzers. I mean I get that there's always a rah-rah agenda to these engagements, but all of that comes off about as delusional as humanly possible. I'm getting Ron Zook flashbacks reading that. It reminds me of Zook crowing about all of the progress that was being made, even if it wasn't apparent to anyone with a pair of eyes. I sat through every instant of the Las Vegas Bowl. There were a couple of Oregon State fans who somehow managed to wind up with seats in the Florida section (decent people, just for the record). Before we kicked off, I explained the quarterback situation, stating "We may not even score." I was far too close to being right. The closest that the Gators came all game to scoring a touchdown was on the final play of the first half, when they blocked an Oregon State field goal and had a long return. If what I witnessed is anyone's idea of progress, I may have to give up watching college football altogether. Because of what transpired last season, I made what would once have been an unthinkable decision to pass on traveling to a road game that is a day's drive or an hour's flight away. By some fluke we managed to beat Utah a year ago, and that will not be lost on them when they play the rematch in front of their home crowd. This game may reach back into the record books for margin of victory by an opponent.
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Post by wahhappen on Mar 24, 2023 11:02:00 GMT -5
There is nothing either on or off the field that makes me feel good about the direction of the football program. So much has changed in terms of optimism since we beat Utah in week 1 of last season. I am now starting to question everything. For example, why didn’t LSU even pretend to pursue Napier if he was such an “up and coming” head coach? Why do we have 400 zooking coaches on staff and not one of them knows when to call a time out? Etc., etc., etc. could go on for hours. But in the end, I still want to give the guy a chance. Unless there is an egregious death threat-esque zook up, I can’t justify giving him less time than yellow teeth or coach “pew pew” to get things moving in the right direction. One thing I will say is that he did inherit a terrible mess with much to do in all three phases. But it is not looking promising. At. All. And I do not get the feeling there is a sense of urgency. I can stomach 2-3 bad seasons if a giant and sustaining improvement is on the horizon, but show me something in the meantime. Dear God.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 24, 2023 12:20:16 GMT -5
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 24, 2023 12:23:09 GMT -5
I think this is actually part of the plan, if you only turn over once it is very difficult to stretch that into a decade long plan. I heard there's a 18 year old who is acting as the Defensive Coordinator for a 3rd grade football team with 2-3 kids that project as starters in the Sunbelt so it's good we're keeping the slots turning over in advance of 2032.
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Post by SoTxCaiman on Mar 24, 2023 15:39:58 GMT -5
Reports today are he is back in camp and will not re-enter the portal. All that means probably, is that he figured out if I quit now I don't have room and board between now and May 1 when the portal re-opens, better to go thru the motions and eat 3 squares a day and hang a the cool new football center than it is to call momma to come and pick me up and take me back to here house.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 25, 2023 13:22:18 GMT -5
Reports today are he is back in camp and will not re-enter the portal. All that means probably, is that he figured out if I quit now I don't have room and board between now and May 1 when the portal re-opens, better to go thru the motions and eat 3 squares a day and hang a the cool new football center than it is to call momma to come and pick me up and take me back to here house. Really happy with his progress, really measured, considerate kid, mature beyond his years, doing some really good things out there, right on schedule. If you look at where he was when he said he was going to the portal and where he is now when he's says he's not in the portal, that's a lot better thing right? So he's gonna be here and we're gonna be here and that's what this thing is all about. It's being here and being right where you're at so that you're right here right now at the right time with the Gator history being made in the present day.
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Post by g8rfan on Mar 25, 2023 14:07:30 GMT -5
Reports today are he is back in camp and will not re-enter the portal. All that means probably, is that he figured out if I quit now I don't have room and board between now and May 1 when the portal re-opens, better to go thru the motions and eat 3 squares a day and hang a the cool new football center than it is to call momma to come and pick me up and take me back to here house. Really happy with his progress, really measured, considerate kid, mature beyond his years, doing some really good things out there, right on schedule. If you look at where he was when he said he was going to the portal and where he is now when he's says he's not in the portal, that's a lot better thing right? So he's gonna be here and we're gonna be here and that's what this thing is all about. It's being here and being right where you're at so that you're right here right now at the right time with the Gator history being made in the present day. Hahaha Nailed it.
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Post by Mojave Gator on Mar 25, 2023 16:02:35 GMT -5
There is nothing either on or off the field that makes me feel good about the direction of the football program. So much has changed in terms of optimism since we beat Utah in week 1 of last season. I am now starting to question everything. For example, why didn’t LSU even pretend to pursue Napier if he was such an “up and coming” head coach? Why do we have 400 zooking coaches on staff and not one of them knows when to call a time out? Etc., etc., etc. could go on for hours. But in the end, I still want to give the guy a chance. Unless there is an egregious death threat-esque zook up, I can’t justify giving him less time than yellow teeth or coach “pew pew” to get things moving in the right direction. One thing I will say is that he did inherit a terrible mess with much to do in all three phases. But it is not looking promising. At. All. And I do not get the feeling there is a sense of urgency. I can stomach 2-3 bad seasons if a giant and sustaining improvement is on the horizon, but show me something in the meantime. Dear God. I want very badly to be optimistic. It's tough when I see the team actually get worse during the season, followed by statements from the coach that he is pleased with the progress. When I heard Napier's first press conference, I thought finally, here is a coach who gets it. Now I believe that I may have been mistaken.
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Post by wahhappen on Mar 25, 2023 22:03:41 GMT -5
Reports today are he is back in camp and will not re-enter the portal. All that means probably, is that he figured out if I quit now I don't have room and board between now and May 1 when the portal re-opens, better to go thru the motions and eat 3 squares a day and hang a the cool new football center than it is to call momma to come and pick me up and take me back to here house. Really happy with his progress, really measured, considerate kid, mature beyond his years, doing some really good things out there, right on schedule. If you look at where he was when he said he was going to the portal and where he is now when he's says he's not in the portal, that's a lot better thing right? So he's gonna be here and we're gonna be here and that's what this thing is all about. It's being here and being right where you're at so that you're right here right now at the right time with the Gator history being made in the present day. This is a big time win for us in the portal. Here’s a kid who could have gone anywhere if he had decided to enter the portal. But he didn’t. If we can get more kids to commit after almost leaving, well, that is what you call positive momentum.
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Post by Rock Gator on Mar 28, 2023 6:22:55 GMT -5
I knew posting that would be like tossing red meat to a lion (taps), and I wasn't wrong, hahahaha!!! But as far as CBN goes, he's losing all of us. Sad.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 29, 2023 12:15:10 GMT -5
I knew posting that would be like tossing red meat to a lion (taps), and I wasn't wrong, hahahaha!!! But as far as CBN goes, he's losing all of us. Sad. Lol, it's gonna take him another couple fumbles before he loses me completely. I'm clinging to hope. On one hand after Muschamp (who I thought was a decent guy but not a head coach and certainly not a Gator but I put the middle school Gator roots on Foley), McGoober (fucking terrible hire just fucking terrible), and Mullen (good but not great coach when he's invested but an absolute asshat), Napier is qualified and a decent guy so it's nice to have someone to root for. It's also a little sad that the standard has dropped even for a demanding (hell maybe "spoiled," I'll own that and not consider it an insult) fan. What is disturbing to me is the lack of accountability, for example: Napier has a losing first season, looks to be trending towards an even worse 2nd season, loses more than he wins in recruiting and portal, and winds up with the 3-4 worst incoming class in the Rivals era? Well you see it's NIL, bad apples, kiddie porn, AR not choosing to run, lack of depth, and a lot of other stuff that is "out of our control." God forbid you admit some things went wrong and/or made some mistakes and say you have a plan to fix them, instead let's go with "this is all part of the plan and it's coming together nicely." There's only so much lipstick you can put on a pig. Stop saying it's part of the plan. If his plan included a top 10 pick getting exchanged out for the 11th best QB in the transfer portal he should be fired immediately. There's a fine line between being positive and being delusional. He's dancing on it. Golden has a losing season, has literally lost an 8 player rotation to the portal and graduation with the best player deciding between declaring, entering the portal, and coming back (not sure where the smart money is, but know where it isn't), and currently sits at 82 in recruiting after a strong 58 finish last year? Not a problem, because.............................. it's just not a problem evidently? I know we fancy ourselves a football school, but we've had some damn good basketball teams, most coaches have had us in the tournament 90% of the time with some final fours and NC games on top of the natties. The last 3 years have been a failure of epic proportions and it's getting worse. That's not okay. As always, it starts at the top though. Bad coaches, scandals, NIL disaster, outdated facilities, and on and on and on, yet the same two idiots are running the AAD with no end in sight. There's absolutely no accountability. If any AD in the country has had a worse run in the big 2 over the last 3-5 years I'd love to know who it is. Florida State and Miami have run away from us in terms of success between the 2 (Miami football sucked but basketball is in the final 4, Florida State is considered a national championship contender and a year or 2 removed from being a NC contender in basketball, and now Florida Atlantic can be added to the list. Don't worry we got them back by taking their WR coach who we didn't retain a year ago. At this point acceptance of mediocrity (or worse) has become a systemic issue. It's unbelievable what has been done to Gator athletics, it really is. I don't know how it's going to change without an overhaul, but some well paid people should figure that out.
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Post by tapsgator on Mar 29, 2023 12:19:14 GMT -5
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Post by wahhappen on Mar 29, 2023 22:27:19 GMT -5
That article is reminiscent of Adam Sandler’s speech in Billy Madison.
At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
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