Monday, December 28, 2009
Christmas in Atlanta
When I get some pictures, I will post.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Sad, Sad, Sad
This is Tim, being not happy with his and his team's performance. We didn't get to see this much in 2009.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Perfect Ending
No, that would be FSU's defense.
The Seminole defense cured pretty much everything that had been ailing the Florida offense this season. The big plays were back. The touchdowns were scored without an FSU hand touching the Gators who scored them.
And so it was a complete victory. The defense toyed with FSU's offense like a killer whale with a wounded seal."
"We may never see anything like him [Tim] again. We may never see a class like this senior class. What was it Jermaine Cunningham said when he spoke to the team before the game? 'I'm living the dream.'"
Sunday, November 22, 2009
F-I-Ueeeeww
Maybe I can post some pictures later, or you can just go to Gatorzone and examine the damage.
Here come the 'Noles.....! Can't wait.
Bumper Sticker of the Week:
I read about the evils of drinking beer, so I gave up reading.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
'Cocks Were Game
"Meyer threw out some impressive numbers at his weekly news conference.
'Twelve of our 17 interceptions have come in the second half,' Meyer said. 'Twenty of 29 sacks have come in the second half. We've held four SEC opponents to five yards or less rushing in the fourth quarter. Unbelievable. We have held five of 10 opponents to (less than) 100 total yards in the second half.
'In the last three games, rushing yardage (allowed) in the fourth quarter is minus-two, passing yards 39. Total yards given up in the fourth quarter, 37. That almost takes your breath away. When you see something like that, it just tells you about the relentless pursuit and play of our defense.'
The defense has never been more relentless (or impressive) this season than it was this past Saturday night at South Carolina.
In the fourth quarter, the defense intercepted two passes, sacked USC quarterback Stephen Garcia four times and held the Gamecocks to minus-20 yards of offense. USC managed only 41 total yards in the second half and had five three-and-outs."
One of those interceptions was by Justin Trattou, who would have scored but for some friendly fire...he tripped over Jermaine Cunningham who was trying to block.
Impressive win, if not overly dominant. I think the Gators have what it takes to get to the Championship game, if only they don't lose sight of it.
Bumper Sticker of the Week:
If I agreed with you, then we'd both be wrong.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
And then there were four...
Bryce is only 7 weeks old! Whoa....can we say gianormous? Those cheeks....must contain a day's rations.
Looks like the odds on him being a lineman are pretty good. Mt. Loescher? First offensive tackle to win the Heisman?
Can't wait to see him (and all the rest, of course) this coming weekend.
P.S. Damn, that Tracy is so photogenic! Always has been. Especially now in the full bloom of her womanhood. Pete is one lucky man.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Bored by the 'Dores
Ve vill CRUSH you...
Got nowhere to run to, ba-by, nowhere to hide...
...now where did I put that...?
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Sweet Georgia Beatdown
Not only to get a victory in a heated rivalry, but to win convincingly with both offense and defense (and special teams) gets the Gators back on track. The fact that Tim broke Herschel's record for rushing touchdowns was a bit of a cherry on top. I knew he would get the go-ahead TD in this game when he couldn't get it last week at MSU. I'm glad he waited--it was so utterly perfect to have a long run against the Dawgs for that special score. I was yelling and jumping, I was amped. As one of the worst actors of all time is famous for saying ...Ex-cellent!
The defense stepped up big-time AGAIN. The pass defense was Spectacular (with a capital S). On top of the 4 interceptions by the linebacking corps, CBs Janoris Jenkins and Joe Haden held star receiver A. J. Green to three catches and 50 yards. Let's see now, that's
A J Green, superstar receiver:: 3 catches, 1 touch w/o catch (became a UF interception)
UF defense, peerless warriors: 4 catches, 3 touches w/o catch (knocked down or deflected)
NOTE: In two games this season, LSU and UGA, the corners have held 3 NFL quality receivers who were burning up the stat sheets to a total of 3 catches and 36 yards apiece. Un-freaking-believable. And they are a junior and a sophmore. Let's see Eric Berry do that!
Not to be outdone, the run defense held Georgia's best runner, Washaun Ealey, to 70 yards and the entire team to 121 yards (counting sacks--146 if you don't figure those in). This is the defense that has held opposing "star" runners to an average of under 70 yards per game over 6 games, and allowed only 617 total rush yards in the SEC campaign so far (729 if you don't count sacks as losses--they aren't really rushes). The only player to go over 100 yards was Dennis Johnson in the Arkansas game with 107 (and 42 of those came on one play). And it will likely get better with 2 more conference games against poor rushing teams! Might it be possible to finish the regular season allowing under 1,000 yards rushing? Wow.
In this game, the special teams were truly special--Sturgis’ 56 yard field goal was an NFL caliber kick. The Gators still have not allowed a positive punt return yard this season. Brandon Boykin was held in check on kickoffs, gaining 114 yards on six returns. (That's an average of less than 20 yards per return--on kickoffs? That's unheard of.)
Cade Holliday's tackle at the 16 yard line was unbelievable! Fight off the block, spin out and knock down the Boychild...priceless.
Chas Henry had two punts downed inside the 10. One was a 61-yarder! And, once again, zero return yardage. How special is that?
But the day was made by the offensive eruption. Defense wins games, but offense is what puts butts in the seats. And Timmy and company found themselves with a vengence. Two quick TDs were just what the doctor ordered to get the Orange and Blue out of its blue funk. The first one to Cooper was a thing of beauty, a perfect pass from Tebow. The second was even better. A perfect throw against perfect defense (Boykin again) ended in a perfect catch by Cooper. Result: 14-0 Gator lead.
Lets' see--one hand for you, one hand for the ball...yeah, that should do it.
The Bulldogs did manage to claw back to a 14-10 standoff, which then became 17-10. As the half wound down, though, it was time for the fireworks. I had worried that the Bulldogs would get tough when we got inside the 10, not wanting Tim Terrific to surpass the Holy Herschel. As the Gators drove the field as halftime loomed, I was resigned to another field goal. Third and 3 with under 2 minutes to go at the 23 yard line. Tim just wanted to get a first down (he said), and got the call. A fake right, a cutback into the line, and it was all over. TOUCHDOWN! New Record! 24-10. Perfect. Just like the Gators so far.
Outta my way, puppy, I'm heading for the record!
Tim back to being the Heisman favorite? Of course.
The UGlies got the ball after the half and were desperate to make something happen. OK, let's do it. A. J. Jones bullrushed Cox on what looked like a screen play, and Whap! tipped the pass up in the air, blew by Cox and snagged it just above the ground. As they say, The Crowd Went Wild.
A thing of beauty!
Shortly thereafter, Tim ran in a 5 yard TD to put the game out of reach. Sure, there was some more scoring, but the game was effectively over early in the third quarter. Still time for 3 more Gator interceptions, including a beautiful pick 6 by Spikes. And Stamper got his first one, especially sweet as it came after Green bobbled the ball (and got clobbered by Major Wright--reminded me of the Championship game last year!).
Facts to warm a Gator's heart: Florida is now 17-3 over Georgia over the past 20 years and has outscored the Bulldogs 90-27 in the last two contests.
The bad news...Chris Rainey went out with a shoulder injury. Could be trouble going forward.
Date of note: November 1, the fourth anniversary of Grossi's death. Doesn't seem that long ago.... a moment of silence please.
Last but not least, the Bumper Sticker of the Week--in keeping with the spirit of the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (as it once was)
Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Bullpups Get Spanked
What's a Bulldog say? Roof, Roof.....
You want some passion, some heart? How about that Rainey!?! What a game. Another blocked punt--if only he had scored with it--90 yards of rushing and a TD. And what a smooth TD run it was. He looked like he was snowboarding ... just gliding one way, then another, without a care in the world. True it was only 8 yards, but it was pretty.
But Chris, who sometimes gets a bit theatrical, lost his Top Hot Dog status to Dustin Doe, who embarrassed himself and the team with not only excessive cockiness on his interception return, but inept cockiness. It's one thing to celebrate with the ball as you cross the goalline, but for God's sake, at least hold the ball OVER the line when you do. It was fortunate for him (and us)the refs saw that as a touchdown and not the touchback it could've (should've?) been. It wouldn't have helped the equally inept Miss State offense to win, but the score would have been closer. Because he was being a butt-head, I decline to put a picture of him in this post. So there, Dustin!
For the Lakeland contingent, Ahmad Black had a beautiful interception. Unfortunately, it was called back by a bogus call on Ryan Stamper. Guess that made up for the bad call on Doe's pick 6.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Hog Wild Homecoming!
Talk about dodging a bullet! There is no way we could win that game with 4 turnovers in the red zone and 6 sacks. And yet....we did.
What is lost in the hype about the Arkansas onslaught is the fact that the Gator D, though it had some lapses--take away two plays and the yardage given up goes down by almost a third--held the Hogs below their season average. And if you look at the Arkansas-Alabama game, you'll see that 'Bama was 2 plays away from having a mediocre day against them. And Auburn...wow, don't get me started. That Arkansas team is darned good. And yet, UF beat them in almost every phase of the game except turnover margin. (Check the box score... http://www.gatorzone.com/football/boxscore.php?gameid=7533)
And Ryan Mallet....what a talent he is. Even if he does look like a guard at a Russian Gulag. Some of those passes he made were spectacular. Surely our Tim Terrific, with his 6 sacks and 2 fumbles must have looked palsied next to the Wunderkind of the Wasteland? Not exactly. He obviously outran the Ryant the Giant, but lo and behold, he also outpassed him by 5 more completions and 31 yards! Tim had 255 yards passing and, if you don't subtract from his total the yards he lost when sacked (clearly passing, not running--what a dumb way to keep stats), he was over 100 yards rushing as well. Not to mention (I will anyway) that he, once again, picked the team up, put it on his shoulders in the 4th quarter, and carried it down the field on the winning drive. I might be crazy, but I think this could have been (should have been) Tim's Heisman-clinching game. Let's wait, shall we, because I suspect he may have a few more of them left in him this season. Boy, do we hope so.
It seems the win under such adverse circumstances wasn't enough to keep the Gators #1 in all the polls--the Crimson Tide captured the top spot in the AP poll. Just goes to show you what sportswriters know. There's not a more worthless, good for nothing bunch of ignoramuses living off of expense accounts in any part of the world--unless you count Congress and everyone associated with the White House. The geniuses were impressed that Bama beat Carolina by 13 points, even though they were lucky to get out alive, and the outcome was still in doubt until the last 6 minutes. If SOS hadn't been so in love with the fade route--3 times in a row!--twice!--South Carolina would have been ahead at that point. But, hey, the BCS has it right (who would have thought that could ever be said?!?!), and in the end it will all be settled on the field come December--it doesn't matter a sportswriter's fart until then. We assume that both teams will win out, and the championship game will be another donnybrook, with the winner again playing for the crystal trophy. Hopefully against the crybabies from Texas, so we can shut them up once and for all. I can't wait.
Bumper Sticker of the Week:
Research says married men live longer--it only seems longer.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Hayley's Wedding
It was a thing of beauty--the wedding, not the game.
There were roughly 100 people to witness the nuptials,
held on the beach at Anna Maria as the sun was setting.
The house was beautiful and the weather cooperated (somewhat--a bit windy, but no rain).
..
The introduction, vows and, in fact, the whole procedure was done with something of an alternative style,
but in the end a good time was had by all.
The lovely couple....
Couple with Bride's Parents
Couple with Groom's Parents
Layla came east with hubby John, and Jane and I got to meet Kyle's parents. Nice folks. (I forgot to thank him for the rehearsal dinner at the Sandbar.)
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Tame Those Tigers!
This was supposed to be Florida's first real test--against the Number 4 team in the country, a former national champion that put a dagger in the Gator's hearts 2 years ago. But not tonight. The Tigers' padded streak of undeafeated night games in Death Valley (32 often weak teams) came to a crashing halt.
It was clearly a defensive struggle, and the Gator defense was outstanding. The Tigers converted 1 of 9 third downs, but more importantly (and sweetly) only 1 of 3 fourth downs.
Florida got to their quarterback for 5 sacks--LSU got ... NONE.
Oh, and did anyone see the Terrifying Tiger Tandem receivers, Tolliver and LaFell, who are supposed to be NFL quality? They had a combined 56 yards on 6 catches. Boo-ya!
There wasn't as much scoring from the Gators as we could have hoped for, but Florida outrushed LSU by 2 to 1 (held them to net 66 yards, with only 29 in the 2nd half) and had half again their passing yardage. We whipped them in almost every phase of the game.
We got the advantage of the lone touchdown in the game when Riley Cooper managed to "slingshot" himself off the defender by grabbing the guy's jersey. For those who don't know, that is technically not allowed, but he succeeded for two simple reasons: (i) it was a very short grab, and (ii) the official didn't see it. Aw, c'mon, not like it doesn't happen every week...!
Tim's other favorite target--Aaron Hernandez--also had a good game, as is his wont. He's a stud. And our other super speedy stud--Jeff Demps--had a good (but not great) night, running for 86 yards on only 14 carries.
And let's not forget Timmy's sparkling play: He got 41 on the ground and over 130 in the air--most of that to Hernandez. Another gem in the SEC!!
Of course, we mustn't forget the ubiquitous Bumper Sticker of the Week,
My feminine side is a lesbian.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Scairdy Cats Time!
I found the ESPN coverage repugnant, if not downright invasive. The guy just got hit, viciously, and all you jerkoffs want to show is "the hit" fifteen times in a row, and THEN, Tim being carted off throwing up in a bag. ABC is a cesspool of inanity, a behemoth without competent leadership, which clearly shows in the irresponsibility of the folks in the front lines. The White House "debate" on health care, which was really a 2 hr pro-Obama commercial, was tantamount to pissing on the grave of journalistic ethics, which had finally died, after years of increasing frailty, during the recent presidential brainwashing...uh, I mean campaign. How can we not expect a subsidiary of this repugnant organization to resort to sensationalism without feeling for the person involved? On a good note, though, they do say Tim's name a lot.
This was a particularly short game, the outcome having been decided in the first quarter. At the end of one, it's Gators 31, Wildcats, zip. Not only no points, no first downs, and a minus 1 in rushing. Perhaps the soundest whipping I have ever seen in one quarter of football.
The good news:
Tim Tebow's two rushing TDs against Kentucky put him in second place on the SEC all-time rushing list. One off the leader, and closing fast.
Most Rushing TD in SEC History:
Herschel Walker 49
Tim Tebow 48
Kevin Faulk 46
Carnell Williams 45
Dalton Hilliard 44
The bad news:
"The hit." A freak accident in which timing is everything. Sacked, falling backwards, finding the knee of his blocker with his head. Double Ouch! No pictures, please, we've seen it enough.
In the postgame interview, Coach Meyer said Tebow had just one question after the hit. "He asked me 'Did I hold onto the ball?' I told him he did and he winked at me and said ‘It's great to be a Gator.’" There won't be another like him anytime soon.
Only a few pics this time, I'm a little down
(pics)
And, in pro news, a former Gator showed the big boys what we've known all along--all of you should be sorry (and ashamed) you passed up Percy in the draft!
Try one of these links to see his 101 yard runback for a TD...
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-cant-miss-plays/09000d5d812f1d14/WK-3-Can-t-Miss-Play-Harvin-to-the-house
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdXn1ontMd0
Lest we forget...the Bumper Sticker of the Week...
Jesus is coming! Look busy.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Baby Comes Home
The flooding in Atlanta looked to be an obstacle, but somehow (coincidence? I think not) the paperwork on this end got resolved and the group flew home.
Now Pierce has someone to push him into being the next Tim Tebow! Rumor has it he loves his little brother already.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Rocky Topped!
It wasn't what the Gator Nation had hoped for, but it certainly wasn't the result the Vols wanted either. The fact that the ugly orange were never in the game made for a conservative plan by UF, and thus a lower score. But for the fumble inside the 10, we would have scored and gotten much closer to the spread. They often say a win is a win, and we're happy to be undefeated (even though that is expected at this stage) but I sure miss the blowout. Damn that Monte Kiffen!
And then there's Lane Kiffen...what an ass. And yet, even an ass may speak the truth.
”I thought our plan was great, and thought it was executed great
Lane, beating the spread is not the same as winning. I'm just sayin'....
We did get to see a lot of good football, but the highlight of the day was Tim colliding headlong into the best Tennessee player in a very long time, safety Eric Berry. The two giants of this game, one on one. Well, not to mention the other two Tennessee players it took to bring Tim down. Berry went backwards faster than Nancy Pelosi being asked about her previous votes! But Eric is a stud--if he isn't the first defensive back taken in the draft, something is very wrong. I think this is the one (if not, it's a fine symbol):
And then there's Tim running out of bounds taking the defender's helmet with him. Tim Tebow the Warrior. Part man, part beast. All heart.
But it was the defense that came up strong again. They let 'em score a touchdown via the run, but otherwise held up pretty good.
If Chris Rainey had made the first down when he had a chance--instead of dancing in the hole trying to get more yards--it's possible the Vols wouldn't have been able to drive the length of the field for that touchdown. Guess we'll never know. Chris did well otherwise, and we need to see more of him GOING WIDE!!! Send Moody up the middle and the scat the scatbacks out wide. Sheeesh!
And Demps--what a gutsy performance! Had the flu, had a fever...no problem. Here's a touchdown.
Another interception by Joe Haden to keep that nation-leading streak alive at 15. Ahmad Black got one at the end but, hey, Ahmad,....it's fourth down...knock the ball away instead of catching it 30 yards up field. We might have scored again from the 50.
But we did lose one streak--Tim didn't throw a touchdown pass in this game (was at 30). Actually he threw two of them but the receivers couldn't hang on. It's easy to forgive Brandon James cuz he got whumped as soon as he caught it, but Riley just flat dropped the ball. Ouch. If Tennesissy can take any consolation from this game, they stopped that streak.
As a side note of interest, UF Athletic Director Jeremy Foley accepted the 2008-09 New York Times Regional Newspaper Group's SEC All-Sports Trophy from Gainesville Sun publisher Jim Doughton prior to kickoff. This is the 19th time in the past 22 years that Florida has won the award. GO GATORS!
And, of course, the Bumper Sticker of the Week. . . .dedicated to LK, you know who you are...
I had the right to remain silent, but I didn't have the ability.