I'll take Pat Dooley over that new guy at the Gainesville Sun any time.
Can we start a petition to bring him back?
Oliver Barry CRS, GRI Real Estate Broker Crye-Leike, Realtors 964 Main St
Nashville, TN 37206
Mobile: 615-972-4239 Office: 615-650-7447
barryo@realtracs.com
Begin forwarded message:
From: Shane Ford <goufgators01@gmail.com>
Subject: [gatornews] Pat Dooley's Back Nine: Who Would I Start At QB For Florida?
Date: September 9, 2024 at 1:31:53 PM CDT
To: GatorNews <gatornews@googlegroups.com>
Reply-To: gatornews+owners@googlegroups.com
10. DJ Lagway said he was nervous running out on the field as a starting quarterback Saturday night. Didn't look like it. Lagway put together the kind of night Gators fans badly needed. He gave them hope and lived up to the hype. The precision of those deep balls was a beautiful thing to watch. The media boys and girls will make this into more of a controversy than it really is, but all I could think about watching the game was that I wish Lagway had been around for the FSU game last year. And then you hear teammate Tyreak Sapp say this – "I watch that kid closely, and he works super, super hard. So, I already knew what was ahead of him for tonight." And you start to feel good again.
Florida Gators freshman quarterback DJ Lagway throws the ball against the Samford Bulldogs during the second half Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. [Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images]11. I mean, that Miami taste is still in your mouth, and we are all smart enough to know Samford was the one marshmallow in our Lucky Charms. Still, a beautiful pass is a beautiful pass. And a defense that gave up 52 to these guys played really well against what was basically, the same line that played here in 2021, holding Samford under 100 yards in the second half with the game still in doubt. Now, it gets interesting. There are no more free passes. The brutal schedule has been softened slightly, but it is still what it is starting with Texas A&M in The Swamp.
12. So, this will be the hot take on radio. Not mine, but it will be THE hot take. You have to start Lagway. Forget that Aggies coach Mike Elko is going to throw some exotic defenses at him. Forget that he would be starting against a team from his home state. Forget that this is not Samford. You know what you saw. Now, all of that said. I'd still start a healthy Graham Mertz. But what do I know?
13. Here is what I think I know – the SEC is surprisingly top heavy this season. Texas, Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee (not because of the quarterback, but because of the defense). I can't put Alabama in the top tier, because I watched that game against USF. LSU has a chance. But I guess what I am trying to say is that I am surprised so many teams that looked like they might take a step toward the top have not been anything special.
14. Notre Dame would fit right in with them after losing to Northern Illinois despite getting some incredibly bad calls go its way. As ESPN's Heather Dinich pointed out, Notre Dame may not have the schedule to go 10-2 and make it into the 12-team playoff. Hey, we are two weeks in and we're already having fun. FSU is 0-2, Oregon is playing like a Pac-12 team in the new Big Ten, Michigan is back to being bad and Kentucky looked like it hasn't been practicing. So, despite what the Gators do, this is shaping up to be a lot of fun. Aren't they all?
15. It was another winning week for The Picks as Dr. Football went 2-1-1 to put the record for the season at 6-3-1. I remember the 1968 Gators went 6-3-1. That led to Ray Graves getting pushed out after the following season. I'm not going anywhere. On to this week:
The mighty Gators are underdogs again this week and we are facing the real possibility Florida will not be favored in a single game this year (there was no spread on the Samford game). I'll take the Agriculturalists and give the four points. Sorry, that opening game has scarred me.
FSU is a 4.5-point favorite at home against Memphis and there is a real possibility the Semis could start the season 0-3. Naw, they have to win this one, right? I'll take FSU.
LSU is giving eight points to South Carolina and the question I have is whether the Gamies are that good or Kentucky is that surprisingly bad. I'll take the other USC and the points.
Alabama is favored by 16.5 at Wisconsin. Do they have cable in Vegas? The Tide looked awful against USF before pulling away late. I'll bet against 'Bama, which is a good way to lose money.
16. One thing about the NFL getting started is that you should not overreact to the first week. Then again, why not? I will say that not playing fantasy football made for a fun Sunday with the Red Zone. I was supposed to give my wildcard picks last week, but I had so much to say about the Gators' game I ran out of room. So, here they are: Steelers, Bengals, Texans, Eagles, Lions, Rams. Go knock yourself out.
17. It wasn't the best of weekends for Florida's other two fall sports, as both were handed their first losses. Volleyball lost at home to USF in five sets and is now 5-1 with a big match Wednesday at Georgia Tech. Soccer was throttled by FSU 3-0 and is now 2-1-3 for the season. The soccer team hosts both Texas and Oklahoma this season, which will be cool.
18. My wife walked our crazy dog twice this weekend and said it was like "taking a walk in a bowl of hot soup." I'm using that someday. She's not only beautiful, but a great writer. I am neither. Here is your playlist:
WRUF.com sports columnist Pat Dooley can be heard on "The Tailgate" along with Jeff Cardozo from 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday on 98.1-FM/AM-850 WRUF.
Sent from Shane's iPhone
Go Gators!
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorNews" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gatornews+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gatornews/EAAD081F-E149-4C8B-AED6-7BC9F23E9C9C%40gmail.com.
Those with direct tv did not realize how lucky they were not to have to watch the product Florida put on the field!
Sent from my iPhone
On Sep 4, 2024, at 4:05 PM, John Vega <zebulon@gate.net> wrote:
The joke's on them, I don't care if I watch the rest of our season.
-John
On Sep 4, 2024, at 3:00 PM, Shane Ford <goufgators01@gmail.com> wrote:
<image0.jpeg>
DIRECTTV subscribers in North Central Florida and throughout the country were blacked out of Disney-owned channels starting on Sept. 1 due to a contract dispute between the carrier and the company.
Now, DIRECTV is taking its case directly to the SEC.
DIRECTV Head of State & Local Affairs Hamlin Wade sent letters to SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, and chancellors and presidents throughout the conference to try to pressure Disney into lowering its price point. The Disney Networks include ABC, the ESPN family of networks, the SEC Network and ACC Network.
"Fan loyalty is at the core of our mission," Wade wrote. "We want to offer maximum choice and value by empowering fans to choose the content they want at lower price points, not forcing them to accept a bloated bundle of expensive channels they don't watch.
"Instead of digging in their heels and demanding the status quo, we need Disney to work with us to create more flexible options that better serve today's consumer preferences."
Disney acquired the rights to all SEC football games as part of its landmark 10-year, $3 billion deal that begins this year and runs through 2034. The SEC posted the following response to the contract dispute on Sunday.
<image1.jpeg>
Florida football plays on Saturday against Samford on Saturday on SEC Network Plus (7 p.m.), a game that won't be available to Florida Gators fans who subscribe to DIRECTV.
Sent from Shane's iPhone
Go Gators!
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorNews" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gatornews+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gatornews/1C13A7A0-B66D-4DA7-9CA9-775954BFA621%40gmail.com.
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gatortalk+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gatortalk/87CD1356-515F-450F-AAA1-9C303CEBC3D2%40gate.net.
The joke's on them, I don't care if I watch the rest of our season.
-John
On Sep 4, 2024, at 3:00 PM, Shane Ford <goufgators01@gmail.com> wrote:
DIRECTTV subscribers in North Central Florida and throughout the country were blacked out of Disney-owned channels starting on Sept. 1 due to a contract dispute between the carrier and the company.
Now, DIRECTV is taking its case directly to the SEC.
DIRECTV Head of State & Local Affairs Hamlin Wade sent letters to SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, and chancellors and presidents throughout the conference to try to pressure Disney into lowering its price point. The Disney Networks include ABC, the ESPN family of networks, the SEC Network and ACC Network.
"Fan loyalty is at the core of our mission," Wade wrote. "We want to offer maximum choice and value by empowering fans to choose the content they want at lower price points, not forcing them to accept a bloated bundle of expensive channels they don't watch.
"Instead of digging in their heels and demanding the status quo, we need Disney to work with us to create more flexible options that better serve today's consumer preferences."
Disney acquired the rights to all SEC football games as part of its landmark 10-year, $3 billion deal that begins this year and runs through 2034. The SEC posted the following response to the contract dispute on Sunday.
Florida football plays on Saturday against Samford on Saturday on SEC Network Plus (7 p.m.), a game that won't be available to Florida Gators fans who subscribe to DIRECTV.
Sent from Shane's iPhone
Go Gators!
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorNews" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gatornews+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gatornews/1C13A7A0-B66D-4DA7-9CA9-775954BFA621%40gmail.com.
Probably my favorite year as a Gator fan. I did get to attend the conference winning game at Lexington. That was the coldest game I've ever been to. Good times back at the Hilton that night as I traded a Gator hat to the bartender for free drinks all night. The flight back to Florida was miserable as I had one of the worse hangovers of my life. We flew into Melbourne and immediately checked into a hotel and I slept for about 8-9 hours. Go Gators!!
On 8/28/2024 10:14 AM, Shane Ford wrote:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The 51-year wait was over, and Florida's Eastern Airlines charter descended from the North Florida skies on the evening of Nov. 17, 1984.
The Gators had won at Kentucky, 25-17, earlier that day and on the trip home, the pilot delivered a special message that prompted an in-flight celebration they still recall as if it were yesterday.
"It was just a great feeling that we finally did it,'' said Billy Hinson, a starting offensive lineman that season. "It made it even more of a great experience."
The announcement that caused the Gators to transform their flight home into a block party: No. 9 LSU, which fifth-ranked Florida tied in the second game of the season, had lost at Mississippi State. Florida's win at Kentucky, coupled with LSU's loss in Starkville, clinched UF's first Southeastern Conference championship since the league was formed in 1933.
Ricky Nattiel, a standout sophomore receiver on the '84 team who would play six seasons with the NFL's Denver Broncos, holds the memory tight 40 years later.
"It had never been done, first and foremost,'' Nattiel said. "We just erupted on the plane, and of course, the town just went wild the whole night."
The Gators saw how wild it was when the pilot, aware of what was happening at Florida Field, buzzed the stadium twice before landing at Gainesville Regional Airport.
The players couldn't believe their eyes.
"There were thousands of people in the stadium waiting for us,'' Hinson said. "There were a lot of fans who embraced that win because they felt what we felt. We always had talent on paper. It didn't look like we would lose a game, but historically, there would always be one or two that we would lose until that year.
"We came together like we had never done before. That's what it really came down to."
The 1984 Gators will soon come together again.
The University Athletic Association announced Tuesday that it is welcoming back Florida's first on-field SEC championship team for the Oct. 19 home game against Kentucky. The team members will participate in Gator Walk and be recognized on the field during the game.
"We are excited to welcome the 1984 Gators football team back to campus for the Kentucky game and Homecoming weekend,'' UF athletic director Scott Stricklin said. "It will be a wonderful opportunity to recognize them for their special accomplishments while allowing them the opportunity to reconnect with their teammates and friends."
The 1984 season is one of the most memorable in program history for those who lived it.
The Gators opened the season in Tampa with a 32-20 loss to Miami in the first college football night game ever televised by ESPN. Seven days later, they tied LSU during the home opener. Florida beat Tulane the following week at Florida Field, but with an ongoing NCAA investigation into the program, head coach Charley Pell resigned after Week 3.
Enter assistant coach Galen Hall, the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach working with a freshman walk-on named Kerwin Bell from tiny Mayo, Fla. Hall was named interim head coach, and the Gators took off with Bell emerging as one of the top quarterbacks in school history.
The Gators reeled off six consecutive wins under Hall, including a 27-0 drubbing of Georgia, before landing in Lexington ranked No. 5 at 7-1-1. LSU was 7-1-1 and ranked ninth. By the end of that chilly and overcast day at Commonwealth Stadium, the Gators had taken care of their part by beating the Wildcats behind six field goals from Bobby Raymond and an interception by Adrian White with less than two minutes remaining. Mississippi State then lent a hand two hours later to give the Gators the outright SEC title. Hall was officially named head coach after the victory.
Florida beat Florida State in the regular-season finale and started the 1985 season 7-0-1 as Hall began his tenure with a 16-0-1 record until a loss to Georgia.
"I can compare that team to any team that has played at Florida, and there have been some good ones, no question," Nattiel said. "There was a lot of NFL talent on that team. I'm being biased, but at the same time, I'm being realistic — that team is one of the best teams to ever play at the University of Florida on sheer talent alone."
Hinson came to Florida from the tiny town of Hilliard, north of Jacksonville, near the Georgia border. He grew up a Gators fan and understood then and now what winning the program's first SEC title after so many close calls meant.
"The term 'wait till next year' started with us. It started with the Gators,'' Hinson said. "We had a lot of talent on that team, but what was missing was that intangible, that connectedness, and it all came together in that Kentucky game when we knew our backs were against the wall and this was our chance to win.
"I think a lot of that history has been forgotten. We were undefeated in the SEC. Through the probation and all the allegations that were happening at the time, it was just a wonderful experience for our team. A lot of things transpired after that, but at that time, that Kentucky game was definitely the highlight of our career."
Nattiel and Hinson hope to see many former teammates return to Florida Field for the Kentucky game. Forty years later, they have a lot to celebrate and want to introduce younger generations of fans to Florida's first SEC championship team.
"This is going to be great. Number one, it proves that Gators don't forget about our past,'' Hinson said. "We embrace that. The foundation, the legacy is still there. I think this is a great opportunity to show the present team that, 'Hey, we don't forget about our teams.' This shows them a lot of things that can benefit the present team. There was a lot of adversity. It was tough. We put it all to the side and just came together and tried to win every game."
Nattiel calls Gainesville home and occasionally shows up to watch the Gators practice. The program has reached unimaginable heights since that flight home in 1984.
He said if some of his teammates have felt forgotten over the years, this is an opportunity for them to be remembered in a special way.
"I'm hoping this kind of breaks the mold and starts the mending,'' he said. "It's the best institution in the world. I love it to death. That will never change for me personally, but everyone is different. I hope we show up in big numbers, and I hope they start showing up more."
Sent from Shane's iPhone
Go Gators!
-- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorNews" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to gatornews+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gatornews/C9DE44E2-FDDE-4574-885B-48E1E6936978%40gmail.com.
