UF Against The World
by mlmintampa on Oct 29, 2009 12:00 AM EDT
in Florida Football
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PrintWin or lose, the Georgia game can make or break Florida's season. In a year of no dominant teams (well, TCU and Cincinnati excluded), one beat down can restore the shine to Florida's crown, kill the distractions and put them back on a straight path to Atlanta and Pasadena. Another mess of a game just continues the heartburn. A loss, and you can kiss the BCS goodbye.
Distractions come with being the defending champions and they keep piling up. First, it is losing Percy Harvin, Louis Murphy and Dan Mullen. Then, it's Lane Kiffin and Tim Tebow having to do too much. Now it is that Charlie Strong is Teflon and Steve Addazio is toxic.
But Urban Meyer is circling the wagons.
"There's going to be negative," Meyer said, reiterating his message to the team. "Whether it's right or wrong, the way it is people want to see people fail. That's the way it is. Our job is not to change human nature. Our job is to control the football team and each other and continue to have a very close family atmosphere, family chemistry. And we have that."
That the players are feeling the same heartburn as the fans is a good thing. But Meyer is turning around the press clippings and blog posts that says this Gators team isn't good enough. In the past, Meyer was willing to keep telling the team they weren't good enough. Now, he has to do the reverse to inspire the team. If Meyer does it and Florida starts winning they way they should be winning, it is the finest coaching job of his career. At this point, no one is expecting Florida to roll up 40 point wins like last season. But we do expect Florida to finish their opponents, which they would have done against Mississippi State had they not had Tebow throwing from inside his end zone.
Florida needs to perform well against Georgia and show the finish that they did last year and in 2006. Maybe this time around, it will take pats on the back from Meyer to do it.
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The thing I've learned from reading AA the last few weeks is...
…mlm, you’re quite clearly one of the negatives Meyer is circling the wagons against. You’ve turned the corner from hard-core to hater.
Tebow is “lazy”? To say nothing of your fanatical Addazio hatred. You’ve let Championship Mode loose full-time on your posting, and to many of us Gators, it’s a bit embarrassing.
Kind of like reading all the shit I said in the heat of the moment during our recent games carefully considered for a few days, then posted in public. Not a good idea.
Wow.
I, for one, think you’re completely off-base with that assesment. For the most part, nothing that’s been said here has been all that out of line with some whispers in the traditional media and the talk of educated fans. Not only do I think it’s perfectly fine for mlm to hold these beliefs and share them with us, but I happen to agree with the ones you chose to single out. If you disagree with the legitimate criticism that has been levied against the likes of Tim Tebow and Steve Addazio, then I have to believe you’ve been watching a different UF team this year. And if you truly feel as you say you do, then may I suggest you exercise your right to get your fill of Gator news elsewhere. Heck, I’m sure there must be some rosey echo chamber out there for simple sycophants like you…
"A player who conjugates a verb in the first person singular cannot be part of the squad, he has to conjugate the verb in the first person plural. We. We want to conquer. We are going to conquer. Using the word 'I' when you're in a group makes things complicated." ~ Wanderley Luxemburgo, 1999
Just because he’s Tim Tebow does not mean he is immune to criticism. In the last two games, Meyer has said that Tebow “is holding the ball too long” and “is not playing at his highest level”. Everyone has the option to watch the games through rose colored glasses, but I choose not to. Also, why would I say something during a game that I didn’t actually think? Add curse words and most of this stuff I say to my friends during games. I’m not an expert, I just play one on this series of tubes.
You point out what I alluded to in the post; blog posts (mine included), along with newspaper reports and facebook updates are seen by every player on the team. Players are pretty good about ignoring most of it, but when ESPN and your friends talk about it, you can’t ignore it. By framing it as Us Against The World, Meyer is protecting his players, which is what other members of the coaching staff have not done (your boy Addazio).
I don’t have a problem with anything you’ve said, but don’t you dare go after Championship Mode. Championship Mode is great and makes women and children happy. It did nothing to you, sir.
mlmintampa
UF C/O 06
Championship Mode is great, but...
as you’ve pointed out, it’s not an everyday kind of thing. I think the team’s frustrating play on the field has led you to get into that place in your posting more often than not of late.
By no means am I suggesting Tebow is immune from criticism. I agree that he hasn’t been playing up to snuff this year, and that his struggles are a major factor in the team’s inconsistency. That’s different from saying he’s "lazy." I mean, what about Tim Tebow suggests laziness? The problem is one of tone, not content.
I also happen to agree that the play-calling, especially near the goal line, has been highly questionable at best. But your fixation on Addazio is a bit disturbing at times. He deserves criticism, but my point is that there’s a line between criticism of your team and being a hater. God knows the Gators have enough of the latter these days without our own fans joining in the cacophony.
And by the way, Championship Mode has actually cost me much throughout my life, including shattered furniture, bruised knuckles and damaged relationships.
SEVEN - ZERO
I just think its absurd how beseiged this team is. Or even media reports of it being beseiged, whatever. It’s ridiculous. We’re one of 7 undefeated teams in the nation. We have a 17 game winning streak, for f’s sake. We have what is shaping up to be one of the greatest defenses in the history of the sport. I for one am enjoying the ride.
There's still 7 undefeated teams?!
geez – didn’t knoe we had that much company.
I was hoping to just enjot the ride this season, but that Arky game nearly gave me a coronary. MSU wasn’t a whole lot better. We don’t need to blow everyone out, but can we at least be up by more than a score in the 3rd quarter for a change?!
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