Why having closed practices sucks

by mlmintampa on Aug 6, 2010 6:00 AM EDT in Florida Football

I realize some of you are not fans of the Fourth Estate, but note this exchange from the Palm Beach Post;

Linebacker Brandon Hicks said it is unclear if the team how often the team will have three or four linebackers on the field. Black said the team currently is running out of a 4-3 base like it did last year.

For the sake of argument, we will assume that Hicks is being coy with the reporter. That's probably what he was told to do by the UAA. But as fans of the team, we have no idea how much UF will run a 4-3 because no one who speaks to us saw it. Hell, the least UF can do is allow a pool reporter like the White House Press Corps.

Hicks' comment about the 4-3 was probably the most notable news to come from Thursday's practices. John Brantley is leading by example, there is a cornerback spot open and a steel-cage match for the linebacker spots. Urban Meyer has scheduled a ladder match, with the MLB spot being determined by climbing a ladder and grabbing a briefcase hanging in the air at the French Fries on campus. Jelani Jenkins and Jon Bostic will face off in that match. Unless UF goes to a 3-4.

If you have been able to see practice through the blue tarps at the practice fields or the top of the 3rd base stands at McKethan, let us know in the comments.

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Comments

Can't wait for the post-practice pressers?

I for one am glad Coach Meyer decided to close the practices to the public. I’d rather see our guys focused on football without all the distractions from the media (that includes your “boy” Fowler), those who may be plain up to no good, and overzealous fans. After the Maurkice Pouncey incident, Coach feels more of a need to protect his players from unscrupulous types such as “runners” of agents and the like, and I don’t blame him for doing so.

His decision may have ruffled a few fan feathers (and sprung up a few childish rants on the message boards), but it was in the best interests of Florida football that the decision was made. I’m OK with it.

Check out my "Talk of the Town" blog at www.gatorenvy.com

by O-town Gator on Aug 6, 2010 6:29 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

+1. Agree 100%.

The Once and Future King

by FlaGators on Aug 6, 2010 8:47 AM EDT up reply actions

overzealous fans

Pot meet kettle.
By the way, they went from two open practices to zero. There wasn’t much to see to begin with and now there is nothing to see. I was hoping the UAA would get rid of their Baghdad Bob mentality when Steve Babik got sent to prison.

mlmintampa
UF C/O 06
http://www.alligatorarmy.com

by mlmintampa on Aug 6, 2010 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions

Fans who feel as though they're "entitled"...

…really irritate me.

I don’t blame Urban one bit; his main motive for doing so is to look out fo the best interests of his players after all this “agent” crap hit the media – that, and make sure no players are interfered with in a way that would otherwise violate NCAA rules. One never knows – shady types could be surreptitiously lurking about, and Big Brother in Kansas City won’t be looking the other way.

Let me ask a rhetorical question: Is it better that practices be closed to the public and media with the end result being a very successful season, or to see our players distracted, discord in the locker room that upsets team unity, or something else happen that causes us to be in hot water with the NCAA, let alone affect the outcome of the season adversely? Myself, I prefer the former.

Check out my "Talk of the Town" blog at www.gatorenvy.com

by O-town Gator on Aug 6, 2010 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions

The problem with closed practices is that no one sees anything, so we have to dig deeper for information. That’s putting kids on the spot 10 minutes after they just sweated their balls off. Players should not be getting asked about X’s and O’s because they could reveal inside information. Instead, they are getting asked about X’s and O’s because no one saw what was going on.
And with all due respect, there is no way in hell closing two practices that were once opened is going to impact the team. It impacts the fans most. Besides, you write a blog. Wouldn’t you want as much information about the team as possible? Otherwise people gravitate to message boards and let piles of shit become rumors passed as fact.
As for the “entitled” dig, I don’t know at what point a fan feels “entitled” to anything. But part of college sports is the sense that this really is your team because you went to that school or your tax dollars paid for that field. And forgive me if I find it strange that people can lean on a batting cage in Tampa and watch the Yankees take batting practice in February, but can’t watch the Gators practice in August.

mlmintampa
UF C/O 06
http://www.alligatorarmy.com

by mlmintampa on Aug 6, 2010 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions

I make it a point that my information comes from reliable outlets. I detest rumor-mongering with a passion, and I need not expound on that. If it means waiting for information to be disclosed the right way, so be it. I want to know the truth, not heresay.

Given what’s recently transpired over the past few months, as I see it there’s method in the madness. The UAA is only “looking out for number one”, and as a loyal fan and booster myself I don’t ever want to see us in another predicament as were were in the 1980’s or what schools like USC and that school out west are in now because they ran afoul of NCAA rules and demonstrated lack of institutional control. Sadly, a casualty of the internet age is that anything adverse, be it truth or fiction, hits cyberspace at the drop of a hat. I care enough about this program that I don’t want some renegade media hack, rumor-monger or other sleazeball trying to undermine what we’re attempting to accomplish this year.

Check out my "Talk of the Town" blog at www.gatorenvy.com

by O-town Gator on Aug 6, 2010 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Wait...

… so the argument for closing practices is so that the players can focus on football? So there aren’t reporters hanging around outside the gates waiting for guys to leave the practice field? There aren’t reporters asking more questions because they can’t watch practice for themselves? There aren’t going to be overzealous fans climbing trees and parking garages to try to catch a glimpse?

Sorry, I don’t get how fully closing practice will eliminate distractions. And like mlm said above, last year there were two open practices, so it’s not like this went from NFL training camps (which are a fan event in the towns they’re held in) to a CIA briefing. Why not let us fans in for day or two? You don’t have to show us your playbooks. Let us see the new guys work out, or Brantley chuck a few balls around. Have a little 7 on 7 and keep us entertained for an afternoon. I just don’t buy into the “keep them focused on football” excuse. They signed on to be NCAA football players at one of the most covered schools in the country. They should be able to handle a couple hundred eyes on them during practice for a day.

by Karl Selvig on Aug 6, 2010 10:34 AM EDT reply actions

I think we could have an excellent 3-4 defense

Big Omar Hunter is a pure nose tackle and i think he would have a much better year playing the nose guard rather than the 1 techinique DT. our defenseive ends are pretty big, Trattou is built kinda like a darker Jared Allen, i cant really remember how big Lemmens is but from the hazy memory i have of him he was no tiny man. Plus with 6-7 linden Trail or Ronald Powell helping out the end spot we can be very strong there. I know that at least one of our corners has the potential to be a shut down man, aka Janoris Jenkins, he did it his freshamn year and i think hell be out for blood after that crap sophmore season, and our safeties are going to be excellent no matter what defense theyre running. This would also put an end the the position battle at MLB since they would both be on the field i think its a great idea.

by gatorempire127 on Aug 6, 2010 10:45 AM EDT reply actions