Live, finally, from Boston.
It is 28 degrees in Boston right now. But not to worry, it's about to warm up. Wednesday's high will be 34.
Anyway, to those of you who kept with Alligator Army during our mini-hiatus, thank you so much. I still have stops left this month in Denver, Aspen, and Tampa, so I cannot make a guarantee as to when I will post. So, I'm stealing one of Bill Simmons' old tricks and rambling along.
- I really don't care if Tebow wins the Heisman. But, I'll still yell at the TV if he loses and be ecstatic if he wins. However, after the top two teams lose and a two-loss team is in the BCS, if someone tells you they are certain Tebow will win the Heisman, they are insane. As this Tampa Trib article points out, there is plenty of anti-Tebow momentum out there. Some of it is based on his age, others based on his role in the offense (the dreaded `system quarterback'). You and I both know that these arguments are garbage. But the fact remains that these voters are traditionalists. They gave awards to Ron Dayne and Chris Weinke. And they didn't give one to Peyton Manning (remember he didn't win enough). The Heisman should not be used to validate a player's national status. Until you decrease the number of voters, nullifying the possibility of fringe players stealing votes, the award cannot be used for that. (Also, the winners get a vote. They are more snobby that your average Gator grad.) Yes, it would be nice to win something this season. But, I rather have Tebow resting his broken hand and not lifting up statues.
- Another Tebow note; my sister is in sixth grade in Tampa and has to do a report about someone she admires. Of course, she picks Tebow. The best part is that she's planning on writing that he runs a 4.4 on water. She understands that is a joke, but her class probably doesn't. So it will really scare the idiots who root for FSU.
- In regards to this comment, who said I have to be objective? The point of the exercise was to identify four teams I thought had a claim at a title game birth. In most years, the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 10, and SEC would have the most logical claims. That, said, hell yes the SEC winner should get a shot over anyone else. After Auburn was shut out, I sort of feel like every SEC fan became extra defensive about our league, including me. Last year's win by UF, in dominating fashion over an unbeatable Big Ten team, increased those feelings. When we still determine our winners by opinion, stats don't matter. Just ask the people voting against Tebow for the Heisman.
- I didn't get to write anything about volleyball before I began my sojourn. That's a shame because one of the best things I did in Gainesville was cover the Gator volleyball team for The Independent Florida Alligator. I got to see Angie McGinnis and Marcie Hampton in their freshman seasons and even got a tutorial from Mary Wise. (You have no idea how complicated volleyball is. Besides, how cool is it that a coach would take time out to educate student writers? I can't imagine Billy or Urban doing that.) The Gators, even without an injured Hampton, have a legit shot at the Final Four as the regionals are taking place in Gainesville this weekend. Getting there would be nice, but in Wise's 16 previous the Gators have gotten to the final match once, despite being the SEC's heavyweight. Hopefully, with McGinnis leading the charge, the Gators can get their first ring. Maybe then people will see that the best coach in Gainesville is a woman.
- Boston is the capital of sports in America, but it is a wasteland when it comes to college athletics. I was commiserating about that with an Auburn fan today. That's how bad it is here; you become friendly with Auburn fans.
- I can't fault CI and Derrick Harvey for considering the NFL Draft. You always want a player to stay for his senior year. But, if someone offered you a lot of money to quit school after three years, you'd leave too. Both guys have a long way to go in terms of skills, but give them credit in that they know what NFL people want; potential. Harvey and Ingram are freakish athletes, playing positions in need in the NFL. Harvey is in the mold of an Osi Umenyiora, in that he could put his hand down or stand up rush. (Of course, the flipside is Giant fans' being upset with his progress.) CI follows the prototype built by Tony Gonzalez and perfected by Antonio Gates; big, fast, and good hands. CI's problem is he can lose track of the ball (catching it in his chest) and he needs to learn how to run routes better. My worry is that this, and the Oh-Fours leaving for the NBA, sets a precedent for future Gators regardless of sport, to leave after three seasons.
- Finally, a sign the Gator Nation is everywhere; when I took the train home Monday, there was a guy and his wife wearing Gator stuff. Of course, I said `Go Gators.' We talked for a little and he mentioned he saw Dan Mullen in an airport recently, so we talked about him too. At least I know there are some friendlies up here. I guess I have to start looking for more, especially females. Because there is no way a non-Gator is going to let me name my kids William Urban and Timothy Joakim.