Theater of Operations, Florida Gators Season Review: Pre-Bowl Game Housekeeping

The Florida Gators finished off a very dicey season with a sparkling 6-6 record. Based on records alone, the Gators finished somewhere between No. 7 and No. 9 in the SEC. Things could be worse, though: We could be in hanging out with Kentucky, Ole Miss or Tennessee fans around the holidays. As you probably know by now, those three teams are the only SEC squads that won't be attending a bowl game this year.

I know this is not what we expected at all heading into the season, but it does happen from time to time. That isn't to say that I'm comfortable with it, by any means; I'm pretty sure that the lowest SEC finish that I'd ever really be comfortable with every now and then would be around No. 5.

But that's not what this article is all about. As you know, Theater of Operations prides itself on ... well, let me get back to you on that. Anyway, the bottom line is that it's basically two to three hours at a time watching play after play after play (though ESPN, CBS and the SEC Digital Network sometimes do a great job in slicing it down), and making so many screen captures you have to purchase not one, but two 8GB flash drives. (Ed.: Dude, just buy an external hard drive.)

But hey, Alligator Army is in the business of pleasing you, the reader. So, after the jump, there are a few questions (and suggestions) that I'd like to throw out there; your answers will go a long way in improving Theater of Operations not only this year, but in the future as well.

First, the main question:

• Would you rather the Theater of Operations position-by-position breakdown occur before or after the bowl game?

I'm not proposing doing an entire Theater of Operations on, say, the center or right end positions. I'm thinking positions like quarterback, running back, wide receivers, defensive line, defensive backs and so on. Some (if not all) of the positions would require more than one breakdown.

Now, for the general housekeeping questions:

• Do you like the multiple colors used for offense and defense, or should they just be done with one color?
• Is saying (so and so is in yellow circle) necessary?
• Should video of the play in question be included within the breakdown? (For this to happen, the game would have had to have been broadcasted on an ESPN affiliated channel/network.)
• In general, is the length good enough? A typical Theater of Operations covers anywhere from three to five plays: would you like to see more or less?
• Should the schedule be changed in any way? The recap editions were primarily on Mondays and Tuesdays, and occasionally on Sundays. The preview editions were exclusively on Fridays. Does that seem like a good schedule going forward?

And, also:

• What about a basketball Theater of Operations? Obviously, these would cover things like fast-breaks, pick and rolls, low post play and the like. I find it hard to believe that people would want to see a breakdown of Walker and Boynton jacking threes all night. But, contrary to popular belief, I have been known to be wrong on the rarest of occasions.

If I didn't highlight an area of concern for you, don't be afraid to say it in the comments or send me an email if you wish to share your thoughts that way.