Tebow drives the ball 360 yards; Waffles between Caddyshack and Happy Gilmore

I offer you proof that Tim Tebow is indeed fallible. He would rather watch Happy Gilmore than Caddyshack...

GAINESVILLE -- Tim Tebow is in Los Angeles today for the filming of the 2008 ESPY Awards. ESPN will air the show at 9 p.m. on Sunday. Tebow was a consensus all-American and won the Heisman, Maxwell and Davey O'Brien Awards last season and now Tebow can add Best Male College Athlete of the Year to that list. (Assuming he wins, wink-wink.)

Tebow, his brother and father played in the ESPY Awards celebrity golf scramble on Tuesday. Gator Clause caught up with Tebow shortly after he walked off the 18th green. Most of the questions were lighthearted and fun. We'll have plenty of time to ask Tebow SERIOUS questions about football before the season starts.

GATOR CLAUSE: How's the golf game these days?
TEBOW: "It needs improvement. Unfortunately, I don't have enough time to work on fixing the hook."

GATOR CLAUSE: So, what's the worst aspect of your golf game?
TEBOW: "That's a good question. I can be talented at times and make some good golf shots and drive the ball pretty far and do some nice things but the consistency of doing it over and over is a problem."

GATOR CLAUSE: What's your longest drive?
TEBOW: "Oh, you know. Probably 360 or 365. Somewhere in there."

GATOR CLAUSE: What did you shoot today?
TEBOW: "I shot a 94 and my brother [Peter, a senior at UF], who was my partner, shot an 85."

GATOR CLAUSE: What was the format?
TEBOW: "We were playing two-person, low ball, low total. My brother beat me but we were on a team. But we still lost to my dad."

GATOR CLAUSE: Since we're on the golf theme, which is a better golf comedy: Happy Gilmore or Caddyshack?
TEBOW: "I'm going to say Caddyshack is funnier to me. Well, I mean, I think Caddyshack is funnier to most people but what's funnier to me would be Happy Gilmore. It's more my style and it's a more recent movie. Caddyshack is a classic and I know most people would say that's one of the best movies ever but I have to go with Happy Gilmore. If I had to pick one to watch right now it would be Happy Gilmore."

GATOR CLAUSE: What was the most surreal conversation you had today with a celebrity?
TEBOW: "I was talking with Keith Jackson and I wanted him to say "Whoa, neelie!" but I held it in."

GATOR CLAUSE: Who do you want to sit next to at the ESPYs?
TEBOW: [Laughs...and then more laughs, as if blushing through the phone.] "I don't know. I don't really care. It has never been a huge goal of mine or anything. But obviously it's cool to see a lot of cool people. It's interesting and fun because you get to meet some people and build some relationships."

GATOR CLAUSE: Who did you meet?
TEBOW: "Eli Manning was cool. Keith Jackson. Ray Allen and some of the Celtics guys."

GATOR CLAUSE: The ESPY Awards thing is kind of gimmicky but it raises awareness for a good cause, cancer research. How has the disease affected the lives of people close to you?
TEBOW: "The Jimmy V Foundation does great work. Cancer affects everybody and it has definitely affected people close to me. It has affected my grandma, an uncle and several of my best friends' parents."

GATOR CLAUSE: Coach Meyer recently had a birthday. Did you get him anything?
TEBOW: "Maybe a pat on the back. No, I just got back from a mission trip. I got to wish him happy birthday but I didn't get him anything. I plan on getting him a few victories this year...hopefully...maybe."

GATOR CLAUSE: Where was this latest mission trip to?
TEBOW: "Thailand." (Tebow's older sister lives in Thialand.)

GATOR CLAUSE: Have you offered Coach Meyer to play safety yet?
TEBOW: [LAUGHS] "No, I haven't thrown that out there yet."

GATOR CLAUSE: Complete this sentence: Ahmad Black is a bit undersized but he can ...
TEBOW: "... make up for it with great athleticism, heart and skill at his position."

GATOR CLAUSE: What have you worked on the most this offseason?
TEBOW: "I've worked on everything but the main focus going into fall camp will be not always trying to make the big play and being content with taking the check down and always try to put my team in the best position possible and making great decisions play in and play out."

-jo-

Gators to invade China; Plus Carl Weathers and Chuck Norris references

Before we get started, I've got some really important news to pass along. I adopted another dog today. His name is Cahaba. Here's a picture. A free Gator Clause T-shirt goes to anyone who can tell me the significance behind the name Cahaba.

GAINESVILLE -- Got a UF-related Olympics blog post today but first a quick reason for my absence on Sunday.

I didn't post on the blog this weekend because I was busy covering the Coke Zero 400 over at the Daytona International Speedway. Part of my Gators gig in Gainesville involves traveling to places like Daytona, Jacksonville, Tampa, St. Pete and Orlando and covering random sporting events for The Miami Herald. So, don't be surprised to see my byline on a story about Tampa Bay Rays baseball, Jacksonville Jags football or a down-and-dirty report from the Lower Alachua County Roller Derby. (Five bucks to any witty poster who can decode that last literary reference.)

ANYWAY, I saw plenty of Gators fans in Daytona, plenty of bikinis (see picture below) and one overrated actor. You guessed it, Kevin Costner. Costner was at the race pimping his lasted movie, Swing Vote. Very fitting title considering he was in Florida, if you ask me. Costner was arrogant and stuck on himself. I pretty much wanted to soil the media room when he started talking about his band. Costner has a band AND he wrote a song about NASCAR. While he was telling reporters about a Richard Petty lyric in one of his songs (What a tool, right?) I reminded myself that this was the same guy who gave us a movie like The Postman. I secretly wished that Chuck Norris, Mel Gibson and Carl Weathers would walk into the room carrying Scottish swords [PICTURED] with three-foot blades and cut off Costner's head. That's pretty sick, I realize. But I forgive myself and so does Tebow. Of course, Costner also gave us Field of Dreams and Bull Durham, so I guess it evens out.

The sports reporters covering the race were only allowed to as Costner a couple of questions. I had my hand up but the press conference proctor ended the interview before I could shout mi pregunta across the room: Can your fans expect a sequel to "Water World" anytime soon?"

Like I was saying, the University of Florida swimming program will be well represented in the 2008 Beijing Games by three UF swimmers: Dara Torres, Ryan Lochte and Caroline Burckle. Torres, Lochte and Burckle will now join Team Michael Phelps for what is being dubbed by ... well, just me ... as the Chinese Takeover.

In addition to the three Gators swimmers, UF swim coach Gregg Troy has been asked to be an assistant coach at the Olympics with Team Michael Phelps. (I'm trying to nail down an interview with Troy this week for you guys.)

Torres was the Olympic Trails' second biggest story next to Phelps. Torres, who is 41 years old, will be competing in her fifth Olympic Games. She qualified in the 100- and 50-meter freestyle sprints. Burckle, NCAA Swimmer of the Year in 2008, qualified in the 200-meter freestyle. She will also swim in the 4x200-meter relay. Lochte qualified in the 400- and 200-meter individual medley races and the 200-meter breaststroke.

Nine other former or current Gators qualified for Beijing.
Gators Representing Other Countries in Beijing:
Bradley Ally, Barbados
Brett Fraser, The Cayman Islands
Shaune Fraser, The Cayman Islands
Gabriel Mangabeira, Brazil
Ricardo Monasterio, Venezuela
Omar Pinzon, Colombia
Adam Sioui, Canada
Gemma Spofforth, Great Britain
J.B. Walsh, Philippines

Swimming, of course, isn't the only thing Gators are good at. They can run, too. Here's the list of Gators who qualified for track and field events in the Beijing Games.

Hazel Clark, U.S., 800 meters
Kristin Heaston, U.S., shot put
Kerron Clement, U.S., 400 hurdles
Mariam Kevkhishvili, Georgia, shot put
Tianda Ponteen, St. Kitts, 400 meters
Calvin Smith, U.S., 4x400 meters
Novlene Williams, Jamaica, 400 meters

These race fans had been in the infield at Daytona for three days when I took this picture. They said they didn't change or clean the water once and had been drinking in that tub pretty much all day every day. NOT ONE WATER CHANGE. No chlorine or nothing. They were Dick Trickle fans.

-jo-

Preseason mags predict biggest Cocktail Party in years

OK, THE BRAIN TRUST here at Gator Clause is finally getting around to picking up the preseason college football mags. We're looking at four mags this morning -- all laid out on the floor -- and Tim Tebow is staring up from three of them. Cost me a bunch of dough. Or one Dustin Doe. (That's $32.)

GAINESVILLE -- If the prediction polls in the preseason college football magazines are correct, then the hype surrounding the annual rivalry game between Florida and Georgia will be intoxicating once November roles around.

Put it this way. If Florida at LSU (2007) was one big keg of beer (and it was, even in the press box), then the Cocktail Party in 2008 will be shots of pure grain alcohol.

Two preseason mags -- Athlon and Phil Steele's -- have the Gators No.1 in the country. The other two mags -- Lindy's and Sporting News -- have Georgia No.1. Sounds like a showdown in Jacksonville, folks. Hopefully it won't rain like last year.

A few more observations from the mags...
1. Phil Steele must be the world's loneliest man. Also, Steele ranks USF (No.8) ahead of Georgia (No.9).

2. Steele's magazine prints different covers for different parts of the country. There's thumbnail examples of nine covers on the back of the mag I'm looking at. There's apparently a Florida cover with Tebow and Percy Harvin running play-action. For some reason, I have the Alabama cover. (Two fat linemen -- Bama's Andre Smith and Auburn's Lee Ziemba -- are on the cover.) I bought this magazine in the Gainesville Books-A-Million on 13th. Go Figure.

3. If you count Phil Steele's Florida cover and national cover, then Tiny Timmy is on five covers -- Steele's, Lindy's, Sporting News and Athlon.

4. Do Miami and Florida State even exist anymore? Not according to these preseason mags. For some reason, I don't think the 'Noles and 'Canes need any more motivation against the Gators.

5. Tebow looks about 12 years old on page 10 of Sporting News' preseason mag.

6. The best page of all four mags: There's an Altoids add on page 9 of Athlon that's making me laugh. The "curiously strong mint" apparently, "Awakens like a horse whip on the backflesh."

7. USF defensive tackle George Selvie does not get enough love. That guy might be the best college football player in all of Florida.

8. You know how they say Southerners fry just about anything. Well, these silly mags rank just about anything. Athlon actually decided to rank the new coaches of 2007 (last season). Nick Saban is ranked No.8. That seems like a pretty high ranking for a guy that makes $4 million per, went .500 in the conference, finished 7-6 on the year and lost his final four regular-season games, including one to La-Monroe.

9. There's a dancer on the cover of Lindy's that has a scarlet letter 'A' on her chest. That's a bit damning, if you ask me. Sounds like a lawsuit.

10. Something that has always killed me about Tim Tebow, the guy's got no earlobes. Seriously, his ears are just fused to his head like a bat or something. Athlon's cover gives you a good shot of this. My theory has always been that Tebow is a demigod and therefore genetically superior to the rest of us. His ears are streamlined to reduce drag. I think God made it where Tim could play football without a helmet. Here's my preseason prediction: Tim gets his helmet knocked off by an Ohio State lineman on the last play of the game of the 2008 BCS national championship game in Dolphin Stadium, but then Tebow runs for a game-winning touchdown with no helmet.

Here's the rest of the top 10s:

ATHLON
1. Florida
2. Ohio State
3. Oklahoma
4. USC
5. Georgia
6. Missouri
7. West Virginia
8. Auburn (Way overrated!)
9. LSU
10. CLEMSON

Sporting News
1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. USC
4. Oklahoma
5. LSU
6. Missouri
7. Clemson
8. West Virginia
9. Florida
10. Illinois (Question: Did the guys at Sporting News watch the Rose Bowl?)

Lindy's
1. Georgia
2. USC
3. Ohio State
4. Oklahoma
5. Missouri
6. Florida
7. LSU
8. Texas
9. Clemson
10. West Virginia

Phil Steele's
1. Florida
2. Ohio State
3. Oklahoma
4. USC
5. Clemson
6. West Virginia
7. Missouri
8. USF (Canes' and 'Noles pay attention here.)
9. Georgia
10. Penn State

-jo-

If Tim Tebow was a chicken...

GAINESVILLE -- ... he would be impeccable. [baCAULK!] OK, OK. That one's kind of old. But not these:

If Jason Watkins was a freeway, he would be impassable.

If Matt Patchan was a Hurricane, he would blow hard.

If Percy Harvin had a dog, it would be an ankle biter. (And he would teach it to heel.)

If Urban Meyer was German, he would be a Frankfurtor.

I regret the day I ever have to write that Major Wright made the wrong decision in leaving the right cornerback vulnerable.

What does Phil Trautwein drink when he eats fish?

That Frankie Hammond Jr., he's a real cut up.

OK, that's quite enough.

-jo-

Tebow 7/2 odds for the 2008 Heisman; Check out the complete list

GAINESVILLE -- Our friends at Bodoglife.com like to email Gator Clause wager-related nonsense in the hopes that I'll post it on the blog. Guess it worked this time. The Internet betting house recently released early lines on the 2008 Heisman Trophy. Florida's Tim Tebow won the award last year and he's the favorite to win it this year at 7-2 odds.

Listed below is Bodoglife.com's complete Heisman Trophy field as of Wednesday morning. A few things that might be of interest to Florida fans:

1. Florida dynamo Percy Harvin is listed at 15-1 odds. Harvin, of course, is the fella Tebow has tabbed to win the 2008 Heisman. I've learned that it's always a good idea to listen to Tim Tebow. In 2007, Tebow was 10-1 odds to win the Heisman. Harvin and Tebow are the only Florida players listed.

Harvin highlights, courtesy of YouTube.

2. Players with in-state ties you can bet on:

Noel Devine (West Virginia, RB, soph.), Devine is listed at 35-1 odds, this North Fort Myers native once lived with Deion Sanders. Deion tried to be a father figure for troubled little Noel (ironical name, I agree) but Noel whadn't have'n that. He split after three days. True story: Devine once challenged Chris Rainey to a foot race in a parking lot in Lakeland, Fla., and lost by two steps. In the words of Chris Rainey, "I'm like, 'Damn. It's good to be Chris Rainey.'"

Matt Grothe (South Florida, QB, jr.) Dubbed the poor man's Tim Tebow (Boy, does old Grothe hate to hear that.), the Bull's quarterback is long shot to win the Heisman, 60-1.

Here's a pretty good bet. Clemson running back C.J. Spiller (pictured) is listed at 60-1 odds to win the Heisman Trophy. The Lake Butler native snubbed Florida for Tommy Bowden's Tigers but almost transferred to Gainesville after his freshman year. (Why a running back would transfer to Florida -- Hello, Manny Moody! -- with Tebow behind center is beyond me.) Luckily for Spiller he stayed at Clemson and is now poised to have an incredible season in 2008.

3. Surprisingly, there aren't any Miami Hurricanes or Florida State Seminoles listed. One would think FSU receiver Preston Parker would have a better chance to win a Heisman than Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis (70-1). So many Miami quarterbacks have won Heisman Trophies that Robert Marve should be listed by default.

4. Tennessee defensive back Eric Berry intercepted Tim Tebow last season and returned it for a touchdown. Now Berry is listed at 80-1 odds to win the Heisman. Berry will be playing safety this season for the Vols.

Berry chose Tennessee over Florida, among other schools. The sophomore is considered the best defensive back in the Southeastern Conference this season by some preseason mags.

5. Other than Tebow, Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno (10-1 odds) is probably the best bet to win Heisman. If both teams are undefeated when they meet in Jacksonville, then the head-to-head performances of Moreno and Tebow might be a determining factor for many voters.

IN WAGER-RELATED NEWS: Florida and Georgia are both 6-1 odds to win the national championship. USC (3-1) is the favorite. Miami is 35-1, FSU is 50-1 and USF is 100-1.

<>

Eric Berry (Tenn)	80/1
Todd Boeckman (OhioSt.)	35/1
Sam Bradford (Okl)	16/1
Rudy Carpenter (ASU)	35/1
Jimmy Clausen (ND)	80/1
Michael Crabtree (TTech)	10/1
Chase Daniel (Missouri)	8/1
James Davis (Clem)	50/1
Noel Devine (WVU)	35/1
Armanti Edwards (App. State)	100/1
Arian Foster (Tenn)	50/1
Matt Grothe (USF)	60/1
Max Hall (BYU)	65/1
Cullen Harper (Clem)	25/1
Percy Harvin (FL)	15/1
Graham Harrell (TTech)	15/1
P.J. Hill (Wisc)	22/1
Ian Johnson (Boise St.)	40/1
Jeremiah Johnson (Ore)	100/1
James Laurinaitis (Ohio St.)	70/1
Dan LeFevour (C. Mich)	70/1
Kellen Lewis (Ind)	50/1
Jake Locker (Wash)	50/1
Jeremy Maclin (Missouri)	35/1
LeSean McCoy (Pitt)	20/1
Colt McCoy (Tex)	28/1
Stephen McGee (Tex A&M)	60/1
Joe McKnight (USC)	25/1
Knowshon Moreno (UGA)	10/1
DeMarco Murray (Okla)	15/1
Curtis Painter (Purdue)	60/1
Terrelle Pryor (Ohio St.)	100/1
Todd Reesing (Kan)	25/1
Javon Ringer (Mich St.)	35/1
Zac Robinson (Ok. State)	75/1
Mark Sanchez (USC)	40/1
C.J. Spiller (Clem)	50/1
Matthew Stafford (UGA)	14/1
Tyrod Taylor (V. Tech)	60/1
Tim Tebow (FL)	7/2
Willie Tuitama (Arz)	75/1
Chris Wells (Ohio St.)	5/1
Pat White (WVU)	12/1
Juice Williams (ILL)	40/1
John Parker Wilson (Ala)	40/1
Field  10/1

-jo-

Guess where Chris Leak is at now

GAINESVILLE -- Here's a quick update of your favorite national championship MVP. Former Florida quarterback Chris Leak signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League earlier this week.

Leak, for those of you who have already forgotten, is the quarterback who led Florida to the 2006 national championship. In the process, Leak taught current Florida quarterback Tim Tebow everything he knows.

We had hoped to see Leak behind center back in The Swamp with Team Florida of the AAFL, but the AAFL put its operation on hold and Leak was forced to find work elsewhere. The CFL is a good start for Leak, who went undrafted in the 2007 NFL Draft. Doug Flutie, another shorty, got his start in the CFL and Flutie is now a CFL Hall of Famer.

Leak is one of five quarterbacks, including former Hawaii QB Timmy Chang, trying to make the Hamilton Tiger-Cats' roster. No word yet on whether or not Leak and Chang have picked up where Tebow and former Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan left off last season: Who's the better system quarterback? Maybe the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will finally find an answer to this important question -- end the debate once and for all. In a related thought, is a Tiger-Cat like a Thunder Cat?

-jo-

PRIMETIME: Miami at Florida set for 8 p.m. (Book your hotels now!)

GAINESVILLE -- It's going to be crazy in Gainesville for the second Saturday of the season. The SEC released its tentative television schedule on Tuesday and Florida hosts Miami at 8 p.m. on Sept. 6. ESPN will carry the rivalry game.

(I hope everyone realizes what this means. If you're driving up for the game and you plan on getting a hotel, then you better go ahead and book your room now. The Swamp is going to be absolutely rocking by the time kickoff rolls around and no one is going to want to drive back down Florida's Turnpike after that.)

FLORIDA SEASON OPENER
Bring your sunscreen to the season opener. Florida begins the season against Hawaii with a 12:30 p.m. kickoff on Aug. 30.

ABC and ESPN and ESPN2 apparently passed on Florida-Hawaii, leaving Raycom with the first-week leftovers. (And I thought Hawaii-Florida was a pretty intriguing game. Shows what I know.)

I understand the reasoning for ABC and ESPN passing over Florida-Hawaii. ABC is airing Alabama-Clemson (8 p.m.) in Atlanta. (No shocker there.) ESPN is hoping Appalachian State can repeat last season magic and upset another national power. This time it would be LSU in Death Valley at 6:45 p.m. App State took down Michigan last season but only one or two people watched the game on live television (Big Ten Network).

But you know Florida gets absolutely no respect from national television execs when ESPN2 opts for Mississippi State vs. Louisiana Tech over Florida-Hawaii. What a joke, right? Florida STILL has a kid named Tim Tebow. Did somebody at ESPN forget that shortly after airing the Heisman Trophy ceremony?

ANYWAY, guess ESPN didn't want to double book Florida two weekends in a row. Here's the rest of the tentative SEC television schedule.

Date                 Time         Network  Game

(Thu.) Aug. 28  7 p.m         ESPNU      Vanderbilt at Miami (Ohio)

(Thu.) Aug. 28  8 p.m.        ESPN        N.C. State at South Carolina

(Sat.) Aug. 30 12:30 p.m. Raycom   Hawaii at Florida

(Sat.) Aug. 30  5 p.m.        ESPN       Appalachian State at LSU

(Sat.) Aug. 30  6:45 p.m.  ESPN2    Miss. State at La. Tech

(Sat.) Aug. 30  8 p.m.        ABC       Alabama vs. Clemson (Atlanta)

(Sun.) Aug. 31  3:30 p.m.  ESPN       Kentucky at Louisville

(Mon.) Sept. 1  8 p.m.        ESPN       Tennessee at UCLA

(Thu.) Sept. 4  8:30 p.m.    ESPN       South Carolina at Vanderbilt

(Sat.) Sept. 6    12:30 p.m. Raycom   Southern Mississippi at Auburn

(Sat.) Sept. 6    3:30 p.m.    ABC        Ole Miss at Wake Forest

(Sat.) Sept. 6  8 p.m.        ESPN     Miami at Florida

(Sat.) Sept. 13  12:30 p.m.  Raycom UAB at Tennessee

(Sat.) Sept. 13  3:30 p.m.     CBS       Georgia at South Carolina

(Sat.) Sept. 13  3:30 p.m.     ABC    Arkansas at Texas

(Sat.) Sept. 13  7 p.m.          ESPN2  Auburn at Mississippi State      

(Sat.) Sept. 20  8:13 p.m.     ABC      Georgia at Arizona State

(Thu.) Oct. 23  7:30 p.m.     ESPN     Auburn at West Virginia

(Fri.) Nov. 28    12:30 p.m.  Raycom Mississippi State at Ole Miss

(Fri.) Nov. 28    2:30 p.m.     CBS      LSU at Arkansas (Little Rock)

(Sat.) Dec. 6      4 p.m.         CBS     SEC Championship Game (Atlanta, Ga.)

All Times Eastern

Tentative and Subject to Change

Additional games to be added as become available

-jo-

NCAA 09 overall ratings: Florida, Miami, FSU, UGA, LSU and Tenn.; Tebow leads all with 99

HERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN ALL ARGUE ABOUT ...

GAINESVILLE -- For those video game nuts out there, here's a sneak peek at some individual player ratings for NCAA '09. Florida quarterback Tim Tebow has an overall rating of 99. Percy Harvin has a speed rating of 98.

Some random thoughts: Florida tight end Cornelius Ingram isn't rated among the Gators' best...LSU defensive end Ricky Jean-Francois appears to be underrated...Florida linebacker Dustin Doe is overrated...What, no Drew Weatherford?...A punter is Tennessee's second highest rated player...Georgia's video-game likeness looks pretty stinking good.

-jo-

FLORIDA

Tim Tebow, junior, quarterback 99

Percy Harvin, junior, wide receiver 96

Brandon Spikes, junior, middle linebacker 95

Dustin Doe, junior, outside linebacker 93

Phil Trautwein, redshirt senior, offensive tackle 92

Jim Tartt, senior, offensive guard 91

Maurkice Pouncey, sophomore, offensive guard 91

MIAMI

Eric Moncur, senior, defensive end, 93 (Miami)

Randy Phillips, senior, cornerback, 92 (Belle Glade)

Lavon Ponder, senior, safety, 91 (Miami)

Colin McCarthy, junior, outside linebacker, 91

Jason Fox, junior, offensive tackle, 90

Graig Cooper, sophomore, running back, 88

Darryl Sharpton, junior, linebacker, 88 (Coral Gables)

FLORIDA STATE

Myron Rolle, sophomore, rover (strong safety), 97

Derek Nicholson, junior, middle linebacker, 94

Everette Brown, redshirt sophomore, defensive end, 94

Antone Smith, junior, running back, 92 (Pahokee)

Marcus Ball, sophomore, outside linebacker, 92

Preston Parker, sophomore, wide receiver, 92 (Delray Beach)

Patrick Robinson, sophomore, cornerback, 91 (Miami) 

GEORGIA

Knowshon Moreno, sophomore, running 96

Dannell Ellerbe, senior, middle linebacker 95

Asher Allen, junior, cornerback 95

Jeff Owens, senior, defensive tackle 95 (Plantation)

Trinton Sturdivant, sophomore, offensive tackle 93

Matthew Stafford, junior, quarterback 93

Prince Miller, junior, cornerback 92

LOUISIANA STATE

Herman Johnson, redshirt senior, offensive guard, 96

Tyson Jackson, senior, defensive end, 93

Darry Beckwith, senior, middle linebacker, 95

Curtis Taylor, senior, free safety, 94

Ciron Black, junior, left tackle, 94

Al Woods, junior, defensive tackle, 93

Kirston Pittman, senior, defensive end 93

TENNESSEE

Demonte Bolden, senior, defensive tackle, 94

Britton Colquitt, senior, punter, 94

Robert Ayers, senior, defensive end, 94

Eric Berry, sophomore, defensive back, 94

Rico McCoy, junior, outside linebacker, 91

Lucas Taylor, senior, wide receiver, 91
Josh McNeil, junior, center, 89

Gators to raise awareness for charities with strength-and-agility competition

GAINESVILLE -- Anyone ever stumble across a cable TV show called Ninja Warrior while flipping through the channels? Hilarious stuff. Basically, it's a Japanese reality show aimed at exploiting dorks. The producers find the weirdest people possible (this is just me assuming everyone in Japan is not like the people on this show) and run the freaks through obstacle courses suspended about 10 feet above some nasty, muddy water. See dork run. See dork fall. See dork splash. Repeat.

Now imagine the freaks on Florida's football team running around and risking bodily harm for your entertainment. (OK, I realize that happens every Saturday in the fall.) ANYWAY, part of Florida's annual summer workout rigors always include a strength-and-agility competition. This is nothing new. What is new is that the competition is open to the public this summer and will take place at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Friday, July 25. Mark your calendars.

The athletic department is calling the event "Friday Night Lights," or some derivative of that. According to one of the football players, a large portion of the football team is going to split into six groups and compete against each other in several different athletic disciplines: Pulling tires, roller derby, four square, calf roping, etc... The winners get nothing. They're amateurs, duh. Each team, however, will "represent" a charity already associated with Shands Medical Center. For some reason, the UAA was hesitant to say the football team was going to raise money for charities. Apparently, the NCAA frowns on raising money for anyone accept the NCAA.

Here's hoping that the athletic department let's crazy ol' coach Urban Meyer design a bizarre obstacle course in the vein of Ninja Warrior. Or, better yet, here's hoping Urban Meyer competes with the dorks of Team Sportwriter against his own players. Now, that would be weird. (All in the name of charity, of course.)

-jo-