To Rob-Tiff, Jason-Ashley, John, Brother Rick, The Jenkins Clan and Other Assorted Gators

If you haven't checked Coach Urban Meyer's Gator Football website lately (Different that Gatorzone.com - the official site), it's been tweaked some more and it's really awesome. The latest update is streaming Gator band music. There's an awful lot of video and audio content so you need a very high speed connection and the latest version of Adobe Flash Player. It's worth checking. Click here: Coach Urban Meyer

Check Out The Pump Up Videos To The Right & Get Crankin'!

To the right are some college football pump up videos. Click on any of the clips, crank up the sound, and feel your summer-weary heart come alive with the sights and sounds of fall. And, Victor, specially for you, click above on the title of this posting "Check Out..." for a real nifty embedded bonus video. Also, attached is a Texas A & M 2008 Pump Up Video for Pete Dunn. All Pete has to do to view the video is click on: A&M Oh, what the heck, I've gone video crazy. Below are some more videos. Just click on the name of your team for another video: Trojans LSU Tigers Gators

What's With The Injuries?

Like So Cal, and a number of the other top teams, the Gators have been plagued with pre-season injuries. We've lost five players for the season with torn ACLs in the last couple of weeks. First we lost two safeties who would have seen a lot of playing time. This is a position where we don't have much depth. Although what we have is very good, including Will Hill, a five star incoming freshman out of NJ who was ranked by ESPN as the top safety recruit in the country and the top athlete overall by Rivals. Hill is going to have to grow up in a hurry because Urban in going to throw him into the thick of it right away. We also have veteran safety Major Wright returning and he has garnered a lot of accolades as a leading tackler. On offense the most significant loss was senior TE Cornelius Ingram "C.I." He is a super athlete who played in the national championship team two years ago and passed up a high draft in the NFL to come back with the Gators for his senior year. What is it about the Gators & UF that so many top athletes are willing --even eager-- to pass up NFL and NBA millions just to hang one more year around our beautiful campus?? Unlike Fayetteville, Gainesville is obviously a very difficult place to leave. In any event, I can't wait for the season to begin. If only to stop these crazy preseason losses.

L.A. Struck by QB Injury Virus

Bloggers, First it was UCLA (the "other" school in town) that was struck by major injuries. One of last year's starting QBs (Patrick Cowan) went down with a severe knee injury in spring practice and will be lost for the season. Then, the other starter from last year (Ben Olson) fractured a bone in his foot, underwent surgery on Monday, and will be out 2 months, meaning, in the best case scenario, he will miss the Bruins' first 5 games. Disaster!! The LA Times this morning pictured the 3 quarterbacks who will be vying for the starting position and I had not heard of one of them, including a Junior College transfer. The Bruins are in deep trouble. Next, SC's Mark Sanchez dislocated his kneecap last week. He is listed as day-to-day, although it sounds more serious than earlier reported. He is set to be examined by the team doctor tomorrow. We shall see. In the meantime, waiting in the wings are Sophomore Mitch Mustain, the highly touted transfer from Arkansas (yes, the same Arkansas from the SEC). After leading the Razorbacks to an 8-0 start, Houston Nutt (who has gone nuts) benched him and Mustain left Fayettville (which sounds like a great place to leave). Many thought, at the time, that Mustain had made a terrible mistake in transferring to SC, since the Trojans were loaded at QB. Now, if Sanchez falters or cannot come back strong from his injury, Mustain will look like a genius since he will be handed the reigns of the offense of one of the top 5 teams in the country. He is not alone because battling him for the starting job right now is none other than Aaron Corp, a 6-5 super-freshman (red shrit) who guided local high school powerhouse Orange Lutheran ( I love our Lutheran brethren) to the California State Championship when he was a Senior. Enough about L.A. What about Baton Rouge? College Station? Luisleon and Pete Dunn; you guys have to give us the low-down about your respective schools. Let us put some wings on this old blog and have it take to the sky. What do you say, Tigers and Aggies? The season is only 16 days away. Take care and stay strong. Victor

The Enduring Importance of The Awesome Trojans

By way of pre-season kudos to my beloved West Coast Trojan Cousins --and to get them even more pumped up-- I will note that in the piece by Pat Dooley, Gainesville Sun sports writer, a portion of which I posted below a couple of weeks ago, the following sentence appears: "Just enjoy knowing that a September game between Ohio State and Southern Cal will keep you on the edge of your seat." Dooley was talking about just accepting that we won't have a playoff in College Football anytime soon. But my point is that Dooley is writing in the heart of Gator Country, he bleeds Orange & Blue, he is at the epicenter of the brutal SEC where last year's National Champion was LSU, and the year before that was my beloved Florida, and this year pre-season number one in some polls is Georgia. He could have said Florida-LSU will keep you on the edge of your seat (and it will) or Florida-Georgia or any number of match ups. But he picked Southern Cal-Ohio State as the quintessential important early season game. Now, before my Gator brethren point out that those games I mentioned are later in the season and that they are every bit as important (and they are), hear this: 1.) I take second place to no one in my Gatormania. I have a Championship Gator Football personally addressed and signed by Urban Meyer to the Fraxedas family calling us "Gators to the Core" in a crystal case in our family room which proves it. 2.) My only point is that the Trojans are important and that their Cardinal and Gold shines so bright that sometimes it even breaks through the gorgeous Orange and Blue glow that surrounds the Gator Nation.

Conming Back To Life!!!

With only 43 days to kickoff the blog is coming back to life. We're all here. I love it!!!

Hey, Bloggers...anybody for a party?

Blogger fans, Any chance we can get together for a coast-to-coast tailgater? Last season, after the euphoria of the bowl season wore off, we spoke/wrote of a tailgater somewhere, anywhere; where we could join hands, eat some good food, and have an ice cold, frosty beverage. I see several options: Option #1: L.A. Coliseum...End of August/Early September...the Trojans home-opener against the hated, dreaded Ohio State Buckeyes!!! For this one, we can all agree on who we are rooting for and against: All CTCB'ers will be rooting for the Trojans to absolutely shellack the Buckeyes, who, as we all know, have been masquerading as a great team from the Big-10 (they are actually a mediocre team in every other conference and a lousy bowl team). Cueto and Clayton Bloggers will host all comers. Free lodging. Free food. Pay for the flight and we are there!!! Option #2: The Swamp...October....The Gators host the LSU Tigers. Unbelievable!!! This would be a blast, however, it would create some conflicts as the Fraxedas will be rooting hard for their beloved Gators (as well they should), however, Luisleon, the Cuban Cajun, will be in enemy territory pulling for his Tigers. The party would be huge, as it may coincide with my 50th Birthday (stay tuned). Option #3: Aggie Country...Anytime...Texas A & M...Pete Dunn will be on the hot-seat for this one as none of the other bloggers have been anywhere close to College Station. We will need Google Maps to arrive there. This one is a curious option, however, it is in the middle of the country, so it is the fairest option for the CTCB'ers. Also, recent pictures showed Mr. Dunn in Pamplona running with the bulls, so we know he is ready to tell some stories while he puts back a cold, carbonated beverage. Gig'Em Aggies!!! There you have it. Comments? Victor

I am!

But haven't been checking in too often with so little chat activity. All the same, really getting excited about football season, trying not to jinx the gators with too much positive thinking - but probably failing. In other football news, did you see Bret Favre do another fake-out retirement? I laughed when I read that this time, the team doesn't want him back. He is the boy who cried wolf too many times.

Is anybody out there?

Dog Days -- Portion Of Article By Pat Dooley of Gainesville Sun

I am like so many of you counting down the days to college football season. The funny thing is that last summer we were talking about how 2007 might be the most interesting season we've ever seen in college football (it was) and the truth is that this year might be even better (it will be).

So I offer advice to those of you checking your watch three times a day and putting red Xs on days of the calendar. In fact, Dr. Football is here with advice for everyone.

Dear Dr. Football: My wife thinks there is something wrong with me because I keep waking up in a cold sweat screaming Omar Hunter's name. I can't eat. I can't sleep. I watch replays on Sunday morning and pace in my living room even though I know the final score. I tailgated at my son's First Communion. Help me. Gator4Life.

Dear Gator4Life: You are suffering from what we call Post-Traumatic Offseason Disorder. Relax. Enjoy the summer. The pool is warm, the springs are cold, the beach is beautiful. Spend time with your family and let them know that from September through early January you will be a different person. This is time to re-charge, not to waste energy fretting over what can't happen for more than two months.

Dear Dr. Football: I'm still ticked off that the BCS commissioners voted against a Plus-One system. A playoff makes so much sense. It drives me crazy that they can't see what is so obvious to all of us fans. GridironCzar.

Dear GridironCzar: Get over it and tell your friends to get over it. It's not going to happen. I've come to that realization and to be honest I can live with it. I'm tired of screaming from the rooftops and banging my head against a wall. The truth is that the presidents of the schools don't want it and it's not close. They like the regular season the way it is. And I think we all should accept that and enjoy what is basically a 14-week double elimination playoff (with the asterisk that if you lose twice in triple overtime you can still win it all).

It's easy to point to every other sport and say they have playoffs so why can't football? But think about this — isn't football the most popular college sport by a longshot? Why change? Just enjoy knowing that a September game between Ohio State and Southern Cal will keep you on the edge of your seat. Basketball can't say that. Heck, nobody even watches the NBA until the playoffs.

Maybe the presidents are right about this — a playoff would hurt the regular season. And I know they are right about this — what you and I think doesn't matter. So let it go.

Dear Dr. Football: Am I hoping for advice on how to get a young secondary ready for a brutal schedule so that your team won't have to outscore everybody in the flipping country? No, I'm demanding advice on how to get a young secondary ready for a brutal schedule so that your team won't have to outscore everybody in the flipping country. YouKnowWho.

Dr. YouKnowWho: I've always liked 62 Stack Monster.

Dear Dr. Football: OK, I'm hoping you can help me because I rarely go to anyone for advice. But I used to be a real successful coach, best ever at a certain school. Named the stadium. They have my name and jersey up on the wall. Left for a variety of reasons. Went to a bad situation in the NFL. Went back to a college school. But I can't seem to find the magic. Anonymous.

Dear Anonymous: You've lost your mojo, man, plain and simple. They will suck it out of you at places like, oh, South Carolina, and I'm just using that as an example. You need to build a time machine and go back to the 1990s and find your mojo. Either that or get better players.

Dear Dr. Football: There are a couple of rules changes I'd like to see for this year. I'd like to see the clock stop on first downs only if they come on odd-numbered plays east of the Mississippi. And kickoffs should take place from the stands. What do you think? BasementDweller.

Dear BasementDweller: No, no, no. no! Leave the game alone. Every year it seems like they want to tweak the rules. Why change the best game there is? It's stupid really to make any changes to rules that are good enough to fill stadiums week after week. Stop it. Leave the game alone. The next thing you know it's going to count as a point if your team is the first off the field at halftime. This isn't Dancing with The Stars or Big Break or Password Plus. It's college football.

Let it be.