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DEL.ICIO.USIt’s great to be an aw-shucks Gator
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It was interesting to hear the Florida Gators as they addressed the media throng here at the Georgia Dome for the NCAA championship pregame press conferences. The Gators players and coaches spent a lot of time defending their greatness and proclaiming humility.
A lot of people are wanting to go ahead and anoint this Florida team as one of the college basketball’s all-time greatest. To their credit, the Gators aren’t ready to except that distinction.
“I feel like that’s a question that we should talk about after the game if things go our way,” said junior forward Joakim Noah. “I feel like right now we realize that it’s not about history. It’s not about all that. We have to take care of business and do what we do and that’s just play basketball for 40 minutes and focus on the task at hand. Then hopefully we’re back here and can talk about that again.”
A lot of the optimism — Vegas has the Gators a five-point favorite — stems from Florida’s performance in its last meeting with Ohio State. The Gators won 86-60 on Dec. 23 at the O’Connell Center in Gainesville.
Of course, a lot has happened between then and now.
“Well, I don’t personally think December has anything to do with April, right now,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said. “That game was played on our home court. They’re totally different; we’re totally different. I don’t think you can sit there and make comparisons from that game. Certainly for Greg Oden, he was not healthy.”
That’s right. Oden was still mending his broken right hand. So the right-hander played left-handed and finished with 7 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks in 28 minutes while encountering some foul trouble as usual. Still, the Gators came away impressed.
Recalled Noah: “I remember him blocking my shot and smacking me right in the face after it. It didn’t feel too good.”
Oden is healthy now and playing with both hands. An added bonus: He’s now very ambidextrous.
But forgotten about that last meeting is this little tidbit. Oden wasn’t the only one playing hurt.
Florida’s Al Horford had missed the previous two games with a sprained ankle and his availability for that game was highly in question. Horford didn’t start — Chris Richards did — but came off the bench to give the Gators 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Therein lies the key question for tomorrow night’s game. Do you give Ohio State the edge on interior play because of Oden? Or does it go to Florida because it has not just one low-post threat but three: Horford, Noah and Richards, the latter of whom is 19-for-21 from the field in the NCAA Tournament.
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By Mike Vick
April 1, 2007 6:20 PM | Link to this
Where da f#ck am I at? I be so stoned I gots no idea whats goin on.
Think i’ll call marcus and see if he can round of some hood ratt’s for me.
By Gay Gator
April 1, 2007 6:21 PM | Link to this
Noah can slap me around all night long. I like them big, dumb, and ugly, and Noah is as dumb and ugly as they get.
mmmmmmmmmm…
Yummy!
By Anonymous
April 1, 2007 8:01 PM | Link to this
Chip, how about we delete the bizarre sexual and reacist comments. Even the usual blog crazies don’t want to post anything that follows these idiots. Where’s BuLLdawg when you need him?
By Gay Gator
April 1, 2007 8:13 PM | Link to this
You can censor me all night long big boy!
Yummy!
By Anonymous is an idiot
April 1, 2007 9:23 PM | Link to this
I suggest that you get a dictionary and look up the term racist for two reasons. One, you need to learn how to spell it. Two, you need to learn the actual definition of it so that you can use the term in a correct situation and context as opposed because based on your above usage of it, you obviously have no clue what it means.
Here’s a hint genius, making fun of Mike Vick for being an idiot doesn’t meet the criteria of the term racist. Look it up Gump.
By Mike Vick
April 1, 2007 9:40 PM | Link to this
Preach on brothah man! All dem crackas be racist! Everyone of dem!
By GLY
April 1, 2007 10:09 PM | Link to this
I got lost somewhere, I thought this blog was about the Ohio State-Florida basketball game.
By Eli
April 2, 2007 2:39 AM | Link to this
The most embarrassing part of the AJC’s refusal to moderate these blogs is that the entire basketball nation is focused on Atlanta right now. I guarantee these pages are getting exponentially more hits than normal because we’re hosting the Final Four, yet the AJC (and, indirectly, the city) ends up looking like bumbling fools because of a couple of 13-year-olds. Can Cox not afford to hire a couple of work-from-home folks to keep an eye on this junk? Way to go, AJC! You’re doing a heck of a job representing my hometown.
By steve
April 2, 2007 7:17 AM | Link to this
Amen, Eli. Can’t the AJC afford editors? The content of these sports blogs have become inane, insane, and disgusting.
By ?
April 2, 2007 9:03 AM | Link to this
Steve and Eli, Your vagina is pretty. From, Tom
P.S- Bread makes me poop.
By Doesnt Matter
April 2, 2007 9:37 AM | Link to this
Funny thing is that the guy making fun of Vick calling him a hood rat, makes less money and is less successful than Michael Vick. Of the two, the most likely one to actually live in a hood because of finances is the guy making fun of Vick.
By Matt
April 2, 2007 11:32 AM | Link to this
The guy’s name is Chris Richard. Not Cliff Richard, Chris Richards or, God forbid, Cliff Richards. I realize he’s the #3 big man on a team full of stars, but common. You’d think the media would be able to get it right after TWO YEARS…. I mean, the guy would be starting for, literally, any other team in the country, and would still be a force. Can we at least get his name right?
By Buck Cochran in the NW
April 2, 2007 2:20 PM | Link to this
I’m sure the Bruins can tell you who Chris Richard is…….So glad I’m way out here…..Reptiles win.