Gator Tailgating

If you Hate Tennessee's Golden Boy, Here's a Video for You....

Rusty — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:09:48 -0500

Here's the video of a play most Gators should love. I know he went 0-4 against the Gators. I know he went Championship-less while at Tennessee. I know he never won the Heisman; but he still wore the Tennessee colors and should be forever disliked by all Gators (other than Indianapolis fans). Here's something to make you smile on a Monday morning. Enjoy. Read More »

Emmitt Smith Dances His Way into the NFL Hall of Fame

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:13:17 -0500

You probably won't believe this story; think I'm making it up; embellishing it.

But I don't care. Because I know it's true.

In early 1987, I was living back in New Jersey after having left my heart in Gainesville on the footsteps of the University of Florida.

Working as an "office boy," I had little to do but lament the days gone by as an undergraduate. Read More »

More Tebow to Jacksonville Ruckus

joshualukebauer — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:33:37 -0500

While glorying in the future yesterday (though USC was given the #1 rank by rivals.com), we were still reminded of the past, of those who are just now leaving and are readying to enter the shark tank drenched in gore. Read More »

Co-Defensive Coordinator Edwards to Buffalo Bills

joshualukebauer — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:06:52 -0500

Shame on me, Gators, but my hometown has stolen from you, as it was announced on Thursday that your new defensive co-coordinator is moving north. Not more than a month after being hired away from the Miami Dolphins (coming off a 4 year stint there as a linebacker coach), George Edwards today went back to the NFL, dropping the “co-“ and stepping into the blizzard and cold of Buffalo, New York. Read More »

National Signing Day: The Gators' Report Card

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:36:44 -0500

University of Florida 2010 Recruiting Report Card (Under-the-radar players are italicized.)

Offense Overall Grade (A):

The Florida Gators return enough solid players on offense that most of their recruiting efforts were focused on stockpiling players on the defensive side of the ball.

However, the offensive players they did sign were first-rate. Read More »

Chaz Green, Adrian Coxson, and Ronald Powell Propel Gators to #1 Class

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:21:14 -0500

Chaz Green and Adrian Coxson, two recruits up in the air about their commitments, joined No. 1 recruit Ronald Powell and the rest of the Florida Gators' solid signees in faxing letters of intent to Gainesville today.

Green, the No. 4 offensive tackle, and Coxson, a top-shelf wide receiver, were rumored to be leaning towards Florida heading into National Signing Day. They made their intentions official earlier this morning. Read More »

Florida Gators 2010 Signing Day Board & Updates!

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:55:12 -0500

2010's National Signing Day is finally here! Join us by welcoming the latest and greatest Gator class, which will sure to be one for the ages. Click below for updates, and a table with all the latest information! Read More »

Matt Elam: Gator Recruit Focuses His Anger on the Field

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 09:49:28 -0500

The article on TampaBay.com was a harsh look into the mirror. And I was embarrassed by my reflection.

Matt Elam, the 6', 200-pound Florida Gator defensive back recruit, has a lot to be excited about. One of a bevy of five-star players to commit to the University of Florida, Elam had the pick of the litter of schools to attend. Read More »

2010 National Signing Day Guide: What to Watch For

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 13:36:37 -0500

Feb. 3rd is the day for every college football fanatic to sit back with their laptop cemented in front of them with a cold beer in one hand and a mouse in the other.

No, it's not the Super Bowl. National signing day has almost arrived. Read More »

The Top Ways for Coach Meyer to Relax after National Signing Day

Rusty — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:57:50 -0500

The most important thing in Meyer's upcoming absence is not the amount of time he spends away from the program; but rather the quality of the time he spends while away. If he takes 6 months off but doesn't learn any new ways to relax and relieve his stress, nothing good will come of the time removed.

However, if he only takes 2 months off and finds 5 or 6 ways to reduce his stress and lessen the toll that's being taken on his heart, the leave will be a resounding success and we will have our coach back. Here are some tips from the GatorTailgating writers for Meyer to use while away so he can hurry back and get ready for an outstanding season in 2010. Read More »

Tebow: Senior Bowl Practice Day 2

joshualukebauer — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:27:27 -0500

For a man as religious as Tim Tebow, you’ve got to believe all this opposition is for a reason.

Day #2 at the Senior Bowl has come and gone, giving us a little more glimpse into Tim’s progression towards the NFL and yet another hurdle for the young quarterback. That first day of practice, with all the dropped snaps and so forth, with the spotlight burning directly above Tebow (no Bradford, no McCoy, no Klaussen…who else is there to talk about?), and with the storm clouds of controversy rolling in because of his Super Bowl ad, ended with a trip to the hospital. He had been charting a 103 degree fever throughout the day without knowing (or acknowledging) it and was later convinced by brother Robbie to go get checked out. He was originally reported to have strep throat (which wasn’t the case) and dehydration, was pumped full of fluids, and released late Monday night. Read More »

Gators DL Recruit Dominique Easley is a Beast

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 08:40:00 -0500

One of four blue-chip recruits committed to the University of Florida, Dominique Easley (DL, Staten Island, NY), is ranked by Rivals.com as the number 2 player in America at his position.

The 6'3", 258-pound Easley runs a 4.7 second 40-yard dash and bench presses close to 300 pounds.

He was named as the MVP in the recently played Under Armour All-America Game where he recorded three tackles, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Read More »

Tebow: First Senior Bowl Practice & Super Bowl Commercial

joshualukebauer — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 07:31:20 -0500

As his upcoming Senior Bowl looms, carrying with it thehopes and fears of an NFL career, his name has begun to pop up on NFL team websites around the internet. Most notably to me is his mention on the Buffalo Bills official website, who while acknowledging Tebow’s headliner status at the Bowl, are also real enough to know that the Golden Gator has the magnifying glass squarely over him.

After Monday, you might have thought the pressure and criticisms of his impending pro career may have gotten to him and the Bills declaration of him as the headliner has for all the wrong reasons. Read More »

Gerald Christian: Is this Recruit the Next Aaron Hernandez?

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:16:09 -0500

He's Dwyer High School's (Palm Beach, FL) "other" Gator recruit.

While five-star teammate Matt Elam gets most of the attention, Christian is another Florida Gator blue-chipper that deserves notice.

With the early departure of All-American TE Aaron Hernandez to the NFL, the Gators have a big hole to fill. Read More »

Gator fans know the significance of the TE position in coach Urban Meyer's offensive philosophy. Florida tight ends need to be able to block, catch, and run with the football. The addition of Christian could eventually fill the hole.

Shariff Floyd: Gator Recruit is National Player of the Year

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:38:07 -0500

Shariff Floyd (DT, Philadelphia, PA) has been named the 2009 National High School Player of the Year by the Maxwell Club. The Maxwell Football Club selects a number of award winners each year.

Located in Southhampton, Pennsylvania, the club honors players from the five county Philadelphia area, South Jersey, and the Lehigh Valley (yours truly's stomping ground). Read More »

Jim Calhoun, Urban Meyer: Gators Find Parallels

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 08:21:04 -0500

Back in February 2003, Connecticut basketball was at a crossroads. Jim Calhoun, their national championship-winning, Hall of Fame coach, was diagnosed with cancer.

The Huskies had two options: start searching for a new coach or wait and hope that he gets better. The Huskies chose the latter and it paid off wonderfully. Read More »

The Whole is not Defined by the Few

joshualukebauer — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:48:24 -0500

This article could be about Coach Meyer, about how he’s looked healthier in the past month, how he’s put on a little weight (a good thing here, as he was starting to look a little sickly and wan the last month of the season), and about how he’s been reported as calm… A good sign for those hoping “leave of absence” means “not talking to the media this summer”. Read More »

Senior Bowl: Tim Tebow to Showcase Talent in Mobile

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:18:57 -0500

Yes Gator nation and football fans, University of Florida senior quarterback Tim Tebow ended months of debate with an answer to whether or not he would suit up for the south in the Under Armour Senior Bowl. And that answer is yes. Read More »

Gators Going Pro: Player Profiles for NFL Draftees

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:40:32 -0500

The announcement by Major Wright (Jr. Safety) to forgo his last year, brings the total to five University of Florida players opting to leave school early and enter into the NFL draft.

Gator players leaving early (so far) include: Read More »

The Douche to USC: The Final Kiffin Article

joshualukebauer — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 07:35:41 -0500

You know, a 7-6 team could still be the best in the Pac-10next year, or at least be in the top 3, so you can understand the appeal forLane Kiffin. Being 7-6 in the SEC earns you a severance check and a bus ticket out of town. Just ask Ron Zook after leading UF to three 8-5 seasons.

Of course, he’s gonna have Papa Kiffin in tow, as well as EdOrgeron, recruiter extraordinaire (I mean, just watch how effortlessly hedances around NCAA rules, calling recruits just minutes before they would makethe mistake of going in to their first class at UT).

On topof that, his departure from Knoxville, highlighted by mattress fires and nearriot conditions from the student body, was characterized by a “I just rolledout of bed” wardrobe, a background of bare office walls, a table inlieu of a podium, and Kiffin kind of swaying back and forth, putting forth alistless “who cares?” type of attitude that was in direct opposition to whatwas going on right outside the building. Read More »

Five Notes about the Gators' Recruiting in Kiffin's Wake

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 13:02:09 -0500

A couple of quick Lane Kiffin post-mortems:

1. As reported in the Orlando Sentinel, one of Tennessee's top recruits, Tony Jacobs (LB, Atlanta), has apparently changed his mind and may be joining Florida's already top-rated 2010 recruiting class.

2. Gator fans should be on the lookout as some of their recruits may become new targets for Kiffin's bunch as they make their way to L.A. Especially of note is five-star player Ronald Powell (DE, Moreno Valley, CA). Even though he's "committed" to Florida, until these guys put their names on the dotted-line, all bets are off. Former UT assistant, Ed Orgeron, who's going to USC with Kiffin, is said to be another snake oil salesman who might try to steer some "Cali" business their way. Orgeron is supposedly an expert recruiter, so who knows? Read More »

The New Look Gators

joshualukebauer — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:07:09 -0500

Blink and everything changes…

It’s been two weeks since watching Coach Meyer trotted out the winningest class in the history of the SEC for the last time, bringing with it names that have been repetitively ground into our collective minds here in Gainesville. Tebow. Hernandez. Dunlap. Wright. Actually, more than you may have thought. Read More »

Tennessee Got What They Deserved from Hiring Lane Kiffin

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:45:22 -0500

When Tennessee hired Lane Kiffin for a top job in the SEC, everyone not wearing orange snickered. "What were they thinking?" we all wondered. Are the powers that be up there really that stupid?

Well, apparently so. Read More »

The Gators are Dominating Recruiting in 2010

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:31:28 -0500

Word has it that Coach Urban Meyer is still working on the recruiting trail, and it showed Saturday as three five-star recruits announced that they will play college football at the University of Florida.

So much for taking an indefinite leave of absence. Read More »

Urban Meyer Still Recruiting: 3 Five-Star Recruits Commit Saturday

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:37:57 -0500

Urban Meyer might not be coaching much this offseason, but he is not letting his leave of absence hinder the football program’s recruiting efforts. Read More »

Harvin Named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

joshualukebauer — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:40:37 -0500

41 out of 50…

That’s the number of sports writers that voted Percy Harvin the NFL offensive rookie of the year. 82%. Virtually 4 out of every 5 of the nation’s “sports authorities” agreed, regardless of where they’re from and with whom their allegiances are with. You ask 50 people what they like for breakfast and see if you can get 41 similar answers, let alone the same one (though the likelihood is much higher if you include coffee as a viable meal). Read More »

Gators Hire New Defensive Coach: D.J. Durkin

Rusty — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:23:22 -0500

The new Linebackers coach for the University of Florida will be D.J. Durkin, who is currently employed by Stanford as a Defensive Ends and Special Teams coach. He also was a Graduate Assistant under Urban Meyer at Bowling Green for the '01-'02 season and played Defensive End there '97-'01.

He has been known as a very unthusiastic players' coach and a great teacher of the game. He's also not a bad recruiter, with strong ties to Texas and the Northeast. Read More »

Gator Basketball Wins by Amazing Shot; Looks to SEC Schedule

joshualukebauer — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:30:30 -0500

Our Gators made Billy Donovan perfect in 2010(despite missing the first 13 3’s and then missing the one that would have avoided OT), while pushing the team’s overall record to 11-3 in their last game before starting conference play this Saturday at Vanderbilt. After their surprise upset of Michigan State earlier this year, adding to an undefeated November, their December woes gave us a dose of reality. Read More »

Gator Recruits Show Bright Future

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 09:00:23 -0500

The Gators’ 51-24 victory over Cincinnati in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Friday marked the end of an era for the nation’s most celebrated senior class and ushered in a period of uncertainty heading into the 2010 season. Read More »

So Long, and Thanks for All of the Trophies

joshualukebauer — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 10:02:43 -0500

So, guess we learned that Tebow isn’t ready for the NFL. Last night, Tebow proved all the critics and haters right by doing worse that he’s ever done before as a Gator, the starters didn’t even show up, Charlie Strong’s defense was destroyed, and Urban Meyer looked just as stressed out as he did in the SEC Championship game. We shouldn’t have even bothered watching it, at least we didn’t take the time to go see it. Read More »

Gators Finish Season in Spectacular Fashion by Dismantling Cincy

Mike — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 10:17:39 -0500

Tim Tebow, Brandon Spikes, Charlie Strong, and corners coach Vance Bedford all finished out their careers as Gators by completely dismantling the Cincinnati Bearcats 51-24 in the 2009 Allstate Sugar Bowl. Tebow performed what will go down as one of his most spectacular performances ever with 482 passing yards, and 51 rushing yards including one rushing touchdown. Florida finished with 659 offensive yards, which is a Sugar Bowl record. Read More »

Win One For Coach Meyer

joshualukebauer — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 09:08:07 -0500

"Win one for the Gipper."

You’ve heard the phrase before, but have you really ever known what it refers to? Ask Coach Meyer and he’d probably rattle it off owing to its Notre Dame setting, but to those who don’t have the chance to talk to Urban, let me fill you in. Read More »

Gator Fans Should Be Ashamed

joshualukebauer — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:37:53 -0500

This year, just after his only defensive misstep of the season, Charlie Strong figured that if he wanted a head coaching job anytime soon, he would have to move on from Gainesville, so he snatched up the Louisville job and readied to say goodbye to the program and area he loved. First, though, he wanted to rectify the one error on his resume and leave Urban Meyer a better showing than the one against Alabama. Until yesterday, watching to see if Strong’s defense could rebound was the most interesting storyline going in the upcoming bowl game. Read More »

Transcripts from Meyer's Press Conference

Rusty — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:01:39 -0500

COACH URBAN MEYER: First of all, it's great to represent the Southeastern Conference at the Allstate Sugar Bowl, the first time I've had an opportunity to be at this Bowl game. I know the players are excited, and we play a great team in the University of Cincinnati, so we're excited to be here, had a very spirited practice today and Gators are going to play well. Read More »

Meyer is Taking a Sabbatical and Addazio will Coach in Absence

Rusty — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 14:16:11 -0500

Sources close to the Gator football team have confirmed that Meyer is reconsidering his quick decision about leaving his head coaching career for health reasons. Sources say Meyer will let Coach Addazio, the Gators current offensive coordinator, lead the Gators next year as he takes a leave of absence. Coach Meyer will return as head coach if and when his health permits.

Football players' families recieved text messages regarding Urban's reconsideration today around 1 p.m. as the team is on the plane to New Orleans. More will be known and released at the 4:30 press conference this afternoon by Coach Meyer from New Orleans. Read More »

Possible Candidates for the Head Coaching Position

Ben — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 08:30:08 -0500

The shocking news of Urban's resignation has hit Gator Nation and everyone has an opinion. Our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family, of course we all hope his health improves. We are extremely thankful for all he has achieved as the head coach of the University of Florida and his legacy will always be remembered. Read More »

Urban Meyer Steps Down as Head Coach at the University of Florida Due to Health Concerns

Rusty — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:18:03 -0500

Urban Meyer announced earlier today that he will step down from his "dream job" as head coach of the University of Florida. He will coach the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on January 1st, 2010; but will hand over the reigns thereafter.

Although much speculation surrounded Meyer regarding the Notre Dame job and possible NFL jobs, this has nothing to do with any of the conspiracy theories that may surround this suprising news. Meyer's home will remain in Gainesville and he will probably help Florida's Atheltic Director Jeremy Foley choose his successor as head coach. Read More »

When did you Become a Gator Fan?

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 12:23:46 -0500

Isn't strange how we become fans?

When did you become a Gator?

How did it happen for you?

Did you have a choice?

Can you remember your life before you became a Gator? Read More »

Tailgating in New Orleans, Louisiana for the Sugar Bowl

Rusty — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:48:01 -0500

GatorTailgating.com is doing a series of articles on where and how to tailgate at all of the Gator Football away games. This article details where and what to look out for in New Orleans, Louisiana for the Sugar Bowl as the Gators take on undeafeated Cincinatti. Go Gators! Read More »

How will the Gators Replace Brandon James?

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:18:20 -0500

In case you forgot amid the crying and disappointment of the SEC Championship, Brandon James was injured and never returned to the game. Now, the Gators have released that he broke a bone in his foot and will not return in time for the Sugar Bowl. Read More »

Urban Meyer Reinstates Carlos Dunlap for Sugar Bowl

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:01:36 -0500

Coach Urban Meyer, after meeting with University of Florida President Bernie Machen and Athletic Director Jeremy Foley, announced today that junior Carlos Dunlap's suspension has been lifted and he will be allowed to play in the Sugar Bowl against the Cincinnati Bearcats on New Year's Day. Read More »

Florida or Cincinnati: Which Team Has More to Prove?

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:02:25 -0500

That's the question most, if not all citizens of the Gator and Bearcat Nation, are asking. After being defeated easily in the SEC Championship game, the Florida Gators are now relegated to playing in the Sugar Bowl against the now coach-less Big East champions, the Cincinnati Bearcats. Read More »

Christmas Gift Ideas For the Ultimate TailGator

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:47:09 -0500

The holiday shopping season is in full swing and you are probably trying to figure out what to give that tailgater on your list. Forget those gimmicky Bud Light “Tailgate Tested, Tailgate Approved” items. You know these tailgating supplies have been tried out and been given the stamp of approval from a real tailgater… namely me. So if you can’t find anything on this list your tailgater needs, then they truly are the world’s hardest person to shop for. Better hurry to ensure arrival by Christmas.

The Z-Bench – Have you ever needed more seating, an extra table, a step into your pick-up’s bed and a cargo holder all while tailgating? Instead of buying all four of those items just mentioned you should get a Z-Bench. The Z-Bench is a lightweight yet sturdy aluminum bench that attaches to a pick-up truck tailgate. It is not only a bench but has other functions including a tailgate step, a picnic table and can also work as a cargo holder. The best part is it is easy to install by yourself and when not in use, the Z-Bench folds up and takes up less than 3 1/2″ of space. Get your own Z-Bench for a “football season” specialty price of $349 that includes shipping. Read More »

The Gators can Salvage their Dynasty by Embracing "The U"

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:11:14 -0500

"The U" is an ESPN 30 for 30 film detailing the 1983–1994 run of the Miami Hurricanes football program. Watching that movie made me think of how the Gators can continue the dynasty they've created.

It's been nine days since the Florida Gators' season came to a screeching halt. Alabama smacked Superman around to the tune of 32–13 and sent the 12–1 Gators to the Allstate Consolation Bowl, a.k.a the Sugar Bowl. Read More »

Coaching Changes: The Right and Wrong Way to Switch Teams

joshualukebauer — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:27:12 -0500

In 2007, after his second horrid season as coach of the Miami Dolphins (15-17 overall), rumors began circulating that Nick Saban was working on a deal with the University of Alabama. He denied this for weeks, calling it ridiculous media hype and assuring Dolphin fans that he wasn’t even considering the job. On December 21, 2006, Nick Saban stated in his weekly press conference that he was “not going to be the coach of Alabama”, then spent the holiday with his family, then signed on to be the new head coach of Alabama about a week and a half later. Miami fans (and football fans in general) took great offense to this, calling Saban dishonest, questioning his integrity as a man, and eventually just being disgusted with him as a whole. Read More »

Making a Case for Tebow to be a Great NFL Quarterback

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:22:52 -0500

"For much of his career, _______ has been perceived as a great athlete playing quarterback…He has nice size and great arm strength and outstanding mobility for a QB, which often works in his favor, but sometimes works against him as he tries to do too much on his own, a la Kordell Stewart. He has really worked hard to improve his overall passing skills, and he is reading defenses much better and his decision making process has dramatically improved. He still tends to be somewhat a streaky player that can run a little "hot and cold" and tends to create too much on his own at times, but all the skills are there…his physical tools and intangibles are very exciting to NFL teams." Read More »

One Week Later: After the Gators' Burning in Atlanta

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:42:13 -0500

About this time last week, I was watching the Rutgers-West Virginia game awaiting the SEC Championship game. It was snowing here in New Jersey. The skies were gray.

And so were my spirits. Read More »

The Gators May Lose More Players than Expected to 2010 NFL Draft

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:58:15 -0500

If you're a Gators fan who likes to know a player's name, you might want to start studying the Gators' second string now. Most of the players that we have come to know over the last three years probably won't be on the team in 2010. Read More »

Rookie Gators Shining in the NFL

joshualukebauer — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:58:53 -0500

Dunlap’s DUI... Alabama... and then we find out that the stress of the season put Coach Meyer in the hospital. Oh, and we’re going to be losing the coordinator whose schemes put us at #1 defensively this season, at least up until that Alabama thing.

So, I just wanted to deal out some feel-goods to the kids in Titletown as a reminder that there’s always a silver lining. Read More »

Four Ways to Spice Up Your Tailgate Central American Style

erik — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:30:06 -0500

Many people from the Gator Nation have traveled to countries in Central America like Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama etc. for vacation, volunteering, and surfing and more. Those of you who have been to these places know that the food can be great! A lot of the dishes are often compared to Mexican to food, but don’t tell a Tico (Costa Rican) that! So as your unofficial Costa Rican Gator Nation representatives, we have compiled a list of four of our favorite Central American recipes that will bring a taste of the tropics to your next tailgate. Read More »

Strong to be Announced as New Head Coach at Louisville Today

Rusty — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:41:33 -0500

The University of Louisville has announced that their Personnel Committee for the Athletic Association Board of Directors will meet to discuss personnel matters today at 3:30pm and will have a news release shortly thereafter announcing Florida Defensive Coordinator Charlie Strong as the new head coach of the University of Louisville football team.

No details on the offer and acceptance of the offer have been released officially yet, but it is an estimated offer of 1.2 million per year. The length of the contract is unknown. Read More »

Coach Meyer Hospitalized After Returning from Atlanta

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:20:43 -0500

According to University of Florida spokesman Steve McClain, Urban Meyer was admitted to Shands Medical Hospital in Gainesville after the team returned from Atlanta, and was treated for dehydration.

The only other public mention of a Meyer illness was his arachnoid cyst on his brain that was discovered in 1998. Doctors told him then it was not life threatening, but he could suffer head pain if the stress caused the condition to flare up. Read More »

Did the 2009 SEC Championship Mar the Senior's Legacy?

joshualukebauer — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:36:50 -0500

With a little under two minutes left, cameras switched to a shot of Coach Meyer on the sideline, standing dumbfounded and scratching his head. He looked like he wasn’t sure what had happened the last four quarters, like he wasn’t quite sure it had. If you’ve ever seen one of those movies where someone pinches themselves to make sure they’re not dreaming, then you know the look on Urban’s face at that moment. It was like a bad dream, one where Coach Meyer suddenly realizes that there’s a game going on just as it’s about to finish.

Then, it turned in to a nightmare. Read More »

Tailgating in Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game

Mike — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:21:42 -0500

GatorTailgating.com is doing a series of articles on where and how to tailgate at all of the Gator Football games. This is the seventh part of our series detailing where and what to look out for in Atlanta, Georgia for the SEC Conference Championship game. Go Gators! Read More »

Florida-Alabama Match-up Should Be A Special Moment in Time

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:22:40 -0500

The Alabama Crimson Tide will once again compete with the Florida Gators at 4:00 PM EST Saturday, Dec. 5 at the Georgia Dome for the SEC championship.

This is the seventh time the two teams have met to compete for the conference crown since the inception of the two-division conference 17 years ago. Read More »

A House Divided: Orange, Blue, and Crimson

joshualukebauer — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:41:11 -0500

You ever here the one about a house divided?

There’s a percentage of the population in this city who stand torn on occasions during the NCAA season, people, who for whatever reason, find their allegiances split at certain times throughout the season. There’s a guy at Perkins here who was struggling to do the right thing last week when asked to wear Gator colors for Senior Week, as his closet also featured some Seminole…actually, quite a bit of Seminole gear. Another Gainesville resident sat in front of me at a red light, with both a Hurricane “U” and Albert stickers featured prominently on their car’s back windshield, sharing the spotlight. Read More »

Florida Gators Star Defensive End Carlos Dunlap Arrested

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:39:06 -0500

Carlos Dunlap was arrested early this morning charged with a DUI by the Gainesville Police Department (GPD). Dunlap was the MVP of the 2008 BCS National Championship game, and is the starting defensive end for the Florida Gators.

According to the Gainesville Sun, Dunlap was observed by the GPD at the intersection of Hull Rd and 34th Street (near UF’s Southwest Rec Center) asleep at the wheel of his car as the traffic light went through several cycles. Although Dunlap was arrested on DUI, he refused to take the mandatory breathalyzer. Read More »

The Biggest Game in Our Lifetime? The 2009 SEC Championship

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:52:44 -0500

We have all heard them. The stories of legends past. The stories of Knute Rockne and the Four Horsemen. We know of Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard. We have heard the stories of Bud Wilkinson's Sooners.

If some of us are old enough, we may remember Bear Bryant's Alabama teams or John McKay's Trojans or maybe even Woody Hayes's Ohio State teams. These are college football icons. They have and will stand the test or time. Read More »

Tebow Says Goodbye to the Swamp Against FSU

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:38:00 -0500

When it was all said and done, the Florida Gators defeated the Florida State Seminoles in The Swamp as most predicted. However, that story-line was the second most important of the day for the Gator Nation; by far it will always be remembered as the day Tim Tebow said goodbye to The Swamp. Read More »

Open Invitation to Tailgate with GT for the F$U Game!

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:27:49 -0500

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Looking for a tailgate party to crash while getting ready to watch the Gators CRUSH the school out west? The GatorTailgating crew will be setting up at about 8 am near the corner of Gale Lemerand (formerly North-South Drive) and Museum Rd. It's directly in front of the parking garage that's located on Gale Lemerand just south of the red light at Museum Drive. See the interactive map above for better directions.

Are the Buffalo Bills Interested in Drafting Tebow?

joshualukebauer — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:38:10 -0500

Don’t you love it when you’re shocked by a piece of news?

Since the late eighties, I have been a die hard Buffalo Bills fan (partially because it’s a law for anyone born there) and have watched them almost succeed four times in the early nineties. The Jim Kelly years, the time of the no huddle K-Gun offense, wide right, and the greatest comeback in NFL history. I watched four Super Bowls in four years, only to see the Bills walk away empty handed each time. They were the kings of the AFC back then, almost like the Patriots these days, but all that disappeared as time wore on, and the Bills haven’t been to the playoffs since the Music City Miracle ended their last attempt during the ’99 season. Read More »

Thanks for the Memories, Tim

joshualukebauer — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:54:57 -0500

To the fans, and everybody in Gator Nation, I’m sorry. I’m extremely sorry. We were hoping for an undefeated season. That was my goal, something Florida has never done here.

I promise you one thing; a lot of good will come out of this. You will never see any player in the entire country play as hard as I will play the rest of the season. You will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of the season. You will never see a team play harder than we will the rest of the season. God Bless.

Memories. Nothing more than moments assigned emotional significance, a tagged snippet of time floating around in each person’s head. They are the beginnings of stories told to children by parents, a flash of impulses in your mind triggered by some random event.

This final home game, this Senior Week, this last game for a class that has won 46 games, more than any in SEC history,we are being treated to a somewhat longer ceremony for the departing warriors.Two extra minutes have been added to the normally eight minute farewell, giving folks ten minutes here in Titletown to bid a fond farewell to Urban Meyer’s first class of draftees at UF. Read More »

The Legend Continues

lyanne — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:49:16 -0500

If you’ve ever met a celebrity or an idol of yours and they turned out to be less than friendly, inviting, and kind, I’ve shared your disappointment. After last week’s game, I had an encounter that gave me the chance to put Tim Tebow’s legendary kindness to the test. Read More »

The Master Gator Takes Tailgating in Gainesville to Another Level

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:22:34 -0500

There are weekend projects, and then there are weekend projects that take 6 months and over 1000 man-hours to complete. This one is the latter, and it is appropriately named the “Master Gator.”

Meyer's Dream Has Nothing to do with Notre Dame, but does Include Tebow

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:20:27 -0500

Today during his weekly press conference, Urban Meyer dismissed the notion of leaving the University of Florida for Notre Dame if and when Charlie Weis is dismissed as the Fighting Irish's head coach.

He did, however, admit something that is something I personally overlooked as a distinct possibility.

How does Head Coach Tim Tebow sound to the Gator Nation? Read More »

Meyer Gets Emotional at Today's Press Conference

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:33:18 -0500

Offense Wins Games, but Defense Wins Championships

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:00:27 -0500

The Florida Gators have now won 21 games in a row. Let me repeat: 21 games in a row.

The Gators' last loss was Sept. 27, 2008. That is ridiculous. Why this team catches so much heat is unreal.

Yes, I understand their offense is not what it once was. Their red-zone touchdown percentage is horrible; but they win games. Winning a game ugly is still winning.

Would Gator fans rather have the offense put up 40 points and lose? I don't think so. I can think of a team that we play this Saturday that has done exactly that. Read More »

Gators Overwhelm the Panthers 62-3

Rusty — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:57:52 -0500

Although the Gators wanted the offense to get in sync in Saturday's game, it was the defense that got the scoring started. On the fifth play from scrimmage, Brandon Spikes intercepted a pass in the flat and took it 41 yards for a pick-six and they never let up from then on.

The Gators first offensive possesion ended with a 55-yard Tebow touchdown run where he stiff-armed 2 players while streaking down the sideline for the score. At that point, there was still more than 9 minutes left in the first quarter and Florida was up 14-0. Read More »

Nike Pro Combat Uniforms Unveiled for FSU Game

Rusty — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:40:35 -0500

Open Invitation to Tailgate with GT for the FIU Game!

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:47:19 -0500

Javascript is required to view this map.

Looking for a tailgate party to crash while getting ready to watch the Gators take on the vaunted FIU Golden Panthers? The GatorTailgating crew will be setting up at about 8 am near the corner of Gale Lemerand (formerly North-South Drive) and Museum Rd. It's directly in front of the parking garage that's located on Gale Lemerand just south of the red light at Museum Drive. See the interactive map above for better directions.

Why the 2009 Gator Football Season is the Best Ever

joshualukebauer — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:29:31 -0500

Everyone knows that Saban and Meyer aren’t preparing for the SEC Championship game this week, but you’ve got to believe it’s like a mosquito flying around in the back of their thoughts at this point. Every time Coach Meyer tries to focus on FIU, there’s that buzzing as he finds himself suddenly thinking about how to eliminate Julio Jones’ passing attack or how to keep Ingram from gathering more Heisman stats.

According to fans here, though, we shouldn’t be worrying about Alabama’s offense yet, as we supposedly have problems of our own. When you listen to sports radio in this town, all you hear lately is how anemic the offense is, how disgusting Steve Addazio’s play calling has been, how we’re not the same team who played last year.

My response to the whiners: Really? Read More »

The Dance-Off: The Newest Tailgating Game

Rusty — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:10:36 -0500

Have you been wanting to add some excitement to your tailgate party? Are the usual games of Flip-cup, Beer-pong, Cornhole, and Hillbilly Golf not getting it done? If you have a crowd and are wanting some laughs, this is the way to do it. Unfortuneately, this won't work well if there are less than 10 people at your tailgate. There needs to be a little bit of a crowd to really make it fun, but the new fad is the tailgate dance-off.

I know what you're thinking initially. Who wants to try to have a "dancing with the stars" ball room competition at their tailgate party? That would be gay.....oops, I probably should be more politically correct than that. That would not be fun. I'm not talking about a Couples Dance Competition. I'm talking about a free-style dance competition that will have the crowd busting out in laughter, hoots, cat-calls, and yelling (and you might even see some dollar bills being thrown in too!)

Here is how to make it happen: Read More »

What Does FIU Have in Common with UF?

joshualukebauer — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:15:04 -0500

FIU week; this won’t be a news-heavy week for us, but at least Tennessee’s making headlines without our name attached to it this week (although I think the story would have been easier for Kiffin to spin in Knoxville if Richardson and his other two Stooges had been wearing Florida gear. Think what a boon it would have been, as he could have blamed Meyer for sending brainwashing waves through his cell phone to make the UT players act up, which is surely an NCAA violation).

I’ve searched for some relevant FIU-UF storyline to cover this week and came across some startling similarities between our Gators and the Golden Panthers of Florida International University. Therefore, rather than try and rustle up some excitement about this titanic match up (will we score more than 30? Will they score?), we’re going to explore the reasons why Panthers and Gators aren’t that much different after all. Read More »

Why I Will Be Glad When This Season Is Over

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:07:05 -0500

The countdown has started and the days, if not hours, are falling off the calendar like autumn leaves in a stiff breeze as the final granules of sand pour through the hourglass. Read More »

Gators Continue to let the Defense Get the Job Done

Rusty — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:49:32 -0500

The Gators continued a lot of trends on Saturday afternoon. Some of those trends are negative; like the lack of offensive production, allowing Tebow to constantly endure pressure on every pass play, and allowing the game to be much closer than it should be in the fourth quarter. The most important trends that continued Saturday, however, are the good ones. Read More »

Tailgating in Columbia, South Carolina for the Gamecocks

Mike — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:44:41 -0500

GatorTailgating.com is doing a series of articles on where and how to tailgate at all of the Gator Football away games. This article details where and what to look out for in Columbia, South Carolina for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Go Gators! Read More »

Do the Gators Need to Worry About the Ol' Ball Coach?

joshualukebauer — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:47:10 -0500

There was a time, not too long ago, when I had November 14^th circled as one of the biggest games of the season for the Gators. Two weeks ago, the Gamecocks were 6-2, the Gators had offensive questions going in to our yearly Cocktail Party (you’d think we’d be playing South Carolina in that game), and you could still criticize the SEC refs for bonehead calls without fear. Sure, Spurrier had just dropped one to Alabama, but everyone expected Alabama to win and their other loss was to a Georgia team that was ranked at the time. Read More »

Gators to Wear New Uniforms Against FSU

Rusty — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:13:11 -0500

Tebow will play Senior day and his last home game as a Gator in a familiar environment against a familiar rival and with approx. 90,000 familiar faces cheering for him, but one thing won't be familiar: the uniform he'll be wearing.

Nike has unvieled a new uniform for 10 Universities including Florida, FSU, Viginia Tech, TCU, Ohio State, Oklahom, Texas, LSU, Missouri, and Miami which will be worn for one game. Read More »

The Case Against Kiffin II: The Lamepire Strikes Back

joshualukebauer — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:39:33 -0500

Batman and the Joker, Obama and Rush, Your dentist and the gum disease Gingivitis.

We all recognize an archenemy when we see it; someone who is your polar opposite, who you spend your life fighting against, and who always seems to be there glorying in your every failure (whether they were behind it or not). An archenemy obsesses about you, wants to be you so bad that they have to try and bring you down to their level of achievement just so they can feel somewhat better about themselves. These are the type of people who cook up “master plans”, spending time ignoring what’s important so they can focus on trying to make your life a living hell. Read More »

BCS Rankings Week 11: Alabama back at #2 & Iowa Goes Down

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:08:16 -0500

It was another wild weekend in college football, with plenty of upsets, scares, and a few changes near the top of the poll.

The most noteworthy shift in the Week 11 poll is Alabama’s reclamation of the No. 2 spot after they were passed by Texas just last week. The Longhorns remain at No. 2 in both the AP and Coaches' polls following their 35-3 drubbing of Central Florida, but Alabama’s 24-15 win over LSU carried enough weight to push them ahead of Texas in the BCS. Read More »

Gators Continue Their Winning Ways with Uninspiring Performance

Rusty — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:10:27 -0500

The Gators rolled on to their 19th win in a row and go to 9-0 on the season as they defeated Vanderbilt last night by a score of 27-3. Unfortunately, the spark that was started in Jacksonville last week where the offensive woes seemed to be repaired doesn't seem to have fully caught fire yet. The Gators offense looked unimpressive against the overwhelmed Commodores and seemed to sputter most of the night. Read More »

Open Invitation to Tailgate with GT for the Vandy Game!

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:22:41 -0500

Javascript is required to view this map.

Looking for a tailgate party to crash while getting ready to watch the Gators take on Vanderbilt? The GatorTailgating crew will be setting up at about 7 am near the corner of Gale Lemerand (formerly North-South Drive) and Museum Rd. It's directly in front of the parking garage that's located on Gale Lemerand just south of the red light at Museum Drive. See the interactive map above for better directions.

The Real Story Behind "Gators Wear Jean Shorts"

lyanne — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:35:33 -0500

Florida-Georgia is an experience like no other. It’s a spirited mix of college tailgating, SEC rivalry at its best, and heated insults spewed between an evenly split crowd. The most creative and disarming of all insults being, “Gators wear jean shorts!” The first year I heard it, I asked a Georgia fan how it started, and he had no idea. Three years later, I’ve finally gotten to the bottom of things. So, without further delay, I give you the history of the “Gators wear jean shorts” insult. Read More »

Brandon Spikes Over-Rules Coach Meyer

joshualukebauer — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:27:52 -0500

It’s rare to have a player over rule a coach’s decision.

Even rarer is when that player does so to make a punishment stricter.

However, Brandon Spikes felt that his punishment didn’t fit his crime, so on Wednesday he asked that his suspension be extended to a full game. That’s right, Spikes suggested this, not Coach Meyer, and I think we here in Gainesville should be proud. Read More »

The North vs. South Tailgating Discussion

joshualukebauer — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:41:16 -0500

Ah, Florida autumn. A beast similar to summer in the north, but without the panicked “try and enjoy every moment you can because winter is like a month away at any given time” energy. Whereas in the north, we have to wait all year for two or three months of beach season, you here in the south spend the first week of “cold weather “(low 70’s in the day, high 50’s at night; brrrr) worriedly searching your closets for those sweaters and scarves while wondering if the “HEAT” on your thermostat will blow up the house if turned on. Then, you get winter (i.e. below 70 in the day) for almost a week and you start climbing back up the mercury again, ready for that nine month beach party that so many snowbirds move here for. Read More »

Vanderbilt 2005: Why I Never Leave a Game Early

lyanne — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:22:24 -0500

The most loyal ‘Nole I know gave up before halftime against Boston College. LSU fans left their own stadium when the Gators led by 10 with 7:27 left to play. Dawgs fled Jacksonville when Georgia trailed by two touchdowns in the 3^rd quarter. As Gators, we’ve recently had the pleasure of being on the other side of leaving early. Charleston Southern, Troy, most of the ’08 season. Despite the margin of victory Gator fans have become accustomed to, I refuse to leave a game early. Settle in boys and girls. I'm about to have a "back in my day" story time moment... Read More »

SEC Power Rankings After Week 9

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:21:53 -0500

1. Florida Read More »

Cooper's Touchdown Catch was the Play of the Game

joshualukebauer — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:48:11 -0500

Of all the coverage the Florida-Georgia game got, both good (Tebow’s SEC rushing TD record) and bad (Spikes' eye gouging incident), there was one image that stuck with me above all others.

It wasn't Tebow’s record breaker, nor the one after that. It was most definitely not The Stomp II (seriously, was that not the most pathetic attempt to fire up a team you’ve ever seen? I know it worked in '07, but that ship has sailed.). It wasn’t the Bulldog turnovers either, though it was fun to watch Cox throw 3 INTs and even funnier when his backup, Gray, tossed an INT on an 0 for 3 day.

No, the jaw dropper for me was Riley Cooper’s 22 yard TD in the corner of the end zone. The one he made with one arm, snatching that beautiful brown bomb out of the air and bringing it in with one smooth motion, all the while keeping the defender on his left arm. He hit the ground, the ref’s arms signaled the reality of what I’d just seen, and my mind whirled to try and take it all in. Read More »

Brandon Spikes Suspended for 1st Half of Vandy Game

Rusty — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:19:01 -0500

Coach Meyer announced today that Senior Middle Linebacker Brandon Spikes will be suspended for the first half against Vanderbilt because of his behavior during a play against Georgia on Saturday. Spikes was caught on CBS cameras forcing his hand into Georgia Running Back Washaun Ealey's facemask during and after a play at Saturday's game.

As mulitiple videos on youtube surfaced, Meyer took quick action to speak to Spikes and punish him for the incident. Spikes is reportedly saying it was in response to a previous action where the Georgia player knocked his helmet off and was shoving him after the play.

Click "Read More" to see the video of Meyer's press conference and the actual play. Read More »

ESPN Sports Nation Debates Tailgating

Rusty — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:02:24 -0500

Gimmicks Prove Worthless for Georgia as Gators Clinch SEC East

Rusty — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:28:02 -0500

After losing two of their last three games, Richt needed some motivational ploys to fire up his Bulldog football team Saturday. The Georgia coach came up with a number of ideas during his bye week, but probably should've spent more time with his quarterback Cox rather than thinking of game day gimmicks. Read More »

Tailgating in Jacksonville for the Florida-Georgia Game!

Rusty — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:00:05 -0400

GatorTailgating.com is doing a series of articles on where and how to tailgate at all of the Gator Football away games. This is the fourth part of our series detailing where and what to look out for in Jacksonville, Florida for the annual Florida-Georgia Game. Go Gators! Read More »

Five Tips for Tailgating at the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party

Rusty — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:05:48 -0400

If you get the chance to go to Jacksonville this weekend, don't pass it up. I know you may want to use the excuse that you don't have tickets, but in actuality, you don't need tickets. I know what you're thinking; Jacksonville Municipal Stadium did not start a "first come-first serve" rule for the Florida-Georgia game, and you're right. They didn't. You still need tickets to get into the stadium, but that's not where the real party is.

The real reason everyone talks about the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party isn't because of the game as much as it is the party. Otherwise, it would be called the World's Best College Rivalry, and it isn't. It's called the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Read More »

Tebow to Break Herschel Walker's Record in Jacksonville?

joshualukebauer — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:00:00 -0400

Last night, wandering near the Swamp in the cloud obscured glow of the half moon, I chanced to hear a quiet moaning coming from the direction of the stadium. Thinking it might be someone in distress I ran to the sound. As I approached, I saw a dirty figure standing beneath the stadium lights, his face upturned as he stared mournfully at the Swamp, his face a slack jawed picture of blankness and with a fist clenched, held aloft and shaking. Upon coming closer, the smell began to assault my nostrils and as he turned to me, his poor dentistry and overall disheveled appearance were made immediately apparent. I thought, this is it; that’s a zombie waiting to eat my brains, for he looked like one of the walking dead, his eyes glazed and with nary a spark of intelligence.

Then I looked at his clothing and saw a #34 in faded white against a torn, red background and realized this was just another Georgia fan crying over the loss of another SEC record! Read More »

Spooky Gator Superstitions Just in Time for Halloween

joshualukebauer — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:00:00 -0400

Gator fans, we’ve been beat up a lot the past few weeks. It seems like you can’t turn on sports news shows without people talking about how the Gators could miss the National Championship, or how Alabama is really the #1 team in the country. On top of that, the citizens of Titletown have to live with several superstitions and curses that seem to follow them around all year. What’s worse is that many of you out there know nothing about the Hell mouth you live on and all the horrible scariness that goes on around you. Too many spend only their college years here and don’t know what lies sleeping in the dark corners of Gainesville, or the bad voodoo that bedevils the football team you all know and love.

So, with Halloween and the Georgia game coming together in one perfect nightmare, we have for you some of the more interesting urban legends and “curses” that you may not even know of. Read More »

Five Tips to Get Your Woman Interested in Gator Football

lyanne — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:07:55 -0400

I love football. For the longest time, I’ve been trying to my get my friends interested, too- so they might actually hang out with me and watch the games on Saturdays. And sometimes Thursdays. And the occasional Friday or Wednesday. I’ve converted no fewer than 5 girls into semi-serious Gator fans. So trust me when I say this method for getting your girl interested in the game is tried and true. And if it fails, send her to me. Read on for the steps to get any woman interested in the grand sport of football! Read More »

Week 8 SEC Power Rankings

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:48:09 -0400

Both Florida and Alabama survived scares from first-year coaches Saturday and cement their status at the top of the SEC. LSU bounced back to remain firmly in third. Tennessee showed a lot of fight and determination to break into my top five with a showdown looming against South Carolina this week.

Auburn continues its slide and Arkansas suffered a hangover from last week that traveled all the way to Oxford with them. It was pretty good week picking games, going 6-0 SU, but 0-1 ATS. How does the SEC stack up after Week Eight?

Read More »

Five Things We Learned in Week 8 of College Football

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:40:09 -0400

At this point, six of the top 10 teams in the BCS standings are undefeated, including two mid-major schools that ironically played each other a year ago (Boise State and TCU).

As we head into the month of November with all types of big matchups on the horizon, including the Florida-Georgia game and USC-Oregon, fortunes should begin to reveal themselves. Read More »

Urban Meyer's Confession Sparks Hope

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:04:49 -0400

For the third time in as many games, Urban Meyer and his Florida Gators conspired to keep television audiences glued to their sets.

By morphing a potential “style” win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs into yet another stumble to the finish, Meyer, offensive coordinator Steve Addazio, and the Gator offensive squad worked hard to confuse pollsters and spike the collective blood pressure of the Gator Nation.

After the “wakeup” call with the Razorbacks last weekend, the Gators were expected to travel west to Starkville and overwhelm Mississippi State with their sure footed rushing game, a revitalized passing attack, and a renewed focus on fundamentals.

GatorTailgating in Starkville, MS

Rusty — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:24:35 -0400

The GT crew is partying in Starkville right now on the corner of Bost Street and Stone Road. If you're in Starkville for the game, make sure to stop by on your way up to the stadium. The Bourbon Meyers are being served and they're just the right drink to give you patience with the annoying cow bells.

If you're not making it up to the game this weekend, we'll see you at the Cocktail Party next week for the other leg humpers of the SEC! GO GATORS! Read More »

Top Fears for Week 7 - Mississippi State

joshualukebauer — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:02:06 -0400

Gainesville has been beating up on their Gators this week ever since beating (that means winning over) Arkansas on a beautiful scoring drive in the fourth quarter last week. The way Gainesville is acting, we just lost the National Championship, the Heisman, our #1 ranking (we did, but it was only the AP), and every chance Tebow had of getting drafted. Read More »

Tailgating in Starkville for the Mississippi State Game

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:02:54 -0400

GatorTailgating.com is doing a series of articles on where and how to tailgate at all of the Gator Football away games. This article details where and what to look out for in Starkville, Mississippi for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Go Gators! Read More »

SEC Officiating Having Problems Lately?

joshualukebauer — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:19:15 -0400

Welcome to the third week of Football Follies starring the SEC referees.

For every week since the Georgia/LSU, we’ve gotten some fine apologies from the men who are supposed to be the ones who insure fairness on the NCAA football field. This week, it was Arkansas who felt the sting of the token “oops” from the zebras, receiving an apology about the 15 yard personal foul against Razorback defensive end Malcolm Sheppard, who was flagged for colliding with Marcus Gilbert away from the ball and set the Gators up with a 1st and goal at the ten yard line. Read More »

10 Numbers that Add Up to Relief Against the MSU Bulldogs

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:27:28 -0400

The pig roast that Florida head coach Urban Meyer and his Gators had planned for homecoming didn’t turn out as expected.

Last weekend, the visiting Arkansas Razorbacks gave Florida all they could handle and the result was a huge case of indigestion for the Gators, a headache for the pollsters, and hope for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Since the meal that Meyer and his Gators were hoping to serve turned out to be “offensive” here are ten anti-acids that hopefully will settle things down before Florida’s road trip to Starkville…

Warning – if problems persist after playing the Bulldogs please immediately contact your heath care provider. Read More »

Something to take the edge off this past weekend

Rusty — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:21:54 -0400

After Saturday, let's face it. We Gators need to laugh at something. Yes, we won and are still undefeated. Yes, we still control our own destiny. Yes, we're even #1 in the BCS poll. But still...Does it really feel like all that is true when you gauge your emotions after this weekend? I know it doesn't for me.

Personally, to tell you how much I am worried about this past weekend, I'm concerned heading to Starkville this weekend. I know it's Mississippi State, but Dan Mullen knows our team backward and forward. I also know the history of Gator football teams and the state of Mississippi dating back to pre-Spurrier years. If you aren't a long-time Gator fan, know this: It isn't pretty.

The only good thing I can remember the state of Mississippi doing for the Gator football team is MSU beating us in 2004 to officially retire the Ron Zook era, and even that was a loss!

It's not that I think MSU is a better or more talented team whatsoever, but this Gator team just seems to be in a funk. I'm just hoping this year's Starkville is last year's Fayetteville; where the Gators catch fire and really take the rest of the season by storm. Read More »

Four Fumbles, Six Sacks and a Gator Win

Mike — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:52:23 -0400

The Gator football team put together their worst performance of 2009, but still managed to come out with a ”W” last Saturday. The game started well enough, with the stout Gator defense holding Arkansas to a punt, but quickly turned darker after the Gators failed to score in the red zone after a missed Caleb Sturgis field goal.

The game continued downhill after the next two Gator offense drives ended with a pair of generally elusive Tim Tebow sacks. From there Arkansas was able to get the Gators behind for the first time this year with a Razorback touchdown early in the second quarter. Read More »

Five Tips for Tailgating at the Arkansas Game

Rusty — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:01:41 -0400

Cook the Hog – For those of you that enjoy pork, this is your tailgate. Whatever you cook, as long as it's from a pig, it will be themed for the team we play on homecoming: Hot dogs, Sausage, Ribs, or even Pigs in Blankets all give you that satisfaction of chowing down on your opponent.

For the GT crew, we'll be eating "Razorback Ribs" that will be absolutley delicious, but you could even go as far as to cook a whole boar hog like Walt did in the "hot box" in the picture above. Read More »

Open Invitation to Tailgate with GT for the Arkansas Game

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:20:54 -0400

Javascript is required to view this map.

Looking for a tailgate party to crash while getting ready to watch the Gators take on the Arkansas Hogmollies? The GatorTailgating crew will be setting up at about 7:30 am near the corner of Gale Lemerand (formerly North-South Drive) and Museum Rd. It's directly in front of the parking garage that's located on Gale Lemerand just south of the red light at Museum Drive. See the interactive map above for better directions.

We’ll have a huge banner, TVs, Stereo Equipment, food, flags, and, of course, drinks! Look for the 6 ft tall inflatible Albert if you can't find us. Donations are appreciated to cover the cost of the food. This week, we're cookin' Razorback Ribs. We’ll be pretty hard to miss and will be having a great time, so don't hesitate to stop by!

We'd love to see you out there! GO GATORS!

Top Three Fears for Week 6

joshualukebauer — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:15:38 -0400

Another weekend down for the NCAA and another Monday with the Gators smiling down at the rest of the teams from #1, you’ve got to love how the more things change, the more they stay the same.

We’re a defensive juggernaut this season, a ball/clock control type of team. We utilize our strengths in the run and bolster a very efficient passing game, and Meyer keeps racking up wins (49-9). However, with our toughest regular season game behind us, you have to start wondering if there should even be anyone left for us to fear until Alabama in the SEC Championship (a conversation we don’t need to start having in October). Read More »

Will the Gators Allow an Emotional Letdown Against Arkansas?

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:29:41 -0400

This week, the Arkansas Razorbacks come to town to face the Florida Gators during their Homecoming weekend. The Razorbacks are coming off a tremendous 44-23 victory over the Auburn Tigers.

The Gators are also coming off a victory over the LSU Tigers after a two-week period of indecision and uncertainty. Tim Tebow's concussion was the biggest story, and that story's conclusion came Saturday night when he led the Gators to victory in Death Valley. Read More »

The Aftermath of LSU

joshualukebauer — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:19:47 -0400

Tim Tebow is not made of glass. Tim Tebow did not get a career ending injury two weeks ago. Tim Tebow can still get hit without being left a drooling vegetable for the rest of his life. Coach Urban Meyer did the right thing.

I’ve been inundated for over a week now, both before and after the Bayou Brawl on Saturday, with articles and comments about how Coach Meyer rushed Tebow back to play. Over and over we’ve been getting hit with writers vilifying Meyer who “had the national title on his mind and selfishly insisted that Tebow take a risk” or were picking on Tim for being a “tough guy” rather than listening to common sense. Read More »

Two Myths the Gators Proved False

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:54:16 -0400

Florida’s win over the LSU Tigers did more than just cement the Gators top spot in the polls; it put to test two myths that have been dogging the Blue and Orange all season…

Myth No. 1– Florida, with Tim Tebow at the helm, can’t win close games… especially on the road. Read More »

Tebow Relieves Headaches But Restores Title Urge

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:59:35 -0400

Well, this was bound to happen, a low-scoring contest with a pair of top-notch teams clashing in a Saturday night SEC showdown. Once again, the Florida Gators aren’t pulverizing their opponents or failing to create large margins.

It certainly signifies that Urban Meyer’s squad is not nearly the same dominant team as a year ago. No team is intimidated or agitated, encountering a well-mannered citizen Tim Tebow, who is an immaculate and generous man quarterbacking the Gators to meritorious achievements. Read More »

The Story of LSU Fans Smelling like Corn Dogs

Rusty — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:34:22 -0400

For a couple years, there has been an ongoing joke about LSU fans smelling like corn dogs. I had read in message boards where opposing fans had talked trash about LSU fans and corn dogs, but never knew the whole story. It just seemed like an idiotic cut down that made no sense.

Then, last night while partying in Baton Rouge with some LSU fans, one of them looked at me as seriously as you can and asked this question with such sincerity; "Do LSU fans really smell like corn dogs?"

What could I say to that? Should I laugh it off or actually sniff him and give him my honest asessment? I went the safe route and told him that a couple fans did reak of battered hot dogs, but that he wasn't one of them. "You just smell like whiskey, and possibly a little B.O." is what I told him, and he seemed okay with that.

Due to the encounter, I had to research where it all came from, and here is the story... Read More »

Top Five Drinks for Gator TailGators

joshualukebauer — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:50:59 -0400

Being a northern transfer to the south, I used to tailgate in the snow and the freezing rain.On an early football morning, you’d be bundled in 7 layers (yes, exactly 7 layers!), trying to huddle around a BBQ that can’t possible be hot enough to cook meat while wind baring fangs of ice tear through you with so much freezing force you’d swear your liver ices over.You take shivering sips of whiskey from metal flasks frozen to your hand while trying to figure out how many different colors your fingers can turn and which one is indicative of frostbite. Down here, it’s a little different, as cold doesn’t really figure in to your pregame.

So I’ve poured over the archives and brought together the tastiest of the Gator themed drinks we have available for your consumption this tailgating season, because variety is the spice of life and Floridians need to keep cool anyway they can, regardless of the color of their beverage. Read More »

Let's "Swamp" the Bayou with RV's! Park with GT at the LSU Game!

Tamaralea10 — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:17:04 -0400

As a reminder as we head into the LSU Game week, we still have room available in our lot for a few more RVs. As of today, we have sold 45 spots and have about 15 still available. We are also selling game day car parking as well if you want to tailgate with the GatorTailgating Crew, the Gator Country crew, and the rest of Gator Nation that travelled to Baton Rouge. Email us at events@gatortailgating.com to request more information. (directions to the lot are at the bottom of the article.)

*Note: Unfortunately, the GatorCountry speakers (Franz Beard, & Buddy Martin) will not be able to make it. According to GC, "Our writers have been delayed with deadlines and reports following closely the Tim Tebow situation and other matters. Buddy asked me to send his regrets"

As a UF Graduate in Event Management, I have had my share of party planning. I’ve done it all- hotel banquets, blow-out holiday parties, meetings, receptions… and the occasional birthday roast or Superbowl Sunday too, of course! But lemme tell ya, of all the events I’ve organized, the one to be at will be this October’s Battle on the Bayou in Baton Rouge, hosted by Gator Tailgating! Read More »

Tebow Practicing Tuesday but Still Not Cleared to Play

Rusty — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:58:23 -0400

Although the news spread throughout Gator nation quickly Tuesday that Superman had donned his pads and helmet again to practice for the first time since the concussion, the news that most of Gator Nation is dying to hear is still up in the air. Tebow has not been cleared to play Saturday night yet, and probably will not have a decision to play or not officially until Friday night or Saturday morning.

"I want to make that clear. He has not been cleared to play in the game Saturday night. Absolutely not," Meyer said after Tuesday's practice. "I don't think that (announcement) will happen for some time yet." Read More »

The Top Fears of Week 5: Razorbacks, Gamecocks, and Death Valley

joshualukebauer — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:57:41 -0400

It’s been quiet in Gainesville this week, with only whispers here and there to gauge how Tebow is recovering. While other SEC teams have fought gloriously with each other this week, we scour the papers and internet to hear any updates we can scrape together about our fallen general. Will Tebow play? Is he going to be a different quarterback? Is Brantley ready to go? Read More »

Guide to LSU Tailgating in Baton Rouge for Gators

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 06:22:00 -0400

GatorTailgating.com is doing a series of articles on where and how to tailgate at all of the Gator Football away games. This article details where and what to look out for in Baton Rouge, Louisiana for the the game against the LSU Tigers. Go Gators! Read More »

Week 5 Wrap-Up & Looking Ahead to LSU

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:42:37 -0400

Oct. 3, 2009 was a great day to be a Florida Gator.

FSU lost to a tepid Boston College team, and starts an ACC season 0-2 for the first time in its history prompting calls for Bobby Bowden’s retirement.

Tennessee was manhandled by Gene Chizik and company. Little Lane Kiffin is still winless in SEC play.

Georgia lost to an underwhelming LSU team.

Let’s talk about all these things…but first the real excitement comes from thinking about Florida’s game with LSU on Saturday night in Death Valley. Read More »

Can The Gators Survive a Horror Story Without Their Hero?

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:48:17 -0400

The bar is dark, but not that quiet. In fact, it's a relatively normal, albeit out of the way, hole in the wall. Suddenly, the door bursts open and he steps through. Our hero, covered in some sort of blood and carrying a very large gun tells everyone to shut up and listen if they want to live.

Ahh, the action hero; here to save us from whatever nasties are lurking just outside the barricaded door...except this isn't an action movie, this is The Feast and the door's not barricaded yet, and...crap, did the hero just get eaten? What the hell are we supposed to do now?

The third quarter of the UF–Kentucky game felt a lot like the opening scene from The Feast. We had our hero, and he had the credentials to get us safely through another SEC schedule. Everything was looking good, but somebody failed to barricade the bar, and our hero got eaten by Taylor Wyndham. His bone crushing hit on Tebow left Superman motionless and Gators fans everywhere in shock, asking what the hell are we supposed to do now? Read More »

Corporate America Hangs Their Brand on Tailgating

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 07:50:00 -0400

The commercials are done - the promotions are set - the media buys are in - and the winner is Tailgating! When major advertisers try to connect with consumers they often try to associate their brand with a top athlete/model/actor/singer etc… whom the consumer aspires to be – or that gives the consumer a good, warm, well hell… happy feeling. The advertiser tries to get that “happy feeling” transferred to their brand. It’s been that way since the beginning of advertising time. Well the advertiser’s votes are in, and this season the clear choice to connect with the consumer is through Tailgating. You heard me Tailgating is prime time! Let’s look at some of the majors who are hanging their brands on Tailgating this season. Read More »

Tebow Concussion Not a Problem if New Adage Rings True

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:42:35 -0400

As the media shock waves generated by Tim Tebow’s concussion begin to subside attention is slowly returning to what the Florida Gators must do to defeat the LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge on Oct. 10.

Regardless of who starts for the Gators at quarterback, the blinding flash of the obvious for Florida head coach Urban Meyer is to create a game plan that simply puts more points on the scoreboard than LSU. Read More »

Florida Gators in the NFL Update

joshualukebauer — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:12:48 -0400

Bye weeks are funny things. To fill the time, let’s take a moment to remember those who came before our current crop of athletes and check in on all those ex-Gators now grabbing the mad cash in the NFL. Granted, this isn’t usually a fun conversation (especially if your name is Rex Grossman or Danny Wuerffel), but at least we know Fred Taylor’s doing well. Read More »

The Twenty Best All-Time ESPN GameDay Signs

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:50:35 -0400

It all began 15 years ago. Back in 1993, ESPN took it’s College GameDay show on the road and the rest is history. The very first road show was held at the Game of the Century, Notre Dame vs. Florida State in South Bend. Corso picked FSU and, of course, Notre Dame won.

What has happened since is the transformation of college football into a billion dollar industry.

In honor of the 15th anniversary, we have compiled the “20 All-Time Greatest College GameDay Signs.” Read More »

College Football: The Other Florida Teams

joshualukebauer — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:01:43 -0400

We have reached the bye week. Thank God.

After a week full of Wildcats, flu bugs, and almost watching Tebow’s head snap off and roll across the field like a loose ball, we Florida fans need a week off as much as Tim does. How do you make Tim Tebow stop working? Put him in a hospital bed during a bye week.

Well, Tim’s home, no more vomiting or concussion-like symptoms, and while he’s most likely texting Urban about LSU preparation, we here in Gainesville need to take a breather and ready ourselves for some real football games, including romps with more SEC brethren and a game here in the Swamp against another Sunshine State powerhouse, Florida International. Read More »

Kentucky Lineman Sorrowful Over Tebow's Injury

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:59:06 -0400

There's nothing that can make a defensive lineman's eyes light up more quickly than the thought of a sack on a quarterback. Especially if that quarterback is Tim Tebow, the Heisman trophy winner andis left completely unblocked by his offensive line.

That being true, when Taylor Wyndham saw the opening on Saturday night in the third quarter for a sack on Tebow on third down, he could'nt believe his eyes and made the play.

"It makes you happy to see him open like that," the freshman told KentuckySports.com. "I was unblocked, so I came, and I hit him." Read More »

Tebow Released From Hospital

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:59:08 -0400

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow was released from the UK Medical Center on Sunday morning after being kept overnight for observation.

"Tim is doing fine this morning,'' said head coach Urban Meyer. "His CT scans came back and indicated that Tim suffered a concussion. Our medical and athletic training staff will continue to monitor him to determine how much rest and recovery he needs. We will have additional information and updates this week.''
Read More »

Tebow: The Hit Heard Around The World

Rusty — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 06:48:33 -0400

Here is my top 10 list of the stupid Tim Tebow questions that will be asked this week by the media. Let's start with the obvious, it's not really a question but it's my favorite.

1. This statement or something similar will be first: "Superman found kryptonite" or "Superman meets Lex Luther" or something similar referencing "Superman".

Answer: You're unoriginal, and probably not that bright, because you actually thought that using "Superman" in your analogy of the situation was clever. Read More »

Tebow Injured! Holy Crap! Gators Still Beat Wildcats 41-7

Mike — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 22:10:53 -0400

Every Florida fan’s worst nightmare came true Saturday night when Gator QB Tim Tebow fell on the field with a shot to the head by Kentucky DE Taylor Wyndham. When he fell back, he hit Marcus Gilbert's leg, thrusting his neck back and forth. Read More »

Come Tailgate with GT & the Bluegrass Gator Club in Lexington!

Mike — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:37:54 -0400

Javascript is required to view this map.

Looking for a tailgate party to crash in Lexington, KY while getting ready to watch the Gators take on the Kentucky Wildcats? The GatorTailgating crew will be setting up with the Bluegrass Gator Club at 1200 Red Mile Road in Lexington. See the interactive map above for better directions.

Only $5 will get you into the lot, and an additional $5 will get a shuttle to and from the stadium. The Bluegrass Gator club will have a grill going for you to bring your own meat and beer, but should have enough hot dogs to feed whoever is coming for a small donation.

We'd love to see you here! GO GATORS!

Florida vs. Kentucky: Gators Going for 23rd Straight Over Cats

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:46:56 -0400

Florida opened its 2009 SEC play with a 23-13 win over Eastern division rival, Tennessee. It wasn’t the royal beating that a good majority of Gator fans wanted to see, but the end result was a win; and that’s what is most important. Florida comes in ranked number one in the country and is unbeaten in SEC conference play. Read More »

Was Kiffin or Meyer Right?

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:11:46 -0400

Who's right? Urban Meyer or Lane Kiffin? Was Kiffin going for the win?

Here is the full story on Urban Meyer’s claim that Lane Kiffin wasn’t playing for the win. I watched the game on CBS and I saw it again on SEC Sports Digital. There are definitely some conclusions about the way this game ended that non-partisan observers can agree on. Read More »

The Top Three Fears of Week 3

joshualukebauer — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:22:24 -0400

Normally, I would do a piece about which parts of the Gator schedule are the most fearful to us after the past week, but too many people in Gainesville are still wiping the sweat from their collective brows.

It wasn’t that bad, yet you’d think we just got our first loss of the season the way the media and fans are reacting, so let’s take this time to discuss what there is to truly fear: Ourselves. Read More »

Joe Vol Visits Gainesville for Tennessee Game

Rusty — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:30:23 -0400

My personal favorite opposing team’s fan, Joe Vol, (a cousin of the famous “Joe Dirt”) was invited to tailgate with GatorTailgating.com for Saturday’s game. He made it by a couple tailgates to give Gator fans a hard time, but mostly stayed right around the Gale Lemerand and Museum Drive area. With his Red Man chewing tobacco, Tennessee spit cup, and Natty Light in tow, he walked around to tailgate parties spouting trash talk such as “Jonathan Crompton for Heisman!” and “Tebow wears Lane Kiffin pajamas!”

Although he isn’t happy about Florida beating Tennessee, he agrees wholeheartedly with Kiffin talking trash after the game. “Our football team is great! We may be unranked, have a losing record, and have disgraced the SEC by losing to one of them there hippie, queer California teams, but Kiffin has every right to talk trash after that game,” says Joe Vol. “Why would you not talk smack after losing by 10 points to a hated rival?!? It just doesn’t make sense to let that chance pass you by!” Read More »

Will Tebow be a Jaguar in 2010?

joshualukebauer — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:34:37 -0400

“As a quarterback, I just don’t see it…” - Mel Kipler

“Star power is incredible, and Tebow is an iconic figure… people would legitimately think, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if he was a Jaguar?’” Wayne Weaver

Tim Tebow holds an insane amount of Florida and NCAA records, from most consecutive games with a rushing or passing TD (which hit 31 with his rushing TD this week, an NCAA record) to his SEC record interception percentage (about a 1.61). He has amassed a 25-5 record as a starter with this weekend’s hard-nosed victory over Tennessee and is 4 TDs away from Herschel Walker’s SEC record 49 rushing TDs. At Florida, he is within striking distance of records by Emmit Smith (career rushing attempts) and Danny Wuerffel (total touchdowns) and already owns the record for career completion percentage there. Read More »

Gators get the Win, but Vols get Respect

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 09:09:16 -0400

Lane Kiffin failed in his opportunity to sing "Rocky Top" in Gainesville, but he succeeded in getting some respect from the Gators and the rest of the nation as the Vols fought the Gators tooth and nail, eventually falling 23-13 in the Swamp.

Florida persevered, as the Gator offense was frustrated by Monte Kiffin's defensive scheme. Read More »

Gators Chomp Rocky Top 23-13

Mike — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:20:18 -0400

Heavily favored, the Florida Gator football team came into the Swamp with most fans expecting a blowout of 2007 (59-31) proportions. The Tennessee defense, however, proved to be stout and limited the Gators to three field goals and two touchdowns for a total of 322 offensive yards. Read More »

Five Tips for Tailgating for the Tennessee Game

Rusty — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:02:38 -0400

Dress to Impress – This is for those of you that want to have a lot of laughs at your tailgate party. The only way to get a more comedic tailgate party than this is to hire midgets and watch them wrestle. Read More »

Buy some Billy-Bob teeth, a Mullet wig, some Copenhagen, A Tennessee shirt, some overalls, a Camouflage hat, and a 12-pack of Natural Light. Dress up as a Tennessee fan and greet their fans with a hearty “Go Vols!” as they walk and drive by your tailgate. Not only will you be the funniest guy at your tailgate and keep everyone rolling, but the best part is Tennessee fans will love you too! They’ll really think you’re one of them if you get the accent down! I know you think it’s crazy when you go that far out on a limb with the outfit, but seriously; they see 100,000 of that every week at Neyland Stadium. Just take a look at the pictures from last year’s game in Knoxville.

Open Invitation to Tailgate with GT for the Tennessee Game

Mike — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:00:00 -0400

Javascript is required to view this map.

Looking for a tailgate party to crash while getting ready to watch the Gators take on Lane Kiffin's Mouth? The GatorTailgating crew will be setting up at about 7 am near the corner of Gale Lemerand (formerly North-South Drive) and Museum Rd. It's directly in front of the parking garage that's located on Gale Lemerand just south of the red light at Museum Drive. See the interactive map above for better directions.

We’ll have a huge banner, TVs, Stereo Equipment, food, flags, and, of course, drinks! Look for the 6 ft tall inflatible Albert if you can't find us. Donations are appreciated to cover the cost of the food. This week, we're cooking chicken zingers & fries. We’ll be pretty hard to miss and will be having a great time, so don't hesitate to stop by!

We'd love to see you out there! GO GATORS!

Top Fears After Week Two

joshualukebauer — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:34:23 -0400

Last week, after watching the docket of games for opening week, we examined what teams on the Gator schedule were worth fearing after seeing their first real performance. Okay, some of the teams played week one were a bit junior varsity, but now we’ve had a second week and have had a chance to get a better idea of some of our opponents (I’m looking at you Tennessee). Read More »

So, for lack of creativity today, let’s do that again and present the biggest fears left on the Florida Gator schedule (we’ll try and make this one short and sweet).

The Complete History and Case Against Lane Kiffin

joshualukebauer — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:58:18 -0400

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting sick of reading and hearing about Lane Kiffin.

However, while watching highlights from the Vols first loss of the season (their first “real” game of the season), I couldn’t help but notice that the Orange Smrik standing on the sideline didn’t look quite as excited as he’d been against powerhouse Western Kentucky.

As Crompton came apart before his eyes, Krazy Lips Kiffin didn’t seem quite so cocksure, had lost that sideline swagger.

Then, as the curtain fell with Montario Hardesty getting stuffed on fourth and two, we here in Gator country giggled a little bit and watched Loopy Lane’s confidence get it’s first shot since becoming head coach. Read More »

Florida’s Assistants are the real MVP’s of Gator football - Part 2

Ben — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:02:04 -0400

Previously we looked at half of the coaching staff that makes up the national championship Gator football team. That included Offensive Coordinator Steve Addazio, Defensive Coordinator Charlie Strong, Wide Receivers coach Billy Gonzales and Running Backs coach Kenny Carter. These four guys are clearly important players on the team and seem to be performing admirably in the first two games of the year, not letting the Gators get complacent. Read More »

Mmmmm…GatorTailgating Barbecue Ribs!

Tamaralea10 — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:45:00 -0400

I wasn’t always a Southern girl, much less a Southern cook. Sure, I grew up in West Virginia, but in the small artsy community of Lewisburg, hundreds of miles from the nearest tailgate, where the closest thing to barbecue was the pulled pork sammies at Jim’s Drive In (which were- and still are- delicious by the way!) It’s not the same, though, as the religion that is barbecue in the South. And as my affinity for all things foodie- in particular, my love for tailgate viddles- grows ever stronger, so too does my devotion to good barbecue. Read More »

Top 10 Reasons to Love Lane Kiffin

joshualukebauer — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:00:21 -0400

Today, I was listening to a caller on the radio (104.9 The Game), who was telling us a wonderful story about a canned food drive up in Tennessee last week, was a kind of support your team type of thing, with Vols colors running torturously rampant throughout the event. Seems that a local group up there had the idea for their group to stamp out homeless hungries while, at the same time, bringing in the fans of the Orange Abyss to rally behind their cause.

And who, do you ask, is sponsoring this warm and fuzzy plea to help the growling stomachs of the Knoxville area?

Why, the Gator Haters Association, of course. Read More »

Urban Meyer is Replacing Harvin with Cooper / James

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:35:28 -0400

Question: How does Urban Meyer, Florida Gators head coach and two time national champion, replace his star big play maker and first round NFL draft pick, Percy Harvin?

Answer: You don’t. At least not with one player…

With two overwhelming victories in the books, many of the Gator faithful have shaken off what few preseason jitters may have been lingering as a result of all the self effacing comments coming out of Gainesville this offseason. Read More »

Gators Slip One Over the Trojans, 56-6

Mike — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:01:21 -0400

Despite a slow start in the first quarter, Tebow, Brantley, and Co. managed to hang half a hundred on the Troy Trojans in a rainy day at the Swamp.

The Gators started off slow in the first 15 minutes with a 7-3 lead after the first quarter. After that, the field was wide open as the Gators worked Troy with the ‘bonsai’ fast-break offense starting with a 36 yard touchdown pass to Riley Cooper. Read More »

Five Tips for Tailgating Before & After the Troy Game

Rusty — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 05:47:04 -0400

1. Get there early. With a 12:21 kickoff, people will begin parking as early as 7 am. Don't take a chance at losing your spot for that extra 30 minutes of sleep. Get up, turn the alarm off, and get your hangover tail to campus. You knew when you went out Friday that Saturday was an early game, so quit whining. Its gameday, so get up and put your game face on.

2. Don't be surprised if there are a good number of Troy fans. Will there be as many as any other SEC school? No, but there will definitely be more visitors than last week against CSU. Troy is just right over the Florida/Alabama state line and they will want to see their team play the #1 team in the nation. Who doesn't want the opportunity to see Tebow and Company play their final season? Read More »

Open Invitation to Tailgate with GT for the Troy Game

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:07:58 -0400

Javascript is required to view this map.

Looking for a tailgate party to crash while getting ready to watch the Gators take on Troy? The GatorTailgating crew will be setting up at about 8 am near the corner of Gale Lemerand (formerly North-South Drive) and Museum Rd. It's directly in front of the parking garage that's located on Gale Lemerand just south of the red light at Museum Drive. See the interactive map above for better directions.

We’ll have a huge banner, TVs, Stereo Equipment, food, flags, and, of course, drinks! Look for the 6 ft tall inflatible Albert if you can't find us. Donations are appreciated to cover the cost of the food. This week, we're cooking burgers because of the early game. We’ll be pretty hard to miss and will be having a great time, so don't hesitate to stop by!

We'd love to see you out there! GO GATORS!

A Quick Look at the Trojans of Troy

Ben — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:05:13 -0400

The showdown in the swamp with Tennessee is looming large for everyone in Gator nation, but the Gators would be to not overlook the Trojans of Troy. I am not trying to suggest that Troy will beat the Gators, but they have a much better chance than many of the other “preseason” games Florida plays like Charleston Southern. If the Gators come out unprepared and overlooking this game, it could be close a lot longer than Gator fans would like. That being said, if the Gators play even average they should beat Troy handily. Read More »

Week 1: Where Does the Danger Lie?

joshualukebauer — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:51:15 -0400

And, we’re off.

Gainesville residents can begin to breathe again as the #1 ranked Florida Gators lived up to the hype of the preseason, dropping a wicked beating of near Biblical proportions on to the warm up team and strolling out with a 62-3 win. Though we weren’t given a whole game of Tebow, there was enough of him (10/15 for 188 and 1TD) and enough new twists to ensure we weren’t just seeing the 08-09 version with a shiny new gloss of paint. Read More »

"Percy Position" Still Looking for Capable Replacements

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:28:27 -0400

The spread offense today in college football is a hot commodity, lighting up scoreboards across the nation. Although not obviously evident, the spread offense requires a lot of athletes across the field in order to work to it's full capabilities. At the University of Florida, on particular athlete meshed to perfection with the Gators unique spread system. Read More »

Charleston Southern Answers Few Questions

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:26:56 -0400

After a day of eyebrow-raising scores and reports, the Florida Gators poured onto the turf at the Swamp on Saturday night fully expecting to return a sense of normalcy to what might be described as one of college football’s most bizarre opening weekends. Read More »

GT's New Inflatable Albert Gets Action at Season Opener

Mike — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:07:47 -0400

Standing tall at this year’s GatorTailgating season opener, a new 6 Ft. inflatable Albert added extra Gator spirit to our tailgate! Courtesy of LetsGoTailgating.com, Albert is a great new addition to the GT setup. Simple enough to inflate even after a few Bourbon Meyers- all it takes is a generator and a few stakes to keep him from floating off to an opposing team’s tailgate. Read More »

Five Things We Learned in Week One

Ben — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 21:55:29 -0400

These are 5 things I learned in week 1 of college football. It looks like another crazy season is about to unfold as Ohio State got taken to the wire by Navy, BYU defeated Oklahoma, and Georgia lost to the Big 12's Oklahoma State. That was all just in the first week too! Read More »

Florida Gator Football Team Barely Squeaks by Charleston Southern

Mike — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 10:06:15 -0400

Just kidding. The Florida Gator football team utterly dismantled the Charleston Southern Buccaneers in the first regular season game of 2009. The Gators won in a convincing fashion with an overwhelming 42 points in the first half and 20 points in the second half for a total of 62 points. Charleston Southern scored their one and only field goal in the middle of the second quarter. Read More »

Five Tips for Tailgating at the Charleston Southern Game

Rusty — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 09:12:06 -0400

This is a weekly article GT.com will be doing to help fans plan for each week's tailgate. It will give a weather forecast for the pre-game festivities, what to expect from the opposing teams' fans, and other various bits of info that will make your tailgate better. Enjoy! Read More »

Tailgate with GatorTailgating for the Charleston Southern Game!

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:53:59 -0400

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Looking for a tailgate party to crash while getting ready to watch the Gators take on Charleston Southern? The GatorTailgating crew will be setting up at about 8 am near the corner of Gale Lemerand (formerly North-South Drive) and Museum Rd. It's directly in front of the parking garage that's located on Gale Lemerand just south of the red light at Museum Drive. See the interactive map above for better directions.

We’ll have a huge banner, TVs, Stereo Equipment, food, and, of course, drinks! Look for the 6 ft tall inflatible Albert if you can't find us. Donations are appreciated to cover the cost of the food. This week, we'll be smoking ribs! We have 14 racks of ribs, and need someone to eat them. We’ll be pretty hard to miss and will be having a great time, so don't hesitate to stop by!

We'd love to see you out there! GO GATORS!

Five Final Concerns Before Kickoff

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:08:50 -0400

Thousands of words have been printed regarding the Gators and the drive to repeat as conference and national champs.

But when you boil down what has transpired over the offseason, issues have cropped up that could play a huge role in determining the outcome of the season. Read More »

Zook vs. Meyer in the Fourth Quarter

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:42:14 -0400

Today we take a look at the difference in 4^th quarter productivity between the Gators coached under Ron Zook and Urban Meyer.

Back in 2001, Ron Zook seemed to be a great fit. He was defense minded coach who could have spring-boarded off of Spurrier’s already established offensive philosophies and personnel. Zook had already been to the Swamp in an assistant capacity in addition to having some NFL years under his belt. Like it or not, he was brought in with elevated expectations and high bar to reach.

Zook would have been great, too, if it wasn’t for those pesky fourth quarters. Read More »

Does Offense or Defense Win Championships?

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:12:28 -0400

Everyone's heard the adage: offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships.

For a lot of my life, I resisted it. I didn't want to believe it. I grew up on Steve Spurrier football (the Florida kind) and loved offense. When I saw my Gators go down in flames in the 1995 national championship game, it was a fearsome offense that largely did the stomping. Offenses are the ones that score the points, and you win games by scoring more than the other team, right? Read More »

Perfect Timing: 15 Questions Facing the 2009 Gators - Part 3

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:54:12 -0400

Can you believe that games kickoff THIS WEEK?!?! Including our first big bowl game of the year with Virginia Tech vs. Alabama. Seriously, we may not get a matchup that good in the Orange Bowl this year.

I don’t think any season will be as strange or captivating as the 2007 season where we had our first two-loss BCS champion raise the crystal ball above their heads. Read More »

Game 1 Preview & Prediction - Charleston Southern

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:43:37 -0400

If you are a college football fan who enjoys a good mismatch, this is going to be one for the ages.

The defending national champion Florida Gators open their 2009 season with an overmatched FCS opponent from the Big South Conference: Charleston Southern. Read More »

DeBose Needs Surgery, Dustin Doe is Back

shanksta13 — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:57:46 -0400

Now seven days away from the season, the Florida Gators football team received some bad news on Saturday, as they learned that star freshman wide receiver Andre Debose has a serious hamstring injury.

The full extent of the injury is still unclear and head coach Urban Meyer said he would know more details on Monday. Read More »

The Righteous Ascension of Charlie Strong

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:35:27 -0400

The relationship between a college football coach and his new employer is akin to trying to cook out with your five-year-old son for the very first time.

On one hand, this new partnership could produce a fire that creates a delicious BBQ dinner that is appreciated, enjoyed, and approved by all. On the other hand, one mistake with the lighter fluid and your guests leave hungry, Dad gets carted off to the emergency room, and Junior finds himself bound for a lifetime of therapy.

Most times, though, a raised voice keeps the house from burning down, Dad wipes the dirt off the chicken, and Junior gets to bring in a plate of yum despite the small tear running down his cheek. Read More »

Florida’s Assistants are the Real MVP’s of Gator Football - Part 1

Ben — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:12:22 -0400

On the field, the Gator football team played spectacular football down the stretch after that heartbreaking loss to Ole Miss. Much attention has been given to Tebow, Spikes, the rest of the team, and Coach Meyer for the championship, but Meyer will be the first to point out that it all starts behind the scenes with his coaching staff.

The assistant coaches are a vital part of every team and the national champion Florida Gators are no exception. They are relied on for game planning, recruiting, coaching, mentoring, and even dealing with disgruntled players. The head coach gets all of the publicity, but these guys make the clock tick behind the scenes. Read More »

Perfect Timing? 15 Questions Facing the 2009 Gators Part II

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:32:07 -0400

Welcome to the second part of three articles highlighting an otherwise drab preseason for the no. 1 ranked Florida Gators. You can see Part I here . Here are questions 10-6 (no particular order) facing the returning BCS champs. Enjoy. Read More »

Position Overviews - Special Teams: This Group is Special

Ben — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:04:25 -0400

The Gators' Special Teams have been among the best in the nation under Urban Meyer. Meyer is known for spending a great deal of time on special teams in practice - and many freshman are stunned at how long they spend working on the fine details of the kicking game. The results have showed and have transformed the Gators from good team into a championship team in 2006 and 2008. Without two huge special teams plays during the 2006 South Carolina game, Florida would’ve never made it to the BCS Championship game. In addition, a touchdown on a muffed punt in the 2006 SEC Championship game swung the momentum back into the Gators’ hands for a victory. In 2008, blocked punts and Brandon James were the legends of the special teams as they consistently made game-changing plays. Read More »

Perfect Timing? 15 Questions Facing the 2009 Gators

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:37:57 -0400

The 2009 College Football season is just two weeks away, and boy do we need it. Granted, I live in SEC country, where we all live and die by our college football teams and your particular school’s fight song ranks second only to the National Anthem, but it’s time to kick this pigskin off. Read More »

Position Overview: Secondary: Two Sets of Starters

Ben — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:23:19 -0400

The Gator secondary is so loaded it’s unfathomable as this is probably the best secondary in the history of Gator football. The Gators not only have unbelievable talent in the starting lineup, but the backups could make up a unit that would still be one of the top in the nation. It’s hard to believe that in 2007 this was one of the worst secondaries in the SEC and in 2008 this was one of the biggest question marks coming into the season. Meyer’s staff has used a perfect mixture of recruiting and coaching to turn this into a team strength rather than concern. Read More »

10 Tips to Kick the Season Off Right

Rusty — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:51:52 -0400

It’s that time of year again, and the season is about to begin. You probably are thinking this is an article about football season, but it isn’t. Football season officially kicked off for journalists at SEC Media Days back in July. Tailgating season is what’s about to begin, and it’s only 13 days away. For the serious tailgaters, that’s barely enough time to get everything pulled out of the garage, organized, and ready to go for game day. For those of you new to the tailgating experience at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium or nonchalant tailgaters, this is a guide to help you plan on kicking off tailgating season the right way. Read More »

Tebow is Expected to Recover from Back Injury

shanksta13 — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 18:29:18 -0400

Florida Gators football fans got a scare in the past few days, as multiple outlets reported that star quarterback Tim Tebow was out with a back injury.

Urban Meyer commented on the injury following today's morning practice session, indicating that Tebow has sat out of most contact and first-team work this week, allowing his back injury time to heal and backup quarterback John Brantley to get some first team reps. Read More »

Position Overview: Linebackers - Talent, Depth, & Leadership

Ben — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:43:17 -0400

The linebackers crew led by Brandon Spikes were one of the best units in the country last season. There were question marks heading into 2008 about the defensive line and the secondary, but no one questioned the linebacking crew. While the news of Tim Tebow returning was huge news, Brandon Spikes coming back was equally as big for the defense. Once again, this looks to be the major strength of the defense. Read More »

Gator Football Fall Practice Developments & Tidbits

shanksta13 — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:26:36 -0400

The Florida Gators football team has been working hard over the past two weeks in fall practice, and some players are starting to stand out and win starting spots and playing time. Here are some of the latest developments from practice and what we can expect to see from a starting lineup standpoint.
Read More »

Position Overview: Defensive Line - A Prior Team Weakness Should be a Team Strength

Ben — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:36:51 -0400

The Gator defensive line looked like it might be one of the weak spots on the Gator football team last year, but they stepped up and were a key part of the National Championship team. Everyone is back except for Torrey Davis and this group can go nowhere but up with the amount of depth and talent Meyer’s staff has recruited. Read More »

The 7 Levels of Tailgating: Are you a Champion TailGator?

Rusty — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:08:57 -0400

Although all Gator fans can claim to be Champions due to Florida’s defeat of Oklahoma in the 2008 BCS Championship, not all Gators can claim to be Champion TailGators. Of course, there are those few TailGators that put in the time, effort, and planning into having their tailgate stand out from the crowd, but for the most part tailgators are usually at one of the lower stages of tailgating.

Your next question is probably, how do I know what level of tailgating I am at? Read below to find the answer. You'll know yourself when you read the description: Read More »

Position Overview: Quaterbacks - Tebow, Brantley, Reed, and Haden?

Ben — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 08:33:35 -0400

The Quarterback position is one that doesn’t need too much breakdown due to the returning of Tim Tebow. Yet, there are still some interesting storylines and developments nonetheless. Read More »

Brantley to See Significant Playing Time This Season

shanksta13 — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:41:34 -0400

Head coach Urban Meyer stated that backup quarterback John Brantley will likely see a good bit of meaningful playing time in the first half of games this season.

While this comes as little surprise to myself and many in the Gator Nation, ESPN has run wild with the idea. Around the Horn tackled the topic two days ago and the general consensus was that Brantley will essentially play a mop-up role.

Personally, I disagree. I've watched Brantley for the past three years and he has all the tools to be a terrific quarterback. Even as I sat watching the segment with an LSU friend of mine, I had trouble explaining to him how bringing in Brantley during an important part of the game could be an effective strategy for the Gators.
Read More »

Reliving the 2008 Championship Season: SEC Championship Game

Rusty — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 13:32:47 -0400

This was the plus-one playoff everyone had wanted. For years, college football fans had wanted a plus-one game to decide who played in the BCS Championship, and they got it in 2008. No, it wasn't set up to be that way by the NCAA, but everyone knew the stakes of this game. The winner would play Oklahoma in the National Championship in Miami on January 8th, 2009.
Read More »

Position Overviews - Running Backs by Committee

Rusty — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 09:13:50 -0400

The Gators have depth at almost every position on the field and the running back spot is no exception. While some of these guys (Jeff Demps and Brandon James) will be trying to fill the so-called “Percy” position of hybrid WR/RB, we will throw them in here because they are listed as running backs. This collection of players has explosiveness, shiftiness, pass-catching ability, and the most speed of any position group on any team in the nation. Read More »

Motivational Tactics Make Coach Meyer the Best in the Game

Rusty — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:59:24 -0400

Gator Football head coach Urban Meyer may be a master planner and football game strategist, but much of what makes him great has nothing to do with the X’s and O’s on the football field. Although he does have a certain knack for game preparation and halftime adjustments, his bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati is actually in psychology. He loves the art of motivating and preparing his players mentally for the task of what’s ahead of them and searches for different and new techniques to do so on a consistent basis. Read More »

Gator Football Team Discusses Upcoming Season at Media Day

Ben — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 08:49:52 -0400

The Gator Football team held their annual media day yesterday on campus. The event is nowhere near the spectacle that SEC Media Days are, but it provides a lot more relevant information for Gator fans. Head coach Urban Meyer, defensive coordinator Charlie Strong, offensive coordinator Steve Addazio, and numerous players had a few things to say about the upcoming season. Read More »

The Ultimate Tailgating Burger

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:50:35 -0400

I’m a Food Network junkie who believes drinking and grilling go hand-in-hand, thus the popularity of the sacred art of tailgating. I mean lets face it; man cannot live on beer and liquor alone nor can he stand in front of a hot grill for very long without getting thirsty. And when it’s tailgating, I mean football season, you better bring your “A” game when you step up to the grill—especially in public.

As usual,
I’m here to help you not look like a moron in front of the thousands of people who stroll past your primo tailgating spot you had to camp out in the night before to make sure you got it. Read More »

Reliving the 2008 Championship Season: The School Out West

Rusty — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:16:04 -0400

Gator fans know Doak Campbell Stadium well, and unfortunately most harbor negative memories about it. Before Zook's upset win in 2004, Florida State's stadium had been the home of Gator nightmares since the 80s. The two most notable nightmares being the 1994 Choak at Doak and the 1996 Late Hit Fiasco.

Although the Gators had ended their winless streak in Doak with Zook's last game in 2004 and a 7 point victory in 2006, the fear still remained for many Gator fans. The eventual 2006 National Champions needed a fourth quarter touchdown drive to slip out of Doak with a win despite being heavily favored and a lot more experienced. Also, the heavy rain would nullify Florida's speed advantage and make it more of a running game, which didn't favor the Gators as much as a passing game would. This game certainly had some Gators fans nervous.

To put an end to that nervousness, the Gators outgained the 'Noles 502-242 and outscored them 45-15 to continue on to play Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. Enjoy the highlights! Read More »

Urban Meyer's Highs and Lows of his Gator Coaching Career

jpm91 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:32:52 -0400

Five Worst Moments

Honorable Mention: Hail to the Victors

Florida's performance on both offense and defense in the Capital One Bowl was not the best way to end the 2007 season for the Gators.

Florida gave up 41 points to a Michigan team that wanted that game much more than Meyer's Gators.

The game ended with the offense's inability to manage a completion on the final drive, epitomizing the frustration and growing pains endured by the young 2007 Gator team.

5. Rolled by the Tide

The honeymoon between Meyer and the Florida Gators was officially over. Read More »

Wright or Wrong at Safety?

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 12:42:19 -0400

The decisions the Florida coaches will make with the safety personnel will have a profound impact on UF’s 2009 title run. With five capable players, it will be very tough to determine who gets on the field and how often. Much like in a chess match, defensive coordinator Charlie Strong will have to use the right piece at the right time to be effective. Of the many faces vying for playing time, only one has the chance to leave a permanent mark (both literally and figuratively) on the 2009 season.

Major Wright arrived in Gainesville with a nasty reputation from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. While at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Wright feasted on opposing offenses from his safety position. He ripped through wide receivers and running backs like Kobayashi through hot dogs. His highlight videos were a thing of beauty as he made hitting an art form, pain being his medium and shoulder pads his brush. Read More »

Gators Shine During First Practices: Day 2

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 19:46:01 -0400

The Florida Gators football team got up bright and early for the second day in a row to hit the field for the beginning of fall practice.

Unlike yesterday, when the upperclassmen practiced first, and the freshmen practiced later on in the afternoon, today's session included the whole team.

Today's practice got underway in front of a surprisingly packed audience. The practice started with some light position drills. Of note during these, Chaz Henry was really putting his leg to some punts.
Read More »

Gators Shine During First Practices

Rusty — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:24:48 -0400

This was the first practice of the fall, and was only for returning players from the 2008 squad. The freshmen were set to practice on Thursday evening. The turnout was great from Gator Nation as many estimate that the number of fans peaked around 600 just to take a peek at the defending National Champions.

"It was just like Christmas to come out with the Gator Nation out here watching," said MLB Brandon Spikes.

Although the Gators didn't put on pads for the first practice of the fall, there was no lack of intensity from most of the players. Deonte Thompson seemed to be a primary target for Tebow and Brantley as he seemed to catch a majority of the passes in the 7-on-7 drills. He also burned Janoris Jenkins for the offensive play of the day on a deep fly route that made some offensive coaches smile. Read More »

No Suprise: Gators, SEC Football Dominate Preseason Polls

Mike — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:55:17 -0400

The 2009 USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll was released yesterday with the Florida Gators on top. Texas, Oklahoma, and USCw also received first place votes.

The SEC makes an initial strong showing by topping the list with five teams (all in the top 13). The Big 12 , PAC10 and ACC all have four teams in the top 25. Following that is the Mountain West and Big 10 conferences with three teams each. The WAC comes in with one team (Boise St), and independant Notre Dame compes in at #23 to complete the list. Read More »

5 Questions to be Answered as Fall Practice Starts Today

Rusty — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:27:26 -0400

As anticipated for what seems like far too long, fall practice is finally set to begin today. With so much talent returning from 2008’s National Championship team, most of the position battles and questions that usually surround the start of fall practice have already been answered. Your defense returns all 11 starters, your Heisman-winning quarterback will be taking the snaps, and you only have to replace two wide receivers as the playmakers. That is not a bad situation for the Florida football program to be in, which is why they are almost unanimously chosen as the preseason #1 team in America. Read More »

Position Overviews- Wide Reciever: Who Will Step Up and Answer the Call?

Ben — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:32:20 -0400

Since Solomon Alli and Riley Cooper have been the main news on the Gator wire over the past few days , it seems fitting to start with the wide receivers for GatorTailgating.com's position previews for the upcoming season. This position has a lot of talent, but is probably the biggest question mark going into this season. Also included in this overview will be the tight end position, which has serious depth concerns like the wide reciever position.

Percy Harvin was last year’s go-to receiver in spite of also playing a lot of downs lined up as a tailback. That being said, Louis Murphy and his blazing speed weren’t too far behind. Replacing those two guys will not be an easy task, although the wide reciever position does have a lot of talent in the line-up. The Gators will have to get production from the young and unproven older guys who need to step up to give Mr. Tebow targets in the passing game in order to accomplish their championship goals. Read More »

Meyer Signs 6-Year Deal to Become Highest Paid SEC Coach

shanksta13 — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:38:19 -0400

The Florida Gators football team announced that head coach Urban Meyer had signed a new contract, making him the highest paid coach in the Southeastern Conference during the 2009 season.

Urban Meyer's new contract will pay him $24 million over the next six years, making him the highest paid coach in the college football's toughest conference this year, at $4 million. Read More »

The Gators Just Added a New WR to Their Team

shanksta13 — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:30:27 -0400

The Gators got great news on Wednesday when 2010 football commitment Stephen Alli decided to skip his senior year in high school to enroll immediately with the Gators.

Alli will be able to play immediately during the 2009 season and should help to provide more depth and skill at one of the weakest positions and biggest question marks for the Florida Gators heading into the season.

Read More »

2009 Opponent Preview - The Florida State Seminoles

Ben — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:33:21 -0400

The Florida State Seminoles have been in the news even more than usual over the past year for off the field incidents. From the loss of star WR Preston Parker who was kicked off the team to a brawl in the student union to Bobby Bowden having to vacate 14 wins for NCAA violations including 61 players cheating in an online course. The Noles do deserve some attention on the field though. After a few subpar seasons the Noles finally look like they can contend for the conference title again in a pretty weak ACC. Read More »

Gator Charity Challenge Photos

Mike — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 10:43:18 -0400

Giving Gator football fanatics a break from the summer doldrums, the 2009 Florida Gator football team put on a show of strength and endurance for charity this past Friday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Although the threat of lightning cut down the time that the players were allowed on the field, the estimated 2,500 fans in the stands did get to see their old favorite players such as Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes, as well as new freshman, such as Andre Debose and Xavier Nixon. Read More »

Kiffin's New Billboard in South Florida

Rusty — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 07:57:41 -0400

At last week's SEC Media Days, Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin made some remarks about having a billborad going up in south Florida. The picture above is what the billboard is planned to be. The interesting part is not neccessarily what the billboard says, but where it is located. Read More »

Who will be the Gators’ Quarterback Beyond Tebow and Brantley?

Ben — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:49:33 -0400

The 2009 season will be one to remember and cherish for years. Tim Tebow and the entire 2-deep Gator defense are coming back, and the Gators are the projected number one team in the nation. In 2010 and 2011, Johnny Brantley will take over the reigns as the quarterback and the leader of the offense. The question remains, though, what will the Gator quarterback situation look like after Tebow and Brantley are gone? Read More »

Eight Ways Tailgaters Ruin their Beer

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:05:00 -0400

Beer at a tailgate party is a common sight much like grills, BBQ sauce and long lines for the port-o-let. Just because beer at a tailgate party is as common as Amy Winehouse at last call does not mean it should not be considered a precious commodity. That is why you as a seasoned tailgater need to know the eights ways tailgaters ruin the taste of their beers. Why would you want to intentionally ruin a beer? You wouldn’t. Knowing the techniques that will turn a beer into a skunky, foul, undrinkable mess can help you keep your beer tasting great and ensure the girls next to you will invite you back next time. So here are the eight ways tailgaters need to avoid so they do not ruin their beer. Read More »

Reliving the 2008 Championship Season: Citadel

Rusty — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:38:31 -0400

On a Senior Day where you're saying goodbye to a Gator stars such as Cornelius Ingram, Louis Murphy, and Jason Watkins as well as Mr. Two Bits, it was also a day to be introduced to the youth of Gator Football. As the Gators got ahead early in the first half, the second and third string started to play more to get some much needed gameday reps.

John Brantley and the rest of the young Gators shined as they blew out the Citadel with a final score of 70-19. Enjoy the video by clicking "Read More." Read More »

GatorTailgating's Best Quotes from Media Days

Ben — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:32:24 -0400

Here is a collection of what we consider are the most interesting, informative, and bizarre quotes from Media Days last week in Hoover. Enjoy. Read More »

Just How Great is Tim Tebow?

Ben — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:14:12 -0400

Timmy Tebow is so good that he has reporters asking him if he's saving himself for marriage. Apparently, his skills on the field are so great that no reporter dare ask him an actual question about his athletic ability; only his religious convictions or off-the-field actions. I think it begs the question: Is there a better athlete than Tim Tebow out there?

Sports Illustrated has dubbed him the "Man of Many Missions," which seems pretty fitting. He has said time and time again that he loves to win football games, but he realizes that his faith is more important than any win or loss. Reguardless of whether you have religious faith or not, this shows us that Timmy is special because he is able to have a goal greater than himself. He believes that above all his God is more important than any accomplishment on a football field. That is what drives Tim Tebow, not only his will to win three titles in four years, but to fulfill his full potential in the eyes of his Lord and Savior. Read More »

Reliving the 2008 Championship Season: South Carolina

Rusty — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:28:00 -0400

After dismantling Vandy in Nashville, the Gators returned home for a recently born rivalry game with South Carolina and the Ol' Ball Coach himself. After being defeated by Spurrier in '05 and almost losing again in '06 despite having much more talent, Coach Meyer was determined to continue the win streak over South Carolina in the Swamp.

Beginning with Spikes' interception return for a Touchdown, the Gators had their way with the Gamecocks and scored touchdowns on offense, defense, and special teams. It was the worst beating a Steve Spurrier-coached team had ever recieved. Click "Read More" for the highlights. Read More »

Spurrier Confesses His Sin

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 11:31:07 -0400

It's official—Steve Spurrier is still a Gator. Sure, he is "officially" the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks, but don't ever doubt that Coach Spurrier will always bleed orange and blue.

Friday morning, Spurrier approached the podium at the SEC Media Day press conference to discuss the upcoming Gamecock season. First, he had to address a serious faux paus. He proceeded to explain how he committed the cardinal sin of not voting Tim Tebow to first-team All-SEC. Read More »

Tennesssee Volunteers at SEC Media Days

Rusty — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 10:09:34 -0400

The last but certainly not the least exciting coach in the SEC at the 2009 Media Days was the University of Tennessee's head coach Lane Kiffin. Some have wondered if he was scheduled last to end the meetings in Alabama with a bang; having been known for his comments that make national headlines for bravery or stupidity (depending on which angle you view it from).

Although in actuality, the schedules are set the year prior and it was before Kiffin had been announced as the head coach that the 2009 schedules were set. If you were looking for more of what has been common out of Knoxville since he took over the job, you'll be disappointed. Most of the comments were plain, simple, and professional; with nothing for the media to feed off of. He even was very overly-respectful of Tim Tebow and the University of Florida. Check the quotes out for yourself below.

Tagging along with Kiffin were his star safety Eric Berry and running back Montario Hardesty, who also contributed some quotes. Read More »

LSU Tigers at SEC Media Days

Rusty — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:35:48 -0400

The third school scheduled on the final day of the 2009 SEC Media Days was the LSU Tigers and head coach Les Miles. Les Miles opening comments ranged from dissappointment with the 2008 campaign and the team's hunger for more in 2009. He talked about his quaterback situation and the excitment around the program.

Along with Coach Miles were his OT Ciron Black and LB Jacob Cutrera who also offered some statements on preparation for the 2009 season. Read More »

South Carolina Gamecocks at SEC Media Days

Rusty — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:02:38 -0400

Instead of waiting for the question to come from the media as it had for every coach who had taken the podium, the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks handled it in his opening statement at the 2009 SEC Media Days.

Suprisingly to many Gator fans, Steve Spurrier was the culprit. According to Spurrier, he gave the task of the All-SEC bolloting to one of his assistants and they voted Jevan Sean over Tim Tebow due to there being "too many gators already."

Call me crazy here, but wouldn't you take off one of the other players from the ballot rather than the heisman and national championship-winning quarterback?

Besides the ol' Ball Coach, WR Moe Brown and LB Eric Norwood were also on hand for comments about the team. Read More »

Auburn Tigers at SEC Media Days

Rusty — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 08:26:26 -0400

One of the freshest faces in the SEC, head coach of the Auburn Tigers Gene Chizik, was first to speak on the third and final day of the 2009 SEC Media Days. He opened up with a brief statement about how fast his 7 months at Auburn have flown by and how they had to start out by recruiting the players who were already on his team rather than just high school players thinking of playing for his team. He had to get their attention, their focus, their trust, and most of all, their respect before he could head into spring practice.

There was also a question about Chizik being a walk-on at Florida, and if he learned things from Charlie Pell.

The two players invited from Auburn's team were TE Tommy Trott and DE Antonio Coleman. Here are the highlights from their sessions with the media. Read More »

Florida Gators at SEC Media Days

Rusty — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:39:47 -0400

The Florida Gators were scheduled last on the second day of the 2009 SEC Media Days, and Head Coach Urban Meyer was in a great mood. He opened with a joke, which was recomended to him by Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun, saying that he was the coach who hadn't voted for Tebow in the All-SEC voting. In reality, he didn't vote for Tebow because coaches aren't allowed to vote for their own team, but that still lieaves a culprit to be found.

Tim Tebow and Ryan Stamper were the two players that Meyer brought to the event, and it came to no surprise that Tebow was asked more questions than any other player. Here's the whole transcript of the event. Read More »

Georgia Bulldogs at SEC Media Days

Rusty — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:36:58 -0400

On the second day of SEC Media days, University of Georgia's head coach Mark Richt opened up speaking about how proud he was of his nine year tenure in the SEC coaching Bulldog football. Due to Fulmer's firing this offseason, Richt is now the "Dean of the SEC."

He also fielded a lot of questions about his team's handling of the pre-season hype from last year, his loss of Moreno and Stafford, and his new starting quarterback situation with Joe Cox.

Defensive Lineman Jeff Owens and Quarterback Joe Cox also made comments about different things; including Owens' opinion that Florida-Georgia should be a home and away series rather than played in Jacksonville. Read More »

Ole Miss Rebels at SEC Media Days

Rusty — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:30:03 -0400

With the Ole Miss Football Program having the third time slot on Thursday at SEC Media Days, Houston Nutt opened up the time speaking about last year's impressive season and how exciting the trip to the Cotton Bowl was. He also made a quick notice to the media that he was not the one who didn't vote for Tim Tebow to first-team All-SEC.

Nutt brought his star quaterback, Jevan Snead, and his Safety, Kendrick Lewis, with his as well to share about Ole Miss's game plan to continue the growth that began last season in Oxford. Big expectations lie ahead for Ole Miss, but oach Nutt thinks they have what it takes to answer those questions the right way. Read More »

Alabama Crimson Tide at SEC Media Days

shanksta13 — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 07:37:33 -0400

On the second day of the 2009 SEC Media Days, things got off to an early start with head coach Nick Saban and two members from the Alabama Crimson Tide football team taking the podium.

Saban talked a lot about going into his third year in the program and what the Crimson Tide will do to try to maintain the same level of success that they had last season, when they put together an unbeaten regular season.

Offensive tackle Mike Johnson talked about some of the key aspects of replacing a senior quarterback like John Parker Wilson and how he thinks the offense will evolve under new quarterback Greg McElroy. Read More »

Kentucky Wildcats at SEC Media Days

shanksta13 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:07:51 -0400

The Kentucky Wildcats football team wrapped up the first session of the media-crazed, action packed 2009 SEC Media Days in Birmingham on Wednesday evening.

Head coach Rich Brooks talked for a while about the success he has had at Kentucky over the past few football seasons and how that will carry over into the 2009 SEC football season.

He also touched briefly on the impact that star wide receiver Randall Cobb could have on the offense this season. Read More »

Mississippi State Bulldogs at SEC Media Days

shanksta13 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:01:51 -0400

The second session of the 2009 SEC Media Days got underway just a few hours ago, and it featured some new faces, as head coach Dan Mullen and members from the Mississippi State Bulldogs football team stepped to the podium.

After the resignation of Sylvester Croom following the 2009 SEC football season, there were plenty of questions for Dan Mullen regarding the future and what changes he has made at the program.

Mullen answered some of those questions and spoke about what he hopes to accomplish at Mississippi State, particularly in his first year as head coach. Read More »

Vanderbilt Commodores at SEC Media Days

shanksta13 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:58:24 -0400

The Vanderbilt Commodores football team was the second to take the stage at SEC Media Days, led by head coach Bobby Johnson.

Johnson talked about the success of 2008 and helping Vanderbilt capture just their second bowl win in school history, and about living up to the expectations that will follow as a result heading into 2009.

Center Brad Vierling and cornerback Myron Lewis also spoke about maintaining that high level of play going forward into the 2009 SEC football season. Read More »

Arkansas Razorbacks at SEC Media Days

shanksta13 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:48:02 -0400

The Arkansas Razorbacks football team was the first to hit the stage in Birmingham, Alabama, on the first day of the enormous event.

Head coach Bobby Petrino spoke a bit about the expectations heading into his second year as head coach and the development of his offense under quarterback Ryan Mallett.

Star tight end D.J. Williams also spoke about the offense heading into the 2009 season and defensive tackle Malcolm Sheppard touched on the improvements the Razorbacks hope to see on the defensive side of the ball. Read More »

Reliving the 2008 Championship Season: Vandy

Rusty — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 06:26:33 -0400

After blowing Georgia out of Jacksonville Municpal Stadium, the Gators had to travel to Nashville to a possible let down game against a Vandy team that had surprised much of the nation earlier in the year getting off to a 5-0 start and leading the SEC East for a period of time.

Florida stayed motivated and excited though and took care of business as usual in a visitors' stadium that had more Gator fans than Commodores. They scored 6 straight Touchdowns before even letting Vandy smell the end zone. Enjoy the Highlights in HD... Read More »

What SEC Coach Didn't Vote for Tebow?

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:51:37 -0400

The Pre-Season All SEC Coaches Team was announced on Thursday. There were really no surprises in who was on the first teams. No argument really for the first team on offense or defense. I was also not surprised that the Florida Gators lead the SEC with most players voted on first, second, and third teams. Also, no surprises here by the fact that the Gators had eight player on the first team...that included offense, defense, and special teams.

There were also three players who were unanimously voted on to the first teams. Those players were LSU OL Ciron Black, Alabama WR Julio Jones, and Tennessee's DB Eric Berry.

Now we in the SEC as fans know that coaches can't vote for their own players. That's no surprise to any of us. But, the bombshell of the Summer I think was why was Tim Tebow not unanimously voted in. Read More »

2009 Opponent Previews - FIU Panthers

Rusty — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:33:09 -0400

Florida International University’s football team is probably betert known for their brawl with Miami in 2006 where they had 18 players handed suspensions rather than their actual football program. The hiring of Isaiah Thomas as head basketball coach has also been much bigger news than anything concerning the football team. Coach Mario Cristobal led the team to a 5-7 record despite it only being the third season of FIU football in Division 1 FBS.

On Offense: Read More »

Reliving the 2008 Championship Season: Georgia

Rusty — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:32:27 -0400

You remember the story. The Dawgs spit in the Gators' face in 2007 with the celebration. Meyer trained his team the whole offseason with the number of points Georgia scored in that game and the number of yards Knowshon Moreno carried for. They remembered the humiliation well, and you could tell from the opening kickoff to the last play of the game; it was going to be personal. The Gators never let up on Georgia; demolishing them in every phase of the game. Defense, Offense, and Special Teams.

Late in the fourth quarter, like pouring salt in an open flesh-wound, Coach Meyer called two late timeouts to make sure Georgia was as humliated, if not more, than the Gators were in 2007. Enjoy this one Gators, 'cause this rivalry is back and won't be getting stale for a long time. Read More »

A 3 Team Race to become Best of the West in theSEC

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 13:06:32 -0400

Lot's of questions come to mind regarding the upcoming SEC football season. Some appear to have obvious answers while others are not so black and white. Some but not all would include:

Can Mississippi State turn things around?

1) Can Dan Mullen successfully make the step up from successful offensive coordinator to head coach at perennial cellar dweller Mississippi State? Read More »

A Quick Glance at the Coaches' All-SEC Team

Ben — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:57:58 -0400

8 Gators made the All-SEC first team and 16 were picked throughout the three teams. Click "Read More" to see the full listing and some thoughts on some of the picks.
Read More »

Reliving the 2008 Championship Season: Kentucky

Rusty — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:44:37 -0400

After defeating the LSU Tigers soundly in the Swamp, the Gators had a bye week to get some rest and heal up some injuries. During that bye week, Kentucky had earned a one point come-from-behind victory against Arkansas. The Wildcats offense was hot after scoring 21 points in the final 19 minutes of the game and they were hungry for an upset of the fifth-ranked Gators.

After honoring Mr. Two-Bits, the Gators would have no part of an upset; blocking two punts and scoring four touchdowns in the first quarter alone. They went on to add a blocked field goal later in the game to make enough plays for a special teams "how to" video. Here are the highlights... Read More »

2009's Top Five Underrated Teams

Ben — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:39:11 -0400

To go along with the Top 5 Overrated Teams article, we are going to take a look at the Top 5 Underrated Teams for this upcoming season based on preseason rankings. Here are 5 teams that have been overlooked and underrated by the preseason pundits, and will surely beat out the expectations. Read More »

Meyer's Quote: "I'm not going to Notre Dame. Ever."

Rusty — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:40:05 -0400

As mad as Gator fans are about the Finebaum article, it may be one of the best things to happen to Florida football since Tim Tebow picking Florida over Alabama in 2005. The article Finebaum wrote, the rumors, and the media firestorm created over Urban Meyer's "dream job," has been getting on Coach Meyer's nerves for months, but it all came out into a breath-taking quote on Saturday afternoon.

It wasn't as dramatic as a news conference called prior to a conference championship game to dispell coaching rumors (Les Miles), but it was much more direct and unmistakable. Read More »

2009's Top Five Overrated Teams

Ben — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:14:34 -0400

All of the preseason magazines are out and the rankings have been released. Every publication and website has their own version, but it is a consensus that the Gators are the pre-season #1 team in America. This has been a curse to teams in the past, but this team looks to be dominant enough for that not to matter; barring injuries. However, there are a few teams that are chronically overrated and here are my top 5 overrated teams for the 2009 season. Read More »

Gator Tailgating's Monster Garage: Tailgating Innovations

Rusty — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:23:52 -0400

GatorTailgating.com will be hosting a series of weekly articles on Tailgating vehicle creations from fans across the country who have taken their pre-game festivities to the next level. We hope this inspires some of you Gator fans to build your own Tailgating Creations.

This isn't an advertisement for this companies tailgating trailer, because not many of us have $12k to spend on a tailgating trailer. It is exactly what the articles in this series have been though; an example of another fan's tailgating creation to spark your own tailgating group's creativity. Maybe you have a small enclosed trailer that you could convert to a tailgating trailer with a few modifications? Maybe you could use some of the ideas in this trailer to put onto your own tailgating bus or vehicle? or maybe you are just amazed by the lengths people will go to to create a great tailgate party? Whichever of those three reasons you are looking into tailgating vehicles, Enjoy the video of one of the top tailgating trailers I've ever seen!

Reliving the 2008 Championship Season: LSU Tigers

Rusty — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 09:49:37 -0400

After losing to Ole Miss and coming alive in the fourth quarter to finish off Arkansas, the Gators would host the defending National Champion LSU Tigers the next week. It placed the 2007 BCS Champion versus the 2006 BCS Champion, and would determine if the Gators would get their revenge on the team that stole the game in the fourth quarter in Baton Rouge the year before and had prank called Tebow so much that he had to change his cell phone number.

Sit back and enjoy the highlights in HD.... Read More »

2009 Opponent Previews - The Troy Trojans

Ben — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:37:14 -0400

Troy went 8-5 last year with three of their losses coming against top tier programs. They lost to Ohio State, Oklahoma State and LSU. They led LSU the whole game until folding in the final minutes. Their defense ranked in the top five last year in sacks and tackles for loss. Their offense was also ranked fourth in sacks allowed. They were the Sun Belt champions and this team should certainly not be overlooked. Read More »

Reliving the 2008 Championship Season: Arkansas

Rusty — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:07:15 -0400

GatorTailgating.com will be doing a series over the next couple of weeks that contains the highlights from each of the Gators victories in 2008. With summer being so uneventful for football fans, besides the random Lane Kiffin foul-up, we thought it would be fun to re-live the road to the 2008 BCS Championship.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy one of the greatest seasons Gator Football has ever known.

The Gators Have Their Fair Share of Rivalries

Ben — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:34:59 -0400

Different bloggers and websites have recently been ranking the University of Florida’s rivalries, but why? Pretty much any SEC game and even the school out west can be considered a rivalry, so it seems pointless and meaningless to rank them. Every rivalry is unique and carries its own intensity. Ranking them puts one ahead of another; and who is to say that Tennessee is more of a rival than FSU or that LSU is more of a rival than Georgia? Lane Kiffin has really revved up the hype for the UF-Tennessee game, but all the rivalries deserve their fair shake. Here’s my break down of those on the schedule who I would consider rivals, of course, in no particular order.

Reliving the 2008 Championship Season: Ole Miss & The Promise

Rusty — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:30:19 -0400

GatorTailgating.com has been doing a series that contains the highlights from each of the Gators games in 2008. Most people would skip over the Ole Miss game and just relive the victories, but we thought it's just as important to remember the one low of the season as it is to watch the highs. Also, following the lowlight video, there is the infamous promise video that sparked the Gators unstoppable run to the BCS Championship.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy one of the greatest seasons Gator Football has ever known.

Four Freshman that can have an Impact in 2009

Ben — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:52:16 -0400

With 18 of 22 starters returning, not too many freshman should see the field; but these four guys might have a chance. Coach Meyer has been known to use freshman that can contribute more than other coaches in his first couple years at Florida, and that trend will probably continue in 2009. Read More »

Reliving the 2008 Championship Season: Tennessee Vols

Rusty — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:42:33 -0400

Sit back, relax, and enjoy one of the greatest seasons Gator Football has ever known.

Who will be the Best Running Back in the SEC in 2009?

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 13:11:05 -0400

As the 2009 football season creeps a little closer ever day, I get more anxious to see the most talented football players in all college football compete, those players being in the SEC.

I think the running back position is the second most fun position to watch in all college football behind that of the QB role. We all know the SEC has it's fair share of talented quarterbacks but often the many talented RBs are left out?

So I would like to take a little time and list just a few guys who have what it takes to make a good SEC team a great team. Read More »

The Top 5 Most Underrated Gators

Ben — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:28:48 -0400

We always hear about Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes in the media for good reason. Yet there are a whole host of Gators who are vital to the team, but don’t get as much publicity. These rankings are merely for fun and hopefully they can help give a little exposure to some guys who truly deserve it. A national championship team isn’t made up of a few guys, it’s made of an entire roster of guys that must all be on their game. Read More »

Reliving the 2008 Championship Season: Miami Hurricanes

Rusty — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:19:29 -0400

Sit back, relax, and enjoy one of the greatest seasons Gator Football has ever known.

Opponent Preview: Charleston Southern

Ben — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:32:41 -0400

It's only 66 days until the Gators take on Charleston Southern and it is so close, yet so far away. Charleston Southern was 7-5 last year losing 52-7 to Miami (FL) and a respectable 38-27 against Miami (Ohio). The Bucs won the last four games of the year and showed improvement throughout. Read More »

On Offense: There is a QB battle between transfer Andrew Trudnowski and Junior A.J. Toscano. Trudnowski played better in the spring game throwing for 163 yards and 2 touchdowns. However Toscano was commended by the coach for his outstanding play throughout spring practice, so look for a tight race when fall practice starts. Neither will be able to do too much against the Gator secondary in the swamp.

2009 Gator Class on Campus & Is Percy Sick Again?

Rusty — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:39:34 -0400

As Summer B classes begin at the University of Florida, so has the college life for the 2009 incoming freshman class of the football team. What has become an almost annual tradition for Meyer's Gators, every incoming freshman seems to be qualified academically and is ready to begin the summer workouts with Mickey Marotti. The only Gator signees unable to qualify academically since Meyer arrived in 2005 were Brian Ellis (2005) and Dee Finley (2008). Dee Finley has since attended prep school and is included in the 2009 class. Read More »

What is Going on with Calathes and the Gator PG Situation?

Ben — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:50:05 -0400

Nick Calathes signed last month withthe Greek professional team Panathinaikos, but he was still eligible for the NBA draft. Some mock drafts had Calathes going as high as the mid-20’s picks in the first round despite his wish to play professionally in Greece. Calathes was selected in the second round with the 45th overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves; who then traded him to the Dallas Mavericks for a future second round pick. Read More »

Reliving the 2008 Championship Season: Hawaii

Rusty — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:36:02 -0400

GatorTailgating.com's Monster Garage: The Big G

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:37:55 -0400

For the last 15 years, Stephen Gay has been showing his love for the Green Bay Packers by sporting his converted 1966 Dodge Camper. This lifelong resident of Green Bay turned that old camper into one of the most storied tailgating vehicles around, simply known as the "Big G." This famous tailgate machine has even starred in a Campbell's Soup commercial and an NFL Films presentation. Its allocates are incredibly hard to beat considering the fact that the "Big G" has been featured in numerous news and web publishings throughout the country. Read More »

The SEC Continues Dominance Over Major Sports

Ben — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:43:28 -0400

LSU defeated Big 12 foe Texas Wednesday night to claim the 2009 college baseball national championship. They defeated the top-seeded Longhorns 11-4 in a decisive game 3 rubber match. They were led by do-everything star OF Jared Mitchell who hit a three-run homer in the contest to lead the Tigers. Mitchell also played football for the Tigers, but will sign with the Chicago White Sox who drafted him with the 23rd pick in the MLB draft. LSU only dropped one game in the entire postseason, losing to Texas in game two of the championship series.

LSU’s win reminds us that the SEC dominates all three of the major college sports. While this was the SEC’s first title since LSU won it in 2000, LSU won five titles between 1991 and 2000 in addition to this years. The SEC has also had a team in the final series three out of the past five years. Read More »

Some New Sights in the Gators' Locker Room

Rusty — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:12:01 -0400

Meyer being the best in the business at motivating his team, has added some new items to the walls in the Gators' locker room. Having a daily countdown to the rivalry games with Tenneessee, Georgia, and the "Team Out West" keeps them reminded of what's ahead of them in 2009.

Suprisingly, Meyer has added a new rivalry to Florida's already long list, with the addition of the LSU Tigers. With LSU being the 2007 National Champion and the only team on the annual schedule to beat Meyer as much as he has beat them (2-2 record), it doesn't come as much of a surprise. Read More »

Is Florida Really the #5 Sports School in the Country?

Ben — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:38:59 -0400

The Gators have dominated the headlines in numerous sports over the past few years, yet are only ranked #5 in the NACDA Director’s Cup. The Stanford Cardinal picked up their 15th straight title as the overall best sports school in the nation based on every intercollegiate sport. Michigan was second followed by Southern California and North Carolina. The standings weight every sport equally and include obscure sports like water polo, rowing, and fencing.

Stanford scored big in men’s water polo, men’s gymnastics, women’s rowing, and cross country among others. They consistently win the cup because of their strong overall program, despite struggling recently in football, basketball, and baseball. Schools like Michigan were able to pick up points in sports like ice hockey that SEC schools wouldn’t even dream of having. We have to keep in mind that this award is the for the best overall sports school in the nation, not just the most successful in the big three. Read More »

The Most Important Gator

Rusty — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:41:39 -0400

When you first read the title of this article, you immediately thought of Tim Tebow. If not, it was Urban Meyer, the new Offensive Coordinator Steve Addazio, Charlie Strong, Brandon Spikes, or possibly even incoming freshman Andre Debose. All of those would be incorrect though. The most important Gator this summer is none other than Mickey Marotti, the strength and conditioning coordinator.

With the Gators coming off of an outstanding National Championship season and returning 11 starters on defense and the Heisman-winning Senior Quarterback on offense, they have one thing to fear: Complacency. Read More »

SEC Fall Preview: The South Carolina Game Cocks

Ben — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:44:20 -0400

Steve Spurrier has made the South Carolina program into a winning one, but he has yet to bring them to the elite status that he had planned to. Last year, the Gamecocks were a respectable 7-6 after losing to Iowa in the Outback Bowl. The head ball coach thinks this is the most talented team he has had and is looking to make a run this season. Read More »

GatorTailgating.com's Monster Garage: First Class Tailgaters

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:53:13 -0400

If owning and operating a tailgating vehicle is the equivalent of running a company, then The First Class Tailgaters, a tailgating group backing the Tennessee Titans, are the equivalent of a conglomerate. They aren’t just equipped with a simple tailgating van. They operate a tailgating van, trailer, mobile bar, rolling gadgets, and a container kitchen. Yes, they converted an old ocean-shipping container into a complete commercial kitchen. Read More »

Pressure and Time: The Gators are in the Crosshairs in 2009

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 10:37:48 -0400

"Geology is the study of pressure and time." Pressure and time. For all fans of "The Shawshank Redemption" you may remember this line. It's one of those ones that has always stuck with me. I was once again reminded of this line when I got to thinking of the impeding college football season. I think it's the perfect way to encapsulate what the study of Florida football will be in 2009. Tons of pressure on this team and lots of time to think of all the ways it can go wrong. But, who has the most pressure on them this year? As far as coaches and players go, I see a few who are bearing a huge weight this off-season. Read More »

SEC Fall Preview: The Tennessee Volunteers

Ben — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:33:26 -0400

Tennessee ‘s new head coach Lane Kiffin has been grabbing all of the headlines this offseason in the SEC and while it may come as a surprise to many he does actually have athletes who play the football games. Last year under Phil Fulmer the Vols finished a dismal 5-7(3-6), the low point being the loss at home to Wyoming. The Vols have had 11 players leave the team since January including two starters which really won’t help their cause this year. We shall see if Lane Kiffin can back up all the talk when the Vols have to go on the road to play all three of the best teams in the SEC (Florida, Alabama, Ole Miss). Read More »

Show Meyer the Money: College Football's Biggest Conundrum

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:32:54 -0400

There are plenty of great coaches in college football like Pete Carroll, Bob Stoops, Jim Tressel, Les Miles, and Nick Saban, but the fact that Urban Meyer is the only coach to win two BCS titles and makes less than all the aforementioned coaches is absurd.

Meyer is a relative “bargain” for the University of Florida; the third highest-paid coach in the Southeastern Conference though he’s won two national championships in three years.

The fact that Meyer (between $3.25 million and $3.49 million) earns less than Alabama’s Saban ($3.75 million) and LSU’s Miles ($3,751,000) isn’t appalling as Saban has paid his dues as a head coach in the NFL and NCAA, and LSU had to up the ante after the University of Michigan threatened to steal one of the best coaching picks in recent years in 2007. Read More »

SEC Fall Preview: The Georgia Bulldogs

Ben — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:11:16 -0400

The Georgia Bulldogs never lived up to the hype of last year’s number one preseason billing by most publications. Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford didn’t dominate as expected and the offensive line suffered some major injuries. This year they will have a different look without their two franchise names and probably won’t challenge Florida for the SEC East crown. Read More »

Urban Meyer & Second Chances: The Marty Johnson Story

Rusty — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:20:33 -0400

After reading a write-up by a journalist calling Coach Meyer out for allowing Ronnie Wilson, Jacques Rickerson, and Jamar Hornsby back on the team after their first run-ins with authorities, I had to write this story. The journalist was trying to make the case that if Meyer had been stricter the first time around with those 3 players, the latter charges that occurred because of those 3 wouldn't have happened. He also made the case that if the team had seen the needed discipline in regards to those players instead of letting them work their way back on the team; the team wouldn't have as many arrests either.

The media and sports bloggers are trying to paint this arrest record over the past three years as if Meyer doesn't care about his players or the trouble they get into as long as they keep winning. They couldn't be farther from the truth. Read More »

SEC East Fall Preview: Kentucky Wildcats

Ben — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:04:23 -0400

Rich Brooks has turned Kentuck from SEC East cellar dweller into a consistent winning program. He has won a bowl game each of the last three seasons and produced NFL players. It took Brooks a little while to get things rolling in Lexington, but it doesn’t look like they will revert back to their losing mentality as long as Brooks is there. Despite getting blown out by the national champion Gators, the Wildcats were close in the rest of their six losses, losing by four to Georgia and three to Alabama. Read More »

Urban Meyer vs. Pete Carroll: Who's #1?

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 17:00:35 -0400

Who’s the best coach in America? Both coaches have won national championships, produced Heisman Trophy winners, and decimated their team’s biggest rivals. It’s definitely close, with both coaches claiming two national titles and winning percentages above 80 percent.

Meyer supporters will point to Florida’s dominance in the mighty Southeastern Conference, which has taken the last three BCS titles. Carroll’s supporters will argue that his dominance of the Pac-10 and seven straight BCS bowl appearances are unmatched. Read More »

GatorTailgating.com's Monster Garage: The Huskie Mobile

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 10:13:00 -0400

Justin believes he is quite possibly Northern Illinois University's Football Team's biggest fan, and who are we to doubt him. After all, he has constructed not one but two tailgate fan vehicles, and has not missed a single game since the Silicon Valley Bowl game in 2004! Justin started things off simple. Like most fans, he began by flying flags off his car, he even added an actual NIU helmet to the top of the flagpoles. But unlike most fan and like us super fans, he felt he could do more. That was when the Huskie Mobile was born. Read More »

SEC East Fall Preview: Vanderbilt Commodores

Ben — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:53:56 -0400

Vanderbilt went 5-0 to start the year off last season, but lost five of their last six regular season games. They rebounded beating Boston College in the Music City Bowl and finishing a respectable 7-6. Coach Bobby Johnson is extremely underrated and does a great job of getting the most of his players. It is pretty tough to win in the SEC at a school where a lot of guys can’t even get accepted due to the extremely high academic standards, but Johnson has turned Vandy from a laughingstock to a solid SEC program. Read More »

Top 5 Hits in Gator Football History

Rusty — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:11:53 -0400

5. Monty Grow unloads on WVU's Studstill in the '94 Sugar Bowl

This game was supposed to be ugly. West Virginia was undefeated and wanted to play an undefeated Nebraska team for the National title, but instead were sent to the Sugar Bowl to play the SEC Champion Gators. The Gators had played a fairly decent season, but weren't in the National Championship picture at all. Inorder for West Virgina to have any chance at all at a piece of the title, they would have to dismantle Florida and hope for other things to happen as well.

Instead, the Gators came out on fire to defeat West Virginia 42-7. The video is of Monty Grow's hit, and then Lawrence Wright's beautiful INT return for a touchdown.

4. Lawrence Wright on Tennessee's Joey Kent in '95 Read More »

Florida Baseball’s Best Recruiting Class Forced to Deal with the Draft

Ben — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 08:37:53 -0400

The University of Florida baseball team ended their season Sunday, but head coach Kevin O’Sullivan has kept very busy as he will try to convince his top signees to attend UF and spurn the rich signing bonuses offered by the MLB. His recruiting class includes anywhere from 8 to 10 of the nation’s top players depending on what rating service you look at. Read More »

Top 5 Moments in Recent Gator Football History

Rusty — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:53:27 -0400

Due to it being offseason and missing football so much, I thought it might be fun to relive some of the more recent great moments in Gator football history...thanks to youtube. Enjoy and feel free to add your agreements/disagreements to the comments section below.

5. Earl Everett sacks OSU's Troy Smith in '06 BCS Championship

Ohio State came into this game pre-named the 2006 National Champions, thanks to ESPN Herbstreit and Corso. All they had to do was beat the lowly Gators who had no chance at defending Troy Smith and the great Ohia State offense, much less scoring on their stout Big Ten defense.

The opening play seemed to open the flood gates and prove the sportscasters right as they scored on the opening kickoff. From there out, it was all Gators though. The Gators answered with a Leak to Baker touchdown, but the defensive ends were the MVPs of the game. They were all over Troy Smith all night. This is the play that really pumped up the defense as the Bucks realized nothing would stop the Gators from coming after their hiesman-winning quarterback.

Gator Baseball Season Ended by Southern Miss

Ben — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:15:37 -0400

The Gator baseball team was eliminated from the NCAA tournament after losing game two by the score of 7-6 to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. After dropping game one 9-7 the Gators had to win last night to force a deciding game three, but things weren’t meant to be as the Golden Eagles won and advance to the College World Series in Omaha.

Things looked good early for Florida as freshman Preston Tucker powered a homer over the right field fence in the first inning. Southern Miss answered when leadoff hitter Bo Davis smashed a home run over the outfield stands and into the parking lot. The Gators tacked on one in the second and then exploded for four runs in the third behind a two-RBI outfield single by sixth-year senior Brandon McArthur.

Gator starter Nick Maronde left after pitching three innings and only giving up one run. Greg Larson could only manage one out in the fourth before the Gators brought in their middle relief stalwart Tony Davis. Read More »

Kiffin Keeps Racking up Recruiting Violations

Rusty — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:43:02 -0400

What is it about Kiffin and recruiting violations? Is he trying to beat the rest of the SEC for recruiting violations combined? Until this week, he had five self-reported secondary recruiting violations, and his sixth occured this morning on ESPN.

In an attempt to steal the popular store's slogan of "See a softer side of Sears", Kiffin invited ESPN's Outside the Lines into his football complex at the University of Tennessee, his football offices, and his home to show his softer side. It was a public relations stunt to a different side of Kiffin from the personality that has raised such a ruckus nationwide. Read More »

GatorTailgating.com's Monster Garage: The Seahawks HawxBox

Rusty — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 14:03:35 -0400

The Hawx Box is a 1987 Ford E350 Short Bus that was originally used by the Toppenish School District. A few guys (Loren Ellingson, Garth Conner, Tim Scheuffele and Dan Bruhn) went on Craigslist.org and found this fixer upper and decided that she needed to be flipped. Read More »

The Gators are Two Wins way from Omaha

Rusty — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 08:50:08 -0400

The Gators will play a Super-Regional Tournament in a best-of-three series for the rights to go to the CWS in Omaha this weekend. Their opponent is the #19 ranked Golden Eagles of Southern Mississippi (38-24).

The Eagles are a surprise in this tournament coming from a #3 seed in the regional tournament in Atlanta by defeating Georgia Tech and Elon. They are playing with a lot of heart and motivation because of this being their coach's last season. Corky Palmer, Southern Miss' head coach, has announced his retirement effective at the end of this year. The Eagles have won 10 of their past 13 games and seem to be a team with their minds' set on going to Omaha for their coach. Read More »

Has Florida Taken Miami's place as the 'Thug U'?

Ben — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:23:57 -0400

The Janoris Jenkins arrest has brought to light the fact that Gator players have been in the news more than usual lately for breaking the law. From the Cam Newton laptop incident to backup Marquis Hannah’s recent arrest we have been hearing about how awful the Gators are lately from the media at-large. While the trend is a bit disturbing, whatever happened to due process and innocent until proven guilty? The first report never gets the real story as it truly happened because the muck-racking, news-starved media has nothing better to do than search police blotters and do their best to sensationalize the story as much as possible.

Columnist Dave Hyde recently wrote a story in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel about how Florida should be labeled the new Thug U, or university known for its football team being a bunch of criminals. This comparison is completely unfounded and mostly ridiculous. Read More »

Former Gator John Brown Commits to Kiffin and Tennessee

Rusty — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:32:20 -0400

John Brown was one of those recruiting busts that everyone wondered what happened. He was a game-changer on the high school playing field and was rated a 5-Star Defensive Lineman by Scout and Rivals. He was the third-best DL recruit in the nation his senior season and played on the Lakeland squad along with Chris Rainey, Ahmad Black, and the Pouncey Twins.

Everything seemed like the perfect fit for Brown and the Gators, noting his teamates committing to Florida and Gainesville's proximity to Lakeland. Also, Florida had a huge hole to fill on the defensive line when he committed to the Gators following the 2007 defensive debacle, which opened up lots of possible playing time if he lived up to analysts' predictions. That would never have the chance to happen though, as he never played one down for the orange and blue. Read More »

Gator Softball Comes Up Short of National Title

Ben — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:38:12 -0400

The #1 ranked Florida softball team’s quest to win a national title came to an end Tuesday in Oklahoma City at the hands of the Washington Huskies. The Gators lost last night 3-2 after losing 8-0 Monday night. Senior Stacey Nelson was once again not her usual dominating self giving up the three runs after one of her worst performances of the year on Monday. Whether the hype caught up to the Gators, or Washington was just the better team- this was a tough loss to swallow. Read More »

Gator Softball Faces Elimination Tonight in Omaha

Rusty — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:33:42 -0400

No one saw it coming. The Gator Softball team was on a 29-game winning streak, had just hit a grand slam to get past Alabama and into Omaha, and seemed to be the hottest team in the country. They had their ace pitcher, Sr Stacey Nelson, manning the mound to start the series against Washington and everything seemed to be ready to continue their winning ways. Then, it all fell apart Monday night.

"It’s a game of highs and lows and I’ve never seen this team this low," said Coach Tim Walton.

Certainly, no one else has either. This team has never gotten man-handled in all phases of the game like Washington did to them. At least, not since Waltontook the program over. Read More »

Florida Gator Cornerback Janoris Jenkins Arrested

Mike — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:49:13 -0400

Florida freshman All-SEC cornerback Janoris Jenkins was arrested early Sunday morning for the misdemeanor charges of affray and resisting arrest without violence according to the Gainesville Sun. Apparently, Jenkins thought someone was attempting to steal his chain. When the police officers arrived onseen, they ordered the crowd to stop fighting. Jenkins did not comply, and hit another person in the head.

The officer then drew out a Taser and told the group stop. At that point, Jenkins hit another person in the head, police reported. The officer then used the Taser on Jenkins. Jenkins was hit with one cycle from the Taser, but afterward he stood up and ran away.

Jenkins was arrested shortly afterwards. For more information see the original Gainesville Sun article here Read More »

It was a Good Night on the Diamond for Gators

Ben — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 07:34:56 -0400

Last night was a good night for the Gators on the diamond. The baseball team trounced Miami 16-5 to advance to the super regional and the softball team advanced to the College World Series Final on a two out bottom of the seventh grand slam to win 6-5 over Alabama.

The women advanced to their first ever Women’s World Series Final in Oklahoma City despite superstar pitcher senior Stacey Nelson struggling a bit. She gave up an uncharacteristic 4 earned runs, but sophomore Stephanie Brombacher came in and struck out 4 batters in two innings of work to keep the Gators in the game. In the bottom of the seventh the bases were juiced with two outs when senior All-American Ali Gardiner came up to bat. She took a 2-1 pitch over the fence for a game winning walkoff grand salami. The women advance to play the Washington Huskies in a best of three series starting tomorrow night at 8pm. Read More »

Gator Baseball Defeats Miami, 8-2

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 31 May 2009 10:37:08 -0400

Behind 7.1 strong innings from senior left-hander Stephen Locke (Tampa, Fla.) and a four-run third inning, top-seeded Florida (41-20) downed second-seeded Miami (Fla.) (37-21), 8-2, in a winner’s bracket game at the NCAA Gainesville Regional on Saturday night at McKethan Stadium. Locke (5-2) held the Hurricanes to six singles and two runs (zero earned), with three strikeouts and a walk. The southpaw was supported by a balanced offense that totaled 10 hits, three doubles and a solo homer by junior Jonathan Pigott (Ormond Beach, Fla.), who was 2-for-5 and scored twice. Read More »

Gator Baseball: Regional Wrap-ups Day 1

Ben — Sat, 30 May 2009 13:33:35 -0400

Game 1- Miami 9 Jacksonville U 4

This scorching heat didn’t do anything to slow down Miami’s bats against the JU dolphins during the regional opener. The 1pm start led to a sweat and sunburned filled three hours at Mckethan Stadium yesterday afternoon. Jason Hagerty started the scoring with his first of two homers in the first inning to put the Canes up 1-0. Miami starter Travis Miller cruised through 4 innings scattering 3 hits and was curiously taken out at the top of the fifth inning. Reliever David Gutierrez then pitched two scoreless and got some help from Yasmani Grandal’s 2 RBI double and Chris Hermann’s two run homer. That put the Canes up 6-0 at the start of the seventh. Jim Morris’ second curious pitching decision backfired when Michael Rudman replaced Gutierrez. Rudman and the next pitcher Rene Guerra gave up four runs in the inning and let JU right back in the game. JU wouldn’t score again and Miami would close things out with closer Kyle Bellamy who was dominating as usual. Miami chose not to pitch ace Chris Hernandez and luckily their bats came around to power them past the Dolphins. The decision looked like it might come back to haunt the Canes, but it may work out as Miami now has their ace for game 2 today. Read More »

Gators Host Regional Tournament: Opponent Breakdowns

Ben — Fri, 29 May 2009 13:28:06 -0400

The Gator baseball team has been hot the second half of the season and despite only garnering one victory in the SEC tournament they earned the right to host a regional. The Gators are the #1 seed and will take on #4 seed Bethune-Cookman. The Miami Hurricanes are seeded #2 and will take on the #3 seed Jacksonville University. The Tournament is a double elimination format with the first game, Miami versus Jacksonville, getting underway Friday at 1pm. Florida and Bethune-Cookman play Friday at 6pm at McKethan Stadium, which will be the site of all regional games.

Breakdown of Possible Gator Opponents

#4 seed- Bethune-Cookman College Wildcats

Bethune-Cookman started off slow with a tough schedule due to facing some talented opposition, but rebounded and dominated the MEAC in route to the conference title. Early in the season they lost 6-3 to a good San Diego State team in California and had to face super-prospect Stephen Strasburg. More than half of the roster hails from the talent rich island of Puerto Rico and they proved they can play with the best after taking two of three from Miami. Read More »

SEC Meetings: Coaches Reprimanded by Slive

Rusty — Thu, 28 May 2009 09:06:24 -0400

After an offseason unlike any other in the SEC, Commisioner Mike Slive gave a passionate speech about coaches needing to be careful what they say on Wednesday at the Spring Meetings. The reason for the speech was clear: New Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin, who needs no introduction to Gator fans, has popped off at the mouth about Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, Steve Spurrier, and Les Miles in a way like no other coach ever has before coaching his first game. Also, not to be outdone in one-liners, Spurrier was on Slive's mind as well for his questioning of Kiffin's recruiting calls before officially being named as Tennessee's head coach.

Although the media was shut out of the event, the news of the intensity of the speech made it's way around the meeting quickly. Read More »

Spring Practice Wrap-up: Ole Miss Rebels

Ben — Wed, 27 May 2009 08:01:28 -0400

GatorTailgating.com's Ben Petitto will be doing a series covering each SEC Team's Spring practice. This is the fifth installment of the series on the Ole Miss Rebels.

The Ole Miss Rebels enjoyed immediate success in Houston Nutt’s first year as head coach. In 2007 they won three games and none in the SEC. Last season they won nine games and beat a Texas Tech team that was in contention for a national title most of the year. This was their first winning season and bowl game since Eli Manning was a senior. In the process, Jevan Snead became one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC and their defensive line was arguably the best in the nation. Read More »

Top 10 Player Matchups for Gators Football's 2009 Season

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 26 May 2009 08:16:05 -0400

The defending champion Florida Gators are bringing back a roster packed full of returning starters from both their 2006 and 2008 championship squads. The Gators enter the 2009 season as odds on favorites to reclaim their title. Expectations are higher than ever with a whirlwind of anticipation surrounding the coming season.

With no shortage of teams looking to stifle the dreams of Gator Nation, we take a closer look at the Top 10 most anticipated and intriguing matchups which could make or break the coming season for the defending champs. Read More »

Nick Calathes Leaving Gators for Panathinaikos

Ben — Mon, 25 May 2009 06:00:00 -0400

Reports have confirmed that Gator basketball guard Nick Calathes will sign a contract with European basketball powerhouse and Greek champion Panathinaikos. He will forgo his junior and senior seasons at the University of Florida to become a professional basketball player. The contract will give Calathes 1.1 million dollars in salary, a car, housing, and also pays for his taxes. Calathes parents are from Greece and his brother Pat, former St. Joseph’s star, plays in the Greek league currently. Calathes also played as a part of Greece’s u-20 national team. Read More »

What's Going On With the Gator Offensive Line?

Ben — Sun, 24 May 2009 09:04:40 -0400

The offensive line gelled at the end of the season to lead the Gators to their second national championship in three years. Phil Trautwein, Jason Watkins, Mike Pouncey, Maurkice Pouncey, and Carl Johnson made up the stellar line that allowed Tim Tebow and company to break out in the second half of the season. None of these guys were dominant as individual lineman as compared to an Andre Smith or Michael Oher, but they were great as a unit and every guy knew their responsibilities. The line lost two starters in Watkins and Trautwein, and were the only other unit to lose any starters from last year’s team other than the wide receivers (Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy). Read More »

GatorTailgating's Monster Garage: The Ravens' Game Time Bus

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 23 May 2009 08:15:32 -0400

Spring Practice Wrap-up: Mississippi State Bulldogs

Ben — Fri, 22 May 2009 08:31:56 -0400

GatorTailgating.com's Ben Petitto will be doing a series covering each SEC Team's Spring practice. This is the fourth installment of the series on the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Mississippi State’s Sylvester Croom experiment is over, it is unfortunate that the first African-American head coach was not able to produce a winning program. Yet, I tip my hat to Mississippi State for giving a chance to a great guy in a time when fans and boosters have unfairly not allowed another get a chance. How Charlie Strong is not a head coach may be one of the biggest mysteries (or tragedies) in sports. But the matter at hand is former Gator offensive coordinator Dan Mullen. He takes over a program that has averaged two wins in the SEC the last four years. Mullen has a tough task ahead of him- recruiting to Starkville isn’t exactly like recruiting to say Gainesville. However, he seems to be taking the right steps. He hasn’t gone the Chizik and Kiffin route and has hired Matt Balis, former Florida strength and conditioning assistant during the 2006 national championship season. He could be as vital as any member of the staff, similarly to Mickey Marotti at Florida. Read More »

Is Lane Kiffin Assembling A New Version of the 'Dirty Dozen?'

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 21 May 2009 08:34:24 -0400

Lane Kiffin seems to be skirting the boundaries of normality when it comes to running a college football program. First, Kiffin trash talks and makes unfounded accusations of cheating toward rival coaches.

Then, he goes about building his team by throwing out common sensibilities and allowing certain, shall we say, characters, to attend the University of Tennessee on a football scholarship.

His staff also reflects his "screw-the-rules approach" to college football.

To start with, he brings in Ed Orgeron as his chief of staff, so to speak. Coach "O" is a man who was accused of domestic violence in Florida and battery stemming from a bar fight in Louisiana. He was said to have ripped his shirt off while coach at Ole Miss and challenged anyone on the team to take him on.

Kiffin then decides to allow Daniel Hood, who participated in the rape and sodomy of a 14-year-old girl, to join the Volunteers, and now the Volunteers are trying to reel in Robert Marve. Read More »

Spring Practice Wrap-up: The LSU Tigers

Ben — Wed, 20 May 2009 07:55:28 -0400

GatorTailgating.com's Ben Petitto will be doing a series covering each SEC Team's Spring practice. This is the fourth installment of the series on the LSU Tigers.

2008 was a bit of a down year for Les Miles and the LSU Tigers after winning the 2007 national championship. They had the ingredients on defense, but their lack of offense really stifled their overall performance. In 2009 they look to QB Jordan Jefferson to step up and compliment their stellar running game in order to put up the offensive numbers needed to compete in the SEC. Their defense will be solid as always and could be one of the best in the league if a few key players step up. Read More »

Is the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party Moving Indoors?

Rusty — Tue, 19 May 2009 10:27:30 -0400

Georgia Coach Mark Richt on Florida-Georgia in Jacksonville: "When people ask me the question, ‘Do you really think [Jacksonville] is a neutral site?’, I say, ‘No, it’s not neutral.’ When you play in the state of Florida every year - we fly, they drive; it’s hotter for us, it’s cooler for them. It’s played in a stadium that [was once called] the Gator Bowl..."

Richt's statements were made at a Booster club meeting in Columbus, Ga and have re-ignited serious debate regarding whether the game location is fair to Georgia's football team. The game was first played in Jacksonville in 1915 and has been played every year in Jacksonville since 1933, besides a 2 year home and away stint in 1994-95 for the stadium conversion. The Gator Bowl was tore down and rebuilt into the Jacksonville Jaguars home field, now known as Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. Read More »

Head to Head: Gators RB Jeff Demps vs LSU RB Trindon Holliday

Ben — Mon, 18 May 2009 08:50:15 -0400

Over a gray and rainy weekend, two of the fastest football players ever (based on 100 meter times) competed in the 2009 SEC Outdoor Track & Field championships at Percy Beard Track in Gainesville. Jeff Demps (RB Florida) and Trindon Holliday (RB LSU) both competed in the 100 meter and 4x100 meter relay races. Holliday won the 100 meter final and became the SEC champion with a personal best of 10.01 seconds. Demps anchored the SEC champion Gator 4x 100 meter relay team that won with a time of 38.74. The #1 nationally ranked Gator Men’s Track and Field team finished second overall to the Arkansas Razorbacks who dominated the distance events to capture the overall SEC title. The Gator women won the SEC title in a dominating performance. Read More »

The Best Quote For Gator Football Since Tebow's Speech

Rusty — Sun, 17 May 2009 14:13:38 -0400

"Urban Meyer is moving to South Bend, Indiana to take the head coaching job at Notre Dame."

That is what many in the media are dying to release on the front page of their sports sections. Basically anyone that doesn't wear orange and blue, and especially those wearing navy and gold, would die to hear that news story. People across the country are tired of the University of Florida winning championships and they believe Urban Meyer leaving would reduce Florida back down to the recent memories of 8-5 seasons and trips to the Outback Bowl.

In spite of the pipe dreams of all the opposing fans and coaches wishing Urban would leave for his "dream job," it isn't going to happen anytime soon. After making a comment on a Miami radio show that he has since regretted because of the media firestorm that went on, Meyer has consisitently announced his plan to build a dynasty at the University of Florida and to watch his children graduate from high school in Gainesville. He also loves recruiting close to home (primarily in-state) rather than nationwide like he'd have to do at Notre Dame. Read More »

GatorTailgating.com's Monster Garage: The Unsupervised Bus

Rusty — Sat, 16 May 2009 10:23:12 -0400

GatorTailgating.com will be doing a series of weekly articles on Tailgating vehicle creations from fans across the country who have taken their pre-game festivities to the next level. We hope this inspires some of you Gator fans to build your own Tailgating Creations.

When you think of tailgating universities, you can't help but list LSU as one of the top schools in the nation. The cajuns have always done two things well: cook and party. Fortunately, tailgating includes both of them, which is why it is never okay to pass up a road trip to Baton Rouge.

One of the tailgating groups in Baton Rouge is the "Unsupervised" group, which got it's name from a bunch of friends and significant others going out on the town together every now and then for 'unsupervised' night's out. What originally started as a night out parying eventually began to include tailgating for LSU games, a flag football team, a softball team, and even a volleyball team. Read More »

Spring Practice Wrap-up: The Auburn Tigers

Ben — Fri, 15 May 2009 08:43:23 -0400

GatorTailgating.com's Ben Petitto will be doing a series covering each SEC Team's Spring practice. This is the third installment of the series on the Auburn Tigers.

New Auburn Head Coach Gene Chizik has big shoes to fill after Auburn’s former coach, Tommy Tuberville, was released last year after a ten year career (going 110-60, including a perfect 13-0 season in 2004). Chizik was only 5-19 as a head coach of Iowa State and has a great deal to prove before Auburn can justify hiring him. Tommy Tuberville’s last season was certainly disappointing (5-7), but he did not have the talent that he had in past years to compete in the SEC. Tuberville was a great coach and had beaten the Florida Gators twice in a row- something not too many other coaches can say. Read More »

Shane Matthews vs. Coach Meyer: Both Sides of the Story

Rusty — Thu, 14 May 2009 08:33:50 -0400

Many Gator fans have already heard about Meyer stating at a Gator Club meeting that "You're either a Gator or you're not a Gator, its real simple," when talking about former players not being loyal to the program. It has been widely assumed that Meyer was talking about Shane Matthews primarily, if not solely.

Many media outlets have released stories about the “feud” and numerous opinionated blogs have been written about the situation as well. This article will attempt to shine light on the two opposing points of view to allow you to form your own decision and open your eyes to the larger picture. Read More »

Tennessee Coach Kiffin's SEC Antics Beginning to Backfire

Ben — Wed, 13 May 2009 09:30:20 -0400

New Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin's SEC antics are beginning to backfire. Kiffin’s newest controversy started when he insulted the school and the entire city of Pahokee, Florida after signing star wide receiver Nu’Kesse Richardson inhis 2009 recruiting class. Richardson was originally committed to become a Gator and was thought to be in the running against Andre Debose to replace Percy Harvin's position. Read More »

Gators' Offseason Workouts will Fend off Complacency

Rusty — Tue, 12 May 2009 09:50:06 -0400

The Gators are coming off a 2008 National Championship season and are returning 19 of 22 starters, including all 11 on a defense that dominated the #1 ranked Oklahoma high-powered offense. You would think the offseason workouts wouldn't be that strenuous. The team has the talent, training, togetherness, and all of the other factors to create a repeat championship; so why not cruise through the offseason so not to have any major injuries? Read More »

Spring Practice Wrap-up: Arkansas Razorbacks

Ben — Mon, 11 May 2009 06:00:00 -0400

GatorTailgating.com's Ben Petitto will be doing a series covering each SEC Team's Spring practice. This is the second installment of the series on the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The Arkansas Razorbacks had a down year in 2008 after losing running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones to the NFL. They struggled to run the ball and were near the bottom on every defensive category. In Coach Bobby Petrino’s second year, the Razorbacks look to turn things around with 8 starters back on offense and 9 on defense. Unfortunately, they have one of the hardest schedules in the nation- so, while they may be a better team, it might not show in their record. Read More »

Gator Tailating's Monster Garage: PantherFanz Tailgate Bus

Rusty — Sat, 09 May 2009 10:22:45 -0400

It's hard to believe a group with such a great tailgating setup as the PantherFanz group of Charlotte, NC could come from such humble beginnings. When you see the 1979 full-size International School bus and the way it's been fabricated specifically to fit their tailgating needs, you would think this group had been tailgating for decades.

That is just not the case though. In 1996, when the Panthers opened their first season as an NFL franchise, most of the group was tailgating throughout the parking lot surrounding then-named Ericsson Stadium with coolers of beer and camping supplies. A few had been tailgating before, but none had experience that would even dream up what would be happening about 10 years later. Since that day, not only has the PantherFanz group came together to tailgate, but they have become the scene of the best tailgate party for Panther's games hands down. Read More »

Spring Practice Wrap-up: Alabama Crimson Tide

Ben — Fri, 08 May 2009 07:22:15 -0400

GatorTailgating.com's Ben Petitto will be doing a series covering each SEC Team's Spring practice. This is the first installment of the series on the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Coming off Alabama’s best season in recent memory (despite the shellacking by a disciplined Utah team), Nick Saban will look to continue winning big games in the SEC after going 8-1 in the conference last year. Don’t forget last year Alabama was beating Florida for three quarters before Tim Tebow and the Percy Harvin-less Gator rushing game took over to come back and secure a 31-20 victory. Saban lost a number of big-time players from his Western Division championship team, but a lot of playmakers are back; especially on defense. Saban’s recruiting domination of the state of Alabama is beginning to pay dividends and it looks like Alabama will be around the top of the SEC West for a long time. Read More »

Rumor: Cam Newton to Transfer to Tennessee?

Mike — Thu, 07 May 2009 10:40:00 -0400

Insider Tennessee sources are indicating that Florida’s former backup quarterback, Cam Newton, has contacted Lane Kiffin’s staff at Tennessee, and that Tennessee has made an offer. Read More »

Meet the SEC's Newest Funniest Coach Contender: Gene Chizik

Ben — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:15:41 -0400

Auburn's new coach, Gene Chizik, has decided to challenge Lane Kiffin for the strangest recruiting tactics in the SEC. Two weeks ago, Auburn's “Tiger Prowl” spent four days parading around the state of Alabama. With stretch Hummer limos bearing Auburn flags and magnets filled with assistant coaches dressed like they were going to a bowling tournament, the stunt looked more like a gimmick to try to sell Sham-Wows or Snuggies. Read More »

Questions Abound in SEC at Quarterback Postition

Rusty — Tue, 05 May 2009 22:01:40 -0400

The SEC was the king of college football in the defensive category last year, but there are a lot of questions about who will be leading some teams on the other side of the ball going into the fall. Last year, a lot of people wondered if the defenses of the SEC were really that good, or if the offenses were just having a down year. Read More »

2009 Gator Football Single Game Tickets on Sale Now!

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 05 May 2009 10:01:02 -0400

The University of Florida Ticket Office will start the sale of Florida football single home-game tickets for all Gator fans, and will accept orders for away-game tickets from all eligible UF football season ticket holders starting Tuesday, May 5, 2009, at 9 a.m. Read More »

Post Spring: The Top 25 in College Football

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 04 May 2009 10:05:34 -0400

The NFL draft is done, and all the spring games are over, who makes the pre-pre-season top 25 in college in football?

The Best Beer Pong Table Ever

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 03 May 2009 15:45:59 -0400

Conduct a search on youtube for "Best Beer Pong Table Ever," and you will end up with over 38,000 results. It seems that most beer pong table creators out there ultimately believe that their “work of art” is numero uno. Well, step aside because I think we may have found one that truly has earned the right to be in the conversation for "Best Beer Pong Table Ever!" Read More »

Percy Harvin Hospitalized in Atlanta

Rusty — Fri, 01 May 2009 22:11:50 -0400

According to the Minnesota Viking's Brad Childress and ESPN, Former Gator and first-round draft pick Percy Harvin has been hospitalized with "extreme dehydration and virus" in Atlanta.

Harvin began to feel ill Thursday morning and started vomiting at Atlanta's International airport. He was treated by medics in the terminal area and taken to the nearby hospital. He was en route to Minnnesota for the rookie's mini-camp that is taking place this weekend.

Tests have confirmed that the swine flu is not part of the problem and that, if everyhting goes well, he will be released in the next 24 to 48 hours to go back home. It has been confirmed he will not be going to Minnesota and attempting to attend the mini-camp reguardless of when he is released from the hospital. Read More »

Clarifying What A "Spread" Offense Entails

Year2 — Fri, 01 May 2009 06:48:45 -0400

While reading the excellent interview Bruins Nation had with Rick Neuheisel, I came upon the final question of part one. It basically was, “Hey Rick, what do you think of the spread offense?”

Neuheisel ends up giving a fairly long and winding explanation of why he chooses a pro style offense rather than a spread scheme. I’m going to chop it up into mincemeat for a second to illustrate a point:

“The key to the spread offense, and the reason why its successful, is that it adds an extra player. It diminishes the need for great offensive linemen, because you’ve got a little longer because you are always in the gun…

“The problem at UCLA is that you have to beat the Trojans. And it’s also the benefit at UCLA, because when you beat them, you’re going to be among the nation’s elite. So you have to be a physical offense...

“I was the benefactor of a type of spread offense, even though it was an option offense, it’s the same math in terms of the quarterback’s [being] a runner…

“There were some components of the spread offense in what we did last year. We got into the old wildcat stuff…”

The picture of the spread offense that Neuheisel paints is one that involves a running quarterback, the shotgun as the exclusive setup, an offense that isn’t physical, and the wildcat formation.

Basically what he described is the Rich Rodriguez/Urban Meyer style offense (except for the part about the spread not being physical). However, that’s not necessarily what a spread offense is. Read More »

A Final NFL Draft and Free Agent Wrap-Up

Year2 — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 07:56:39 -0400

In the end, 3 Gators got drafted and 4 more found jobs as free agents:

Percy Harvin, 1st round to Minnesota
Louis Murphy, 4th round to Oakland
Cornelius Ingram, 5th round to Philadelphia
Phil Trautwein to St. Louis

Jason Watkins to Houston
James Smith to Cincinnati
Kestahn Moore to Denver

It was a bit disappointing, all things considered. I had heard that Murphy and Ingram each had the potential to go as high as the second round. I never expected to see them have to wait until the fourth and fifth rounds to go. Read More »

Seminoles Are No Longer a Gator Football Rival

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:39:42 -0400

I am sure the debate of rivalries will continue for some time. It's what we college football fans will do until the season starts. The four months between spring games and the start of fall practice are probably the worst period in a college football fans' life.

Because we don't have much to entertain us in this respect, we turn to the analysis of our chances for the following year and making profound statements on what our rivals are looking like and who (if anyone) can beat us in the upcoming year.

For those of us who know the intensity of the Florida/Florida State rivalry, we normally circle this early or as soon as we get the schedule. It's always the last regular season game of the year and used to always have some type of title implications involved for one of the two teams. Read More »

Vol Tailgating: Out of a Garbage Truck

Rusty — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:36:55 -0400

I'm not really sure how I feel about this, but it was something I surely couldn't pass up posting about. I thought making a bus into a tailgating machine was an amazing idea, and still do. As a matter of fact, GatorTailgating.com is working on a partnership to have a bus for the 2009 season if everything falls into place.

But, only a group of Tennessee Volunteer fans would get the idea to convert a retired Garbage truck into a tailgating machine! Don't get me wrong. If you can get past the sherbert-like orange paint job that reminds me more of state prisoners than of football, it's an awesome rig. They've installed grills, a 52" flat screen Television, a DVD player, built in beer taps, slide out coolers, and more.....but I just can't get past the fact that it was a GARBAGE TRUCK. Especially the fact that Knoxville, TN is one of the hillbilly capitals of the world, it's just too steretypical in spite of the fact that it was done so professionally. Read More »

Ingram's Journey Wasn't Perfect, But it Worked Out

Rusty — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 09:29:34 -0400

It should have been different. There shouldn't have even been a reason to hang around the phone on the second day of the draft, other than to answer the congratulation calls that didn't get through on Saturday. Cornelius Ingram is everything you want out of an NFL player; athletically gifted, good character, team-first mentality, strong morals, great attitude, well-rounded at his position, and even willing to put in the extra time (by not foregoing his SR season) to better himself for the league. Read More »

Vikings: Percy is Worth the Risk

Rusty — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 08:41:46 -0400

The Minnesota Vikings just couldn't do it. They knew that Percy had played in the spread, which doesn't translate well into a pro style offense. They knew about the injury problem Percy had in college. They knew that there were questions about whether he would play running back, wide reciever, or kick returner in the NFL. Mostly, they knew about the failed drug test at the combine. They knew about all of those problems that were supposed to drop Harvin out of the first round, but they just couldn't pass him up. Read More »

Orange & Blue Debut 2009 Tailgating Recap

Rusty — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 10:02:19 -0400

Let me start off by saying that I am so proud to be a part of Gator Nation. Not only did we have more in attendance at our spring scrimmage than other schools have at regular season games(like the school out west), but we had people going all out like it was really game day for the pre-game too. There were grills, tents, tailgating, food, drinks, and everything that makes Gainesville special on game day in the fall. Everyone seemed to be trying to soak up every last bit of football and tailgating that could be had before the next 5 months of boredom that lead us into fall.

I can't lie though. When the day began, I was a little worried. Pullng into the parking lot a little after 7 a.m. and seeing no action on campus other than the sprinkler system being on was a little bit of a downer. I'm used to pulling onto campus on gamedays when every serious tailgator is doing exactly what I'm doing....fighting for the perfect spot and warming up the grill. Read More »

Gator Football Team Vists the White House

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:37:48 -0400

The national champion Florida Gator Football team visited the White House today. They were invited late last week and actually showed up for this American tradition.

That tradition being if you win a national championship of any sort you get invited to White House to visit with the President. I have never found a team collegiate or professional that was not excited about this luxury. This luxury that comes along with being a champion and this year was no different. The Gators were excited to meet the president. Read More »

Beer Pong for More Than Bragging Rights

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:11:17 -0400

You would be wise to win this game of Beer Pong.

Picture This: It's Saturday morning and you are enjoying some beers, steaks, and cigars before heading into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Then, you notice the tailgating group next to you playing a friendly game of beer pong.

Wrong…

This group of tailgaters plays their Beer Pong tournament style. There are teams of 2, with 4 teams playing. If you lose two games you are out. Yeah it sucks to lose but in the end you had a good time. The key word there is HAD.

It turns out the winner of the tournament not only gets bragging rights but also gets to decide which of their friends will be wearing the opposing teams’ t-shirt and/or cap into the stadium. Read More »

A Follow-Up on Tim Tebow's Throwing Motion

Year2 — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:45:39 -0400

Earlier, I put up a post about why people say Tim Tebow has a slow release. It used frame-by-frame analysis from the telecast of the national title game. I lamented the fact that I don’t have professional, high speed video equipment to make more precise judgments.

Little did I know, someone who was reading does.

I got an email from Bryan Conrad, an engineer at a biomechanics lab in Gainesville. Among many other things, his lab studies sports-related topics such as golf swings and quarterback throwing motions. He had some insights from that side of the business and graciously allowed me to reprint them here. Read More »

Analyzing Tebow's "Slow Release"

Year2 — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:15:27 -0400

One of the major complaints about Tim Tebow by those who say he won't make it in the NFL is that he has a slow release. This critique is related to the charge that he has poor mechanics.

I am not a trained coach, but I believe I can show you at least what armchair NFL GMs see in him that causes the real scouts to fret.

I will compare him to Sam Bradford, a guy who was said to be a surefire top-five pick in the draft if he had come out. Read More »

Gator Basketball Names Pitino as New Assistant

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:48:20 -0400

University of Florida head coach Billy Donovan filled the vacant assistant coach position on his staff Monday, landing Louisville assistant Richard Pitino, son of Donovan-mentor and Louisville head coach Rick Pitino.

“I’ve known Richard his whole life. I feel like we’re getting a terrific recruiter, basketball coach and person. We’re also getting somebody that also understands our program and system because of the similarities between what we do and what Louisville does. I’m grateful to Coach Pitino for allowing me to help Richard continue to grow and develop as a coach. “ Pitino has spent the past two years as an assistant at Louisville, helping the Cardinals to the No. 1 overall seed in the 2009 NCAA Tournament and back-to-back Elite Eights. Read More »

Orange & Blue Game Shows Off Gators Football Team's Depth

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 10:00:05 -0400

While Tim Tebow and most of the other UF starters spent Saturday's Orange and Blue game on the sidelines, John Brantley gave Gators fans a glimpse of the future.

Brantley threw for 265 yards and three touchdowns on the day and led the Orange squad to 31-21 victory.

“I was a little nervous coming into the game, but the coaches reminded me that it’s just like practice,” Brantley said. “It felt good to come out and get all the reps.” Read More »

Tailgate with GatorTailgating.com for the Orange and Blue Game!

Rusty — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 08:36:42 -0400

Javascript is required to view this map.

Looking for a tailgate party to hit up for the Orange and Blue game? The GatorTailgating.com crew is now tailgating at the near the corner of University and 17th St. We're right across from the Swamp Restaurant.

We’ll have a huge banner, TVs, Stereo Equipment, food, and, of course, drinks! Donations are appreciated to cover the cost of the food. This week, Gabe is...

Orange & Blue Debut: What to Look For

Rusty — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:45:45 -0400

Last year, everyone went to the Orange and Blue game with one thought in their minds, "How good will our defense be?" That question was answered, but not until the actual season rolled around. The year before that, it was "How good will Tebow be at leading the offense every down?" He answered by winning the Heisman Trophy in his first year leading the offense full-time. This year, the questions are a little bit less obvious due to the return of the whole defense and Tim Tebow. Don't be fooled though. There are questions, and we're going to list them for you so you can watch outfor them at the game. Read More »

Striking Gold: What Scott Loeffler Brings to the Gator Quaterbacks

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 07:22:40 -0400

Tim Tebow may be an NFL quarterback after all. After many naysayers (I'm looking at you Mel Kiper) who said that the only way Tebow will see the field on the pro level is at tight end or fullback, the man who may prove all them wrong has arrived. This man is no other than Scott Loeffler, the renowned QB coach who coached numerous Michigan quarterbacks to the NFL including Tom Brady, Chad Henne, and Brian Griese. Read More »

Although he spent last season trying to teach Dan Olversky, or whatever his name is, to not step out of the end zone for a safety to seal a loss, Loeffler is on campus at UF and has already earned high praises for his teachings. Tebow as well as backup John Brantley, who is playing as well as ever, have noticeably improved on their throwing abilities. For one, I think you'll be saying goodbye to those wobbly Tebow passes and get used to him throwing spirals. Tebow has shown much more zip on his throws and although he still has a slow release, I can see his NFL prospects improving dramatically.

Tailgating in Lexington, KY for the Kentucky Game

Rusty — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:00:02 -0400

GatorTailgating.com is doing a series of articles on where and how to tailgate at all of the Gator Football away games. This article details where and what to look out for in Lexington, Kentucky for the Kentucky Wildcats. Go Gators! Read More »

Top 10 Greatest Gator Football Performances Since 1990

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:08:33 -0400

Is there really any reason to go back before 1990 to talk about the Gators' greatest performances? I don't think so either.

Ever since Steve Spurrier arrived in '90, the University of Florida has been on the map. And has dominated too.

From Danny Wuerffel to Keiwan Ratliff to Tim Tebow, great players have come through Gainesville and provided memorable plays and performances for the Florida faithful and the college football world.

Here are the top-ten performances, in this writer's opinion, over the last 19 years. Read More »

Can Percy Break the UF Wide Reciever Curse?

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 10:19:59 -0400

As the NFL draft approaches, University of Florida receiver Harvin appears to be a lock to go in the 1st round. Over his three years at Florida, Harvin abused defenses for 1,929 yards and 13 touchdowns as a receiver, and then to add insult to injury, he also carried the ball 194 times for 1,852 yards and 19 scores.

His most distinguishing attributes are his rare speed and great hands, and there is no denying that he is a menace in the open field with his absurd acceleration and cutting ability.

There were some questions about his route-running, but he helped alleviate those concerns with his Mar. 19 pro day while catching everything thrown at him within a reasonable vicinity.

Oh, and as far as the relative incidental factors that are sometimes overlooked like work ethic, instincts, field awareness and blocking, yeah he scores pretty high on that stuff too. Read More »

Tampa Bay Gator Club to Host 2009 Golf Tournament

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 10:14:33 -0400

Friday, May 1st, 2009, our friends at the Tampa Bay Gator Club will be holding their annual scholarship golf tournament to benefit scholarships for the University of Florida! It is a premier event and is being held at the beautiful Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club. They have Wings Gone Wild providing Wings Gone Wild Girls; Red Bull and Grey Goose will provide drinks on holes; Reeves Motors is sponsoring 3 Hole in Ones, including a $10,000 hole, among others. Cigar City Magazine is sponsoring a complimentary cigar and magazine for every player. Lunch and an awesome awards dinner are included, featuring a Prime Rib buffet.
Read More »

The First 2009 Season Tailgate: Orange & Blue Game

Rusty — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:02:08 -0400

GatorTailgating.com will be hosting a Tailgate party to kickoff the 2009 season right beside University Avenue in front of the Library West before April 18th's Orange and Blue game. It it just across the street from the parking lot where Burger King used to be. (The map is attached below.) At the tailgate, the Master chef, Gabe, will be grilling up some Kabobs as we listen to some tunes, enjoy some Bourbon Meyers, and kick off 2009 in style! Read More »

Coach Addazio is Hoping OL Injuries Develop Depth

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 08:19:48 -0400

With so many offensive linemen missing due to injuries this spring, the Florida coaching staff is trying to look at the bright side.

It's giving a group of young players extra opportunity to grow and learn, which hopefully will pay dividends in the fall.

"One of our big goals is to establish depth up front, so that's going to come from our young players,'' UF offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Steve Addazio said. "And with the injuries those young players are getting some big-time depth.'' Read More »

Spikes Sets Sights on Third Championship

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:06:43 -0400

When quarterback Tim Tebow and linebacker Brandon Spikes announced they'd stay at Florida for their senior seasons, the Gators became a favorite to win their third national title in four years.

That chance was part of what brought them back, and they’ve been talking about it all through spring practice.

“We just talked about getting a three-peat,” Spikes said. “We have the whole defense back and you win championships with the defense. So we have a great chance of doing it.”

Spikes’ math is a little off, as he forgot about the 2007 season that ended with a Capital One Bowl loss instead of a championship. But it’s fitting that he considers that as a lost season—an anomaly wedged between titles.

That year started much like the 2009 season will, with Florida coming off a championship, but the team suffered. There weren’t enough leaders, and coaches say there was a sense of entitlement throughout the squad.

Read More »

Eight Tips to Get Your Girl Excited About Tailgating

Tamaralea10 — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 23:56:36 -0400

Hello fellow Gator fans! I am honored to be in the position of guest columnist for Gator Tailgating this morning. As one of two Mrs. GatorTailgating’s, I am surrounded by Gator Football, Gator Games, Gator Tailgating, Gators on the DVR… not that I mind, of course, since as a Gator grad and former Student Ticket Office rep, my heart bleeds orange and blue like the rest of the GT family. Read More »

Guide to Buying & Building a Tailgating Machine

Rusty — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 08:25:01 -0400

Although the thought of buying and building a tailgate vehicle may seem absurd to some (Although, I'm not sure who!), it can seem like a worthwhile expense in the quest for the world's greatest tailgate party. However, shopping for a vehicle that will strictly be used to tailgate befor Gator games is a bit different from buying your standard Honda Civic. Below are a couple points to consider when shopping and planning for the mega-beast of tailgating: Read More »

Moody Happy About I-Formation in Spring Practice

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 06:05:48 -0400

Maybe UF coach Urban Meyer isn't excited about the prospects of the I-formation in Gainesville, but one of his running backs is.

Meyer said earlier this week that the I-form may not last long for the Gators due to a lack of depth at tight end and fullback, but running back Emmanuel Moody is enjoying the new package.

“It definitely excites me, because it’s just another way to get the ball to the running back,” Moody said. “I feel like one of the reasons they did it was to give the running backs a head of steam so we can use our vision more.”

Moody excelled in a pro-style offense as a freshman at Southern Cal and earned Pacific-10 Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year honors, but adapting to the spread wasn’t an easy task in his first year at UF.

Moody tallied 417 yards and one touchdown on 58 carries last season — still a better yards-per-carry average than he notched at USC — but he was never a primary option in the rushing game.

He said he’s comfortable in the spread now and looking forward to playing more freely, without having to think as much as he did in 2008. Read More »

Florida's Aaron Hernandez Will Play Vital Role In Upcoming Season

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 12:23:42 -0400

With the loss of Percy "No Mercy" Harvin and Louis Murphy, the Gators are in need of some consistent talent in the passing game.

Fortunately, Urban Meyer doesn't have to look far.

Florida's Tight End, Aaron Hernandez, has the ability to make great plays. In his sophomore season, Aaron collected 34 catches for 381 yards, and 5 touchdowns.

Gator fans can't forget the infamous Tebow to Hernandez shovel pass that helped lead to a win in the SEC championship game last season. Florida was down early in the fourth quarter 20-17, when Tebow looked at Hernandez to make a play on third down. Read More »

Lane Kiffin admits Layla is a Gator

Rusty — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 11:01:47 -0400

That's right Gator fans. The coach that has given us so many laughs since becoming the head coach at the University of Tennessee released a secret that won't be too appreciated in Big Orange Country. Layla Kiffin is a Gator Alum. Even better than that, she is also the daughter of former Gator Great John Reaves. Read More »

Orange Country Choppers: The Steps and Story of Building the OSU Tailgating Bus

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:25:38 -0400

Don’t you just love when things work out in an almost perfect fashion? The owners of “BOBBY the Bus” sure do. You see, after a night game, the group was sitting around on ice chests and folding chair talking about how they could step up their tailgating efforts. The group, which is comprised of three families, continued talking when a school bus, painted purple and green with a deck on the roof, drove right by them. Eureka! The very next day there was an ad in the paper stating that the Oklahoma City School District was having an auction with buses being included on the auction block. Some things are just meant to be. The bus was purchased for $700 six days later.

In hopes of debuting the bus at the 2003 Cotton Bowl, the group had to work tirelessly for two straight months. It was decided that they wanted a deck on the back, but wanted to retain the functionality of the rear lights, windows, and door. So they simply cut off the back clip Read More »

10 Reasons Why the Gators Will or Won't Repeat Next Year

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:07:02 -0400

These lists are projections as reasons why the Gators will or won't repeat as National Champions next year. This isn't a projection as to if they will or won't, because we aren't even through Spring Training yet and there is no need to jinx them. They're just projections of reasons why one or the other might happen, because inevitably one or the other will. Feel free to add your comment if you agree or disagree! Read More »

The Top 10 Reasons the Gators Will Repeat

The unusually easy SEC scheduling. Florida Gators really only have two tough task on the road this year: a road game to Miss State and to LSU. Yes, I said MSU, Dan Mullen knows the Meyer system better then anyone in the country, and teams in Miss love to spoil our seasons. The only other tough one is Georgia in Jacksonville.
The return of the top linebacking core in the nation. While this could be disputed, they were ranked second by sporting news last year and USC's starters went to the pros.
Their defense lead the sec in sacks, interceptions, and ppg in the SEC last year...and that whole defense is back and better then ever.
Charlie Strong did not get a new job...enough said

Calathes Declares for NBA Draft without an Agent

Rusty — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:55:24 -0400

The star Point Guard that has lead the Gator basketball team for the past two years is taking the next step to the NBA....most likely. He has declared for the NBA draft and is projected to go late first or early second round, but he has not hired an agent. Not selecting someone to represent him for the NBA allows him to return to the University of Florida should he not like what things are shaping up like in NBA projections as the draft comes closer.

“I spoke with coach Donovan (on Sunday) night and told him of my intentions,” Calathes said in a statement. “(He) was nothing but supportive, (and he) told me he’d do whatever he could to help me and my family make an educated decision.” Read More »

Spring Training: Week One Review

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:14:03 -0400

The Offense

Florida is experimenting with a fast-paced, uptempo offense. It is partially a result of seeing Kevin Wilson's Oklahoma offense in the national title game and partially a result of seeing Kevin Wilson's Northwestern offense in 2001.

I took a look at pace earlier this offseason, and I projected that the Gators would have scored about 55 a game last year if they played at Oklahoma's pace.

Urban Meyer may or may not have seen a similar figure from his stats guys, but he seems most interested in the way that an uptempo offense disrupts defenses.

The other big difference is that Tim Tebow will be taking some snaps under center. Tebow says it's happening because it's the way Scot Loeffler is influencing the offense, while Meyer says it's happening to get Tebow more comfortable with it since he'll have to do that in the NFL. It's not that one is wrong and one is right, since the offense has always been a team effort under Meyer. Read More »

Many have pointed out that packages with the quarterback under center existed in Meyer's offense in 2005 and 2006 when Chris Leak was running the show. That is true, and the I-formation is

Complacency Hopefully Not an Issue for 2009 Gator Football

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:21:53 -0400

After winning the National Championship in 2006, Florida coach Urban Meyer described spring practice the following year as one of the toughest ever.

Unfortunately for the Gators, what Meyer meant by tough was not tough on the players, but tough on the coaches.

Meyer and his staff struggled to keep the team focused and looking to better themselves, as attitudes and a sense of entitlement abounded throughout the Gator locker room, as a result of their BCS National Championship. Read More »

Spring Football Practice Begins

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:35:05 -0400

It's that time of year again.

It has been less than three months since the Gators beat Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship Game, but already I have begun to wither away.

Recruiting battles and signing day gave me a quick fix, but even that left me wanting more. September, to me, is like Christmas to an 8-year-old.

Lane Kiffin even made me more excited. I was starting to get bored of thrashing Tennessee, but this year's beat-down will be savored.

There are several things that I will be looking for this spring: Read More »

Penn St & UConn End Both Gator Basketball Season's in One Night

Rusty — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:25:29 -0400

Tuesday night was not Florida's night for basketball, made evident by a loss in the Men's National Invitation and the Women's NCAA Tournaments. The Gator Boys were outsized and outdueled by Penn State's Jamelle Cornley down the stretch as the Gators had no answer for his inside presence. Cornley, who came into the game listed as questionable, answered that question with an unstoppable performance which included 23 ponts for the Senior Forward.

The Gators made runs late, as they have many times this year, but just couldn't close it out. The Gators got within 1 point (44-43) in the second half, but allowed Penn State to have an 8-0 run after Calathes' free throws that pulled the game so close.

A little later, Florida pulled within 3 points (61-59) with just over 2 minutes left in the game, but proved once again they didn't have the gusto to finish the comeback with a victory. They let Penn State go back to their bread and butter from earlier in the night, the inside game, and let them close out with a 9 point victory (71-62). Read More »

Pre-Spring SEC Eastern Division Power Rankings

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:08:42 -0400

How's it going SEC fans? I know the pain of the off-season. Nothing to do but work and obsessively follow recruiting. Also, you don't have the excuse of watching the game to not go to chick flicks or other stuff of that feminine nature with your girlfriend.

Plus with all of the SEC teams out of the Men's Basketball tournament, I figure I would help you guys out by giving a pre-spring practice rankings of all the teams in the SEC.

Although the Gators were the third consecutive national champion from the SEC, the conference suffered somewhat of a down year thanks to the colossal collapses of Auburn and Tennessee, and the disappointing year that Georgia had. Anyway, 2009 looks to be one of the best years this conference has had overall in a while. Read More »

FSU's President Loses His Cool at Press Conference About Bobby Bowden

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 06:20:33 -0400

I’ve posted some of the highlights from T.K. Wetherell’s press conference earlier today but this warrants its own space. Toward the end of the presser, Wetherell, who had mostly maintained his calm for more than 30 minutes, began to, well … lose it a little. Not sure if that’s an accurate description, so we’ll let you decide.

Here’s the first instance of Wetherell gone loopy: He was talking about Bowden and, inevitably, some of Wetherell’s focus turned to the notion that Bowden wants to stick around because of a desire to retire the most victorious coach in major college football history. Read More »

Wetherell had said that wasn’t the reason why Bowden wanted to stay and then, at about the 33-minute mark of this press conference, Wetherell says: “Now, we understand all the rest of it. We’ve heard [Sentinel columnist Mike] Bianchi over there saying, well hell, 31 wins don’t count anyway because they were at some [dipstick] school …”

Gators Blow 'Canes Out of O'Dome

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:56:09 -0400

Sophomore guard Nick Calathes (Casselberry, Fla.) had 21 points, sophomore forward Alex Tyus (St. Louis, Mo.) added 13 points and 12 rebounds, and the Gators beat in-state rival Miami 74-60 in the second round of the NIT on Friday night in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.

Florida (25-10) improved to 18-1 at home this season, tying a school record for home wins, and advanced to the tournament quarterfinals. The top-seeded Gators will host No. 2 seed Penn State on Tuesday night at 9 p.m. on ESPN. Read More »

Walker to Start 2nd Straight Game Against Miami

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 08:48:47 -0400

UF coach Billy Donovan shook up the starting lineup in the Gators' opening game of the National Invitation Tournament, giving freshman Erving Walker the nod over Chandler Parsons.

Both players scored in double figures, and Parsons registered just his second double-double of the season.

“Coming out of the SEC tournament, it was pretty obvious that Chandler could be playing a lot, and I was trying to help him a little bit,” UF coach Billy Donovan said.

Parsons went for 17 points and a career-high 14 rebounds against Jacksonville.

“Maybe being in a lot less pressure-, stress-related role is something he is a lot more comfortable with,” Donovan said. “He did play well yesterday.”
Read More »

Gators Beat Jacksonville to Play In-State Rival

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 09:05:23 -0400

Sophomore guard Nick Calathes (Casselberry, Fla.) broke out of a shooting slump with 19 points, sophomore forward Chandler Parsons (Casselberry, Fla.) added 17 points and 14 rebounds off the bench, and Florida beat Jacksonville 84-62 Wednesday night at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in the opening round of the NIT.

The Gators played one of their best first halves of the season. They shot 63 percent from the field, were 6-of-9 from 3-point range and had a 21-point lead at the break.

Florida (24-10) extended the lead to 26 early in the second half on freshman guard Ray Shipman's (Miramar, Fla.) dunk, and then coasted the rest of the way.

Lehmon Colbert led Jacksonville (18-14) with 11 points and six rebounds. Read More »

Gator Basketball's First Shining Moment

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 08:20:20 -0400

Growing up my entire life rooting for the University of Florida, my first real March Madness memories and moments began with them making the NCAA Tournament.

The first one was vague, because I was young.

In 1994, any Florida Gator fan will remember the Final Four and immediately associate that memory with one man: Grant Hill.

I was at my grandparents’ house for the game, wearing a Final Four t-shirt my dad bought me earlier in the week, as I watched Hill take over the game scoring 25-points and leading a Duke 13-point comeback to beat the Gators 65-60. Read More »

Meyer Hoping to Keep Gators Focused During Spring Training

shanksta13 — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:57:53 -0400

After winning the National Championship in 2006, Florida coach Urban Meyer described spring practice the following year as one of the toughest ever.

Unfortunately for the Gators, what Meyer meant by tough was not tough on the players, but tough on the coaches.

The results were evident in the Gators' 2007 season. Read More »

After suffering a disappointing four loss season, the Gators entered spring practice in 2008 with a new vigilance. Players competed harder than they had ever competed, hoping to erase the memory of the disappointing year.

Gator Basketball Left Out of Dance, but #1 Seed in NIT

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 06:49:52 -0400

The University of Florida has accepted an invitation to play in the National Invitational Tournament and will host an opening round game on Wed., March 18, at 8 p.m. in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center against Jacksonville University.

The Gators finished the 2008-09 season 23-10 overall, and posted a 9-7 Southeastern Conference record. Florida enters post-season play after defeating Arkansas, 73-58, in the first round of the 2009 SEC Tournament, before falling short to Auburn, 61-58, in the second round of the league tourney at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla.

Florida is making its second-consecutive NIT appearance after reaching the semifinals of the NIT last season at Madison Square Garden. Read More »

The Raiders put University of Tennessee on Notice

Year2 — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 10:01:55 -0400

"As you are undoubtedly aware, Mr. Kiffin is involved in arbitration with the Raiders. Not withstanding the fact that Mr. Kiffin must have told you about the pendency of this proceeding, we want to put you on notice of it, and the University's involvement in some of the underlying facts."

The Raiders have been feuding with Lane Kiffin since before they fired him near the beginning of the 2008 NFL season.

The team believes that Kiffin broke NFL rules, breached his contract, and "induced" assistant coach James Cregg to breach his contract by leaving before the end of the season to work at Tennessee.

CBS Sports managed to get a copy of a letter the Oakland Raiders sent to the University of Tennessee, and the quote right at the beginning is in it. It details the team's list of grievances against Kiffin, but that's not all. Read More »

Gator Basketball falls to Auburn in Second Round of SEC Tournament

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 09:45:45 -0400

Sophomore Alex Tyus (St. Louis, Mo.) tallied a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, but the Gators were edged, 61-58, by Auburn in the second round of the 2009 SEC tournament Friday.

The Gators (23-10) had a shot to tie on the final possession, but Auburn’s Quantez Richardson blocked Erving Walker's (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 3-point attempt just before the buzzer. Walker finished with 14 points and two assists on the night. Read More »

Gators Beat Hogs & Advance to Second Round

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 07:38:16 -0400

Junior Dan Werner (Middletown, N.J) notched his fourth career double-double, the first this season, as Florida defeated Arkansas, 73-58, in the first round of the 2009 SEC tournament Thursday from the St. Pete Times Forum. The Gators improved to 23-9 on the season, while the Razorbacks fell to 14-16. With the win, Florida advances to take on the No. 2 seed from the Western Division, the Auburn Tigers, Friday.

Werner tallied a season-high 13 rebounds in Florida’s efforts, his third career double-digit rebounding effort, while chipping in 15 points.

The Gators headed to the locker room with a slight advantage at the half, 29-26, only shooting 33.3 percent from the field, but emerged in the second half with a 53.6 percent effort to top Arkansas’ 46.0 percent. UF held steady from the charity stripe, hitting 15-of-17 (88.2) percent to propel its efforts, forced 16 turnovers and rallied for 11 steals. Read More »

Torrey Davis No Longer Part of Gator Football Team

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:40:44 -0400

According to various sources, five star junior defensive tackle and potential starter, Torrey Davis, is no longer part of the Gator football team.

Davis is the DT that made the play of the game during the 2009 BCS National Championship game, stopping Oklahoma at the 2 yard line on 4th and goal with 1 yard to go. He will forever be remembered as a Gator for that one play.

Davis was a very promising player but he did not make the grade on class or conduct. Read More »

Meyer gets His Point Across about Kiffin with Few Words

Rusty — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:35:58 -0400

In all of the drama surrounding Lane Kiffin's comments last month about Meyer cheating, no one ever was able to obtain any direct quotes or thoughts from the victim himself, Coach Meyer. He remained silent regarding the subject and refused to discuss it with different media outlets.

Until last week, there was no new news about "Kiffin-gate" whatsoever. That is, until Gabe of GatorTailgating.com broke the news that the UF coaching staff had printed and posted different quotes from Lane Kiffin around the Heavener complex to motivate the football team during workouts and Spring practice. (As a side note, here is some of the response to the article on VolNation.com's forums.)

Now, we've found out that Andrew Carter of the Orlando Sentinel caught up with Meyer to ask him about his feelings regarding Kiffin-gate. He didn't exactly open up to Carter, but we think it might sound eerily similiar to Meyer's answers on a previous controversial topic about an SEC rival disrespecting his team. Read More »

Hornsby Never Deserved Another Chance

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:43:26 -0400

By Burton DeWitt

This is good news. Well, it's bad news, but for me it's good news. I've never believed in second chances, at least not when you do something this unethical. Now I have a second story to back me up.

No, I'm not talking about Michael Vick. Sure, what he did was wrong, bad, evil, sure, but it never once made me question if he were human. Sick, demented, yes, but at least a little bit human. Just a little bit.

But Jamar Hornsby is not human. At the very least, I wish he were not. I don't want him in my species. I don't want him on my planet. That may sound harsh, that may sound evil, but it's not. Not after what he has done.

Hornsby had quite a few run-ins with authority even before he stole a dead girl's credit card and tried to use it. Quite a few.
Read More »

A Brief Look at the History of Tailgating

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 06:35:08 -0400

Tailgating is a time honored tradition that likely dates back to the earliest days of sporting events, though football usually comes to mind first for most people. Nothing amps up the anticipation of an impending matchup between fans’ favorite teams like hours of tailgating partying before the actual sporting event even takes place. It is food, family, friends, fun and socializing on a scale that is utterly incomprehensible to anyone who is not familiar with or a fan of outdoor sporting events.

So how did tailgating become such a huge tradition? Well, if you examine the some of the earliest documented historical events, you may find that although modern tailgating most likely has its roots in college football, it may date back to the mid 1800’s - think Civil War. You probably would not think that a war would be anyplace to throw a party, but it appears that is exactly what happened at the Battle of Run in 1861. Supporters of the Union showed up with baskets of food and enthusiastically cheered the soldiers on by shouting, “Go, Big Blue!” This may be a bit disconcerting, but apparently it is a documented historical event. Read More »

Follow up to the Heavener Football Tour + Vol Fan Comments

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:55:18 -0400

What really surprised us about the our “Inside the Tunnel: 2008 Additions to UF's Heavener Football Complex” article is the amount of attention coming from the state of Tennessee. We've had over 8,000 unique visits to that article within just three days! A fair amount of those visits are being directed our way from our friends over at VolNation, and at VolQuest. The issue, of course, is the Lane Kiffin quote posted in the tunnel:

"I’m really looking forward to embracing some of the great traditions at the University of Tennessee, for instance the Vol Walk, running through the T, singing Rocky Top all night long after we beat Florida next year. It will be a blast" - Lame Kiffin

Our good friends at VolNation have a lively 7 page forum thread on the topic, and we thought it would be fun if we posted some selected comments. Enjoy! Read More »

Gator Basketball's NCAA Tournament Hopes Stay Alive!

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 19:35:44 -0500

Phew! Hurdle No. 1 has been overcome. Two more wins, and I think the Gators squeak into the tourney!

By beating the Kentucky Wildcats in the O'Dome today, the Gators' faint hopes for getting into the NCAA Tournament are still alive. After losing three straight to LSU, Tennessee and at Mississippi State, the Gators finally came through today in a must-win game.

However, I hope the NCAA Selection Committee just sees the box score and didn't actually watch the game, because it was a sloppy, offensively stagnant game played by two teams that were desperate for a win—and desperate for any semblance of an offense to show up.

Read More »

Inside the Tunnel: 2008 Additions to UF's Heavener Football Complex

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:37:49 -0500

Putting the Heaven in "Heavener"... Last week, Gator Tailgating was given the opportunity to explore the nucleus of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium’s newest addition, the Heavener Complex. Around this time last year GatorTailgating.com gave you the latest and greatest on this addition, and we’re here to do it again.

UF has made some changes to the shrine since it was built a little over a year ago. When you win another national championship, an additon is a necessity. Below, there are some pictures of things you may have seen, and some new... but all of it is impressive. So follow us deep into what few have ever seen. Read More »

Gator Football Team Celebrates BCS Title in Nole's Backyard

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 07:56:27 -0500

The University of Florida National Championship football team was recognized on Thursday by Governor Charlie Crist and members of the Senate and House.

Head Coach Urban Meyer, linebacker Ryan Stamper (Jacksonville) and quarterback Tim Tebow (Jacksonville) joined Athletic Director Jeremy Foley and University President Bernie Machen to represent Florida’s most recent national championship team. The Gators defeated Oklahoma, 24-14, on Jan. 8, 2009 in the FedEx BCS National Championship Game to claim the school’s third football national championship. Read More »

What Money Problems?

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 08:26:33 -0500

They were sitting there when you first pulled into the lot. They were still sitting there when you entered the stadium. And… they were still sitting there when you exited the stadium.

Um, hello? Did someone have one too many at the tailgate and forget about the game?!? Why drive all the way down to the stadium only to never step inside the stadium?

Now I get it…if only Bush and Obama were this smart with a budget! Read More »

Gators & Vols: Two Sports, Two Bitter Rivalries

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 08:44:45 -0500

Many rivalries have come and gone, but one rivalry that has intensified in recent years is Tennessee vs. Florida. And not just in one sport.

The Florida Gators have held the Tennessee football team down for quite a while. The series, played yearly, has been decidedly in the Gators favor since 1994. Under three coaches during that span Florida has defeated Tennessee 11 of 15 times.

Steve Spurrier owned Philip Fulmer even during the Peyton Manning years, as Manning never defeated the Gators. The Vols did, however, break through against the ‘visored-one’ twice in that span; both times landing the Vols squarely into national title contention. Then came Ron Zook, who went 1-2 against the Big Orange during his short tenure from ’02-’04. Since 2005, when Urban Meyer took over the Florida program, the Vols have not defeated the Gators.

And if you really want to get technical about it; only one game since that ’05 season has even been close; the 2006, 21-20 defeat at Neyland Stadium. In ’05, ’07, and ’08 Florida has outscored the Vols 105-33. Read More »

Do You Miss Tailgating? Buy the iTouch or iPhone.

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:39:24 -0500

It just seems that it gets better and better for tailgaters who use an iPhone (or iTouch). We have told you about a number of iPhone applications that would appeal to tailgaters such as the iBeer, Beer Pong Challenge, Last Call, iBreath, or even Pour 1 Out. Now comes along an Apple iPhone application that allows you to play a variety of traditional Tailgate Games right on your iPhone. The games included in this app are cornhole, Blongo Ball (Ladder Golf), washers or horseshoes. Check out the video demo.

Gator Basketball Loses to Vols, Again.

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:26:18 -0500

Florida sophomore guard Nick Calathes (Casselberry, Fla.) scored a game-high 20 points but the Gators couldn’t overcome Tennessee’s torrid first-half shooting as the Volunteers held on to win 79-75 on Sunday in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.

Tennessee (18-10, 9-5) shot 65 percent from the field in the first half, including 7-for-9 from behind the arc, on their way to a 45-33 lead at the break. Read More »

Florida (21-8, 8-6) made it close, though. The Gators trailed 59-43 midway through the second, but used a barrage of big shots down the stretch to make it 75-72 with one minute left. But Scotty Hopson tipped freshman guard Erving Walker's (Brooklyn, N.Y.) tying 3-point attempt with 37 seconds left.

The Running of the Urinals: A Great New Tailgating Tradition

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:37:25 -0500

That's right. The "Running of the Urinals" is the new tailgating craze. Basically, it involves a long row of port-o-potties, a good sized crowd with a lot of beer cans to throw, and one brave individual (or one enhanced by liquid courage) who dares to try the run.

Is it better than flip cup? No. Better than beer pong? Not even by a mile. But, it's definitely more fun for the spectators than both of those put together. How can you not enjoy watching an inebriated guy (or gal....don't want to be sexist here) running across the tops of urinals all while having full beer cans (and some bottles) flung at his (or her) head? That's just plain good ol' entertainment! It is a waste of perfectly good alcohol for all those that missed the "runner," but it isn't for the ones that hit him. Those are worth their weight in gold.

Here's a couple more highlights of the "Running of the Urinals" at other sites. ENJOY! Read More »

Quarterback Play is the Key to SEC Football

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:16:11 -0500

In the SEC, no one position is more critical to a team's success than the QB spot. They are the generals, directing their teams down the field, making the quick decisions that make or break every play.

While so much credit is given to other skill positions like running back and wideout, it is impossible to ignore the impact that the quarterback has on the ability for a team to win games. Look at the records for the SEC:

SEC EAST:

Florida—Led by junior quarterback and 2007 Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow, the Gators played their way to an SEC title and a BCS National Championship.

Georgia—With Junior Matthew Stafford under center, he racked up nearly 3,500 yards passing and 25 TDs, leading UGA through a rough injury season to 10 wins.

Vanderbilt—They played several people at quarterback and threw for only 14 TDs as a team. Read More »

Gator Basketball Falls Short at LSU, 81-75

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 09:10:21 -0500

After leading at the half, the Gators lost a close game to No. 18 LSU, 81-75, Tuesday from the Maravich Center in Baton Rouge. Senior Walter Hodge (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) led Florida with 16 points, hitting two treys in the last 14 seconds of regulation, as UF moved to 21-7 overall, 8-5 in SEC play.

Three other Gators scored in double digits, including sophomore Alex Tyus (St. Louis, Mo.) with 15 points, and sophomores Nick Calathes (Casselberry, Fla.) and Chandler Parsons (Casselberry, Fla.), with 12 points each. Read More »

Florida took a 41-37 advantage into the locker room at the half, but allowed LSU to work itself back into the lead midway through the second half. The Tigers trailed 56-53 before going on a 14-2 run to take control of the game. LSU’s Marcus Thornton hit 6-of-11 from behind the arc to lead the charge for the Tigers, contributing 32 points.

10 Signs you have TWS (Tailgating Withdrawal Syndrome)

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:37:37 -0500

Every year towards the end of February, millions of people around the United States are affected by TWS (Tailgating Withdrawal Syndrome). The Bowl Games ended in January and even the NFL's season is now completed. Baseball is a couple of months away and NASCAR doesn't come back in our immediate area until July. The important thing is not to panic. The first step is to try and clinically diagnose it before we jump to conclusions.

How do you know if you are suffering from TWS?

Here are 10 sure signs you're suffering from it.

10. You watch the sun come up over Ben Hill Griffin Stadium from your tailgating spot and wonder where everyone is. Read More »
read more

GT.com's Top 10 Pictures of the 2008 Season

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:31:58 -0500

We would like to congratulate the winners and participants of GT.com's Annual Pic of the Year Contest. All of the pictures below were uploaded by members of GT.com throughout the season. If you'd like to be in the contest for this coming season, don't forget to upload your pictures after gamedays! Now, on to the fun!

10. (Uploaded by MadenBrazil) There aren't too many pictures that allow you to fit a finger, the shocker, and a tongue in the ear all at one time. This one did it and for that, it gets the #10 position.

Gator Basketball Remains Unbeatable in O'Dome

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 09:29:30 -0500

As the Gators encountered two must-win games at home this week to stay viable for the tournament, they took care of business as needed. The first win earlier in the week against Alabama and the second coming Saturday against Vanderbilt. The Gators needed this momentum booster after suffering a demoralizing loss to Georgia on Valentine's Day and before they travel to Baton Rouge to face the mighty Tigers on Tuesday night. The Bayou Bengals are 11-1in SEC play and sit atop the conference poll. Saturday was all business with the Rowdy Reptiles giving the Gators the spark they needed to get the win.

Erving Walker scored 17 points off the bench, Nick Calathes added 14 and Florida beat Vanderbilt 82-68 Saturday to remain tied atop the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division. Read More »

Tailgating for Rowdy Reptiles at Today's Gator Basketball Game

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 08:45:17 -0500

Shooting contests, music, free food and a chance to win Best Buy gift certificates are just a few of the items that will highlight pregame festivities for the Rowdy Reptiles outside of Gate 3 of the O’Connell Center on Saturday prior to the Vanderbilt game.

Beginning at 11 a.m. a basketball goal will be set up outside Gate 3 and shooting contests with the Rowdy Reptiles will be held with some lucky winners walking away with gift certificates to Best Buy.

There will be a pre-game cookout where Rowdies can take advantage of free burgers and hot dogs, while a bounce house will also be placed outside of Gate 3. Read More »

Office Tailgating: A New Dimension to Casual Fridays!

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:15:13 -0500

Offseason. No football and no tailgating. You sit in your cubicle or office and start to realize how empty your life actually is. Despair no longer, office worker! GatorTailgating has the solution: Office Tailgating®!

Offices are perfect locations for your standard tailgate. You have a parking lot. You have a patch of grass to set up horseshoes or ladder golf. Best of all, by the time Friday rolls around, you and your fellow office mates are ready for the weekend. Start it off early with a tailgate. Pull your car up, fire up the grill and turn on the music.

Follow these steps to make your first office tailgate a success: Read More »

Top Ten Places to Tailgate after Football Season Ends

Sweet G — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 09:12:42 -0500

Now that football season is officially over, I've seen quite a few long faces and people moping around wondering what to do with their tailgating supplies. A lot of folks plan to put them in storage for the next 6 months. Don't do that! Just because football is over doesn't mean tailgating is over. Here's my list of the best reasons to tailgating throughout the year. Read More »

NASCAR – Daytona has the 500 and the Pepsi 400 and there will be thousands partying like it’s their last day on Earth. RVs, trucks, couches, and more fill the place up for more than a week of craziness.
CONCERTS – no matter what kind of music you like it will sound better on a full stomach. I’ve even seen video of people tailgating at the Opera. (No they were not doing keg stands and eating Beer Can Chicken though) Jimmy Buffet concerts are the ultimate tailgate party.
NBA / ARENA FOOTBALL – this can be tricky because venue rules may vary but it’s worth a shot. Arena Football starts on St. Patrick’s Day so you know that’ll be a fun party.
MLB – The Rays made it to the World Series last year, and they're only 2 hours from Gainesville. Why not make the short drive to get rid of that TWS (Tailgating Withdrawal Syndrome)?

Cocktail Hour: Drinks of SEC Teams

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:40:37 -0500

Here is our menu of SEC Drinks. Any and every one of them can get you at the righttime if you aren't careful. Bottoms up! Read More »

The Les Miles Martini for the James Bond style of guy who is cool under pressure. Drink this and you’ll “Have A Great Day.”
The Nick Saban Manhattan, the no-nonsense businessman’s drink. Great for afternoon meetings and taking care of business.
The Steve Spurrier Margarita. It has that Jimmy Buffet Florida Keys feel to it. Just kind of hanging out and seeing what the wind blows in after after playing a round of golf.
The Urban Meyer "Bourbon Meyer". It will surprise you. It tastes like a nice sweet tea but will hit you fast and overwhelm you quickly.
The Houston Nutt Long Island Iced Tea. The drink is stronger than the name indicates; if you don’t watch out, it will knock you on your butt.

Into the Future: Florida Gator Football 2010 Schedule Released

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:24:09 -0500

The 2010 Florida Gator Football Schedule is officially released. The schedule looks significantly tougher than the Florida Gator football 2009 schedule, and should rank as one of the toughest schedules in the nation.

Out of Conference Schedule Pick Ups: In addition to an away game at FSU, The Gators will play the USF Bulls, who were ranked at various times during the 2007 and 2008 college football seasons. To my knowledge, this will be the first time the two teams meet, and is sure to be an exciting game. UF will also take on Division AA powerhouse Appalachian State, who suprised everyone in 2007 by beating #5 Michigan. Read More »

Top 5 Gator Football Plays of All-Time

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 06:37:12 -0500

As I continue to bask in the glow that is the success of University of Florida athletics over the last three years, I recently wondered to myself what were the BIG MOMENTS over the last 20 years in Gator athletics. So, I've put together a list below. Feel free to comment and add your favorite plays as well!

No. 5: Wuerffel to Doering against Kentucky—Sept. 1993

This was the play that started the Danny Wuerffel legacy at Florida, as the redshirt freshman QB threw a touchdown to sophomore receiver Chris Doering with three seconds left in the game to overcome Kentucky on the road in 1993. I was a UF student at the time and was watching this game at a party where everyone went from anxiety-stricken to pure joy and relief—all in one play.

This single play caused Spurrier to bench Terry Dean and give Wuerffel his first ever start the following week against Tennessee. The decision to play Wuerffel enabled the Gators to get to the SEC Championship game that year, where they beat Alabama. When it was all said and done, Wuerffel went on to win four consecutive SEC championships, a national championship, and a Heisman Trophy. But it all started with this miraculous play. Read More »

Story

Georgia Tops Gator Basketball 88-86

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 09:59:16 -0500

Nick Calathes (Casselberry, Fla.) notched his third career triple-double, the third in UF history, against Georgia, but the Bulldogs won an 88-86 decision Saturday from Stegeman Coliseum to bring Florida to 19-6 overall (6-4 SEC) this season.

Calathes scored 16 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 13 assists as Georgia won its first conference game of the season. Four other Gators scored in double-digits Saturday afternoon, including senior Walter Hodge (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico), who scored a career-high 22 points after hitting a career-high 6-of-8 shots from behind the arc. Sophomore Chandler Parsons (Casselberry, Fla.) chipped in 11 points, while sophomore Alex Tyus (St. Louis, Mo.) and freshman Erving Walker (Brooklyn, N.Y.) contributed 10 each. Read More »

GT.com's 2008 Highlight Video

Rusty — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 09:37:00 -0500

If you tailgated with us this year, you will probably find yourself in this video somewhere. It is a compilation of videos throughout the regular season that were taken by a couple different members of the site. If you tailgated with us last year but didn't see yourself in this video, it is your own fault. You may want to cut loose a little more at the tailgates next year. Sorry guys, but eating food and watching everyone else get crazy just doesn't make the cut!

FYI, We will be creating an all-inclusive tailgating 2008 video later this month. This will not just be GT.com tailgate parties, but anyone who submits their videos on our website. If you have any videos from you and your friends tailgating that you would like included, just post them in our videos section and I will get them.

Tailgating Tips from Benjamin Franklin

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:52:21 -0500

Although he was never President of the United States, Benjamin Franklin is renowned as one of the greatest Americans in our history. We all know him as an author, printer, satirist, political theorist, politician, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman and diplomat. But did you know he was a tailgater? Actually he probably never attended a tailgate party but it does not mean we as a tailgating nation can not learn from his knowledge and famous quotes. So here are eight things tailgaters could learn from Ben Franklin…

“It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it” - This could also be deemed, “one bad apple will ruin the whole barrel”. You could be tailgating in the same spot for the past 10 seasons but a lapse in judgment could cost you your reputation. Getting too drunk, being abusive to the opposing teams’ fans, being rude to your neighbors will tarnish your good name for a long time. It will take a lot of apologizing and generous sharing of your grill to get in the good graces of those around you. Read More »

The Worst Keg Stand. Ever.

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:11:38 -0500

null - Watch more free videos

What else can be said about this other than it must have been a Tailgater from Georgia? Just make sure to use your hands when you do a keg stand, or you may be the next idiot on the front page of GT.com for your stupidity.

Gator Basketball Falls Short at Rupp, 68-65

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:50:02 -0500

Gator sophomore Nick Calathes (Casselberry, Fla.) tallied a career-high 33 points, but Florida fell shy to Kentucky, 68-65, in a game that was decided in the final seconds of the contest Tuesday evening in Rupp Arena.

Tied at 65 all with five seconds left, Kentucky junior Jodie Meeks hit a trey that gave the Wildcats the three-point advantage. Calathes was unable to convert on three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt during Florida’s next possession. Read More »

Lame Kiffin Strikes Again: Two Recruiting Violations at UT

Rusty — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:20:24 -0500

You can do what Tennessee's new coach, Lane Kiffin, did in the SEC. You can come in and call out the reigning SEC and National Champion head coach. You can steal his recruit, say he cheated, and brag about how you told the recruit to lie to everyone too. You really can, but only on one condition....

You can't be wrong.

Even more importantly than that, you can't be guilty of cheating yourself! That's right. Not only did Kiffin make a fool of himself, his staff, and his team by calling Meyer a cheater and then finding out that what Meyer did wasn't wrong at all. As if that alone wasn't bad enough, then his school has to self-report 2 recruiting violations yesterday! I really don't know that this story can make Kiffin look like any more of a tool. Read More »

Lady Gators Beat 2-Time Defending National Champion Lady Vols

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 06:27:24 -0500

Senior Florida guard Sha Brooks ( Jackson, Tenn.) scored a game-high 29 points and the No. 11/13 Gators notched just their third all-time victory against No. 12/17 Tennessee with a thrilling 66-57 victory on Sunday in front of 8,060 fans in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.

The win marked the Gators’ fourth this season against a ranked opponent and, more importantly, it kept Florida atop the Southeastern Conference standings. The Gators’ current streak of seven consecutive league victories sets a new school record. Read More »

Bacon Explosion: Possibly the Greatest Tailgating Recipe Ever!

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 14:05:05 -0500

To start off this recipe, I will warn you that this is not for those on a diet. Unless your goal is to have a quadruple heart-bypass surgery before the age of 50 and to gain as much weight as you can and still wear fit into jeans (which people have told me that judging by my diet, I should), this food concoction is not for you. It is a mixture of a ton of bacon (judging by the name, I'd say this is obvious. I do have to leave it in here for any fans from the School out West that might be visiting), a lot of sausage, and many other unhealthy but very tasty ingredients. If the recipe is too much work, don't worry. You dont have to live your whole life without trying it. Gabe, GT.com's Master Chef, will be doing a couple of these next football season. Just make sure to stay tuned in our forums to be able to know what game it will be at.

Let me put one last warning here. This recipe is as addictive as crack cocaine. Unless you like the thought of being woken up by your tailgating buddies at 4 in the morning to be asked to make "that amazing bacon thing we ate at your tailgate party," I suggest you keep this to yourself. Gabe, All I can say is I'm sorry. That call at 3:30 am was totally inappropriate. I promise to control my munchies better next time! Read More »

Kiffin's Wrong Move: Don't Mess with Urban

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 08:43:02 -0500

When Dr. Grimm, a.k.a. Al Davis first hired Lane Kiffin as head coach, I liked the move. It was good to see a young face pacing the sidelines in the NFL, as the coaches tend to be older.

Also, Lane wasn't one of those recycled so-called "commodities" like Norv Turner or Wade Phillips.

One thing we know about Davis is that he isn't shy about firing someone who doesn't go along with his program.

With all of his emphasis on himself, maybe he should just coach from upstairs to avoid all of the walking and intensity being on-field provides.

Then again, he probably already does.

As in many coaching "marriages" of recent times, Davis decided to let Kiffin go, saying he was "disloyal" and "not fit to coach the Raiders." Read More »

Lane Kiffin: The SEC's New Drama Queen

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:59:37 -0500

New men joining the SEC Fraternity of Head Coaches are usually a bit reserved when discussing their brethren. Most try and not make enemies of men who can make their lives miserable. Unkind words are blatant shows of disrespect.

Apparently, that is not Lane Kiffin's style. This weekend punctuated not only his lack of respect for his fellow coaches, but his lack of understanding of college football etiquette, and his blatant stupidity. Yes, Lane Kiffin boldly and publicly showed just how unfit he is to be a head coach in the college ranks and his total lack of intelligence.

In a public statement, with cameras rolling, knowing full well that every word would be scrutinized, he said, "Just so you know, when a recruit's on another campus, you can't call a recruit on another campus," ... "I love the fact that Urban had to cheat and still didn't get him" Read More »

Meet Your Gator Football 2009 Recruiting Class

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 09:38:26 -0500

Nick Alajajian
Offensive Line
6-4 • 280 • Freshman, H.S.
Naples • Naples

A true freshman who enrolled at UF in January of 2009... PRIOR TO FLORIDA: Participant in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl...Ranked as the fourth-best offensive tackle in the 2009 class by Rivals.com and ranked as a five-star recruit by Scout.com...Helped lead Naples High School to a 16-0 record and 2007 Class 3A State Championship...Gave up only one sack in the entire 2007 season...Three-year starter for Naples...Missed six games in his senior season due to an ankle injury... Received Marco Island YMCAâ€™s Male High School Athlete of the Year in 2008...Selected to MaxPreps 1st All-American Team...Claims biggest strengths are his footwork and agility...Chose Florida over FSU, Miami and Georgia...Coached by Bill Kramer. Read More »

National Signing Day is Here! Will the Gators Reload?

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:35:27 -0500

A victor of two of the previous three National Championships, the Florida Gators have been founded upon simple principles under head coach Urban Meyer.

Those unique philosophies haven't varied annually in terms of recruiting, and things aren't looking any different on 2009's National Signing Day.

The basic fundamental in Urban Meyer's mind for producing National Championships is good defense, special teams, and speed. Speed is already prevalent in a class that already contains two 5-star players and 10 4-star players. Read More »

Gator Basketball Team Avenges Buzzer-Beater to South Carolina

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:09:01 -0500

Sophomore guard Nick Calathes (Casselberry, Fla.) scored 22 points, sophomore forward Alex Tyus (St. Louis, Mo.) added 19 and Florida held on in the closing minutes to beat South Carolina with a 97-93 victory on Tuesday night in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.

Six players scored in double figures for the Gators as they avenged a disheartening loss two weeks ago in Columbia. Florida lost the previous meeting mostly because of two missed free throws in the final seconds. The Gamecocks returned the favor in the rematch, finishing 10 of 22 from the stripe. Read More »

GT.com's Top Ten Super Bowl Commercials of 2009

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:19:51 -0500

If you want to be able to know what people are talking about when they're "standing around the water cooler" today, I advise that you read this article and watch the videos. Everyone knows that the first couple days after the Super Bowl are filled with conversations about the funniest commercials more than the actual football game itself. Sure, the catch was amazing, as was the Cardinal's fourth quarter comeback, but really. We all know that pro football has nothing on college. So, let's start the countdown of the top 10 Super Bowl Commercials of 2009.

10. Cash4Gold.com's "Ed McMahon" - Everyone has seen the stupid Cash4Gold.com commercials where they show people putting all their jewlery in a little envelope and getting a thousand dollar check back in the mail for $200 worth of jewlery. Finally, they've made it interesting. By making fun of well-known and widely reported celebrity financial hardships (Ed McMahon and M.C. Hammer), the commercial came off funny, although it wasn't hilarious. That's why it sneaks in at number 10 on our list.

Ten Most Annoying People at a Super Bowl Party

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 10:51:02 -0500

If you are a football fan or not, chances are you have been to a Super Bowl party once or twice in your lifetime. Most people are there to watch the game, have some food and socialize. For some people, this is their opportunity to demonstrate just how annoying they can be. So here are the 10 most annoying people you will meet at a Super Bowl party.

The “This Party Sucks Compared to the One Two Years Ago” Guy – This jerk has seen it all and more than likely hosted the biggest Super Bowl bash in all of history. He’ll constantly drone on and on how much more fun this other Super Bowl party he went to a few years ago had way hotter girls, a buffet table as long as a football field, flat screens in the bathrooms, the marching band from the local college and a midget tending bar. No matter how much fun this Super Bowl party is, he has seen better. He will top any experience bar none. The only way to compete with this guy is to see how far he will go to continue his charade. Make mention of how one year you were at a Super Bowl party were the Lingerie Bowl was played in their backyard while the Village People performed YMCA in the garage. See where he takes it from there. Read More »

Gator Basketball Team Falls to Tennessee, 79-63

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 10:40:35 -0500

Despite a second-half rally, the University of Florida men’s basketball team (18-4, 5-2) fell short to Tennessee (13-7, 4-2), 79-63, on Saturday night at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn.

Tennessee jumped out to an early lead, scoring the first six points and owned a 16-6 lead with 10:22 left before halftime. The Volunteers, who owned a 30.6 percent shooting average from behind the arc, hit a flurry of 3-pointers to take a 39-22 halftime lead. Six Volunteers combined for eight treys in the first half, shooting 42 percent. Read More »

The Stadium Pal: A Super Bowl Party Essential

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:18:39 -0500

If you are like most Americans, you’ll be spending a good portion of this coming Sunday eating, drinking and watching the Super Bowl. Watching the Super Bowl at home or at a party presents a unique dilemma. When to make a bathroom break? There is a product out there that solves the following problems.

1) You normally are consuming more beer than you would watching a normal game, therefore more trips to the bathroom. Read More »

Florida Gator Basketball Too Dawg-Gone Good

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:00:32 -0500

Sophomore guard Nick Calathes (Casselberry, Fla.) recorded the third triple-double in Florida basketball history as he led the Gators with 20 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in an 83-57 win over Georgia Wednesday night at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Read More »

Darkhorses of the Draft: A Case for Louis Murphy

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:57:42 -0500

Each and every draft hosted by the National Football League has it's share of fine athletes and blossoming talent, but one would agree that there's a particular aspect within the base of the draft that defines it all: late-round draft selections.

Within these late-round picks emerges legends, legends that weren't highly sought after due to a specific weakness or their statistics at the collegiate level. There's been more than a few players which have come unto the scene and made a lasting impact as a pick in the closing rounds.

One notable selection would be New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Read More »

Top Five Hits in Gator Football History

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:20:21 -0500

Top Five Hits in Gator Football History in desceding order:

No. 5: Monty Grow against West Virginia in Sugar Bowl—Jan. 1994

I was at this game, and I remember two things from that night: Monty Grow's hit on Darren Studstill, and a poor Mountaineer fan puking on himself at Pat O'Brien's after the game. Monty's hit was WAY better! The images of Studstill trying to play with his chin strap vertical through his facemask are classic!

Monty's consecutive plays also introduced us to a spectacular play by Lawrence Wright (see No. 3 below) as a freshman! Read More »

Gator Basketball Rolls Over Commodores, 94-69

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:22:11 -0500

Sophomore forward Chandler Parsons (Casselberry, Fla.) hit seven 3-pointers, including his first five, and finished with a career-high 27 points as No. 24 Florida routed Vanderbilt 94-69 on Sunday. Florida (17-3, 4-1 SEC) won for the 11th time in 12 games with the lone loss coming on a buzzer-beater at South Carolina on Wednesday night. The Gators more than bounced back by hitting a season-best 15 3-pointers.

Parsons only missed one shot on the afternoon, going 10-of-11 from the field, including seven of eight from beyond the arc. He also added eight rebounds in the game. Read More »

Gator Basketball Looks to Bounce Back Against Vanderbilt

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 10:32:51 -0500

The Gators travel on Sunday to Nashville play the Commodores in an important SEC Eastern Division match-up at Memorial Gym. The Gators will be looking to erase the memory of their last second loss to South Carolina earlier this week, while Vandy is hoping to break a two game losing streak.

Vanderbilt Players to Watch: Read More »

AJ Ogilvy-C; Jeffrey Taylor-G-F; Jermaine Beal-G

Top Ten College Football Upsets of 2008

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 08:01:40 -0500

10. Vanderbilt upsets Auburn

I believe this deserves to be the No. 10 upset in the nation in 2008, simply because just like every year in college football no one expects Vanderbilt to do anything.

But can you really blame those people? I mean before this year, the last time they went to a bowl was what 1988.

After this game, they proved themselves but upsetting Auburn en route to winning the Music City Bowl. In this game, Mackenzi Adams threw for 153 yards and two touchdowns in the victory over Auburn, 14-13.

Read on for more... Read More »

The Super Bowl of Tailgating is at Super 'Gate in Tampa

Rusty — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 10:50:44 -0500

As the playoff field narrows and the tailgating season ends for millions of football fans across the NFL and NCAA, one event still shines as brightly as the pre-season hopes for a Lombardi trophy. This month, top tailgaters from all over the nation will converge at Super 'Gate II in Tampa, Florida for what has been dubbed "The Super Brawl of Tailgating."

Super 'Gate II pledges to:
· Give tailgaters a place to party before the biggest football game of the year.
· Celebrate the hot trend of tailgating by bringing together tailgaters from teams across the country.
· Be a fun, interactive, event for the fans with contests, entertainment, and of course, tailgating!
· Provide a place to park, stay, and party for a minimal cost, and with minimal restrictions.

Read More »

2 Weeks Till National Signing Day

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 09:04:30 -0500

Two weeks. That's all the time left between a choosing the right school or the wrong school for a high school football player.

College football fans, with no live games to watch for the next seven months (except for perhaps a televised spring game), have hit recruiting sites like Scout.com to check on their team's rankings and see if the school has landed the right fish to fill in their needs. Some of them need life preservers.
Read More »

Gator Tailgaing's 2008 Picture of the Year Contest

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:21:21 -0500

For many Gator fans, tailgating has been defined as the act of stumbling aimlessly around University Avenue and Gale Lemerand (formerly North-South Drive) to score free food and some cold adult beverages. For others, they put their heart and souls into tailgating with preparation and planning. We’ve seen you. The enormous sound systems. The generators churning out power for TVs and Satellites. The huge grills spitting out ribs, chicken, and turkey. The orange and blue-themed buses (yes, buses). Read More »

Whether you're the aimless tailgater without a plan or the tailgater with all the accessories, we want you to join in this contest. This is a contest about who has the best picture from this past football season. Period. It can be a picture of the best tailgating setup, a group picture of your tailgate buddies, a funny Gator outfit, or even an impromptu picture. This is a combination of them all. We want your best Gator pictures from 2008.

Bored During the Inauguration? Here's One Way to Enjoy it

Rusty — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:39:56 -0500

By Rusty Thompson

No, this article really doesn't have anything to do with Gator football, or even tailgating for that matter. It's just that I know there are tons of other people out there like me that will be watching Tuesday evening's inauguration with the same thought in their mind, "I'd rather be slowly inserting a sharp object into the retina of my eye than be watching this boring speech." Well, here's one way to make the evening bareable (if you don't have to work on Wednesday). Read More »

Gator Basketball Team Uses Strong 2nd Half to Defeat Hogs

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 09:14:08 -0500

Florida used a barrage of 3-pointers in the second half to beat Arkansas 80-65 Saturday at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center to extend its winning streak to 10 games. Sophomore guard Nick Calathes (Casselberry, Fla.) led the Gators with 28 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Read More »

Calathes made four 3-pointers in the second half and finished with a career-high six three-pointers, clearly the difference for the Gators (16-2, 3-0 Southeastern Conference).

Why January 8th was the Greatest Day of My Life

GatorsFirst — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 10:25:53 -0500

Thursday, January 8th was the greatest day of my life. I’ve been alive for 8,832 days, but that lovely winter day was undeniably the best of the bunch. That day, you see, was the day that I watched the Florida Gators win their second football national championship in three years. So why then would 1/8/09 be any better than 1/8/07, when I watched the gators win their first national championship in ten years - and as a student no less? Well, for that second championship I watched the game in person, at the stadium. That alone would probably be enough, but that’s only the half of it. See, I didn’t have a ticket to the game. I snuck in. Yes, I snuck into Dolphin Stadium to watch my beloved gators do what they do best. Spent a grand total of zero dollars and zero cents and wound up celebrating in club seats arm-in-arm with my best friends. A gator national championship always makes for a great day. Doing it the way I did, well that just shoots it right to the top of the list.

Read More »

Tennessee Coach Lane Kiffin Building Rocky Top Army

Gabe — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:46:40 -0500

By Gabe DeJesus

Lane Kiffin was a great hire for the University of Tennessee. From 2001 to 2006 he put together what is arguably one of the best offensive schemes in the country. As the Offensive Coordinator for the University of Southern California he recruited 2 Heisman trophy winners and helped win back to back national championships. Read More »

Brandon Spikes Will Stay For Senior Year

Rusty — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:41:57 -0500

This morning, Brandon Spikes finally ended the speculation of whether he would enter the Linebacker-heavy NFL draft in 2008 or follow Tim Tebow and return for his Senior season at the University of Florida and hope to repeat as National Champions. The speculation was ended by his announcement that he would return to Florida for two reasons; improving his draft status with the NFL and repeating as National Champions in 2009. Read More »

Donovan Gets 300th Career Victory 68-65 Victory Over Auburn

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:50:44 -0500

Gator sophomore Alex Tyus (St. Louis, Mo.) led Florida to a 68-65 victory over Auburn Wednesday with his third double-double of the season. Tyus scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as Florida moved to 15-2 overall (2-0 SEC) this season. UF head coach Billy Donovan secured his 300th career victory, the first Florida coach to do so, after serving the Tigers (10-6, 0-2 SEC) their sixth loss of the season. Read More »

Tailgating Truck Wins Crew Free Trip to Pasadena

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:17:35 -0500

Davidsonian Weston Short, an Appalachian State University alumnus, has created a tailgating truck that has turned eyes in Boone and around the United States. Read More »

Why USC Has No Argument for a National Championship

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 08:54:06 -0500

Yes, USC Trojan fans, it has happened again. Your team stumbled in Pac-10 conference play after yet again being dubbed "The Best Team in College Football". Yet, somehow you feel entitled to some sort of national championship every year.

Last year, Stanford rolled into Los Angeles and took down your mighty Trojans, despite being a 41-point underdog. The year before that, all your beloved Trojans needed to do was beat lowly crosstown rival UCLA to secure a bid in the BCS championship game.

However, they would lose that game 13-9 and settle for yet another berth in the Rose Bowl. Read More »

Could Gator Football Fans Have It Any Better? Yes!

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 06:06:06 -0500

As of Sunday, Jan. 11, 2009, Tim Tebow has decided to return for his senior year and last season as a Florida Gator. After winning a National Championship in 2006 and a Heisman in 2007, Tim finished off this season strong with another Championship title to add to his résumé. Many Gator fans thought he would enter the draft after an outstanding career at the University of Florida, but Tim chose otherwise.

With Mr. Tebow returning, this puts the Gators in a great situation. They will most likely be preseason No. 1 and will bring back the majority of their starters (since they are mostly underclassmen.) But they might suffer with the probable loss of Brandon Spikes and Percy Harvin. Read More »

Tim Tebow will Return for Senior Season

Rusty — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:51:27 -0500

To put an exclamation mark on a great party to celebrate Florida's third National Championship, Tim Tebow stood up and confirmed what every Gator fan had been praying for since Thursday night. "Oh and by the way, one more thing. Let's dot it again! I'm coming back!" shouted Tebow as he walked back onto the stage. Read More »

How do you Like Them Apples? Gators and SEC Prove it Again

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 09:27:39 -0500

"You will never see a player play as hard as I will play the rest of the season"--Tim Tebow, following 31-30 loss to Ole Miss

Last night, everyone was expecting the Big XII to finish strong. Everyone was expecting the Gators to be exposed for the frauds they are. Everyone was expecting Oklahoma to crush the Gators the way that Nebraska did to them over a decade ago.

I have one question for you guys 12 hours later: Did Oklahoma get the memo about it being for the National Championship?

Despite Dominique Franks' best attempt to rattle Superman, and the majority of the country expecting the Sooners to win, Tim Tebow went out and showed why he was the hardest working player in the country after that loss to Ole Miss. He showed why he is the leader of this team. And even when the Sooners got two picks in the first half, they never rattled Tim Tebow. Read More »

Sam Bradford: I Hate to Say I Told You So, But I Did.

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 08:10:09 -0500

In one of the most memorable games in recent history, the 2009 BCS National Championship certainly matched the two best teams in college football.

The game featured two outstanding Heisman-winning quarterbacks in Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford, two "X-Factors" in Jermaine Gresham and Percy Harvin, two of the most outstanding coaches in college football in Bob Stoops and Urban Meyer, and expectations of an extremely high scoring game, with two of the most prolific offenses in college football history. Read More »

BCS National Championship: Gators' Resilience, Defense Trump Sooners 24-14

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:38:45 -0500

Legend has it that when Paul "Bear" Bryant went to a recruit to try to lure him to play for Alabama he would say, "Son, do you wanna win? Then come to Alabama."

Urban Meyer may be able to bring in recruits using the same line.

Florida's 24-14 win over the Oklahoma Sooners has cemented Urban Meyer as college football's best current head coach and the University of Florida as college football's new "it" school. Read More »

Guide To the BCS Championship Game

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:47:26 -0500

How they got here…

The No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners blitzed through the regular season to the tune of a 12-1 record. They set a record for most points scored in a season with a game to spare. Their only slip-up was a 45-35 loss to Texas, the team they controversially passed up in order to make it to the conference title game. OU destroyed Missouri to claim yet another Big 12 title in the Bob Stoops era.

The No. 2 Florida Gators didn’t get off to the most graceful start, and they fell by one point at home in a shocker to Ole Miss. After an emotional promise by quarterback Tim Tebow that he would make the team play better, UF tore through the rest of the season like a well-oiled buzz saw. They defeated the previously unbeaten Alabama Crimson Tide in an instant-classic SEC Championship Game to punch their ticket to Miami. Read More »

One Last Look at Florida's and Oklahoma's Defenses

Rusty — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:28:02 -0500

The relative value of the two defenses in this BCS title game has been the most pervasive and contentious debate.

It's what both teams have been mouthing off about the most, and it also is perhaps what has inflamed message boards the most (other than the generic Conference Wars woofing).

Something I've see brought up a lot in recent days is that one reason why Oklahoma gives up more points and yards than Florida does is because of the fast pace of its games.

More plays per game means more points and yards allowed, you see. Another thing I've heard is that Oklahoma tends to give up a lot of points when the game is out of hand, skewing their numbers. Read More »

What I Learned From Watching an Oklahoma Game

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:19:04 -0500

Back in November I recorded the Oklahoma-Texas Tech game on my DVR both in hopes of capturing the career-defining win for Mike Leach (so much for that), and just in case Florida ended up playing either of them in a bowl. I figured it would be good to have a game in which both played another top team to get some good studying in. Read More »

Addazio & Offensive Leaders Meet with Members of Media

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:52:06 -0500

Select coaches and members of the University of Florida offense met with members of the media on Sunday, Jan. 4 in Ft. Lauderdale. Participating coaches and players included: offensive coordinator, assistant head coach/linebackers Steve Addazio, junior quarterback Tim Tebow, redshirt senior offensive lineman Jason Watkins, senior wide receiver Louis Murphy, sophomore offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey, sophomore offensive lineman Mike Pouncey and redshirt senior offensive lineman Phil Trautwein. Read More »

Updated BCS Championship Game RV Info

Mike — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:11:48 -0500

A friend of GatorTailgating gave us this info a bit earlier today. Evidently, it has been a complete pain to get information on RV passes for the game because the wrong phone number has been published.

The correct phone number is (305) 341-4700, and then asked to be transferred to RV Parking. This phone number is open 8:30am – 4:30pm. As of mid-Monday, only 33 RV parking passes have been sold, out of a total of 100.

Get 'em while the supplies last! Go Gators! Read More »

Franks' Words Will Fuel Tim Tebow & Gator Football Team

jpm91 — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 06:37:09 -0500

There are two key qualities of a great player.

One is the player's athletic ability and how efficiently he plays his position on the field.

The other is the ability to leave everything on the playing field, or to disprove one's critics with your performance on the field instead of using words.

While Dominique Franks has picked up on the first quality, he still has much to learn about the second.

When responding to questions about how the Sooner defense would stop Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, Franks decided to speak up, instead of saving his retaliation for the matchup with the Gators Jan. 8. Read More »

How to Build Your Own Tailgate Toss

Rusty — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:03:23 -0500

Whether you call the game Tailgate Toss, Cornhole, Corn Toss, or Beanbag Throw, it's all the same game. In this article, we have given you instructions for to build it so that you can include this game at your next tailgate party. Also, you can practice for our Tailgating Championships which will be starting in Fall of 2009! Read More »

Coach Strong & Members of Defense Meet With Media

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 14:28:35 -0500

Select coaches and members of the University of Florida defense met with members of the media on Saturday, Jan. 3 in Ft. Lauderdale. Participating coaches and players included: defensive coordinator, associate head coach/linebackers Charlie Strong, junior linebacker Brandon Spikes, junior defensive end Jermaine Cunningham, sophomore cornerback Joe Haden, redshirt junior linebacker Ryan Stamper, sophomore safety Ahmad Black and sophomore safety Major Wright. Read More »

Percy Harvin Will Play in BCS Championship Game

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 11:00:10 -0500

Percy Harvin was the third person off the Gators' plane Friday at the airport, and showed no effects of a sprained right ankle as he walked down the staircase onto the tarmac. A few moments later, Florida coach Urban Meyer stated unequivocally that Harvin will play in Thursday's national championship game against Oklahoma.

"Oh, he'll play," Meyer said. "He's good. He should practice tommorrow." Read More »

Tit For Tat With a Florida Gator Fan Part 2

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 11:56:13 -0500

This 2-part article series is where a Gator fan and Sooner fan each ask each other 5 questions related to the big game. This is part 2 with the Sooner fan answering the Gator fan's questions. Read More »

1. Oklahoma is 0-4 in the last 4 BCS bowl games that they have played; Can Bob Stoops win the big game?

Yes, Big Game Bob may have been a misnomer in hindsight, however you have to recall he did win, and win big during his assistant coaching stints at Florida as a DC and, in his first head coaching job at Oklahoma he took the struggling Sooners (the '90s were not pretty) and took them to a bowl game (L. Ole Miss, Independence Bowl.), followed by a BCS title and Cotton Bowl and Rose Bowl victories.

Tit For Tat with an Oklahoma Fan Part 1

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 09:49:08 -0500

This 2-part article series is where a Gator fan and Sooner fan each ask each other 5 questions related to the big game. This is part 1 with the Gator fan answering the Oklahoma fan's questions.

1. Should Tim Tebow go ahead and play safety in the MNC to raise his draft stock? Read More »

That’s a funny question that I have never heard. Tebow was a linebacker before being converted to quarterback. However, I think at the safety position we should be just fine. Ahmad Black has six interceptions and has been a huge surprise playing in a position that has lost Jamar Hornsby, Bryan Thomas, and Dorian Monroe.

Charlie Strong Will Face the Bigget Challenge of His Career

clemsongator — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 07:21:18 -0500

Charlie Strong is preparing for what could be the biggest challenge he will face in his entire coaching career. Strong must find a way to slow down the most explosive offense in college football history led by Heisman winning QB Sam Bradford, who has led the NCAA in passing efficiency for the second-straight year. Read More »

Oklahoma also featured two running backs in their backfield that rushed for over 1,000 yards each. Unfortunately for Oklahoma, one of those running backs, DeMarco Murray, will be sitting on the sideline with an injury.

Five Keys to the BCS Championship Game

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:19:47 -0500

The Bowl Championship Series field is debatable, the outcry for respect and the demand for a playoff system is high, and teams are coming out with chips on their shoulders, ready to prove a point to the nation.

But above all, two teams have emerged from the submission that we as college football fans have come to know: the computers, the percentages, the countless polls, and most importantly, the BCS.

Amidst the controversy and chaos of the 2008-2009 campaign, we have the Big XII's Oklahoma Sooners and the SEC's Florida Gators squaring off in Miami, Florida, to be crowned 2009 National Champions. Read More »

Sharp Shooting Propels Gator Basketball Past Winthrop 74-45

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 07:09:32 -0500

The University of Florida men’s basketball team claimed its ninth-consecutive victory at the Orange Bowl Classic with a 74-45 victory over Winthrop at the BankAtlantic Center on Sunday. The Gators were led by sophomore forward Chandler Parsons (Casselberry, Fla.), who matched his season-high with 17 points and his career mark of four three-pointers. Parsons was named Florida’s Most Valuable Player for the tournament.

With the victory, the Gators now own a 10-2 record and have reached at least 10 wins before New Year’s for the fourth-straight season. UF has won their past 14 neutral-site games in Florida. The Gators were best from behind the three-point line, outshooting the Eagles nine-to-one. Read More »

A Buyer's Guide to Generators for Tailgating

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 06:42:16 -0500

There’s been quite a bit of discussion about small generators in several of our most recent tailgate parties. These two little generators have been the focus of most of the the discussion.

On the left, we have the Universal ChiCom 1000 watt 2-stroke generator, here represented the one sold by Northern tools who supplied the photo. This generator is currently on sale for $99.95.

On the right, we have the venerable Honda EU-1000. MSRP on this little plastic blob is $789.95 with a street price of something in the high $600 range. Read More »

Addazio Named New Offensive Coordinator for Gator Football

Rusty — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 09:00:04 -0500

Urban Meyer released a statement Saturday afternoon to announce Steve Addazio as the Gators' new Offensive Coordinator. Last month, Dan Mullen vacated the position to become the new Head Coach at another SEC school, Mississippi State University. Mulen will still call the plays in the BCS Championship Game against Oklahoma on January 8th, but Addazio will take the reigns after that game.

Many questions have floated about who could replace Mullen, but there weren't too many names to leak out in the search for a replacement. We now find out that the reason for that is it was not an outside search for Mullen's replacement. Read More »

A Gator's Prediction on the BCS Title Game

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 07:44:39 -0500

Throughout the course of the 2008 football year, Oklahoma has scorched their opponents for an NCAA record 702 points. Sam Bradford has thrown 48 touchdowns and to the end the season had five straight games of scoring at least 60 points. Read More »

However, when you look at their schedule you have to wonder how much of a feat it really is and how will they fair when they face a good defense.

A Sooner's Predictions on the BCS Title Game

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 08:48:05 -0500

Here we are a few weeks away from crowning the winner of the MNC, and as of today Florida is a +3 favorite, to be honest I would not be surprised if the odds get to +7 due to the loss of Granger and Murray. So in preparation, here are my five reasons Oklahoma will win and my final score prediction.

1. OU is a dangerous Underdog, in 2000 OU was a 10 1/2 point underdog against Florida St., they won the game 13-2. The most recent OU underdog Bowl win was in 2005 against then No. 6 Oregon in the Holiday Bowl( coincidentally also there last bowl win). Read More »

'Twas the Night Before Christmas (Tailgating Edition)

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:26:33 -0500

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the lot,
The party was ready - Oh what a tailgate we've got!

The grills are hot and the coals are glowing,
The beer is cold and definitely flowing.

We share stories with football buddies we’ve met,
Of victories and losses -
And some games we’d rather forget.

Then our talk turns to Santa
And his bag full of toys,
For men who love football, but act like small boys.
Read More »

The Five Most Important Plays in College Football in 2008

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 09:51:02 -0500

1. Graham Harrell's 28-yard TD pass to Michael Crabtree as time expired to beat Texas. This play cost the Longhorns the Big 12 South Division title and probably a spot in the NC game.

Read More »

Gator Tailgating's Top Five Grills for Tailgating

Rusty — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 10:14:11 -0500

Everyone knows that there are many important tools for tailgating, but very few are absolutley neccessary. As a matter of fact, I would say there is only one tool that you almost have to have to tailgate on a consistent basis. No, I'm not talking about alcohol either. I'm talking about a professional-quality tailgating grill. Who can you name that loves to tailgate but doesn't like to grill and/or eat the food being grilled? I would venture to say that you cannot name one. Read More »

The Ten Most Valuable Quarterbacks of College Football

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:52:20 -0500

1. Tim Tebow - A QB who can stand up a linebacker in the open field - and love every second of it - is unique in the history of the sport, college or pro. Without exception, non-skill position players see QBs as prima donnas, who don't want to hit or get hit. By contrast, Tebow's enthusiasm for taking and delivering crunching blows gains him the full respect of all his teammates.

He takes advantage of this with his emotional sideline cheerleading. For example, after scoring the go ahead touchdown against Alabama, he ran onto the field and head butted the Gator kickoff team. I repeat, he ran across the field and head butted the guys on the kickoff team.
Read More »

Joel's Take: Gators and Tebow Will Chomp in Miami

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 05:55:31 -0500

Besides the fact that the Gators are loaded with oodles of talent and blazing speed, along with powerful leadership and brilliant coaching, they have another advantage for the BCS title game. The Oklahoma Sooners have the Heisman Trophy winner, Sam Bradford, as their starting quarterback. Read More »

Urban is Going to Notre Dame- But Not for a Long Time

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 10:16:40 -0500

Yes, Virginia, Meyer will probably come to Notre Dame, but not anytime soon.
Here's a little background on the subject. From the Associated Press, 12/03/2004:

"SALT LAKE CITY—Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White took off in a private jet, flying into a cold Utah night without Urban Meyer...

The Fighting Irish officially began their pursuit of Meyer on Thursday night when White and incoming school president The Rev. John Jenkins spent several hours meeting with Meyer about taking over the nation's most storied college football program." Read More »

Pre-Holiday Thoughts on Gator Football

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 09:59:34 -0500

Bowl Peparation

I am glad to see that the Florida coaching staff is preparing for this national title game the same way they did in 2006. It was a successful strategy, and there’s no need to reinvent the wheel on it. It’s not like the core of this team (save Harvin and Tebow) were major components of the ’06 run and might get complacent if they did the same thing as before.

After all, focus shouldn’t be a problem for them. They didn’t lose it from October on despite blowout after blowout. The only close game came as a result of the opposing team—Alabama—being a great football team and not a result of getting complacent against a bad team. Read More »

Tailgating in Miami for the BCS Title Game

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:57:53 -0500

GatorTailgating.com is doing a series of articles on where and how to tailgate at all of the Gator Football away games. This article details where and what to look out for in Miami, Florida for the BCS Title Game against the Oklahoma Sooners. Go Gators! Read More »

Gator Football RBs: Good Enough for A Nickname?

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 08:38:52 -0500

In the Book of Revelation, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described in dark detail. Conquest, War, Famine, and Death were their names.

Their powers were equally disturbing. Each rode a different colored steed and carried different weapons of mass destruction. Read More »

Interpretations abound about these dangerous fellas. One even suggests that they were four kings rather than doom-and-gloom horsemen.

14 Tailgaters that Annoy Everyone

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:01:19 -0500

Whenever you cram thousands of people into one concentrated area, you are bound to get a diverse group. Tailgating is no different. Most tailgaters just hang out and do their own thing without calling attention to themselves. Some tailgaters can’t do that. Without further delay, here’s a list of the 14 most annoying tailgaters you want to avoid.

Exotic Meats Guy - Alligator Stew. Barbecued frog legs. Bison burgers. This is the guy that scoffs at normal hamburgers and hot dogs as traditional tailgate food. He loves to hand someone some sort of mystery meat on a stick and then see their reaction when he reveals the name of the wild animal they just ate. Tastes like chicken, right? Read More »

Is Tim Tebow a No Show For 2009 Gator Football?

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:12:00 -0500

Tim Tebow did something Wednesday that Florida fans didn't want him to do. He filed his paperwork just like many talented juniors, to test the NFL draft waters.

And who can blame him? Surely this National Championship winner, Heisman Trophy winner, and future pro phenom will attract lots of attention. And should Florida win another National Championship with Tebow at the helm, what more would he have to prove. Read More »

Gator Football: The Top 10 Moments on the Way to the BCS Championship Game

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:11:03 -0500

When Florida lost at home to Mississippi on September 27th, any chance for a national championship seemed lost. But, along the way, the Gators embraced every opportunity to back up Tim Tebow's promise, and make the most of the magic moments that led them to the BCS Championship Game:

New GatorTailgating.com Website Design!

Mike — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 08:27:48 -0500

How do you like the new website design? The new design incorporates most of the old website design’s layout for the content, but with a different header, and slightly different footer.

We’ve been working hard on this new design for over a month now, and it’s great to finally see it up. Some of the objectives that we’ve been working on are 1) Have the website be not as dark. 2) Make the website a bit more professional, and 3) Don’t use the green Gator Football player anymore (he was hard to fit onto shirts, business cards, banners, etc)

Anyway, comment on the bottom, and vote on the right, and tell us what you think! Read More »

The Bucket List For Tailgaters

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 08:23:17 -0500

Are your familiar with the concept of “The Bucket List”? The movie with the same name that follows Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as they try to complete a wish list of things to do before they “kick the bucket”? This inspired me to come up with a “Bucket List” of tailgate parties that every tailgater should experience before they die. In no particular order…

Read More »

Will Sam Bradford Suffer the "Heisman Jinx" as Others Have?

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 06:09:50 -0500

So one debate is over. Sam Bradford stopped Tim Tebow from making history once again, but made history himself by becoming the second sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night. But after careful thought and consideration, one question is up for grabs when Bradford's Sooners face Tebow's Gators for the National Championship on January 8th.

Will Bradford inherit the curse of The Heisman? Or will he break the streak?

For those who don't believe there is a curse, consider this: Since 2000, only two have managed to win the Heisman and their respective bowl game in the same season. Neither were from Oklahoma, and both were from USC (Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer). Since 2000, Heisman Trophy winners are 2-5 in bowl games, with only one Heisman winner clinching the National Championship. Read More »

Oklahoma's Bradford Wins the Heisman Trophy

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 09:25:48 -0500

“Boomer”… Yes former Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims. We know. We hear you do it every year, just on this occasion it was relevant.

For the second straight year, the voters got it right. Well, most of them. In a not as close as expected vote, Oklahoma gunslinger Sam Bradford is the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner.

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow—the 2007 winner—finished third behind Texas quarterback Colt McCoy. Read More »

Auburn's Next Head Coach Is... Huh???

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 08:51:26 -0500

Gene Chizik? Is that the best Auburn could do? If you are going to get rid of a proven commodity, please make sure you find somebody better than Gene Chizik. Please find somebody better than 5-19 in his college coaching career. Please find a coach that won more than two conference games in two seasons, losing nine in a row before bolting. Read More »

Passing Efficiency: Tebow, McCoy, or Bradford—Who Is Really Performing Better?

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 09:22:08 -0500

Give Bob Stoops credit: He has the PR game down pat. Not a 60-point Oklahoma Sooner victory passed this season without Coach highlighting the "precision" of his quarterback, Sam Bradford.

We've unfortunately reached a point that has everyone parroting the latest buzz phrase as soon as it is launched, from ESPN on down the sports media food chain to you and me. Short, snappy word pictures that are easy to digest and remember. Read More »

"Big and tough Alabama versus flashy Florida" makes for a better storyline than "big and tough Alabama versus also big and tough and faster Florida."

Gator Football: How Is Charlie Strong Not a Head Coach Yet?

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:19:24 -0500

Dan Mullen has been offered and accepted the head coaching job at Mississippi State. I am not one of the message board malcontents who were calling for his head the first six weeks of the season. He has done an excellent job over his career at developing quarterbacks and, at Florida, coordinating the offense.

He would appear to be a good fit in Starkville, where decent defense is a regular occurrence, but good offense is about as common as a Mario Kart race without a blue shell. After all, if you want a good offense, hiring the coordinator from the team with the highest scoring offense in your conference two years running is a good idea. Read More »

Goodbye Gainesville. Hello Starkville.

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 08:07:58 -0500

The coaching carousel—a wild ride that makes every college football fan a bit tipsy turvy at this time of the season. With questions being ask, reports being released, and rumors running wild, this part of the year is sure to drive fans crazy.

For myself, as a Gators fan, it already has spoken volumes with a rumor swirling atop the coaching carousel. Read More »

It appears that Florida offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Dan Mullen will be leaving the University of Florida to fill the vacant head coaching position at Mississippi State.

Tailgating Done Right

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:23:00 -0500

The Tailgate Guy, Jay DiEugenio, drives his 43-foot long Ultimate Tailgate Machine — complete with four flat-screen TVs, 2 full-size kitchens and an exterior grill — to blacktops around the country finding good food and fun people and washing it all down with great beer… and we thought we had the best job in the world. Read More »

The Heisman Candidates in Perspective

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 06:34:29 -0500

In four days, the most prestigious award in college football will be awarded. There are four possible candidates that the media has been focusing on, and unless you've been living under a rock, those four are Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, and Graham Harrell.

The stats for these quarterbacks are very impressive. Sam Bradford leads the NCAA in touchdown passes, Graham Harrell leads the NCAA in passing yards, Colt McCoy leads the NCAA in completion percentage, and Tim Tebow leads the NCAA in best TD/Int ratio. Read More »

But the numbers are quite confusing. All three of the Big 12 quarterbacks have completed more passes than Tim Tebow has even attempted this season. With such a low number of attempts, it is quite hard to try and objectively compare all four quarterbacks.

Gator Football Team Wins 2nd SEC Title in 3 Years

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:35:42 -0500

When the Florida Gators and the Alabama Crimson Tide played for the SEC Championship yesterday it could have been equivalent to the National Championship game. Both teams are National Championship caliber teams, instead the game decided who would get to go to the BCS Championship game.

The match up was classic and it was one of the better SEC Championship games ever played in Atlanta. The Crimson Tide was up 20-17 going into the 4th quarter but the Gators scored 14 unanswered points to pull off a 31-20 victory.
Read More »

Why the SEC Owns the BCS

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 17:58:44 -0500

Year after year, certain conferences boast that they have the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country and lament that they should get a rematch in the BCS Championship game.

Two years ago, it was Ohio State and Michigan. This year, it is Oklahoma and Texas. However, as history shows, only the SEC has proof.

Over the past two years, SEC teams have gone 4-0 in BCS bowl games, winning two National Championships. Both times the SEC was the underdog yet won in convincing fashion.

Over the past seven years, SEC teams are 9-1. Nine and one against the elite teams in the country. Read More »

Gator Football Victorious Over Alabama for SEC Championship

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 14:29:40 -0500

It was a game that lived up to its billing. It was a battle of champions, with the lead and momentum swinging back and forth for much of the game.

Florida played mistake-free ball. Alabama had mental lapses that may have cost it the game. The Gators seized every opportunity in the end to cement a thrilling 31-20 victory.

Bama failed to do the three things it must have done to win. Read More »

Is Alabama-Florida the Real National Championship Game?

Gator Tailgating — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 09:20:52 -0500

It can be logically argued that no team in college football is playing better than the Florida Gators are right now. The Gators outscore their opponents by an average of 24 points per game, own the top turnover margin in the nation, and since their loss to Ole Miss in late September, they have destroyed teams by a 414-97 margin.

However, this game will come down to defense, which just so happens to be the Alabama Crimson Tide’s strength. The Tide are allowing just 11.5 points per game and fewer than 250 total yards. Their defensive front four is one of the best in the nation and as a unit, the Crimson Tide defense is the sixth best in all of college football. Read More »

SEC Championship: Game Analysis and Prediction

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 06:45:08 -0500

So I keep reading and hearing that this year’s SEC Championship Game is “Florida’s Flash” vs. “Alabama’s Grit.”

And I just don’t understand it.

Yes, Florida has flashy and lightning-fast players, and yes, Alabama has top-notch, gritty lineman in the trenches.

But these teams didn’t get to the SEC title game without great players all over the field.

Isn’t Tim Tebow the toughest quarterback in the nation—the “one-man wrecking ball,” as some have called him? Isn’t Julio Jones one of the best and most athletic wide receivers in college football? Are the Pouncey twins finesse players? Is Javier Arenas not one of the most electrifying return men in the nation? Read More »

Fan vs. Fan: A Gator Fan's Thoughts on the SEC Championship Game

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:10:41 -0500

The magnitude of this game is pretty simple:

Win, and you're playing in Miami on January 8th. Lose, and you're playing January 2nd in the Sugar Bowl.

This is old guard SEC and the new school mixing it up once again. These two teams have met the most in SEC Championship Games, and have provided some classics. With the staggering amount of young talent on these two squads, this will not be the last of the Florida-Alabama matchups to come in the next few years. Read More »

Fan vs. Fan: A Tide Fan's Thoughts on the SEC Championship Game

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:05:16 -0500

Prior to the start of the season, anyone who would have predicted 'Bama to be undefeated and playing in the SEC Championship Game this season has to be either a delusional 'Bammer who thinks they are going all the way each and every year, or that person has to be the best long-shot gambler the college football world has ever seen.

At best, most thought 'Bama would come away with nine wins and second place in the division. No one that I know had 'Bama picked to win the Western Division, but oh, how the tables have turned!

Gator Football vs. Crimson Tide: Some Scoring and Yardage Stats

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 08:55:04 -0500

It's always interesting to see everyone's predictions for a game. However, they're not always justified. They're often backed up solely by emotion, hunches, selective memory, and just plain old guessing.

So, I've devised a method for predicting the yards and points for Saturday's SEC Championship Game. I looked at all the games Alabama and Florida have played against BCS conference teams and found out how the teams' offensive and defensive performances differed in comparison to what you'd expect. Read More »

Gator Football vs. Crimson Tide: Get Used To It

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:43:27 -0500

How do you like the matchup this Saturday at the Georgia Dome?

Most believe that Florida has the superior speed, but Alabama is the more powerful of the two. The national media seems to like Florida, while the Alabama faithful see a return to glory. The 2008 SEC Championship will be decided this weekend, but what about the years to come? Read More »

If this year has taught us anything, it is that one program in the SEC is established as a legitimate, perennial national power.

A Holiday Gift Giving Guide for Tailgaters

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:20:58 -0500

The holiday gift giving season is upon us and that means you are completely at a loss for what to get that tailgater on your list. Have no fear but GatorTailgating.com has your 2008 Holiday Gift Giving Guide for Tailgaters. We’ll break it down by the basics for those tailgaters just starting out to the more lavish for the tailgater that has everything. Read More »

Southeastern Conference Showdown: The BCS Championship Playoff

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:26:11 -0500

This weekend marks arguably the most anticipated SEC championship game since it's beginning in 1992. The game was played in Birmingham, at Legion Field the first two years, and since then has been moved to the Georgia Dome, in Atlanta. Alabama won the very first meeting in 1992 against Florida (28-21). It's quite the coincidence that this weekend's game with so much anticipation, features the same two teams who started it all to begin with. In fact this will mark the sixth time they have battled for SEC supremacy. Florida holds the edge 3-2, however last meeting in Atlanta (1999) Alabama won 34-7.

Top ranked Alabama enters this game undefeated for the 3rd time. The Tide are (1-1) when undefeated, and both of those games were against Florida. Second ranked Florida enters the game at 11-1, and has scored 42 or more points in seven consecutive games. It's very evident that something will have to give this weekend as Florida's high powered offense, stacks up against the stout defensive line of Alabama. Read More »

Tim Tebow: Most Outstanding Leader in College Football

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:40:52 -0500

It is now official, Tim Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, will not win the Davey O'Brien Award, given to the best quarterback in College Football.

No Matter. Tim has bigger and better things to do.

For one, how about finishing the regular season against #20 Florida State in a 45 – 15 rout. FSU just had their best game of the year taking out Maryland in convincing fashion. Too bad that no one saw it though. The telecast was shown on ESPN against the boring blowout that was Texas Tech @ Oklahoma. Read More »

Gator Football Team Caps Off Regular Season by Dismantling FSU

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:41:13 -0500

The No. 2 Florida Gators (11-1, 7-1) defeated their fourth ranked opponent of the season, No. 23 Florida State (8-4, 5-3), 45-15, on Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium. The victory marks the fifth-straight win over FSU and extends head coach Urban Meyer’s streak to 4-0 against the Seminoles. The Gators have now won six-straight games on the road.

Florida amassed 502 total offensive yards, more than doubling the Seminoles’ 242 total yards. The Gators accumulated 284 yards in the first half alone, including 150 yards on the ground. With the 317 total rushing yards, the Gators have now scored more than 300 yards rushing in three-consecutive games. Junior quarterback Tim Tebow (Jacksonville, Fla.) finished the game 12-of-21 for 185 yards with three touchdowns and has now thrown for at least two touchdowns in eight-straight games, the longest streak of his career. He also notched 80 yards on 16 carries and one score on the ground. Read More »

Pre-Championship Saturday Overview

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 09:47:32 -0500

"Twas the Saturday before the Championship Games,
And all through the house, Nothing was stirring - not even a mouse...."

Unless you consider... THE FLORIDA GATORS - who stomped on Florida State in Tallahassee in a 45-15 exhibition. If he wasn't part of the Heisman picture BEFORE this, then Tim Tebow is now, with a brilliant performance. While Florida State Seminoles quarterbacks struggled in the wet and mud, Tebow and his Gators seemed to excel. Tebow showed all the poise you'd expect from a leader. And he changed my mind - I think he'll play in the NFL. But he needs another year in the 'Little NFL' - the SEC. Oh, and both of these teams are going to very, very good next year, bearing in mind the talent they've got coming back.

Read More »

Can the Seminoles Slow the Offensive Juggernaut?

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:34:59 -0500

I hate FSU. No team gets me angrier faster than FSU. However, it's worth a look at where they are while stifling that as best I can. Here goes...

Before the season began, I made a prediction that FSU would be a six-win team in 2008. I caught a lot of flak for saying that from some of the Bleacher Report commentariat who did not read the article, but I clarified at the beginning that I was talking about wins over I-A competition. Read More »

Gator Football: UF vs. FSU Keys to Victory

Gator Tailgating — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:04:35 -0500

No. 4 Florida vs. No. 20 Florida State

This rivalry game doesn’t carry the same type of weight it once did, but there are still national title implications involved. Florida has BCS title hopes at stake, while FSU does not. Florida is on a huge seven-game winning streak, while Florida State comes off of a big win at Maryland. Read More »

Gator Basketball Team Holds Off Washington, 86-84

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:52:47 -0500

Sophomore guard Nick Calathes (Casselberry, Fla.) scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half and Florida (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today, No. 17 AP) held off a late rally to beat Washington 86-84 Tuesday night in the consolation game of the CBE Classic.

Florida (4-1) had been in a bit of a slump from the perimeter, shooting 8-of-39 from 3-point range the previous two games. The Gators were much better against Washington, working the ball around for open looks, hitting 11-of-22 from beyond the arc, shooting 52 percent overall. Read More »

Thank You, Mr. Two Bits! Legendary Gator Supporter Steps Down

jpm91 — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:26:43 -0500

Two bits! Four bits! Six bits! A dollar! All for the Gators stand up and holler!

I will never forget the first time I heard those words.

I had just turned 12 years old, and my cousin Daniel was taking me to “the Swamp” for my first Florida football game.

The Gator football team was kicking off their second season under Ron Zook against heavy underdog San Jose State, and it looked to be just another everyday blowout.

However, the excitement of a new season easily made up for the lack of suspense on the field. Read More »

Gator Football Numbers: Florida vs. Florida State

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:08:01 -0500

This is my third article in this series that I am trying to build. I take games that are interesting or that could possibly happen and compare the game on paper through the numbers. That is for the folks reading trying to catch up.

Now, last year was an embarrassment for the Florida State Seminoles and Bobby Bowden. The score was 45-12 in Gainesville.

Two years ago, the Seminoles almost tripped up the eventual national champions in a 21-14 loss in Tallahassee.

This year is different. Both teams have an agenda. Florida is seeking to climb the rankings and go back to the BCS National Championship and claim the national title for the SEC's 3rd straight BCS title. Read More »

So You Want to be a Tailgating Character?

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:25:01 -0500

Monday through Friday, Ken Johnson is a cube-dwelling software engineer in Rochester, New York. But come late September, Johnson's alter-ego takes over. Ken Johnson morphs into "Pinto Ron."

For nearly twenty years Johnson's been cooking up unique parking lot delicacies outside the Buffalo Bills' Ralph Wilson Stadium on his 1980 Ford Pinto, and providing Bills fans with some unforgettable tailgating entertainment. Over the years, Pinto Ron's dedicated fans have faithfully returned to watch his pre-game "ceremonies" and check out all the new things he's got cooking. Read More »

Gator Football Team Spreads the Wealth of Touches Against Citadel

shanksta13 — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 07:54:51 -0500

The Gator offense rolled to another big day, tallying nearly 400 yards on the ground on the day against The Citadel Bulldogs.

Nine different players got into the endzone for Florida and Heisman candidate tossed three touchdown passes on just nine throws. Read More »

Gator Football Team Dominates The Citadel, 70-19

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 13:24:18 -0500

No. 3 Florida defeated The Citadel Bulldogs, 70-19, on Senior Day at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday. The Gators accumulated 705 total yards of offense in the win, just the third time in school history that the feat has been accomplished. The win improved Florida to 10-1 overall (7-1 SEC), while The Citadel fell to 4-8 overall (2-6 SoCon). Read More »

Come Tailgate With Us For The Citadel Game!

Rusty — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:12:09 -0500

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Looking for a tailgate party to hit up while getting ready to watch the Gators beat The Citadel? The GatorTailgating.com crew will be setting up at about 7:30 am near the corner of Gale Lemerand (formerly North-South Drive) and Museum Rd. It's directly in front of the parking garage that's located on Gale Lemerand just south of the red light at Museum Drive. See the interactive map above for better directions.

We’ll have a huge banner, TVs, Stereo Equipment, food, and, of course, drinks! Donations are appreciated to cover the cost of the food. This week, Gabe is... Read More »

Florida-Citadel: A Look into the Future

Gator Tailgating — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:35:42 -0500

Game Preview

This game will not be pretty. In fact, it will be downright ugly.

The game isn't even going to be televised on most cable packages because there are much better games to televise.

If other games on Florida's schedule are road bumps, this game with the Citadel amounts to the bug that gets smashed on your windshield. Florida will win the game without much effort, in what amounts to a glorified scrimmage, before next week's rivalry game with Florida State. Read More »

Urban Meyer: The New Steve Spurrier

jpm91 — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:39:06 -0500

Steve Spurrier looked on from the sideline as Florida converted the extra point, giving the Gators a 56-6 lead with under six minutes left in the game.

This time, however, Spurrier was on the losing side of a "Swamp Romp," suffering the worst defeat of his coaching career at the hands of Urban Meyer and the Gators. Read More »

Tailgating Utility Vehicles Made for Tailgaters

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:30:30 -0500

The tailgating industry is growing at an incredible rate and car manufacturers have taken notice. Why should you have to accomodate for what your vehicle lacks in tailgating convenience, when you could buy a vehicle custom made with you in mind.

Read More »

New Gator Football Signee: 6'7" 256 LB (and All-League Sprinter)

Gator Tailgating — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:32:34 -0500

The Gators get an early commitment from Denver, Colorado defensive end Nick Kasa. He's considered to be one of the top five DE's in the nation and rated "five stars" by Scout.com. Nick has great speed for a big man...he's an 11.0 100m sprinter for the Legacy High School track team.

In a year or two of workouts, Gator strength coach Mickey Marotti will likely add 50 pounds of muscle to Kasa's 6' 7" frame...and may add a couple steps of speed as well. Read More »

Florida Gators Basketball: 10 Most Intriguing Games of 2008-2009

Gator Tailgating — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:51:35 -0500

Another year of "Billy Ball" has begun in Gainesville, and Billy Donovan is telling us how young this team is.

Sounds a lot like last year.

Truth be told, the 2008-2009 Gator men's basketball team features 11 underclassmen and just two upperclassmen (not counting Georgetown transfer and junior forward Vernon Macklin, who must redshirt under NCAA transfer rules).

But a huge difference from last year is that the Gators have increased their number of scholarship players from nine to 12. This means practices are more competitive, and playing time only goes to players that have earned it. Read More »

Percy Harvin's Signature Play: The Counter

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:17:46 -0500

The counter play is a general term for a misdirection running play where everything appears geared to having the ball carrier go in one direction, but he ends up running the other direction. In other words, the runner goes counter to the expected direction.

It is a play that Percy Harvin is absolutely lethal on. Both his first quarter and third quarter touchdown runs against South Carolina came on the brand of counter play that Urban Meyer likes to use.

I will diagram the latter since it was longer, but the other would have been a touchdown from any distance away from the end zone as well.

The Third Quarter Run

Here is the formation:

Florida begins in a three-wide set with Kestahn Moore as a running back next to Tim Tebow and Aaron Hernandez lined up as an H-back behind RT Jason Watkins. Louis Murphy is wide to the right, Riley Cooper is wide to the left, and Harvin is in the slot. Read More »

Florida Gators Downs South Carolina, Spurrier-Style

Gator Tailgating — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:35:21 -0500

Former coach of Florida football, Steve Spurrier, used to hold a reign over the Southeastern Conference. He'd frequently run the score up, and most notably proclaimed that he scored 52 in a 52-17 victory of the Georgia Bulldogs at Stanford Stadium in 1995 just for one simple fact:

"I wanted to hang half a hundred on them".

Well, now Steve Spurrier knows exactly what it feels like to have a half a hundred dropped on the team he's calling the shots for. Read More »

Gators Hang 'Half a Hundred' on the Ol' Ball Coach for First Time

Gator Tailgating — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 09:32:39 -0500

No. 3 Florida cruised to a 56-6 win over No. 24 South Carolina Saturday evening in front of a crowd of 90,646 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The win moved the Gators to 9-1 overall (7-1 SEC), while South Carolina fell to 7-4 (4-4 SEC). The 56-point win over the Gamecocks marked the fifth-straight game that the Gators have put up 42 or more points, tying the University of Oklahoma for the longest active streak in the nation.

It was a career-best day for junior running back/wide receiver Percy Harvin (Virginia Beach, Va.), who recorded eight rushes for a career-high 167 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Harvin now holds the top three spots in the UF record books for rushing yards by a wide receiver in a season, totaling 476 yards rushing so far this year. Harvin additionally extended his scoring streak to 12-straight games with a touchdown, tying Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who also shares the feat. Read More »

Come Tailgate with us Before the South Carolina Game!

Rusty — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:25:52 -0500

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Looking for a tailgate party to hit up while getting ready to watch the Gators beat Spurrier's Gamecocks? The GatorTailgating.com crew will be setting up at about 7:30 am near the corner of Gale Lemerand (formerly North-South Drive) and Museum Rd. It's directly in front of the parking garage that's located on Gale Lemerand just south of the red light at Museum Drive. See the interactive map above for better directions.

We’ll have a huge banner, TVs, Stereo Equipment, food, and, of course, drinks! Donations are appreciated to cover the cost of the food. This week, Gabe is... Read More »

Steve Spurrier & Urban Meyer Matchup Promises Plenty of Intrigue

shanksta13 — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:20:22 -0500

With the head ball coach making his second return to Gainesville this weekend as the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks, the atmosphere promises to be intense.

Coach Steve Spurrier is nothing short of a legendary figure in Gainesville and at the University of Florida, having won the first Heisman trophy for the Gators in 1966, coached a Heisman winner in 1996, and led the Gators to their first ever National Championship. Read More »