Florida Gators thread

[azuquita8]

Torres' support system key to success


By Pat Dooley
Sun sports columnist



Published: Monday, July 7, 2008 at 11:07 p.m.


She has captured the spotlight again. How many times? She has seen it so many times Dara Torres knows the wattage of the bulb.
The whispers are as loud as the cheers. Surely she must be doing something. She's 41 years old for gosh sakes. Steroids? Growth hormone? Barry Bonds' testosterone? She has to be injecting something. Forget that she is 10 pounds lighter than eight years ago when she made her second of three comebacks in Sydney. Or that she had her blood drawn six times a year to prove that she's clean.
It's easier to suppose.
Lazy thinking is our way of life.
Can't we just accept it?
Dara Torres is a freak.
While the sloths want to believe it can only be done through chemistry, some of us would like to believe that every once in awhile there comes along an athlete who can do the impossible through hard work and the implementation of the Ricky Bobby theory — if you're not first, you're last.
“It's awesome,” said Karin Werth, the strength and conditioning coach for the Florida women's teams. “A lot of us who went to school with her have been talking about it. At the same time, we're not surprised. She is so competitive. She is embarrassed to lose and she never really had to get used to it a lot.”
Werth was an All-American swimmer who swam with Torres in high school, college and a club team. And because she specializes in the very things that have allowed Torres to be faster than she was when she burst onto the scene 24 years ago as a teenager, Werth understands how this could happen.
“The thing about Dara is she has learned how to train,” Werth said. “When she was at Florida, she didn't do as much but the things she did she did very well. You look at her now and she probably takes the fewest strokes of anyone because she is technically so good.
“The bulk of her training now is in the weight room and with her flexibility. The strength and conditioning aspect of her training was better than the younger people. She makes sure she gets enough rest. She can't bring it every day but she can focus on one event — in this case the Trials.”
What Torres has accomplished — reaching her fifth Olympic Games more than two decades after her first — is only made more amazing by the fact Torres first retired from competitive swimming in 1992 because she thought she was too old.
She was 25 at the time.
But that's the way it is in swimming. Once you get out of college and maybe stick around for a year or two to try to make an Olympic team depending on the timing. Then you get on with your life. But life got in the way, as Sister Hazel sings, for Torres, whose first 40 years were already cinema-worthy before she put on the show in Omaha over the weekend.
She battled bulimia in college, had two failed marriages, became the first athlete to pose with the swimsuit models in Sports Illustrated, became an accomplished race car driver and pursued a career in television before deciding only after she became pregnant that she wanted to train for the Olympics.
Already her first comeback inspired mumblings of cheating. To come back a second time when nobody would even dream of it got the rabble-rousers really rumbling.
But in reality, Torres is simply the perfect storm. Could other 41 year olds be as ripped as she is? Yes, if that's what they did for a living. Could someone have a baby and still pursue the Olympics? Sure, if they had the means to have a full-time nanny.
“I'm not sure everybody has the ability to focus entirely on training,” said Holly Blair, a former teammate of Torres' at UF. “Then again, there are a lot that do and still can't attain what she has. She's a tremendously talented swimmer and I think as you get older your mind is so much stronger.”
Blair, who swam as Holly Green, is 44. She is a veterinarian at Suburban Animal Hospital in Gainesville and still swims to stay in shape.
“To me it's just phenomenal what she's doing,” said Dr. Blair. “I couldn't imagine myself being in that kind of shape. She's just ripped. Anytime someone attains such a high level, people are going to say that (about performance-enhancing drugs). I don't think that's the case. And I'm not surprised at what she's accomplished either.”
We are amazed by what Torres has done and she is being applauded by housewives and mothers and Gators and most of the members of the media. She should be. The truth is that no woman has ever done what she has, but no woman has ever tried at that age.
She had a lot at her disposal including sponsorship that allowed Torres to hire an entourage that includes a head coach, a sprint coach, a strength coach, two stretchers, two masseuses, a chiropractor and a nanny at the cost of at least $100,000 per year.
Still, she did it. She put the effort in. She moved the bar for the perception of an athlete's prime.
Which led to the rantings of those who normally wouldn't give swimming two seconds of time on the air.
“You can't blame me for being skeptical,” said one on ESPN.
Of course not. We are skeptical of everything thanks to the track and baseball scandals. That's why even golf is going to be testing even though we all know the only way there will be suspensions is if the Tour bans Johnnie Walker and Copenhagen.
Me, I believe in Dara Torres.
And I want the book rights.

[azuquita8]

Gators' Smith may run in father's footsteps


By Patrick O'Neill
Special to The Sun



Published: Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 7:21 p.m.


EUGENE, Ore. — Things were not looking good for Florida sophomore Calvin Smith as he came off the last curve in last Thursday night's 400-meter final at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials.
Struggling in last place, Smith, whose father by the same name was a 1988 Olympic medalist, turned into the home stretch in last place looking as if he'd lost contact with the field that included some of the top 400 runners on the planet.
Then something happened. While the Hayward Field crowd was watching to see if 2004 Olympic champ Jeremy Wariner would be able to run down eventual winner LeShawn Merritt, Smith dug deep, and started to kick.
In a flash, Smith, 20, went from eighth to fifth, a finish that likely means Smith will be selected for the 4x400-meter relay pool in Beijing.
Merritt won in a time of 44.00, with Wariner second (44.20). Smith was fifth in 45.57, just one-hundredth of a second ahead of Darold Williamson (45.58) in sixth.
Smith and Gators coach Mike Holloway had discussed several scenarios for the final. Making top three was the foremost goal, but in the 400, unlike most events where only the top three go to the Games, any runner in the final has a shot at being selected to run on the 4x400-relay squad.
"Like I told Cal, the higher he places the better chance he has to run in the relay," Holloway said. With a fifth-place finish, Holloway told Smith he did what was necessary to get to Beijing.
"He told me they're taking top six (to Beijing)," Smith said.
Minutes after the final, fourth-place finisher Reggie Witherspoon (45.01) was celebrating with Smith.
"You're going to Beijing, Cal, going to Beijing," he said.
Holloway said Friday he confirmed Smith will be part of the U.S. Olympic relay pool, although that is no guarantee he will get to run a leg in the Games.
"He may not get to run," Holloway said. "He'll definitely get to go as part of the relay team."
Smith said he was aware he was in trouble late in the race.
"I was definitely worried, but I just kept saying in my head, 'This is on TV, can't get last, and I want to go to Beijing' so I kept pumping," he said. "I have all my friends and family watching back home and I didn't want to let them down, nor did I want to let myself down, so I found a piece of that in my heart and just kept working.
"Actually I didn't feel that bad till I got maybe 30 meters away (from the finish.)"
The elder Smith, who won the bronze medal in the 100-meter dash at the 1988 Games, told his son to "maintain his focus" in the final, something the younger Smith did in the closing seconds of the race.
Holloway says the younger Smith gets his composure and calm confidence from his dad, who spent most of his sprinting career in Carl Lewis' shadow.
"Since I met him he has been a very composed, even-keeled young man," Holloway said. "That's from his dad. He's not going to jump around and scream."
After his race, Smith said he was hoping to take a week or more off because he was tired of running.
"That's not an option," Holloway said. "If he wants to be part of the relay team in Beijing he has to show the coaches he's ready to run."
While the race didn't go according to plan, Holloway said he was proud of Smith's effort.
"He found a way to get it done the last 100 meters," Holloway said. "We know he's a little better than that. We've got something to build on for the future."

[azuquita8]

Catching up with Ex-Gator Gerard Warren


By Talal Elmasry
Special to The Sun



Published: Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 7:35 p.m.


Former Florida defensive tackle Gerard Warren, traded twice in the last four years, joined the Raiders with something to prove at the start of the 2007 season.
In weeks two and three, Warren had the opportunity to play against Denver, which shipped him to Oakland during the preseason, and Cleveland, which drafted him third overall in the 2001 NFL Draft.
Warren recorded a fourth-quarter safety against the Broncos, and a sack against the Browns resulted in a fumble and a 24-yard loss. However, after registering a sack for a third straight week against the Dolphins, a thigh injury kept him out of the next four games and hindered him the rest of the year.
Nonetheless, the highest drafted local player (out of Union County) plans on putting the chip back on his shoulder and picking up where he left off early last season.
“I'm healthy as ever. I'm ready to roll, baby,” said Warren, whose 22 career sacks before the start of the 2007 season were the eighth most among any defensive tackle in the league. “I'm looking forward to coming out this season and completing the season. I look forward to showing people what I still got.”
Warren will have to emerge as a leader on a defensive front that lost 13-year veteran Warren Sapp to retirement. Although he'll no longer line up side-by-side with who he deems “a future Hall of Famer,” Warren feels Sapp's departure won't derail the team from its hopeful destination.
“That car might run its fastest time and blow a head gasket, but you can put another gasket in,” he said. “And you might not get there in fast time, but you might still get there.”
And a few key parts were installed on defense in the offseason that Warren is excited about. Oakland acquired one of the best cornerbacks in the league, DeAngelo Hall from the Atlanta Falcons, as well as hard-hitting safety Gibril Wilson from the New York Giants' championship defense.
Repairing the Raiders' defense, however, will not be easy. Warren and the defensive line surrendered 145.9 yards per game (31st in the NFL) and 24 rushing touchdowns, by far the most in the NFL. In coverage, the team was as susceptible to the big play as any team in the league, giving up 18 plays that went for 20-plus yards.
But Warren has seen the additions of Hall and Wilson bring an attitude to a young, talented defense looking for its swagger.
“It changed up our defensive packages a little bit,” Warren said. “We're really more aggressive now. We're always preaching attack, but we're going to be more on the attack now. It's a really nice upgrade, and I like the moves that Mr. (Al) Davis made this offseason.”
Possibly the biggest move made in the offseason came in the draft when the Raiders selected two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up Darren McFadden with the fourth overall pick. As far as Warren is concerned, the running back from Arkansas is living up to all the hype.
“McFadden is looking every bit of the pick that he went. He's got speed, but what I like most is he's got vision as a young back. Most backs come to the NFL and struggle with that, but he's got patience and he's got vision so that's going to take him a long way.”
If he's right, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound McFadden could help the former first-team All-SEC selection taste the postseason again.
“Having a winning season doesn't matter to us,” said Warren, who played in two playoff games with Denver in 2005. “When you're in the playoffs, you're in the hunt for the title.”
That's not the only title on his mind these days. Warren was in Gainesville on June 28 participating in the youth football camp former Gator Mike Peterson put together at Citizens Field, and he has something important on his to-do list before flying back to the West Coast.
“I have to stop by with coach (Urban) Meyer for a little bit, just talk it up with him, see where we're headed at this season,” said Warren, who plays with his former teammate at Florida, offensive lineman Cooper Carlisle, in Oakland. “Hopefully we can bring that national title home. I think we will."

[azuquita8]

Is Gainesville 'Titletown USA'?

ESPN will be filming a segment on Gainesville sports at 1:30 p.m.


By Talal Elmasry
Special to The Sun



Published: Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 6:01 a.m.


The tradition. The history. The energy. The success.
ESPN will visit Gainesville today in an attempt to show everything that makes this city worthy of being dubbed "Titletown USA" as SportsCenter searches for America's top championship location.
"In my opinion, there's no more passionate fans than those in Gainesville," ESPN producer Adam Hertzog said. "We're going to try to capture all that passion and all that excitement. We're coming down as ambassadors of Gainesville."
The network will set up on the lawn just north of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Fans are encouraged to attend the taping, which is scheduled to begin around 1:30 p.m. Parking will be available in the O'Connell Center parking lot.
The University of Florida's mascots, Albert and Alberta, will be there, as will the Gator cheerleaders and dazzlers.
Also on hand will be Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, who will be interviewed by ESPN's college football sideline reporter and UF alum Erin Andrews.
Martin Salamone, University of Florida director of marketing & promotions, said he has contacted roughly 22,000 students, not including what Student Government has done to spread the word.
"Had we known in April, we would have blown it up," said Salamone, who's also gotten the help of the University Alumni Association and the Gator Booster staff. "I'd like students out there at 8 a.m. I want (ESPN) to leave having no doubt that this is the best place."
Gainesville is one of 20 finalists and will be the 11th town featured in the series when the taping airs Monday on the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. editions of SportsCenter. In order, ESPN has already featured Green Bay, Wis., Lawrence, Kan., Pittsburgh, Knoxville, Tenn., Chapel Hill, N.C., and Los Angeles.
Yet to be featured are Palo Alto, Calif., Louisville, Ky., Chicago, Boston, New York, Valdosta, Ga., Detroit, San Francisco, Williamsport, Pa., Ann Arbor, Mich., Columbus, Ohio, Parkersburg, W.Va., and Massillon, Ohio.


That list includes cities, towns or municipalities that are known for winning at the professional, college and even high school level. However, Hertzog made it clear that there are other considerations that make Gainesville as strong a candidate as any.
"You'd think it would be hard to compare New York to Gainesville," Hertzog said.
"However, this isn't based on winning and losing. It's about the passion, history, tradition and people that have come through and been a part of the town. In that case, Gainesville stacks up with just about anybody."
Whether Gainesville earns the distinction of "Titletown USA" is at least partly in the hands of the orange and blue faithful. Fans will vote for the winner online from Thursday, July 24 through Saturday, July 26. The winner will be announced on SportsCenter on Sunday, July 27, at 11 p.m.
UF's resume includes back-to-back NCAA men's basketball championships in 2006 and 2007. Florida became the first school ever to simultaneously hold national titles in the two major sports when the football team captured the 2006 BCS National Championship.
UF boasts 22 teams that have claimed national championships and 180 teams that have won SEC championships. The Gators have also claimed more than 200 individual national championships.
The university also produces world-class athletes on a consistent basis. Students from the school have won 79 medals, including 39 gold-medal winners. This year's Games in Beijing will include 12 athletes with UF ties in swimming and seven in track and field. Two more, Abby Wambach and Heather Mitts, will compete on the U.S. women's soccer team.
Hertzog said the school's annual standing in the Directors' Cup, which measures the nation's top overall athletic programs, is also a consideration. Florida has finished in the top 10 in all 15 years the award has been given.
Despite the university's success, Salamone is worried the community's part in that success might be overlooked.
"The energy at this school is second to none," Salamone said. "I hope ESPN won't overlook that support. My fear is that will get lost in the shuffle. That would be a shame."
Hertzog is quick to dispel that concern.


"We think Gainesville is unique in many different ways," he said.
"It has one of the best football traditions ... there's nothing like being here on Saturday for a football game. The passion of the community is outstanding."

[azuquita8]

Clement excited about Olympics


By Patrick O'Neill
Special to The Sun



Published: Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 6:01 a.m.


EUGENE, Ore. — As a young single mother in Port of Spain, Trinidad, Claudette Clement struggled to give her three children a better life.
She moved her family to Texas. It was there that her son Kerron’s talent for running fast — real fast — was discovered. Now, poverty is no longer a concern for the Clement family.
At age 22, Kerron Clement is one of the most accomplished runners in the history of the 400-meter intermediate hurdles. Before he turned 20, he won the World Junior title. At Florida, where he stayed for two years before turning pro, Clement was a four-time NCAA champion, and last summer he won his biggest prize of all, the World Championship in Osaka, Japan.
On June 30, Clement took his first step toward his next milestone — Olympic gold — when he finished second in the 400 hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field. Bershawn Jackson, a Miami product, won the race with a time of 48.17, with Clement next in 48.36.
Florida coach Mike Holloway says Clement will one day break Kevin Young’s 1992 world record of 46.78.
“He’s a great athlete,” Holloway said. “He did a very good job (at the trials). It’s never easy making your first Olympic team. He’s a wonderful talent. I really believe one day he’ll hold the world record.”
Clement says he’s not disappointed with his runner-up trials performance because he finished in the top three, making the team that competes in Beijing in August.
“Now I’m an Olympian,” Clement said as his mother stood by listening to her son’s interview. “I’m really thankful to God. He made everything possible.
“I really didn’t care about second place. I could come in third, it doesn’t matter, as long as I get top three and I’m on the team going to China. When I get to China anything can happen.
“The best case? Winning the gold medal.”
A year ago, Clement was also runner-up at the U.S. Championships, but he went on to win the world title.
“Really, most of us do not remember who wins the U.S. trials," he said. "The Olympics is what really matter.”
In his soft, Caribbean-accented voice, Clement speaks with calm certainty about his goals and his abilities.
“Limitless,” is what Clement said about his own potential. At age 19, Clement set the 400-meter world indoor record with a time of 44.57, winning the NCAA title for UF, and breaking the 10-year-old record of two-time Olympic 400 champion Michael Johnson. In his bio in the 2008 USA Track & Field media guide it reads, “Clement shocked the track world” with his world record.
Clement doesn’t run the 400 often, but he believes he can run faster than 44 seconds, something only nine men have accomplished. He could be added to the Olympic 1,600-meter relay pool, giving him a shot at a second medal.
“Right now I’m focusing on the 400 hurdles, and that’s my main event,” he said. “I’m just trying to run in the 46 range. That is my ultimate goal.
“You never know what I can actually run. I’m just very confident in my ability that I can run a sub-47.”
Clement won the 2005 U.S. title with his personal-best time of 47.24. Jackson ran 47.30 in winning the 2005 World Championship.
Claudette says her son’s talent is “a gift” from God. “I’m very proud,” she said. “I’m blessed to have a son like him. He’s a good kid.”
With a Nike sponsorship, Kerron Clement says, “I’m financially stable. I’m just happy at this point in my life. I came from having nothing, so I’ve just been thankful to God that he blessed me with opportunity and he gave me favor with man.
”Every single time I cross the line I say ‘Thank God,’ because he made it possible.”
Claudette says life was difficult in Trinidad.
“I had to struggle and work hard for everything, each and every meal. We didn’t have no steak, but whatever we had we’d make it do.”
Claudette said she was so sure her son was going to the Olympics that she booked plane tickets before the trials so her two daughters, Krystal, 23, and Kizzyann Francis, 27, could watch their brother run.
“I just had confidence that he would have his ticket to Beijing,” she said.
At 6-feet-2, 190 pounds, Clement has a body made for great hurdling. Even though he “stutter-stepped” going into the last hurdle in the trials final, he was able to recover.
“As soon as that happened I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, get on the team, get on the team.’ Because that’s what I was thinking,” he said. “As being a strong guy and a fast guy, me stutter-stepping on the last hurdle didn’t really hinder me from making the team because my speed showed off the last hurdle, the last 40 meters it kind of showed, and I sped up afterward."
Clement said he enjoyed his college running.
“It was great being on the Florida team," he said. "We had great guys."
He said his decision to leave school early was supported by Holloway and his teammates.
“Once the opportunity's there, just take it, because you never know what’s going to happen,” Clement said Holloway told him at the time. “The guys on the team supported me. They said, ‘Go for it. Go toward your dream.'"
Claudette has one more dream for her son — a college degree.
"I have to get my degree because that’s all my Mom has been pushing me for, to get my degree," he said. "I don’t know when, but I will go back to get my degree.”

[azuquita8]

Hundreds show up for ESPN's "TitleTown USA"


By BRANDON ZIMMERMAN
Sun Sports writer


Published: Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 3:30 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 3:30 p.m.
DOUG FINGER/The Gainesville Sun
ESPN's Erin Andrews and Florida quarterback Tim Tebow playfully banter back and forth for a segment of ESPN's TitleTown U.S.A. in front of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the UF campus Thursday, July 10, 2008.
More Photos:

• "TitleTown" USA Gallery

Tim Tebow was taken from the scene in a University Police Department car, complete with red and blue lights blazing.
Tebow wasn't in any trouble. This was simply the safest way to remove Florida's Heisman Trophy quarterback from the hundreds of adoring Gator fans who showed up to watch ESPN's taping of "TitleTown USA" Thursday afternoon on the north lawn outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
The cable sports giant was in town to tape a feature on Gainesville, which has been selected as one of 20 finalists for its "TitleTown USA" competition.
However, even with ESPN and popular sideline reporter Erin Andrews on campus, it was difficult to take the spotlight away from Tebow.
"He is like a pro athlete living in a college town," Andrews said. "The demands on him are incredible and they're nothing like Danny (Wuerffel) or even Coach (Steve) Spurrier had to go through when they were here. I think he is handling it well, though."
Florida fans showed up for the taping with signs, orange wigs and strong vocal cords under a sweltering sun which brought the heat index to 97 degrees by 3 p.m.
Those who couldn't stop honked car horns as they drove past on University Avenue. Florida's cheerleaders and Albert the Alligator were also on hand.
The scene closely resembled ESPN's College Gameday atmosphere. Of course, there was no football to be played.
"The crowd is awesome out here," Tebow said. "It's the middle of the day and it's hot as can be and they're out here supporting us and they've got signs. It's awesome."
The taping lasted about an hour and will air Monday during ESPN's 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. SportsCenters.
It included a short interview with Tebow, which wasn't made audible to the fans in attendance, as well as commentary by Andrews.
During Andrews' interview, Tebow was asked to state his case for Gainesville being named TitleTown USA.
Tebow didn't talk about the school's two football and men's basketball national championships. Instead, he used Florida's other successful sports to make his case.
"I didn't want to talk about what everybody already knew," Tebow said. "I tried to talk about what they didn't know about like the volleyball team winning 17 straight SEC titles and the softball team setting an NCAA record by winning 70 games. Those are the kinds of things I wanted to tell them about."
Andrews, a Florida alum, received plenty of attention and even excited the crowd with multiple Gator chomps. She said she was pleased with the turnout.
"I was a little worried because Gator fans are sensitive about how they are perceived on SportsCenter," Andrews said. "I thought it was a great turnout and they showed why they deserved to be named alongside towns like Boston, New York and L.A."
While Andrews had the crowd's attention at times, it was Tebow who the fans came to see.
That included 23-year-old Orlando resident Tom Schoendorf, who came dressed in a gold Heisman Trophy outfit sporting Tebow's No. 15.
"The Heisman is right here," Schoendorf said.
Tebow fired up the crowd by throwing T-shirts from the set into the crowd after his interview. He was escorted off the set by a UPD officer toward a waiting police car. But when he stopped for a television interview, fans began sprinting from the ESPN set toward Tebow, completely surrounding him.
He then stepped in the police car, and was taken away.

[azuquita8]

Milton-Jones heading back to Summer Games


By John Patton
Sun sports writer



Published: Thursday, July 10, 2008 at 9:33 p.m.


DeLisha Milton-Jones waited four agonizingly long years to know if she would be called upon to represent the United States in the Olympics again.
Thursday, the wait ended with the former Gator crying. But not the bad kind of crying, as Milton-Jones joined Tamika Catchings and Kara Lawson as the final three members named to the 12-person U.S. Olympic women's basketball team.
"(When the call came) I was looking bug-eyed for a minute and then the tears began flowing," Milton-Jones, a 6-foot-1 forward for the Los Angeles Sparks. "I had to pull over the car."
Milton-Jones, a Gator from 1993-97, played on the gold-medal-winning 2000 team and was selected to the 2004 squad, but missed the Athens' Games after tearing her ACL. The 33-year-old admitted being fearful the selection committee might go with a younger team, making the nine-year WNBA veteran's final Olympic memory one she spent on the couch cheering on her teammates while also wiping away tears thinking about her own misfortune.
However, the fact that Milton-Jones isn't new to the process played a major role in her selection.
"The committee had a difficult time with these final three names because of the level of talent in our (approximately 30-player deep) pool," said USA Basketball Women's Senior National Team Committee chair Reneé Brown.
"However, ultimately we feel that the experience and leadership that we've added to the team in Tamika Catchings, DeLisha Milton-Jones and Kara Lawson are the final pieces to this puzzle.
"Tamika and DeLisha both know what it takes to be Olympic champions and will help this team defensively. Kara is a tremendous team player who made the most of her opportunities during the FIBA Americas Championship and over the past year has proven herself as a member of this team."
Milton-Jones's joy extended all the way to her alma mater, where a former Gator teammate now runs the show.
"We couldn't be more proud of and more excited for DeLisha," said UF coach Amanda Butler, who played with Milton-Jones in 1993-94 and was on the Gator staff for the former All-American's junior and senior seasons. "Personally, I have known DeLisha as a teammate and as a coach and she will be a great representative of the Gator Nation and of the United States. Her passion is so inspiring to everyone around her and that's what makes her such a great player and teammate."

[Sunbiz1]

Go Noles!!

[azuquita8]

Originally Posted by Sunbiz1

Go Noles!!

Please stop this. It's not funny.

[azuquita8]

Brewer adjusts to life without '04s




By BRIAN STEELE , Alligator Staff Writer

Wednesday, July 9, 2008 11:22 PM EDT
Corey Brewer certainly had some new faces to get used to.

There wasn?t any more time to hang out with Joakim Noah, Al Horford or Taurean Green. After spending three years with three people who became best friends, the NBA offered some challenges to the former UF guard. And they didn?t just have to do with his slowly improving jump shot.

?It was more of a chemistry thing last year,? Brewer said in a phone interview. ?We had to learn to play with each other.?

Chemistry ? or lack thereof ? contributed to the Minnesota Timberwolves? 22-60 record, fifth worst in the league. But playing on a team where the majority of players are under 25 doesn?t make it easy. That?s one of the reasons why he?ll participate in the Timberwolves? summer league team in Las Vegas from July 11-20.

He said he hopes to improve his shot, ball handling and decision-making. Since he was drafted No. 7 overall last year, those were the areas that the draft experts said he needed to improve in. It?s obvious he has room to grow since averaging just 5.8 points and 3.7 rebounds last year. He averaged almost as many turnovers (1.1) as he did assists (1.4) a game.

But he certainly takes any challenge on the defensive end. Whether he?s playing shooting guard or small forward, it doesn?t matter for the former Gator.

?You can guard the best player on the court, your position doesn?t matter,? Brewer said.

When Minnesota drafted guard O.J. Mayo No. 3 this year, it appeared Mayo would probably eat into some of Brewer?s playing time. The Timberwolves already have combo guards Randy Foye and Rashad McCants on their roster. But after Minnesota traded Mayo to Memphis for a deal including big man Kevin Love, Brewer will have ample playing time available. And former Gator Mike Miller also came in the deal. Now, along with Chris Richard, that?s three Gators up in Minnesota.

?It?s going to be nice, especially since a guy like Mike is a vet,? Brewer said of having another former UF star on roster.

Plus, getting a guy like Love to go along with Al Jefferson (21 points, 11 rebounds a game) down low will help open it up more for Brewer. So even if he still struggles with his shots, he should be getting better looks. And he?ll be able to focus even more on the perimeter defensively, which is what Brewer was known for in Gainesville.

Now it?s just a waiting game for the team to develop.

?I feel like we should be a playoff team in the next few years,? Brewer said.

The games at the O?Connell Center and the nights spent in the Keys Dormitory, though, are still missed by everyone.

?I have so much love for Gainesville,? Noah said.

[Sunbiz1]

I've been a Seminole fan since 1984...I thought you knew that already.

At any rate...my apologies.

Originally Posted by azuquita8

Please stop this. It's not funny.

[azuquita8]

Smith turns Olympic dream into reality

Calvin Smith runs the 400-meter dash during the Pepsi Florida Relays on April 4 at Percy Beard Track. Smith placed 2nd.(Marianne Lijewski / Alligator Staff)



By MIKE DiFERDINANDO , Alligator Staff Writer

Wednesday, July 9, 2008 10:36 PM EDT
Calvin Smith has always wanted to be just like his father.

His father, with whom he shares a name, won an Olympic gold medal as a member of the 4x100-meter relay team in Los Angeles in 1984 and a bronze in the 100-meter dash at the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea.

The elder Smith is also the former world record holder in the 100-meter dash and a member of the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.

His son spent last weekend in Eugene, Ore., chasing the same dream that he has already lived out.

When Smith, a 20-year-old sophomore, crossed the finish line in the finals of the 400-meter dash at the Olympic trials, he knew he hadn?t won, but it didn?t matter. He had already made it.

?I knew that as long as I was in the top six I was going to Beijing,? he said.

By finishing fifth, Smith was eligible to be selected as a member of the 4x400-meter relay team.

Smith will be a member of the team that will compete in the Olympic Games, and when he steps foot on the track in Beijing, he will become the second member of his family to compete in the Olympics for the United States.

?Some guys train their whole lives and never get this opportunity,? Smith said. ?I made it the first time that I tried. It?s a great honor.?

It will be the second trip to Beijing for Smith, who competed in the IAAF World Junior Championships there in 2006.

While Smith admitted that he has thought about what it would be like to win a medal at the Games, simply having the opportunity to join his father as an athlete who has competed on the world?s biggest stage is enough for him.

?Just getting to run means everything to me,? Smith said.

The sprinter said that while he is focused on his preparation right now, he expects to be a little nervous when the time comes for him to run against the world?s greatest athletes.

He will not be alone, however. UF coach Mike Holloway will accompany Smith to Beijing.

Holloway said that he is proud of what Smith has been able to accomplish and is excited that he will be able to take part in the Olympic experience.

?Right now we are just trying to enjoy it a little bit,? Holloway said. ?He had a long year, and we are going to try and give him a few days off here.?

His respite will not last long though. With the opening ceremonies less than a month away, Holloway has planned for Smith to compete in several European meets before the start of the Games.

?We just want to get Calvin some extra work in and make sure he stays in shape,? Holloway said. ?It?s important to keep him competing on a high level.?

The coach said that he is confident Smith will perform well despite any nerves that he may have.

?I?m not worried at all,? Holloway said. ?Calvin has always been at his best in the big competitions. I know he?ll be at his best in Beijing.?

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Knee injuries shelve 2 Gator defensive backs


Special to The Sun


Published: Saturday, July 12, 2008 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, July 13, 2008 at 12:09 a.m.
Florida rising junior safety Dorian Munroe has suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament that will require surgery. The injury to his right knee will force him to miss the 2008 season.
Meanwhile fellow defensive back and redshirt senior John Curtis also suffered a se