the girvan report

[radbag]

Joe Girvan
GatorBait.net Staff Writer

Various thoughts while taking a break from my 27 fantasy football leagues...

The Gators Will Receive
The new rule in college football that will move kickoffs back five yards to the 30-yard line has Urban Meyer making a significant change in strategy. When Florida wins the toss, the Gators will now elect to receive, rather than deferring to the second half. The Head Gator says he's only done that "twice in six years" as a head coach, preferring to start on defense with hopes of forcing a punt and getting the ball at midfield or better. Now Meyer says, "you give an athlete like a Brandon James or (Chris) Rainey a running start on about the nine or ten-yard line, there's a great chance you're gonna knock that out past the 30, 35-yard line. You get two first downs, now you punt, or you keep going, you're keeping them down on the far end of the field." Meyer also says he will more closely evaluate the personnel he's putting on the kickoff and kickoff return teams because there's a better chance of big plays.

Change of Scenery
From the moment Meyer and his staff arrived at Florida, they have done a great job of identifying talented players and putting them in position to succeed. Think Cornelius Ingram and Reggie Lewis. I love the move of Jarred Fayson to running back. Meyer has compared Fayson's skill set to that of electrifying teammate Percy Harvin. We didn't see much of that from Fayson last year (though Gator fans won't soon forget his blocked punt in the SEC Championship Game), so Meyer, offensive coordinator Dan Mullen and running backs coach Stan Drayton are being creative in their attempt to get him the football. If there's one thing Meyer and Mullen do better than any other offensive coaches, it's get the ball to playmakers in space. And if you don't believe me, ask Jim Tressel.

Heisman Hopefuls
Each week, I'll give you an idea of how my ballot is taking shape. Here's my preseason top 3 for the most outstanding college football player in the country:

1. Darren McFadden, Arkansas. An absolute no-brainer. No player is more dangerous in such a variety of ways. McFadden will line up as a running back, quarterback and even return some kicks. I will be surprised if he doesn't win the award.

2. John David Booty, USC. The best player on the best team is always going to get some votes. Booty is surrounded by talent, and will have a chance to put up huge numbers.

3. Steve Slaton, West Virginia. He rushed for 1,744 yards and 16 TD last year, and could surpass those stats this season.

Apologies to Slaton's teammate Pat White, Cal's DeSean Jackson, Rutgers' Ray Rice, Michigan's Mike Hart and Hawaii's Colt Brennan. Each will have a chance to crack this list before the year is over.

Sexy Rexy
Hats off to Joanne Korth of the St. Pete Times for telling the good people of Tampa Bay what Gator fans already knew: Rex Grossman isn't as bad as the national media would have you believe. Korth correctly points out that, of the four quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2003 drarft, Grossman has fewer starts (23) than Carson Palmer (45), Byron Leftwich (44) and Kyle Boller (34)…yet none of them have two playoff victories and a trip to the Super Bowl. Who's the "clown" now, Rick Reilly? Grossman is only 27 years old and should show continued improvement in his second year as a starter. Remember his record-breaking redshirt sophomore season at Florida when he was robbed of the Heisman Trophy? Grossman has got to learn to limit his turnovers, but he is a tremendous talent who is going to have a long, successful career in the NFL.

Taxi!
I do not understand why filthy-rich athletes continue to get arrested for DUI. The latest casualty is Bucs wide receiver David Boston, who was found asleep at the wheel at a major intersection in Pinellas Park. Boston told police he was leaving training camp, and going to the Tampa International Airport, where he had a hotel room for the night. Couple problems – The Bucs broke camp a full week before the incident, and Boston was a good 45 minutes away from the airport. A Breathalyzer revealed no alcohol in his system, but Boston failed a field sobriety test and was arrested. The results of a urine test to check for drugs will take several days. Boston is no stranger to illegal substances. He was suspended four games by the NFL in 2004 after testing positive for steroids. Boston also reportedly tested positive for marijuana and cocaine after a DUI arrest in 2002. Memo to professional athletes: Please stop using drugs and drinking to excess, but if you're going to anyway, use some of that signing bonus to CALL…A…CAB!

Throwing BBs
The Diamondbacks' Brandon Webb, and Bobby Jenks of the White Sox, recently joined some exclusive company. Webb tossed 42-consecutive scoreless innings, the most since Orel Hershiser set the Major League record with 59 straight in 1988. Jenks retired batters in a row, tying Jim Barr's Major League record set back in 1972. Webb's run helped the surprising D-Backs build their lead in the NL West. Jenks and the pale hose, on the other hand, are just hoping to finish above the Royals in the AL Central.

Hot Routes
# Trying to read Jose Canseco's "Juiced" after racing through "Game of Shadows" is like stepping out of a Ferrari and into a '78 Pinto.
# John Madden talking about Donovan McNabb's ability to throw on the run: "his percentage when he throws outside the tackle is over 100%." Really, John? Over 100%? He is the very definition of the expression "caricature of himself."
# I'm pretty sure the Red Sox thought they were getting Eric Gagne, not Greg Gagne. How else do you explain 19 baserunners and 10 earned runs in his first seven innings with the Sox?

Thanks for reading. Keep smiling, and remember: life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around every once in a while, you could miss it.

Joe Girvan is a sports anchor for the Toyota Sports Connection on Bay News 9.

Joe is from the Boston area, but is a proud Florida Gator. He started his broadcasting career at WRUF-AM/FM and WUFT-TV in Gainesville. Then he worked at WTOC-TV in Savannah, Ga.

Joe spent three years at WPMI-TV in Mobile, Ala., before returning to Gainesville, where he was the sports director for WCJB-TV for more than seven years.

[G8Rpmc]

Thanks for the info about Joe. I've been wondering where he is working. Good article!