The Back Alley Archives

Bianchi nails it. I would agree with this.http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-08-24/sports/os-mike-bianchi-gators-football-0825_1_will-muschamp-florida-gators-sec-championship

No offense, dude, but that column sucked. Muschamp doesn't have supporters among Florida fans because people didn't participate in some bullshit Sentinel online poll? As Ochocinqo would say, child please.

I may be in the minority, but I have come to love Muschamp. I wasn't sold on his hiring initially, but I like his discipline, I like how he's built the defense, I like the dismissive sarcastic way he deals with the media. The team last year came to work with a brawler's attitude and everything I've seen so far tells me that this year is going to be the same. It might not be pretty, but I saw games last year where our team just flat broke the other team's will.

Well we can agree to disagree. We got lucky some last year, and you can't deny that our offense was not good. I was at the UF-A&M game least year, and while we did adjust at halftime, it felt to me like we ran out the clock instead of winning the game. Some of the scrub games were way too close, and don't even get me started about the bowl game.

Luck is part of the game. We got lucky in a couple of games in 2006 and we won the title. I'm not one who claims to hate Urban now that he's no longer here. I was fine with him as a coach. But I recognize that part of his schtick was his showmanship. Will isn't like that and I get the feeling people like Bianchi don't like it. Will's about his team, not getting buddy-buddy with the media.

On a related note, I saw Urban being interviewed on ESPN this morning. At one point, he claimed he's the most disciplinarian coach in college football. I had to change the channel before I pissed myself laughing.

I too disagree with Bianchi on this. Attendance is down everywhere, not just UF, I think for two reasons: a sluggish economy in which football tickets and tailgating may be a luxury that people can't afford anymore; and the widespread ownership of huge TVs that allow people to watch the game in high definition and air-conditioned comfort.

I also think a lot of people were surprised at how successful we were last year. After the lackluster 2011 and 2010 seasons people weren't expecting us to go 11-1 in the regular season. I think they expected more of the same they had seen for the last two years. So people didn't plan on attending the games - and in a down economy, fewer people have the capacity to just get up and go to Gainesville on a moment's notice.

Good points all. I guess the part I agree with most is that there doesn't seem to be a lot of love for Muschamp within the boosters. A friend of mine who is still in Gainesville and has university connections agrees with that assessment too.

I agree with you a1 about Will not being buddy-buddy with the media. And that is a good thing.

But like him or not, I always do think that Bianchi makes some good points.

Also, the afternoon games.

http://www.gatorsports.com/article/2013 ... 9713?tc=cr

I wonder how Muschamp does at booster functions. Spurrier made it pretty clear that he didn't much care for the booster circuit. I don't remember if Zook and Meyer liked it or not.

I suspect that if Muschamp keeps building the team the way he wants it and keeps winning, the boosters will have no problem with him over time.

I'm just happy the season is almost here. The defense sounds like it's going to be nasty again and Driskel has been sounding way more comfortable and confident in talking about running the offense this year.