WEEK THREE: Wrong State of Mind

What the heck was up with Florida sports this weekend? With three exceptions (USF, FAMU, and the Jags), I don't know if I can remember an uglier weekend for the Sunshine State. Miami gets exposed by Virginia Tech. UCF acts like, well, UCF and loses a game it should have won. FSU gets completely outclassed and outmanned by USF. FIU and FAU come up short in close games. The Dolphins get beat up on. The Bucs bring back memories of the 1980s with their pathetic play against the Giants. And the Gators win - and hold their collective breath as Tebow gets wheeled off the field, hurling in a bag. Pretty cruddy weekend on the peninsula.

Aside from the fear rippling out of Gainesville, I think the team that needs to be the most worried is FSU. It really made me wonder what is going on up here. Leading up to the game, there was a lot of smack talk between the USF and FSU camps. It sounded like a little brother mouthing off to big bro - with the older sibling about to drop a Big Stinky Leg Drop on the little punk. But it turned out that the little guy had been doing HGH and Steroid cycles while gone to college and the big guy had been doing keg stands. So there was a beating, but not what anyone expected. The game wasn't even as close as the score indicated. Remember USF missed two field goals and one of FSU's scores was a result of a micro-field.

What made it all even worse - and something echoed by the announcers on ESPN U (where U is for Ubvious Uverstatement) to the point of nausea - was that all of the damage was done by a quarterback who grew up in Tallahassee and idolized FSU. The question that stems from that is something FSU seriously must address - but probably won't. HOW IN THE HECK DID THAT HAPPEN? How did B.J. Daniels end up whipping FSU instead of playing for them? As I kept hearing the announcers mention this fact, I really began to wonder. What caused arguably the most dominant team in college football in the 90s to degrade to this point? This is the same team that went 14 years straight finishing in the top five. Who does that? Now, they can't even string two good games together.

I have a couple of theories (which, honestly don't mean jack crap). First of all, FSU has completely lost its recruiting abilities. I know, they five of the ESPN Top 150 last year. But I looked at some stuff over the weekend found out something interesting. Florida is the best supplier of high school players, period. 25 of the ESPN Top 150 were from Florida. The next closest is Texas (19), Georgia (16), and Kahleefornyuh (15). So it really isn't even close. This has been the case for a LOOOOOOONG time. Florida is chock full of speed and talent. Once upon a time, there were three major Florida schools. They would divide up the best of the Florida booty. Things have changed, though. I went through the rosters of the nine biggest football programs in Florida (UF, FSU, UM, USF, UCF, FIU, FAU, FAMU, BCC). Most of the smaller schools have now pilfered the Florida ranks (except for UCF, who recruits like it is a nationally known school - but it is NOT). Here's what I found:

• USF - 91.7% Florida players
• BCC - 91.6% Florida players
• FAU - 89.5% Florida players
• FIU - 85.8% Florida players
• FAMU - 83.5% Florida players
• UCF - 68.7% Florida players
• UM - 66.7% Florida players
• UF - 63.1% Florida players
• FSU - 52.8% Florida players

Combined, that adds up to 691 players, if you are curious. Do you notice something strange about that chart? I can understand the big difference between the first five and the bottom four. The first five are newer and smaller programs, so they are reduced to pulling from their backyard. That is what happens all over the country. The other four teams (yeah, UCF too) are more nationally known. They have been around longer, have larger campuses, more national coverage. (Remember UCF has had two top 5 Heisman finishers and three bowl appearances.) So they can pull from the best of the country. That is why UF, UM, UCF, and FSU have smaller percentages. BUT, once you hit a certain point, doesn't the number start to mean something more? I mean, you are in Florida. You are nationally known with great facilities. You have a legend as a coach. How can you only get 56 state kids? I mean, South Carolina has 22 from Florida. The pool has been depleted, for sure, thanks to the higher number of suitors. (Not to mention Michigan, Georgia, Illinois, Auburn, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, NC State, Boston College, Notre Dame, Mississippi State, and Ohio State all have between 10 and 20 Florida boys.) I just think that FSU's luster has worn off in state. There is no reason to be that inept at recruiting in your backyard. That's how B.J. Daniels escapes.

The other main thing is that FSU is killing itself with its refusal to make a coaching change. Everyone knows that Bobby Bowden is not the coach of that team. Jimbo Fisher is the coach. Bobby is a guy in a sun hat and Oakleys wandering on the sideline wondering where his sandwich is. This can't be positive. The players have to be torn. In the Miami game, there was one point where Bowden and Fisher both were trying to talk to one of the players. The youngster looked confused and then went over to Fisher. The only ONLY reason that Bowden is still there is that he wants to beat Paterno. FSU finally got smart and put some "Associate Head Coaches" in place, like Penn State did. But Bowden (and his supporters in the Boosters) still hold too much sway. The game has passed him by - as well as Mickey Andrews and other St. Bobby staff guys. FSU really just needs to gut the coaching staff. They need to fire everyone (Fisher included, who I have not been impressed with at all). Then they need to dangle a truckload of money at some brilliant coach and say, "Here are the keys. Fix it." And not someone out of the "FSU Family." Someone who knows what they are doing.

See, the new coaches like Urban Meyer don't give a rat's tail about who ends up at the top of the all-time win chart. They don't plan on staying anywhere long enough to get a field named after them. They are going to jump into the pros or the broadcasting booth anyway. They are hired guns. Very effective, potent, intelligent guns. They have mastered the new recruiting world (texts, tweets, cell phones). It isn't about sitting in a living room and convincing mama any more. It is impressing and seducing and relentlessly pursuing. I respect FSU's loyalty - it is so rare now in our world. But it is hurting that program. The USF game was huge to USF - they are going to have an even better recruiting edge now, more respect, blah blah blah. But it was huge to FSU because it showed them they aren't the big dog any more. In reality, there is UF in the top tier. FSU, UM, USF are in the next tier. UCF, FAU, and FIU are nipping at their heels. It isn't the Big Three - it is the Big One and the Next Six. FSU had better do something, or they are going to be destined to 7-5 seasons and being home before New Year.

FOOTBALL THOUGHTS

• You CANNOT be that team that Detroit beats. I don't care who you are. I think whoever it was, the coach should have been fired. That should have been a mutual agreement at the NFL Owners' Meetings. So, Washington (who coincidentally was the only team the 1-15 Cowboys beat) loses the lottery. Jim Zorn needs fired. No questions. Go away. You don't know what you are doing.
• I love how they called this "Upset Weekend" in the NCAA. Were you honestly surprised by any of the "upsets?" Mississippi was unbelievably overrated. FSU was a sitting duck. Miami and Virginia Tech were only two spots apart. Penn State always loses to Iowa. Cal? See Mississippi. (There always is some team that prematurely rockets up the rankings at the beginning of the year that doesn't belong - USF, looking at you.) North Carolina lost to a Georgia Tech team that was ranked last week. It was the week where the stupid rankings of the early season straightened out.
• The NFL in Florida is in for a long year. A combined 1-8. That's impressive.
• I hope that Tebow is fine. I want him to succeed personally. Heather made a good point - it is funny how people are saying "It's just a concussion." A concussion is physical damage to the brain. People with multiple concussions have characteristics similar to Parkinson's. It is a serious injury - worse long term than a blown ACL. But it is "just a concussion" in the papers. That's what happens when you are married to a doctor type person, I guess.
• Did you see the ESPN pre-game piece on Rex Ryan? It basically went like this. Rex Ryan is an abrasive jerk. His father was an even worse abrasive jerk. But no one should care because he wins game. He even kind of reveled in the way that he is portrayed. You know, that's all fine and good because you are 3-0 right now. But I remember other punk coaches who had their teams turn on them in a second (Bill Cowher, Tom Coughlin, Buddy Ryan). Cowher and Coughlin learned their lesson and calmed down. That abrasive stuff only works while you're winning.
• I can't decide which uniform was uglier - Houston's red unitard or Seattle's neon green vest. I kind of wish they had played each other - just to see if our eyeballs would explode.
• I have been reading a bunch of stuff lately about the Jaguars starting to court Orlando - offering to move some games there in the next few years. Wayne Weaver, owner of the Jags, hopes this will open a new market and help them to sell out games. Hmmmmm. This is the same Orlando that features the Magic and, arguably, one of the worst set of fans out there? They drive off superstars, boo their own team, don't sell out games, have a very low sports IQ (not as bad as Miami), and don't support their team unless it is the Finals. Good plan, Wayne. Of course, he also has "joked" that he may draft Tebow in the first round just to sell tickets.
• Jemele Hill wrote an article on ESPN Page Two where she said that Lane Kiffin actually got the best of Urban Meyer. I could make the easy comment about female sportswriters. But, I'll go with this instead. THIS is what happens when yellow journalism takes over sports coverage. You are more worried about getting hits and Twitter followers than making intelligent comments. And she lives in Orlando, going off the previous note.

SFL RECAP

• It was a bizarre week in the SFL. Everything went topsy turvy. Kind of weird.
• After last week, the cellar was occupied with the Tampa Bay Rams and Bad Counsel. This week? Well the Rams rocketed up to sixth place, while the Counsel kept its spot by the furnace warm even though it won. It's new cellar mate? Shockingly the Gator Greats, victim of Bad Counsel's first victory.
• Is it just me or is there a high number of truly pathetic outings by players this year? I just see a lot of starting running backs and receivers putting up 2s and 3s so far. Kind of strange, if you ask me.
• Stickboy continued his tear last week. It seems every week he gets some out of his mind performance from some player. This week it was Aaron Rodgers and Maurice Jones-Drew. That helped avoid the upset by Ugly Consequences, who certainly did his best. He would have beaten anyone else (except Tally Noles).
• Monkey, the other unbeaten team, felt the injury bug as Frank Gore and Felix Jones went down. This helped Bloodthirsty Ferrets to score a shocking upset. It actually made the Monday night game in Dallas interesting. Monkey had Romo, Roy Williams, and Felix while Ferrets had Jason Witten and Nick Folk. Big win for Ferrets.
• If Steelas would ever change his lineup, he could be frightening. Since he refuses to do that, he is basically a gimme win. Last week he started FOUR players who didn't even dress for the game. Combine that with Tally Noles' huge day and we had the blowout of the week. Peyton Manning is just sick.
• In the closest battle of the week, Tampa Bay Rams got off the schneid against Da Bus. Oddly enough, it was on the week when Drew Brees played like a human instead of a touchdown throwing cyborg. The Pierre Garcon pickup is looking smart for the Rams.

SFL WEEK FOUR PREVIEW

• The worst enemy for any team begins this week. BYE WEEKS!!!! Be sure to check your lineups to make sure you are not starting people who aren't playing. Well, unless you are Steelas. Then by all means, start those guys on bye week.
• We again have some great matchups. Tally Noles is testing his newfound powerhouse status against fellow Tallahassee resident Bloodthirsty Ferrets. I'm sure it will be a great battle. And if Tally Noles wins, he won't be invited for dinner at Ferrets' place this week.
• Master vs. Padawan II - Gator Greats battles Stickboy this week. Of course, this year it is like Evil Darth Vader in his prime up against Old Decrepit Living in the Swamp (ha ha) Yoda . Stickboy is flying high while Gator Greats is dropping like Tebow. (too soon?)
• I can't come up with anything witty about Monkey vs Bad Counsel. They both like the Gators and married way out of their league. That's all I got.
• In the Battle for the Mean, Team 5 Ugly Consequences meets Team 6 Tampa Bay Rams. These guys seem very different on so many levels. Ugly is shorter and loves most Miami teams. Rams is tall and loves Tampa sports. Of course, none of that matters since the game is based on fictional sports teams. Moving on.
• The youngest members of the SFL square off. Da Bus and Steelas battle in an ICS alumni smackdown. This has been a long time coming. These guys can't stand each other. Oh wait, they do like each other. Well it sounds better if they don't.
• Again, make sure you check your rosters and the bye weeks.
• I would like to point out that I have now done four straight weeks of newsletters. So suck on that. God bless.