1 » In a piece published by ESPN Insider on Wednesday, KC Joyner notes that the Tennessee Volunteers are primed to upset the Florida Gators, even though the talent gap between the two teams is wide. Joyner’s 10 reasons why Florida may fall victim to Tennessee include: 1 – Passing game numbers (5.1 yards per attempt for redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley), 2 – Vertical passing game (7.8 yards per attempt), 3 – Fumbles (10, three lost), 4 – Near interceptions (five, plus 10 fumbles = 15 possible turnovers), 5 – Penalties (14 for 107 yards), 6 – Junior kicker Caleb Sturgis (1/3 on field goals with a sore back), 7 – Redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Rainey (not playing), 8 – Brantley’s first road start, 9 – Tennessee’s pass defense (top 25), 10 – Close game in 2009. How can the Gators win, according to Joyner? “Florida may finally start hitting on more of its cylinders offensive, and if that happens, the talent difference between these two squads is probably too great for the Vols to overcome.”

2 » Gators head coach Urban Meyer is enamored with freshman QB Trey Burton. Where have we heard that before? Don’t jump on the Tim Tebow comparisons too soon because, as the Palm Beach Post’s Jason Lieser points out, Burton is his own man. “Rare – mater of fact, does not exist,” Meyer said when asked about Burton’s versatility. “Somehow we just hit a home run on that one.” Burton, who has played a handful of positions already in Florida’s first two games, is all about “letting your game speak for you,” something he did in order to achieve his dream – earning a scholarship to UF. “he’s a huge asset,” running backs coach Stan Drayton pointed out. “We’re going to keep piling on his plate until he says enough’s enough. He hasn’t shown us enough’s enough yet, so we’re going to keep giving it to him.”

3 » The NCAA is currently taking an extremely close look at the Volunteers’ football and basketball programs for a number of potential violations mostly stemming around recruiting top student-athletes. According to the Knoxville News-Sentinel, the NCAA believes that former QB coach David Reaves knew that Tennessee hostesses had improper contact with recruits and knowingly decided not to alert the school, a major violation. You can read more about the issue here.

4 » As OGGOA reported via Twitter early on Thursday, Florida state prosecutors have dropped all marijuana possession charges against Miami Heat power forward Udonis Haslem. Cited for possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana on Aug. 16, Haslem was originally pulled over for speeding and having window tints darker than the legally allowed level. The case against him was dismissed because prosecutors could not prove his knowledge or possession of the cannabis beyond a reasonable doubt; however, the police did have probable cause to cite him in the first place. “I am really looking forward to getting back to basketball and focusing on the upcoming season,” Haslem said in an official team statement.

Extra BIT » Senior safety Ahmad Black speaking to CBS about the Gators’ first two games, the “ugly orange” sported by Tennessee and how “Rocky Top” makes him sick.

Photo Credit: Associated Press

Tags: Ahmad Black, Caleb Sturgis, Chris Rainey, David Reaves, John Brantley, Miami Heat, NBA, NCAA, Rocky Top, Stan Drayton, Tennessee Volunteers, Tim Tebow, Trey Burton, Udonis Haslem, Urban Meyer

Miami Heat power forward Udonis Haslem was arrested Sunday afternoon in Miami-Dade County after police found more than 20 grams of marijuana in his vehicle during a routine traffic stop.

Haslem, who was pulled over because he was speeding, was in his vehicle with three other men, one of whom was also cited by the Florida Highway Patrol. Police noticed that his vehicle smelled of marijuana and had window tints that were darker than the legally allowed level.

According to the Associated Press:

Haslem, a former standout at the University of Florida, was freed from custody late Sunday night, about seven hours after a trooper pulled him over for driving 78 mph in a 60 mph zone on the Gratigny Parkway. Haslem’s 2008 Mercedes sedan was searched multiple times, and marijuana was eventually found in a blue nylon bag that the Heat player’s passenger, Antwain Fleming, said belonged to him.

“We are confident Udonis Haslem will be vindicated,” Haslem’s attorney Eric Schwartzreich said. “We have a situation where the passenger admits the marijuana was his and Mr. Haslem tells police nothing was in the vehicle. I think the police report speaks for itself. I am hopeful that Udonis Haslem will not be charged.”

Possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana is a third-degree felony in the state of Florida; Haslem can receive a maximum of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, though a jail term is not likely.

Photo Credit: Gary Dineen/Getty Images

Tags: Miami Heat, NBA, Udonis Haslem

From time to time, OGGOA will come across a plethora of news and notes that we wish to share with our readers. In those instances, we present a special post: Gator Bites. Enjoy.

» Former Florida Gators dazzler and ESPN reporter Erin Andrews, who spoke exclusively with OGGOA for an interview on Friday, is headed to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Tuesday to join Congressional sponsors in support of an anti-stalking bill. Andrews, a victim of stalking herself, will appear along with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) to introduce the Simplifying The Ambiguous Law, Keeping Everyone Reliably Safe Act (STALKERS).

» With training camps set to begin in just a few days for the Denver Broncos, rookie quarterback Tim Tebow may end up being a hold out – something that is likely beyond his control and is in the hands of his agent. Nevertheless, The Denver Post’s Mark Kiszla has put the onus on Tebow, calling a potential holdout a “dire dilemma” and one that is “destined to make folks mad,” whether it be fans or fellow players. Fact is, Kiszla is simply trying to paint Tebow as imperfect in this piece…which is true for everyone. Should he not be at camp on day one, he will be shortly after, as Tebow’s goal is to get on the field. But he does have to listen to his agent in this regard.

» The Gainesville Sun caught up with Gators four-star athlete De’Ante “Pop” Saunders on Monday. Saunders, the team’s very first commitment for the 2011 signing class, reaffirmed his desire to play in Gainesville, FL, after he was recently seen wearing Florida State gear. “They were giving me [a hard time] about wearing a Florida State helmet because I didn’t bring my helmet,’ he said. “That’s all it was. I forgot to bring mine and that’s all they had. I’m still here. I’m still Florida.” Saunders plans to enroll early.

» OGGOA has learned that four-star defensive end recruit Aaron Lynch (Cape Coral, FL) is leaning toward Notre Dame and Florida State with Florida now in a distant third place. According to our source, Lynch is concerned about playing time with the Gators and has formed a solid relationship with the staff in South Bend, IN.

Seven more Gator Bites on Corey Brewer, Brad Beal, Houston Nutt, Dallas Baker, Marreese Speights and Udonis Haslem…after the break!
Continue Reading » Gator Bites for Tuesday, July 27th

Tags: Aaron Lynch, AAU, AAU Super Showcase, AFL, Al Horford, Brad Beal, Chris Keen, Corey Brewer, Dallas Baker, dazzlers, De'Ante Saunders, Denver Broncos, Draft, Erin Andrews, ESPN, Houston Nutt, Jacksonville Sharks, Jamar Hornsby, Jeremiah Masoli, Joakim Noah, Joe Haden, Marreese Speights, Mary Wise, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, NFL, Ole Miss Rebels, Philadelphia 76ers, Tim Tebow, Udonis Haslem, volleyball

From time to time, OGGOA will come across a plethora of news and notes that we wish to share with our readers. In those instances, we present a special post: Gator Bites. Enjoy.

» Former Florida Gators forward/center David Lee of the Golden State Warriors was the subject of a piece by Harvey Araton of The New York Times on Monday. Lee, who has spent his whole career with the New York Knicks after they drafted him coming out of college, has a special bond with the team and has been the face of the franchise over the last few years. Read about how he went out of his way to represent the team (even after being traded to Golden State) at a funeral for longtime NBA and Madison Square Garden security official Scott Jaffer and how he will always be remembered in New York for being such an upstanding person.

» Interviewed by the NFL Network about his throwing mechanics, San Diego Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers went through the motions with some of the studio analysts on Monday. Because of the subject matter, Rivers was asked about Denver Broncos rookie QB Tim Tebow’s motion, and the veteran offered advice and insight into what Tebow may and may not need to do going forward.

» Florida should be excited about 2011 five-star shooting guard commitment Brad Beal (St. Louis, MO) – he could be the best player the team has signed since guard Nick Calathes. Then again, with one of the top players in the country considering his future in a different sport, there is a slight cause for concern. With his father and two brothers all having played collegiate football, Beal tells USA Today that he is “still trying to decide” which sport to play. “My brothers, especially my younger brothers, want me to play football so we can be on the same team,” Beal said. “But my mom always tells me, ‘You don’t have the body for football, so you have to stick to basketball.’” Don’t get it twisted – his future is on the court – not the field. Having a former Gators star like Lee (who also graduated from Chaminade High School) in his ear certainly helps. “We don’t have that much in common because we play different positions,” Beal said. “He came back to visit the school, and I talk to him during lunch period. He gave me input on the game.”

» While Beal is deciding what sport to play, four-star cornerback Nick Waisome (Groveland, FL) is just trying to figure out what school to end. According to the Orlando Sentinel’s Chris Hays, Waisome now considers his final five to Florida, Florida State, LSU, Georgia and South Carolina; he plans to decide in August.

» Updating a previous item, four-star wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin (Belle Glade, FL) still considers the Gators to be the leader for his services, even after having Miami Hurricanes commitment four-star quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (Miami, FL) in his ear during the Nike 7-on-7 Championship last Saturday. “Florida is still in the lead,” Benjamin told SoFLAfootball.com. “I like Florida and what they showed me, how they would use me. I like Miami too and Florida State, so all the Florida teams, they’re really up there. But I like Florida.”

Three more BITES on Meyer, Smith and Werner…after the break!
Continue Reading » Gator Bites for Tuesday, July 20th

Tags: Brad Beal, Chris Bosh, Dan Werner, David Lee, Denver Broncos, Dwyane Wade, Emmitt Smith, Golden State Warriors, Kelvin Benjamin, Lane Kiffin, LeBron James, Luther Campbell, Madison Square Garden, Miami Heat, Miami Hurricanes, Mike Miller, NBA, New York Knicks, NFL, Nick Calathes, Nike, San Diego Chargers, Teddy Bridgewater, Tim Tebow, Udonis Haslem, Urban Meyer, USC Trojans, Walter Payton

1 » Though he did not commit to the team as was rumored late last week due to a falsified e-mail, five-star athlete James Wilder, Jr. (Tampa, FL) does have a leader: the Florida Gators are the “team to beat,” according to Rivals’s Mark Wheeler. “Sources say [his upcoming visits are] more to confirm his choice of Florida than anything else,” Wheeler wrote. “Wilder Jr. is enthused that Florida looks to be moving to a more traditional power running game.” In addition to recruiting fullbacks, the Gators are “expected to still feature the dive play and many inside and off-tackle running plays, but instead of [Tim] Tebow carrying the ball, Wilder would be the guy. Throw in his comfort level at Florida as well as that of his family, and the Gators will be tough to beat.”

2 » Former Florida running back Emmitt Smith has done plenty in his career. An inductee to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, he holds NFL career records for rushing yards (18,355), rushing touchdowns (164) and 100+ yard rushing games (78). The eight-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time Super Bowl champion was also the 1989 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and is a member of the Gators’ Ring of Honor. But where he may have made his biggest impact is at Escambia High School, where he began his legacy. The Florida High School Athletic Association Player of the Century, Smith was not only a great player, his presence at the school helped ease racial tensions. “I wasn’t thinking about any racial tensions when I got to Escambia,” Smith told the Canton Repository. “It never dawned on me that I was part of a transformation at the school. I knew Escambia had a negative past, but I saw it was over and done with. I had played with white guys, black guys, all kinds of guys. Maybe that was me being naive.”

Four more BITS on Percy Harvin’s charity work, Cornelius Ingram’s knee, Gators on the Miami Heat and The Open Championship…after the break!
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Wilder, Smith, Harvin, Ingram, Heat, golf

Tags: Brian Gay, Camilo Villegas, Cornelius Ingram, Emmitt Smith, Escambia, Florida High School Athletic Association, golf, James Andrews, James Wilder, Mark Calcavecchia, Miami Heat, Mike Miller, Minnesota Vikings, NBA, NFL, Percy Harvin, PGA, Philadelphia Eagles, Player of the Century, Player of the Year, Pro Bowl, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Ring of Honor, SEC, Super Bowl, The Open Championship, Tim Tebow, Udonis Haslem, University of Florida

Reported by OGGOA on July 9 and July 13, respectively, former Florida Gators guard/forward Mike Miller has decided to join the Miami Heat and power forward Matt Bonner has chosen to re-sign with the San Antonio Spurs.

Contract specifics for both players were made available Wednesday night.

Miller is set to sign a five-year, $29.8 million contract with the Heat on Thursday, according to FOX Sports. He will becoming the second former Florida player on the team alongside PF Udonis Haslem; the two Gators were also teammates in Gainesville, FL.

The Spurs have signed Bonner, a bench player for the team since 2006, to a four-year, $16 million deal that will help San Antonio maintain consistency in the front court.

OGGOA RELATED: Miller, Heat agree on five-year, $30 million deal
OGGOA RELATED: Matt Bonner agrees to return to San Antonio

Tags: Matt Bonner, Miami Heat, Mike Miller, NBA, San Antonio Spurs, Udonis Haslem

Former Florida Gators power forward Udonis Haslem has decided to turn down substantially larger offers from competing teams in order to remain with the Miami Heat, agreeing to a five-year, $20 million deal on Monday.

“I would be changing my DNA if I left just for money,” he told the Associated Press.

After signing guard Dwyane Wade to a six-year, $107 million contract and forwards LeBron James and Chris Bosh to identical six-year, $110 million deals, Miami immediately concentrated on bringing two former Florida players under contract.

First, the Heat reached an agreement on a five-year, $30 million deal with guard/forward Mike Miller after trading former No. 2 overall pick PF Michael Beasley for cap space and a second round pick. With each of the “big three” sacrificing $15 million over the life of their deals, Miami made a move to bring back Haslem, Wade’s best friend on the team since the superstar was drafted in 2003.

Haslem drew serious interest from at least three other teams who put tempting offers on the table. The Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks each reportedly offered him a five-year, $34 million mid-level exception contract over the weekend, and the New Jersey Nets offered three years and $20 million last week.

“[I] turned down full mid level [exceptions] from Dallas and Denver. See [yo]u next season,” Haslem said in an e-mail to the paper.

Spending almost his entire life playing basketball in the state of Florida (spent one season in France), he decided to turn down higher contracts in order to play with his friend and be a part of what could be a very special team.

Think Haslem is happy to play with Miller again?

“That’s my boy from day one,” he told the Sun-Sentinel. “That’s my college roommate. He’s like Dwyane is to me, just a different color.”

A seven-year NBA veteran, Haslem earned $7.1 million with the Heat last season. He has averaged 10.0 points and 8.1 rebounds throughout his career.

Photo Credit: Gary Dineen/Getty Images

Tags: Chris Bosh, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Miami Heat, Mike Miller, NBA, New Jersey Nets, Udonis Haslem

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade considers former Florida Gators power forward Udonis Haslem one of his best friends. That is likely one reason why he took almost $3 million less than cohorts forward LeBron James and power forward Chris Bosh when signing with Miami a few days ago – to free up some money to re-sign Haslem.

Unfortunately for Wade and perhaps the Heat as well, Haslem has drawn interest from at least two other teams who have put solid and tempting offers on the table. First the New Jersey Nets and then the Dallas Mavericks each offered him a three-year, $20 million contract over the weekend, hoping to lure Haslem with a guarantee of more money and significantly more playing time.

Though he has spent almost his entire life playing basketball in the state of Florida, loves his home (as evidenced by his back tat) and wants to stick around, Haslem may be at the point in his career where the guarantee of a few million more per season significantly outweighs the ability to play with a close friend.

The Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks and Utah Jazz have been mentioned previously as teams who had expressed interest in Haslem.

A seven-year NBA veteran, he earned $7.1 million last season but is being looked at by New Jersey and Dallas as a full mid-level exception player. Miami can currently only offer $1.1 million per year – the veteran’s minimum – but will likely be able to up that offer as their available salary cap gets clearer.

Haslem has averaged 10.0 points and 8.1 rebounds throughout his career.

Photo Credit: Gary Dineen/Getty Images

Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Chris Bosh, Dallas Mavericks, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Miami Heat, NBA, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Udonis Haslem, Utah Jazz