1 » Rumors are running rampant throughout the Florida Gators program Wednesday that five-star freshmen defensive end Ronald Powell and defensive tackle Dominique Easley have skipped either one or multiple practices recently due to anger over how they have been treated by veterans on the team – assumingly the starting offensive line. Further rumors emerged that the duo cleaned out their respective lockers and may even be considering transferring. Though the former information (missing practice) appears to be the most concrete, the latter seems to be a bit of a reach at this point.

The latest reports – from the Miami Herald and The Gainesville Sun, respectively – have Powell’s and Easley’s high school coaches unaware that there is anything wrong. Powell’s coach, Pete Duffy, told the Sun that his former player is “happy and very excited” at Florida; he had not heard about him missing practice. Easley’s coach, Pete Gambardella, told the Herald that Easley neither seemed upset, disgruntled nor angry when speaking to his former player Wednesday morning.

UPDATE: Powell and Easley are both practicing with the team.

2 » In a press release Wednesday, ESPN announced that College GameDay will return to the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, FL, for the Gators’ game against the Kentucky Wildcats on Feb. 5. The show’s first time visiting the basketball team since 2008 will also include former Florida dazzler and network reporter Erin Andrews, who told OGGOA that she will be in attendance as well, likely for her duties of hosting the first hour of GameDay at 10 a.m. on ESPNU.

Extra BIT » Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow (ribs) and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin (migraines) each returned to practice with their respective team on Wednesday after missing a number of days due to injury. Tebow had missed two practice and the Broncos’ last preseason game; Harvin had been sidelined after collapsing during practice on Aug. 19.

Tags: College GameDay, dazzlers, Denver Broncos, Dominique Easley, Erin Andrews, ESPN, Kentucky Wildcats, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, O'Connell Center, Percy Harvin, Pete Duffy, Pete Gambardella, Ronald Powell, Tim Tebow

1 » The Florida Gators have made two announcements concerning fans in the last day or so, one about permitting them access to the players while another removing access from the team. The Gators will hold Verizon Wireless Football Fan Day on Sunday, Aug. 15 from 1-3 p.m. at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Doors open at 12:30 p.m., admission is free and autographs will only be allowed on the team-provided 2010 football poster. However, fans will be barred from Florida football practices this season, as will the media and other on-lookers who want to catch a glimpse of the Gators before kickoff against Miami (OH) on Sept. 4

2 » With an Internet rumor spreading that New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher had the assistance of former Gators quarterback Tim Tebow when proposing to his girlfriend last year, the slugger spoke with Florida Today and wanted to squash that fib as soon as possible. “I’m a man! I don’t need to do that!” Swisher exclaimed. “That’s total BS! [Bleep] no! I don’t need some other dude to ask my girl to marry me. I’m a Major League Baseball player. I’m a man. I asked her on the balcony at my place in New York City. Tim Tebow wasn’t there.” Always the jokester in the clubhouse, Swisher’s tone doesn’t come across in the piece, but his fiancée is a big Florida fan – her entire family went there – and the All-Star got a chance to meet Tebow and head coach Urban Meyer while getting a tour of The Swamp at the tail end of the 2009 season.

“Don’t get me wrong, Tim Tebow’s a great guy. Class act. Definitely a role model for a lot of people,” he said. “I set it up through the Yankees that my girlfriend and her family could meet Tim. I couldn’t believe he took the time. It was his last game at Florida, against Florida State, Senior Day, and he came and talked to us for about 10 minutes. Great, great guy.” Though Swisher may not have been able to laugh at himself, at least his teammate and fellow OF Marcus Thames did. When told about the rumor regarding Tebow, Thames replied, “Probably, because you ain’t got no game. You need a college kid to help you.”

Tags: baseball, Fan Day, Marcus Thames, MLB, New York Yankees, Nick Swisher, O'Connell Center, The Swamp, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer

1 » With seven of their eight 2010 NFL Draft picks now under contract, the last thing on the docket for Cleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren is to sign former Florida Gators cornerback Joe Haden to a deal. Here is what he had to say about the situation at a press conference on Wednesday:

“As far as Haden goes, those of you who have been around this for a long time, the number one picks you just need a domino to go and then it starts to happen. Then it just explodes and happens. We have had good discussions with Joe’s agents and I am hopeful that he will get in without too much loss of time. It’s very important for the young man, I will say that. I get the business part of it, even when I was coaching I did. It frustrated me to a certain extent, but I get it. This is a lot of money, but I also saw and lived through and experienced the importance of this with a lot of athletes. If they wait too long, they miss some really valuable stuff. [...] It’s hard to catch up in most cases. It’s important that he gets in here, but I’m not discouraged. I think we are making progress.”

2 » As draft picks are being signed left and right, the Cincinnati Bengals made a splash Wednesday officially signing veteran wide receiver Terrell Owens to a one-year contract. Owens’ signing will certainly impact former Gators WR Andre “Bubba” Caldwell, who had been penciled in as the team’s starting slot receiver in 2010. Instead, it looks like veteran Antonio Bryant will hold that role and Caldwell will be fighting for balls as the Bengals’ No. 4 pass catcher. Caldwell said he realizes his playing time will be “diminished” but “maybe not. I’m just going to keep grinding and playing my hardest.” Nevertheless, he has great respect for Owens. “I read his book. I’ve been watching all this time,” Caldwell said. “He’s one of the greatest receivers. […] To be able to learn from him is something I’m really looking forward to.” As far as team chemistry is concerned, Caldwell has no worries. “If Chad [Ochocinco] can’t disrupt this team,” I don’t think T.O. can,” he told the team’s website.

3 » Former Florida thrower Evelien Dekkers, who took home the 2010 NCAA National Championship in women’s javelin, was named the 2010 U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year for Outdoor Women’s Field. Dekkers is the only female in school history to own a national title in javelin and holds a school-record toss of 58.99m/193-6.

4 » Good news came Wednesday for Gators redshirt senior gymnast Maranda Smith, who has been granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. A four-time All-American, Smith has suffered a stress fracture in her right shin and torn her right labrum in previous seasons. “I’m so grateful that the NCAA granted me another year of eligibility,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to competing with my Gator teammates again and having another chance to compete in front of the O’Connell Center fans is truly a gift.”

Photo Credit: Cleveland Browns

Tags: Andre Caldwell, Antonio Bryant, Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bengals, Draft, Evelien Dekkers, gymnastics, Joe Haden, Maranda Smith, Mike Holmgren, National Championship, NCAA, NFL, O'Connell Center, Terrell Owens, USTFCCCA

The last year has been one of ups-and-downs for former Florida Gators dazzler and ESPN reporter Erin Andrews. From having to deal with an unfathomable episode regarding her privacy to performing on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and just recently signing a new two-year deal to remain a featured member of the ESPN broadcast team, Andrews has appeared strong, resilient and unrelenting. On the brink of the greatest undertaking of her career – hosting the first hour of College GameDay live on ESPNU and joining the cast of Good Morning America – she took time out of her schedule to speak exclusively with OGGOA about her career as a Gators dazzler, recent trials and tribulations, perspective on her own fame and love for the University of Florida.

ADAM SILVERSTEIN: Growing up in Tampa, was the University of Florida always at the top of your list for college? How did you wind up there?
ERIN ANDREWS: “Growing up in Tampa, there are three schools: Florida State, Miami and Florida. Obviously because Florida was closest to Tampa, Tampa is really like Gator haven. I made the comment one day to my dad, which he’ll never let me live down…because I was such a sports fan growing up, I said to him, ‘Dad, I really want to go to a college that has a good football team.’ And he was like, ‘Oh, that’s a great thing to live by Erin. I’m glad that’s what you’re choosing your education by.’ At the time it sounded really stupid, but actually it was kind of funny that it worked out that way because by going to Florida, I knew they had a great journalism program, but also because Florida has such a good football team, we were exposed to TBS, we were exposed to ESPN, we were exposed to all the national sports media coming to the campus to see the team, to see [head coach Steve] Spurrier. That was really good for me to kind of be around that at the time. Actually, that wasn’t a stupid comment.

AS: How much of an influence did your father’s [six-time Emmy Award-winner Steve Andrews] profession have on your major and eventual career?
EA: “My dad played a huge part in it. I grew up with my father being on TV. It just wasn’t a big deal to me. We’d turn on the TV at 6:00 and there was my dad. I grew up at the TV station; I played around on the TV set. So that just wasn’t a big deal – being in front of the camera – because I was so used to [watching] my dad. He was a giant sports fan, so that’s where I got my passion for sports and watching it and becoming familiar with the broadcasters and announcers that I liked – and the athletes. That’s where it all just kind of snowballed. I decided that I wanted to be a broadcaster. I loved the stories with coaches and athletes. I told my dad when I was young, ‘I want to do this for a living.’ He also laughed at me and said, ‘You know, everybody wants to do this for a living.’ I went to Florida, we checked out the journalism school. I really liked it. I just enrolled and it began – the whole process. The first couple years at Florida you don’t really get a taste of your major until probably your junior and senior year – that’s when I was very serious about it.

AS: You obviously spent a good amount of time at Weimer Hall but some of your most exciting times were likely at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. While at Florida, you were famously a member of the Dazzlers for four years. Was that something you had planned on doing from the beginning?
EA: “I grew up dancing my whole life with my little sister [Kendra Andrews]. That was just something I knew that Florida had – a dance team. I loved mine growing up and the experience that I had. I actually auditioned my senior year of high school and didn’t make the team and then went back out my sophomore year and I was on the team my sophomore, junior and senior season[s].”

Read the rest of our exclusive interview with Erin Andrews…after the break!
Continue Reading » Gators dazzler, ESPN reporter Erin Andrews: “I really don’t think I’m that big of a deal.”

Tags: Alex Cora, Billy Donovan, Brett Nelson, College GameDay, Colt McCoy, Dancing with the Stars, dazzlers, Dennis Dixon, Erin Andrews, ESPN, Fiesta Bowl, Gator Chomp, Gator Nation, Good Morning America, Heisman Trophy, Jason Williams, Kendra Andrews, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Michael Jordan, Mike Miller, National Championship, NHL, O'Connell Center, Oregon Ducks, Shelley Meyer, Steve Andrews, Steve Spurrier, Tampa Bay Lightning, Teddy Dupay, Tim Tebow, Udonis Haslem, University of Florida, Urban Meyer, Weimer Hall

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 has been invited to try out for the USA Basketball Men’s National Team and will be trying to prove his worth during a training camp next week in Las Vegas, NV.

» Twilight actress Ashley Greene is a huge Gators fan, even recently discussing the team on Jimmy Kimmel Live! (watch video). Here is a picture of her Wednesday night with Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Tim Tebow at the ESPYs in Los Angeles, CA. Looks like a happy (and beautiful) young lady.

» Speaking of the ESPYs and Tebow, host Seth Meyers of Saturday Night Live joked about the Heisman Trophy winner during a small portion of his opening monologue. “Tim Tebow is here. Tim’s jersey is already one of the top selling jerseys in the NFL. I heard that and thought: ‘Jesus…who does this guy know? … Oh right, Jesus.’ Just kidding, Tim. And I hope this goes without saying but…just kidding, Jesus.”

» One more… Playing a slight joke on Tebow on the ride back to the hotel Wednesday night after the ESPYs was ESPN‘s NFL insider Chris Mortensen. Sitting next to him on the hotel shuttle, Mortensen told him, “You’re gonna make a heckuva H-back.” Tebow “had a good laugh.” Also confirmed in attendance were Minnesota Timberwolves forward Corey Brewer and sideline reporters Erin Andrews and Jenn Brown.

» Ranking his top six basketball players of the 2011 recruiting class, FOX Sports’ Jeff Goodman has Florida five-star commit Brad Beal (St. Louis, MO) taking the last spot. “[He] reminds me so much of Ray Allen. He’s silky smooth and can really shoot the ball from deep. Beal is also a winner,” Goodman notes.

» Three former Gators golfers – Camilo Villegas, Brian Gay and Mark Calcavecchia – are participating in The Open Championship at St. Andrews this weekend. In opening round action, the three men are T17 (-4), T46 (-2) and T73 (E), respectively.

» Sophomore jumper Christian Taylor, who had a great track & field season with Florida, won his second gold medal at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Under-23 Championships at Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, FL, on Sunday. Winning the men’s triple jump to go along with his men’s long jump crown over the weekend, he is also a three-time NCAA Champion.

» The University of Florida‘s Stephen C. O’Connell Center has been named the host of the 2013 NCAA Gymnastics Southeast Regional.

» If you love recruiting and would like a quick update as to where the Gators are right now in putting together their 2011 class, check out this piece by ESPN recruiting analyst Jamie Newberg. Most if not all of this has already been written about here on OGGOA, but Newberg’s article is a nice recap and does provide some interesting tidbits.

Tags: Ashley Greene, Brad Beal, Brian Gay, Camilo Villegas, Christian Taylor, Corey Brewer, David Lee, Denver Broncos, Erin Andrews, ESPYs, Golden State Warriors, Heisman Trophy, Jenn Brown, Mark Calcavecchia, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, NCAA, NFL, O'Connell Center, Ray Allen, Seth Meyers, The Open Championship, Tim Tebow, University of Florida, USA, USA Basketball

Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Corey Brewer will be making their triumphant return (along with a few former teammates) to the University of Florida and the Stephen C. O’Connell Center…at least for three days this summer.

The two members of the Florida Gators’ back-to-back men’s basketball National Championship teams will host The Back 2 Back Youth Basketball Camp powered by Five Star Basketball in Gainesville, FL, from July 26-28.

Find out more about the camp and Brewer’s thoughts on it…after the break!
Continue Reading » Hit the hardwood with Noah and Brewer in July

Tags: Back 2 Back Youth Basketball Camp, Chicago Bulls, Corey Brewer, Joakim Noah, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, O'Connell Center, Shands, University of Florida

The Florida Gators will renew their growing rivalry with the Ohio State Buckeyes with a home-and-home basketball series that will take place over the course of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, according to Buckeyes head coach Thad Matta.

Florida, which last had such a series with Ohio State during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, split those contests with a dominating 86-60 home win and devastating 62-49 away loss, respectively. Three months after the first meeting, the Gators defeated the Buckeyes 84-75 in the Georgia Dome while celebrating their second of back-to-back National Championships.

The decision to add a home-and-home series with Ohio State is evidence that Florida hopes to continue scheduling tough non-conference opponents before they begin each season’s Southeastern Conference slate. After putting together easy schedules and (perhaps consequently) missing the NCAA Tournament in consecutive seasons, the Gators faced Michigan State, Syracuse, Xavier, Florida State and North Carolina State over the course of the 2009-10 season.

The 2010-11 game will be a part of ESPN’s 24-hour college basketball marathon, taking place sometime on Nov. 16 from the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, FL.

Florida also has home-and-home series’ obligations with Florida State and Xavier to fulfill next season. They will face both teams on the road.

Photo Credit: University of Florida

Tags: Florida Gators, Georgia Dome, O'Connell Center, Ohio State Buckeyes, SEC, Thad Matta