1 » Florida Gators head swimming coach Gregg Troy was named the head coach of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Men’s Swimming Team on Wednesday. Troy, who was named the 2010 Coach of the Year by USA Swimming and earned three similar awards this year, is only the second Florida coach in school history to lead a U.S. Olympic National Team (Jimmy Carnes in track and field). “It’s certainly a tremendous honor any time you have the opportunity to represent your country,” Troy said in an official press release. “If you ask any young swimmer what tier goal is, they’ll all tell you it’s to go to the Olympics. I think coaches are no different. I’m fortunate to have an athletics department at Florida that makes [coaching] available to me, as well as a tremendous coaching staff that I work with here that can help me go forward towards London.”

2 » New England Patriots rookie linebacker Brandon Spikes was suspended four games by the NFL on Friday for violating the league’s performance enhancing drugs policy, according to the Boston Herald. Spikes, who will not appeal the suspension, is a rookie starter for New England who is fourth on the team in tackles with 61. He is expected to be back in time for the first round of the playoffs.

“I’ve been contacted by the NFL and informed that I will be suspended four games for the detection of an illegal substance in a drug test,” Spikes said in a team statement. “The substance was a medication that I should have gotten clarification on before taking. It was not a performance enhancer or an illegal drug. The integrity of the game is very important to me. I understand the league’s ruling and apologize to my teammates, the fans and the Patriots organization for this mistake.”

3 » Also receiving some bad news on Friday was Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin, who has recovered from his other injuries but has been dealing with a severe case of migraine headaches for the last two weeks. Harvin missed last Sunday’s game and is listed as doubtful this week (25 percent chance to play). He has been Minnesota’s most consistent pass catcher this year – with team-highs in yards (627), receptions (51), targets (81) and receiving touchdowns (4) – and is also the primary kickoff returner with 40 attempts for 933 yards and a touchdown.

4 » The Columbus Lions of the Southern Indoor Football League announced the signing of two former Gators – cornerbacks Wondy Pierre-Louis and Markihe Anderson – on Friday. The Lions are defending SIFL champions.

Photo Credit: David Silverman/New England Patriots

Tags: Brandon Spikes, Coach of the Year, Columbus Lions, Gregg Troy, Markihe Anderson, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, NFL, Olympics, Percy Harvin, SIFL, swimming, Wondy Pierre-Louis

1 » Florida Gators senior sprinter Calvin Smith advanced to the semifinals of the men’s 400-meter dash at the USA Track & Field Championship at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, IA on Thursday. Smith placed second in his heat and moves on to the next race, which will also include former Florida sprinter, Olympic gold medalist and, four-time World Champion and indoor 400-meter world record holder Kerron Clement.

2 » Three Gators track & field athletes – sophomore sprinter Jeff Demps, senior thrower Mariam Kevkhishvili and sophomore jumper Christian Taylor – have been named as top 10 finalists for The Bowerman, the sport’s highest honor. The men’s and women’s categories, respectively, will be knocked down to three finalists in the next few weeks, and voting from the 100-member panel will commence from there.

3 » Like its male counterpart, the Florida women’s basketball team has agreed to face the Central Florida Knights in 2010; however, instead of a regular season game, the two teams will square-off in the first round of the 2010 Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament on Nov. 13. The game time will be scheduled at a later date.

4 » Probably more than any other sport, college basketball coaches are hired based on relationships, working experience and recommendations. Louisville head coach Rick Pitino played an instrumental role in Billy Donovan’s elevation to the top job with Florida, and the Tuscaloosa News reports that he also helped Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Anthony Grant get his new job because of his relationship with Donovan. “When Alabama was getting ready to make a change, a good friend of mine, (UA trustee) John McMahon, called me to see about my interest in the job and I said, ‘John I’m not going to move any more in my life,’” Pitino said. “We talked about certain people and I said, ‘You just mentioned someone that I think is one of the premiere young coaches in basketball. He has all the intangible things that will make a great coach some day.”

Pitino also raved about Grant’s potential. “Look at what Billy Donovan has been able to do,” he said. “Anthony can do the same thing. [...] I think he’s going to take Alabama to great heights. It’s going to take a little time here. He’s got guys leaving that shouldn’t leave, and he’s going to get the players in that he’s comfortable coaching and he’s going to take them to the top of the SEC.” Pitino even helped facilitate the move, which you can read more about here.

Photo Credit: CBS via University of Florida

Tags: Alabama Crimson Tide, Anthony Grant, Billy Donovan, Calvin Smith, Central Florida Knights, Christian Taylor, field, Jeff Demps, Kerron Clement, Mariam Kevkhishvili, Olympics, Rick Pitino, The Bowerman, track, USA, USA Track & Field Championship, WNIT, women's basketball

1 » The Buffalo Bills announced Wednesday that the team has signed former Florida Gators wide receiver Chad Jackson. A free agent after being cut by the Denver Broncos on Sept. 7, 2009, Jackson’s NFL career has been marred with injuries.

“The Bills had been looking at me for a while and I had the opportunity to come up and get a workout in and they obviously liked what they saw,” Jackson said. “I’ve heard a lot about coach Gailey and the things he can do on the offensive side of the ball. I’m looking forward to working with him. He’s the type of guy that if you can make plays he’s going to get you the ball. I’ve got a good opportunity ahead of me signing with this organization, but I have to prove myself to the coaches and coach Gailey. Once I do that I think everything will work out real well. I’ve got a lot of speed to me and a lot of size to me and I can make plays in the open field. I can make a lot of things happen.”

After forgoing his final year of eligibility with Florida and entering the 2006 NFL Draft, Jackson was though to be a potential first round pick. However, he fell to the second round, causing the New England Patriots to trade up 16 slots (from No. 52 to No. 36) in order to select him. He missed the 2006 preseason with a hamstring injury, hurt his groin during the season and finished his rookie year with 13 catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the AFC Championship against the Indianapolis Colts. The Patriots placed him on the physically unable to perform list before the 2007 season, only activating him for four games. He was cut in 2008 and signed with the Broncos on Oct. 27, 2008, once again only playing in four games.

2 » Former Gators decathlete and U.S. Olympic gold medalist bobsledder Steve Mesler has accepted an invitation to speak on campus at the University of Florida on Thurs., April 1 at 10 a.m. Mesler will speak at the College of Health and Human Performance about his experiences at the Olympics. Admission is free, and Mesler will stay afterward for photographs with fans.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Tags: bobsled, Buffalo Bills, Chad Jackson, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, NFL, Olympics, Steve Mesler, University of Florida

Former and current Florida Gators student-athletes usually find a home in the Summer Olympics; however, when it comes to the Winter Olympics, appearances are few and far between. That changed in 2006 when Steve Mesler, a scholarship decathlete who earned a degree in exercise and sport science from the University of Florida in 2000, competed as a bobsledder in his first Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.

Now a right-side pusher in “Night Train,” a four-man sled squad piloted by Steve Holcomb, Mesler is in line for an Olympic medal if USA-1 can continue its hot start. Night Train has been on a tear since coming together, starting with winning the 2009 World Championships in Lake Placid, NY, the United States’ first four-man world title in 50 years. The team also captured the 2010 World Cup title (for the first time in 17 years) and the 2010 World Cup overall crown.

Team Holcomb, the medal favorite heading into the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, is in first place with a commanding lead after its first two runs at the Whistler Sliding Centre. Setting track records of 50.89 and 50.86 seconds on each run, USA-1′s combined time is 1 minute and 41.75 seconds – 0.40 seconds ahead of Canada and 0.44 better than a veteran German team.

Mesler occupies the third slot in the sled. On each run, he is responsible for managing the balance and speed of the sled, partially due to the fact that he is the team’s fastest member stemming from his days as a decathlete with the Gators. The two-time Olympian (he was a reserve in 2002) is a key member of the USA-1 sled, which could be the first in 62 years (since 1948) to bring home a gold medal in the four-man event for the United States in the Olympics. Video of the first two runs – NBC.

Night Train (USA-1) will take its third and fourth runs, which will determine all three Olympic medals, beginning at 4 p.m. (EST) on Saturday.

Tags: bobsled, Olympics, Steve Mesler, University of Florida

1 » Just because National Signing Day ended the 2010 recruiting cycle on Feb. 3 does not mean the Florida Gators coaching staff is done recruiting. The University of Florida will host its first Junior Day for 2011 high school graduates Saturday as prospects from all over the state (and some from beyond) will travel to Gainesville, FL, to learn about the Gators. The majority of the outing includes a presentation about Florida football from a suite, a tour of The Swamp and a chance for the high schoolers to meet with some current players and pick their brains about the Gators. OGGOA will provide you with a full recap of the event early next week.

2 » In case you wanted or needed some data to explain why former Florida basketball player and current New York Knicks star forward/center David Lee deserved to be in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game all along, his hometown paper (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) has it together in a column for you.

Four more BITS on the Olympics, Jeff Demps, eye black, etc. after the jump!
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Junior Day, Lee, Olympics, gym, track

Tags: Alabama Crimson Tide, All-Star, David Lee, field, Gator Chomp, gymnastics, Jeff Demps, Junior Day, NBA, NCAA Football Rules Committee, NCAA Indoor Championships, NCAA Player Rules Oversight Panel, New York Knicks, Olympics, SEC, Steve Mesler, Terrell Wilks, The Swamp, Tim Tebow, track, University of Florida, World Cup

1 » Having to sit out the 2009 season due to a hamstring injury, Florida Gators redshirt freshman wide receiver Andre Debose is on the road to recovery. Debose, who underwent surgery months ago, was last reported to be able to run in a pool on Jan. 3. Now, Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel reports that Debose can now run on a treadmill at full speed and is not expected to need a second surgery as rumored. OGGOA reached out to Debose for an update on his injury, but he did not wish to speak about it. Though he will not be a full participant in spring practices next month, he will likely be able to workout in non-contact drills.

2 » Former Florida forward/center David Lee, in the middle of a career season with the New York Knicks, has been named as one of 27 players on the U.S. National Team. Lee will have an opportunity to compete for a roster spot in the 2010 World Championships and 2012 Olympic Games.

3 » The Southeastern Conference released its 2010 Preseason All-SEC softball team Wednesday, and four Gators have been honored on the squad. Florida led all programs with four of 12 total selections, including junior pitcher Stephanie Brombachter, senior outfielder Francesca Enea, junior utility player Kelsey Bruder and junior second baseman Aja Paculba. For Enea and Pachulba, this is the second consecutive year they have been named to the team.

4 » Women’s tennis players senior Marrit Boonstra and freshman Caroline Hitimana were named Player and Freshman of the Week, respectively, by the SEC on Wednesday. Both Boonstra and Hitimana went 4-0 in their respective matches last week.

Tags: Aja Paculba, All-SEC, Andre Debose, Caroline Hitimana, David Lee, Francesca Enea, Kelsey Bruder, Marrit Boonstra, New York Knicks, Olympics, Player of the Week, SEC, softball, Stephanie Brombacher, tennis, U.S. National Team, World Championships

Former and current Florida Gators student-athletes usually find a home in the Summer Olympics; however, when it comes to the Winter Olympics, appearances are few and far between. That changed in 2006 when Steve Mesler, a scholarship decathlete who earned a degree in exercise and sport science from the University of Florida in 2000, competed in his first Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.

After graduation, Mesler wanted to continue his athletic career and tried out for bobsled in San Diego, CA, in June 2001. After practicing with Todd Hays’ four-man team for a few years, Mesler participated in the 2006 Games in Torino; his team’s sled would finish in seventh place.

Four seasons with Hays’ team was enough for Mesler, who moved on to the aptly nicknamed “Night Train,” a four-man sled squad piloted by Steve Holcomb. Night Train has been on a tear since coming together, starting with winning the 2009 World Championships in Lake Placid, NY, the United States’ first four-man world title in 50 years. The team has since captured the 2010 World Cup title (for the first time in 17 years) and the 2010 World Cup overall crown.

Team Holcomb is now the medal favorite heading into the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver with Mesler occupying the third slot in the sled. On each run, he is responsible for managing the balance and speed of the sled, partially due to the fact that he is the team’s fastest member stemming from his days as a decathlete with the Gators.

The two-time Olympian (he was a reserve in 2002) is a key member of the USA-1 sled, which could be the first in 62 years (since 1948) to bring home a gold medal for the United States in the Olympics. “Right now, we are the team to beat,” Holcomb told the Associated Press on Friday.

Keep an eye out for the futuristic-looking, shiny black USA-1 “Night Train” sled at the Whistler Sliding Centre during the XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

OGGOA Related Story: Mesler’s family was scammed out of $7,332 and lodging by a Whistler house rental company. They have since received the money back.

Tags: bobsled, Olympics, Steve Holcomb, Steve Mesler, Todd Hays, United States, University of Florida, Whistler Sliding Centre, World Championships, World Cup

1 » Former Florida Gators forward/center Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks has been named as a participant in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game. Though OGGOA is quite pleased with Horford’s accomplishment, we would be remiss if we did not speak out for fellow former Gators F/C David Lee. Lee, who has played with the New York Knicks his entire career, was snubbed by voters after averaging an impressive 19.4 points per game and 11.4 rebounds per game thus far. To his credit, Horford is averaging 13.6 points per game and 9.8 rebounds per game.

2 » The following commits to Florida’s 2010 recruiting class have been named PARADE All-Americans: five-star defensive end Ronald Powell, five-star defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, five-star safety Matt Elam and four-star cornerback Joshua Shaw.

3 » One aside from the 2010 Under Armour Senior Bowl is that players from the Gators and the Alabama Crimson Tide are playing together on the South team – and they’re having a good time doing it. “We’re getting along really well,” former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow said. “They’re good guys. We’ve had fun, trash-talking back and forth and giving each other a hard time. It’s been a lot of fun. When we break down (after a play), they say, ‘Go Alabama.’ They’ve been trying to get me to say that, but I haven’t yet. It’s been fun.”

Three more BITS including a Florida Gators bobsledder after the jump!
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: All-Star, PARADE, Donovan, bobsled

Tags: Al Horford, Alabama Crimson Tide, All-American, All-Star, Atlanta Hawks, Billy Donovan, bobsled, Catholic University, Central Florida Knights, David Lee, Joshua Shaw, Linder Stadium, Matt Elam, NBA, New York Knicks, Olympics, PARADE, Ring Tennis Complex, Ronald Powell, Senior Bowl, Sharrif Floyd, Steve Mesler, tennis, Tim Tebow, track, Under Armour, William Donovan