Is There Such Thing as Rewards Without Risk (Throwback Wednesday)

By: Jimbo Brown

 

Growing up playing football in the South Florida Youth Football League I witnessed opponents and teammates get hit and have concussion like symptoms. We were to young to understand the damage we were causing because we emulated  what we saw on the professional level. The big hits and head on head collisions became apart of the game. 

The professional football players we grew up watching are now suing the National Football League for the affect concussions had on them. Over 4,500 athletes claimed the NFL concealed the dangers of concussions and rushed players back to the field while profited from them. The players who will receive compensation are suffering from dementia, depression or Alzheimer’s. When you're dreaming of playing in the NFL you don’t think about the negative effect it can have on your body. You think about how you're going to train hard so you can better you and your family situation. 

I feel the NFL shouldn’t have to pay out the money granted by the Supreme Court judge. When the money was good, players weren’t thinking about health concerns. It was understood that while playing the game you will be exposed to harmful possibilities. There are big name hall of famers who are eligible and are seeking compensation; Tony Dorsett and the family of Tony Dorsett. We have to prepare the future NFL stars with the proper techniques when engaging in contact. It starts with the little kid in Gainesville, Florida or the #1 prospect in the 2015 class. The future is what you make it.

Will Muschamp: The Destruction of Greatness

By: Jimbo Brown

Will Larry Muschamp the head coach of the GREAT University of Florida was chosen as the successor to the GREAT Urban Meyer in 2011. Over three years Muschamp as the Head Coach he lead the Gators to a 25-19 record. Once his dream job, has become a nightmare for the head coach. The record can be very misleading because most of his success came while majority of the starters on his team wasn’t his recruits. The performance on the field has led gator alumni and fans to urge for Muschamp to be fired. 

I was skeptical of him being hired in the first place because he doesn’t develop the players as a head coach should. You would tailor your team to the strengths of your players. Tyler Murphy and Jacoby Brissett are prime examples.

Murphy and Brissett, who both started for UF  has seen time playing a support role to the best worst quarterback in our history, Jeff Driskel. Tyler Murphy transferred to Boston College after completing his senior year with the Gators. Brissett on the other hand decided to transfer after his sophomore season to North Carolina State, where he sat out the entire 2013. These two didn’t succeed during their time at UF because they didn’t fit into the scheme of the offense. They are dual-threat QB’s that need to have the option to pass or run.

Muschamp was persistent with running the pro-style. Even Driskel is lack-luster in the offense due to the frequent change of offensive coordinators. As talented as the Gators are, the production level hasn’t met the expectations of the great teams in the past. The Gator Nation wish for Muschamp to be fired and a new coach is brought in to build with Treon Harris. 

Every Saturday has been a Nightmare at Ben Hill Griffin with Muschamp playing the role of Freddy Cougar. 

Money controls American Football: College and Professional

By: Jimbo Brown

3.5 billion people across the world actively enjoy soccer, that is half of the human race. The NFL has been trying to tap into the global market aggressively over these past few years. I did an essay my freshman at UF on the Globalization of American football and didn’t understand the reasoning behind it until I reflected on the topic one day. 

Realizing that the NFL went through a lockout over 10 billion dollars and the game becoming “safer” was to help the globalization of the game. When you bring money into any situation, things start to become difficult. You even see the change of the rules helping the NFL to globalize because the outside world see us as a violent country. The NFL nowadays is not looking like the NFL I grew up on where big hits and running backs is what you watched the game for. You have former players looking at the game they once played in disgrace. Baseball and Basketball doesn’t change their rules just to gain global notoriety. The money will be the success and failure of the NFL. 

It’s funny how College Football and the NFL have this one thing in common that make people do unethical things and thats CAPITAL. How can the NCAA punish a player that trying to make some money on the name he built. Johnny Manziel, Cam Newton and now recently Todd Gurley have all been ridiculed about being payed for various agreements. This further support the argument that collegiate players should be compensated for making the College Football product so good. The tradition that these colleges and universities have established is producing billions of dollars. While the main producer doesn’t get anything but a scholarship thats not even worth one percent of what they are making.

The demand for both sports is growing at a rapid pace. The NCAA has already extended the football season by adding the 4-team playoff. The NFL is following suite by discussing adding 2-games to the season. pushing the Super Bowl deep into February. Both entities are being impacted by their increase of revenue. I believe in the near future college athletes will be paid and the NFL will get back to the way it was when I grew up. 

Treon Harris: Scandal or Conspiracy?

By: Jimbo Brown

Treon Harris the lone Gator out of the talented Harris family, lead UF to a 10-9 win against their rival on Rocky Top. Treon Harris, younger brother of Tim Harris Jr. and Brandon Harris: both UM standouts. Treon is arguably the best out of the three brothers leading his high school football to two state championships. Saturday, October 4th Treon brought life to the Gators offense, that hasn’t looked to good this season with Jeff Driskel at the reigns. 

Just like #1 Alabama losing to #10 Ole Miss this past weekend, Treon Harris chances this season have gone down the drain. Early Sunday morning, an accuser claimed Harris forced his way into her dorm room and sexually assaulted her. Lynden Trail says, “He and others will support Harris, not just because he plays football but because it’s not in his character." Based on the evidence so far, the case is pretty shaky and is based on a lot of “He said, She said” information. I will access the situation more once the investigation plays out. For now I will discuss the real possibility of Treon Harris being a starting quarterback at UF, another highly talented black UF quarterback ostracized and will this trend every change.

I highly doubt UF would make Treon their starting quarterback without giving Driskel another shot. Over the past couple of years Driskel was unsuccessful at returning UF to the limelight. Treon has a strong case over Driskel in the limited time we seen him play. My opinion is that race would have played a large part in this situation. After Chris Leak (who didn’t have the norm black appearance) all other black quarterbacks at UF was casted out either by transfer or criminal allegations: Cam Newton and Jacoby Brissett. 

If the accusations against Treon turns out to be false this would look like a conspiracy to oust another black QB from the program. Cam Newton “Stolen Laptop” situation was skeptical and this case gives me that same feeling. UF can’t afford to lose another highly-talented QB because Newton ended up to be a Heisman/National Championship winner in the same season with a mediocre Auburn Tigers. When will this cycle stop?

Before this scandal, I believed that the cycle would have stopped with Treon Harris. I made this assessment based off his high character and maturity that others before him may not have possessed. He is the kid you want the ball with 2 minutes left in Death Valley and he’s down 6 points. He has that “It” factor that a starting  quarterback needs to have to win in NCAA football.

Teddy “2Gloves” Bridgewater: GUMP (Great Under Major Pressure)

By: Jimbo Brown

“Teddy, Teddy, Teddy” chants the the Minnesota Vikings fan base after rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater came to the sideline after a touchdown drive. “It’s great when you have fans on your back supporting you,” Bridgewater said. Its not new for Teddy to hear his name chanted or lead his team to a comeback victory, he has done both throughout his career.Teddy’s career didn’t start off on the bright side. He didn’t become the #1 pick after preseason mock draft had him and Jadeveon Clowney as #1 and #2.

Two other quarterbacks were taken ahead of Bridgewater after respected experts had him ranked as  #4 QB due to a subpar performance at his pro day. Teddy stayed humble throughout the draft process and worked hard to show the Vikings their first-round pick wasn’t a waste.  His first career start didn’t disappoint the Viking organization neither. 

Teddy Bridgewater was the first quarterback ever to record a fourth-quarter comeback in his debut bringing the Vikings back from a one-point deficit after they blew a 27-14 lead in the third quarter. With the best debut of any vikings quarterback back, Teddy set team records for the most passing yards, most completions and highest passer rating by a rookie in his first start. After only one start, Teddy is proving on the field that he was the best quarterback in the 2014 NFL Draft. 

Trying to make a play to put his team in the lead, Teddy sprained his ankle and didn’t return to the game after converting the 2-point conversion. Although he is likely to start this Thursday against the Packers, Teddy has played with this injury before while at Louisville, against an in-conference rival, University of Rutgers.Teddy states “I think in this situation, I’m just going to have to put extra time in the training room.” As the co-founder of GUMP (Great Under Major Pressure), Teddy will be well prepared if coaches decide to start him. 

Teddy “2Gloves” Bridgewater gives the children that are running around Bunche Park, someone they can look up took and say “I can do it too.”  He’s done everything the right way and still has a lot more to accomplish.