University of Florida Women Gymnastics: Dynasty, Dynasty!

By Jimbo Brown

Coach Faehn Giving Some Pointers To A Young Athlete

Athlete Talk normally supply its readers with articles about the more traditional sports; football, basketball, track & field, etc. So today we wanted to show some love to the University of Florida Women’s gymnastics team. The team is being coached by a great women that believes in talent, persistence and talent. Coach Rhonda Faehn has been the coach for the past 13 years and has brought nothing but success to the university. During her time UF has won 4 sec titles, 10 NCAA regional titles, 10 super six appearances and 3 back to back to back national titles. The only other sports program to win three consecutive national titles is UF men’s track & field team. The women’s team has tons of talent on it.

2015 NCAA Gymnastics Champions

On every team championship team there are individuals that the underclassmen look up to and those two are Kytra Hunter and Bridget Sloans. These two set the tone for the other athletes on the team, especially Hunter. Hunter is a 15-time All American and is a 3x NCAA champion. Like most teams, the Gators had an up and down regular season. Through the good and bad times the whole roster delivered at clutch moments. For example, Bridgette Gaquatto’s career-best-tying floor routine gave UF a share of the 2014 title. This year freshman Alex McMurty came through and delivered the 3^rd consecutive national title by putting up a career best 9.95 to close UF’s bar rotation. Three freshman competed with the team for the national title, this establishes a good foundation for the slight rebuild Coach Faehn has to do.

Losing Hunter and fellow seniors Rachel Spicer, Jamie Shisler and Kierten Wang would be devastating for most teams. These seniors have contributed to the team in so many ways. The squad is already returning 9 people from their national championship team. 7 of the 9 actually competed this past weekend. The incoming freshmen will have plenty of leadership to follow because the retuning athletes have never experience a season that didn’t end with a national title. Freshman Kennedy Baker is the only African American on the team right now and she had a very good beginning to her career. The Gators have a bright future ahead of them. To be successful you have to emulate the greats.

Al Golden: GTFOH

By: Jimbo Brown 

Since the UM/FIU brawl in the Orange Bowl, The U has unintentionally turned back into just The University of Miami. You may be thinking to yourself, "These are the same school". To me these are two different types of programs. Growing up in the era of The U, I got to see legends such as Sean Taylor, Andre Johnson and Carol City bred Santana Moss. They just didn't bring talent to the program but the same swag that greats before them possessed. Now,the kids only get to see a few of these players come through the program now, like Allen Hurns, Duke Johnson and Sean Spence. There has been other players that represents The U but they are just a small percentage of the players. The culture of the program has vastly changed once the coaching changes became more frequent.

Al Golden has been the coach for a couple years now and the program haven't lived up to expectations of the core fans. I have lost hope for this coaching staff because they have had enough talent on to compete with the new king of the Florida, Florida State Seminoles. Golden has yet to deliver an 8-win season at the University of Miami. He has yet to produce a bowl win to the campus and only season he has had is destroying a already dying legacy. 

The main reason I would like to see Al Golden leave because he let great high school players fall to the waist side. Injured 5-star athletes were forgotten about because they wasn't the players he recruited. Players like Eduardo Clements, who once had offers on top of offers, was forgotten about after a neck injury. Even though he was cleared to play, Golden relied on a talented but inexperienced Dallas Crawford. If Eduardo was used in more often, when Duke went out with the ankle injury in 2013, the season would have went down the drain. This past season wasn't successful either which leads me to believe he is on a short leash.

The leash the Alumni is holding on Al Golden before they start to snap is shorter than Kevin Hart and Wee Man fighting. He has to produce a 10-win season, a respectable bowl appearance and develop his players. He has no excuses this season; its his system, coaches and players HE recruited. You can say he is on the HOT SEAT.

Athlete Talk Mock Draft 1.0

By: Jimbo Brown 

1. Tampa Bay: Jameis Winston, QB,  Florida State-- They need a quarterback and he's #1 on the board. Take EM!
2. Tennessee Titans: Leonard Williams, DT/DE, USC-- They will pass on a QB right now and get the best player in the draft.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Dante Fowler Jr., DE/OLB, UF--I'm a gator and the Jags need a game changer to come off the edge. He will give them a Jamie Collins type hybrid player.
4. Oakland Raiders: Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska-- HE will join a talented front seven with Justin Tuck and Khalil Mack. Immediate impact because those two can demand double teams at any time. 
5. Washington Redskins: Shane Ray, DE, Missouri-- With Brian Orakpo entering free agency, they will need a pass rusher to step in and Shane was very productive for multiple years in the SEC.
6. New York Jets: Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson-- With Revis and Cro returning back to New Tork, a dynamic pass rusher will make them a force in the AFC East.
7. Chicago Bears: Alvin "Bud" Dupre, DE, Kentucky-- With a great resume as a Wildcat, he will bring that toughness and talent of the SEC to the bears. Who need to add more pieces to a depleted defense.
8. Atlants Falcons: Lando Collins, SS, Alabama-- An All-American wit the Rolling Tide. He was a playmaker throughout his career; know for big hits and causing mayhem. 
9. New York Giants: Ereck Flowers' OT' Miami-- I'm  not going to lie I got a text message telling me that Flowers will be drafted by the giants. He will be a great addition because they need to protect Eli to have any chance in the NFC East.
10. St. Louis Rams: Kevin White, WR, WVU-- Another West V receiver that has the size, speed and ability to be a #1 receiver. The have a good possession receivers and White will be the deep threat to make the defense "Kiss the Baby"  Chad Johnson voice.
11. Minnesota Vikings: Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama--Coop will be reunited with the doctor Teddy B and be the playmaker to compliment Adrian Peteson. He will get immediate separation due to his crisp routes.
12. Cleveland Browns: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon-- Even though I got a feeling that Chip is going to make a way to get Marcus, Cleveland needs a back-up plan incase Johnny doesn't be fully rehabilitated. Marcus will be a project but they have a good defense to protect him earl in his career.
13. New Orleans Saints: Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota-- With the departure of pro bowler Jimmy Graham, you have to get first round potential to replace em. 
14. Miami Dolphins: Devante Parker, WR, Louisville--With Mike Wallace not living up to his potential and the lost of productive veterans. He will be a vertical threat early in his career. He is arguably the best receiver in the draft if he was healthy throughout his career.
15. San Francisco 49ers: Eddie Goldman, DT, FSU-- With the lost of Justin Smith , they need a good interior d-linemen. Goldman is a run-stopper and can put pressure on the quarterback. 
16. Houston Texans: Malcolm Brown, DT, Texas-- You add this talent with Watt and Clowney and be one of the best defensive lineman in the NFL. 
17. San Diego Chargers: Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin-- Ryan Matthews leaves to Philly, so this is a excellent replacement. Melvin is the best running back in this drive. He does have fumbling issues.  
18. Kansas City Chiefs: Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri/Oklahoma-- A big receiver that KC need to be more effective on offensive. He has some red flags but he will be a red zone threat early similar to Mike Evans this past season.
19. Cleveland Browns: Cameron Erving, OL, FSU-- Lets protect whoever is the starting QB next season , whether its Mariota or Manziel. Erving is a great talent who protected Winston for two years and looked good doing it. 
20. Philadelphia Eagles: Trae Wayans, CB, MSU-- A long, fast lock down corner who has an incredibly high ceiling. This will allow the Eagles to push Thurmond into the inside and like Maxwell and Wayans handle the outside. 
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford-- A former five-star recruit who has major potential, he had some lapses during his career but with the right coaching he will be a great professional.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers: P.J. Williams, CB, FSU-- A 2-year starter at Florida State, who is talented enough to upgrade the Steelers secondary who desperately need corners. It will be interesting to see P.J's game translate to the next level.
23. Detroit Lions: Marcus Peters, CB, Washington-- Sometimes you have to take the best available. 
24. Arizona Cardinals: Danielle Hunter, DE, LSU-- With his lanky build, he brings strength and agility to this team. In this pass happy league he will fit i. 
25. Carolina Panther: DJ Humpries, OT, UF-- An outstanding player for the Gators. He will be a starting RT but needs to be groomed into a LT. 
26. Baltimore Ravens: Todd Gurley, RB, UGA-- Even though they need a corner back and maybe a interior d-linemen, I believe you have to take the best available prospect. Especially when healthy fits the culture that's already in Baltimore.
27. Dallas Cowboys: Arik Armstead, DT, Oregon-- He will bring size and athleticism to a Cowboys defensive that will have to get better now that DeMarco is gone now. 
28. Denver Broncos: Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma--With the lost of Knighton they will need first-round talent to fill his shoes. 
29. Indianapolis Colts: Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA-- A fast linebacker who can play sideline to sideline. He is alittle undersized but can make big plays all over the field. His big brother being in the NFL already, he have someone to show him how to represent himself on and off the field.
30. Green Bay Packers: Shaq Thompson, OLB, Washington-- Former safety with the Huskies, he will transition into the NFL perfectly. He has the skill set to be that hybrid safety that can play in the box and cover RB's and TE's.
31. Seattle Seahawks: Jaelen Strong, WR, ASU-- He will add to the recievers corp they already have. HE is big, fast strong and will win on most 50/50 balls.
32. New England Patriots: Kevin Johnson, CB, Wake Forest-- Will be an immediate starter due to the lost of Darelle Revis. He has the talent to survive in the AFC East. 

Carol City Football was Everything: The Dynasty that Never Happened

By:Jimbo Brown 

It's the 1st day of summer practice at Miami Carol City High School and your a freshman trying to find your way on a talented JV roster. The year is 2005 and I was that freshman in high school who didn't know nothing about Carol City football besides they won state a few years earlier. If it wasn't for my mom I would have been at Miami Northwestern. Schools outside of Carol City was the landing spots for most of its talent from 2005-2012. Due to the old school mentality of legendary coach Walt Frazier and the dictatorship of his predecessor Harold Barnswell,  the football program at CC hasn't returned back to their once elite status. 

From the class of 2009 and up Carol City has seen talent come in and out of the school and having success in other programs. NFL stars such as Kayvon Webster and Stedman Bailey both were freshmans with me. Webster who later became a dual threat for Pace was tricked into helping the team by being stuck in a position he didn't want to play. This lead to him transferring to neighborhood rival Miami Norland. Norland that year and helping them end our 6-year streak of undefeated seasons. Stedman on the other stayed at CC until the end of his incredible sophomore year. He left to join Geno Smith at Miramar High School, a school that inherited a lot of the talent from Carol City. The youth had a bad stigma about CC that made them run away and find homes elsewhere.

If I told you guys that we had Teddy Bridgewater for a hot minute, would y'all believe me? Yeah he was practicing but because of an executive decision from moms he headed to Northwestern where he became arguably the greatest quarterback in their history. That happened a lot with the talent at Carol City. Either the off-season workout was too much for them, the philosophy was to demanding or other schools was a better destination. A big part of the problem was that Carol City wasn't putting their players in college. Even the talented ones who stayed was looked over because the coaches didn't do their jobs. 

For the pass decade Carol City football program has been in the middle of the pack. How potent of an offense we would have had with Teddy at QB with Sted and Allen at receiver. Or think about how many shutouts we would have had with Kayvon and Robert Sands on our defense. Class of 2009 had the best chance to make some noise but was oust from the playoffs by one of the luckiest catches in football history. Carol City is heading back in the right direction. With the help of the flakey business with Miramar head coach. Talent will be returning back to its home and hopefully we can get back to a national powerhouse. Chief Pride! 

Rams Silent Protest

By: Candy Man

This past Sunday during the St. Louis Rams & Oakland Raiders game, five Rams players (Stedman Bailey, Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt, Jared Cook & Chris Givens) walked out the tunnel during pregame introductions with their hands up in support of Michael Brown. People all over the nation have protested with the phrase “hands up, don’t shoot” after witnesses claimed Michael Brown had his hands up when he was shot & killed. Despite that, the cop that murdered Brown wasn’t indicted by a grand jury. The decision not to indict him led to more protests around the nation & riots in Ferguson.

Not only did the Rams players show their support, fans of the team have also been vocal. There was another protest during a Monday Night game against the 49ers where fans protested with chants & signs and their hands up. The five players made a silent but major statement through a simple gesture. African-American athletes in general have been criticized for not taking a stand and speaking up on certain events that have affected the Black community so this was encouraging and shows that they are actually paying attention. Athletes are subject to harsh criticism, fines, suspensions and threats to their brand & image if they say or do the wrong things under the eyes of the media. I respect them for taking a stand and a sacrifice that other athletes won’t take. There are many instances in sports where athletes took a stand on issues in our society such as the Miami Heat posing in hoodies in support of Trayvon Martin, the black power salute in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics when Tommie Smith & John Carlos raised their fists in a silent protest against racism in America, and Muhammad Ali’s refusal to be drafted to fight in the Vietnam War in the 1960’s.

Despite their courageous act, there have been organizations that opposed the Rams protest and want the NFL to punish the players such as the St. Louis Police Officers Association and a local bar that decided to boycott the NFL and are no longer serving happy hour during Rams games. The NFL recently came out publicly with a statement saying the Rams players won’t be fined. The country is divided on the grand jury decision and there are many people and organizations that are still pushing for an indictment of the officer and felt that that the grand jury process was unfair.

I applaud Bailey, Austin, Cook, Britt & Givens for their demonstration and hope to see more athletes be more vocal about issues that affect them and their communities. As role models and popular public figures, they have the influence and spotlight to have an impact and enforce change with their actions and opinions.     

The Best High School Football Teams in South Florida of All-TIme

By: Jimbo Brown

 When it comes to high school football it has reached the highest it has ever been in its long history. High school teams and players are getting exposure from social media to shows on ESPNU. Nike and Under Armor has been a leading force in generating exposure for the talented youth by holding football camps as a platform. Florida arguably has the best athletes. Many scouts come to the tri-county to recruit for all positions.  The West (Miami Northwestern), Carol City, St. Thomas, Central, Booker T and American Heritage has produced talent at big universities and in the NFL. 

The discussion of the best high school team of all-time from the South Florida area could be heard in all circles and walks of life. The best teams always vary by generation and what type of football you like. I’m going to try not to be bias, facts are going to outweigh feelings. Here is my top 5 no specific order:

Miami Northwestern Bulls (Class of 2007 & 2008)

-This team was arguably the best in the schools history. With top prospects like Jacorey Harris and Sean Spence on both sides of the ball the Bulls were unstoppable. Averaging 50 points a game and shutting out most opponents was the formula for success. Many prospects went to D-1 universities and some found a place in the NFL. The legacy was cemented with 2 state championships.

Miami Carol City Chiefs (Class of 2003)

-Coach Frazier believed in great defense and a strong running game. Even though it was the death of his legacy, his 2003 state team was the epitome of his vision. With a host of running backs starring Chris Strothers, Carol City ran the ball down opponents throats that year. The most feared player on the team had to be Willie Williams, who broke the arm of Edgewater quarterback on the first play of the state game. Kenny Phillips 2-time NFL super bowl champion started at safety as a junior on this team.

Miami Central (Class of 2011)

-This was the year that the Roc Boys on 95th street was loaded with D-1 talent. The team was lead by the running attack of Devonta Freeman and the arm of Rakeem Cato. Unable to deliver a state championship in the previous year, the talent of the Rockets blew out a talented Dr.Phillips. Notable players on the team was Charles Gaines Jr, Thomas Finnie, Tommy Shula, Durell Eskridge and Joseph Yearby. 

Booker T Washington (Class of 2014)

-This class of football was the best team in dade county two years in a row, winning two state championships and putting a number of property stricken youth in universities across the nation. Lead by Chad Thomas on defensive and Treon Harris on offensive teams had to face the best of both worlds each week. Majority of the team was the reason the track team was able to win a state championship during that era. 

St.Thomas (Class of 2009)

-The only team in my top five that doesn’t have a championship title but has enough talent to go head to head with other teams on the list. The 2008-2009 St. Thomas Aquinas was loaded with talented players. Lamarcus Joyner and Giovanni Benard are probably the biggest names off of this team. Phillip Dorsett and Rashad Greene now at rival schools also played on this team. You will see a significant amount of these players playing on sunday.







Honorable Mention

-Miramar (Class of 2010)

-Booker T Washington (Class of 2008)

-The West (Class of 2000)

-Carol City (Class of 1996 & 1997)

-Norland (Class of 2004)
-Pahokee & Glades Central (Class 2007-2010)

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.

Adrian Peterson Child Abuse Scandal: Was he right or wrong?

By: Jimbo Brown

It has been a long couple of weeks for the NFL due to legal issues: Domestic Violence and Child Abuse, neither being acceptable to me or to many others across the nation. When it comes to the Adrian Peterson situation I believe he has every right to discipline his children. He may have went overboard, but he only implemented the tactics learned by his parents.

For those who may not know the story let me get you up to speed. Earlier this year in May, Peterson took a switch (thin branch with no leaves) and spanked his son for pushing his sibling. He was questioned by two different police departments with a lawyer, summoned and testified before the Grand Jury. A warrant for his arrest was issued in Montgomery, Texas, where he turned himself in and posted the $25,000 bail. The Minnesota Vikings will not take any action until due process has taken place. 

Even though the child sustained bodily injures and Peterson may have went over board, I believe you can't tell someone how to discipline their child. In the black community, getting whipped or spanked is common in most households. Parents go-to line will always be “I brought you into this world and I can take you out.” We all have done things in our life that has lead to our parents disciplining us.

It was times during my life where my parents have disciplined me in multiple ways: whippings (belts,switches etc) and Physical (punch in chest, slap in face etc). have gotten bruises and sometimes bleed during a whipping. I now understand the purpose for the punishment. It made me think about the actions and the consequences behind it. My parents also explained to me after on why this happen and how I can prevent it by following their rules. I believe the white culture will not understand because they were raised differently. 

A large part of the country is quick to judge this situation but no one is in the position to tell someone how to discipline their child. We all have our beliefs and ways we might have gone about this. Adrian Peterson admits to overly whipping his child but didn’t intentionally mean to abuse and harm HIS child. I hope the NFL doesn't overly react to the situation before all the details are out. We don’t need another Ray Rice situation.