Roger Franklin Williams
Gator Gridiron
As Gators across the nation eagerly await Saturday's kick-off of the 2011 season at the Swamp against Florida Atlantic, many Gators are wisely keeping expectations for Will Muschamp's first Gator team in check. While Gator Gridiron has a personal ethic of maintaining conservative expectations, we must admit that Gator Gridiron finds much to be optimistic about in terms of the rapidly approaching 2011 season.
We'll state some of those reasons for optimism below:
1. A FRESH START AND POSITIVE, UPBEAT ATMOSPHERE. New Head Coach Muschamp has brought a much needed burst of positive energy to the Florida Football. Obviously, the hard-edged, white knuckle, stomach churning intensity of former Head Gator Urban Meyer brought extraordinary success to Florida Gator Football. Gator Gridiron, as well as all Gators, should forever have a huge spirit of gratitide and respect for what CM achieved; however, that infamous Coach Meyer 24/7/365 grinding intensity eventually took it's toll. In a nutshell, Coach Meyer not only famously burned himself out, he burned out the remnants of the post-Tebow era Gators as well. A new HC with brand new assistant coaches with new schemes brings not only a fresh attitude for the players, but also the opportunity for a fresh start for many talented Gators, who for whatever reason, did not fit into the Coach Meyer plan for playing time.
2, ADDAZIO IS GONE. Perhaps the best thing to happen to Florida Gator Football, other than signing Tim Tebow, in, at least, the last 20 years or so, is the departure of the most incompetent "coach" to ever set foot in Gainesville, Steve "Meathead" Addazio. Addazio, as skilled a careerist, resume' builder and apple polisher as has ever lived, parlayed an asset as Urban Meyer's best friend into the role of Assistant Head Coach (even, perish the thought, Interim Head Coach at one point!!!???) AND, most destructively, Offensive Coordinator, a position he used to severely damage the NFL prospects of one Gator QB (Tim Tebow) and virtually destroy the career of another highly touted young QB (John Brantley), not to mention take the famed Florida Gator offense to the bottom tier of the SEC and NCAA. Thankfully, "Meathead" is gone now, to Temple to destroy the winning program that Coach Al Golden has built over the past few years. Without the albatross of Steve Addazio around their neck, the 2011 Gators truly have an opportunity for success, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
3, CHARLIE WEIS. The Coach WM regime not only swept out the worst OC in college football (and possibly college football history), he replaces him with one of the best offensive minds in the GAME of football----Charlie Weis. Weis has had nothing but success in a long career that has scanned the highest levels of the NFL (multiple Super Bowl rings with multiple teams), college and even high school (Weis bagged a state championship as a high school coach in New Jersey as he was just starting his career). Weis not only brings a lonnnnnggg track record of success to Gainesville, he also brings a balanced, "pro-style" offense that features an aggressive "down-the-field" passing game that compliments the talent in the program and that he has orchestrated to virtual perfection wherever he has been.
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