Whatever happens, this team will be close.

[Art]

Saw this blurb from the Times.

"Do see do

Who needs rookie hazing when the bosses are available?

Coach Steve Spurrier and his new assistants entertained players with their dance rendition of "Hail to the Redskins" during dinner Wednesday. It was a form of square dance and was received with great cheers.

"We could have made a lot of money if someone had that on tape," one player said jokingly. "

This team is going to build up a closeness with each other and the coaches that will be beneficial. I don't think I could see Joe Gibbs doing that .

[Mickalino]

Lovely, I'm looking forward to a close-knit, 2-14 team.

[bulldog]

coaches have their own styles, granted

the goal is to get all the players coming out of the chute on September 8 playing together and being a 'team'.

Marty failed to do that and the team suffered its worst start in 40 years in 2001.

Spurrier's style is laid back enough to allow the players to do simple things like call their wives after 12pm :laugh: but strict enough to ensure that bad performances won't be tolerated for long.

And really that is what the NFL is about.

For Marty, who wanted to peer into everyone's room and put an alarm on the exit door next to Darrell Green's dorm door, he can try some of that in San Diego with a younger squad.

However, I doubt Butler will put up with the same kind of messianic behavior we saw last year here with the Emperor

[Art]

Mick,

I think the defense alone is enough to make it difficult to see THAT bad a season. Though, a rough year could be in store if Spurrier has a hard time adjusting to the coaching ability he'll be facing on this level.

People often point to the fact that this isn't college and point out Spurrier's players being better than others. As we know, Florida didn't really have more studs than most teams in the SEC. And, in the pro level, not only are other teams better, but, his own team is better. The real difference is the guy on the other sideline who is better than just about anyone he's coached against before and he'll be doing so against fine minds every week. Hell, even a guy like Campo with a 10-22 record has a better mind than a good coach at most of the SEC schools.

How Spurrier fares when his competition on the chess board gets better is what will be a determining factor in our success. At worst, our defense should be capable of allowing us several wins. At best, something a bit better.

[Luca Brasi]

Originally posted by Mick

Lovely, I'm looking forward to a close-knit, 2-14 team.

I didn't know you were a Cowboy's fan Mick.

[redman]

Originally posted by Art

As we know, Florida didn't really have more studs than most teams in the SEC.

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree there, even if I agree with your conclusion that Spurrier will succeed in his adjustment to the NFL.

But most teams in the SEC had players that matched up to Spurrier's at Florida in terms of talent? I'm not sure a single program has produced as many NFL receivers during the last decade as Florida's did, although Tennessee doesn't do badly for itself. I mean, for example, can you name a single Auburn WR who's in the NFL? I sure can't and that's not because Auburn's a bad program. I can't even think of any Georgia (I don't count Champ . . . yet) or 'Bama WR's.

When it gets right down to it, the only SEC team that can claim it rivaled Spurrier's in terms of overall talent on offense that was pro caliber in the last ten years was Tennessee, and you'll note that they too won a national championship during that time. Tennessee may have even had an edge in terms of talent on the o-line.

Now the fact that Spurrier beat them consistently even when they had Peyton Manning QB'ing them looks good, and I can agree that coaching there may well have been the difference with Tennessee. But I think that conference-wide, Spurrier had a distinct talent advantage over his rivals. That's not a criticism of him, just the truth.

[Art]

Redman,

Off the top of my head and without having to look much, Auburn receiver Frank Sanders is in the NFL. Tim Carter, Karsten Bailey and Rob Baker are others. But, Florida probably does have more wide receivers than, say, Auburn.

My statement didn't say Florida didn't really have more receivers than most teams in the SEC. My statement was Florida really didn't have more studs than most teams in the SEC. Whether you define studs by players who are productive in the NFL or simply by player count might make that statement innacurate.

The difference in talent, as it projects in the NFL is pretty similar for many of the SEC teams. The difference between the 43 NFL players from Tennessee and the 43 players in the NFL from Florida is Florida's were coached by Spurrier which is why Spurrier beat Tennessee a bit.

It wasn't that Florida's talent was very far above most of the very good teams in the SEC. It was that Spurrier was very far above most of the coaching. Georgia has 39 NFL players presently. That is a team that routinely finds very good talent both at the college and the NFL level (Mo Lewis, Garrison Hearst, Hines Ward, Champ Bailey, Kendrell Bell, Terrell Davis, etc.) that is very much on par on the college level and better at the Pro level than what has been at Florida.

The difference is Spurrier. In the NFL that is the main difference that he won't have as large an advantage in.

[JimboDaMan]

Marty's version of going crazy was to put on a straw hat.

Joe Gibbs, that bawdy pirate, would yell stuff like "Lets go kick their buns!"

This Spurrier will be fun to watch. Even when they lose games I know I'll feel better watching his antics than I did listening to Norv's hapless post-mortems.

That first victory against Dallas. I wonder if he's already written a script for the postgame news conference.

[Funkyalligator]

Another thing about Spurrier is that he was able to maximize the talent from his players. Look at all the Florida players that are in the NFL but aren't stars yet were stars at florida, that shows that Spurrier was able to make them the best that they could be.

[Larry]

"We could have made a lot of money if someone had that on tape," one player said jokingly.

Note to Dan Snyder: This is a true statement.

[Carlito Sway]

FunkyA is right on about the SS maximization of talent angle.

Something Art wrote got me thinking - what if Spurrier's liberal playcalling works simply because it breaks the conservative mold? If there's one trend in the NFL, it's the ossified playcalling. I hope that SS's rep alone will make D Cos and HC's play off a lot more than they are used to so as *not* to be the first NFL coach burned by the S Double. In a sense, having a reputation that precedes him may be as important as the F&G and playcalling itself, right? I think this gives Spurrier the edge when it comes to facing off against his coaching brethren in the bigs.