FRZ Editor's Note 8-23-2004
Since fireronzook.com has been taken down I thought it would be appropriate to post as much material from that site here as possible. The posts are dated by original publication date.
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Well Gator Fans, it's just about time for another season of "Top This Disappointment" The Ron Zook Years.
We here at FRZ are primed and pumped for another 5 loss season. The only problem for the Zooker is that he doesn't have the extra game this year to get to 8 wins.
How has it gone for Gator Football recently? I'm glad you asked.
The NCAA decided to impose restraints on the recruiting processes that most Division I schools have implemented. No more fancy plane rides. No more intro's on the Jumbotron's. No more names on jersey's.
No longer will style win out over substance in the recruiting process. That spells doom for a staff like Zook's because they don't have any substance to sell to recruits.
Proof of no substance ...
The Sporting News has named LSU as the BEST OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL. I guess losing at home three times will do that to your perception in the rest of the US. There was a time when Florida Field was one of the great destinations in college football. I remember those days (in case you had forgotten they were prior to the last two years).
In fact, the Sporting News also ranked the top sports cities and ridiculously enough, Baton Rouge (41), Tallahassee (48) and Athens (51) were all ranked ahead of Gainesville which came in at 57th.
The best innovation of the Zook tenure. Those practice jersey's with TEAM across the back. It's clearly working, because the team has found out that they can pound on other students together as a team much better than they would as individuals. Is there any accountability for these actions from the administration? Mr. Foley, you are the king of "what needs to be done eventually must be done immediately" so now is your chance to put your money where your mouth is.
On a football note, this might be one of the easiest schedules the Gators have had in years.
"But FRZ...they have LSU, Georgia, FSU and so on." Sure, but let's look at the schedule realistically.
9/4 - Middle Tennessee - This doesn't even dignify a response unless they are planning on giving Larry Fedora back after the game is over. 1-0
9/11 - Eastern Michigan - We couldn't beat Michigan in the Outback Bowl and that was sticking in Zook's craw so he has to beat up on someone from that state. (It's an Ohio thing that we can't understand apparently). 2-0
9/18 - Tennessee - Phil Fulmer is the second most conservative coach in the SEC. Only Mark Richt is worse. But somehow, Zook will try and "outlast" them like they did last year. We saw how that one worked out. Tennessee has no QB, nobody back on defense and yet this game is still a toss up. Zook. 3-0
9/25 - Kentucky - At least Derek Abney is gone. 4-0
10/2 - Arkansas - A bad call on Tony Bua saved this from being a loss last year. Arkansas has NO ONE back. I mean less than no one. What was Houston Nutt thinking when he didn't go to Nebraska? 5-0
10/9 - LSU - They still have no QB. Of course, the whole defense is back and I don't think they'll leave the tailback open on the blitz this year. 5-1
10/23 - Mississippi State - Someone send us one of the cow bells. It took them three years too long to get rid of Jackie Sherrill. The man castrated a longhorn before they played Texas way back when. I will miss him. 6-1
10/30 - Georgia - Mark Richt inserts DJ Shockley again. Gators win again. I love the fact that Richt is an idiot. If only Bowden would retire, they could hire him in Tallahassee and we'd beat FSU every year. 7-1
11/6 - Vandy - They used to be the biggest joke in the SEC. Now they are second to Zook, but this should be win number 8. 8-1
11/13 - South Carolina - Holtz somehow kept this game close last year in spite of the fact they have 0 QB's on the roster. Nothing has changed. 9-1
11/20 - Florida State - FSU has no D-line and a bad secondary. We'll do what we have to do to let their LB's make all the plays. 9-2
Bowl Game - What Big 10 team can make us look silly this year? My money is on Minnesota. 9-3. I can hear Bob Davie covering the game again talking about how scary good the athleticism of the players was in practice just days before the bowl only to be embarrassed again on New Year's morning.
ESPN/USA Today was right, the Gators should be a Top 10 team with this schedule.
So there you have it, 9-3.
Now, how will it end up 7-5? ...because you KNOW it will. Who will be the scapegoat? The secondary coach again? All of the "talentless" players have gone to the NFL. All that is left is the Dynamic Duo. Wonder twin powers get rid of Zook and Foley.
I leave you with Matt Hayes' blurb from The Sporting News about SEC Media Days. Steve Spurrier sent a letter to Mike Dubose when the latter was still trying to coach at a decent level in Alabama, saying he knew he was cheating and if he didn't stop he'd turn him in. Then Spurrier went to Media Day and bragged about it.
Do you think that Ron Zook would ever have the balls to do something like that?
Twelve games left and counting in the Ron Zook experiment.
It's been 26 too many to start with.
Enjoy the Blue Raiders on the 4th.
FRZ
