Are we going to be any good this year?

[t-gator]

Defensive line is average at best? That group is loaded

 

[MJMGator]

I'm a Gator, not just a person who picked a team to root for because I liked the colors or whatever. Coaches and ADs get "switched."

Misery? Reality. Try it some time. I live in a world of facts. It's pretty easy to assess each position group and come to an opinion as to what is likely to happen.

It's not like I'm out on a limb all by myself. We are underdogs in 7 games and predicted to finish in the bottom 3 of the SEC by basically every analyst and the coaches. ESPN thinks Kintucky is one of our biggest games.

I'm sorry if it offends you that I agree with them. Would it really change anything if I didn't? Surely you are not one of those people who think the analysts are also some of my many minions. It's just me exerting my incredible influence to get them to fall in line?

I wonder how many of you will be sadly disappointed when you don't see double digit wins. The other side of the coin is that I don't expect Mac or anyone can win with what was left.

While I largely agree with most of what the analysts say, as well, the difference between you and I is night and day on here. I hope the team gels and plays well. You revel in their failure and become orgasmic when you can say "I told you so" and laugh at anyone with enthusiasm. Read the sh*t you post and tell me I'm wrong.

 

[Zambo]

I always think its going to be a special season and this year is no different. Its a bunch of kids playing a game, and they don't get that much time to practice. And one or two big playmakers step up....who knows? Anything can happen. That's why CFB is so much fun.

Is Grier going to start or what's the dealio?

 

[GatorInKnox]

Mehhh... I'm just setting the bar low, because that's what my head says. I'll be the one jumping for joy if we beat UK and UT.

Our main problem is how much "I think" we have. I think Will Grier will be a good QB, I think Martez Ivey can be a monster, I think Kelvin Taylor will play better this year, I think our LBs are talented, I think Antonio Callaway will be the other WR we've been looking for, etc. The only "I know" we have is our CBs and DE. When you have that many question marks and unproven players it's very unreasonable to expect a great season. Could we exceed expectations? Sure! But I think I'm also setting the bar low.

 

[Captain Sasquatch]

Don't feed the trolls and they'll starve and die.

 

[Durty South Swamp]

One would think you would have learned by now trying to run a whorehouse by hand just isn't very efficient.

especially when you keep dipping your pen in the company ink...

 

[Durty South Swamp]

You revel in their failure and become orgasmic when you can say "I told you so" and laugh at anyone with enthusiasm.

I generally agree with laws assessments usualy, we should be prepared to suck, i am however optimistic b/c i choose to be, if that means im wrong oh well, but its good to have a realist around, even if it means negativity. Regarding the statements that he wants us to suck or enjoys it, i disagree. I think he does enjoy getting to rub ppl's faces in a correct prediction he made that he was shouted down for and called an a-hole by 100 people for 8 straight months. Hell, Id probably act the same way if I was him; doublt there are very many who wouldn't enjoy a hefty i told you so in that situation.

Some people are just too angry and sensitive and let his negativity about a team affect them personnaly. They should stop, b/c thats really dumb.

 

[WobbleGator]

Some people are just too angry and sensitive

You describing law there?

 

[TheBigClaw]

We have an OL that at best will be below average and will include probably 5 freshmen including several true freshmen. With an injury or two the will probably be the worst the SEC has seen in modern history.

The defense has basically the same situation at LB. Some talent but everyone has a severe injury history. DL is average at best. Safeties have been atrocious at times.

And both coordinators suck.

Other than that, we are in good shape.

the OL is obviously not going to be good but not as horrible as you are making it out to be. I think mike summers is a great O line coach, far from sucking as you state. You do know our O line from last year sent what, 4 to the NFL? Around that number in summers first year. Linebacker is thin but talented. The DL is far from average. And our safeties have a year under their belts from last year. But hey, we can agree to disagree. I could see us having a horrible year but I also can't see us being quite as bad as some think. Especially with our defense and considering we won 7 last year even with you know who at the helm.

 

[lagator]

Our main problem is how much "I think" we have. I think Will Grier will be a good QB, I think Martez Ivey can be a monster, I think Kelvin Taylor will play better this year, I think our LBs are talented, I think Antonio Callaway will be the other WR we've been looking for, etc. The only "I know" we have is our CBs and DE. When you have that many question marks and unproven players it's very unreasonable to expect a great season. Could we exceed expectations? Sure! But I think I'm also setting the bar low.

I agree with you that it is hard to predict outcomes when you are counting on lots of young players and upperclassmen who haven't produced yet, but I would add to your post:

"I think Jake McGee is going to be a pass catching mis-match against LB's trying to cover him and corners trying to tackle him, I think Jordan Scarlett has the size and talent to play at Freshman all SEC level, I think our defense will get us the ball back quickly and frequently and it's almost impossible to think that the McElwain lead offense with JD finally gone wont be better than the last several years."

So it's reasonable to have low expectation and completely understandable after suffering through the "Musk-taint funked it up, Musk-taint funked it up" years. But I see quite a bit to be hopeful about and I don't see the immovable object on our schedule so anything can happen. I know one thing, pre-season odds don't mean squat and there's no chance in hell we are underdogs at home against UT as long as we win the first 3. Get to 4-0 and we'll be favored over Ole MIss as well and feeling pretty good.

 

[EuroGator]

Don't feed the trolls and they'll starve and die.

Oh I wish that was true, but sadly empirical evidence suggests that this is more myth than true.

 

[EuroGator]

You WANT this team and its coaches to fail. I have faith they will turn things around. Im not blind to what the analysts are saying yet I have hope they are wrong. There is a difference in realizing we have weaknesses and hoping we overcome and trashing our coaches and players which you do on a regular basis. You arent happy with anything and I assume your life just sucks. Your negativity sucks and it really, really, really gets old.

You're misdiagnosing the issue Manly Dan. The issue isn't his fanhood. I think Law is fiercely loyal to the Gators. That's why he is incessant about things he perceives as threats to or bad for the program. It's also not his intelligence or football knowledge. Most people here recognize that he knows a lot (relative to other fans) about football and clearly has the mind to communicate well. I'd say one more thing that it's not. Law isn't mean. I don't see him being grouchy or cruel.

The problem is his bent toward negativity. He's Eeyore. He's not grouchy Rabbit or cowardly Piglet or slow Pooh. He's just Eeyore. (Forgive me, I have a little one.)

We love Gator football. Most of our enjoyment comes from them performing well, winning, and the hope that they will perform well and win (as we follow recruiting and practices, spring ball - everything besides the "15 opportunities" each year). If someone is constantly forecasting, bemoaning, and reliving negatives and negative possibilities, it sucks the fun out of it for everyone - including the Negative Nancy that's doing it. (Eeyore has more fun with his friends cheering him up than he does sadly sitting and stewing all by his lonesome.)

Most people tire of someone being consistently negative. If Law would post one something positive, hopeful, celebratory or grateful post to every 2, or even 3 posts that are negative, people would resist them less.

 

[Captain Sasquatch]

Oh I wish that was true, but sadly empirical evidence suggests that this is more myth than true.

If everyone put the trolls on ignore, then nobody would ever have to see their posts. :dance2:

 

[EuroGator]

One more way to look at all this.

No one can say before a season, much less after, exactly how good a football team is - what their highest and lowest potential is and where their performance landed on their "possibility continuum." People might say that the 2012 Gators fell in the upper quartile of their bell curve of possibilities and the 2013 Gators fell in the lower third (for example's sake). Most of what Law says lies within the realm of possibilities, but it's almost always in the lower third. It's possible that things are that bad. It's plausible. ...but it's not the only possibility. Much of the fun of being a fan is imagining the "what if's" of the team reaching it's potential.

• What if DR lives up to our hopes for him!?!
• What if Kelvin Taylor's play begins to remind us of his father or Scarlett is this year's Nick Chubb!?!
• What if Anzalone breaks out this year!?!
• What if Powell shines at slot!?!
• What if this new coaching staff breaths new life into the program and we take off like we did under Spurrier and Meyer!?!

That's what's fun about being a fan. If the replies to this are (almost) always pointing to the lower third of possibilities, it's no fun.

I hate to give this much attention to such a subject, but like it or not, we are a community and these things matter. ...a lot actually.

 

[EuroGator]

If everyone put the trolls on ignore, then nobody would ever have to see their posts. :dance2:

Believe it or not, I did that for most of the season last year (with one particular poster) and over the off-season, it was automatically reset. I don't know why, but the ignore function isn't working now. I may have to look into that again.

 

[TheBigClaw]

One more way to look at all this.

No one can say before a season, much less after, exactly how good a football team is - what their highest and lowest potential is and where their performance landed on their "possibility continuum." People might say that the 2012 Gators fell in the upper quartile of their bell curve of possibilities and the 2013 Gators fell in the lower third (for example's sake). Most of what Law says lies within the realm of possibilities, but it's almost always in the lower third. It's possible that things are that bad. It's plausible. ...but it's not the only possibility. Much of the fun of being a fan is imagining the "what if's" of the team reaching it's potential.

• What if DR lives up to our hopes for him!?!
• What if Kelvin Taylor's play begins to remind us of his father or Scarlett is this year's Nick Chubb!?!
• What if Anzalone breaks out this year!?!
• What if Powell shines at slot!?!
• What if this new coaching staff breaths new life into the program and we take off like we did under Spurrier and Meyer!?!

That's what's fun about being a fan. If the replies to this are (almost) always pointing to the lower third of possibilities, it's no fun.

I hate to give this much attention to such a subject, but like it or not, we are a community and these things matter. ...a lot actually.

The what if's are beautiful to think about. Also, in before law comes and discusses the negative what if's

 

[NavetG8r]

If everyone put the trolls on ignore, then nobody would ever have to see their posts. :dance2:

For this to be effective, the ignore feature would need to actually work as intended.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

If everyone put the trolls on ignore, then nobody would ever have to see their posts. :dance2:

It's hilarious, really, because when I ventured over to GSMB to attempt to lure more people over, you're the most common reason I get for those who don't want to migrate.

Chew on that.

 

[Durty South Swamp]

It's hilarious, really, because when I ventured over to GSMB to attempt to lure more people over, you're the most common reason I get for those who don't want to migrate.

Chew on that.

 

[KCgator]

No matter what, we are couple of injuries away from total disaster. 7-5 and the Emerald Nut Bowl.