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Posted 08/09/2010 at 02:20 PM
--Via his twitter account, Emmitt Smith gave a shout-out and an apology to Gator Nation on Sunday, one day after failing to mention the University of Florida in his Hall of Fame induction speech. I don't think it's a big deal and here's why: Smith's three teams at UF weren't very good. Sure, I remember most every game, most notably his breakout performance in an upset win at Alabama as a true freshman in 1987. But I remember the painful losses more -- like at FSU by a 52-17 score in '88 and like vs. FSU by a 24-17 count in '89. In other words, Emmitt's greatest moments came in winning state championships at Pensacola Escambia High School and winning Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys. Likewise, UF's greatest moments have come with Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel, Fred Taylor, Chris Doering, Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin and Urban Meyer.
Now, do I think Emmitt did it on purpose? I do, but not as a shot at Gator fans. He reportedly doesn’t have a good relationship with AD Jeremy Foley, which I can certainly understand. Foley is – and always has been – a complete jerk. Smith has never liked Steve Spurrier dating back to COACH's arrival in Gainesville in 1990. Smith was a rising senior who was leaning toward turning pro and Spurrier, anxious to unleash his pass-happy offense, was not about to beg Smith to come back. In fairness to Spurrier, he has always had that stance – “only want players that wanna be here” – to guys thinking of bolting early for the NFL. Smith didn’t show in 2006 for his induction into UF’s Ring of Honor when Spurrier was also inducted. But when it comes to Emmitt and Gator fans, I think it’s all good.
Here are a few more thoughts on the Emmitt/UF thing from this link at SportsByBrooks. Let me be clear, however, that this link is not provided for that additional analysis, but rather for the sweet picture of Erin Andrews in a bikini.
A few other quick hitters from the weekend…
--Holy Tiger! Did he hit rock bottom this past weekend? The dude hasn't won a tournament all year and hasn't won a major championship in more than two years. Nearing the age of 35, his mid-life crisis has come early. Tiger Woods, the best golfer ever? That seemed to be a given at this time in 2009. After an 18-over debacle at a course he had won at SEVEN times before, it's now very much up for debate whether he'll win five more majors and break Jack Nicklaus' career record of 18 major championships.
--Another GREAT UFC card! For the millionth time, sports fans, if you aren’t into UFC yet, give it another shot. The last two cards – UFC 116 and UFC 117 – have been unbelievably exciting. And, duh, you can bet on it!
--There are rumors that Michigan and Alabama are negotiating a football game at Cowboys Stadium in 2012. Too bad Rich Rodriguez won’t still be around for ‘Bama fans to thank him for turning down their job that eventually went to Nick Saban.
--My updated favorite sports:
1-College Football
2-College Basketball
3-NFL
4-UFC
5-NBA
6-MLB
7-Boxing
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