February 8th, 2010 06:31pm

The Back Nine: Super Bowl hoopla

by Pat Dooley

The Back Nine can’t get over this sick feeling that football is over for another year. It’s either that or the result of the chef at the Japanese restaurant Saturday night firing sake down my throat like he was trying to put out a fire.
January 28th, 2010 03:15pm

Mesler’s mess

by Pat Dooley

Former Florida Gator track athlete Steve Mesler is in Chula Vista, Calif., preparing for the Winter Olympics and just returned from the World Cup bobsledding championships in Austria. It was there, just before the finals, that he received some disheartening news. His parents, Ben and Lois, had rented a house in Whistler, British Columbia, for family and friends to watch Mesler in the Vancouver Olympics. The only problem was that there was no house. “They got scammed,” he said. ” I found out … Read More »
January 25th, 2010 05:40pm

The Back Nine: The Favre saga

by Pat Dooley

The readers have spoken, so the Back Nine comes at you with a new numbering system. No burgers at the turn, just a light salad.
January 19th, 2010 02:52pm

SECers of the decade

by Pat Dooley

My good buddy Chris Low of ESPN.com came up with his SEC football players of the decade and it’s a nice list. I disagree on a couple so here is my list. 1. Tim Tebow. Well, duh. 2. Darren McFadden. Could have won two Heismans. 3. David Greene. Winningest QB in SEC history. 4. Glenn Dorsey. Dominant force inside. 5. Patrick Willis. Defined the position. 6. Eric Berry. Could play anywhere on the field. 7. Percy Harvin. Two NCs and dozens of highlight plays. 8. David Pollack. An … Read More »
January 18th, 2010 01:26pm

The Back Nine: Much-needed Gator hoops wins

by Pat Dooley

This was a big weekend for both the men’s and women’s hoops teams at Florida. The men had to beat LSU and the women went to Starkville to get a very large victory.
January 16th, 2010 12:33pm

The new look SEC

by Pat Dooley

Has the dust settled yet? Is the Season of the Weird finally over or is Derek Dooley going to hire Mike Tyson to be his defensive coordinator? Most importantly, what does it all mean to the Gator Nation? Did Tennessee weaken itself with the hiring of Dooley? Not really. Those who know him best think he’s an outstanding young coach. Was it a reach? Sure. Mike Hamilton has had to reach on both of his football hires. So he’s reached out for … Read More »
January 15th, 2010 02:18pm

Any Volunteers?

by Pat Dooley

Wow, what a crazy few days in Knoxville. First Lane Kiffin bolts, students riot and then everybody turns Tennessee down. Well, not everybody. I’m hearing the plan is to hire Derek Dooley, Vine’s son at Louisiana Tech, but first Kippy Brown gets an interview to give the appearance UT considered a minority. Dooley was 4-8 last season, but had done a good job at LaTech, going 8-5 the year before. I met him when he was a young man while I was … Read More »
January 11th, 2010 04:49pm

The Back Nine: Cash in Carroll

by Pat Dooley

The Back Nine comes at you after a wonderful weekend that included my famous $50 chili, loads of sports on TV and a wife who understood that it’s OK to spend two days in sweatpants.
January 4th, 2010 06:51pm

The Back Nine: Miracle in Raleigh

by Pat Dooley

The Back Nine comes at you with thoughts on the bowls so far, Chandler Parsons’ shot and the Gators’ amazing performance in the Big Easy.
December 31st, 2009 12:34pm

The Red Menace

by Pat Dooley

Snap, there are a lot of Cincinnati fans in New Orleans. Last night on Bourbon Street, while we were throwing beads to young ladies and watching young men get taken to jail for public stupidity, all you could see was a sea of red and black. Since Florida turned back thousands of tickets and Bearcat fans grabbed them up, Florida will be playing its second straight game at a neutral site that is hardly neutral. Alabama had a 2-to-1 advantage in Atlanta. … Read More »