February 15th, 2010 04:08pm

The Back Nine: Tebow Rule coming?

by Pat Dooley

The Back Nine has a new couch with three recliners, so where do you think most of last weekend was spent? That’s right, choosing among the hole-delay at Daytona, the 18th hole at Pebble Beach and the hole in the soul of the International Olympic Committee in Vancouver.
February 11th, 2010 12:21pm

Iconic or platonic?

by Pat Dooley

On Wednesday on my radio show (104.9 FM, 4-to-6 p.m. daily), I came up with this idea to take 32 Gator icons, seed them and play it off. Yes, I have bracketology on the brain. I tried not to put too many guys or girls on there who I was close to so they wouldn’t get angry. I’m sure Chris Doering didn’t appreciate being an eight seed. Anyway, the point was just to have some fun. I’m not sure all of our … Read More »
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 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.