March 15th, 2013 11:01am
by Pat Dooley
Today’s early morning (well, it’s early for me) four from the floor at the SEC Tournament:
1. I was sitting at my seat waiting for another game to start when Don Rutledge leaned back in his chair and said, “Did you see the end of the Charlotte-Richmond game.” Rutledge is a friend and one of the SEC’s on-site administrators evaluating the officials. So I Googled the game and it goes back to my old saying — never think you’ve seen everything. …
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March 14th, 2013 11:13am
by Pat Dooley
Each morning during the postseason I’ll wake up, rub my eyes and tell you what I think I think after a good night’s sleep.
1. It was amazing to see how bad Mississippi State was this year but there are signs the Bulldogs may have something to build on. Freshman Fred Thomas looked like that kind of tall, fearless guard that every team wants. Sometimes he’s too fearless. “I have to coach him not to take threes when there’s two minutes …
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March 8th, 2013 01:57pm
by Pat Dooley
I don’t know about you but I am ready.
Ready for the upsets and the madness and the blue curtains and the security guards telling me to empty my drink before I go courtside.
The NCAA Tournament is my favorite event to cover even though I love college football more than any sport. The tournament is so cool it’s difficult to describe.
I know there is still one more college hoops Saturday and the conference tournaments next week, but I’m ready.
Because I’ve got …
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February 12th, 2013 08:10am
by Pat Dooley
I just wanted to say thank you from me and my family for all of the e-mails, tweets, phone calls and phone messages from relatives, friends and readers concerning the passing of my late, great mother over the past few days.
More than one brought a tear to my eye and there were hundreds so I didn’t respond to all of them. Just know I read every one one out loud to my brothers and sister or my Dad or my …
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January 2nd, 2013 02:35pm
by Pat Dooley
Well, game day is here. Finally.
It seems like a year ago that Florida dismantled Florida State in Tallahassee and it seems like a month ago that we arrived here in New Orleans.
It has been a typical bowl trip. A lot of writing, a lot of watching football and a lot of stories being told while sitting in hospitality suites.
In other words, another good experience for your intrepid reporters. I’m a big fan of bowl weeks because of all of the …
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December 29th, 2012 09:28am
by Pat Dooley
I have been to New Orleans so many times that I didn’t think the city had any surprises left for me. Well, not any surprises I want to see.
But we stumbled across one on Friday night. While walking to a place we knew about to watch college football games, Robbie Andreu was stopped by the sight of a huge TV in a restaurant. We soon realized it was Manning’s and that there were dozens of large HD tvs in the …
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December 2nd, 2012 09:37am
by Pat Dooley
It’s hard to believe it’s already over. I know it’s over when I cast my Heisman ballot, which I did just before posting the final Sunday Blog of this college football season.
Oh, I know it’s not really over because they haven’t played the Helicopter Bowl and the Buffalo Wings Bowl yet. But there are only a handful of these bowl games you’ll watch. Me? I’ll watch more than I should, but it’s really time to turn our attention to college …
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November 25th, 2012 11:21am
by Pat Dooley
It was a late night but sleep is a luxury during football season so the Sunday Blog is up and at ‘em.
I want to tip my hat to the good people who work for the Florida State sports information department. Bob Thomas has always been a class guy and his entire staff was amazing on Saturday.
It was a surreal scene being on the field at the end of the game compared to two years ago when the stands were packed …
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November 18th, 2012 12:34pm
by Pat Dooley
I’m not sure what to do.
As a Heisman voter, no clue. In my personal top 25 poll, befuddled. Even my Biletnikoff and Lombardi votes have been muddled.
Isn’t college football great?
I was talking to someone Saturday about the games that were going to be played Saturday night and I was lamenting that they weren’t great on one of those nights when my family was out of town and I had unlimited control of the remote.
When will I learn?
THE NOT-READY-FOR-PRIME-TIME
COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOP …
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November 11th, 2012 07:54am
by Pat Dooley
I think I need to go to the doctor.
On Saturday night, I went to bed with college football games on a half-dozen channels. There must be something wrong with me.
Actually, none of the games at that point were in doubt and it was a long weekend that included about four hours of sleep Friday night in Jacksonville. The good news is that I’m up early for Sunday blogging.
I don’t know what was more surreal this weekend — watching a half …
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Pat Dooley shot an 85 at Augusta National. Tripled the 18th. Other than that, there’s not much to tell. Great wife, two beautiful daughters. Been at The Sun since 1987 and worked in Jacksonville and Fort Lauderdale before that. Spent a year in Storrs, Conn. Actually, it was only five days but it seemed like a year. Likes Tom Petty, The Beatles, Weezer and long walks on St. Augustine Beach as long as they end at the Beachcomber. Reads every e-mail except those sent with Russian alphabet. Favorite sports are college football, college basketball, golf and cooking chili.