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The Back Nine comes at you after a weekend of decadence that didn’t include much time in the Midday Sun. Only mad dogs and Englishmen, you know.
10. So, the biggest story of the last week is one that I’d like to explain to you. But I really can’t. I spent a good hour reading all of the implications of the House Settlement, which is the main reason Florida’s NIL budget doubled for this season (as did most schools not named Ohio State). It was so convoluted and there are going to be so many lawsuits to follow, I got a headache and started to smell toast burning. All I know for sure is that it’s a good time to be a college football player. They need to be buying ME lunch.
11. Meanwhile, coach Billy Napier continues to do well in recruiting. Wide receiver Justin Williams from Buchholz was a big get and the momentum continues to move in the right direction. You have to go back and realize what he inherited in terms of structure (like the head coach leaving his phone with a staffer to text with recruits because he couldn’t be bothered). I have no real idea where this season is going to go, but I do know that if it goes south the next coach is going to inherit an amazing infrastructure. Hopefully, Napier will be around for it.
12. I thought I would abandon college baseball after the Gators were unceremoniously dumped from the tournament, but I was all in for the Supers. Sunday had to be one of the greatest negative rooting days in a long time as FSU, Miami and Tennessee were all eliminated. All we have left to root against is LSU. Dang, the Tigers are going to take over Omaha again, although I would think Arkansas will travel like crazy. I’m going to go ahead and pick the Hoggies to win the whole thing.
13. At least the SEC got two teams in after a record 13 teams started this thing. The ACC was all braggy when Super Regionals began, but it needs Duke to win tonight or only one team will make it. And that team beat another ACC team to get to Omaha. If Murray State wins tonight, there will be seven conferences vying for the title of most weak $5 shots consumed at Rocco’s. Hey, my money is on Louisville.
14. Which takes me back to the Women’s College World Series and a sobering stat. With Teas winning, the SEC has now won five national titles this academic year, with baseball and track still to come. Of the five, three have been won by Texas or Oklahoma. I told everybody that the impact of those programs would be felt more in the spring than the fall.
15. Time to pick the winner of the U.S. Open and anyone who reads The Back Nine knows I have been pretty good with the majors. Rory McIlroy missed the cut by 12 strokes last week so I’m staying away from him, and I don’t want to pick the No. 1 player in the world again. It’s as boring as watching Scottie Scheffler play. I’m going to pick Ludvig Aberg because I think his time has come.
16. I did want to address what Jack Nicklaus said after Scottie won the Memorial, about how Scheffler is in a league of his own in part because so many great players are on the LIV Tour. I would take it further to say that those LIV stars are not sharpening their games on that Tour. That’s my take and I’m sticking to it. I just know we need to get Mom and Dad back together.
17. I wish I had thought of this line first and maybe Adam Schefter stole it, but when he said that there is white smoke coming from the chimney because Aaron Rodgers finally said yes (when is the gender reveal?) I laughed out loud. It’s a real dilemma though because I like the Steelers but not Rodgers. I have my reasons. Amazingly, the Sports Books didn’t move much with this news. Maybe the bettors have no confidence in a 41-year-old quarterback.
18. Now that baseball is over, I have Jeff back in the studio onThe Tailgate and as good as that is, I wish the Gators’ season was not over. Anyway, the latest playlist:
- “Northern Lights” by Death Cab for Cutie, which seems to be an obsession now. I may have to buy a T-shirt.
- “Elderberry Wine” by Wednesday, which may be a country song but all I know is I heard it on the Spectrum.
- And for an old one, “I’d Wait A Million Years” by The Grass Roots, a very underrated band.
WRUF.com sports columnist Pat Dooley can be heard on “The Tailgate” along with Jeff Cardozo from 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday on 98.1-FM/AM-850 WRUF.
