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The Back Nine comes at you after a delay waiting to see what happened in baseball. What would the postseason be without a delay?
10. This Gator baseball team might have been the most frustrating to watch in a long time, and yet, here they are, one of the final 16 teams in the country. They went into a difficult environment and said, “We see this in the SEC every day.” Brandon Neely, I need to buy you a drink when this thing is over, because that performance was reminiscent of Paco Rodriguez in Omaha. The freshmen looked like sophomores Monday and now it’s off to Clemson after a quick stop to do the laundry and restock sunflower seeds.
11. I have to admit to Jeff Cardozo (or as I like to call him Car-Bozo) that I was wrong, because he kept saying Florida was not the three seed that anyone wanted to see. I took the opposite approach. I said a team with long swings and control issues was exactly the kind of team I wanted to play in a regional. But what I didn’t calculate was what Kevin O’Sullivan can do with a pitching staff even when he is in the loser’s bracket. He handled it brilliantly and it helps when guys throw strikes.
12. Yeah, it was a pretty good day on Monday. Got the podcast done, then watched baseball and softball on the two TVs. It was so intense knowing both seasons could be ending within seconds of each other. Then, I got home from dinner in time to watch LSU get eliminated. Yeah, it was a pretty good day.
13. Because no matter what happens today with softball, what they did Monday just shattering Oklahoma was something those young ladies will never forget. To be one of the last three teams alive says a lot about Tim Walton and his team. The Sooners won 20 straight NCAA Tournament games and then Florida welcomed them to the SEC. This league is going to be crazy next year.
14. There were a couple of points this weekend when I was happy there was rain in Oklahoma (although we could use some up here in NW Gainesville). It gave me a reason to get out of the recliner. In fact, on Sunday, I just went and played nine holes because I was feeling by butt atrophy. Remember we are not far away from the end of the college sports seasons and the layoff is hot and it’s sticky and feels like it will last forever. But then it’s football season.
15. Speaking of football, Urban Meyer, Brad Culpepper and Alex Brown have been nominated for the College Football Hall of Fame. Just curious Gator Nation. If you could only pick one to go in, who would it be? Personally, I think if you get into this Hall, you should be eligible for the Ring of Honor. Look at me, always telling the UAA how to run its business.
16. Is the NBA still going on? Who won the playoffs? Feels like a long time without a game. Ditto the NHL. Is that over?
17. Special golf applause for the three Gators who made the Olympic Trials – Kayla DiCello, Skye Blakely and Leanne Wong. Man, are the Olympics going to be fun.
18. Because we are coming to you a day late, an extra song in the playlist:
- “Wreckage” by Pearl Jam for my old pal Brandon Zimmerman.
- “Running Out of Time” by Paramore.
- “Wish You Were Here” by Incubus (I’m all over the place today).
- And for an old one, “Sad Lisa” by Cat Stevens.
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.
