Running off at the typewriter. …
There are some of my Gator conspiracy theorist buddies who are actually convinced that Jaden Rashada suing University of Florida football coach Billy Napier and UF’s heavyweight sugar daddy booster Hugh Hathco*ck for NIL fraud is all being orchestrated by Georgia coach Kirby Smart as a way to get Napier fired.
Really, guys?
Seriously?
Personally, I think it’s just a massive coincidence that Rashada, the much-traveled California quarterback, filed the lawsuit just three weeks after transferring from Arizona State to Georgia. First and foremost, it takes more than a couple of weeks to hire heavy-hitting attorney Rusty Hardin and have him draw up and file a groundbreaking lawsuit of this magnitude.
Secondly, why in the world would Smart want to get Napier fired when his Bulldogs are pulverizing the Gators without even breaking a sweat? Let’s face it, Smart’s program is the Mona Lisa while Napier’s program is little Johnny’s kindergarten finger painting taped to the front of the refrigerator door.
Smart should be trying to save Napier’s job; not eliminate it.
And make no mistake about it, this lawsuit is bound to have an adverse effect on Napier’s ability to recruit big-time players. How much of an effect remains to be seen, but we all know opposing coaches will undoubtedly use Rashada’s claims against Florida on the recruiting trail.
Imagine if a 5-star QB recruit named Rex Longbomb is trying to decide between Florida and Florida State and the schools are offering essentially the same amount of NIL money. All FSU coach Mike Norvell has to tell the recruit is: “Hey, Rexy, I can assure you you’ll get every penny of what we’re offering once you sign with the Seminoles. Do you really want to go to a place where they renege on their NIL deals?”
In short, this is the last thing the already-embattled Napier needs as he fights to keep his job over the next couple of seasons.
Not only does he have to face powerhouse programs such as Georgia, FSU and Texas on the field of play this season, he has to battle a heavyweight, media-savvy attorney in a court of law. …
Short stuff: Kansas City Chiefs kicker Archie Bunker, er, Harrison Butker has been embroiled in controversy after recent comments he made during a commencement address at Benedictine College in which he intimated that the female graduates should most be looking forward to the “vocation of homemaker.” Coming soon: Butker stresses to women college grads that they must learn other important skills such as “churning butter” and “canning fruits and vegetables..” … Don’t laugh, but I think boring, goody-two-shoes golfer Scottie Scheffler’s incident with a traffic cop in Louisville actually gave him some street cred. In fact, maybe he needs a new hip-hop nickname: How about “Notorious P.G.A.”? . …
Wait a minute, I thought Caitlin Clark was drafted by the Indiana Fever, not the Washington Generals. … Did you see where the Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff got fired despite the Cavs winning a playoff series (against the Magic) for the first time in six seasons? For the most part, NBA coaches are treated like rolls of toilet paper. They deal with a bunch of crap and get quickly used up until there’s nothing left but the cardboard tube and then they get replaced by a fresh new roll. … Three questions: (1) Who will win the NBA championship? (2) Who will be Donald Trump’s running mate? (3) Who Let the Dogs Out? …
Hey, l I have nothing against Tua Tagovailoa and Trevor Lawrence, but why do the Dolphins and Jaguars think they need to sign these quarterbacks to lucrative, long-term deals when they still have years left on their rookie contracts? Let these guys go out this year and prove they truly are elite-level quarterbacks before you give them Patrick Mahomes money. Go ahead and call me an old-school fiscal conservative if you want, but I want to know exactly what I’m getting before I pay for it. … I still don’t quite understand this groundbreaking House vs. NCAA lawsuit in which the NCAA is getting ready to settle for $2.7 billion in reimbursem*nts for past athletes who weren’t allowed to be compensated for NIL. I think I’m going to file a lawsuit against the Florida Highway Patrol for reimbursem*nt involving all of the past traffic tickets I got on the interstate when the speed limit was 55 instead of 70. I want my money back. …
Can you believe NASCAR gave Ricky Stenhouse Jr. a record $75,000 fine for throwing a punch at Kyle Busch and starting a melee in the pits last week? Has NASCAR forgotten its roots; forgotten that it is a sport built on fighting? When Cale Yarborough and the Allison Brothers got into a fist fight on the infield at the crash-marred end of the 1979 Daytona 500, it became the most iconic moment in the sport’s history and was largely responsible for helping to popularize the sport nationally. In other words, Stenhouse shouldn’t be penalized, he should be praised. NASCAR fans haven’t been this excited since the invention of the beer huggie. … A moment of silence, please, Oakland Raiders legend Jim Otto has just gone to That Big Black Hole in the Sky. …
Last word: As we head into the barbecuing and beach going of Memorial Day weekend, let us remember this quote: “Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it.” — Unknown
