Whitley's Believe It Or Not: If you want to read how great Georgia Bulldogs are, skip this
Fear not, Florida fans. You have come to a safe space.
We usually review the biggest happenings of the week in this space, but not today. Since many readers either live in Florida or have Florida connections, we will invoke the words inscribed at the Statue of Liberty.
“Give me your tired Dawg haters, your poor souls who watched the CFP title game, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free from Stetson Bennett IV.”
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I attempted last week to persuade UF fans that there were reasons to cheer for that team up north. The overwhelming response was I should stick my head in a pile of dog chow.
It seems the best approach is to ignore that team from up north’s performance Monday night against TCU. Besides, it was obviously just a fluke ...
Stud of the Week: This one’s easy. The Buffalo training staff that saved Damar Hamlin’s life after he suffered the cardiac arrest seen around the world.
Stud II: Prince Harry, for releasing his memoir the day after the CFP title game. That might help take people’s minds off Kirby Smart ascending to Nick Saban’s throne …
Dud of the Week: Green Bay linebacker Quay Walker, for shoving Detroit’s team physician who’d gone on the field to tend to an injured player. Not a good week to bully medical personnel.
Dud II: The Browns for firing radio commentator/ex-QB Bernie Kosar after he announced he was betting $19,000 on Cleveland to beat Pittsburgh. Any winnings would have gone to charity. Bally’s, the team’s official sports betting partner, quickly made the Browns a 3-1 favorite to win the Hypocrites of the Year Award …
We are referring to you-know-who as “that team up north” on the advice of Urban Meyer, who used that term instead of “Michigan” when he was at Ohio State. At Florida, he called FSU “that team out west.” At Jacksonville, he called every opponent “that team I can’t beat.”
Congrats to Tim Tebow for being voted into the College Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Candidates must be out of college 10 years and retired from pro football, so Tebow’s candidacy was delayed by last year’s comeback attempt with Jacksonville. He is not expected to be Pro Football Hall of Fame first-ballot inductee as a tight end.
FSU sneaks into way-too-early 2023 top 25
ESPN released its way-too-early 2023 top 25 Tuesday. That team up north is No. 1, followed by Michigan, Ohio State, FSU, yes – FSU, and Alabama. James Madison is No. 24, marking the first time a school named after a president was ranked ahead of Florida ...
Harry CliffsNotes: In case you don’t feel like spending $23 on the book, Harry and Meghan just want to be left alone, he once got high off mushrooms and thought a garbage can was talking to him, and he calls Prince William “That relative from Hair Club for Men.”…
NIL Update: Counting side deals, Saudi soccer club Al-Nassr will pay Ronaldo $214 million a year. Texas A&M reportedly dropped out of the bidding at $195 million …
Not to allude to that team up north, but SEC teams have now won 13 of the past 17 football national championships. What’s more, the only northern team to win a title in the past 20 years was Ohio State in 2014. Then again, no SEC team has ever won an NCAA hockey title …
As of Tuesday morning’s 132nd ballot, Kevin McCarthy still had not been voted into the College Football Hall of Fame …
Stetson Bennett IV is old. How old is he?
Not to allude to that quarterback up north, but Stetson Bennett IV is older than Jalen Hurts, Trevor Lawrence, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Tom Brady and Johnny Unitas …
After waffling on his commitment to Miami, Lakeland 5-star cornerback Cormani McClain says he’ll announce his recruiting decision Sunday. He’s reportedly down to Miami, Alabama, Colorado or Al-Nassr …
Speaking of Saudi Arabia, unmarried couples are usually prohibited from shacking up in that country. Ronaldo plans to live with his girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, and their children, but Spanish news agency EFE reports that authorities will “turn a blind eye” toward the situation. It has hired the NCAA’s NIL Enforcement Committee for expert instruction on how to do that …
Kosar Update: The Browns say they actually fired him for being dumb enough to bet on the Browns. But they will still accept the Hypocrites of the Year Award for signing Deshaun Watson …
This Just In: After Monday night, Prince Harry wants to be referred to as Harry Sussex Windsor Mountbatten Stetson Bennett IV. If Meghan will allow it …
That’s about all the space we have for this week’s Whitley’s Believe It or Not. Until next time, if you’re depressed over that team up north’s accomplishments, please resist taking any mushrooms or talking to garbage cans.
David Whitley is The Gainesville Sun's sports columnist. Contact him at dwhitley@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidEWhitley
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Georgia's second national title is a double-whammy for Gator fans
