Florida Gators
Gamecock Classic (Day 2)
Gators turn trash talk into a 'nameless and faceless opponent'
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 | Football, Women's Tennis, Scott Carter
Sportswriters love trash talk. It's easy copy and fires up fans on Twitter and message boards and other outlets. Media relations folks hate it. It can create a mess they have to clean up. Coaches usually don't like it unless they are the ones talking. Then the proper term is mind games.
Based upon the chatter Tuesday on Twitter, it seems that some of the media that covers the Gators regularly is getting tired of Florida's “nameless and faceless opponents” mantra. It was no big deal when the opponent was the University of Alabama at Birmingham, but now that the real University of Alabama is coming to town, the tone has changed.
Why won't linebacker Jelani Jenkins just say he's going to make Crimson Tide running back Trent Richardson squeal like a puppy every time he touches the ball? Why didn't Gators center Jonotthan Harrison say Tuesday that Alabama's defensive line isn't any better than Gainesville High's from what he's seen on film?
And while we're on the topic, the least Gators coach Will Muschamp could have said Monday is that he is going to show his mentor – Alabama coach Nick Saban – who the boss really is Saturday night at The Swamp.
Of course, none of that is going to happen because the Gators don't want to give Alabama any extra motivation, and vice versa. If you have read some of stories coming out of Tuscaloosa, it's not exactly like the Crimson Tide are running off at the mouth.
After nearly 20 years of covering sports, I've learned that when a coach or player wants to talk trash or make a loud statement, they already have made up their mind before any question is asked. Usually they just drop the bomb and you scribble away. Still, some writers will repeatedly try to bait them into saying something that will make a headline, which more often than not leads to worse copy.
My favorite trash talk moment came in 2007 at Florida State a few days before the Seminoles traveled to Gainesville. Seminoles linebacker Geno Hayes stepped to the podium, and before a question was even asked, Hayes blurted out: “Tebow is going down.”
Easy copy. I still remember a gasp in the room – did he just say what we think he said? – when Hayes opened the interview. Hayes' bravado proved futile as Tebow – on the way to winning the Heisman – and the Gators rolled to a 45-12 win.
So while headline writers could have more fun if defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd said the Gators planned to send Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron home with a black eye, they better think of ways to make “nameless and faceless opponents” more exciting.
Sounds like the expression is here to stay.
“That's just how we approach every game," Harrison said. “It keeps us focused entirely on what we're doing. Florida's focused on Florida, completing the season, winning the next game.''
