Dick Vitale was wrong twice. Lee Corso couldn't get it right the first time until he followed his own advice.
Two years after the Gators' Chain Gang started a trend in the Final Four, Urban Meyer picked up where his partner Billy Donovan left off.
The rest is arguably the biggest streak and greatest achievement that will never be surpassed.
Forget about the Red Sox breaking the curse. Forget about the Giants shocking the "Patriot Act." Forget about the biggest and the best getting shut down by the underdogs.
But always remember the Florida Gators of 2005-2007. Remember the school that shocked the sports world in a way that not even Dickie V or Coach Corso could have imagined.
Not since the '92 Duke Blue Devils did a basketball program dominate the hardwood the way that Billy Donovan's version of the Fab Five did in 2006 and 2007.
But in between the back to back historical moments of the Gators basketball team, there was Urban Meyer and his version of the "Monsters of the Gridiron."
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Two years ago, the Gators won the basketball national championship with a bunch of young kids that no one had heard of.
Almost a year later, Meyer proved that defense isn't the only thing that wins championships. It also helps to have a pretty damn good offense.
The twist: Both coaches showed unity for the other by attending one another's championship games—which were ironically enough against the same opponent, The Ohio State University Buckeyes.
Even though the Gators haven't returned to that same dominance, they are still one of the biggest threats in college sports.
From Donovan's knack of making something out of nothing, to Meyer's habit of turning half good into damn good, Florida is a school that makes sure that the world of college sports remembers who it is.
A decade after the Gators stunned Florida State in the Sugar Bowl, Meyer has replaced Steve Spurrier as "Da Man in Da Swamp." Lon Kruger started something in Florida, but it was Donovan that made the dream come to life.
In my opinion, the Florida Gators' achievement of winning not one, not two, but three national championships in the same athletic calendar year is an achievement that no school can meet or beat.
Two more pieces of evidence: David Eckstein, formerly of the St. Louis Cardinals, played Mr. Clutch to help the Redbirds nab their first World Series Championship in two decades.
And Udonis Haslem of the Miami Heat played a major role in the Heat's NBA Championship victory.
Is it coincidence that both players attended the University of Florida? I s it also coincidence that both events happened during the Gator Run?
I think not. That's faith. That's tenacity.
That's proof that for at least a year and a half, GOD LOVED THE GATORS!!!
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2 months ago
Can't say I'm a Gators fan, but I was lovin' how Eckstein played in that WS!
2 months ago
Um, thanks I guess but it seems a bit over the top.
"Even though the Gators haven't returned to that same dominance..." Yes, well, there's only been one season of each sport since the titles. If they had continued the dominance, you'd be writing about 5 titles in a row instead of 3.
"Almost a year later, Meyer proved that defense isn't the only thing that wins championships. It also helps to have a pretty damn good offense." I don't know which Gator team you were watching, but it absolutely was defense that won the football title. Florida scored 30 on only one SEC team, Arkansas. It scored 25 or fewer points 7 times.
Eckstein's Cardinals were one of the worst World Series champions of the past couple decades. Haslem started on that Heat team, but the title was won on the back of Dwyane Wade getting every possible call from Game 3 on in the Finals.
Don't get me wrong; it's an impressive feat that won't likely be duplicated for a while. It was a blast every minute of it. However, let's be accurate about how it happened.
Also, please don't call UF "da Swamp." It's too close to Miami fans calling their school "da U."
from 2 months ago
As a Gators fan, I respect your opinion. But as a Gators fan, I cannot agree with your last statement:
"Please don't call UF "da Swamp." Unfortunately, I've been a Gators fan for 26 years, and I can honestly say that I will always call Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field "Da Swamp."
Screw "da U!" They ain't been famous since the days of The Rock and Warren Sapp. And the last time they were good, they got shocked by Ohio State. So until Miami steps up and reclaims their throne, they ain't worth the breath.
I also feel upset about the way that you bashed the Cardinals. What about the Marlins? The White Sox? The Red Sox? The Million Dollar Yankees? The Cardinals shocked the world and the Tigers. It's time to pay homage to the Cards. But the biggest thing that got me the most is that you spent the majority of the time insulting the Gators instead of enjoying a good trip down memory lane like all the other members of the Gator Nation.
Praise tradition and honor history. Don't spend three minutes bashing the program that you claim to enjoy. Otherwise, change that photo so we don't get you confused with real Gators fans.
from 2 months ago
'please don't call UF "da Swamp."'
I am no Gators fans by any means, (they're included in my axis of evil along with LSU, OSU, and speedos) but their home field is Da Swamp. I don't think I've ever heard a broadcaster NOT say Da Swamp.
2 months ago
You are right; great article. Florida did have a "mean" streak of winning going on, from basketball to football. Great twist to the article! I really enjoyed reading it! :)
2 months ago
Great article. Florida did have a "mean" streak of winning going on for a few years, and I was impressed. There was also a great twist to this article. I really enjoyed reading it! :) Hope to read more of your articles in the near future!
2 months ago
If you need to see my background with Florida, it's on my profile. There also was no Gator bashing going on, just grounding things in historical fact.
Florida's 2006 offense just wasn't exceptional against SEC opponents. The team was carried by the defense. That's not a knock on anyone, it's simply the truth. There's no shame in winning it all with an excellent defense and an adequate offense. It sure beats the heck out of not winning a title.
I was mostly trying to provide a critique of your writing. There's nothing wrong with reminiscing, but it seemed more like a display of bravado than anything else.
Tell why it was such an amazing feat in concrete terms. Tell about the camaraderie among the 04s that lead them to forgo the NBA and return to defend the title. Tell about their pickup game against Roberson and Walsh and the ensuing fight before the '06 season that really brought them together. Tell about the amazing breaks that went the football team's way to make them a team of destiny. Tell about the key members of Meyer's 2006 recruiting class that made the title possible since freshmen don't usually make impacts on championship teams.
Mention Reggie Nelson's long road to get to Gainesville. Corey Brewer's relationship with his father. Chris Leak's journey to becoming a true leader. Jarvis Moss's blocks against South Carolina. Noah going from nearly transferring at the end of his freshman year to being Final Four MVP at the end of his sophomore year.
It's all makes for a fantastic story, but there's just not that much of it told here. If I didn't already know these things, I would not have a deeper appreciation of the championships after reading this piece. The wins are irreplaceable, but so are the people who made them happen. I should have said that the first time around commenting.
As for the 2006 Cardinals, their 83-78 record is the second-worst among league champions and the worst ever for a World Series champ. They had 5 fewer wins than the wild card Dodgers. It was an average team that caught fire at the right time. They were World Series champs, no doubt about it, but they don't stack up well against other champions. All those other World Series winners you mentioned won at least 91 games except the 2000 Yankees (87 wins).
from 2 months ago
So basically, a team has to dominate through the entire season to prove their worth to be World Series Champions? That's basically saying that the Rockies Run of last season was pointless because they didn't dominate all season.
from 2 months ago
"So basically, a team has to dominate through the entire season to prove their worth to be World Series Champions?"
Yes.
from 2 months ago
Tell that to Boston, Chicago White Sox, Arizona, Florida, even the Yankees. There have been teams that have gotten close to dominance and come up short, as well as teams that had to fight their way to even get into the postseason and surprise all of our expectations.
In fact, tell that statement to the New York Football Giants, who went from wild card bust to Super Bowl Champions and shocked all of us by beating the "most dominant team in the league of this era."
In fact, if this is the case, you should take the Spurs first NBA Crown back in '99 away since it was a short season.
And as far as "stacking up" against other champions, there are no champions that can stack up against the other champions. If someone were to make a tournament of all the world champions of the MLB, NHL, NBA, and NFL, I betcha that there wouldn't be an issue then.
But until someone makes that tournament, we'll never know.
from 2 months ago
A sample set of 162 games is a lot better of a way to determine how good a team is than a sample set of at most 21 games. Yes, the regular season is a better indicator of a how good a team is than the playoffs are.
2 months ago
Good article, Ron. Let me back you up on this Cardinales thing in a way that I know you'll appreciate.
Though he's from the U, Dwayne said it best. "It doesn't matter how many regular season wins you have!"
Make the playoffs however you can and then win it all. The Cards only won 83 games, true, but in the end, did they win the rings? Yes. Did they win 11 games in the playoffs? Yes.
David, if your logic is correct, then the 2001 Mariners should have been handed the trophy after the last day of the season. Same goes for last year's Patriots, or the '96 Bulls. It doesn't work that way; you know that.
Like the Rock said, it just doesn't matter what you do in the regular season. It's all about the second season.
When the White Sox won the World Series in '05, Ozzie Guillen was quoted as saying, "We won 99 games. Can we win another 11?" It's never a sure thing.
That's why they play the playoffs.
Quick correction, Ron: the '05 Sox did lead the division wire-to-wire and only lost one game in the playoffs. Four separate eight-game winning streaks and four complete games in a row (in the playoffs) does make you something of a juggernaut.
from 2 months ago
If you're talking about winning a trophy, then yes the only thing that matters is playoff wins. If you're talking about determining who the best team is, then the regular season is the best way since there are many more games played there.
2 months ago
That was a good article and a refreshing trip down memory lane to me as a Florida Gator fan. It was a great run and the Gator Nation can look for continued success with Billy Donovan and Urban Meyer running the basketball and football programs.
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