Tennessee DT Demonte Bolden Talks Trash About Tim Tebow

The Florida-Tennessee game last year was pretty boring for someone who doesn’t bleed orange and blue. Remember it? Here’s a reminder:

Now we on the same page? Good.

So anyway, apparently Tennessee didn’t appreciate losing 59-20 much. They thought Florida ran up the score and left Tim Tebow in the game too long.

As someone who grew up in the Steve Spurrier era, I give the Vols no sympathy in this regard. If you can’t stop my offense, that’s a you problem, not a me problem.

As for leaving Tebow in too long, he stayed in as long as Erik Ainge stayed in. If you’re still playing your starters, you’re still playing to win; if you’re still playing to win, then I’m going to play to win, too.

Well, at Tennessee media day senior DT Demonte Bolden decided to speak up about the game. ESPN.com’s Chris Low reported that Bolden spake thusly:

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“No one likes to lose by that type of deficit. Yeah, it’s in our minds. It’s like the third-grade bully beating you up last year. You’re not going to forget that, come on…

“Where are we at this year? We’re at our house. The last time we were at our house, they beat us by a field goal … wow…

“Man, I don’t care about Tebow. Yeah, he’s an All-American, but he’s a regular player. Get him back on the field. You know what I’m saying. I made hits on him last year. This year, I’m going to get back to him a lot quicker. I’m not going to talk junk. I just want to play the game…play the game.”

"

Not a good move, Demonte.

When you’re coming off a 39-point blowout, talking trash about the quarterback who orchestrated it is probably not smart. Even though he's saying that he's not “talking junk,” that’s exactly what he did.

Also, being a senior, he should also recognize just how different the adequate 2006 Florida offense was from the electrifying 2007 Florida offense.

Bolden also should have thought about what happened when FSU’s Geno Hayes talked trash last year saying, “Tim Tebow’s going down,” and, “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” This is what I had to say about that at the time:

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"That’s fine; after all, the Semis ruined Matt Ryan’s Heisman campaign a couple weeks ago. However, Ryan is no Tim Tebow. Neither, for that matter, is Mr. Hayes - Geno is listed at 6′2″, 218, while Tebow is listed at 6′3″, 235.

"Credit to Hayes for picking a fight with someone bigger than him, but he should be warned that Tebow steamrolled LSU’s prized safety LaRon Landry last year, he of the sixth overall pick in the draft. Tebow said he’s going to remember the words on the field, and if you recall, Tebow grew up a Gator fan in the same era as I did so he’s going to have similar feelings about FSU as I do.

"He’s going to have plenty to play for, even if he really is not thinking about the Heisman at all."

"

If you’ve forgotten what happened, Tebow had no trouble against the Seminole defense en route to a 45-12 victory. It may have fired up the Gator defense some too, as Western Kentucky was the only other team the Gators held under 20 points last season. Plus without a 60-yard field goal with one second left in the first half, FSU doesn't even get to double digits.

We’ve already seen Tebow make Tennessee’s defense look silly. Bolden is playing with fire by giving him even more motivation, particularly since Florida has an extra week to prepare before the game.

Just a little something to file away for Sept. 20. Football season can’t get here soon enough.