Team Speed Kills Now on LSU-Florida and Ole Miss-Alabama. We will not talk (that much) about Tim Tebow's concussion. Instead, we have Richard from And The Valley Shook to talk LSU's side of the matchup with the Gators and Todd from Roll Bama Roll and one of the guys from Red Cup Rebellion to talk about that "other" important game. An all-SEC West show to balance last week's all-Tebow show. Plus, the SEC Power Poll is unveiled and all the other stuff you've come to expect from TSK Now.
EXCESSIVE CELEBRATIN'
Just get rid of it. That seems to be the overwhelming sentiment about the unsportsmanlike conduct rule after the debacle in Athens. Even Mr. College Football thinks it should go.
You do realize that Tim Brando agrees with you, right? And he makes an insinuation that's bound to set a few people off but might unfortunately be unsettlingly close to the truth when he points out that the SEC is calling the penalty more than other leagues, as Georgia Sports Blog illustrates.One of two things has to happen for the good of the game: My suggestion is to eliminate the rule entirely because it has become clear to me that it can’t be enforced on a consistent basis. Excessive celebration is too much in the eye of the beholder. Replace it with a taunting rule. Taunting is more clearly defined than excessive celebration. ...
It’s time to put some common sense back into the excessive celebration rule. It if we can’t do that, then it needs to be eliminated.
"They don't want us to go more in-depth on why the SEC is throwing more. I am telling you, it is a conversation, I don’t want to have it, my friend Spencer does not want to have it, and I am telling you, watch out, because people are going to take a closer look at this and it is not going to bode well for the league."
What Brando appears to be talking about there is the issue of race. Tim Tebow has never been flagged by an SEC official for celebration; yet, Tebow dances around like an idiot after every two yard run both drawing attention to himself and pandering to the crowd. ...
Am I saying the issue really is race? I believe that Caucasian players rarely get flagged in the SEC no matter how excited they get. I've never seen it. Have you?
This is probably not too far from how Brando intended it; I thought the same thing while he was talking, and "my friend Spencer" seems a little bit less of an odd addition when you consider that Spencer Tillman is black and that is the middle-aged white guy's way of saying, "I'm talking about race, see?" Before you allow your head to explode: Think about this for just a minute. It's really not that unreasonable a point. Then allow your head to explode if you so desire. But at least give it some honest thought first.
As for the rule itself, I'm not sure that it needs to be eliminated. Instead, the vagueness needs to be cleared up. If you take an unnecessary dive into the endzone, maybe that should be a penalty. If it's a choreographed dance or routine, it should clearly be a penalty. Otherwise, let the players get excited. I promise it won't ruin a thing.
In any case, it probably isn't going anywhere.
Quinton McDawg, meanwhile, makes the somewhat obvious point that could be overlooked in the brouhaha.
The bad celebration penalty didn't cost us the game. Here's what did: one first down in the first half, no threat of a running game, a missed field goal, terrible kick coverage, and missed tackles.
Yes, but blaming your own team is no fun.
Sympathy from who?
Urban Meyer, of all people, rushed to A.J. Green's defense.
"That's just awful," Meyer told reporters in Gainesville, Fla. "I can't stand that when then happens. I just think that's wrong."
He then called a timeout.
But you have to wonder whether Meyer wasn't thinking more along the lines of Saurian Sagacity's take on celebrationgate.
TIM TEBOW INJURY
One way or the other, it's "The Most Important Week Of Tim Tebow's Career"
Not much hyperbole in this piece from Alligator Army. Tebow's legacy will be changed by what happens Saturday.
We might not know until game time
Meyer said it could be a game-time decision.
Asked if an announcement will be made on Saturday (Florida plays at Louisiana State at 8 p.m. on Saturday), Meyer said, "If it's real late, you probably have to wait late. If they clear him earlier than that, I'll probably tell you."
Note the "probably."
A little noticed portion of a Palm Beach Post story
I and most other speculating about Tim Tebow whiffed on this piece from the PBP:
And if Tebow can't play in this Saturday's showdown at LSU -- and it's likely he can't, UF sources say -- the Brantley Era starts about four months early for the Gators. [Emphasis mine.]
Of course, this could all be just as speculative as anything else and could also be a smokescreen. But it's the most definitive thing we've heard either way.
Another clue
Florida also left another hint that it will either not play Tebow or be irresponsible when it does.
Meyer did say, though, that Tebow "will not get hit" if he does practice this week. And that does not bode well for a return to the field this weekend, concussion expert Dr. Robert Cantu said on Monday. ...
"The first hit you take is not in the game. It should be in practice," Cantu said. "Normally, it’s better if athlete has practiced the week that they’re going to play. Generally speaking, that’s certainly the ideal situation, so that you’ve taken hits during that week and you know that the hits that jar you are not producing symptoms."
Medical experts say: Tebow should stay on the bench this week. Again, just making sure we're all paying attention beforehand.
'No idea'
That's how much of a clue John Brantley has to whether he's starting. But consider the schedule combined with Tebow not practicing until Wednesday, and it's not hard to connect all these dots.
Tebow did not practice on Monday and isn't expected to practice until at least Wednesday, which is scheduled to be a light day for the Gators. Thursday is a walk-through day.
LSU fans are treating Brantley like the starter
All the way down to the cell phone calls.
How do they do it?
Goodman wonders about how Bengal fans continue to pull off the phone thing.
Is there a rat among Florida's players? Doubtful. It's more likely that an LSU fan with access to a cell phone database pulls the numbers and then distributes them.
How long until Lane Kiffin figures out how to do this?
Deonte Thompson's ready
Good news for the Gators' WR corps at least.
Down to one player with the flu
So there's that.
OTHER NEWS
Brandon Warren gone
Kiffin has removed the WR from the team after he caused a couple of scenes during the Auburn game.
"Brandon Warren is no longer with our team," Kiffin said. "He has been dismissed for conduct detrimental to our team. We wish him the best of luck. We'll give him full academic support to keep him going in school, and that's the last I'm going to comment on it. Very unfortunate.
"Like I said, I'm not going to get into it any further out of respect to him and his family, but he's not been removed from this team because of that solely."
It's not entirely clear what those other incidents are. But this is not ideal for a team about to face a key SEC East rival.
Caleb King broke his jaw
And continued playing.
It's just the special teams. Like it was just the turnovers
The other serious problem undermining Georgia's season.
Maybe Atlanta isn't completely ridiculous
Track Em Tigers adjusts its read on the season, but warns us against getting too wrapped up in the Malzahnfense.
In the end, Auburn will be judged by how well Ted Roof's defense improves in the coming weeks. Outside of the Tennessee touchdown drive at the end of the first half, this unit made strides. The veterans made plays when the game was drawing close.
Next opponent: Arkansas.
A different kind of reassessment
Vanderbilt Sports Line takes a look at what's gone wrong this year after last year's breakthrough season.
He's probably better off for it
Jim Brown missed his first Kentucky home game in 64 years Saturday.
"I let common sense take over from valor," Brown said.
He was actually talking about his cold, but could just as well have been talking about Kentucky's chances of winning.