A few things swirling through my mind this morning:

Why isn’t Obama getting castigated for the slow response to the ever widening Gulf oil spill? Can you imagine if Bush were still President (I do regularly, but I digress)? He’d be getting ripped to shreds. The Washington Times looks at the situation here.

It seems to me that Michelle Malkin has become a much sharper and refined commentator over the last few years. I haven’t read her pieces extensively, but that’s the sense I get from seeing her on TV and reading her recently. She’s still an attack dog, but she’s a more effective one than she used to be.

Of course, Obama just threw her a juicy slab of red meat with his recent comments. Here’s how she begins her latest column:

President Obama spoke the most revealing and clarifying 10 words of his control-freak administration this week: "I think at some point you have made enough money." Peddling financial regulatory reform at a rally in Quincy, Ill., Obama then ad-libbed peculiar definitions of what he called the "American way" and the profit motive: "(Y)ou can just keep on making it if you're providing a good product or providing good service. We don't want people to stop, ah, fulfilling the core responsibilities of the financial system to help grow our economy."

Fundamental lesson of Capitalism 101: Governments and bureaucrats don't make what people want and need. They only get in the way. It is individuals, cooperating peacefully and voluntarily, working together without mandate or central design, who produce the world's goods and services. They make what people desire and demand for themselves, not what Obama and his imperial overlords ordain that the masses should have.

She right on, of course, and I can’t recall scarier words than Obama’s from a politician lately. They sum up his mindset perfectly. A question though: would he say, “You’ve made enough money” to a room full of Hollywood elites? You know, the ones that make $20 million and up for a movie?

This story about environmentalist nut cases in California intentionally wasting fresh water in pursuit of a misguided philosophy is, well, mind-blowing.

What the heck is going on in the world? I am beginning to wonder if hardcore liberalism isn’t a form of insanity or delusion. Seriously. The way the liberal brain functions (if you can call it that) is so completely foreign to me that it seems indistinguishable from madness.

Gov. Charlie Christ has left the party that brought him to power, the party that he said he would never leave, proving that his is an unprincipled liar and seeks only political advancement, at any cost. How can any voter ever trust anything he ever says again?

I did the St. Anthony’s triathlon last weekend. What an event! From what I understand, it is the unofficial kickoff event for the triathlon season. A number of pros participate. It’s an Olympic/International distance event: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, and a 10K run. The swim is my weak link and, unfortunately, it showed when the wind kicked up and seas got rough. I was zapped for the rest of the race and finished well over my goal time. Still, I am proud to have been a part of it.

Finally, how about those Rays? Wow! 17-5? Best record in baseball? Are you kidding me? Woohoo! Sure, they’ll come back down to Earth at some point, but man, what a fantastic start!

First, I am rather proud of myself: I competed in the Siesta Key Triathlon yesterday (0.5 mile swim, 13 mile bike, 3.1 mile run) and, while I wasn't near getting a medal, I did finish 12th out of 35 in my age group.

More than the decent finish (I had a better finish in the Venice Triathlon, 3rd, although it was against a smaller and weaker field), however, I am pleased with how fresh I felt at the end. Yes, I was breathing very heavy for the first minute or two after finishing the run, but I recovered quickly and felt great. I'm just better now at managing the race and myself. Nice feeling.

All right, this is old, old news by internet standards (> 30 days), but I still want to comment. This picture is the world's first image of an actual molecule, a million times smaller than a grain of sand. Mind blowing.

There is more evidence that global warming is non-event, and Jonah Goldberg discusses the matter quite reasonably. It all shows how legislation such as the proposed "cap and trade" bill are not really about the environment, but about the expansion of government at the expense of capitalism and sound science.

Rich Lowry has Obama the Arrogant nailed in An Obama Speech in 13 Easy Steps. If there was every a president that was actually the complete opposite of what he claimed to be during his campaign (in Obama's case, a "uniter"), it's Obama.

I haven't quite made up my mind about Sarah Palin. My horse sense tells me that she is what she appears to be: a plain-spoken, honest, corruption-fighting conservative who is not afraid to speak her mind. Her message and language aren't focused-grouped and slickly packaged to move polls, thank God. She's more like the people of America than she is like the people in Washington. She "gets it," so to speak.

No, she's not perfect human being, and yes, she needs experience, but there is no denying that she has one quality that conservative politicians (as distinct from conservative pundits or voters), at least on the national stage, have recently lacked: she's very, very attractive. I hate symbolism over substance, but the harsh reality is that more attractive people have a distinct edge over less attractive people, in a number of situations, most especially including politics.

Let's face it, she's hot. She's as far from the stereotypical old-white-man GOP politician as you can get.

The Sharks Olympic Distance Classic is tomorrow, a combination triathlon/duathlon event. I'll be competing in the duathlon, which is a 5K run, a 40K bike, and then a 10K run. It's 34 miles overall.

I've trained about as hard as I reasonably can, but I am a little nervous. The race, including the transitions from run to bike and vice-versa, will take me about 2 hours and 37 minutes. I'd be thrilled to beat that time, but there is a far chance it will take a bit longer. It's just such a long duration. During training, my legs have been turning to lifeless hunks of meat at around the 2 hour mark. Frankly, I'm counting on good, old-fashioned race-day energy to carry me through.

Race day is such an interesting combination of the early-morning happy beehive of check-in activity, the nervous and careful preparation of bikes and transition equipment, the race-start thrill, the carefully gauging of the "right" race pace and adjusting it as the race wears on, the inevitable fatigue turning to exhaustion, the dizzy, exciting feeling of seeing the finish line ahead, the satisfying relief of the finish, and the internal joy that grows during the post-race recovery and activities. Then, once home, a big, long nap.

As of Tuesday, I started training in earnest for the Sharks Olympic Distance Classic. It's combination triathlon/duathlon event. I'll be competing in the duathlon, which is a 5K run, a 40K bike, and then a 10K run. It's 34 miles overall, and since it's not until May 9, it'll probably be getting pretty warm by then. It'll be a challenge.

My running is reasonably good right now. I just competed in the SpringFest 12K (~ 7.4 miles) and finished in 62:41, which is an average pace of 8:24/mile. That's not bad, at least for me. I finished in the top half of my age group, so that was a small milestone.

I still feel new to cycling, although I have been at it for a few months. I am embarrassed to admit that today I took my first ride with actual clip-in cycling shoes. What a difference -- I should have gotten them sooner. Yes, it's going to take a little time to get used to clipping in and out, but it's not as bad as I thought it might be.

While the idea of cycling 40K in the race doesn't bother me, I need to be able to do it at a fast pace, and still have energy left for a decent 10K run. What's fast enough? I don't know. I think I might be able to average 20 mph, and perhaps a little better, by the time the race rolls around. I'm not going to be in the 24+ mph club like some of the animals that will be in the race.

It's hard to describe the combination of pleasure and pain inherent in endurance events. Like all participants who try to do their absolute best, I reach a point in every event where my body is pleading with me to stop. My legs feel like anchors. My lungs are working so hard it seems impossible to go on. My heart is ready to burst. I have to play mind games with myself, and recall every cheesy inspirational slogan ever written, to overcome the instinct to quit.

Yet... it's fun. It's rewarding and satisfying. Making the last turn to the finish line, realizing that I am going to make my goal of whatever time, hearing the clapping and exhortations of bystanders (even one person on a corner cheering is ridiculously energizing)... it's all so great.

Why did I wait until I was 42 to start running? Why did I wait until I was 43 to start cycling? I know that, given my late start, in any given race I'll likely never finish first in my age group, much less overall, but it doesn't matter. I am competing against myself... and winning.

I raced in the Chilly Willy Duathlon yesterday. It's a 5K run, then a 10-mile bike, then another 5K run. It's held at beautiful Fort DeSoto Park, which is an island just off St. Petersburg. It's a perfect location for the race.

Here's a summary of my experience: it was awesome. I loved every minute of it.

Supposedly, the Chilly Willy is one of the biggest duathlons in the country. They cap it at 500 entries, which isn't a lot by running race standards, but apparently that's big by duathlon standards.

I got there nice and early to make sure I had plenty of time to get through the packet pickup / timing chip / bike setup stuff. It was pretty chilly. I warmed up with some jogging and stretching and felt really good.

Next thing I know, we're lining up, the gun goes off, and it's time to rock. I could see the front guys/girls making the first turn up ahead. Sweet Jesus, were they flying (~ 5:30/mile pace)!

The running course was great. It goes along a wide nature-type path for half of it, and then on the beach for the return half. Most of the sand was fairly firm, but there were some soft areas too. I am used to that, so it wasn't a big deal.

I kept myself in check during the first run, since I was concerned about saving energy. In hindsight, I should have pushed it harder. My pace was 8:28/mile. Should have been closer to 8:00 or 8:15. Still, I had a grin the whole way. Great fun.

The great thing about just wearing running shoes throughout the race, instead of changing into cycling shoes, is that my transitions were lightning fast. Just buckle/unbuckle my helmet, get/put my bike on the rack, and I was off.

Cycling, at least at first, was sweet relief. Since it uses some different muscles, it sounds crazy, but I was able to rest and get something to drink. I was up to about 20-21 mph without any difficulty. I was passing people and being passed left and right. I am very, very pleased with my bike. I saw a lot of nice bikes, but even though mine is not top-o'-the-line, I am really digging it. The road was nice and smooth and cars were blocked from entering the island, so it was wide open. We had to deal with a headwind for miles 2-5, and that started to take a toll on me and my speed. But once I made the turn at mile 5, the wind was behind us, I was up to about 23-24 mph, although I had to slow down due to wind, fatigue, and bike traffic near the end.

I had a pretty smooth ride, but my forearms got achy on the pads. Not sure why, but I will have to experiment with pad positions. Also, I almost got into an accident when the cat ahead of me decide to move to the left in the last turn as I was moving inside him. It was close. Note to self: be on defense mode in the turns, and stop acting like you're driving a race car and trying to make a pass.

I tried to eat my fruit bar during the bike, but I was breathing pretty hard, and it was difficult to swallow. I think for this length event (or shorter), I will just stick to Gatorade. One of those bottle that fits between the aero bars would have been nice too. Just lean down and drink.

Had a clean transition to the second run but, as expected, the legs felt like anchors for the first half mile or so. Doubts crept in my mind. Then, I checked my pace and saw that I was actually running faster than I had in the first run! That juiced me. Then, this older guy (65-ish) slowly caught up to me and passed me. I was a little discouraged until I saw an Ironman tattoo on his calf. OK, respect granted.

I picked up my pace a little and drafted him as best I could. When we hit the beach section, I was feeling in semi-control, so I pushed past him. He picked up his pace, and I could hear him just behind me until about a half-mile to go. I decided to start my kick and was hoping his kick wasn't better. I beat him to the line by a few seconds. He came up to me afterwards, shook my hand, and told me he didn't have enough left in the tank.

My pace for the second run was 8:19/mile. I was pleased. Other stats: I finished 19th out of 37 in my age group. I finished 96th overall (not counting relay teams). I finished 65th in the bike leg, which I am really happy about. It's weird: even though I am new to cycling, I was a better biker than runner, compared to the rest of the field. I don't have a clean measurement of my bike pace, since the listed times include both transitions, but I think I averaged pretty close to 20 mph. I'm sure there is a lot of room for improvement there.

My total time was 1:23:00. The male overall winner was 0:59:48. Yikes. The overall female winner was 1:07:07. She is from Sarasota and I've finished well behind her at several running races. I was hoping that an elite triathlete (Ironman winner) from Sarasota named Heather Gollnick would be in the race, but she wasn't. She might have beat the male winner.

So, that's it in a large nutshell. I plan on entering again next year. There is a duathlon in Sarasota on April 5 that I will enter. I'd like to do a 5K or 10K run race sometime in March. I'm addicted!

I added a few more Mark Twain quotes to my Favorite Quotes section. You know the old cocktail party question, "If you could have dinner with someone from history, who would you choose?"? I'm certainly not a Mark Twain expert, but just based on Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, and his wonderful quotes, he'd be on my short list.

I've decided to run the Sarasota Half-Marathon in February, a 13.1-mile race. I've never run that kind of distance before, and I have had doubts that my knees and back would be able to handle it. On Sunday, I took a big step in the right direction by running further than I ever have: 9 miles. I'm pleased.

I love this cartoon.
Speaking of media bias, I wonder if, at the end of 2008, the media will report that it was one of the coldest years we've had recently (yes, I am making a prediction here). Nah, if I'm right, they will bury the story. It would put another nail in the man-made global warming coffin. 2008 will mark the 10th year in a row that has been cooler than 1998. Does that sound like a crisis to you? Does that sound like a situation that demands an upheaval of capitalistic economies or burdensome, ridiculous schemes like "cap and trade"?

I ran in the 20th Annual Bill's Beer Run on Sunday, and it was great fun. There were about 700 people there (from what I heard), and a few folks were dressed, and ran in, Halloween garb. There was a Grim Reaper with an enormous head (he had to look out the mouth hole). Some friends of mine ran as Batman and Batwoman, capes and all. There was even one of those long Chinese dragons held up on poles by three runners.

The race was an out-and-back 5-mile course on beautiful Casey Key. Naturally, I was still running the out leg when the leader passed by on return leg. Wow. He was absolutely flying. I can't wait until the results are posted on the Manasota Track Club site to see what his time was.

I was pleased with my own result: 42:26 -- timed by my own watch to eliminate the agonizing interval between the horn starting the race and the moment when you actually cross the starting line, due to the crowd. That works out to be an 8:29/mile pace, and it's the best race result I have had. Everything came together: good training program, smart taper, avoiding alcohol for the prior few days, and nice, cool weather in the mid-60's. It is amazing how large of a difference the temperature makes to running performance. I realize that finishing 200th overall leaves a lot of room for improvement, but hey, it's not bad for a 43-year old who has been running for less than a year.

Still, I think I could have run it a little faster. While I was running negative splits like I planned (slowly increasing my speed throughout the race), I left a little on the table. I was a little hesitant to believe how good I was feeling and held back a touch. In addition, I should have started my kick around the 1 mile mark instead of the 0.5 mark. At the end, I had more left in my tank than I should have. Finally, I should have skipped the water at mile 3 -- I ended up slightly gagging as it went down the wrong pipe. Hmm, I guess that takes a little practice.

Of course, true to the event's name, there was beer served after the race. It's funny how the beer tasted so much better than Gatorade or water.

Rays win! Rays win!
Another giant hurdle crossed as the Rays make it to the American League Championship Series against the Red Sox. They used to be intimidated by Boston and by the Yankees, but no longer. Still, it should be a very close series. I predict the Rays will take it 4-3.

It is bitter irony that Obama will probably end up being elected Messiah President of the United States due, in part, to his support of the corrupt ACORN organization, ACORN's and Obama's intimidation of banks to make high-risk loans, the mismanagement of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by Democrat Harold Raines, and the Dems' (especially Chris Dodd's and Barney Frank's) success in blocking Republican efforts to reign in those organizations a few years ago -- all of which helped created the mess in the financial markets, which a large, ignorant portion of the electorate blames on... wait for it... Republicans. Having the mainstream media totally and completely in your pocket sure has it benefits.

Speaking of the economy, while the market is alarmingly volatile these days, there are three strong developments: oil prices, which had been the cause of so much angst, have plunged to well under $100; the dollar has strengthed dramatically; and real estate inventories, at least in the Sarasota area, have plunged, a sign of increasing residential recovery. But if good news trees fall in a forest and there is no one there to hear them, do they still make a sound?

Disjointed thoughts...

How about those Rays? Winners of Game 1. My wife and I are going with some friends to Game 2 tonight. Can't wait!

Had to take a break from running due to a bad sinus infection. I felt so weak, particularly in my legs, that I felt as though I was a new runner again. Glad to report that the weakness is gone, and I'm about 90% back to where I was. My next race is Bill's Beer Run on October 26 (5 miles).

Did anybody see this AP story? Secret U.S. mission hauls uranium from Iraq... Last major stockpile from Saddam's nuclear efforts arrives in Canada. Yet more evidence that Saddam was up to no good, and that getting rid of him was wise.

And here's more evidence of what I consider to be the #1 problem facing the United States: news bias. The liberal press have abandoned any pretext of impartiality. It's all out war now, and Republicans better learn how to fight back. (As always, I could provide a several bias stories like that every day without any problem. I just don't have the time.)

I wish every politician on the planet was like Sarah Palin. I'm not talking about her political views, which I largely agree with, I am talking about genuineness and her real-ness and her natural charisma. There is nothing fake about her. I can't recall anybody in politics today who better represents the anti-politician. If politics-as-usual is an illness (and it certainly makes me sick), Sarah Palin is the cure. Here's what former Sen. Fred Thompson had to say about her and her strong debate with Sen. Biden. He nails it:

“One of the reasons I feel so good for her, just as a human being is I have never seen anybody undergo the ridicule, the slanders and the lies, and the blogosphere and what they’re doing, and breaking into her private e-mail, rumors and things about her, and now, most recently, belittling her, taking little snippets of interviews and laughing at her and satirizing her. Those people ought to be ashamed of themselves, if they’re capable of shame, because they’ve proven that what they were doing does not represent who she was and who she is. Thank goodness, just as she said, that this was an unfiltered event for an hour and a half. She could stand toe-to-toe with Joe Biden, who’s been around for all these many, many years, and basically take him to the woodshed.”

I bought a used sailboat! It's a 1986 Spindrift 22. It needs work, and I have a lot of learning to do, but I love it. Now if my family and I could just find the time to use it! Soon. Very soon.

Here's an AL East table I never thought I'd see a quarter of the way through the season:

The Rays in first place? The Yankees in last? Does it get any better? Well, yes, it could get better if they win the World Series, but that kind of thinking remains delusional. Still, baseball is so much more fun when your time is at least competitive. The Rays, finally, are competitive, and I won't succumb to adding a qualifier such as "at least for now."

See what getting rid of the Devil does for you?

I tend to get bored with exercise routines, even though, until recently, I was working out just twice a week. Something like circuit training would be great for several months or perhaps a year, but then it would get old, I'd plateau, and I'd walk out of the gym feeling tired, yet not any more fit. I didn't particularly look forward to exercising.

Sometimes I'd jog a little as a warm up to weight-lifting, but that usually meant jogging the 1/2 mile loop behind the YMCA a couple of times. Often, even that light jogging would leave me with a little knee or back pain, so I'd lay off for awhile and ride a stationary bike instead.

Last year, my wife starting running and decided not long afterwards that she wanted to compete in a half-marathon (13.1 miles). She trained very diligently and wisely, got good equipment, and followed a training program. She not only finished the half-marathon, but also finished at better than a 10:00 minute per mile pace. Not bad.

In late January, I decided to give running another try, and this time learn from my wife and do it right. I ditched my old, heavy cross trainers for some New Balance running shoes and let the salesman guide my choice based on my history of knee/back pain and ankle pronation. I read Runner's World magazine and went to runnersworld.com to learn about proper form, techniques for warming up, and good training programs.

As a motivator, a friend suggested signing up for an upcoming 5K (3.1 mile) race. Great idea. It provided a concrete goal and timeline, dovetailing with many training programs, which conclude with a race after a user-determined number of weeks. They aren't open-ended. They're goal oriented.

Approaching running thoughtfully and with a goal in mind has worked. I'm hooked.

The first few weeks were a little tough, since my body needed to get used the idea of running (as opposed to light, short jogging). I had some foot pain, but arch supports solved it. I've tried my best to warm up and cool down properly. I've focused on reducing my "bounce," and running as efficiently as I can.

Though it sounds like work, it isn't; it's an interesting and challenging activity. I'm running about 5 days a week, and though I think it's fair to say I was slim to start with, I've lost about 5 pounds. Easy runs, long runs, tempo runs, intervals, it's all good. I feel great when I'm running, great when I finish, and great the next day.

Now, when you start running at 42 years old, you're never going to be a top runner. In mid-February, I ran the Scrub Jay 5K (3.1 miles), a trail run in the Oscar Scherer state park, in 28:19. More recently, I finished the Run for the Turtles 5K beach run in 26:31, an 8:31 per mile pace. Compared to where I started, I am very happy with my progress. But I'm still in the bottom half of my age group (AG): males 40-45. Heck, a good third of the guys in the 65-69 AG smoked me. For even more humble pie, my time of 26:31 compares to the winner's time of 17:31. Yowza.

My goal is to finish in the top half of my AG in a 5K. While it might sound I am focused on beating my fellow man, I'm really in competition with myself. The top-half goal is just a benchmark for my own progress. When I achieve it, I'll set a new goal, and it might have nothing to do with my placement relative to other runners.

Next up is a 10K trail run this weekend in Englewood's Myakka state forest. 10K (6.2 miles) is still a little tough for me (my back gets stiff) since I have only run that far twice. So, I don't think I'll place well in my AG. Nevertheless, it should be fun.

Will I reach for a half-marathon like my wife? At this point, I doubt it. As much as I like running, training for an event like that takes a lot of time and would be tough on my body; training runs are routinely two hours long. I think I'll stick to 5Ks and an occasional 10K. I think I'd rather run faster than longer.

I get to run again tomorrow -- I can't wait.

Ugh.

The Rays managed to finally rough up the Red Sox' Tim Wakefield, only to lose anyway. Then, yesterday, they blow a one-run lead in the bottom of the ninth as David Ortiz hit a walk-off two-run homer.

For the Rays to break their meager record of 70 wins in a season, the now need to win 10 of the remaining 16 games. Ain't gonna happen. So anyway, about those Gators...

It's very tempting to write about General Petraeus' report to Congress, the real progress in Iraq, the biased media coverage, the dems pathetic spin, the shameful MoveOn.org ad, etc. And it's tempting to write about Hillary Clinton and the Hsu fundraising scandal.

Today, though, I am not in the mood for world affairs. Today, I'm thinking sports. Not my beloved Gators or the Bucs, but the lowly Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

To say the Rays have performed poorly since their 1998 debut would be an understatement. I don't believe even the Bucs dreadful start in 1976, losing 26 straight games, can quite compare. Consider: in their nine years of existence, the Rays have finished in last place in the American League East every year, except 2004, when they finished fourth out of five teams. They have never won more than 70 games (out of 162 in a season), and have lost 91 or more every season. They are the only team in baseball to have never made the playoffs.

Yet, there's hope this year. The Rays have won 61 games and lost 83, with 18 games remaining, but more importantly, they are on a prolonged hot streak. They have won 13 out of their last 17 games, narrowing the margin to fourth place Baltimore to one game. If they can win 10 of the 18 remaining games, not out of the question given the current streak, they will set a franchise mark for wins in a season and will likely climb out of last place for only the second time.

Unfortunately, today's game against Boston's Tim Wakefield provides a stiff test. Not only is Boston in first place, but Wakefield has dominated the Rays. In games against Tampa Bay, he's 6-1 since 2006 and has allowed only one run in the last 21 innings. Wow.

It doesn't get any easier. The Ray have another series remaining against Boston, one against the Yankees, one against the AL West leading Angels, and one against the second place Mariners. Only six of the remaining 18 games are at home.

OK, so it doesn't look good. But I'll be rooting for them anyway. Go Rays, Go!

Billy Donovan remains a Gator. The sun is a little brighter today, the sky a little clearer, and the world makes sense again.

Scientists invent wireless device that beams electricity through your home. When I was a kid, I used to dream about this kind of thing as I watched the Jetsons.

Rising immigration fuels 26-year fertility high (in the U.K.) and Mohammed is expected soon to be the most popular boy's name. Hmmm, I wonder what ethic group is having all those kids...

Jimmy Carter: Profile in Incompetence. A Ten Part Series on the Worst President in American History. Ten Part? Ouch!

Revolt Against Al Qaeda Spreading. I think the only way the Iraqis, and the allied forces, will find peace is if the revolt keeps spreading.

Finally, I know one thing this guy in Wyoming is not thinking, as he shovels snow on June 7:
"We need to tackle global warming!"

Ugh, I had been sleeping so peacefully at night knowing my beloved Gators had locked up the two best college coaches in the country: Urban Meyer in football and Billy Donovan in basketball. After his second national championship, Billy spurned even Kentucky to stay with the Gators, talking about how important family and lifestyle are. He'll be a Gator forever! Or so I thought, willfully putting aside thousands of examples of athletes and coaches moving on, despite the wishes of their fans.

Now, in what seems like a wink of an eye, he's off to coach the Orlando Magic. I can't help feel that, like Spurrier before him, he's making a mistake by leaving a dream job for the brutal, anything-but-family-friendly world of professional sports. Billy's a wonderful college coach, but those talents don't necessarily translate to the NBA.

Sure, he'll still be close to his family in Gainesville, but his career will be worlds away from where it was.

Three national championships (basketball, football, basketball again) in a span of 12 months. It's an unbelievable time to be a Gator. What makes it better is to see unselfish teamwork pay off.

I sure hope Florida can hold on to Billy Donovan. He and Urban Meyer, the football coach, are not only outstanding coaches, but good people and class individuals. They are both super ambassadors and representatives for the University of Florida.

What can you say about Ohio State? They put together an excellent football team and an excellent basketball team. They were better than every other team in the country... except the Gators.

The Gator's dominance won't last forever (there is almost no chance the basketball team will three-peat), so we Gator fans will just enjoy it while it lasts.