“Stay Sober and Alert”

To all those Italian drivers, the Pope says “drive safe”, from the Vatican:

I extend warm greetings to all the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at today’s Angelus. May your time in Rome be filled with divine blessings of joy and peace. On this third Sunday of November, we remember in a special way all those who have died as a result of traffic accidents. We pray for their eternal rest and for the consolation of their families who grieve their loss. Dear brothers and sisters, I implore everyone – drivers, passengers and pedestrians – to heed carefully the words of Saint Paul in the Liturgy of the Word today: “stay sober and alert”. Our behavior on the roads should be characterized by responsibility, consideration and a respect for others. May the Virgin Mary lead us safely along streets and highways throughout the world.

Is the End Near?

I turn 50 today, so this is the kind of stuff that I relate to now.

Is it a hoax or real? Muslim prophecy of the end of the world seems to elude to recent presidential election, from Daniel Pipes:

Ali ibn Abi-Talib, the seventh-century figure central to Shiite Islam, is said to have predicted when the world will end, columnist Amir Taheri points out. A “tall black man” commanding “the strongest army on earth” will take power “in the west.” He will carry “a clear sign” from the third imam, Hussein. Ali says of the tall black man: “Shiites should have no doubt that he is with us.”

Barack Hussein in Arabic means “the blessing of Hussein.” In Persian, Obama translates as “He [is] with us.” Thus does the name of the presumptive American president-elect, when combined with his physical attributes and geography, suggest that the End of Times is nigh – precisely what Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been predicting.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Gators live up to hype, beat South Carolina senseless! Meyer’s expresses excitement that Jimmy Buffet is in the  locker room…Mike Bianchi reflects on the end of the Spurrier era in the Orlando Sentinel:

From now on, we must all cease and desist making a big deal about Spurrier coaching against his former team. These days, it’s more exciting when Houston Nutt comes to Gainesville than Steve Spurrier.

This game is no longer about Steve Spurrier coaching against Florida. It’s only about Florida. It’s no longer about Steve Spurrier vs. Urban Meyer. It’s only about Urban Meyer.

Meyer’s very first words in his postgame news conference after handing Spurrier the worst loss of his coaching career: “Can you believeJimmy Buffett‘s in our locker room?”

That’s right, Meyer seemed more excited about his favorite singer being in the locker room afterward than he was with beating Spurrier’s Gamecocks like they were some outmanned 1-AA team. Meyer’s favorite Buffett song is “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere.” If Spurrier had to name a favorite Buffett song after the beating he took Saturday, it would probably be, “Why Don’t We Get Drunk” (and figure out a way to score a freaking touchdown).

Actually, a more appropriate tune for how Spurrier must have felt Saturday might be “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.” In that song, a nostalgic Buffett twangs: “Visions of good times that brought so much pleasure makes me want to go back again.”

Those good times for Spurrier must seem like a million miles away now. For Florida fans and media members who witnessed Spurrier’s greatness at UF, it’s shocking to see just how pedestrian his offense has become. It’s sort of like watching Bob Dolegoing from presidential candidate to making Viagra commercials. Or like watching a young Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront and then seeing him years later at the end of his career playing a bloated prison warden with dyed red hair in that awful comedy Free Money.

Spurrier used to be so cocky and sure of himself — a proud perfectionist who only talked about winning championships. But after Saturday’s dismantling, he sounded so unfamiliar. He uttered unSpurrier-like phrases such as: “We were just trying to keep the score respectable.” Or: “We’re having a good season. We’re 7-4 with a chance to go 8-4.”

These are words you never thought you’d hear out of Spur-Dog’s mouth, but that is the reality of his situation right now. As great as he once was, he’s now just another coach for the Urbanator to seek out and destroy. Spurrier may have once been the king of The Swamp, but on Saturday the deposed king returned and the Urbanator guillotined him.

In 309 games as a head coach in college and pro football, Spurrier never has been beaten this badly — not even when he was at Duke. But at least he’s not alone. Urbanator’sGators are dismantling anybody and everybody who gets in their way. They became the first team in Southeastern Conference history Saturday to win six consecutive conference games by 28 points or more.

A dozen years after Spurrier won his first and only national championship at Florida, Meyer is potentially on his way to a second national title by dominating SEC opponents much like Spurrier did back in the day. In the middle of Spurrier’s 1996 national championship season, the Gators went on the most dominating stretch in school and SEC history — a six-game SEC winning streak where Florida won by an average score of 49-11. If you’re scoring at home, Meyer’s Gators are on a six-game SEC streak, winning by an average score of 50-11.

Said Spurrier: “We have to recruit us some athletes like Urban’s recruiting.”

Funny, huh?

Urban Meyer came to Florida and wanted to be like Steve Spurrier.

Now Steve Spurrier is at South Carolina and wants to be like Urban Meyer.

Changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes.