Opinion: Columns - The Independent Florida Alligator

After a 5-1 record as a starter, Del Rio is fighting to keep his job against redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks and transfer Malik Zaire.

Sports

Column: UF athletic department should follow Luke Del Rio’s lead and condemn Richard Spencer

By Ethan Bauer | Oct. 19, 2017

The University of Florida sat still on Thursday. Classes continued on like normal, but campus felt dead. Or at least, everywhere except its southwest corner. That’s where white nationalist Richard Spencer’s speech attracted attention and sparked confrontations between his small number of supporters and hundreds of protesters. The event was one of the biggest spectacles in recent university memory, with more than half a million dollars spent on security. But if you took a peek at most Twitter accounts associated with UF athletics, you’d have no idea it happened.

Eight Gators writers pick eight college football games from around the country.

Sports

Picks column bye week: Is Florida’s season already over?

Oct. 19, 2017

The halfway point in the season is upon us, and Florida is already limping to the finish with a 3-3 record. Luckily for the Gators, they have a bye week, giving their fans a chance to have at least one fall Saturday without inevitable disappointment. With a looming matchup against No. 3 Georgia, things are looking bleak for the Gators’ season. But is it time to officially declare Florida’s 2017 campaign is over? That’s for our writers to decide. Before we make our picks for this weekend’s college football games, alligatorSports editor Matt Brannon and assistant editor Dylan Dixon are going to debate whether Florida’s season is already over.

UF punter Johnny Townsend retweeted a gif praising him for a personal-best 67-yard punt following Florida's 19-17 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday.

Sports

Column: Bragging after a loss? Another instance of the Gators’ laughable social media conduct

By Dylan Dixon | Oct. 18, 2017

I had a column published last week about Florida’s football players and their questionable social media profiles.

UF quarterback Feleipe Franks looks to throw the ball during Florida's 19-17 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Sports

Column: 25 things that made me cringe in the Gators’ loss to Texas A&M

By Matt Brannon | Oct. 17, 2017

It’s tough to go into a bye week on a loss. That’s what coach Jim McElwain said after UF dropped its second straight home game to the Aggies, 19-17, on Saturday.

Opinion

The only way to confront the issue of social survival is through intellectuality

Oct. 17, 2017

It seems established in our common knowledge that comedy is tragedy plus time. This applies to what happened in Charlottesville, Virginia, as well as what is to come of Richard Spencer’s visit to UF on Thursday. The initial cancellation of Spencer’s event is not an attack on freedom of speech,but actually championing the matter.

Opinion

Weinstein scandal shows Hollywood is full of it

Oct. 17, 2017

By now, everyone has read about the accusations surrounding Hollywood film mogul Harvey Weinstein. His list of accusers has grown significantly over the last week, as dozens of women have now come out and accused him of sexual assault or rape.

Opinion

Kindness won’t make Thursday go away, but it won’t hurt either

Oct. 17, 2017

Nobody wants to see their city at the end of a “pray for” hashtag. Nobody wants to see their home in a hurricane’s projected path. (Almost) nobody wants to see their university become a meeting point for a white supremacist and his supporters — but Thursday, UF will see exactly that.

The United States failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Sports

Column: After U.S. men’s soccer loss, it's important not to forget about the women’s team

By Jake Dreilinger | Oct. 16, 2017

The United States men’s soccer team lost to Trinidad and Tobago a week ago, knocking out any chance of the U.S. making the World Cup in Russia next year.

Tennessee head coach Butch Jones yells to a players in the first half of an NCAA college football game against South Carolina, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Sports

Column: McElwain isn’t the only one feeling the heat: Three coaching hot seats in the SEC East

By Skyler Lebron | Oct. 15, 2017

We’re smack dab in the middle of SEC football conference play, and some coaches are already suffering from severe butt sweats from how hot their seats are. Some might also be a little more soothingly warm on the buttocks than you might expect.

Opinion

A comprehensive look at my desert island necessities

Oct. 15, 2017

This week, I’m taking a brief breather from the flurry of politics to discuss a different topic near and dear to my heart: my all-time favorite books and movies that I have fondly deemed my “desert island necessities.” In other words, if you stuck me on a deserted island and said, “Hey, Mia, here’s enough food and water to last you a week on your own, but you can only take three books and three movies along,” this is what I would bring. Yeah, I know it’s not realistic, but this is my column, OK?

Opinion

Don’t worry, even if you’re unsure of your happiness

Oct. 15, 2017

We don’t want to be sad. I mean, you can’t really blame us. Why would we want to be sad? Being sad, anxious or upset means being uncomfortable. We fight to avoid discomfort and to find that place where we feel comfortable. We want everything to be just so: nothing out of place, nothing left unaccounted for. We make lists and check them off. We fulfill obligations and settle into a routine that is safe. We pursue happiness. After all, is that not the ultimate goal?

UF coach Jim McElwain watches on during Florida's 19-17 loss against Texas A&M on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Sports

Column: It’s time for changes

By Ethan Bauer | Oct. 14, 2017

It’s finally happening.

Sports

Picks column Week 7: Polka dot jerseys

Oct. 12, 2017

It has been a trying week for the Florida Gators football program. The team lost by one-point to LSU, lost multiple players with injuries and lost the respect of some fans by ditching the orange and blue uniforms this weekend. The Gators will take the field Saturday against Texas A&M wearing green jerseys that the Oregon Ducks passed on. The jerseys took 18 months to design since the artist accidentally opened Internet Explorer and had to wait for it to close. He then used the remaining 10 minutes to put black polka dots on a greenish-gray background. The team first got the idea for the jerseys when Nike approached them and told them that no one was buying Gators merchandise. A year and a half later, here we are. The Florida-Texas A&M game is sure to be one of the most interesting picks this week. But before we get into all of our picks and meet our competitors, Alligator sports editors Matt Brannon and Dylan Dixon will break down the much-anticipated matchup between Delta State and West Florida. Be sure to catch Statesmen and the Argonauts on Saturday on BLAB TV.

Opinion

A column for UF President Kent Fuchs: Make UF great, for once

Oct. 12, 2017

No part of America has been untouched by President Donald Trump’s already disastrous presidency. In less than 10 months, Trump and his supporters have resurrected and instrumentalized racism and xenophobia, undermining the dignity of America and Americans.

Opinion

A summary can never compare to a real book

Oct. 12, 2017

For almost 20 years, SparkNotes has been providing students with easily understood summaries and analyses of works commonly found in high school and college classrooms. Before that, CliffsNotes was offering student study guides since 1958, serving as a lifesaver for students struggling to wade through and extract some sort of meaning out of their assigned Shakespeare readings. When you’re in 11th grade and you’re having an exam on “The Catcher in the Rye” in your next class, these guides can be invaluable tools in garnering enough knowledge to throw together a slipshod analysis of Holden’s hunting cap, but are they anything more than this?

UF coach Jim McElwain and his staff don't appear to be tuned in to their players' social media accounts.

Sports

Column: Negligent UF football staff appears unaware of players' social media accounts

By Dylan Dixon | Oct. 11, 2017

According to the University Athletic Association’s staff directory, coach Jim McElwain has over 30 employees working for him to help oversee Florida’s football program.

UF unveiled the alternate uniforms it plans on wearing for Saturday's game against Texas A&M.

Sports

Column: UF’s new uniforms are so cool they almost make me forget how bad the team is

By Matt Brannon | Oct. 10, 2017

The Gators recently released photos of the alternate uniforms they plan to wear on Saturday night, and I couldn’t be more excited. The greenish-gray uniforms are designed after actual alligators and will be paired with matte green helmets featuring a Gator logo.

Opinion

Don’t commit to an animal you can’t keep just to rehome it upon graduation

Oct. 10, 2017

In a few months Facebook groups will be jam-packed with seniors saying they need to rehome their pets. It’s about time we have a discussion about how this is one of the worst things you can do to an animal.

Opinion

Mediocrity is now part of Gator football culture

Oct. 10, 2017

The Florida Gators have accepted mediocrity. Saturday’s 17-to-16 loss against LSU was a wake-up call to some fans, but in reality this has been a long time coming.

Opinion

You're not conceited; don’t be afraid to accept compliments and believe them

Oct. 10, 2017

I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying, “If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” But I think this mantra needs to be updated to reflect the feelings of our generation. Maybe something like, “If you have anything nice to say, please don’t say it because I won’t know how to react.”