I run to the typewriter…
When Anthony Richardson announced earlier this week that he was leaving the Florida Gators early for enter the NFL draftthere were actually a significant number of UF fans who felt Richardson’s decision was a good thing for the development of first-year coach Billy Napier’s program.
Do not be stupid.
Richardson may not have been a great college quarterback or a very accurate passer in his first year as a starter this season, but he is a tremendously talented athlete who has steadily developed as the year has progressed. Just the fact that he’s being talked about as a potential first-round NFL pick after completing just 54 percent of his passes should tell you how much potential he has.
Besides, Florida’s quarterback room is as empty as the calories in a tater tot. The Gators have no proven quarterbacks on their roster and will likely have to try to find someone else’s cut QB in the transfer portal.
Believe me, Napier would love to have Richardson back for another year to develop him and see how good he becomes.
The multi-million dollar question is this: Is Richardson making the right decision for his own future? Obviously, if he’s drafted in the first round, the answer is a resounding YES! Even the last pick in the first round of the NFL Draft is worth more than $12 million.
However, if Richardson lands in the second round (average salary around $3 million) or third round (average salary around $900,000), his earning potential and guarantees plummet.
The bottom line is this: We don’t know yet if AR is making a good decision for his own long-term future, but we do know he’s making a bad decision for UF’s short-term outlook. …
Short stuff: Can you believe it? Jonathan Isaac is working out with the Magic’s G League affiliate in Lakeland and could play a game for the Magic sometime in the next few weeks. I’m not saying it’s been a long time since Magic fans haven’t seen Isaac play, but the last time he was in uniform, the Magic were sporting their “Township Edition” jerseys. … Did you see where Terrell Owens recently hit a man and knocked him out in front of a CVS Pharmacy in LA after the man allegedly threatened someone who was having a conversation with TO? I guess it could have been worse. TO could have kept the rude guy at bay by forcing him to recite every word on the endless CVS cash register receipt. … You know what’s even more humiliating than Team USA getting kicked out of the World Cup in Holland? They beat us 3-1 while wearing wooden shoes! …
A moment of silence, please Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry has gone to That Big Baseball Doctoring Office in the Sky. Here are three of Perry’s best quotes, whose famous illegal spittoon was rigged with just about any foreign substance Perry could find at the drugstore: (1) “I reckon I’ve tried everything on the old apple, with except salt, pepper and chocolate sauce. .” (2) “Greaseball, greaseball, greaseball – that’s all I’d throw at him [Rod Carew], and still hit him. He’s the only baseball player that has consistently hit me in the balls. He saw the ball so well, I think he could tell the dry side.” (3) “I would always have the grease in at least two places, in case the umpires asked me to wipe one. I never wanted to be caught there with anything; it wouldn’t be professional.” … By the way, Perry never admitted that he threw the spit when he played, but after retirement he often joked about it. In his obituary from MLB.com, writer Chris Haft recounted the story of a 1993 interview when a reporter began a question by saying, “You’re supposed to have thrown the spit…” This prompted Perry to mock the reporter. “It’s supposed to,” Perry said. “It would be.” With a sly smile spreading across his face, Perry breathed in his North Carolina accent, “You went to college, didn’t you?” …
Did you see where Georgia Bulldogs football legend Herschel Walker lost his runoff to Raphael Warnock to give Democrats an overwhelming majority in the Senate? I guess you could say running back Georgia itself isn’t as easy as it was when Walker was giving the Gators a run during his playing time. … Title to Fark.com: “NFL teams are doing their homework on how to make compelling runs at minority head coaching candidates as they already decide on Jim Harbaugh ahead of the interview process.” … With the hiring of Deion Sanders, the American sports public is talking about the Colorado football program for the first time in decades. That alone is worth Deion’s $5 million a year salary. Deion has been a master at creating interest since he formulated his “Prime Time” persona at Florida State. One of my favorite Deion quotes of all time is from his college days when FSU was about to play Auburn and its All-SEC wide receiver, Attorney Tillman, in the Sugar Bowl. Then Prime Time gathered the media around him and said, “Boys, tell the lawyer that Perry Mason is coming to town and that we’ve never lost a case.” …
Three worst business deals in history: (1) France sells 828,000 square miles of Louisiana Territory to the future United States. (2) The Lenape tribe trades Manhattan Island to Dutch Governor Peter Minuit for $24, a case of whiskey, and some beaver skins. (3) Denver Broncos give up five draft picks for Russell Wilson. … If there was a portal for Sentinel columnists, I would transfer to the Palatka Daily News to escape Scott Maxwell’s huge shadow. … Patrick Mahomes and his wife Brittany welcomed their first son – Patrick Lavon Mahomes III – into the world last week. The baby is said to have bypassed any obstructions in the birth canal and made a perfect pass through a tight window and landed right in the doctor’s waiting hands. Like father, like son. …
The last word: From the great Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times, in his latest “Sideline Chatter” column, he notes: “A skunk appeared in the stands at the Browns-Bucs game in Cleveland, climbing up and down the steps of Section 140 before disappearing under the seats. . Like the open holes in the Browns’ O-line for Nick Chubb, fans have given the critters plenty of latitude. Fortunately, Pepe Le Pew was not summoned for the illegal use of glands.”
Send an email to mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on Twitter @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every weekday from 6-9:30 on FM 96.9, AM 740 and HD 101.1-2
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