No team gets to the National Championship game without being a pretty good squad. Actually better than that. So when Auburn and FSU were matched up in Pasadena for the final BCS Championship game, nobody should have expected anything but a close game. It’s never a mismatch unless the pollsters fall in love with one […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2004/02/jacksonville-sports-jaguars-sam-kouvaris.jpg4931000Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2014-01-07 11:58:082019-12-27 11:58:34As Good As It Gets: FSU Wins National Championship
There are only a couple of questions about tonight’s outcome of the National Championship game between FSU and Auburn. If you just look at how the two teams got here, it’s easy to pick FSU to win going away. The Seminoles won every game by double digits and scored more than 40 points almost every […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2004/02/jacksonville-sports-jaguars-sam-kouvaris.jpg4931000Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2014-01-06 11:58:422019-12-27 11:59:08FSU vs. Team of Destiny
When they walked into the ballroom for their “Media Day” interviews, I was struck by how much the 2013 FSU football team reminded me of the 1993 team that played for, and won the National Championship. Big and athletic, there aren’t any “fat” guys on this team. Even the biggest of the offensive and defensive […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2004/02/jacksonville-sports-jaguars-sam-kouvaris.jpg4931000Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2014-01-05 12:00:042019-12-27 12:01:03FSU A Close-Knit Group
Different events have a different feel. The Super Bowl is big, corporate, sponsor-driven and engulfs the city it’s in; bringing the national focus on everything that surrounds it. The National Championship is a mini version of that, but with a much more homey feel. There’s some national media, but not much. Whichever network is televising […]
I was talking to my friend Dennis the other day, dissecting the Jaguars under Dave Caldwell and Gus Bradley and what their plan has been and will be for the future. A season ticket holder, Dennis cut me off saying, “Yeah, whatever, it’s been miserable for the fans.” You can talk all you want about […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2004/02/jacksonville-sports-jaguars-sam-kouvaris.jpg4931000Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2014-01-02 12:01:112019-12-27 12:01:38Jaguars Talking Vs. Doing: Does Bradley’s “Conviction” Mean Jaguars Wins Are On The Way?
Most teams out of playoff contention use the final four games of the year to assess their situation going forward. What do we need? How can we get better? While the Jaguars have needs all over the field, the game against Indianapolis exposed the glaring weaknesses they have if they have any thought of getting […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2004/02/jacksonville-sports-jaguars-sam-kouvaris.jpg4931000Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2013-12-29 08:49:232019-12-27 08:49:59Decisions to Make: Jaguars Need A Lot
Never one to say much, Jaguars Center Brad Meester said a lot on Sunday in his final home game for the Jaguars. “I’ve talked more this week than I have in my entire career,” Meester joked after the Jaguars fell 20-16 to Tennessee. While this week was mainly focused on the Titans, Meester was a […]
You never know what to expect from two teams not going to the playoffs facing each other at the end of the season. The Jaguars are going to play hard; you know that from what they’ve done all year. Tennessee also played hard, kind of surprising since they weren’t going anywhere and their backup quarterback […]
Toward the end of any NFL season, teams are going in all kinds of different directions. Some are already looking ahead to the playoffs. Others are fighting for a spot in the postseason and still others are looking ahead to next year, checking their current roster to see who might be able to help them […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2004/02/jacksonville-sports-jaguars-sam-kouvaris.jpg4931000Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2013-12-20 08:51:512019-12-27 08:52:17Jaguars: Who Wants To Be Here?
When a coach and general manager start looking to build on the offensive and defensive lines, you often hear the phrase, “He can be a cornerstone there for the next decade,” a lot. That rarely happens between injury, free agency and the vagaries of the NFL Having more than 10 years in the league as […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2004/02/jacksonville-sports-jaguars-sam-kouvaris.jpg4931000Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2013-12-19 08:52:272019-12-27 08:52:51Meeter Retires: The REAL Pride of the Jaguars
Coaches talk all the time about “overcoming adversity.” When it comes to a young team like the Jaguars, sometimes the adversity is self-imposed. For the first eight games of the season, they made mistakes and failed to capitalize on the mistakes of their opponents enroute to an 0-8 record. For that adversity, Head Coach Gus […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2004/02/jacksonville-sports-jaguars-sam-kouvaris.jpg4931000Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2013-12-15 08:52:572019-12-27 08:53:25Jaguars: Three Forward One Back
“Learning how to win” sounds like such a trite phrase but when it comes to a pretty equal competition, it’s the team that knows how to win, or figures it out that comes out on top. My friend and ten-time Grand Slam champion Tony Trabert attributes winning to “knowing how to play the big points” […]
It’s a pretty simple story at the Florida/FSU game this year: Are the Gators as bad as they seem? Is FSU worthy of a shot at the National Championship? As usual, the answers fall somewhere between yes and no on both counts. In front of a big home crowd, (90,454) Florida played a spirited first […]
It’s not hard to like the improvement the Jaguars have made from the first of the year. They look like a NFL football team, albeit one that has a lot of holes in it, but they’re competitive even if they’re outmanned. At home on Sunday, they held their own, even getting a variety of bad […]
In any gathering of “elites” there’s always a sorting out process. Whether it’s in an NFL locker room, a fighter pilot’s ready room or a fraternity initiation. Because these people reached the top of their profession doesn’t mean the competition ends. Ribbing, teasing and hazing has been a part of that sorting out process since […]
I’ve gotten so used to seeing the Jaguars lose over the last two years I fought against the constant thought when the Titans had the ball, every play was about to go for a touchdown. That didn’t happen in the first half as the Jaguars took a 13-7 lead into the locker room. While Maurice […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2004/02/jacksonville-sports-jaguars-sam-kouvaris.jpg4931000Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2013-11-10 08:56:152019-12-27 08:56:45Jaguars Victory: A Lot More Than Just One Win
It’s been a varied response to Justin Blackmon’s suspension to say the least. Fans are outraged that he could be so selfish and violate the NFL’s substance abuse policy for a third time. The Jaguars brass is exasperated but says they’ll help him and not “cut him loose” according the GM Dave Caldwell. And many […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2004/02/jacksonville-sports-jaguars-sam-kouvaris.jpg4931000Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2013-11-03 08:56:532019-12-27 08:57:59Do We Worry About Blackmon?
I was at the game and I’m still trying to figure out how Florida was even in it at the end. Georgia did everything right while the sun was shining, getting Todd Gurley back and having Aaron Murray play well, leading them to a 17-0 and 23-3 lead at halftime. Then a strange sequence of […]
At the fan forum today, NFL Commissioner answered a wide range of questions from selected fans at the Landmark Hotel’s Grand Ballroom. Goodell did a double take when he entered the room as 90% of the 150 or so invited fans in attendance were in some NFL team jersey. “People would be surprised by the […]
https://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2004/02/jacksonville-sports-jaguars-sam-kouvaris.jpg4931000Sam Kouvarishttps://www.samsportsline.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/sam-kavouris-sam-sportsline.pngSam Kouvaris2013-10-26 09:41:042019-12-27 09:41:33NFL Commisioner Roger Goodell: Jacksonville’s on a Global Stage
With a smile and a handshake, Jaguars Owner Shad Khan greeted me at Craven Cottage saying, “You know, you’re on Anne Boleyn’s hunting ground here.” Craven Cottage is the home stadium or “grounds” of Khan’s English Premier League soccer team, Fulham. He was, in good spirits and outlined most of the history of the club […]
As Good As It Gets: FSU Wins National Championship
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisNo team gets to the National Championship game without being a pretty good squad. Actually better than that. So when Auburn and FSU were matched up in Pasadena for the final BCS Championship game, nobody should have expected anything but a close game. It’s never a mismatch unless the pollsters fall in love with one […]
FSU vs. Team of Destiny
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisThere are only a couple of questions about tonight’s outcome of the National Championship game between FSU and Auburn. If you just look at how the two teams got here, it’s easy to pick FSU to win going away. The Seminoles won every game by double digits and scored more than 40 points almost every […]
FSU A Close-Knit Group
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisWhen they walked into the ballroom for their “Media Day” interviews, I was struck by how much the 2013 FSU football team reminded me of the 1993 team that played for, and won the National Championship. Big and athletic, there aren’t any “fat” guys on this team. Even the biggest of the offensive and defensive […]
Fisher/Malzahn, FSU/Auburn Contrast in Style
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisDifferent events have a different feel. The Super Bowl is big, corporate, sponsor-driven and engulfs the city it’s in; bringing the national focus on everything that surrounds it. The National Championship is a mini version of that, but with a much more homey feel. There’s some national media, but not much. Whichever network is televising […]
Jaguars Talking Vs. Doing: Does Bradley’s “Conviction” Mean Jaguars Wins Are On The Way?
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisI was talking to my friend Dennis the other day, dissecting the Jaguars under Dave Caldwell and Gus Bradley and what their plan has been and will be for the future. A season ticket holder, Dennis cut me off saying, “Yeah, whatever, it’s been miserable for the fans.” You can talk all you want about […]
Decisions to Make: Jaguars Need A Lot
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisMost teams out of playoff contention use the final four games of the year to assess their situation going forward. What do we need? How can we get better? While the Jaguars have needs all over the field, the game against Indianapolis exposed the glaring weaknesses they have if they have any thought of getting […]
Meester’s Day
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisNever one to say much, Jaguars Center Brad Meester said a lot on Sunday in his final home game for the Jaguars. “I’ve talked more this week than I have in my entire career,” Meester joked after the Jaguars fell 20-16 to Tennessee. While this week was mainly focused on the Titans, Meester was a […]
Jaguars Don’t Have Enough
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisYou never know what to expect from two teams not going to the playoffs facing each other at the end of the season. The Jaguars are going to play hard; you know that from what they’ve done all year. Tennessee also played hard, kind of surprising since they weren’t going anywhere and their backup quarterback […]
Jaguars: Who Wants To Be Here?
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisToward the end of any NFL season, teams are going in all kinds of different directions. Some are already looking ahead to the playoffs. Others are fighting for a spot in the postseason and still others are looking ahead to next year, checking their current roster to see who might be able to help them […]
Meeter Retires: The REAL Pride of the Jaguars
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisWhen a coach and general manager start looking to build on the offensive and defensive lines, you often hear the phrase, “He can be a cornerstone there for the next decade,” a lot. That rarely happens between injury, free agency and the vagaries of the NFL Having more than 10 years in the league as […]
Jaguars: Three Forward One Back
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisCoaches talk all the time about “overcoming adversity.” When it comes to a young team like the Jaguars, sometimes the adversity is self-imposed. For the first eight games of the season, they made mistakes and failed to capitalize on the mistakes of their opponents enroute to an 0-8 record. For that adversity, Head Coach Gus […]
Jaguars Beat Texans Again: Learning How to Win
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam Kouvaris“Learning how to win” sounds like such a trite phrase but when it comes to a pretty equal competition, it’s the team that knows how to win, or figures it out that comes out on top. My friend and ten-time Grand Slam champion Tony Trabert attributes winning to “knowing how to play the big points” […]
Florida/FSU: Different Directions?
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisIt’s a pretty simple story at the Florida/FSU game this year: Are the Gators as bad as they seem? Is FSU worthy of a shot at the National Championship? As usual, the answers fall somewhere between yes and no on both counts. In front of a big home crowd, (90,454) Florida played a spirited first […]
Jaguars 2nd Half: “Better But Not Good”
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisIt’s not hard to like the improvement the Jaguars have made from the first of the year. They look like a NFL football team, albeit one that has a lot of holes in it, but they’re competitive even if they’re outmanned. At home on Sunday, they held their own, even getting a variety of bad […]
Locker Room Culture: Off Limits?
/in Football/by Sam KouvarisIn any gathering of “elites” there’s always a sorting out process. Whether it’s in an NFL locker room, a fighter pilot’s ready room or a fraternity initiation. Because these people reached the top of their profession doesn’t mean the competition ends. Ribbing, teasing and hazing has been a part of that sorting out process since […]
Jaguars Victory: A Lot More Than Just One Win
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisI’ve gotten so used to seeing the Jaguars lose over the last two years I fought against the constant thought when the Titans had the ball, every play was about to go for a touchdown. That didn’t happen in the first half as the Jaguars took a 13-7 lead into the locker room. While Maurice […]
Do We Worry About Blackmon?
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisIt’s been a varied response to Justin Blackmon’s suspension to say the least. Fans are outraged that he could be so selfish and violate the NFL’s substance abuse policy for a third time. The Jaguars brass is exasperated but says they’ll help him and not “cut him loose” according the GM Dave Caldwell. And many […]
Florida/Georgia: It’s Never Easy
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisI was at the game and I’m still trying to figure out how Florida was even in it at the end. Georgia did everything right while the sun was shining, getting Todd Gurley back and having Aaron Murray play well, leading them to a 17-0 and 23-3 lead at halftime. Then a strange sequence of […]
NFL Commisioner Roger Goodell: Jacksonville’s on a Global Stage
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisAt the fan forum today, NFL Commissioner answered a wide range of questions from selected fans at the Landmark Hotel’s Grand Ballroom. Goodell did a double take when he entered the room as 90% of the 150 or so invited fans in attendance were in some NFL team jersey. “People would be surprised by the […]
Shad Khan “Living The Dream”
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisWith a smile and a handshake, Jaguars Owner Shad Khan greeted me at Craven Cottage saying, “You know, you’re on Anne Boleyn’s hunting ground here.” Craven Cottage is the home stadium or “grounds” of Khan’s English Premier League soccer team, Fulham. He was, in good spirits and outlined most of the history of the club […]