I was sitting on the set at the anchor desk watching the Urban Meyer press conference from New Orleans when a lot of answers flooded into my head. Not necessarily the right answers, but answers nonetheless. I had read the Sports Illustrated article at the beginning of December that profiled the Florida coach in great […]
I got the text from Kevin: “Meyer quits UF.” I don’t jump up very often but in the middle of a “Rock Band” session with my kids, I dropped the drumsticks and jumped up with the phone already to my ear. “It’s true and all over the place,” Kevin said as he answered the phone. […]
With a rare Sunday off during the football season, I found myself watching, what else, football for most of the day. But it was a very different experience. I tuned in the NFL RedZone channel to see what all the fuss was about. Phil Taylor wrote about it in Sports Illustrated last week in the […]
Writing about Bobby Bowden is easy. Not writing about Bobby Bowden is the hard part. He’s one of the most quotable people in the history of sports. He’s genuine. He’ll tell you what he thinks. He’s not going to hide his feelings and he’s not going to tell you what he thinks you want to […]
A quick phone call as I was walking out the door started about an hour of frenzied investigation, clothes changes and u-turns. All for a car accident, all for a guy who hits a golf ball for a living. All for Tiger Woods. When I first heard that Tiger had been in a car accident […]
It’s an orchestrated effort outside of the Gators’ practice field every night. Practice usually ends around six o’clock with the players filing out and walking from the field to the stadium, along side the O’Connell Center. Maybe about a quarter mile walk. Along the first half of that quarter mile, there are numerous autograph and […]
Georgia looked cool in the black pants and black helmets. “I saw that in warm-ups,” Tim Tebow said after the game, “and I said, ‘who cares.’” The Bulldogs have tried to change their luck in a variety of ways, but it looks like the only thing that will work is the eligibility of Tebow to […]
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 Kouvaris2009-11-01 06:46:082019-10-15 06:46:50Gators/Dogs: End of an Era?
I first heard of the Florida/Georgia game when covering the Gator Bowl. I asked a vendor in 1978, “Is this the only game played in this stadium?” “Oh no,” she replied, “Florida/Georgia.” Simple as that. She looked at me like I was crazy for not knowing about “Florida/Georgia.” Growing up in Baltimore and going to […]
I usually don’t write much personal stuff in this space but my Uncle Angelo died on Sunday and I just wanted to give you a sense of him and family in general. Barely five feet tall, my Uncle Angelo is 18-months older than my Dad and perhaps two brothers couldn’t have been more different. My […]
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 Kouvaris2009-10-16 06:44:312019-10-15 06:45:08Of Family and Friends
I’ve been around Bobby Bowden since 1978. I’ve seen him skinny and not-so-skinny. Happy and sad, after wins and losses. I’ve been with him after “Wide Right” (I and II) and “Wide Left.” Big wins, and big losses. “Echo of the whistle” and all the rest. He’s consistent, kind, thoughtful and honest. He’s everything you’d […]
There are certain invitations you don’t turn down. A chance to have lunch and spend a good part of the day with Arnold Palmer is one of those. Palmer’s Bay Hill golf course went through a major renovation this summer. As is customary, the Palmer Course Design Company invited some media from around the country […]
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 Kouvaris2009-10-02 06:42:562019-10-15 06:43:41Arnold Palmer… More Than a Name
I couldn’t be happier that the Florida/Georgia game has been renewed through 2016. I really thought it might be going away after nearly 80 years in Jacksonville. The drumbeat from the Georgia fans and boosters was loud as they talked about moving the game. Where? There were several options. With big stadiums in both Athens […]
Right now, it’s bad. I’ve been around this team since their first day of practice in 1995 and it’s bad. Maybe worse than their first expansion team. As much as I liked what I saw last week, this week was a step backwards. As in back in time. They were listless and unfocused. They couldn’t […]
Sometimes in radio and TV things get crazy. You know, the best laid plans and all that. And sometimes, rarely, it all comes together. Yesterday on the radio show was one of those “all comes together” days. I had asked my friend, tennis legend Tony Trabert to come on the show to talk about 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 Kouvaris2009-09-04 06:38:542019-10-15 06:39:43A Plan Comes Together
Nearly flawless in the first round. Brilliant in the second. Solid in the third, Tiger Woods had a lead at the PGA at Hazeltine and just about everybody was handing him the Wannamaker Trophy for the 5th time. Except Y.E. Yang. The Korean was solid throughout the day and the chip in eagle at 14 […]
I’ve written about Bob Hayes’ nomination, rejection and subsequent selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame a few times in this space. And as I’ve said, and written, many times, I always feel honored and privileged to be one of the selectors on the HOF committee. When I first joined the committee in 1994 […]
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 Kouvaris2009-08-09 06:36:572019-10-15 06:37:51Bob Hayes in the HOF…
Who would have thought that Michael Vick might be playing football in 2009 in the NFL and Brett Favre might not? Both are sagas, albeit very different ones involving very talented players. Vick’s journey has been well documented. From the highest paid player in the NFL to the subject of a federal investigation for dog […]
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 Kouvaris2009-08-02 06:35:532019-10-15 06:36:41Vick and Favre: Tale of Two QB’s
In one day, the two guys who I was rooting for in the two events I love to watch both imploded. I’ve learned not to get to emotionally invested in what’s going on at a sporting event. I did that as a kid, and experienced both euphoria and despair following what my teams did. In […]
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 Kouvaris2009-07-22 06:34:382019-10-15 06:35:46Lance and Tom State Their Case…
Any chance I have a chance to go fishing, I usually jump at it. After about a five-year hiatus, the Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament resurrected the “media” fishing day leaving from Sister’s Creek Marina just off the St. Johns River. Luckily I drew my friend Randy Nader as the boat captain so with Matt Kingston […]
I don’t care if Lance Armstrong wins the Tour de France. Honest. I’m happy with what he’s already done and if he falls apart and doesn’t finish, (which won’t happen by the way) I won’t care. Armstrong’s performance, both on and off the bike in the first third of the tour has be nothing short […]
Urban Meyer’s “Fix”
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisI was sitting on the set at the anchor desk watching the Urban Meyer press conference from New Orleans when a lot of answers flooded into my head. Not necessarily the right answers, but answers nonetheless. I had read the Sports Illustrated article at the beginning of December that profiled the Florida coach in great […]
Changes at Florida
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisI got the text from Kevin: “Meyer quits UF.” I don’t jump up very often but in the middle of a “Rock Band” session with my kids, I dropped the drumsticks and jumped up with the phone already to my ear. “It’s true and all over the place,” Kevin said as he answered the phone. […]
Red Zone Ready
/in Football/by Sam KouvarisWith a rare Sunday off during the football season, I found myself watching, what else, football for most of the day. But it was a very different experience. I tuned in the NFL RedZone channel to see what all the fuss was about. Phil Taylor wrote about it in Sports Illustrated last week in the […]
Bowden Memories
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisWriting about Bobby Bowden is easy. Not writing about Bobby Bowden is the hard part. He’s one of the most quotable people in the history of sports. He’s genuine. He’ll tell you what he thinks. He’s not going to hide his feelings and he’s not going to tell you what he thinks you want to […]
Tiger’s Accident
/in Golf/by Sam KouvarisA quick phone call as I was walking out the door started about an hour of frenzied investigation, clothes changes and u-turns. All for a car accident, all for a guy who hits a golf ball for a living. All for Tiger Woods. When I first heard that Tiger had been in a car accident […]
Gators in Gainesville
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisIt’s an orchestrated effort outside of the Gators’ practice field every night. Practice usually ends around six o’clock with the players filing out and walking from the field to the stadium, along side the O’Connell Center. Maybe about a quarter mile walk. Along the first half of that quarter mile, there are numerous autograph and […]
Gators/Dogs: End of an Era?
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisGeorgia looked cool in the black pants and black helmets. “I saw that in warm-ups,” Tim Tebow said after the game, “and I said, ‘who cares.’” The Bulldogs have tried to change their luck in a variety of ways, but it looks like the only thing that will work is the eligibility of Tebow to […]
Florida/Georgia Celebration!
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisI first heard of the Florida/Georgia game when covering the Gator Bowl. I asked a vendor in 1978, “Is this the only game played in this stadium?” “Oh no,” she replied, “Florida/Georgia.” Simple as that. She looked at me like I was crazy for not knowing about “Florida/Georgia.” Growing up in Baltimore and going to […]
Of Family and Friends
/in Featured/by Sam KouvarisI usually don’t write much personal stuff in this space but my Uncle Angelo died on Sunday and I just wanted to give you a sense of him and family in general. Barely five feet tall, my Uncle Angelo is 18-months older than my Dad and perhaps two brothers couldn’t have been more different. My […]
Bobby Bowden Stays
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisI’ve been around Bobby Bowden since 1978. I’ve seen him skinny and not-so-skinny. Happy and sad, after wins and losses. I’ve been with him after “Wide Right” (I and II) and “Wide Left.” Big wins, and big losses. “Echo of the whistle” and all the rest. He’s consistent, kind, thoughtful and honest. He’s everything you’d […]
Arnold Palmer… More Than a Name
/in Golf/by Sam KouvarisThere are certain invitations you don’t turn down. A chance to have lunch and spend a good part of the day with Arnold Palmer is one of those. Palmer’s Bay Hill golf course went through a major renovation this summer. As is customary, the Palmer Course Design Company invited some media from around the country […]
Florida/Georgia Ideas
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisI couldn’t be happier that the Florida/Georgia game has been renewed through 2016. I really thought it might be going away after nearly 80 years in Jacksonville. The drumbeat from the Georgia fans and boosters was loud as they talked about moving the game. Where? There were several options. With big stadiums in both Athens […]
Jaguars Change Afoot?
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisRight now, it’s bad. I’ve been around this team since their first day of practice in 1995 and it’s bad. Maybe worse than their first expansion team. As much as I liked what I saw last week, this week was a step backwards. As in back in time. They were listless and unfocused. They couldn’t […]
A Plan Comes Together
/in Golf/by Sam KouvarisSometimes in radio and TV things get crazy. You know, the best laid plans and all that. And sometimes, rarely, it all comes together. Yesterday on the radio show was one of those “all comes together” days. I had asked my friend, tennis legend Tony Trabert to come on the show to talk about the […]
Tiger Doesn’t Lose
/in Golf/by Sam KouvarisNearly flawless in the first round. Brilliant in the second. Solid in the third, Tiger Woods had a lead at the PGA at Hazeltine and just about everybody was handing him the Wannamaker Trophy for the 5th time. Except Y.E. Yang. The Korean was solid throughout the day and the chip in eagle at 14 […]
Bob Hayes in the HOF…
/in Football/by Sam KouvarisI’ve written about Bob Hayes’ nomination, rejection and subsequent selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame a few times in this space. And as I’ve said, and written, many times, I always feel honored and privileged to be one of the selectors on the HOF committee. When I first joined the committee in 1994 […]
Vick and Favre: Tale of Two QB’s
/in Football/by Sam KouvarisWho would have thought that Michael Vick might be playing football in 2009 in the NFL and Brett Favre might not? Both are sagas, albeit very different ones involving very talented players. Vick’s journey has been well documented. From the highest paid player in the NFL to the subject of a federal investigation for dog […]
Lance and Tom State Their Case…
/in Golf/by Sam KouvarisIn one day, the two guys who I was rooting for in the two events I love to watch both imploded. I’ve learned not to get to emotionally invested in what’s going on at a sporting event. I did that as a kid, and experienced both euphoria and despair following what my teams did. In […]
Nearly Perfect Day Fishing
/in Fishing/by Sam KouvarisAny chance I have a chance to go fishing, I usually jump at it. After about a five-year hiatus, the Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament resurrected the “media” fishing day leaving from Sister’s Creek Marina just off the St. Johns River. Luckily I drew my friend Randy Nader as the boat captain so with Matt Kingston […]
Armstrong’s Already a Winner
/in Cycling/by Sam KouvarisI don’t care if Lance Armstrong wins the Tour de France. Honest. I’m happy with what he’s already done and if he falls apart and doesn’t finish, (which won’t happen by the way) I won’t care. Armstrong’s performance, both on and off the bike in the first third of the tour has be nothing short […]