As a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I get a chance each year to hear the pros and cons debated about each of the eligible players the day before the Super Bowl. There are 39 electors on the Hall of Fame committee, writers and broadcasters representing the 32 NFL cities, the Pro […]
“The season?” Mike Peterson asked in response to a question about his reflections of the year. “The season was great, 12-4 but we didn’t get it done tonight. I’m not into making excuses. If I’m on the field, I’m supposed to make tackles. I didn’t. We lost.” That was the general theme in a quiet […]
More than anything I was glad that decision day finally came for Tim Tebow of Nease High School. Both he and his parents looked frazzled at the announcement in St. John’s County on Tuesday. Tebow picked Florida and the auditorium erupted with applause. I couldn’t help but think what the reaction would have been if […]
Sometimes it’s meaningful, and other times it’s just for the pride factor. Against the Colts, the Jaguars really didn’t have anything tangible to play for except pride. The Colts are going to win the division, win or lose in Jacksonville, and the Jaguars are going to have to win a couple of games down the […]
I just wrote a commentary called “Finding Florida State,” a little play on the “Finding Forrester” movie that concentrated on self-discovery. To put it nicely, Bobby Bowden’s self-discovery involved a little bit of the “evil eye” all week long. In the twenty-five years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen Bowden as angry as he was […]
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 Kouvaris2005-12-06 23:40:142019-08-16 23:40:43Florida State Found
It’s Bobby’s fault. No, it’s Jeff’s fault. Wait a minute, it’s Mickey’s fault. Actually let’s blame it on Chris Rix or even Jared Jones. That’s the game that’s going on in Tallahassee: Who’s to blame? Perhaps the blaming should stop (it won’t) and the hand wringing could take a small break for a quick analysis […]
“Do you think we’ll still be running this offense five years from now?” one Gator fan asked me last week. “If Urban Meyer is still your coach,” I answered. The fan just rolled his eyes and walked away. “Have you gotten on the ‘bash Urban’ bandwagon?” one Georgia fan asked me this week. The point […]
Long time Jacksonville television personality and social pioneer Dick Stratton died on Sunday 11/06/05 after a lengthy illness. He Was 78. Sam remembers his long-time friend and mentor below. Dick Stratton: 1927-2005 Jacksonville’s First “Star” Dick Stratton There’s a plaque on the wall in the press box of the stadium that reads: “Dick’s career spanned […]
No surprise that the Jaguars and the City resolved their differences in a fact-to-face meeting between Wayne Weaver and John Peyton. Once they got into the room together, Peyton knew he needed to figure out a way to get the deal done, and Weaver knew he had all of the legal cards on his side […]
Thinking back to the late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s when the NFL was talking about expansion and Jacksonville was doing everything it could to be noticed, a stadium lease and an agreement between the city and any NFL team was an afterthought. That idea went right to the forefront though when the people trying to […]
When Jacksonville was awarded a franchise in the NFL I was as excited as anybody as a sports fan. As a journalist, the field was open and the possibilities were endless. A lot of that didn’t work out, and a lot of it did, the one constant being our Monday night show, “The End Zone.” […]
After they beat Kentucky, I went on the air and talked about how the Gators were now Urban Meyer’s team. Not the remnants of the Steve Spurrier era, not a bunch of Ron Zook’s recruits but rather actually Urban Meyer’s team. The offense had the looks of confidence needed to run that spread option and […]
Coaching is an interesting profession. There are all kinds of people who become coaches and all kinds of different motivations to become a coach. The best are innovative about their game, like to teach, are very competitive, and understand the strengths and weaknesses of the people and players around them. I almost laughed out loud […]
It was electrifying. From the inaugural “Gator Walk” to the first run out of the tunnel through the alumni players, the hype was huge. The largest crowd to ever see a football game in the state, 90, 707 were in attendance to get the “Urban” experience. But when it finally started, when they actually kicked […]
Generally, this whole professional sports business has changed. It hasn’t happened overnight, but rather an evolution over the last 25 years or so. Call it a revolution if you will. Sure, there have always been selfish, self-centered pros, but it’s at a whole new level. If there was ever any question in the past, it’s […]
I suppose you can’t come to any other conclusion than Rafael Palmeiro is lying. He sat in front of a congressional committee on March 17th, waved his finger and said, “I have never used steroids.” When Major League Baseball suspended him for 10 days last week, he altered that statement adding, “I have never intentionally […]
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 Kouvaris2005-08-08 23:26:472019-08-16 23:27:17Baseball’s New (and Old) Problem
You can’t really go by whatever anybody says in professional sports anymore. Everybody’s got an agenda. They’re saying one thing to influence another, playing both sides against the middle. That goes for players, coaches scouts and owners. Even though they constantly criticize the media as negative and meddling, they’re all trying to use the media […]
To us, it’s the British Open. To the rest of the world, it’s just known as The Open Championship. The golf championship of the world as put on by the Royal and Ancient Golf club, commonly known as “the R&A.” I had a chance to attend the Open this year both as a reporter and […]
I’ve always had a pet peeve about rude and spoiled people. It’s spilled over into my professional assessment of the people I cover, and usually colors my opinion about what they’re like. Not they’re accomplishments, or their talent or skill, but what they’re like, how they got where they are and what they’ll be like […]
When the city announced that the ACC baseball championship would be contested at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville in 2005, there was a small amount of excitement in town. Not a lot, but not a collective yawn either. Nice event, nothing spectacular. Wrong. The ACC championship drew over 66,000 fans over the five days, and […]
Hall Of Fame Choices
/in Football/by Sam KouvarisAs a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I get a chance each year to hear the pros and cons debated about each of the eligible players the day before the Super Bowl. There are 39 electors on the Hall of Fame committee, writers and broadcasters representing the 32 NFL cities, the Pro […]
The Season
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam Kouvaris“The season?” Mike Peterson asked in response to a question about his reflections of the year. “The season was great, 12-4 but we didn’t get it done tonight. I’m not into making excuses. If I’m on the field, I’m supposed to make tackles. I didn’t. We lost.” That was the general theme in a quiet […]
Tebow’s Choice
/in College Football, High School Football/by Sam KouvarisMore than anything I was glad that decision day finally came for Tim Tebow of Nease High School. Both he and his parents looked frazzled at the announcement in St. John’s County on Tuesday. Tebow picked Florida and the auditorium erupted with applause. I couldn’t help but think what the reaction would have been if […]
Risk-Reward Jaguars
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisSometimes it’s meaningful, and other times it’s just for the pride factor. Against the Colts, the Jaguars really didn’t have anything tangible to play for except pride. The Colts are going to win the division, win or lose in Jacksonville, and the Jaguars are going to have to win a couple of games down the […]
Florida State Found
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisI just wrote a commentary called “Finding Florida State,” a little play on the “Finding Forrester” movie that concentrated on self-discovery. To put it nicely, Bobby Bowden’s self-discovery involved a little bit of the “evil eye” all week long. In the twenty-five years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen Bowden as angry as he was […]
Finding Florida State
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisIt’s Bobby’s fault. No, it’s Jeff’s fault. Wait a minute, it’s Mickey’s fault. Actually let’s blame it on Chris Rix or even Jared Jones. That’s the game that’s going on in Tallahassee: Who’s to blame? Perhaps the blaming should stop (it won’t) and the hand wringing could take a small break for a quick analysis […]
Urban Crisis
/in College Football/by Sam Kouvaris“Do you think we’ll still be running this offense five years from now?” one Gator fan asked me last week. “If Urban Meyer is still your coach,” I answered. The fan just rolled his eyes and walked away. “Have you gotten on the ‘bash Urban’ bandwagon?” one Georgia fan asked me this week. The point […]
Dick Stratton: 1927-2005
/in SamSports Headlines/by Sam KouvarisLong time Jacksonville television personality and social pioneer Dick Stratton died on Sunday 11/06/05 after a lengthy illness. He Was 78. Sam remembers his long-time friend and mentor below. Dick Stratton: 1927-2005 Jacksonville’s First “Star” Dick Stratton There’s a plaque on the wall in the press box of the stadium that reads: “Dick’s career spanned […]
Jacksonville’s Jaguars
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisNo surprise that the Jaguars and the City resolved their differences in a fact-to-face meeting between Wayne Weaver and John Peyton. Once they got into the room together, Peyton knew he needed to figure out a way to get the deal done, and Weaver knew he had all of the legal cards on his side […]
Jacksonville Vs. Jaguars
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisThinking back to the late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s when the NFL was talking about expansion and Jacksonville was doing everything it could to be noticed, a stadium lease and an agreement between the city and any NFL team was an afterthought. That idea went right to the forefront though when the people trying to […]
Rashean Mathis, Star
/in Football, Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisWhen Jacksonville was awarded a franchise in the NFL I was as excited as anybody as a sports fan. As a journalist, the field was open and the possibilities were endless. A lot of that didn’t work out, and a lot of it did, the one constant being our Monday night show, “The End Zone.” […]
Urban Challenge
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisAfter they beat Kentucky, I went on the air and talked about how the Gators were now Urban Meyer’s team. Not the remnants of the Steve Spurrier era, not a bunch of Ron Zook’s recruits but rather actually Urban Meyer’s team. The offense had the looks of confidence needed to run that spread option and […]
Jack’s Woes
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisCoaching is an interesting profession. There are all kinds of people who become coaches and all kinds of different motivations to become a coach. The best are innovative about their game, like to teach, are very competitive, and understand the strengths and weaknesses of the people and players around them. I almost laughed out loud […]
Meyer(ed) In Gainseville
/in College Football/by Sam KouvarisIt was electrifying. From the inaugural “Gator Walk” to the first run out of the tunnel through the alumni players, the hype was huge. The largest crowd to ever see a football game in the state, 90, 707 were in attendance to get the “Urban” experience. But when it finally started, when they actually kicked […]
Owen’s Folly
/in Featured, Football/by Sam KouvarisGenerally, this whole professional sports business has changed. It hasn’t happened overnight, but rather an evolution over the last 25 years or so. Call it a revolution if you will. Sure, there have always been selfish, self-centered pros, but it’s at a whole new level. If there was ever any question in the past, it’s […]
Baseball’s New (and Old) Problem
/in Baseball/by Sam KouvarisI suppose you can’t come to any other conclusion than Rafael Palmeiro is lying. He sat in front of a congressional committee on March 17th, waved his finger and said, “I have never used steroids.” When Major League Baseball suspended him for 10 days last week, he altered that statement adding, “I have never intentionally […]
Weaver’s Moves
/in Jacksonville Jaguars/by Sam KouvarisYou can’t really go by whatever anybody says in professional sports anymore. Everybody’s got an agenda. They’re saying one thing to influence another, playing both sides against the middle. That goes for players, coaches scouts and owners. Even though they constantly criticize the media as negative and meddling, they’re all trying to use the media […]
Jack’s Farewell
/in Golf/by Sam KouvarisTo us, it’s the British Open. To the rest of the world, it’s just known as The Open Championship. The golf championship of the world as put on by the Royal and Ancient Golf club, commonly known as “the R&A.” I had a chance to attend the Open this year both as a reporter and […]
Talented Skilled (And Spoiled)
/in NASCAR/by Sam KouvarisI’ve always had a pet peeve about rude and spoiled people. It’s spilled over into my professional assessment of the people I cover, and usually colors my opinion about what they’re like. Not they’re accomplishments, or their talent or skill, but what they’re like, how they got where they are and what they’ll be like […]
A Baseball Town?
/in Baseball/by Sam KouvarisWhen the city announced that the ACC baseball championship would be contested at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville in 2005, there was a small amount of excitement in town. Not a lot, but not a collective yawn either. Nice event, nothing spectacular. Wrong. The ACC championship drew over 66,000 fans over the five days, and […]