Almost just like Dawg Sports’ Kyle last week, VFRT just missed a trifecta yesterday, eliciting a nod from EDSBS on the Fanblogs deal and a very nice comment from Burnt Orange Nation’s Peter on my beta animated drive chart that included the word “ridiculously” and two instances of the word “very.” Thanks, guys. And Peter, your request is on deck. Just as soon as I learn what in the world setInterval does. Oh, and by the way, Kyle missed BON — I missed mgoblog.

[Ed. note: The best news of the day, however, was that my dad's surgery to remove a cancerous kidney was a rousing success. The malignancy was isolated in the kidney that was removed, and there's no need for chemo or radiation or anything. And now back to the sports desk . . . um, couch.]

Inside Tennessee’s Randy Moore wonders whether the Florida Gators football team is this year’s Tennessee, i.e., the team whose strengths are exaggerated, whose weaknesses are underestimated, and whose schedule is ignored. Oh, don’t tease me.

Finally, right after I post this I’m going to try testing the WordPress poll plugin Democracy. I thought about the first question being whether polls are cool, stupid, or something in between, but Moore’s question is much more interesting. So vote on who you think is the most overrated team as of this moment.

Coach Phillip Fulmer, hoping to avoid any repeat of last year’s humiliating season, is saying for the first time that he should have made some offensive coaching staff changes “a couple of years” earlier.  He didn’t say which ones.  According to Inside Tennessee’s Randy Moore, though, Greg Amsinger of College Sports TV is predicting more humiliation for the Vols this year starting with its first game against California on September 2, 2006.  More could be on the horizon just two games later if, as It’s a Definite Maybe is satiracally reporting, the Florida Gators’ unveil their new “leave before Chris Leak gets on the bus” wrinkle to the spread offense.  (Hat tip to EDSBS.)

And hearty congratulations to Fanblogs, the Adam of the college football blogosphere, which is joining the Rivals.com network.  Friends forever.  Don’t ever change.  I’ll write every day, etc., etc., etc.

FoxSports.com’s Jeff Goodman takes a stab at a way-too-early pre-season Top 25 for men’s basketball. The Vols are at No. 18 behind SEC Rivals Florida (No. 4) and LSU (No. 16).

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Edgar Thompson is fanning the flames of the Leak-Tebow Non-Controversy:

[After the spring game,] Meyer said there’s no question Leak will be the starter next season.

“There isn’t a quarterback controversy in-house,” he said.

Try telling that to the announced crowd of 45,200 and thousands of other Gator fans already frothing over Tebow.

“That’s a great water-cooler story,” Meyer said. “That’s a great discussion with coffee in the morning.”

Just don’t expect Leak to join in a little java and quarterback talk. He didn’t meet with reporters until 90 minutes after the game, then brushed off questions about Tebow’s performance.

“Since the first day, Urban Meyer has said I’m the quarterback,” Leak said.

“I’m the captain of this team. I’m just real excited to get going.”

Didn’t meet with reporters until an hour and a half after the game? Brushed off questions about Tebow’s performance?

Marvelous. Simply marvelous.

Oh, and there’s this, from Dave Curtis of the Orlando Sentinel:

Two young boys hold posters for Tebow, a freshman quarterback, to sign as he leaves practice. Soon, a teenage girl tucks herself inside Tebow’s golden left arm as a camera captures the moment.

“Any time,” said Tebow, a grin frozen on his face.

Behind the small crowd, Chris Leak, Florida’s undisputed starting quarterback, walks past with the fanfare of a student manager. . . .

But the demand for Tebow, whose first snaps at Florida Field come in today’s Orange and Blue Game, trumps them all. Although he struggles with throwing mechanics and knowledge of the offense, he finishes the spring just as he started it: the prince of Florida football.

Did I say marvelous?

Hat Tip to Swamp Ball.

Super recruit and new Florida Gator Tim Tebow had an excellent spring game, according to Sports Illustrated. Apparently, Tebow went 15 of 21 for almost 200 yards and looked better than incumbent Chris Leak.

Meyer says there is no quarterback controversy. Uh-huh.

Leak is a pure passer. Several times last year, he looked obviously uncomfortable running the ball in head coach Urban Meyer’s spread option. Now, he’s a senior and surely thinking about the pros. Not a good time to get hurt in a running game not designed for your skill set.

And here’s Tebow, recruited into the system for which he is a perfect fit, stealing the show at the spring game.

Tennessee Volunteer fans, now is the time to fuel the Florida Gator quarterback controversy. Fan the flames all summer.

Oh, and did anyone else notice that there were 45,000 fans at Florida’s spring game?

We had . . . uh . . . 15,000.

Shameful.

Congratulations to Joakim Noah and the Florida Gators, who dunked their way to a dominating win over UCLA for the national championship last night.

For some odd reason, I feel an irrestible compulsion to point out that we beat them both times this year.

College Football News has selected the 75 most anticipated college football games for next year. Tennessee has six of the 75:

• 45. Tennessee at Alabama, Oct. 21
• 40. Tennessee at South Carolina, Nov. 28
• 30. California at Tennessee, Sept. 2
• 28. LSU at Tennessee, Nov. 4
• 22. Tennessee at Georgia, Oct. 7
• 10. Florida at Tennessee, Sept. 16

From TennVolChamp:”Vols beat the Gaytors just about the way they beat them the 1st time. Gators with the ball ready to go ahead – turnover – layup by Bradshaw. GAME OVER!!!!”

From Big Orange Michael: “The screaming you heard last night as Dane Bradshaw stole the ball and drove the lane to score the winning basket for Tennessee over the evil empire that is Florida was me. How exciting was that?!? Two games vs Florida this year, two games decided by four points, two games in which Dane Bradshaw scores the winning bucket.”

Voluminous: “What a great story these guys have been all year!”

Oh, and there’s mine: Bradshaw’s sweet steal-and-spin move seals Vols’ victory over Gators.

From the MSM:

GoVolsXtra.com: New Beasts of the East:

Watson answered with a 3-pointer, but Florida hung tough, and with 1:34 left, Brewer hit a 3-pointer from the corner to tie the game 69-69.

“After he hit it, he winked at me,” said UT’s JaJuan Smith, who played four years of AAU ball with Brewer. “So I came back down and hit a three and winked back at him.”

GoVolsXtra.com’s Mike Strange: You had to be there.

Scout.com (Florida) ($): Inexperience rears its ugly head for Gators.

Scout.com (Tennessee) ($): Dane steals win for UT, and Simply Amazing.

Rivals.com (VolQuest.com) ($): From “whipping boy” to “golden boy”, and Believe it, Vols clinch SEC Title.

ESPN.com: Bradshaw’s late steal, layup lift No. 11 Vols past No. 9 Gators.

SI.com: Deja Vols.

A thing of beauty.

No, not coach Bruce Pearl’s game-long impersonation of a soaker hose. Definitely not that.

And no, not Noah’s multiple blood-seeping facial lacerations. Well, maybe that.

And no, not the over-contrasted Jefferson-Pilot telecast of the game, rendering all things orange the color, saturation, and hue of a solar flare instead. Somebody please tell me it’s not my t.v.

No, the thing of beauty was Dane Bradshaw’s game-sealing play of the game.

With the game tied at 72 with 18.8 seconds remaining and the Gators’ Corey Brewer inbounding the ball at half court, the Gators just need to hold the ball for the last shot. If it goes in, they win. If not, they go to overtime.

When the whistle blows, Brewer’s fake pass to his left is tracked inch-for-inch by the long arms and big body of Tennessee’s Major Wingate. Brewer shakes Wingate to the right before attempting a bounce pass back to the left, but Bradshaw explodes out of Wingate’s shadow to get a hand on the ball at the top of the key.

Several things then happen all at once.

Four players — Bradshaw, still looking for a handle on the ball, two Gators, and Vol guard C.J. Watson all converge on the ball. One Gator sprawls to the floor after bumping into Watson. Meanwhile, Bradshaw gets traction on the ball and does a sweet, sweet, sweet 360 spin move away from the remaining defender, covers the distance to the basket in a single step, and finger-rolls the ball into the goal.

Brewer stands slack-jawed at the top of the key, and coach Pearl wets the sole remaining dry spot on his two-thousand dollar suit.

On the other end, Brewer misses a three-point attempt, and the Gators foul Chris Lofton, who clinches it with two free throws. Vols win 76-72, sweep the hated Florida Gators, hit the 20-win mark, and clinch the SEC East Championship. They are well on their way to a No. 2 seed in the Big Dance.

All after beginning the season unranked.

Somebody say sweet!

ESPN2 is profiling the Tennessee men’s basketball team and head coach Bruce Pearl on its reality show The Season at 7:30 p.m. tonight. The show was shot in Knoxville last week.

Apparently, the ESPN crew followed Pearl to the cafeteria, where he often eats and mingles with students in his ongoing effort to sell UT basketball, and players C.J. Watson and Andre Patterson to class.

Get an inside-the-huddle look at coach Pearl keeping the team loose by instructing Patterson and Dane Bradshaw to play rock, paper, scissors to determine who would start the second half against Georgia.

Hey, make it an evening — Jefferson Pilot is showing the Vols-Gators game at 8:00 p.m. Tune in to see how Major Wingate responds to Pearl’s public criticism of his desire.

Oh, and now seems like a good time to refer to Pat Dooley’s column on Gatorsports.com on why everybody hates the Gators (Hat tip to EDSBS). I would add a few to the list, not the least of which involves the showering of visiting fans with cups of urine and post-game murders.