Sam’s Commentary

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Jaguars Ups and Downs

Leaning on the perspective of history you learn that it’s never as bad as it seems or as good as it looks when it comes to the NFL. That’s why watching Jaguars Head Coach Gus Bradley after the 19-9 loss to Oakland was a study in how “team building” is part of his philosophy as […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Not What They Were Expecting

Full of hope and enthusiasm, the Jaguars opened the 2013 season how they wanted to early against the Chiefs. Decent stops on defense and then a great special teams play leading to a blocked punt and a safety and a 2-0 lead. From there, the team looked like it slipped into their 2012 persona with […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Jaguars Give Reason For Hope

When Shad Khan decided to make a change at the top of his football operation last year, it wasn’t because the team went 2-14. It was because the advice he received about how the Jaguars were going to win games didn’t pan out. So he put Dave Caldwell and Gus Bradley in charge and changed […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

“Better and Improved”: The Jaguars Buzzwords

We saw what looked to be about as close to regular season game speed in the Jaguars Eagles game Saturday night. Bodies were flying around and the hits were real. The starters played into the 3rd quarter and looked respectable, leaving the game leading 24-16. Two guys, Jordan Todman and Allen Reisner continue to look […]

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Jaguars 2013: It’s Not About Winning

It’s a luxury Gus Bradley and Dave Caldwell enjoy in 2013 the virtually no other coach and GM tandem has in the NFL: They don’t have to win. When Shad Khan bought the team in 2012, then General Manager Gene Smith thought the Jaguars were just a few pieces away from being competitive. When he […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Jaguars Assessment: Is “Not Terrible” Fair?

One of our producers was commenting on one of their colleagues the other day with the assessment, “We’ll, they’re not doing terrible.” We all laughed, but it might be a pretty good assessment of the Jaguars progress so far in 2013. Improved and better and they’re “not doing terrible.” For the Jaguars first exhibition game […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Jaguars Camp: No Surprises But Not Routine

In the first 5 days of camp I’ve seen Gus Bradley just light up one of his players. I’ve seen a quarterback go down like a ton of bricks. I’ve seen Denard Robinson look clueless and like a Pro Bowler – all within 5 minutes. And I’ve seen Cecil Shorts have the best camp of […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Gus Bradley’s First Camp: “Slow Down!”

It’s been a few years but the Jaguars have all 90 players under contract in camp on time in the first year under new head coach Gus Bradley. “It’s about trust,” Bradley said this week. “We can immediately trust them from a coach’s perspective as players to do the things necessary to win. The other […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Big Thinking Khan Style

When it comes to business acumen, Shad Khan’s is well documented. So it initially seemed strange when it was revealed that he was interested in buying a Premier League team. Earlier this year and in 2012, Khan said he “didn’t like the business model” in the EPL. “They don’t have a salary cap.” But clearly […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Its Summer, It’s Hot, No Kidding!

I’m always amused when people I meet find out I’m from Florida and the first thing they say is, “How can you stand it? It’s so hot there in the summer!” They’re right; it is hot here in the summer. So what do we do? We stay inside. That’s how Florida got be so popular […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

The Ever Expanding “Season”

With the announcement that the NFL draft will move to early May in 2014, the league continue to take steps toward year-’round awareness. Citing a “scheduling conflict” with Radio City Music Hall, next year’s draft will be May 8-10 (yes, the Thursday, Friday, Saturday of The Players.) It’s not that they want to play games […]

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THE PLAYERS: ONE OF A KIND

As always happens this time of year, the debate gets stirred up as to where The Players stands among golf tournaments. Is it just another tournament? Is it a Major? The answer to both of those questions right now is no. It’s far from just another tournament. With all due respect to the volunteer forces […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

TIGER AT THE PLAYERS

“Its about the angles and that makes it tough.” And with that, Tiger Woods explained why the TPC Stadium course is so difficult for the best players in the world. Pete Dye intended that way, and Tiger acknowledged that in his annual pre-tournament press conference. “It’s pretty typical Pete. There aren’t many holes where you […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Jaguars Needs: Everything

What a difference a year makes when it comes to the Jaguars draft. Obviously the people inside the draft room are different but the whole situation has changed when it comes to acquiring players. Last year in Shad Khan’s first draft as an NFL owner, the Jaguars were trying to fill some holes to be […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Golf in North Florida: It is (and isn’t) all about The Players

While most of the country is waiting for the “golf season” to start, we’re in the height of it here in North Florida. I know we generally never go out of the golf season, but there’s not a better time to play here than spring through early summer. The days are longer, the weather is […]

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Long Ago and Far Away: Sports Heroes of a Different Time

People ask me all the time how I got into sports journalism. “Did you always want to be a sportscaster?” is a regular question. “No, I always wanted to play third base for the Baltimore Orioles. This seemed like the next best thing. Since quarterbacking the Colts was being occupied by John Unitas.” I guess […]

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What the Jaguars Need: Everything?

It’s pretty easy to assess what the Jaguars need as they go forward: just about everything. The plus in having the second pick in the draft is that no matter who they pick, they’ll need him. Let’s just start with what players on this team some other organization would want. On offense, MJD, if healthy, […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Players Win Games

It’s not too hard to figure out the reason there are “haves” and “have-nots” in the NFL: Players. You can talk all the scheme, coaching, personnel people you want but in the end, on the field, it comes down to players. And good ones. A couple of years ago, the Miami Dolphins had the first […]

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Muschamp vs. The World!

Standing in the back of the “media lounge” (a euphemism for the eating room) behind the Norm Carlson Press Box at Florida Field two years ago, Will Muschamp was introduced to the Gator Nation as their next head football coach. The anticipation was thick and exciting. Muschamp had been the “coach in waiting” at Texas […]

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Jaguars Win #2: Validation

Toward the end of the game with the Titans, even after Josh Scobee hit a field goal to give the Jaguars a 5-point lead I sent a Tweet with the hashtag #noleadfeelssafe. Perhaps a bit cynical, but honestly a comment not necessarily on how the Jaguars have played this year but how hard it is […]