Sam’s Commentary

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

The New Super Bowl

This is the 26th year I’ve been going to the Super Bowl. On one front that seems like a lot of games, but on another it seems like a drop in the bucket. I’m on the Pro Football Hall of Fame Committee and some of the guys on that committee have been to every Super […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Tim Tebow: Stay Or Go?

I think he’ll stay. What he should do is up to him. Outside of his parents, everybody else should stay out of it. One thing I’m sure of: Tim Tebow will do the right thing. Speculation as to whether Tim would spend four years at the University of Florida started the day he announced he […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Del Rio: Smarter, Tougher Jaguar

“A player’s coach,” is either the best thing a coach can be called or the worst. “Disciplinarian” and “Old School” fit into that same category. Obviously, somewhere in between is where you find success as a coach, especially in the NFL. Jaguars Head Coach Jack Del Rio has been described as a “Players coach.” By […]

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Shack Resigns: Remaining Jaguars Brain Trust Should Look in The Mirror First

Somebody had to pay for the Jaguars dismal season in 2008 and apparently when he looked around, owner Wayne Weaver decided James “Shack” Harris would be sacrificed. You knew somebody would be asked to fall on their sword and you knew it wouldn’t be head coach Jack Del Rio after he signed a big-money extension […]

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A Holiday Story

As we go into the holiday season, I just wanted to tell this story so perhaps when things get hectic over the next couple of weeks; perhaps we can take a deep breath and think about what’s really important. As many of you know, I like to ride my bike. I have a lot of […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Jaguars Present and Future

With the post-season looking like something that’s on the other end of a wrong-side telescope, the Jaguars fans are looking at the current team and questioning how good they really are. Without a bunch of stars, (and if you look at the roster who’s really going to the Pro Bowl) the Jaguars have to play […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Change, And What That Really Means

I used to think I liked politics. And maybe I did from afar before talk radio and cable television revealed the raw nerve that’s always hanging out when it comes to getting elected. Maybe it’s always been this way, but we just didn’t know it. That why the word “political” has such a negative connotation […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Vote

I haven’t liked just about anything about this year’s campaign. The negative tone, from both sides, fueled by the avalanche of information distributed by the media hasn’t done anybody any good. The Democrats have been able to set the tone, putting the Republicans on the defensive from day one. Whether it’s been about the war […]

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Values, Culture and Real Life

It was jarring and somewhat shocking when the official announcement was made Monday about Jaguars offensive lineman Richard Collier’s condition. Collier’s family, his doctors and his agent revealed that he had been shot 14 times on September 2nd in Riverside. The shooting left Collier paralyzed below the waist and after suffering an infection and pneumonia […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

David Garrard: Star?

When he showed up at the End Zone, David Garrard had his family in tow (including in-laws) and was all smiles. And why not. The Jaguars had just beaten the Colts, thanks to a game winning drive engineered by Garrard. He has a new $60 million dollar contract, a beautiful wife and children and his […]

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NBC, China and The Games

I don’t know if I could have enjoyed the Olympics more than I did this year. Part of it was the mixture of taped and live events that television was able to bring to the east coast of the US because of the 12-hour time difference between here and Beijing. NBC did a masterful job […]

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Michael Phelps And The USA

I was in entryway for the media at the stadium following the Jaguars game when I came across about 20 people crowded around a small TV set. I knew what they were there for: Michael Phelps was going for his eighth gold medal, swimming in the IM relay with his American teammates. The small crowd […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Fred Taylor, Back Again!

Since he was at Belle Glade in high school, Fred Taylor has always dreamed of playing in the Super Bowl. But last year was the first time he ever went. “I went in support of Plax”(Plaxico Burress of the Giants), Fred revealed on Tuesdays. “Sat there through the whole game, it was the toughest thing […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Don Shula Still Coaching

The last time I saw Don Shula was at the Super Bowl here in Jacksonville. Dan Marino was eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and as a shoo-in; Shula was in town to lend support. I was standing in a group of four reporters talking to the winningest head coach in the history […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Federer & Nadal: Tennis’ Past & Future?

Maybe it’s become a niche sport. Outside of the Grand Slam tournaments does anybody pay attention to tennis anymore? It seems not. John McEnroe even thanked Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for what they did for tennis playing their epic, 5-set Wimbledon final on Sunday. But did it matter? I certainly hope so. Despite the […]

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Tiger’s Open (Or Was It Rocco’s)

I was rooting for Rocco. Nothing against Tiger, in fact, I think this win solidifies his spot as the best ever. All that’s left is for him to pass Jack Nicklaus with 18 professional majors and to call him “the best” would be indisputable. But still, I was hoping Rocco could pull it off. “He […]

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Jim McKay Encounter: Long Ago

I met Jim McKay once, when I was in college. I had a late class but ran over to the theater he was speaking at promoting his book “My Wide World” on college campuses. My first impression was that he was tiny! I got there after he was finished speaking but I was determined to […]

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Big Brown: Bust?

Just like everybody else, I follow horse racing as a casual fan, focusing on the Triple Crown. I do follow some of the other races during the year, the Florida and Arkansas Derby, the Travers Stakes and the Breeders Cup. I watch the races and read a bunch about the different competitions. I’ve been to […]

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The Players, Bigger, Better

Everybody’s got an opinion about The Players. It’s always been that way for some reason. Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer always downplayed its significance. Both wanted their tournaments to be the next “big” thing and didn’t like how then Commissioner Deane Beman was going about promoting the “TPC.” Nicklaus once said he didn’t think it […]

Jacksonville Sports News, Sam Kouvaris - SamSportsline.com

Derby Wake Up

Obviously, I don’t know anything about thoroughbreds anymore. I had this amazing string of calling the winner of the Kentucky Derby of about 12 years starting with Unbridled and running through about 2002. Since then I haven’t been close. I had the field covered in 2005 except for Giacamo who came in as a 50-1 […]