I'm supposed to be taking some time off before life at the new network kicks in for me, but I've been writing about the Gators way too long so in a lot of ways, this is an addiction that has to be fed. I'm in withdrawal right now, so time to express myself.

If you follow me here and on facebook, you'll be able to find the launch time for the new network that I will be working for. I'll still be writing about the Gators just at a new place. Until I'm launched at the new place, you can follow my incessant ramblings and occasional brilliant (debatable) thoughts right here.

So .... a few thoughts for your Thursday evening.

1. A NEW COMMITMENT FOR FLORIDA FOOTBALL: Say hello to Hunter Joyer, a 5-11, 250-pound fullback from Tampa Catholic who committed to the Gators Thursday. Camp observers say that Joyer was put through the paces in the heat of the day with Urban Meyer looking on. Word is that the tougher the drills, the better Joyer got. He's an intriguing prospect. He's got ideal size for a fullback, which is mostly a blocker in the Florida scheme, but he's an accomplished running back with tremendous power and he can catch the ball. Watch what the Gators do this year with Steve Wilks and I think you'll get a pretty good idea of how they'll be using Joyer. Wilks can catch the ball and he's a tough runner between the tackles, too. One thing that I've always liked about Meyer's offenses is that they adapt to what the personnel do best. I think Hunter Joyer gives the Gators the kind of kid who gets those creative minds figuring out new ways to use him.

2. A REAL SHOT AT WINNING IN OMAHA: Kevin O'Sullivan takes the Gator baseball team to Omaha where they've got a real shot to bring home the national championship. The Gators last went to the College World Series in 2005 when they made it to the championship round only to get knocked out by Texas. This is a young team that has earned its experience on the fly and Omaha is a place where youth and inexperience often meet an unhappy ending. Something about this crew tells me don't worry about the Gators. I think Kevin O'Sullivan has done a terrific job of keeping this team focused and getting them in the right frame of mind to take on increasing challenges. Here's why I like Florida's chances: (1) they don't beat themselves in the field and (2) they've got a deep bullpen which will enable O'Sullivan to use plenty of arms every single game.

3. WHERE HAVE YOU GONE JOE DIMAGGIO?: No, I'm not talking about hitting streaks, but I am talking about a streak that could stand longer than Joe D's 57-game hitting streak in Major League Baseball. I'm talking about our fine friends out west from the Harvard of Leon Spinks County. This marks the 20th time the Seminoles have made it to the College World Series and if they come home empty-handed (again), they will add to a record of futility that I doubt anyone will ever approach. Now, Mike Martin is one of the finest human beings on the planet and in some respects you hope that he finally gets the 800-pound gorilla of doubt off his back but records are records. If you can't break a record then you should have the decency to at least add to it.

4. IN THE AFTERMATH OF EXPANSION: Okay, the Big Ten, which was actually the Big 11, is now the New Big 12 and the Big 12, which was actually the Big 12, is now the Old Big 12 Minus Two. Confused? Well that's what expansion will do for you. Think of how confused you would be if the Big Ten (the one that is now the Big 12 had added Missouri from the Big 12 Minus Two) and then for kicks, added Syracuse, Rutgers and Pitt from the Big East, making it the Big Least. And what if the Pacific-10, which is now the Pac-12, had become the Pac-16? It's now the Pac-12 because Utah and Colorado are now members. Funny, but they don't seem all that Pacific to me. If the Pac-10 at the time had become the Pac-16 by raiding six (count 'em) teams from the Big 12 (at the time) Minus Two, you wouldn't have been able to tell the players without a program.

5. IN THE AFTERMATH OF EXPANSION, PART II: What happens if the New Big 12 decides that there is still some expanding to do? Personally, I like a 12-team conference but if commish Jim Delaney decides the New Big 12 could significantly add the bucks by going on another raid he'll do it. Obviously, the top target is and will always be Notre Dame and as long as Delaney leaves the Big East alone, Notre Dame can stay right where it is. But, if Delaney were to secure three Big East schools --- effectively turning the once proud Big East into the soon to be defunct Big Least --- Notre Dame would have no options but to join. Notre Dame can do just fine as an independent in football, but if the Big East were no longer a viable option for basketball and other sports, the Irish might be forced to capitulate.

6. NOTRE DAME COULD REMAIN INDEPENDENT NO MATTER WHAT IF THIS HAPPENED: The Big East is this interesting 16-team coalition of eight football schools (Syracuse, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Louisville, Pittsburgh, South Florida, Connecticut and South Florida); Notre Dame and seven basketball-only Catholic schools (Providence, St. John's, Georgetown, Villanova, Marquette, Seton Hall and DePaul). Even if the New Big 12 were to raid the Big East of some of its football schools, Notre Dame could remain independent if the Catholic schools were to band together to form their own conference. Those eight teams could perhaps add St. Joseph's, Dayton, St. Louis and Fordham to bring it to a 12-team league that would be formidable in basketball. With Notre Dame's financial clout with NBC, I could see a television deal that could make a brand new league formidable.

7. BRAD BEAL ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE: Everybody knew Florida commitment Bradley Beal (6-4, 190, St. Louis, MO Chaminade Prep) was one of the elite players in the recruiting class of 2011 before last year's FIBA Americas 16-and-under tournament in Argentina, but ever since he lit everybody up on that international stage, his stock has gone through the roof. It's safe to say he's one of the three or four best prospects in the country for 2011 and the reason is he doesn't take plays off no matter which end of the floor he's playing. At the Houston Nike event back in May, he scored 36 points in the final game while serving as the St. Louis Eagles' emergency point guard and on the defensive end, he took on a 6-8 power forward and locked him down. Brad goes back on the international stage starting July 2 in Germany at the FIBA World 17-and-under tournament.

8. BRAD BEAL ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE, PART II: I'll be very interested to see if Beal's solid commitment to Florida has any influence with Gator targets Johnny O'Bryant (6-10, 248, Cleveland, MS) and Adonis Thomas (6-6, 211, Memphis, TN Melrose) while in Germany. They became good friends last year down in Argentina and have maintained a friendship since then. Thomas has Florida, Arkansas and Memphis in his top three while O'Bryant likes Florida, Memphis, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. O'Bryant and Thomas would like to play together in college but it's not a set in stone requirement.

9. FLORIDA'S 2011 RECRUITING CLASS ... : Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario is already in school and counting against the 13 scholarships this year so that means the Gators will sign three more. Brad Beal will be one of the three. The other two? Ideally, the Gators would go for a big like Johnny O'Bryant or perhaps Mikael Hopkins (6-9, 220, Hyattsville, MD DeMatha Catholic) but an intriguing possibility would be to add two high flying athletic types who can multi-task. I think the Gators are in great shape for Sam Thompson (6-6, 190, Finney-Smith (6-8, 185, Portsmouth, VA IC Norcum). The question is: if O'Bryant or Hopkins wants to be a Gator and two of the threesome of Thompson, Thomas and Finney-Smith also want to be Gators, what does Billy Donovan do since that would put UF one over the scholarship limit? It's a real dilemma but I would rather have that kind of dilemma than one like last year when the Gators really had only eight scholarship players available.

10. RANDOM THOUGHTS: Shelley Meyer tells me that Urban is healthy, re-charged and ready to coach. That's good news for the Gators. Bad news for everyone else ... I think the longer Tiger Woods goes without winning, the more that once formidable aura of invincibility shrinks. Watching him at Pebble Beach I didn't get the feeling that anyone is intimidated by Tiger these days ... Enjoy Chipper Jones while you can. He's going to seriously think about retiring after this season. Wouldn't it be great if the Atlanta Braves sent him off with at least a division championship to remember all those good years? ... Whoever thought vuvuzelas was a good idea needs to spend a month in solitary confinement forced to listen to that incessant drone 24 hours per ... Pete Carroll should have kept his mouth shut. The more he claims the NCAA wronged Southern Cal the more I think people are going to wish the men in blue suits had delivered the death penalty for the first time since SMU ... Speaking of the death penalty and the NCAA, anyone remember what happened to Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana-Lafayette) back in the 1970s? The Rajin' Cajuns got the death penalty for two years due to recruiting violations having five players on the roster whose cumulative high school GPAs were below 1.6.

Have a great evening.

Franz