- The USA soccer team has matched the all-time U.S. coach win record in the World Cup under Mauricio Pochettino.
- Chris Doering said his famous touchdown catch in Lexington changed his life.
- Miles Russell, a 17-year-old golfer who made the U.S. Open cut, played in the Bob Dooley Invitational as a pre-teen phenom.
The Front 9 comes at you after a Father’s Day weekend that still is more about how much I miss my dad than anything.
1. We still have a long way until college football begins, but it is amazing to see how people respond to the “other football.” Whether it’s celebrities showing up or fans taking over the streets of major American cities, you can feel the enthusiasm that is usually reserved for SEC football games. Mauricio (as in Pochettino) could be the go-to name for children born in June of 2026. The USA coach already has won as many matches as any U.S. coach ever. Is that a good or a bad thing?
2. Please stop complaining about this year’s U.S. Open. You didn’t like the set-up. It was too easy and then too hard. You didn’t like the energy that was missing because the fans have to leave early to make the train. You didn’t like the coverage other than Gary Koch’s commentary. You didn’t like the winner. You didn’t like the Peacock streaming for parts of the first two rounds. You didn’t like the pebbles in the sand traps. You didn’t like the false fronts. You didn’t like how late the leaders teed off Saturday. It’s supposed to be hard. The hard is what makes it great.
3. FOMO Game of the Week
Even if you’re late to World Cup Fever, we know that you will have at least two more chances to watch the Americans. The U.S. faces Turkiye (the country formerly known as Turkey) at 10 p.m. on Thursday. It’s almost a meaningless match to stay up that late for, but you want to keep the momentum going. The U.S. has secured a place in the knockout round July 1.
4. Four questions with Gator great Chris Doering
- Have you ever thought about what would be different if you dropped “Doering’s got a touchdown!”?
Doering: I wasn’t nervous in the moment as that play unfolds but every time I see it on TV I get nervous that I’m going to drop it. The ball seems to hang in the air forever and I think about how much different my life would be if I didn’t catch that one. My life changed forever on that night in Lexington. - Do you think any Gator will ever catch 31 career TD passes?
Doering: I’m not sure if anyone will stay long enough to catch 31 TDs. The good thing for them is that the season is longer and they now count postseason stats towards career records which they didn’t use to do. The funny part is that my teammates all caught a ton of TDs too, so it wasn’t like I was the focal point. I was just lucky to play in a very pass-catching friendly offense. (Ike had 29, Jack 29, Reidel 26, Willie 24, Quez 23) - Do you ever run into childhood hero Cris Collinsworth?
Doering: I’ve seen him around at several events and a game or two we were both calling. He is always incredibly kind and encouraging of me. I feel like I’ve followed a very similar path so I’m grateful for the role model he has been throughout his life. - Did you ever think about walking on the basketball or baseball teams at UF?
Doering: I talked to Joe Arnold briefly about the opportunity to walk on to the baseball team too, but it just wasn’t realistic. Playing football for the Gators was my lifelong dream and I needed to pour every ounce of my energy into that goal.
5. Five all-time UF leaders in number of receptions
- Andre Caldwell (185): Bubba won a natty and may have this record for a while.
- Carlos Alvarez (172): And that was in just three seasons.
- Willie Jackson (162): The son of another Willie, he was as physical as any who have played here.
- Errict Rhett (153): That’s a pretty big number for a running back.
- Dallas Baker (151): He was the Touchdown Maker.
6. This will happen this week
I will remind people that Miles Russell, the 17-year-old from Jacksonville who made the cut in the U.S. Open, played in the Bob Dooley Invitational as a pre-teen prodigy. I won’t remind them that he’s going to FSU this season. We did The Bob — also known as America’s Tournament — for 29 years.
7. Hot take of the week
It’s a “me” problem, but I am starting to get uncomfortable with the summer lovin’ that Florida is getting for the upcoming football season. I understand it with the basketball team, but if I was still an AP voter, I wouldn’t have the Gators in my top 25. There are many questions about the personnel for 2026. As much as we are all appreciating what Jon Sumrall is doing, this is still a team that won four games last year. It wasn’t all DJ Lagway’s fault. But as usual, the injection of new-coach energy seems to be fooling a lot of smart college football so-called experts.
8. Tweet of the week
From elite golf writer Jason Sobel: “Might not sound like much, but the fact that NBC producer Tommy Roy shows at least one shot from all 156 competitors each year is a hell of a tradition.” I thought the same thing.
9. Remote drop of the week
Regardless of what you may think of Woody Allen as a father, the stretch of movies from “Sleeper” to “Love and Death” to “Annie Hall” is impressive. My favorite of those is “Sleeper” and I start laughing just looking at the movie poster.