opinion - The Independent Florida Alligator

The Florida gymnastics team celebrates wining the NCAA National Championship on Saturday, April 18, 2015 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Sports

Which Florida Gators team was the best in 2014-15: Softball or gymnastics?

By JORDAN MCPHERSON | July 1, 2015

With the start of the Summer B semester and the end of the 2014-2015 collegiate athletic season, it’s time for another installment of the annual Alligator Awards. This week, Alligator editor-in-chief Jordan McPherson and alligatorSports assistant editor Luis Torres debate which of UF’s national championship winning teams — the softball team or the gymnastics team — deserves the title of "Best Team."

Opinion

Forget automatic: Learning how to drive stick makes you a better person

July 1, 2015

I’ve always driven a manual transmission car. In my house, an automatic just wasn’t an option. My parents have always driven manuals, and when I turned 15 and was ready to learn how to drive, that was what was available to me.

Opinion

Online professionalism: fallacy or reasonable?

July 1, 2015

Since the social media boom of the 2000s, there has been a common refrain amongst parents, professors and anyone generally over the age of 35: Watch what you post on Facebook. As the distinction between our online personas and our physical activities becomes increasingly blurred, more scrutiny than ever has been placed upon an individual to keep their online profile proper, pristine and free of anything remotely vulgar or suggestive. Conventional wisdom holds that once college students enter the professional world, they’ll be surprised to learn how little that picture of them double fisting PBR tallboys will impress their potential employers.

Opinion

Darts and Laurels: MUUUUURICA Edition(Kinda)

July 1, 2015

Welcome back readers! We’re sure you’re settling back into the proper swing of things following our week off. In any event, it’s another week, another paper and another weekly dose of...

New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez, center right, celebrates with CC Sabathia after Rodriguez hit a home run — his 3,000th career hit — during the first inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers on June 19 at Yankee Stadium in New York.

Sports

A-Rod? More like A-Fraud: Rodriguez milestone is a Big Apple-sized fiasco

By Luis Torres | June 29, 2015

Alex Rodriguez’s baseball accomplishments shouldn’t be celebrated.

Opinion

Marriage equality a step in the right direction

June 29, 2015

On June 26, the Supreme Court took a massive step forward toward equality, making marriage equality the law of the land.

Opinion

Busy news week shows good, bad of United States

June 29, 2015

All right, we at the Independent Florida Alligator leave our posts for a week and the United States decides to up and blow its top with national news and national controversies bubbling over like some witch’s brew.

Opinion

Removing the Confederate flag is only symbolic of bigger issues at hand

June 29, 2015

I agree with the South Carolina governor’s position to take down the Confederate flag, as well as the decisions of Wal-Mart, Sears, eBay, the proposal in Mississippi and other such moves.

Florida's Buddy Reed runs toward first base during the Gators' 15-3 victory against Miami in the NCAA Men's College World Series on Saturday, June 13, 2015 at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha.

Sports

Reed Speed: Outfielder crucial for UF

By JORDAN MCPHERSON | June 18, 2015

Buddy Reed has all the qualities a baseball coach looks for in a center fielder.

Opinion

An endurance race: Keeping up with the 83rd annual 24 Hours of Le Mans

June 17, 2015

If you read my column last week, you know that I was extremely excited about the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an international endurance race held in France. Whether you follow the series or not, my thoughts on the results and my experience viewing the race cannot be contained.

Opinion

Rachel Dolezal and the perpetual outrage machine

June 17, 2015

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In this Dec. 5, 2009, file photo, former UF running back Chris Rainey warms up prior to Florida's 32-12 loss to Alabama in the 2009 SEC Championship Game in Atlanta.

Sports

ESPN investigation embarrassing for Gators

By GRAHAM HALL | June 15, 2015

The University of Florida, along with nine other schools, has received criticism for the systems in place that seemingly indicate that athletes receive preferential treatment when accused of criminal activity.

Opinion

Rachel Dolezal’s case is not just black and white

June 15, 2015

Last week, the Spokesman-Review questioned whether the president of the NAACP Spokane, Rachel Dolezal, was black.

Opinion

Jeb Bush joins an overflowing GOP pool

June 15, 2015

Jeb Bush announced his candidacy for presidency Monday. About time, if you ask us.

UF's Bobby Poyner throws a slider during Florida's 14-3 win against the South Carolina Gamecocks on April 11, 2015 at McKethan Stadium.

Sports

UF baseball seniors seeking to close out collegiate careers with national title

By JORDAN MCPHERSON | June 10, 2015

Come Saturday, the final leg of the No. 4 national seed Florida baseball team’s quest for its first national title officially begins.

Opinion

It’s Le Mans weekend and the Nissan is back

June 10, 2015

So this weekend is pretty big for me. It’s race season and the mother of them all is here. People ask what type of racing I’m into and sometimes it’s hard to explain because it’s not NASCAR, Formula 1 or Indy racing.

Opinion

Darts & Laurels: Of Popes and not Death

June 10, 2015

If there’s one thing most people can agree on regardless of political leanings or religious following, from bleeding heart liberals to diehard conservatives, rigid Catholics to faithless atheists, it’s that the thought of innocent children being harmed or sexually abused by their supposed protectors or mentors is a rage-inducing test of our Stand Your Ground laws.

UF's JJ Schwarz runs past third base and heads to score during the first inning of Florida's 13-5 win against Florida State in the NCAA Super Regionals on June 5, 2015, at McKethan Stadium.

Sports

JJ Schwarz, Gators peaking heading into College World Series

By IAN COHEN | June 8, 2015

If you were sitting in the stands of McKethan Stadium on April 7, watching closely as JJ Schwarz hit his fourth home run of the game, and then followed the freshman as he trotted around the bases and galloped back into his dugout, you might have thought this was the norm.

UF softball coach Tim Walton hugs senior shortstop Kathlyn Medina during the Gators' post-championship celebration on Thursday at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

Sports

UF softball coach Tim Walton praises senior Kathlyn Medina at championship celebration

By Luis Torres | June 8, 2015

When the Florida softball team was celebrating its second national title in as many seasons in Gainesville last Thursday, three players addressed the fans and answered questions.

Opinion

Sports organizations need to be held responsible for punishing their athletes

June 8, 2015

The start of the Women’s World Cup raises new questions about the handling of Hope Solo’s case. Solo is the goalie for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, and she has recently been making the rounds on national media in order to redeem herself after facing domestic violence charges.