Germany-bound Capel to keep running

Brooksville native John Capel may have lost his bid for Beijing at the recent Olympic Trials, but not his self-assurance.

In fact, the ex-Florida Gator wideout/sprinter leaves Thursday for Germany. His  hopes: to compete in a full slate of international competition throughout Europe and try to pick up six figures' worth of prize money along the way.

"It's my job," said Capel, who entered the Trials following a two-year marijuana-related suspension and reached the 100- and 200-meter semifinals. "A lot of people think because you don't make an Olympic team, you can't go overseas and compete."

At the Trials, Capel finished 13th overall in the 100 semifinals (10.21 seconds) and 12th in the 200 semis (20.81). Both were well off his personal-best times, but Capel and his coach, U.S. Track Coaches Association Hall of Famer Brooks Johnson, seemed encouraged.

"His top-end speed was as fast as anybody," Johnson said Wednesday. "I think he lost patience and came up too early in the race and that hurt him.

"His world is not going to end with the Olympic Trials, that's for sure."

JOEY KNIGHT, Times staff writer

Comments

[tebow]

Marijuana suspension, is any Gaytor player clean these days. What a bunch of bums.

[Walter Dix]

I smoked that fool!

GO NOLES

Marijuana shouldn't even be illegal. You are the bumb, fool. Hate to break it to you FSU clowns, but a ton of athletes smoke pot, including your players. By the way Seminoles fans, your school is inferior to UF academically and athletically. The all-time record against you in football is 30-19-1 and we've beaten you four years in a row. You guys stink. Say good bye to the glory days. Bobby Bowden was the best thing that ever happened to your school and he's on his way out.

[tebow]

Its true the Gators are full of thugs. FSU and Miami used be the thug schools but now the Gators have all the arrests and guns etc. We are the new thug recruiter.

[Brandon]

Tebow-There is truth to what you say, but most teams have problems with athletes.However, UF does a pretty good job with their players. They are usually kicked off the team when they commit a felony. Unlike FSU, where Bowden feels the best punishment is making an athlete who is already in great shape, run.I'm a Gator, so yes that makes me bias, but FSU is definitely more lenient with their players. Look at the history. At least Meyer doesn't put up with crap.

[tebow@tampabaycom]

Brandon,
You have to be kidding, this year you had the guy who broken in and stole a car and played against LSU. Gaffney stole the wallets of high school kids and never missed a game. You gators can sure make yourselves feel good by saying everybody else is wrong but we do things right. I would say at this point Florida is the most leniant of any school bar none.

Tebow said..
"Brandon,
You have to be kidding, this year you had the guy who broken in and stole a car and played against LSU. Gaffney stole the wallets of high school kids and never missed a game. You gators can sure make yourselves feel good by saying everybody else is wrong but we do things right. I would say at this point Florida is the most leniant of any school bar none."

Tebow-I'm not saying UF players don't get in trouble. What i'm saying is they are punished for their crimes. First, Tony Joiner made a stupid mistake, but he didn't steal a car. His girlfriends car was towed. He jumped the gate of the towing facility as he had already spoken to the owner. the owner said something about leaving the gate open for him and didn't. I'm paraphrasing, but it was the owner and Joiner who weren't on the same page. If you take a look at the record, the owner of the towing facility admitted this and didn't press charges. Regarding Gaffney, you are talking about something that happened in 1999, almost a decade ago. Yes, he stole $500 out of a high school players locker room who was playing in the state championship at the SWAMP. Do you remember what happened to him? --

Per New York Times archive or google if for more info...

"Gaffney was lucky just to be on the field at all. He was kicked off the team last December for stealing more than $500 in cash and jewelry from members of a high school team that used the Florida locker room during the state playoffs.

''I told him he was finished,'' said Spurrier, who pulled Gaffney's scholarship.

But Gaffney's father, Derrick, played at Florida (as well as with the Jets in the early 1980's), as did three of his uncles, and Jabar knew he had embarrassed and disappointed his family. With his father, he appealed to Spurrier for a second chance, and vowed to return the money and play without a scholarship. In July the coach relented." --He was given a second chance, earned his scholarship, and didn't get in trouble again while in college. Us Gators? Why do you go by the name Tebow if you aren't a Gator? Since Meyer has been at UF, he's had some issues each offseason. Most of them (Marcus Thomas, Brandon James etc)have been busted for Marijuana. Thomas was kicked off the team because he tested positive at least twice. Brandon James was given a second chance. Do you really think he should have been kicked off the team for that? You are ridiculous. As far as major issues UF's had with Hornsby and a few others, I challenge you to name one player who wasn't kicked off the team for committing a serious crime? I'm waiting...You saying FSU and Miami handle their athletes better makes you look really stupid. Did you catch what FSU was busted for last yr? Multiple sports at FSU were busted for cheating. they are lucky the NCAA didn't put them on some type of probation. Keep talking crap, we'll keep beating you every year. Currently, it's four in a row and will definitely be five as we wax you in Tally this yr and Miami in the SWAMP, Sept 6.

[Paco Pebre]

Typical Gator haters. We own you in athletics and academics. FSU students and graduates are UF rejects.

http://blogs.tampabay.com/gators/2008/07/gators-place-66.html

[Bobby Bowden]

Free
Shoes
University

Cheaters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You guys stink now! UF will dominate you for eternity, scum bags :)

Go Gators!

[Xavier Lee]

Face it, Miami and FSU both suck. It's not a matter of opinion. Look at both of their records. You are just jealous of the Gators. Can you say Free Shoes University? Didn't you guys get busted for every varsity team cheating on exams? Miami, a clean program? You guys are so clean that you pick up our trash (Willie Williams) who is banned from UF for assaulting women. We own both of your loser schools. Bow to the champs! You would both get destroyed in the SEC. I would say your programs are equivalent to Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. I would be nice and say Kentucky, but FSU lost to them last yr :)

[Tebow]

The gators have won a couple games in last few years and now you guys are kings. The facts are the facts, you guys stopped punishing your criminals and now your program has the thugs.

[Fear The Chomp]

Free
Scores
University

How do you make a Seminole Cookie?
Take a Seminole put em in the Sugar Bowl and beat em for three hours.
But of course why argue with the Criminoles they don't argue back since their football program is on a downward spiral.

[tebow]

Gators hayday is over, Miami will probably beat you guys again just like the last 10 times you have met. I can't wait to watch the gator faithful go back in their hole after this season.

Hey dork who refers to himself as one of the best college athletes off all time, good luck with hoping Miami will beat UF in the SWAMP this yr. We don't care Miami used to be good. At least UF didn't lose to the Buckeyes for the championship. By the way, Miami has only won the past six games. Keep living in the past. Have fun stinking in the ACC again. You may want to focus more of your attention on not losing to Duke. Too bad the Orange Bowl got taken away. Have fun playing on a baseball field next yr.

Watch out for that powerhouse Auburn who beats Florida every year. USF beat Auburn and you guys can't, don't schedule USF. Gators suck

[Ponce De Leon]

Hey USF tool-
Congrats on beating Auburn last season, but you are a medicore team in the Big Least Conference. Concentrate on beating team like Connecticut and Rutgers since they both worked you last yr. Watching USF lose makes me happy. You guys had a little success and thought you were on your way to winning a championship. We lost to Auburn in 06, but didn't lose another game the entire season and went on to destroy OSU for the national championship. You guys can't even win your conference. We will win it all again this yr. By the way, I graduated from UF, a superior school to USF athletically and academically. This means i'm better than you, loser.

[Grothe]

We may have lost to Michigan last yr in the Capital One Bowl, but at least it was the best bowl game last year. You guys god destroyed by an Oregon Duck team who didn't even have their starting quarterback. Final score...

Oregon 56
USF 21-------ha ha!!!!!!!!!!!