Billy Napier makes questionable comment about Florida fans

Jul 20, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier talks from the stage during SEC Media Days at the College Football Hall of Fame. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Billy Napier has faced criticism right out of the gate this season after Florida’s blowout loss to in-state rival Miami, and the coach is not exactly doing himself any favors.

Florida was dominated 41-17 by Miami on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. Napier spoke at his press conference on Monday about moving on from a tough loss and trying not to get too hung up on the negative. He said an early loss “can be a blessing if you don’t waste it.” Napier then said the Gators need to focus on the positives rather than “what some guy in his basement is saying in rural central Florida on social media.”

“We gotta go to work on the football part. I think we’ve got to become a more consistent team and we have to execute better,” Napier told reporters. “If we can focus on those things and not necessarily what some guy in his basement’s saying in rural central Florida on social media, then we’ve got a chance to get better.”

You can read the full context of the comments, though it doesn’t change much:

The point Napier was trying to make is that listening to constant criticism from disgruntled fans can be a distraction. He probably could have conveyed that point without making a dismissive comment about Florida fans. Not to mention, there are very, very few basements in central Florida houses.

Florida went 11-14 across Napier’s first two seasons with one bowl game appearance, which was a loss. The hope was that Napier could turn things around for the Gators in his third year, but he will now need to bounce back from another brutal loss — both to the Hurricanes and a water bottle — in order to do so.

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