Running off at the typewriter. …
Now that the Jacksonville City Council approved an agreement earlier this week with the NFL’s Jaguars on a $1.4 billion renovation of EverBank Stadium, it’s time for Orlando’s city and county leaders to administer a full-court press and aggressively pursue hosting the Jags and the Georgia-Florida game — aka The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party — during the 2027 season.
While EverBank is being renovated, the plan is for the Jaguars to continue to play in Jacksonville with a reduced capacity in 2026 and then play either in Orlando’s Camping World Stadium or at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at the University of Florida in Gainesville in ’27.
If Camping World’s own $400 million renovation project is done by 2027 — and hopefully it will be — then you would think Orlando should be the clear frontrunner to host the Jags. Not only because there are logistical issues in Gainesville (small airport, paucity of hotels and an outdated college stadium where the Gators are obviously the top priority), but because of the NFL’s growing relationship with Orlando. The league itself will have a major say in where the Jags play and officials have grown fond of Orlando during the five Pro Bowls that have been hosted here in recent years.
Of course nothing is certain, especially when Orlando’s own stadium has its own construction issues.
The clock is ticking starting right now.
Let’s not waste any time.
Let’s put those shovels in the ground and get Camping World refurbished so we have a shot at hosting the Jaguars and The Cocktail Party. …
Short stuff: Full disclosure, I watched Tristan da Silva, the Magic’s first-round draft pick, play in one game last season and that was when his Colorado Buffaloes beat the Florida Gators 102-100 in an NCAA Tournament thriller in March. I was focused more on watching the Gators than da Silva. However, with that said, I absolutely love this draft pick by the Magic. I’ve been saying for weeks the Magic don’t really need another young, developmental player on a roster that still has last year’s two lottery picks — Anthony Black and Jett Howard — trying to work their way into the rotation. Well, guess what? Da Silva is already developed. He’s 23 years old, older than the Magic’s top three scorers Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, and he’s played four years of college. He is just the type of seasoned draft pick that this young team needs. I guess what I’m saying is this: In choosing da Silva, the Magic may have struck gold …
Speaking of the NBA draft, did you see where three players from France were chosen among the top 6 picks? What next? NBA refs wearing berets and arena concessions stands serving hamburger tartare? … As a native Floridian, I have to admit I feel a little guilty that the Sunshine State has won three Stanley Cups in the last five years and the entire country of Canada hasn’t won any in the last 32 years. I guess you could say our hockey players are so good because they skate on thin ice. … It’s becoming increasingly clear that rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are becoming the WNBA’s version of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. If you ask me, they are already the second-best rivalry in all of sports, right behind FSU lawyers vs. ACC lawyers. … What was more surprising at the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship last Sunday: Six climate-change protesters being arrested or Scottie Scheffler not being arrested? … I just saw where Hooters is closing dozens of restaurants nationally. I wonder if it’s because “breastaurants” are becoming a bit too “cheeky” for many customers? …
Monty Williams has become the Moses of NBA coaches, leading them out of the wilderness and into the financial Promised Land. It’s not just because he got a $67 million buyout after recently getting fired by the Detroit Pistons after only one season; it’s mainly because of the original groundbreaking six-year, $78.5 million contract he signed with Detroit last June. Williams’ deal, worth about $13 million annually, became a benchmark in the NBA and spurred other teams to give their coaches huge raises, starting with the Heat’s Erik Spoelstra ($15 million a year), the Spurs’ Gregg Popovich ($16 million a year) and the Warriors’ Steve Kerr ($17.5 million a year). Said former Magic coach and current TNT analyst Stan Van Gundy: “Monty is a hero to coaches everywhere. His contract changed the entire salary structure in the league.” If you ask me, Williams now has the best job in all of basketball: He’s getting paid $67 million not to coach a terrible team. … Speaking of big money, after UCF donor Kenneth Dixon made a massive $10 million contribution to the university earlier this week, a road was named after him on campus. For $10 million maybe they should have named an entire curriculum after him — Dixonomics! … With Tennessee’s first College World Series championship earlier this week, the SEC has now won five straight baseball nattys and 10 of the last 15. The only thing more commonplace than national championships in the SEC are Waffle Houses. …
Last word: “I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact.” – Elon Musk, who turns 53 today.
Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on X (formerly Twitter) @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every weekday from 6 to 9:30 a.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen
