THE MORNING CONSTITUTIONAL WILL NOT STAND A COWARD

Nature gave you a reprieve from facing the 2014 Florida Gators, Idaho, though you were still paid handsomely for showing up prepared to play. And when you accepted that payment, you made a sacred promise that you would return to Gainesville and face Florida - a promise you have now broken.

Oh, you may make vague statements about hoping to reschedule this game for a later date. But we will not hesitate to label you cowards, running away rather than living up to your obligations. For what? The allure of Columbia, Missouri in October? We hope Gary Pinkel has retired by 2017, been replaced by Chase Daniel, and you lose by 76. You are not just Vandals. You are Thieves. You are Perjurers. You are Charlatans.

And it's this kind of untrustworthy behavior that ruins non-conference scheduling. If Florida can't rely on Idaho to stick to its promises, why would they try to schedule anyone with a bigger profile? Idaho turned a weather delay into a $400,000 revenue increase. How much would Miami or Kansas State or Wisconsin ask for now that they've seen how profitable this kind of meteorological extortion can be? $800,000? A million dollars? We always knew greed would be the downfall of amateurism, and the primary fault now lies with you, Idaho.

So go ahead. Take the shameful way out and avoid the Gators. They didn't need you to get to a bowl last season, and they won't need you to do it in 2017. Because Florida's got something you never will: an annual game with Georgia they sometimes win even though they've got a terrible coach and no offense the rest of the year and the coach ends up getting fired anyways.