McElwain Says Florida Players, Families Have Received Death Threats
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GAINESVILLE (CBSMiami/AP) — It's perfectly acceptable to be a dedicated, involved sports fan, but there is a fine line between dedicated and deranged.
Florida coach Jim McElwain says players and families have received death threats amid the team's struggles, adding "there's a lot of hate in this world and a lot of anger."
McElwain declined to say Monday whether he personally received death threats. He added that he has not contacted police.
The coach says, "The hard part is obviously when the threats against your own players, death threats to your families, the ill will that's brought upon out there." McElwain says he thinks "it's really one of those deals that really is a pretty good testament to what's going on out there nationally. A lot of angry people. In in this business, we're the ones they take the shots at and that's the way it is."
McElwain is 22-11 in three seasons at Florida. The Gators (3-3, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) have lost two in a row as they prepare to play third-ranked Georgia (7-0, 4-0) in nearby Jacksonville on Saturday.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)