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When former Florida basketball guard Denzel Aberdeen entered the transfer portal earlier this month, my mind shifted to Chris Richard.

Like Aberdeen, Richard bided his time on the bench for the Florida Gators. While Aberdeen played behind the starting trio of All-American point guard Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin on a national title team, Chris Richard was in a similar spot. In 2005-06, Chris Richard, a junior and former Florida Mr. Basketball, played in the shadow of future NBA frontline players Al Horford, Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer on UF’s first national title team.

Had Chris Richard been able to jump into the transfer portal and go to the highest bidder then, perhaps the former Gators center would have finished his career elsewhere. Instead, Chris Richard stayed and won another national title at UF. He earned SEC Sixth Man of the Yeah honors as a senior and was taken in the second round of the NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. After a brief NBA career, Chris Richard returned to his native Lakeland, where he’s beloved and making a difference in his community working with youth groups.

No one knows how it will pan out for Aberdeen, who signed with rival Kentucky less than a week after leaving UF. But one thing is certain in the here-today-gone-tomorrow age of college sports: Don’t get too emotionally attached to players.

In the words of Jerry Seinfeld, we’re all just rooting for laundry.

How broken is college sports?

Don’t blame Aberdeen. Blame a system that allows players to leave a college faster than Wile E. Coyote. Jaden Rashada (remember him?) will suit up for his third team in three seasons next fall, going from Arizona State to Georgia to Sacramento State. That doesn’t include the one-month stint at Florida that ended when UF released him from his letter of intent due to a botched NIL deal.

The House vs NCAA settlement could bring about more needed guardrails. But it didn’t come in time for Aberdeen and his family to decide what they felt was best for them.

Aberdeen proved he deserved a starting role in UF’s backcourt in 2025-26 and was set to take on that role next season. That makes the move somewhat puzzling. Except in the current transactional world of NIL, players know what they are worth. They (or their agents) know what they are making compared to other players, or even incoming transfers.

That’s what happened at Auburn, where All-SEC forward Chad Baker-Mazara found out he was making significantly less on his NIL deal than incoming UCF transfer Keyshawn Hall. Baker-Mazara felt slighted after helping lead Auburn to its second Final Four in school history. So, he entered the portal and landed a better deal with USC, leaving The Plains for Manhattan Beach.

Kentucky will always have more money to splurge on NIL compared to Florida due to its blueblood status. It met Aberdeen’s asking price. If anything, Florida coach Todd Golden and his staff deserve credit for getting Aberdeen to buy in and stay for three years. It may not seem fair to hand UK a developed product, but Florida was handed a developed product from Iona in Clayton, who sparked UF to its first national title in close to two decades. What comes around goes around.

UF has already regrouped, signing Princeton point guard Xaivian Lee and landing a commitment from Ohio shooting guard A.J. Brown. Another highly rated portal guard, USC’s Desmond Claude, is set to visit UF’s campus on Wednesday. Golden and his staff have proven they can make shrewd, smart decisions with the resources available to them.

Aberdeen, an Orlando native and former Dr. Phillips High standout, could have cemented himself as an in-state legend had he stayed. Instead, he cashed in.

It may not make for a pleasant experience for Aberdeen when he returns to the O’Connell Center in a Kentucky uniform next season. But that's where we are in college sports. Relax. And get used to it.

Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun's Florida beat writer. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Residents said all that’s left of what was a popular international market is a dumpster full of discarded food. What they don’t know is why the owners closed so quickly.

“I have been to this market a lot of times with my mom, she loves international food. It’s just crazy to me that they closed it down,” said Kora Flanders, a shopper.

Kora Flanders and dozens of other shoppers were greeted with discarded food and locked doors at the Eastern Market in Gainesville. Many said they were shocked to see it closed, noting they saw it open like usual just last week.

“I was here a couple of days ago and now it’s just closed down. It closed out of nowhere, no signs or anything,” said Eric Davis, a shopper.

Inside the dumpster outside the store are unopened cans, drinks, and sealed packaged food. Some people helped themselves to what was left.

“They gave us all this free stuff. I got like four bags of stuff. I got everything,” Flanders said.

State records show Tong Zhang currently owns the business. The property is available for lease online, and TV20 reached out to Leasing Broker Jason Hurst about the closing, but he said he was not told why the store closed.

Some people are concerned about looming tariffs. On Monday, the National Grocers Association penned a letter to the Federal Trade Commission, saying “tariffs could put independent grocers at a disadvantage by triggering higher costs and product shortages.”

It is unclear if Zhang closed the Eastern Market because of tariffs, but Hurst said he has noticed other grocery stores across Florida close because of rising costs of shipping from overseas.

TV20 has attempted to reach Zhang or the building manager, but have not heard back yet at this time.

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Florida never ceases to amaze with its natural spectacles, and this time, the star was the La Chua Trail in Gainesville, where hundreds of alligators were seen in an impressive display.

The meteorologist Matt Devitt shared a video on his Facebook page this Sunday that caught the attention of users.

"Many alligators. This is in Gainesville, along the La Chua Trail," wrote Devitt alongside the images, which show numerous alligators basking in the sun and moving freely along the trail and its surroundings.

The phenomenon, while striking for those unfamiliar with Florida's wildlife, is relatively common in areas like La Chua Trail, located in the Paynes Prairie Preserve, a protected natural area known for its abundant population of alligators, birds, and other animals.

Local authorities and wildlife experts typically advise visitors to trails like La Chua to always maintain a safe distance from these reptiles, refrain from feeding them, and follow official guidelines to avoid accidents.

In Florida, alligator sightings, while always surprising, are frequent occurrences due to the constant interaction between wildlife and urban areas.

In December of last year, it was reported how a mother caiman crossed a road with her young, presenting an unusual scene that captured the attention of local residents.

In July, social media users reported a massive sighting that gathered dozens of alligators in a natural area, reaffirming the abundant presence of these reptiles in the state.

Most recently, last March, a man in Florida found an alligator in his kitchen, an event that once again highlighted the need for caution in areas near bodies of water.

That same month, a shocking video of a fight between a crocodile and an alligator in the Everglades went viral, showcasing the territorial behavior of these species.

Finally, just a few days ago, two alligators surprised everyone by visiting a house in Florida, reinforcing the idea that close encounters with these animals are part of everyday life in the state.

Frequently Asked Questions about the La Chua Trail and Alligators in Florida

The La Chua Trail is a popular path in the Paynes Prairie Preserve in Gainesville, Florida, known for its abundant wildlife. Here, visitors can observe a wide variety of alligators, birds, and other animals in their natural habitat. This place is famous for alligator sightings, especially during certain times of the year.

The La Chua Trail is located in a nature reserve that provides the ideal environment for alligators, with plenty of water and food. The conditions of the Paynes Prairie Preserve are conducive for these reptiles to thrive, making their sighting in large numbers common.

Visitors must always maintain a safe distance from the alligators, not feed them, and follow official guidelines. These measures are important to prevent accidents and ensure the safety of everyone in the area, as alligators can become aggressive if they feel threatened.

In Florida, it is relatively common to encounter alligators in urban areas due to the large population in the state. While close encounters can be impressive, authorities advise caution. The presence of alligators in urban areas serves as a reminder of the coexistence between humans and local wildlife.

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Gainesville is still getting a taste of Flavortown after Food Network star Guy Fieri's recent stops at some of the city's most popular local eateries.

Humble Wood Bagel Shop in the 4th Ave Food Park will be featured Friday night on Fieri's popular "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" show on the Food Network. This follows an episode that featured Fehrenbacher's Meats & Eats just a few doors down at 307 SW Fourth Ave.

In an interview with The Sun, Humble Wood Bagel Shop owner Brett Ader and manager Tempra Arroyo said being a part of the process was a unique experience, but that setting it up wasn't an easy task.

Arroyo said Citizen Pictures emailed the bagel shop and reached out via phone a few times to let them know the eatery was being considered for the show. Fieri finally selected the shop after Arroyo sent in a list of ingredients and other information to the production team.

"I was honestly surprised because I've never seen the show before and that's the thing, is they're really focused on how things are made and ask like, 'what salt do you use,' 'is it sea salt or kosher' — it's literally down to the degree, Ader said.

Arroyo appeared on the show and said she sent six menu items formatted to the production team's liking multiple times, including for Ader's other restaurant, Humble Wood Fire Pizzeria.

"They originally reached out to the bagel shop and changed their minds and said they wanted to do the pizzeria," Arroyo said. "I did the process all over again for the pizzeria and they said never mind we're doing the bagel shop. So, I had to do double the amount of work but glad it worked out."

Ader said part of Fieri's reason for bringing the show to Gainesville was that his friend was hosting a party in Ocala.

Arroyo added that she was starstruck meeting Fieri and that she grew up watching the Food Network.

"I love Guy Fieri and have met a handful of Food Network stars and love the aspect of how the shows are made," Arroyo said. "I always wanted to meet him and was nervous, but he cares so much about the food and was very nice."

Ader said the filming started at 5:40 a.m. on a Saturday and began with an interview. Arroyo said the bagel shop prepared both versions of their lox bagel sandwiches, nova and carrot, and the mushroom muffuletta melt.

Fieri spent only two hours with management during the process and only during filming," Arroyo said.

"We spent a long time with the production team for two days, and I don't want to sound ungrateful, but kind of a bummer that we went right into it and didn't talk a lot of those things with him (Fieri)," Ader said.

Both said word spread quickly about the restaurant's upcoming appearance on the show.

"It's interesting, we had some people come by the pizzeria and said we saw that you guys are going to be on the show, to which I said, 'Oh no, it's at the bagel shop not here,' " Ader said. "They said, 'We know,' and they pulled out a bag of bagels from the shop."

Humble Wood Fire Bagel Shop will appear on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" April 4 at 9 p.m. The Paper Bag Deli, another Gainesville favorite, will be featured on the show April 11.