Not since the Jack Sells-Tennessee playbook fiasco has a Kinko's fax machine been used to create such a stink as what's brewing this week between Florida and LSU.

Sells, a former UT assistant coach, allegedly faxed some of UT's plays to Florida coaching buddy Ron Zook before the Vols played the Gators in 1990.

So far, we don't know who faxed copies of the following letter to media outlets in Louisiana on Sunday afternoon, but it was reportedly sent from a Kinko's:

"Because of the nasty, vulgar treatment our team received from LSU fans during our last visit to Baton Rouge, we have decided that from now on, we will wear the traditional white jersey on the road and dark jersey at home."

Sincerely,

Steve Spurrier

Football Coach

When contacted Monday, LSU sports information director Herb Vincent said coach Gerry DiNardo has confirmed the letter was sent by Spurrier.

"Coach DiNardo pulled the original letter out of his file and showed it to me," Vincent said. "It was postmarked Jan. 14, 1999. So, somebody either at our end or at Florida's end wanted to stir things up this week with the fax."

One theory: Desperate coaches do desperate things to motivate their players and the embattled DiNardo plays Florida on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

This jersey thing is one of DiNardo's pet ideas and raising the issue anew might divert attention from the head coach's growing problems. When he came to LSU in 1995 DiNardo successfully lobbied the NCAA for a rule change so the Tigers could wear their favorite white jerseys at home if the opponent agreed to wear dark jerseys.

So far the only team to deny LSU's request to wear white at home was Vanderbilt in 1996. DiNardo responded by breaking out new gold jerseys for LSU and his team ripped the Commodores 35-0.

In 1995, Florida wore blue jerseys for its game at Tiger Stadium. Two years ago, Florida wore blue again and the white-jersey Tigers pulled off a stunning 28-21 upset victory.

This much we know: LSU won't be wearing its white jerseys Saturday afternoon. Amazing what you can find out about SEC football just by hanging out at Kinko's.

On Monday, Spurrier was not backing down from his letter and even seemed to be enjoying the controversy.

"We're trying to get them real mad," Spurrier said after practice.

"We played better when the other guys are mad at us. I found that out when Alabama came in here and said all the nice things, we all sat back and took it (referring to Saturday's upset loss to the Tide at home.) Hopefully, we can get LSU talking nasty about us. That makes us play a little better it seems."

(Gary Lundy writes for The News-Sentinel in Knoxville, Tenn.)