The annual Georgia-Florida game is just a few days away, and many Dawg fans are making the trek to the coast for a few days of fun before kickoff. This game is a special one for both sides of the rivalry. Yet some Gator fans will try to down play it nowadays, but those people just haven’t been fans long enough. We all know that Dooley retired right before Spurrier arrived in Gainesville. And since then, Florida has won most of the games down in Jacksonville. Nevertheless, Georgia won most of them leading up to Spurrier. Therefore, Georgia still leads the series 49 to 41. For many Dawg fans the biggest rival for Georgia is Tech, and I have been known to give Tech a hard time on this blog. But for some of us, Florida is Georgia’s biggest rival and most hated foe. I think it depends on where you grow up. If you grew up in North Georgia or around the Atlanta area you may not see things the way I do. As I often mention, I grew up in Valdosta which is about 20 miles from Florida right on the front lines of this rivalry. I hate to say it again, but growing up a Bulldog fan in South Georgia was not easy in the 90s. We all know that Florida was good and Georgia was awful. No need to elaborate. My point is that I grew to despise the Gators early on. To this day, when a friend wants to aggravate me they often just joke that I am from “North Florida” and not “South Georgia”. So if we Dawg fans hate Florida so much why do we play in Jacksonville?
Georgia started to play this game in Jacksonville mainly for the fans in South Georgia. Today you can watch every Georgia football game on TV, but in the past that was not possible. The only glimpse many Georgia fans got of the Bulldogs came on the “Vince Dooley Show” which aired every Sunday after church. But once a year fans from South Georgia could make it down to Jacksonville much easier than a trip up to Athens. Playing in Jacksonville gave UGA a chance to bring the team further south every year. It helped grow the fan base and was tremendously helpful when it came to recruiting. It has made this game a special rivalry played in a neutral site which creates one of college football’s coolest atmospheres. So to all you Dawg fans that want the game moved from Jacksonville, SHUT UP! Because you just don’t get it.
Ok, time to pick on Florida a little bit. As a side note, not all Gator fans are bad. Like many schools, the worst Gator fans never attended one class at Florida. We all have some bad fans. Florida just seems to have more than others
The Colors– For me they have to have the absolute worst color combination in the world. That orange is just awful.
Auburn does a pretty good job with their orange, and their uniforms look pretty good. You know why? Because they down play the orange. On the other hand, Florida seems to come up with the worst combinations for their uniforms. Honestly, orange only looks good on fruit.
The Coaches-It all started with Steve Spurrier, but by the end of his run many fans began to enjoy his antics and quips. However, when he first got to Florida this was not the case. He often seemed like an arrogant a$$ that whined too much and griped at his players.
Urban Meyer is a good football coach, but does anyone really like him outside of Ohio? Now I bet most Florida fans can’t stand him either. He sure jumped back into coaching quickly for someone with “health concerns”. Will Muschamp played at Georgia, but his antics on the sidelines often resembled Spurrier on steroids. The major difference was that Muschamp didn’t win. The new guy, Jim Mcelwain, may be pretty good though. I know he scolded a player badly on the sidelines earlier in the year, but I for one didn’t see anything wrong with that. Besides, the players seem to be responding.
The Gator Chomp– Easily the most annoying thing any fan base does in football. Cow bells are annoying, and we all get sick of hearing “Roll Tide”. But when you have a Gator fan clap his hands right in your face…well, let’s just say violence typically ensues.
Corrine Brown– You may recall, Corrine Brown.
The congresswoman from Florida that gave such an embarrassing speech to the State House of Florida right after Florida’s last title. She later became a “youtube” sensation. Nothing to hate here, but it was just too funny not to mention. “We them Gators don’t take no jive, Go Gator.”
Tim Tebow– I know, I know he is supposed to be some great guy. Maybe he is, but many of us are just sick of him. He is still the only 3rd string quarterback to hold a press conference in the NFL. Maybe I don’t like him because he went to Florida. But so what? I get to not like someone especially a Gator.
Urban Meyer– Yes this guy deserves more bashing. If you look back to his teams at Florida there may be some real questions as to quality of kids he brought into the school. A few things came out when Aaron Hernandez was tried and eventually convicted of murder. It seemed there may have been a lack of punishment for many players while he was at Florida. For example, failed drug tests and other incidents that were not reported or reprimanded. This was not the case with Spurrier or Muschamp. I know Ohio State is riding high right now, but they should keep an eye on Meyer. They can’t afford another scandal.
The Fans– Last but not least are the fans. For every classy Gator fan there are 5 tacky and obnoxious ones.
Florida has won a lot over the last 20 years, and that will attract some bandwagon losers. Regardless, there is never an excuse for fanny packs, tank tops, mullets, and jean shorts.
In closing, do you think Georgia can win the game? Well your answer should be H%LL YES! I know many of us Bulldogs are down right now, but trust me when I tell you they can win. Florida should of lost to Tennessee where as Georgia should of won. The win over Ole Miss doesn’t impress me too much. And Florida doesn’t have a great run game despite last year’s explosion against Georgia. This is a closer match up than you think. The one glaring problem seems to be Georgia’s offense. That is a big problem, but I don’t think there will be much offense at all on Saturday. Whoever wins the turnover battle and kicking game may just eek this one out. So keep the faith and let’s see what happens Saturday. All may not be lost. Go Dawgs.