I was going to avoid writing the hate piece. I really was. Especially after some other blogs have already done it this week, and done it well. But then I come across an unforgivably ignorant piece like this.
After spouting some political garbage (way too much of it, but I get the feeling that he normally addresses political issues- and should stick to them), the author’s first point is:
We're worrying about what will happen at the ‘neutral site’ that's about as neutral as Florida head coach Urban Meyer's living room.
And you know, he might be right- on the point that it’s not a neutral site. Because I was a student from 2001-05, and for every one of these games (I was unable to make the 01 game), the red and black greatly outnumbered the orange and blue. In fact, in ’02, before Big Al and the Kaholics came on (or maybe while they were on, memories are always fuzzy from the Landing), the MC of the whole celebration came on with ‘we all know who’s going to win tomorrow’ and led the 80% bulldog crowd in their little barking ritual. For those of us traveling from out of town, the airports, hotels, etc. are always overwhelmingly Georgia-tilted. This is because they don’t have the option to drive from Athens and back in one day (well, they could, but it’s too far). Watch for Friday night, when I can almost guarantee we will be outnumbered at the Landing. Also, Jacksonville service industry folks without a tie to either school overwhelmingly lean toward Georgia. This is tied to the other reasons I gave above, that the Georgia fans are more prominently in the hotels. The entire service industry supports Georgia, because they are either surrounded by the fans and want the camaraderie, or to boost their tips, or other similar reasons. And don’t even get me started on ‘Fall Break’. That’s a yankee tradition they should leave for the yankee colleges. So by ‘Urban Meyer’, I’m pretty sure he means ‘Mark Richt’.
The next point the author makes is a one-liner, but also his only intelligent point.
If LSU scored 38 points on us, how many will our defense allow Florida to put up?
Sure, we gave up 21 to LSU, but the last of those were handed to them, and not on the defense. And 14 is a lot less than 38 (this last sentence wasn’t for most of you, it’s for Mr. McAfee- if someone reads this blog to him).
The author seems to be most ignorant when addressing the ‘stomping incident’. (Yes, I just want it to be a non-story, too, but bear with me).
Like he did when Meyer wrote about last year's end zone celebration, saying "It was a bad deal. And it will forever be in the mind of Urban Meyer and in the mind of our football team … So we'll handle it."
St. Mark Richt admitted the celebration intensified the rivalry, but he took it a step further when he answered Meyer with "what really intensified the rivalry is that we won - OK?"
Wow - talk about a Bulldog's bite!
Uh, first off, the book in question was written by Buddy Martin. Second, there have been numerous quotes from Meyer, Tebow, and other Gators saying the same thing... ‘the main is that they won’!
Wow- talk about a Gator’s chomp?
And since when is Stafford a ‘weapon’?
They both have weapons, but Georgia has weapons with swagger.
Don’t get me wrong, little Matthew is a good quarterback, certainly in the top echelon of the SEC, but Timmy’s got the credentials. I don’t give a damn what either of them are doing in ten years, or which one Mel Kiper, Jr. is stalking. I care what they are doing on Saturday. And Stafford is less consistent, throwing many more picks over his career. He’s completed a lower percentage of passes than Tebow, and consistently has a lower passer rating. Also, Tebow has the hardware. In last year’s game, Knowshon forced UF to put like 12 guys in the box, allowing Stafford to hit some big plays. Without Knowshon, Stafford is nothing. Tebow is the dual-threat, the real ‘weapon’. Tebow doesn’t even need another player for play-action passes! Exactly where do Georgia’s ‘weapons with swagger’ get their swagger? I forgot, they are just like Georgia fans- unjustifiably cocky, and completely intolerable. You can call that ‘swagger’ if you like. I call it the ‘not smart enough to go to Tech’-complex. This may also explain Georgia fan’s obsession with jean shorts.
Did I say he only made one intelligent comment? I meant two.
I'll leave the specifics to the sports section, but I can see some pretty clear differences between the two teams.
At least he admits to leaving out specifics. And, yeah, I see differences, too. An SEC and National Title 2 years ago. A Heisman last year. UGA’s got 3 wins in this series since 1990! And one of those was the prototypical Zook game, 6 days after he was fired. Ron Zook was 2 for 3 against Georgia teams… that’s a fact that sounds like smack talk.
I don’t even believe these next statements, he had to be making things up for theatre, right?
When LSU fans called Tebow's cell phone last year to leave messages talking trash before the UF-LSU game, he probably privately cried before publicly losing the game.
When LSU fans did the same to our Knowshon Moreno this year, he ran all over them and flipped the LSU student section a "call me" signal after his first touchdown last Saturday.
Now that is swank.
So you’re going to give Knowshon credit for using the same cell-phone taunt Tebow used a year ago? I’ll give you the facts, please come ask for them next time. Because you’re just making things up with this ‘crying before the LSU game’ garbage, and omitting any facts that stand in your way. Come to think of it, you’re perfect for a political column- go back there. I’m not even going to mention the way he thinks Richt looks like Elvis (if Elvis’ part was wide enough to reveal his entire scalp). I certainly wouldn’t wish The King’s demise (on a toilet seat, no less) on my football coach.
This perfect storm, brewing since last year, is now finally going to break. And I’ll be there in Jacksonville to celebrate it.
Go Gators!
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