I am a Gator fan. Have been for years. I didn’t go to UF but grew up in Florida. You were either a Gator or a Seminole. Period. Florida takes its sports seriously. They didn’t have pro baseball or hockey teams while I was growing up/living there so football, both pro and college, were the biggest sports.
The Gators have been good for some years now but have really become an excellent team in the past few years. University of Florida is a sports school so attracts great talent but there are plenty of great sports schools. Their basketball team is also a shining star for the state. What I don’t understand or like is that when the Gators get ranked #1, I end up reading all sorts of negative stuff about them. Mostly from whiny fans of other teams but even from some sports commentators/reporters.
I remember when the Gators were playing in the BCS Championship game against Ohio a couple years ago. SO much press was about how they shouldn’t have even been in the game, didn’t deserve the spot and will lose to the much superior Ohio. I took all of the $5 bets that people at work or friends made against Florida. And happily won them all. Florida dominated that game.
That was Tim Tebow’s freshman year and he shared QB duties with Chris Leak. They were an outstanding offense backed up by an outstanding defense. Ohio puked all over that field so I am not sure what teams the sports reporters were watching prior to that game to write their superior pieces on how Florida would lose and didn’t even belong on the field with Ohio. They proved they belonged.
Same thing happened last year. Blah, blah, blah how the Gators didn’t belong in the BCS Championship game. Even the President, Senators and Congressmen were talking about how the system needed to be changed. Guys – stay the hell out of it. Pretty sure you have bigger things to think and worry about. Your endless baseball/steroid investigation/hearings hasn’t really done anything too big other than make noise. So glad you have so much free time but we don’t need government interference in college sports now too…
Anyway, Tim Tebow is an outstanding leader for that team. Obviously the entire team is great and Urban Meyer deserves kudos heaped on him for coaching. But having a team member who the team reacts to as a leader (like a Peyton Manning or Tom Brady) does a LOT of good. And he is the kind of guy off the field who deserves the respect. Someone who I would like my kid looking up to. He cares about his role as a leader for the team but also cares about his academics, about his future, his family, charity work. A very well-rounded person. Not someone I expect to see holding out after the draft for a bigger contract because he feels he is worth $25 million dollars straight out of college (yes, talking to you Michael Crabtree.) With all of the guys in professional sports who act like entitled, whiny babies or worse – idiot criminals – it’s nice to see a guy like Tim Tebow have great character on and off the field.
I guess it’s human nature to want to tear down whoever is #1. But when the Sooners were ranked #1 I didn’t hear how they didn’t deserve it. Or whenever USC is ranked high, it’s like it’s a given. Like they should always be #1?
Or how about the Patriots. Nothing gave me more pleasure than watching Eli and his guys take that game from the Patriots. But that’s because I hated their entitled attitude to being there. Before the game, I would read how they would dominate the Giants, and the interviews with the players (pre-game) were all so haughty and “we deserve this”. One of the pre-game shows was all about the awesomeness of Tom Brady and the Patriots perfect season. Plus throw in the alleged coaching/cheating junk that year. Laughed out loud when they lost!!! BUT – I’ve always preferred the NFC :)
I haven’t seen any Gator interviews – with players or coaches – giving off that kind of attitude. I’m glad. They are trying to stay humble, at least in the public eye, which is a good thing. Because so many people are waiting for them to stumble. I read many tweets on twitter Saturday about how the Gators played a high school team. How it was ridiculous. How they needed to play a real team to “show them”. Ummm…last I checked, the Gators don’t actually make their schedule. And theirs wasn’t the only lop-sided game. Kansas/N. Colorado, Nebraska/Fla Alt, USC/SJ State, Notre Dame/Nevada (my poor Wolf Pack)…all of these games were very high-scoring – by one team. Yet the Gators get all the negative tongue-wagging. Why? And really…they didn’t beat the spread (73 pts!) so a good bet was on Charleston :)
Whatever…I’m hoping they win every game gloriously and shut everyone up. But if they don’t – I will still root for them, will still proudly wear my Gator gear and I still say they deserve the accolades they get. They are a great team. CHOMP CHOMP!
