OK, Gators, THIS IS IT...As always, the last game in our season's scheduled games, played annually over Thanksgiving Weekend, and for the first time in a dozen years it really MEANS something--"The Florida Championship", yes, but for us even more than that. I don't have to elaborate on everything that's on-the-line for us here today...Hell, just beating "them" would be enough, shutting up that "bowl'o'losers" in Tallahassee even BETTER. The rest is just gravy--but what "gravy" it IS and could BE.
Even with all the warning-signs that we'll get shafted no matter WHAT happens (even as I say this, "Michigan Desmond" is on "SportsCenter" at 8am ADMITTING that "Florida's resume is unsurpassed--they DEFINITELY are the most deserving of the 1-loss teams to move in there if Notre Dame loses, but I just CAN'T support an all-SEC Championship that NO ONE wants to see AGAIN...I'd vote against 'em, but I'm not so sure enough folks would do what needs to be done to avoid it..." Hint, hint), we get our Sugar Bowl BCS-berth for sure with a win--and I'll be watching and rooting for SC(west) tonight if/when we do.
So now we put that all aside (as we're hoping our TEAM can do: I was satisfied to hear that there was no "denial" at work in the offices or locker room in Gainesville this week, where all of this was acknowledged, addressed, and openly discussed among the players and Coaches early on--before they "moved on", which by all accounts they have done--and practiced sharply ever since) and turn to the game itself. Personally, I'm as tense as I've been all year. I have no idea of how our team will hit the field, but given their slow-starts the last few weeks at home, I can't see how anything but the noise of a hostile road-crowd could likely slow our offense for the worse in the early going--and we can shut that up in fairly short order just by shutting THEM down and moving the ball.
I'm not asking for (or counting on) some sudden early-burst of scoring, only that we weather that ridiculously overblown (and offensive to my small-portion of Native blood) and phony hype of the tourist-quality "Indian-on-a-Horse-Throwing-Burning-Spear-at-Ground" once again laughably displayed. I can skip that, BUT...if only I could somehow strip out of the soundtrack the hateful "Tomahawk Chop theme chant" that will be constant unless and until we CRUSH them on the scoreboard! In a close game, as this one is likely to be, we'll be hearing it throughout the game.
It's almost enough to turn off the sound completely, which I just may end up DOING by the 2nd half unless we can get and KEEP a decent lead. Well, I'm starting to go around in circles here, so it's time to wrap up this intro.
(With this GameDay crew, somehow all the close wins, last minute and overtime, against less-than-mediocre teams is somehow "the luck of the Irish", but that one "escape miracle"/blocked-punt-TD-to-win against La-La in our case they hammer on repeatedly as "proof of being undeserving"--I'm tellin' ya, this is "groundwork for the Shaft")
Here's my "closest thing I've got to a pregame prayer", granted going IN that no Creator favors a particular player, fan, team or Program in any particular contest--even if He IS a Gator! (Please remember, You gave us a sense-of-humor, after all...)
OK, here goes:
"Oh Lord, please see fit to protect all players-on-the-field today (but Gators a bit MORE).
Help ALL these young men to live up to the talent and hard work they've invested, and reward the righteous with success (but Gators a bit MORE).
Most of all, bless the best of them with a great Victory--"the best of them" being an easy determination for You, Lord: GATORS A LOT MORE!!!"
Alright, let's go kick some "Semi-Hole" @$$!!!
Even with all the warning-signs that we'll get shafted no matter WHAT happens (even as I say this, "Michigan Desmond" is on "SportsCenter" at 8am ADMITTING that "Florida's resume is unsurpassed--they DEFINITELY are the most deserving of the 1-loss teams to move in there if Notre Dame loses, but I just CAN'T support an all-SEC Championship that NO ONE wants to see AGAIN...I'd vote against 'em, but I'm not so sure enough folks would do what needs to be done to avoid it..." Hint, hint), we get our Sugar Bowl BCS-berth for sure with a win--and I'll be watching and rooting for SC(west) tonight if/when we do.
So now we put that all aside (as we're hoping our TEAM can do: I was satisfied to hear that there was no "denial" at work in the offices or locker room in Gainesville this week, where all of this was acknowledged, addressed, and openly discussed among the players and Coaches early on--before they "moved on", which by all accounts they have done--and practiced sharply ever since) and turn to the game itself. Personally, I'm as tense as I've been all year. I have no idea of how our team will hit the field, but given their slow-starts the last few weeks at home, I can't see how anything but the noise of a hostile road-crowd could likely slow our offense for the worse in the early going--and we can shut that up in fairly short order just by shutting THEM down and moving the ball.
I'm not asking for (or counting on) some sudden early-burst of scoring, only that we weather that ridiculously overblown (and offensive to my small-portion of Native blood) and phony hype of the tourist-quality "Indian-on-a-Horse-Throwing-Burning-Spear-at-Ground" once again laughably displayed. I can skip that, BUT...if only I could somehow strip out of the soundtrack the hateful "Tomahawk Chop theme chant" that will be constant unless and until we CRUSH them on the scoreboard! In a close game, as this one is likely to be, we'll be hearing it throughout the game.
It's almost enough to turn off the sound completely, which I just may end up DOING by the 2nd half unless we can get and KEEP a decent lead. Well, I'm starting to go around in circles here, so it's time to wrap up this intro.
(With this GameDay crew, somehow all the close wins, last minute and overtime, against less-than-mediocre teams is somehow "the luck of the Irish", but that one "escape miracle"/blocked-punt-TD-to-win against La-La in our case they hammer on repeatedly as "proof of being undeserving"--I'm tellin' ya, this is "groundwork for the Shaft")
Here's my "closest thing I've got to a pregame prayer", granted going IN that no Creator favors a particular player, fan, team or Program in any particular contest--even if He IS a Gator! (Please remember, You gave us a sense-of-humor, after all...)
OK, here goes:
"Oh Lord, please see fit to protect all players-on-the-field today (but Gators a bit MORE).
Help ALL these young men to live up to the talent and hard work they've invested, and reward the righteous with success (but Gators a bit MORE).
Most of all, bless the best of them with a great Victory--"the best of them" being an easy determination for You, Lord: GATORS A LOT MORE!!!"
Alright, let's go kick some "Semi-Hole" @$$!!!