Can you call yourself a Florida Gators fan this week?
Dawgs fans find themselves pulling for turncoat Will Muschamp's team this week. (Associated Press)
So, I’m getting on the elevator at work yesterday and a colleague who attended that school in Gainesville, Fla., asks me, “Can you call yourself a Florida Gators fan this week?”
My reply: “No, I wouldn’t go that far. But would I prefer for Florida to beat South Carolina? Yeah.”
He said he thought I finessed that question pretty well.
Let’s be clear about this: It’s strictly self-interest that has UGA players, coaches and fans pulling for that hated team in blue and orange to continue its unlikely 2012 rebound under former Bulldog Will Muschamp this week. Another loss for Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks would pretty much eliminate them from contention to win the SEC East.
And that would put the Dogs’ destiny back under their own control: Win out in the rest of their conference games, including beating Florida, and Georgia would be back in the Dome.
Of course, that would make the annual tilt in Jacksonville even more of a huge game for the Dawgs this year than it usually is, and considering Georgia’s recent record in big games against Top 10 opponents, that doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence.
But back to this week. Rooting for an arch-rival like the Gators doesn’t come easily for most of us in red and black. Asked if he was pulling for Florida this Saturday, the Dogs’ Amarlo Herrera demurred, “Yeah, something like that.”
Aaron Murray was more emphatic in saying he’s “definitely” rooting for the Gators, but he is, after all, from the Sunshine State.
Still, as Murray said, “I think everyone gets a free pass this week who’s a Georgia fan. I’m not saying to deck out in Florida gear, but you can definitely be a little happier if they can come out with a victory Saturday.”
Actually, his head coach went a bit farther than most in Bulldog Nation are comfortable with on Monday night’s “Bulldog Hotline” call-in show.
“I’ve actually got a little bit of orange in my shirt today,” Mark Richt said. “I don’t have anything that has pure orange but I’ve got one has red and orange stripes. I wore it today in honor of the Florida Gators, but that’s it.”
“I can’t believe you just said that,” was host Scott Howard’s candid response.
Richt laughed. “I’m a Florida fan this weekend,” he said.
Well, I’m not. I’m a Georgia fan who hopes Florida beats South Carolina for no other reason than it’s good for Georgia.
But wear orange, even a little bit?
Never.
What about you?
GOOD TIME FOR A PEP RALLY
UGA is holding a pep rally at Legion Field in Athens at 8 p.m. Thursday for students, faculty and staff.
The football team and coach Richt will be on hand to greet fans and sign autographs and the athletic department promises the appearance of “a famous surprise guest.” Prizes and entertainment also will be provided.
Coming at midseason and after a dispiriting loss, I’d say this is a prime time to get the UGA community fired up behind the Dawgs again. I hope there’s a large turnout to send the team off to Lexington.
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219 comments Add your comment
ARdawg
October 17th, 2012
10:54 am
GO DAWGS!!!!!!
1st
icedawg
October 17th, 2012
10:54 am
Go Gators!
NotAGatorFan
October 17th, 2012
10:59 am
Will not root for the Gators this week, but will wish them well. This game is usually referred to at my house as the “game with nobody to root for”. Wear orange – NEVER !!
First ?
ARdawg
October 17th, 2012
11:00 am
No way, no how do I EVER pull for the Gators. Yeah I hope they win and that is as far as it goes. I also hope they win in other situations but I don’t pull, root or cheer them on. The only rivalry team I can actually do that for is the Nerds, when were not administering our yearly spanking.
I do not wish for Florida to do what the Dawgs couldn’t
Dawg Haus
October 17th, 2012
11:11 am
I’ll never cheer for Florida, but will hope they win this one.
hornblowermg
October 17th, 2012
11:11 am
i still like Tuberville for the UGA HC job
joe jenkins
October 17th, 2012
11:14 am
I just hope fla beats sc…because i hate sc more than any team in the nation……I love to see that idiot spurrier throw the visor….it’s pretty damn funny
W.C. Wannamaker, Jr.
October 17th, 2012
11:26 am
This is one of those games you watch desperately hoping to see the earth open up and swallow both teams before closing again.
DJ
October 17th, 2012
11:27 am
pitiful that we have to root for UF buts thats where our program is. we always need help.
Georgia has more talent than both USC and UF this year and should have gone 2-0 and walked into ATL. all that said….GO Gators!
Vinings Dawg
October 17th, 2012
11:37 am
Anything to make Spurrier cry or toss that visor. Great football coach, huge whiny pants!!!…
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 17th, 2012
11:37 am
hahahahahahahahahahah
yea once again we have to root for other teams to do the job our OVERPAID $5 Million staff cant do
and thats beat the teams we should beat
hahahahahhaa
Give me a break; ‘
can someone tell Rich and Bobo to stay home for the FL game and ask Vince to drive down there and show them how to win
CROW MAN JR
October 17th, 2012
11:39 am
REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WEEKEND, YOU GUYS.
Vinings Dawg
October 17th, 2012
11:40 am
Everybody has a damgerous trap game. At least our bone head lack luster loss was against a top ten team for BCS sake. The tide will change soon in Athens. Mark my words. It was not that long ago that Sabam walked into AL and went 6-7. Mcgarity is loyal to Richt, but the leash needs to be shortened. I want emotion, fury, maybe a few f-bombs instead of lip reading the word “bull crap” all the time. I want fire in their bellies.
james
October 17th, 2012
11:47 am
i love flordia gators & they are gonna murder ga
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 17th, 2012
11:48 am
Vinings Dawg
If you want to see that, you better visit the book store the next home game and pick up one of those DVD’s where Dooley and Russel were on the sidelines cause you wont see nothing but hugs and pats on the back with our current staff
james
October 17th, 2012
11:48 am
lolz !!!!!!
SSIgator
October 17th, 2012
11:51 am
“The football team and coach Richt will be on hand to greet fans and sign autographs and the athletic department promises the appearance of “a famous surprise guest.”
________________
The return of Isabel and the Duncan Hines brownie mix.
james
October 17th, 2012
11:54 am
watever
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 17th, 2012
11:55 am
I like how after the embarrassing blowout to SC the coach said they have been having some fun practices
Anyone know if some of those herbal brownies were served to make the practices so fun
SSIgator
October 17th, 2012
11:57 am
“Can you call yourself a Florida Gators fan this week?”
___________________
Actually, my neighbor realizes that is the only hope UGA has of going back to the SEC-CG, but what else is new. UGA has never gotten there on their own.
james
October 17th, 2012
11:58 am
i no rite
john
October 17th, 2012
11:58 am
waz upp guys
james
October 17th, 2012
12:00 pm
yes i can call my self a fan dis week
SSIgator
October 17th, 2012
12:01 pm
“I wore it today in honor of the Florida Gators, but that’s it.”
________________
So St. Markus Rectumus finally comes clean – he honors the University of Florida. Mark Richt = Joe Biden. I guess people will say now, “That’s just Mark being Mark.”
james
October 17th, 2012
12:02 pm
yo flat tire on i-95 u
dawggirl
October 17th, 2012
12:03 pm
Yeah, I still say root for the terrorists on this one. (That was sarcasm, by the way.)
I actually think it will somehow end up being better for UGA if SCar wins, and we win out. Let SCar get spanked and humiliated by Bama. I think 11-1 with the only loss being to a top-10 ranked team should count for something.
However, that is assuming that UGA will beat Florida which I’m not ready to count on as a sure thing yet. They need the appropriate gameplan against the Gators. We will see.
james
October 17th, 2012
12:04 pm
gonna be on here 2 morro ?
james
October 17th, 2012
12:06 pm
NOOOO dawg girl u got dat wrongi already no flor. will beat ga
SSIgator
October 17th, 2012
12:07 pm
“unlikely 2012 rebound”
_____________
Only in the minds of UGA fans.
james
October 17th, 2012
12:08 pm
GO GATORS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RxDawg
October 17th, 2012
12:08 pm
Do I want UF to win? Yeh, I suppose I do. That said, I do not think in any shape or form that we deserve any chance at the Dome. Last year I did, but not this year. USC is clearly a better team then us (barf). And honestly, I don’t want to go to ATL and get our buts whipped by Bama. It’s all probably a moot point anyways because I don’t think we are beating Florida.
Sorry to be a debbie downer. I can usually bounce back from a loss… but that USC game was more then a loss. I’m a deflated fan. It’s time for results. It’s time for this team to amaze me.
GATOR BOYY
October 17th, 2012
12:10 pm
YO ITS JAMES SSI GATORS U GONE BE ON DIS 2MORRO
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 17th, 2012
12:10 pm
james
Nope Im not a FL fan period
If SC wins they deserve to be there; their coaching staff made our coaching staff look like the 3 Stooges with inferior talent compared to ours
I want to say proudly for once that we outright won the SEC like FL and Bama have done not with the help of others
Do you realize how stupid we look as a program????
oh yippee we back doored our way into another championship
give me a break
And yet so many UGA fans whine and moan that no one gives our program any respect. Respect comes when you earn it period. Its not given to you
GATOR BOYY
October 17th, 2012
12:15 pm
i HATE bulldawgies !!!!!!
RxDawg
October 17th, 2012
12:15 pm
One other thing. I’m sick and tired of people saying we have better talent then everyone else. That’s just complete bull. We do not.
SSIgator
October 17th, 2012
12:15 pm
“I’d say this is a prime time to get the UGA community fired up behind the Dawgs again.”
_______________
Ah yes, nothing like a community Kool-Aid bash.
GATOR BOYY
October 17th, 2012
12:17 pm
yes ino it isnt gave to u
GATOR BOYY
October 17th, 2012
12:19 pm
it really does make yall look like that
GATOR BOYY
October 17th, 2012
12:20 pm
yo do yall no wat alternitive school is ??
Frosty Dawg
October 17th, 2012
12:21 pm
I wouldn’t root for the Gators if they were playing against the Walking Dead. If you’re going to ask me for an unfulfilled but do-able fantasy it’s that the Gators lose the next 2 weeks, Carolina trips up against UT and/or Arkansas and the Dawgs win out. All very possible. So is that UF wins the next 2 weeks and we choke against Ole Miss and/or Auburn. So I just want my Dawgs to focus on Kentucky this week as if the Cats are responsible for crime, pestilence and famine, then rinse and repeat for next week.
GATOR BOYY
October 17th, 2012
12:23 pm
any 1
GATOR BOYY
October 17th, 2012
12:25 pm
frosty dawg u no wat alternitive school is
GATOR BOYY
October 17th, 2012
12:27 pm
k peace tlk 2 yall 2morro !!!! by dawgs imean gators
DawginNY
October 17th, 2012
12:28 pm
Now look what the evil genius is making us do. We have to pull for the evil empire. Spurrier really did sell his soul just to ensure our eternal torment. No small thanks to St. Mark for contributing tho this too. This is like having to pull for hell to beat the devil. Ughh.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
October 17th, 2012
12:28 pm
Rxdawg
I guess putting more players in the NFL than any other school in the SEC since 2001 and having more top 10 classes as well during that time span is bull too
Just admit this coaching staff is a joke
BKbroila
October 17th, 2012
12:31 pm
Take care of business and you won’t have to hope that Florida beats anybody….We didn’t do it, so that’s that…I would love to play in the SEC championship game, but If SC loses to florida, I hope the also slip up and lose another…that way we don’t have to hear about it all summer from Spurrier…Either way, we lost to SC and if we do make it to Atlanta, we have a long way to go offensively, defensively, Special Teams and especially coaching to even make it a game….
RxDawg
October 17th, 2012
12:33 pm
Sure thing Flat Tire. Well, they aren’t a “joke”. But they aren’t getting it done either.
Now you admit that some other teams in the SEC have some talent too. Don’t just paint the picture that we have superman at every position and basicly the coaches are so dumb they actually cause us to lose games.
drbasic1
October 17th, 2012
12:42 pm
@flat
man I disagree with 99.9% of everything you say and the reason is without a doubt i am a homer and drink to much koo-aid….he!! after the SC game i tried to puke up all the koo-aid, but to no avail, i started drinking it again, but thats ok as I love the Dawgs no matter what…..HOWEVER I do agree with you 100% on the Vince thing….I would take that in a heart beat and i wish Richt and the clown, would listen to him a little bit….couldn’t hurt!
drbasic1
October 17th, 2012
12:44 pm
do they have a twelve step program for us kool-aid drinkers?
GATOR HATER
October 17th, 2012
12:49 pm
ALWAYS HAVE AND WILL WILL HATE THE FLORIDA GATOR’S. Yeah,I was born in Jacksonville. But will NEVER EVER, root for those ATOR’S. Can’t stand them, then and can’t stand them NOW. Don’t care if they have a BENEDICT ARNOLD, FORMER UGA grad/footballer player, as therir head coach.