Live from hot Jax: Only 30 (of 32) writers pick the Gators!
This is not as it seems. The sweater is orange. It is, of all things, a Gator dog. (Photo by M. Bradley)
Jacksonville — It was raining when I boarded the plane at Hartsfield-Jackson at 7:45 a.m. It is not raining here, unless you count sweat beads. Here it’s hot. Here it’s hot even by Florida standards. And, speaking of sweat …
Your genius correspondent managed to leave his glasses in Tim Tucker’s rental car at the stadium, necessitating another walk to/from distant Lot P. This marks the second time in 13 months I’ve left my glasses in a rental car, and the first was in Tempe, Ariz., where it was only 97 degrees and we were parked even farther away.
But enough about this perspiring writer. Let’s talk about other writers. The Florida Times-Union asked 32 writers, some of whom might actually have seen Georgia play in the past five years, for a prediction. (None of the 32 were from the AJC, you should know.) Thirty picked the Gators. The two exceptions: Matt Hayes of Sporting News and Scott Michaux of the Augusta Chronicle.
By tradition the Georgia-Florida crowd is split down the middle, but there seem many, many more Gators here this time. Perhaps Georgia fans are keeping a lower profile. Perhaps they sold their ducats. Perhaps they’re using the proceeds from that windfall to buy out Willie Martinez.
And I have to tell you, it has been a long time since I arrived at a stadium (with or without glasses) feeling as I do. I don’t see a way Georgia can win. I suppose Florida could fumble 10 times, but I can’t really see Florida doing that. And I can’t see the team with the better offense and better defense not winning.
But I have, as we know, been wrong before. I covered the Super Bowl between the Rams and the Patriots, in which St. Louis entered with the better offense and defense. I picked the Patriots to lose 42-3. They won 20-17. So I guess stranger things have happened. But not many, I submit.
With that, the floor is open for your comments and observations and contributions to the Free Willie Fund. I’ll be here all day, unless I feel the need to walk back across the parking lot and sweat through my shirt again.
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3,111 comments Add your comment
Firemarkricht.net
October 31st, 2009
4:03 pm
And the beatdown goes on…
Dawg Nation 09
October 31st, 2009
4:04 pm
I am a god fan but this will be a total blow out if our defense keeps on covering like this.
Not Disappointed!
October 31st, 2009
4:04 pm
Oh yeah. TD! This is not good……
TXDawg
October 31st, 2009
4:04 pm
It was a catch……gotta give him credit
Terd Feurgusson
October 31st, 2009
4:04 pm
They might at well get on the damned bus, and head home….
JB
October 31st, 2009
4:04 pm
How about a “battle of the bands” at halftime? Anyone? Anyone?
Well…at least our gymnasts are better than yours!
Dawg Nation 09
October 31st, 2009
4:04 pm
georgia fan
Demoney !
October 31st, 2009
4:04 pm
imagine that DB didnt have a clue
Ryan
October 31st, 2009
4:04 pm
They put the ball up and let their playmaker make a play.
What do we do? We hand the ball off on 3rd and 15.
I wish we had a real team. It would be awesome.
GaCFB
October 31st, 2009
4:04 pm
“My God, it looks like they are AFRAID to tackle Tebow, or Any of the Florida players”
they might break a nail or get their pretty uniforms all dirty with that nasty dirt if they do any of that icky tackling
Mark Bradley
October 31st, 2009
4:04 pm
One-hand grab by Riley Cooper. Great play.
Tebow has throw one incompletion. And that was dropped.
A 92-yard drive.
FLA DAWG
October 31st, 2009
4:04 pm
We have to get to be really lousy just to improve.
Georgia is next
October 31st, 2009
4:04 pm
Riley Cooper!!!!!!!! Percy Harvin who???? LOL
C tha 1
October 31st, 2009
4:04 pm
I hate to say it but UGA doesn’t belong on the same field as UF at this point.
defactodawg
October 31st, 2009
4:04 pm
like a big black cat toying with a scared little mouse
Firemarkricht.net
October 31st, 2009
4:05 pm
Richt and Co are just SO much SLOWER!
dawgfan13
October 31st, 2009
4:05 pm
Touchdown! Remeber I said 21-3 by the end of the quarter.
White & Gold Forever
October 31st, 2009
4:05 pm
Ha! The puppies always have to have a gimmick. How’s those black helmets workin gout for ya????
Georgia football – irrelevant as ever!!!
CHOMP CHOMP
Gordon
October 31st, 2009
4:05 pm
You can’t fault the coverage on that. Perfect pass, great catch.
Terd Feurgusson
October 31st, 2009
4:05 pm
If Martinez isn’t gone after this beatdown we’re going to get today……………
J.J.M.
October 31st, 2009
4:05 pm
uga needs a new coaching staff
TV Fan
October 31st, 2009
4:05 pm
Steve Harvey is on cable. I would watch Miami Vice, but right now I am afraid someone called Martinez would be on there. I am really not up for that, Gators go over 50 today.
Old School
October 31st, 2009
4:05 pm
UGAG is totally without a clue, totally bewildered, totally shell-shocked, totally pathetic!!! I love it!!! Think I will listen to the Bulldog Hotline on Monday night. I just love to hear these whiney, arrogant, obnoxious, redneck Fleabag fans poormouth!!
74 Dawg
October 31st, 2009
4:05 pm
Do you think Richt wants out of his contract so he can get the FSU job ?
bugsquacher
October 31st, 2009
4:05 pm
great d,,,, willie
farleydawg79
October 31st, 2009
4:05 pm
Slick Willie has to go…this defense is too talented to be playing this poorly…this is really sad…as a dawg fan…i am embarrassed…i guess they wore the black for their funeral.
Mark Bradley
October 31st, 2009
4:06 pm
Well, whaddaya want me to say? Something obvious like, “Georgia needs to show what it’s made of”?
Needs to show something. For sure.
Florida’s longest drive of the season.
Charlie (is) Strong
October 31st, 2009
4:06 pm
Sturgis is a little shakey sometimes Dawg Fans
jerry
October 31st, 2009
4:06 pm
Tebow hasn’t scored a td. Go Dawgs.
Chained Dawg
October 31st, 2009
4:06 pm
This is a joke Players are already giving up!!!!!!
willie martinez
October 31st, 2009
4:06 pm
this reminds me of the game fla came to athens and hung 52 on us. jesus
jimmy
October 31st, 2009
4:06 pm
Richt won’t change the penalty problem. the defense problem or the lack of offense problem but he will change the color of the uniform. That sounds like something my wife would do. Time to go Richt
JV
October 31st, 2009
4:06 pm
What a Goff era performance.
The silver lining is that Martinez cannot survive this.
boots
October 31st, 2009
4:06 pm
Outclassed, outcoached and outplayed. Black helmets make us look stupid. Win with class and lose with class. I had really talked myself up this week that we had a good shot – Florida not playing well, we really DO have good players, and had the week off. Guess I was wrong.
W&Ws
October 31st, 2009
4:06 pm
Florida is taking care of their doubters.
Wont Jones
October 31st, 2009
4:06 pm
Time for a trick play. Why not run on 3rd and 15?
Coach's Hairdresser
October 31st, 2009
4:06 pm
@74 Dawg—-Yep.
JB
October 31st, 2009
4:06 pm
Well, at least in losing we should be in line for the #1 draft pick.
Oh…wait.
monty
October 31st, 2009
4:06 pm
defense is clueless!
Terd Feurgusson
October 31st, 2009
4:07 pm
Looks like they’re gonna fold like they did in Tennessee…..hope they’re proud of their effort so far….
Charlie (is) Strong
October 31st, 2009
4:07 pm
Martinez had nothing to do with that touchdown pass, not many people stop that play.
White & Gold Forever
October 31st, 2009
4:07 pm
The mystique of the black helmets…….
The only question: Will Florida be held to less than 50? Will Georgia win 5 or 6 games this year?
atlpinto
October 31st, 2009
4:07 pm
which team had last week off?
Life long Dawg
October 31st, 2009
4:07 pm
It looks like the only thing Mark Richt did during the bye week was change the uniform. They look stupid.
bugsquacher
October 31st, 2009
4:07 pm
god we suck
Michael Stipe
October 31st, 2009
4:07 pm
14 points for FLA; 3 penalties for UGA…let the slaughter commence. Time to crank up the GAYtor fart machine. P-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-t. P-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-t. More beans, more tofu. Vegan farts rock!!!!
Chained Dawg
October 31st, 2009
4:07 pm
Feels good to dip down to .500 huh !
Buckhead Bulldog
October 31st, 2009
4:07 pm
This is NOT UGA football, and I’m so PISSED i hope I don’t throw a bottle and break my TV. UGA football ain’t worth.
This SUX, big time. #*^*#&(*^^#%@ IT!
SouthTXDawg
October 31st, 2009
4:07 pm
Hey Mark, go talk to your buddy Danielson about being an unbiased journalist. He is quite simply, pathetic as an announcer. I think CBS has bigger problems with the Lundquist/Danielson combo than UGA has with the Bobo/Martinez combo.
Blue
October 31st, 2009
4:07 pm
well, at least Tebow isn’t breaking the TD rushing record so far. Isn’t that a moral victory for you?