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
bugsquacher
October 31st, 2009
4:17 pm
i think Richt should have georgia wear pink to the tech game… since we are playing like girls…
Life long Dawg
October 31st, 2009
4:17 pm
Mark Richt is an idiot for changing our look!
Super Dog
October 31st, 2009
4:17 pm
Enter your comments here
Cautiously Optimistic
October 31st, 2009
4:17 pm
Thanks GT85……..I’m not one to rub the ugly in others faces unless provoked.
UGA ALL THE WAY
October 31st, 2009
4:18 pm
How bout the UGA fans who are here SUPPORT YOUR TEAM A LITTLE BIT!!!! Hell we’re bout on the 20!!!!
Cuz
October 31st, 2009
4:18 pm
I just changed to all black, the red attire was not working. On to the endzone!!!!!!!!!!!!
n. ga. dawg fan
October 31st, 2009
4:18 pm
for some of you “so-called’ Ga. Fans, you would be negative about anything that the team does.
With fans like you, who needs enemies? The black helmets look great!!!
Get a life, you “so-called’ fans.
j
October 31st, 2009
4:18 pm
Florida has a pro style defense. Hell the could run the wild cat all year and they would not miss a beat.
That’s how good that defense is.
UGA used to be tough until Richt turned them into a bunch of pansies. OMG. this is pitiful.
UGAneedrecruitSWATL
October 31st, 2009
4:18 pm
It’s funny to me early this week Urban Meyer said “UGA has more talent than anybody in the nation”
but they missing that trap speed…. Trap speed= dope boyz running from popo i.e Branden Smith.
Willie martinez plz stop recruiting garbag’e outta Swats…. i.e Roderick Battle, he got dogged against rival school…. start doing go see.
74 Dawg
October 31st, 2009
4:18 pm
I know that Tx Dawg. More rhetorical than anything. Still, he would get a fresh start there, and if things don’t get better next year, it is really going to get ugly around this program. The whole damn crew could be out of work w/ consecutive losses to Fl,Tech,Tenn and Auburn.
HairyDawg
October 31st, 2009
4:18 pm
Spikes got spiked on head and hearing bells in helments.
carl
October 31st, 2009
4:18 pm
the fat lady is singing
bugsquacher
October 31st, 2009
4:18 pm
we can be the #1 team for the most uniform changes
TXDawg
October 31st, 2009
4:18 pm
I like UGATim’s idea……Charlie Charlie, he’s our man, fire Richt so he can…..gooooooo GEORGIA!!!
Gator in the Hootch
October 31st, 2009
4:19 pm
Are the refs causing Georgia to lose the game, yet? Or is it those black helmets. Real scary!!!!!!!!!! Like Halloweeen!!!!!!!
farleydawg79
October 31st, 2009
4:19 pm
really TECH fans leave….let us have our own conversations….go type on a graphing calculator or measure something with a slide rule….build a rocket or go to the moon….
Firemarkricht.net
October 31st, 2009
4:19 pm
Richt is totally working on his tan. What does he care?
beatdowns galore
October 31st, 2009
4:19 pm
Fla. is on track to put up 56 as I have predicted!
D
October 31st, 2009
4:19 pm
Spikes is the same age as Tebow
Terd Feurgusson
October 31st, 2009
4:19 pm
We’ve sustained so far..the way the year’s gone so far, though, Bobo will probably have them punt on 1st down….
where's the defense?
October 31st, 2009
4:19 pm
wow, what an aggressive defense we have…lot’s of arm tackles, tim tebow slow motion juking of curran…man, another blood bath. first quarter and already 14-0. great prep during the off week guys, sure am glad you spent the whole week deciding on your helmet color.
Cuz
October 31st, 2009
4:19 pm
n. ga. dawg. The same fans who want a loss to get rid of Willie.
sadielovesbama
October 31st, 2009
4:19 pm
did yall borrow your little suits from the falcons? didnt cmr learn his lesson lasy year about the BLACK?
45ACP
October 31st, 2009
4:19 pm
Spikes should be arrested.
Go DOGS
October 31st, 2009
4:19 pm
Old School: STFU you little puzz wad!
bugsquacher
October 31st, 2009
4:19 pm
i was wrong… there are three real dawgs on the field,,,,green, butler, uga….
White & Gold Forever
October 31st, 2009
4:20 pm
Awesome call!!!
Mark Bradley
October 31st, 2009
4:20 pm
Another third down.
Super Dog
October 31st, 2009
4:20 pm
Hey Richt
I guess you think this is Grambling Football
Win or Loose You don’t mess with the Red Helmets
Go coach for Grambling this team looks like them
TXDawg
October 31st, 2009
4:20 pm
No Bugsquacher…..that privilege goes to OREGON.
Cautiously Optimistic
October 31st, 2009
4:20 pm
I like the black helmets. I think its the tatics behind it that everyone resents.
Willie
October 31st, 2009
4:20 pm
They didn’t earn any Black Helmet.
74 Dawg
October 31st, 2009
4:20 pm
I am really glad I decided not to leave work and go watch this…
farleydawg79
October 31st, 2009
4:20 pm
ngadawgfan…im just being realistic….you should too…so if we do win…you will be really happy and surprised.
SOUTHGADAWG88
October 31st, 2009
4:20 pm
keep hitting them in the mouth!!
Chained Dawg
October 31st, 2009
4:20 pm
I thought I saw Jerry Glanville on the sideline!
Mark Bradley
October 31st, 2009
4:20 pm
Penalty. Delay.
Amazing.
farleydawg79
October 31st, 2009
4:20 pm
really….another penalty
bugsquacher
October 31st, 2009
4:20 pm
what????? another flag
Terd Feurgusson
October 31st, 2009
4:20 pm
you knew it was coming
Mark Bradley
October 31st, 2009
4:20 pm
Five flags. In 16 minutes.
Herschel's Revenge
October 31st, 2009
4:21 pm
Running to the short side of the field on 2nd and 7.
Bobo isn’t the most innovative play caller….but we already knew that.
UGA ALL THE WAY
October 31st, 2009
4:21 pm
C’MON DAAAAAWWWWGGSS!!!! GET A TD AND TAKE EM 3 N OUT
45ACP
October 31st, 2009
4:21 pm
I put my black Georgia shirt on this morning.
Who knew?
Ginger
October 31st, 2009
4:21 pm
another penalty…shoot yourself in the foot…….I agree…given Charlie Strong the blank check now
Dawg-On_IT
October 31st, 2009
4:21 pm
WTF
Wont Jones
October 31st, 2009
4:21 pm
All these penalties are keeping the ball out of Florida’s hands.
Mark Bradley
October 31st, 2009
4:21 pm
Lucky it wasn’t intercepted.
Chained Dawg
October 31st, 2009
4:21 pm
Come on Bozo whatch the frikin clock
TXDawg
October 31st, 2009
4:21 pm
Come on Mark…..after 7 games and you’re still amazed??!!