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
mash a bug
October 31st, 2009
3:31 pm
HAVE FAITH, THIS FEELS LIKE A WORLEY/HENDERSON AFTERNOON, A DAY WHEN GA DIDNT HAVE A CHANCE AND FLA WAS NUMBER ONE…. WE BEAT THE DAWG POO OUT OF THEM….
UGA Bullfrawgs
October 31st, 2009
3:31 pm
Face it fellas, we can rip on other conferences but when you watch Auburn-Ole Miss then you have to know we’re as bad as the rest of the nation.
willie martinez
October 31st, 2009
3:31 pm
the thing is spelling is pretty tuff.
HairyDawg
October 31st, 2009
3:31 pm
Do yous know what times is it?
Its is whooping can unloading time for Gaytors!
Dawgs is goning to be involved in beating down.
We is goning to be chomping down on some Alligator tail bite snackers.
Go DAWGS! Sic em!
Go DAWGS! Gaytors Stinkys! Go DAWGS! Gaytors Stinkys! Go DAWGS!
Mark Bradley
October 31st, 2009
3:31 pm
Pockets of empty seats on the Georgia side.
There don’t seem many empties on the Florida side.
bugsquacher
October 31st, 2009
3:32 pm
come on dawgs
sarfdawg
October 31st, 2009
3:32 pm
Alright. Signing off. Getting ready to watch the bloodbath without the laptop. Shalom to all.
Go Dawgs – don’t get embarassed…please???
Hal
October 31st, 2009
3:32 pm
Sarf
I didn’t see many empty seats. It is halloween weekend so I’m sure a lot of people are out for that. When you are unranked, sometimes other things take top priority.
Mark Bradley
October 31st, 2009
3:32 pm
Georgia wearing BLACK HELMETS!!!
sarfdawg
October 31st, 2009
3:32 pm
What the hell are they wearing???
SOUTHGADAWG88
October 31st, 2009
3:32 pm
Wow
bugsquacher
October 31st, 2009
3:32 pm
whoa…. black helmets
Mark Bradley
October 31st, 2009
3:32 pm
They look like Missouri.
Chained Dawg
October 31st, 2009
3:32 pm
OMG
Georgia is next
October 31st, 2009
3:32 pm
Defending National Champions – doesn’t that sound nice?
Alan
October 31st, 2009
3:32 pm
Black helmets. Wow. Wonder what the week off will do for ga.
bugsquacher
October 31st, 2009
3:33 pm
nope dont like them
UGA Bullfrawgs
October 31st, 2009
3:33 pm
We’re not losing yet!
Mark Bradley
October 31st, 2009
3:33 pm
That’s the strangest look I’ve ever seen Georgia have.
SEC
October 31st, 2009
3:33 pm
Last time with black – 31-0 Alabama at halftime in Athens
Mark Bradley
October 31st, 2009
3:33 pm
They had red helmets on during warmups.
bugsquacher
October 31st, 2009
3:34 pm
damn, get back to traditions,,, red tops, great defense, great running game…. what the hell is going on?
willie martinez
October 31st, 2009
3:34 pm
another cheap ass gimmick.
sarfdawg
October 31st, 2009
3:34 pm
Very SWAC. Much like when Donnan went Red Jersey and Black pants. OMG, enough of the gimmicks.
45ACP
October 31st, 2009
3:34 pm
Let us all pray. (moment of silence)
GO DAWGS!!! GATA!!!
La Jolla Dawg
October 31st, 2009
3:34 pm
Gooooooooooo Dawgs!!!!!
Chained Dawg
October 31st, 2009
3:35 pm
someone pass me a double!
MDAWG24
October 31st, 2009
3:35 pm
Okay…Black helmets? First time in my 38yrs as a Dawg.
Alan
October 31st, 2009
3:35 pm
Them be some spooky looking helmets. lol. Being Halloween and all, who knows. Maybe something mysterious is in the air.
willie martinez
October 31st, 2009
3:35 pm
dont care if they wear golden halo’s my team is going to get its but handed to it today.
HairyDawg
October 31st, 2009
3:35 pm
Wahhooo! Black helments to give T-blows a bell ringing in his heads.
Go DAWGS!
UGA Bullfrawgs
October 31st, 2009
3:35 pm
Richt ought to call a timeout prior to kickoff so the Gators can think about how wrong they were last year for rubbing our noses in it.
mash a bug
October 31st, 2009
3:35 pm
we are going to far with this black thing….
Mark Bradley
October 31st, 2009
3:35 pm
Georgia looks like it showed up at the wrong stadium. Everyone is either in red or blue/orange, and Georgia is wearing black.
Mark Bradley
October 31st, 2009
3:36 pm
I have to say, that doesn’t look like a Georgia team out there. Which might or might not be a bad thing.
Chained Dawg
October 31st, 2009
3:36 pm
well we could really be in trouble now its 86 degrees
mash a bug
October 31st, 2009
3:36 pm
beat those gators
sarfdawg
October 31st, 2009
3:36 pm
Someone tell Verne that Florida does NOT lead the series – yet.
Mark Bradley
October 31st, 2009
3:36 pm
The black hats are kicking off.
Buckhead Bulldog
October 31st, 2009
3:36 pm
Black helmuts…WTF? That is just plain butt ugly. What is Richt thinking……the gimmicks are getting old.
Now if we win……
SOUTHGADAWG88
October 31st, 2009
3:36 pm
blah,blah.blah…kick off coming…..let’s go!!!!
mash a bug
October 31st, 2009
3:37 pm
dont like the black hats
Alan
October 31st, 2009
3:37 pm
It’s Wake Bulldogs. LOL
45ACP
October 31st, 2009
3:37 pm
I thought the Dawgs were playing Florida today?
mash a bug
October 31st, 2009
3:38 pm
forget the gimmicks and play football….
TML
October 31st, 2009
3:38 pm
It would appear that the Pooches are already in their funeral attire hehe.
“Toe Meets Leather” @ http://www.stinGTees.com
Mark Bradley
October 31st, 2009
3:38 pm
Demps for seven.
I’m still nonplussed by the helmets. And the pants are pretty odd themselves.
TT to Nelson. First down.
Ryan
October 31st, 2009
3:38 pm
Different helmets, same play.
Mark Bradley
October 31st, 2009
3:38 pm
Well, it IS Halloween. Georgia came dressed as an Arena League club.
mash a bug
October 31st, 2009
3:38 pm
did grambling decide to play for the dawgs today?