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
Gators wear JORTS!!
October 31st, 2009
6:56 pm
Beat TTU, Beat UK, Beat AU, BEAT Pocket Protectors!! 8-4 not bad…
Jona
October 31st, 2009
6:56 pm
Football coaches need to be the most feared. I know the players love CMR but they don’t fear him. The stupid penalties show that. Saban will beat his players butts and then go slap their mothers. His players show that respect (or fear).
willie martinez
October 31st, 2009
6:56 pm
richt should be fired simply because he didnt fire a dumb sob like me.
icedawg
October 31st, 2009
6:56 pm
UF is trying to be merciful. They’re running, running.
Bob Horner stayed hurt
October 31st, 2009
6:56 pm
jerry….I’ll bet you whatever you want that streak ends this year…..
bobo
October 31st, 2009
6:56 pm
Sad
Pit bull
October 31st, 2009
6:56 pm
The Ga program is in SHAMBLES! again
Give Me A Break
October 31st, 2009
6:56 pm
Does Richt want to go back to FL ST this bad?
Georgia still sucks
October 31st, 2009
6:56 pm
HECK GATORS 4TH STRING GOING TO SCORE. LOL
herbertx2
October 31st, 2009
6:56 pm
fire mark richt
Dawg5150
October 31st, 2009
6:57 pm
Ga Tech will hang 40 on us…
Kanedawg39
October 31st, 2009
6:57 pm
Wish Georgia could get Brian Kelly.
Gators wear JORTS!!
October 31st, 2009
6:57 pm
Think CUM will call TOs….
Ginger
October 31st, 2009
6:57 pm
Auburn is worst than UGA defense….did not know that
Cuz
October 31st, 2009
6:57 pm
Time for a timeout.
Savy Steve
October 31st, 2009
6:57 pm
O CRAP
disgracefulcoaching
October 31st, 2009
6:57 pm
I have never been more ashamed of a UGA team. We have had bad teams in the past but none that are this bad with so much talent. Richt needs to go to FSU or just GO.
beatdowns galore
October 31st, 2009
6:57 pm
Score please!!!! need style points!!!!!!!
defactodawg
October 31st, 2009
6:57 pm
Gary Patterson from TCU, come on down
uncle bsdawg
October 31st, 2009
6:57 pm
We suck, plain and simple. Spikes is a play/release program from the Florida state prison system. Mark, please stop playing Cox and fire Willie and Bobo!
icedawg
October 31st, 2009
6:57 pm
I wonder what color we will be wearing next year?
White & Gold Forever
October 31st, 2009
6:57 pm
@ fcmr A comment like that from a Georgia fan is double funny! HA HA
17 out of 20. You call this a rivalry!
NICE HELMETS
Hey u
October 31st, 2009
6:57 pm
Wanna watch a real team turn on CSS tonight and watch the Jackets crush the sec again.
48-7
Fix my email account, ya $40k/year geek!
October 31st, 2009
6:57 pm
Oh well! Time to head over to the GT blog, and give them a little junk….I need to get my fun somewhere.
UGA SEX SADIST
October 31st, 2009
6:58 pm
Oh boy! Another pud pounding game!
Gators wear JORTS!!
October 31st, 2009
6:58 pm
I’d like to see a knock down drag out right at 0:00…
Pit bull
October 31st, 2009
6:58 pm
Listen up. the defense looked bad because we couldn’t make tackles, thats all! WM
beatdowns galore
October 31st, 2009
6:58 pm
kick a damn FG Gators!!!!!
BIG TECH FAN
October 31st, 2009
6:58 pm
Flea Bags are up in arms..LOL!!! 4 and 5 star recruits you may want to come on down to Atlanta and play for a real football team. Why play another 4 years in high school? LOL!!!
Macon Dog in Middle East
October 31st, 2009
6:58 pm
Hey Tebow: Please don’t tell me that Tebow did not benefit re: the record books by having played a full season longer than Herschel chose to do. Tebow is a fine QB, but Herschel, hands down, was the greatest college player ever. He did in three years what no other player, including Tebow, has done in four (a full four at that).
Mark Schlabach
October 31st, 2009
6:58 pm
Man am I stupid. I thought the bye week was a lock. 41-17. Sure glad I took the gators in my pool though!
TXDawg
October 31st, 2009
6:58 pm
Like I said earlier….the game is over now and the sun is still out….guess i’ll go enjoy the rest of my day.
JB
October 31st, 2009
6:58 pm
but…but…but we wore BLACK helmets today!
Ginger
October 31st, 2009
6:59 pm
not surprised….and yes still disappointed.
ncdawg95
October 31st, 2009
6:59 pm
My beloved dawgs give me no joy to watch anymore. When we were #1 and picked to win the national championship, FLA rolled us. When FLA was #1 and picked to win the national championship, FLA rolled us. I think it is time to reboot the program – completely.
White & Gold Forever
October 31st, 2009
6:59 pm
Off to get ready for my Jackets!!! Tune in to see the nation’s # 11 team and a REAL coach at work.
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
Great helmets, by the way
Give UGA to Vick
October 31st, 2009
6:59 pm
Hi Prey and other pathetic dogs!
Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vanderbilt is next
October 31st, 2009
6:59 pm
UGA got 2 Touchdowns, that’s saying something. I knew they wouldn’t score more than 20 though. 8 Games = 6 Touchdowns Allowed, 75 Points Allowed……..by the defense.
Cedrick (Arlington, TX)
October 31st, 2009
6:59 pm
WOW, This team SUCKS!!!!!!!!!
icedawg
October 31st, 2009
6:59 pm
It’s done. The best team won.
Ginger
October 31st, 2009
6:59 pm
post game radio show will be interesting
l8on
October 31st, 2009
6:59 pm
Is Cox really the best we’ve got? Oh yeah and fire CMR now!
KO
October 31st, 2009
6:59 pm
Great game on ABC
AJ Green for QB!!!!
October 31st, 2009
6:59 pm
if they could score a TD and go for a 3 pt conversion, I’m guessing Florida would do that.
TNJeff
October 31st, 2009
6:59 pm
Richt is an idiot – QB yes but not Gray but Murray
4-4
October 31st, 2009
6:59 pm
Another filed goal would have been nice for the rivalry. … Ummm.. If you can still call this a rivalry ?
Fitten
October 31st, 2009
7:00 pm
Just put these players out of their misery and call the rest of our games off.
Joe "Sucks" Cox
October 31st, 2009
7:00 pm
Mark you ready to take the FSU job yet, PLEASE
icedawg
October 31st, 2009
7:00 pm
Awesome performance by Tebow.
seriously?
October 31st, 2009
7:00 pm
Penalties, No D, No O, no way this team beats GT or Auburn. 6-6 is the best we can hope for.