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
no x's and o's comment
October 31st, 2009
7:19 pm
you guys honestly need to be worried about going to a bowl game and not the GT game, that is the least of your problems this year, wow, top 10 in recruiting year in and year out and nothing to show for it
Alabama Jack
October 31st, 2009
7:19 pm
Coming up on 6:30 PM Central. Time for Big Boy football from Nashville.
ch
October 31st, 2009
7:19 pm
I want suggestions for DC. what about tony dungy??? richt and he are good buddys
Necromancer
October 31st, 2009
7:19 pm
Damn….another year…another loss…
Super Dog
October 31st, 2009
7:20 pm
IS RICHT WANTING TO QUIT
BECAUSE THIS WHOLE TEAM ACTS LIKE IT
chomp!
October 31st, 2009
7:20 pm
“great qb…”
Hahahahahahahah!
Delbert D.
October 31st, 2009
7:20 pm
45ACP – I’m not taking issue with you, but I think it’s time for gimmick motivation to end.
Joe "Sucks" Cox
October 31st, 2009
7:21 pm
WE GOT TRICKED it was the cheerleaders and Band dressed up like the Bulldogs Football team
benadawg
October 31st, 2009
7:21 pm
There is only one thing to do, I am Calling for an empty stadium against Tennessee Tech, why should UGA continue to Rape us fans with this kinda performance….we are worse than awful…Step down now and save us the trouble…CMR
Golden Grad
October 31st, 2009
7:21 pm
No matter how you cut it, things have gone from bad to worse, a lot worse. The dawgs had 2 weeks to get ready, so what did they do? ride around Athens on their scooters? I bet the players appreciated those black helmets in 85 degree heat!! What a bunch of smucks in decision making positions. With this defeat, the dawgs are now in motion to create a third tier of the SEC. What are they gonna do now? PUNT?
Weak Sisters of the SEC
October 31st, 2009
7:21 pm
Great performance as expected by our new member this year in Georgia!!!!!
UGA VII
October 31st, 2009
7:21 pm
Great, now we can be compared to those thugs from Miami during the 80’s.
As much as I dislike Florida you have to hand it to them. They were ready to play and played clean. Hardly any penalties.
Dawgs1965
October 31st, 2009
7:21 pm
Richt on the helmets: “I felt like it might give our guys a jolt coming out of the locker room.” LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Gerald Ball
October 31st, 2009
7:21 pm
Doug:
How is this Damon Evans’ fault? Evans did UGA a favor by scheduling Oklahoma State so all the UGA fans could see from the first game of the season that UGA was a fraud. If UGA opens the season by scheduling New Mexico State or Idaho, they probably would be ranked by now.
Einsteindawg
October 31st, 2009
7:22 pm
What happens first? Delta Airlines makes a profit or UGA gets a real head coach.
Reality Train
October 31st, 2009
7:22 pm
Gee, I really thought the black helmets and pants would put the Dawgs over the top .. what we need now is another BLACK-OUT .. or perhaps, instead of gimmicks, we could use some sound coaching and disciplined playing
Old School
October 31st, 2009
7:22 pm
Fire Rich. Fire Martinez. Fire Bobo. Fire Adams. Fire Cox. Neuter UGA. And on and on and on and on and on. Love it! Love it! Love it! Wonder where that bald-headed fat butt who has UGA painted on his head every week? Fire him too!
no x's and o's comment
October 31st, 2009
7:22 pm
why do some of you still want to grab someone out of the acc aka fsu (muschamp)? Bowden says he lets his coaches call the plays, what the hell have they done that is so impressive? You could have grabbed Johnson back when he won two NC’s at Ga Southern, I mean take a deep breath and find Johnson, FSU aint the answer.. (Brad Scott not, Amato not, Bowden, not, Richt not)
georgia tech breakin neckz
October 31st, 2009
7:22 pm
lsu over bama
Pit bull
October 31st, 2009
7:22 pm
If Richt doesn’t announce that changes need to be made at the end of the year, he will be in hot water!
CMR Must GO
October 31st, 2009
7:22 pm
I liked Jeff Schultz comment: “Even Army didn’t get cocky after beating Vandy, and in fact lost its next two games to Temple and Rutgers.” But of course UGA under Rict is the type of team to dance on Vandy’s V at the end of the game and celebrate like they just one the BCS. (my comments after the quote”
Mutley
October 31st, 2009
7:22 pm
FIRE MARK RICHT NOW. HIRE JOHN GRUDEN ASAP.
willie martinez
October 31st, 2009
7:23 pm
everything starts with the head coach. he sucks. now taking up time working on excuses. fire his sorry ass.
WILLIE MARTINEZ FOR HEAD COACH
October 31st, 2009
7:23 pm
YOU FANS DONT LIKE MY PLAY CALLING THEN YOU CAN WATCH ANOTHER TEAM
IM HERE TO STAY AS LONG AS MY GOOD FRIEND RICHTY RICHT
SO GO SIT ON A BLACK HELMET
Devildog
October 31st, 2009
7:23 pm
Didn’t think they’d coach ‘em down during the week off.
OC and DC don’t know fundamentals and the players act like morons.
Big Jon
October 31st, 2009
7:23 pm
CMR does not bleed Red and Black. we are pathetic. We are Florida’s Bitch.
disgruntled Dawg
October 31st, 2009
7:23 pm
Enough is enough. I wont be at the game this week. Too much money for this joke of a football program.
Anne
October 31st, 2009
7:23 pm
FYI….black only works at funerals…..go back to the red.
Pit bull
October 31st, 2009
7:24 pm
I’m so madd I’m going to go beat my wife again!
Starring Peter Graves as Capt. Over
October 31st, 2009
7:24 pm
What is up with the black helmets & black pants? Are you that pathetic that you have to resort to gimmicks to get up for FLORIDA? I would say UGA looked like Grambling, but that is an insult to Grambling. Get your reservations for Shreveport now!!
senoiadawgs
October 31st, 2009
7:24 pm
2 weeks to prepare and here is our coaches gameplan. Run out, try to get them in fights and maybe get their players kicked out of the game. Real class act CMR!!! That was the most embarrassing loss in UGA history. Done finished, if he coaches at UGA another 30 years I will never agree with the decision. Thank you for embarrising the bulldog nation on the field with showing no control over your team whatsoever.
DawgsSUCK
October 31st, 2009
7:24 pm
Ahhhh, this is SO satisfying reading all the pregame predictions by you losers. It’s so much better when you shoot your mouths off first, then remember what you said just a few short hours ago!
THE GATORS KICKED BUTT, PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
Wanna keep whining about refs now? Tell us how Herschel did it in 3 years without counting playoff games? Tebow is a QUARTERBACK. It’s just an incidental part of his job to score rushing touchdowns. How many touchdowns did Herschel Walker throw for?
Let’s hear your trash talk now!
chomp!
October 31st, 2009
7:24 pm
And insult to injury, Tebow breaks Walkers TD record against the doggies.
Sweet.
Kevin
October 31st, 2009
7:24 pm
well Tim Tebow looks like the 2009 hiesman Trophy winner again and yes Fla will be in SEC championship Game South Car. Gamecocks lose…and Fla will again go to southern california Rose bowl for Natl championship again n win all….as for Ga 7-5 season n a trip to the Outhouse bowl Game in San Francisco!
a goofy toothy dawg fan
October 31st, 2009
7:25 pm
What time does the UGA Fla. game start? This winding the clock back gets me confused!
TNJeff
October 31st, 2009
7:25 pm
We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!We want Pink Helmets!
willie martinez
October 31st, 2009
7:25 pm
born in 1960. ive gone from a young man loving this series to an old man wondering if i will ever see another win in jacksonville.
Mike Bobo
October 31st, 2009
7:25 pm
I have the greatest playbook in NCAA History. That’s why I should get to stay. Eat More Willie.
Mike S
October 31st, 2009
7:25 pm
At least there is one good thing — The Ga texh and Florida fans are showing just how classy they are.
no x's and o's comment
October 31st, 2009
7:25 pm
Cutcliffe at Duke is the man, oh yeah that’s right, you cannot allow yourself to hire from ACC
Sonny Clusters
October 31st, 2009
7:25 pm
Mark, need any help with the game story? Don’t forget them lucky helmets.
WILLIE MARTINEZ FOR HEAD COACH
October 31st, 2009
7:25 pm
YOU FANS ARE AWFUL
WE ARE NOT THE PROBLEM
ITS YOUR EXPECTATIONS
IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE UNIFORMS
TOO BAD ITS MOTIVATION FOR OUR PLAYERS SO SHUT UP
rsdawg
October 31st, 2009
7:26 pm
The only saving grace is for Tennessee to get beat by South Carolina. Lane Kiffin is a jerk.
GBO
October 31st, 2009
7:26 pm
I think GA should make Martinez and Bobo co-HCs. Put CMR in charge of “rules” instruction, and let Adams call the plays. It would at least be interesting.
Barry Jay
October 31st, 2009
7:26 pm
UGA players didn’t play like thugs. They did make mistakes and make penalties. I think UGA is going to have to hire a discipline specialist…someone to teach them how to quit making penalities.
I feel bad for our players. This has been a HORRIBLE season and it is time now to let up on them. With this loss, I’ve come to realize that they are doing all they can. I just want them relax and play without pressure. Tune out all of us overly passionate fans. We want to win almost as much as you do. We just can’t put on the helmet and help.
Brock
October 31st, 2009
7:26 pm
The dogs are the champs of gimmick backfires.
Ed N.
October 31st, 2009
7:26 pm
There seems to be some confusion. The great Georgia football tradition was built around “silver britches” and “red helmets.” The coaching staff needs to understand our traditions. They especially need to go sit for hours and watch films of the old Junkyard Dawg defenses.
Something is bad wrong with this program!!!!
TNJeff
October 31st, 2009
7:26 pm
Pit Bull
Is your real name Bobby Cox?
Pit bull
October 31st, 2009
7:26 pm
Quit bitching about the uniform. If we had won it would have been called masterful!
chomp!
October 31st, 2009
7:27 pm
GO #1 GATORS.
Later redneckdogs.