A little side note here... When Urban took over Florida he took the existing Gator traditions and expanded upon them....made them even more special and instituted a few of his own like the one where the freshmen can't call themselves Gators/wear Gator things or something to that effect until they have earned the right sometime after summer workouts begin and running into fall practice. His total embrace of the Gator traditions and program is a huge reason Urban is so loved by UF fans and I think is a big reason for his success.
Where's the smile face Terry? I cannot vouch for the validity of this, but Kiffin was apparently on the Jim Rome show and said something along the following line which is not an exact quote If that's a true quote or even close then this guy didn't even learn the Tennessee colors. MCG is right that Meyer came into Florida and embraced the Gator history. He brought back players to the campus that had been there in years. He made it known that players from the past were not only welcome but encouraged to come around. And Corey I am not injectng Gator, but a philosophy that to me makes sense.
:wink: :wink: Seriously I am unaware of any Gator Traditions. I know everybody has them, well maybe they don't at USF or UCF (yet). OK I do know 1 the Gator Chomp. But what are the others?
Great cartoon, brutal and honest to those who love the Vols...I see this event lasting in the memory of Vol fans for a long time.... RC
Look up Mr Two bits and We are the Boys... Probably Florida's 2 greatest traditions, although the 'Chomp' is the most known.
an example of the latter <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TtKT-x_JFuU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TtKT-x_JFuU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Terry, Corey has a couple, also the introduction, hereeeeeeeee come the Gators and now the big screen tv of real gators swiming. The dragging out of here come the gators was a guy with a unique voice that brought out the team. Then there is Gator Growl the night before homecoming which is probably the largest pep rally anywhere. Actually it goes well beyond a pep rally with a stadium full of fans on Friday night and with entertainment. Bob Hope and other well known people have appeared at Gator Growl. The Swamp, where only Gators get out alive. That come in with Spurrier but is now ingrained. Beating FSU is a tradition. Albert and Alberta, our mascots are tradition. I'm not sure what other items might fit the category. Actually in the Spurrier era we eliminated one tradition, not have won the SEC football championship. I remember when someone asked me, what do Michigan and Florida have in common........neither have ever won the SEC. That ended.
Saw him at GG when I was in school. Mr. Two Bits as Corey says is one of the best traditions with him always popping up in the stands with that whistle. The chant of "Orange.....and.......Blue" before the game to get the crowd fired up is another. Singing "It's great.....to be.....a Florida Gator..." when going into the stadium or when exiting after a win.....or even after we lost to Bama this season my son and I bravely sang that when exiting the bar that we saw the game at in St. Pete.....aptly named "Gators". At the end of the third quarter the entire bar gets up and arms in arms sings "We are the boys". Even that stupid sign in the northeast corner of the endzone that has hung up there since I can remember that proclaims "Work 'em Silly Gators".... I know....borderline at best but I would miss seeing it. Singing the alma mater before the games is always emotional for me and it just adds to the emotion of the crowd. And Lawrence Wright's famous rendition of "if you ain't a Gator....you're Gator Bait" after a great win over Tenn I believe in the early 90s. And then....finally.....when the other team's players are announced the crowd loudly chants...."Gator Bait" after each announcement. Man....reading all of these makes me wish for next season.
Tenn is actually getting sympathy over on the Gator boards about Kiffin's latest comment on the "yellow" uniforms.... "did he seriously call their uniform's "yellow"? wow, what a slap in the face to the entire UT program and fan base. what the hell is his problem? i'm actually starting to feel bad for UT now." In four days he has managed to become one of the most hated sports figures in Tenn history I would think....maybe more than Charles Woodson. Another comment that might ring true: "Kiffin has played this perverse spin machine with relative stealth in sleepy Knoxville. He'll be under a white-hot microscope in LA, and he'll bake a slow death."
The pregame drama! This is what went on before Kiffin came in and did his resignation. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7dbNBd4S8II&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7dbNBd4S8II&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Kiffin never worried me except that it would have been extremely annoying to see him crow and badger Urban Meyer ahould he have been lucky enough to pull off a win. Of course I am not sure when or if that would have even happened for several years if at all. This guy will give me more concern for all the right reasons: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/andy_staples/01/16/dooley.tennessee/index.html?eref=sihp I heard his intro words.....he can do it at Tenn.
Again, not that you've ever listened to Finebaum, but had you listened to the program you'd be quite familiar with not just Vince Dooley... but his wife. If you've listened to that lady for more than a few minutes, you'd know full well where the kid gets his independence and moxie.
I have many better things to do than listen to Finebaum. I'll find out all I need to know about Dooley over the next few years as we play them every year.
Tom are you seeing the dirt being dug up on Kiffin? I'm seeing a lot of stuff being tossed out there, partying with coeds, affairs by both Lane and his wife, wreck where he was driving with boosters and coeds and the boosters got him out of there and left the coeds holding the bag. All sorts of crazy stuff.