Doing the Gators Double Dip
November 24, 2009 by Jim Folsom
Filed under The Nosebleeds
This past weekend, I took my two boys to Gainesville for the basketball game on Friday and the football game on Saturday. It was a great time. First we went to the hoops game. We arrived just in time for tip off.
The crowd was fairly small again, which I still don’t get, especially with the football crowd arriving. But it was also loud. The first half the Gators again struggled on offense. This time they were also getting beat on the glass. They did manager to pull ahead but at the end of the first half they went on a turnover spree. Troy led 32-31 at the break. I don’t know what Billy Donovan said to them at halftime but he needs to bottle it. The Gators came to play in the second half. Erving Walker, who was scoreless in the first half, had 13 points in lees than ten minutes in the second half. He found his three point shot and so did Dan Werner and Chandler Parsons. Vernon Macklin and Alex Tyus took over down low as well making it very difficult for Troy to score. Troy produced only 13 points in the first 14 minutes of the second half. With two minutes to play, the Gators had turned a 1 point halftime deficit into a 28 point lead at 80-52. Donovan then emptied his bench and
Troy ended the game on a 6-0 run.
After the game I took my two sons, ages 16 and 4, across the street to the new Heavener complex. It was closed but we still got a good look at the place. WOW! That thing is really cool. Those three crystal trophies stare you right in the face. And with the videos screens behind them, I can’t see how a recruit coming to UF cannot want to be part of this. My only question is, where will this year’s go? There didn’t seem to any wasted space. The Gators’ 3 Heisman Trophies are also on prominent display on the south wall. I hope this weekend to catch the place when it’s open.
After a post game trip to Larry’s (I don’t know why but Larry’s always tastes better in Gainesville) we crashed at the in-laws’ house. We got up early the next day and headed for the Swamp. We didn’t have tickets and getting three as opposed to two is a bit more difficult. We were walking around, doing the ticket wheel and deal, and were actually in the right place at the right time for the team busses pulling in for the Gator Walk. That was cool. Seeing Tim Tebow step off the bus made my 4 year old’s day.
We managed to score three tickets with the cash we had. Good seats too. North end zone 21 rows up. The game went like expected. FIU didn’t put up much of a fight. Less than two minutes into the game, Brandon Spikes picks off a pass and waltzes into the end zone. A few minutes later, Tebow runs for his record breaking (SEC career touchdowns scored) from 55 yards out. Seriously, you guys are from South Florida. You can’t catch a 249 pound QB? I don’t think they really wanted to catch him. Who can blame them?
It was the 4 year old’s first Gator football game. I wanted him to see Tebow before he graduates. I don’t know if he’ll remember the game itself, but I’m sure he’ll remember seeing Tebow. That’s what it’s all about people. You don’t win championships every year. After this year, if we do win it, it may never happen again. But that’s ok, because those trophies will still be in the trophy case. Those banners will still hang in the O’Dome. They will still do the Gator Walk. And 90 thousand folks will still show up in the fall wearing orange and blue. And somewhere in that crowd, it will be the first game for somebody. And they will never forget it.
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About Jim: Thank you to the senior class of 2009! |
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