Buckeye Fan in Gator Land

Today is January 2, 2010 - the day after. As in, the day after my supposedly-too-slow-to-keep-up Ohio State Buckeyes (4-point underdogs, I might add) stymied the vaunted Oregon Ducks' rapid-fire offense in the 96th GOTA (Grandaddy Of Them All) - the Rose Bowl - while completing a rather impressive, if not dominant, victory. In this morning's St. Petersburg Times, that rated a few paragraphs at the bottom of page-3. Behold, the life of a Buckeye fan in Gator land (actually, there are quite a few of us here in the land of reptiles and palm trees).

I'm an avid sports fan period, but particularly, college sports, and most of all, college football. Having lived in the Tampa Bay area for some 12 years now, I've witnessed the re-emergence of the Florida Gators football program as well as the veritable rise to prominence of the Florida Gators basketball program (mostly at the expense of my beloved Buckeyes!), and I must tell you, it hasn't been very pleasant. Not just because it was the Buckeyes often on the wrong end of a Gator victory, but because of the way Gator fans conduct themselves in general. And, by the way, that extends to "'Canes" and "'Noles" fans too. Lest we forget, aside from a nice run in the 90's led by "The Old Ball Coach," Steve Spurrier, the University of Florida's two major sports programs toiled in relative obscurity on a national scale for the lion's share of the 20th century. (And what about that nickname, "The Old Ball Coach"? A tad pretentious, no? Shouldn't that be reserved for someone who's actually old AND successful, e.g., Bobby Bowden or Joe Paterno? But, I digress.)

You see, in Florida - the fourth-most-populated state in the Union, where chads hang in disgrace and the only bigger joke than what passes as homeowners insurance protection is the perfectly-tanned, perfectly-coiffed Governor, who hasn't had the guts to genuinely pursue reform of anything, let alone insurance - sports enthusiasts must also suffer the rantings of over-confident supporters of the Gators (U. of Florida), Seminoles (Florida State U.) and Hurricanes (The U, excuse me, U. of Miami) who mistakenly believe that all roads lead to their respective campuses.

Now, unquestionably, all of the aforementioned Sunshine State football programs have experienced tremendous success at times during the '80s, '90s and '00s (though not concurrently). As the state's population mushroomed during those same decades, these programs have benefited from a seemingly bottomless in-state talent pool (not to mention seemingly bottomless financial resources) that is the envy of the country and still has enough left to feed the rosters of dozens of top-tier programs from the Atlantic to the Pacific. (Hell, even our local U. of South Florida made it to #2 in the national rankings a couple years ago - even if it was for but a week or two - largely on the backs of homegrown talent!). Today, Florida State and Miami endeavor to "rebuild" their football programs as the Gators prepare to welcome yet another bumper crop of blue-chip recruits amid the uncertainty of whether their on-the-verge-of-sainthood, $4-million-a-year coach will even be coaching next fall. And, it's reasonable to suggest that not only they, but possibly their step-siblings at U. of South Florida and U. of Central Florida will remain strong and get stronger in the years to come. I admit, when it comes to college football, the state of Florida has become a powerhouse and it's not going to change anytime soon.

That said, does there have to be so much chest thumping (and I don't mean that inane, pompous exercise conducted by way too many pampered, 'roid-raged players on the field during every game)? Is it necessary to appear so elitist? "The U" as it is so affectionately known, had a great run, collecting four national championships in nine years, but always - and still - under a cloud of suspicion for everything from recruiting violations to paying players. Lest we forget $220,000 in falsified Pell Grants to 56 football players and over $400,000 of improper payments to other football players cited by the NCAA, leading to multiple sanctions in the mid-90s? How bad does it have to be when the cover story in Sports Illustrated (June 12, 1993) calls for "The U" to temporarily shut down the program? So, where have the 'Canes been since my Buckeyes - and supposedly the referees - "stole" the national championship from them in 2002? Florida State, under the genuine, old ball coach, Bobby Bowden, hit its stride in the '90s winning two national championships, but they have essentially been a non-factor the past decade. Despite Coach Bowden's amazing 34-year tenure in Tallahassee, the Seminoles program has repeatedly fallen under suspicion for a variety of misdeeds, culminating with the most recent round of sanctions, a 4-year probation and reduction in scholarships handed down by the NCAA following an academic cheating scandal.

People, and this includes you, you local suck-up sportscasters, the SEC is a wonderful athletic conference, replete with world-class universities and world-class athletes - of both genders - in a variety of sports, but no more or less so than the ACC, Big 10, Pac 10 or Big 12, so get off your high horse. I understand being proud and happy because your recent performances have brought favor on your houses, but for crying out loud, get over yourselves! As the saying goes, act like you've been there! The football Buckeyes had long been getting perennial national media coverage by the time Miami finally became a blip on the radar in the early '80s. It took Florida and Florida State another 10 years. The first Michigan-Ohio State game was played in 1897, and 105 more times since. Probably more than any other, that game has had national championship implications in more years than any other single rivalry. Hell, it wasn't me, it was no less than ESPN, who in 2000 ranked it the greatest North American sports rivalry. And when you puff out your chests and squawk about "Gator Nation," please, give me a break. You want to talk about a "nation," Buckeye Nation counts 465,000 alumni worldwide, compared to U. of Florida's 300,000, and UF has been around 17 years longer than OSU (1853 vs 1870).

And finally, all you Gator Nation Tebow worshippers out there, there still remains only one two-time Heisman Trophy winner, and he played for The Ohio State University. Does the name, Archie Griffin ring a bell? Yes, history will likely show that Timothy Richard Tebow was one of the greatest collegiate football players to ever strap on the pads, and I, like you - regardless of how I feel about you as fans - thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated watching Timmy Boy tote and sling the rock these past four years. Remember, bottom line, I'm a sports fan and I appreciate athletic excellence regardless of the athlete's affiliation, but more importantly, when he or she behaves with class, and Tim Tebow has demonstrated class in everything he's done, on and off the field. As for your saint-in-waiting coach, good luck with that, Gator fans. Likewise, best of luck to you too, Seminoles and 'Canes. Remember, act like you've been there before, because, alas, you have. Y'all give this Buckeye a headache, and when I get a headache, I start . . .

. . .Wishin' I Was Fishin'.