Wednesday, January 10, 2007

UPSET!

First off let me inform you that I have precious little interest in football, which in my opinion lost all "cred" when the first team deserted it's mother city and moved to another, the ultimate betrayal of the sports fan. When the Baltimore Colts became the "Indianapolis" Colts, and then the Rams left Los Angeles for St Louis, of all places, I said the hell with it. TRAITORS! I compare that to the United States Marines moving their headquarters to Mexico City. When money trumps loyalty, it cheapens everything. The fact that some players are dragging down more moolah than the President, simply for getting an inflated pigskin from one end of the field to the other, has also contributed to my disdain for what I once considered a noble endeavor and source of community pride.

Which leaves college sports. OK, I admit it, the current bowl system is so totally screwed up that there's no way for the best of the best to rise to the top, especially if they don't belong to one of the major "money" conferences. A team with a 9-3 record could actually end up being declared the champion while an undefeated team gets shut out, based on an asinine poll system that every sports writer I know has declared to be downright stupid. However, there's no danger that the Fighting Irish will ever play for the University of Miami, and we won't be seeing the Crimson Tide representing Yale. These teams are actually tied to their schools, and you can't very well sell them off to someone else.

So this year the team most North Floridians call their own, the Gators, made us proud, pulling off the most unexpected and well-fought upset ever, beating the undefeated Ohio Buckeyes, and beating them BADLY! 41 to 14! If ever a team felt like simply dropping out of school in shame, I think the Buckeyes do right now.

I have quite a few coworkers who must be walking on air right now, and I feel good for them. Gator fans are about as fanatic as they come. Whenever the Gators take on the Georgia Bulldogs, every Florida fan expects a feast of roast dog, while Bulldogs always insist that Gator tastes like chicken. College rivalries sometimes make nations at war look like wimps.

So, OK, I'm smiling. I may not care much for football, but I am proud of these boys. These are their glory days, and I look forward to the movie that I'm sure some Hollywood type at this very moment is busy writing the screenplay for. It should be inspiring!

6 comments:

Buffalo said...

The real tragedy, not this silly football crap you're boo-hooing over - is when the Dodgers left Brooklyn. That was a real, genuine, American tragedy.

Anonymous said...

Although I missed the game (darnit!!!) I LOVED the outcome. GO BLUE! (I'm a Michigan fan) Anyone who beats OS is a friend of mine. Florida beat them so badly, they may not show their face around for a while! HAHAHA!

Kindness said...

Did you know the origin of using the word "Upset" in sports originated in a 1919 horse race when the undefeated Man o'War was beat by a horse named Upset?

That was a good game. I was happy to see the Gators win. So, now the only undefeated team in the US this season is Boise State and they end up where? Number five? Hmmmmm

Don't know the answer to this one but have to agree the BCS Bowl system is not working...

Alex Pendragon said...

Oh, so it was a BASEBALL team that first deserted it's birthplace.....hehe.....that's even sadder

Glad to be of service, jules....lol!

I agree, kindness, the playoffs should include everybody down to the wire, with undefeated teams duking it out till one team remains standing. The Gators probably wouldn't have had the chance to humble Ohio if they'd had to get to the finals by wins alone.

Romeo Morningwood said...

I don't get Sports and I am trying to decide what to make out of the McQuire Steroidal Shunning..hmmm..now if they keep Sosa and Bonds out I will see a trend forming but I still think that it is sooo hypocritical..seriously what percentage of professional athletes are using steroids 98% or 99%?
Sorry off topic I have never even watched 3 minutes of a College Football Game although I do know that even High School Football is akin to a religion in the US of A...it's huge.

Well what the hell I guess all of the Millions of Dollars that the American School System saves by not teaching English, History or Geography entitles them to fritter some of it away on Athletic Programs...I suppose it keeps the kids off of the streets on Friday Nights.
(Did I say that outloud?)

Paul said...

I remember the Dodgers leaving Brooklyn. Let's see, that makes me about ancient.