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Younger Fans Appreciate The Party If Not The Rivalry

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By ANDY STAPLES | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 22, 2007

GAINESVILLE - Unless someone - probably Mark Richt - acts soon, a growing generation gap may swallow the football rivalry between the flagship universities of Florida and Georgia.

This doesn't mean the teams will stop playing one another. As members of the Southeastern Conference East Division, they are contractually bound to meet once a season. But if something doesn't change, the perception of Florida-Georgia as a rivalry game could vanish.

Surely you've noticed the lack of buzz about Saturday's matchup between the Gators and Bulldogs in Jacksonville. That's because buzz gets generated on the Internet these days, and much of the content on the Internet is supplied by people age 30 and younger. And if you are a Florida or Georgia fan age 30 or younger, chances are you consider Florida-Georgia one heck of a party but not much of a rivalry.

Think about it. A 30-year-old Florida fan would have been born in 1977. Between 1977 and 1986, the most important figures in his life were - in chronological order - Big Bird, Optimus Prime and various members of the ThunderCats. In 1987, he may have become cognizant of Emmitt Smith. He may have despaired over Florida's losses to Georgia from 1987-89. And then he saw the Gators win 15 of the next 17. To him, and to anyone younger, Florida owns Georgia.

If you are a Florida fan reading this on a scroll of dead tree rather than on a cell phone that can simultaneously balance your checkbook and access deleted scenes from 'The Office,' you blanched at that last statement. You probably said something like this: 'Florida can't own Georgia. Has this idiot forgotten Lindsay Scott? Fourth-and-Dumb? Seventy-five to nothing in '42?'

Put yourself in the shoes of a person born in 1977, or, in the case of several current Florida and Georgia players, 1987. They've never known a world in which the Bulldogs annually crushed the Gators' hopes and dreams. Shoot, many younger Florida fans believe football was invented Jan. 1, 1990 after Steve Spurrier climbed Mount Dora, descended holding a pair of stone tablets and proclaimed, 'Thou shalt pitch it around a little bit.'

Conversely, young Georgia fans either barely remember or never have known a time when the Bulldogs didn't annually fold in Jacksonville. They have celebrated so few victories that to claim any inkling of superiority, they embraced one of college football's finest taunts, the 'Gators wear jean shorts' chant.

So what might make this series a rivalry again? What could make those nouveau riche young Florida fans understand why their elders get knots in their stomachs when they see silver britches?

This is where Richt, Georgia's coach, comes in. By all accounts, Richt is a fine football coach. Since arriving at Georgia in 2001, he is 66-19 and has led the Bulldogs to a pair of SEC titles. Unfortunately for Richt - and for the rivalry - he has gone 1-5 against the Gators, and the one barely counts because it came the same week then-Gators coach Ron Zook got fired.

To make this a rivalry again, Richt must whip the Bulldogs into a frenzy this week and beat Florida. The loss probably would knock the Gators out of the SEC East title race. It also would invigorate the Bulldogs' fan base, and it would teach Florida's young fans the true meaning of the rivalry.

Of course, if veteran Florida fans want their whippersnappers to appreciate the rivalry without the messiness of a soul-crushing defeat, they can just e-mail them a link to the YouTube clip of the 1980 Buck Belue-to-Lindsay Scott touchdown. The youngsters probably could watch it on their cell phones.

UF SHORTS

HONOR ROLL: Florida senior Stacy Bishop was named the SEC soccer offensive player of the week Monday. The Land O' Lakes High graduate scored three goals last week in wins against Auburn and Alabama.

SOUNDBITE CENTRAL: "I'd rather make it to Atlanta than make it to New York." - Florida QB Tim Tebow, saying he'd prefer to play in the SEC title game rather than be considered for the Heisman Trophy.

LOOK OUT FOR: Lincoln Financial Sports has picked up the Florida-Vanderbilt game on Nov. 3. The game will kick off at 12:30 p.m.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: At this point in the season, who should win the Heisman Trophy? Go to TBO.com, keyword: Gators to vote and monitor results.

BLOG BONUS: Could Florida coaches stop Tim Tebow from using his body as a battering ram if they tried? Read more at TBO.com, keyword: Gators.

Reporter Andy Staples can be reached at (352) 262-3719 or astaples@tampatrib.com.

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