- Jun 12, 2014
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Founding Member
Lot of interesting points of view in this thread. I have to say that @soflagator sounds about as old as my worn out @ss! @Durty South Swamp made some comments that resonated with a guy my age:
The last game I went to, I remember my son looking at the student section (a bunch of empty seats) and remarking about how so many were sitting like they were in the cafeteria at school, on their phones and chatting with their neighbors. The alumni, who used to get hammered by the students for being docile, was where the most enthusiasm seemed to come from. All things change, but depending on your perspective, not always for the better. One of the things I really enjoyed about Gator football was the hard hitting, flying around defenses. The rules of the game nowadays seemed to have neutered that aspect. Like most, I enjoyed seeing SOS' teams, but I also enjoyed watching Neal Anderson, John L, Emmitt of course, and all of the factors that were part of the ground game. The guys on the Great Wall were unbelievable, but I also enjoyed the OL's of '91 and '96. The games were exciting to me and oozed strength and killer instincts to go along with the potent offenses.
But it just seems different and so far away now. I'm personally not a fan of the constant sideways running attacks or pass offenses that seem to rely so much on formations and routes from the hash out. If you've read any of my posts, you know that it makes me livid to see everyone playing the game straight-legged and high as the proverbial camel ****! But it's fast and glitzy and both teams try harder to outscore each other than to shut each other out and to most it seems that's what sells these days. It makes me wonder if I'm in the minority or if there's a bunch from my generation who just don't find the enjoyment like there once was in the game and the traditions and have created a gap in the support group? I also think it's safe to say that the students aren't as rabid as they once were and that is a great loss.
So where are we going? I don't know, but the thoughts conjured are not as appealing to me as what I cut my Gator teeth on. I just hate to think about our once proud tradition dying on the vine. The figureheads are partly responsible, but the fans who buy into what college football has become have a part in this as well. So do us older guys who can't hold out anymore I suppose. Maybe we've lost what the game and atmosphere really meant by buying into the modern concept that seems driven more by trend than tradition?
The traditions that I enjoyed from the late '70's and early '80's on, if any are still used, are masked by what Durty has described. Some of the coolest things were getting up on the day of the game hungover as hell and going to the stadium on time for the kickoff when you would have much rather stayed in bed. There was a sense of responsibility to be present and support the team. Of course there were plenty of pretty maids wearing Dolphin shorts and other warm weather attire that added to the experience. Some were even passed up from the bottom of the bleachers to the top with the fans' approval. We Are The Boys was a sacred moment and from the video posted earlier in the thread, it just didn't look or sound quite the same. There was a whole lot more standing than sitting and the crowd was always a factor. It's been three or four years since I've been to a game (health issues, advanced decrepitude, etc.), but it was some different even then. All the bells and whistles that punctuate the time outs, quarter breaks, halftime, etc. are part of the experience that all the schools seem to be seeking. The 25 years I bought season tickets were to watch good football and cheer for my team. I didn't care one bit about what music was playing at particular intervals (though I did enjoy Jump Around when they played it between the 3rd and 4th quarters) nor was I ever on my phone during the game to talk or take pictures. Football was why I was there.
The last game I went to, I remember my son looking at the student section (a bunch of empty seats) and remarking about how so many were sitting like they were in the cafeteria at school, on their phones and chatting with their neighbors. The alumni, who used to get hammered by the students for being docile, was where the most enthusiasm seemed to come from. All things change, but depending on your perspective, not always for the better. One of the things I really enjoyed about Gator football was the hard hitting, flying around defenses. The rules of the game nowadays seemed to have neutered that aspect. Like most, I enjoyed seeing SOS' teams, but I also enjoyed watching Neal Anderson, John L, Emmitt of course, and all of the factors that were part of the ground game. The guys on the Great Wall were unbelievable, but I also enjoyed the OL's of '91 and '96. The games were exciting to me and oozed strength and killer instincts to go along with the potent offenses.
But it just seems different and so far away now. I'm personally not a fan of the constant sideways running attacks or pass offenses that seem to rely so much on formations and routes from the hash out. If you've read any of my posts, you know that it makes me livid to see everyone playing the game straight-legged and high as the proverbial camel ****! But it's fast and glitzy and both teams try harder to outscore each other than to shut each other out and to most it seems that's what sells these days. It makes me wonder if I'm in the minority or if there's a bunch from my generation who just don't find the enjoyment like there once was in the game and the traditions and have created a gap in the support group? I also think it's safe to say that the students aren't as rabid as they once were and that is a great loss.
So where are we going? I don't know, but the thoughts conjured are not as appealing to me as what I cut my Gator teeth on. I just hate to think about our once proud tradition dying on the vine. The figureheads are partly responsible, but the fans who buy into what college football has become have a part in this as well. So do us older guys who can't hold out anymore I suppose. Maybe we've lost what the game and atmosphere really meant by buying into the modern concept that seems driven more by trend than tradition?
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I forgot to throw in a Dabo. Every loss to a shytty team is just like Saban losing to ULM in his first month and every 6-6 coach is Dabo. 
