Poll: Ties to UF

[Theologator]

I’m all of the above. I was a Gator fan growing up because of geography, family ties (my grandfather was UF ‘31) and a friend in junior high who was nuts about the Gators.

I didn’t actually plan to go to UF. I won partial scholarships to Tulane and Sewanee, but it was 1979, my dad’s business wasn’t doing great in the recession and UF was less than half the cost of those two even after the scholarships. I’m thankful now for that. I worked full time for 6 months to build up some money & arrived in January 1980. It was an exciting time on a lot of fronts.

 

[Nomadigator]

Born in the Redneck Riviera, Panama City. Only G fan across my blood family. Got hooked SOS’s Heisman year. Uniform colors much cooler than the other team out West.

And when I saw Coach Graves on my B&W, 4 channel TV, pimping some new fangled green colored jizz, “gits into yoah system 12 times fastah than watah. That’s 12 times fastah...” Been drinking it pert near daily ever since.

Tasted better with cyclamates in it though. Like Mountain Dew. Banned in ‘69 cause it killed a few lab rodents so was claimed.

 

[FireFoley]

Accounting Degree '87. Jettisoned the field after a CPA career that lasted about 5 minutes for a career in the financial markets!

P.S. didn't we do this poll recently?

 

[bradgator2]

Bigger the nerd, the bigger the paycheck.

 

[Slevin]

Grandfather listened to the Gators on the Radio in the 30s and 40s. Dad went to UF. Aunt went to UF. Cousin went to UF. Born and raised in a house with a bookshelf of gator history books, memorabilia, gatorbait magazines stacked in the closet as high as Ox’s Playgirl collection. Parents have had season tickets since 1984. I went to just about every home game from 1990 to 2010, the 96 National title game, the 96 And 2000 SEC titles games. Not very many people can say they’ve supported in person as much as I have in their lifetime, and I’m only 33.

 

[78]

'78 BS in Journalism & Communications, speciality in News Reporting. Pre-Weimer. All my classes were beneath the west stands at Florida Field. When you looked across North-South Drive (now Gale Lemerand Drive) you saw a vacant field. That's where the ROTC team drilled and where we played intramural softball.

Buddy Davis was a former Marine, a former Pulitzer winner and a turbo taskmaster. He taught Editorial Writing, or, maybe I should say he shoved it down your throat. Kids would avoid the News Reporting curriculum just to avoid having to take his class.

My first year at UF, some dude got so baked on shrooms that he tried affixing himself to a cross. Those were some crazy days in Hogtown. Best damn college town in the USA.

 

[URGatorBait]

Never went to school there, though I've been there many times.
Originally became a fan of UF at a relatively young age (in the early 1990's) because of a girl, whose family were all Gator fans and were oddly enough from Tennessee
Never looked back after that.

 

[Blacklabgator]

Never went to school there, though I've been there many times.
Originally became a fan of UF at a relatively young age (in the early 1990's) because of a girl, whose family were all Gator fans and were oddly enough from Tennessee
Never looked back after that.

Didn’t meet the height requirement ?

 

[Towels 'N Sporks]

Grew up in Gainesville a die hard gator fan but left for an undergrad degree because another school gave me extra scholarship money plus I wanted to move away from my parents so that I could feel like a cool kid. Did end up getting a graduate degree from UF recently though.

Moved back to Gainesville after undergrad (about 10 years ago now) and got my masters degree from UF about 2 years ago. Even in undergrad I had a hard time pulling for any team other than the gators.

Only interesting story I have is how, in undergrad, I would use my friends UF ids and buy their student ticket to sit in the student section with my friends when I would visit on weekends. This was in the Meyer days. Student section was very rowdy and it was awesome. Fast forward to a couple of years ago and I get to use my very own UF ID and I show up to games with a student section that suddenly has a bunch of international students playing on their phones the whole time and not knowing any of the cheers and barely paying attention to the game. Not the entire student section, of course, but that is something I NEVER saw in my undergrad years.

The student section has changed a LOT in just the past 10 or so years. I suppose that's the payoff for being one of the top academic public universities in the US.

 

[URGatorBait]

Didn’t meet the height requirement ?

better watch your back bub

 

[Windy City Gator]

Accounting Degree '87. Jettisoned the field after a CPA career that lasted about 5 minutes for a career in the financial markets!

P.S. didn't we do this poll recently?

What are your ties to Chicago?

 

[Windy City Gator]

The student section has changed a LOT in just the past 10 or so years. I suppose that's the payoff for being one of the top academic public universities in the US

10 years? Try 30 or 40 years...over the top, go bananas, cup fights, kamikaze half time....student section is like the East Library compared to when I was at UF in the 80's....my first game was in 1980 and it was freaking crazy. Now, the students do not show up on time....and lots of sections are empty (frats).....back then we were the number one party school according to Playboy. Florida Field was the place to be and be loud.

 

[g8orbill]

got my AA from Valencia-transferred to UF -had to work to be able to go to school- after 18 months in hogtown my 1st wife decided she no longer wanted to be married to me and moved back to Orlando-I followed so I could be near my kids-3 years later I met and married a Gator grad - going on 35 years - our youngest graduated UF in 2017

 

[Fodderwing]

AA degree from Lake-Sumter C.C., BS in Ag (AOM) in '89.

 

[Towels 'N Sporks]

10 years? Try 30 or 40 years...over the top, go bananas, cup fights, kamikaze half time....student section is like the East Library compared to when I was at UF in the 80's....my first game was in 1980 and it was freaking crazy. Now, the students do not show up on time....and lots of sections are empty (frats).....back then we were the number one party school according to Playboy. Florida Field was the place to be and be loud.

Ohhhh yes I remember watching the rowdy reptiles as a kid (20 years ago) and noticed a big change between 20 and 10 years ago in the basketball student section.

Basically I think we went from the best/loudest students in the nation, to still pretty good/loud when I was in undergrad, and then to being kind of pathetic nowadays in all honesty.

 

[Windy City Gator]

Ohhhh yes I remember watching the rowdy reptiles as a kid (20 years ago) and noticed a big change between 20 and 10 years ago in the basketball student section.

Basically I think we went from the best/loudest students in the nation, to still pretty good/loud when I was in undergrad, and then to being kind of pathetic nowadays in all honesty.

I miss throwing the Alligator (newspaper) on the basketball court....this is before the Rowdy Reptiles became a thing.

 

[Gator by the Sea]

BS '94 in Psychology
MS '96 in Exercise & Sport Science

Like ADG, I was there for the entire Spurrier run. First as a student, then sticking around Gainesville for a few more years while working. Now I live on the coast, but still try to get back for at least 1 football game each year and to take my kids to as many other Gator sporting events as possible.

Go Gators!

 

[Ironhead]

The year was 1982

I was in the Navy stationed at Mayport.

I was dating hot read head, that was a Ga fan. Her Dad was a Ga grad.

Wwent to the Fl/Ga game.

As you know, Herschel pounded Florida allll day long. Game was ugly 44-0 final.

Anyway, As I sat there in the stands amongst the drunk, obnoxious, loud mouthed, red necks and their husbands.........at the end of the 3rd qtr. Cussing at the Gators, middle fingers, good grief...

On the other side of the stadium, Gator fans were singing and swaying to ....something.
What's this...."We are the boys.....??"

I'm thinking, how could fans, watching their
beloved team, getting their ass kicked,all have that much love for their University, and each other, at a time like this?

I wanted to be a part...... Of That!!!

I bought tickets shortly thereafter, went to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and the rest is history.

I am a Gator
Always will be

Several Gator grads in my extended family.

 

[FireFoley]

What are your ties to Chicago?

Spent 11 years there on The Chicago Mercantile Exchange before modern technology began displacing financial trading floors. 11 long and cold winters.

 

[GatorStud]

Major- Chemistry
Degree- Pharmacy
‘83
Gator baptism: 0-10-1 baby!