In my current job I have travelled for the past 8 years. I live in Tallahassee and I always wear orange and blue when departing and orange and blue when coming home. I have not taken one single trip that I did not get a "Go Gators" in NYC, Boston, Montreal, Winnipeg, Omaha, Kansas City, Sacramento, St. Louis, Juneau, Seattle, Denver, Montgomery, Louisville, Dallas, San Antonio, and other destinations I am not recalling right now. Never failed to get a "Go Gators". While most of those I meet lament the current condition of the football and basketball programs. they are also appreciative of the athletic program as a whole and are frankly, proud to be Gators.
As of today we have:
National Champion Gymnastics team (and a couple of individual winners).
National Champion Softball team beginning defense of their title.
Men's Track and Field running away with the SEC Championship.
Women's Tennis in the NCAA Quarterfinals.
Men's Golf team qualifying for the NCAA Championship tournament (kind of a surprise).
Men's Baseball completing the regular season 40-15 and certain to host a first round of the NCAA Championship.
We either win or challenge for the Capital One Cup each year and we win the SEC all sports award about every year. The state of the overall athletic program is as good as it has ever been.
I love Gators sports and I love to see our teams and athletes succeed...especially those that are also making the all-academic teams. I am okay with calling us a Gymnastics school, or a Softball school, or a Track and Field school, until football and basketball get back on track.
There is a lot to cheer about and I wish the board would recognize this and focus on the successes we are having instead of the failures that have occurred. As long as we are no longer a football school, at least we have a lot to be proud of while we make our way back!