Law's request............farewell to SOS

[stephenPE]

has messenger turned off so I had to post it


This was my letter posted in the Sun jan 6th 2002

Voice of the People Sunday January 6th 2002
You will always be Gator Family, Coach Spurrier

I take a lot for granted. I'm selfish that way. I like my good health. I like knowing my home, family and friends are there. And that Steve Spurrier is coaching the gators. Well, all good things come an end I guess this did too. This letter is to celebrate and acknowledge the last 23 years of the HBC's legacy. My God, what a ride it was.......
The Spurrier years more than made up for all the miser, futility and frustration felt during the pre-Spurrier years, the years that had us always saying, "Wait till next year?. Spurrier came in and changed our attitudes and expectations. We had always hoped to win games and championships and now we expect to.
Coach Spurrier, we owe you so much and if anyone says your leaving is wrong or you are a traitor or quitter, that person is a fool. You gave us what we wanted and did it with class and pizazz.
When you said something we knew we could take it to the bank. You didn't bend the rules for anybody. You always told it like it was. I am devestated but I know we had something special for over a decade.
All true gator fans salute you and to us you will always be the head ball coach. I, for one, hope are games are now played in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Spurrier Field. Good luck, Coach Spurrier and Jerri, You are still family to us.
Steve *******
Gainesville.

 

[Gator Fever]

Good stuff. He is definitely the biggest Gator legend of all time.

I kind of looked up to Pell also despite how it ended with that big turnaround.

 

[stephenPE]

Good stuff. He is definitely the biggest Gator legend of all time.

I kind of looked up to Pell also despite how it ended with that big turnaround.

I liked Pell too. And he was playing by the rules they followed in Athens. Tuscaloosa Knoxville and Baton Rouge............they just crucified him for it. Fla was the juggernaut the Bear predicted and Charlie was not allowed to let it happen,. They cut our legs out for the next 7-8 years.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Thanks coach. I actually didn't know I had messenger turned off. This is good for everyone anyway.

 

[Marianna-FL_Gator]

Unfortunately...i never had a chance to attend any games (during the Spurrier Era) because I was young...played 3 sports...and raced motocross on the Saturday's I didn't have a game to play. However...I definitely would of cut a sport or 2 (if I knew then what I know now and just how truly special those yrs were) so I could have attended a few games a year and witnessed the Greatness first hand. I remember taping all the games so I could watch them after my events and while watching them I use think to myself (nobody can stop us and they never will) and son was I wrong I was a kid and thought "Gator Football" would always dominate CFB but I found out quickly (after Zook was hired) that wasn't going to be the case and what Spurrier just finished doing was something that would never be "legitimately" replicated again! The people who we're fortunate enough to attend those games (like my grandfather/dad) saw the greatest era of Gator Football in History and I'm in envy of you all! #ChompChomp

 

[Chomper]

I attended almost all of the home games as well as the UGa game every year when SOS was coach. Those were great times. I will never forget his first home game vs. Oky State and oh my gosh, when the ball started flying downfield, everyone gasped. We buried the Cowboys 50 - 7 that day and the Fun 'N Gun was born. But what I appreciate Coach Spurrier for the most was the way he promised, and then delivered, on taking control of the Georgia game. Living in Jax for most of the 80's, it had gotten so that I dreaded going to that game, always expecting the worst. So yeah, to me, Steve Spurrier will always be Mr. UF not for one thing, but for so many things.

 

[gatormandan]

When SOS was here, I never got nervous if we went down a couple TDs. He would magically have us tied back up in literally minutes and almost always won the game. Now, two scores feel like the end and usually is.

 

[itsgr82bag8r]

Maybe we should simply part ways with Nuss & give the O back to SOS.

 

[Gator Fever]

When SOS was here, I never got nervous if we went down a couple TDs. He would magically have us tied back up in literally minutes and almost always won the game. Now, two scores feel like the end and usually is.

Yep that Tenn game with Manning really stuck out when it came to that. A deficit over 7 points almost seems insurmountable now.

 

[gatormandan]

There is just zero innovation....

 

[EuroGator]

I like your letter, stephenPE. I'm glad someone (you likely weren't alone in your sentiment) communicated that publicly.

Your thread title, I dunno. I thought you were reporting in this thread that in another thread Law had said that he wanted SOS to leave.

How about Laws Request............. 2002 Farewell to SOS

 

[GatorBart]

Yep that Tenn game with Manning really stuck out when it came to that. A deficit over 7 points almost seems insurmountable now.

For me, that UT game was a top 5 game in the Swamp (62-37 - the 2nd half rain game - great comeback) - the rest were all FSU games.
97 FSU (32-29) Doug Johnson, Quezzie and Freddie
95 FSU (35-24) Danny to Ike was working well in that game
93 FSU (even though we lost 33-21 - damn Warrick Dunn - it was the loudest game I'd ever been to, until the 95 and 97 games).
91 FSU (14-9) One for the ages

 

[InstiGATOR1]

Maybe we should simply part ways with Nuss & give the O back to SOS.

Spurrier is all of 6 years older than Saban. Bryant won 159 SEC games. Spurrier has won 131 SEC games. It seems really silly to me for UF fans to be suffering through this crap when a guy is on campus who could solve it and bring a pretty important record home to UF. But this situation has been going on since Zook was fired and when people look back at this era they will just shake their heads that UF came to grips with getting Spurrier back.

 

[itsgr82bag8r]

Spurrier is all of 6 years older than Saban. Bryant won 159 SEC games. Spurrier has won 131 SEC games. It seems really silly to me for UF fans to be suffering through this crap when a guy is on campus who could solve it and bring a pretty important record home to UF. But this situation has been going on since Zook was fired and when people look back at this era they will just shake their heads that UF came to grips with getting Spurrier back.

I have zero doubts that SOS would provide immediate offensive production over what we're seeing now.