Reimagining Fandom

[Big Wave]

I came of age watching the Gators in the 70s and 80s. BS, as Corso used to say. We never won the SEC. We never even dared to dream of a national title. Each game was it own thing. Each season, as well. It was fun. It really was.

I'm starting to wonder if I have to get back to that state of mind if I'm ever to enjoy Gator football the way I used to. Is that even possible? Any other old guys remember what I'm talking about?

Other and more frequent posters have observed, and I agree, that the current custodians of the program seem to like being a scrappy top 15 and will never pay the price required of the elites. That seems unlikely to change. Is it possible that we must either adapt, give up, or choose unending disappointment?

 

[Fodderwing]

Fish & hunt more.

 

[gator1946]

Graves era and back, any victory was a victory. A trip to a bowl was a fantastic year. And we always waited till next year. It WAS fun. Then the best and worst thing happened. We became a power, expectations went through the roof, and so has disappointment. Yeah I remember. I wish I could go back to just enjoying a game. But I can't. At least not yet. Maybe a few more years of garbage and I'll just give up and give in. I'll probably die first.

 

[bradgator2]

It's easier on the heart and soul to dial back the expectations. For me, Chump and Butters fixed that a loss would ruin my weekend and following week.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

I meant "reimagining."

I came of age watching the Gators in the 70s and 80s. BS, as Corso used to say. We never won the SEC. We never even dared to dream of a national title. Each game was it own thing. Each season, as well. It was fun. It really was.
?

Another old fuchs trying to pimp the joys of hiring losers.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Graves era and back, any victory was a victory. A trip to a bowl was a fantastic year. And we always waited till next year. It WAS fun. Then the best and worst thing happened. We became a power, expectations went through the roof, and so has disappointment. Yeah I remember. I wish I could go back to just enjoying a game. But I can't. At least not yet. Maybe a few more years of garbage and I'll just give up and give in. I'll probably die first.

Yeah WE CAN BE KINTUCKY TOOO!

 

[MJMGator]

Apathy has definitely settled in. No way to go back in time.

 

[MJMGator]

Another old fuchs trying to pimp the joys of hiring losers.

What he said was absolutely true. We didn’t dare dream of anything more than a bowl invite when I was a kid and we still went to all the games and had a blast. SOS changed all that…Meyer, as well.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

Yeah WE CAN BE KINTUCKY TOOO!

Damn you; I was just about to respond with the 0-10-1 thing. Beat me by four lousy minutes.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

It's easier on the heart and soul to dial back the expectations. For me, Chump and Butters fixed that a loss would ruin my weekend and following week.

So you are grateful, albeit in a weird way, for their being hired.

 

[bradgator2]

So you are grateful, albeit in a weird way, for their being hired.

No, I hate it actually and would trade in a heart beat the apathy for a more competitive team that is always in the hunt for championships.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

No, I hate it actually and would trade in a heart beat the apathy for a more competitive team that is always in the hunt for championships.

Ah, so you want the stress back and your weekend and week being ruined by a loss. Fair enough.

In the interest of full disclosure, I still feel that way after some losses. After LSU last year, I couldn't even think about Gator football and only begrudgingly watched the SEC Championship game. I stayed away from here so long that Deet actually checked to see if I was still alive. The UK game this year was one of those games, just not as devastating as that LSU game.

 

[B52G8rAC]

Damn you; I was just about to respond with the 0-10-1 thing. Beat me by four lousy minutes.

Best year we real Gators ever had. Lets go Brandon!

 

[gator1946]

You do realize Donkey that a lot of things were different in pre-historic times. If you weren't at a game, you often couldn't get it on TV. If you weren't in Florida you often couldn't get it on the radio. If it was on the radio, losing was less painful. You didn't have to watch. You could just turn the volume down. If the team won, I'd go to a specialty newsstand and buy every paper I could find and read about the victory. If we lost, I didn't open the sports page.

So the real answer is you can't go back. We're all screwed.

 

[TheDouglas78]

Ah, so you want the stress back and your weekend and week being ruined by a loss. Fair enough.

In the interest of full disclosure, I still feel that way after some losses. After LSU last year, I couldn't even think about Gator football and only begrudgingly watched the SEC Championship game. I stayed away from here so long that Deet actually checked to see if I was still alive. .

And we were all upset when you responsed......

But I agree with Brad, a loss used to kill my mood all weekend, but that apathy is worse than the ups and downs. Because the downs don't feel that low, the highs feel like a set up for the lows. I would rather feel the lows that I felt in 95 after that National Title loss to feel the highs the regular season before and all of the next season. Than the just blah that I get from what I see out of the last three coaching staffs.

 

[gator1946]

And we were all upset when you responsed......

But I agree with Brad, a loss used to kill my mood all weekend, but that apathy is worse than the ups and downs. Because the downs don't feel that low, the highs feel like a set up for the lows. I would rather feel the lows that I felt in 95 after that National Title loss to feel the highs the regular season before and all of the next season. Than the just blah that I get from what I see out of the last three coaching staffs.

Don't hold your breath.

 

[TheDouglas78]

Don't hold your breath.

I don't, I trust Mullen just a touch more than I trust Strickland. And I'm pretty sure my opinions of Mullen's professionalism is well know on this board.

 

[B52G8rAC]

You do realize Donkey that a lot of things were different in pre-historic times. If you weren't at a game, you often couldn't get it on TV. If you weren't in Florida you often couldn't get it on the radio. If it was on the radio, losing was less painful. You didn't have to watch. You could just turn the volume down. If the team won, I'd go to a specialty newsstand and by every paper I could find and read about the victory. If we lost, I didn't open the sports page.

So the real answer is you can't go back. We're all screwed.

you do know there is a modern equivalent. record the game. listen to a sports cast to determine win loss status. win, watch game. lose, delete recording.

 

[Okeechobee Joe]

I just couldn't imagine Gator Ray getting a lap dance from a drunk chick in a bar.

 

[gator1946]

you do know there is a modern equivalent. record the game. listen to a sports cast to determine win loss status. win, watch game. lose, delete recording.

That requires more discipline than I have. I watch the first quarter and then Dan usually puts me to sleep. Apathy.