Wow, my first time in the Swamp

[GatorRaz]

All I can say is wow! Rolled into town on friday and had a great time. Chapinni's home of the .60 Draft Beer is hilarious and at Ballyhoo's in Gainesville the dinner was great. Love the whole college atmosphere and the people I ran into were super nice.

A huge thank you to Jody who pulled his smoker and set it up on the corner or Newell and Union for an awesome tailgate experience and the best ribs I have ever eaten. All the fans yelling go Gators, the mature oaks dropped w' Spanish moss, the bell tower at our backs was something I will never forget. Also, Turlington Hall w' easy access to the bathroom. I even played the big Gator Band Drum.

The Swamp itself was an amazing site and experience. The game, well it was and back and forth emotional roller coaster experience you couldn't get at Universal. Let Franks and the boys on offense go make plays. Defense was tough all game till they got tired. Bring some more pressure in passing situations Randy. The pass Franks threw was a thing of beauty that I will never forget. Truly awesome and absolutely deafening. I had Gator fans hugging and high fiving me all game. Wow, nothing like 90,000 of your best friends to help you celebrate a huge Gator win.

Phan, BNA, Queenie, Sas and Coach I am truly sorry I didn't make it to the Chatter tailgate. I think I was on the East side of campus and quite a hike from you all. Maybe next time if anyone will be at the UAB game in November we can hook up. I have to bring the kids down because they are all fired up about this game.

In closing I would like to once again say thank you to everyone who played a roll in my Gator experience. Especially my wife, L.A. She is the one who made this trip happen and she made sure that I had the best time. Now , lets go beat Kentucky and make it 31 in a row!!!

Go Gators!!!

 

[jdh5484]

There's no place like the swamp.

 

[playzwtrux]

Raz, glad you had a good time. Sorry you had to sit thru the suck fest that was the first 3 quarters.

Not sure how the mood was Saturday, but it's usually always like it was when Cleveland caught that TD pass, electric.
Looking forward to the first night game to see all those fancy new lights put up around the stadium, should be awesome!!!

GO

 

[T REX]

Glad you had a good experience and win. Go Gators!

 

[Slevin]

Awesome to hear. There was a 20 year period where I went to about 80-90% of the home games/Georgia games but sadly I haven't been since the 2010 season (im superstitious, so I'm blaming our downturn on me). The Swamp is really something else and being at a game where it ends the way it did will stick with you forever. I'll always remember the pop when Johnson hit Green. The cool part about that game was that the pop lasted 10-15 minutes seeing how the game didn't end then, and every play from then on went heavily in our favor until it was over. Man I miss the Swamp

 

[Captain Sasquatch]

The 2009 UT game was my first in The Swamp. Wasn't the most exciting of games, but you never forget that first game.

 

[Okeechobee Joe]

What a game for your first time. You know what they say about the first time.

 

[stephenPE]

great recap coach. You came to a good one. Chiappinis is unique. I remember my first time walking in wondering where the line was as all these dudes were standing around with plastic up with draft beer. A bait shop with draft beer is about as good as it gets....................

 

[crosscreekcooter]

Glad you had a great experience Raz. Speaking of bait shops, is the Tackle Box still kicking?

 

[Zambo]

The 2009 UT game was my first in The Swamp. Wasn't the most exciting of games, but you never forget that first game.

Wait, wut? Aren't you in your 30s? You didn't go to school at UF?

 

[Zambo]

Glad you had a great time Raz. BTW, its not Turlington Hall, its called GPA by all the cool kids.

 

[stephenPE]

Glad you had a great experience Raz. Speaking of bait shops, is the Tackle Box still kicking?

He moved it to 441 north of where Dubs used to be. About 1/2 miles past 53rd. WAY smaller and none of that great atmosphere the old one on Hawthorne road had. Basically a reel repair shop and high end poles and reels. He writes a column each week for the Sun, Gary Simpson I think,.

 

[jdh5484]

Awesome to hear. There was a 20 year period where I went to about 80-90% of the home games/Georgia games but sadly I haven't been since the 2010 season (im superstitious, so I'm blaming our downturn on me). The Swamp is really something else and being at a game where it ends the way it did will stick with you forever. I'll always remember the pop when Johnson hit Green. The cool part about that game was that the pop lasted 10-15 minutes seeing how the game didn't end then, and every play from then on went heavily in our favor until it was over. Man I miss the Swamp

IT WAS YOU!

 

[crosscreekcooter]

He moved it to 441 north of where Dubs used to be. About 1/2 miles past 53rd. WAY smaller and none of that great atmosphere the old one on Hawthorne road had. Basically a reel repair shop and high end poles and reels. He writes a column each week for the Sun, Gary Simpson I think,.

Thanks Coach, I should have messaged you with that question as it was your comment that prompted it. I had a couple old polaroids on the wall there.

 

[NavetG8r]

Congratulations Raz. The Swamp is certainly something special to behold.

 

[Captain Sasquatch]

Wait, wut? Aren't you in your 30s? You didn't go to school at UF?

Yes, I'm in my 30s. I played football in college, but I wasn't quite good enough for Zook's Gators. I grew up mainly in Virginia after being born in Florida, and we spent about a decade or so straight of either playing football on weekends or traveling to see our older brother play at Furman. I figured out a while back that the only two home games I was even in the state of Florida for between 1993-2008 were the FSU game in '97 and Hawaii in '08. Opportunities were never there. Did see us play at Kentucky, a couple of bowl games, and the '08 SECCG in that time. Made up for plenty of lost time since then, though.

 

[stephenPE]

Thanks Coach, I should have messaged you with that question as it was your comment that prompted it. I had a couple old polaroids on the wall there.

THe old tackle box was Iconic. Dad took us there early in the morning to get our Missouri minnows and then head to Newnans Lake to catch them speckeled perch. I loved walking around that old store. They had EVERY lure and type of tackle on earth. We bought my dad a coleman ice chest there for Father's Day one time. Me and my three brothers. The exterior was metal so that made it like the Mercedes of Ice chests. Well we took it to Shell Mound all the time on the gulf and that POS rusted away quick.

 

[playzwtrux]

The 2009 UT game was my first in The Swamp. Wasn't the most exciting of games, but you never forget that first game.

Your first, my last one with my dad. It was so hot that day and Tebows fumble really deflated the atmosphere. Would've been a good win with those extra points on the board.

 

[Gator by the Sea]

Glad you had a great experience at the Swamp. I've been to over 100 games there and I never fail to get the chills every time I walk in and every time the video board plays that montage of gators swimming in a real swamp.

One thing that surprised me...pleasantly...is the atmosphere at this game. I couldn't make it, but several friends did and they all said the stadium was loud and the atmosphere was electric. It was great to hear, considering how deflated the Gator Nation was after the Michigan game.

In all kinds of weather.....Go Gators!!!!

 

[78]

We opened the '75 season with SMU at home, my first game at Florida Field. First play from scrimmage, Gaffney handed off to DuBose, who ran 75 yards untouched for a score. The place went berserk. All around me, students were getting pasted on rum and Coke, throwing frisbees and passing half-naked chicks from the bottom row to the top.

It was right about then that I realized Florida football was a little bit unique.