Tip Of My Hat: Better Late Than Never.
by ejruiz on Dec 9, 2008 3:52 AM CST
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PrintI wish I would have visited this site before your team faced mine in the instant classic that was the 2008 SEC Championship Game, because you clearly have a vibrant, informed and classy community here. I was particularly impressed with this post (and most of the comments attached) published the very night of what was no-doubt a difficult loss. I know I'm not the first to come around these parts and pay hommage to a most-worthy opponent, but I hope you haven't grown too tired of the sentiment.
Alabama was, simply put, the best team (outside of my beloved Gators, of course) that I have seen all year. To be honest, I thought our advantage in speed would be greater than yours in the toughness department, but the difference in both counts - and across the board really - was actually no more than paper-thin. If we played that game ten times, I doubt either team would manage more than six wins. That was an amazing football game and, perhaps even more impressive, it's just the beginning.
Your team will only get better from here on out and I doubt ours will get significantly worse. LSU and Georgia will tug at our spotlight, but I don't think they'll have what it takes to bring either of us down. Up-and-comers like Ole Miss and South Carolina, and perenial powers/rivals like Auburn and Tennessee will always make life in the SEC interesting, but it appears to me as though we're settling into a bipolar balance of power with your Crimson Tide rising in the West to meet our Gators out of the East. If only our future battles can live up to the standard set this past Saturday!
In closing, I simply wanted to convey the immense ammount of respect that your team now has from this humble Florida fan. Congratulations are in order for your impressive season that I firmly believe will end with a previously unexpected Sugar Bowl trophy hoisted high. In fact, when the confetti settles, I feel confident in saying that the SEC will once again retain its rightful place atop the college football landscape with our two teams leading the way. Something tells me, it won't be the last time either. Cheers, roll Tide and go Gators!
FanPosts are just that; posts created by the fans. They are in no way indicative of the opinions of SBN and the authors of Roll Bama Roll.
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Classy post Ruiz...
Thank you for your good wishes, and I, for one will be rooting for the Gators come Jan. 8th. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but we lost to the better team for that day, and there’s no shame in that, in my opinion. Good luck to you and your team.
"There's a lot of blood, sweat, and guts between dreams and success" - Coach Bryant
Agreed
you guys have probably one of the best players to ever play college football. I’ll be rooting for UF on Jan 8th just as I did LSU last year, and UF the year before. Although OU is a much less difficult team to ‘hate’ than tOSU, especially since OU has really good fans as well. But in any event, good luck and I look forward to our next meeting.
Not to steal bammer's MO...
…but I don’t find OU a much less difficult team to hate. I think their HC has a most fitting last name.
by NiceLittleSaturday on Dec 9, 2008 10:21 AM CST up reply actions
You guys are making me like Florida....
STOP IT!!! I was quite content in my hate….
When you are an Alabama fan you have to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because i want to.
SEC Brothers-In-Arms.
When we’re not playing against each other, why not root for each other? My dream scenario this bowl season includes three major SEC wins (Florida, Bama and Ole Miss) and, to a lesser degree, a pair of BCS upsets (Ohio State over Texas and Penn State over USC) so that our conference may once again reign supreme beyond a shadow of a doubt. I believe the Gators and Tide will handle their business with relative ease and I think that Ole Miss will be able to take care of Texas Tech, but how much faith can you put in the Big Ten to do anything right come bowl season?! Seriously though, thanks for the kind words and best of luck to our teams! S-E-C! S-E-C! S-E-C!
Here we go again: http://thefulldeck.blogspot.com/
i think that the Florida hate may originate from the Spurrier days.
I know I never liked Florida while Spurrier was there, but I like Florida all right now. haha.
Thank you for saying it first!
Last week I said that my UF friends were the worst b/c they were conceited and arrogant! This actually came from the days of Spurrier. Since the SECCG, I have gotten nothing but praise for Bama and how glad they are that they came out of the Dome with the W. Conversations about how great both of these teams are—Saban, Meyer, Julio, and Tebow! It is a whole new era.
Florida Fans
I was at the game this past saturday, and I have to say- I was blown away by the class and grace shown by the Gator fans, both before and after the game. Sure, there was some good-natured trash talking, but it was all very obviously made in good spirits. Never once, either before the game or after, did a Florida fan say anything the least bit mean-spirited….and that’s a nice change from some of the other schools’ fans I’ve been around.
As for the game itself- wow. Sure, I wish Bama had come out on top, but it was a hell of a game, and I love good football, so knowing that I saw an outstanding game played on the field made the loss a bit easier to bear. Florida had just a little more talent than we did, and didn’t make any mistakes at all. I will be rooting for the Gators in January.
As for our beloved Tide….well guys, we didnt get the NC…but really, how many of us even expected us to be in a position to be in the discussion before the season began? Coach Saban is far ahead of schedule in waking college football’s Sleeping Giant from its’ long, long slumber. This was a hell of a season and it’s only going to get better. We play more true freshmen than almost anybody in FBS competition, with very few scholarship seniors. That means these freshmen that are seeing action (and already playing well) will have a few more years experience, with a couple more top-5 recruiting classes (normal for Saban) to back them up….this Bama team will turn into an absolute Juggernaut soon. I know we will be in for some more classic battles for SEC titles here soon, most likely involving those Florida Gators, who I consider a very worthy opponant.
In fact, I’d like to see a bit of a “gentleman’s rivalry” develop between these two schools. Not a rivalry borne of hatred, but rather of mutual respect. It would add a different flavor to a league filled with hateful (but FUN!) rivalry games.
I know all schools have their jackass fans, and Alabama and Florida are no exception…but let’s make an effort to develop a culture where that sort of jackassary is frowned on, at least when it’s Bama against Florida. This can be a rivalry for the ages, 2 top programs with two of the top 5 coaches in the nation at the helms…and I can’t wait to watch it develop…
for now, go Gators, win another title for the SEC…..but ROLL TIDE forever!!!
Well said, Kong...
"There's a lot of blood, sweat, and guts between dreams and success" - Coach Bryant
This was an exceptionally interesting SECCG
Because, by and large, the enmity just wasn’t there. It was mutual respect and trepidation and a lot of unknowns. And, the trash talking wasn’t there, like in 1996 for instance. Imagine how insufferable this would have been if the Vols had beaten us for instance?
"penis fish"…google that, and the candiru is the first thing that pops up
by Stuck in the Plains on Dec 10, 2008 12:22 PM CST reply actions
Game Over
I was at the game surrounded by Gator Fans,the look of panic on their faces at the end of the third quarter was priceless.They thought the game would be over before halftime.I heard no trash talking when the game ended just relief and joy that they won.Our time will come soon!!!
by ex-patriot-bamafan on Dec 10, 2008 1:06 PM CST reply actions
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