The TCD gang traveled to Gainesville for week two of the 2010 College Football Season.
We were there to see the USF bulls take on the Florida Gators.
For the first time ever.
This is a game I've been looking forward to since I saw USF destroy FSU in Tallahassee last year.
USF is a good football team
With a good coach.
But, they lost a lot of players to the NFL and graduation last year.
On the other hand, the Gators looked bad in their opening day victory against Miami of Ohio.
To be honest, I had serious misgivings about this game.
I know the Gators have superior talent and depth.
But would they execute?
We began our day early.
We arrived in time to claim a spot for Gator Walk.
I am happy to report that my friend Smokey (you know, from Smokey and the Bandit?) was on hand to keep order:
Here we have TCD DD awaiting the arrival of the players. Make note of DD's BroncoGators visor and of the young fellow giving her the hairy eyeball (nice job, there, kid):
And, here come the players!
It is definitely more subdued without dear Timmy.
As always, I am unable to identify any of these players. Without their uni's, I haven't a clue.
But, I do recognize Urb coming up the street in the background of this photo:
I'm not sure what is going on here, but apparently a hippie snuck on to the team bus, and walked with the team:
Of course, this guy walked right past Smokey without incident.
That guy (Smokey) is pretty much worthless.
The hippie probably had a bag full of Coors beer, too.
This young man wins the TCD fashion award for the week:
Here is DD posing with TCD sister on the way into the stadium:
As we awaited the opening of the gates, our good friend the Hare Krishna's came prancing up. These USF fans didn't know what to think:
Clearly, the Hare Krishna's are a bit on the hippie side. But, not being an expert in cults, I am not sure exactly where they stand on the drugs and murdering. I think they are against it, but I'm not sure.
Here, the sister wives are beckoning to me and my DD to come and join them. Such nice, happy faces. This Hare Krishna thing must be good:
I think it was right about here that I checked my phone for messages. When I looked up, TCD DD was missing! After a bit of looking, I finally found her.
Here:
Playing lead tambourine with the Hare Krishna's!
I went up to her and told her to get out of there.
The ladies told her to stay.
They said she would have more fun with them.
They are probably right.
But, still.
Anyway, I have been thinking about this.
You know, the last two TCD DD's are twins, right?
College is probably going to kill me.
So, what if I encouraged this one to go and be a sister wife with the HK's?
It looks like she would like it.
And, she plays a mean tambourine.
Half my problem would then be solved.
I'll have to think about that one some more.
Because, we have to get back on track here.
TCD sister got the hook-up on the tickets for this week.
She is about 12 years younger than old TCD, and graduated from UF with a bunch of guys who have made quite the killing in the computer and IT fields. These young guys (well they are young to me, anyway), are Bull Gators. That requires an annual donation of ten large. And then you have to buy your tickets on top of that. But, they have a sweet spot in the stadium.
Here we are arriving at the Touchdown Terrace:
In case you're wondering, it's air conditioned in there.
Sweet.
And, they serve a buffet before the game.
So, this is how the other half lives.
And, how we would live today!
Here are DD and TCD Sis with their plates;
The entrances to some of the luxury boxes open onto this Touchdown Terrace. TCD sister's friends don't have a box. Yet. So our seats are outside.
In the sun.
For a 12:30 kick-off.
They announced that the heat index (whatever that is) would be over 100 for this game.
And, it was.
I don't remember ever being that hot at a football game.
Ever.
But, our seats were good.
And, here come the Gators!:
Last week, I shared some photos from FSU's season opener in Tallahassee. There were about 15,000 open seats at Doak Campbell Stadium for that game.
Well, things are different at the Swamp:
All the little green dots you see in this photo are the USF fans:
The USF fans showed up for this game.
Good for them.
They really though their team could beat the Gators.
The patch of white you see in the bottom left of this photo is the UF band:
The announced attendance for this game was 90,612.
Gator fans know how to do it.
This was the one hundredth and something consecutive sell-out.
That is impressive.
Considering the Tampa Bay Bucs can't sell out their smaller stadium.
Ditto for the Seminoles.
And the Jacksonville Jaguars most of the time.
I didn't like being up so high, but we did have an unobstructed view of the field:
Check out the dude in the stands right behind the goal post dressed in a full Gators uniform. I'll bet he does well with the ladies:
Also note the folks in the green shirts. There were a lot of USF fans here, too.
I started getting a sick feeling as the second quarter ended that USF was going to win. The score at half-time was 7-7. And UF didn't score until late in the second quarter. If they were barely able to score seven points in the first half, why should I expect them to do any better in the second?
And, as the third quarter went on, the Gators continued to look bad. But, then, thankfully, things began to click.
And, by the time there were about two minutes left in the third quarter, the Gators were up 28-7:
And, the USF fans started heading out!:
Drive safely, and thank you for coming.
USF was able to score another touchdown at the end of the third quarter.
But, then the Gators took over and ate clock.
That game ended with a 38-14 victory.
Not pretty.
But a W.
And, I'll take that anytime:
After we sang the Alma Mater, we headed out to catch up at a tailgate party.
Old TT still casts a big shadow over Gainesville.
There were all kinds of vendors selling creative shirts:
I didn't see anyone buying these.
I'm not sure they will be big sellers.
I like Tim Tebow and all, but he plays for the Broncos now.
So, why would a Gator fan want any of this gear?
Now, here is a real business man:
OK, I'm not a PETA sympathiser by any stretch of the imagination. But, even I think this is wrong. And probably illegal. This guy was walking around with a real, live alligator. With its mouth taped shut with electric tape. Asking folks if they wanted to hold it and take a photo. For a very small fee.
Where the heck is Smokey when you need him?
Before heading out of town, we grabbed a bite at Burrito Brothers. It's a local institution. If you are ever in Gainesville look them up. You'll thank me:
I think it was National news last week that a "pastor" of a "church" in Gainesville was going to burn a bunch of Korans on September 11. His "church" is called the Dove Outreach something or other. Check out the design on this t-shirt that they were selling at Burrito Brothers:
Hippies for sure.
But, they make a mean Burrito.
That's all I have.
Next week it's back to Tally.
This is fun, but when am I ever going to get a weekend to go to the Fort?
TCD
(that way I can switch between them all)
My brother got to make the trip to Norman and I am steamed that I was unable to go.
Did the coaches not tell the players that they actually needed to bring their skills with them! 
Oh well, here's to hoping for this week to be better!
