Well, we beat Florida. Great. Seriously, it's great. But it's also time to put the whole thing to rest and get ready for Troy. I did want to pay one last homage to what really won the game on Saturday...

Superstition.

You see, I'm a creature of habit and superstitious reinforcement. If I do something and it translates to great play on the field, then I must do it again until it fails. It is what it is.

So, without further ado, let's get to the list:



The Ten Things That Changed This Past Saturday:

10. Breakfast must be cooked and I must take a nap afterwards – The breakfast thing has been done before and I took a nap last year, but the two have never been combined. There’s something inherently awesome about setting up a tailgate before the crack of dawn, grilling some pancakes and sausage on a griddle, and then taking a nice 2 hour nap afterwards. Simply put, you could say it “rocked my f*cking face off.” Especially after the 05:00 bedtime and the 05:30 wake up call from the night/morning before.

9. Must stay relatively sober – The main thing that separated this Florida trip from the others is that I stayed sober the entire time…and by choice as well. I don’t know why, but I just didn’t feel the need to really tear it up at all this past weekend. What I got in return was the opportunity to enjoy a victory in a clear state of mind. Against any 1-AA Girls’ School for the Blind’s JV Squad I’d be pissed, but against Florida, a sober victory is one to remember.

8. Gameday boxers? A non-factor – Yes, it was opposite day indeed as not only did I not wear my coveted Dawg Tags or my usual Gameday shirt, but the lucky boxers stayed behind in the hotel room. Actually, it might be a good time to retire them altogether. They’ve held up well over the years, but…well, yeah. You get the point.

7. I must sing karaoke on Friday – I hate karaoke too, but the renditions of Lump, Nothing but a “G” Thang, and Living on a Prayer must’ve done the trick to fire up the Dawgs for the game. Besides, I rock the mic like a vandal.

6. No going to The Landing – I hate that place anyway. After years and years of going while I was in college all the way until last year, I just didn’t want to anymore. If I can’t go and get a beer when I want one, or use the bathroom when I want to, then it’s not the place I need to be anyway.

5. I must eat at The Sunbury Crab Co. – Again, another tradition that just started this year, but the food is so good that it’s got to stick around. It is what it is.

4. I have to go down to Jacksonville on Thursday – Even though I went down on Friday in 2004, this new tradition has to stay because it makes the trip so much longer. Also, I’d like to have the extra day of vacation. So sue me.

3. The Dawg Tags can’t beat the Gators – I’m not sure if I’ve talked at length about the Dawg Tags here, but they are basically some fake dog tags I had made at the Smithsonian for about $10 when I was in high school. I took them to college with me where they became “Dawg Tags” and the reasoning is “you have to wear your Dawg Tags when you go to war.” Either way, they were in my right pocket throughout the game because they haven’t had any success so far against Florida while around my neck (they were in the pocket in 2004, too).

2. A shirt was retired – My roommate gave me one of those Nike Dri Fit shirts for Christmas in 2005 for me to wear during the Sugar Bowl. It’s been a great shirt, but its record is not that awesome in the 2+ years I’ve worn it. The last time we beat Florida, I bought a new polo in Jacksonville the weekend of the game. I copied the same formula this year and we walked out with a win.

1. I have to keep picking us to lose...even if I don't believe it – I know that losses will happen and I don’t expect us to rattle off a streak of 10 wins (though it’d be nice), but for the first time I can remember I actually picked against UGA and was proven oh-so-blatantly-f*cking wrong. There's nothing wrong with being wrong if your heart is in the right place. Follow me?



Ok, so there you have it. Time to put the past in the past and only bring it up when you see a Florida fan. Until then, tuck it away in a nice safe place for the offseason. It's time to take down the boys of Troy.

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: College Football, I hate Florida, The List, UGA Football