In preparation for this weekend's annual hatred-filled battle with the Evil Empire (that's FSU), and the possibility of the Gators' first undefeated regular season since 1995, it's time to have some fun with our rivals and celebrate the Gators' total and complete awesomeness. 


First, how 'bout those Vols?  I thought a brief recap of the following events was in order given that we are approaching "Turkey Day."
 

1.  Lane Kiffin "steals" wide receiver recruit Nu'Keese Richardson on signing day after he had been committed to Florida throughout the recruiting process.
2.  Kiffin then proceeds to taunt Urban Meyer over landing said recruit, and also accuses Urban of violating recruiting rules by calling Richardson while he was visiting Tennessee.
3.  Someone explains to Kiffin that there is no such recruting rule, and he is reprimanded by the SEC for hurling false accusations at Meyer.
4.  Approaching the completion of a successful freshman campaign, Richardson and two other freshman decide to pass the time on a theretofore uneventful Thursday evening by committing armed robbery, holding up two people sitting in their car at a gas station and demanding their wallets.
5.  Richardson, Kiffin's prize recruit, is permanently dismissed from Tennessee's football team.  Meyer calls Kiffin and thanks him.  (That last part could just be wishful thinking.)


You just can't make this kind of stuff up.  Have you seen the Vol's new helmets?






Next, check out the following video, taken in the fourth quarter of the Florida-South Carolina game after the Gators had pulled away.  Somebody's not having too much fun . . . . 







Did anybody catch the Bobby Bowden press conference after the FSU-Clemson game?  There's nothing that inspires a fan base more than a coach who has difficulty remembering what happened in a game that ended only a half hour earlier. 

Here is his exchange with reporters:

Bowden: “Both of us made errors. We probably scored on some of their errors -- I didn’t keep up with it. But we’d turn the ball over and they’d go down and score. Then we’d turn it over and they didn’t score. They’d turn it over back. And the game kind of went that way. We felt very comfortable. We knew it was a battle.

“How late was it 24-21 in our favor? How late did it get? Did that get into the fourth quarter?”

Reporter: “Nine and a half minutes left.”

Bowden: “Left in the game?”

Reporter: “Yes.”

Bowden: “So you’re feeling comfortable, but you know that it ain’t won yet. Then of course the dam broke.”

 

A few minutes later, Bowden was asked this question by another reporter.

Reporter: “In the second half, when it seemed like momentum started to switch, how hard was it to try to reverse that?”

Bowden: “You mean when they got it (momentum)? Well, actually … you know, they had to kick off to us. We had a what? A three-point ….? Did we have the lead at the half?”

(Reporter nods).

Bowden: “We had a three-point lead at the half, I think. Then they had to kick off to us. We needed to take it down and win the darn game right there. We didn’t do it. They stopped us. Then we kicked it to them and then they probably scored.”

Reporter: “They went ahead and then you guys came back.”

Bowden: “Huh?”

Reporter: “They went ahead and then you guys came back again.”

Bowden: “Did we get ahead of them again after that?”

Reporter: “Yeah.”

Bowden: “Then we got back ahead, huh? Umm, it was going that way, you know it? I felt very comfortable that if they could score, we could score. That’s the way I felt, you know it? We’ve done it all year. But then we started turning the ball over.”

Maybe on Saturday he'll forget which team he's coaching and start doing the Gator Chomp.  That would cap off the season perfectly.


Finally, here's a mildly amusing video of two guys singing John Denver's "Take Me Home," but with slightly different lyrics, that should either get you really fired up for the game this weekend or make you want to hurl (outcome is totally dependent on whether or not you are a Gator fan.)


 


As we approach another Thanksgiving, I will be taking a moment to give thanks for Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow, Jeremy Foley, and Mrs. Sport Dork.  But not necessarily in that order.  Tim Tebow might be first. 

Enjoy your Thanksgiving.  And above all, Go Gators.