The Circus
Your humble reporter arrived on campus around 9am to begin
participating in the celebration that is the annual battle of the
grid-iron between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Florida
Gators. Already, the smell of BBQ permeated the air as grills were
lit, drinks were mixed, and the party was beginning to ramp up. The
fans have been tailgating in full force. This humble reporter had to
do his best and consume beer as quickly as it was offered to him by
fellow thankful fans.
The Volunteers are in town, the eyes of these poor folk reflecting the
dim glow that reflects their intellect. Sadness is also reflected in
their demeaner; they know that with Ron Zooks departure, their hope of
owning the swamp one last time is probably gone. Dreams of lost glory,
when Peyton Manning held the mantle as the top player of the "orange
crush" fill the air; in their hearts they know their biggest fear is
about to be realized.
They fear that Rocky Top will not be played by the UT band this
evening, but rather by the Gator Band, mocking their loss.
Your humble reporter stopped and sat next to a nice elderly couple
with UT shirts on. Although they have been married for forty years,
they have been brother and sister for fifty-five. The reporter made
sure to ask if they were enjoying their stay in Gainesville, and
wished them the best of luck. Knowing it would be in poor taste to
wish the humiliation of their football team on national television,
the reporter lied to them and said he hoped it'd be a close game for
their sake, but not too close. They confirmed the suspicion of your
reporter, that most of the volunteer faithful believe tonights crusade
is a lost cause before it has even begun. They informed your reporter
that they believe the recent change in coaching staff at the
University of Florida will make a huge impact on the outcome of
tonights battle.
Gator fans on the other hand have been jubilant. They know that URBAN
MAYER is the real deal. This new era is filled with promise from a
talented coaching staff and an incredibly talented roster which is
about to meet their biggest challenge of the year. There is no
question: Tonight will set the stage for the young team for the rest
of the year. Will this be the team that finally answers the call of
"Wait until next year?" The conventional wisdom around Gainesville
says it is.
As your reporter wandered among the crowd, a band played at a charity
benefit for hurricane relief right across the street from Ben Hill
Griffin Stadium. The lead singer declared that tonight the Volunteers
would have their two front teeth kicked in, but your reporter felt
that was a little harsh.
Maybe just one tooth and a noogie.
Besides being one of the greatest battles on the gridiron, tonight
will also set a milestone in Florida history. For tonight, a state
record for the most people to ever attend a sporting event will be
set. One of the Universities Finest mentioned to your humble reporter
that the campus police department were expecting approximately 92,000
screaming fans to take to the stadium right before the 8PM
kick-off.
Ken
Posted at: 21:15 on 17/09/2005
[ /essays ]
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