Florida/Georgia Weekend
For like the past 70 years, the University of Florida and the University of Georgia have played their annual football game here in Jacksonville. The tickets are split evenly between the 2 schools, and probably about 3 times as many people come just to tailgate. The game is commonly referred to as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. It is always held the last weekend in October, and fans usually start arriving in Jacksonville the Thursday before the game. Many (alumni) come in RV's, and an "RV City" is quickly constructed down by the river, near the stadium. As you can imagine, the fans that come are the "diehard" type, and they are a hoot to watch.
Jerry has lived in Jacksonville most of his life, and got to go to the game some as a kid. His parents say that before he was a Gator fan, he alternated each year between cheering for Fla. and Ga. -- although he claims he only cheered for Ga. once.
I attribute the fact that I live in Jacksonville to the Fla./Ga. game. I came to Jacksonville for the first time in 1984, with my friends Diane and Nancy. Nancy had friends who rented an RV, and parked it with the rest of them down by the stadium. I didn't actually go to the game, but had a great time anyway. At that point, my only experience with North Florida was Gainesville, which I loved, except for the lack of beaches. After visiting Jacksonville, I decided it was the perfect Florida city -- it had a little bit of the seasons, a beautiful river, a nice downtown, and it was on the beach. When my parents decided to leave Miami, I encouraged them to look at Jacksonville. When I graduated from law school a few years later, I followed them here.
Because Jerry has been a season ticketholder since he graduated from UF, he finally became eligible to buy 2 tickets to the Fla./Ga. game 4 or 5 years ago. I have less and less tolerance for football, so now Jerry usually goes with his buddy Dave Stewart. Dave and his wife Gina always tailgate with friends before the game, complete with a tent, loud music, food and beverages. Jerry and I decided to join them on Saturday morning, with the kids, to show them the fun.
We should have known better. Doug & Katie were not impressed. Or as they said: "Why did you bring us down here? This is boring. There's nothing to do except stand around." Oh well, they looked cute anyway.
P.S. Thanks for the compliments on our new blog design. I cannot take any credit for the new look. Jerry works in the advertising field, and currently focuses on web design and photo/video DVD's. If I do say so myself, he always comes up with great stuff, and our blog is no exception. Shameless Plug: If you'd like to check out more of his work, go to www.varonweb.com
and www.photoflickdvd.com
Jerry has lived in Jacksonville most of his life, and got to go to the game some as a kid. His parents say that before he was a Gator fan, he alternated each year between cheering for Fla. and Ga. -- although he claims he only cheered for Ga. once.
I attribute the fact that I live in Jacksonville to the Fla./Ga. game. I came to Jacksonville for the first time in 1984, with my friends Diane and Nancy. Nancy had friends who rented an RV, and parked it with the rest of them down by the stadium. I didn't actually go to the game, but had a great time anyway. At that point, my only experience with North Florida was Gainesville, which I loved, except for the lack of beaches. After visiting Jacksonville, I decided it was the perfect Florida city -- it had a little bit of the seasons, a beautiful river, a nice downtown, and it was on the beach. When my parents decided to leave Miami, I encouraged them to look at Jacksonville. When I graduated from law school a few years later, I followed them here.
Because Jerry has been a season ticketholder since he graduated from UF, he finally became eligible to buy 2 tickets to the Fla./Ga. game 4 or 5 years ago. I have less and less tolerance for football, so now Jerry usually goes with his buddy Dave Stewart. Dave and his wife Gina always tailgate with friends before the game, complete with a tent, loud music, food and beverages. Jerry and I decided to join them on Saturday morning, with the kids, to show them the fun.
We should have known better. Doug & Katie were not impressed. Or as they said: "Why did you bring us down here? This is boring. There's nothing to do except stand around." Oh well, they looked cute anyway.
P.S. Thanks for the compliments on our new blog design. I cannot take any credit for the new look. Jerry works in the advertising field, and currently focuses on web design and photo/video DVD's. If I do say so myself, he always comes up with great stuff, and our blog is no exception. Shameless Plug: If you'd like to check out more of his work, go to www.varonweb.com
and www.photoflickdvd.com
posted by Lisa at 12:52 PM
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