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“In all kinds of weather, we all stick together, for F-L-O-R-I-D-A”
At the beginning of every 4th quarter, Florida football fans lock arms and sing a little tune called “We are the Boys”. It romanticizes all that is great about the University and gives fans a chance to showcase what has become one of the great traditions in college football. That song ends with the line, “In all kinds of weather, we’ll all stick together, for F-L-O-R-I-D-A”. It’s become a mantra for Gator fans and on Saturday August 30, Florida’s season opener against Idaho, it was put to the test.
Around 2:30 p.m., the Gainesville weather report read 94 degrees with a heat index of 100. The heat kept Florida fans away for a while, during a time when most would’ve taken advantage of a late kick to tailgate all day. It should be noted there were a decent stretch of tailgaters around Lake Alice; yet it wasn’t quite the crush of people that has come to be expected with SEC football, and especially at one of its powerhouses like Florida. Closer to the stadium, the crowd even thinned out, with less people milling around then an 8am crowd of students rushing to class. It was weird, to say the least, not lending to any of the anticipated eagerness that comes with a season opener.
Then something shifted; or really, something arrived. No it wasn’t a cool breeze, although that would’ve been welcome since the heat was unrelenting. It was the football team, arriving for Gator Walk and as soon as those buses pulled up, a flip was switched and all of a sudden, there was excitement in the air. It was as if everyone suddenly remembered, “Oh yea, this is why we’re here.” Fans came out of the palms (Florida’s version of the woodworks) and descended upon the short brick walkway that would lead the Gators to their field.
A quick walk through this crush of people and it wasn’t hard to find those fans that were the epitome of the expectancy that is usually synonymous with these games. Sweat was literally dripping off of people’s faces, but they’d just swipe it off and keep on gator chomping.
One young fan said, “I’m extremely excited, first game of the season…all I need is a ‘W’.”
After asking another “Why are you here today”, she quickly bit back, as if it was obvious, “Because I’m really excited, and because I’m a fan and I know we’re going to win.”
One couple drove all the way from Ohio just for the game because they’re ready for “Revenge Tour 2014”. That phrase actually was thrown around quiet a bit on campus. So much so that it shouldn’t be a surprise when t-shirts are made in a couple of weeks. That same couple went on to explain that they wanted to be apart of the first stop on this revenge tour because “it’s time for us to get back to where we’re supposed to be and take care of business”.
That business like attitude extended to the team greeting these fans just moments later at Gator Walk. For at least the past couple of years, players have arrived in generic athlete clothing; i.e., athletic shorts and Nike shirts. Not this weekend though. For this first show, the football team stepped off wearing determined looks and dress clothes. Button ups, ties, shined shoes and gold watches. In an oppressive heat, they put on layers and did it with a coolness that gave fans hope. This team showed up ready to make an impression. And they almost got to do it.
After squeezing all of that anticipation into one stadium, it must have just combusted skyward. That’s the most logical explanation. Exactly 31 minutes and 25 seconds before kickoff, the lightening started. Over in the student section, a party seemed to break out, with brave souls using the bleachers as a slip and slide while keeping up with games on the big screen. All the while, the excitement lingered in the air, as palpable as the humidity that suffocated all afternoon and as defined as the torrential downpour that turned Florida Field truly into a swamp.
Every time the thunder would roll, fans would cheer. Now since 2013 isn’t that far removed, one would first assume this was out of some sort of masochistic humor, fans cheering on the storm that was indicative of the last known state of their team. It didn’t take long to realize that idea was misplaced though. They weren’t cheering out of self-apathy. They were cheering that thunder as a taunt. Every time it clapped, they answered back louder. Nothing was running them out of that stadium because this was a new year, a new team and a new attitude.
Once play was allowed to begin, fans filtered back onto drenched bleachers and players took the field to the deafening howl of a slightly less full stadium. Ok so the families with little kids went home. But most people stayed. And those that did made sure that their excitement was magnified ten-fold so as to fill the voids left by those that had beat the traffic and weather home. For about ten minutes, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium kept a steady roar, watching through warm-ups, player introductions and the national anthem. When the ball was FINALLY kicked off just after 10 pm, Valdez Showers took it all the way to the 14-yard line, eliciting the biggest cheer from that stadium since last October.
Before one play could be snapped from scrimmage though, one pesky little lightening strike showed itself and the players headed back to the locker rooms. When the game was eventually called around 10:35, a stream of fans trudged back to their cars, dragging in soaking wet clothes and disappointments. Yet, there was still that undercurrent; that excitement humming around them. New year, new team, new attitude; they’re sticking together, in all kinds of weather.
– Kassidy Hill
Saturday Down South reports and comments on the news around the Southeastern Conference as well as larger college football topics.
