A Big Thank You to Gator Fans For Their Juice — And Their Loyalty!

They remind me of an old TV commercial for Timex. “Take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’.”

By Buddy Martin

Gator bait media.com

There’s nothing quite like a welcomed Open Date week for Gator fans taking a respite from the chaos, the joy and the intensity.

I thought about this today after taking a deep breath, as I am preparing to take a much-needed three-day trip to NW Florida to see a loved one and maybe watch those remarkable Tampa Bay Rays, who unlike the Gators, haven’t had the extra benefit of energy infused by a strong fan base.

But let me stop right there and say, as a so-called impartial observer – journalist/fan- we should pay tribute to the dedicated fans who make this whole thing work, who put their hard-earned money down each week. Who stay the course when it looks imperiled without much return on investment.

Now, would it be all right if we took a short fall break?

I come before you today with a confession.

I’m happy.

About Gator football, no less.

Please don’t call anybody.

No intervention is necessary. And don’t mistake this for a declaration that Florida has solved every problem between the offensive line and the parking lot.

I’m simply enjoying what I’m seeing. A football team learning to punch back. A coach giving it a reason to believe. And a fan base that deserves something more rewarding for its investment than another explanation of why everybody needs to remain patient.

Patience is a fine virtue. But after a while, you’d like it to produce a first down.

Now comes an open date, arriving like a screen porch and a comfortable chair.

Would it be all right if we sat down for a minute?

Not quit. Not lose interest. Just take a breath in this beautiful fall weather and remember that watching sports is supposed to be fun, too.

I’m preparing for a much-needed three-day trip to Northwest Florida to see a loved one. Along the way, I intend to watch a little baseball, enjoy those remarkable Rays and let somebody else worry about what it all means.

For a quick second, I’d like to be a spectator.

A fellow watching the game instead of mentally writing the third paragraph during a pitching change.

There’s Gator basketball to enjoy, too. And no, I don’t intend to turn an exhibition loss to Baylor into a congressional investigation.

But before I step away, a thank-you is in order.

To the Gator fans.

Photo courtesy UAA and Hannah White.

For the juice. For the loyalty. For continuing to show up when showing up required considerably more faith than the preseason brochure suggested.

Those folks put down their hard-earned money, fill the Swamp and keep caring through seasons when the return on investment wouldn’t get past the first meeting at the bank.

They remind me of an old TV commercial for Timex. “Take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’.”

And they are to be commended for their loyalty.

Although I suspect a few of them would appreciate a Saturday when nobody has to test the warranty.

We in the press box sometimes perform a little balancing act with that word “fan.” We’re supposed to observe, evaluate and tell the truth, not lead cheers with a laptop.

Fair enough.

But you can recognize loyalty without surrendering your credentials. And you can appreciate what these people bring without pretending you haven’t noticed what they’ve endured.

Jon Sumrall noticed. He said the passion surrounding Florida helped attract him here.

Now we’re beginning to see what happens when his team borrows some of it.

Down 17-3 at Texas, with untested backup quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. at the controls, Florida had an opportunity to follow a familiar and thoroughly unpleasant script.

Instead, the Gators changed the ending.

Jones helped give them a chance. A tweaked defense finally got off the field on those aggravating third downs. And when Texas threw a punch, Florida did something its coaches had been asking it to do.

It punched back.

On the Longhorns’ own grass.

That’s a satisfying place to hold a Texas roadside barbecue.

It brought to mind something Steve Spurrier often told his struggling teams: “Just keep playing hard … and something good will happen.”

Simple advice. No consultant required.

And frequently, something good did happen.

Think about where Florida stands now: two victories over top-seven teams and one win away from bowl eligibility.

I realize “bowl eligible” isn’t a phrase that sets off fireworks around here. This is Florida. The historical ambition involves considerably more than securing an extra practice schedule and a December itinerary.

Still, there’s a difference between acknowledging progress and lowering the ceiling.

You can enjoy climbing a few steps without declaring you’ve reached the penthouse.

And suddenly, that next daunting assignment looks a little different.

What once might have felt like an opt-out has become an opportunity.

Please don’t get me started on comparative scores. That road usually ends with a man explaining on a napkin why his team should be national champion.

But wasn’t that Auburn team that beat Georgia the same Auburn team Florida defeated?

Just asking. Leaving the napkin in my pocket.

On a weekend when SEC giants fell like redwoods, a little daylight appeared where Florida’s path had looked awfully shaded.

There’s still plenty to sort out over these last five games. I had this pegged as a 6–6 season, and these Gators are giving me reason to reconsider.

Being wrong has never frightened me much. In this business, you learn to leave room for it in the overhead compartment.

Especially when being wrong might turn out to be this enjoyable.

So I’m going to savor Austin, thank the people who never stopped caring and take my little fall respite.

And now for the weekend:

A loved one. Some baseball. A little basketball. A few hours without treating every scoreboard as a personal medical report.

Then I’ll be back for the football.

Happily.

That last word feels pretty good.

Photo courtesy UAA (University Athletic Association, FloridaGators.com) and Hannah White. See more of her work on Instagram, and the official Florida Gators photo galleries at FloridaGators.com.