Gator Country

bleedorangeblue · 01-03-2013, 10:38 AM

Let me begin by saying that I am just as guilty of this as anyone. I know that this will probably make some people mad, but I have to question Gator Nation on this one. There are plenty of threads here dealing with the coaches and players, but what about the fans? That crowd last night was embarrassing! How can we expect a team to get excited about being in a bowl game, when we as fans are not there to support them during the game? It made me mad at first, but then embarrassed during the pregame show when Chris Fowler (on 3 different occasions) talked about the lack of support by the Gator Nation. I know people will say it was the economy, a bad bowl matchup, etc., but all I'm saying is that as bad as the coaching and execution on the field was, it was also that bad in the stands and I think we bear the blame for some of this loss as well.

ironhead1 · 01-03-2013, 10:50 AM

Wednesday night after a Tuesday Christmas and a Tuesday New Years. Had this game been on New Year's Eve or even this coming Friday night the crowd would've been different.

Swampmaster · 01-03-2013, 10:50 AM

With more fans, driskel can make downfield reads and avoid sacks?

Dreamliner · 01-03-2013, 10:53 AM

Uh, no. Fans do not bear the blame. That said, we don't have many serious fans. We've got threads entitled: "No Big Deal."

GATORAJE · 01-03-2013, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swampmaster

With more fans, driskel can make downfield reads and avoid sacks?

Or our defense would have been able to make a few of those 3rd and long stops !!!! YEH baby, we're definitely to blame !!!!

g8r2012 · 01-03-2013, 10:54 AM

If there were more fans there, maybe a couple of us could have blocked on passing downs and another could've found Trey wide open down the sideline. In fact, with enough fans, maybe someone could have stood next to Jeff all night and pointed out the wide open receivers for him. Oh, and a streaker could've sacked Teddy Bridgewater on 3rd down.

gator07 · 01-03-2013, 10:56 AM

When they produce the game "made for TV" (middle of the week, right after the holiday, late start time), they shouldn't be shocked when people do just that - stay home and watch it on TV.

bleedorangeblue · 01-03-2013, 10:58 AM

Louisville fans had no problem being there. I'm not saying we would have played any different in the game. I'm just saying that we as fans did not support the team and I don't think it's fair to hammer the team and coaches for their lack of intensity and enthusiasm for the game, when we as fans didn't show any as well.

Tolbert1906 · 01-03-2013, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ironhead1

Wednesday night after a Tuesday Christmas and a Tuesday New Years. Had this game been on New Year's Eve or even this coming Friday night the crowd would've been different.

Incorrect. Gator fans don't travel well. Haven't been showing up to home games either. We also play a boring brand of football and nobody really wants to go see that in person. If we had an offense like Oregon's, the fans would show up.

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Matthanuf06 · 01-03-2013, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tolbert1906

Incorrect.

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I probably would have gone if it was a better date

BigSlick · 01-03-2013, 11:13 AM

When YOU pay my expenses to go to games, only then can you tell me where I should be!!!

gator07 · 01-03-2013, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bleedorangeblue

Louisville fans had no problem being there. I'm not saying we would have played any different in the game. I'm just saying that we as fans did not support the team and I don't think it's fair to hammer the team and coaches for their lack of intensity and enthusiasm for the game, when we as fans didn't show any as well.

Yeah and if you are a Louisville fan you probably realize that its a once-in-a-lifetime kind of shot to get to a big BCS bowl so its almost now or never. So I could see where they are much more likely to "overcome" the obstacles to getting to that game where most Florida fans have been there before and the ones that havent probably believe we will be back there many times in the future with better circumstances against a better opponent. (Count me in the latter group).

2006 was my Senior year and I cobbled all the money I had (which was none), missed some days of classes, etc to get to Arizona for the game since I knew it was such a rare opportunity. Perhaps thats how Louisville fans felt.

gator_in_georgia · 01-03-2013, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bleedorangeblue

Louisville fans had no problem being there. I'm not saying we would have played any different in the game. I'm just saying that we as fans did not support the team and I don't think it's fair to hammer the team and coaches for their lack of intensity and enthusiasm for the game, when we as fans didn't show any as well.

I believe the Papa Johns owner offset the cost of all the tickets for the UL fans.

gator07 · 01-03-2013, 11:19 AM

Also, dont underestimate the allure of a good offense. What is the saying - "offense sells tickets, defense wins championships" ?

I firmly believe a lot of our ticket sales woes lately are related to our struggling offense. Its hard to watch...and even harder to watch when you drop big coin that is required nowadays to attend these games. I would almost guarantee if we were running up and down like Oregon out there night after night we wouldnt be having these discussions. It might not be right or fair to our spectacular defense, but face it, most people want the defense to get off the field so the offense can come out and produce some fireworks.

jaxgatorjag · 01-03-2013, 11:21 AM

This was a Super Bowl for Louisville. Florida was not excited to be there, and obviuosly neither were the fans. Am I to blame for not wanting to go bad enough to be there, yes, am I to blame for the loss, heck no!!!

MastaG8r · 01-03-2013, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by g8r2012

If there were more fans there, maybe a couple of us could have blocked on passing downs and another could've found Trey wide open down the sideline. In fact, with enough fans, maybe someone could have stood next to Jeff all night and pointed out the wide open receivers for him. Oh, and a streaker could've sacked Teddy Bridgewater on 3rd down.

LOL! Love this.

Like someone else commented, making it to New Orleans for (what was thought to be) a poor matchup on a Wednesday night after being off work two Monday & Tuesdays in a row was a little too much for me. But maybe I should've gone. I won my fantasy league this year and have mad Madden skillz so clearly I could've made a contribution there.

Speaking of making a contribution, I was super psyched to see Tebow on the sidelines until I remembered that he doesn't want to run the wildcat anymore.

nawlinsgator · 01-03-2013, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bleedorangeblue

Louisville fans had no problem being there. I'm not saying we would have played any different in the game. I'm just saying that we as fans did not support the team and I don't think it's fair to hammer the team and coaches for their lack of intensity and enthusiasm for the game, when we as fans didn't show any as well.

100% correct. Louisville sold twice as many tickets as we did. As a player, if you look into the stands and see 2 to 1 numbers of fans for the other team, you can't help but think, "this game isn't that big a deal us."

LimeyGator · 01-03-2013, 11:35 AM

This thread is making my eyes bleed...

It was the fans fault, clearly. Also the postman who delivers to the Gators team hotel in New Orleans should also shoulder some of the blame. He was WAY too rough putting that mail through the door and one thing leads to another... really upset our boys!

MastaG8r · 01-03-2013, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LimeyGator

This thread is making my eyes bleed...

It was the fans fault, clearly. Also the postman who delivers to the Gators team hotel in New Orleans should also shoulder some of the blame. He was WAY too rough putting that mail through the door and one thing leads to another... really upset our boys!

Another problem was that some of the players ran into an old black guy near the corner of Bourbon & Bienville who told them, "Betcha I can guess where you got your shoes!" They lost that bet, and with it their confidence.

vaxcardinal · 01-03-2013, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MastaG8r

LOL! Love this.

Like someone else commented, making it to New Orleans for (what was thought to be) a poor matchup on a Wednesday night after being off work two Monday & Tuesdays in a row was a little too much for me. But maybe I should've gone. I won my fantasy league this year and have mad Madden skillz so clearly I could've made a contribution there.

Speaking of making a contribution, I was super psyched to see Tebow on the sidelines until I remembered that he doesn't want to run the wildcat anymore.

LOL!