Ah, Bourbon Street in New Orleans on New Year’s week – one of the great venues of the American party scene. So wild and crazy, so alive, fun and exciting to young people.
Yet so dangerous and full of temptation – a classic oasis of misspent youth.
The Bright Lights of Bourbon Street have beckoned football players, coaches and fans for 74 years.
Every Gator who has played in the Sugar Bowl on seven previous occasions — and most members of the coaching staffs — have made that trip down Bourbon Street just for the experience. (I suppose there should be a disclaimer here for people like Danny Wuerffel, however — a caveat there as well for Tim Tebow.)
I’ve misspent a little of my own youth there along that eight-block stretch through the French Quarter, so named in 1718 after the House of Bourbon, the ruling royal family of France. And in the process I’ve seen a few Gator players and coaches doing the same in past years as well.
In looking back at the Gators’ 2-5 Sugar Bowl record, one wonders if Bourbon Street has played any part in the seduction away from football thoughts, but that theory would have to apply to both teams, wouldn’t it? Besides, the Superdome is also the site of one of Florida’s greatest performances, the 52-20 national championship victory over Florida State. So it has not been all bad.
Once again, though, the bright lights call out to the young people in town for a football game — this time between Florida and Cincinnati. And this time they have a different glow for Gator players — more like red flashing lights.
I’d be willing to wager my autographed photo of Wuerffel that you won’t see any of the Gator contingent out and about on one of America’s most famous party strips.
Certainly not after the fallout from the now infamous Birthday Party on Nov. 30, after which star defensive lineman Carlos Dunlap was arrested and charged for being passed out at a stoplight at 3 a.m. Subsequently he was suspended for the SEC Championship Game lost by Florida to Alabama in the Gators’ worst performance and only loss of the year. Dunlap, it was announced Friday by Meyer, has been reinstated for the Sugar Bowl, but he will remain, to some, fairly or not, as a symbol of shirked responsibility and commitment.
Showing up on Bourbon Street wouldn’t be just politically correct for Gator football players or coaches — in fact, it could be fatal. And in the event of a loss to the Bearcats, who are 11-point underdogs, a one-way ticket out of town.
The Steve Wilks Birthday Party and subsequent fallout from it might have even sparked a wave of apathy and anger among fans, judging by their disinterest in Sugar Bowl tickets. At last count there were still 5,000 tickets unsold by the University of Florida from its allotment of 17,500 and the $125 price is being undercut on the streets where there is an oversupply. If they don’t sell them, UF will have to eat them. And nobody is crying tears for the UAA.
Part of that resentment has to be over the scarcity of tickets for the Average Joe in national championship games in 2006 and 2008. Suddenly, some people charge, the tickets were available only to the rich and privileged. I know first hand how hard they were to buy. My son was in the parking lot in Glendale, Ariz., with $800 cash trying to get one for the Ohio State-Florida game and struck out. Looking back on it, that’s just plain outrageous.
Now the tables are turned. Stub Hub is selling Sugar Bowl tickets for under face value? Payback? Maybe.
There is also some pent-up anger about what is perceived as a betrayal of trust by the players. I’m not sure that too much isn’t being made out of that Nov. 30 party, because from inside reports, only about 25 percent of the estimated 40 or so attending were drinking alcohol. And it isn’t like football players don’t have a kegger now and then or frequent places that serve alcohol, although drinking excessively or underage isn’t something to be taken lightly.
That party, however, proved to be a catalyst for launching other dirty laundry, such as the father of starting strong safety Ahmad Black coming out with a statement to the Gainesville Sun that the entire “Gatornaught” contingent was considering leaving early for the NFL. Bruce Black said he was upset that Urban Meyer had shown “disrespect” to his son—among other things, starting Will Hill over Ahmad in the first game. There was no corroboration of any mass exodus to the NFL, however, and Meyer indicated that those decisions would not be made by those players until all the information was made available to them. True or not, however, this was he first pubilc sign of any rift between Meyer and parents.
It left one wondering: Why this, and why now? I also wondered if Dunlap’s arrest for Gator football wasn’t the equivalent of Tiger Woods hitting the fire hydrant. If those events hadn’t transpired, would we ever have known the rest of the stories?
Since I wasn’t present at the party, I certainly don’t know, but the events that succeeded it have created a nasty backlash in The Gator Nation.
Just from the tone of the comments, emails, posts and radio call-in shows, it seems that The Birthday Party is being held up as example of lethargy by the team and tied directly to the lackluster play on the field with ‘Bama, during which more than 30 tackles were missed. It just was out of character for a Charlie Strong defense which had achieved such excellence all season. And the offense wasn’t anything to write home about, either.
So we have myriad theories and alleged informed opinions. And I might as well weigh in with mine.
Based on nothing more that instinct, a little bit of information here and there, plus a source or two, I think what happened to the Gators against the Crimson Tide is that they took their eye off the target just for a split second after beating Florida State to go unbeaten. And when they tried to refocus it was too late against a better-prepared, more highly motivated Alabama team with blood in its eye.
I cannot buy for a moment that this team suddenly stopped caring, nor do I discredit their remarkable undefeated season. The completion of a perfect 12-0 record gave them a false finish line, however, and in a grueling season of dodging distractions like they were in a video game, these Gator players turned off the switch just for one night. And when they tried to turn it back on, there was nothing in the tank. Whose fault is that?
Who can ever forget that impassioned plea by Tim Tebow, surrounded by the entire team late in the second half when it became apparent the dream of another national championship was about to evaporate? A group that he had pushed on a 22-game winning streak after the loss to Ole Miss suddenly had nothing left in the tank. This team looked out of gas, and out of answers.
Maybe it was because Alabama was better, or maybe it was because fatigue had set in over the long season. It was a season that Urban Meyer promised would feature “the toughest fall camp in history” and it was followed by rigorous “bloody Tuesday” practices weekly. And being hunted as the No. 1 team by every opponent, ready to play their best. And injuries to the starting left tackle, wide receiver and quarterback — just to name a few. Flu bug. Yada, Yada, Yada.
Now with some of the post-season staff changes, there is fear among the fearful that the tremors run deeper and that the sky might be falling. If not players leaving, then maybe more coaches.
It is understandable that Gator fans are heartbroken and even that some are angry, because expectations have soared under Meyer’s reign. The talk of players going early to the NFL has exacerbated matters. While Strong’s departure to Louisville was not surprise, the sudden decision of Billy Gonzales to go to work for Les Miles at LSU as passing game coordinator certainly was.
These are tumultuous matters that have gone five years deep into the head coach’s handbook, somewhere Meyer has never been, since he only coached two years each at Bowling Green and Utah. But I suspect he is equal to the task and, knowing that he’s got a competitive team in the making for next season, he’ll move quickly to get back on course. The quickest way will be to post a big win over Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl.
Those that fear Armageddon is near should grab a reality check. Perhaps they should embrace the incredible streak of championships and the 47-7 record of the senior class instead of feeling deprived of another title.
To each his own, however. When it all blows over and we look back to reflect on these years, I’ve got a pretty good idea that these team matters will have been healed; that there will be more gratitude and less insolence among fans. And that the Nov. 30 Birthday Party will be forgotten as one of those blips, another night of misspent youth, and not as an act of sabotage, treason or disloyalty.