Back very early in the football season, we agreed to exchange posts with the Florida Gators blog Saurian Sagacity. Saurian Sagacity is an outstanding blog that has been around almost as long as we have.
How this works is this: Henry Gomez writes a post for us, and we write a post for them. By mutual agreement, both his post and mine will stay as the top post for the rest of Thursday. Any new posts I make will appear directly below this one until this time tomorrow. You can find my post for Saurian Sagacity here.
We'd like to thank Henry and Saurian Sagacity for allowing us to participate in their blogswap this year.
And now, without further gilding the lily and with no more ado, I give you ... Henry Gomez of Saurian Sagacity!
Update [2007-10-18 10:14:26 by Truzenzuzex]: For some mysterious reason, our blogging platform ate part of Henry's post, and a really important part, too. So if you read his section before, please read it again -- I think it will come off a lot better. Apologies to Henry for the problem.
own·er·ship [oh-ner-ship] –noun
1. the state or fact of being an owner.
2. legal right of possession; proprietorship.
The Florida Gators own the Kentucky Wildcats. I hate to come across like an ass but facts are facts and the Florida Gators own the Kentucky Wildcats.
Florida has beaten Kentucky 20, TWENTY, Two-zero times in a row. That’s the third-longest current streak in the NCAA for Major Division I "Most Consecutive Wins Over a Major Opponent in an Uninterrupted Series."
The Gators lead the series 40-17. But even the 17 number is deceiving. Since the Gators and Wildcats made this an annual affair in 1967, the Gators have gone 35-5 against Kentucky. Did I mention that the Florida Gators own the Kentucky Wildcats?
All that said, I have to give respect to this years edition of the Wildcats football team. André Woodson is the truth. With a QB rating of 150, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I’m scared to death of him having a field day on our defense, which has been prone to giving up yards and points by the bushel. If there’s one thing I can take solace in, it’s that Kentucky’s defense has proven to be even weaker than Florida’s. Hopefully Florida’s baby Rhino (also known as Tim Tebow) is keeping your defensive coaches from sleeping this week. All indications are that this could be a shootout, with the team that possesses the ball last winning.
I do have to give credit to Kentucky for doing what Florida couldn’t, knock off LSU. By the way, you owe us for that. Les Miles rolled the dice several times against the gators and came out a winner each and every time. By the time the Tigers rolled into Lexington, Les Miles had used up a season’s worth of juju.
If the Gators are to stay alive in the race for the SEC East, they are going to have to re-assert their rights as owners of the Kentucky Wildcats. But if for some reason they don’t, enjoy it while you can because the rightful owners of the Kentucky Wildcats will be back to claim their property in short order.
Update [2007-10-18 9:55:33 by Truzenzuzex]: Henry's co-blogger Mergz wanted to add his $0.02 to this post, and I am happy to allow him to do so. What follows is Mergz's entry into our BlogSwap with Saurian Sagacity.
Well Kentucky, you finally did it. You learned what it takes to win.
Unlike the other SEC schools, I have a certain connection with Kentucky that allows me a bit more insight into the Wildcat mindset than other outsiders. You see, I have family that bleeds Kentucky blue. My younger sister attended UK, and her husband is a Kentucky letterman. Along with their kids, they actually live in Lexington (well, Winchester for those of you more familiar with the area).
For as long as I have been a Gator/SEC football fan, Kentucky was one of "those schools". I was a school that always found a way to lose, no matter how improbable. There was the famous/infamous (depending on your viewpoint) Wuerffel to Doering pass on September 11, 1993 when Florida won the game on the final play in Kentucky.
There was the 2003 game, where freshman and future national champion Chris Leak led the Gators to an 18 point comeback against the ‘Cats.
And of course, there was that other LSU game with the premature "engatoradebathination" event.
Yes, Kentucky always found a way to lose.
Because of my family connections, I have been to several games at Commonwealth stadium. It is a great place to see an SEC football game. The fans were always courteous, but it was the type of courtesy given from people facing certain defeat. However, unlike some other schools (Vanderbilt anyone?) Kentucky fans were still proud group. Perhaps it was pride borne of knowing a winning program (basketball). One of my brother-in-law’s friends, also a letter winner, has a UK tattoo on his calf. At the 2001 game (final score Florida 44 – Kentucky 10) this individual cheered to the bitter end – perhaps well past it in fact. I could see the Kentucky pride.
But I also saw reality. In the aforementioned 2003 game, the Kentucky fans I knew were certain UK would find a way to lose, even with the 18 point lead late in the game. I told them they were crazy, that UK finally had us beat. In the end, they were right.
My sister’s son, now nine, was born and raised around Lexington. And as you can imagine, his Kentucky-blue parents have raised him in all things Wildcat. I think it was at that 2003 game when he first realized the Wildcat’s losing tradition. As a young impressionable person, from that point he naturally gravitated towards a certain winning program (with a little help from his Gator uncle by way of clothing gifts and the likes). Perhaps it is 9 year old rebelliousness, but that Kentucky born kid is presently a Gator fan.
In fact, he will be wearing Gator colors to the game this Saturday. I know this just kills his father.
Now as a die hard SEC fan, and father myself, it pains me a bit to see a child turn against his heritage thus. On the other hand, I kind of encouraged it. But his present allegiance isn’t really the problem.
The problem is the ‘Cats history of losing. If UK had a traditionally winning program, I couldn’t have made my nephew a Gator through any means. As it is, the kids at school can’t really tease him when he wears that Florida jersey – he has the mantle of a winning program.
Last year my Kentucky based family attended the game in Gainesville. As the clock wound down to another Gator victory, my sister said "One of these days, I will dance in your face"
My reply –"Well, at least you have a basketball team – oh that’s right, we are national champs at that too!"
Her grimace was telling.
So, is this the year my sister "dances in my face" Kentucky? Is this the year you take a step towards winning back that 9 year old boy?
I have my doubts. Sure, you stepped up and finally put one of the "big boys" away in LSU, and you have my sincere congratulations for doing so.
But which UK is going to show up this Saturday? The one that put LSU away in triple OT? Or the one that coughed up 2 gimme touchdowns to Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks? I guess we shall see.
But, and for perhaps the first time in my Gator years, this weekend’s game against Kentucky has me nervous. I talked to my sister, and it has her with a new emotion too – hope.
The Kentucky game as a legitimate contest may take some getting used to.
For both of us.