2023-10-31 08:06:30
As far as Gator fans are concerned right now, the less said about the Florida-Georgia game, the better. But there is good news on the horizon, at least when it comes to where the game is played.
Bet on Atlanta in 2026 and Orlando in 2027, or maybe Tampa or Miami. Those are the years Jacksonville’s stadium will presumably be getting rebuilt and unable to host the game.
The AP reports that officials at both schools are considering playing those games at neutral sites, as opposed to home stadiums. If that happens, UF fans should celebrate.
Sanford Stadium is a fine place to visit, especially when your coach wants to hang “half a hundred” on the home team. But the SEC has plenty of epic on-campus venues fans can take road trips to. It’s nice to have a change of pace every year.
Jacksonville, with all its cocktail-party neutrality, has always offered a unique one for Florida and Georgia fans. That’s a big reason the game should stay there permanently, which it probably will if the Jacksonville City Council approves about $1 billion in public funding for the stadium rebuild.
If it doesn’t, all bets are off. But for now, we’ll assume there’s going to be a two-year construction break. It happened in 1994-95, and the less said about those games, the better for Georgia fans.
The Gators won 52-14 in The Swamp, and it felt like just another Steve Spurrier beatdown of an SEC opponent. The only memorable thing about the ensuing trip to Athens was Spurrier deciding to score more than 50 points, just for grins and the fact Georgia had never allowed half-a-hundred at home.
Even if Billy Napier’s rebuild flourishes, it’s hard to envision UF having the option of running up the score at Sanford Stadium in 2026. A game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with tickets split evenly, looks more enjoyable for Florida fans.
The site is less obvious in Florida, but Georgia fans would probably prefer a weekend in Orlando or Tampa or Miami over Gainesville. It would also eliminate the possibility of Kirby Smart hanging half-a-hundred at The Swamp.
As bummed as Gator fans feel about last Saturday, that would really hurt…
Hurtin’ Gators: Hangover effect among questions for Florida football following loss to rival No. 1 Georgia
Fashion show: Black unis, bowl eligibility highlight Florida football home matchup with Arkansas
Stud of the Week: Florida gymnast Kayla DiCello
For winning the all-around gold medal at the Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile.
Stud II: Reserved for the first Florida football player who can tackle Georgia’s Ladd McConkey.
Dud of the Week: The Pan Am Games measuring crew
A Peruvian woman broke the world record by an astounding 11 minutes in the 20 kilometer walk race. It turned out the course was only 17 kilometers long.
Dud II: The New York Giants
Quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor and Danny DeVito combined to pass for minus-9 yards in their 13-10 loss to the Jets. Offensive coordinator Franz Kafka is apparently auditioning for a job as Iowa’s OC…
Rapper Blueface turned his skybox at Sofi Stadium into a strip club during a Rams game last week, raining cash on near-nude dancers as they shook their butts. That didn’t sit well with QB Matt Stafford’s wife, who was in a nearby suite.
“My daughters were like, ‘Mommy, there’s a lot of butts here,” Kelly Stafford said.
Blueface promptly called her a “Karen” and said he was merely trying to emulate the Eagles’ “Tush Push”…
Slip of the Week: Luka Doncic dropped an F-bomb live on ESPN after Dallas beat San Antonio last week. Doncic explained things in the media conference that followed, saying, “Look, in Slovenia that’s not cussing, really. We say that for ‘Good Morning,’”…
The Slovenian phrase for “Good Morning” is actually “Dobro Jutro.” I don’t know what it is for the F-bomb, but I’m sure NBA refs have heard it quite often from Doncic…
Amid the growing cheating scandal, the Wall Street Journal reports that Michigan has rescinded its contract offer to Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh has denied secretly taping games of upcoming opponents, saying analysts were just trying to get video of Blueface’s suite to show at staff meetings…
Note to Kirby Smart: Samford hung 52 points on the Gators in The Swamp in 2021, so it’s not that big of a deal…
Correction: The Giants’ backup quarterback is actually Tommy, not Danny, DeVito. Honest mistake…
Spygate II Update: Sports Illustrated reported that an anonymous coach warned Michigan opponents that Wolverine ball boys would listen to play calls on the sideline and signal information across the field. Michigan denied the allegations and said it was mere coincidence that ball boys would toss footballs in the air every time an opponent sent in a pass play…
This Just In: Santiago plans to bid for the 2026 Florida-Georgia game. Officials promised the field will be 100 yards long, give or take a kilometer…
In the biggest sponsorship deal in UFC history, the mixed martial arts organization made Bud Light its official beer last week. In its first promotion, Dylan Mulvaney will take on reigning champ Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title in next week’s UFC 295…
Correction II: The Giants’ offensive coordinator is actually Mike, not Franz, Kafka. But New York’s offense is truly Kafkaesque…
Hall of Fame golfer Annika Sorenstam reportedly joined Augusta National earlier this month. The club is notoriously secretive about its membership role, though it’s safe to assume Blueface will not be staying at the Butler Cabin anytime soon…
Trivia: Franz Kafka has more career passing yards than Tommy DeVito…
That’s about all the space we have for this week’s Whitley’s Believe It or Not. Till next time, if anyone wishes you “Good morning” in Slovenian, feel free to give them a technical foul.
David Whitley is The Gainesville Sun’s sports columnist. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @DavidEWhitley
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