Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Crazy Football Love

I'm so excited that my team, the Florida Gators just won the SEC Championship and are headed to the National Championship! I love football, college especially, and more than anything, my Gators.

Why? It's the tradition, the history, the individual stories, and the collective story. I just happen to love Florida because it's where I went to school, it's where I created memories. I walked through the empty stadium on my way to and from class each day, did class presentations with students who also happened to be football players, traveled to see our first National Championship won, and built friendships around the game.

A group of fans is a community of people who may not agree on many things, but come together each week to cheer on their team. It's the only time a 'war' ends with handshakes and hugs. It's a chance for everyone to be proud to be a part of something. What's more wholesome than that? Sure, some people turn it into things it shouldn't be but all in all it's about community and pride.

So let's "raise a cheer for the orange and blue, waving forever. Forever pride of 'ol Florida, may she droop never. We'll sing a song for the flag today, cheer for the team at play. On to the goal we'll fight our way for Florida!"