The difference between Florida fans and UT fans....

#1
lawgator1

lawgator1

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#1
I've been reading a lot on here over the last few weeks and even the last few days about the state of the program at UT, the new found optimism after the impressive win against UGA, whether people are too pro or anti Fulmer, are you a real fan if you root for the team no matter what, are you a real fan if you criticize despite your loyalty etc.

What gets me time and time again is the reference to the 1998 national championship. This is the difference between Florida fans and UT fans. Even when skies were darkest at Florida in 2001, 2002, 2003, you did not see Florida fans looking back to the 1996 team as a justification for the way things are. To the contrary, we pointed to the 1996 team as proof of the way that things should be.

Why am I not seeing that here with regard to UT 1998? Why is the '98 team proof that everything is okay when it ought to be proof that things are the opposite of okay?
 
#2
#2
lawgator1 said:
I've been reading a lot on here over the last few weeks and even the last few days about the state of the program at UT, the new found optimism after the impressive win against UGA, whether people are too pro or anti Fulmer, are you a real fan if you root for the team no matter what, are you a real fan if you criticize despite your loyalty etc.

What gets me time and time again is the reference to the 1998 national championship. This is the difference between Florida fans and UT fans. Even when skies were darkest at Florida in 2001, 2002, 2003, you did not see Florida fans looking back to the 1996 team as a justification for the way things are. To the contrary, we pointed to the 1996 team as proof of the way that things should be.

Why am I not seeing that here with regard to UT 1998? Why is the '98 team proof that everything is okay when it ought to be proof that things are the opposite of okay?
Click to expand...


The biggest difference is that we have class, tradition and we don't wear jorts.

" The University of Florida Football, a winning tradition since the early 1990's"
 
#3
#3
One difference. Fulmer won the 1998 Championship.

Zook did not win the 1996, therefore he has no entitlements.


Note: Meyer JUST WON a National Championship, lost 2 games, and already has a "fire me" website up. That is classless anyway you look at it.
 
#4
#4
VolBeef88 said:
The biggest difference is that we have class, tradition and we don't wear jorts.

" The University of Florida Football, a winning tradition since the early 1990's"
Click to expand...


Your zing at the bottom is exactly what I'm talking about. Mock us for our current success by saying we sucked in 1952 while you wallow in mediocrity since 1999. That makes a whole lot of sense.
 
#5
#5
The coach who built your program up and won you that championship was already gone, freeing you up to concentrate on the future. If Spurrier hadn't left, but instead went into a mediocre six-year slide, including a losing season, you guys would be having the same argument about when to dump him that we're currently having about Fulmer.
 
#6
#6
DC Vol said:
One difference. Fulmer won the 1998 Championship.

Zook did not win the 1996, therefore he has no entitlements.


Note: Meyer JUST WON a National Championship, lost 2 games, and already has a "fire me" website up. That is classless anyway you look at it.
Click to expand...


Come on, no one at Florida is seriously contemplating that. The fans are quite pleased with Meyer.
 
#8
#8
We also cant steal cars out of a lot and make 12 life threatning phone calls along with 300 other calls to the owner of the tow service if he decides to prosicute.
 
#9
#9
lawgator1 said:
I've been reading a lot on here over the last few weeks and even the last few days about the state of the program at UT, the new found optimism after the impressive win against UGA, whether people are too pro or anti Fulmer, are you a real fan if you root for the team no matter what, are you a real fan if you criticize despite your loyalty etc.

What gets me time and time again is the reference to the 1998 national championship. This is the difference between Florida fans and UT fans. Even when skies were darkest at Florida in 2001, 2002, 2003, you did not see Florida fans looking back to the 1996 team as a justification for the way things are. To the contrary, we pointed to the 1996 team as proof of the way that things should be.

Why am I not seeing that here with regard to UT 1998? Why is the '98 team proof that everything is okay when it ought to be proof that things are the opposite of okay?
Click to expand...

That is really the ultimate question Gator. Some on here have pointed to the same argument for years, but perhaps it has never been articulated so well.

Part of the issue is this. People in Florida (all Florida football programs) should expect to field the best teams every year. I grew up playing football in GA, which is more than respectable. One of my coaches had come from Florida and made this statement. In GA one major college prospect will play in any given game. In Florida, there can be as many as five or six. Florida fans should expect to get healed much faster due to this fact.

The other part of the issue is the fact that CPF obviously rested on his laurels after that victory in 98. No one can make a solid argument to make me think otherwise. After that victory, however, given the way that UT has hired coaches in the past, he has been given a long time to right the ship. A long story short, that season has kept him employed, and it is the only thing that is left for his supporters to hold on to.
 
#10
#10
Vercingetorix said:
The coach who built your program up and won you that championship was already gone, freeing you up to concentrate on the future. If Spurrier hadn't left, but instead went into a mediocre six-year slide, including a losing season, you guys would be having the same argument about when to dump him that we're currently having about Fulmer.
Click to expand...

Valid point by you as to the difference. We did change coaches twice in that span.

Hmmmmm ... also an interesting point there, too. Don't you think?
 
#11
#11
Lawgator, I see where you're coming from and it pains to agree with a gator two days in a row. However, I think you know that last week we weren't looking like this. Two weeks ago 1998 was how it should be. I will go out on a limb and say that there are more longtime members of VN who still feel '98 is a way to look back at how things should be, they just aren't fighting that fight as much now because it's been beaten to death. Fulmer is finally in hot water and most are just in a wait and see mode right now.
 
#12
#12
Lexvol said:
That is really the ultimate question Gator. Some on here have pointed to the same argument for years, but perhaps it has never been articulated so well.

Part of the issue is this. People in Florida (all Florida football programs) should expect to field the best teams every year. I grew up playing football in GA, which is more than respectable. One of my coaches had come from Florida and made this statement. In GA one major college prospect will play in any given game. In Florida, there can be as many as five or six. Florida fans should expect to get healed much faster due to this fact.

The other part of the issue is the fact that CPF obviously rested on his laurels after that victory in 98. No one can make a solid argument to make me think otherwise. After that victory, however, given the way that UT has hired coaches in the past, he has been given a long time to right the ship. A long story short, that season has kept him employed, and it is the only thing that is left for his supporters to hold on to.
Click to expand...

Is that, in the end, what its all about? Basking in the glory of his old success and declining the opportunity to be innovative? I thought I saw a flash of innovation last weekend, with his back against the wall. Perhaps he will use that as motivation to himself and the players to let loose a bit.
 
#14
#14
lawgator1 said:
I've been reading a lot on here over the last few weeks and even the last few days about the state of the program at UT, the new found optimism after the impressive win against UGA, whether people are too pro or anti Fulmer, are you a real fan if you root for the team no matter what, are you a real fan if you criticize despite your loyalty etc.

What gets me time and time again is the reference to the 1998 national championship. This is the difference between Florida fans and UT fans. Even when skies were darkest at Florida in 2001, 2002, 2003, you did not see Florida fans looking back to the 1996 team as a justification for the way things are. To the contrary, we pointed to the 1996 team as proof of the way that things should be.

Why am I not seeing that here with regard to UT 1998? Why is the '98 team proof that everything is okay when it ought to be proof that things are the opposite of okay?
Click to expand...

WTF?? You cried forever when Spurrier left and even more when Zook screwed ur program up..."Things will never be the same since Spurrier left".......he even got death threats for leaving....C'mon Lawgator, I know you're just trying to stir the sh%^ today......but you Gator fans is just as fickle.....fence riding when things go bad as we are.....your arrogance is one reason we hate Florida so bad!!

Shew, had to look.....thought we had lost an SEC game overnight and was tied for 2nd place with the Gators!!
 
#15
#15
Fine Vol said:
We also cant steal cars out of a lot and make 12 life threatning phone calls along with 300 other calls to the owner of the tow service if he decides to prosicute.
Click to expand...


To borrow from Seinfeld yet again, generally speaking you don't really need a special reason to kill a tow truck company operator.
 
#16
#16
lawgator1 said:
Valid point by you as to the difference. We did change coaches twice in that span.

Hmmmmm ... also an interesting point there, too. Don't you think?
Click to expand...


One coach moved on to the NFL, it's not as though you got rid of him.
 
#18
#18
goodolerockytop2 said:
WTF?? You cried forever when Spurrier left and even more when Zook screwed ur program up..."Things will never be the same since Spurrier left".......he even got death threats for leaving....C'mon Lawgator, I know you're just trying to stir the sh%^ today......but you Gator fans is just as fickle.....fence riding when things go bad as we are.....your arrogance is one reason we hate Florida so bad!!

Shew, had to look.....thought we had lost an SEC game overnight and was tied for 2nd place with the Gators!!
Click to expand...


Ah, the sweet voice of reason.

And by "reason" I mean irrational.
 
#19
#19
lawgator1 said:
Is that, in the end, what its all about? Basking in the glory of his old success and declining the opportunity to be innovative? I thought I saw a flash of innovation last weekend, with his back against the wall. Perhaps he will use that as motivation to himself and the players to let loose a bit.
Click to expand...

People are going to raise heck with me about this post, but once it is all said and done with his coaching tenure, the press will have a field day with the mediocre slide. If the Vols don't perform equally for the rest of the year, I expect that everything will pick up again.

It is terribly difficult to complain after handily beating an eastern foe and setting the team up for the SEC championship, even if it is only a flash in the pan. Hope does crazy things to people.
 
#20
#20
lawgator1 said:
Valid point by you as to the difference. We did change coaches twice in that span.

Hmmmmm ... also an interesting point there, too. Don't you think?
Click to expand...

Was it fair to Zook to fire him? Maybe, maybe not. Are UF's expectations so high that they needed to fire him? Yes. And I think that had UM not won an SEC Championship in his first 3-4 years, he would've been fired as well.

That's what fans expect, and the coaches there know that.
 
#22
#22
UTLCA said:
One coach moved on to the NFL, it's not as though you got rid of him.
Click to expand...


True. Plus, as we have discussed here before, Zook was severely undermined even before he got to Florida. We had just had the guy who brought us to glory leave and the first three people we wanted to replace him turned us down. If Fulmer leaves, its not the same scenario because the UT fans will surely be supportive of the incoming coach and give him a solid chance.
 
#23
#23
lawgator1 said:
Is that, in the end, what its all about? Basking in the glory of his old success and declining the opportunity to be innovative? I thought I saw a flash of innovation last weekend, with his back against the wall. Perhaps he will use that as motivation to himself and the players to let loose a bit.
Click to expand...

I think more of it is DC coming back. I think Fulmer rode his success and then the program slowly declined when DC left. Our offense has clearly been night/day since DC came back (for the most part).

You are correct, and it has been stated many times, that CPF has sat on his laurels since '98. He has not aggressively sought to make UT a nationally dominant program, which it could have been after 1998. That's why the DVD that UT released was titled "a decade of dominance*"



*in the SEC
**until the other programs got better coaching staffs and started recruiting
 
#25
#25
Lexvol said:
People are going to raise heck with me about this post, but once it is all said and done with his coaching tenure, the press will have a field day with the mediocre slide. If the Vols don't perform equally for the rest of the year, I expect that everything will pick up again.

It is terribly difficult to complain after handily beating an eastern foe and setting the team up for the SEC championship, even if it is only a flash in the pan. Hope does crazy things to people.
Click to expand...


That's what I wonder about. If UT loses two more conference games and finsihes up in the middle of the pack with a mediocre bowl gamne, will people point to this as opportunity lost.
 
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