Why I Usually Cheer For A Gator Win On Florida-Georgia Weekend

Last weekend was particularly difficult for me. Georgia Tech beat FSU on a last second blocked field goal attempt and returned for a touchdown with no time left essentially. *SIGH* It was bad enough that my husband's team, GT, won. But what followed the game, honestly, made me a little disgusted.

My husband, blissfully asleep during said last play of the game, had no idea until the morning what the final score was at the end of the game. In fact, he didn't even have to turn on Sportscenter. All he had to do was look at his phone. 3 Congratulatory text Messages. 2 from Gator fans. 1 from a Ga Tech fan (technically doesn't count because it was his dad. LOL). FSU hadn't lost a ACC conference game in almost 3 yrs. so it stung a little.

So Friday in my office someone said "Who are you rooting for this weekend?" and seeing my FSU shirt backtracked and said "oh that's right. You are a FSU fan so your probably cheering for Georgia!"

Not so fast. I usually cheer for Florida. I know. Why would I want to do something like that? They do nothing but torture me and even when we went to they Natty, they cheered for Auburn citing SEC loyalty. What do they call the enemy of my enemy? My friend. So I need Georgia to lay down every year.

Just so we can gain some perspective, let's talk about Florida-Georgia and it's rivalry. The rivalry began (depending on who you talk to, for sake of argument we'll take the Gators side) November 6, 1915 in Jacksonville with a Georgia win. Yeah you read that right 1915. Some 43 yrs from the time of the first Florida-Florida State game. The game has also been consistently played in Jacksonville every year since 1933. The record is (according to Florida records) Georgia leads the rivalry 49-42-2.

Historically speaking, Florida-Florida State began "Officially" in November 22, 1958. There's some talk about the Florida Men's Seminary school but I'm not counting that. Florida leads the rivalry 34-23-2. Now I did not take into account the Bowl games, because we are strictly speaking of the "game at the end of November".

Why do I need Georgia to lay down? Because if Florida wins, FSU has a 60% chance of beating Florida Thanksgiving weekend. I know that's only 10% more than a 50/50 chance, but I'll take it. Go Gators (Florida-Georgia weekend only).


Unconquered.

In Jimbo We Trust

MDK In The House

We MUST Protect This House

MDK in the House-The New City Planner

I've decided since I have ALL the answers that I would try and solve the ills that plague downtown Jacksonville. The fate of the city of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Jaguars is one and the same. I believe that unless until downtown starts to attract residents and tourists alike it will continue to be fodder for journalists. Also, I believe until the Jaguars start winning and going to the playoffs consistently, with a trip to the Super Bowl soon,  they will be fodder for journalists to say negative things. Who cares? I do. I didn't spend my childhood listening to news reports and reading newspapers insisting we HAD to have a NFL team (circa 1991), to get one (1993) and squander the opportunity (2012). I lived in Atlanta for 12 years. I returned in 2003 to a city transformed. I became a season ticket holder in 2005. I have since been questionable luck for the Jaguars. They have been rebuilding ever since.
I hear discussions about how downtown Jacksonville isn't very attractive, exciting, insert your own adjective here. I'll admit, until my return in 2003, I wasn't really one to go downtown. There was nothing down there.  So, what about downtown can be improved to make it more attractive? And by attractive, I mean to say attractions, food, shopping facilities. You get the idea.
What's sad is that The Landing is in the shambles it's in. It was once grand. I know that's hard to believe. They had an original Banana Republic (you know the original jungle themed BR), Laura Ashley, and others. Parking this or that? Make it work people. This is not brain surgery.
First, let's tear down the old courthouse and put something attractive, that actually pays taxes, and is entertaining. It baffles me why they put a courthouse on riverfront property. While we are on the subject, I believe they should move the Duval County Public Schools offices off of the southbank (prime riverfront property)  and move it to somewhere on the north side of Jacksonville.  Also, move the jail, from one block off the river to another not so prime location. I mean really??! Who planned this nonsense?
Let me be clear. This blog was not to be about who is paying taxes and who isn't. But, if taxes aren't being paid on MAJOR pieces of land in and around downtown and the river, shouldn't this property  be built up and taxes paid on them? What is the benefit of having city buildings where revenue could be made? That revenue could go towards I don't know parking and attracting the right businesses?!! Am I crazy?
Make Maxwell House something like Annheiser Busch. Give tours. Why not bring schools through there and educate children on how coffee is made. I don't know. But attract young people to downtown and bring some education to it.
I hate to go here, but I'm going to because I HAVE to. I have been told the reason nothing gets done downtown is because of First Baptist Church downtown. I've heard they own half of downtown. How can they own half of downtown??!! Who does this? Which by extension means that they don't pay taxes because they are a religious institution? So, how is it they get a say in what happens downtown?
How about getting Ben Carter developers, the brains behind St. Johns Town Center, and get them to develop the riverfront in downtown? DO SOMETHING.  Oh that's right someone tried to develop the area along the river by the stadium but it defaulted. So who's paying taxes on that? WOW. Am I the only one paying taxes at this point??? 
Some of my friends have even said put casinos on the river. That will NEVER happen. Also a credit to the downtown religious institutions.
So if you want Jacksonville to be relevant, let's do something. ANYTHING. I'm tired of being irrelevant. Are you?

MDK in the House

We must protect this house.

Jack Del Rio...SHHHHHHH!!!!

I have a past with Jack Del Rio. I know. It's hard to believe. I've waited a long time to share my story. It was around 2006. It was a Tuesday. I was on my way to work. I had left my home early to go to work at my brother's office. At that time I worked there one day per week. His office is a good distance from my home and in a complete different direction than my other office. I wanted a Starbucks and since there wasn't one near his office, I stopped at one by my home on my way. I got my Starbucks and was pulling out of the parking lot. From behind a Range Rover, haphazardly I might add, comes Jack Del Rio and his kids like ducks in a row. I slammed on brakes, stopped,I rolled my eyes and looked. I realized it was Jack Del Rio. I was embarrassed but he truly wasn't WATCHING WHERE HE WAS GOING.
Here is an article that I read on nfl.com. Some of the things he says are pretty funny and dumb from a Jaguars fan's perspective. Let's have a little looksy:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82935a51/article/jack-del-rio-wants-broncos-to-have-a-top-10-defense?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=twitterfeed

"We've established high expectations"- LOL. Jags fans have heard that one a few times.
" And that's one of the things I think we can do with the strength of our pass rushers."-That's right because you don't know what a good pass rusher is Jack. You couldn't find one with a flashlight in phone booth in the daylight. If the Broncos are smart they will have the previous year's pass rushers and won't depend on you to pick a few. He was MISERABLE at it in Jacksonville.
"Defensively we've gotta be able to get people stopped and not let them just run it down the field and control the clock."- LOL. Jack get some new lines dude. Everyone has heard that before. The only thing saving you from being laughed at because of that remark is because NO ONE was listening to you the last year at Jacksonville. Jack sucked at time clock control. SUCKED. If you don't believe me, I can't help you. Maybe Youtube can or perhaps Google. But Denver, watch out. Don't let him too far off the leash. Definitely don't wait 8 yrs to fire him.

Not watching where he was going is a pretty common thing for Jack. His reputation for running things in Jacksonville was kept on the DL (down low) for so long until he was fired.  You ask, like what? It couldn't be that bad?! How about letting players show up to practice anytime they wanted and not fining them. Don't y'all know where fines go? To the charities. So fine them who cares? How about having favorites? That definitely builds a team atmosphere (insert eye roll). How about drinking beers with his buddies while everybody else was watching film and doing game prep? How about playing golf at Glen Kernan or Timuquana on the Friday before a game when he should've been getting ready? I know. You can make all sorts of excuses. He was blowing off steam. He needed a break. Vince Lombardi never acted like that. Every moment before a game was spent strategizing. The story goes that after a game, there would be a cocktail party. You could see Lombardi in the 8mm footage. He was joking and laughing. Then he would stop. Look around. And he would disappear to his war room in his home to start preparation for the next week. The man couldn't enjoy himself and he was very successful. Jack could take a few notes from Coach Lombardi. Maybe if he had, he wouldn't have left a mess in Jacksonville.

MDK in the House

We must protect this house.

Drinking the Kool-Aid Special Edition 3-21-12 and Other Tebow Related Topics

So by now all of Jacksonville is in a frenzy over this Tebow thing. Is he coming, is he not coming. If he does come I'm cancelling my tickets. If he doesn't come I'm not buying tickets. OH COME ON. Everyone get over yourselves and listen up.
I am a self described Tebow Hater. Not Tebow the man. Tebow the football player. If a player hasn't played on one of my 2 teams, Jacksonville Jaguars and Florida State Seminoles, then technically he's not "on my team". It's not complicated. It's not personal. Strictly football. There have only been 2 "exceptions" to this rule: Byron Leftwich and Matt Turk. Tebow has never been on either one of my teams. However, if he does come to the Jaguars I will have no choice but to cheer for him and every other player on the team.
This is not a very popular belief I carry. I really don't care. I'm mildly excited about the new energy in the city and fan base. I also believe this is a critical time in the football situation in Jacksonville. The Florida Gators haven't done much of late. Neither have the Seminoles. If the Jaguars were to become successful, that might turn the tide here. It might make the Jacksonville Jaguars relevant to a whole different segment of the population. Is this a stretch or a reach? Yeah. But what isn't?
One last tidbit. Mike Mularkey was one of the coaches during the Kordell Stewart era at the Pittsburgh Steelers. Stewart was known for versatility being a quarterback, wide receiver and punt returner. So, I'm hopeful he might know how to get a little more consistency from Tebow.
If by chance he goes to the Jets, life goes on. I will not burn my season tickets in the driveway with a TV camers filming. No drama. The Jaguars are my team,  right, wrong or otherwise. So, whatever happens, HAPPENS.
Yes, as you now have guessed I am sipping the Tebow flavored Kool-Aid. It's hard not to. I really want my team to be successful and I want and crave a new energy from the fans. If sipping the Kool-Aid is wrong, I don't want to be right.

MDK in the House

An Open Letter to the Haters of the Jacksonville Jaguars

What constitutes a hater? From the Urban Dictionary: Definition of a hater-

A person that simply cannot be happy for another person's success. So rather than be happy they make a point of exposing a flaw in that person. Enter Tony Kornheiser and every other pain in the bee-hind reporter (even my beloved Mike and Mike in the Morning). Please stop hating on a city and a team that you haven't been part of and haven't spent time in. You think it can't and shouldn't happen for Jacksonville. Yeah, I'm talking about  success. Do you honestly believe we are not worthy? Do you think we are any less loyal because we are in a so-called "small market"? We have no dome. Do you have any idea what it's like to sit in 100 degree heat? And watch football? No, you don't. You sit up in New York and New England with your parkas and hot chocolate. So save your judgements and accusations for some other team. How about Phillip Rivers and that abomination of a football team of which he's supposed to be leading? Yeah let's talk about that team's lackluster season ticket sales and how "they are next" to be in L.A.!! To the residents of Duval (or Dru-val) as the case may be: This is the National Football League. Not the NCAA. NFL is the best of the best. Faster, Bigger, Stronger. Please do not insult the NFL by thinking they should be like a NCAA team. Do you know how many undefeated teams there are in the NFL right now? 1. Do you know how many teams in the NFL have gone from start to finish with no losses? 1-the 1972 Miami Dolphins. One team in almost 40 years. Please do not degrade the NFL about how you think it should be similar to the NCAA. Any given Sunday. Either you are going to win or you are going to lose. So quit comparing the success of the Gator Nation to the lack of success of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Comparing apples to oranges. Get over yourselves and realize that this city was nothing before the Jaguars and it will be nothing if they go to another city. Your apathy will assure a move to another city. We as fans haven't had much to believe in lately. But we can't give up yet. I'm not going to be the one who says if I woulda, if I shoulda, if I coulda. That's not going to be me. So, either join me or curse me. It's your choice. If you love the city we are in and if you can remember what this city was like before football came to town (and I ain't talking about Florida vs. Georgia) stand loud and stand proud: WE ARE....JAGUARS!!!!!

Keeping it Positive

I want to take this time to thank Wayne and Delores Weaver for bringing us the Jacksonville Jaguars. Thank you for all your contributions to the community and to all the different charities. From someone who grew up in Jacksonville and moved to Atlanta in 1991 and return in 2003 to a totally different town, I want to thank you for bringing Jacksonville into the 21st century. Thank you for bringing the Super Bowl to this city. It doesn't matter what anyone says, it was a success. Please enjoy your retirement. But please don't forget all the fans who have supported this organization rain or shine or 90 degree heat. There are many of us who "get it".We are and continue to be .....Jaguars.

Things I have seen...

This blogging thing is new for me. I wanted to let everyone know about my story-how i feel and see football. Although, some may not care, I'll try to give insight from a girl's (chick's) perspective.
I am the third and last child in my family. Some even say I was the caboose. At any rate, I am much younger than my siblings. In an attempt to gain attention, I tried to like the things my family liked. I was lonely and I learned lots of interesting stuff. One of those things was football. In the eighties, Jacksonville was abuzz with trying to get in the NFL. All you would hear is "When we get an NFL team".. or "We want an NFL team NOW". Because there was no NFL team, my father always watched college football. In particular, Florida State Seminoles. He had gone to the University of Florida but for whatever reason hated them. Imagine that. He lived and breathed the Noles. He sometimes wrote letters to Bobby Bowden!? So, I began to watch FSU football. Through the years, I watched and loved the Noles through wide right and wide lefts, through disappointing seasons and 2 National Championships. Painful and prideful though it was, I loved them all the more!! How is that possible? They are MY team. They are not just my dad's or my brother's team...they are MY team. I never even saw them play live and in person until 1994, FSU vs. Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Even though I lived in Atlanta, I refused to Succumb to the UGA or GT bug.
I grew up in Jacksonville until 1991 when I moved to Atlanta. I lived there 13 yrs. and then I moved back with a new husband in tow. A Georgia Tech fan at that!!! I'll explain about boyfriends and sports teams later. When I moved back, the NFL team Jacksonville had begged for in the eighties was in full gear in 2003. I went to a game. It was OK. I didn't really understand how special it was until a couple years later and more understanding about the difference between college and professional football. I had seen "Any Given Sunday", in the theater. But I did not get the professional game until I started going to games. I became a season ticket holder for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2005. As the years have gone by , I have kept my ticket (now down to 1 due to the economy). Dare I say, it's like a 3 1/2 hr. vacation on home game Sundays. ( and the Tailgating doesn't hurt either!) The Jaguars disappoint. They excel. (We will be talking about the excelling at a later date.) These things ultimately do not matter. They are still my team. The team the city hoped for all those years. I understand why people show distress towards them. Ultimately, they don't want to lose this team. Jacksonville will lose it's identity and Tony Kornheiser will be right- "the JAGS stand for Just Another Guy".