The Jock

by Tom Weppel
Random thoughts from a cluttered mind…
GEORGIA-FLORIDA…FLORIDA-GEORGIA
Here we are, once again, for the annual fan rite of the Georgia Bulldogs and Florida Gators to invade Jacksonville, mainly to party, but also to watch a football game. Certainly this contest has become a fixture in this town. The fans of both teams seem to totally get in to it. Over the years, it has become a competitive game. It s always talked-about for quite a long time.
These two schools first played one another in 1904. The game has been played here in Jacksonville since 1933! In the history of this contest, the Bulldogs have a 47-38 advantage in winning, with two ties. However, there’s no question the Gators have dominated the outcome in the last decade or so. And they come in this season as the prohibitive favorite, ranked #1, and carrying a 7-0 record. They are looking strongly at winning the SEC Championship, then going on to the BCS title game.
But Florida hasn’t looked the greatest the last few weeks, having a tough time at home against Arkansas, then battling it out at Mississippi State. Tim Tebow has seemed a little rough around the edges since coming back off his concussion. But they are still undefeated and ranked at the top of the heap.
Meanwhile, the Georgia Bulldogs lost back-to-back SEC games, at home to LSU, then getting beat up at Tennessee. They are looking for a win against Florida that could certainly turn their season back around.
I’m sure there will be plenty of partying before the game, which starts at 3:30 p.m. (CBS). Usually if Georgia wins, the Bulldog fans stick around and keep it going. Florida is a 16-point favorite. We’ll see who does what in this rivalry…

JAGUARS
After a week off, the Jags go on the road to play the Titans, a team they beat only a few weeks ago. At 0-6, Tennessee is a team in total disarray. They are having problems at QB, with Kerry Collins not showing what he has the past few seasons. Meanwhile, owner Bud Adams has put out an APB for Vince Young to start in his place, BEFORE head coach Jeff Fisher even has a chance to decide who HE wants! It makes things even that much more confusing.
The Jaguars come in at 3-3, having won their last game at home in OT against the Rams. This team is still without consistency and identification. That said, we don’t know how the Jags will come out in this contest. Can we expect a team that rides off their confidence and comes out aggressively playing well? Or, should we expect a team that gets run over, like they did the week before in Seattle? Obviously, this can without question be a turning point for the Jaguars.
The oddsmakers in Vegas have made the 0-6 TITANS the favorite! Obviously, they don’t believe in the Jaguars, thinking the Titans can come off their own off-week ready to play….and win! If I were Jack Del Rio, I wouldn’t be appreciating the lack of respect his team gets (or doesn’t) around the League.

WORLD SERIES
FINALLY! The Yankees and Phillies are playing for the World Championship. With the World Series starting at such a late date, it almost feels as if this thing should be over with already!
But its not, and the teams from Philadelphia and New York are trying to win this series that used to be the ultimate sports championship in the USA. Now, its simply considered a great event and a cap-off to what has turned into a long, long season.
The Yankees are playing in their 40th World Series, while the Phillies are trying to become the first National League team since the ’75-’76 Reds to win back-to-back titles. This should be a pretty competitive affair, with a tough battle, especially since the teams are so close to one another. The last time they played each other in the World Series was 1950, when New York swept the Phils.