We moved to Gainesville in 1971. I immediately learned we lived in Gator Country, it's great to be a Florida Gator and the cry of the Gator is "Wait til next year".
Alabama came to town and showed us how to play football, 35-0 worth of football. Still we had our thrills with the next tier.
My dad and I were there when Nat Moore blew through the line and into the Gator consciousness. He ran so fast he looked like his head could not keep up with his feet.
We listened and laughed when the Gators laid down against Miami, and Miami was my dad's alma mater. We stood with "did you see that" looks on our faces when Wayne Fields, from our own Gainesville High School and one of the most dynamic players ever before his knee injury, turned games around with his hard hitting and hard running. For three years we saw the most exciting one of all, Wes Chandler, leave defensive backs sitting on their behinds.
Among all the thrills, there was always, "Wait til next year". Every year there were a few sad losses. The worse was to Georgia. Scott and I, went from celebrating our upcoming SEC championship to mourning over fourth-and-dumb.
Our senior year came fast, but it was still great to be a Florida Gator, even at 0-10-1, with walk-on Larry Ochab at quarterback, Chris Collingsworth at wide receiver and the guy that beat me out for the Gray team in the eight-grade, Westside Park basketball league, Kyle Coburn at cornerback.
After graduating college, I was living in Manhattan. My dad had an office in the Empire State Building. He called up a childhood friend of mine. Peter gave me a call the next day and said, "hey come on up, you can stay on our couch." Peter was living in a studio apartment near my dad's office, with the Dickster, Mike, Stan and Mark. Dickie had the back of the apartment, Peter had the front loft, Mike had the high loft in the living area and Stan was in the hole under Peter's loft. Mark was on the couch under Mike's loft and his three months were up, so out he went and I got the couch. We went to a sports bar to watch the Gators get run over again by Herschel. The Gators held their own and despite a couple hundred yards by Herschel, had the win until, "Run Lindsay, run".
So it went, always great to be a Florida Gator and always "Wait til next year". Then next year came.
Our good friends and neighbors the Heaneys moved to Colorado and bequeathed their season tickets, on the alumni side, 20-yard line, to my dad for twelve years. With us cheering the Gators on from the 13 row, the Gators would be forever changed. UF hired the Ol' Ball Coach. And now the Gators have three football and two basketball national championships. My family and the Gator Nation will be forever grateful to the Heaneys. Thanks for the tickets.
Showing posts with label Gators. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gators. Show all posts
Friday, January 9, 2009
Selling Cokes at the Game
In High School, in the early 1970s, ticket prices to Gator games were $8, but we had a way to get to the games for free.
My friend Dave and I used to sell cokes at the games. We would buy a tray of 12 cokes (pepsi was harder two syllables, so I would get the coke trays) for $3.60 to get into the games. We would sell each coke for $0.35 then find a place to sit down and drink the last two. If we got thirsty, we would buy another tray.
Sometimes the games would sell out and we could not find seats. So, we would go to the top of the stadium on the student side. Row 89 I believe was the last row. Behind the last row was a space and then the wall of the stadium. Standing on our toes, we could look over the wall and see the tiny road far below.
There was enough room in the space for another row. We set our trays down long way up, sit on them and watch the plays unfold from in aerial view.
To get into the games, you had to be at a certain gate at a certain time with your $3.60. A guy took us all in at once. We bought our first tray and they gave us passes.
One time I was late to the gate. People were already arriving for the game and the regular security was there. I had no ticket, but I did not want to miss the game, so I walked right in like I owned the place. No one stopped me.
That made Florida Field another in a long list of places I successfully snuck in.
My friend Dave and I used to sell cokes at the games. We would buy a tray of 12 cokes (pepsi was harder two syllables, so I would get the coke trays) for $3.60 to get into the games. We would sell each coke for $0.35 then find a place to sit down and drink the last two. If we got thirsty, we would buy another tray.
Sometimes the games would sell out and we could not find seats. So, we would go to the top of the stadium on the student side. Row 89 I believe was the last row. Behind the last row was a space and then the wall of the stadium. Standing on our toes, we could look over the wall and see the tiny road far below.
There was enough room in the space for another row. We set our trays down long way up, sit on them and watch the plays unfold from in aerial view.
To get into the games, you had to be at a certain gate at a certain time with your $3.60. A guy took us all in at once. We bought our first tray and they gave us passes.
One time I was late to the gate. People were already arriving for the game and the regular security was there. I had no ticket, but I did not want to miss the game, so I walked right in like I owned the place. No one stopped me.
That made Florida Field another in a long list of places I successfully snuck in.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
