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I'll admit, with mild embarrassment, that I'm not the most knowledgeable when it comes to football. In fact, my loud cheers at school football games are usually just feigned acts of understanding. The passes and tackles and [insert additional football terminology I don't know] usually go unbeknownst to me. But I've learned to follow the Orange and Blue crowd and use its raucous roar as my cue to jump around like a drunken monkey, lest I look like a sane fool of a human being in a jungle of wild animals. Place me alone and I'd probably cheer for the wrong team. (To give myself some credit, I do know what a touchdown is.)
After almost two years of attending the University of Florida, the top football school in the nation, you would think I'd have surpassed kindergarten football basics by now. But I haven't gotten much past the basic football equation: touchdown + kick = 6 + 1 = 7 points. Anything more complicated than that I have difficulty adding up. I guess I'm the Billy Madison of my school. My inability to pass Football 101 doesn't make me any less enthusiastic of a football fan, however. Though I usually don't know what I'm cheering for, ask any of my friends and they will tell you that there are fewer people who scream louder or jump higher for our Gators than me. Last Thursday's BCS Championship game was "unreal" (to quote a certain unnamed defeated quarterback). In both the statistical and patriotic sense, the victory marked a historic event. Urban Meyer is the first coach ever to lead a team to two BCS national championships. The Florida Gators have won two national championships in the past three years, a record nearly unmatched by any other team. More important than the impressive numbers (running yards amassed, touchdowns, and more statistics a football amateur like myself won't understand) is the unique experience of being able to hoot and holler in the wee hours of the morning on University Avenue and give celebratory hugs to complete strangers, bonding in the sweet name of victory. Somehow, on this glorious day, all professional decorum and polite modesty are thrown aside to relish in the joy of being a part of the Gator nation, the number one team in the country. This pride immediately brings people, otherwise strangers, together under the simple Gator connection. In the heat of the moment, we frolic, jump, dance, push, run, climb everything in sight, and nearly get trampled. Nothing is out of bounds. Even the usually strict police seem willing to allow us happy campers to celebrate to our hearts content (that is, until the burning begins). Such is the beauty of school spirit. It is animalistic, loud, and obnoxious. At times, it even borders on being downright violent and dangerous. True, sometimes the love we have for our team can go a little overboard. But that's human. We all need to let loose and unleash our emotions every once in a while. I am proud that my school has no problem doing that. I am proud that my school can display its Orange and Blue colors without shame. I am even proud that I can enthusiastically endure a game where big players tackle one another for a small oval-shaped ball, not fully understand why, and still partake in the camaraderie afterward. My school spirit, as ignorant as it may be, can never be quenched. Lynne Guey is a student at the University of Florida, majoring in Telecommunications. Her dream is to report overseas on international affairs, but is content covering any newsworthy event for now. She will begin working at the on-campus radio station this spring.
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