Editor’s note: Click HERE to vote for your favorite College GameDay sign from this week. Please check back each week (and go through our archives) for the best selection of GameDay signs on the web. Follow us on Twitter (@ThatFan) to get updates!
I’m disappointed. The main thing on my mind this week (other than turkey) has been excitement as I looked forward to ESPN College GameDay being in Gainesville for the Florida vs. Florida State football game. This was to be Tim Tebow’s last game in The Swamp so it had to be an epic sight, right? I was wrong…
Now that I’ve got that off my chest let me say that it was still a great episode, with great signs and a great crowd, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. Let me say that this isn’t necessarily the crowd’s fault, but ESPN may have to take a bit of the blame. They were in their traditional spot just outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium which has great background scenery, but it is a cramped spot for fans and has numerous trees that block the view of the cameras. I’d love to hear from someone that was there…was the crowd better than it looked on TV? Again, I want to stress that I’m not knocking Florida fans, I was just expecting this to be the best crowd of the year and it was just a ‘good’ crowd rather than an amazing crowd as I expect more out of one of the best fanbases in the country.
A few observations from this week: 1) Florida has been at the site of more College GameDay episodes than any other school. 2) Florida vs. Florida State has been the most visited matchup of any other game. 3) The celebrity guest picker was New York Yankee Nick Swisher…his connection to UF was that his girlfriend was a Florida grad? Surely they could have found someone better suited. 4) Unfortunately there was no Jenn Brown…where do we direct complaints to ESPN? 5) The Washington State flags made it once again, which makes this the 89th straight broadcast they have been present. You can find more details on this tradition HERE.
On to the best signs from this week! Dear sign carrier…in case your dad wasn’t watching, send him to my site for proof:
"I bet my dad $100 that my sign would get on College GameDay!"
Mangino/Weis jokes are a popular trend this year:
"Weis + Mangino = The Biggest Loser, The Final Season"
FSU head coach Bobby Bowden gets loads of love from Florida fans…
"4 more years Bobby"
"Gators 4 Bowden"
…and then Bowden also gets some not so good treatment.
"Don't worry Bobby it's not Alzheimers...I can't remember the last time you beat us either. GO GATORS!"
"Hey Bobby wake up! The game's about to start!"
One of my personal favorites of the week:
"Our seniors are better than your senior"
While we’re making fun of the Florida State head coach, might as well get some shots in on Mickey Andrews, the associate head coach and defensive coordinator (you be the judge):
"Mickey Andrews looks like a turtle"
Now for the usual GameDay smack talk vs. the visiting team:
"Beating FSU: So easy a caveman can do it"
"What's the difference between Lucky Charms & the Noles? The Charms belong in a bowl"
"Tim Tebow = Winner. FSU Fans = Not so much."
We had our best assortment of E.S.P.N. trash talk signs that we’ve seen all year:
"E.S.P.N. - Tebow's final smackdown of pathetic Noles"
"E.S.P.N. - Tebow schools poor Noles"
"E.S.P.N. = Every Seminole pray now!!!"
This one didn’t make it on the air but was sent by a fan at the show:
"E.S.P.N. - Easygals: Strippers. Prostitutes: Noles!!"
"E.S.P.N - Tebow's last punishing of the Noles"
"E.S.P.N. - Every Seminole's Personal Nightmer" (With Tebow picture)
Being Tim Tebow’s last appearance at the Swamp, the love for #15 was in full effect:
"T E B O W"
Did you hear about the words to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer getting changed?
"You'll go down in history...like Tim Tebow"
Have any of you ever played the Tim Tebow drinking game? I doubt it, because if you watch ESPN often then you probably wouldn’t have lived to talk about it:
"Drink every time they say Tebow"
The Superman comparisons live on (this one didn’t make the broadcast either but was sent in):
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s…Super Tebow fan?
Too soon?
"Tim Tebow can outdrive Tiger Woods"
A Seminoles fan had to get in on the Tebow action:
"Tebow can't read this sign"
I hope E.J. Manuel has a helmet visor to protect from Brandon Spikes!
"E.J. watch out, Spikes is Eye Poppin' good"
Maybe he can borrow one from Jimmy Clausen?
"Hey Clausen, wear your helmet to the bars next time"
It wouldn’t be GameDay without pleads for money from mom:
"Mom, send more money for books/beer"
This guy got there early and apologized to everyone behind him trying to get on camera:
"To those behind me who can't see: I'm sorry...God bless"
Poor Les Miles is going to hear it about his late-game decision last week for a long, long time:
"Les Miles spiked my sign"
Florida fans are ready to party:
"3:30...win early, party long"
Can someone from Florida explain this sign to me???
"UF is NOT tailgate approved"
Hmmm…will Urban make the jump?
"I'm here to bring Urban 2 South Bend"
This last sign was so clever I had to get a video of it because a picture wouldn’t do it justice. Look for the Gator chomp:
Lastly we have our weekly Lee Corso video. The last several weeks Lee has been pulling the old switcheroo on us, and this week left That Fan completely confused. He starts with FSU warpaint, holds up a double sided helmet, throws on the gator head, and then does the tomahawk chop…I think he picked Florida but I’m really not sure! Nice touch by Lee to try and eat Kirk…
That’s all the signs for this week, be sure to check back in the next couple days for the poll to vote for your favorite sign of the week. I’ll put together a survey at the end of the year for people to select the best sign of the year. If you didn’t vote for last week’s sign yet, you can do so HERE.
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I think Corso was just showing some love to his alma mater. I think he did the same thing the last time Gameday was at the Florida/FSU game.
I was at GameDay… there were tons of ppl there. But because Game Day set up right next to one of the main streets in Gainesville, it was hard to get everyone in view of the camera. They had barricades set up, and the fans really couldnt move around a lot. There were also plenty more people on the sides and behind the Game Day set up.
“UF is NOT tailgate approved” is a play on the Bud Light commercials portraying a version of Billy Mays selling tailgating infomercial products. After every one he yells “Tailgate Tested” and the audience replies “Tailgate Approved”. Obviously a FSU fan, not a UF fan.
Just looked it up…thanks! Shows how much I watch commercials!
I figured that was the case…the crowd would be a hell of a lot better if they moved their spot, although its hard to talk bad about the stadium scenery in the background. Thanks for reading!
Security in Gainesville is also ridiculous. The small-to-begin-with section is completely blocked by security gates and one tiny entrance where people are funneled in (+ they have a one in-one out policy for crowd control). They won’t let you bring in any sign with a pole attached to it, nor a cooler or purse or backpack or anything. It is the complete opposite of the setups I have seen in Athens & Baton Rouge, which were basically just giant free-for-alls with huge fields behind the stage. I actually brought the “Tim Tebow can outdrive Tiger Woods” sign and had to squeeze way over to the side of the stage to get anywhere near the front. Lucky it made it on. However, within 5 minutes after it aired, the head of gameday security (a guy in a suit, not a cop) came and confiscated the sign. His explanation: “It’s funny, but we’re not exploiting Tiger Woods” Oh well, still a success!
The Washington Skins can use Tebow