The biggest party in college football:
The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party
"The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" is a common name for the yearly football game between the University of
Florida Gators and the University of
Georgia Bulldogs. It is held at the neutral site of ALLTEL Stadium in Jacksonville,
Florida in either late October or early November. The designated "home" team alternates from year to year, and ticket sales for the game are split 50-50 between the two schools. Fans tailgate for days and take over several restaurants and bars around Jacksonville for the weekend.
Bulldogs
Many oldtimers say
Georgia acquired the nickname "Bulldogs" because of the strong ties with Yale, whose nickname is Bulldogs.
Georgia's first president, Abraham Baldwin, was a Yale man and the early buildings on campus were designed from blue prints of the same building at Yale. But on Nov. 3, 1920, Morgan Blake of The Atlanta Journal wrote about school nicknames and said, "The
'Bulldogs' would sound good because there is a certain dignity about a bulldog, as well as ferocity." After a 0-0 tie with Virginia in Charlottesville on Nov. 6, 1920, Atlanta Constitution writer Cliff Wheatley used the name "Bulldogs" in his story five times. The name has been used ever since. Uga
 |
| Florida's Gator prowls the sidelines of The Swamp (Scott Halleran / Getty Images) |
Uga is one of the best known mascots in the country. The bulldog is from a line owned by Frank W. (Sonny) Sieler of Savannah, GA. since 1956. The current line began with Uga I, a solid white English Bulldog who was the grandson of a former Georgia mascot who made the trip to the 1943 Rose Bowl. Perhaps the most famous Uga was Uga V who made appearances in the movie "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil". He also graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. Uga IV was the first mascot invited to the downtown athletic club and was escorted through the banquet hall by the president of the Downtown Athletic Club and was photographed with Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker.Between the Hedges
This reference to Sanford Stadium dates back to the early 1930s. The famous English privet hedges that surround the playing field were only one foot high when the stadium was dedicated in 1929 and were protected by a wooden fence. It was natural for a clever sports writer, referring to an upcoming home game, to observe, "the Bulldogs will have their opponent 'between the hedges.'" At least one old-timer says the phrase was first coined by legendary Atlanta sportswriter Grantland . Silver Britches
"Silver britches" were an innovation of coach Wally Butts, who took over as head football coach in 1939. The handsome pants, complimented by a bright red jersey, made for a striking uniform. Through the years, fans referred to the Bulldogs' silver britches in their chants and on banners, but the phrase really caught on in the early fifties with a cheer, banners and colorful vests that proclaimed "Go, You Silver Britches." Coach Vince Dooley re-designed the uniform when he came in 1964 and used white pants; however, he re-instituted the silver britches in 1980 just prior to what turned out to be Georgia's national championship season. Gators
Ordinal out of range
In 1907, one year after the University of Florida fielded its first football team, Austin Miller was enrolled at the University of Virginia. His father, Phillip Miller, owned and operated a Gainsville drug store that was a popular hangout for university students. While visiting his son in Charlottesville, the father decided to order some banners and pennants for the University of Florida from the Michie Company, which manufactured similar items for other colleges. The Millers saw samples of the Yale bulldog and the Princeton tiger and they realized that Florida had no nickname. They came up with the 'Alligators' because no other school used the name and the alligator was native to the state. The name stuck.The Swamp
The nickname for Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field was coined by none other than Steve Spurrier at the end of the 1991 season. Spurrier said, "The swamp is where Gators live. We feel comfortable there, but we hope our opponents feel tentative. A swamp is hot and sticky and can be dangerous." We Are the Old Boys From Florida
Between the third and fourth quarters, the Florida band strikes up the song "We Are the Old Boys From Florida." All of the Gator fans lock arms and sway back and forth to the music.Gator Chomp
Florida fans mimic the chomp of a Gator at key times during each game. The band strikes up the ominous music from Jaws as fans clap their hand up and down (like a alligator's mouth). The song gets faster and faster and by the end, the clapping takes over.
advertisement
