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December 31, 2008

The Enemy of My Enemy ...

The bowl season for the SEC gets underway today with Vandy and LSU playing their respective bowl games against ACC opponents.  The bowl season always seems to bring up an eternal debate: to cheer for the other members of your conference or to cheer the defeat of your rivals?  Most Southerners choose the former, whether out of a sense of regional solidarity or conference pride.
It is tempting to toe the conference line.  After all, you want the people you beat and the teams that beat you to look as strong as possible.  This, the argument goes, reflects well on you.  You beat the strong and the stronger beat you.  Any team from another conference with a similar record would not have fared as well if they had to play your schedule of heavyweights.  To me, this argument makes no sense.  
If Florida wins the BCS Bowl, how exactly, does that in any way help Georgia?  How does it help us if any SEC team wins their bowl game?  These are the teams we compete with for talent and resources.  A win for a rival isn't good for us, it's good for them.  There is no reflective glory in college football.  Do you think UPS wishes FedEx well?  No way.  Why should we cheer for South Carolina or Alabama or any other SEC or ACC team?
There is an exception this year.  LSU.  Geaux Tigers.

Quinton

61 comments:

Unknown said...

Ask Penn State how good a thing it is that Ohio State crapped its pants in the last couple of national title games. A lot of Penn State's disqualification after one loss had something to do with that.

But when it comes down to it, I really don't care either. I love Georgia but I grew up in Southwest Conference territory. I cheer for Georgia as a team first and foremost. But after that, I'd cheer for SMU or Texas or TCU or even the Aggies before I'd cheer for the likes of Auburn or Florida (ok, maybe not the Aggies).

To borrow something I heard on the radio many years ago, if Florida is playing the University of Iraq, I'm cheering for Iraq. Go Saddam! Here's to hoping for another Fiesta performance from the Gators. Go you bastard Big 8 team that chopped my beloved conference in half.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, its not very hard to understand why you would pull for your conference to do well. Did you pay attention this year at all to Penn State?

AuditDawg said...

Thank you so freaking much for this post. I've been called a bad SEC fan by Florida grads at work because I told them I'm rooting for Oklahoma to win by 40. Their retort is "Look what happened to Penn State this year. Do you want that to happen to Georgia?" My response is that I root for Florida to lose 12 games a year. I assure you that if Florida were to lose 12 games a year, the impact that has on Georgia's national title hopes in 2012 is the least of my concerns. Boomer Sooner!!

Anonymous said...

I just can't take yet another Gator NC. I have to root for Oklahoma to crush them. I cheered Nebraska on with great vigor and drunkenness when they beat the ever-lovin' mash out of the HBC in '95 or whatever that was...and I feel the same way this year.

Here's to a crushing defeat that makes Tebow cry again. Perhaps they will break his leg or puncture a lung? That would be good too.

Oh, and the Sooner must run the score up as much as possible.

Anonymous said...

I'm humming the "Boomer Sooner" anthem as I write...

Anonymous said...

exactly, rbubp. i just can't take another gator NC. i really don't know what the hell i'll do if i see timmy hoist that crystal ball....
its ok though, we've got our own tim tebow coming in january... aaron murray is timmy 2.0, except he has an arm.

Anonymous said...

Exactly. I don't root for Florida in anything (athletically); last year, I was Hailing to the Victors watching the Capital One Bowl. Besides, this season rooting for the 'SEC' to win isn't going to help us anyway. For those making the conference strength argument (re: the Big Ten and Ohio State), the fact that Ohio State lost those games isn't the reason for the Big Ten's perception; it's the way they lost them, which even overshadows the fact that the Big Ten actually has a fairly decent bowl record over the past few seasons.

Doug said...

Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner!!

I can't bring myself to root for Tim Teabag and rest of the idiots from Losertown. That also applies to every damn sport they compete in.

As for other SEC teams, I'm fine with them kicking the crap out of teams from the All Cupcake Conference or the Little Ten.

Anonymous said...

Tim Teabag and the Gaytors can take a mouthful of scrot. If I had to choose between pulling my mother out of a burning flame and those douche-bags loosing every game they ever played I would hope my mom was wearing a flame-retardant apron. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Boomer Sooner Bitch!!!

Anonymous said...

I pull for the SEC in the lesser bowls because it makes the conference look better when the conference wins. If the SEC went 2-6 in the bowls every year, coaches from other conferences would use it against us. Plus, our coaches use it as a plus. "Wouldn't you rather play against SEC competition? Look how our conference does in the bowls every year."

But...I definitely will pull against the gators. Them winning the natty hurts UGA far worse than South Carolina winning the Toilet Bowl in Flushing, NY.

Besides...how does other conferences beating teams that are regularly on our schedule help UGA?

Not a damn bit...

Anonymous said...

I think you make a valid point, you don't necessarily want success for a rival.. but with that being said, I don't think a win for Vandy, USc, Ole Miss, etc would necessarily hurt us.

Now, will I root for Florida? Hell no... Another NC would be tough to watch. But as for the lesser SEC schools, I don't really see the problem with hoping they look good on a national stage.

JasonC said...

Like most of the people, I think a Florida win hurts UGA more than it helps us. I don't think the SEC as a whole loses much credibility if Florida loses because:
1. I think most people would agree and most pundits have already branded the Big 12 as the top conference this year.
2. Most people also realize that this was a down year for the SEC.
3. With Florida and LSU having won the past 2 MNCs, we don't stand to lose as much as Penn St did after tOSU got whipped twice.

Boomer Sooner!

Scott said...

I cheer for Georgia and anyone who plays the Swamp Lizzards from Gainsville and squashes the bugs from the North Avenue Trade School. As someone who works for the government, I have learned from their foreign policy: the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

BOOMER SOONER!

Jarred said...

While there has rarely been a reason for me to ever root for the Florida, I do want most other teams in the SEC to win. All money earned by a team in a bowl (which is computed by fan allotment, who wins, sponsors, etc...) goes into a big pot and is split equally among the 12 SEC schools. So if LSU wins, and that earns UGA a few extra recruiting dollars, then I am OK with it. In the end, it allows us to make our non-profitable sports competitive (I can't explain whats happened to basketball.)

Will said...

Boomer Sooner

Anonymous said...

I pulled for Florida over ohio state but this time I am pulling for the sooners and I hate the sooners. I will pull for all the other SEC teams.

Anonymous said...

You left out one of the more obvious points: Who you or I or anyone chooses to "cheer" for doesn't mean squat, as it has no bearing whatsoever on the game's outcome.

Debate this all you want. When someone proves that me cheering for Oklahoma puts UGA in a worse situation, I'll start worrying.

Anonymous said...

WOW ...funny thing is..was i was going to pull for the doggies and all SEC teams to do well...i like the fact that a one loss SEC team has enough steam to make it to a Nat Championship Game....shoot in 07 a 2 loss LSU team made it...Now after reading these venemous posts.."Here's to a crushing defeat that makes Tebow cry again. Perhaps they will break his leg or puncture a lung? That would be good too." .thats classy...
..I GUESS I JUST DONT KNOW HOW YOU FEEL SINCE GEORGIA HASNT BEEN IN A POSITION TO WIN A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN OVER 25 YRS I HAVENT HAD TO SIT BACK AND WATCH AND DECIDED TO PULL FOR YOU OR NOT>!!!!!!!!!!! OH WELL!!! SUX IT DAWGS...
GO GATORS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Die gator scum. Just kidding. Just lose.

Anonymous said...

All cupcake conference?

What's the SEC?

Sucks Exceptfor2teams Conference?

Your best win was over LSU - had they not done well last year y'all wouldn't even be ranked because then you would have NO quality wins (Vandy does not count, nor does Kentucky - someone had to win 6 games in the SEC this year since UT and AU didn't want to... I mean hell, even Duke beat Vandy.)

Getting blown out by the two good teams you play doesn't lead to a ranking, nor does blowing game in the bag against your rival. Your season was only spared because you beat an LSU team that's usually pretty good.

Anonymous said...

No, let me set the record straight.

Die Gator scum.

Die a slow and painful death and burn in hell for enternity.

To the lurking Florida fans like "Booger" that were *upset* about the celebration in '07, understand this. The hate that GA fans have for you and everything about your program is 1 million times greater than the *anger* you felt after losing to us in 2007.

When the worm turns, and it will, the hell in which you shall receive from the Georgia faithful will be unmerciful, intolerable, and deafening.

Go to hell. Go straight to hell.

Anonymous said...

Did LSU's 2003 MNC help Auburn in 05? No. The argument that a strong opponent helps us is patently stupid for two reasons. First, Quinton is dead on the money about the recruiting implications. The stronger our opponents are, the more recruiting capital they have to raid the state and beat us for players we want.

Second, and something that is lost on most fans: What helps us is to have as many wins as possible. Going 12-0 is going to get us to a national title game a hell of a lot quicker than going 10-2 or 11-1 (See 2002 and 2007). Ohio State wasn't even one of the four best teams last year, but they went to the title game because they were the only one of the big schools with only 1 loss. Beating tough teams is secondary to beating every team on your schedule.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, but I am still pulling for the SEC whenever they play a non conference game. The chances of having to split hairs every year to decide what 1 loss team goes to the Nat'l Championship is highly probable. The best thing for Georgia is to know that we control our own destiny. That if we win out, or if we are amongst a group of 1 loss teams, that the SEC champ will go play for it all at the end of the year. If Florida and Alabama win, it helps the entire conference. If the SEC takes 4 of the last 6 BCS titles, then we can almost assure the SEC champ will go again next year. With a system as volatile as the BCS, perception is VERY important.

Anonymous said...

You can never ever cheer for the Gators. Ever. I look at the bowl season as a can't lose proposition. If our rivals lose, great. If they win, it props us up as playing superior teams.
Of course, ESPN hyping this conference challenge doesn't help things. The SEC doesn't even play a game until New Year's Eve - are you kidding?!? Until they weight that cup by actual opponents, it is worthless.

Ally said...

The only time you'll ever hear me cheer for Florida is when they're in the running for biggest douchebag fans of college football, whiniest bitch QB in the SEC, or any type of jort wearing competition.

Otherwise and in every sport they compete I wish them nothing but a painful, blowout ass-kicking.

Same goes for yech.

BOOMER SOONER!!!!!!!!!!

PS - do the world a favor & go smack a gaytor!
And Tuck Fech!

Anonymous said...

So what if Florida played Tech? I've struggled with that one for years...

Anonymous said...

This is exactly what bothers me as a Big Ten "fan" about the SEC fans. I was actually disappointed that Northwestern lost their bowl game. North. Freakin. Western.

I have never cared in my life whether Northwestern won or lost before this year. But after hearing the SEC! SEC! chants for the past few years I'm actually taking interest in the crappy Big Ten teams this year.

Damn you SEC for making me care about the likes of Minnesota and Iowa!

Also, as an aside the Big Ten's record against the SEC in bowl games over the past decade is 11-11.

Anonymous said...

The only way I would pull for the Florida Gators is if their team, any team, was in a race to see whose bus could run off the cliff the fatest.

Rhymerdawg said...

I loathe the Gators with a fervent heat. Every time I see Tebow and CUM, I always love that, there is a wave of heat and anger that over comes me and gives me chills. It is a hate that stems from the deepest reaches of my soul.

No one can ever cheer for the Gators. It is a contradiction to both root against and root for someone. It is not about conference loyalty or conference strength it is about your enemy.

I know that I have anger issues but you can't root for a team that recruits against you, beats you badly in 16 of the last 18 years all the while rubbing it in your face, and has much man-love from the worlds crappiest sports leader ESPN.

BOOMER SOONER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

If Florida and Tech were at a swim meet, I'd root for the water. Boomer.

Anonymous said...

You guys are crazy if you're not pulling for Flarda. Georgia is 4-1 versus the defending nat'l champ since 1997. The lone loss against defending NC being 99 UT (where Quincy had 3 picks & was warming up for his 00 Columbia "Quint" game).

This is why we should pull for UF: (1) We have a chance to win next year since UF will have the post NC hangover.
(2) The sooner Urban believes he has mastered college f-ball in the SEC, the sooner he will leave for Notre Dumb or the NFL. Then they might get another bozo like Zook and we can increase our winning % against UF to 1 every 3 years (bettering CMR's current hot streak of 1 every 4 years vs UF).

Am I looking for abstract non-football methods to beat UF? Absolutely. And if you've been paying attention, you know that we obviously can't get it done otherwise.

82 said...

So what y'all are saying is the only hope for our Dawgs to get better is to have all our opponents fail? I mean that is how we did so well 2002-2005, our rivals dropped off, right?

I for one hope the conference does well and we can compete inside of that. Who wants to be the best team in a conference of horrible programs? Lets get better amongst the best talent/coaching in the nation, it shouldn't be their success that's holding us down, we've just got to get better at recruiting and coaching on our own.

Anonymous said...

I think sometimes it doesn't really affect us one way or another. In that case I'd prefer to just see some SEC boys go out and win. But in other cases we desperately need SEC teams (Florida, Auburn, Tennessee) to lose bowl games because what's good for them is inevitably bad for us.
Check out this article about that topic:
http://bhnotes.wordpress.com/2008/12/12/boomer-sooner/

C. Paul said...

If I can borrow from the Sports Guy, who when talking about his hatred for Roger Clemens said:

"The only time I'll ever cheer for him again is when he's standing on top of a 10 story building and everyone is yelling jump".

Replace Clemens and add any choice of UF player/coach.....

Boomer Sooner.

Anonymous said...

I cannot see an NFL owner hiring Meyer. Notre Dame would be a different story, but Weis is going to win enough games next year to keep his job.

As for pulling for rivals, I will only pull for UF when it directly benefits UGA.

However, I will pull for Tech from time to time. Every year I want to see Tech and UGA enter the final regular season game both undefeated. This year I have pulled for Tech because of Paul Johnson. I really like him as a coach. Part of that is his Georgia Southern connection, part is that I love the offense he runs (it brings back lots of childhood memories of teams running the option), and because he coached at a service academy. I have a real bog soft spot for the service academies (more so since I moved to Colorado Springs).

I will also pull for the team I choose in my football pool as well!

Lucid Idiocy said...

I'm a Georgia fan. The rest of the conference can burn.

Quinton McDawg said...

I can understand pulling for the teams in your conference or on your schedule during the season. Those things matter in the BCS standings. But, in bowl season, all that stuff is decided. It doesn't matter that your rivals fail.

Despite Penn State, I don't think the SEC is going to get left out anytime soon. Two straight beatdowns in the title game earns us lots of future credibility.

Dubbayoo said...

I pretty much toe the party line until it comes to Spurrier and Florida. I'm fine with Tennessee, LSU, Vandy and Auburn winning.

I guess you could say I don't like to see anyone that beat us win anything.

Anonymous said...

I doubt recruits even care if South Carolina wins the Outback Bowl or if Vandy wins the Music City Bowl. Heck, I don't even think it really helps Georgia in recruiting if we win the Capital One Bowl (however, if our defense gives up 30+, it's a different story).

If I'm a big time recruit, I want to know a team's body of work during the season and whether or not it is winning conference and BCS championships. The rest is just gravy.

With that being said:
Boomer Sooner.

Stacy said...

If any respectable Dawg fan has made the trip to Jacksonville as much as me and my tailgating crew have, then there is NO F*ING WAY IN HELL they would ever cheer for the white trash trailer park Gaytors!!! I'm so sick of hearing the crap about how I should root for my conference, and I thank you for validating what I've always thought!

And Yes, Geaux Tigers! Happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

Tebow is giving away passes for free circumcisions in Miami.

Anonymous said...

READING THESE POSTS ABOUT HOPES FOR OTHER PLAYERS (TEBOW) TO GET HURT....ITS NO LONGER A MYSTERY TO ME THAT YOU GUYS DEFENDED THE DANCING LIKE FOOLS BIT..I DONT CARE IF THE DOGGIES WIN OR LOSE..IN FACT I DONT THINK ANYBODY OUTSIDE OF YOUR MINOR FAN BASE DOES EITHER..
BESIDES....YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FLORIDA B!TCH.....

GO GATORS

Anonymous said...

Boogers, I'm glad to see you're still hanging out with us. I know that I only associate with the boards I really want to spend time on and never bother with teams I do not care about. I mean, yoo, Boogers, with your typically Gator name, YOU could be spending time with something you didn't care as much about--like the Gators, or your family, or something far less important to you.

So I'm glad to see you're still, even now, a caring Dawg fan like us.

Thanks for your concern, Boogers. We love you too.

S.A.W.B. said...

If Floriduh and Yech are playing, I'm rooting for the earth to open up, and swallow both teams.

Dear Boogers - 46(47)-38-2. You clowns still have a ways to go before you can call anybody your 'bitch'. The tide will turn again, as it always does. I do hope you're still hanging around here when we're drowning you for the next 15 years.

Anonymous said...

UGA started at #1 and was broken down like a 4/10 shotgun by Florida and Alabama. I wouldn't want to pull for a team that beat the crap out of the Dawgs. We were overrated and overmatched against the real SEC powerhouses. We should be the Georgia Posers instead of Bulldogs.

ugagirl24 said...

Boomer Sooner for sure! Sam Bradford is a hot-tay!!

Will said...

I'll pull for LSU, but it's also nice Vandy won.
And I really have nothing against Ole Miss.
But screw the rest of the SEC that isn't the Dawgs.

JasonC said...

Good and Bad of the Peach Bowl:

Good - seeing Tech get demolished.

Bad - realizing once again that we should have beat Tech

Worse - the 4 clowns calling the game. Seriously, is there a worse foursome in all of TV sports?

Anonymous said...

wow..i guess it is settled then..all doggie fans are a$$hats.....lol G tech beat your Ars....Lsu handeled them..Bama beat you like a B!tch....Gators beat you like a b!tch....Lsu Beat u....wow..must sux to sit back and watch winners,,,,

GO GATORS

Doggies lick ba!!s

Anonymous said...

So much hatred for anyone who doesn't wear red and black does my heart good.

SEC-SEC-SEC my ass. Screw the rest of them. I'm not rooting for any team that recruits the same areas as us.

Know what helps the Dawgs look good? Beating whoever we play, not hoping our conference represents itself well.

Anonymous said...

Just got in from the Chick-fil-a Bowl. hahahahaha, looks like we have the blueprint to beat that "perfect option" wrap them up! I think tech is done. Enjoy your rings this year and start working on the design for those rings for 2016.

S.A.W.B. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Boogers, you're an idiot. Stop making me look bad.

As for rooting for you all today in your quest to defeat the mighty Spartans, I don't know if I'll be able to go quite that far... but I am hoping for a good game.

Anyways, regards from Miami. I apologize for my infrequent posting as of late. I've had a lot on my plate these last few weeks with Dan out recruiting for the other bulldogs.

Oh and just in case you had forgotten: Forty-nine to Ten!
Chomp!

-Mr. Meyer

Anonymous said...

"Mr. Meyer's" post could have been the dumbest post ever.

80dawg said...

ok no complainers about the D so far today. Stafford looks like a high school player. I am so sick of this, let him go to the NFL. Someone will clock him. No posts about the D today. Once again special teams and the offense have put this D in a horrible spot over and over!

Anonymous said...

No Mr. Meyer..you did a pretty good job of that yourself....

80dawg said...

Your language is not necessary. You can disagree without asking me to kiss your butt, and making filthy sexual remarks. I stand by my statement that Stafford has been inconsistent when it mattered on more than one occasion. I also understand that the D has not played well this year, but once again in a least two of those "abortions" as you called them, special teams and offense put us in a bad place.I also understand the weakness of the Michigan offense. This will be my last comment on this blog due to the filthy language. The world is full of real problems and challenges. I won't subject myself to that type of language.

Anonymous said...

Way to GATA defense. 6 sacks. Nice.

Anyone who thinks Stafford needs to declare for the NFL is nuts. IMO. If Stafford stays next year, we will be set after Aaron Murray redshirts. The kid has talent.

To hell with Florida.

To hell with Georgia Tech.

Boomer. Sooner.

Anonymous said...

Like someone else said before, LSU winning the NC didn't help Auburn one bit the next year. And I'm stil bitter about 49-10, and about 2002 when Florida was more than happy to be solely responsible for keeping UGA out of the NC game. So damn crybaby Timmy, damn that hypocrite CUM, and damn the state of Florida. Boomer F'n Sooner!

Anonymous said...

i pull for everyone in the SEC... EXCEPT florida and auburn

Anonymous said...

I don't understand the conference loyalty bit either. I pull for the SEC teams who traditionally are terrible and have little to no impact on our recruiting (like Vandy vs BC, UK vs ECU). I also pulled for Ole Miss to beat TT because of how the Big 12 has turned into a media darling. But I laughed long and hard as Spurrier got rocked by Iowa, Bama got beat by Utah, and that Auburn and UT are sitting at home. I honestly will never utter the words "Boomer Sooner", but you can bet I'll be laughing if Urban and Tebow are crying on each others shoulders.

 
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