Carter: Days Like Sunday Are Why Gator Fans Simply Can't Get Enough
Monday, April 25, 2011 | Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – When I first arrived on the new job in the fall, I was armed with a healthy awareness of how much interest there is in UF sports.
I had spent a fair amount of Saturdays in The Swamp over the years, had watched from afar the men's basketball program's rise to national prominence, and heard the stories of all the hoopla surrounding Tim Tebow in his final season in Gainesville.
Autograph seekers lined up after every practice? Are you serious? They assured me it was true, a phenomenon Urban Meyer called a “rock-star'' environment.
Gator Nation certainly loves its sports and its heroes, and when teams are winning big like they have so much in recent years, fans can't get enough.
That's what makes this job so interesting. People care and let you know how much every day.
In the digital age of instant communication we live in, the daily interaction with readers on Twitter and Facebook and other outlets is one of the best parts about showing up at work every day. And while those tools have added to the fan experience, there's still nothing that beats face-to-face interaction.
As I covered the finals of the SEC men's tennis tournament on Sunday at Linder Stadium, I was reminded of how much fans care in an up-close-and-personal way. More than once, someone came over to my seat in the press deck to talk Gator sports or to ask about a score.
They wanted to know how the UF women's tennis team was doing in the SEC Tournament Final against host Tennessee. They wanted a score from the UF softball team's game against Alabama. They asked if the UF baseball team was winning its home game against Alabama, which was being played within earshot at McKethan Stadium.
Sunday was a huge day for the Gators. If you like celebration shots with your sports coverage, you should enjoy the photos on GatorZone.com this morning.
The Gators men's tennis team, after knocking off No. 1-seed Tennessee on Saturday in the SEC Tournament semifinals, beat Kentucky on Sunday to win the program's first SEC Tournament title in six years.
Afterward, the Gators raised the SEC trophy toward the sunny Easter sky and took photos and basked in the moment. Head coach Andy Jackson even turned into a photographer, snapping a picture of No. 1 singles player Alexandre Lacroix and his father, who was over from France to watch his son play at UF for only the second time, to commemorate the day.
At around the same time, the UF women's tennis team hoisted its own trophy after knocking off host Tennessee to win the program's 17th SEC Tournament in the 24-year history of the event. With both UF tennis programs winning, it marked the third time in school history both captured the conference tournament title in the same season (2000, 2005 and 2011).
Meanwhile, Gators softball player Kelsey Bruder played hero for the second consecutive day with a walk-off infield hit at Seashole Pressly Stadium to give the Gators a 3-2 victory and series win over No. 3-ranked Alabama. If Bruder keeps this up, maybe she'll get her own bronze statue like Tebow.
The weekend couldn't have turned out better for Tim Walton's team. Playing on national television on the ESPN family of networks both days, the Gators bounced back in dramatic fashion after losing on Friday night.
Bruder provided the heroics, including a walk-off three-run homer in Saturday's 6-5 comeback win on Saturday that had everyone buzzing leaving the ballpark. The Gators (40-8, 15-7 SEC) will try to carry the momentum – and make sure to pack Bruder's bat – with them as they travel to South Carolina this weekend for their final regular-season road series.
And at McKethan Stadium, the Gators kept pace in the rough-and-tumble SEC East by sweeping Alabama on Sunday with a 2-1 win.
In what turned out to be a pitcher's duel, Gators freshman Karsten Whitson and three relievers combined to shut down the Crimson Tide. One of the more highly-touted freshmen in the country, Whitson has done nothing but win during his brief time in orange and blue.
He improved to 5-0 on Sunday, limiting Alabama to one run and three hits over 6 1/3 innings. Whitson struck out seven. Relievers Steven Rodriguez, Anthony DeSclafani and Nick Maronde finished the job as Maronde entered in the ninth and immediately got a game-ending double play.
Needless to say, it was a good weekend for the Gators.
It reminded me of the saying the 'ole ball coach used to roll out once in a while during his days here.
“God was smiling on the Gators,'' Steve Spurrier used to say.
Sure seemed that way Sunday after four wins and two SEC championship trophies.
