After turkey comes time to really feast on 'Noles

Eric,

Thanks for finally putting Nim-Rodeffer in his place. I was out of town and didn't read his last article that you refered to but it sounds like his typical trash. I think the fact that he didn't even submit his article this week speaks volumes about his character (or should I say lack of). I remember how he "couldn't get to his laptop fast enough" on his perfect weekend when we lost to Auburn and they beat what they thought was a sound Alabama team. That just shows how far they've fallen when their signature win is over a very mediocre 6-6 team. At least you and Trey have the nads to step up and take it like men by fulfilling your obligations with an article even when you lose. One last thing: I have scoured the play participation charts for the 1999 FSU football season and his name is nowhere to be found. His name is on the roster, so it's possible he got in on special teams during a blowout win or something and they don't keep records for that. But I don't see how being a walk-on, non-scholarship, scout team blocking sled dummy qualifies someone to use the tagline that they PLAYED during the 1999 championship season.

John,

Thanks for your response to my article.  You are the only one to blog me this year, so thanks for that.  Your attack on WD was certainly humorous, but that response and my rereading my own article has served to remind that perhaps we should both be a little less personal in our attack.  It's just football, afterall.  Trey, WD and I have known each other a long time and we enjoy writing the articles.  I for one would like for that to stay that way.  In response, I'd say that first of all I have since found out that WD was travelling on a business trip and could not get his article in on time due to his travel plans unexpectedly changing.  This was not a character issue.  I am not quite sure how much he played during his career or what WD's role was on the 1999 championship team, but suspect it was as a nonscholarship walk on.  His role was likely not that different than the role served by our own scout team player Michael 'Sunshine' Guilford, which is to say important enough to be profiled on ESPN last year before the OSU game and also important enough to have the season dedicated to him by the team after his recent untimely and tragic death.  I guess my point is that scout team players are important too.  In fact, I lived with a walk on O-lineman when I attended UF and I know he considered himself very much a part of the team and the starters that he introduced to me felt the same way.  Your calling him a sled dummy, and a nimrod, or my comparison of his career to a can of soup is probably uncalled for.  I hope WD knows I was not trying to be personal, but rather was just offering a counterpoint to each of his points made in his article the previous week.  He brought his own playing days and his shoulder injury up, so I replied that his career should not be compared to Tebow's.  I'm sure he'd agree to that much at least.  In my haste to pile on, I likely missed the fact that I was piling on him, not the program.  All of that said, at least he tried where I did not.  In fact, playing on the scout team for several years speaks highly of his character.  I could make the argument that to show up for games, practice, offseason workouts, etc. all the while knowing that he was not a star might be even tougher than for those who know themselves to have NFL talent and size.  Suffice to say however, I enjoyed writing that particular article more than any other this year.  To make WD eat crow after he disrespected our team, our corners, our coach, our QB, and our schedule was a lot of fun.  I consider FSU to be our biggest "must win" of each season.  I also like beating UGA and UT, but I have much more respect for them as schools, as teams, as programs, and of course as members of the SEC.  I have no respect for anything that comes out of FSU, but I think we could both benefit by focusing our distaste on the school or the program, not the guy writing the article.  I am anxiously anticipating his column this Saturday.  What in the world can he say after a thrashing like that?  Must be tough for him right about now to be so blindly in love with a coach and a program so obviously going down.  Again, thanks for the response.  I admire your pluck and spirit and you are boviously a diehard Gator too boot.  Give me a call sometime before next season (I'm in the book) and let's get together for a game - I usually have an extra ticket or two.

Eric,

I agree with your point that things can get too personal sometimes, it's just that WD seems to bring out the worst in me. Here's what really bothers me: His articles have always had a heavy lean toward something negative about UF when you and Trey are primarily writing about your own schools. Sure you guys will dish out a little smackdown in good nature, but his writings speak to something much different and border on the obsessive. It reminds of back when Spurrier was at UF and refered to FSU as the Semis. They made a federal case out of it and were all up in arms about it. I could never understand why they would hang on every word he said when I literally would not cross the street to hear what Bobby Bowden had to say. I mean, I could just care less. But anyway, I just wanted to thank you for the response and for keeping me in check. Very few of us are able to see ourselves as others do. Keep up the good work and GO GATORS!

ps. I might just have to take you up on a ticket for next year as I'm expecting a huge year next season. This was the year that teams needed to get us or it might be a while.

John,

Let me know if you're headed to Orlando or if you need tickets as I'll likely have a few.   Again, I am in the book in FB.  I am looking forward to the match up with Michigan and most of the other SEC games as well, except for Mizzou vs. Arkansas - that could get ugly.  Hopefully Chase sealed the He15man for Tebow the other night.....

Eric