Gator Basketball Game

                While attending BYU Tyler and I attended several BYU Sports events. We wore our BYU shirts. We  clapped. We cheered. But I was never a dyed in the wool, true blue, through and through cougar fan. Tyler still likes to keep up on BYU sports. It’s nice when they win. Makes a school he graduated from look good. This same attitude applies to Gonzaga sports (GU basketball--they don’t have a football team). During the three years we lived in Spokane we didn’t attend a single sporting event, or buy a single Gonzaga T-Shirt! Upon arriving in Florida, I assumed our passive attitude toward sports would remain the same. Instead, I’ve detected an ever growing enthusiasm in the Petersen household for the University of Florida Gator teams. Perhaps it’s the constant assault of orange and blue, the ever present UF Gator logo, the Sports highlights each day on the front page of the paper, or maybe it’s something in the water. But I’m guessing our descent into Gator fandom began when Tyler’s professor gave us tickets to a University of Florida basketball game.

                I was having a rough day with the kids. I had missed Tyler’s many phone calls during the day. I was tired and grumpy. So it came as a bit of a surprise when Tyler arrived home and announced that we were leaving for a basketball game in an hour. I wasn’t thrilled. But I tried to put on a happy face and somehow we made it out the door. What little enthusiasm I had dwindled as we got lost on campus, couldn’t find parking, walked nearly a half mile to get to the stadium and arrived shortly before half time. Thankfully, that is where our bad luck ended. Once inside we quickly found our seats and discovered that we were actually having fun watching UF crush the other team, spending a fortune on your very average concessions, and (the best part) seeing the kids get excited to find Albert the alligator mascot and do the alligator chomp. Here are a few pictures.

Go Gators Go!

We're Number One!

The Gator Chomp!

It's Albert!

               In the end, it was a good night. We won. The kids got free posters and pom-poms. They were happy. The walk back to the car was downhill. We didn’t get stuck in traffic for hours leaving the event. Tyler and I were happy. What started out (at least to me) as a nightmarish adventure, ended as a nice family event. Usually it’s the other way around!

               Since then, a soft spot for all things gator has sprouted within. With time, I think I could actually label myself a fan. Not that I would take the time to watch the televised games, care who the coaches and players are, or what conference they’re in- Tyler does all that for me. But I could see myself taking an interest in whether they did well, investing in some gator paraphernalia and wanting to attend games if I ever get the chance.  Yes, I think I might like to be a gator fan.