We, the Gators.

I am a recovering cynic, most of you know this. I fight. I strive. I claw. In my little Gator skiff, I brave the tempest in a town surrounded by the illiterate and the inept, the immoral and the superficial, the shallow and the wicked, the banal and the provincial, and the who and their faithful. Such battles are frequently lost, and ceaselessly harped on. But I have never deviated nor detracted from our glorious alma mater, until now. I have failed myself, and most importantly you all by my recent failures to post. It is a failure when the concerns of one affect the concerns of the many.

My procrastination of this semester has forced me to dedicate an inordinate amount of time to my studying of finals, which run till December 11th. My academic complacency has resulted in MGN's shamefully diminished treatment of the Gators' most important game in their history, and struck me to the core-- my fealty to and my enjoyment of our beloved alma mater. These are guilts that only an undying Gator fan can feel. My self esteem is taking a worse beating than do the privy parts of WSG and the Jota when alone watching B's on B's.

Luckily, and thankfully, we are a Nation. A Nation not of men, but of Gators. Gators that carry the load when dropped by another. Gators that push forward the fallen behind. Gators that stand tall against the rolling of the tides. Gators that would gladly lose their hand in extending it to help another Gator. Gators like Jota, who, at the expense of his clients' needs, opines his soaring rhetoric on the hallowed pages of MGN. Gators like WSG who would rather be poorer than leave a Gator outside the stadium. Gators like the Jewboy, a man who would prefer to have his bachelor party in Gainesville, the land of manna. Gators like the Sha who would sooner compromise his career and marriage than his allegiance to the Orange and Blue. Gators like Gatorface whose incessant shit-talking is equaled only by the ludicrousness of her livery. Finally, Gators like Ol' Bill, a Gator who would rather opt to bailout MGN than the collapsing world financial markets.

It takes these Gators to make this Nation.

And it is to this Nation I will return, and you will hear me, and you will feel me. And the sun will be orange and the skies blue, and it will be good.

Go Gratitude
Go Gators.