![]() ![]() It's true (and as Bianchi said and wrote at the time), the nickname was not universally embraced by the University Athletic Association in 1992, with some feeling it was too "backwoods" and did not "do justice to a state-of-the-art-facility like Ben Hill Griffin Stadium."īut that didn't stop Spurrier from tossing out countless "Swamp" references during his spring '92 booster tour and his many public appearances throughout the summer and into the SEC Media Days in Birmingham. He is the ultimate Bull Gator, and he came up with the perfect name at the perfect time." That's because Spurrier thinks like the most rabid Gator fan thinks. And you knew if it excited him, it was damn sure going to excite Gator Nation. "I knew it because Spurrier absolutely loved it. "I knew immediately, despite some eye-rolling among UF administrators, that the 'Swamp' was yet another stroke of Spurrier brilliance," Bianchi, now columnist at The Orlando Sentinel, said Thursday. But it was a quarter-century ago today it was introduced into the mainstream. Plans are in the works (with details forthcoming) to commemorate the silver anniversary of Spurrier's consummate trademark. We feel this is an appropriate nickname for our stadium." A swamp is hot and sticky and can be dangerous. "We feel comfortable there, but we hope our opponents feel tentative. "The 'Swamp' is where Gators live," Spurrier told Bianchi. The UF home field (and its crowd) had taken on an identity all its own and Spurrier felt it was time to give the place a nickname. It also gave UF a perfect 12-0 record at Florida Field in Spurrier's first two seasons. 3 Florida State that marked the first win over the rival Seminoles in six years. They followed that milestone victory with a thrilling 14-9 defeat of No. It had been seven months since the Gators ended their 1991 regular season by defeating Kentucky to finish unbeaten in Southeastern Conference play and win the first league title in school history. The day before, you see, Spurrier called Bianchi with a pitch. "The 'Swamp' is a place where only Gators get out alive," Spurrier said. It opened with a line from a Charlie Daniels Band song called "The Legend of Wooly Swamp." The next line came from the far more famous Tennessean in these parts. Mike Bianchi, columnist for The Sun, was the messenger. Spurrier, two seasons in as Gators coach, was the story's inspiration. It ran in The Gainesville Sun exactly 25 years ago today - Jand all it did was change Florida football vernacular forever. Steve Spurrier is carried off the field after clinching the 1991 SEC title with a 35-26 defeat of Kentucky. Pretty good story, eh? Well, here's another one that highlights Spurrier's aptitude for vocabulary, his flair for branding and, best of all, the orange and blue blood that runs through his veins. "Call me 'mastermind,' instead," Spurrier said. Spurrier was not fond of the repeated references labeling him an "offensive genius." So he offered a suggestion. ![]() Back when his teams at Duke were lighting up scoreboards and shattering school records, Steve Spurrier once called a reporter with a request. He'd pour it all out on the floor of his shackGAINESVILLE, Fla. The old man didn't care about people anyway He never did do a lot of harm in the world, ![]() The old man lived in the Wooley Swamp way back in Booger Woods. There's somethings in this world you just 'Cause I never would have listened to nobody else. There's things out there in the middle of them woodsĪnd things that creep around on the ground.Īnd they say the ghost of Lucius Clay gets up and he walks around. Well, if you ever go back into Wooley Swamp, In the song, it was 50 years ago.Īnd they picked him up off of the ground. That's where the Cable boys came from to rob Lucius Clay whose ghost haunts the swamp. Did Carver's Creek appear in the Charlie Daniels band song 'The legend of Wooley Swamp'. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |