This one's for you, Dad

[capologist]

For a lifelong Gator fan whose nemesis (and biggest rival) over the years was Georgia, how’s this for the perfect birthday present: A game ball from Florida’s overtime victory over Georgia, presented by UF coach Urban Meyer.

That’s what happened to my father on Monday, on what would have been his 88th birthday. In a wonderful and greatly appreciated gesture, Meyer opened his weekly Monday press conference by presenting a game ball to me in honor of the real Robbie Andreu, who died on Oct. 21.

Words can’t express how much this means to my family — and what it would have meant to may Dad, who was on the Florida freshman football team in 1941 before leaving school to enlist in the Army Air Corps shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7 of that year. He flew 35 missions in a B-17 over Europe as a bombardier (he nearly had to parachute out once with the rest of the crew when an engine was hit and caught fire). He returned to UF after World War II on the G.I. Bill and earned his UF law degree in 1949. He spent the rest of his life in his beloved hometown of St. Augustine, practicing law and later becoming a county judge. And he was (and actually still is) a Florida football season-ticket holder dating back to the early 1950s.

No one loved the Gators more than my Dad (he even painted his car orange and blue in the 1980s and drove it until it was falling apart, then replaced it with another Gator car). And no Gator fan suffered more over the years. I remember sitting in the living room with him after Georgia ruined yet another season for the Gators in 1975. He kept saying over and over, “I’ll never live to see it, I’ll never live to see it.” And he was talking about the Gators winning the SEC, which they had never done to that point. I remember saying to him, “You’re right, you probably won’t. I probably won’t either.”

But, of course he did live to see it — and much more. In the last 20 years of my Dad’s life, Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer and a lot of great players made him one happy Gator. During that time, he saw the Gators win eight SEC titles and three national titles (one in person).

I only wish he could have seen what happened Saturday in Jacksonville. And what happened on Monday in Gainesville, when Meyer handed me that game ball in his honor. He would have been thrilled beyond words. One thing’s for sure, that football will be treasured for many years to come by those my father left behind.

From my Dad, from all of us, thank you, Urban Meyer.

http://andreu.blogs.gatorsports.com/10587/this-ones-for-you-dad/?tc=ar

[Dawgy]

Hard as is it for me to imagine anyone loving the slicky lizards, it is a darn good story.

Edited November 2, 2010 by Dawgy

[Xnex]

For a lifelong Gator fan whose nemesis (and biggest rival) over the years was Georgia, how’s this for the perfect birthday present: A game ball from Florida’s overtime victory over Georgia, presented by UF coach Urban Meyer.

That’s what happened to my father on Monday, on what would have been his 88th birthday. In a wonderful and greatly appreciated gesture, Meyer opened his weekly Monday press conference by presenting a game ball to me in honor of the real Robbie Andreu, who died on Oct. 21.

Words can’t express how much this means to my family — and what it would have meant to may Dad, who was on the Florida freshman football team in 1941 before leaving school to enlist in the Army Air Corps shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7 of that year. He flew 35 missions in a B-17 over Europe as a bombardier (he nearly had to parachute out once with the rest of the crew when an engine was hit and caught fire). He returned to UF after World War II on the G.I. Bill and earned his UF law degree in 1949. He spent the rest of his life in his beloved hometown of St. Augustine, practicing law and later becoming a county judge. And he was (and actually still is) a Florida football season-ticket holder dating back to the early 1950s.

No one loved the Gators more than my Dad (he even painted his car orange and blue in the 1980s and drove it until it was falling apart, then replaced it with another Gator car). And no Gator fan suffered more over the years. I remember sitting in the living room with him after Georgia ruined yet another season for the Gators in 1975. He kept saying over and over, “I’ll never live to see it, I’ll never live to see it.” And he was talking about the Gators winning the SEC, which they had never done to that point. I remember saying to him, “You’re right, you probably won’t. I probably won’t either.”

But, of course he did live to see it — and much more. In the last 20 years of my Dad’s life, Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer and a lot of great players made him one happy Gator. During that time, he saw the Gators win eight SEC titles and three national titles (one in person).

I only wish he could have seen what happened Saturday in Jacksonville. And what happened on Monday in Gainesville, when Meyer handed me that game ball in his honor. He would have been thrilled beyond words. One thing’s for sure, that football will be treasured for many years to come by those my father left behind.

From my Dad, from all of us, thank you, Urban Meyer.

http://andreu.blogs.gatorsports.com/10587/this-ones-for-you-dad/?tc=ar

Cappy are you Robby?

I heard that Meyer presented a gameball to someone who wasn't a player of admin with the team, but I didn't ever hear the backstory. That was your father that was awarded a gameball?

[slamee101]

Hard as is it for me to imagine anyone loving the slicky lizards, it is a darn good story. Congrats on the special moment Cappy.

I was thinking the same thing.

For a lifelong Gator fan whose nemesis (and biggest rival) over the years was Georgia, how’s this for the perfect birthday present:

Too bad for you your Gators are only 3rd or 4th on our rival depth chart. :P

[capologist]

No, I'm not Robbie, I just posted his blog (see the link below the article) because I thought it was awesome of Meyer to do that...

[jtcrews75]

Not a urban meyer fan att allll. But this was a very classy thing to do. I'm sure it meant the world to mr Andreu.

[capologist]

Figures this would only get a few responses. Had it been Meyer "only suspending someone for 5 games" then it would be 8 pages long about how he's the devil re-incarnate. Yeah, I'm seriously close to being done here...

[Ransack]

I really don't see how we're supposed to get all emotional about this?

[Mr Pickle1]

Figures this would only get a few responses. Had it been Meyer "only suspending someone for 5 games" then it would be 8 pages long about how he's the devil re-incarnate. Yeah, I'm seriously close to being done here...

This is a nice story...however, it doesn't inspire moral outrage, nor does it shock. Good stories pretty much universally attract less attention and debate than negative ones. Death threats to women and stalking resulting in a coach who has a main tenet of "respect for women" and lets the guy back on the team ...that's just going to inspire more debate, regardless of who you pull for(assuming you aren't a UF fan) than an old man getting a game ball.

This is nice, Meyer isn't Saban, but based on his previous action he's still morally whoring himself for wins. This does nothing to change that.

Edit: Note, that was supposed to say "Satan" and not "Saban" but...lol, Freud was right.