Florida-Georgia's party on the patio: When it comes to the pregame, both teams share a victory
You can have Third Saturday or the Red River Shootout.
The Grove at Ole Miss is a tea party, the Parade Grounds at LSU a cotillion and Auburn's Hayfields is a cow-tipping party.
There's no rivalry Saturday and no tailgate party that beats Florida-Georgia at the public and private lots surrounding EverBank Stadium.
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The 101st meeting between the Gators and the Bulldogs on Saturday was, as usual, preceded by the party that dares not speak its name (World's Largest ... mmm ... okay, we can't stand it ... Outdoor Cocktail Party).
The universities and the city of Jacksonville would prefer that phrase go into the Port-a-potty of Florida-Georgia history but A. Fat Chance and B. It was Times-Union columnist Bill Kastelz who coined it and we're not letting go of our best contribution to more than a century of college football history.
The scene is a blur -- of color, noise and people. The lots open at 8 a.m., more than seven hours before kickoff. Fans take advantage of every minute.
The best part of the pregame bacchanalia is that you can expect the unexpected.
Yes, there is the mouth-watering aroma of barbecue and breakfast (depending on which party you pass at what time), the faint whiff of stale beer and everyone once in a while, something more sour smelling when a frat brother who peaked too early and discovered that vodka and Red Bull doesn't taste quite as good on the return trip.
Fans will decorate anything in orange and blue and red and black: their vehicles, golf carts, outhouses, tarps, tents and themselves.
There is traditional apparel. In keeping with years of tradition, Georgia girls like their little black dresses (some have switched to red) and Florida girls still favor jean shorts and boots. Some frats still require white shirts and ties (shirttails come out and ties become headbands as the day wears on) but rare is the fan who isn't in some form of school color.
Game jerseys also are popular but far and away, the most frequently seen jersey is the Florida Gators No. 15 worn by Jacksonville native Tim Tebow during his four-year career at UF. If there had been NIL when Tebow played from 2006-2009 and he had gotten a cut on each jersey with his name and number, he would have made the NFL all right -- as an owner.
But while some aspects of TWLOCP (see what we did there?) are traditional, one learns to expect the unexpected:
One mixed couple got into the Halloween spirit and wore costumes from Star Wars. They came dressed as "Dark Gator" and "Princess Georgia Leia."
Another fan stayed with the space motif but a bit more modern, wearing a flight suit and helmet with a NASA patch.
And when did private port-a-potties come into style? In addition to such game day accessories as elaborate grills, satellite TV, booming sound systems and reclining chairs, fans are apparently renting a single receptacle for their own private party's use. Smart, since no matter how many of the plastic relief stations the city puts out, there are always lines.
Eventually, game time approaches and the parking lots thin out. But not completely. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has estimated that around 20,000 people who don't have a ticket still find their way to the stadium footprint to hang in the parking lots.
That means 100,000 people are in the sports complex area at one time -- a larger population than Boca Raton or Melbourne in Florida; and Warner Robins or Albany in Georgia.
It's quite a spectacle. And every now and then, the game doesn't live up to the pregame.
But no one can leave without saying they didn't have fun -- or a hangover.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs know how to throw a pregame party
