Chomped by reality, Gator Nation is actually cheering a 5-5 season | Commentary

Running off at the typewriter …

So I was the guest speaker at the DeLand Quarterback Club earlier this week and it was incredibly refreshing to see so many University of Florida football fans in attendance who were actually happy and hopeful about the future of their program.

I’ve never in my life seen so many historically spoiled UF fans so satisfied with being 5-5, and it got me to thinking that suffering through a few losing seasons can actually be a good thing for a fan base. Adversity gives fans a chance to gain perspective and find joy in the small victories instead of deeming anything less than a conference or national championship as an abject failure.

As Ernie Banks once said, “The only way to prove that you’re a good sport is to lose.”

If you ask me, a few years of losing forces fans to focus on incremental progress rather than demanding instant success. For instance, a few weeks ago many inhabitants of Gator Nation wanted Billy Napier fired, but after last week’s victory over LSU their perspective has changed. Now they can see their team slowly improving, they can see their freshman quarterback DJ Lagway is going to be a future star and they will be ecstatic if the Gators just become bowl-eligible this season.

Wouldn’t it be great if this mindset extended beyond sports, ridding us of the massive sense of entitlement that permeates society and teaching us how to be more patient and understanding?

Repeat after me: Mediocrity is actually our friend. It makes us appreciate our  successes rather than dwell on our failures.

Back in the days before the Gators became a national power under Steve Spurrier, former UF coach Doug Dickey put it perfectly when talking about what was then UF’s 10-game regular-season schedule.

“I’d rather go 7-3 than 9-1,” Dickey said. “When you go 7-3, the fans talk about the games you won. When you go 9-1, they talk about the one you lost.” …

Short stuff: After watching how bad the 2-9 Jags have become under coach Doug Pederson in the wake of Sunday’s franchise-worst 52-6 loss at the Detroit Lions, I think Urban Meyer should start putting “Jaguars scapegoat” on his LinkedIn profile. … Speaking of the Jaguars, former Jags and Gators running back Fred Taylor is one of 25 modern-era candidates for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. Why does Taylor belong in? He has the most rushing yards (11,695) of any HOF-eligible back not in Canton, has more TD runs of 60-plus yards (10) than anybody other than Barry Sanders and he’s one of three backs in NFL history besides Sanders and Adrian Peterson to average 4.6 yards per carry with over 2,500 rushing attempts. Fred Taylor turned the NFL into his personal highlight reel and it’s time to add Canton to the credits. …

The way Magic center Goga Bitadze is blocking shots, I think we should start calling him Goga BiSwatze. … The Dallas Cowboys are so bad that even their cheerleaders are asking to be traded. … And what would you consider worse Thanksgiving Day fare — Giants vs. Cowboys or burnt turkey smothered in cold gravy? … The fact that Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul — a boxing match between a 58-year-old over-the-hill, face-tattooed, ear-chomping ex-fighter and a 27-year-old YouTube influencer — was one of the most-watched boxing matches in history is further proof that America is just one TikTok trend away from the apocalypse. … It was Mickey Mouse’s 96th birthday earlier this week, which reminded me of a famous quote by the iconic Walt Disney, who once said of his theme park and entertainment empire: “I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing — that it was all started by a mouse.” Translation: If not for Mickey, Orlando would be Ocala. …

The latest craze in TD celebrations is when a football player crosses the goal line, he does the “Trump” dance in which he mimics Donald Trump’s viral arm-waving dance move from his political rallies. In related news, losing NFL coaches are also considering doing their best “Trump” move and demanding that referees recount the points after the game is over. And coming soon: The Kamala Harris touchdown celebration in which the player crosses the goal line, laughs uncontrollably and then reads off a teleprompter, “This is a really big deal!” … Don’t lie, you know you want Coach Prime in the College Football Playoff! … I’m hearing the Magic’s defense has become so aggressive, so nasty, so harassing and so intimidating that opposing teams are considering getting a restraining order whenever they step foot in Kia Center. … Because FSU’s football team is so hopelessly lost, I’m hearing the Seminoles are considering Google Maps as a presenting sponsor. …

Did you see where Mountain West-leading Boise State is ranked ahead of potential Big 12-leading BYU in the latest College Football Playoff rankings? BYU chased greener pastures, but right now Boise’s blue turf reigns supreme. … Mikey likes: Pride over Spirit by 2, West Virginia over UCF by 5, Ole Miss over Florida by 9, Miami over Wake Forest by 30, FSU over Charleston Southern by ½, Bucs over Giants by 7, Bye Week over Jaguars by 14, Dolphins over Patriots by 6, Ickey Shuffle over Trump Dance by 3 (decades). …

Last word: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” — Voltaire, the famous French philosopher who was born on this date in 1694.

Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on X (formerly Twitter) @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every weekday from 6 to 9:30 a.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/listen

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