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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News AP Entertainment Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Holiday Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend January 10, 2007 No matter where you were, it was good to be a Gator By FRANK SILOW Mail Tribune GLENDALE, Ariz. — This is a good time to be a Florida Gator fan. With Monday's 41-14 victory over Ohio State in the BCS national championship game, Florida becomes the first school to hold college football and basketball titles at the same time. I witnessed one of Florida's greatest sports achievements down in the Valley of the Sun — though I wasn't able to secure a ticket inside the University of Phoenix stadium. From previous experiences attending major sporting events, I was optimistic that I could purchase a ticket on site prior to the game for a reasonable price. That wasn't the case. When Florida was selected to play Ohio State in the title game, my lifelong friend and college roommate at the University of Florida, Marty Lurie, called and said to come down for the game. We're both 1967 Florida graduates. We have a mutual friend in Jacksonville, Fla., who we thought could get us game tickets. But that didn't happen. Advertisement Our friend got us tickets for the 1996 Fiesta Bowl that Florida lost to Nebraska, 62-24. I remembered from that game that there were all kinds of tickets available at the stadium on game day. Marty called me about a week before the game and told me he turned down two end zone seats for $500 each that our friend could purchase. I agreed with his decision, thinking we could just get seats at the game for less. In retrospect, that was a good deal. Lurie, a criminal lawyer by trade, transitioned into a sports broadcasting career and for 10 years has done the radio show "Right Off The Bat" prior to Oakland Athletics games. He has a second home in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa and spends part of the year in Arizona relaxing after the baseball season, doing broadcasting and other journalistic spring training duties before returning to the Bay Area. I arrived at Sky Harbor airport on Saturday. There were numerous people wearing Ohio State logo clothing. Walking through the airport, I felt like I was behind enemy lines wearing my blue slip-over jacket with Florida embossed in orange across the front. I was on the receiving end of several "O-H ... I-O" cheers as Buckeye fans walked by. When Marty picked me up, he told me it looked like game tickets would be hard to find. I was skeptical at first. That night we went to downtown Scottsdale, a Phoenix suburb, to check out the scene. This part of Scottsdale is loaded with fashionable bars and restaurants. The area was crowded with people obviously here for the big football game. The Buckeye supporters greatly outnumbered fans in Gator gear. Marty's friend, Gary, owner of the Italian Grotto restaurant there, had a lead on some game tickets for us. Gary greeted us with much enthusiasm and confirmed he was trying to get us tickets. But that never happened. As we sat at the busy restaurant bar watching the end of the Seattle-Dallas NFL playoff game, we ran into a baseball friend of Marty's, Jim Rooney, who is the minor league pitching coordinator for the Milwaukee Brewers. Jim discussed some of the better pitching prospects for the Brewers coming up through their system with us before we got a table to eat dinner. The next night, we attended an outdoor Gator pep rally in downtown Scottsdale. It was unique to be among several thousand Florida fans socializing in an open block party setting. While I went to get a beer, Marty spoke to several ex-Gator football players from our era, including running back Larry Smith, who scored a touchdown against Georgia Tech in the 1967 Orange Bowl. In comparison, Ohio State had 35,000 people at a similar event that evening at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. In the days before the game, ticket prices ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 were being quoted on online services and in local ads. I wasn't prepared to pay that steep of a price. I thought by showing up at the stadium on game day, there would be ample tickets at a more affordable cost. But the scene at the stadium was to the contrary. There were thousands of people in Ohio State and Florida colors looking for tickets. I was surprised at the number of ticketless people because of the cost to get to Phoenix from the more faraway locations. The only tickets available were held by scalpers or opportunists who were asking at least $1,000 a ticket. Even as kickoff approached, the price didn't come down. Apparently, scalpers holding tickets refuse to drop the price to preserve an inflated cost. When it became obvious that I couldn't get a ticket inside the stadium for a price I was willing to pay, I retreated to the Westlake Center a few blocks away. For $20, I entered an outdoor area that had a huge television screen set up in a promenade surrounded by multilevel shops and bars. There must have been 5,000 people packed inside the space. Buckeye fans outnumbered Gators about 4-1. It turned out to be a fantastic experience. Of course the outcome of the game had a big part in that. As the first meeting between the two schools turned in Florida's favor, the Gator fans had much to cheer about. It was very tribal. I was standing with a group of Gator supporters of all ages high-fiving and hugging. Cheers such as, "It's Great ... To Be ... A Florida Gator!" rang out throughout the game. After the third quarter, I joined arms with my new best friends and sang some choruses of the traditional "We Are The Boys From Old Florida." I've never really liked that song but it was fun at the moment. As the Gator fans celebrated victory, there was dejection on the faces of people decked out in the Ohio State colors of scarlet and silver. I understood the feeling from my 1996 Fiesta Bowl trip. For the most part, the Ohio State fans were good sports. Walking back to the parking lot, many congratulated me on the Florida victory. Viewing the game from where I did was a blast. This type of camaraderie was something I hadn't expected nor felt in a long time. It proved to be a lot more fun than even sitting in the stadium. It was my birthday to boot. And the Gators delivered a bonus present. Reach reporter Frank Silow at 776-4480, or e-mail [email protected] Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com