The Red & Black | The Rivalry Issue

2021 Saturday, October 30Fl, or ida Georgia vs.

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Saturday, October 30, 2021

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A completely different atmosphere Jake Jennings When Georgia and Florida took the field on Nov. 7, 2020, things looked a bit out of the ordinary. The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, an unofficial name of the rivalry game, is usually a half-red, half-blue sea of over 67,000 fans. However, due to the pandemic, last year’s matchup only hosted a crowd of 19,210.

Leading up to the 2020 clash between the SEC East juggernauts, it was obvious that things would be different. The city of Jacksonville banned tailgating in the parking lots of TIAA Bank Field, mandated masks throughout the stadium and lowered capacity to 20%, all to protect fans from COVID-19.

The safety measures taken for the game were not new to players last season, as both the Bulldogs and Gators had similar mandates in their own stadiums.

Georgia offensive lineman Warren Ericson said not having fans in the stands changes the game, but the players still had to manage without the crowd. “ Yo u k n o w h o w l o u d it gets with 93,000 of our screaming fans. When we’re playing in there now, you can hear more from both sides of the ball and sideline. It’s different,” Ericson said in 2020. “But every time we go out there, we bring our own juice. The fans that are there are going to give us their all and we’re going to give them ours.”

This comes from Ericson, who was a sophomore at the time, who had seen action for the Bulldogs in six games during the 2019 season, before the pandemic limited crowds. Any freshman or sophomore on Georgia’s roster today has yet to experience the Georgia-Florida rivalry game in full force.

Throughout the 2020 season as a whole, Georgia only hosted three home games, all of them at limited capacity. Offensive stars like JT Daniels, Brock Bowers and Jermaine Burton, alongside defensive mainstays including Jalen Carter, Kelee Ringo and Derion Kendrick, are all among the Bulldogs that will see a full crowd in TIAA Bank Field for the first time this year.

Fans have been an important part of Georgia’s season so far. Most notably, Bulldog fans came through in Georgia’s 37-0 win over No. 8 Arkansas after head coach Kirby Smart called for fans to be “elite” leading up the matchup. Later, in a press conference, Smart emphasized the importance of supporters to the team’s success.

“First, I want to thank the fans again for an incredible job. I noticed a lot of stuff on social media. They did an awesome job last weekend,” Smart said. “I can’t thank them enough (and I) wouldn’t expect anything less from our fan base.”

For some players, things will look different in Jacksonville this year, but in the case of the Bulldogs, the more the merrier.

Jermaine Burton will play his first full-capacity rivalry game.

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One year apart

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Saturday, October 30, 2021

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The 100th (or 99th?) edition of the Georgia-Florida rivalry

Drew Hubbard

When Georgia and Florida take the field in Jacksonville, Florida, it will be the 100th time the two teams have met, according to Georgia.

Florida, however, claims this will be only the 99th time they have played each other.

The controversy began on Oct. 15, 1904, when a team representing the University of Georgia defeated a team representing the University of Florida 52-0. However, Florida claims that team does not represent the modern university.

On June 5, 1905, the Buckman Act was signed. This brought together all the white male institutions in Florida into one singular institution, the University of Florida. Because of this, Florida does not recognize the 1904 team as being a part of the modern university’s game record.

Florida claims that the team Georgia played in that first meeting represented an earlier university, located in Lake City, Florida, that

had previously been known as Florida Agricultural College. While it represented a different institution, the team was referred to as the “University of Florida” after Florida Agricultural College was renamed in 1903.

Carl Van Ness, the curator of the manuscripts and archives department at the University of Florida, said the university does not count anything before the Buckman Act in its history.

“As far as we’re concerned, that is not the same University of Florida,” Ness said. “Our not counting that 1904 game is consistent with other things that we don’t count.”

Ness said the university does not count enrollment figures until 1905 and does not recognize university presidents prior to the Buckman Act. Along with the formation of the modern University of Florida, the Buckman Act also formed other schools across the state. The act created Florida Female College, which is now Florida State University. It also created Florida A&M, a historically Black university.

Ness said Florida’s enrollment in 1904 was nearly half the size of Georgia’s. It took until 1928 for the Gators to win in the rivalry, defeating Georgia 26-6 in Savannah.

“Our football program is still developing in the 1910s, ’20s, ’30s,” Ness said. “It really isn’t until the 1950s that our football program starts to go in a real positive direction.”

The first meeting Georgia and Florida both recognize was played on Nov. 6, 1915, in Jacksonville, Florida. Georgia won 37-0 in that meeting and is winning the overall series 53-44-2 — or 52-44-2, according to Florida.

Loran Smith, Georgia athletics’ historian, said the rivalry’s history fuels current fans as the two teams play once again.

“It’s the philosophy of one school versus the other,” Smith said.

“I don’t know how you could settle it.”

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Saturday, October 30, 2021

When Georgia-Florida wasn’t in Jacksonville Katherine Lewis

Tampa, Florida

Canceled game

In 1933, Georgia and Florida established that their annual matchup would take place in Jacksonville, Florida, due to its convenience. Both schools were able to access the city by railroad.

While Jacksonville is an ideal middle ground, unconventional situations have left the teams with no choice but to play in alternate locations. Here are some of the most notable times that the rivalry game was not played in Jacksonville.

In 1919, the rivalry game took place in Tampa, Florida, the only time to date the game has been played there.

Florida occasionally scheduled its games against schools that would bring larger crowds to Plant Field in Tampa, which was also used for various other sporting events.

Georgia’s football team was given a tour of the local cigar factory while in town, and Florida’s band held a parade for its football team. Georgia came out on top 16-0 in its trip to Tampa.

Macon, Georgia

Savannah, Georgia

1943 is the only year to date since the game became a yearly tradition in 1926 that Georgia and Florida have not played each other.

As the U.S. continued its involvement in World War II, each school decided whether or not it would field a football team in the 1943 season.

Florida president John J. Tigert announced the discontinuation of sports at his school, citing that he could return only 11 football players from the previous season.

Georgia played nine games in the 1943 season with a team of freshmen and transfer students, also seeing a steep decline in football participation due to the war.

Georgia counts the 1904 game, played in Macon, as the first between the two schools, while Florida does not count the matchup in its overall record with the Bulldogs.

The Florida school was originally located in Lake City, Florida, and was previously known as Florida Agricultural College, a school that the University of Florida argues does not represent the modern university.

The 1906 Florida football team is the first team the university recognizes in its history after the modern UF was established in 1905.

In 1904, Georgia football head coach Charles Barnard and his team traveled to Macon, and left with a big 52-0 victory over Florida.

Today, Georgia recognizes the 1904 game as one of its 53 wins over Florida, while the Gators only count 52 Bulldog wins.

The two teams met in Savannah in both 1928 and 1930 as Florida’s new football field that would accommodate a larger crowd was still being constructed.

Georgia dominated Florida early in the series, winning the first seven matchups, including 1904, by a combined score of 242-9. In 1928, the Gators unexpectedly prevailed in a 26-6 win over the Bulldogs in Savannah.

The game had to be stopped late in the fourth quarter as a Florida fan fired a gun into the air, causing fans to rush the field prematurely. Fans of both teams broke out into a fistfight before they exited the field to allow the game’s completion.

Two years later, Georgia and Florida had a much less exciting game, finishing in a 0-0 tie. The construction of Florida’s larger football field faced a series of drainage issues, keeping it from opening until a week after their 1930 matchup on Nov. 1.

Georgia’s 1943 team included transfers and freshmen.

Athens, Georgia, and Gainesville, Florida In 1994 and 1995, as renovations on TIAA Bank Field took place to prepare for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Georgia and Florida did not have a field in Jacksonville for their annual game. The teams played a home-and-home series, making it the first time the game would be played outside of Jacksonville in over 50 years.

The Bulldogs traveled to Gainesville in 1994, falling to the Gators 52-14.

In 1995, it was Florida’s turn to come to Athens. The Gators entered the game undefeated and ranked No. 3 in the country, and dominated the Bulldogs 52-17.

With just over a minute remaining in the game, Florida’s backup quarterback Eric Kresser scored the final touchdown, making the Gators the first team to score 50 points on Georgia in Athens.

Kirby Smart, former Georgia defensive back and current head coach, sacks a player in 1995.

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Members of the 1904 Georgia football team that defated Florida 52-0 in the rivalry’s first meeting. C O U R T E S Y / HARGRETT LIBRARY

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The 1943 Georgia football team did not play Florida due to the game’s cancellation. C O U R T E S Y / H A R G R E T T L I B R A R Y

Saturday, October 30, 2021

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Nimra Ahmad

The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party

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Football party culture through the years

It’s that time of year again. The Georgia Bulldogs will make their way down to Jacksonville, Florida, just in time for the game with their historic rival, the Florida Gators.

The party culture during this weekend is at a fall semester high with students drinking and getting rowdy in preparation for the game, known as the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

The Red & Black has covered the Georgia-Florida rivalry since the game’s inception in 1915, so a dive into the archives helps put the pieces together to demonstrate the evolution of this fanatic celebration.

1930s The Red & Black reported on various “social items” in a November 1930 paper, many of which involved the Georgia-Florida game.

“Miss Billie Routree entertained Miss Bunny Porter, Cornelia, at her home in Summit last week-end, going to Savannah for the Georgia-Florida game,” the paper read.

In 1930, the famous game took place in Savannah. In years prior, it

had also taken place in Tampa and Athens. Starting in 1933, the games took place exclusively in Jacksonville, except for two in the 1990s.

1940s In a Red & Black issue from November 1948 lies an announcement that the Bulldog Club will stage a pep rally “through the downtown streets of Jacksonville.” The UGA band and cheerleaders would lead the rally, the article read.

The university would even offer train rides to Jacksonville, according to an October 1946 issue.

The announcement urged 150 students to sign up so the university could organize a special train for a round trip to and from Jacksonville.

1960s Traveling to Jacksonville for the game became a normalcy in the 1960s. In a November 1968 issue, the paper covered whether or not professors should count absences on Fridays before games. In a later issue, there was an advertisement from an aviation company encouraging Georgia students to fly to Florida for the game rather than drive.

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1980s In the late 1980s, officials wanted to move away from the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party phrase — even though it couldn’t ring more true than in this decade.

At a 1984 game, Florida fans tore down the goal posts after a 27-0 victory. Georgia fans did the same the following year after a victory of their own and ended the night with over 60 arrests.

2000s At the 2006 Southeastern Conference, both UGA and the University of Florida asked sports media outlets to no longer use the cocktail phrase due to its insinuation of alcohol consumption following two deaths over the game day weekend.

To d a y, S t . S i m o n s I s l a n d , where Georgia fans go to party prior to attending the game in Jacksonville, announced it will not be allowing alcohol on the beach.

Even so, Georgia and Florida pride is not likely to diminish any time soon — after all, this is a rivalry and a celebration that has persisted for more than a century.

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World’s Largest Outdoor Mocktail Party? Glynn County bans alcohol for second year Dania Kalaji The Glynn County Commission hopes that Frat Beach will be a sober event this year.

For the second year in a row, alcohol will be banned on St. Simons Island during the annual Georgia-Florida football game weekend, otherwise known as Frat Beach.

All “common source” containers such as milk jugs, which are usually filled with mixtures of alcohol, will also be banned.

Additionally, there will be no food trucks and fewer port-a-potties will be available for use on the beach. These measures are all intended to reduce the number of students, partly to curb the spread of COVID-19.

‘No mercy’ The two-day alcohol ban from Oct. 29-30 was put into place in a Glynn County Commission meeting on Sept. 2.

District 2 Commissioner Cap Fendig said police will be strict and will have “no mercy” on the beach. He said officers will be distributing citations to those who do not abide by the ban.

Although District 4 Commissioner Bill Brunson said law enforcement isn’t trying to put people in jail, there will be strict watch of beachgoers just as there was last year. Fendig has emerged as a staunch opponent of the yearly revelry, which traditionally includes drinking on the beach.

“We are not going to tolerate it. We shouldn’t have to be endangering public safety with the people of our community,” Fendig said. “There will be zero tolerance.”

The Glynn County police will patrol and ID attendees at the beach and parks.

Officers will “cite and arrest” underage drinkers or people exhibiting unruly behavior, according to the recommendations that were passed. If an individual is found with alcohol, they will be directed to pour it out, according to Glynn County officials.

The alcohol ban took effect due to multiple threats to public safety, including the focus of law enforcement primarily on the Ahmaud Arbery murder trial, the lingering threat of COVID-19 and the desire to put an end to rampant underage drinking on the beaches of St. Simons.

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The trial of three men, Travis and Greg McMichael and William Bryan, for the murder of Arbery will begin Oct. 18. It will continue through the weekend of Oct. 2930, the weekend of Frat Beach.

Arbery, a Black man, was killed while on a run after being chased by the three white men and shot by one of them. His death sparked national outcry, and his trial is expected to attract people from all over the country to Brunswick.

Although Glynn County police and state patrol will be monitoring the beach, there will be reduced numbers of staff because county resources are “under capacity” and focused on the trial, according to Fendig.

“It’s not only law enforcement. It’s all the first responders, it’s EMT, it’s the fire department, it’s the Sheriff’s Department, it’s the police department. It’s everything that we’ve had to delegate to Frat Beach.

Every element of that is involved in this trial,” Brunson said.

No longer a party beach?

The threat of COVID-19 is not only a pressing matter for county enforcement, but also for the large crowds that will be pres-

ent on the beach, in restaurants and other establishments throughout St. Simons and Brunswick.

“Last year we had multiple first responders who had contracted COVID that wouldn’t be available to be out there on the beach. Same thing is applicable this year,” Brunson said.

In the Sept. 2 meeting, Tamara H. Munson, the co-acting county manager, said there were 27 firefighters and EMS workers out with COVID-19 the week of the commission’s Aug. 25 meeting.

Some commissioners want to see a permanent reduction in the number of people at Frat Beach.

“I don’t think that there’ll be a ban on alcohol next year, unless something unforeseen occurs, but this year it really is about allocation of resources. Last year the attendance for Frat Beach was down and that might have been a positive thing,” Brunson said.

Fendig said he knew that when he was reelected last January, one of his main goals would be to put an end to Frat Beach.

He said he wanted to challenge the community to come up with another way for

students to celebrate the annual Georgia-Florida rivalry game in St. Simons. Frat Beach has been a tradition for decades.

“I’ve been an opponent of Frat Beach from the beginning when it exploded. Frat Beach earned the reputation that you could come to St. Simons and binge drink and do whatever you want, and behave however you want without impunity or consequence,” Fendig said. “It will not continue as that type of gathering anymore.”

Fendig said he has provided transportation tours around the island during the Frat Beach weekend for thousands of drunk students before, where he saw dangerous behavior firsthand.

Many Frat Beach attendees tend to drink heavily — as a safety measure, many write their names on their arms in marker in case they black out and get lost, Fendig said.

“I’ve had many women that came back so drunk at the end of the day and get on buses, they didn’t know where to go and they didn’t have any ID on them,” Fendig said. “This wouldn’t be allowed any other day of the year if it was a group of citizens that have behaved in such a way, and we just can’t look the other way on this.”

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Saturday, October 30, 2021

Students discuss alcohol ban at Frat Beach Compiled by Anthony Langdon In September, the Glynn County Commission reintroduced last year’s temporary alcohol ban on St. Simons Island’s East Beach, commonly known among University of Georgia football fans as Frat Beach.

The ban will go into effect on Oct. 29 and 30, the weekend Georgia faces off against the University of Florida Gators.

Officials hope to decrease the spread of COVID-19 among students at Frat Beach and residents of St. Simons. They also hope to curb what they see as binge drinking.

When this no-alcohol policy was enacted for 2020’s Georgia-Florida game, along with a police presence to enforce it, the crowd was noticeably smaller than in past years of the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

An hour south of St. Simons, TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida, will no longer have 2020’s capacity limit at the game.

Students at the University of Georgia

were asked about their thoughts on the alcohol ban, and its effectiveness on curbing the spread of COVID-19.

Hannah Selvaggi — fourth-year communications major “I don’t think banning alcohol on the beach will discourage enough people as Glynn County is hoping for. It might make it inconvenient for the party’s tradition, but if anything, people will be more inclined to pregame.

Georgia-Florida weekend has brought on parties for generations, so they’ll need a lot more regulations — like requiring vaccine cards — to make a noticeable difference.”

Carolyn Clark — third-year fashion merchandising major “I think that it’s valid to a point. If people are responsible in getting vaccinated, then there shouldn’t be a problem for larger groups to gather, and also it’s on a huge beach so there’s a lot of space. It isn’t crammed like a concert.”

Cameron Bogan — fourth-year public relations major “I’ve never been to Frat Beach myself, but I’m going for my first time this year. I imagine police presence will be prevalent to enforce [the ban]. I understand Glynn

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County officials are concerned with the safety of the public on their beaches, but there are definitely alternatives to maintaining safety. This won’t keep alcohol off the beaches entirely, it will just get a handful of people in trouble for it.”

Alejandra Gonzalez — third-year biochemistry and English major

A B B I E H E R R I N / S TA F F

“I don’t think it’ll be very effective if their goal is to reduce COVID infections. People will gather with or without alcohol, considering there’s a much lower rate of transmission outdoors, like on a beach, versus indoors — not that I believe the hard crackdowns on bars or curfews helps much with transmission either.

If I’m totally honest, I’m not sure what policy action Glynn County could take to lower COVID risk that I would agree with.

With a lot of measures, if you weigh risk versus benefit, it just doesn’t support taking

measures like prohibiting alcohol or closing down beaches or closing businesses.

I haven’t really talked to any friends going, but I’m guessing those people, considering their health and age, don’t mind taking the risk.”

Shiyan Zhu — fourth-year journalism major “I think [students going] will be upset about it. I think they will have another event instead — they might just go somewhere else.”

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A 1968 drawing depicts Bulldog fans in extravagant outfits. F I L E / A R C H I V E S

A woman poses in a 1957 photo as ‘Woman of the Week.’ F I L E / A R C H I V E S

A 1999 issue of The Red & Black describes ’90s fashion trends. F I L E / A R C H I V E S

A 1977 University Union fashion show featured spring styles. F I L E / A R C H I V E S

Fitted to Win: Frat Beach fashion throughout the decades Martina Essert Fashion is never more important than on a college game day. Fans are identified and united by the colors they wear and the teams they cheer for. Animosity or friendship is decided by a glance at an outfit.

Since 1915, the University of Florida and the University of Georgia have been rivals. This rivalry gave way to an even rowdier celebration on St. Simons Island on the coast of Georgia — a gathering at what students now call Frat Beach.

While the celebration on Frat Beach has maintained its identity as a weekend of drunken camaraderie and school spirit, the students partaking in the celebration look much different now than they did in the 1950s, when the rivalry found its way to St. Simons.

1950s The ’50s saw the birth of the Frat Beach tradition. Fashions drifted away from reserved wartime styles and toward the quirky looks that would define the ’60s. Shorts were shorter, waistlines higher and college men ditched their suit jackets for more boyish looks.

An October 1957 issue of The Red & Black featured an opinion piece by Max Shulman, who wrote, “The key word this year is casual. Be casual. Be slap-dash. Be rakish. Improvise. Invent your own ensembles — like ski pants with a peek-a-boo blouse.”

1960s The ’60s were an explosion of color, quirk and experimentation. A February 1968 issue offered jumpsuits for men, a trend that likely found its way to Frat Beach. Women experimented with brave textures and bold patterns.

1970s Women’s fashion in the ’70s was more experimental than ever. Trends swung from flowing “hippie” dresses to white boots and synthetic fabrics that defined disco fashion.

College men opted for colorful shirts and bright plaid jackets. Frat Beach was awash with color and short shorts — “knees are news again,” an April 1977 issue of The Red & Black proclaimed.

The most important accessory on Frat Beach is a love for the Georgia Bulldogs.

1980s Student fashion in the ’80s was defined by big hair, denim and oversized clothing for both men and women.

The celebrations on Frat Beach were wilder than ever, with a November 1986 issue advising students to “wear clothes that haven’t been washed in weeks … no one cares how nice your clothes are, they just want a blood and guts football game.”

1990s Student fashion in the ’90s was grungier than ever, with thousands of pairs of Chuck Taylors and denim shorts appearing on campus and Frat Beach alike. This de-

cade was a “melting pot for fashion and culture,” according to a December 1999 Red & Black issue. “Thanks to Pearl Jam and Nirvana, it was all about the grunge look. Slap a size 40-inch pair of jeans on a 140-pound frame, making sure the boxers are in plain view, and you’ve got yourself a regular slacker stud.” The article even addressed the changing nature of fashion trends, demonstrating the ever-evolving nature of Frat Beach fashion.

2000s The baggy jeans of the ’90s were replaced with their super skinny low-rise counterparts in the following decade.

Tight layers and scarves were staples for men and women.

Fashion for football games was of huge importance to students, with an August 2006 issue claiming that, “dressing up becomes the norm, and dressing fashionably — albeit uncomfortable — is nothing less than expected.”

2010s Fashion for the rivalry game and celebrations in recent years has been ruled by neons and metallic sheens. In previous decades, attire at Frat Beach has been similar to what students wear in their day-to-day lives, but any number of outlandish and odd outfits can be found on St. Simons during current rivalry games. Students wear everything from school jerseys and cut off shorts to bikinis and fanny packs.

Regardless of what students wear, the legacy of revelry and camaraderie among UGA students during the rivalry game has remained constant throughout the decades. Whether you wear a cloche cap and a modest dress or a bikini and a neon visor, the most important accessory on Frat Beach and for the rivalry game is a love for the Georgia Bulldogs.

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Jake Drukman

A B B I E H E R R I N / S TA F F

The war continues

In 2020, Florida broke the Bulldogs’ three-year winning streak against the Gators. In doing so, they also earned the rights to an artifact that had previously been displayed in the Tate Student Center: the Okefenokee Oar. Instead of a traditional trophy, the winner of the annual Georgia-Florida game gets to take home the 12-foot oar, carved from the remains of a 1,000-year-old cypress tree from the Okefenokee Swamp, a 438,000mile wetland that straddles the border between the two states.

The oar was donated anonymously to the University of Florida in 2009, and is engraved with a Georgia side and a Florida side, depicting the mascots of both schools on their respective sides. Florida won the 2009 and 2010 games, but the oar made its first trip to Athens when the Bulldogs won the 2011 game 24-20.

O n e a c h s i d e a re t h e words “The Okefenokee Oar,” carved into the paddle beneath the school mascot.

On the Georgia side is the Georgia state crest, and on the Florida side is Florida’s state crest. Carved into the handle are the scores of all the rivalry games since 2009.

The very bottom of the paddle on the Georgia side reads, “Presented anonymously to the University of Georgia student body,” along with the oar’s dedication date of Oct. 21, 2009.

The Florida side is presented to the UF student body.

Since the oar first came to Athens, it has changed hands every three years, remaining with the Bulldogs from 2011-2014, returning to Gainesville from 20142017, then coming back to Athens from 2017-2020.

Now that Florida has the oar again, whether the Bulldogs will break that streak remains to be seen.

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