Newspaper Page Text
ROM THE S
DElLlN
Gators Overcome Bama
Will Play for National Title
By Joke Harrison
THE ISLANDER, DECEMBER 8, 2008, PAGE 9
Saturday’s SEC Championship
showdown between No. 1 Alabama and
No. 4 Florida was seen as the match up
of the year; a national championship
in its own right. Florida was favored
despite their lower ranking, mostly due
to the utter dismantling of every team
they played since losing to Ole Miss
earlier in the season.
The Fighting Tim Tebows (Florida)
Back Talk
Continued from Page 20
were not wearing their seat belts as
were.
They certainly weren’t getting tick
ets for breaking the seat belt law that
day.
And they shouldn’t have, because
the seat belt law is stupid. It’s just one
more way for the government to clip us
for 15 bucks for no good reason.
Sure $15 isn’t much, but it took
the officer five or six minutes to write
my ticket, so with so many people not
wearing seat belts it would be nothing
for him to write ten or twelve tickets an
hour - that's $150 to $180 an hour.
Seat belt laws are aimed at prevent
ing us from hinting ourselves.
It's like a law that says you have to
wear sensible shoes.
Remember how they originally
passed the seat belt law? At first police
could not stop or cite you for not wear
ing your belt, they could only do it if
you were stopped for some other traffic
offense. I believe it started this way
because a lot of folks opposed the law.
Then, after about a year or so, once
we had become complacent about the
belt law, Boom!, the law is changed and
police can now stop you, as they did me
on Thanksgiving, for absolutely no rea
son other than not wearing a seat belt.
Is it safer to were a seat belt?
Maybe yes, maybe no.
I wasn't wearing mine when I rolled
my Explorer a few years ago and all I
got was a broken collarbone.
If I had been wearing it I would have
been stuck hanging upside down in my
truck, probably freaking out because I
couldn't get out. And probably with a
broken collarbone.
Regardless of your personal seat belt
philosophy, not wearing a one does not
endanger anyone else's life, not like
driving drunk does.
I guess this exemplifies the arbi
trary nature of traffic tickets.
Come on, admit it, most of us, at one
time or another have been speeding
down the highway, seen the flashing
lights a couple of miles ahead where
some poor sap was getting a ticket,
and slowed down to the limit just long
enough to get past and then sped right
back up knowing the cop is not watch
ing the radar.
Most of us are guilty of it.
Anyway, as far as my Thanksgiv
ing this year, I was certainly thankful
for family and friends and all the good
things life has bestowed on me...
...and this Thanksgiving I was espe
cially thankful that I wasn't speeding
across the F. J. Torras Causeway while
not wearing my seat belt. □
proved they were worthy of the hype,
beating the Crimson Tide 31-20 after
scoring 10 unanswered fourth quarter
points.
With the explosive receiver/running
back Percy Harvin out, the Gators
had to rely on Tebow to provide most
offense. Tebow played a near perfect
game, throwing for 216 yards and
3 touchdowns while rushing for 54
yards and picking up several key first
downs.
The first quarter started with a
bang for the Gators as Tebow connect
ed on a 3 yard pass with Carl Moore to
put Florida up 7-0. The Tide were able
to rally back, running the ball down
Florida’s throat on two straight scoring
drives which put Bama up 10-7.
The second quarter was all Gator,
with Tebow directing two more scor
ing drives and throwing for his second
touchdown pass, giving the Gators a
17-10 advantage going into the half.
Alabama came out in the third quar
ter and rode the running back tandem
of Glenn Coffee and Mark Ingram to
another 10 points. Coffee and Ingram
combined for 133 yards and two scores
on 29 carries.
Florida went into the fourth quar
ter down 20-17 and felt their national
championship hopes slipping away.
But Tebow would not let them sputter
out. He directed two straight scoring
drives that put Florida ahead with 9:21
remaining and then sealed the deal
with 2:05 left in the game. Confetti
rained down from the sky as Florida
was crowned SEC champs and basi
cally wrapped up a bid for the national
title game.
After their September 27 loss to Ole
Miss, many Gator fans wondered if this
was going to be another long season in
Gainesville. Tim Tebow made them
a promise: “I will play harder than
anyone in the history of this sport has
played before.” He did. Tebow is the
leader coaches dream of. He has the
charisma, the drive, and the skills that
make a once in a lifetime football play
er. He deserves the Heisman Trophy
once again this year not just because
of his awing stats but the way he put
this Gator team on his back and carried
them to a National Title Game. □
Magic of Christmas
Continued from Page 4
you're done counting them, say a prayer
for the less fortunate: the hungry, the
homeless, the lonely, the destitute and
the sick. Resolve to do your part to
make a difference in the world-even if
it's just in your apartment building or
neighborhood.
Teach your children to give of them
selves and their time unselfishly. By
diverting the focus, in our homes at
least, from the "give me" attitude to a
sharing spirit, maybe we can recapture
the awe and gratitude that Christmas
carols say is the greatest gift ever given
to humanity.
Constitutional attorney and author John
W. Whitehead is founder and president of
The Rutherford Institute. □
The 2nd annual
Winter Wonderland
on the Farm
Saturday, Pec. 13*4-7 pm
three Oaks Farm
332 Oyster Road • Brunswick
Come play in the snow, ride the train,
play on the air slide obstacle course
and ride horses with us!
Family friendly Christmas music,
hotdogs and drinks will be provided.
Entry to the event is $10 per person,
3 & under are free.
Directions can be found at www.three-oaks.net
For more information, call 1-912-269-0623
Event is sponsored by Parisa’s Sauce Inc., Palm Contracting, Brunswick Floors,
Childcare Network, Future Coating, & Golden Isles Speedway
RUPA
Residents United for Planning and Action, Inc.
www.rupa-ssi.org
Everyone Loves A Contest!
Enter your design for an auto window decal for RUPA.
The design should not be larger than 3 1/2x3 1/2.
It can be any shape i.e. oval, square, oblong, diamond shaped. It's your choice.
Included in the logo should be RUPA - Residents United for Planning and Action.
The winner will be announced at the RUPA Town Hall Meeting on January 27,2009.
The winning designer will receive a $45 gift certificate to
Outback Steakhouse on St. Simons Island - Wow!
So, hurry and submit your design to:
RUPA
P.O. Box 24318
St. Simons Island, GA 31522