There were sneered threats and promises of revenge. Something serious was about to unfold. So serious that the police had erected barricades and the news media had warned the public. The tension was palpable. The universities of Florida and Tennessee were going to play a ball game.
College football is taken seriously at Florida.
It controls the pulse and the soul of the university. It amuses some, bewilders to others, and becomes addictive to a frightening few. More studious types are disgusted at the hold it has over academic life. They can't believe, for example, that classes would be canceled for homecoming or that students would be hustled out of their parking spots early on Friday to make room for rich alumni arriving in RV's. On Saturday, the frenzy of anticipation and celebration reaches a crescendo.