So close...

...yet so far. That's one of my favorite sayings from my childhood. I still say it all the time. It's 11:03PM at the time that I'm writing this, and I've almost missed my "daily deadline." So close... but I've made it. I still have 57 minutes. I could ramble and ramble for nearly an hour and I'd still make it. HA!

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and while it's not my most favorite of holidays, and it's loosely a holiday at that, this one promises to be better than most. I'll be away from my loving wife and golden retriever in Jacksonville. That's not the good part. That part sucks. I'll be hanging out with my brother-in-law, Eric, until my Dad and old college roommate and groomsman arrive most likely late into the night. We, my friends, will be going to the Gator Bowl.

I bought tickets to the Gator Bowl the day that they went on sale, December 1. On the rather surprising news that Bobby Bowden would be retiring after Florida State's bowl game, and the subsequent request he made to stay in Florida for his last game as well as to face his old team, the West Virginia Mountaineers, rumors swirled that the Seminoles would be headed for Jacksonville Municipal Stadium and the Gator Bowl. It was either that, or maybe the Champs Sports Bowl... or maybe the bowl selection committee would do what my alma mater did and treat a legend with a smaller measure of respect that he deserves, than he earned. I took a calculated risk and bought a prepacked four pack of tickets and crossed my fingers. It paid off.

I grew up a Florida State fan. Although both of my parents are from the fine state of Georgia, and even though I was born there in the fine city of Moultrie, GA, I've spent all but 3 months and two semesters of my life living in the Sunshine State. That being the case, my father understood that he'd need to choose between the Gators, Canes, and Noles at some point, and for whatever reasons, it was the Garnet and Gold that got his allegiance. He stays a die hard Georgia Bulldogs fan to this day, and an Alabama fan on the side, but in our house it was always Florida State that was on the TV on Saturdays. I watched Bobby Bowden lead his team to the promised land and the NCAA National Championship twice, more memorably against Michael Vick and the Virginia Tech Hokies in 1999. I remember Warrick Dunn and Chris Weinke. Unfortunately, I also remember Chris Rix, Jeff Bowden, and the slow, painful fall from grace that my Noles have suffered over the past 10 years.

At one of our homecoming games, I remember a group of students about 4 rows deep and 10 seats wide unfurling a "FIRE JEFF BOWDEN" banner. It had to be a harbinger of things to come. No more than 5 years later it was a similar sentiment from the boosters of the football program that wanted to see the same fate for Jeff's father and the second-winningest coach in NCAA football history. In fact, Bobby Bowden broke Bear Bryant's record before Joe Paterno passed him later down the line. Regardless, 14 straight years finishing in the top 5 and 2 National Championships apparently aren't enough to earn you the right to call your own curtain call. Bobby Bowden is essentially being forced out of his coaching role before he's ready to step down.

That's what makes this trip so important, so great. While I'm not crazy about being away from Meghan on New Year's, while I'm not crazy about the day or Eve itself, I can't wait to the go to the Gator Bowl. I can't wait to be there in person for a legend's ride into the sunset. I'm not sure how I'll react or what I'll be thinking when the final seconds tick off the clock, but I know that I'll be telling the story to my children, to my grandchildren, and to anyone that will hear me tell it. Whatever that story may be, I'll be eager to share it. And hopefully I'll be close enough to get a glimpse of the legend himself before it's all said and done. And if not? I'll just get to say it again.

So close... yet so far.