JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The rivalry between the Georgia Bulldogs and Florida Gators is alive and well, but in this household, it was more playful than personal.
“We mess with each other sometimes—‘Gators are better, Georgia is better, y’all suck’—but no hard feelings,” said Hunter Freeman, a 19-year-old Bulldogs fan.
Freeman, a dedicated Georgia fan, lived in a house where the ribbing never stopped, and it wasn’t just a fall tradition.
“Oh, it’s year-round,” Freeman said. “Red and black is way better than blue and orange.”
Freeman’s mom, Jenny Thompson, also a Bulldogs fan, said there was one family rule when it came to attending the big game.
“We go to the game, and normally I’d make him sit there until the fourth quarter shows 0:00, because I’m going to enjoy that moment—and he would do the same thing to me if it was the other way around,” Thompson said.
Her husband, Mark Thompson, a Gators fan, agreed.
“If we’re going to the game, you gotta sit there the whole time,” Mark said.
Jenny echoed, “Yeah, you gotta watch.”
Despite the friendly banter, Jenny Thompson said you could never predict the outcome of the game.
“You never know with that game. That’s always a game that’s a coin toss,” she said.
Even though things might get rowdy on game day, Jenny said her favorite part of the rivalry was looking back on memories of past games.
“I see pictures all the time this time of year when it comes up in my phone—of them little and being at RV City,” she said. “I’m glad we did that, because they have those memories.”
One thing was certain: at the end of the day, love trumped loyalty.
When asked if they had anything else to say, the parents didn’t miss a beat.
“Go Gators,” Mark said.
“Go Dawgs,” Jenny replied.
And no matter which team wins, this family knows the best memories are the ones they create together.