Yesterday was the third time my kids have seen the Gators live.

They are 8 and 10.

After the game, the 10 year old says "that's ok. I'd still rather be a Gator than a Georgia Southern whatever or anything else..."

The 8 year old says he wants to go to the FSU game with me next week.

My first live Gator game was in 1990. I didn't grow up in Florida and truth be told I started UF not really caring much about college football. NFL was a bigger deal where I was from.

Suffice it to say, I quickly got into the Gators. Have the tattoo. I didn't see the Gators lose at home until 1993. Had season tix for a few years but dropped 'me about the time I got married and started my family.

But I was one of those spoiled gator fans SOS talked about in Dec 2001--one loss or Heavan forbid, 2 was earth shattering.

Fast forward 12-13 years. The kids, and not just mine, but every kid I saw at yesterday's game had a great time. They cheered their hearts out for the Gators. They didn't seem to care that we were losing at home to a 4 touchdown FCS underdog.

And they want to come back. These are the fans of the future who will really enjoy the ride when the Gators rise again. And make No mistake about--we will rise again.

Won't be with Muschamp, but I'll give his 4-7 campaign credit for at least planting the seeds for my kids to be better Gator fans than I have been.