One half of a non-existent piece of paper the size of a quarter from an ESPN talking head that very few here have any respect for.

in a season when we were witnessing the Gator football program drift steadily towards the fringes of college football relevance, I believe that any positive recognition of our players and team by a national sports network ought to be appreciated and celebrated.  I doubt that I'm the only Gator fan who was grateful to be in a position where I wanted once again to tune in to the college football recap shows last night, of which ESPN's College Football Final is probably the most watched.  Aside from the helmet stickers for Jones and Taylor, Florida's win over Georgia was featured in their highlight analysis segment. 

Those may not be "great honors" by some measures, and would probably have meant little to any of us in more prosperous times.  But I suspect that it meant something to our coaches and players, and it evoked smiles of pride and appreciation from the Gators in this house  For one delightful evening, it was like old times -- good times, that so many of us came to take for granted.  Suddenly, they were talking about the Gators again; about the Gators dominating a rival again; about the possibilities for the Gators going forward again. 

Whether you believe that having the achievements of Gator players (and the team)  receive recognition from the ESPN College Football Final crew is a meaningful honor or not, it's certainly valuable not only to encourage our players to continue working and playing hard, but to keep the Gators in the consciousness of fans . . . and potential recruits.  Like it or not, the opinions of the ESPN "talking heads" are influential.  At a time when we find our program fading from the spotlight, this kind of favorable publicity can help to elevate the profile of our players and team, which in turn can enhance both opportunities and incentives to rise to prominence again.  If nothing else, though, I think that our players being awarded those helmet stickers may have lifted the spirits of at least some Gator fans who have had few such honors to cheer for during the past couple of seasons.