As of this morning, here’s what the results look like:
First off, that’s the most participants in a GTP reader poll we’ve had, so, while this is far from a scientific study, it would seem to indicate it’s a topic Georgia fans care about. (I’ll leave it for you to decide if that’s enough for the folks at Butts-Mehre to take notice of.)
Overall, the main result — that the status quo would be the majority opinion — didn’t surprise me. The fan base is split on Jacksonville, but not that split.
I expected home and home to be the second most popular choice, especially since it’s Smart’s preference, but I’m a little surprised it’s not showing more strongly than just over 20%. In fact, when you take into consideration that the three other rotation options all include Jacksonville in one form or fashion, there’s a significant consensus that the fan base (at least the part that shows up here) cares pretty strongly about maintaining the Cocktail Party. Much to Mike Griffith’s chagrin, I would assume.
Anyway, I’m curious what your take is as to the results. Tell us what you think in the comments.
Get The Picture 
Are we allowed to call it cocktail party again? I never stopped but I remember some stupid people lobbied to have it called something else?
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You were never prohibited from calling it the Cocktail Party.
The stupid people were the presidents of UGA and UF and the City of Jacksonville officials. There was a Georgia Florida game a number of years back (my poor memory says 2002, which was a night game allowing for significantly more pregame drinking) where there were a few students who died in Jacksonville that day. The presidents and City officials decided that the image of freewheeling drinking in an all day “cocktail party ” was a bad image at an event at which students died under circumstances that may be related to alcohol. The presidents and city officials decided to remove “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party ” references from their promotional materials and asked CBS to not refer to it by that nickname. There was no “lobbying” other than asking CBS to not use the term. The schools and the city didn’t ask you or me to stop using the term and you have been free to do so since the sportswriter coined the term in the mid 1950s.
I am a drinking man and have never entered the game without alcohol in my system, but CBS not calling it TWLOCP doesn’t bother me the least.
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What did they call it though? When they tried to not call it WLOCP?
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The River City Showdown.
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The War for the Oar or… worse…
The Georgia-Florida Game
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I always laughed at NCAA Football 14 calling it the “Largest Outdoor Georgia Florida game”
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I admit it was a stupid move by the SEC and the schools to allow ESPN to put the game in prime time.
Yes, it was 2002.
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Agree totally with the attempt by Micheal Adams and company to drop the name and alcohol reference. Shocking Michael Adams could bad mouth alcohol while collecting big money from the “fists of fury”. Dr. Adams was better suited for a B10 hypocrite University. Or anywhere other than Georgia.
I think 2002 was the TE dropped pass year of a 13-1 season. I was there for the pain in JAX and the joy of beating Arkansas for the SECC at the dome.
Seems the 7:30 start night game with several deaths
( not at the game ) was a couple of later. Since I was drinking heavily the exact year is fuzzy so you might be right. When it became the River City Shootout game or as Uncle Vern said the game formerly know as the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
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Alcohol is like Clorox for the gene pool.
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“Alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems!”
– Homer Simpson
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We are continually stripping tradition out of CFB every day with wholesale changes being made at every avenue. Can we not just let something “be”?? Moving the rivalry out of Jax would really disappoint me.
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As a season ticket holder who is constantly disappointed with our home schedule, I’d love to have Florida in Athens every other year. But I still come back to exactly what you just said – every tradition in CFB just slowly melts away, so I’d like to hold on to the few that we still have.
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Are you disappointed in our home schedule because Florida isn’t on it or because Tech, Auburn, South Carolina and Tennessee have been mediocre to awful? Throw in Missouri, Kentucky and Vanderbilt along with the rent-a-win opponents. If those 4 were good, the home schedule would be good.
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The warts on our schedule have been compounded in recent years by UT & S. Carolina being so bad, Auburn’s rollercoaster seasons and that no matter how many times we play UK, Vandy & Mizzou, I will never, ever get excited about playing them, period. I like Kentucky only when we play them on the road in October and I can make the trip there to enjoy Keeneland, bourbon and night football. But more & more we’re playing them in November when we’re in Lexington.
Again, I’m not advocating moving Florida to home & home but I wouldn’t hate it if we did.
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How much better would the home schedule be if Oregon traveled another 60 miles east to Athens? Or we were playing Clemson in Athens as the return for us playing in Clemson last season? The home schedule sucks because all the good games are played as neutral site games. Get rid of the newcomers (Atlanta and Charlotte) before getting rid of a 90+ year tradition.
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This seems like easiest solution.
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We didn’t want to go to Oregon, so ESPN made it financially beneficial to Oregon to play in Atlanta.
We signed a 4-game agreement with Clemson – 2 neutrals and 2 on campus. As someone who has Clemson just below the traditional Big 3, I’m ok with the arrangement because we’re playing more frequently.
Our current scheduling philosophy going forward is the best of all worlds:
1) Keep Jacksonville – hopefully, Kirby doesn’t screw this up
2) Schedule high-profile OOC games on campus – it’s going to be interesting what happens to the OU and Texas games. I think the OU game stays on the schedule next year with the understanding that the first conference game with us will be in Athens. The Texas games are toast.
3) Play neutral sites games when it makes sense – playing Oregon in Atlanta seemed to be a good compromise. They want visibility in the south. We didn’t want to give them a return game.
All we need now is the right solution to the SEC schedule with the expanded conference. To me, a 3-6 scheduling mode makes sense.
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Russ,
I couldn’t agree more with your post!!!
It doesn’t seem to hurt recruiting when we play the neutral site openers so why rob us of our tradition under the recruiting excuse. A couple of weeks ago I listed all the big non conference games already on our schedule in the next ten years. Clemson’s there a lot usually as a season opener I bet they won’t be on campus. I hope UCLA and tOSU which are not openers don’t cancel the home and home games already scheduled.
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The Clemson games are scheduled as a home and home.
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Home schedule will get better when divisions go away and we get more frequent matchups with the current West + OU & Texas. Keep the game in Jax and keep the traditions like Dawg93 suggests. Also agreed on Neutral site. Much prefer the home-homes.
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With the new landscape of college football being an open NIL environment, open transfers, and open conferences forming super conference, what possible difference could coach contact make at the cocktail party. SEC should tell the NCAA to pound sand and allow their teams to entertain recruits on the road & neutral site games. The charade, which remains in place is awkward and laughable.
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While interesting, it will never happen. There has to be some advantage to being the home team on a particular week. With your solution, I can see Hawaii getting a lot of requests for hosting a game with Alabama, Georgia, etc. What better way to entertain a recruit than a trip to Hawaii to see the Tide, Dawgs, etc. play in paradise.
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From reading some of the comments supporting a rotation of some kind yesterday, the theme in those seemed to be:
1) Give Kirby something
2) Split the baby
3) Compromise
4) I like the tradition, but wouldn’t it be awesome to …
If those comments were indicative of that 25-30% of votes for a rotation, I drew out the conclusion that if those individuals were painted into a corner of Jacksonville or home/home (no rotation is going to happen for many reasons), Jacksonville would likely win overwhelmingly. (I understand my confirmation bias may be at work in the above comment)
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Yes sir. You are correct.
My initial choice was “compromise”
That decision was wrought from suffering through the 90’s. A poor time to base my vote, since the Dawgs have owned FU throughout the rest of recorded fooseball history. #FTMF
And I agree, that if the actual choice was only two, and one being Jax….then I’ll happily buy you a drink sir at the “Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party”
Cheers.
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I haven’t been to the game in years, but it is special and unique. Murray seemed to agree with that for the players too. Does Kirby think having recruits on campus outweighs the national exposure the game brings? Does CBS(ESPN in a few years) always pick it first if it’s home and home? I think the name recognition of Cocktail Party and Red River Shootout/showdown mean more than just saying Georgia-Florida or Texas-Oklahoma. I fully trust Kirby, but I think he’s short-sighted about this. My vote is keep it in Jax.
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Of course he is short-sighted about the issue. Tradition and the uniqueness of the game being played at a neutral site do nothing for Kirby’s job status. I said this yesterday on here. Kirby’s tenure and longevity are tied to winning. We all know that winning consistently is tied to high level recruiting and there is no way around that fact. During any particular recruiting cycle, the kids in high school have more to do with Kirby maintaining a winning program than playing a unique neutral site tradition annually.
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The fallacy in Kirby’s logic is that recruiting could be better because the game isn’t on campus. The results don’t show that will not be statistically significant. He also totally downplays the benefit of the neutral site in Jacksonville while saying he likes the neutral site opener.
That’s exactly the reason that I will be a “championship or bust” fan if he gets his way on this.
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If I recall, the agreement between SEC and CBS has WLOCP written in as always 3:30 so as it’s never a night game where everyone dies from alcohol poisoning, falling off parking decks, or fights.
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I read the comments yesterday of those who voted for a rotation, there were a lot of themes of compromise, in a perfect world, and to give Kirby something because he might leave over this (never going to happen). If those comments were indicative of those who voted for a rotation, I think a large number of that 25-30% would vote for Jacksonville if given 2 selections – Jacksonville or home/home. Those individuals want the tradition of the game to stay somewhat intact.
(Yes, I understand that may be confirmation bias at work.)
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Senator, you can delete this.
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Some day hopefully far far away after breaking St. Nick’s NC record Kirby will leave/retire. When that happens it won’t be because of the game still being in Jacksonville.
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My take on the poll? People are always slow to embrace change from the status quo, even when it’s what is best
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“Best”? Best for whom? Best for what? Not best for Jacksonville businesses. Not best for traditions. Not best for filling the reserve fund. Maybe best for recruiting for both teams every other year. Best for Athens/Hogtown.
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Best for the UGA football program…
Does anything else matter?
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How do we know it’s not best for the program to stay in Jax? Kirby just won it all and has played for another title with the game in place.
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People are slow to embrace change when it sucks.
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Mic drop
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“Even when it’s what is best”
LOL 😆 Okay.
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May not be scientific, but guessing that the #’s are reasonably close. Completely get why. What cracks me up is the challenging to Kirby’s reasoning – which is sound. ‘We’ collectively have an emotional tie to the game being in Jax. Kirby is thinking about what he feels is best for the program, which is why most the 20% favor the home and home.
Regardless, I think we’ll all be surprised if the game is actually moved. And if anything does change, it will likely be a home and away to Atlanta and Jax – which only mitigates part of Kirby’s concerns. May as well leave it in Jax. 🙂
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Last time I looked at poll results yesterday, something like 66% had voted “remain in Jax.” Now it’s at 57%. I suspect a late-night vote dump.
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Actually, it was a fairly steady decline.
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No amount of voting can make Jacksonville a nice city. It’s like mad max without the cool leather jackets.
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This is such a weird gripe. What difference does it make if the city is nice? Nobody’s forcing you to be there except on game day.
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I’ll take Jax over Columbia or Starkville any day. Maybe Auburn too. Even when my sister lived there and I had free lodging and access to the best bars in town.
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I’d rather be in Jacksonville than ITP.
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I’ve found a lot of nice things to do in JAX.
There are ugly parts of every city.
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Leaving Jacksonville with a “W” vs FU is always nice…#FTMF
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You left out the only thing better than beating FU. Is beating them so bad the isles flood with their fans racing for the parking lot. That is one of the most beautiful sites in all of CFB.
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Ponte Vedra, Amelia, St. Augustine, parts of South Jacksonville and North St. Johns County are really nice. If your frame of reference is the area between the airport and stadium, Jacksonville is awful. Just like parts of Atlanta or Athens for that matter.
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A different way to look at a survey would be to ask if you’d rather see Florida on the home schedule versus Samford or Kent State? A stronger 6 game home schedule would bring added value to that yearly “contribution.”
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You think moving Florida to Athens would mean they’d drop a cupcake game?
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I see your point, but he did say a “stronger 6 game home schedule”, which presumably means by adding Florida to the home schedule every other year, it would allow us to schedule a home & home with an OOC team, with that OOC team playing in Athens in years that we play Florida in G’ville. Thus staying at 6 home games.
Would we do that? Not sure, but we do have some big home & home’s coming up in the next several years. Also have to factor in the impact of OU/UT coming in, which hopefully gets us to 9 conf. games per season.
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Two things in response: one, they’re already doing that and, two, if you’re someone like me who goes to Jax every year, moving the game to Athens/Gainesville actually means it’s a weaker UGA schedule for me every other season, since I won’t get tickets when it’s played in the Swamp.
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So for half the UGA season ticket holders it’s worse every other year and the other half it’s better every other year. I’m in the latter because I still have kids at home playing a ton of sports, so my travel for UGA away games is practically nil for now and the next 5-7 years. I would benefit from a change to home & home but I still prefer to keep it in Jax for traditional reasons.
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Look at 2019. Seven home games with two “cupcakes” and included Notre Dame at home. Rotate UF home and home and find quality OOC opponents in the off years (Clemson). Treat Jax as a neutral site for a few years by scheduling a variety of Florida based schools … FSU, Miami, UCF, South Florida, Florida Atlantic, Florida International. Keep conference games home & home. We’ll find you a great bar with a big screen for Gainesville years… by end of the 3rd quarter, you won’t miss Jax.
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You don’t know me… you just think you know me. But thanks for trying. 😉
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I think there is another approach to make all happy.
1. Schedule Ohio State, Michigan, etc for home and home – that gives Kirby a big game for recruiting and gives the season ticket holders a good game
2. Squeeze a few more million out of Jax and put the money into the NIL basket – that will help recruiting as well.
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That’s exactly what we’ve been doing at Kirby’s behest, but it isn’t enough for him.
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Just like everyone running college football, it’ll never be enough for him.
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I’ve been going to Jax for the last 20+ years. We stay at Amelia, eat, drink, and have a wonderful weekend. Drive in for the tailgating and game and drive back. During these years I have met many long time Georgia supporters and some rather large boosters, based on my conversations with these folks, I would be surprised to see this game moved due to the large dollar boosters in S. Ga. and N. Fla. This is their weekend with the Dawgs. Yes, Kirby has a voice in this but booster money and potentially increased Jax revenues talk fairly loud too.
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I’ve said this before.
If UGA backs out of the WLOCP, Jacksonville will empty the bank to attract another big-name program to it.
In years when Georgia isn’t ranked in the top 5 (yes, that day will come…hopefully for the Dawgs not for a long time) it will mean a lack of exposure for Georgia and excellent exposure for Florida and whoever Florida faces in the WLOCP.
When we’re playing a nooner and watching Tenneseee/Florida in the WLOCP (even when both teams are not top 5 either) you’ll understand the old saying about throwing the baby out with the bath water.
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That is an interesting take and one I hadn’t thought of. While I have my doubts that UT would give up a home game every other year to play UF in a neutral site game, I could definitely see a program like South Carolina agreeing to that. Or are you saying that Jax might pay UF big dollars to play one of UF’s actual home games in Jax instead of Gainesville (and UF would be the actual home team with the vast majority of the tickets)?
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Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t see Jacksonville doing for others what they have done for Georgia and Florida. They weren’t successful hosting the World’s Smallest Outdoor Cocktail Party. I may be wrong on this.
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I don’t see it. They had the ACC CG and couldn’t keep it.
Tradition is a funny thing, it requires history.
They may pursue a kick off game. However other cities have tried but Atlanta is really the only one with continued success in hosting one. Atlanta also has large fan bases for most SEC and ACC programs living within an hour of MBS.
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I’d just like to put out my tinfoil hat theory:
Kirby’s first year at Georgia was 1995. The Dawgs would be obliterated at home by Spurrier’s alligators that same year, in the second game of a home-and-home series precipitated by construction of a new stadium in Jacksonville.
We all know that Kirby takes Florida seriously (#FTMF, point at the scoreboard and laugh, etc). But what if all this posturing about recruiting opportunities at home stadiums is misdirection? What sort of tangible improvement to consistent top3 classes could result from one more recruiting opportunity every other year?
I think it’s a ruse. What Kirby really wants is revenge. He wants to Dawg Walk into Gainesville and utterly decimate Florida on their home turf, and then to correct a home losing streak to a bitter rival. He wants home-and-home games so that he can mete out the sort of demoralizing punishment on the hated Gators that he was forced to endure as an innocent, impressionable Freshman. He wants justice.
I don’t think he should get his way on this, but I like this petty motivation better than some robotic nonsense about recruiting.
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Wars are rarely fought for the reasons given to the masses.
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Sounds reasonable.
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So, like Johnny Ringo, Kirby wants a reckoning.
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McGarity bias
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Clearly anyone who wants to move out of Jax quit your blog and is off slobbering all over Griffith’s content. 😉
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I’d trade time/cost of 2 days for WLOCP in Jax, for 1 day in Athens vs Florida +Plus 1 day at SEC Champ game in a heartbeat. Likely can’t do both.
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I love that Kirby is a perfectionist who’s never satisfied. But the results say that this has not been a recruiting disadvantage for us.
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