In less than 40 hours, Hurricanes fans and Seminoles fans alike will flock to the Sun Life Stadium parking lots to share the same tailgate grounds, and this is going to shock you, but some of them might not exactly have the nicest things to say to each other. Hey, it's UM-FSU week; that's the way it's supposed to be. Saturday night's 8 p.m. kickoff is sure to add gasoline to the trash-talk flames as well, because you don't just not drink in the sun all day when it's UM-FSU. Nope, you get shit-faced and talk smack to opposing fans, because, rivalry game.
With all that said, there are certain instances where UM and FSU fans agree and are civil with one another, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, school allegiances be damned. Here are a few of those instances. You may even see the rare instance where a Seminoles fan and Canes fan might go as far as sharing an epic high-five.
1. They hate the Florida Gators more than they hate each other.
Things get pretty heated between UM and FSU fans this week, but there is one thing both can agree upon; the Florida Gators are the absolute worst. Hurricanes and Seminoles fans have a sibling rivalry thing going, but the University of Florida is the asshole cousin nobody likes, but who unfortunately shares the same last name as them.
The two fan bases have different reasons for their Florida Gators hate, but nonetheless, the dislike for everything Gainesville exists equally in Tallahassee and Coral Gables.
2. Yahoo! SUCKS, exclamation point.
In the last half-decade UM and FSU fans have both had some serious beef with Yahoo! Sports and their coverage of their respective teams "scandals". Yahoo! first broke the Nevin Shapiro story via a detailed post that once you finished reading had you feeling like the University of Miami was finished playing football forever. Turns out, things weren't as bad as Yahoo! made it seem, and much of those allegations were just that: allegations, not fact, like Yahoo! made it seem was the case.
Yahoo! continues to churn out anti-FSU columns, seemingly on a weekly basis, making Tallahassee, and the Noles, seem like a corrupt-twisted-cult.
3. Lets Go Heat.
You're not going to believe this, but there are actual parts of Florida that root for the Orlando Magic. Wut, that's messed up. The NY Times released a cool little map last mouth that shows you what NBA team each county of your state roots for, and the results were clear -- Tallahassee and Miami are both #HeatNation.
Luckily for everyone involved the NBA didn't make the same mistake the NFL did, and put a franchise in Jacksonville -- that would have water things down further, and thus this map would identify the true parts of Florida we need to sell off on Ebay. It's a beautiful-strange thing, that College Football. People have a million-and-one different reasons to love a school on Saturday afternoon, but when it comes to Heat-Knicks later on that same night; both are wearing their Dwyane Wade jerseys.
4. Florida should be two states, North Florida and South Florida.
The South Miami City Commission passed a resolution calling for the division of Florida into two separate states, and I have to imagine both Hurricanes fans and Seminoles fans alike were nodding their heads reading this news. Tallahassee couldn't be any different than Coral Gables, I know, I lived their ten years. People in Tallahassee actually refer to going to a sinkhole as "going to the beach", I mean, that right there is all you need to know. Miami and FSU are in the same state, but when you visit them, they seem like they are in different countries.
FSU-UM is a respected rivalry, but referring to it as an interstate rivalry has always kind of felt like you're stretching the truth. The only debate on this topic might be as to whom must claim Gainesville, because as I mentioned about, nobody wants that.
5. UM-FSU has been the greatest College Football rivalry over the last 25 years
UM-FSU has provided more drama for College Football than any other rivalry since the early 80's, and the sport is better when both teams are at the top of their games. FSU and UM fans can both agree, emotions aside, the other school being a top five caliber team is better for everyone involved. These teams play every year, and in a time where strength of schedule is more important than anything else, it's better if fans and experts can point to this game as a plus for both teams.
UM versus FSU is a sibling like rivalry that includes more respect than hate, both teams fan bases will agree, the other being successful ultimately benefits them as well.
The University of Miami faces the defending champion Florida State Seminoles this Saturday November 15th at Sun Life Stadium, kickoff is set for 8 p.m.
Follow @NewTimesBroward
