![Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier talks with Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 16, 2024. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_59,w_879,h_494/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/213/01jfd77a6kf8znz40xwb.jpg "Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier talks with Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 16, 2024. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]")
Netflix announced today that they are going to be dropping a new series next summer that is focused on the 2024 season in the SEC. Details are still sparse, but they claim they will provide "Unfiltered access to coaches and players." The same company that was behind "Formula 1: Drive to Survive," Box To Box Films, is behind this new series.
There is reason to be excited, but Gator fans also remember the last time Netflix profiled the program when Swamp Kings dropped and remember a slightly altered narrative compared to the one that actually happened.
The following are three things we hope Netflix does better this time around compared to Swamp Kings.
A Netflix Sports series following the 2024 SEC college football season is coming Summer 2025.
— Netflix (@netflix) December 18, 2024
Providing unfiltered access to coaches and players in college football's most dominant conference and giving an exclusive look at key matchups throughout the season. pic.twitter.com/H2Cm2nec0T
Highlight the correct players
One of the very real flaws of Swamp Kings was its portrayal of the 2006 season. At its core, it made it seem like Tim Tebow was the sole savior of the team while relegating Chris Leak, the actual starting QB for Florida, to an afterthought.
We are going to assume that DJ Lagway is going to get shine in this series, but it would be nice to see a player like Tyreak Sapp also get his due credit for the turnaround of the Gators late in the season.
Don't hide from the bad stuff
Swamp Kings also glossed over the large number of players who got arrested during that time period. Like Leak, they were mentioned, but it was more of an "Oh yeah, that happened" versus an actual subplot for the team.
Florida didn't really get anyone arrested, but things in Gainesville were not rosy back in September.
Remember when Eugene Wilson was liking Instagram posts after that game that called for Napier to get fired? If Netflix is really going to provide "unfiltered access," it needs to dive in on just how close Napier was to actually getting fired after the blowout loss to Texas A&M.
Don't pump in fake crowd noise
This is just a personal annoyance that wasn't unique to Swamp Kings, but can we please stay away from having fake crowd noise react during in-game montages?
WWE used to be a massive offender of this and it was terrible. Swamp Kings went to this well multiple times.
The problem is that once you hear it, and you know it is fake, it completely takes you out of the immersion of the experience.