Jon Sumrall’s rivalry answer is being overblown by one particular fanbase

At this point in the offseason, there aren’t many questions left to ask that Jon Sumrall hasn’t already answered. His offseason interview tour has served him well, as many Gator fans have come around to the idea that Sumrall is the breath of fresh air that has been desperately needed in Gainesville.

He was asked a question this week about rivalries that he frankly hadn’t been asked before. And one certain rival fanbase is apparently upset that Sumrall didn’t come out and choose them first.

Jon Sumrall lists FSU has Florida’s main rival

Damien Harris of CBS Sports asked Sumrall to list who he hated the most already since becoming the coach of Florida. Sumrall was given FSU, Miami, Georgia, and LSU to choose from (Tennessee, for some reason, was not given as an option).

Sumrall went with FSU as his first pick, with Georgia close behind. 

This isn’t some outlandish pick, and depending on when a fan was born, it could dictate who they hate the most. Through the 90s and 2000s, it is hard to claim that anyone was a bigger rival to Florida than FSU. Since Kirby Smart has come to Athens, the Bulldogs have been seen as the bar that Florida just can’t quite get over.

For what it is worth, we here at Hail Florida Hail consider Florida’s neighbors to the west to be the team we dislike far more than that team from Athens. Georgia fans can be obnoxious, but it’s the new age combination of FSU rushing the field against a 6-6 Florida team, throwing a pity party for itself when they got left out of the playoffs, only showing a pulse after a flag gets planted on them, and the overall arrogance that they think they are too good for the ACC, even though they have missed a bowl game the last two years, combined with the nostalgia of the hatred from the 90s and 2000s, that makes FSU the far more dislikable team that Georgia.

Pick me, pick me

This is why our friends at our FanSided Georgia sister site, Dawn of the Dawg, are a bit misguided. They wrote in response to Sumrall picking FSU a piece titled “Jon Sumrall’s Georgia rivalry take feels like something only a newcomer would say.”

The piece begins with “Even Florida fans will be disgusted with the latest thing Jon Sumrall said.”

No, no they won’t. 

Put it this way, when Georgia beat FSU 63-3 in the Orange Bowl, most Florida fans took far more glee in watching the downfall of the Seminoles than annoyance that Georgia won a game by 60 to close out their season.

The thing about Florida compared to Georgia is that the Gators seem to have, like, six different rivals who could all have reasons why they could be number one. Beyond FSU, some Florida fans would say they hate Tennessee the most. Given the past couple of years, some would love another crack at Miami. The LSU series had some of the more memorable games over the last decade compared to anyone else on Florida’s slate. Hell, there are times when UCF is far more annoying than anything Georgia does.

Georgia has Georgia Tech and Auburn to claim, so of course, Bulldog fans have to convince themselves that Florida fans care the most about Georgia.

The battles in Jacksonville during the Cocktail Party are legendary, and eventually, Sumrall is going to need to beat Georgia to get the Gators to where he wants them to be.

That doesn’t mean acknowledging the school two and a half hours down the road is some form of an egregious sin.

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