Eric Rodriguez

I have had a sense that there is something very strange going on lately. It feels like things are not going the way they should be going. This hurricane season felt like it was the worst one ever. The tax overhaul that is being proposed would eliminate the estate tax on inheritances of more than 5 million dollars, would reduce the corporate tax rates while profits and stock prices are already high, and it would also eliminate the $250 deduction that teachers get on their income taxes for school supplies. The leader of North Korea and our president are seeing who can insult the other with the best middle-school-style burn. I feel like I am in the Twilight Zone.

If you still aren’t convinced that there is a great disturbance in the Force, look at what is going on in college football. Alabama was losing to Mississippi State in the fourth quarter on Saturday. A heavily favored, and previously undefeated Georgia team lost badly to Auburn who has already lost twice this season. The University of South Florida and The University of Central Florida are both ranked higher than the University of Florida and Florida State. That last sentence was hard to write, but I looked up the full rankings of all college football teams in the land and it is true. What had formerly been minor football programs in Florida are now looking better than the two former national champions.

The only hope college football fans in Florida have for a national championship this year is the University of Miami. On Saturday, the Hurricanes easily defeated Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish had been ranked No. 3 going into to the game, and Miami was ranked No. 7. One of the reasons Miami dominated on Saturday was turnovers. One reason Miami has been creating so many turnovers lately is the turnover chain. If you haven’t heard about this turnover chain you should come out from under your rock now. The turnover chain is five and a half pounds of 10 karat gold and hundreds of green and orange sapphires that one of the UM defensive players gets to wear on the sidelines after creating a turnover. For some reason, wearing a larger-than-life piece of jewelry that costs as much as a Mercedes Benz motives young men to play a little harder.

Maybe the Seminoles and Gators need to contact the Miami jeweler known as the King of Bling to get him to make something that could make their players play a little harder. The Gators are now 3–6 in what has been their worst start since the 1970s. The Seminoles are also 3–6 and have rescheduled their game against Louisiana Monroe in the hopes of keeping their streak of the most bowl game appearances alive. Only one thing is certain when the Seminoles and Gators take the field on Nov. 25: it just won’t feel the way it is supposed to feel.

Eric lives in Suwannee County and is a public school educator. He is an independent contractor. You can reach him at miamistyle8@gmail.com.