Gators-Seminoles---goin’ on since 1958… frisky football rivalry--- but

lately,

“all-Florida”---Gators won the last six… tomorrow in Tallahassee,

the ‘Noles FAVORED to retaliate… But let’s FLASH BACK---to Florida-

FSU “50 years ago”… it WAS “unique” … September 24 1960---

“third meeting” in what is now a 53-year rivalry…Gators were BIG

favorites---but “strange stuff” was happening… a few days before the game,

New York gamblers contacted Florida’s fullback---Jon Macbeth---offering him a $1500

bribe---“to shave points”… Macbeth was a kid who liked to play card games for

money---a bit of an “orange-and-blue wheeler dealer”… but Jon “did the right

thing”---turning in the gamblers to Ray Graves, then Florida’s rookie

head coach… Macbeth got “instant fame”---AND a

nickname---“Honest Jon”… ironically, the Gators would win “3-to-nothing”---the

gamblers did NOT need Macbeth’s help---but the bad guys went to jail…

In the next game, the Gators

upset highly-ranked Georgia Tech and legendary coach

Bobby Dodd… the difference in an 18-to-17 thriller---a 2-point conversion pass

from quarterback Larry Libertore to---YOU GUESSED IT---Honest Jon Macbeth…

He didn't make the NFL---and Macbeth “fell on hard times”---dead broke---

alcohol---and other problems…BUT, in the half-century since, the story of Jon MacBeth has

become TRULY HEROIC… he went back to college---earned a masters---and a PH-D…

today, Honest Jon is a professor at Middle Tennessee… of all the memorable

FSU-Florida games---nothing quite like 1960… I’m Hubert Mizell and that’s what I

think.