In just over a week it will be the 20th anniversary of Jacksonville being awarded an NFL franchise.
I know some of you were probably were not alive or too young to remember.
But for those of us here, it will be a day that will be hard to forget. Most people forget but just a few months prior, it looked like our hope of an NFL franchise was not going to happen as our bid fell apart. But the NFL delayed the announcement of the second franchise. Giving Jacksonville enough time to sell 10,000 club seats and secure the team.
I was in 8th grade and at basketball practice when the announcement was made but our coach had the TV on and we saw he moment when Deron Cherry gave Dan Hicken the thumbs up at the hotel in Chicago and confirmed what we had all hoped for. Paul Tagliabue confirmed it just a short time later. Jacksonville went nuts. After dinner, my family when to JCPenney to buy shirts. Any store that was selling Jaguars shirts had a line wrapped around the building. We waited in line an hour just for a chance to buy a shirt. They had a lottery and our names got pulled. There was a buzz in the city that day that I have never seen. I think only winning a Super Bowl could top it.
Some of that is captured in this video someone posted on Youtube including the Deron Cherry moment.
http://youtu.be/WPW5vYO8NAU
We were out fishing the intracoastal and got stormed out. As I got in the truck to back down the trailer the news was on the radio. I stopped, got out and yelled to my friends in the boat, WE GOT THE TEAM!!. It was awesome. Didn't land any fish that day but the city landed something much bigger.
Work @ Blount Island. In the process of moving back to DC.
On the roof putting up Christmas lights.
Quote:On the roof putting up Christmas lights.
Yeah. You were probably drinking too. Admit it!
I had just gotten home from my job at Publix and was trying to figure out how in the world I could afford season tickets while making around $400 a month.
I was in the Navy at the time out of Mayport. I was floating off the coast on exercises and we had the radio on a news station. Missed out on the initial fervor but have been a fan ever since. My wife is a native and explained how things were when she was little and what it meant to the city. Love my wife for that and many things.
What is truly amazing was how cheap the stadium was to build compared to similar facilities built the same time.
Quote:Yeah. You were probably drinking too. Admit it!
Well it does add the element of excitement to an otherwise mundane task.
Didn't live in Jax at the time, the news didn't faze me one bit. Little did I know how much it would end up meaning to me!
I was living in Las Vegas at the time. Completely thought there was no chance JAX would get the team. Listened to the announcement on my walkman radio on the way home from work and went nuts when they said Jacksonville got the team. People passing me probably thought I was a crazy person. I got everything Jag related I could get my hands on.
I was getting home from school in St. Augustine, I was in the 4th grade. I had just started to develop an interest in football (my dad was a casual Bucs fan being from Tampa) I had friends that liked the Dolphins but I hated Miami (4 years of hell living down there) so when they announced Jacksonville was getting a team it was like I was getting a team.
I was hooked from that point on, and it quickly consumed my teenage years tons of great memories.
didnt know what football was or florida or sports and i was probably eating, crying or pooping lol
Watching Saved by the Bell
I had just gotten home from school and my dad was outside listening to sports radio. I remember people were going nuts. It was an awesome day.
I was driving home from somewhere. (I lived in Jacksonville at the time.) Heard it on the radio. (rock 105 probably)
Raced home and called my brother who lived across town. "Is that why people are setting off fireworks in my neighborhood?" he said.
My memory is hazy after that - so I like to think we met for a celebratory toast, though I was a
wee bit shy of my 21st.
My brother purchased a fair amount of the early logo (Jaguar motorcar infringement) gear. He still has most of it. Our Mom saved a half dozen copies of the Times-Union the next day. I was completely elated. I had previously attended two of the Touchdown Jacksonville rallies to show support and had adorned my car with bumper stickers. It was a really, really big deal for me!
About 1 year and 9 months away from being born. I totally heard the news though, I came out a Jags fan!
Interesting fact: I was born on the same day that the stadium opened for the first time.
Was just at the fulham
socca club website and saw
this thread. What up with that???
Congratulations Jacksonville Jaguars, the city of Jacksonville for your persistence, and the NFL team.
Hopefully Shahid Khan continues the tradition from Wayne Weaver the tradition of bringing the Jaguars, and the city back to the promise land, the Super Bowl, within the next 10 years, or even sooner. B)
:thumbsup: ^_^
I was at home with my mom and she was so excited about the news the next day she went and bought t-shirts and coke bottles which I still have today.
Was still working for a company in another state.
The year the Jags fielded the team was the same year that earlier we opened our small business down here, so we've always had a bond.
Like the Jags its been ups and downs......but, for both of us, the future looks bright! B)
Congratulations Jags!