A guy walks into a bar wearing a Florida hat. He sees a Florida State fan, a pastor, and about 350 other people…
There are many occasions to sport your favorite team’s colors. An obvious choice is on game day. “Wear your colors to work” day is a good one. Tuesday. Yeah. Tuesday works, too. This past weekend I discovered another occasion to sport your colors: A trip to the bar.
This weekend, I had the pleasure of partaking in the festivities of Gasparilla and all the fun-filled debauchery that entails. (Um, and yes. My sister brings her own koozie to bars. She seems to be learning a little more than just Latin at UF…)
Out of the purse...and onto the bottle...
Part of my tasteful ensemble included my Florida hat. I was celebrating our win over Mississippi State in basketball, and it seemed fitting for a Saturday. Little did I know my hat would be the catalyst for one of the most fun nights of my Gasparilla-celebrating career.
I just love this hat.
Because of that hat, I was hit on by a 41 year old Canadian who was smoking pot in line while waiting to get into the bar (thanks again for my sister’s and my cover!), Patrick, a Georgia native whose age seemed to range from 18-35 depending on the song played by the band (thanks again for the tasty beverages for me and my friends!); the Florida State fan sporting an unattractive gold cap and an equally unattractive garnet shirt; the other Florida State fan who saw us once while waiting in traffic and then again six hours later at the bar (“Hey, you’re the girl we saw on Tampa St.! You drive a 4Runner, right? You’re still cute and your hat still sucks.”); the three guys waiting in line for the bathroom (the first who gave me a high five, the second who tapped my Florida-team-spirit clad head, and the third who, as I walked by, grabbed, well, I’ll spare you the details); the fun guy in the #15 jersey who Tebowed every time the band played a song by Van Halen or Rick Springfield; about twelve other random people who all seemed lovely and who mostly loved my hat; and finally, a pastor…or so he said. All these details can be verified by my lovely friends (and Michael, thanks again for playing defense for us when you weren’t playing offense for yourself).
It made for an interesting night. And a fabulous topic of conversation over Sunday Funday (a.k.a. Recovery Sunday after a night like last night). We got to thinking about why a hat could have such an effect on so many people. Here’s what we came up with:
Approachability. Chances are a girl wearing a baseball cap isn’t a girl who spent three hours getting ready, and therefore will spend all of three seconds rolling her eyes at you. No. A girl wearing a baseball cap implies easy going, friendly, down to earth. *brushes imaginary dirt of her shoulder* (Thanks Jay Z.)
Loyalty. A girl sporting colors like orange and blue after a football season like our most recent one is loyal. Fair weather fan? Nah. She’s in it for the long haul. Good for her. Good for you.
Pick Up Line Central. The options are endless. “How ‘bout them Gators?” “How ‘bout that Tim Tebow?” “Nice hat.” “God, you’re so damn cute, but your hat? That’s gotta go.” “What’s that ‘F’ for?” “Aren’t you wearing the wrong colors?” “Hey, I have a hat just like that. It looks better on you, though.” And my personal favorite: “You sure do make team spirit look good, darlin’.” Hook, Line, and Sinker. Sold to the sweetheart with the Southern accent and sincere smile.
So, if you’re looking for a good time, and it’s sadly not a Saturday in fall, grab your cap and a smile. I speak from experience here. (P.S. A short skirt might help, too…)
