The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is a nickname for the annual college football rivalry game between the Florida Gators and the Georgia Bulldogs. The game is played at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, generally in late October each year.http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2009-09-24/sports/0909240024_1_georgia-dome-jacksonville-florida-or-georgia
In 2010, the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs played on Saturday, October 30, 2010, with the Gators defeating the Bulldogs 34-31.http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=303030061 Neither team entered the game ranked in the college football polls, as Florida entered with a 4-3 record while Georgia came in at an even 4-4.http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/preview?gameId=303030061
The Florida Gators defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 41 to 17 in the 2009 meeting on October 31. Gators quarterback Tim Tebow also broke Herschel Walker's SEC record for the most career rushing touchdowns, as well as the most rushing yards in a career for an SEC quarterback.http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4611764
Naming and Controversy
The term was coined in the 1950s by former Florida sports editor Bill Kastelz. He reportedly witnessed an intoxicated fan offering a cocktail to a uniformed police officer outside of the stadium and used the phrase World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party later to describe the game.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/25/AR2006102501574_pf.html
In 2006, the Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive wrote a letter to television stations, including CBS and ESPN, asking them not to refer to the game as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Silve reportedly sought to return the focus to the game and away from excessive use of alcohol. The networks agreed, but thousands of fans still congregate outside the stadium each year to enjoy cocktails and watch the game.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/25/AR2006102501574_pf.html
Recent Results
- 2010: Florida 34 - Georgia 31http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=303030061
- 2009: Florida 41 - Georgia 17http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sec/florida/opponents_records.php?teamid=1265
- 2008: Florida 49 - Georgia 10http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sec/florida/opponents_records.php?teamid=1265
- 2007: Georgia 42 - Florida 30http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sec/florida/opponents_records.php?teamid=1265
- 2006: Florida 21 - Georgia 14http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sec/florida/opponents_records.php?teamid=1265
- 2005: Florida 14 - Georgia 10http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sec/florida/opponents_records.php?teamid=1265
- 2004: Georgia 31 - Florida 24http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sec/florida/opponents_records.php?teamid=1265
- 2003: Florida 16 - Georgia 13http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sec/florida/opponents_records.php?teamid=1265
- 2002: Florida 20 - Georgia 13http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sec/florida/opponents_records.php?teamid=1265
- 2001: Florida 24 - Georgia 10http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sec/florida/opponents_records.php?teamid=1265
- 2000: Florida 34 - Georgia 23http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sec/florida/opponents_records.php?teamid=1265
- 1999: Florida 30 - Georgia 14http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sec/florida/opponents_records.php?teamid=1265
- 1998: Florida 38 - Georgia 7http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/sec/florida/opponents_records.php?teamid=1265
World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party Celebrations
In footage from the 2009 World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, fans celebrate with alcoholic beverages one night around the event. It's this type of behavior that is common around the annual Florida-Georgia game and how the nickname came to exist. The nickname was later phased out by SEC officials and broadcast networks, but is still widely used by fans.
