A letter to the Who Dat! Nation



The T-P did a funny letter: "Dear Miami: Get ready for the Who Dat Nation coming for the SuperBowl"

I offer my letter to the Who Dat! Nation. My father lives in South Florida, so I feel qualified to offer some advice to those New Orleanians making the trek to Miami.

1. Leave the heavy clothes at home. This is South Florida where it’s always beautiful and balmy. There might be some rain but it will be over before you know it. You might need something light for the freezing cold restaurants.
2. Speaking of restaurants, don’t expect to find TabascoTM on the tables. Bring your own hot sauce and Tony C’s. You’ll thank me.
3. South Florida has some fantastic seafood so enjoy. Just don’t expect everything to be fried. They like to eat "healthy" down there. Remember the “South Beach Diet?”
4. If you want food with a kick, try some Cuban cuisine. You won't be sorry.
   
5. If you are driving to Miami, you might want to pack your own booze – I bet they run out. But make sure none of the bottles in your car are open. They are very strict about drinking and driving and a bottle of wine with the cork stuck back in, under the driver’s seat, may land you in jail.
6. The Florida Highway Patrol officers do not have a sense of humor.
7. Be prepared to be carded. Keep your ID handy.
8. It’s snowbird season, which means there are retirees from the north everywhere. Be prepared to follow slow moving cars with their turn signal going.
9. Pack the sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. You’ll need them.
10. Be prepared to drive. A lot. Kind of like visiting Houston or Dallas.
11. If you have a day or two, drive down and see the Keys. Key West, at the very end, has a New Orleans vibe with a tropical twist.
    

Anything I missed?

UPDATE: ESPN posts "Here are the 20 reasons you should be in New Orleans instead of Miami for the Super Bowl" (Thanks Jim!)

We just got back from spending a long weekend in Boca Raton, FL visiting my family. It's amazing how completely different it is there compared to New Orleans. This is a terrible thing to say but it was refreshing to see that perfectly manicured, hoity toity Boca Raton has also been hit with the uptick in crime that seems to be nationwide. I don't wish crime on anyone but it makes me feel not so bad about the crime here, like it can happen anywhere not just New Orleans. Call it rationalization. I know we all do it, it's the only way we are able to walk out our front door every day after reading the newspaper or watching the local news. Part of the reason I moved to New Orleans is that it is different than Florida. I grew up in Florida and have lived in numerous towns: Tampa, Orlando area, Jacksonville, Tallahassee and when I graduated college (FSU) I wanted to see what it was like to live somewhere else. The only things I miss about Florida are the beaches and my family. Most of my friends don't even live there anymore.

While I was there, I stocked up on FSU wear - I got a t-shirt, long-sleeved t-shirt and sweatshirt. You don't find much FSU garb in Louisiana. It hasn't been easy to follow FSU football since we don't have cable. I've been rooting for LSU Tigers - I like their team colors, I like their mascot, the don't play FSU in football, I know a ton of people who went there, and they play against the Gators. What's not to like? Granted the team hasn't been as stellar the last few years, and, though I love Bobby Bowden, I wonder if he shouldn't have retired on a high note, back when they won their last championship. I was horrified and demoralized to read about the cheating scandal. I await further developments as the investigation continues. Ironically, after reading about the scandal on ESPN.com, someone sent me a link to a fellow New Orleans blogger, Florida girl and FSU fan. She has some nice posts about the GOOD FSU football players, the link to those post I share with you here and here. A not so great football year is one thing. Academic fraud is an embarrassment to all FSU alum. A good friend who is also a Gator fan shared these words:

May the following well-worn words of Gator fans everywhere give you some comfort - "Wait until next year!".