Palm Beach County

[Dees Brown]

i'm a life long hurricane fan, but went to uf ... you'd be shocked how many people from south florida come to gainesville for school and are diehard gators (i'm sure the same in tally) ...

I remember I went to the game against the gator when Tebow was there, 08 I think. I was talking to a few fans. This sentiment is true. Alot responses I got UM was to expensive, so they we to UF.

 

[Brains]

I remember the muck bowl. City would shut down. I went to lakes 01-04. I remember Hester at Suncoast, Antoine Smith at Pahokee. Dwyer was a monster!!

Remember one year at the D-Hop tournament. Hester heard I was fast, we were all racing in the parking lot. He had just race my boy shemar and smoke him. I was barely faster than shemar. I was like " I good dawg you got it" lol.

Devin H was a one-man team. My best track teammate by far.

 

[Brains]

I remember the muck bowl. City would shut down. I went to lakes 01-04. I remember Hester at Suncoast, Antoine Smith at Pahokee. Dwyer was a monster!!

Remember one year at the D-Hop tournament. Hester heard I was fast, we were all racing in the parking lot. He had just race my boy shemar and smoke him. I was barely faster than shemar. I was like " I good dawg you got it" lol.

I remember going to GC to run a track meet for the first time in spring of 02. They'd fill 30-40% of the **** stadium for a track meet! Where the **** else does that happen but Belle Glade? What a universe.

 

[stoopid311]

I played basketball at Newman in the late 90's/early 2000's and it was basically a free for all when it came to private schools and recruiting. Our entire starting 5 and the majority of the second team came from Riviera/Jupiter/Glades.

 

[Brains]

I played basketball at Newman in the late 90's/early 2000's and it was basically a free for all when it came to private schools and recruiting. Our entire starting 5 and the majority of the second team came from Riviera/Jupiter/Glades.

Did you play with Manuel, Hodges, and Abe Elam?

 

[dycane]

I played basketball at Newman in the late 90's/early 2000's and it was basically a free for all when it came to private schools and recruiting. Our entire starting 5 and the majority of the second team came from Riviera/Jupiter/Glades.

Newman was always selective with the kids from the ‘hood, even when Murray was there. He wanted to bring in “rougher” kids from Lakes and Dwyer (who were among the best in the state) and was told no, repeatedly. Eddie was about as “rough” a guy from Riviera as the school would allow, at least when I was in the know there, and he was a relative angel. Maybe that’s changed recently.

 

[stoopid311]

Did you play with Manuel, Hodges, and Abe Elam?

I did. I was there 98-01. We also had Greg Colucci and Donald Banks. Underrated guys.

 

[stoopid311]

Newman was always selective with the kids from the ‘hood, even when Murray was there. He wanted to bring in “rougher” kids from Lakes and Dwyer (who were among the best in the state) and was told no, repeatedly. Eddie was about as “rough” a guy from Riviera as the school would allow, at least when I was in the know there, and he was a relative angel. Maybe that’s changed recently.

All true. There was a kid named Louis Graham (I think that was his name) that was at Lakes that Murray wanted bad but couldn't get him. Our "assistant coach" was nicknamed "Detroit" and he was more of a recruiter than a basketball coach. Eddie Shannon was a couple years before my time. But I grew up with Jackie Manual. Really nice guy and hard worker but always thought he was slightly overrated as a basketball player. That's no dig by any means.

 

[Jimsartay]

I remember going to GC to run a track meet for the first time in spring of 02. They'd fill 30-40% of the **** stadium for a track meet! Where the **** else does that happen but Belle Glade? What a universe.

I played at Dwyer and graduated in 99, even when I stopped playing we used to go to the Muck Bowl every year, standing room only!

 

[Brains]

All true. There was a kid named Louis Graham (I think that was his name) that was at Lakes that Murray wanted bad but couldn't get him. Our "assistant coach" was nicknamed "Detroit" and he was more of a recruiter than a basketball coach. Eddie Shannon was a couple years before my time. But I grew up with Jackie Manual. Really nice guy and hard worker but always thought he was slightly overrated as a basketball player. That's no dig by any means.

Before moving up the coaching ranks, Shannon actually coached the middle school kids at St. Marks for a year and worked with my mom. Pretty amazing for a dude with one eye.

Louis Graham was huge. Lakes always had a good basketball team.

Jackie couldn't shoot. His offensive game was not developed at all.

I wanted to go to Newman, but my parents were like "save that money for college, dip****."

 

[Brains]

Why is that?

I get Palm Beach is a heavily populated county and there are a good many FSU and UF alums down there, but I always assumed West Palm, Boca, Boynton Beach and so on would still lean heavily toward UM at the end of the day.

You've got to travel quite a distance outside Gainesville or Tallahassee before there's some semblance of a split fan base (and I'm aware small town and rural areas are typically much more monolithic).

Just can't quite wrap my head around it. Not like Turds or Holes have been worth a crap lately, either.

Don't the Canes get more coverage in the Palm Beach Post than the ****** twins from way up here in North Florida?

South County does lean more heavily toward the Canes.

The Palm Beach Post used to have a great Sports section in the 1990s and early 200s, but that gradually trailed off. They had a dedicated beat for all of the big 3, and an expansive saturday morning section on the high schools. The had a weekly high school top 10, and had a chart with recruiting commit updates from the area. They also did a Super 11 at the end of the year.

All that started to change in the mid-00s with the decline of print format.

Also, the far northern part of Palm Beach County is where I'd say the culture typically associated with South Florida starts to end, although this is very subjective.

 

[Hold My Beer]

South County does lean more heavily toward the Canes.

The Palm Beach Post used to have a great Sports section in the 1990s and early 200s, but that gradually trailed off. They had a dedicated beat for all of the big 3, and an expansive saturday morning section on the high schools. The had a weekly high school top 10, and had a chart with recruiting commit updates from the area. They also did a Super 11 at the end of the year.

All that started to change in the mid-00s with the decline of print format.

Also, the far northern part of Palm Beach County is where I'd say the culture typically associated with South Florida starts to end, although this is very subjective.

Good post JTF

Interesting point about the unofficial northern boundary of South Florida more or less being at the Palm Beach-Martin county line, which matches what I've read and heard over the years

From all my time up in this part of the state, I feel like the "southern boundary" of North Florida would include Daytona Beach, then pretty much mirroring SR 40 through Ocala before making way to the Gulf Coast at Cedar Key (which as state history nerds know was the ending point for the Florida Railroad that begin in Fernandina Beach north of Jacksonville but was derailed during the Civil War).

Always felt like Daytona and Ocala — specifically the areas the that have been around while — very much have a Southern feel.

To me, the vibe changes noticeably when you start driving down I-95 or toward Orlando or Tampa.

Those places don't seem like the South at all to me.

 

[Dees Brown]

South County does lean more heavily toward the Canes.

The Palm Beach Post used to have a great Sports section in the 1990s and early 200s, but that gradually trailed off. They had a dedicated beat for all of the big 3, and an expansive saturday morning section on the high schools. The had a weekly high school top 10, and had a chart with recruiting commit updates from the area. They also did a Super 11 at the end of the year.

All that started to change in the mid-00s with the decline of print format.

Also, the far northern part of Palm Beach County is where I'd say the culture typically associated with South Florida starts to end, although this is very subjective.

**** I you taking me back. I remember the Super 11.

 

[Dees Brown]

Good post JTF

Interesting point about the unofficial northern boundary of South Florida more or less being at the Palm Beach-Martin county line, which matches what I've read and heard over the years

From all my time up in this part of the state, I feel like the "southern boundary" of North Florida would include Daytona Beach, then pretty much mirroring SR 40 through Ocala before making way to the Gulf Coast at Cedar Key (which as state history nerds know was the ending point for the Florida Railroad that begin in Fernandina Beach north of Jacksonville but was derailed during the Civil War).

Always felt like Daytona and Ocala — specifically the areas the that have been around while — very much have a Southern feel.

To me, the vibe changes noticeably when you starting head down I-95 or toward Orlando or Tampa.

Those places don't seem like the South at all to me.

I always consider "South Florida" once you hit Jupiter head south on 95

 

[Hold My Beer]

i'm a life long hurricane fan, but went to uf ... you'd be shocked how many people from south florida come to gainesville for school and are diehard gators (i'm sure the same in tally) ...

Not a decision I could've made (and to be clear, I never had anything close to the grades or financial resources to even think about attending UM or FSU or UF).

Good for you for valuing education over football -- even if it meant attending Florida.

I **** sure couldn't have done it

 

[Hold My Beer]

I wanted to go to Newman, but my parents were like "save that money for college, dip****."

Don't know your parents but like 'em already

#PublicSchool#RepYoHoodinHighSchool

 

[JD08]

Good post JTF

Interesting point about the unofficial northern boundary of South Florida more or less being at the Palm Beach-Martin county line, which matches what I've read and heard over the years

From all my time up in this part of the state, I feel like the "southern boundary" of North Florida would include Daytona Beach, then pretty much mirroring SR 40 through Ocala before making way to the Gulf Coast at Cedar Key (which as state history nerds know was the ending point for the Florida Railroad that begin in Fernandina Beach north of Jacksonville but was derailed during the Civil War).

Always felt like Daytona and Ocala — specifically the areas the that have been around while — very much have a Southern feel.

To me, the vibe changes noticeably when you starting head down I-95 or toward Orlando or Tampa.

Those places don't seem like the South at all to me.

Martin and St Lucie are both largely filled with northern transplants now. Rush hour has them driving down into Palm Beach County in the morning and back in the evening. You have to go to Okeechobee to find "South".

 

[Brains]

Good post JTF

Interesting point about the unofficial northern boundary of South Florida more or less being at the Palm Beach-Martin county line, which matches what I've read and heard over the years

From all my time up in this part of the state, I feel like the "southern boundary" of North Florida would include Daytona Beach, then pretty much mirroring SR 40 through Ocala before making way to the Gulf Coast at Cedar Key (which as state history nerds know was the ending point for the Florida Railroad that begin in Fernandina Beach north of Jacksonville but was derailed during the Civil War).

Always felt like Daytona and Ocala — specifically the areas the that have been around while — very much have a Southern feel.

To me, the vibe changes noticeably when you starting head down I-95 or toward Orlando or Tampa.

Those places don't seem like the South at all to me.

Wow, what a topic. I think I basically agree with you.

Without getting into too much detail, my thought is that once an area becomes excessively urbanized (or suburbanized), it loses a larger "regional" identity and then either becomes 1) generic; or 2) develops a localized culture instead. I'd argue much of South Florida has a localized culture, distinct from the state, the South, or even the United States at large. It's highly unusual.

Even in South Florida, "below 595" you'll notice a difference from above it, and "Down South" (def below 152nd street) in Dade you'll notice a change again as you get further from the City of Miami.

I find Southwest Florida to be more "generic" than South Florida, although some will disagree.

The City of Orlando I don't find particularly "Southern," although many of the suburbs I do find retain that character. I'd say something similar re: Tampa, but Seffner and Plant City feel like the South to me. Again, though, it all goes back to what I think about urbanization in general.

Now, when people start saying that an area is "too Catholic" or "too Latin" to be the South, I think that's a weird argument. I definitely don't believe you have to be an Evangelical.

This is basically what happens after a century of non-stop housing development, immigration, internal migration. The only constant is change.

It's easy to get off on a ton of tangents, so I'll try to not write a book, lol.

 

[Brains]

i'm a life long hurricane fan, but went to uf ... you'd be shocked how many people from south florida come to gainesville for school and are diehard gators (i'm sure the same in tally) ...

The people who switch allegiances solely by virtue of stepping on those campuses were never Canes fans in my estimation. It clearly was not an important enough fixture of their identity.

It is unthinkable in my family to change one's allegiance. Laughable.

 

[Hold My Beer]

Martin and St Lucie are both largely filled with northern transplants now. Rush hour has them driving down into Palm Beach County in the morning and back in the evening. You have to go to Okeechobee to find "South".

You know it, man.

Orlando. Not the South.

Tampa. Not the South.

Bradenton/Sarasota, Ft. Myers, Naples. None of 'em the South.

Port Orange/NSB, Titusville, Melbourne, Vero, Port St. Lucie. Again, not the South.

BUT .... The Muck -- Pahokee and Belle Glade, on to Clewiston, little ol' Moore Haven and throw Immokalee in there, too.

Now there, my friends, most definitely is The South.