Colleges

'Allie Gator' loves state, but not UF

By DAVE SCHEIBER
Published April 1, 2006

This week we set out to find the one person in the great state of Virginia who could shed light on tonight's showdown between the George Mason Patriots and Florida Gators.

A quick perusal of an Internet people-finder produced an ideal candidate: a resident of the Smith Mountain Lake area, none other than Allie Gator.

Surely a Virginian with the quintessential University of Florida name could provide just the right insight for the Final Four contest.

Well ... maybe.

Allie Gator doesn't actually live in Fairfax, the northern Virginia home of George Mason University. She lives closer to the center of the state near Roanoke. And though she registered Allie Gator four years ago as an LLC - tied to her property rental business - her real name is Linda Burford.

"When I was director of the chamber of commerce board, I was known as Allie Gator - and we still get phone calls from telemarketers all the time for Mr. and Mrs. Gator," said Gator, uh, Burford, 50, laughing. "Lots of people just call me Allie."

So what is her take on the big game?

"Well, it seems my husband is talking to everybody on the phone these days about the Sweet 16 or Final Four," she said. "But I really didn't know what March Madness was until this week."

Now she's torn, since she and husband Andy take annual trips to the Florida Keys, he lived in West Palm Beach and they're known around the lake for their Florida and island attire. They're even Parrotheads, devoted fans of Florida's favorite son, Jimmy Buffett.

But home-state sentiments are prevailing. "We're really proud in Virginia that we have George Mason playing in the Final Four and it would be great to see the underdog win," said the retired graphic designer.

She declined to offer a prediction, but in the background, her husband was yelling: "George Mason goes all the way!"

[Last modified April 1, 2006, 00:56:12]