It was more "Bah, humbug," than "Ho, ho, ho," when a surly Santa Claus told a 6-year-old boy he wasn't getting any presents and challenged the kid's dad to a fight.
"`Santa Claus doesn't like Gator fans,"' Santa told the boy, according to his father, Chip Crabtree. "`Santa Claus wishes that Florida State would beat the Gators in the Sugar Bowl."'The Seminole fan in Santa apparently came out when he spotted the Gators sweatshirt Crabtree's wife, Lori, was wearing when the couple brought their boys - ages 2, 4 and 6 - to the mall Friday.
When Crabtree and his wife said he was being rude, the less-than-cheerful old soul got rid of the kid on his lap and stood up to poke his white-gloved finger into Crabtree's chest.
"`You want to do something about it, right now, pal? Right here on stage?"' Santa said, according to Crabtree.
Crabtree said he didn't.
Then mall security jumped in, Crabtree said "I'm out of here," and Santa walked off the job, stunning the other children in line.
Crabtree later told his boys that wasn't the REAL Santa at the mall.
His 6-year-old already knew: "There wasn't any magic in his eyes."