There is something about football in America, but even more so there is something about football in the south. It’s watching your high school team under those friday night lights. It’s waking up early on Saturdays to go tailgate and cheer your team to victory with your 75,000 closest friends. In the North some college stadiums only seat 20,000, but in the mighty South high school stadiums seat 20,000. If you live in the South you love football.
Football is better here, just ask former Heisman trophy winner Frank Sinkwitch who played at the University of Georgia. “I’m from Ohio, but if i had known what it was like down South, I would have crawled down here on my hands and knees.” See the people up North don’t know what they are missing out on. You can’t put into words the significance football has on Southern society. In the South football is not a game, it’s not even a pastime, football is a way of life.
Yankees might think Southerners are obsessed with football, and they are 100% correct, but thats what makes it so special. Where else can you see things like “The Grove” in Mississippi, the “Calling of the Hogs” in Arkansas, or the “Chomp” in Florida.
In the South your favorite team is your fathers favorite team, and your fathers favorite team was your grandfathers favorite team. Down here it’s not if you are a boy or a girl, it’s if you are a Razorback or a Longhorn. It’s where you scream “Roll Tide” or “Woo Pig Sooie” every Saturday.
Football is why people in Alabama are named Bear. It’s why 100,000 people show up to Rocky Top every Saturday. Down here rivalries define everything. The Alabama and Auburn rivalry divides households. The Red River rivalry turns family against each other. Bobby Dodd showed how terrifying it was to play LSU if you were their rival when he said “I’d rather face the lions in the Coliseum than the Tigers in Baton Rogue.” Rivalries are why everyone calls in sick on friday, so they can get ready for the big game on Saturday.
Here in the South two plus two doesn’t equal four, it equals third and six. Southern football is the reason people wake up at 7 a.m. to go tailgate until kickoff. College stadiums become the third largest city in the state on game day. You don't go on the road when you travel to see your team play, you go home.
Football is embedded in Southern life and never will be uprooted. General Robert Neyland pretty much summed up the view point of southern football fans when he said “When they look back at that 9-1 season, they don’t ask who the nine were.” In the South football is as important as Jesus, and sweet tea. So the next time you talk about football make sure your talking about Alabama not Notre Dame.
Football is better here, just ask former Heisman trophy winner Frank Sinkwitch who played at the University of Georgia. “I’m from Ohio, but if i had known what it was like down South, I would have crawled down here on my hands and knees.” See the people up North don’t know what they are missing out on. You can’t put into words the significance football has on Southern society. In the South football is not a game, it’s not even a pastime, football is a way of life.
Yankees might think Southerners are obsessed with football, and they are 100% correct, but thats what makes it so special. Where else can you see things like “The Grove” in Mississippi, the “Calling of the Hogs” in Arkansas, or the “Chomp” in Florida.
In the South your favorite team is your fathers favorite team, and your fathers favorite team was your grandfathers favorite team. Down here it’s not if you are a boy or a girl, it’s if you are a Razorback or a Longhorn. It’s where you scream “Roll Tide” or “Woo Pig Sooie” every Saturday.
Football is why people in Alabama are named Bear. It’s why 100,000 people show up to Rocky Top every Saturday. Down here rivalries define everything. The Alabama and Auburn rivalry divides households. The Red River rivalry turns family against each other. Bobby Dodd showed how terrifying it was to play LSU if you were their rival when he said “I’d rather face the lions in the Coliseum than the Tigers in Baton Rogue.” Rivalries are why everyone calls in sick on friday, so they can get ready for the big game on Saturday.
Here in the South two plus two doesn’t equal four, it equals third and six. Southern football is the reason people wake up at 7 a.m. to go tailgate until kickoff. College stadiums become the third largest city in the state on game day. You don't go on the road when you travel to see your team play, you go home.
Football is embedded in Southern life and never will be uprooted. General Robert Neyland pretty much summed up the view point of southern football fans when he said “When they look back at that 9-1 season, they don’t ask who the nine were.” In the South football is as important as Jesus, and sweet tea. So the next time you talk about football make sure your talking about Alabama not Notre Dame.
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