I love, love, love college football, moreover SEC (South Eastern Conference) football.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Yes, you read that correctly.
I am a w-o-m-a-n and I love f-o-o-t-b-a-l-l.
Don’t get me wrong, I have always liked football (as in, I could actually sit in a room with my dad and brother and watch a game on T.V.)
Don’t get me wrong, I have always liked football (as in, I could actually sit in a room with my dad and brother and watch a game on T.V.)
In fact, when I was a high school cheerleader I was one of the few who could actually tell the difference between offense and defense, and thus pick the appropriate cheer to chant at the appropriate time.
Trust me, after having your cheerleading captain start chanting, "Get a first down, get a touch down, stop the clock, gotta get down!" when your team was obviously BLOCKING the opponent's attempt to score, knowing the game was a huge help thereafter!
Anyway, the football I grew up with was different. Remember now that I grew up in the north. Up there, it’s all about NFL (National Football League) a.k.a. “Pro” teams. As a family, we have always been diehard New York Giants fans, and to tell you the truth, I really didn’t know much if anything about college football.
Until I moved to the south…more specifically, the state of Alabama.
Oh, sure, early on I had heard about the rivalry between the University of Alabama and Auburn University and how you were either for one team or the other, but I never really understood the full impact of being a football fan until I went to my first college football game in Auburn, Alabama.
Let me tell you…it wasn’t just going to a football game, it was a total experience.
We have all heard the term tailgating, but in the south (moreover in Auburn), tailgating goes beyond bringing food and showing up early for a game. It’s a frame of mind.
It’s about being with family and friends (both old and new). It’s about sharing and laughing and good times. It's about love and pride for the team and the spirit of the game. It's about sharing stories from one generation to the next. It’s about good ole’ southern hospitality. It's about having an memorable time…every time.
And sitting in the stadium?
Anyway, the football I grew up with was different. Remember now that I grew up in the north. Up there, it’s all about NFL (National Football League) a.k.a. “Pro” teams. As a family, we have always been diehard New York Giants fans, and to tell you the truth, I really didn’t know much if anything about college football.
Until I moved to the south…more specifically, the state of Alabama.
Oh, sure, early on I had heard about the rivalry between the University of Alabama and Auburn University and how you were either for one team or the other, but I never really understood the full impact of being a football fan until I went to my first college football game in Auburn, Alabama.
Let me tell you…it wasn’t just going to a football game, it was a total experience.
We have all heard the term tailgating, but in the south (moreover in Auburn), tailgating goes beyond bringing food and showing up early for a game. It’s a frame of mind.
It’s about being with family and friends (both old and new). It’s about sharing and laughing and good times. It's about love and pride for the team and the spirit of the game. It's about sharing stories from one generation to the next. It’s about good ole’ southern hospitality. It's about having an memorable time…every time.
And sitting in the stadium?
It is truly unforgettable.
From the sea of orange and blue clothing, to the children with tiger paws painted on their faces, from the cheers of WAR EAGLE to the shouts of TOUCHDOWN AUBURN!
It’s an adrenalin rush like no other and it should be, after all, Jordan-Hare stadium holds close to 85,000 people so you can just imagine the sound.
Needless to say, after my first college football game, I was hooked. From then on, I became an official Auburn (University) Tiger fan.
Needless to say, after my first college football game, I was hooked. From then on, I became an official Auburn (University) Tiger fan.
But it did not end there.
When I met my husband, he too was a football fan, but it didn't matter to him who was playing or what team was playing. He watched them all, both college and pro.
When I met my husband, he too was a football fan, but it didn't matter to him who was playing or what team was playing. He watched them all, both college and pro.
He grew up a Dallas Cowboys fan and attended UCLA as an undergraduate so he followed Bruins football as well. But in all honesty, it really didn’t make a difference to him who was playing. If it was a football game and it was on T.V. - - he was watching it.
And then, I took him to his first Auburn game…and the rest is history! He was a believer!
Just as a sidenote... in this state, the hospitals make you declare at birth what team your child will be cheering for even before they find out what the parent’s names are…LOL!
Okay, you don’t really have to guess who our son pulls for, do you?
Just as a sidenote... in this state, the hospitals make you declare at birth what team your child will be cheering for even before they find out what the parent’s names are…LOL!
Okay, you don’t really have to guess who our son pulls for, do you?
Heck, we’ve been brainwashing him from early on which is quite evident from these pictures…
And now, this year’s college football season upon us. In fact, the first Auburn home game is this Saturday.
In the meantime, I will leave you with what Bud Poliquin, a columnist for the Syracuse Post-Standard had to say after covering an Auburn v. Syracuse football game in 2002 and you’ll know that I am not the only one who feels the way I do…
In the meantime, I will leave you with what Bud Poliquin, a columnist for the Syracuse Post-Standard had to say after covering an Auburn v. Syracuse football game in 2002 and you’ll know that I am not the only one who feels the way I do…
"Believe me on this. Please. I have descended into college football's Grand Canyon. I have stood in its Alps. I have gazed at its ocean sunset. I have attended a game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. And I've been changed forever."
What about you? Do you like football or some other sport as much as I do? Are you a diehard fan or just a casual watcher of a sporting game and/or event?
It’s Tell Me Tuesdays, so c’mon, leave me a comment. You know I want to hear all about it.
It’s Tell Me Tuesdays, so c’mon, leave me a comment. You know I want to hear all about it.
2 comments:
I'm not a die-hard fan of anything except shopping and reading, lol. I've always dated people who were big football fans, and used to attend football-game watching parties in law school...but I was only there to socialize. When I met my husband, I was shocked that he does not like football. I mean, he'll watch a game if it's on, but he really could not care less about it at all! My dream man! So, even though I don't mind watching a college game with a group of friends and have fun doing so, it wouldn't matter to me if I never saw another game as long as I live.
If I had to choose what game to watch, it would definitely be an SEC football game though, they're the best!
What? no mention of the the smell of bourbon in the air at 10:00 in the morning? conecuh sausages cooking on the grill?
Post a Comment