Down here

[CSUBUCDAD]

There's a fella named B.J. Bennett who writes some pretty good stuff about football and the South in general. Thought I would share this classic for all you fellas to enjoy

Down here

By B.J. Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com Senior Editor

Simply put, it's different down here - just ask former Heisman trophy winner Frank Sinwich.

"I'm from Ohio," the University of Georgia legend once said, "but if I'd known what it was like down south, I would have crawled down here on my hands and knees."

Football in the south is an interesting beast. It's not a game, it's not a pastime...it's a way of life. It's a mixed drink of family, religion, politics and pageantry, spiked with shots of antagonism, arrogance and pride.

Critics label our view of college football as naive and tendentious. Our response? We couldn't agree more. Southerns revel in regional bias, and why shouldn't we? In the south, we transform a vast picnic area into The Grove. We see a stadium on the river and bring a Navy. We take a plain desert stone and make it magic. We have The Chop, The Chomp and The Ramblin' Wreck. We root for the same team as our dad, the same team as his dad and say "to hell" with the team of your dad's dad. We call players by their first names, anyone on the athletic staff coach, and to the chagrin of media pundits and those who just don't understand, we say "we".

Read more. http://southernpigskin.com/page.cfm?story=10952&cat=exclusives

[Mod33 Edit: Please include a link to every article you post from outside sources and only paste a portion of the article to comply with the TOS.]

[AZBison]

great read. I've heard as much from fans in the SEC. Especially when they come to Tempe for a rare OOC game. First, they make fun of our tailgating saying we don't know what we're doing, then they make fun of our team spirit, but no matter what the outcome is, no matter how heated the arguments during the game, they always compliment our football team when it's done.

[poly51]

Great story.
Just a little comparison to the California fan.

In California the fans arrive during the first quarter and leave with about 5 minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

Southern Cal, arguably the most successful college program in the nation does not fill the stadium on a regular basis.

UCLA does not even play it's home games in Los Angeles, but in Pasadena.

The number 1 sports market in the US does not have an NFL team.

San Jose State with 30,000-40,000 students in California's 3rd largest city draws about 15,000 fans to it's home games.

University of The Pacific in Stockton with a population of about 300,000 and a football tradition that includes Amos Alonzo Stagg dropped football for lack of support.

Bakersfield probably has more southerners per capita than any other California city. Cal State Bakersfield does not play football.

Super Bowl I held in Los Angeles only drew 61,000 to the 100,000 seat LA Coliseum.

I must be a Southerner at heart. At least I was born in Southern California. I have been going to Cal Poly games since 1951. Have had season tickets since 1972, Go to the game an hour before they start and leave when the band is done playing. Go Mustangs.

[Pauly LB]

poly51

Who is the player in the picture on your posts?

[poly51]

poly51

Who is the player in the picture on your posts?


He is Stan Sheriff, Cal Poly 1951-1954 who I saw play when I was 9 years old. He played in the NFL, was head coach at the University of Northern Iowa for 23 years and finished his career as Athletic Director at Hawaii for several years.

[bobbythekidd]

Southern football is Erk Russell joking, "we don't cheat at Georgia Southern, that costs money and we don't have any."
:hurray:

[proasu89]

Great story.
Just a little comparison to the California fan.

In California the fans arrive during the first quarter and leave with about 5 minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

Southern Cal, arguably the most successful college program in the nation does not fill the stadium on a regular basis.

UCLA does not even play it's home games in Los Angeles, but in Pasadena.

The number 1 sports market in the US does not have an NFL team.

San Jose State with 30,000-40,000 students in California's 3rd largest city draws about 15,000 fans to it's home games.


University of The Pacific in Stockton with a population of about 300,000 and a football tradition that includes Amos Alonzo Stagg dropped football for lack of support.

Bakersfield probably has more southerners per capita than any other California city. Cal State Bakersfield does not play football.

Super Bowl I held in Los Angeles only drew 61,000 to the 100,000 seat LA Coliseum.

I must be a Southerner at heart. At least I was born in Southern California. I have been going to Cal Poly games since 1951. Have had season tickets since 1972, Go to the game an hour before they start and leave when the band is done playing. Go Mustangs.

You sir, are a fan. :thumbsup:

[Peems]

College Football is a passion in many areas where there are no pro teams at all or rich tradition. I.E. Alabama. Tennessee kind of, their pro teams havent been around too long. But we here in the northwest are just as passionate(at least in Montana)

[Mountaineer]

Awesome read BUCDAD - thanks for posting it. :nod: :bow:

I've been to lots of places where people are football crazy, but I've never seen an entire region, like the South, absolutely worship the sport like we do down here. :nod: :beerchug:

[appsfan]

Good (and true) read BUCDAD. I'll post on a different thread a the difference between Northern and Southern football.:)

[CSUBUCDAD]

Not sure how many of you are familiar with the Southernpigskin.com site. BJ is a guy who eats, breaths, sleeps football. Here is his explaination of how it is down here for all those folks up north and out west who wonder about us southern football fans and what the heck is wrong with us. Check out the site and go to the archives, there are many many more writing by him and a couple of other guys that are great reading for football fans. Enjoy.

http://www.southernpigskin.com/page.cfm?story=10952&cat=exclusives


Down Here

By B.J. Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com Senior Editor

Attempting to explain the relevance, and importance, of college football in the south.


Simply put, it's different down here - just ask former Heisman trophy winner Frank Sinkwich.

"I'm from Ohio," the University of Georgia legend once said, "but if I'd known what it was like down south, I would have crawled down here on my hands and knees."

Football in the south is an interesting beast. It's not a game, it's not a pastime...it's a way of life. It's a mixed drink of family, religion, politics and pageantry, spiked with shots of antagonism, arrogance and pride. .

Critics label our view of college football as naive and tendentious. Our response? We couldn't agree more. Southerners revel in regional bias and why shouldn't we? In the south, we transform a vast picnic area into The Grove. We see a stadium on the river and bring a Navy. We take a plain desert stone and make it magic. We have The Chop, The Chomp and The Ramblin' Wreck. We root for the same team as our dad, the same team as his dad and say "to hell" with the team of your dad's dad. We call players by their first names, anyone on the athletic staff "coach", and to the chagrin of media pundits and those who just don't understand, we say "we".

Southern football is why my grandmother spent fall Saturday's in orange capris, blue reebok classics and alligator jewelry and had a football card of Danny Wuerffel taped to her dresser. It's the same reason why my mom can't watch the fourth quarter, my dad won't watch the first quarter and my uncle and his two sons have walked around Valdosta, Georgia with a little more pep in their step since December 7th, 2002.

Southern football isn't tailgating, it's all-nighting. It's not about painting your face, it's about painting your chest. It's not about grills, it's about cookers. Inside the stadium, you don't talk to your neighbors, you yell at them. Those around you aren't strangers, they're 80,000 of your closest friends. You don't go on the road when you travel to see your team play...you go home........

[Go...gate]

That's great.

[Ivytalk]

That says it all!xthumbsupx

[HIU 93]

Not sure how many of you are familiar with the Southernpigskin.com site. BJ is a guy who eats, breaths, sleeps football. Here is his explaination of how it is down here for all those folks up north and out west who wonder about us southern football fans and what the heck is wrong with us. Check out the site and go to the archives, there are many many more writing by him and a couple of other guys that are great reading for football fans. Enjoy.

http://www.southernpigskin.com/page.cfm?story=10952&cat=exclusives

I clicked on the link and read the article. Not one mention of Eddie Robinson, Jake Gaither, Gramblimg, FAMU, Southern, Tennessee State, MEAC, SWAC, the Florida Classic, the Bayou Classic, etc. I guess we aren't in the south, or for some reason don't qualify.

[Go...gate]

I clicked on the link and read the article. Not one mention of Eddie Robinson, Jake Gaither, Gramblimg, FAMU, Southern, Tennessee State, MEAC, SWAC, the Florida Classic, the Bayou Classic, the MEAC, the SWAC, etc. I guess we aren't in the south, or for some reason don't qualify.

You're right and I'm embarrassed and sorry that I did not pick this up. All the schools and conferences you list also have long and distinguished football traditions and millions of passionate fans.

[CSUBUCDAD]

I clicked on the link and read the article. Not one mention of Eddie Robinson, Jake Gaither, Gramblimg, FAMU, Southern, Tennessee State, MEAC, SWAC, the Florida Classic, the Bayou Classic, the MEAC, the SWAC, etc. I guess we aren't in the south, or for some reason don't qualify.
It didn't say anything about a whole lot of schools in the south. What is your point? The article is about southern football fans, not specific schools. Sounds to me like your attempting a vague form of race baiting with that comment to be honest with you.xnonox Am I wrong? xeyebrowx

[Jiggs]

Certain schools choose to exclude themselves from participation in FCS playoffs and then become offended when left out of the discussion.

[Cobblestone]

I didn't click on the link but I did read the blurb that was posted and I thought it was great. I've lived both down south and up here in New England. There is quite a difference in the mindsets and lifestyles to say the least. Two things I loved and miss about the south are the passion for auto racing, not just NASCAR but many local tracks as well and the equal passion for college football at all levels. When I lived in Georgia the Atlanta Falcons were an expansion team and the Georgia Bulldogs ruled. When I lived in Virginia I recall the part of the state I lived in being very supportive of Bill & the Bitch (a.k.a. William & Mary) football. I miss seeing the support and passion for college football that southerners had and from what I see, still do.

People here in New England cannot fathom this. We only have two FBS teams and even they are not considered a big deal in this region. FCS teams up here are merely a blip on the radar screen. There are times when I miss the south.

{so Citdog... did I earn a green square for this?}

[CID1990]

Certain schools choose to exclude themselves from participation in FCS playoffs and then become offended when left out of the discussion.

That one statement said more than any other I have ever seen on this board.

[*****]

BUCDAD, you posted that article two months ago... xlolx

[MarkCCU]

BUCDAD, you posted that article two months ago... xlolx

he' san old man...give him some slack.xlolx xlolx xlolx

[HIU 93]

Certain schools choose to exclude themselves from participation in FCS playoffs and then become offended when left out of the discussion.

1. Last I checked, the MEAC (which includes FAMU- you know where Jake Gaither coached- the inaugral NCAA FCS Champion in 1978) receives an autobid and plays in the NCAA FCS Playoffs.

2. The article spoke of FBS football teams and towns as well, and they don't play in the FCS playoffs.

3. The article wasn't titled "FCS Playoffs", it was titled "Southern football". Unless they meant something else, I thought "Southern football" was going to be about football in the southern United States. The last I checked, the majority of football playing HBCUs (all but three) are in the southern United States.

4. In a discussion of Southern football, the article ignored a significant portion of schools that play "Southern football". I wonder what your Sunday football league would have been like if it weren't for those that played "Southern football" at those schools that this author ignored?

[HIU 93]

That one statement said more than any other I have ever seen on this board.

Here's one that maybe you should think about...


1. Last I checked, the MEAC (which includes FAMU- you know where Jake Gaither coached- the inaugral NCAA FCS Champion in 1978) receives an autobid and plays in the NCAA FCS Playoffs.

2. The article spoke of FBS football teams and towns as well, and they don't play in the FCS playoffs.

3. The article wasn't titled "FCS Playoffs", it was titled "Southern football". Unless they meant something else, I thought "Southern football" was going to be about football in the southern United States. The last I checked, the majority of football playing HBCUs (all but three) are in the southern United States.

4. In a discussion of Southern football, he article ignored a significant portion of schools that play "Southern football". I wonder what your Sunday football league would have been like if it weren't for those that played "Southern football" at those schools that this author ignored?

[*****]

Certain schools choose to exclude themselves from participation in FCS playoffs and then become offended when left out of the discussion.In case you didn't know, HIU 93 is a Hampton fan... xrulesx

[OhioHen]

The last I checked, the majority of football playing HBCUs (all but three) are in the southern United States.


I would agree with HIU 93 that the majority of football-playing HBCUs are in the Southern US (it would be just as accurate to say that a majority of HBCUs are in the Southern US).

However, to say that "all but three" meet the criterium is a geographic stretch (along the lines of the NFL with Dallas in the NFC East). I come up with 8 football schools that few would consider to be "in the South."

1. Howard (DC)
2. Delaware State (DE)
3. Bowie State (MD)
4. Morgan State (MD)
5. Lincoln (MO)
6. Central State (OH)
7. Cheney (PA)
8. West Virginia State (WV)

[*****]

... 1. Howard (DC)
2. Delaware State (DE)
3. Bowie State (MD)
4. Morgan State (MD)
5. Lincoln (MO)
6. Central State (OH)
7. Cheney (PA)
8. West Virginia State (WV)Those are the only FCS ones.

[OhioHen]

Those are the only FCS ones.

Yes, Ralph, there are only three "non-South" FCS HBCUs. But HIU 93 made the statement about football playing HBCUs, not FCS HBCUs. xreadx

[andy7171]

Certain schools choose to exclude themselves from participation in FCS playoffs and then become offended when left out of the discussion.
The article was about Southern Football not FBS and FCS playoffs teams only. And why crap all over the MEAC? They participate and FAMU was in it before jumping up. Can you mention deep seeded rivalries in the South without talking about Grambling/Southern?


That one statement said more than any other I have ever seen on this board.
Why?

[jessesd]

Down here


Football in the south is an interesting beast. It's not a game, it's not a pastime...it's a way of life. It's a mixed drink of family, religion, politics and pageantry, spiked with shots of antagonism, arrogance and pride.

Critics label our view of college football as naive and tendentious. Our response? We couldn't agree more. Southerns revel in regional bias, and why shouldn't we? In the south, we transform a vast picnic area into The Grove. We see a stadium on the river and bring a Navy. We take a plain desert stone and make it magic. We have The Chop, The Chomp and The Ramblin' Wreck. We root for the same team as our dad, the same team as his dad and say "to hell" with the team of your dad's dad. We call players by their first names, anyone on the athletic staff coach, and to the chagrin of media pundits and those who just don't understand, we say "we".

Read more. http://southernpigskin.com/page.cfm?story=10952&cat=exclusives


Nothing more to add here!!!

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