From Dixie with Love since 1985

[oldsouthernman]

Props to all of the schools below the mason-dixon line (God's country) that have dominated the 1-AA ranks since Tracy Ham led Erk's Eagle's to their first natty in 1985.Since then GaSou has won it six more times, App three, Furman one, WKU one, Marshall a few, NE La one, JMU etc etc. My question is why have schools from the Confederacy dominated 1-AA football? I guess the same could be asked of 1-A ball. The southland produces the best college football without question. Look away.

[Mountaineer#96]

Props to all of the schools below the mason-dixon line (God's country) that have dominated the 1-AA ranks since Tracy Ham led Erk's Eagle's to their first natty in 1985.Since then GaSou has won it six more times, App three, Furman one, WKU one, Marshall a few, NE La one, JMU etc etc. My question is why have schools from the Confederacy dominated 1-AA football? I guess the same could be asked of 1-A ball. The southland produces the best college football without question. Look away.

Citdog..............is that you my southern brother? xbowxxbowxxbowx xnodx

[oldsouthernman]

I left off the great Roy Kidd coached EKU 1-AA champs as well as the FAMU Rattler teams that were champs from 79-83. God Bless the South.

[Dukes_Bando]

It has to do with support, College football is a way of life in many parts of the South, programs like Alabama, Ole Miss, GA, GT, VT enjoy the popular support of the entire state (sans in-state rivalries). Add to that the HBCU Schools who have storied histories and huge demographic following. The closest thing to that type of support I see north of the Mason Dixon line is Montana where they have captured the entire market.

Schools in New England are more concerned with Hockey, Pro Football, Hockey, Baseball, oh... and Hockey.

[DJOM]

A question long pondered by those of us from the "colder" regions--wind chill in Chicago is Negative 20 degrees as I type this. Personally, I believe that it has to do with the support football receives from early ages in a young man's life. This begins with youth football and, I believe, is emphasized in high school with contact ball in the spring. Simply said, more snaps make better players.

[AppStsGr8]

I was born in Alabama and grew up on football. We went to our high school games on Friday night regardless of the weather. I know you folks on the high side of the Mason-Dixon line will say that weather may be a factor. I'd call your attention to Green Bay, WI and Pittsburgh, PA to help refute the weather argument.

It's a plain and simple cultural difference. In the south, we've got our favorite football teams and fishing holes. The only thing allowed to interfere with football is deer season ... and that can be arranged so you don't miss football.

[OL FU]

Props to all of the schools below the mason-dixon line (God's country) that have dominated the 1-AA ranks since Tracy Ham led Erk's Eagle's to their first natty in 1985.Since then GaSou has won it six more times, App three, Furman one, WKU one, Marshall a few, NE La one, JMU etc etc. My question is why have schools from the Confederacy dominated 1-AA football? I guess the same could be asked of 1-A ball. The southland produces the best college football without question. Look away.

Is that you citdog?xconfusedxxconfusedx No, you didn't say anything about yankee scumxlolx

[OL FU]

People in the north especialy New York would rather go to wine tastings and museums.xnodx See the thread on LFN being mad about Hofstra dropping footballxnodxxnodx

[Bam]

I left off the great Roy Kidd coached EKU 1-AA champs as well as the FAMU Rattler teams that were champs from 79-83. God Bless the South.

How dare you & it was 2 titles. Wooooo! xthumbsupx

[whoanellie]

Props to all of the schools below the mason-dixon line (God's country) that have dominated the 1-AA ranks since Tracy Ham led Erk's Eagle's to their first natty in 1985.Since then GaSou has won it six more times, App three, Furman one, WKU one, Marshall a few, NE La one, JMU etc etc. My question is why have schools from the Confederacy dominated 1-AA football? I guess the same could be asked of 1-A ball. The southland produces the best college football without question. Look away. Geography lesson: duh you forgot, Richmond?

[OL FU]

Geography lesson: duh you forgot, Richmond?

And while the team that shall not be named may exist below the Mason Dixon line, West Virginia was not part of the confederacy.

[Bam]

President Abraham Lincoln recognized the importance of the Commonwealth of KY., when he declared "I hope to have God on my side, but I must have Kentucky."

[Torgo]

Because its more ingrained (in general) in the southern culture? The north is dominated by professional sports where most southern places weren't/aren't large enough to have professional teams close by. That helps.


People growing up in Alabama dream of growing up to play for the Crimson Tide. People growing up in Pennsylvania dream of growing up to play for the Steelers or Eagles.

[DFW HOYA]

It's a plain and simple cultural difference. In the south, we've got our favorite football teams and fishing holes. The only thing allowed to interfere with football is deer season ... and that can be arranged so you don't miss football.

Actually, I'd say it's the ability of school districts to develop a consistent development program for kids from junior high schools into the high schools. Texas and Florida do this very well, but so do Ohio and Pennsylvania kids, and their football is top-rate as well. And not all southern states have the same level of support--poorer states like Mississippi and West Virginia aren't always going to have the level of football they do in Ohio, for example.

By contrast, the northeastern states do not have that development and their kids never get the consistent level of instruction that others do.

By contrast, think of lacrosse--a kid can pick it up anywhere, but the preparation level in Long Island schools are much greater than, say, Mississippi.

[OL FU]

Actually, I'd say it's the ability of school districts to develop a consistent development program for kids from junior high schools into the high schools. Texas and Florida do this very well, but so do Ohio and Pennsylvania kids, and their football is top-rate as well. And not all southern states have the same level of support--poorer states like Mississippi and West Virginia aren't always going to have the level of football they do in Ohio, for example.

By contrast, the northeastern states do not have that development and their kids never get the consistent level of instruction that others do.

By contrast, think of lacrosse--a kid can pick it up anywhere, but the preparation level in Long Island schools are much greater than, say, Mississippi.


Are you sure it isn't the wine tastings and museumsxconfusedxxsmiley_wix

[Franks Tanks]

Because its more ingrained (in general) in the southern culture? The north is dominated by professional sports where most southern places weren't/aren't large enough to have professional teams close by. That helps.


People growing up in Alabama dream of growing up to play for the Crimson Tide. People growing up in Pennsylvania dream of growing up to play for the Steelers or Eagles.

Maybe, but Penn State is every bit as big in PA as the Crimson Tide is in Alabama.

PA has a whole ton of passionate Notre Dame fans as well. xconfusedx

[Torgo]

Maybe, but Penn State is every bit as big in PA as the Crimson Tide is in Alabama.

PA has a whole ton of passionate Notre Dame fans as well. xconfusedx

Penn State is huge, I grew up in a Penn State family...but people still dream of 'bigger things' than just college ball. At least in southwestern PA.

Everywhere has a huge Notre Dame fan base as well, which I've never been able to understand.

[Bam]

Penn State is huge, I grew up in a Penn State family...but people still dream of 'bigger things' than just college ball. At least in southwestern PA.

Everywhere has a huge Notre Dame fan base as well, which I've never been able to understand.

Maybe because there over 67,515,016 registered members of the Roman Catholic Church.

[Dane96]

Because its more ingrained (in general) in the southern culture? The north is dominated by professional sports where most southern places weren't/aren't large enough to have professional teams close by. That helps.


People growing up in Alabama dream of growing up to play for the Crimson Tide. People growing up in Pennsylvania dream of growing up to play for the Steelers or Eagles.

Ding Ding...we have a winner.

The "pro teams" in the South are their college teams, for the most part. I dont include Florida or Texas in the is argument. And D.C. 'aint the South for me.

[fltheadgriz]

Like DFW Hoya stated it is all about the state.
Growing up in Montana, we knew that we are the only state that borders Canada that did not have hockey as part of school athletics so there is no real love of hockey in Montana.
The love of the two sports in Montana is football then basketball (wrestling is a close third).
In most every school in MT there is a huge buildup to the homecoming game in football.
You can see in most of the Grizz teams through the past years that a majority of the players are in state.
For example Chase Reynolds (the current starting running back) came from a school that plays eight-man football.
All that to say that I agree with the previous posts that it is all about what the state pushes as the top sport.

[VUCats02]

Dukes_Bayo got it exactly right. It is all about support. The northeast is very passionate about the NFL and very supportive, and hence, you see consistintally good NFL teams in the northeast every single year. The south is very passionate about college football, and that's why you see Alabama and Texas playing it out for a national title.

[JMUNJ08]

A question long pondered by those of us from the "colder" regions--wind chill in Chicago is Negative 20 degrees as I type this. Personally, I believe that it has to do with the support football receives from early ages in a young man's life. This begins with youth football and, I believe, is emphasized in high school with contact ball in the spring. Simply said, more snaps make better players.

This is it. The ability to train year round makes for better players. Why is NY & CHI so good at basketball? It can be played indoors and out depending on the weather!

You don't see many northern schools / countries good at soccer now do you??? Or how about baseball? They start playing in February in college and where do they play? In the South!

[Tribe07]

And while the team that shall not be named may exist below the Mason Dixon line, West Virginia was not part of the confederacy.

What are you talking about here? I hope you don't think Richmond is in West Virginia, or that you've forgotten that Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy?

[OL FU]

What are you talking about here? I hope you don't think Richmond is in West Virginia, or that you've forgotten that Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy?

I have all the respect in the world for Richmondxthumbsupx The team that shall not be named resides in Huntington West Virginia and was mentioned as one of the national champions residing in the confederacy.

I was not clear in my previous post. One of the things I do well.:o

[nwFL Griz]

I have all the respect in the world for Richmondxthumbsupx The team that shall not be named resides in Huntington West Virginia and was mentioned as one of the national champions residing in the confederacy.

I was not clear in my previous post. One of the things I do well.:o

I knew what you were referring to. "The team that shall not be named" says it all.

[elon77]

Gosh, I'm confused. I thought reading these posts the last several years that everyone growing up in the south wanted to play for ASU.:D

[proasu89]

I have all the respect in the world for Richmondxthumbsupx The team that shall not be named resides in Huntington West Virginia and was mentioned as one of the national champions residing in the confederacy.

I was not clear in my previous post. One of the things I do well.:o

Plenty clear to mexthumbsupx That shade of green makes me want to :pumpuke:

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

I think another factor, well at least in New England, is that we don't have a county government structure like elsewhere in the country. We've always had towns that will fight you to the death to maintain their autonomy and control. Hence we have a lot of very small schools that can't support football. And even when multiple towns form a HS, we still have a lot of smaller schools that can't really field a football team. And I don't think other than Vermont there's ever been much 8 man football. Don't think for a minute that every HS up here plays ice hockey either!! You've got the small enrollment and cost issues.

In NH you have a bunch of small towns that either have their own HS or maybe pair up with one neighboring town to form a HS. It was even worse before my days. I have a friend who is UNH '49 and he always amazes me when he rattles off all the HS that used to exist in NH. There are regional HS today with over six towns today that once had a HS per town when he was in HS!! Even when multiple towns come together to have a regional HS, it doesn't always mean football will exist. Six small towns doesn't always result in an enrollment that helps football. I have an alum friend who lives in PA and I was amazed at how far away his kid's HS was and how many of those Twp's it included. I have another alum friend who lives in a dinky town in NH, one of those one town HS that I talked about. His kid probably could have developed into a D-I OL with his size and athletic parents, the kid is like 6'6" 275 without any weight training. He never played any football until late in college (D-III school without football) when he played a little semi-pro ball and loved it.

In Eastern MA, the towns have tended to stick to their one HS as the town grew. In CT, towns tended as they grew to open a second HS (Bristol -- Eastern and Central, Meriden -- Maloney and Platt, Norwalk -- McMahon and Norwalk, etc.). MA has better football than CT in part to larger schools and maintaining town pride and rivalries.

And the weather up here hasn't always been football friendly. Without opening up a global warming can of worms, my unscientific experience is that it was colder and snowier in my youth. During the 60's, 70's and 80's, I use to consider a round of golf after Halloween a rarity. And I never attended UNH Football games in shorts in November like I have this decade. Even today most NH HS football is completed by mid November. Snow covered frozen tundra is not conducive to having youth programs running deep into the Autumn. Today there are more artificial fields and co-op programs between schools in CT so football is being kept alive. Our HS playoffs are probably going to be expanded (and they're played after Thanksgiving). When I grew up though, it was rare to have Friday night games, they were all on Saturday afternoon just adding to the choices available with all the small college and today's FCS choices available.

Don't get me wrong there is more passion in the South, but I have to agree with others that HS and Penn State football invokes as much passion as in PA as in the South. And I'd love to see some Southern folks come up to New England for a Thanksgiving Day game between neighboring towns or cross town schools. I think you'd be surprised at how huge these rivalry games are. My HS being the third public in town was always the odd guy out in terms of a Thanksgiving Day game, so I never really got to experience it except through family in MA. I still recall an uncle of mine going to his HS Turkey Day game right up until he died. Some of these games are freaking wars. You would have thought it was the French and Germans on either side of the Rhine River not tow small towns on either side of the Merrimac River! xrotatehx xlolx xlolx xlolx And ask UNHWildcats05 about the Beverly-Salem games in MA!! xoopsx xeekx :D

[OL FU]

I think another factor, well at least in New England, is that we don't have a county government structure like elsewhere in the country. We've always had towns that will fight you to the death to maintain their autonomy and control. Hence we have a lot of very small schools that can't support football. And even when multiple towns form a HS, we still have a lot of smaller schools that can't really field a football team. And I don't think other than Vermont there's ever been much 8 man football. Don't think for a minute that every HS up here plays ice hockey either!! You've got the small enrollment and cost issues.

In NH you have a bunch of small towns that either have their own HS or maybe pair up with one neighboring town to form a HS. It was even worse before my days. I have a friend who is UNH '49 and he always amazes me when he rattles off all the HS that used to exist in NH. There are regional HS today with over six towns today that once had a HS per town when he was in HS!! Even when multiple towns come together to have a regional HS, it doesn't always mean football will exist. Six small towns doesn't always result in an enrollment that helps football. I have an alum friend who lives in PA and I was amazed at how far away his kid's HS was and how many of those Twp's it included. I have another alum friend who lives in a dinky town in NH, one of those one town HS that I talked about. His kid probably could have developed into a D-I OL with his size and athletic parents, the kid is like 6'6" 275 without any weight training. He never played any football until late in college (D-III school without football) when he played a little semi-pro ball and loved it.

In Eastern MA, the towns have tended to stick to their one HS as the town grew. In CT, towns tended as they grew to open a second HS (Bristol -- Eastern and Central, Meriden -- Maloney and Platt, Norwalk -- McMahon and Norwalk, etc.). MA has better football than CT in part to larger schools and maintaining town pride and rivalries.

And the weather up here hasn't always been football friendly. Without opening up a global warming can of worms, my unscientific experience is that it was colder and snowier in my youth. During the 60's, 70's and 80's, I use to consider a round of golf after Halloween a rarity. And I never attended UNH Football games in shorts in November like I have this decade. Even today most NH HS football is completed by mid November. Snow covered frozen tundra is not conducive to having youth programs running deep into the Autumn. Today there are more artificial fields and co-op programs between schools in CT so football is being kept alive. Our HS playoffs are probably going to be expanded (and they're played after Thanksgiving). When I grew up though, it was rare to have Friday night games, they were all on Saturday afternoon just adding to the choices available with all the small college and today's FCS choices available.

Don't get me wrong there is more passion in the South, but I have to agree with others that HS and Penn State football invokes as much passion as in PA as in the South. And I'd love to see some Southern folks come up to New England for a Thanksgiving Day game between neighboring towns or cross town schools. I think you'd be surprised at how huge these rivalry games are. My HS being the third public in town was always the odd guy out in terms of a Thanksgiving Day game, so I never really got to experience it except through family in MA. I still recall an uncle of mine going to his HS Turkey Day game right up until he died. Some of these games are freaking wars. You would have thought it was the French and Germans on either side of the Rhine River not tow small towns on either side of the Merrimac River! xrotatehx xlolx xlolx xlolx And ask UNHWildcats05 about the Beverly-Salem games in MA!! xoopsx xeekx :D

xrolleyesxAdmit it, it is the museums and wine tastingsxrolleyesx:D

[JMUNJ08]

xrolleyesxAdmit it, it is the museums and wine tastingsxrolleyesx:D

We don't have wineries! They are all in the south....

Museums....xnodx

[SpeedkingATL]

Gosh, I'm confused. I thought reading these posts the last several years that everyone growing up in the south wanted to play for ASU.:D

Only since 2005.xlolx

[Downstate Hen]

Alot of people dont realize but Delaware is technally below the Mason-Dixon line. so you can add the Hens to your list. And Downstate fought with the South!

[UNH_Alum_In_CT]

Alot of people dont realize but Delaware is technally below the Mason-Dixon line. so you can add the Hens to your list. And Downstate fought with the South!

Wrong, Delaware is techincally "above" the M-D Line. The M-D Line was drawn to establish a boundary between the claims of the Calvert's and Penn 's long before it became associated with slavery.

Downstate might have fought with the South, but DE never seceded and "Upstate" is very much part of the Industrial North. FWIW, Joel Garreau in his Nine Nations of North America included Upstate within "the Foundary" Nation (NY, NJ, PA and out to Cleveland and Detroit). He also included Baltimore and Washington into this "nation". His maps aren't precise, but it does appear that "Downstate" did get included in his "Dixie" Nation.

[Dukes_Bando]

Geography lesson: duh you forgot, Richmond?

Nope... anyone in the know, knows that RU is most definitely a satellite NJ school...xlolxxnodx

[Franks Tanks]

Wrong, Delaware is techincally "above" the M-D Line. The M-D Line was drawn to establish a boundary between the claims of the Calvert's and Penn 's long before it became associated with slavery.

Downstate might have fought with the South, but DE never seceded and "Upstate" is very much part of the Industrial North. FWIW, Joel Garreau in his Nine Nations of North America included Upstate within "the Foundary" Nation (NY, NJ, PA and out to Cleveland and Detroit). He also included Baltimore and Washington into this "nation". His maps aren't precise, but it does appear that "Downstate" did get included in his "Dixie" Nation.

GREAT BOOK!

[CFallsGriz]

Aayy--yaiyai!

One visit and I'm reminded why I don't come here much.

OK, continue your backslapping southern fried sausage fest.

Yeeeessshhh.

[AppMan]

Nope... anyone in the know, knows that RU is most definitely a satellite NJ school...xlolxxnodx

As is Elon.

[whoanellie]

As is Elon.

sure pays the bills...:D

[JohnStOnge]

The South produces more good football players; whatever the reason for that may be. Time to pull out the article at http://rivals100.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=259347 again. That was in 2004 but I don't think the basic picture has changed. Four of the top five and 9 of the top 15 (actually 9 of the top 13) states in terms of NFL talent production were Southern States.

I think that the South having a high percent Black population is a factor. According to the latest Census estimates, if you consider the South to be composed of the coastal region of Texas on around through Virginia then add Tennessee, Kentucky, and Arkansas the South has about 47% of the total US Black population. So you've got about one fifth of the states holding almost half the Black population.

There are some things that kind of run contrary to what I'm saying. Like Texas actually has a slightly lower percent Black population than the country at large. But all of the other highly productive Southern states like Mississippi (37%), Louisiana (31%), Georgia (30%), South Carolina (28%), North Carolina (21%), and Virginia (20%), and Florida (15%) have higher percent Black populations than the United States (12%) overall.




I personally think part of it is that the South, as a Region, has a higher percent Black population than other regions. That's not all of it, but part of it.

[paul1978]

Did you know that Montana is in Canada?????? A!

xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx xlolx

[SCBluehen]

Wrong, Delaware is techincally "above" the M-D Line. The M-D Line was drawn to establish a boundary between the claims of the Calvert's and Penn 's long before it became associated with slavery.

Downstate might have fought with the South, but DE never seceded and "Upstate" is very much part of the Industrial North. FWIW, Joel Garreau in his Nine Nations of North America included Upstate within "the Foundary" Nation (NY, NJ, PA and out to Cleveland and Detroit). He also included Baltimore and Washington into this "nation". His maps aren't precise, but it does appear that "Downstate" did get included in his "Dixie" Nation.

As your map points out, my native state is east of the Mason-Dixon and we were split during the "War of Northern Aggression" as many people went and fought for the Confederacy.

If you have ever spent any time there, you will notice a considerable difference as you cross the C&D Canal into "Slower Delaware".

My hometown (Population 340) resembles Iuka, MS, Opp, AL, Walterboro, SC and other "cities" in the South that you have never heard of, sir.

However, I am sure that you can read about these places at your local library.

[SCBluehen]

Maybe, but Penn State is every bit as big in PA as the Crimson Tide is in Alabama.

PA has a whole ton of passionate Notre Dame fans as well. xconfusedx

I disagree completely.

When was the last time that you were in church in Pennsylvania and the preacher (or priest) compared the Gospels to Nittany Lion football?

In Alabama, two people walked on water and one wore a Houndstooth hat.

There are no Saturday weddings in the Fall in Alabama. I am sure that you can figure out why.

[blueballs]

There are no Saturday weddings in the Fall in Alabama. I am sure that you can figure out why.

The real reason is that the women stink like pizz by fall since they only bathe once a year, typically around the first of June, hence the term "June Brides."xrulesx

[Downstate Hen]

SCBluehen, I see youre from slower lower Delaware too. Does the SC in your username stand for Sussex Central? just wondering. I graduated from SC.xthumbsupx

[SCBluehen]

SCBluehen, I see youre from slower lower Delaware too. Does the SC in your username stand for Sussex Central? just wondering. I graduated from SC.xthumbsupx

Nope.

Middletown is in the house.xsmiley_wix

[Downstate Hen]

i hear ya! however, if you aint from Milford or below we dont consider you downstate......xnonox

[Downstate Hen]

although i am glad youre a Hen fan!xnodx