A FALL SATURDAY IN THE SOUTH

 It is Saturday afternoon in the South in late August through Thanksgiving and all is quiet.  All you can hear is the sound of a football game on the TV, an occasional loud yell, a shushing sound, and of course eating and drinking.  It is time for SEC football and the whole south is watching on TV, listening on the radio, or if lucky enough to be sitting in the stadium of their favorite school.  Football reigns in the south and of course it has to be the SEC. 

You don’t have to be a graduate or alumni of the school of your choice, but you have to choose your football team by the 1st grade.  In Alabama, it is Alabama or Auburn - Roll Tide or War Eagle.  Georgia is UGA or Georgia Tech, Mississippi is State or Old Miss and the roll call goes on for each Southern state. 

You may move to another state but you stay loyal to your school choice.  It’s like I told someone recently, “You can take the girl out of Alabama but you can’t take Roll Tide out of the girl”. It  is a lifelong choice. Anytime I see an Alabama hat or shirt, I just say “Roll Tide” and you always get one back with a smile.  That tot.al stranger is now a friend!!

I have greeted people with “ Roll Tide” in international airports, cruise ships, and foreign countries and always get it back with a smile.  Instant friends!!  I love it for “we” are everywhere.

This is not true just for Alabama but also any SEC team.  You can say “War Eagle”, “Go Dogs”, or any SEC school and find kindred spirits. Football in the South is a long-standing and proud tradition which  we treasure and will defend.

Husbands and wives in a household split by rival teams, will not talk much when their team is playing each other. If you hear Roll Tide and Go Dogs in the same house, there will be instant silence.  It’s best on those days to watch  the game on separate TVs in different rooms.  Tempers can flare a little and I have learned not to brag too much when Roll Tide wins.  

Win or lose, we remain loyal to our team and it can last for generations.  We teach our “little ones” to say Roll Tide when they begin to talk.  It is a big deal in the South so if you happen to move into our neck of the woods, just get used to it, for we stop the world to watch or listen to our team play football.  If this is not your game, you might want to just go fishing or shopping.  

Football is my game but only if it is SEC!!

Football is My Game

Good evening and come on in the house. We are watching a movie called Furry Vengeance and are cracking up with laughter. I like animal movies and especially when they get the best of the people. It really is good and if you still have some "child" in you, be sure and see it.

By the way, do you know what happens tomorrow? FOOTBALL season begins. Of course, since I am from Alabama and now live in Georgia, SEC Football is the name of the game. Each Saturday we find an SEC football game and hopefully it will be Univ. of Al, Mississippi State, or Univ. of GA. for these are our favorites. Not that we attended any of them but in the south we have to choose teams.

In Alabama, you have to choose Univ. of AL or Auburn and even though Roy attended Auburn for 1 whole quarter, we don't pull for them. Not sure why I chose Bama except Auburn is called the Cow college and Bama is the Dr. and lawyer school. That is not the total reason but for the life of me I can't remember why I chose to pull for Bama because that was many long years ago. You know the memory is the first to go as we grow older, not that I'm older just aging slightly.

Mississippi State is our school of choice for daddy graduated from there and as we were growing up, Daddy would try to find that game on the radio each Saturday. I can see him now sitting and listening to the ballgame when we could get it. So, we still hope that Mississippi State beats Ole Miss and especially Auburn.

Daddy was a soil conservationist and most of his co-workers were Auburn graduates which made the rivalry between the 2 schools intense. If State beat Auburn, daddy would strut like a peacock and of course if Auburn won, it was a sad day. Most of the time Auburn won so when daddy had the chance he would crow extra loudly. Out would come the maroon and white and he would wear them proudly and just happen to mention the ballgame. We are still proud to call Miss. State one of our teams.

As for UGA, our grandson graduated from there this spring and so we have to claim them as one of our teams. Also, our granddaughter, daughter-in-law, and most of our friends are for UGA and since we live in the midst of UGA country we are proud to claim them as one of our teams. Also, their colors are red and black and Bama is Red and white so it all color coordinates and to a Southern Girl, that is is important. We have to coordinate even when watching football.

Then there are the Golden Eagles of University of Southern MS. Arvin, Sam and me graduated from there. Mine was a graduate degree earned in the summers so the football team was not a part of my school life there but we have a great history with our brother Sam. He played and marched in their band for 4 years and watched the Dixie Darlings closely to see if they did their routines correctly. He also met his wife, Cindy, there and they were married in the chapel on the campus.

Our brother Arvin earned his degree there later and then I attended graduate school there for 2 summers. I guess this makes our family Golden Eagles and even if they are not SEC football, we still pull for them. It gets difficult when they play an SEC team.

Not only do we have SEC or college football, every Friday night in the fall is football night. When I was teaching at Lowndes High in Valdosta, we had season tickets and attended all the home games and a few of the away games. We were and are proud Vikings and even though I don't attend the games now I listen to them on the radio or stay up until 11:00 news to see the score. G0000 Vikings.

Here in Cook County, everyone goes to the ballgame - students, alumni, and all the rest of the town. The football field is the place to be on Friday nights. You will meet your neighbors, get all the gossip, have a date, meet the girls or boys, watch the band, whistle at the cheerleaders and have a good ole time.

Of course you cannot forget the food. You bring your own boiled or parched peanuts, buy your cokes, hot dogs, cotton candy, and other specialties. It depends on the town as to what you will find at the concession stands. There is always popcorn, cokes, hot dogs and cotton candy for these are the staple foods for southern football games. Some will add hamburgers, pizza, corn on the cob, homemade fudge, cupcakes, and other specialties of the school. You can eat enough to add a good five pounds to the hips.

Football reigns in the South on Friday night and Saturday afternoon and night. Everyone has their favorite teams beginning with your hometown high school and going all the way to your favorite college teams. Professional football is not half as good as your local teams for they do it for the money and our boys do it because they love it and they play for their schools. It is about love of school and football and pride in the South.

So, come on down and go to the football game on Friday night or watch your special team on Saturday afternoon on the TV. It is even more special to go to the stadium and participate in a college football game. Special and fun is the name of the game, football game that is.

Ya'll come back to see us and the movie I watched while entering this is really good. Furry Vengeance is the name and you will enjoy it if you are not too old and I don't ever intend to get that old.

Nuff said,

The Georgia Peach

Fall in the South

Lowndes High Vikings

Good morning, come on in for some coffee and conversation. I am tired of being bound to this wheelchair or crutches but only about 2 weeks to go. I just keep thinking I can wear pretty shoes again!!

For a woman it is is bad, bad, not to be able to wear pretty shoes. I remember our mama, Miss Tootsie, loved shoes. There were not many shoes she saw, she didn't want. She would buy them and sneak them in the house so daddy wouldn't see them. Daddy thought you needed 1 pair of work shoes, 1 Sunday pair, and 1 pair of house shoes. So needless to say, to avoid a "conversation" about how many shoes mama bought, she would sneak them in and very quietly wear them. We knew if we didn't say anything, he would never notice.

Wow, fall is here! In the South as far as weather is concerned, not a whole lot of difference in the temperature but it is FOOTBALL season. Now, if you live down here, every Friday night is football night at our local high school. The football field is where it is happening and the crowds are large, noisy and loving every minute.

Fans arrive early, dressed in the school colors with bags of boiled peanuts, gallon milk jugs with pebbles to shake, full of school spirit and raring to go. The concession stands, manned by band parents, have lines out the kazoo selling cokes, popcorn and cotton candy. The football team is on the field warming up, the refs are on the sidelines looking important, the band arrives on the field to play the Star Spangled Banner and the crowd goes wild with anticipation.

It is Friday night in the South!!!! You can feel the electricity in the air as the crowd waits in great expectation for the game to begin. The noise begins loudly and gets louder. The players begin to jump up and down, slap each other on the behinds, and get ready for some football. It is electric, exciting and addictive.

The band prepares to play the national anthem and the crowd becomes still and quiet, caps are removed, all turn toward our flag waving in the breeze, hands are placed over hearts, the band begins to play, many sing the patriotic words and tears will glisten in many eyes. Patriotism is alive and well at a Southern football game.

A huge roar from the crowd follows the anthem, the band briskly leaves the field playing the school alma mater, the teams take to the field, the crowd's roar fills the air, the captains meet in the middle, the coin is tossed, the whistle is blown and THE BATTLE BEGINS. It is a battle to the final, fourth quarter whistle. The team plays their best with their coaches pacing the sidelines and guiding them with enthusiasm, shouts of encouragement, calling the plays and leading these boys to play their best.

Let's not forget the cheerleaders. They run, flip, flop, jump up and down, yell loudly. It is amusing to watch them running up and down the sidelines showing off their little assets to the crowd and encouraging everyone to support the team. Now don't get me wrong, I like cheerleaders, but it is hardly necessary to have someone encouraging team spirit for that crowd is already spirited, loud and ready to support their team. They do look cute though and are a big part of the scene.

The band is close to my heart for all 3 of us in our family played in the band at our high school, Wilcox County High School. It was a small band but lead by band directors who took a few kids and had a good band. We put on good half-time shows and best of all, we got to attend all the football games for free. We also got to wear those scratchy, woolen uniforms and look like toy soldiers. Boy were they hot, as in heat. Of course we thought we looked great. Some day I will tell you about the great times we had on the band bus going to away games, maybe.

The Game begins and the boys play their hearts out, the crowd loudly supports them and winning is important but we support them win or lose. It's better if they win, but we keep the faith and know next week is coming and they will win that game. Most of us are optimistic fans and know they will do better next time. If they lose it has to be the referee's fault for we all know they are supporting the team which wins and are half-blind and can't see. This is especially true if the call is against the our team. I don't know where they get these men but sometimes they don't know diddly about football.

The crowd has a great time. We see old friends, make new friends, eat our boiled or parched peanuts, drink lots of coke and scream and yell loudly for our team and the band. We tell the refs when they are wrong and encourage them to get glasses or go home. It is parteee time in the South and we love it.

Many of the fans will have had tailgate parties before the game and the sweet aroma of barbecue, grilled hamburgers and hot dogs waft through air. It smells like fall in the South and makes our mouths water so we head to the concession stands and help out the band or touchdown club to order some more good eats.

Can you tell I like football? For many years I did not miss many games at Lowndes High football stadium and some of the away games. Now I listen to them on my radio and picture that scene in my mind. Maybe I can go to a few games this year for I miss it.

I will have to tell you about one incident early in my years at Lowndes. We had season tickets in the center section about half way up the stadium. Great seats with a good view and for the most part, good company. I had a little problem with the man sitting behind me, however. This man would loudly rant about the coaches not being able to coach, the boys not playing their best and never clapped for the band. I took it for about 3 weeks and finally I had enough from this loud-mouthed, disloyal fan. He began to berate "my boys" and "my coaches" and I stood up, all 5 feet of me, turned to him with fire in my eyes and asked him, "Do you have a degree in coaching?" He looked at me and said, "No." At this point, I pointed out he needed to keep his mouth shut about the coaches and the team that they were doing the best they could and if couldn't do any better just be quiet or support the team.

My sweet husband who was about twice the size of this man was about to punch a hole in my side with his elbow. He was urging me to sit down and shut up for he just knew that man was going to throw a punch at me. I wasn't worried for I knew that even though he was rude, loud and had no 'couth, he wouldn't hit me. At least I hoped not but I may be little but I could have hit him in the stomach if I had too.

He just looked at me with amazement and disbelief that this little, white-haired woman would stand up, turn around and politely ask him to be quiet or support the boys and coaches. An apology followed and I did not see him in that seat again for I guess he figured that if he couldn't support the team he best find another seat. Good riddance to a bad fan.

Go out and support your local football team and have a great time. As soon as I can walk without crutches, I am going to one so that I can experience one of the most enjoyable activities of living in the South, in the fall, on a Friday night.

Nuff said,

The Georgia Peach
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