When the month of August rolls around each and every year,
football fans alike rejoice, because we know that a special time is upon us all. A saying that you can find on tons of t-shirts from southern-bred companies rings all too true: “There are four seasons here: winter, spring, summer and football”.
Maybe it’s the stadium entrances that send shivers down your spine, the tailgating that turns into an all-day event or the rivalries that can divide family, friends and co-workers; whatever your fancy, college football in the south has it all. And no, I’m not just talking about Southeastern Conference (SEC) football. Although the SEC bears some incredible football teams and has acquired numerous National Championship titles, I fully consider The Florida State University Seminoles to be a top southern school. As the reigning National Champions, currently number two in the AP poll, and 25 consecutive wins to be proud of, the Seminoles are among the best of the southern football schools. Oh, and we also have the best college mascot according to Sports Illustrated (http://bit.ly/10jXkB5). To anyone who challenges that notion, I beg to differ.
When Jimbo Fisher came to FSU, he built the program to dismantle the SEC’s winning streak. Fisher knew the way to beat the SEC was going to be one “in the trenches.” Not once in the past did we have a 300-pound defensive tackle like we have seen in Eddie Goldman, nor did we have the practice facilities large enough to compete with the SEC — cue the brand-new indoor training facility we now boast at FSU. It has been changes like these that make FSU a force to be reckoned with. The cherry on top has been the arrival of Heisman trophy winner Jameis Winston. While many like to hate on his choices off the field, his acute athletic skill and mental tenacity on the field exemplify why he is the reigning Heisman trophy winner, leading the Seminoles to many victories. Many say the past couple years of Seminole football reminds them of Bobby Bowden’s Seminoles from the '90s.
Regardless of conferences, what remains constant for all southern football teams are tradition and rivalry; those are just two key points that makes college football such a passionate game. Southern teams are inspired by years of tradition and rivalries in the making. Former college football coach and athletics director Marino H. “The Godfather” Casem said, “On the East Coast, football is a cultural experience. In the Midwest, it’s a form of cannibalism. On the West Coast, it’s a tourist attraction. And in the South, football is a religion, and Saturday is the holy day.” While I don’t quite understand the cannibalism part, football really is a religion here in the south. The battle cries that we all proudly (war)chant, the way we put such belief in our players as if they were royalty, and the collegiate pride is unlike any other; other parts of the U.S. just don’t understand it. Southern football players compete in these games with reckless abandon. For the next 60 minutes of each and every game, devoted fans will witness nothing less than a show filled with flinging bodies to make tackles, soaring kicks to get field goals, and diving catches to make touchdowns. It truly is a sight to see, and something I’m so proud to attend.
