Football 101 as Only the South Can Do It

I love football!  (and I’m not talking about the kind that has a round black and white ball) It is a way of life in the South. As far as sports go, there is football and then there is everything else that serves as a distraction until football season starts again. Living in Alabama, we are spoon fed our teams from the moment we are born. I cheer for my beloved Tigers and anyone playing against the University of Alabama. War Eagle! Yes, it is extreme. Yes, it doesn’t make sense. Yes, we realize it and to be honest, we couldn’t care less how anyone else feels. Have you seen how the LSU fans dress? Mississippi State fans have those horrid cow bells. (They are horrid because they ring them when they’re not allowed to, and there is no penalty. Yeah, that’s fair.) We have to listen to all the Bammers (those are the people who are for that other school in my state) talk about their national championships. (A bunch of those are made up by the way, but that’s another story for another time.)

We love our teams!

We also love our tailgating. It’s a major social affair and not to be taken lightly. Tailgating in Auburn begins on Thursday. You know fall is in the air when you see all the RVs with their American and Auburn flags flying high. It’s great and there is nothing to compare to the atmosphere.

I understand that some of you are thinking to yourselves, OMG, you need to get a life. Maybe I do, but this is what I know:

When I’m tailgating at a game…

• I have time to connect with friends
• I can meet up with my Sigma Kappa sisters that I don’t get to see as often as I would like and catch up
• I show my children my university and where I met their daddy
• I sing the national anthem, my Alma mater, my fight song, and read my school’s creed
• I yell WAR EAGLE, HEY! as the eagle circles the stadium
• I shake my orange and blue shaker, yell when we’re on defense and stay quiet when we’re on offense.
• When Aubie, our team mascot, is acting crazy I love it!

I know my team is more than just a regular team, we’re family because Auburn is a sum total of her people, and there is no better family on earth.

I’ve been an Auburn Dyeabetic, with Sugar in my blood. I’ve cheered G0 B0 G0. My favorite car is a Cadillac. I yelled BRUCE, love the Rock, and know there’s nothing better after a win than to roll Toomer’s Corner. I remember hearing stories from Punt Bama Punt and watching old clips of Sullivan to Beasley passes. When Jim Fyfe passed away there was a sadness in my heart like I had lost a beloved uncle. There is nothing that can compare to football in the south.  It’s something we love and live to do.  To cheer on our beloved teams and pass down the legacy to our children is priceless.  We are rooted in our traditions and nothing could change our love for the game.

War Eagle!!!

~ashley