28 great things about College Football
Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2004 9:00 am32 days until the season opener and the players report this week - time to get ready for football season. Admittedly, I have paraphrased this list from a column I saw a few years ago, and I have "localized" it a bit. Feel free to add on:
1. The hopes and dreams in every stadium in America (including Ford) just before the opening kickoff of the season.
2. The beers you drank on the Boulevard to fuel those sadly desperate dreams that will likely be quashed by the end of the first half.
3. Great stadiums like Ford Stadium, the Rose Bowl, Notre Dame Stadium, Michigan Stadium, the Yale Bowl
4. Marching Bands from Michigan, Ohio State, USC, and the Hub of SMU Spirit
5. The roar of Northwestern's fans when, before the coin-flip at the 1996 Rose Bowl, the referee explained the coin saying, "On one side is the logo of Northwestern University..." At that moment, 48 years of frustration was released from the north end zone that rocked the San Gabriel Mountains. Hopefully, as SMU fans we will get to experience something similar in the near future.
6. Peruna, Ralphie the Buffalo and other live mascosts that lead the team on the field.
7. Rivalries: SMU/TCU, The Iron Bowl (Alabama/Auburn), the Crosstown Rivalry (UCLA/USC), Bedlam (OU/OSU), the Egg Bowl (Ole Miss/Miss. State), Army/Navy, etc.
8. The Rivalry Trophies: The Iron Skillet, The Little Brown Jug, The Old Oaken Bucket
9. "Fuuuuuummmmble!!"
10. "Hail to the Victors," Michigan's Helmets, and the "Go Blue" banner at midfield.
11. Schools that share a fight song, but act like they're two different songs.
12. Cheerleaders and Song Girls. At USC, they know there's a big difference between those two groups.
13. Cheerleaders and Pom-Pom Girls. At SMU, we know there's a difference between these two groups.
14. The Heisman pose.
15. Orange and white (or other color combination) checkerboard end zones
16. Weekeneder road trips for a conference road game (ah, the greatness of the old SWC)
17. Hospitable fans when you reach your distination. On a road trip, there are few things better than weekend-long drinking buddies who can get past the fact that you are rooting for the opposition. Especially if they're girls.
18. That giant paper-mache looking head on the Nebraska mascot.
19. Touchdown Jesus
20. Whatever the hell that "U" logo represents on the side of Miami's helmets.
21. LSU's white jerseys at night in Baton Rouge
22. Those state troopers that surround coaches in the South
23. The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (Georgia vs. Florida)
24. Keith Jackson saying, "Live from Tuscaloosa" or "Live from Pasadena" or saying "Live" from just about anywhere.
25. The fact that changing the facial expression on a team's animal logo can cause consternation and controversy among the school's most vociferous alumni.
26. "War Eagle!"
27. Texas vs. Oklahoma at the State Fair in Dallas
28. Those dudes with the homemade "Roll Tide" contraptions
1. The hopes and dreams in every stadium in America (including Ford) just before the opening kickoff of the season.
2. The beers you drank on the Boulevard to fuel those sadly desperate dreams that will likely be quashed by the end of the first half.
3. Great stadiums like Ford Stadium, the Rose Bowl, Notre Dame Stadium, Michigan Stadium, the Yale Bowl
4. Marching Bands from Michigan, Ohio State, USC, and the Hub of SMU Spirit
5. The roar of Northwestern's fans when, before the coin-flip at the 1996 Rose Bowl, the referee explained the coin saying, "On one side is the logo of Northwestern University..." At that moment, 48 years of frustration was released from the north end zone that rocked the San Gabriel Mountains. Hopefully, as SMU fans we will get to experience something similar in the near future.
6. Peruna, Ralphie the Buffalo and other live mascosts that lead the team on the field.
7. Rivalries: SMU/TCU, The Iron Bowl (Alabama/Auburn), the Crosstown Rivalry (UCLA/USC), Bedlam (OU/OSU), the Egg Bowl (Ole Miss/Miss. State), Army/Navy, etc.
8. The Rivalry Trophies: The Iron Skillet, The Little Brown Jug, The Old Oaken Bucket
9. "Fuuuuuummmmble!!"
10. "Hail to the Victors," Michigan's Helmets, and the "Go Blue" banner at midfield.
11. Schools that share a fight song, but act like they're two different songs.
12. Cheerleaders and Song Girls. At USC, they know there's a big difference between those two groups.
13. Cheerleaders and Pom-Pom Girls. At SMU, we know there's a difference between these two groups.
14. The Heisman pose.
15. Orange and white (or other color combination) checkerboard end zones
16. Weekeneder road trips for a conference road game (ah, the greatness of the old SWC)
17. Hospitable fans when you reach your distination. On a road trip, there are few things better than weekend-long drinking buddies who can get past the fact that you are rooting for the opposition. Especially if they're girls.
18. That giant paper-mache looking head on the Nebraska mascot.
19. Touchdown Jesus
20. Whatever the hell that "U" logo represents on the side of Miami's helmets.
21. LSU's white jerseys at night in Baton Rouge
22. Those state troopers that surround coaches in the South
23. The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (Georgia vs. Florida)
24. Keith Jackson saying, "Live from Tuscaloosa" or "Live from Pasadena" or saying "Live" from just about anywhere.
25. The fact that changing the facial expression on a team's animal logo can cause consternation and controversy among the school's most vociferous alumni.
26. "War Eagle!"
27. Texas vs. Oklahoma at the State Fair in Dallas
28. Those dudes with the homemade "Roll Tide" contraptions