Stories of Northerners' Misconceptions of Southern Football

[RTR91]

I thought I would start a thread where we can tell stories of Northerner's misconceptions about Southern football. I have two funny ones. I'm sure some of you have some good ones as well.

I have two.

First one:
I work at a state office in Montgomery. On Tuesday around 8:30 a.m., I was eating some breakfast when the phone rang. I got a little choked, so I started coughing. When I answered the phone, my voice was a little hoarse. The caller told me, "You sound a little hoarse. Must be from cheering for Auburn last night." I informed him I'm an Alabama fan, and that I didn't cheer for Auburn. He then responded with a very dumb statement: "Oh, there must be some sort of intrastate rivalry there."

I checked his area code, and he was from Minnesota.
Yea buddy, just a little.

Second:
My dad has a preacher friend in East Lansing, Michigan. They talked a week or two ago. His friend lived in the Florence area at one time. He kept telling a guy about SEC football and the AU/UA rivalry. The guy didn't listen and kept proclaiming OSU/UM as the best rivalry. The guy came to the beach with his family for vacation in May. He got back to East Lansing and told my dad's friend that it was totally different than Big 10 country. My dad's friend gladly told him, "Told ya so."

Silly, Northerners. Football is for the SEC.

 

[TideMan09]

We "Live & Breathe" college and high school football in the south..I rode by my old high school today..And our HC had our Boys running in the snow & ice in 20 degree weather..That my friends is "Dedication & Pride" for our football in the south..We have high school rivalries in the south that rivals college football up north..That's why we have better College Players & Teams in the south..It's just that plain & simple..

 

[TIDE-HSV]

I thought I would start a thread where we can tell stories of Northerner's misconceptions about Southern football. I have two funny ones. I'm sure some of you have some good ones as well.

I have two.

First one:
I work at a state office in Montgomery. On Tuesday around 8:30 a.m., I was eating some breakfast when the phone rang. I got a little choked, so I started coughing. When I answered the phone, my voice was a little hoarse. The caller told me, "You sound a little hoarse. Must be from cheering for Auburn last night." I informed him I'm an Alabama fan, and that I didn't cheer for Auburn. He then responded with a very dumb statement: "Oh, there must be some sort of interstate rivalry there."

Yea buddy, just a little.

Second:
My dad has a preacher friend in East Lansing, Michigan. They talked a week or two ago. His friend lived in the Florence area at one time. He kept telling a guy about SEC football and the AU/UA rivalry. The guy didn't listen and kept proclaiming OSU/UM as the best rivalry. The guy came to the beach with his family for vacation in May. He got back to East Lansing and told my dad's friend that it was totally different than Big 10 country. My dad's friend gladly told him, "Told ya so."

Silly, Northerners. Football is for the SEC.

I'm sure that northerns who think that Auburn is in Georgia think it's an "interstate" rivalry, as opposed to the real "instrastate" rivalry...

 

[RTR91]

I'm sure that northerns who think that Auburn is in Georgia think it's an "interstate" rivalry, as opposed to the real "instrastate" rivalry...

D'oh! I was trying to finish up before I left work. I fixed it.

 

[92tide]

I'm sure that northerns who think that Auburn is in Georgia think it's an "interstate" rivalry, as opposed to the real "instrastate" rivalry...

is that some weird 4th dimension of interaction?

 

[Bud]

When I spoke to clients around the country....after awhile the conversation would turn to "why are southern teams so good in football?" or "is it really any more important?" I equate it this way. football is like a foreign language. Sure you can learn to speak Italian/Russian/Spanish through classrooms and cd's but the only way to be fluent...is to reside in a place where that language is spoken. Football is taught up north, it's native here.

 

[day-day]

I'm sure that northerns who think that Auburn is in Georgia think it's an "interstate" rivalry, as opposed to the real "instrastate" rivalry...

Auburn's not in Georgia??? Now I'm starting to feel sick.

 

[BamaMoon]

But the Yankees that have moved to the south catch on pretty fast. We have a Michigan State fan at our church (moved from Michigan) and after the bowl game I ribbed her in a good natured way. She retorted with, "Want to play us in basketball?"

 

[bama_brannon]

I was standing in line for Starbucks at the SEC championship game with a lady from Maine that won a Dr. Pepper employee contest to attend the game. She was completely flummoxed at why so many people were there to see a college football game. She made a comment about "How everyone is wearing the schools colors and really seem to be into this". Yeah lady, they sure are. Haven't been around much have you?

 

[UAME]

One of the perpetuated myths is that all of our November games are sunny and 75 degrees. The northern teams struggle with their conditioning under the heat/humidity of the early season out-of-conference games that are played down south. Their comeback to that is that southern teams refuse to go north late in the year - and, they assume it's because we're scared of the cold weather. I'd like to invite any yankee down to sit in the upper deck of BDS for an MSU game with an 8:00pm kickoff when it's about 40 degrees and raining with 25 mph winds - and then have them tell me that we don't play football in poor conditions.

 

[Capt. Jack]

The SEC: our food is better, our women are hotter, and our football teams will beat yours by 30.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

One of the perpetuated myths is that all of our November games are sunny and 75 degrees. The northern teams struggle with their conditioning under the heat/humidity of the early season out-of-conference games that are played down south. Their comeback to that is that southern teams refuse to go north late in the year - and, they assume it's because we're scared of the cold weather. I'd like to invite any yankee down to sit in the upper deck of BDS for an MSU game with an 8:00pm kickoff when it's about 40 degrees and raining with 25 mph winds - and then have them tell me that we don't play football in poor conditions.

The misconception about our weather goes beyond just FB games. Sometimes, I feel that they just don't pay any attention to the news at all. Either that, or they have prejudices so firmly embedded that they promptly forget what they saw/read about winter in the South. Yesterday's weather nugget was that 49 states have snow cover, but probably only southerners retained that little factoid.

 

[GrayTide]

The misconception about our weather goes beyond just FB games. Sometimes, I feel that they just don't pay any attention to the news at all. Either that, or they have prejudices so firmly embedded that they promptly forget what they saw/read about winter in the South. Yesterday's weather nugget was that 49 states have snow cover, but probably only southerners retained that little factoid.

Earle, do you attribute this to Al Gore and global warming? :wink:

 

[Alasippi]

My first game as a student was Bama-Missouri, which was played on a Monday night.

One of my accounting professors, who was from Syracuse, New York, scheduled a Pop Quiz for Tuesday morning!!!!!

When we raised the roof he simply said, "Sport's aren't important"...and he meant it!!!

I didn't do very well on the quiz by the way

 

[tambo410]

One of the perpetuated myths is that all of our November games are sunny and 75 degrees. The northern teams struggle with their conditioning under the heat/humidity of the early season out-of-conference games that are played down south. Their comeback to that is that southern teams refuse to go north late in the year - and, they assume it's because we're scared of the cold weather. I'd like to invite any yankee down to sit in the upper deck of BDS for an MSU game with an 8:00pm kickoff when it's about 40 degrees and raining with 25 mph winds - and then have them tell me that we don't play football in poor conditions.

A myth? Really? As a "Northerner" who fled south for college and has since returned, I have been fortunate to see my fair share of football games in both "climates". I will say that while the conditions can get a bit nasty in the south w/ the 40 degree temps, rain and wind which you speak about, but they do NOT come close to comparing with the miserable conditions football is played in up north...

I have been a season ticket holder for the Ravens for 8 years and have sat through weather conditions that can make grown men cry in and around the North East. 40 degrees and rain stinks. We get that in September. 25-30 degrees with 25 mph winds and freezing rain is flat out miserable. We get this from December on; and Baltimore really is not that bad compared to NY, Boston, Buffalo, Cleveland and Green Bay, etc. I prefer the snow to freezing rain any day of the week. You just can't escape the wet stuff.

One question... When has this ever happened in the south (Buffalo 12/2008 - Winds 40-60mph, )

Do you remember the rain game in Pittsburgh when the punt stuck into the mud?

Check out the weather channels Gametime Weather Index (TWC's Exclusive Gametime Weather Index - weather.com. What is absent from this article? Yep, references to poor weather games played in the south.

Enjoy the weather conditions you have. A little rain and wind would be a dream to most of us up north!

More on topic though, here is an interesting` list of the oldest High School rivalry games (dominated by Northern schools) List of high school football rivalries (100 years+) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. While not on the same scale as the Iron Bowl, for the participants of the City - Poly game and Loyola -Calvert Hall game here in Baltimore, I can tell you it is just as meaningful and the fans are just as passionate. Here is a sortable list of college rivalry games

.

Now two stories of misconception...

1) In 2000 I went to a MD Terp game (sporting by Bama apparel) and was approached by several Terps fans. They had just hired Friedgen and they all were telling me that he was the man who was going to take them all the way. How there were going to dominate the ACC and win National Championships w/in 4 years. I could not help but point out that, in the coaches first year they were struggling to fill 48,000 seat stadium, there was little alumni financial support and MD had not established itself in the local recruiting area and was consistently getting cherry picked by Clemson, Penn State, W. Va. and VaTech. Basically, Not Happening. Their comeback - Bama cheats and is in the tank. My response, we were once great and will be again. That w/ everything, the passion and support had not changed. Last I checked, we have returned to the national stage and the Fridge is out with MD still waiting on that National Title.

2) 3 Years ago, after dragging my wife to 4 years of Ravens games, I asked her to join me in ATL for the first Bama-Florida SEC Championship game. She was not all that excited to go but I wanted to show her what SEC football is like. She believed football was football and how could the fanaticism be any different for Bama than it is for the Ravens (really a passionate fan-base if I do say so myself)...? Well, lets just say she got hooked and I don't have to ask her to travel from up North to down South to see the Tide play. If I am going, she will be there with me... I think she is a Ravens fan but on seeing the Tide, it was love at first sight!

 

[BamaFlum]

The misconception about our weather goes beyond just FB games. Sometimes, I feel that they just don't pay any attention to the news at all. Either that, or they have prejudices so firmly embedded that they promptly forget what they saw/read about winter in the South. Yesterday's weather nugget was that 49 states have snow cover, but probably only southerners retained that little factoid.

I saw that and was amazed. Only the state of Floriday did not have any snow.

 

[BAMAFAN IN NY]

The weather thing is not a myth.. I lived in Alabama for the first 18 years of my life, and have lived in Upstate NY for the second 18. It never got COLD there like it does here. I've had days here where the HIGH for the day was negative 10. 40 degrees and raining? That's a beautiful spring day.. Let's go get ice cream

 

[BAMAFAN IN NY]

I remember one January when I was in school in Buffalo. It was a balmy 15 degrees with heavy lake effect snow.. Zero visibility.. Snow piling up by the feet. My flight just made it out before they closed the airport.. Later that day I was wearing shorts and a t shirt riding a four wheeler on a dirt road in Gordo, AL.. HUGE difference in weather

 

[tidedog67]

A 35-40 degree rainy day feels more bone-chilling than a still 25 degree day.

Cold is cold....but wet-cold sucks.

 

[BAMAINMD]

Hate to jump on my fellow Maryland friend but the first SEC championship game was indeed with Florida but it was played not in Atl but in Birmingham, not 3 years ago but Dec 5, 1992. We won that game 28-21 for our 20th SEC title and went on to beat Miami in the Sugar bowl Jan 1, 1993 for our 12 th National title 34-13. As a true Maryland Bama fan I was where I was supposed to be that day, at Legion Field.