Fall is upon us, and football season is here. I don’t know about you, but my husband has been counting down to college football season ever since the National Championship game in January.
My Saturdays will now be built around our beloved Georgia Bulldogs’ schedule, making sure Drew is able to watch the game. I actually enjoy watching football too, but I am not nearly as invested in the team as him (even though he rooted for the rival Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in his younger, “less mature” days).
When Evan was a newborn last year, I considered it my gift to Drew that I would pull extra nighttime duty with the kids if there was a late game. Drew is so good about making sure I get out of the house that I am happy to let him indulge in his favorite time of the year.
There is something really wonderful about football season. It is an American tradition, rallying sports fans around their team. We’ve outfitted our children in Bulldogs attire, and family members have gifted us with UGA merchandise for the kids. Penelope really gets into it these days, reveling in her dad’s exasperated sighs and excited fist pumping. I have no doubt that Evan will also delight in the excitement.
I grew up in the Midwest, and the fans look vastly different there when it comes to Game Day attire. In Iowa, it is already getting chilly in September, so sweatshirts, sweatpants, hats, gloves and scarves are a must. Imagine my surprise when I saw the flood of people walking to Sanford Stadium one Saturday in Athens, Georgia. There was a sea of men in dress shirts, khakis and ties and women in heels, sun dresses and makeup.
“Welcome to the South,” someone said.
Football really is a whole other animal here in the South. In the Midwest, there are other sports that draw equally high numbers. But down here, the football field is where Southerners come to worship every week, whether it’s your high school team on Fridays, college alma mater on Saturdays or your favorite NFL team on Sundays or Mondays.
There really is something special about cheering on your team. I loved dressing up and painting my face for my Heelan High School Crusaders in Sioux City, Iowa. Iowa State, my alma mater, usually struggles to crack the top 5 in the remnants of what used to be the mighty Big 12 Conference. And since the University of Georgia is where I met my husband, the Bulldogs are who I root for in the fall.
So, hoorah! Football season is here! Deck yourself out all you want and tailgate (safely and responsibly) or order some chicken wings and knock back your beverage of choice with the big screen in the comfort of your own home. I’ll be at my house, living it up in West Ashley with my white-knuckled husband and our little cheerleaders. How about them Dawgs?!
