Football is Religion

I am not sure if anyone is more excited than me that Football is back. I love all sports but there is nothing like football. I love the whole atmosphere, the smell of hot dogs and hamburgers from the concession stands, the sound of the band and the fans in the stands, and the visions of bone jarring hits. There is no other game like it.
In the south football is like religion. Each team with their legions of followers believe that their way is the right one. You have the "Big Orange", the "Tide", the "Dawgs", the "Dores", the "Bayou Bengals", the "Rebs", the "Cats" and the list goes on and on, but what all those teams have in common is they are all in the SEC. In the SEC we don't hate all other conferences in America, we don't have to waste the time. The other conferences know the SEC is the gold standard by which all others are measured against. Ohio State comes out every year just as this year and is ranked in the top 5, but by years end they either fall dramatically, or get their ass handed to them in the BCS game by an SEC powerhouse.
Only in the south will you find children named Bear, Dooley, or Herschel, after their parents football icons. Only in the south do we have weddings that are colored like a favorite team, or receptions and services around game time. In the south if your wedding happens to fall on the same day as Alabama Vs. Auburn, or Georgia Vs. Florida you might not see the turn out that you normally would. It may not be normal, but that is what makes it awesome. Only in the south will we sit in the stands and watch our favorite team get their ass kicked and stay until the final whistle. I once sat in Sanford Stadium and watched Alabama beat Georgia by 42, while people around me were still reasoning how the "Dawgs" could come back. It is a passion that most will never understand, but for those who live it, it is just the way it is. As a man, I do not always hear everything that my wife, or mother says to me, and when quizzed will most of the time get it wrong, but if you ask me questions about SEC Football from 10 years ago, I can probably answer easily. I may not always remember my moms birthday, or my parents anniversary, but I can guarantee you that I remember "Run Lindsey Run!!!". I don't always remember my Pin Number, but I can never forget "WE just stomped on their face with a hobnail Boot and broke their nose!!!" Football is a religion in the south and church is about to be in session.