Monday, May 12, 2008
Ode to Spring
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People who don't live in the southern part of the U.S. always ask why the SEC gets so much media attention come football season.
The answer appeared again this spring ... in droves.
While most schools are thrilled to have a few thousand show up for a spring scrimmage, the SEC drew 373,232 fans ... an average of 31,103 a school, to their 12 spring football contests. Leading the way was Alabama, who drew 78,200 to its A-Day Game. Three other schools (Florida, Arkansas, and Ole Miss) set new records, as fans across the South tailgated, partied, and packed stadiums to bolster football dreams.
When I told a friend of mine on the West Coast of the attendance for Bobby Petrino's first spring game at Arkansas (40,200), they said that statistic was "really disturbing."
Maybe to other fans, but certainly not to SEC schools, or SEC college towns.
In the South, spring games are turned into spring festivals. You'll see the smoke of barbecue grills for miles, see cars lined up in droves, hear the music of concerts playing in every open space available, and see food vendors of all kinds within a mile radius of the stadium. It's like a state fair, only with less animals and more football. All of it adds to huge revenues for each college town, who reaps the profits of full hotels and crowded restaurants.
Maybe that's not understood in other parts of the country, but in the South, where there aren't as many pro teams, and school loyalties run deeper than anywhere else, this is the spark of hope that carries them through the hot summer days and into the start of fall.
It's a great example of the glory of college sports. And furthermore, in many cases, it leads to an even greater cause. At Arkansas, for example, admission is free, but the money raised by concessions benefits Champions for Kids, a charity dedicated to helping youth in Arkansas. Many schools do the same, using their games as a great way to benefit charities in need.
So, call it disturbing all you want. I look at a spring game, and I see charities helped, cities coming together in a spirit of pride, and a fan base shining in new hope for the future ahead.
In these times, that's anything but disturbing to me.
The spring football game at Arkansas would have drawn 60,000 if it wasn't for an all day affair benefiting charities and kids games. Most people with kids were worn out from all the activities (pro football players and former Hog players signed autographs all day) to attend the game at the end of the day. We like to think Bobby Petrino has finally found a home after his pro coaching experience. Arkansas is certainly a better future for him and his staff than Louisville could have been. Give me the SEC any day to the mid-tier conference Louisville is in and the schools they play. Bobby Petrino is so much happier coaching kids in college than the spoiled lackidasical pro players.....who take every other play off.........then wonder why they lost the game.........had to be the coach.