The Southern Identity

I have lived in Massachusetts for my entire life; so it's fair to say that I don't have a very good idea of what defines Southern identity. When I sat down to think of something, I came up with only the most obvious and stereotypical of things. Even what I finally came up with is one of these. I first thought of food, and the new things I have had here, such as gumbo, grits, collard greens, or jambalaya. Even with my limited perspective, I felt these things didn't really fit. So I chose this simple picture above. Besides being one of the greatest moments of all time, as Adam Vinatieri kicks the winning field goal in Super Bowl XXXVI, it also happens to be one of the greatest sports of all time: football. I share the view with the majority of Southerners that football is a great sport.

I don't know what it is, but I have noticed that football is especially popular down here, as opposed to back home. The major difference is college football. Up North, one might have a tiny smile when you hear good news about your local college team. Here, however, it is often the case that people enjoy college football more than professional. The rivalry games are much more fierce than in professional. In fact, every game seems to be more intense. I had often heard that football was much more popular here, especially college, but had thought that it was just another silly stereotype. That thought quickly disappeared when I kept entering into conversations based solely on college football, and hearing about players that I had previously never heard of. In many ways, it makes more sense. When you attend a certain college, you spend a good portion of time there. You feel connected, and loyal to that place. It's hard to feel that same sense of loyalty to a professional team that could just up and move to another city or have a major overhaul of the roster at any point in time. In my brief time here, the Southern fascination with football has seemed one of the major parts of Southern identity.

Despite very much enjoying football, I don't think I shall ever enjoy it on the level that people do here. I enjoy it very much, but I prefer the "real" football, which is a different matter.