I confess. I have told this story before -- I may even have written it somewhere. But it is so perfect I cannot resist.
When we went to Alabama in 1987, there was considerable controversy. A few erudite anonymous phone callers had some fun, and the stuff leaked out (surprise, surprise). Friends were concerned, and our minister from Atlanta, Bill Floyd, called the house. My wife, Carolyn answered, and was asked if we were okay. My brave girl laughed and explained, "Of course, we are fine. You must understand, Bill, that these people are serious about football. To them it is a religion." Rev. Floyd responded, "Oh no Carolyn, it is a whole lot more important than that!" He was right.
Theories abound when it comes to explaining football's grasp on southern minds and hearts. Regardless of which you believe one thing is undeniable. The passion around here on Saturday afternoons in the fall is unbridled and unrivaled.
Consider:
28 million fans attended D1-A football games last fall. 5.2 million were in the SEC. That's nearly one in five!
Seven of the nation's top ten football attendance programs are located in the SEC.
Average attendance at SEC games was 72,445 last year. That leads all other conferences.
Average capacity numbers stand at 95 percent for SEC games. That number might be over 100 percent if some of the tailgaters didn't pass out in their RVs prior to kickoff.
The SEC sent nine teams to bowls last year. That is an all-time conference record. All the more remarkable is the fact that this was accomplished without Alabama in a bowl. Bear (pun intended) in mind that the Tide had been in bowls 38 of the previous 39 years.
These figures, provided by the SEC office, may not guarantee that the conference has the best football teams every single year. They do not guarantee national championships.
Let me tell you what they do indicate. They mean that in every sleepy southern town and in the few metropolises we are developing, red-blooded males are expected to put on the pads, learn to run and hit, and turn out for the team. Round-ball sports are tolerated, but never at the expense of the pigskin -- never. It is simply too important -- more important than religion -- to many.
Is it good for emotional health? Probably not. But it sure feels good to the true believers, and it is not about to change.
ESPN college football analyst Bill Curry coached for 17 years in the college ranks, at Georgia Tech, Alabama and Kentucky.
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