Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009
Pigskin Pontifications
I, like many of you, am not a native of Horry County, although I have lived here nearly a decade and consider myself a local.
And I’ve been an official South Carolina resident not once, but twice, as I’ve shuffled back and forth between here and my home state, Georgia.
Growing up in Georgia, you can’t escape the University of Georgia-Georgia Tech football rivalry.
Since I grew up near Atlanta, I always sided with the Yellowjackets, also because those loveable engineering nerds always seemed to be the underdog, and I love upsets.
Don’t get me wrong, if the Bulldogs actually ever get to the national championship game again, I’ll root for ‘em, but I didn’t name my dog Uga and I don’t support Vince Dooley for president.
I went to a really small school in Alabama, Hungtingdon College, that didn’t have a football program – until after I graduated. Everyone there seemed to get their dander up over the so-called Iron Bowl, the annual gridiron matchup of Auburn and Alabama. I sided with Alabama on that one, because I visited both campuses and one is classic (Tuscaloosa) and the other, to flip an old Lewis Grizzard quote, is Clemson without a lake.
So, what I’m getting at is, when it comes to college football, I don’t really have a dog in the fight.
I like college football, but prefer pro football, mostly because (A.) I didn’t go to a school with a big-time program and grew up in a town with an NFL franchise and (B.) I think the BCS mess is a sham and won’t pay close attention until the NCAA figures out a legitimate playoff system to crown a true champion.
But I digress.
With college football starting up next week, we figured that many of you, dear readers, hail from various locales not within the Palmetto State’s borders. I don’t have the Census figures on hand, but I’m sure you’ve heard, “you ain’t from ‘round here are you?”
What if you’re in your favorite local sports bar and you’re a Northwestern grad and the Clemson game comes on one TV, while the University of South Carolina game is on the big screen across the bar?
Who do you root for?
You don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb, do you?
Never fear, Surge is here to help you figure out which Palmetto State pigskin program to adopt. You can still keep your other team/university allegiances, but now that you call the Grand Strand home, it’s time to act like it.
But you’ll have to do a little work.
Seasoned local sportswriter Terry Massey has authored a quiz – a sort of Myers-Briggs college football personality type indicator if you will – to help you pick whether you’re a Tiger, Gamecock, or the Gamecock’s li’l cousin, a Chanticleer.
Also, Mr. Massey compiled a primer for a dozen must-see instate college football games to circle on your calendar, including Coastal Carolina University’s season-opening matchup vs. Kent State on Sept. 3.
One last thought on college football: I am ashamed that I have not attended either a Huntingdon Hawks football game or a CCU football game as both programs were started up in 2003 – but I pledge to do both this fall.
Down, set, hut.