Be True to YOUR School!!!

I am pleased to say that I had the opportunity to attend a very fine institute of higher learning in Statesboro, Georgia.  The school of my choice was Georgia Southern University and I am more than proud to wear my school colors and boast about all things Georgia Southern.  This happens to include a pretty good football team that has won 6 National Championships in just 30 short years of playing football.  Our first coming in 1985 and our last coming in 2000.  Everyone that knows me knows that I am a Georgia Southern fan first and foremost.  No other team is as important to me as my Eagles!  No Team!  Not even the great UGA!

This brings me to the topic in which I want to discuss.  I know that I wear Blue and white colored glasses, but I really do not understand how someone that chose to attend Georgia Southern, got their degree from Georgia Southern, makes their living from the degree that they received from Georgia Southern, met and married a girl from Georgia Southern, yet wears Red and Black on Saturdays and screams Go Dawgs!!  When you ask them if they are going to watch the Southern game, they look at you like you are crazy and say "Shoot no.  We (meaning UGA) got Vandy today.  Should be a good one!"

Let's talk about the "we" part of that statement.  You are not allowed to say "we" when you are speaking about a football team unless you are an alumni of that school, or you are presently enrolled in classes at that school, or you are actually on that school's football team as a player.  You can say the team's name in reference to them, but you can not say "we".

It does me no good to mention to my fellow alumni, now rabid UGA fan, that Georgia Southern happens to be playing a conference game today that has some real meaning.  It is not fashionable to act like they care.  You see the UGA bandwagon has become full over the past few years due to the success that the Dawgs have enjoyed in the SEC conference.  GSU graduates find it more popular to pull for the bigger school.  They wear their UGA hats, they fly their UGA flags, they dress their kids up in UGA gear, and they plan parties around the UGA game on ESPN.  I don't mind going to the parties because I also like watching the Bulldogs, but if Georgia Southern is playing at the same time, I am wearing my headphones and listening to the Eagles!!

I just want to know why some people find it necessary to pull for a school that they never attended and why they show no love for the football team at their very own Alma mater.!?!?!?

Now don't get me wrong.  I understand some of the arguments.  Here are some of the most popular.

1).  I grew up pulling for the Bulldogs!! 

 I completely understand.  Everyone grew up pulling for one team or the other.  I do not fault you for being a Bulldog fan if you have pulled for the team your whole life, but I do have a problem with this example of not being "true to your school".  A couple of years ago, GSU played UGA in the season opener.  Georgia was ranked very high in the preseason polls and talks of a possible National Championship were being thrown around.  Georgia Southern plays in the Football Championship Subdivision, which is the division under UGA, and therefore has less scholarships to offer its athletes.  To say Georgia was favored is an understatement.  My friends and I were at a summer BBQ and football was the topic of discussion.  My friends which included UGA and GSU alumni asked me who I was pulling for in the upcoming game.  I said Georgia Southern without batting an eye.  They said I should pull for Georgia because if Georgia lost the game they would have no shot at a National Title, but Southern could still win their National title if they lost.  (That actually happened in the 2000 season- UGA defeated us 24-7 but we went on to win the Championship in 1-AA later that year) I stuck to my guns and said that Georgia Southern was my school and I hoped that they beat the ever living snot out of the Dawgs!!!  They got mad at me because I would not pledge my allegiance to the good ole UGA.  Even the guys that went to Georgia Southern said they were pulling for the Dawgs to beat us so that they would have a chance at an undefeated season.  I say to hell with UGA when they are playing "my" team.  I can say that because Georgia Southern is "my" team.  I went to school there!!!

2). Georgia Southern plays in 1-AA.  That is not real football!

I'll be the first to admit that Georgia Southern plays on a smaller stage than schools such as Georgia, Florida State, Ohio State, or Notre Dame, but it is good quality football played by some very good athletes.  Let me ask you this.  If you come from a High School that plays its football in a AA classification, do you pull for a team that plays in the AAAAA classification because AA couldn't possibly be "real" football??  I doubt it.  I'm willing to bet you pull for your High School team regardless of classification.  It is what it is and you play where ever they assign you to play.  Georgia Southern plays in the FCS, formerly known as the 1-AA.  It is what it is!

My second point on this same argument is that I would argue that Georgia Southern plays the "real" football and Georgia absolutely does not!  Georgia Southern has won 6 National Championships and we have won every one of them by playing in a real championship game.  That's right, we have won it on the field of play by starting out with the 16 best teams chosen to be in the playoffs and winning 4 playoff games on the way to being crowned Champion.  Not one person votes on who will be the Champion of our division.  There is no such thing as the BCS where the media, coaches, and a computer tell you who the Champion is.  Now you tell me who plays "real" football!

3).  But my kids like Georgia!

Who's fault is that???  My kids have never worn a UGA outfit, slept with a UGA blanket, drank from a UGA sippy cup, or asked to have their room painted Red and Black.  I did not attend UGA, so why would I want to do that?  I want my kids to be proud of the fact that their Dad supports the school that supports this family.  My kids wear Georgia Southern jerseys and cheerleading outfits.  We hang GSU ornaments on the Christmas tree and my daughter yells "GO EAGLES" at the high school football games even though our hometown team is named the Hurricanes. (it really is cute)  If they decide when they are older to pull for another team, then that will be fine with me, but at least they know who I stand for because Georgia Southern is "my" school.

There are other arguments that I could mention but they really do not hold much water with me.  I say that you should pull for "your" school with blind loyalty.  After all they are "your" school.  You are a part of the history of that school and you should want to be a part of its future by supporting "your" school the best way that you can.  That even means pulling for "your" schools football team!!!! 

So I will continue to be unpopular in this little UGA Nation in which I live by pulling for my little football team in Statesboro.  I will wear the Blue and White on Saturdays, fly my Georgia Southern flag, drive around with my Georgia Southern car tags, dress my kids in Georgia Southern shirts, decorate my office with Georgia Southern pictures, customize my golf cart with Georgia Southern emblems, get my local radio station to carry Georgia Southern games, give my money to the Georgia Southern football team, and yell like hell for "MY EAGLES"!

At least I can say that I am TRUE to MY school!

Go Eagles!!!!  GATA!!!!!!

The New Spot!

I like new things.  Some people are set in their ways and do not like for anything to be changed in their life (my son comes to mind), but not me.  I enjoy new things and look at them as challenges that must be met and in some cases overcome.  Life is more exciting that way and my competitive nature needs for there to be new challenges or experiences to keep my mind and soul fresh and energetic.  It can be something as simple as driving a different route to get somewhere or as complex as making a life change that requires dedication to something or someone (exercising comes to mind).  Right now I am focused on one of those small changes, but it has me very excited for the weekend to get here.  I have a new hunting spot!

With deer season upon us and rifle season approaching, the people around these parts are getting ready by cleaning off there old deer stands or creating opportunities for new ones.  My Dad and I have been on the same property for 20 years, so we know most of the spots that we should be hunting and already have stands set up for those spots.  Last year however, we inherited a section of the club that we have never hunted before.  We put up some stands and had good luck in seeing a lot of deer but we also took notes and plan on using our education as we get ready for this season. 

As I would sit on one of the new stands that we set up last year, I would always see deer crossing the road that I would walk down to get to my stand.  This was about 150 yards up the hill.  We did some looking around and found a very good trail leading off of our neighbor's property on to ours.  The trail skirted a bottom and led to a section of our land that we have never hunted.  It looked very promising!  It was very thick in there and hard to access, but we found a tree that we thought would be good to hang a stand on and vowed to get this place ready to hunt.

Daddy got the tractor last week and did our yearly mowing of our food plots and roads.  If we would ever get some rain we would be ready to plant, but that is another post for another day.  While he had the bush hog hooked up he decided to make us a path to our new hunting spot to make it easier for us to access and allow for a quiet approach.  He also decided to cut us in some shooting lanes and mowed between two pine rows all the way up the hill and even to the next stand site.  This will give the deer and turkeys an easy path to travel as they make there way out of the bottom and up the hill to the feeder about 400 yards away.  The big boys may not use this new path very often, but the does will and I will be waiting when he tries to skirt around the bottom looking for his girlfriends.

I also plan on trying out a mock scrape in this bottom.  I was reading a blog the other day about a guy who has had some success with this.  There are plenty of spots to try this and I plan on setting up a camera when we hang the stand this weekend to see if I can get any activity.

Like I said, sometimes the little things can make my week.  I'm looking forward to getting in the woods Saturday morning with my Dad to hang a stand, trim some limbs, do a little scouting, and start the chess match with that big boy buck that I know is out there somewhere!

I'll try and take my camera and maybe get a few shots of the "new spot".  Look forward to sharing with those of you who may be interested!

Happy Hunting!!

Let's have a little fun!

I spent four years at Georgia Southern University, and when I got out they handed me a diploma that said I had fulfilled all of the requirements of my BBA in Marketing.  Now marketing covered many things including sales and advertising.  I eventually went into sales and ended up selling money everyday at the bank, but I really enjoyed the advertising side of it.  I get a kick out of ads and think that some of them are pure genius!  I recently did a Kiwanis program on the effects of advertising and offered the following test to my fellow Kiwanians.  See how well you do.  All you have to do is name the company that the slogan is advertising for.

1. ________ makes hamburgers taste like steak burgers.
2. All you add is love.
3. Aren’t you glad you use ____? Don’t you wish everybody did?
4. Bring out the ____ and bring out the best.
5. Don’t leave home without it.
6. Good to the last drop.
7. Just do it!
8. Have it your way.
9. It takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
10. Double your pleasure, double your fun!
11. Quality is job one!
12. See the USA in your _____.
13. A little dab’ll do you.
14. ______ is the place for the helpful hardware man!
15. You deserve a break today!
16. When it rains, it pours.
17. Where’s the beef?
18. Hey Mike! He likes it!
19. _______ take me away!
20. I like it so much I bought the company.

Have fun and let me know how you did!  If you don't know one, just ask!

Football Friday Nights in the Fall!

Friday nights in the South mean High School Football!  Here in my hometown we happen to have a great little football team.  We have consistently finished in the top 5 for the past ten years or so playing for the State title once and in the semi-finals 3 different times including the last two years in a row.  The entire town supports the football team and we fill our side of the stadium on just about every home game.   We even travel very well often filling the visitors side of the stadiums that we visit.  We are proud of our program.  Last night we defeated our second 5-A program of the year.  Keep in mind that we are a 2-A school.  Someone stated that we were ranked 3rd in both AA and AAAAA this year!

Last night was an away game.  I very rarely travel with the team anymore.  We have two great guys that call the games for us over the radio waves.  Tim and my good friend Bill have been calling Hurricane games for twenty years and do an excellent job of making you feel like you are there with the team.  Because of the very professional job that they do calling the games, me and some of the boys will always try and get together to listen to the games.  We usually center our activities around a fire or something on the grill.  Last night we boiled a bushel of peanuts while we listened to the game, watched the Braves, played Ping-Pong, and enjoyed the nice fall evening.  All of the kids were there with us and they had a blast running around and playing with their games.

I have mentioned several times that Fall is my favorite time of the year.  I love these kind of Friday nights and it will only get better as the weather cools down some more.  Today will be filled with college football and my wife has asked that I get the fall decorations out of the attic.  With no birds to shoot today, I guess I will be decorating this afternoon!

Have a great weekend!

That's my boy!!

This is a young man enjoying the fruits of a good days hunt!  This past Saturday was another good dove hunting day for us boys!  My son really likes eating them, which is somewhat surprising because he is a very picky eater.  Tonight he ate 4 doves and two helpings of cheese grits.  As long as he will eat 'em, I'll go kill 'em and cook 'em for him!

We did have another good Saturday of hunting despite the heat.  We didn't go to the field until about 4:00 and we were able to find a shady spot to sit in.  I took a different approach this week and left my sentimental Browning A-5 20 gauge at home.  I took the Browning Gold 20 instead.  I shot much better this week and quickly got my limit with a bunch of one shot kills.  I don't know if it was the gun or the operator, but this week was a much better shooting demonstration!

Georgia Southern held strong against Navy this past week.  We lost 13-7, but I am very proud of the boys in Blue!!

Time to go clean up the mess I made in the kitchen and pour up some grits.  There will be fried grits in the morning!!!!

Playing with the Big Boys!!

Georgia Southern will hit the road this weekend with its "new" "old" offense.  The triple option that has brought Georgia Southern 6 National football titles has returned to Statesboro.  We finished off Savannah State last weekend 48-3, but this weekend will be a little different.  We will travel up the interstate to collect a big check, but when we get there we have to play a little game against The Naval Academy.  Navy is a division one school and Georgia Southern has never beaten a division one school.  We have come close a couple of times, even leading Florida State in the fourth quarter in 1988, however the size and depth always catches up with us.  There is hope however!  Jacksonville State defeated Ole Miss last weekend.  That was a 1-AA school beating a 1-A school and giving hope to all the rest of us little guys!  (I refuse to mention that other school that plays in our conference that beat Michigan a few years ago!)

Some schools will not play Georgia Southern because of our unique offense.  That is not the case with Navy.  Our old Coach, Paul Johnson (who is now the coach at Georgia Tech) left Georgia Southern after two National titles to coach the Midshipmen.  They run the same offense that we do.  Everything should be familiar and I don't think either team will fool the other.

We will be out manned on Saturday, but here is me doing some wishful thinking!  Georgia Southern pulls the upset and wins 27-24 on a blocked punt and a trick play!!!!!!

GO EAGLES!!!!!!!!! 

The Braves are playing like a little league team right now so, have a great football weekend everybody!

House Guest!

This little guy wouldn't hurt anybody!  Unless you are talking about my wife's feelings.  This is a gray rat snake, or what most people in these parts call an Oak Snake.  They are harmless to humans and feed on small rodents.  They range in size from 6 inches to about three feet.  They are actually good to have hanging around in your yard.  They keep mice away.  They are not good "in" your house as I discovered Monday night.

This weekend kicked off the college football season.  The big game of the weekend came on Monday night between Boise State and Virginia Tech.  Being the rather large college football fan that I am, I made plans to watch the game with my good friend and neighbor down the street.  My plans were to watch the first half and then head on home.  I was home much sooner than that! 

I received the distress call in the middle of the first quarter!  I could see the house phone on my caller ID and I figured it was just the wife telling me that the kids were in bed and everything was just fine and to really enjoy myself while I hung out with my friends. (come to think of it, that never happens)  What I got on the other end of my phone line was a very polite, Get Home NOW!  There is a snake in the kitchen!!  I told my buddy, let's go and headed out the door.

Upon arrival I was surprised to find my wife still in one piece.  She actually held up pretty good.  She informed me that our little critter was under the stove and that he was about two feet long.  When I finally got the stove pulled out and found our little house guest, I was surprised again to find that he was only about 8 inches long.  Just a baby.  "Maybe I misjudged his size",  said the wife.  Now normally I let these little guys go about there own business when I find them in the yard, but this little guy had crossed the line.  He was no longer on his own turf.  He had invaded my space and the wife would have moved out if he was not dealt with properly.  Sadly, he had to die to maintain order in the household.

I discarded the little fellow in the woods in the back.  As my buddy and I were heading out the door to finish watching the game, the wife calmly informed me that I had just walked under another snake that was climbing up the bricks on the chimney.  It was the first ones twin brother.  At this point I was tired of dealing with this and missing my game, so he had to die too.  It was an eventful evening and one in which I don't think my wife slept very much.

I like snakes.  I see them in the yard all the time and move them out of harms way all the time, but snakes please take note.  You are not allowed past the lines of the flower beds.  If you do, I will be forced to deal with you.  Especially if the wife is around at the same time you are!!

Until next time, happy mouse hunting!!!

Good Opening Day!

Saturday was a good day!  The opening day of dove season has always been a good day in my life because it was the season that I most looked forward to as a child.  As I have gotten older, some of the excitement has tempered off (mostly because it is too hot), but now I have a new found excitement as I am trying to raise a son who will hopefully love the outdoors as much as I do.  To say he had a good time Saturday is an understatement.  He had a blast and is itching to go again!

We loader up all of our gear in Papa's truck and headed out.  I was armed with my Browning A-5 twenty gauge, and Reid was armed with his BB gun and 6,000 BB's.  When we arrived at our meeting place, we found that one of Reid's classmates was there with his Dad.  The boys loaded up their guns and started shooting at plastic bottles.  They entertained themselves under careful supervision all the way through lunch.  They even stopped long enough to catch a fish or two in the pond next to the field we were going to shoot. 

 The time finally came for us to make our way to the field.  Reid and I set up in the middle of the field with a blind.  Papa headed for a spot on the edge in the shade of some rather large pine trees.  With the temps in the 90's, it didn't take Reid very long to ask if he could go sit with Papa.  Next thing you know, Papa had Reid and his friend as hunting partners for the day. They became retrievers, or at least tried, and would finish off the doves that Papa had killed by shooting them in the eye with their BB guns.  They got pretty good at spotting birds as they would announce that "we had company" as the birds flew into the filed.  I think that Daddy had a good time watching them, even if it did cost him a few birds.

It was a good shoot and my limit is now soaking in some salt water in the fridge.  They will be good fried up with some grits and biscuits.  As we gathered up to tell lies about the days festivities, I kept hearing the boys shooting those BB guns and then I would hear a loud "whop".  Reid had taken a 20 gauge hull and stood it up about 20 feet away.  He was shooting that thing and hitting more than he was missing.  I was impressed.  I guess all the practice that he got that day was paying off.  I think he fired about 1,000 rounds.  His gun needed a rest, and so did he!

We left the filed and I turned on the radio to find the start of the Georgia Southern game.  They won big!  It was a great end to a great day spent with my Dad and my son. 

 That was worth getting excited about!!!!

Fried Grits!!

My cousin Ashley is always posting on her blog different things that she likes to cook or make in the kitchen.  I thought I would give it my best manly try!!  A little old lady in St. Simon's Island, Georgia showed this to me and I have been blessed ever since.

Us Southerners will somehow find a way to fry just about anything.  If you can batter it up, you can drop it in some hot grease and make it taste good!  This recipe does not require any grease, it just requires some left over grits! 

In this part of the country if you fry doves or quail, it is a requirement that a pot of cheese grits not be too far away.  (if you don't know what grits are you can stop reading right now)  The only problem with grits is that you always prepare too much and have half a pot left over.  DON'T throw those grits out!!!  Take those left over grits and pour them into a Solo cup, pack them down, cover with tin foil and place in the fridge overnight.

The next morning, grab your frying pan and a jug of butter.  Shake the grits out of the cup being careful to maintain the shape of the cup.  Slice the grits into 3/4 inch patties.  Butter you frying pan and get it simmering.  Drop your grit patties onto the pan and back up!  You are basically frying water so there will be a lot of popping going on as you are searing the bottom of your grit patty.  Once you have browned the bottom of you grits, place more butter on top and flip them over.  Step back again and wait.  Once brown on both sides, remover from pan, salt and pepper, pour your coffee, jelly your toast and enjoy!!

So simple, yet so good!  The kids even like them!

Let me know what you think!

We Golfers are smart ones!!!

The following was sent to me by a good friend of mine.  She knows that I play golf and thought that I might enjoy this.  I did and wanted to pass it along to you!

ACTUAL CALLS RECEIVED AT A PUBLIC GOLF COURSE

Staff:   Golf course, may I help you?
Caller:   What are your green fees?
Staff:   38 dollars.
Caller:   Does that include golf?


Staff:   Golf course, may I help you?
Caller:   Yes, I need to get some information from you.
First, is this your correct phone number?


Staff:   Golf course, may I help you?
Caller:   Yes, we have a tee time for two weeks from Friday.
What's the weather going to be like that day?


Staff:   Golf course, may I help you?
Caller:   Yes, I had a tee time for this afternoon but I'm
running late. Can you still get me out early?


Staff:   Golf course, may I help you?
Caller:  Yes, do you have one of those areas where you can
buy a bucket of golf balls and hit them for practice?
Staff:   You mean a driving range?
Caller:   No, that's not it.


Staff:   Golf course, may I help you?
Caller:   Yes, I'd like to get a tee time tomorrow between
12 o'clock and noon.
Staff:   Between 12 o'clock and noon?
Caller:   Yes.
Staff:   We'll try to squeeze you in.


Staff:   Golf course, may I help you?
Caller:   Do you have any open tee times around 10 o'clock?
Staff:   Yes, we have one at 10:15.
Caller:   What's the next time after that?
Staff:   We have one at 10:22.
Caller:   We'll take that one. It will be a bit warmer.


Staff:   Golf course, may I help you?
Caller:   How much to play golf today?
Staff:   25 to walk, 38 with a cart.
Caller:   38 dollars?
Staff:   No, 38 yen.


Staff:   Golf course, may I help you?
Caller:   What do you have for tee times tomorrow?
Staff:   What time would you like?
Caller:   What times do you have?
Staff:   What time of the day?
Caller:   Any time.
Staff:   Morning or afternoon?
Caller:   Whenever.
Staff:   We have 16 times open in the morning and 20 open
in the afternoon. Would you like me to read the whole list?
Caller:   No, I don't think any of those times will work for
me.


Staff:   Golf course, may I help you?
Caller:   Do you have a dress code?
Staff:   Yes, we do. We require soft spikes.
Caller:   How about clothes?
Staff:   Yes, you have to wear clothes.


Staff:   Golf course, may I help you?
Caller:   Yes, do you have a driving range there?
Staff:   Yes.
Caller:   How much for a bucket of large balls?
Staff:   Sorry, we're all out of large balls. But we can
give you twice as many small balls for the same price.


Staff:   Golf course, may I help you?
Caller:   Can I get a tee time for tomorrow?
Staff:   Sure, what time would you like?
Caller:   Something between 9 o'clock and 10 o'clock. In the
morning, if possible.


Staff:   Golf course, may I help you?
Caller:   Do you rent golf clubs there?
Staff:   Yes, they're 25 dollars.
Caller:   How much to rent a bag?


Staff:   Golf course, may I help you?
Caller:   Yes, my husband just called me on his cell phone and
told me he's on the 15th hole. How many more holes does he have to play before he gets to the 18th?


Staff:   Golf course, may I help you?
Caller:   Yes, do you have a driving range there?
Staff:   Yes.
Caller:   How much for a large bucket?
Staff:   Four dollars.
Caller:   Does that include the balls?


Staff:   Golf course, may I help you?
Caller:   Do you have a twilight rate?
Staff:   Yes, it's 15 dollars after 2 o'clock.
Caller:   And what time does that start?


Staff:   Golf course, may I help you?
Caller:   Yes, I'd like some info about your golf course.
Staff:   OK, what would you like to know?
Caller:   I don't know, that's why I called.


Staff:   Golf course, may I help you?
Caller:   My kids just came home with pockets full of range
balls and said they stole them from your driving range. Would you like to
buy them back?

Have a Great Friday!!!