I watched, sparingly (I was mostly playing chess against the computer) two football games recently (9-30-23) Ole Miss vs. L.S.U. and Miss State vs Alabama. The won-lost column for my Mississippi roots (which run deep and proud) was 1-1. Miss Southern lost to Texas State but they were not on the single channel that I, again sparingly, watched.
I keep harping on the word “sparingly” because the truth is, after a lifetime of following college football, particularly the SEC and other Southern brethren schools (Ga, Tech, Tulane et al) of the pigskin fan persuasion I no longer “follow” them because I don’t give a happy damn about the game, the schools or the belly-crawling modern day scalawag scum that participate in the once dynamic sport where young men once fought and clawed like gentlemen gladiators.
However, they have long since degenerated into participants who are not much more than tattooed vulgar beasts barely demonstrating literacy, and who could care less about the concept of Alma Mater.
Upon scoring a touchdown they dance like fools at a fool fair. I suppose they are surprised they scored.
And in the name of the popular “equality principle,” this also goes for the overpaid, sub-talented, sub-mental-acuity coaches in spades. These are the guys who used to preach that they weren’t teaching football, but were teaching LIFE! In the days of Bear Bryant and Darrel Royal, that might be a worthy and sporty little bromide. But today these are the fellows who eliminated the “tie” so games can go into overtime. Hence T.V. and coaches can pad their bank accounts. Fine. I have nothing against making a buck.
However, is this teaching life? Hmmm…I didn’t know that when life ended you went into overtime. A step up or down, but overtime? Horse dung. As, well they have tried (foolishly) to eliminate human error with the television replay. They should also disallow the fumble and the interception. Human error obviously must be eliminated because as some (most) of them love to say: “We’ve got to get it right!”
Why? Of all the things wrong in the world, football is the one thing that must be “Got right.” Good grief. No wonder, jackasses refuse to stand for The Star-Spangled Banner.
And just so I leave no one out, the NCAA which makes a nice fill-in for Barnum and Bailey, is mucho (that’s Spanish for the thousands of college “professors” absent professing) thrilled that they allow girl trainers to treat (heal) the boys in the boy’s locker room.
I have no doubt that the football powers-to-be don’t care one whit as to what I think. But if they bothered to ask, they would find that I once cared for college football and the university system that sponsored it; probably a lot more than they do.
But today, the so-called university system is a corrupt racket, probably, if investigated, worthy of some RICO charge. The football teams are simply a minor league system for the N.F.L. A system paid for by the public. And subsidized and subverted by a multi-marketing T.V. system that poses as a spotlighted Satan, a Prince of Darkness paying all who can be bribed.
Many, many years back (I am of the old guy persuasion) most of the colleges and universities taught arts and science. Today they teach general studies, women’s studies, wokeism, and various degrees of sodomy and transgender identity. The football fields and locker rooms seem to be filled with this kind of perfumed scholasticism that television loves and to that end and with the leaders of such, ALL TRADITION has been ripped from the players, coaches, and the field.
Down South we once had a proud bunch of Rednecks and farmers who loved their colleges as a family extension. And we had a bunch of doctors, lawyers, and engineers who sometimes cheered louder than the farm boys. Back then their genes still had the old Rebel yell in them. And rival was a “five”-letter word because it was above impounded profanity.
Today the players come out (if they graduate at all) as illiterate as they were going in. No? Watch a freshman interviewed, then come back for an interview 4 years later and check the results.
One of the great Hall of Fame Coaches was a Southerner, Johnny Vaught. He coached at The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) for almost 25 years (190-61-12). Only two coaches had a winning record against him: Bear Bryant (7-6-1) and General William Neyland (3-2): Both Southerners.
Vaught was famous for recruiting players from his school’s home state, Mississippi. He told his players that his reasoning largely was that: “When you are up against it and you are backed up on you own one-yard line—and you look up in the stands and see your mama and daddy and brother and sister—you dig in a little deeper.”
Today college football players look into the stands and do a jig for whomever is operating the T.V. Cameras.
There was a time when I cheered for any school from dixie playing against a non-southern school. Like you, I sparingly watch the games outside of LSU playing. I do miss the Blue-Gray game.
I do miss so much of it, myself.
I’ve been wanting to write down my thoughts about the week leading up to the Army-LSU game. I’m sure that you are aware that the Fighting Tigers routed the Cadets 62-0. Reading LSU message boards and listening to interviews from coaches and players, there are many Southerners and others, who are confused. What they believe is patriotism looks like a whole lot of nationalism.
With the “Portal System” now entrenched, my Mississippi university football team plays a game with which I’m no longer familiar.
I understand
Paul, I thank you for an excellent editorial on the condition of what was once the great game of college football and what it has devolved into. I will not watch it and actually loathe the idolatry and mass consumption of the ‘bread-n-circuses’ which the public is mainlining.
Well we are not turning this train around. It is heading full steam, out of control, still barely on the rails towards the steel reinforced concrete embankment at the end of the line. I keep saying to myself, ‘I should have been born 35 years earlier’ (I am 65). But then again, if I did not see what is happening now, I may not have been as focussed on getting right with God.
So I believe, what all of us old farts should do, is to ride this out, commiserate together, encourage each other and keep fighting the good fight and share some insight and truth whenever we can.
Thank you. And I agree.
I don’t know much about football, I just love to watch the games and the guys play. I watched the NFL game when Peyton Manning won his last game in the super bowl. I know only that they have four chances to move the ball 10 yards. That’s my expertise. But even I could tell that game was fixed. I never liked Peyton again.
In my state of Tennessee there are several counties who are going to classical education and you can find out about how to go about this at the following link. This should result in many changes including changes in sports.
https://www.americanclassicalschools.com/
Mr. Yarbrough,
You “hit the nail on the head.” I often ask the question of friends who watch college football – will this or that player remain all four years (forgot, red-shirt, 5th year and 6th year eligibility) at the college he expressed an “undying love” when he committed? I played college football 53 years ago. Then it was as you described in the first several paragraphs. No longer is it.
It is sad to see such a ‘”builders of men” go wanting.
Sincerely,
Bob Neidert
Stow, Ohio
I miss the spirit of the game that has long since been removed. Thank you for your comment
It’s all a money making scheme know .They should go ahead and pay the players .
There was a time when all the players on the squad played both offense and defense, in fact each played got his chance at a different position.
My father his brothers and friends played tackle games without helmets.
And the fields were muddy cold and sometimes frozen.
They played in the rain and the snow for the love of the game.
Today everything is electronic from communications systems to high tech applications running the games on computers.
The down markers are Eletric graphics on TV, stadium cameras ride from cables on 4 sides of the fields.
There are waterboyz and watergirlz, masseuses pampering along on tables with towel boyz at the ready with Gatorade, each players strains and Charlie horses.
The field is stuck with astro-turf. A full medical staff is on hand, even x-ray machines line the fields today.
We grew up with a fierce Crimson tide and Notre Dame rivalry my father played for the ist and my uncle for the 2nd. WE went up to our high school field and other fields to play pick-up games with a host of competitors in touch-tackle games because it was a joy to do so.
All the announcers wear ill-fitting suits and ramble on in asinine diatribes, (“he is fast because he’s got good legs”) (He’s quick cause he’s got good speed”).
Yet even with all the above frivolous frou frou that has infected the beautiful game of football. It has become unbearable for me now is to sit through 25+ minutes of commercials for NFL and college ball for 20 minutes worth of a game.
There was once a rule “no coaching from the sidelines,” subject to a penalty. Hell, today they don’t even bother to huddle. Just robots with info plugged into their mindless little skulls.
I agree 100%!
Thank you Mr. Yarbrough.
Late correction: In going through some old notes I found an error (a brain freeze because I was aware of the correct name). The name of General Neyland was Robert Neyland and not William Neyland. Sorry.