College Football Questions: Week One

I have a new look for the College Football Questions. And don’t worry Vandy fans, it’s approved!

It’s the first week of college football and fans are gathering together by the masses. They’ll be counting down the minutes until the first kickoff where they can yell some weird combination of words in unison with thousands of their closest friends. In honor of these muddled mantras we’ll take a look at some of the most popular chants, yells, and mottos in college football. To lay some ground rules though, I’m going to disqualify any team that just has “Go” in front of their name. We can be more original than that folks. Sorry Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Michigan, Kentucky, and pretty much any other school with zero imagination. So here we go:

via collegeflagsandbanners.com

Roll Tide – Let’s start with the best. It’s original, fun to say, and you can’t get it out of your mouth with just one “I” in tide. This one is only topped by “Rammer Jammer.”

via amazon.com

Boomer Sooner– This is a big drop off. Sure it rhymes but still sounds pretty stupid. You don’t put a word in front of your team just because it sounds the same. #Fail.

via carid.com

War Eagle-If I was an Auburn fan, I’d probably like this too. The same way if I’m a Florida State fan I make excuses about the cost of crab legs. When you’re blinded by love it’s hard to see the things everyone else knows. If you’re going to have a war eagle surely we could come up with something that looks like a bald eagle flying with a bazooka. Even with all the history stories surrounding it, this one is still pretty weird.

via carid.com

Geaux Tigers– You can’t see it or say without smelling corn dogs. It’s a combination of words that tell everyone around that this guy’s had one to many and is starting to get a little rowdy. Which is a common occurrence with most LSU fans….

via amazon.com

Anchor Down-I’ll give this one credit. It sounds pretty cool. It’s better than most. But it reminds me of the guy who spends all his time making sure his jersey and arm/head bands looks nice but pretty much sucks. At some point you have to back it up on the field.

via shopify.com

Gig ‘Em Aggies– You just feel dumb with you say it. There’s really nothing else to it.

via coxnewsweb.com

Hook ‘Em Horns-A goofy saying accompanied by an even more goofy hand thingy. I can see why more people in that state are doing more “giggin'” and less “hookin’.”

via ebay.com

 Pig Sooie-As the old adage goes, if you are a lady looking for a man in Arkansas, you’ll have to decide if you’ll want one with a job or a full set of teeth, because you won’t find both. Calling pigs doesn’t do much help.

via constantcontact.com

Sparty On-Original and fun to say. One of the best.

 

via shopify.com

Rock Chalk Jayhawk-These fans should probably just keep this cheer quiet until March Madness begins.

via plateshack.com

Bear Down-It might not have anything to do with the mascot or the name of the school, but it’s a great story. This one is a winner.

As always let’s enjoy the game and be glad we’re watching where none of the players or coaches can hear us. 

College Football is Here!

College Football finally kicks off and it couldn’t come any sooner. We’ve had a long off-season with playoff speculations, player distractions, and crab legs knocking off dolphin-free tuna as the most talked about seafood cuisine. In honor of the return of our beloved game, here’s a look back at some college football articles posted here from the past.

Verses in Manhood: For the SEC

 

CFB Questions: Conference Champs

CFB Questions: SEC Championship Infographic

CFB Questions: Week Three

 

Be sure to follow along all season with CFB Questions

Verses in Manhood: For the SEC

If Jack Bauer wrote poetry, it would be here | Verses in Manhood

Today marks the launch of the SEC Network. In honor of the new addition to the channel lineup of every college football fan here in the South, I decided this edition of Verses in Manhood would offer something a little different.

Sure there are ton of poems out there about the South. Most about the scenery or the civil war or slavery or just how hot it can get. There was even this one by Cam Newton, but you can bet I wasn’t about to pick it (Roll Tide). After reading through several different poems I found one I thought was especially fitting for the SEC and it was all because of one simple stanza it held. It needed a little work but I think it turned out nicely.

The entire poem can be read below and it has become one of my favorites.

“Land of the South” by Alexander Beaufort Meek

I

LAND of the South! – imperial land! –
How proud thy mountains rise!
How sweet thy scenes on every hand!
How fair thy covering skies!
But not for this – oh, not for these
I love thy fields to roam;
Thou hast a dearer spell to me,
Thou art my native home!

II
Thy rivers roll their liquid wealth,
Unequaled to the sea;
Thy hills and valleys bloom with health,
And green with verdure be!
But not for thy proud ocean streams,
Not for thy azure dome,
Sweet, sunny South, I cling to thee,
Thou art my native home!

III
I’ve stood beneath Italia’s clime,
Beloved of tale and song,
On Helvyn’s hills, proud and sublime,
Where nature’s wonders throng;
By Tempe’s classic sunlit streams,
Where Gods, of old, did roam, –
But ne’er have found so fair a land
As thou, my native home!

IV
And thou hast prouder glories, too,
Than nature ever gave;
Peace sheds o’er thee her genial dew,
And Freedom’s pinions wave;
Fair Science flings her pearls around,
Religion lifts her dome,
These, these endear thee to my heart,
My own, loved native home!

V
And “Heaven’s best gift to man” is thine –
God bless thy rosy girls!
Like sylvan flowers they sweetly shine,
Their hearts are pure as pearls!
And grace and goodness circle them,
Where’er their footsteps roam;
How can I then, whilst loving them,
Not love my native home?

VI
Land of the South! – imperial land! –
Then here ‘s a health to thee:
Long as thy mountain barriers stand,
May’st thou be blest and free!
May dark dissension’s banner ne’er
Wave o’er thy fertile loam!
But should it come, there’s one will die
To save his native home!

Team logos from Sportslogos.net.

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• CFB Questions
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What I Found When I Cut the Grass

Lawn care, Entropy, Robin Thicke, and Faith

I like cutting my grass. Most people do. I’m too cheap for a riding lawn mower so I push mow my yard. It usually takes an hour or two to cut the whole yard. It would probably take a little less time if I bought a bigger push mower, but as I said before, I’m pretty cheap. I live in the South where the summers are brutal so when I cut the grass I usually end up sweating so much you can see it through my jeans . . . seriously, through denim. I’m not talking something like tight skinny jeans, but a baggy pair of Wranglers that were hand-me-downs from my brother-in-law. Sometimes when I cut my backyard I’ll take my shirt off. My backyard is fenced in so I think it’s not a big deal. And I ask my wife if it’s okay so she won’t be ashamed of the redneck she’s married.

When all the work is finished you get a total sense of accomplishment. Where once sat the patchwork of the endless competition of weeds and grass chutes now has been replaced by rows of green carpet. And in admiring my job well done it makes me think why I even like my grass to be cut?

I mean obviously the yard looks nicer when it’s mowed, but why? Why do I have this desire to make nature conform to what I think it should look like. No where else in my world do I see that grass naturally grows in unison at the same length and yet here I am spending hours each month to make my little patch of earth do just that. Why?

It suddenly made me think of a quote I’ve read several times,

“A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line.” – C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity 

Then there’s this thing called entropy. It’s the measurement of the disorder in a system of energy. It’s a scientific term used in anything from communication theory to thermodynamics. They best way I’ve heard it described is that it’s the rate at which anything has a propensity to return to a nature state of disorder. Our world is in a state now that it wants to return to a state of disorder, so much so, that we actually have to calculate how quickly it wants to get there.

And yet here we are, despite living in a world where were rarely, if ever, come into contact with naturally occurring uniform conformity, we have a desire to make the things all around us neat and tidy. Sure you can argue there are other, more practical reasons to perform upkeep and maintenance but I know I get actual pleasure of seeing my grass cut that I don’t have when I get my oil changed. It’s not the same.

I believe we were created with the concept of straight lines. Even if we don’t see them popping up everywhere around us, we like to make them ourselves. Grass grows in every way it wants. Tigers and zebras have stripes instead of bars. And we still want things in straight lines, because we like them. (This may also be the reason hate Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines video and I think we can all agree that that guy is pretty much a tool.)

So after I cut my grass and am able to watch my kids play around on my lawn I found that I like the way it looks, not just because it’s crisp and clean, but the fact that I like things looking crisp and clean is an indication that I was created with the idea already in mind. That this innate idea of perfection I have is proof I was created with the intent of living in a place of perfection and even though I don’t see it around me now, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be there.

• What I Saw With a Broken Camera
• Five Things I Learned From Five Years of Marriage
• Guest Post: Five Tips For Every Mom

Five Things I’ve Learned From Five Years of Marriage

Last week was my five year anniversary. A closer look at the inside of my ring and you’ll see the date of our wedding. In looking back over the past few years I realized how quickly it moved by. Fast. Real fast.

Over that time our relationship has definitely grown. You think when the doors open in the chapel and she walks down the isle that you can never love someone more than you do at that moment. That changes.

You think when they storm off to the bathroom and you slam the door behind them that there’s never been another person in the world that can make you so mad. Thankfully, that changes too.

My wife and I don’t have a perfect marriage because it’s not something that really happens. Everyone has arguments and everyone has struggles. Throughout all the situations, good and bad, you learn things. You learn what presses buttons and what makes the two of you laugh. Throughout our marriage I’ve learned a few things I thought I’d share.

I’m a guy so these might say “her” instead of “spouse”, but you get the point.

• Stop Bragging – I’ll start off with a softball here. You don’t have to brag about what you did. Whether you cleaned the kitchen or folded clothes or cut the grass, you don’t have to announce it to your spouse as soon as they walk in. Basically because it’s nothing to brag about. You’re an adult. You’re supposed to do stuff like that. You bragging about doing something productive is like a lifeguard bragging about sitting in their chair and telling kids not to pee in the pool. It’s kind of your job. So thanks for washing the dishes, but keep it yourself and take your satisfaction from a job well done. And if you’re a guy, the last thing you want to do is get into a competition of things you’ve done around the house….
• Start Being There – So maybe this is another no-brainer but common sense is increasingly uncommon. Wherever you are, be present. If your spouse is doing something, then help. If it’s just the two of you sitting on the couch, put your phone down, and let it actually be just the two of you sitting on the couch. Pause the television when she talks. Not so you won’t miss the next play, but because you don’t want her to have to fight for your attention. Take away the distractions. Be active. Be there mentally, as well as physically.
• Start Being Friends – Your spouse is your best friend, if not, make her your best friend. Confide in them the same way you would your buddy. It doesn’t have to be anything monumental. It can be as simple as telling them about your day. Let them know what you’re thinking. Tell them the funny stuff you saw or the things that stressed you out. And more importantly, make sure your spouse is the person you talk to and no one else. If you’re confiding in anyone else more than you do your spouse, stop. Stop right now. Doesn’t matter if it’s a guy or girl. Make your spouse that person, whether they want to hear it or not. Hopefully you have something more to share than just a funny video on YouTube. That’s not what she means when she asks you to talk to her.
• Start Praying – Whether you believe in prayer or just believe in the power of words, they matter. Speaking out loud about your spouse is something that will change you. You pray for your spouse because prayer is important, but what I’ve realized is that the affect it has on me is just as significant. It causes you to acknowledge that person as a blessing in your life and brings them to the forefront of your thoughts as you go throughout your day. It can be as simple as on your way to work each day, say a quick prayer for your spouse. And if you don’t work and they do, then you have a heck of a lot more time on your hands, so make the most of it.
• Start Leading – This concept took me a while to understand, but when I finally got it, it makes perfect sense. Leading your heart is something that had never naturally occurred to me. Realizing that “loving someone” and “being in love” are two different things. Loving your spouse is a promise as much as it is an emotion. It’s not fickle and doesn’t change. Your emotions change. They ebb and flow, but your love should not. Guard your heart and don’t let it go where it doesn’t need to. Lead it to love your spouse. Don’t wait on the moment when the two of you are finally getting along to say you love her. Say it often and mean it always, even when you don’t want to. Your heart is a powerful thing, but it goes where it wants. Lead it to the place it’s supposed to go and the results will blow you away.

This can be a hard principle to understand but it is summed up well here:

Love in this second sense — love as distinct from ‘being in love’ — is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by (in Christian marriages) the grace which both partners ask, and receive, from God. They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself. They can retain this love even when each would easily, if they allowed themselves, be ‘in love’ with someone else. ‘Being in love’ first moved them to promise fidelity: this quieter love enables them to keep the promise. it is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it.” – C. S. Lewis

That’s the tips I’ve learned so far. I hope you’ve noticed that none of these tips are things your spouse needs to do better or things your need to buy.

They are all things YOU need to do.

They are all things I need to do daily. These aren’t tips I’ve mastered as much as reminders of the habits I need to keep. I love being married and I want to stay that way. Not just staying married for a long time, but I want to stay in a great marriage forever.

I think doing these things will help.

Date night with @lamills425

 

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Manly Pages: London For a Buck

A series of book recommendations specifically for guys.

A lot of guys don’t read. That’s how this series began. A great place to start is with this guy. Most men know who Jack London was, but still haven’t read his works. He lived a full life and wore many hats. He just happened to be most successful at writing. Not to mention he had a killer name. If you haven’t had a chance to read some of his classics like The Call of the Wild or White Fang, you definitely should.

But most people completely forget about London’s short stories and one of the best being To Build a Fire. It’s a great, short read. You can easily kill some time by reading it on your phone in a waiting room or standing in line at the grocery store. Pick up a copy of all of these works for less than a buck a piece on Amazon. Get it, Buck? If you read TCOTW you would. Here’s an excerpt To Build a Fire:

“The trouble with him was that he was without imagination. He was quick and alert in the things of life, but only in the things, and not in the significance.”

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How the Suit Got Started

Did you know pants are named from a saint? Did you know monks started a fashion trend? Did you know LBJ influenced the modern fashion world? Do you know what coats have to do with firearms? 

I’m pretty much an average guy. I work in a cubical. I get up everyday and pick out my shirt and tie. It can be a pain sometimes but for the most part I’ve always liked wearing them. I even used a shirt and tie as the cover of my novel. I used to sell suits for a department store when I was in college. The older gentleman who worked with me was as classy as they come and taught me a lot of the basics.

I’m not about to give out fashion advice on this blog. Mainly because I’m no authority. I wanted to take a quick look at the dress clothes and figure out how they came to be. Why does my dress jacket have buttons on the sleeve? What function does a tie serve? Why do I have to wear dress slacks while some women in the workplace feel free to wear sweat pants and a sweater with kitten on it?

Here’s some interesting history I found and a few rules of thumb sprinkled among the list.

• White dress shirt– Ninjas wear black. Brides wear white dresses. Men wear a white dress shirt. It’s the staple in any men’s closet and makes an appearance in every scene of Mad Men. Men started wearing this one long ago as it was meant to portray credibility, integrity, cleanliness, simplicity, and honesty. Some might think they are all basically the same, but they come in several different varieties. Cloth, collar, and cuff can all be changed to meet any occasion. Learn more here. A good rule of thumb is an Oxford button-down collar is more casual, but can be worn with most anything.
• Dress pants– Unless you’re Jim Harbough, chances are you have a pair of nice dress pants. The word pants comes from the Saint Panteleone. I promise I’m not making this up. Story goes that the was a Christian doctor who was executed seven times before the Romans got the job done. During his canonization, he was renamed “all lion” and became the patron saint of doctors. Centuries later you would insult someone you thought to be a fool but calling him “all lion” and dressing him in tights that ended in ruffles above the knee, dubbed Pantaloons. Years go by again and American’s shortened the word to “pants” and conquer the world. The end … not quite. Before denim became everyday attire, there were trousers. You work in trousers, but you wear pants. There are recorded conversation of  Lyndon Johnson making specific demands about his dress pants in the Nixon tapes to a now well-known tailor Joe Haggar, Jr. of Haggar pants.  A good rule of thumb is pleats and cuffs are traditional and seen as more formal. No pleats usually include no cuffs and are a little more casual and modern. Just ask Mrs. Harbaugh.
• Dress shoes– For most guys, they own the basic run of the mill Oxford dress shoe, also referred to as Balmoral. These shoes first appeared in Scotland & Ireland and got the name from the Queen’s castle in Scotland, Balmoral, and of course from Oxford University where the shoes gained popularity among students rebelling from the knee-high boots of the 1800s. The Derby, also known as the Blucher, is popular and got is name after the 18th century Prussian general Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher. He ordered a boot with side pieces lapped over the front in an effort to provide his troops with improved footwear. This design was adopted by armies across Europe. It became the Derby among the English who wore it in hunting and sporting and eventually for everyday wear. The Monk originated, as you might have guessed, from monks, Alpine monks in the 1400s. Check out the other basic men’s shoes here. A good rule of thumb is start with a black lace-up and go from there.
• Dress jacket– The term coat and jacket are now used interchangeably but in the Middle Ages the term coat was originally used when referring to a coat of mail, a chain-linked armor tunic. The term firearms actually is derived from a coat of arms. In the past families would have to register their right to “bear” their family’s coat of arms. So was the same with guns. Men argued for their right to “bear arms”. Over the centuries the term coat was divided into two categories, overcoat and undercoat, with jacket being used for the later. What we now wear as a jacket was traditionally called a lounge coat or a sack coat. The men’s blazer, usually navy or black, can be worn with most anything. It got it’s origins in 1825 from the Lady Margaret Boat Club of St. John’s College of the University of Cambridge.  I’ve always heard that buttons where sewn on jackets to keep men from wiping their noses on their sleeves. A more practical use is that working buttons allow you to roll up the sleeves without removing the jacket. Read more here. A good rule of thumb is that a jacket is like a good insurance policy and should cover your butt. 
• Tie– Men’s neckwear have long been a symbol to associate the wearer with certain groups. Red pieces of cloth were worn around the necks of the Scottish who refused to accept the Church of England as the official church of the state. It was later used in the early 1920s by coal miners on strike in West Virginia. Both were referred to as “rednecks.” The modern necktie made its way across Europe in the Thirty Years’ War by Croatian mercenaries. The look caught the eye of Louis XIV who started wearing it and set the trend for French nobility. Every guy should know how to tie a tie. The easiest to learn is the simple hand-over-hand method, but my experience is a Windsor knot works best. A good rule of thumb is your tie should just reach your waistband. 
• Pocket square– Of course the pocket square came from the practice of using handkerchiefs. The term kerchief was also used alone and originates from the French words “couvrir” and “chef”, meaning cover and head. There are several different types of folds for a pocket square including the Presidential, the Westo Four Point, the TV fold, and the Cagney. A good rule of thumb is your pocket square should be a different fabric and pattern than your tie.

There’s a few history lessons with some basic rules of thumb. For more basics check out this article on BuzzFeed or subscribe to Art of Manliness. As for the ladies and kitten sweaters I think we are on our own.

These thoughts ran through his mind as he tied the red tie in his preferred half-Windsor knot and ran his hands over his crisp white shirt.   -from Gather Sticks Along the Way: A Novel

Available on Amazon

 

 

You can also learn more here – http://www.cloggs.co.uk/page/mens-formal-shoe-guide.