****Warning I am an engineer and could care less about grammar so don't expect any here****
In the past couple years I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of people from all over this great country thanks to some Air Force sponsored trips. Generally the first think they point out is my ridiculous country accent, which is understandable I mean its pretty thick. Often they badger me with questions about the south much in the same way I would interrogate a person from a different country about their homeland.
On my last trip I was asked how everyone in the SEC is so proud that everyone in there conference is good, or why we would be happy when it's not our team winning the championship. It seems like a pretty reasonable question from their point of view, but that's the problem... they aren't from the south. We (southerners) have this since of belonging to this region of southern states. We defend it, represent it, and pray for it. So when Alabama, Auburn, or LSU wins a national championship the south also wins a national championship.
You still may be asking yourself... " who cares what regions wins if it's not your team?" and the answer is ... SOUTHERNERS. How could we not be pumped about the south winning. We are never suppose to win AT ANYTHING. We are last in everyone's mind, we have nothing to offer , we are the last choice. Its like the SEC is one football team in which we are not all the heisman candidate but we all want the team to win.
When I open my mouth the first thing most people do is put me in a box, that little box kicked over in the corner labeled for the yard sale. The stuff that can't be good.. can it? Surely I drive a Z71 on 40" swampers with skoal spit flyin in the wind right? Surely I'll live in poverty my entire life right? Surely your smarter than me right? And the answer is a roaring NO. Thats the chip on the shoulders that us from the south live with. And so when we get any shot to beat those who put us in that box we take gladly and relish a win.
Hopefully that clears it up. Its much deeper than football... a southern state beating a non southern state in any sport, statistic , or competition will be celebrated by us all.
