Gameday guide.Other folks in other places can act like they understand, like they feel it, like they taste it. But do they really? Do they really live the college football gameday like we do here in Mississippi? I don't think so. For starters, "gameday" doesn't really start on Saturday. You open your eyes Monday morning, and mingled with whatever feelings you have about your job, your family, your life, there is that 'ahhh, we've got a game this week' tingling tin·gle v. tin·gled, tin·gling, tin·gles v.intr. 1. To have a prickling, stinging sensation, as from cold, a sharp slap, or excitement: tingled all over with joy. that puts a thin sheen of feelgood on anything else distasteful that comes along all week. "Piano dropped on his head? Man, that's gonna leave a mark. You going to the game this week?" And it just gets better from there. By the time you're set up at your gameday place, you've been transported to another world. A place where, just for today, you are part of something bigger than yourself. A place where, even if you've never met them, everyone in sight is your friend, your family, your fellow warrior with a common enemy. A place of refuge from the distractions of unfinished reports and unmade beds and unmown grass. And even though it's a relaxing time, there is always that tension, that pleasant buzz of the battle to come, that anticipation of the possibility that this day we can triumph, we can be winners. Of course, if you don't win this day, you can always think, "At least we ate some good food and spent time with some good friends." Read on for a peek inside five major Mississippi universities' gameday traditions and goings-on. If you're a gameday-er, you'll see yourself here; if not, you'll want to be one. DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY History Established in 1924 by an act of the Mississippi Legislature, Delta State Teachers College first opened its doors to students in 1925. The name was later changed to Delta State College (1955) and then Delta State University (1974). At DSU 1. (communications) DSU - Data Service Unit. 2. DSU - Disk Subsystem Unit (Artecon). 3. (humour) DSU - Dwarf Storage Unit. , it's all about the Pig Pickin' at the first home game of the season. "I won't say it's better than the barbecue at Memphis in May Memphis in May is a month long festival held in Memphis, Tennessee. The festival itself is split into four main events: The Beale Street Music Festival, the kick-off event which showcases a mix of local and national music acts, International Week , but it's just as good," says Craig Verhage, a 1992 DSU graduate and insurance agent in Cleveland. The first annual Pig Pickin' started in 1986 when Hugh Ellis Walker returned from a conference with other alumni directors across the country. He said, "The people in North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. say they have a great turnout for a giant barbecue, which they call a 'Pig Pickin.'" Walker thought it might be a good thing to try at Delta State Delta State is a state in Nigeria, named for the Niger Delta. The state borders Edo State, Ondo State , Imo State, Anambra State and Bayelsa State. In the south west and south it has approximately 122 kilometres of coastline bounded by the Bight of Benin on the Atlantic ocean. to encourage tailgating Tailgating The action of a broker or advisor purchasing or selling a security for his or her client(s) and then immediately making the same transaction in his or her own account. in Shumate Park near the football stadium. And, of course, he knew nobody would confuse the Delta event with that of the Carolina hills. The DSU barbecue drew a small but respectable crowd the first few years. But when Verhage and some other alums introduced a barbecue cooking contest, the Pig Pickin' became a must-attend occasion for many Statesmen fans. The event skyrocketed in popularity and became a gameday staple that now includes participation by the DSU cheerleaders Notable cheerleaders
Verhage and a dozen or so other volunteers set up for the event starting at noon on the Friday before the game. Cooking teams show up during the afternoon and start their fires, using anything from small grills on the backs of pickups to huge flatbed setups that could feed the whole crowd. The competitors are handed a couple of Boston butts, and the volunteers collect them before noon on Saturday. The pork is pulled, the awards are given out, and the barbecue is served to the crowd. "We have 12 to 14 cooking teams competing for the prize, some of them who actually compete professionally in cooking contests," says Verhage. "I won't say there's any trash-talking among them. Let's just call it 'friendly competitive badgering.'" This year's Pig Pickin' is set for September 23, before the DSU-Ouachita Baptist game. During the rest of the season, the party doesn't stop--it only shifts gears slightly. DSU hosts "Shumate Saturday," a three-hour tailgating experience, before every Statesmen football game. This event, also held in Shumate Park, features cooking contests, inflatable children's games, sport demonstrations, autograph tents, and much more. Delta State University BEFORE AND AFTER THE GAME: Cleveland HISTORIC CROSSTIE SHOPPING DISTRICT Quaint downtown with cafes and specialty shops; landscaped walking trail. Centered around Cotton Row, Cleveland; 800/295-7473; www.visitclevelandms.com KC'S RESTAURANT Elegant four-star dining features a mixture of global cuisine. 400 Hwy. 61 N., Cleveland; 662/843-5301; www.kcsrestaurant.com MOLLY'S BED AND BREAKFAST Home of nationally known sculptor Floyd Shaman Floyd Shaman was a prominent twentieth century American sculptor. Born in Wyoming, Shaman studied sculpture as an undergraduate at the University of Wyoming where he trained under Robert I. Russin, one of Wyoming's most well-known artists. ; the turn-of-the-century house is filled with art. 214 S. Bolivar Ave., Cleveland; 662/843-9913; www. shaman shaman (shä`mən, shā`–, shă`–), religious practitioner in various, generally small-scale societies who is believed to be able to diagnose, cure, and sometimes cause illness because of a special relationship with, or .home.dixie-net.com 2006 SCHEDULE * 9/2 WEST VIRGINIA TECH 9/9 STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 9/16 HENDERSON STATE * 9/23 OUACHITA BAPTIST 9/30 SOUTHERN ARKANSAS 10/7 ARKANSAS TECH * 10/12 VALDOSTA STATE * 10/21 NORTH ALABAMA (HC) 10/28 WEST GEORGIA 11/2 WEST ALABAMA * 11/11 ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO 11/18 NCAA REGIONALS (Note: Colored entries denote home games is indicated with *.) JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY Jackson State University, often abridged as Jackson State or by its initials JSU is a historically black university located in Jackson, Mississippi founded in 1877. For the JSU JSU Jacksonville State University JSU Jackson State University (Jackson, MS, USA) JSU Jewish Student Union Tigers, fans and friends flock from all corners of Mississippi and beyond to "party with a purpose," as alum alum (ăl`əm), any one of a series of isomorphous double salts that are hydrated sulfates of a univalent cation (e.g., potassium, sodium, ammonium, cesium, or thallium) and a trivalent cation (e.g. Pat Chaffin describes it. Chaffin is former vice-president and current member of the executive committee of the Blue Bengal Athletic Association, the official JSU booster club A booster club is an organization that is formed to contribute money to an associated club, sports team, or organization. Booster clubs are popular in American schools at the high school and university level. . Though others may gather on the outskirts of Memorial Stadium in the capital city to tailgate A conversion layer that lets IDE devices connect to the IEEE 1394 Firewire interface. before the game, the biggest tent belongs to the Blue Bengal group, headed by president Calvin Younger. "Gameday for us actually starts on Friday night, and I'm not just talking about setting up the tent," says Chaffin, a 1978 JSU graduate who now works as a research associate at the university. Blue Bengal members and their families spread out around the tent and set up tables and chairs. The food for the event might include anything from barbecue to fried fish Fried fish refers to any fish that has been prepared by frying. Often, the fish is covered in batter, or flour, or herbs and spices before being fried. Fish is fried in many parts of the world, and fried fish is an important dish in many cuisines. and is served buffet-style by the booster club's food committee. And the party isn't exclusive. "Of course, we encourage anyone to join the Blue Bengals group," Chaffin says. "You don't have to be alumni." Details on the group are available online at www.jacksonwebs.com/bbaa/. Friday and Saturday are filled with music and mingling with old friends, the occasional impromptu dance, and even a few card games. "Some folks bring their own travel homes, so the party has been known to stretch throughout the night," Chaffin says with a chuckle. The 300-member group isn't just in it for the fun, however. The Blue Bengals have operated basketball concessions and other fund-raisers and contributed more than $350,000 in profits to the university's athletic program in the last decade. For Chaffin, the whole gameday experience is one more way to stay connected with longtime friends. Her house serves as a hub for friends who come from Memphis, New Orleans New Orleans (ôr`lēənz –lənz, ôrlēnz`), city (2006 pop. 187,525), coextensive with Orleans parish, SE La., between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, 107 mi (172 km) by water from the river mouth; founded , Atlanta, Laurel, Hattiesburg, Meridian, and Grenada. They caravan to the stadium and spend the day together in the "shoe," a section of the stadium they've staked out for themselves. "It's a whole lot of food and fellowship and getting ready for the game. But it's more than just the bravado bra·va·do n. pl. bra·va·dos or bra·va·does 1. a. Defiant or swaggering behavior: strove to prevent our courage from turning into bravado. b. of 'we're gonna beat them today,' and it's more than loyalty to the school, the players, the band, the Jaycettes even. It's a special time to get together with friends and celebrate how much we mean to each other." BEFORE AND AFTER THE GAME: Jackson WALTER PAYTON Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1954 – November 1, 1999) was an American football player, who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football. RECREATION AND WELLNESS CENTER This new on-campus 100,000-square-foot facility honors the memory of "Sweetness" with state-of-the-art athletic and fitness offerings. 34 Walter Payton Place, JSU, Jackson; 601/979-1648; www.jsums.edu MONTE'S STEAK & SEAFOOD Hearty fare like crabmeat-stuffed shrimp, Cajun chicken fettuccine fet·tuc·ci·ne n. In both senses also called tagliatelle. 1. Pasta in narrow flat strips. 2. A dish made with such strips of pasta. [Italian, pl. , and hand-cut fillets, only a few minutes from the stadium. The Quarter, 1855 Lakeland Dr., Ste. N-10, Jackson; 601/362-8182: www.chefmonte.com CABOT LODGE Lavish complimentary breakfasts and evening hospitality receptions complete with fresh popcorn. 2375 N. State St., Jackson, 800/874-4737; www.cabotlodgemillsops.com 2006 SCHEDULE * 9/2 PAUL QUINN 9/16 TENNESSEE STATE * 9/23 MISS. VALLEY STATE 9/30 TEXAS SOUTHERN 10/7 ALABAMA STATE * 10/14 SOUTHERN 10/21 GRAMBLING STATE 10/28 ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF * 11/4 ALABAMA A&M * 11/11 PRAIRIE VIEW A&M (HC) * 11/18 ALCORN STATE * 12/16 SWAC CHAMPIONSHIP (Note: Colored entries denote home games is indicated with *.) MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY Mississippi State University, at Mississippi State, near Starkville; land-grant and state supported; coeducational; chartered 1878 as an agricultural and mechanical college, opened 1880. From 1932 to 1958 it was known as Mississippi State College. For Will Cooper, a gameday with the Dawgs will always stay the same--no matter how much things change. The 39-year-old Columbus attorney remembers his father backing up in the parking lot behind the open end zone at the stadium and popping the trunk. "That was it back then, in the '60s," Cooper says. "You'd pull out the cooler and set up your lawn chair and card table and put out the food--always fried chicken Fried chicken is chicken which is dipped in a breading mixture and then deep fried, pan fried or pressure fried. The breading seals in the juices but also absorbs the fat of the fryer, which is sometimes seen as unhealthy. and pimiento pimiento: see pepper. pimiento or pimento Any of various mild peppers of the genus Capsicum that have distinctive flavour but lack pungency, including the European paprikas. cheese sandwiches and brownies. You could walk up to the fence and talk to the players while they were warming up." Now a member of the Bulldog bulldog, breed of thick-set nonsporting dog developed in the British Isles many centuries ago. It stands from 13 to 15 in. (33–38.1 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 40 to 50 lb (18.1–22.7 kg). Club, Cooper has reserved parking across the street from the stadium. Sometimes, members of his party will bring a grill to cook something special. At Thanksgiving games, they have even served fried turkeys and traditional holiday trimmings. "But no matter what, I always make sure we have some fried chicken too, even if I have stop at the drive-through on the way to the game." Cooper, who attended law school at Ole Miss, can compare the schools' gameday traditions. "I'll tell you one thing, you won't see any guys in white gloves serving drinks at the State games." He does admit to occasionally setting up a TV at his tailgating spot. "But we just run it off the car battery." Cooper says he doesn't understand how someone can really enjoy the game experience if they don't make a day of it. "I feel like I've really missed something if I don't come early and stay late," he says. Of course, he admits that staying late is a bit harder if your team isn't winning--a feeling all the schools' fans have had at one time or another. "But every year, I start off thinking, 'We're going 12-0.'" The gameday experience of being outside the stadium with family and friends before the game is so strong for Cooper that he does it even when he is invited to share in fancier football accommodations. "I have a cousin who has a skybox sky·box n. An elevated, usually enclosed private compartment for viewing events at a sports stadium. Noun 1. skybox - an elevated box for viewing events at a sports stadium at the stadium. We go up there sometimes, and of course, we wouldn't have to worry about food or anything up there. But I always make sure I have at least a mini-tailgate setup back at the car. And I go down for a few minutes at least." Hey, it's a tradition. BEFORE AND AFTER THE GAME: STARKVILLE CHAPEL OF MEMORIES/ CARILLON carillon, in music: see bell. carillon Musical instrument consisting of at least 23 cast bronze bells tuned in chromatic order. Usually located in a tower, it is played from a keyboard. Most carillons encompass three to four octaves. TOWER Constructed with bricks from the Old Main, the nation's largest dorm when it burned in 1959. The bells play at noon and 5 p.m. daily. MSU MSU Michigan State University MSU Mississippi State University MSU Montana State University MSU Minnesota State University MSU Morehead State University (Kentycky) MSU Montclair State University Campus; www.msstate.edu THE LITTLE DOOEY Family-recipe barbecue sauces and slow-cooked dishes have been featured on TV's Food Network and in The Wall Street Journal. 100 Fellowship St., Starkville; 662/323-6094; www. thelittledooey.com HOTEL CHESTER Historic building in the Old Main District; reopened in August 2003 after extensive renovations. 101 N. Jackson St., Starkville; 866/325-5005; www. suitedreams.cc 2006 SCHEDULE * 8/31 SOUTH CAROLINA * 9/9 AUBURN * 9/16 TULANE 9/23 UAB 9/30 LSU * 10/7 WEST VIRGINIA * 10/14 JACKSONVILLE STATE (HC) 10/21 GEORGIA * 10/28 KENTUCKY 11/4 ALABAMA * 11/18 ARKANSAS 11/25 OLE MISS 12/2 SEC CHAMPIONSHIP (Note: Colored entries denote home games is indicated with *.) UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1848, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford and three branch campuses located in Booneville, Tupelo, and Southaven. Two words: the Grove. Actually, there is some serious tailgating that occurs throughout the Ole Miss campus and beyond on gamedays. But it's the Grove that is the centerpiece of what the Rebel faithful consider the quintessential gameday experience. This wooded area in the center of campus plays host to some of the most extravagant picnics in the South. Dozens of tents, maybe hundreds, cover nearly every square inch of the Grove (though they don't allow you to actually drive your vehicle up on to the grass and flop open the tailgate anymore). Yes, it's true that some of the tents are catered and are set up the day before, complete with cloth napkins, fine china, and silverware. And yes, some have even been known to set up their own generators to power refrigerators and electric fans and mobile satellite dishes to receive televised games on their big-screen TV's. But not everybody does that. "We haven't personally set up chandeliers, sofas, or disco balls at our tent," says Emily Black Oxford of Tupelo. "But we have been 'groving' for a while." Only a half-dozen years after being an Ole Miss cheerleader, Oxford says some of her earliest memories were of "sitting under a poncho in the rain on my daddy's knee at a football game." For the 26 years of her life, the Grove has been part of that gameday experience for her. "I remember my dad and one of his pals going over to Oxford the night before the game and setting up the tent to stake out our spot in front of the law school." That spot is still where they tailgate today, even though now it's two tents and several tables with big UM tablecloths covered with "tons of food--from chicken to barbecue or whatever theme someone has come up with." Not that anyone stays at their own tent. After a couple of decades, it's become a community-for-a-day, and you can easily stroll to visit others, even if you only see them every fall in the same spot they've also managed to stake out the night before. "I think there's a much deeper connection among those who actually come and spend the day on campus," says Oxford. "To me, it's like a homecoming every game because you are guaranteed to see someone you've not seen for a while. It's special, and you have to be there to experience it." ROWAN OAK William Faulkner's antebellum Greek Revival Greek revival: see classic revival. Greek Revival Architectural style based on 5th-century-BC Greek temples that spread throughout Europe and the U.S. in the early 19th century. home, now owned by Ole Miss, stands on four acres of cedars and hardwood. Open Tuesday-Sunday. Old Taylor Road, Oxford; 662/234-3284 AJAX DINER Meatloaf, catfish, cobbler, and other downhome cooking in a prime courthouse square Courthouse Square is a backlot located at Universal Studios. The set is composed of several facades that form an archetypal American town square with a courthouse as its centerpiece. location. 118 Courthouse Square, Oxford; 662-232-8880 BLUE CREEK CABIN BED & BREAKFAST Set on a 50-acre hilly countryside location, this 1800s log cabin log cabin or log house, style of home typical of the American pioneer on the Western frontier of the United States in the great westward expansion after 1765. It was constructed with few tools, usually an axe or an adz and an auger. features hand-carved furniture and antiques. 535 Hwy. 30 E., Oxford; 662/238-2897; www.bluecreekcabin.tom 2006 SCHEDULE * 9/3 MEMPHIS 9/9 MISSOURI 9/16 KENTUCKY * 9/23 WAKE FOREST * 9/30 GEORGIA * 10/7 VANDERBILT (HC) 10/14 ALABAMA 10/21 ARKANSAS * 10/28 AUBURN * 11/4 NORTHWESTERN STATE 11/18 LSU * 11/25 MISSISSIPPI STATE 12/2 SEC CHAMPIONSHIP (Note: Colored entries denote home games is indicated with *.) UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI At Southern, you don't want to be sipping your iced tea when the cannon goes off. "It's pretty startling star·tle v. star·tled, star·tling, star·tles v.tr. 1. To cause to make a quick involuntary movement or start. 2. To alarm, frighten, or surprise suddenly. See Synonyms at frighten. if you're not paying attention Noun 1. paying attention - paying particular notice (as to children or helpless people); "his attentiveness to her wishes"; "he spends without heed to the consequences" attentiveness, heed, regard ," says Lamar Reynolds, a 1966 USM USM abbr. 1. United States Mail 2. United States Mint USM n abbr (= United States Mint) → US-Münzanstalt (= United States Mail) → US-Postbehörde graduate who holds the record of attending 230 straight Golden Eagle football games. "But the loudest continuous noise is from the band marching through." Two hours before kickoff, a blast from a cannon signals the start of the Eagle Walk, during which the football team, cheerleaders, band, and Dixie Darlings dance team march from "the District" to "the Rock," also known as M.M. Roberts Stadium Roberts Stadium is the name of several stadiums in the United States.
"It's fun to see the players and coaches trying to keep that serious game face on, but you can usually get a couple of the players to speak to you as they pass by," says Reynolds. The District, actually the area on campus where students and alumni have gathered since the founding of the school, may be the most meaningful place for some fans to gather for home games. It's the most tangible reminder of the USM heritage. The largest area for tailgating, however, has to be Loyalty Field, located between the Rock and Highway 49. It is transformed from the university's intramural intramural /in·tra·mu·ral/ (-mu´r'l) within the wall of an organ. in·tra·mu·ral adj. Occurring or situated within the walls of a cavity or organ. football field into the main parking area for the Eagle Club. It becomes a sea of gold and black flags 1. An organization composed originally of Chinese rebels that had been driven into Tonkin by the suppression of the Taiping rebellion, but later increased by bands of pirates and adventurers. It took a prominent part in fighting the French during their hostilities with Anam, 1873-85. , motor homes, tents, and barbecue grills on gamedays. "It's inspiring to see everyone there, from old friends you haven't spoken to in years to the students with their enthusiasm and boundless energy," says Reynolds. Of course, at USM, like other schools, you don't have to have reserved parking to tailgate. Practically every nook and cranny Noun 1. nook and cranny - something remote; "he explored every nook and cranny of science" nooks and crannies detail, item, point - an isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole; "several of the details are similar"; "a point of information" throughout the campus is filled with people enjoying the gameday experience in their own way. "In other Southern states Southern States U.S. Confederacy government of 11 Southern states that left the Union in 1860. [Am. Hist.: EB, III: 73] Dixie popular name for Southern states in U.S. and for song. [Am. Hist. , you might get lost in the crowd, but not here. You'll always see someone you know," says Reynolds. "To me, that's almost as important as the game itself, being with the people you've shared this experience with, visiting with them and seeing how they've changed and how they are still the same, telling war stories and reliving re·live v. re·lived, re·liv·ing, re·lives v.tr. To undergo or experience again, especially in the imagination. v.intr. To live again. Noun 1. old times. You have to be there to really know what it's like. There's nothing like it." BEFORE AND AFTER THE GAME: Hattiesburg SAENGER THEATER Elegant 1,000-seat venue designed by New Orleans architect Emil Well in 1929. The original pipe organ is still in place. 201 Forrest St., Hattiesburg; 601/584-4888; www.hattiesburgsaenger.com PURPLE PARROT CAFE/ CRESCENT CITY Crescent City is the name of the following places:
One-stop shop One-Stop Shop A company or a location that offers a multitude of services to a client or a customer. The idea is to provide convenient and efficient service and also to create the opportunity for the company to sell more products to clients and customers. features the upscale Purple Parrot, New Orleans-themed Crescent City, and casual Mahogany Bar with an outdoor courtyard. 3810 Hardy St., Hattiesburg; 601/264-0656 THE DUNN HOUSE One of the city's oldest homes, featuring four guest rooms and fine cuisine. 102 Short Bay St., Hattiesburg; 601/582-5533; hattiesburgbedandbreakfast.com 2006 SCHEDULE 9/2 FLORIDA * 9/9 SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA * 9/16 NORTH CAROLINA STATE 9/26 CENTRAL FLORIDA 10/3 TULSA * 10/14 HOUSTON (HC) 10/21 VIRGINIA TECH * 10/28 EAST CAROLINA 11/5 MEMPHIS 11/11 TULANE * 11/18 UAB * 11/25 MARSHALL 12/2 C-USA CHAMPIONSHIP (Note: Colored entries denote home games is indicated with *.) |
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