Explore the cultural phenomenon that is college football in the South. This completely new edition provides a close-up look at the great players, great rivalries, great coaches, and great traditions that make college football in the South more than just a game. It is a way of life that lasts 365 days a year.

College football is a massive enterprise in the United States, and southern teams dominate poll rankings and sports headlines while generating billions in revenue for public schools and private companies. Southern football fans worship their teams, often rearranging their personal lives in order to accommodate season schedules. The Origins of Southern College Football sheds new light on the South’s obsession with football and explores the sport’s beginnings below the Mason-Dixon Line in the decades after the Civil War. Military defeat followed by a long period of cultural unrest compelled many southerners to look to northern ideas and customs for guidance in rebuilding their beleaguered society. Ivy League universities, considered bastions of enlightenment and symbols of the modernizing spirit of the age, provided a particular source of inspiration for southerners in the form of organized or “scientific” football that featured standardized rules and scoring. Transported to the South by men educated at northern universities, scientific football reinforced cultural values that had existed in the region for centuries, among them a tolerance for violence, respect for martial displays, and support for traditional gender roles. The game also held the promise of a “New South” that its supporters hoped would transform the region into an industrial powerhouse. Students and townspeople alike embraced the new sport, which served as a source of pride for a region that lagged woefully behind its northern counterpart in terms of social equity and economic prowess. The Origins of Southern College Football is an entertaining history of the South’s most popular sport cast against a broader narrative of the United States during the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, two momentous periods of change that gave rise to the game we recognize today.

The ACC plays a dynamic, high-scoring, hard-hitting style of football. This book captures that raw excitement and energy as it presents the conference's history, players, game highlights, rivalries, and statistics. In the rich tradition of sports journalism, this book is written with a reverence for the history, an enthusiasm for statistics, and a “you are there” style of reporting. The book's look and feel is as kinetic and active as the action it describes, and professional-quality photographs and archival images capture the dynamism of the game.

A fascinating history of the Southeastern Conference and its rise from a regional league to the most dominant conference in college football. The story of the Southeastern Conference has humble origins. Born in a Knoxville hotel in 1932 after splitting away from another league, the SEC was built by southern gridiron pioneers who believed football could bring prominence and prestige back to the region. Early dynasties at Alabama and Tennessee, along with legendary coaches such as General Robert Neyland, Bear Bryant, and Shug Jordan, pushed the conference forward as the SEC and its member schools embarked on an 80-year journey to the top of college football. In SEC Football: How a Regional League Became a National Obsession, Colby Newton traces the roots of the Southeastern Conference back to the very beginning and underscores the important achievements along the way that led to the unprecedented success the league now enjoys. Featuring Heisman winners like Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson, iconic coaches like Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban, and significant moments such as the integration of SEC rosters, a momentous lawsuit against the NCAA, conference expansion, and the SEC’s historic contract with CBS, this book covers it all. The official slogan for the SEC is “It just means more.” And they are right. SEC football means more passion, more money, and more titles. From backroom deals to a captivated audience on national TV and everything in between, SEC Football is the ultimate story of how the SEC morphed from a regional league with a territorial yet fervent following into a nationwide brand that dominates the sport.

Dylan Jacobs, Debbie and John John Rachel, Stuart Dauzart, and Phoebe Werner-Sury have been friends for a long time. The five of them share a special bond, and despite the ups and downs of life, they've stayed in touch. Now--on the eve of their thirty-second high school class reunion--the middle-aged friends relive their youth for one long weekend. For three fun-filled days, they leave behind worries about unplanned pregnancies, divorce, bankruptcy, substance abuse, bizarre baptisms, unfair kiddy glamour pageants, poorly fried catfish, and one freak accident caused by a fake pig. They recall the joy of the past, come to grips with the present, and celebrate the future. Set in central Louisiana, this humorous story reminds us that we should always take the time to stop and smell the bacon. "It's midlife crisis fried over easy and seasoned to hilarious perfection. This hysterical story proves that when life throws you a side of nasty pork--make jerky!" --Phaedra Parks, attorney, TV Personality, and author of Secrets of the Southern Belle "Southern Fried Life is a gumbo full of tragedies, love, laughter, bad behavior, honest mistakes, and friendships that will last forever." --Norman Korpi, artist, filmmaker, star of MTV's The Real World, and inventor of the Aero-Tray

Covers the greatest players in college and pro football, including the inspirational stories of Pat Tillman and Tedy Bruschi.

D. G. Martin is back with a fully updated edition of his beloved guide, North Carolina's Roadside Eateries, ready to help Tar Heels and visitors alike find the places locals love to eat. D.G. is your personal tour guide, and he takes you to more than 120 notable roadway haunts, including over 30 new restaurants, that aren't just great places to eat but fixtures of their communities as well. What's included: *Features locally owned and community favorites *Covers a range of food tastes from BBQ and traditional southern fare to Mexican food and Laotian cuisine *Introduces the restaurant owners and locals who make these places unique *Includes current contact information, hours, and directions *Recommends nearby points of interest to explore after eating A trusted companion to thousands of North Carolinians, this book not only offers new and exciting ways to get a good meal but will also help folks learn about and appreciate the rich local history of the Tar Heel State.

Tired of the same old tourist traps? Whether you're a visitor or a local looking for something different, let Louisiana Off the Beaten Path show you the Pelican State you never knew existed.