"Better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football." -John Heisman
Obsessed, fanatical, crazed - you bet! The Midwest may love college football, but Tony Barnhart, 1999 Georgia Sportswriter of the Year, reveals that in the South, love just ain't good enough. Southern Fried Football proves that when it comes to college football in the South, the operative word is passion. The 2000 season marks the 120th year of college football in the South, and the fever hasn't lost a degree of its pitch. This book celebrates Southern college football at its finest with: * Stories of regional rivalry-when Alabama and Auburn square off on a Saturday afternoon, families divide and marriages dissolve * The grand traditions of the South's most celebrated dynasties-the Bourbon Barrel of the Kentucky-Indiana game, the Gator Growl, the cowbells of Mississippi State, and, of course, UGA, the mascot with a face only a Georgia fan could love * Profiles of the greatest players, teams, and coaches in southern college football-from the 1898 Immortals of Kentucky to the young stars of today * And, of course, the real center of the action, the avid, flag-flying fans who bring their southern passion for life to the grandstands every Saturday afternoon, but live Southern football seven days a week.
Southern Fried Football is a devoted celebration of the people, places, and moments that make college football in the South more than just a game, or a show of school spirit. South of the Mason-Dixon line, football becomes without question a passion as bold and as heated as good barbecue.
TONY BARNHART is an acclaimed sportswriter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and was recently voted 1999 Georgia Sportswriter of the Year. He has covered college football for ESPN for over six years and has been nominated for an Emmy for his screenplay "The Southern Game," a documentary on Southern college football produced by Georgia Public Television.
"There is no passion in the world quite like the passion that the people of the South have for college football. In Southern Fried Football, Tony Barnhart not only captures the history of our great game, he taps into the color and the emotion that make college football a way of life. I've always said that during football season there is no place like a Saturday in the South. Tony's book explains why."
--Vince Dooley, former head coach and athletics director at University of Georgia "I played at Tennessee, and trust me when I tell you that Southern Fried Football is not just a title, it's a way of life, and Tony Barnhart captures the passion of the game better than anyone. Appalachian State's upset win at Michigan at the beginning of the 2007 season? In our part or the world it was just another helping of Southern Fried Football! Enjoy!"
--Charles Davis, lead BCS analyst, Fox Sports
"Tony Barnhart and Southern college football go together like shrimp and grits. Southern Fried Football captures the passion and excitement of college football in the South from its earliest days through the 2007 season, which coincided with the SEC's 75th anniversary. It is a must-read for every college football fan"
--Mike Slive, Commissioner, Southeastern Conference
"People know that I have strong opinions about college football, but at the end of the day I check to find out what Tony Barnhart thinks as well. Nobody knows the sport better. I consider Tony to be the final word on Southern college football, and that's why this book is a must-read for fans everywhere."
--Tim Brando, host of College Football Today on CBS
