How Seasoned is the Serious Season?

Now is the time when all good cooks should come to the aid of their college teams with Tailgating recipes that will make ya holler and shout for the ol alma mater as the Serious Season begins! You know—the one where the pecking order of college game stats and conference rankings collide like collard greens and pizza! Go ahead, pass the vinegar-pepper please.

The Serious Season is when tempers flare, pots boil over and steam simmers just below the surface. It’s the season when most college teams have run out of steam. But the programs who rise to the occasion are the ones who are the crème de la crème, and they, my friends, will find themselves in a bowl game, seasoned with pepper or not!     

Throughout the land of college football, serious fans salivate for that little, teeny weenie thing called, bowl games. Just the mere mention of the words set about tantalizing the taste buds of coaches, players and alums. So much so, it’s almost like dangling a chunk of chocolate in front of poor ole Santa Claus just before he hops in his sleigh on Christmas Eve. Knowing that even half of an ounce added to his weight and he’s grounded for the year! What would the kiddies do if he can’t take off?

 The college BCS system is much like Santa. The mystique of it all can confuse even the most avid football fan. Questions like, which conferences are really best at gaining bowl bids? Who’s in the top ten and will those stats matter when it comes to the bowl invites? Why do certain programs get bowl bids year after year, while others stay put? Who has the perfect season up to this point? Which two teams in the end will suit up, battle for the coveted title and capture the 2012 National Championship? Which team might put the Tabasco in the gumbo?

2012 has been an interesting year for college football. There have been ups n downs and close calls that kept fans, boosters and coaches on the edge of a BBQ pit! It’s been no picnic in the park for several programs scratching & clawing to defend last years title. In many instances, fans were rummaging through their kitchen drawers looking for knives and forks to stab the nearest pigskin, maybe even oil and matches ready to fire some head coaches on the spot. All the while, the scald on the fried chicken is cooling off at the tailgating party!  

So what’s a spectator to do to spice up the fizzled fan base and put a pinch of sizzle in the bleachers!? The one tried and true recipe for wins: 1. Act like you are winning, 2. Never let ‘em see ya sweat and 3. Serve up some almost famous food for tailgatin’. It’s a winner every time!

Here's our family’s favorite tailgating recipe.

Sausage Balls

Pop a few in your mouth before kick-off and you’ll be cheering your team on to victory all the way thru the 4^th quarter!

1 Tube of Hot Sausage

3 C. Bisquick Mix

2 C. Grated Sharp Cheese (Kraft works best & grate it the old fashion way, bagged cheese won’t melt or fuse as well to the sausage, trust me on this one!)

Throw all ingredients in a large bowl & let them get to room temperature before you start mixing by hand. Yep, by hand, spoonin’ or forkin’ will not get the job done! Form into 1 inch balls, place on cookie sheet and bake on 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until done and sizzley.

Note: if they are not hot enough for your taste buds, sprinkle a dash or two of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning in the mix. Refrigerate, freeze or simply serve right out of the oven. They move well to the field and play without having to warm-up, unless that is, you did freeze them!

Keep your spirits high during this Season of Serious games, even if your team is losing like crazy and you are one of those rummaging through your kitchen! Remember, the pressure is as hot as it gets, and there is always next year—don’t jump off into the deep pit just yet. Enjoy the sport and savor every minute. College games are always fun no matter what. And, don’t forget the Sausage Balls or the smiles!

 

Two Minute Warning

In close college games, especially those for conference championships—have y’all ever witnessed coaching crews on the sidelines wringing their hands and barking out orders in total turmoil and chaotic confusion? Then, after the two-minute warning goes off, look out! All heck breaks loose?!

Well sure, of course, we all have. I’ve seen my fair share of coaches, even head coaches in tight games, who’ve acted more like a bunch of boys screamin’ and arguin’ over whose turn it is to ride the 4-wheeler! By contrast on other occasions, have you noticed how the winning coaches behave given those same tough situations? Rarely do they demonstrate demeanor with quacked-out emotions for all to see. Winning coaches usually remain calm as a cucumber even if their innards are churning so profusely they could produce butter!

Let’s say they hold it together, while sticking to their game plan making no excuses. They are well-disciplined and resolute in executing what they believe will win the game, not afraid to make adjustments as needed. Those coaches have a long fuse, they bond together without finger pointing, and they are steadfast in their goals.

Winning coaches have a knack of bringing players together as a team without the meow-meow alley cat fights. In other words, the leadership qualities at the helm and the behavior of the coaching staff transfer onto the teammates. The character of the head coach will either unite or divide not only coaching staffs, but his players as well.

I am reminded today that our country is much like a team. The two-minute warning is up and we are scrambling like a bunch of coaches who are losing their conference title. Finger pointing is at an all-time high, we’re in peril and not very well disciplined. Our head coach runs on a record of division, and therefore split his players in half, alienating the fans and boosters.

We took a quarterback who never played high school or college football, yet he was drafted to the pros without so much as a single stat questioned. He wasn’t vetted by the sportscasters because they were in awe of him. So, he slid onto the scout’s radar because he was so dog-gone likeable, but never played a down in the pros either, and now is appointed the head coach of America’s team.

He keeps running the same game plan, refusing to make adjustments and blames his previous predecessor—a coach from an Ivy League school who left his position as the most unpopular coach in decades, because he wasn’t afraid to make the hard decisions. Being the perfect scapegoat, naturally the current coaches’ losses are entirely the other guy’s fault. But, he is more popular than ever, and believes that’s good enough to keep his job as head coach. He refuses time and time again to listen to other ideas or opinions and never surveys the game plan laid out in the Constitution of the United States. He doesn’t have time to seek or meet those who are his greatest allies and refuses to take his briefings in person from his coaching staff, choosing instead to receive them electronically.

A time management guru, his golf game is extraordinary, thus saving his schedule for the more important matters of foreign affairs such as talk-show appearances. He can’t spare one ounce of his time trying to protect any ambassadors on any foreign soil and has, instead, run the ol’ quarterback sneak for the last several weeks. He’s gifted at outsourcing and believes strongly in delegating responsibilities, appointing Coaches Reid and Pelosi to run deceptive drills, ram through the defensive line, never knowing for sure what was in the drop back pass play until the healthcare touchdown went through the uprights!

Of course, he did this play action to protect all members on America’s teams. This action resulted in a hammering of players and divided America’s team even more.

The Two-Minute Warning is up!

 

The Intangible

In my previous post, I pointed out how the word intangible defies logic in football and how the same intangible spirit can spill into life’s adventures. That undeniably, deeply rooted, pure as the driven snow, emotionally packed triumphal spirit that cannot be demanded, duplicated, pleaded with or produced. Well, this article is a perfect example of just that. So let’s talk about that intangible thang!  I’m very interested to hear your own perspective on it too. So please, by all means if you are led, leave a note.

With all the negative smack-talk vying for our attention these days, blaring voices like—back-biting, demonizing-nastiness, fictional-division, left, right, who can get on top by malicious fabricated gossip—it’s no wonder that we all appear a jaded bunch. Why, that vacant of substance, careless-chitty-chatter sounds more like a heap of yelppin Chihuahas! So, imagine my delighted surprise when a sweet friend posted this article on my Facebook page. How refreshing! Reading about a varsity high school football player who thinks more of another teammate’s emotional feelings, than he did of his own? Running Back Michael Ferns illustrated an unselfish act of courage and conviction. And this kid is a star player.

I am reminded of the scripture; Isaiah 11:6  “…And a little child shall lead them.”

I again sobbed reading this story. What an amazing team and what an amazing coach! Folks, this is the purity of the game at its best. Granted, the teammates were encouraged to grant such a generosity, but that my football friends, goes to the character of Coach Brett McLean. We should all be so lucky to have our children under the tutelage of a leader like him. This team no doubt possesses the intangible.

When I think of the intangible, I ponder the true meaning of the word. For instance; God, Jesus and The Holy Spirit are purdy-much intangible! You cannot see them, touch them or hear an audible voice, though I’m sure some of you, like myself, believed you had at one time or another. However, it really doesn’t get any more intangible than these three. Yet, our beliefs in them are at the very core of our souls. Indeed, how we live our lives depends a lot on how we view our intangible faith. Many of us are driven by the teachings in God’s word and do our best to live our lives according to those Christian principles.

Take for instance, NFL player Pat Tillman. Anybody remember him? He embodies the mere mention of the word intangible! He left a stellar NFL career, his wife, family and friends whom he was very close to, and joined our military after the 9-11 terrorist attack on American soil. Sadly, he died in Afghanistan April 22, 2004 giving the ultimate sacrifice for his country. Yet, no doubt he knew the dangers and still felt the irresistible need to leave a place of privilege to go and serve our country. Again, defies logic.

Many of you may have stories just waiting to be shared that include some intangible circumstances in your life. That unexplainable spirit of courage, generosity, conviction and selflessness—otherwise known as the intangible! The intangible lives within all of us. My prayer is that we would step-up and show a little more it, in the form of kindness to others each day.

Maybe we aren’t all Running Backs like Michael, but we all have a route to run in life. Run it with courage and conviction. And, just every so often, put the other guy first.

The Boys of Fall

I bawled like a blubbering baby when I first heard this song. What a gripping piece of music for all in the football nation. A dear friend of mine said she cried too, and doesn’t “know a hike from a hut!” I think you’d nearly have to be heart-dead without a pulse not to have some emotion shuffling through your core as the lyrics tantalize tidbits of nostalgia. Country crooners can always wet the eyes of the steeliest of hearts; however, Kenny Chesney took it to a whole new level. He encapsulated the purity of the spirit in football with his song, but he seared the soul with its flavor.

I dedicate this post to my fellow classmates of Buckhead Academy, who went 10-0 the first year our school ever had a football team (Go class of ’72!) and to my grandson, who at age 7 is entering his first pee-wee football season. Go Bryson II!!! May the tradition thrive!

Football is steeped in tradition, with passionate players, frenzied fans, and crazy coaches willing to do almost anything, go anywhere, and lay it all out for their teams. The madness surrounding the sport is hard to express in one simple statement. Football is such a menagerie of emotions and lessons learned. These emotions along with their lessons, however, can symbolize how you view life or react to it.

I’ve always believed that the past affects the present. What you do or don’t do, who you hang with or how you seize opportunities, even those of the smallest kind, will affect you in ways that you might have never imagined. High school football can be one of those vehicles that contribute to and characterize who you are at the core. Winning or losing seasons can very well personify a way of life for your furture. It has been said that some of the greater lessons are those when losing. Of course, winning is a lot more fun!

Our Buckhead Bucks literally had nothing. Not even a football field to call their own. My dad and a small crew of two or three, led by Mr. Ed Alsobrooks, mounted lights on poles on a torn-up, rundown field in town, just hours before we kicked off our first game. My mother finished stitching the last sleeve of my cheerleading uniform in the wee hours that Friday morning, so I could proudly wear it to school. We didn’t have a formal pep rally to send our boys off raht-proper-like for that first game, but honey, you’d've never known it. We were so late in assembling a football team that we didn’t get registered in time with the state under the “independent schools” sports section.  That meant we would not be allowed to compete on the state level for a championship play-off. But who in the world, in that fall of 1971, gave us a gnat’s chance of winning any game?

Understand, we had nothing. But in reality, we had more than nothing! What we did have was the intangible! That undeniable, deep-rooted, pure as the driven snow, emotionally packed, triumphal spirit that cannot be taught, cannot be duplicated, and cannot be produced, no matter how hard any coach anywhere could muster the effort!

Call it lightning in a bottle, magic or fairy tales, it’s the one thing all schools everywhere should experience at least once in their lives. Indeed, football history is loaded with plenty of heroes and teams that beat the odds. But our little school in South Georgia, located down a dusty dirt road, outside of town, smack-dab in the middle of nowhere, nonetheless went down in state history books! Not because of talent, not because of great coaching, and sadly, not because of the cheerleaders, but because of the intangible spirit within the hearts of every member of our student body!

Our itty-bitty school broke a long-standing record, going 10-0 in its inaugural football season. That made us the first football program in Georgia high school history to go undefeated the first year of playing the game! We came home the champions time and time again that special year and the record still stands.

It was a privilege to be part of it all, and I may be the only senior past or present who didn’t want to graduate—but oh honey, what a year! What an awesome tradition. And the legacy is passed on. It spilt over to my sons’ lives as well. Now, my grandson. That little team brought me through some amazing obstacles in life. That never quit, never die attitude strengthened my soul at times when I needed that extra push when all I wanted to do was give up.

Auspicious experiences in life have a way of leaving lasting impressions on one’s psyche, impressions which can supply steadfast tenaciousness as those lessons are passed on to future generations. It’s hard to fight back those butterflies, every time I think of a cheer, a score or the crowd roaring to their feet on that ole field. All I want to do is celebrate with the Buckhead Bucks once more! So, what do I do? I write about football from a mama’s heart who has passed on that winning legacy.

And, to all those football teams of today—dang-straight! Folks do indeed live vicariously through you. I am one of them!

Green Wave Player Injured: Finding God's Grace in the Depths of Disaster

Only when you’ve had a son of your own go down in the middle of a game can you really comprehend the sudden impact of near hysteria in a mama’s heart. Watching your child lay lifeless on the field can spiral a mother’s mind into orbit with thoughts no one but God could understand. The shock she endures is overwhelming. It is so scary and uncertain.

The effects of injured Tulane player Devon Walker echo far beyond any stadium bleachers. That I am certain of. I know, I understand, because I’ve been in those shoes. It is not something I wish on any football mama anywhere, no matter how huge the rivalry. We are all one when something like this happens.

But how to make sense of it all? How to find God when He seems so far away? How to get a grip on the situation? How to calm yourself and cope, when all you really want to do is chop somebody, anybody’s head off? And, where is God’s grace anyway, dang-nab-it?

Then again, you have to ask yourself this question: Where in His word did He ever say we would not have to suffer? Or go through trials and tragedy? No one is immune from life’s heartaches. That I am also certain of. He did, however, say He’d see us through trouble with grace so amazing it will make even the biggest skeptic scrutinize.

Allow yourself to reflect for a minute—doesn’t God shine His best when we go through trials and tribulation? He’s been shining His best all the way down throughout history. Remember the release of the Israelites from Egypt? Just one example of how God used His guy, Moses, to free the Lord’s people. But God didn’t stop there. Oh no, He parted the Red Sea to see those people to safety! Talk about shining through just in the nick of time! In John 6: 1-14, Jesus once again shines through a set of challenging circumstances, feeding the 5,000 people with a little boy’s two small fish and five loaves of bread, not to mention all those He healed that day.

These are just a few examples from the Bible. I know many of you have personal testimonies of how God shined His grace through tuff times in your lives again and again. He is always faithful, always provides and always shines through! He is amazing.

Sometimes, maybe even most times, we’ll never know the greater purpose God has in store for allowing us to go through such tragedy, but we’ve got to trust that He knows what He’s doing. I can tell you raht now, that’s a tuff cookie to swallow and it is very difficult to understand His grace, especially when your kid is in peril. At this very minute, this family needs our prayers.

I’m asking the Lord to shine His grace upon this family and those who are attending to Devon, including the docs. I pray for His healing power to cover this child. I also ask, in the mighty name of Jesus, for comfort for his mama, to give her and his family God’s peace that surpasses all understanding. I ask You, too, Lord to provide all logistics in getting his family to and from Tulsa or wherever they need to go.

As far as Tulane University, it really doesn’t get any better academically. My oldest son, Bryson Westbrook, holds a business degree from Tulane and played all four years, including the 1998 12-0 season. He knows from experience how hard it is to keep up the GPA and play football for the Green Wave at the same time. This young man is studying to be a pharmacist. Quite impressive majoring in pharmacy and playing the sport. If you believe that wasn’t God’s grace, think again.

Yes, finding God’s grace is possible even in the depths of disaster. It is never easy but at the end of the day, it is worth every tear, worth every heartache, worth every ounce of sweat seeking Him with a desperate heart full of despair. Watch and see how He works it all out. He will shine His grace just in the nick of time! Let's pull together football family and keep this child, Devon Walker in our prayers.     

There's a Big "I" in Quit!

To Quit, or not to Quit, that is the question.

Let’s be honest, haven’t we all wanted to quit at something one time or another in our lives? Maybe when the going got so bad you wanted to pull your hair out? What then, I ask, was it that made you continue? Might it have been envisioning the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow or something else that gripped your heart? Maybe even something stronger than you ever thought possible buried just below the surface?

The big “I” in quit has everything to do with you! You control the “I” in the quit factor. And, at the end of the day it’s all up to you.

Perhaps you’ve either quit on a job, a friend, a colleague, a dream, something in your past, something in the present, or maybe you’ve never quit on anything in your life. Most of us have quit on something a time or two in life, whether it was for our benefit or not. Maybe it was for a good reason, or maybe you found an excuse to quit. Heck, I think we can all find excuses going for the bargain price of a dime a dozen!

Let’s take football teams for example. (You knew I was getting to it!) Why is it that some teams seem to thrive on 4th down and 2. Seconds left on the clock. No huddle. Run the ball in for a TD to capture the winning score—all with no fumbles or confusion and certainly no quitting from any player. While other teams appear to fumble like crazy and fall apart under such pressure?

I’m here to declare that, yes great coaching, preparing and game planning has a lot to do with it. But honestly, even more importantly—it’s in the DNA mind-set within the players, y'all! That sounds so simple but it is so true. I hate to squash your image of how genius-like and dang-nab artfully your head coach executes his game plan, but it has got more to do with what happens between the ears of his players than it does brawn or coaching or even the cheering home field advantage.

Proverbs 23: 7 “As a man “thinks” in his heart, so is he…”

So, with that in mind, how do you view yourself within your own heart?  Are you a quitter, or do you keep on going when things look out of reach? The big “I” in quit can be most challenging and pesky and here’s why: it’s your reflection you see in the mirror. No one else’s. We’ve only ourselves and the Lord to answer to.

As strong women, single mothers or wives, we’ve all had those days of hair pullin’ and would’ve offered up our children to the lowest bidder at a moment’s notice. Or, we sent up the white flag in surrender to the unbearable circumstances we were facing, and some of you may be having one of those days today! Of course, we’d never really offer up our kids, then again?? Kidding, I’m only kidding …

I believe we as strong women have simply set our minds to do impossible things, especially when we are tired and plum worn out. We go the extra mile for our kids, sometimes literally, driving them here or there, investing time in them with the hopes of rearing bright, productive, unselfish offspring—citizens who will contribute to society in positive ways. I salute mamas and women who inspire and encourage a no quit spirit in the mind-sets of their children and influence their communities for a greater good.

Just like the football team that click’s under pressure, our juggling act isn’t easy but, Quitters? I doubt it. Gooo Ladies!

There's No "I" in Teamwork!

With heavy heartfelt thoughts and prayers concerning the disaster of Isaac, I figured now is as good a time as any to discuss “teamwork.” After messy Isaac rip roars its nasty head through land, it will take hours of teamwork to clean and repair the clutter. It will also take a team of folks to roll out at a moment’s notice to help others to safety. From first responders to firefighters, medics, police, 911 operators, sheriffs, national guard, neighbors, family and friends to nurses, doctors, hospital staff and all those in between, good people along the gulf coast have geared up for action and are in the thick of it right now.

However, I see no I’s in that crowd. What I see are teams of folks who are willing to put their lives on the line to save the lives of others. No glory, name in lights or headlines, just a lot of guts from those people who aren’t afraid to plunge into perilous situations for the good of others. I believe our military personnel, here and abroad epitomize the word, “teamwork.”

Dictionary.com defines teamwork this way:

team•work  [teem-wurk]
noun
1. cooperative or coordinated effort on the part of a group of persons acting together as a team or in the interests of a common cause.
2. work done with a team.


In other words, a joint effort to obtain, capture, create or achieve a common goal or purpose with no one individual, but a group of individuals working together.


As a football mama, I can only name a hand full of sports that truly define teamwork in unequal but remarkably similar ways to public service personnel or military folks. Football, of course, is one of them. Can you name any others? In football it takes all 11 men executing the game plan. But think for a minute about the entire concept of an offensive linemen’s job.

O-Lineman takes the majority of pounding and the brunt of contact hits on every down in order to protect his quarterback, thus moving the ball out of the pocket to increase yardage. Hopefully, that yardage is in the right direction, if the OL does his job! But, it doesn’t stop there. The QB has to be doing his job too and then so do the guys who carry the ball. Execution = Effectiveness of a team. Teamwork.

Yet, can you name one OL in the NFL, or on the college level? But, I bet we can all name at least one quarterback on either level. The sportscasters will mention the five guys up front usually during action. And they might call their names out in the lineup for offense before a commercial break. Still, these guys personify the teamwork message, taking the hits so the other guys get the glory. Ask any offensive linemen if he cares that he is not singled out the way running backs or wide receivers are and his answer may shock you. He doesn’t. He isn’t out to seek glory or hot-dog. The psyche of an O-Lineman strikes me as the essences of a man’s unselfish heart and character. Teamwork.

Alec Baldwin’s character as Lt. Colonel J. Doolittle in the movie “Pearl Harbor” said, “There’s nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.” How true! It took men and women in uniform who volunteered with an unselfish heart to achieve unimaginable triumphs in WWII or in other conflicts and wars that we as a country have endured. I see no I’s in any of their stories. Teamwork.

Astronaut Neil Armstrong is another example of a “no I” guy. What a great American! He took no credit for what he did. The man was the first to step on the moon and he gave all the credit to his fellow teammates, including the folks on the ground in the space program. That’s the very heart of teamwork.

So, maybe at the end of the day, teamwork is best described as an unselfish act or action taken by individuals for the greater good. That sounds like some purdy amazing men and women and yes, football’s offensive linemen! But one more group of people that cannot be over looked in the teamwork category is Mom’s. Most moms know a thing or two about sacrifice, unselfishness and teamwork. Yes, we could learn a lot about teamwork, with no I-formation, from these America’s heroes and football and moms!