Seriously, I'm thankful for so much this year...family, friends, health, job, sponsors (thank you Craddock Oil and Kirk Auto)...you name it. The Lord has taken care of us, and I truly am thankful.
Today, I plan to party like a pilgrim. We'll be roasting turkey, watching parades, chasing kids and eating pie...lots of pie. Pumpkin pie preferably. I can't wait to enjoy this time with my family.
But as the afternoon disappears into evening and the sun sets in that western sky we'll get down to something I'm also very, very thankful for....the Egg Bowl. It's by far the most important game of the year. More so than any other game it defines the season. It's hard to look back fondly on any season that ended with a loss to Mississippi State. Similarly, a bad year isn't so bad if it's capped by a win over the Bulldogs. This is the big one, and because of that it's my favorite game by far.
Let me tell you a few more reasons why:
10. FINALITY. Being the last game of the year makes it special. As each minute ticks off the game clock we know the football season is drawing that much closer to a close, and it makes us savor each and every play. Things matter more when you know you're about to lose them. After the Egg Bowl is over, we'll have lost our weekly Ole Miss football game until next year (not counting the bowl game of course). You better enjoy every second.
9. BRAGGING RIGHTS. Two lawyers in my firm are State grads. We talk each and every week about each other's teams. We try to be polite about it. We don't say to each other's faces that we hope their team loses. In fact, during non-Egg Bowl weeks I pretend as though I'm happy for them when State wins, and disappointed for them when the Dogs lose. It's called fake empathy, and I guess I do it just so they don't hate me. But we all know what's really going on inside my head. Many of you are in similar relationships with family and co-workers, and you know that the winner will have superiority in the relationship from now until next year's Egg Bowl. These relationships are what make victory oh so sweet and losing hurt like you know what.
8. COACHES. It's not just Ole Miss vs. State out there on that field. It's Sloan vs. Ballard, Brewer vs. Sherrill, Orgeron vs. Croom and of course, Freeze vs. Mullen. Oftentimes we pull against the opposing coach more than we cheer for our own. In Dan Mullen's case that's especially true. If you're like me you'll be hoping Mullen loses even more than you'll be hoping Freeze wins. Don't apologize for it. I don't. That's what rivalries are all about. My kid brother, who isn't even a huge football fan, once said that he hoped Dan Mullen never leaves Mississippi State because beating him was more fun that beating any other coach could ever be. It was the most astute football observation my little brother had ever made and I agree 100%. Please don't go, Dan.
7. INTENSITY. I could describe it, but instead I'll just show you:
From the coin toss last year.. we all know what happened next.. pic.twitter.com/qvYwU37G6u
— OleMissPix (@OleMissPix) November 28, 2013
Players don't touch facemasks at kickoffs of other games. Just Egg Bowls. Sometimes things even get a little out of hand and there's a fight. We love it when that happens. Don't lie. You know you do.6. RECRUITING. Hugh Freeze said earlier this week that winning the Egg Bowl doesn't play a huge role in recruiting. No offence to Freeze, but I say bull. It matters. Maybe not in every case, but definitely in some cases. High school players notice which team is on a roll. They want to go to a school they think has the best chance to win. The loser of the Egg Bowl has a lot to overcome in winning that argument. The winner can get that much more excited about February. Ole Miss currently has 6 of the state's top 10 recruits. I have to believe that winning last year's Egg Bowl plays at least some role in that. Winning tonight won't hurt.
5. PERFORMANCES. Big games bring out the best in players. Donte Moncrief (7 catches, 173 yards, 3 TD's) became a celebrity in last year's Egg Bowl. Show me any Ole Miss win in this series and I'll show you a player who had a career-best performance. This game just has a way of bringing amazing out of players. There will be another stellar showing tonight by a player from the winning team. Just watch.
4. STAKES. There's almost always something BIG riding on these Egg Bowls. Last year it was bowl eligibility for Ole Miss. This year it's bowl eligibility for State. Whether it's a coach's job that's on the line or a bowl berth the stakes of the Egg Bowl magnify the importance of its outcome more than any other game.
3. WEATHER. Egg Bowls are almost always either cold, wet, windy or muddy. Being a lover of football played in the elements these conditions make the game all the more exciting for me, especially if I'm watching from the warmth of my couch (I enjoy watching people experience cold, but don't necessarily enjoy experiencing it myself...see my Twitter timeline from the Missouri game). The immaculate deflection was a wet, windy game. I remember several Egg Bowls during the Brewer era where Ole Miss would be so muddy after the 1st half that they'd switch jersey colors at halftime. Tonight's forecast calls for clear and COLD. The temperature at kickoff should be around 35 degrees. Sounds like rivalry weather to me.
2. THE TROPHY HOIST. There's just something sweet about hoisting a trophy after winning a football game, especially if you can do it while the other team watches. Nothing captures the Thrill of Victory and Agony of Defeat better than a trophy presentation.
1. THIS:
A win over this man brings me great glee. If Ole Miss pulls out the victory tonight I'll be putting extra ice cream on that 2nd slice of pumpkin pie.
Happy Thanksgiving y'all.