Feb 3, 2020
via FOX Sports
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via FOX Sports
In honor of today’s championship parade
Parade link (via Tiger TV)
PMAC link (via LSU Football)
In a Tiger Bowl for the ages, #1 LSU finishes 15-Eaux with a historic National Championship win, 42-25
Photos: @CFBPlayoff, @LSUFootball, @ClemsonFB
so last night was wild
CFB 150: a Visit to the College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is one of the most impressive sport museums in the country. I did not realize that I last visited the Hall of Fame September 21st (almost a year ago!), but I went during Free Month August 30th (during the month of August, fans get in free with the Chick-Fil-A app, and get a free breakfast entrée!), and this time with a coworker. I was able to visit all the areas of the museum this time around; when I visited alone in 2018, I spent 4 hours reading on a number of Hall of Famers and only got as far as the tailgating history.
It was special going back during the 150th anniversary of the first intercollegiate football game. College football has a rich and unique history, and it's great to see it on display.
Outside the Hall of Fame. Personal photo.
I'm a nerd when it comes to sports history, but especially with college football. It's the quintessential American game. It's full of tradition and rides on the air of the unexpected. And it's fun! Whether you're a fan of college football or not, the museum is interactive and has tons of cool and relatable artifacts, so check it out!
Setup for the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Dinner. Personal photo.
Each fan (museum visitor) receives a credential badge that uses a code to collect all interactive moments in which the fan participates. The badge is personalized by school. I went as a Miami fan my first visit, and an LSU fan the next visit. There's a huge wall of helmets when fans walk in the lobby of the museum; each time a fan personalizes a badge, a light in the corresponding school helmet turns red. Helmets with blue lights indicates fans of the schools that visited the Hall of Fame that day.
Personal photos.
The third floor is the Hall of Fame itself. It features interactive boards of every inducted player. It's organized by school and by state. If a coach is associated with multiple schools, the inductee is included on each school's list. For instance, Mack Brown made his name at Texas, but coached at other schools like North Carolina, and graduated from Florida State (unfortunately lol). I learned a great deal about Jim Thorpe, Ahmad Rashad, John Heisman, and Desmond Howard, among others.
My favorite part of the second floor is the tailgate section. Fans can sing fight songs with the help of the lyrics on the screen. It reminds me of the ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut, where a hallway leading to the cafeteria can play your fight song as you walk down the ramp; my fellow interns and I tried getting through our songs without cutting each other off lol. It also features the history of tailgating and costumes from mascots, cheerleaders, yell leaders, and the band. This is where I realized I knew a lot more about college football teams and traditions than I thought. Even talking with my coworker today, I felt that I went on and on about the Masked Raider, Bevo's handlers, and Ralphie; I needed water after that section from talking so much!
Personal photos.
I also like that the wall of famous coaches includes Eddie G. Robinson from Grambling. People forget that HBCU football has a rich history, and had the hottest tickets in town back in the day. For instance, the Morgan State/Grambling game in 1968 was played amid a sold-out crowd in Yankees Stadium. Wyomia Tyus' college experience with football players at Tennessee State, as described in her biography, sounds a lot like a general experience at a modern Power 5 school. Robinson coached for 56 seasons, and notched 408 wins with the Tigers!
Personal photos.
The Hall of Fame has so many artifacts to read about, from John Heisman's century-old eyeglasses case to Purdue's World's Largest Drum skin. There is quite a bit of Texas Longhorns memorabilia, including a helmet from their National Championship season during college football's 100th anniversary in 1969.
Another cool section is the rivalry section. Where would college football be without its rivalries? I think of Harvard/Yale, which reminds me of how visiting the Yale Bowl in New Haven is like taking a step into the 1880s. Army/Navy is a bona fide classic. Miami/Florida State. Georgia/Auburn. Clemson/South Carolina. Paul Bunyan. Battle of the Boot. Apple Cup. Even the ones that no longer happen annually, like Miami/Florida, Notre Dame/Michigan, the Lone Star Showdown, and the Backyard Brawl (but the latter is making a comeback soon!).
Some of the highlighted rivalries included Michigan/Ohio State, the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma, and the Grambling/Southern Bayou Classic. Two things that stood out to me: Michigan and Ohio almost went to war over their borders before the football series even started, and the wives of Knute Rockne and Gwynn Wilson suggested that Notre Dame play USC to get out of the cold in Indiana!
It's always fun soaking up knowledge on subjects I love, especially in an interactive setting. I'll feel super old, but I can't wait until more moments from the 2010s and beyond are chronicled in the museum.
UL Lafayette wins its first bowl since 2014 in the Lending Tree Bowl, 27-17
Photos: @MiamiOHFootball, @RaginCajunsFB
Tulane crushes Southern Miss in the Armed Forces Bowl, 30-13
Photos: @SouthernMissFB, @GreenWaveFootball, @ArmedForcesBowl
Ohio brings the french fries and the MACtion to beat Nevada in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, 30-21
Photos: @AtascaderoNews, @texaspost, @MACSports