The house is divided in my family when it comes to football loyalties in the Southeastern Conference. Being from Mississippi, the Ole Miss-LSU game week always brings out the best in it.
Family versus family. LSU versus Ole Miss. Tigers versus Rebels. Good versus evil. Righteous versus lost; we all know who the lost is. What the hell does “flim flam, bim bam Ole Miss by damn” mean anyway?
We’re talking about important bragging rights for 365 days out of the year. Let me explain. Cue up Michael Buffer. “Let’s get ready to rumble!”
In the good guys’ corner, wearing the purple trunks with gold trim, you have my older sister, her husband and myself, all proud supporters of Louisiana State University. The former being proud graduates, the latter hoping one day that will be the case.
In the dazed and confused corner wearing red with blue and gray trim and chanting the annoying “Hotty Toddy” cheer are my older brother and his fiancée, who both attended Ole Miss.
Then, of course, there are my parents, who every year during the Ole Miss-LSU game don’t know where to place their loyalties.
I tend to think Mom always stays loyal to the Tigers. It’s amazing how a Saturday night in Death Valley can influence someone. Thanks, Mom.
I didn’t mention my little sister, but I also believe her loyalties lie with LSU. Her big thing is the band, and everybody knows who would win in a fight between the “Golden Band from Tigerland” against “The Pride of the South.”
Dad is another story. For such a passionate football fan, I really feel bad for him in this game every season. Oh, how torn he must be. The way I see it, it’s got to be one or the other, not both.
So Dad takes the easy way out. Rather than stick with one side, he seems to be the “fair weather fan” and takes the side of whoever wins every year, like he did last season when Ole Miss beat LSU 35-24 in Tiger Stadium.
All I remember hearing from him and my brother was how good Ole Miss was and how Eli Manning was the savior for the Ole Miss program. Blah, blah, blah.
I didn’t hear those things during the holidays when LSU was celebrating the SEC Championship and Sugar Bowl win while Ole Miss was sitting at home crying the blues. What bowl did Ole Miss go to again? That’s what I thought.
Dad’s true loyalty is revealed Sunday in church when we see whether he wears the Ole Miss tie or the LSU tie. By the way, the LSU tie is much nicer than the Ole Miss tie.
So with Thanksgiving only eight days away, everyone in my divided house will come together to celebrate, eat turkey and most importantly, with the Ole Miss-LSU game fresh on our minds, choose sides and aggravate one another.
My only question will be, which side will Dad take?