Because I didn't feel like responding to the convoluted Bama thread below re: atmosphere...
I really didn't know where to respond with Columbus Dawg, HD and DS mucking up the whole thing. But that douche Lion O got me thinking about it.
That thread broke into about 10 segments, but here are my thoughts on a couple:
Tailgating generally:
I went to both schools, I have tailgated in the Grove and the Junction. First, you have to give Ole Miss credit, they were really first on the scene with the way they tailgate. The extravagance, size of the tailgating crowd, overall pre-game and post-game atmosphere was largely unrivaled for years. It remained a secret for the most part too, because Gameday never showed up and nobody outside of the SEC West really gave a ****.
Tailgating without an actual tailgate is still foreign to much of the country, but putting all the tents in one location and eliminating the cars (and in our case, RVs) made all the difference. In the last 5 years, the Junction has exploded. I admit I haven't been to every stadium in the country, but it truly has to be the most optimally located tailgating green-space in the country. Those Ole Miss and Bama fans that haven't been there since 07 are in for a shock I think. The boom in tailgating in the last 2 years alone has been pretty amazing. While I am sure the Bama game was slammed in Oxford, in all the games I have been to in Oxford, it has never felt as slammed as our campus was for the Florida game. All that said, I think State and Ole Miss offer the best tailgating in the conference and, by default, the country. We know they do it up in Athens and Red Stick, but it just isn't as impressive as the Grove or the Junction (mainly because of how centrally located they are).
In-game gameday atmosphere:
This really just boils down to the entrance. We all know we have been lacking here for years. I still believe we are. I agree with HD6 that the energy and electricity of the crowd is great, really better than it has ever been, but the overall production is still lacking. No doubt, there have been improvements...The jumbotron has gone a VERY long way in improving things, videos are good, music is good (although coming out to bad to the bone is tired). I like how the band plays the "we're gonna beat the hell out of you" song at the beginning now. That is a nice touch. We still lag here by comparision (but not to Ole Miss - their entrance is nothing special). Tennessee, South Carolina, LSU and a few others have pretty awesome entrances. As far as atmosphere goes though, after the entrance, it is just all about who is winning.
Other aspects of gameday:
The Dawg Walk vs. The Walk of Champions - very similar. However, in the games I have been to at Ole Miss, I have never seen anything like the Dawg Walk for the Florida game. That was just excitement and noise on another level. Of course the cowbells make a big difference. I also believe both Mississippi schools are among the best in the conference in these two traditions.
Traffic, parking, etc. - who really gives a 17. I get there early and stay late. I am not in a hurry.
Well, those are my thoughts.
I really didn't know where to respond with Columbus Dawg, HD and DS mucking up the whole thing. But that douche Lion O got me thinking about it.
That thread broke into about 10 segments, but here are my thoughts on a couple:
Tailgating generally:
I went to both schools, I have tailgated in the Grove and the Junction. First, you have to give Ole Miss credit, they were really first on the scene with the way they tailgate. The extravagance, size of the tailgating crowd, overall pre-game and post-game atmosphere was largely unrivaled for years. It remained a secret for the most part too, because Gameday never showed up and nobody outside of the SEC West really gave a ****.
Tailgating without an actual tailgate is still foreign to much of the country, but putting all the tents in one location and eliminating the cars (and in our case, RVs) made all the difference. In the last 5 years, the Junction has exploded. I admit I haven't been to every stadium in the country, but it truly has to be the most optimally located tailgating green-space in the country. Those Ole Miss and Bama fans that haven't been there since 07 are in for a shock I think. The boom in tailgating in the last 2 years alone has been pretty amazing. While I am sure the Bama game was slammed in Oxford, in all the games I have been to in Oxford, it has never felt as slammed as our campus was for the Florida game. All that said, I think State and Ole Miss offer the best tailgating in the conference and, by default, the country. We know they do it up in Athens and Red Stick, but it just isn't as impressive as the Grove or the Junction (mainly because of how centrally located they are).
In-game gameday atmosphere:
This really just boils down to the entrance. We all know we have been lacking here for years. I still believe we are. I agree with HD6 that the energy and electricity of the crowd is great, really better than it has ever been, but the overall production is still lacking. No doubt, there have been improvements...The jumbotron has gone a VERY long way in improving things, videos are good, music is good (although coming out to bad to the bone is tired). I like how the band plays the "we're gonna beat the hell out of you" song at the beginning now. That is a nice touch. We still lag here by comparision (but not to Ole Miss - their entrance is nothing special). Tennessee, South Carolina, LSU and a few others have pretty awesome entrances. As far as atmosphere goes though, after the entrance, it is just all about who is winning.
Other aspects of gameday:
The Dawg Walk vs. The Walk of Champions - very similar. However, in the games I have been to at Ole Miss, I have never seen anything like the Dawg Walk for the Florida game. That was just excitement and noise on another level. Of course the cowbells make a big difference. I also believe both Mississippi schools are among the best in the conference in these two traditions.
Traffic, parking, etc. - who really gives a 17. I get there early and stay late. I am not in a hurry.
Well, those are my thoughts.