Hello everyone Fall is here and our riding season is slowly coming to an end but there are still a lot of rallies, rides and local events going on. The leaves are changing colors so go out riding on 2 wheels or 4 wheels and enjoy the view. As always be safe and keep your knees in the breeze. Football season is here, so let’s chat about that.
College football refers to American or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most other sports in North America, no official minor league farm organizations exist in American or Canadian football. Therefore, college football is generally considered to be the second tier of American and Canadian football; one step ahead of high school competition, and one step below professional competition. In some areas of the US, especially the South and the Midwest, college football is more popular than professional football, and for much of the 20th century college football was seen as more prestigious. A player's performance in college football directly impacts his chances of playing professional football. The best collegiate players will typically declare for the professional draft after three to four years of collegiate competition, with the NFL holding its annual NFL draft every spring in which 256 players are selected annually. Those not selected can still attempt to land an NFL roster spot as an undrafted free agent.
Even after the emergence of the professional National Football League (NFL), college football has remained extremely popular throughout the U.S. Although the college game has a much larger margin for talent than its pro counterpart, the sheer number of fans following major colleges provides a financial equalizer for the game, with Division I programs - the highest level - playing in huge stadiums, six of which have seating capacity exceeding 100,000 people. In many cases, college stadiums employ bench-style seating, as opposed to individual seats with backs and arm rests (although many stadiums do have a small number of chair back seats in addition to the bench seating). This allows them to seat more fans in a given amount of space than the typical professional stadium, which tends to have more features and comforts for fans. College athletes, unlike players in the NFL, are not permitted by the NCAA to be paid salaries. Colleges are only allowed to provide non-monetary compensation such as athletic scholarships that provide for tuition, housing, and books.
College football expanded greatly during the last two decades of the 19th century. Several major rivalries date from this time period. November 1890 was an active time in the sport. In Baldwin City, Kansas, on November 22, 1890, college football was first played in the state of Kansas. Baker beat Kansas 22–9. On the 27th, Vanderbilt played Nashville (Peabody) at Athletic Park and won 40–0. It was the first-time organized football played in the state of Tennessee. The 29th also saw the first instance of the Army–Navy Game. Navy won 24–0.
If you live in Tennessee or Florida, then you know all too well the rivalry between these 2 teams. The Florida–Tennessee football rivalry, sometimes referred to as the " Third Saturday in September ", is an American college football rivalry between the Florida Gators football team of the University of Florida and Tennessee Volunteers football team of the University of Tennessee, who first met on the football field in 1916. The Gators and Vols have competed in the same athletic conference since Florida joined the now-defunct Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1910, and the schools were founding members of the Southeastern Conference in 1932. Despite this long conference association, a true rivalry did not develop until the early 1990s due to the infrequency of earlier meetings; in the first seventy-six years (1916–91) of the series, the two teams met just twenty-one times. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) expanded to twelve universities and split into two divisions in 1992. Florida and Tennessee were placed in the SEC's East Division and have met on a home-and-home basis every season since. Their rivalry quickly blossomed in intensity and importance in the 1990s and early 2000s as both programs regularly fielded national championship contending teams under coaches Phil Fulmer of Tennessee and Steve Spurrier at Florida. Tennessee dominated the rivalry's early years, winning the first ten meetings and holding a 13–2 lead in the series after beating the Gators in 1971. Florida has held the advantage since then, especially since the schools became SEC East rivals in 1992.
Useless College Football Facts:
1. President Gerald Ford stood up for civil rights in 1934 by threatening to quit his college football team, unless they let Willis Ward (African American) play against the south’s Georgia Tech. He agreed to play only after Ward asked him to, because they couldn’t afford to lose that game.
2. When college football teams traveled by train, Auburn students would literally grease the local stations tracks before Georgia Tech games, causing the train to overshoot the station and forcing the Tech players to carry their luggage for miles.
3. In 1934, future president Gerald Ford threatened to quit his college football team unless his black teammate was allowed to play in a game against Georgia Tech
4.About The Man in the Red Bandana, Welles Crowther, an equities trader who is credited with saving as many as 18 people in the south tower on 9/11 before losing his own life in the collapse. Every year his Alma Mater Boston College honors him during a football game by wearing red bandanas.
5. On average 12 high school and college football players die each year during practices and games.
6. Out of 1.086 million high school football players, only 70,147 begin a college football career, out of which only 6500 get scouted by the NFL, 350 get invited to the combine, 256 get drafted and only 150 (0.01%) last at least four years in the NFL.
7. Four college football players entered a store in New Jersey that was closed but left unlocked. Security footage shows them leave money on counter for items they wanted.
8. Dr. Phil played linebacker for Tulsa. His team lost to the University of Houston 100–6 in one of the most lopsided games in college football history.
9. A 1968 college football game between Harvard and Yale ended in a 29-29 tie, but the next day the Harvard Crimson ran the headline "Harvard Beats Yale 29-29," as Yale had been so heavily favored that the tie was viewed as a de facto victory. The actor Tommy Lee Jones played on the Harvard team.
10. Marcus Allen is the only person to ever win a Heisman Trophy, College Football National Title, NFL MVP, a Super Bowl & Super Bowl MVP
11. In 1931 when President Ronald Reagan played on the football team for Eureka College, took in two rival team black players in his personal home, who were denied admission into a hotel when they were going to play against Eureka. He remained friends with one of the men until they died in 1981
12. The football huddle was invented during the 1890’s by the quarterback of all deaf Gallaudet College football team so that the players from the opposing teams wouldn’t be able to read the plays as they were signing them to each other.
13. College football player Jake Butt won the "Tight End of the Year" award 2 years back to back.
14. Edgar Allan Poe, named for His Cousin, Was the First College Football All-American Quarterback.
15. A specific color of pink is used in drunk tanks to calm people and was once used for college football locker rooms of visiting teams to make the team passive.
Local Events:
1. A Fall Pumpkin-Fest Sept 29th – Oct 2nd for Sullivan County Animal Shelter 1200 Volunteer Parkway Thurs 4pm -7pm Fri & Sat 11am -7pm Sun 1pm -6pm
2. A Fall Pumpkin-Fest Oct 6th - Oct 9th for Sullivan County Animal Shelter 1200 Volunteer Parkway Thurs 4pm -7pm Fri & Sat 11am -7pm Sun 1pm -6pm
3. A Fall Pumpkin-Fest Oct 13th – Oct 31st for Sullivan County Animal Shelter 1200 Volunteer Parkway Mon thru Sat 11am -7pm Sun 1pm -8pm
4. National Storytelling Festival Jonesborough, TN Oct 7th -9th
5. Erwin Apple Festival Erwin, TN Oct. 7th - 8th
6. Ghost Walk East Hill Cemetery Bristol, TN 7pm -9pm Oct 21st -22nd
7. 7th Annual Jeeptober Fest in the Smokies 10am Oct. 22nd
8. A Fall Pumpkin-Fest Oct 13th – Oct 31st for Sullivan County Animal Shelter 1200 Volunteer Parkway Mon thru Sat 11am -7pm Sun 1pm -8pm
9. 3rd Annual Halloween In The Valley Car & Bike Show 11am -3pm Oct 22nd Shady Valley, TN Country Store
10. Pharoah’s Truck or Trick Car Show 140 Euclid Ave. Bristol, VA 5p-8p
11. Fall Vibes Skydive Oct 7th - 9th 611 Airport Rd Mountain City, TN
Rallies:
1. Myrtle Beach Fall Rally Sept 26st – Oct 2nd Myrtle Beach SC
2. Great Smoky Mountain Rally Sept27th – Oct 1st Maryville, TN
3. Rumble On The River Rally Sept 30th – Oct 2nd Bandera TX
4. Daytona Biketoberfest Daytona, FLA. Oct 13th -16th
5. Thunder Beach fall Bike Rally Panama City, FLA Oct 19th – 23rd
Rides:
1. Lori Nunn Memorial Poker Run Greenville Peacemakers club house Oct 22nd All Proceeds go to NO KILL ANIMAL SHELTER
Bike Night:
1. Kingsport Moose Riders Every Wednesday
2. 19E Pit Stop Every Wednesday
3. Tulips Grub & Pub Every Friday
4. Peacemakers Bike Night 801 Boozy Creek Every 3rd Friday of each month
5. East Coast Wings Every Wednesday
6. Dog Tag Brigade Every Wednesday at Jonesborough VFW