Southern Passion

I have seen many passions growing up in the South. It seems like some people here are just crazy about some things. I've seen half-naked men trying to climb the fence at a NASCAR race, women arguing over who makes the best fried chicken, and families giving a fourth of their income to the local high school football team. From my experiences, I believe that the most intense passions in the South revolve around sports, food, and music.

Sports, mainly football, basketball, and NASCAR, are some of the most popular sports in the South. Like Mitchell said, some schools have huge basketball fan groups, mainly Kentucky. However, football is the main passion in the South. Tailgates can continue for days on end, and each person seems to be forever tied to some alma mater, whether it be high school or college. Almost every SEC school's football team commands the attention of the entire state on game day.



Besides sports, I have also noticed that food is a big passion in the South. Many unique recipes have been created in the South, and there are myriad famous restaurants here. Typically, the South is known for more unhealthy cooking than other regions. In addition to food, music is an important passion, mainly country, gospel, and blues. I recently went to an Eric Church concert, and it was sold out days before it began. When I arrived, the arena was packed with thousands of men and women of all ages wearing flannel shirts, cowboy hats, and boots. I met people from all over the South- Tennessee, Louisiana, the Carolinas, etc. When Eric Church finally came on stage, the crowd went wild and it was one of the largest demonstrations of passion for music that I have ever seen.



Nicholas Keith