Football is Back, and Roman is Happy

People are back and together again. And, according to Roman, nothing brings us together like football and . . . mayonnaise!

By Sports Correspondent Roman Rickwood

College football is in full swing, and it is showing. As we move into week three of the college football season, we find ourselves in a very familiar and comforting time. While college football was played last year, it was anything but normal with some conferences only playing four games with no fans in the stadiums and no normal football season traditions. But, finally, after the wait of our lives, college football is back to its natural glory. There are no more Covid restrictions, or capacity restrictions, and most importantly no teams have severe enough outbreaks to where they had to cancel the game. We saw the return of out-of-conference play, another important thing that Covid took away. 

Opening weekend in college football always features marquee matches from powerhouses across all five conferences. The #1 game in week one was (then) #2 Clemson vs (then) #5 Georgia; this game was played at Bank of America stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. This game ended 10-3 in favor of Georgia as well as ending up as the most watched game of the weekend. The opening weekend TV ratings for college football were as high as they have ever been and five times higher than the TV ratings of the 2021 NBA Finals (ESPN). I believe that one of the major contributors to these heightened ratings is credit to the fans in attendance. Personally when sports returned with no fans, I found it incredibly hard to watch, even to watch my favorite teams. There is something special about a packed stadium that just makes the viewing experience that much better. 

I went to the Clemson-Georgia game. It was sponsored by Duke’s Mayo, so there was a Mayonnaise-Eating Competition! The Georgia Redcoat school band marched in, sat in the stands, and played non-stop. And, . . . there was the tail-gating. There was barbecue brisket and ribs piled high on paper plates. 

So far this season is looking like it will be a good one, especially considering how many upsets there have been and how many more there are to come. As for now I am just happy to have something to look forward to on Saturdays! This Saturday, kick-off is 9 a.m. You’ll see me camped out on the couch.