Winners and Losers of the Super Bowl

Being a UT and Peyton fan I was super ecstatic over the Super Bowl. To be honest, even though I lived in Colorado for 10 years including the 2 years the Broncos won back to back Super Bowls I didn't really become a fan until recently. When Tebow became the quarterback I started to slowly get on the bandwagon and then when Peyton moved to Denver I was definitely a fan. This year I watched the entire game, all he commercials and the halftime show. There's a lot to discuss.

Just a tad excited!

Let's start with the winners:

The Broncos.
Duh. I love that Peyton got another ring and can retire on a high note. I equally love that it was the defense that really sealed them their victory. I don't think everyone was expecting that. 

The Ryan Reynolds commercial.
So hilarious! 

 

The Heinz Commercial.
Those wiener dogs are precious!

 

The Doritos commercial with the ultrasound.
I thought this commercial was too cute. Apparently NARAL (National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League) did not think the commercial was cute or funny. They tweeted that the commercial was an "antichoice tactic of humanizing fetuses and sexist tropes of dads as clueless and moms as uptight.” Seriously? Humanizing fetuses? What a novel idea! A baby, a human! This makes my blood boil. Even before having my son I was pro-life but when you hear a heartbeat at 6 weeks on something as small as a seed you know right then it's a human. The idea that people think this is not a child until birth and a woman has a right to get rid of it before then is totally and utterly barbaric. Disgusting. Now, I think almost everything has a political agenda. But if I had to guess I would imagine Doritos just thought they were making a funny commercial. Although I would love to think that Doritos made that commercial to show all the pro-choice for murder that a fetus is in fact a baby. I haven't found anything online showing a response from Doritos to NARAL's tweet. If any of you have, please let me know. 

Lady Gaga!! 

When I heard her do the tribute to the Sound of Music on the Oscars a few years ago I was blown away at how beautiful her voice was. When I heard she would be the one to sing the National Anthem I knew she'd kill it. She did not let me down. A lot of people made fun of what she was wearing and made references to the Hunger Games. What did you expect? Everyone has a gimmick. I love that she let her patriotism shine!

The montage video of halftime shows past.

I have to admit, when I heard "is anybody alive out there?!" I thought Bruce was going to come out. I might've jumped up off the couch. I loved seeing all the past entertainers. If the show was truly supposed to be a tribute to past shows they should've had more people come out and perform instead of the performers from just the past 2. Done get me wrong, I love Bruno too bad he didn't do the entire show. I'll save the rest of my thoughts on that for the losers column. 

Now for the losers:

Cam Newton. 

Yes, he's literally a loser because his team didn't win but that's not what I mean. He showed his you know what in the post-game interview. I get it you lost, but act like a man. You lost a Super Bowl! You didn't lose your job, your spouse, a loved one, your house, a limb, you lost a game that very few people ever get to go watch let alone play in. Get over yourself. You're not a brain surgeon. You're a football player. At the end of the day, you're not that important. 

What a pouty baby.

The Halftime Show. 

Seriously what kind of half-assed crap was that? The halftime show is a loser for a few reasons, here we go:

1: It was daylight.

They should always have a game in an indoor arena where they can make it dark or have it somewhere that gets dark by halftime. It just wasn't that magical in the sun.

2: Coldplay.

I'm not really a fan of them anyway, but that kind of music just isn't that "half-timey." You need something upbeat and loud and fun. You, like Bruno . They should've just let him do the whole thing instead of one song. Although, I do love that song! 

3: The rainbow/flowery/supposedly-referencing-San Fran-in-the-sixties-obviously-pro-gay-message throughout the entire show.

Ugh. Why? Why is that necessary? I will be the first to admit I'm super political. But even my super right-wing conservative self who loves to discuss politics just wants to watch a football game sometimes. I just want to be entertained. Let's leave the political agenda for another day. Oh, and guess what? In case you have been under a rock the past 6 months, the Supreme Court ignored the tenth amendment and and ruled in favor of gay marriage. Having a halftime show dedicated to this is irrelevant. It would be no different if the whole show had been dedicated to Obama becoming president 4 years ago or celebrating the Warriors NBA championship. You won, a while ago. Let's move on. 

4. Beyoncé. 

Congrats, Bey! You're the biggest loser of the Super Bowl!! So many thing things contribute to you winning this award. Dressed like a hoochie, and dancing like one too Beyoncé was nothing but tacky. The (literal) salute to the Black Panthers from her dancers who were festooned in black panther style berets was over the top. It's no coincidence that as the sang her new song "Formation," they were less than 50 miles away from where the formation of the Black Panthers took place 50 years ago. They also formed an "X" during their performance as a nod to Malcolm X. And if you think this is just me reading too much into it, you can see below that this is not the case. 

Fists raised evocative of the black power salute by Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. 

Mario Woods was a stabbing suspect and was shot by police in San Francisco on December 2 after refusing to drop a knife and comply with police. 

Here is the video where Beyoncé shows a young black child dancing in front of police pointing to graffiti that says "stop shooting us," and also makes references to hurricane Katrina. 

 

Here are the lyrics (from lyrics,ode.com) Warning: contains obscenities. 

[Intro: Messy Mya]
What happened at the New Wil’ins?
Bitch, I'm back by popular demand

[Refrain: Beyoncé]
Y'all haters corny with that illuminati mess
Paparazzi, catch my fly, and my cocky fresh
I'm so reckless when I rock my Givenchy dress (stylin')
I'm so possessive so I rock his Roc necklaces
My daddy Alabama, Momma Louisiana
You mix that negro with that Creole make a Texas bama
I like my baby hair with baby hair and afros
I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils
Earned all this money but they never take the country out me
I got a hot sauce in my bag, swag

[Interlude: Messy Mya + Big Freedia]
Oh yeah, baby, oh yeah I, ohhhhh, oh, yes, I like that
I did not come to play with you hoes, haha
I came to slay, bitch
I like cornbreads and collard greens, bitch
Oh, yes, you besta believe it

[Refrain: Beyoncé]
Y'all haters corny with that illuminati mess
Paparazzi, catch my fly, and my cocky fresh
I'm so reckless when I rock my Givenchy dress (stylin')
I'm so possessive so I rock his Roc necklaces
My daddy Alabama, Momma Louisiana
You mix that negro with that Creole make a Texas bama
I like my baby hair with baby hair and afros
I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils
Earned all this money but they never take the country out me
I got a hot sauce in my bag, swag

[Chorus: Beyoncé]
I see it, I want it, I stunt, yellow-bone it
I dream it, I work hard, I grind 'til I own it
I twirl on them haters, albino alligators
El Camino with the seat low, sippin' Cuervo with no chaser
Sometimes I go off (I go off), I go hard (I go hard)
Get what's mine (take what's mine), I'm a star (I'm a star)
Cause I slay (slay), I slay (hey), I slay (okay), I slay (okay)
All day (okay), I slay (okay), I slay (okay), I slay (okay)
We gon' slay (slay), gon' slay (okay), we slay (okay), I slay (okay)
I slay (okay), okay (okay), I slay (okay), okay, okay, okay, okay
Okay, okay, ladies, now let's get in formation, cause I slay
Okay, ladies, now let's get in formation, cause I slay
Prove to me you got some coordination, cause I slay
Slay trick, or you get eliminated

[Verse: Beyoncé]
When he fuck me good I take his ass to Red Lobster, cause I slay
When he fuck me good I take his ass to Red Lobster, cause I slay
If he hit it right, I might take him on a flight on my chopper, cause I slay
Drop him off at the mall, let him buy some J's, let him shop up, cause I slay
I might get your song played on the radio station, cause I slay
I might get your song played on the radio station, cause I slay
You just might be a black Bill Gates in the making, cause I slay
I just might be a black Bill Gates in the making

[Chorus: Beyoncé]
I see it, I want it, I stunt, yellow-bone it
I dream it, I work hard, I grind 'til I own it
I twirl on them haters, albino alligators
El Camino with the seat low, sippin' Cuervo with no chaser
Sometimes I go off (I go off), I go hard (I go hard)
Get what's mine (take what's mine), I'm a star (I'm a star)
Cause I slay (slay), I slay (hey), I slay (okay), I slay (okay)
All day (okay), I slay (okay), I slay (okay), I slay (okay)
We gon' slay (slay), gon' slay (okay), we slay (okay), I slay (okay)
I slay (okay), okay (okay), I slay (okay), okay, okay, okay, okay
Okay, okay, ladies, now let's get in formation, cause I slay
Okay, ladies, now let's get in formation, cause I slay
Prove to me you got some coordination, cause I slay
Slay trick, or you get eliminated

[Bridge: Beyoncé]
Okay, ladies, now let's get in formation, I slay
Okay, ladies, now let's get in formation
You know you that bitch when you cause all this conversation
Always stay gracious, best revenge is your paper

[Outro]
Girl, I hear some thunder
Golly, look at that water, boy, oh lord

Classy, no? Makes the Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake debacle look like a kindergarten prank. WTH does "I slay" mean anyway? You're on a power trip and you're just not that dang important. Oh, and Red Lobster? Doesn't speak highly of Jay-Z's abilities does it?

What makes me the most mad, is if Kid Rock and Hank Williams, Jr. had performed the show and had red, white and blue cards in the audience spelling out "Believe in the 2nd Amendment," all hell would've broken out. There would've been total outrage, calling them child killers. So tired of the hypocrisy. 

References:

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/08/beyonce-black-panthers-homage-black-lives-matter-super-bowl-50

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14745754/super-bowl-50-cam-newton-carolina-panthers-defends-walking-reporters

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/02/07/naral-attacks-doritos-ultrasound-super-bowl-ad-for-humanizing-fetuses/

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Mario-Woods-had-21-bullet-wounds-drugs-in-6824871.php

Gameday Recipes

As promised, this post is recipes for a few go-to recipes whether you're tailgating at the game or couchgating at home. For the Ole Miss tailgate I made a new recipe found on Pinterest: Samoa dip. Oh, yeah, as in the Girl Scout cookie I sold so many years ago.
 

Samoas Dip

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Ingredients:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, cold
• 8 oz. butter or margarine, cold
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 sleeve shortbread cookies
• 1 cup toasted coconut
• 1 cup Caramel Hershey Kisses
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate for drizzling

Instructions:

1. Using a paddle attachment, cream the butter and the cream cheese.
2. Add in the cookies, and mix on high (so the cookies are good and crushed).
3. Mix in the powdered sugar, until fully incorporated.
4. Add Hershey kisses, and mix on high so they get broken up really well.
5. Fold in the toasted coconut with a rubber spatula
6. Serve with graham crackers!

These are the shortbread cookies I used.

 Toasting the coconut, so easy and so good!

 

 That's a lot of Hershey Kisses!

Tada!

The next recipe is for my mom's gumbo. It is so delish and is great for carrying to a tailgate in a crockpot or to eat while you're "couchgating" and watching the game at home.

Willma's Gumbo:

Ingredients:

3/4 c. vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
6-8 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped (Willma prefers to substitute a little dried instead, which is what I do)
1 lb. frozen okra (I like okra so much, I put in 2)
3 cans chicken broth
1-2 c. water
1/2 c. Worchestershire sauce
1 TBSP salt
1-2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp. dried whole rosemary
2 c. shopped chicken (OR 2 large cans)
1 lb. smoked sausage (or Kielbasa, sliced)
1 c. all purpose flour
2-3 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 large can stewed tomatoes
1 large slice ham, diced (I omitted this because I didn't have any and it was still good)
1/4 tsp. dried, whole thyme
red pepper flakes (to taste, optional)
3 lbs. cooked, peeled shrimp (I keep mine separate and add later since the hubby is allergic)
hot, cooked rice

Instructions:

Combine oil and flour in large Dutch oven, cook over medium hear, stirring constantly, 10-15 minutes or until roux is the color of a copper penny. Stir in onion, celery, green pepper and garlic; add parsley (if desired). Cook 45 minutes - 1 hour on low to medium heat, stirring mixture occasionally to prevent sticking. Add okra, and stir well over low heat. Stir well. Next, add chicken broth, water, seasonings. Add sausage and chicken (drained if using canned). Simmer 2 1/2 - 3 hours over low heat, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking. About 30 minutes prior to serving, stir in shrimp and heat thoroughly. Serve over hot, cooked rice. You may sprinkle a tiny bit of gumbo file' over each serving for extra thickness and flavor. (See file' package directions.) NOTE: This makes A LOT! It freezes well, but you want to freeze it without the rice. Or, of course you can half the recipe.

A few side notes: she's not kidding, it does make a lot. We had it for dinner and then I had it every day for lunch that week. I still had enough after that to freeze some, too. Also, don't forget that this takes 4  hours to make. I always forget and everytime I make it I end up making something else for dinner that night and have the gumbo the next.
This is the file' I use:

Southern Tailgating

As I think I say every year... It's fall, y'all!!! And with fall comes football. A few weeks ago, we went to our first Ole Miss (hubby's alma mater) game of the season. That being said, with this being the first day of October I'd like to dedicate the next few posts to football. Here are some pics from our southern tailgate in The Grove:

 

Our tailgate 

For those of you who don't know, everyone tailgates at The Grove at Ole Miss. It's a big grassy area in the middle of campus. Although, we're tailgating there aren't any cars so there are no actual tailgates. Ole Miss fans go all out and will set out china and have chandeliers hanging from their tents. People will get there the night before an stake out their spot. Some people have had the same spot for years and actually pay a service to go set up their spot for them. No joke. What a great way for college kids to make some extra money, right?

Our friends, Kayce and Matt Riva. Kayce sat for 7 hours the day before to make sure we had this spot! That's dedication!

 

My friend, Tilly. We our Tennessee girls who have managed to find us some Ole Miss Rebel guys. 

 

In the game:

 

Fins up! The Ole Miss defense is called the Landsharks. Our friend, Gordon (the super tall guy) scored us these awesome foam fins. Thank goodness, since Miley ruined foam fingers. 

 

Thanks to my friend, Aimee, who sent me the link to this. It's so true! I made a few notes.

Football in the North vs. South

Planning for the fall football season in the South is radically different than up North.

For those who are planning a football trip South, here are some helpful hints.

Women's Accessories:

NORTH: Chap Stick in back pocket and a $20 bill in the front pocket.

SOUTH: Louis Vuitton duffel with two lipsticks, waterproof mascara, and a fifth of bourbon. Money not necessary - that's what dates are for.
Yes, I had a flask in my purse to sneak in for the guys to pour in their drinks. Ok, maybe not just the guys.

 
Stadium Size:

NORTH: College football stadiums hold 20,000 people.

SOUTH: High school football stadiums hold 20,000 people
The University of Tennessee's stadium holds over 100,000 people.

 
Fathers:

NORTH: Expect their daughters to understand Sylvia Plath.

SOUTH: Expect their daughters to understand pass interference.

 
Campus Decor:

NORTH: Statues of founding fathers.

SOUTH: Statues of Heisman trophy winners.

 
Homecoming Queen:

NORTH: Also a physics major.

SOUTH: Also Miss America.

 
Heroes:

NORTH: Rudy Giuliani

SOUTH: Archie & Peyton Manning
UT has streets named after Peyton (his alma mater) and Ole Miss' speed limit thru campus is 10 MPH (Archie's number)

1st Ole Miss game I attended

 

Getting Tickets:

NORTH: 5 days before the game you walk into the ticket office on campus.

SOUTH: 5 months before the game you walk into the ticket office on campus, make a large financial contribution and put name on a waiting list for tickets.

 
Friday Classes After a Thursday Night Game:

NORTH: Students and teachers not sure they're going to the game, because they have classes on Friday.

SOUTH: Teachers cancel Friday classes because they don't want to see the few hung over students that might actually make it to class.

 
Parking:

NORTH: An hour before game time, the University opens the campus for game parking.

SOUTH: RVs sporting their school flags begin arriving on Wednesday for the weekend festivities. The really faithful arrive on Tuesday.

 
Game Day:

NORTH: A few students party in the dorm and watch ESPN on TV.

SOUTH: Every student wakes up, has a beer for breakfast, and rushes over to where ESPN is broadcasting 'Game Day Live' to get on camera and wave to the idiots up north who wonder why 'Game Day Live' is never Broadcast from their campus.

 
Tailgating:

NORTH: Raw meat on a grill, beer with lime in it, listening to local radio station with truck tailgate down.

SOUTH: 30-foot custom pig-shaped smoker fires up at dawn. Cooking accompanied by live performance from the Dave Matthews Band,... who come over during breaks and ask for a hit off bottle of bourbon.

 
Getting to the Stadium:

NORTH: You ask 'Where's the stadium?' When you find it, you walk right in.

SOUTH: When you're near it, you'll hear it. On game day it is the state's third largest city.

 
Concessions:

NORTH: Drinks served in a paper cup, filled to the top with soda.

SOUTH: Drinks served in a plastic cup, with the home team's mascot on it, filled less than half way with soda, to ensure enough room for bourbon.

 
When National Anthem is Played:

NORTH : Stands are less than half full, and less than half of them stand up.

SOUTH: 100,000 fans, all standing, sing along in perfect four-part harmony.

 
The Smell in the Air After the First Score:

NORTH: Nothing changes.

SOUTH: Fireworks, Gunpowder (from the cannon in the end zone), with a touch of bourbon.

 
Commentary (Male):

NORTH: 'Nice play.'

SOUTH: 'Dammit, you slow sumbitch - tackle him and break his legs.'

 
Commentary (Female):

NORTH: 'My, this certainly is a violent sport.'

SOUTH: 'Dammit, you slow sumbitch - tackle him and break his legs.'

 
Announcers:

NORTH: Neutral and paid.

SOUTH: Announcer harmonizes with the crowd in the fight song, with a tear in his eye because he is so proud of his team.

 
After the Game:

NORTH: The stadium is empty way before the game ends.

SOUTH: Another rack of ribs goes on the smoker, while somebody goes to the nearest package store for more bourbon, and planning begins for next week's game.

Nothing else in the universe comes even halfway close to the glories of Southern football!

 
And for SEC Fans:

HOW MANY SEC STUDENTS DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE A LIGHT BULB?

At VANDERBILT: it takes two, one to change the bulb and one more to explain how they did it every bit as good as the bulbs changed at Harvard.

At GEORGIA: it takes two, one to change the bulb and one to phone an engineer at Georgia Tech for instructions.

At FLORIDA: it takes four, one to screw in the bulb and three to figure out how to get stoned off the old one.

At ALABAMA: it takes five, one to change it, three to reminisce about how The Bear would have done it, and one to throw the old bulb at an NCAA investigator.

At OLE MISS: it takes six, one to change it, two to mix the drinks and three to find the perfect J. Crew outfit to wear for the occasion.
Yes, I know Kayce and I searched for perfect outfits for the game.

At LSU: it takes seven, and each one gets credit for five Semester hours.

At KENTUCKY: it takes eight, one to screw it in and seven to discuss how much brighter it seems to shine during basketball season.

At TENNESSEE: it takes ten, two to figure out how to screw it in, two to buy an orange lampshade, and six to phone a radio call-in show and talk about how much they hate Alabama.
Yup, we HATE Alabama. It's a lot harder to be a Tennessee fan than an Alabama fan!

At MISSISSIPPI STATE: it takes fifteen, one to screw in the bulb, two to buy the Skoal, and twelve to yell, 'GO TO HELL, OLE MISS'.

At AUBURN: it takes one hundred, one to change it, forty-nine to talk about how they did it better than at Bama, and fifty to get drunk and roll Toomer's Corner when finished.

At SOUTH CAROLINA: it takes 80,000, one to screw it in and 79,999 to discuss how this finally will be the year that they have a decent football team.

At ARKANSAS: None. There ain't no 'lectricity in Arkansas

 

It's all in good fun!!! Go big orange and hotty toddy, y'all! Stay tuned for my next post on tailgating recipes!

It's the (second) Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

As I posted about college football the other day, I got excited. For me, college football means fall. I love Christmas, but fall is the next best thing. Crunchy leaves, soup cooked in the crockpot, hooded sweatshirts, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and of course pumpkins. I started dating my hubby in the fall and I got engaged to him in the fall. Fall is good to me. I also LOVE fall fashion. I would like to be in any of the following outfits:

 

 

And I'd like to wear said outfits here:

                                           

What are your favorite things about fall?

IFTIT!!!

 For those of you not up to date on your college football acronyms that means, It's Football Time in Tennessee! Woo hoo!! I hope y'all are all enjoying your Saturday college football and your teams are winning. I think I need these two items to wear while I cheer on the Vols.

 

It's almost that time of year again!

You know what I'm talking about... IFTIT!!! (It's football time in Tennessee!) For those of you who weren't blessed to be born in the south, this is a big deal. My Southern Living magazine is all about college football this month. Knoxville made the list of best college towns in the south. There were 2 articles that I found to be the best way to describe SEC football so all of y'all who don't get to experience this amazing phenomenon, maybe this will help you understand it. M Lindsay Bierman, the editor, writes this:(I added my own editions/adjustments in red)

The 10 Commandments of College Football Fandom:

1) Thou shalt wear team colors. But think twice before adorning yourself with body paint - you don't want to be the Internet photo that goes viral. (In the South, we dress up for our teams, all Southern women have at least one sundress in their school colors, and guys will have a tie in his school colors)

2) Thou shalt know - and sing- your team's fight song from beginning to end. Sure, you can "watermelon, watermelon" your way through the alma mater, but not memorizing the fight song is fan failure. (A true fan knows the alma mater)

3) Thou shalt support the coach. Even when his calls are questionable.

4) Thou shalt keep your language clean (unless, of course, the quarterback fumbles on fourth and goal).

5) Thou shalt be respectful to visiting teams. Remember: Southern ladies and gentleman never boo.

6) Thou shalt set up a tailgate no fewer than three hours before kickoff (six if it's a night game). Table linens and matching huggers encourage, not required. (Unless you're at Ole Miss, then table linens and fine china are definitely required)

7) Thou shalt theme your tailgate food around the visiting rival. Gator bites, anyone? (I swear the author of this already had gator bites written, I didn't add it. You could also have BBQ for the hogs, but don't be grilling bull dogs or elephants or tigers, that's just wrong y'all!)

8) Thou shalt stay through the fourth quarter - rain or shine. That's what ponchos are for, y'all. (Or cute trench coats and galoshes in school colors)

9) Thou shalt respect the solemnity of Game Day by planning weddings, births and other life events around the football schedule. (I went to a wedding on Halloween once because the bride and groom were season ticket holders at their alma mater and that was the only weekend that there wasn't a home game, true story.)

10) Thou shalt never covet the other teams' bowl games, national championships, or Heisman Trophy wins. There's alway next year. (This one is hard to abide, I still think Peyton should've gotten the Heisman.)

Wouldn't this orange, Burberry coat be a wonderful way to stay warm and still look fabulous? Yeah, I thought so, too.

Fall = Football

Christopher and I have a deal: We will always root for each other's teams unless they play each other. PS November 13th will be interesting when the Tennessee Volunteers host the Ole Miss Rebels (er, I mean Black Bears. Don't even get me started!)

First Stop: Ole Miss and The Grove. Had a blast! They have great tailgating because it's all in one big area.

#18 was Archie Manning's #.

Next Stop: Rocky Top!

Christopher looks great in BIG ORANGE!

It was great to see all my Knoxville friends! This guy single-handedly introduced me to everyone I know in Knoxville.

I even got to hang with a high school buddy! Eric (who you'll remember took me to the Inaugural Ball) was in town, too. This was his first college football game ever and he sported the orange.

All in all, we have a great time cheering on our college teams. Obviously, we love our Mannings!