Mississippi is the football capital of America...

[John Kochtoston]

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/news/story?id=2561681

Must be the same group that awards national titles in Alabama.

[Scotty]

JACKSON, Miss. -- Mississippi isn't home to an NFL team and hasn't had a national college football champion in decades, but on Friday the state was named America's best in the sport.

The honor, a glass football statue, came from USA Football, a nonprofit organization founded in 2002 by the National Football League and the NFL Player's Association.

Some of Mississippi's greatest sports heroes, including Archie Manning, L.C. Greenwood and Hugh Green, were at the state Capitol when Gov. Haley Barbour accepted the award.

While there are few who would dispute that Mississippi produces first-class players, USA Football executive director Scott Hallenbeck knows he'll have to justify the award to fans in Texas, Kansas and Florida.

"That's a fair point. That's why we tried to make sure we set up this great equalizer on a per capita basis," Hallenbeck said. "Mississippi, because it was such a great football state, and you can see the incredible talent that comes out of this state ... is justification in and of itself."

Hallenbeck said USA Football chose Mississippi after a state-by-state analysis measured the per capita percentage of fans interested in collegiate and professional football, number of NFL players who hail from Mississippi and the percentage of lettered high school football players.

"Football is huge part of Mississippi," Barbour said at the news conference held at the state Capitol. "It is part of our spirit. It is our passion."

New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson, whose team wrapped up preseason training Friday at Millsaps College in Jackson, said practicing in Mississippi, under the sweltering heat, is "going to help us produce a great football team."

The award comes a day before the Saints play against the Indianapolis Colts at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium near the college campus.

Manning, a former star player for the Saints and whose son Peyton Manning is quarterback for the Colts, didn't say who he would cheer for since it's a preseason game.

"I got to tell you, if it was a regular-season game ... I'm going for the Colts," said Manning. "I've got three favorite teams these days, the Colts, Giants and the Saints."

Manning's other son, Eli, is quarterback for the New York Giants.

Manning said that on a national scale Mississippi isn't considered in the same league as other states, including Pennsylvania, Texas and Florida.

"It's kind of a secret that Mississippians have always known, that we've turned out players here," said Manning. "It all goes back to the coaches. It's not just about turning out NFL players, it's about turning out good people and making men out of boys."

USA Football is a national youth football advocacy group that provides support to youth leagues across the nation. The organization on Friday announced that it will award $500,000 in equipment grants to youth teams across the country.

Benson said that the Saints will match the grant funds.

USA Football gave a $1,000 grant check to the Northwest Rankin Athletic Association on Friday. The amount will now double thanks to the Saints' match.



.

[jk the sooner fan]

kansas?

[Paperclip]

kansas?

Heh, yeah, that jumped out at me too.

[TUSooner]

I didn't see Deuce McAllister (sp?) mentioned, and maybe he's not all that "great", but he gives the kinda guy that gives Mississippi a good name.

[OKC-SLC]

God, football season can't get here fast enough.

Mississippi? I mean, Mississippi?

[jk the sooner fan]

screw mississippi

they said they'd have to explain it to the fans in texas, california andKANSAS

that statement alone is enough to take the trophy away from mississippi as the people in charge think kansan's will have to be apologized too

[Mazeppa]

[QUOTE=jk the sooner fan]screw mississippi

they said they'd have to explain it to the fans in texas, california andKANSAS

that statement alone is enough to take the trophy away from mississippi as the people in charge think kansan's will have to be apologized too[/QUOT

Texas, Kansas and "Florida" not California.

[jk the sooner fan]

yeah whatever, he still said kansas......jeezus

[royalfan5]

If they are going on a per-capita basis, Kansas could score really high. Looking at their criteria, I would bet Kansas is pretty high in folks that played high school football, unless they are way different that Nebraska. I know in the very recent past Nebraska led the nation in percentage of high school boys playing football. I would guess Kansas is pretty close to that too.

[Flagstaffsooner]

Kansas, home of football and Jenny Craig.

http://cjonline.com/images/122203/13174_512.jpg

[Blue]

Damn. He's about a couple cases of :twinkies: away from having a Discovery documentary made about him.

[Sooner1991]

Mmmmmm. Homemade salsa is good

[Snrfn4ever08]

Mmmmmm. Homemade salsa is good
wow, just when i thought things couldn't get more random during the offseason:rolleyes:

[Ash]

[QUOTE=jk the sooner fan]screw mississippi

they said they'd have to explain it to the fans in texas, california andKANSAS

that statement alone is enough to take the trophy away from mississippi as the people in charge think kansan's will have to be apologized too[/QUOT

Texas, Kansas and "Florida" not California.

Maybe they meant California but typed in Kansas. Ya know, it's not hard to confuse the two. I mean, the beaches, the sheer numbers of D-1 prospects every year, the smokin' hawt babes, the celebrities...:D

[King Crimson]

Damn. He's about a couple cases of :twinkies: away from having a Discovery documentary made about him.

or Pete Townshend inadvertantly naming Jimmy Page's post-Yardbirds band after him.

[OKC-SLC]

or Pete Townshend inadvertantly naming Jimmy Page's post-Yardbirds band after him.
That band will go over like a Mark Mangino.

[SEO Sooner]

Mississippi? WOW, what B.S.! I guess they based that award on all their Super Bowl Champion teams and national championships they have piled up over the years.

[Sooner Suzie]

Not even a single mention of Marcus Dupree ....

[BudSooner]

I didn't see Deuce McAllister (sp?) mentioned, and maybe he's not all that "great", but he gives the kinda guy that gives Mississippi a good name.


Or Jerry Rice/Brett Favre...I guess they must suck when compared to the great Archie Manning.:rolleyes:

[Flagstaffsooner]

Not even a single mention of Marcus Dupree .... Come on Suz.:rolleyes:

[stoopified]

NOW I have officially heard everything.

[Okla-homey]

Kansas, home of football and Jenny Craig.

http://cjonline.com/images/122203/13174_512.jpg

That guy is going to throw a clot someday soon and be dead before he hits the turf. Pretty sad actually.

[soonerhubs]

That guy is going to throw a clot someday soon and be dead before he hits the turf. Pretty sad actually.


I see him pulling an Al Roker soon. We won't recognize him next spring... you wait.

[crimson&cream]

Being from Kansas they don't produce all that many Div 1 porspects for FB, in Basketball it's even worst.
Why?- archaic KSHSAA rules as you can't practice Basktb until 2 weeks after the FB season is over, use to be if your teams wanted to play in a summer league they had to be split up, recently now they can play as a team, but reg coach can't coach them. Reg Season is 18 or 20 games.
I know in big schools in OK if you don't play FB you can go to BkB practice, Fr & Jr Varsity anyway -not so in Kansas.
In FB they have only a 9 game schedule and 3 of those are District games. Each District use to send only the winner on to Bi-District in the playoffs now it's 2. However you may see a 2-7,3-6,4-6 or 5-5 teams in Bi-District playoffs as thats not unusual.
There's also a 2 week down period after BKb before Baseball etc etc
Unless there have been other changes since my son played in Ks.

[umberto]

I see him pulling an Al Roker soon. We won't recognize him next spring... you wait.

I hope so, because it looks like someone is inflating him from behind with an air compressor. He's a good man, and I would hate to see him die before his time.

[hybridworks]

Some of the names that came out of Mississippi...

Walter Payton
Jerry Rice
Lance Alworth
Archie Manning
Brett Favre
L.C. Greenwood
Steve McNair
Jackie Slater
Hugh Green
Eric Moulds
Deuce McAllister

[crimson&cream]

Some of the names that came out of Mississippi...

Walter Payton
Jerry Rice
Lance Alworth
Archie Manning
Brett Favre
L.C. Greenwood
Steve McNair
Jackie Slater
Hugh Green
Eric Moulds
Deuce McAllister
Where did Lovie Smith play college ball? Why am I thinking Tulsa U.?!

[hybridworks]

Where did Lovie Smith play college ball? Why am I thinking Tulsa U.?!

Tulsa
Linebacker 1976
Strong Safety 1977-79

[Jason White's Third Knee]

L.C. Greenwood? Didn't he write "Proud to be an American?"

[DalHorn]

I remember reading somewhere that per capita, Miss. & Louisiana produce the most D-1 talent. LSU has a decent tradition but WTF happened to Ole Miss and M-State? They have blown since the early 60's for the most part. I guess part of it can be explained by "issues" at Ole Miss during much of that period.

[RiddlerOK]

L.C. Greenwood? Didn't he write "Proud to be an American?"

OMG I hope you're kidding..........

[hybridworks]

Ole Miss and M State dont offer enough national spot light for most. LSU, BAMA, and surrounding FL schools pick up a LOT of MS high school prospects...