This was started by army56mike over in the realignment forum, but as he says below, we need this info for the current teams as well. The original post is quoted below:

(11-09-2023 05:01 PM)army56mike Wrote:  

(11-09-2023 04:19 PM)LexColonel Wrote:  

(11-08-2023 03:04 PM)army56mike Wrote:  Best Comparisons worth mentioning…..

………..….….UMass……………….UDel…………..EKU…………………..MoSt
Colors….…..maroon/white…..blue/gold…..maroon/white…..maroon/white
Nickname…minutemen………..fighting……..colonels…………….bears
…………………(cool)………………….blue hens….(cool)………………..(cool)
……………………………………………..(cool)……………………………………………
Best Pizza…Antonio’s……………Gianni’s……..Appllo……………….PaPPo’s
Best Burger.Johnny’s……………Farmer &……Jackson’s………….black sheep
……………………………………………..the cow……………………………………………………
Tourism…….emily dickinson…nemours…….ft. boonesboro….wonders of
………………….museum…………..estate…………state park………….wildlife……
Best fishing.Quabbin…………..delaware…….Reba Lake…………table rock
………………….Reservoir………….river/bay…………………………………lake

Feel free to keep adding to this great list

I’ll bite… only EKU as I don’t know what the others have.
Best Sports Bar: Madison Gardens on Madison Avenue owned by two brothers from NYC. Best wings you’ll find anywhere. Lots of EKU memorabilia, including the goal post from Coach Kidd’s 300 victory. Torn down and carried to down town Richmond, it’s inside the place too!

Best victory celebration after a football win. Cabin on the Hill. And old country ballad has been sung (now mostly shouted) by the football team. For 50+ years and still going strong! Colonels have been singing this long before gathering to sing after a game was “ fashionable “.

Excellent info LexColonel! We need to find that info for the other three teams. Shoot! We need this info for all CUSA teams.

Jacksonville State

Colors: red/white

Nickname: Gamecocks (since 1946 - before then we were the Eagle Owls)

Best Pizza: Mongos (historical shout out to Mata's down in Anniston, though)

Best Burger: The Rocket

Best Ribs: Cooter Brown's

Tourism: Berman Museum (weapons & art), mountain biking (Coldwater Mountain), kayaking (Terrapin Creek)

Best Fishing: Lake Guntersville (bass) or Weiss Lake (crappie)

Best Sports Bar: Struts

Best Victory/Postgame Celebration: Singing "I'll Fly Away" postgame. This tradition began with the Marching Southerners members & alumni in the 1960s (well before such things were fashionable). During the 2010s, the football team joined in. Now everyone does it, win or lose.

Sam Houston

Colors: Orange and White

Nickname: Bearkats (Was almost changed to the Raven's which was Sam Houston's Indian name he was given by his Native American family)

Best Pizza: Double Daves (Solid buffet and make sure to order Pepperoni Rolls)

Best Burger: Humphrey's (A case could be made for Mr. Hamburger or Short's Top burger)

Best BBQ (Because we don't just eat ribs in TX): Holy Smoke (Only open on certain days and operates out of a literal church called Zion) another good option is Bennie J's.

Tourism: Sam Houston National Forest (Hiking, Camping, Fishing, Hunting, and Biking), Huntsville State Park (same as SHNF), Texas Prison Museum, Sam Houston's Memorial Museum / Homestead, Sam Houston State off I-45, Blue Lagoon (Best scuba diving in Texas), and General Sam Houston's Offroad Park.

Best Fishing: Lake Conroe (Bass, Crappie, & Catfish), Trinity River (Alligator Gar, Spotted Gar, Catfish, Crappie, Bass, and it is super rare but paddlefish has been caught), Lake Livingston (same as trinity river but the Trinity river is only 15 mins from campus), Lake Raven (Catfish, Crappie, and Bass), and it is illegal but the duck pond at Sam Houston's Homestead has some massive bass.

Best Sports Bar: Humphrey's (Night club's/ bars would be Shenanigans or the Jolly Fox)

Best Victory/ Post Game Celebration: Not much tradition here but we always sing the alma mater after the game.

(11-10-2023 03:48 PM)Bearkat21 Wrote:  Best BBQ (Because we don't just eat ribs in TX)

Point of clarification: We too eat far more than just ribs in Alabama. But while most Jax State fans can agree on who has the best ribs in town, the question of who has the best BBQ is entirely individual and subjective, and any attempt by me to pick any one restaurant and label them "The Best" would open up a firestorm the likes of which hasn't been seen since Dresden. (too soon?)

Honestly, when it comes to "barbecue" I wouldn't even put Cooter Brown's in my Top 5. But when it comes to ribs, they're second to none in Alabama, except, maybe, Dreamland in Tuscaloosa. And that's not settled science either.

(11-10-2023 04:08 PM)whupemall Wrote:  

(11-10-2023 03:48 PM)Bearkat21 Wrote:  Best BBQ (Because we don't just eat ribs in TX)

Point of clarification: We too eat far more than just ribs in Alabama. But while most Jax State fans can agree on who has the best ribs in town, the question of who has the best BBQ is entirely individual and subjective, and any attempt by me to pick any one restaurant and label them "The Best" would open up a firestorm the likes of which hasn't been seen since Dresden. (too soon?)

Honestly, when it comes to "barbecue" I wouldn't even put Cooter Brown's in my Top 5. But when it comes to ribs, they're second to none in Alabama, except, maybe, Dreamland in Tuscaloosa. And that's not settled science either.

Dreamland shouldnt be mentioned in the same sentence as Cooter Browns. Heck Dreamland is near the bottom of ribs in Alabama. Archibalds in Tuscaloosa is far away better than Dreamland.

Not sure I would recommend any BBQ close to JSU. Stop in Bham on the way in to get your BBQ if it isnt ribs.

(11-10-2023 05:07 PM)Gemofthehills Wrote:  

(11-10-2023 04:08 PM)whupemall Wrote:  

(11-10-2023 03:48 PM)Bearkat21 Wrote:  Best BBQ (Because we don't just eat ribs in TX)

Point of clarification: We too eat far more than just ribs in Alabama. But while most Jax State fans can agree on who has the best ribs in town, the question of who has the best BBQ is entirely individual and subjective, and any attempt by me to pick any one restaurant and label them "The Best" would open up a firestorm the likes of which hasn't been seen since Dresden. (too soon?)

Honestly, when it comes to "barbecue" I wouldn't even put Cooter Brown's in my Top 5. But when it comes to ribs, they're second to none in Alabama, except, maybe, Dreamland in Tuscaloosa. And that's not settled science either.

Dreamland shouldnt be mentioned in the same sentence as Cooter Browns. Heck Dreamland is near the bottom of ribs in Alabama. Archibalds in Tuscaloosa is far away better than Dreamland.

Not sure I would recommend any BBQ close to JSU. Stop in Bham on the way in to get your BBQ if it isnt ribs.

Martin's in B'Ham is better than Dreamland, as well.

Dreamland has some damn good banana pudding, however.

I do like Full Moon.

Western Kentucky University

Colors: red/white

Nickname: Hilltoppers (since 1911)

Best Pizza: Alley Pizza and Pub probably the best. But there isn’t any great pizza in BG.

Best Burger: Gerard’s 1907 Tavern is only place in BG that was ranked on the state of KY’s best burger list. Double Dogs used to have a decent burger, but it’s been a while since I had it.

Best BBQ: Smokey Pig if you want good shoulder or ribs. Monroe County (KY) style of BBQ. Get the shoulder dipped for a kick. Or Cotton BBQ is a local food truck that has really good brisket and sausages. No where else around here does good brisket.

Tourism: Mammoth Cave National Park (largest cave system in the world), National Corvette Museum, Corvette Plant, Beach Bend Raceway (drag track), Beach Bend Park (amusement park and water park, plus many more parks, lakes, rivers, and etc.

Best Fishing: Tons of waterways in the BG area. Personally I have always had the best luck at Barren River Lake for bass, crappie, and catfish. Local park at three springs stocks trout periodically as well.

Best Sports Bar: Double Dogs is the best in BG hands down.

Best Victory/Postgame Celebration: For a long time at the end of basketball games that WKU was winning convincingly enough with 30 seconds or so remaining the student section and band would all pull out their keys and start jingling them at the opposing bench. They would then break into “Nah Nah Nah Nah, Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye”, until the final horn.

Great thread to start Whupemall. Thanks!