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It’s that time of year again, when we throw on jerseys and either cheer from the stands or from in front of a large television.

“Run faster!”

“What are you doing?”

“You can’t take a sack there!”

For something we have no control over, football sure makes an impact on all of us. The passion we feel for our teams — places we went to school or just universities and teams we grew up rooting for — is hard to match in other areas of our lives.

It’s an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, a chance to yell and have fun. It’s a chance to hang out with friends and laugh, talk about the old days when we played and enjoy a drink or two. And rivalries are probably the most fun about it. When you know someone who is going to talk about a win for 365 days, it makes it sting more when your team loses. Of course, that makes wins all the more sweeter.

It’s all in good fun, or it should be.

So that’s what we ask you to keep in mind this Friday as you watch Valley and Lanett meet on the gridiron for one of the more fun rivalries in this region. Or when Alabama and Auburn meet in the Iron Bowl at the end of the year, as well as all weeks in between.

We take our football season in the South, and no state takes it as seriously as Alabama.

We encourage good, clean fun. Just remember that arguing over who will win the Iron Bowl, or Valley-Lanett, doesn’t impact the actual play on the field.

Football season is one of the best times of the year, regardless of whether you spend every Saturday in Tuscaloosa or Auburn. Or whether you sit in front of a TV with a bowl of chips and family around. Also, the season goes quickly. High school teams play at most 15 games. The college season is roughly the same length, if you count the playoffs, and the NFL season is only 18 weeks. 

Enjoy it. Have a great time. And don’t take it too seriously.