Ranking The SEC Traditions - Round Two, the University of Arkansas

Here comes round two in my rankings. Round one saw Alabama come out with a 65, and up next on the alphabetical list is Arkansas.

Here's how I started this series, and Arky's ratings are after the jump.

I've been meaning to do my own version of this for a while now. Everytime I attend or watch a Tennessee game, I am pleased to take in the traditions of other schools as the pagentry surrounding the football game itself is one of the biggest draws for the SEC. Every school has unique traditions of their own, and many traditions are shared, just in different ways or formats.

So, I'm gonna take on the daunting task of ranking them as impartially as my Orange blood will allow. I won't be including Tennessee's since they would obviously be number one coming from me.

Here are the categories. They are worth 10 points a piece, and the rankings will be total team score with a maximum of 100. I'll rank one school at a time as my own time permits, and then do a final tally and compilation once everyone has been ranked.

Categories are:

1. Stadium - General beauty, capacity, perceived loudness, and any nicknames or traditions therein.
2. Fans - Type of fans and loyalty primarily influence this ranking.
3. Mascot - Intimidation factors heavily in this one. Live mascots get bonus points.
4. Uniforms - Are they hideous or not?
5. Tailgating - Does it exist? How much fun is it? This one may be difficult for me since I've never been to an away game.
6. Fight songs - Speaks for itself really
7. Post-game traditions after a win - What happens after the home team wins?
8. All-time greats - Who were some of the great players from the school's history?
9. Team nickname - This is based on orginality and intimidation as well as my own personal feelings.
10. All-time program success - How often do they and have they won?

So, with that out there, here the rankings, in my opinion as a Tennessee fan, and in alphabetical order:



University of Arkansas

1. Stadium - Arkansas plays football at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. The "Razorback" part of the name helps, but we'll get to that in a bit. The stadium itself has a capacity of 76,000 and doesn't have a rep for being all that loud, but they do call their jumbotron the "PigScreen", which I like. Subtract points for playing some "home" games each season in War Memorial Stadium 190 miles away. Asthetics are nice, and I like the classic horseshoe shape. Stadium Rating - 7

2. Fans - I liken the Arkansas fans to Tennessee fans in that we have our redneck fans like every school in the South, but mostly we're just "normal" people. Arkansas fans that I know generally have a decent knowledge of the college game and other teams in the conference, and are generally cordial to other fans. Loyalty is good with the school even in the face of an average history of success. Fans Rating - 6

3. Mascot - The Razorback. If you think that's just a pig, you need to do some research. I find that the Razorback mascot is one of the coolest in sports, and is also the only "pig" based mascot in all of college football. The have four (four!) mascots including Big Red, Sue E. (great name for a female mascot), Pork Chop, and the inflatable Boss Hog. The actual mascot "uniforms" are pretty awesome as well. Best of all though, and what gives Arkansas a perfect 10 in the mascot category, is the existence of the live mascot, Tusk.

Mascot Rating - 10

4. Uniforms - I also like the Arky uniform as well. I find their use of the Cardinal color is the most appealing derivitive of the color red in the league along with the Ole Miss red. The "running hog" on the helmets is also very cool, and the use of Cardinal pants goes a long way, especially when they balance it with the all-white road uni. Uniform Rating - 9

5. Tailgating - Arkansas has a decent tailgate tradition going it seems. There is an area called "The Garden" that is supposedly similar to "The Grove" at Ole Miss. You'll find great bbq, but also some good Tex-Mex in and around the tailgates. The congenial nature of the average razorback fan also helps this score out. Tailgating Rating - 5

6. Fight Song - The Arkansas fight song is quite catchy and scores points for that as well as having that "classic fight song" sound to it. There words consist of your average "fight, fight, fight" type lyrics, but, again, the classics are classic for a reason. Give it a listen, and notice how fierce the logo is!

Fight Song Rating - 5

7. Post-Game Traditions - After a home win, the coaches and team will usually gather in an area of the stadium and lead the fans in singing the fight song. While a great tradition, it is not all that original, so the score is somewhat low. Post-Game Tradition - 3

8. All-Time Greats - Arkansas has produced 12 members of the College Football Hall of Fame, and 45 All-Americans. There have certainly been some great players and coaches at Arkansas, but nobody in particular really stands out. All-Time Greats Rating - 4

9. Team Nickname - The Razorbacks. If they were just pigs, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. But, the Razorback is one fierce, feral pig and not to be trifled with. Their live mascot is a Russian Boar that weighs in at 400 pounds. The logo they use is fierce and intimidating. All around great name for a team. Team Nickname Rating - 10.

10. All-Time Success - Arky doesn't have all that much to scream about in terms of historical success. They have a National Championship from 1964, and 13 Southwest Conference championships. The sole National Championship is almost par for the league. They joined the SEC in 1992 and have been blown out in all three of their SEC Championship Game appearances. All-Time Success Rating - 4.

Overall Score for the University of Arkansas - 63

Up next, Auburn University.

Disclaimer - I know you think your school deserves 10's at eveything, but these are my rankings and I call them how I see them. We all think our own school is the best at everything, but, if I completely left any traditions out, by all means let me know. Also, it's likely no school will have a 90+ score, or maybe even 80+, so just chill. It's all in fun!