On Thursday, August 21, 2014, the Girls of Fall event took place in Mobile, AL. If you’ve never been to one of these events, mark your calendar for next year. It is an event for women, put on by the Reese’s Senior Bowl, filled with fun, football and fashion. Yes, you read that correctly, it’s about football for women, hence the name Girls of Fall.
This could’ve been a religious experience for some. I’m friends with some pretty avid football fans who follow the SEC like disciples. But, for this night in Mobile, AL, it was simply a girls night out to support the Senior Bowl. Invited by my friend, Beth Thomas, I had the extreme pleasure of meeting several of her sweet friends.
From the left: Beth Thomas, Kathy Zoghby, Wanda Martin, Me, Ginger Mullin, Phyllis Saxon and Rachel Willcox.
The event was well organized with food, beverages and shopping in the great hall of the Mobile Convention Center. Break-out sessions held in four rooms off the hall, covered topics like Tailgating Tips, X’s and O’s, and Rules of the Game. The night ended with a game day fashion show.
Our first session, Tailgating Tips, was led by none other than Panini Pete himself. Pete Blohme is the renowned Chef of Panini Pete’s Cafe and Bakery in Fairhope and Mobile, AL. He shared how to make a brine for pork or chicken, a couscous recipe, and my personal favorite – a beignet-type bread pudding. You just had to be there! Some of his tailgating tips included:
- Plan ahead and shop early
- Prepare a checklist that you can use before each game
- Form a team and have your teammates help with the cooking
- Brine before BBQ for tender, succulent meats
- Use artisan breads for a tastier sandwich
(Cell phone shot – sorry for the poor quality.)
Next, we sat in on the Rules of the Game, where I learned so many things. I’ve been watching football since high school and only knew a fraction of what I thought I knew. Our coach was SEC Referee, David Smith, who set me straight on a few things. First of all, do you know how many referees there are on the football field? I would have guessed 5 or 6 and been wrong! There is only 1 referee, 1 umpire and then 5 other officials. Yep, I thought they were all referees, and umps were only in baseball. Silly me!
Shopping was our next fun event. Vendors set up with school colors of both Auburn and Alabama, the purple and gold of LSU, and our own local South Alabama Jaguars. They had every college team near the Gulf covered.
X’s and O’s, and nickels and dimes, were the next topic of conversation. Phil Savage, the Executive Director of the Senior Bowl, did an excellent job with us ladies. It was his job to teach us the many different player positions of the game. But, those who read CoziNest regularly, know me and this is what I took away from this session…
Helmets weigh about 9 pounds (a little heavier than the babies we birth).
Beth is such a sport, modeling a 9 lb. helmet.
It is an I formation – not an eye foundation.
The tight end is a very important player and has nothing to do with gluteals.
The movie Blindside, was aptly named.
And… I learned how to use a nickel and dime defense the next time I go shopping. Mr. Cozi doesn’t have a prayer!
And speaking of shopping! There are shops to check out immediately. Retail was well-represented by the city of Mobile and the world wide web in this incredibly stylish fashion show. No more t-shirts and jeans, ladies! You can shop for game day at The Mint Julep Boutique, Urbane Boutique, Old Navy, BCBG Max Azria, Slater Zorn and a new line from three University of Alabama grads called Three07.
The Senior Bowl is scheduled for January 24, 2015. Shop for the perfect outfit and keep the spirit of football alive in winter by cheering for this season’s seniors. The game will be played at the Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, AL and televised by the NFL Network.
We all had a blast. And to that woman sitting across from us who thought the fashion show was an actual football game… be watchful. You probably ended up on YouTube.