Baylor Bears - Big 12

Today I'm excited to have Lindsey on my blog. I got to meet her when we did a College Football Bowl Pickem. I don't remember who introduced us but she is amazing. She is a blogger that I check out every day. She is going to talk about Baylor. I always have loved the Baylor Bears. 

Hi! I'm Lindsey from Follow the Ruels, and I am a Baylor Bear!
When I went to Baylor, our football team was the punching bag of the Big 12. We were a guaranteed win for teams like Texas, A&M, Kansas State, and Missouri. At that time, in the mid 2000's, our games were not televised, our stadium was a few miles off campus (and will be until next season), and (gasp) we couldn't tailgate. Well, we could, but not with alcohol (you know, because Baylor is Baptist). It was embarrassing.

Then, in 2007, Baylor hired Art Briles who recruited Robert Griffin III and they finally allowed real tailgating. The rest, as the say is history...sort of. 2011-2012 was when Baylor became relevant in college football. We kicked off the season with a heart stopping win over TCU who had won the Rose Bowl the previous season. It also kicked off RG3's Heisman campaign, which he solidified with a win over Oklahoma towards the end of the season. RG3 did end up winning the Heisman and went on to win our first bowl game in recent history. It was a big year for the Baylor Bears. 
Side note, just prior to that season there was some big turmoil in the Big 12. A&M and Missouri decided to split, but not without a little fight from us Bears. We fought to preserve the Big 12 and keep other teams from leaving, which angered our Aggie friends down in College Station. This is also the event that led Jim Rome to call us "scrubby little Baylor", which he later took back after RG3 won the Heisman. I just point this out because it added some tension and drive to the 2011-2012 season. If you're interested, you can read more about it here.

via Baylor.edu

When RG3 left, I, along with the rest of Baylor nation, was a little nervous what our team would be like without him. Most Baylor fans have been conditioned to be a bit pessimistic about our football program. Since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996 we have gone 69-132 (18 of those wins were in the last 2 season), so yeah...2011 had to have been a fluke, right? Well 2012 was just as exciting! The QB, Nick Florence, held his own led us to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego (my hometown), which I was lucky enough to attend!
 
The word on the street is that the 2013 season is supposed to be even better. Naturally, I am pessimistic. But we have a lot of great momentum and it should be very exciting!

And if you happen to find yourself at a Baylor game this year, here are some things you might want to know.

THE SIC 'EM

via Bleacher Report

This is a Sic 'Em. To make the proper "claw", form your hand around your bent knee. Raise it above your head while shaking your hand (the same movement you would make as if you were doing jazz hands). At the same time you yell "Aaaaayyyyyyyy....". Then when you see the band leader or everyone else in the stands doing it, swipe your hand down diagonally to your opposite hip and yell "Sic 'Em Bears!" You can see Blake Shelton learn how to do it here. THE FIGHT SONG The Baylor fight song is really nothing special. It's no Notre Dame or Michigan fight song. But if you attend a game, you will probably hear it multiples times. You do not need to know the whole fight song...I don't even know the whole fight song...but you just need to know how to spell Baylor. Specifically, you should know how to chant "B-B-B-A-Y/ L-L-L-O-R/ B-A-Y/ L-O-R. Baylor Bears Fight!" THE BAYLOR LINE
One very cool tradition that is unique to Baylor is our Baylor Line. All freshman are issued a line jersey with their name and class on the back. Before each home game the freshman line up outside the field and before the players take the field are led, running, onto the field by the President (this part only started when Ken Star became president). I will just have to let you see for yourself. 

Hopefully you will catch a Baylor game this season or at least a few highlights on SportCenter. But at the very least, I hope I have given you a good background of a football program you probably had very little knowledge of outside of Robert Griffin III.

Sic 'Em Bears!!

Lindsey
blog/Bloglovin:/Twitter
Don't forget to visit and show LOVE to Tarole at One Haole Girl. She has designed all the clothes for the College Football preview. 
Baylor Bears by onehaolegirl
 
FOLLOW:  Facebook || Twitter || Instagram || Pinterest || Bloglovin