Sean Payton & the sound of the 2010 season

There's a slew of romantic tunes in the American song book dedicated to baseball: from John Fogerty's summertime staple "Centerfield" to Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days" to the American folk classic, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."

 

Football has not been so blessed, despite its overwhelming popularity. But that situation changes this year with the great new tune from country icon Kenny Chesney called "The Boys of Fall." We saw it on the tube Monday for the first time. Even if you don't like country music, you'll LOVE this video.

 

It features Saints coach Sean Payton giving an inspirational speech to the players from his old high school, Naperville (Ill.) Central. It also includes:

"I'd give anything tonight to jump in one of these uniforms with you guys tonight," says Payton in the locker room  filled with eager Naperville Central players. "That feeling goes away. It goes away and it doesn't come every Friday night ... you're going to miss that more than anything in the world."

 

Chesney was a wide receiver at Gibbs High School in Corryton, Tennessee and his team is also featured.

 

"In little towns like mine, that's all they got," he sings.

 

It's an incredible romantic tribute to the game of football and its place within American culture. God, we wish we had emotions  ... because we'd love it so. Naturally, the video comes out of the country genre, where all the best song writers still ply their craft and where it's still OK to celebrate American culture – including our unique national game.

 

show video here

 

 

The NFL has cultivated the relationship between football and country music, too. Last year, singer Tim McGraw (whose dad is baseball legend Tug McGraw) introduced his red-white-and-blue-hued tune, "Southern Voices," in the televised concert that preceded the kickoff game of the 2009 season between the Titans and Steelers in Pittsburgh. 

 

It features numerous sports references ("Bear Bryant won it") and became one of the biggest hits of the past year. In fact, parts of the video were filmed at the kickoff party in Pittsburgh. Bear Bryant is also the last image we see in the Chesney video.