THIS is Alabama Football

[bamafan64]

SO WHAT IS ALABAMA FOOTBALL? -copied, author unknown

It is Wallace Wade.
It is Bear Bryant.
It is Gene Stallings.
It is this man in charge.

It is not Bobby Bowden, Phil Fulmer or Dennis Franchione.
It is the Rose Bowl.
It is hearing Keith Jack son call an Alabama game.
It is watching George Teague running down Lamar Thomas in the 1993 Sugar Bowl then rewinding it and watching it again.

It is hearing the first notes of Sweet Home Alabama .
It is the desire to beat Auburn at any competitive event that exists.
It is a houndstooth hat.
It is being ' Dixie 's Football Pride'
It is having enough pride to fight for your school but having enough class not to.
It is cheering the same amount for a first down on second and 6 as on fourth and 1.
It is watching Cornelius Bennett give Notre Dame quarterback Steve Beuerlein a concussion on that October day in Birmingham in 1986.

It is determining who you are going to date & marry by which team they swear allegiance to.
It is beating Florida in the SEC title when everyone said the game in 'The Swamp' was a fluke.
It is watching The Bear on the Jumbotron before a game in Bryant-Denny Stadium and almost seeing him leaning against the goalpost in the end zone.
It is right behind God and family.
It is spending a day at The Bryant Museum and still not seeing everything.
It is cool crisp autumn Saturdays where you can smell football in the air and feel it whenever there is a slight breeze.
It is watching The Bear get number 315 against Auburn .
It is watching The Bear get number 323 against Illinois .
It is hearing Paul Kennedy do the play-by-play when Van Tiffin kicked the 52-yard field goal against Auburn in 1985.

It is remembering the feeling of the upper deck at legion field rumbling due to feet stomping.
It is knowing how many days until the start of a season year around.
It is driving down Colonial Drive to see Bryant-Denny Stadium not the sorority girls.
It is getting chills up and down your entire body whenever you hear anything about the 1993 Sugar Bowl and the pride you feel because that night tradition ruled.
It is hearing The Bear's voice and having all the hair on the back of your neck stand straight up because you know no matter he said, it was something special.
It is hearing The Million Dollar Band play 'Yea Alabama ' and knowing it just does not get any better.
It is imagining hearing Penn State Quarterback Chuck Fusina ask Alabama linebacker Barry Krauss 'How close is it?' and hearing Krauss say 'About an inch, you'd better pass' right before fourth down during The Goal Line Stand in the 1979 Sugar Bowl.

It is almost coming to tears whenever Alabama loses to Auburn or Tennessee .
It is The Kick. It is The Goal Line Stand. It is The Desperation Block.
It is purposely not wearing any clothes with the colors orange and blue.
It is the Third Saturday in October.
It is not needing an alarm clock on game days, you sit bolt upright in the bed long before the alarm goes off because you know that it is a gameday, you can sleep after the bowl game.
It is walking into a stadium and knowing Alabama will win the game no matter who they are playing because is just the way it is supposed to be.
It is the saying 'Offense wins games, Defense wins national titles.'
It is the Bear Bryant 'A'.

It is getting to the stadium hours before the game just to be there.
It is walking into another team's stadium and having those fans hate you because you are from Alabama .
It is the pride that a father has when he brings his children to a game so they may cherish the tradition.
It is the hit by Roman Harper in the 2005 against Tennessee that meant everything.

It is beating LSU in Baton Rouge .
It is hearing the crunch as a linebacker dressed in crimson and white hits a running back dressed in orange and blue.
It is the pride you take in being every team's rival.
It is pulling for any team that is playing Auburn .
It is pulling for any team that is playing Tennessee .
It is singing Rammer Jammer period.
It is wishing both teams could lose when Auburn plays Tennessee .
It is knowing that the SEC Championship is a birthright.
It is being respected and feared at the same time.
It is holding up four fingers at the end of the third quarter.
It is not caring about a Heisman Trophy.
It is knowing what 'Mama Called' means.
It is whipping Auburn 31-7 in Jordan-Hare Stadium when nobody picked you to win.
It is NOT 'The Jungle'.
It is The Catch.

It is having (22) Southeastern Conference Titles.
It is having (13) National Titles.
It is more than I can ever mention in this list.
It is class.
It is tradition.
It is Alabama Football.

 

[NewbieRedux]

I could feel your enthusiasm and loyalty as I read your post. It is almost poetic. I went to a local college in NYC that did not have a football team and always wished I could have experienced the things you did. I used to watch college games when they were only on ABC, and before that, going back to grade school, CBS (I think), and listen to Chris Schenkel and Lindsey Nelson call the games while I wondered what it would be like to tailgate, take part in the other traditions (colors, mascots, homecoming, etc.), and root for my alma mater. The closest "big time" team back then was Army, (especially during the Bob Carpenter-Pete Dawkins era) but I was not a fan. I went to graduate school at a university that had a football team, but I went at night, worked by day, commuted to school and had no feeling of loyalty whatsover. Besides, they were a lousy team in a small time division. Maybe in the next life: NewbieRedux gathers in the kick, fakes left, cuts right, he has blockers...

 

[Sluggo]

Roll tide roll from a UA alum!

 

[blary54]

Yeah if I lived in a state like Alabama that has no pro sports teams Id be a die hard fan too. Luckily I live in Wisconsin.

 

[bamafan64]

It is major recruiting violations, scholarship reductions, and NCAA probations.

We've had a run in or two with the NCAA, but so have many other schools. We cleaned up and got back to where we belong.

 

[California Cajun]

Yeah if I lived in a state like Alabama that has no pro sports teams Id be a die hard fan too. Luckily I live in Wisconsin.

If I were a badger and someone participated on this forum I'd be nervous.

 

[richmondesi]

Unfortunately, this is Alabama football too...

Too bad.

 

[bamafan64]

Unfortunately, this is Alabama football too...

Too bad.

No, that is not Alabama football. That is an idiot who is an Alabama football fan. All fanbases have their idiots.

 

[CyanideJenkins]

Bamafan64...

What are your thoughts on Texas A&M coming to the SEC?

 

[The Nid Hog]

Yeah, I remember Alabama handing Penn State their lone defeat in 1982. That was quite a game, until Todd Blackledge threw a late interception. The Tide came back strong to open a big lead that the Lions could never close. Final score had Alabama over the Lions 42-21.

Of course Penn State won the National Championship that year.

I was at the '81 and '83 games between Penn State and Alabama at Beaver Stadium too. They were both fantastic. Penn State lost the first and won the second, but I loved every minute of both games. It was like watching two Titans collide.

 

[bamafan64]

Bamafan64...

What are your thoughts on Texas A&M coming to the SEC?

I like the idea of A&M joining the SEC. A&M used to have a pretty big rivalry with LSU, and several of my relatives who are LSU fans are pretty hip on the idea of this old rivalry coming back. A&M and Alabama have also had some historic ties sharing coaches and I'd love to see us play A&M more often. It looks like all this has cooled off lately, but there are strong rumors that A&M will be an SEC member soon. I'd also like to see OK or FSU come with them, as well.

 

[bamafan64]

Yeah, I remember Alabama handing Penn State their lone defeat in 1982. That was quite a game, until Todd Blackledge threw a late interception. The Tide came back strong to open a big lead that the Lions could never close. Final score had Alabama over the Lions 42-21.

Of course Penn State won the National Championship that year.

I was at the '81 and '83 games between Penn State and Alabama at Beaver Stadium too. They were both fantastic. Penn State lost the first and won the second, but I loved every minute of both games. It was like watching two Titans collide.

There were some classic games played between our schools. Penn State is one of my favorite teams behind the Tide. I love the old school uniforms and have huge respect for Coach Paterno. Coach Bryant and Coach Paterno were friends, and many of us Alabama fans hold Coach Paterno in very high regard as a result. I'm glad to see that we've signed to play them recently and hope we see more games between the two in the future. My all time favorite game between us was the 1979 Sugar Bowl, the Goal Line Stand game. I unfortunately didn't get to see it in person, but I fortunately got to see it on TV at least.

 

[CyanideJenkins]

I like the idea of A&M joining the SEC. A&M used to have a pretty big rivalry with LSU, and several of my relatives who are LSU fans are pretty hip on the idea of this old rivalry coming back. A&M and Alabama have also had some historic ties sharing coaches and I'd love to see us play A&M more often. It looks like all this has cooled off lately, but there are strong rumors that A&M will be an SEC member soon. I'd also like to see OK or FSU come with them, as well.

From what I understand on our end, the talks have gone underground to help mitigate all the lawsuit discussions. My sources tell me the deal is basically done. They're just tying up loose ends and preparing for damage control. Apparently, Baylor is all in an uproar trying to stop it and threatening lawsuits because they know it will be the end of the Big 12, or at least the beginning of the end. Baylor knows they won't get asked to dance with anybody else.

I'm really hoping that it goes thru and we move over. SEC seems to be an ideal fit for the Aggies. The only thing I'll miss would be our Turkey Day game with the longhorns. The tradition of it. I hope we'll keep it as an OOC game. But if not playing them needs to be the sacrificial lamb to get us into the SEC, then so be it. Times change.

I would love to see OU move in too, but I don't think that's going to happen. I'm guessing they'll bolt for the Big 10. FSU would be nice too. I don't know, West Virginia wouldn't be all that bad either.

I'm just glad football season is almost here.

 

[bamafan64]

From what I understand on our end, the talks have gone underground to help mitigate all the lawsuit discussions. My sources tell me the deal is basically done. They're just tying up loose ends and preparing for damage control. Apparently, Baylor is all in an uproar trying to stop it and threatening lawsuits because they know it will be the end of the Big 12, or at least the beginning of the end. Baylor knows they won't get asked to dance with anybody else.

I'm really hoping that it goes thru and we move over. SEC seems to be an ideal fit for the Aggies. The only thing I'll miss would be our Turkey Day game with the longhorns. The tradition of it. I hope we'll keep it as an OOC game. But if not playing them needs to be the sacrificial lamb to get us into the SEC, then so be it. Times change.

I would love to see OU move in too, but I don't think that's going to happen. I'm guessing they'll bolt for the Big 10. FSU would be nice too. I don't know, West Virginia wouldn't be all that bad either.

I'm just glad football season is almost here.

I've been hearing pretty much the same thing. I know that Coach Stallings is on the A&M board and I'm sure he is in favor of the switch. I hope that there would be a way to keep the UT rivalry if ya'll join. I'm sure something could be worked out. I've seen mixed signals on OU, but I've heard they are still in the running for the SEC. If ya'll leave and the Big 12 stays somewhat intact, OU would definitely have an easier schedule to contend with every year. I would imagine that TCU would be courted by the Big 12 to get out of the Big East contract if ya'll leave, too. It would certainly be a better fit for both.

 

[The Nid Hog]

There were some classic games played between our schools. Penn State is one of my favorite teams behind the Tide. I love the old school uniforms and have huge respect for Coach Paterno. Coach Bryant and Coach Paterno were friends, and many of us Alabama fans hold Coach Paterno in very high regard as a result. I'm glad to see that we've signed to play them recently and hope we see more games between the two in the future. My all time favorite game between us was the 1979 Sugar Bowl, the Goal Line Stand game. I unfortunately didn't get to see it in person, but I fortunately got to see it on TV at least.

I'm glad that Alabama is back on the schedule too. I've never felt that Penn State belonged in the Big Ten and I miss the great rivalries that were ended by Big Ten scheduling demands. It was an amazing thing to see Coach Bryant on one sideline and Coach Paterno on the other in 1981. When we beat Alabama in 1983, the victory seemed kind of lacking since Coach Bryant was already gone.

 

[bamafan64]

I'm glad that Alabama is back on the schedule too. I've never felt that Penn State belonged in the Big Ten and I miss the great rivalries that were ended by Big Ten scheduling demands. It was an amazing thing to see Coach Bryant on one sideline and Coach Paterno on the other in 1981. When we beat Alabama in 1983, the victory seemed kind of lacking since Coach Bryant was already gone.

It took a long time after Coach Bryant's retirement and death for me to enjoy Alabama football like I did before. I would imagine that many Penn State fans will feel the same way when Coach Paterno retires. I cringe when I hear sports analysts saying he should have retired a few years ago. He's earned the right to coach there as long as he wants, and I doubt anyone on earth loves Penn State any more than he does. I can't think of any other college football legends that are still actively in the game, and the game will suffer when he's not on the sideline anymore.

 

[Rockytop]

We've had a run in or two with the NCAA, but so have many other schools. We cleaned up and got back to where we belong.

"A run in or two"
I appreciate your enthusiasm for your school. Unfortunately, I don't think it is shared by many outside the world of crimson. Every school loves their own, and has their own traditions. I love the statement "back where we belong." How's that? I love how Bama fans create more and more ways to incorporate the current totals of their "mythical" national championships. What an expense for the entire following to have to buy a whole new wardrobe when you won the championship a couple of years ago. you don't see the Yankees, the Celtics/Lakers, Steelers, etc. putting the championship count on everything they own.

Why have such a hatred for any program or coach who routinely beats you? If the bammers were honest, they would say that their hatred for Phil Fulmer was more associated with the fact that he had such a one sided won/lost record against them that in reported recruiting violations. Houston Nutt and Steve Spurrier admittedly stated that they came forth with the same findings, but, their records against Bama were not as dominate.

To each his own. GO VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!! (6 Mythical National Championships)

 

[Relayer56]

Roll TIDE!!

 

[bamafan64]

"A run in or two"
I appreciate your enthusiasm for your school. Unfortunately, I don't think it is shared by many outside the world of crimson. Every school loves their own, and has their own traditions. I love the statement "back where we belong." How's that? I love how Bama fans create more and more ways to incorporate the current totals of their "mythical" national championships. What an expense for the entire following to have to buy a whole new wardrobe when you won the championship a couple of years ago. you don't see the Yankees, the Celtics/Lakers, Steelers, etc. putting the championship count on everything they own.

Why have such a hatred for any program or coach who routinely beats you? If the bammers were honest, they would say that their hatred for Phil Fulmer was more associated with the fact that he had such a one sided won/lost record against them that in reported recruiting violations. Houston Nutt and Steve Spurrier admittedly stated that they came forth with the same findings, but, their records against Bama were not as dominate.

To each his own. GO VOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!! (6 Mythical National Championships)

Where did I post anything about hating other programs? I am passionate about my team and posted something about what I am passionate about. As far as creating national championships, these championships were awarded from different organizations in the past and I don't see other schools who won the same championships ignore them.
I've heard interviews of Johnny Majors about Phil Fulmer and I doubt there are any Bama fans who hate him any more than Majors does. There's also plenty of wrongdoings going on at Tennessee when Fulmer was there, not to mention what was going on under Kiffin. Remember Tee Martin? I live in the same city he came from and the only reason Tenn didn't go under the NCAA microscope was because the SEC commissioner at the time was a known Tennessee fan who intervened in the investigation and used his influence to get the NCAA off Fulmer's back. The head of an academic department going public about academic fraud and grade tampering doesn't make Tennessee look any better, either. Looks like plenty of other schools have the same opinion of Fulmer, too. How many coaching jobs has he been offered since he left Tenn? Isn't your school also under investigation as we speak?

 

[TYdeFan05]

Rtr