Posted on 12/30/2014 6:26:08 AM PST by C19fan
Dan is on the line, in all his florid Southern glory.
"Growing up, I loved two things," he drawls in a deep voice. "My grandma's apple pie and Paul Bear Bryant."
Dan is part of the flood of callers to Birmingham radio station WJOX's "JOX Roundtable" show two weeks back. Show hosts Ryan Brown, Lance Taylor and Jim Dunaway say they talk college football every single show, all year, and almost all of that centers on Alabama and Auburn. On this day, they are honoring my request for insight into why college football is better in the state of Alabama than anywhere else in the nation – why Alabama or Auburn has played for the national championship six straight seasons (counting 'Bama's inclusion in the College Football Playoff this season), a run unlike anything ever seen. This year marks the Crimson Tide's fourth run at a title since 2009, while the Tigers played for it in 2010 and again last season.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.yahoo.com ...
I didn’t believe this until I went to Alabama last winter with Beau - who spent a good chunk of his high school years in Alabama - Albertville area - playing football.
Wow. Literally everything revolves around football down there - and I thought being a rabid Badger Fan or Packer Backer was intense! These people live, breathe, eat, sleep football every day. I thought Beau was exaggerating.
Kids that aren’t built for football are practically given up for adoption by their families! ;)
its because down here we still love winners
How come UAB is giving up football?
Because ‘Bama does not want competition. The same board dominated by ‘Bama alums run both ‘Bama and UAB.
The UA Board of Trustees runs UAB. UAB supporters will say the board undercut and handcuffed the UAB program.
Alabama supporters deny that allegation.
I tend to agree with the UAB supporters...
It’s not just Alabama, it’s the South. SEC football is king and has been for decades.
A Memphis journalist I know who was close to Gene Bartow blames Bear Bryant’s son. I don’t know if that’s true, but I hate to see UAB shut it down.
Also, my dad played center for LSU in Sugar Bowls II and III.
That needed to be said. I moved to Atlanta in 1966. I soon learned that, most of the time other nation wide power house teams would come into the South or be invited to a bowl game with an SEC team, and wind up getting beaten.
It fit in nicely with the then provincial makeup of the Southeastern states. As was stated, "kick each other around and then kick the outsider around."
Ping to the Auburn list!
And, a ping to the full Alabama (state) list.
I still remember when there was a movement to get Auburn to drop 'War Eagles' because war is bad.
I had a vice president at TI who has a degree in 'war' from Texas A&M.
LSU fan here. I remember reading once that Bryant was asked why he never wore his iconic hat in the Superdome. (He didn’t). He replied that his Momma told him that you never wear a hat indoors. Classy guy. I think of that sometimes when I see grown men with backwards baseball caps in church.
My dad was at Alabama when the Bear was playing. Bear tried to get dad to play because he was a big guy. Dad was in pre med and just didn’t feel he could do both. In our family supporting Alabama is the only option. The first thing I bought for my granddaughter was a pair of Alabama booties to wear home from the hospital. ROLL TIDE!
I am very happy today, we beat the tea-sippers.
Got to luv the TAMU assistant coach pulling off a Woody Hayes. (Sad that many people includign me think about that one moment at the Gator Bowl for an iconic coach).
Ditto Georgia and High Skoo football....if there's a game on Friday night, much of Gainesville looks like the crowd at the Rose Parade.
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