11/24/2018
Over near the Georgia border, in South Alabama, is a small town with a big University in it. Now, from time to time this university has a national powerhouse football team and whoops up on everybody that comes their way. They’ve won national championships, they’ve won the SEC, they’ve got a great heritage in football.
Up near the center of Alabama, out West of Birmingham about 80 miles, is a pretty good sized town and they have a big old school out there which also knows about football and have won “it all” several times and smellin’ another one. This year they haven’t been beaten, and maybe not even challenged real hard, yet.
No matter which one of these schoolboy teams is rated the highest, no matter if neither is rated at all, on the day they play each other, yea, today, both these teams are rated number ONE! That’s right, listen to the fans: they say it is the only game that matters (at least, whichever current team is lower in the ratings says that.) In being in and associated with Alabama college football for 45 years, now, I think I can count with one hand of fingers the number of people I’ve encountered which switched loyalty between teams.
As general, run of the mill, life activities go, this is the only rivalry friendly enough to be inside families, inside churches, inside offices, inside grammar and secondary schools, and yet not become an all out war! Why, I once had a boss who didn’t want me to talk about the bible or Jesus or God while I was at work, yet these two school’s loyal patrons could yell their arguments up and down the halls! And that, 365 days out of the year!
So, here’s the reason I’m writing this today. Tomorrow, I think I know who’s going to be the happiest, but I have been fooled. I remember a year when the number one selling bumper sticker for Christmas was “Punt, Bama, Punt!” I remember similar bumper stickers with a message somewhat reverse from that, also. It’ll surprise me this year, if the little town down South has that much to say, tomorrow—surprised, you understand, not astounded*.
(*There’s a famous story about Noah Webster’s wife catching him kissing the cook in the kitchen. His wife said, “Mr. Webster! I’m surprised!” to which he replied, “No, madam, I’m surprised, you’re astounded!.”) (word meaning story).
So, today, out the window goes records, out the window goes perfection in predictions. This is the war, the battle is on, to the victor go the spoils! And, remember, tomorrow the war is over. Tomorrow, the logic (wherever there is some) will return and no matter who wins the battle today, the new battle for next year, same time, same state, begins to be plotted. No matter which coach says the finest conciliatory platitudes about the other, the plot for next season dominance starts tomorrow.
It’s ROLL TIDE !! or GO TIGERS !! (or in some towns “war damn eagle!”)
Today, ALABAMA and AUBURN are both NUMBER ONE!!….till 2:30PM Central. Talk to ya at 5:30pm. And the SIMH today is both fight songs!
Thanks for reading, the Elder. Roll Tide!
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