Aug. 6, 2007
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Only three weeks away
Worldwide Webb It is only three weeks until college football season begins, and I can't wait! For those of you who don't know, I'm a Yankee from Indiana. Eleven years ago college football wasn't such a big deal to me. I watched on occasion, but I didn't start getting excited about the upcoming season in May like I do now. Almost as soon as I got to Fort McClellan in 1997, people wanted to know which team I was going to root for, Alabama or Auburn. Being a huge Indiana University basketball fan, I could respect my co-workers' enthusiasm. So I had to pick a team, even though I knew very little about either program. I'd heard of Bear Bryant, of course. But I kind of had to scratch my head for a second about Auburn. I do recall coming up with something about an undefeated season and a post-season bowl ban. I also seem to recall that I remembered Bobby Bowden's son was the coach. I only recall one game involving either Alabama or Auburn that I knew for certain I'd seen on TV. It was the 1993 Sugar Bowl. Sorry, Auburn fans. I watched that game for two reasons. One, it was the Sugar Bowl. Two, my older stepbrother was a HUGE Hurricanes fan, so of course I was pulling for the Elephants. (Honestly, I didn't know any better back then!) You know what's really funny about that game? Not only was it the first Alabama game I ever watched, it's still the only one my wife (she's from Ashville) has ever attended. She sat in the end zone nearest to where George Teague ran down that Miami receiver. She claims she and her family are the reason Miami quarterback Gino Toretto, the Heisman Trophy winner, played so horribly that night. She told me they went to Marie Laveau's grave and put a hex on him. I guess it worked. We all know the story: Miami was supposed to kill Alabama. That was all I heard from my stepbrother. I can still remember the look in his eyes when the Tide -- or as I called them, the Elephants -- rolled over the Hurricanes. (The final score was 34-13.) I think to this day he still hasn't forgiven me for the whole rooting-against-his-team-for-a-national-championship thing. I am assuming you've guessed which team I picked when I moved to Alabama. Sorry again, Auburn fans. Technically, I suppose I became a 'Bama fan in 1999 when the Tide swept Florida and in the process won the SEC championship. I suffered through the rest of the Mike DuBose era, said "WHO?" when Dennis Franchione was hired and got mad because of the way he bolted. I was embarrassed when Mike Price screwed up and optimistic when Mike Shula was hired. Optimism, however, led to bewilderment, which eventually led to utter hopelessness. I think I became an Alabama fan at a pretty good time. I got to see some greatness from the Tide in 1999.The Shula years weren't all bad, but they weren't all good, either. I've stuck with them through good times and bad. To lifelong Tide fans I say Roll Tide! I hope I'm a welcome addition to the Tide Nation. I think Nick Saban will bring the program back to the attention of the football world. I think everything that was missing during the Shula era is now in place -- namely a true head football coach.
I guess I should end this week's article with something about Auburn's
football program. Here's all I could come up with: "I hope you've enjoyed
the last five years! |