Roll Tide

For those who have never been to a football game in the south, you may not understand just how passionate the Southerners are about the game. As much as I live for Cardinals baseball in the summer, I think they are 10x more devoted to football. They eat, sleep, dream football--their very breath is football. I had the opportunity to go with my Uncle to the Iron Bowl (Alabama vs. Auburn) while I was in Dixie for Thanksgiving. I had been to a game many years ago but my recollections were few aside from the fact that there were a lot of people. As we headed down the highway to Tuscaloosa, nearly every vehicle in sight had either an Alabama flag, bumper sticker or magnet on it. We made our way to the parking garage & as my Uncle paid the parking attendant, she let out a big, "ROLLLLL TIDE!" In return, my Uncle did the same. From the time we stepped on the elevator to head to the bus stop to carry us to the stadium to the time we sat down in our seats people were yelling "Roll Tide." Alabama had added onto their seating at the stadium since my last visit so I was mesmerized by the size of the place. I had a suspicion that things would be loud but until things got rolling, I had no idea the magnitude. And then...it all began. The Bama players appeared, the band played & the cheerleaders cheered..as did the 90,000+ seated in the stadium. The noise was deafening. I have been to a number of playoff games at Busch Stadium & heard the roar from the Cardinals fans, I've been in sold out arenas for different events where people were erupting with chants & cheers but nothing can compare to the volume coming from Bryant-Denning Stadium that afternoon. The Bama diehards are rowdy anyway but I knew that they would be even more fired up for this game. In just the first few minutes of the game, the people were already on the edge of their seat as if it were the final minute in the 4th quarter & the game was tied. Auburn had beat Bama a consecutive 6 times prior to this meeting & Bama being undefeated thus far, had to beat Auburn this go around. I assumed that the Tigers would at least put some points on the board but when the game was over & done, they had the door slammed on them with the Tide winning 36-0. Talk about an explosive victory!Before we even went to the game, I was a bit fearful that the game itself may be a little too slow & boring for me as I had been used to watching Mizzou football--Mizzou scores fast, quick & often, generally scoring at least 40 points in a game. Alabama on the otherhand, does not. If there were a game for me to see, I was at it though. I did not leave disappointed nor did any other UA fan. The only ones that left with their heads hanging low were those in the orange & blue shirts. I am eager to go to another game there in Tuscaloosa--they will be adding another 10-15,000 seats soon. That should make for a good weekend of hearing loss!




**Note that I will try to get a couple of the videos I shot up as soon
as possible. I'm having difficulties uploading them onto here at this time.**