If you live in Alabama, it's almost imperative you have to pick a side.
Alabama or Auburn?
With no disrespect at all to the other teams that reside in this football-crazed state, I think you get the idea.
I will start with the fact I am a lifelong Alabama fan, but this article is not about me being on one side or the other.
It is about the feelings shared between the majority, but not all, of the fans of both teams. This feeling or state of mind is one which should be buried forever—in more ways than one.
That feeling or emotion is hate.
In all honesty, I want Alabama to beat Auburn each and every time we square off, in any kind of competition.
It is my right to pull for my team, and it is what I do, along with all other Crimson Tide faithful.
Right alongside is Auburn, who wants to beat Alabama in the same situations, and the Auburn faithful have the same right, and that is also what they do for their team.
Here is where the ugly part comes in to play.
Some, and again I emphasize some, fans of both sides will tell you they hate the other, for no other reason than they just do.
Now, I don't know how many of you will agree with me, but this is a ridiculous emotion, feeling, or whatever you want to call it. It just has to be removed from this rivalry.
I get it; we both want to be better than the other.
We both want to win the Iron Bowl. We both want to establish our dominance in the state for the next year, win bragging rights, or whatever you want to call it.
With that said, do we really have to hate each other?
I am willing to bet that the real players here, the upcoming young men on that field each and every week, are not a part of this unsupported hate in which some fans participate.
I am also willing to bet that they play across from high school friends a lot of the time, and even though they want to win, they don't buy into that emotion at all.
And we are the adults here?
We talk about how they are young kids, and about how they need guidance for doing things they shouldn't, but then we talk about one another in such a hateful and disrespectful way just because they pull for the opposite team?
I know this article might fall upon deaf ears and might not make a difference one way or the other, but we should try to remember one thing.
It's a game—and there is no room for hate in it.
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This is an article that I was not looking forward to writing, but thought it necessary.
Although I am sad that Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Rolando McClain is going, I also support that in many ways, and want to say, before he goes, Thank You.
McClain is another name forever etched in the minds of the Crimson Tide faithful, as well as others in the college football world. There have been so many linebackers that can be labeled as great, but McClain, to me, might need a statue right alongside the coach.
I am not a statistics guy, never have been, as I am not always a believer in them. Stats will tell the technical side, but there is much more to a player of this magnitude than just numbers.
McClain is a leader, plain and simple. Just watching him on the field will back up that title. We have all watched him over the last three years, and he puts people where they need to be. He has the size. He has the speed. He has the desire. And, most importantly, he has the knowledge.
As I mentioned, there are several linebackers that you can label great who have worn the crimson and white, but did they orchestrate their defense the way he did?
Did they change the defense only seconds before the snap?
My guess is maybe, but not to the level he did.
What is the overall reaction of defensive players, if you ask them what happens when they miss an assignment?
You have to answer to “Ro”.
Wait a minute, what about Coach Nick Saban?
You don't have to answer to him?
Sure you do, but he’s not 6’4” and 258 pounds.
I would say it is all about respect.
Respect to a player that has earned it, on and off the field. I have not played college football, but have competed in sports most of my life, and you have respect for someone that does their job, and does it well. McClain has done just that and enjoyed success as a result of it.
Not taking anything away from all the other players. They have all done a fantastic job of being one of the top defenses in the nation. But, with the loss of Hightower, we thought that our defense would struggle.
It didn’t, and that is a credit to players stepping up and playing when needed. It is also a credit to McClain for playing most likely a bigger role in the defense after losing not only your right-hand man so to speak, but a rising star at linebacker.
I am sure I speak for plenty when I say we will surely miss No. 25 tracking people down on the field. I would say we all will certainly be watching him on Sundays for a long time to come. His decision is sound in my opinion.
Really, what else can he accomplish on the field?
I know this is a team effort, but his talent can't be denied.
I know this comment will never be heard by McClain, but as a fan of Alabama my whole life and also as a fan of McClain, I will go back to the beginning of this article and just say what I think we all want to say to this young man.
We have enjoyed, appreciated, and marveled at all he has done for the University of Alabama.
Thank you, Rolando.
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How many times have you seen a talented, highly recruited high school player come in to Division I football and not live up to the hype?
Lots of times, right? But not this time, and not this player.
Julio Jones has far and wide lived up to the hype surrounding him ever since the day he signed to play with the Crimson Tide. Even though he was a standout player at Foley, Ala., little did Alabama fans know what he would become in just a very short time.
Julio led Alabama with 58 catches for 924 yards and four touchdowns. The 6'4", 211-pound Jones is known for not going down on first contact, and not many times goes down on second contact either. He was a running back until ninth grade, and he gives credit to that by helping him have better vision because of the levels of players he had to go through to get in the clear.
Now he has only one level to clear—the secondary.
"Those guys [cornerbacks] are smaller, too, than linebackers. They shouldn't be able to tackle me."
It seems that praise for Julio not only comes from fans, but from fellow players as well that face him on a regular basis.
"Julio's a freak, one in a million," said Alabama sophomore linebacker Dont'a Hightower, shaking his head with admiration. "When he catches the ball, he turns up the field so fast. If you weren't in that lane, you were either run over or you would miss him."
Jones also ended the season with injuries. He suffered a sports hernia against Georgia, as well as other injuries to the wrist and shoulder, which all required offseason surgery.
Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban was also one to join in on the praise of the freshman receiver.
“He demonstrated tremendous physical and mental toughness to overcome those things,” Saban said. “The way he competed and played in the LSU game is unbelievable. It would be nice to have a lot of young players sort of watch some of that and see that effort and see that toughness.”
There is one thing for sure: he has made a name for himself, not only in the state of Alabama, but all over the nation, when you talk about receivers. He has a work ethic, and a don’t-quit attitude that demands respect of his teammates, and also from the players that line up across from him on Saturday afternoons.
Julio said of not being 100 percent toward the end of last season, "My teammates weren't going to quit on me, so why would I quit on them?"
With that said, there are no questions his hype was well deserved.
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If you're an Alabama fan, is there any better place to spend a Saturday afternoon?
For a long time, it was a place that no opponent wanted to spend their Saturday afternoon, cause most of the time it was going to end up in their "lost" column.
As it stands, Bryant-Denny is the fourth largest stadium in the SEC, the eleventh largest stadium in the nation, and the 17th largest non-racing stadium by seating in the world. Upon the approval of the South Endzone expansion, it could possibly be the fifth largest stadium in the country, second largest in the SEC, and eighth largest non-racing stadium in the world.
Alabama holds an all-time record of 187-32-3 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Of that record, “Bear” Bryant holds a 72-2 record.
Yes, a 72-2 record: A good reason why this stadium was feared once upon a time.
But, of course, “The Bear” is not roaming the sidelines like he once was, and it seems that soon after he was gone, the fear of entering this stadium kind of wore off to some degree.
Can it be that way again? Sure it can.
Is it that way now? It's on its way, I would say.
Nick Saban is no miracle worker, nor is he “Bear” Bryant in any way, but he is a winner, and a proven one, nobody can dispute that. In my opinion, I believe that this stadium is on its way back to being feared once again.
Now, with that said, things are very different in football compared to then. You have the parity that you didn’t once have, and some of the teams that would not have been a concern in the Bryant era are now very clear and present dangers on the field.
“Domination” is not a word used on a daily basis in the college football world as it once might have been, and you don’t see teams, for the most part, dominating year in and year out.
Of course, a lot of big games were played at Legion Field, another home location for the University of Alabama. In 2003, Alabama played its final game against the South Florida Bulls, and ever since, Bryant-Denny is the sole home of Alabama Football.
Some memorable moments in Bryant-Denny would include the 1994 shootout between Jay Barker and Eric Zeier of the Georgia Bulldogs...Tyrone Prothro’s reception over the back of the Southern Miss Defensive Back, and of course the 36-0 shutout Iron Bowl victory against Auburn, the first Iron Bowl victory in Bryant-Denny Stadium.
But finally, I would think that a main part of instilling fear into opponents coming in to play the Crimson Tide would be the fans.
The fans are at times referred to as “The 12th Man,” and they play a huge impact on the game. NO, they are not on the field, but they do contribute in a big way.
I do recall being in Bryant-Denny, Sept. 6, 2003.
Oklahoma comes to town to play the Crimson Tide. Just one year prior, 'Bama loses a well fought game to the Sooners, and correct me if I am wrong, but OU came in ranked No. 1 at the time.
Not long before kickoff, the capacity crowd sings along with the “Rammer Jammer,” which for those who don’t know, includes the line “We're gonna beat the hell outta you.”
Now, that might not change the team, and it might not intimidate the No. 1 team in the country at all, but you have to know it was in their heads.
Every college football fan wants their stadium to be feared, and wants it to be an intimidating place to play. Although there are many that fit that bill, not many can say they experienced the tradition, and enjoyment, and success that this one has produced over time.
This stadium is also home to 12 National Titles, 21 SEC Titles, and was once the place where a legend in most everyone’s mind spent a lot of his Saturday afternoons.
Not many can say that either.
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Think back to the days where Nick Saban was roaming the sidelines at LSU, and remember what you thought when they took the field. I, for one, do remember thinking how much talent he had brought to the Bayou, and how most all positions on the field had a big, fast, and strong athlete. Bad as I didnt want to admit it, it was true, and not many teams matched up physically.
But guess what, now that is Alabama.
Few will argue that Coach Nick Saban has brought an abundance of talent to the Capstone, and it appears he isn't done just yet. With the last two recruiting classes being ranked at or close to the very top, Alabama is starting to look a lot like the aforementioned Saban team of years ago.
Difference is now that they are all wearing the crimson and white, they are all playing in one of the most storied programs that there is in college football, and they all will soon to be spending some of their Saturday afternoons with over 92,000+ of their closest friends in Bryant Denny Stadium.
Some speculate that this might be the most talented bunch of Tide players that they can remember, as a group. I, for one, tend to agree, but you also have to remember the difference from now to then.
Coach “Bear” Bryant didn't have scholarship limits at that time, and with his name alone had the pick of the litter. Yes, he had talent, and plenty of it, but was it of this caliber? Did young men come out of high school with the physiques they have now, and the speed they have now?
Today’s athlete seems to be more of a polished player from the start than of that time. They are strong, they are fast, and they can make that jump, albeit tough, to the Division I level it seems, and some with not much possibility of failure.
Coach Gene Stallings had a talented team, and not to forget to thank Coach Bill Curry for part of that talent pool left behind to win a National Championship in 1992. That is, and will be, one of the best defenses Alabama has put on a field, and again the talent level was very high.
You have to mention names like Copeland, Curry, London, Langham, and Teague, just to name a few. Also, one of my favorite players to suit up in the crimson and white, Jay Barker. A very good backfield in Derrick Lassick and Martin Houston, and of course who can forget David Palmer, “The Deuce.”
Shaun Alexander is of course forever in the heart of the Crimson Tide faithful, and there have been multiple talented Tide players that we could list on and on. But, fact is that the young men that Coach Saban has running around at practice now might be as talented a group as you will ever be able to recall at the Capstone.
The depth is becoming a factor, and a luxury that Bama has not seen in quite some time, and one that might turn out to be a deciding factor in games to come.
The bottom line is Coach Saban has instilled a discipline second to none. He has enforced an attitude of “team” and pushed the the importance of “finishing,” and has brought back a sense of Pride in the program that needed to be spiked.
Which, in turn, when you walk into Bryant Denny Stadium on a Saturday afternoon, and you hear the Million Dollar Band playing, and you see all your friends wearing that crimson and white, and you hear the voice of “The Bear” saying, “I ain’t never been nothing but a winner!”—it is then you can thank Saban for bringing the talent in that made it all possible…again.
