Years ago, there was really only one nationally televised college football game each week. Frequently that game involved the University of Alabama, coached by Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant.
The Crimson Tide. The best-known college football program in the South. Frequently the national champion in those years.
As a small boy I knew my Dad was born in Alabama and I thought I was supposed to root for Bryant’s boys. I did and, may I say, with gusto. I loved reading about those tremendous Alabama teams and grew up holding Bryant in very high regard.
I found out much too late that Dad attended Auburn before World War II. He was a Tiger. He was not a Bryant fan. And his family; brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces and in laws, all rooted for Auburn. They like to say, to this day, ‘War Eagle.’
So there I was, a Californian, rooting for Alabama. I also cheer loudly for the University of Southern California, which my parents both attended and I cheer with great vigor for San Diego State University, my alma mater.
This evening, I watched the Crimson Tide defeat LSU by a score of 21-0 in the national championship game. I thought of Dad and all of my relatives on Dad’s side of the family.
When the Tide won the national title for Gene Stallings back in the early 1990s, I wrote a newspaper column about this family situation and, sadly for me, Dad got hold of a copy of the column (because I sent it to him), made copies and distributed those clippings to his relatives. That move got me in plenty of hot water with the family, let me tell you.
I don’t want to create more unrest in the family, so I’ll close here with just two words:
Roll Tide!!!!!!
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