I also learned that UA officials are... hmmm... what's a nice way to say "assholish"?
If you haven't heard a UA employee was fired for deviating from the "scripted" song list for the Iron Bowl.
The songs in question were "Take the Money and Run" by the Steve Miller Band and "Son of A Preacher Man" which has been covered by a lot of people. They were played before kickoff, to be honest, I never even heard them playing and I got to U4 with 15 minutes to go before kick. It's ridiculous, and somewhat embarrassing, not the playing of the songs, the fact that we fired the person who did play the songs is what is embarrassing.
It's our rival! We're supposed to make fun of them. It's not like "F! The Police" was being played as nuns cleaved orphans to their breasts to cover the childrens ears. No they were songs that simply made a joke, and I thought it was a fairly tasteful one given what some of the fans were waving, wearing, and screaming. But uber-sensitive UA officials decided those songs were one toke over the line, (even that song I could see a stir over).
The other thing I learned is that fans are stupid, upon reading about this firing on cbssports.com the first post I saw was from a Barner "Typical classless Bama..." was his remark. Right because Auburn is the epitome of class and grace... that's why they hold the NCAA record for infractions and sanctions levied against their program, that high level of class they have. I got news for the barners, I've been to your stadium when Bama lost, I did not enjoy it. I'm not trying to say that every Auburn fan I ran into was saying something ugly or unkind, many of them were as nice as can be, but there were a few who made the rest look bad. And Bama has its fair share of idiots too, listen to Finebaum for about ten minutes and you can figure that out... though it's hard to top Tammy I have to admit.
Anyway, my point is, just like in life, in religious discussions, political discussions and so on, there are good people, there are bad people, there are kind people, and there are asses, in the end, no matter what group you belong to we're all human and we all fall into the bell curve somewhere. Some are good, some are bad, and everyone else is somewhere in the middle.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
What I learned this season
Well for starters I learned, late in the season no less, that this would be a wasted season. I know, 9-3 is an admirable record, being ranked in the top twenty-five at the end of the regular season is something to be proud of, and going to a bowl is something many teams can only dream of.
However, we aren’t those teams. We are Alabama and as you walk around campus for the next week or so pay attention, you will see shirts emblazoned with “13” on it, or older ones that might say something like “Got Twelve? We do!” You might even see a plaque with an homage to the 99 SEC Championship season. What you will not see is an honor or memorial to any team who didn’t win a championship of some kind.
This is a program that demands best of the best status at all times. It may be illogical, but few of us would have it any other way. No championships = no memory. I’ll put it to you this way, a friend of mine and I were looking at a list on Bleacherreport.com that detailed its version of “The 50 Greatest Traditions in College Football.” Ohio State’s dotting of the I was number 1, Auburn was in the early twenties with their eagle flight, Ole Miss and the grove were in there, the Vol Navy, just to name a few of the SEC brethren. Alabama was not on the list, which didn’t upset me in the slightest, my friend however was slightly outraged. I asked him what tradition of ours should have been on there, he had no answer. My reply was “Because our greatest tradition is collecting championship trophies.”
We don’t care about a pet frolicking in the stadium, if the band can spell the team name correctly, if our tailgates are world renowned, or a lot of people show up in a boat to watch the game. These are trivial to us. We only want champions, and this season was a waste.
That being said I learned that I need to remember to say things such as the above in like company only. My mother works at the UAB football office and has become quite the fan, even going so far as to curse at the tv concerning a football play (you did NOT hear that from me). The other day I mentioned to my father, pre-iron bowl, “10-2 sounds so much better than 9-3.” He agreed and the matter dropped. A few minutes later my mother meekly stated “9-3 sounds so much better than 4-7” (UAB’s record at the time).
I felt bad, I won’t lie. Here I was in the land of milk and honey and complaining about the aftertaste while she was living off little more than blind hope that one day she’d get to follow UAB to a bowl. Sorry mom, I’ll keep that to a minimum in your presence from now on.
Come on next season!
However, we aren’t those teams. We are Alabama and as you walk around campus for the next week or so pay attention, you will see shirts emblazoned with “13” on it, or older ones that might say something like “Got Twelve? We do!” You might even see a plaque with an homage to the 99 SEC Championship season. What you will not see is an honor or memorial to any team who didn’t win a championship of some kind.
This is a program that demands best of the best status at all times. It may be illogical, but few of us would have it any other way. No championships = no memory. I’ll put it to you this way, a friend of mine and I were looking at a list on Bleacherreport.com that detailed its version of “The 50 Greatest Traditions in College Football.” Ohio State’s dotting of the I was number 1, Auburn was in the early twenties with their eagle flight, Ole Miss and the grove were in there, the Vol Navy, just to name a few of the SEC brethren. Alabama was not on the list, which didn’t upset me in the slightest, my friend however was slightly outraged. I asked him what tradition of ours should have been on there, he had no answer. My reply was “Because our greatest tradition is collecting championship trophies.”
We don’t care about a pet frolicking in the stadium, if the band can spell the team name correctly, if our tailgates are world renowned, or a lot of people show up in a boat to watch the game. These are trivial to us. We only want champions, and this season was a waste.
That being said I learned that I need to remember to say things such as the above in like company only. My mother works at the UAB football office and has become quite the fan, even going so far as to curse at the tv concerning a football play (you did NOT hear that from me). The other day I mentioned to my father, pre-iron bowl, “10-2 sounds so much better than 9-3.” He agreed and the matter dropped. A few minutes later my mother meekly stated “9-3 sounds so much better than 4-7” (UAB’s record at the time).
I felt bad, I won’t lie. Here I was in the land of milk and honey and complaining about the aftertaste while she was living off little more than blind hope that one day she’d get to follow UAB to a bowl. Sorry mom, I’ll keep that to a minimum in your presence from now on.
Come on next season!
Friday, November 5, 2010
The 23rd Psalm for Bama fans.
Since the last post was well received I’ve got another. This one I actually came up with a few years ago while in Knoxville to see Son Volt play. As I drove past Neyland Stadium with a friend of mine I reached in the back seat, pulled out a car flag and waved it as I said:
Saban is my coach, I shall not want.
He maketh me to cheer at top volume
He leadeth me beside the nation’s elite
He restoreth our tradition:
He leadeth me in the paths of championships for the Tide’s name sake
Yea though I walk through the valley of rivals
I shall fear no orange: For Nick art with me;
His hat and his scowl, they comfort me
He prepares a table before me in the presence Auburn and Tennessee
He annointest our team as dominant, our recruits runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow the Tide for all Saban’s days,
And I will dwell in the House of Champions forever.
Roll Tide.
Saban is my coach, I shall not want.
He maketh me to cheer at top volume
He leadeth me beside the nation’s elite
He restoreth our tradition:
He leadeth me in the paths of championships for the Tide’s name sake
Yea though I walk through the valley of rivals
I shall fear no orange: For Nick art with me;
His hat and his scowl, they comfort me
He prepares a table before me in the presence Auburn and Tennessee
He annointest our team as dominant, our recruits runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow the Tide for all Saban’s days,
And I will dwell in the House of Champions forever.
Roll Tide.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Commandments
The 10... er 8 Commandments for Alabama Football Fans.
I couldn't think of 2 more.
1. Alabama is thy team
2. Thou shalt have no other team before Bama
3. Thou shalt not take Coach Bryant’s name in vain
4. Remember Gameday and keep it holy.
5. Honor thy coaches (unless they’ve proven to be idiots)
6. Thou shalt not wear orange
7. Thou shalt not cheer for auburn or tennessee (unless it helps Alabama)
8. Thou must make one pilgrimage to the holy stadium once in a lifetime
I just came up with this the other day and don't think I really have a place for it in my paper so the blog is now becoming the dump all for things I don't use.
I couldn't think of 2 more.
1. Alabama is thy team
2. Thou shalt have no other team before Bama
3. Thou shalt not take Coach Bryant’s name in vain
4. Remember Gameday and keep it holy.
5. Honor thy coaches (unless they’ve proven to be idiots)
6. Thou shalt not wear orange
7. Thou shalt not cheer for auburn or tennessee (unless it helps Alabama)
8. Thou must make one pilgrimage to the holy stadium once in a lifetime
I just came up with this the other day and don't think I really have a place for it in my paper so the blog is now becoming the dump all for things I don't use.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Sacred Space and Football
Since we’ve been reading about sacred space and all I thought about my paper as the reading went on, how my topic fits in with religions and the sacred spaces created in them.
Alabama football is no different. From the statues that stand in the North Plaza of the stadium, to the Bryant Museum, to the crest in the floor of the locker room Alabama football is not short on sacred spaces.
The statues, indeed the North Plaza as a whole is set aside as a sacred space in Alabama football lore. The statues are larger than life towering over passersby, the walkway leading from University Blvd to the stadium (known to fans as the Walk of Champions) is covered with granite inlays paying tribute to every conference championship and national championship the team has in its history. Bear’s office in the Bryant Museum is roped off and left much like it would have if Bryant were still coach. My favorite, the Alabama seal in the floor of the locker room has its own rules, no single player can ever stand on the crest without a teammate with him.
I even have a shirt that talks about Bryant Denny with the words “This is true sacred ground… let us bow our heads and play!”
These spaces are sacred to fans because of the connections they give us to our collective past. To see those statues in some way affirms my fandom as a part of something greater than myself. To walk the path that the players take, to stand in the presence of Bear’s desk, to get chills at the sound of Bear’s voice booming thru the stadium give me a… well, a religious experience.
Alabama football is no different. From the statues that stand in the North Plaza of the stadium, to the Bryant Museum, to the crest in the floor of the locker room Alabama football is not short on sacred spaces.
The statues, indeed the North Plaza as a whole is set aside as a sacred space in Alabama football lore. The statues are larger than life towering over passersby, the walkway leading from University Blvd to the stadium (known to fans as the Walk of Champions) is covered with granite inlays paying tribute to every conference championship and national championship the team has in its history. Bear’s office in the Bryant Museum is roped off and left much like it would have if Bryant were still coach. My favorite, the Alabama seal in the floor of the locker room has its own rules, no single player can ever stand on the crest without a teammate with him.
I even have a shirt that talks about Bryant Denny with the words “This is true sacred ground… let us bow our heads and play!”
These spaces are sacred to fans because of the connections they give us to our collective past. To see those statues in some way affirms my fandom as a part of something greater than myself. To walk the path that the players take, to stand in the presence of Bear’s desk, to get chills at the sound of Bear’s voice booming thru the stadium give me a… well, a religious experience.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Need Help
So it's not class related but I'm doing some charity work by getting arrested to help MDA. Please check the link below and if you're wondering, yes, even a $5 donation would be a big help.
thanks,
Ryan
thanks,
Ryan
Monday, October 11, 2010
Better late than...
My internet has been down for the week so apologies for the lateness.
I have been reviewing Emma’s paper and it’s been a big help to me (though I make no claim that it will actually help her). In reading her paper I now realize just how bad mine is and have a better understanding as to what I need to do. So, thanks Emma for helping me to see more clearly what I need to do and I’m sorry I’m horrible at editing research papers and English in general.
I have been reviewing Emma’s paper and it’s been a big help to me (though I make no claim that it will actually help her). In reading her paper I now realize just how bad mine is and have a better understanding as to what I need to do. So, thanks Emma for helping me to see more clearly what I need to do and I’m sorry I’m horrible at editing research papers and English in general.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)