What was the moment when Alabama became more than a football team to you?

bamaboyinnh

BamaNation Citizen
Aug 21, 2008
68
21
27
New Hampshire
The day my sister announced she was going to Auburn. She and I were complete opposites. I was 10 at the time. I had always followed college football growing up in Florence. But her going to Auburn just made me root for the Tide even more. I eventually ended up attending UA. Makes for a fun Iron bowl.
 

CoolBreeze

Hall of Fame
Sep 18, 2002
8,602
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Hoover
Although I was born in Birmingham I have lived most of my life outside Alabama. I've lived in Tennessee, Florida, and Kentucky. Having two parents that are Alumni of Alabama, the Crimson Tide have been apart of my entire life. Living outside of Alabama has always made for a strange but welcome challenge of being an "exile." Although Alabama was on our TV sets every Saturday, as a small child I still didn't really understand the importance that Alabama football held in the lives of my parents and extended family. The moment that changed was at the 1992 National Championship game versus Miami. At the time our family lived in Tennessee and the Volunteer nation might be nice church going folk but when it comes to football they are as rotten as chunky milk. When our boys defeated Florida in the SEC championship game all I heard from the Vols were a chorus of how badly Miami was going destroy Bama. On Christmas day of that year my dad surprised us with four tickets to the Sugar bowl! This game was a stark contrast from the only other Bama games I had been to on homecoming. I knew this was an important game but this was the first time Alabama had played for the national championship in my lifetime and I didn't really understand it's magnitude until our trip to New Orleans began. Whereas I was the only crimson clad kid in Knoxville it seemed, darting around the French Quarter high fiving Alabama fans from all over the nation was a thrill my 12 year old self had never experienced. I fed off the frenzied party crowd. The enthusiasm and excitement was palpable as the beignets and po'boys.

We all know how the game turned out. I lost my voice by the end of the first quarter and stood in complete awe as Alabama dismantled the arrogant and prideful Hurricanes. This was the moment that Alabama football became more than a team for me. I left Knoxville as an admirer of Alabama football, I left New Orleans as a crazed and obsessed junkie, like many on this board.

What is the moment Alabama football became more than a football team to you?
Nice post BB! I wish I had an eloquent story to tell but I was simply born into a rabid Tide loving family that raised me pretty good and later became the first college graduate from our clan. I just bleed Crimson I guess.
 

cuda.1973

Hall of Fame
Dec 6, 2009
8,506
607
137
Allen, Texas
Can't really answer the question, but I still remember how I felt when we lost to Nebraska, in the '72 Orange Bowl. Felt it again, 2 years later, when we lost to Nutter Dumber.

What stands out, in my memory, was folks saying "It is just a football game." They didn't get it.
 

bamagirl71

New Member
Feb 9, 2011
22
0
20
September 10, 1971 I was a senior in high school. An arrogant friend of mine bet me $5 (a lot of money since I made $1.25/hr) that Southern Cal would beat Alabama. Of course that was the pivotal game that debuted Bama's wishbone and Bama won 17-10 because we had the best coach.

Until that time, I was going to Ole Miss. The following Monday morning I sent a letter to UA asking for admissions papers. It was absolutely one of the best decisions of my life and I owe it to the football team.
I am 99% sure my oldest child was conceived that Friday night, 9/10/71 and is occasionally referred to as, "Wishbone." :)
As of my being an Alabama fan, that was cemented as the best way for the third of three daughters to bond with a father who lived through the depression, was a veteran of WWII and wasn't terribly warm and fuzzy. But, most Saturday's in the fall he was a happy man.
 

Go Bama

Hall of Fame
Dec 6, 2009
13,786
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16outa17essee
I am 99% sure my oldest child was conceived that Friday night, 9/10/71 and is occasionally referred to as, "Wishbone." :)
As of my being an Alabama fan, that was cemented as the best way for the third of three daughters to bond with a father who lived through the depression, was a veteran of WWII and wasn't terribly warm and fuzzy. But, most Saturday's in the fall he was a happy man.
That's very funny! Touche, your day was even better than mine.
 

wishbonedays

1st Team
Mar 30, 2003
663
4
0
Hanceville, AL, USA
www.wfl1974.com
Pretty sure it was during the October 24, 1970 Alabama vs Houston game. Bama was playing in the Astrodome, and was holding a slim lead very late in the game when Steve Higginbotham returned an interception 80 yards for a TD to make the final 30-21. My parents were jumping up and down during John Forney's radio call, and to an 8 year-old this was a magical thing to behold. It made me love the Crimson Tide and gave it a very prominent place in my life. The next year, watching Johnny Musso's senior year was one of the most treasured memories of my life, cementing his place as my all-time favorite player. It only got better and stronger from there.:)
 
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Special K

All-American
Feb 8, 2008
2,803
1,297
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What do you mean "became"? What always is and always was cannot "become" anything.
 

Zorak

All-American
Jan 8, 2010
2,989
515
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Orlando, FL (Winter Park area)
Probably the 1993 Sugar Bowl. My sister had, during the 1992 season, decided to go to Alabama for school majoring in telecommunications and film. (We moved to Alabama in 1989 shortly before the IB and not knowing any better, became de facto Auburn fans because of the Auburn win). So 1992 we start pulling for Bama instead because, as my parents figured, they'd be forking over thousands of dollars to Alabama, might as well pull for them. We were in Virginia over New Year's and glued to the TV for the game, perplexing our Virginia relatives. The next day (so 1/2/93) we drove back to Alabama and had cars taking note we were from Alabama (because of our car tags), and giving us Roll Tides throughout the Carolinas. I was 11 at the time and in 5th grade, so it was a very impressionable time in my life.
 

gtowntide

All-American
Mar 1, 2011
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Memphis,TN.
I was born into a Bama family. My dad took me to a game at Legion Field against Tennessee. Our QB was Joe Namath. That pretty much sealed it for me. While I did not go to Alabama, (thanks to a trip to a little country called Vietnam)it's always been a big part of me and my dads lives. He's gone now but I'll always have those memories.
 

Sabanizer

Suspended
Dec 6, 2000
2,868
1
55
It goes back so far in my family, I think it is a chemical or gene now. I was born a Bama fan.
 

JDCrimson

Hall of Fame
Feb 12, 2006
5,347
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I went to a few games as a young kid. But for me in the fifth grade it was watching and crying through the whole Liberty Bowl game, Bryant's last game. I thought he was going to coach forever and I MIGHT have an opportunity to play for him at age 76. Then a month later I cried on the school bus all the way home learning of his passing. At 10 years old that was real tough to deal with.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk
 

Matt0424

All-American
Jan 16, 2010
3,909
0
55
Hoover, Al
Well, I made the choice to be an Alabama fan at age 4 (my Dad was a Tennessee fan, my mom an Auburn fan).

The 1992 season/1993 Sugar Bowl was the first time football REALLY had my attention.

When I fell head over heels though, was my first trip to Bryant Denny in 1996. Since then, I've been hooked.

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rgw

Suspended
Sep 15, 2003
20,852
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Tuscaloosa
I watched the 1993 Sugar Bowl with my grandpa when I was really young. I guess that is probably when the extended family fight for my fanhood was won by the Tide. I probably started becoming deeply interested in the team during the 1999 season. I remember watching the Florida game at a church gathering on small TV with an antenna. The only reason I knew about LaTech was because one of my uncles started his college football days there before transferring to Ole Miss...so beating big bad Florida after losing to LaTech was almost unbelievable to my young mind. My mom hated Spurrier pretty severely by the way.
 

beatthemtigers

All-American
Jan 4, 2006
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I was always a fan since birth, but I'll say the moment I transformed from a casual fan to a hardcore fan and major part of my life would be the 05 Florida game. I went with my dad and had the time of my life. Was also my first game besides being a kid and not knowing the difference.
 

bodiddle

All-SEC
May 14, 2006
1,338
0
0
In December 1961 I was a lonely 18 year old kid stationed at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana and I wanted nothing nothing more than to go home to Alabama. The snow was knee deep and I hated it. ...But Alabama was the number one team in the nation and I was so proud to be from Alabama. It was something I could hold on to and hold up to my fellow soldiers as most of them were football fans. They were all respectful of Alabama and made me feel special.

In 1969 I graduated from Alabama with a Masters Degree and that was the cherry on top.

I was a Bama fan before 1961 but I have been a complete Bama Fanatic since 1961.
 
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