He was a huge LSU fan, but he said that he always pulled for Alabama because he respected Bear Bryant so much.
Your Dad was not the only one. I remember the first ever road game I went to was the 1977 Alabama v. LSU game in Tiger Stadium. I knew Bryant was a big deal anyway, but it wasn't until that day that I knew just how big of a deal he was. We had seats in the lower bowl towards the South end, and I remember him leaning up against the goal post watching our guys warm up. He had been there for about two or three minutes, and suddenly all of these LSU people starting coming up to shake his hand. Cheerleaders, assistants, ball boys, you name it. Finally Mike the Tiger walked up to him and shook his hand, and I'd never seen anything like it. It was then that I knew just how big of a deal he was. I've never been able to quite get over the fact that the LSU people were even in more awe of Bryant than were the Alabama people.
I watched Bear's last game in the Liberty Bowl with my father and I remember him telling me what a big deal that was. He was right.
That was a big one, no doubt. I am not much of a collector -- few odd and end pieces is about it -- but I was at that game, and I still have my ticket stub, my program, and a crimson button, with white writing, that I bought outside the stadium that read, "I was there for 323." I've had those things for over a quarter of a century now, and I wouldn't sell them for all of money in the world. I'll never forget the feeling of sitting in that freezing cold stadium, watching our two-decade long dominance of college football officially come to an end, and seeing that man's coaching career play out its final chapter. I've been fortunate enough to attend some great moments in Alabama football history -- three national championships, 315, and the Kick, just to name a few -- but that freezing cold Liberty Bowl will always be the one I remember above all others.
Anyway, enough reminiscing, it has been twenty-five years now since his departure, and no one has even come remotely close to accomplishing what he did. To absolutely dominate the game in the way he did, in the game's toughest conference at that, is just hard to even fathom. I would not have believed that kind of domination was even possible, except that I know it is because I saw it with my own eyes. I feel completely confident in saying that we will never see another single coach dominate the game like he did.
On a separate note, I always had a fondness for Charlie Mac, as well. I actually got the chance to meet him six or seven years before he died, and he was a very nice man. I'll never forget getting to meet him.
And you know, it's really a shame that the status of college football has turned into what it is. Football has always been cut-throat, but it has gotten much worse in recent years. Sadly enough, we've lost the camaraderie of that era. The days of cordial respect for your opponents, like was the case between Bryant and Charlie Mac, are largely days gone by at this point.