Players - Walk of Champions

BamaLuver · Oct 15, 2018

Guess I've never given this much thought until a friend posted about his game day experience this weekend in T-Town -- particularly the Walk of Champions. Obviously, he attended the game with a group of friends and their kids. Thoughts?

His FB post from yesterday...

Hmmmmm....Alabama’s Walk of Champions. I need some help understanding why every Bama player has headsets on (listening to the game plan) while walking 125 yds from the bus to Bryant Denny Stadium. No recognition of the thousands of fans and kids lining the walkway. No smiles, no hand slaps, so fist bumps, no I appreciate y’all spending $100’s of dollars to support me. What am I missing? The players can’t for 3 minutes put their game faces and kick@%$ attitude aside to show some affection to the kids who adore them? Help me understand...

CrimsonNagus · Oct 16, 2018

I wasn’t there so I’m not sure what the atmosphere was like but, they showed a little bit of the walk on TV before the game. What I noticed was that our walk of champions looks pretty tame compared to something like AU’s tiger walk.

Things I noticed: Our path is much wider, like they don’t want the fans to be too close. Tiger walk path is narrow and the players pretty much have to react to the fans.

The shot shown in TV looked like all our fans where just holding up there phones and not doing much cheering. Now, this could have been TVs fault as they didn’t have audio but it stuck out to me how many phones where being held and not shakers. Video of the tiger walk just seems rowdier.

I’ve noticed the headphones before and this isn’t limited to just Bama players. AU players are wearing them as well but, again, their tiger walk path is much more narrow and the fans can reach out and touch the players. So, even the ones wearing headphones will be giving high fives at the same time.

uafan4life · Oct 16, 2018

The fanfare is for the fans - it's like a mini-vacation away from the cares of reality for us.

For the players, it's more like a business trip.

When you've got an important meeting first thing in your workday then you don't stop and shoot the breeze in the parking lot, in the halls, and by the water cooler on your way in to work; you head straight in, getting ready to go to work.

Well, the players are there to go to work.

Do you really want them to be distracted by the fanfare before the game even starts?

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tattooguy21 · Oct 16, 2018

BamaLuver said:
Guess I've never given this much thought until a friend posted about his game day experience this weekend in T-Town -- particularly the Walk of Champions. Obviously, he attended the game with a group of friends and their kids. Thoughts?

His FB post from yesterday...

I played sports my whole life, and never remotely close to the level and prestige of a team that holds substantially higher records than other teams and is recognized throughout the world.

I don't want to assume but it sounds like your friend never played competitive sports. The hours...HOURS prior to the game, sometimes including the night before, is about getting into the right headspace, going through days of film, pages of playbooks, and hours of conversations in your mind regarding every twitch the opponent makes and what it means.

Did you friend complain about Saban not smiling? He's famous for it.

Have you seen the boys AFTER the game, or at any of the numerous University or team events where fans get to attend? They are all smiles, jokes, and laughs.

I think the kids appreciate a win from their favorite team more than smiles.

81usaf92 · Oct 16, 2018

If you want interaction then become a barn, reb, or vol fan.

If you wanna kick someone’s butt then stay a Bama fan.

This is the price you pay for having CNS is less fanfare and more NFL business like mentality. Ask yourself, “ does CNS really do his Thursday night show because he just likes to interact with the fans by signing autographs and answer every cousin Eddie’s crazy question, or does he do it because he is contracted to do it?”

I think it’s a small price of winning to have less fan fare.

AlistarWills · Oct 16, 2018

The Walk of Champions is dead. There is no fanfare and crowds are usually no more than 4 or 5 deep. Sometimes you’ll have a player (Mark Ingram) really interact with some kids, mostly they ignore that people are even there. They blast AC/DC over the PA and it’s gotten old. People, like your friend said, stand there and film with their phones so there’s not much cheering. It’s really more of a “I can get close to the players and take pictures” atmosphere. My wife has to go scope out a spot on the stairs and watch it every time we go down and frankly I no longer care. I’d like those guys to show some love to the little kids that look up to them as heroes. I know what Ingram interacting with my son did for him.
The University could do some things to add some more fanfare to the situation by maybe having the band line up and play a little before the team arrives and then play “Yea Alabama” while the team walks in.

B1GTide · Oct 16, 2018

I saw the Walk of Champions twice this year (was in the tent with you guys during the aTm game). I think that it is awesome! Sure, the players are focused on the game. They are in their routine and kickoff is only 2 hours away at that point. But the music this year, AC/DC's Thunderstruck, really gets the crowd fired up. My wife stood in the 90+ degree heat for 2 hours to get a front row spot before the aTm game and she said that she can't wait to do it again.

JBama_in_PCOLA · Oct 16, 2018

Yeah, I haven't been to a game in 5 years. I am finally gearing up to see Mississippi State come to T-Town. Hope everything goes as planned to see it.

B1GTide said:
I saw the Walk of Champions twice this year (was in the tent with you guys during the aTm game). I think that it is awesome! Sure, the players are focused on the game. They are in their routine and kickoff is only 2 hours away at that point. But the music this year, AC/DC's Thunderstruck, really gets the crowd fired up. My wife stood in the 90+ degree heat for 2 hours to get a front row spot before the aTm game and she said that she can't wait to do it again.

RT27 · Oct 16, 2018

The difference between TIGER walk and Bama walk of champions. CHAMPIONSHIPS, those are won by concentrating on business. You want to chat and get signatures go to A day game. These guys are on their way to work. They are getting ready to dismantle the next opponent, I like the business like way they do it. These guys are serious about kicking tail.

Go Bama · Oct 16, 2018

It’s just part of their pregame routine to keep them focused. Saban isn’t ready to unleash the hounds yet. The players are doing what they’re told for all the reasons given above. There are other opportunities for them to interact with fans.

RT27 · Oct 16, 2018

Go Bama said:
It’s just part of their pregame routine to keep them focused. Saban isn’t ready to unleash the hounds yet. The players are doing what they’re told for all the reasons given above. There are other opportunities for them to interact with fans.

Agree 100%, this is just part of routine, it is not designed for interaction per say. They have events for that outside of game day. On game day I want nothing but a win, and if them ignoring fans on walk helps the ignore us. Most players are great with fans in the settings designed to interact.

crimsonaudio · Oct 16, 2018

They're focusing on getting their minds right.

Fans who act as if they're owed something need to reevaluate their view.

81usaf92 · Oct 16, 2018

crimsonaudio said:
They're focusing on getting their minds right.

Fans who act as if they're owed something need to reevaluate their view.

Yeah go to a Saban show on Thursdays and you’ll see a lot of them disheartened when they realize he isn’t there for them and he really doesn’t want to be there.

I mean yeah there are things that the University could do more for fans, but these entitled types are pretty annoying. I just go to watch Alabama play football and have a good time, and not to get my butt kissed every step of the way with fan service. I’ve been extremely happy with the product these past 11 years so everything else is just icing on the cake.

RTR91 · Oct 16, 2018

day-day · Oct 16, 2018

All the folks holding their phones up for video and photos make it look like they are giving the Nazi (Roman, whatever)...) salute from a distance.

81usaf92 · Oct 16, 2018

day-day said:
All the folks holding their phones up for video and photos make it look like they are giving the Nazi (Roman, whatever)...) salute from a distance.

It’s just telling those opposing fans that we are your overlords....

danb · Oct 16, 2018

I’ve been to the Walk Of Champions many times, and there have always been some high fives and fan recognition, but the players are in a “take care of business” mindset for the most part. I carried my best friend’s stepson with MD to see the walk a few years back, and he got tons of high fives. Amari Cooper actually stopped and knelt down and talked to him and shook his hand. He spent at least 10-15 seconds with him, which is a long time considering.

Like many others have posted, there are other one on one events for fans to interact with players.

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dirtroadlizard · Oct 16, 2018

I can understand the OP's point . But , I can't see CNS running through the fans giving high fives like Coach O . The players are following Coach's lead.

B1GTide · Oct 16, 2018

dirtroadlizard said:
I can understand the OP's point . But , I can't see CNS running through the fans giving high fives like Coach O . The players are following Coach's lead.

Agree, but Saban did hold up the Walk as he greeted a disabled fan in the front row before the Ark State game. He stopped and talked to the person for a few minutes while the whole crowd waited. Thunderstruck continued to play and the crown was really ramped up by the time the team walked through. So Saban is paying attention to those in the crowd, and I thought it was pretty cool that he did this.

GrayTide · Oct 16, 2018

This is why I go to one home game a year to see what I am missing by not being part of the game day atmosphere. I should know by now that I am not missing anything, but in my mind I think I am missing out on something. Just goes to show you can convince yourself of anything.

Players - Walk of Champions

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