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News Article: You owe it to yourself to read this excerpt from Marty Smith's book

Tidewater

Tidewater

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Re: You owe it to yourself to read this except from Marty Smith's book

Thanks for posting that. Poignant and true.
I know Pearisburg well (watch your speed if drive no through town!) and he is right the upper west stands at Lane are special. From up there on a fall afternoon, the views of the mountains are magnificent. Alabama is my abiding love but the Hokies were my first love. My first college football game was Va Tech at So. Car. in 1974, and my father took me to that game.

Cherish your time with your father and your children because it’ll be gone before you know it.
 
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TideEngineer08

TideEngineer08

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Thank you for posting that. Yesterday was tough. Just over 2 months now since Daddy passed away. What I can say is that I thank God I had this kind of relationship with him, and I had him for 36 years.
 
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bamamick

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Great piece. I have a lot more in common with Marty Smith than I'd have ever thought possible. And yes, the lines between my father, who took me to my first Alabama game at Ladd Stadium in Mobile in 1968, and Coach Bryant, are definitely blurred.

The last thing I ever did with my dad, other than sit in a hospital room with him, was take him to the Bryant Museum for a day, about a week before he went into the hospital for the last time. I don't like the whole 'football is a religion' and 'Nick Saban is a god' stuff. I never have. I think that Coach would be offended by it, being honest. But I do agree that as you grow up these things are so ingrained in your memories that they become a part of who you truly are, a part of your DNA. It's impossible to separate the 'Alabama' from your true self if you grow up the way I did.

rtr
 
92tide

92tide

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Re: You owe it to yourself to read this except from Marty Smith's book

Tidewater said:
Thanks for posting that. Poignant and true.
I know Pearisburg well (watch your speed if drive no through town!) and he is right the upper west. Stands at Lane are special. From up there on a fall afternoon, the views of the mountains are magnificent. Alabama is my abiding love but the Hokies were my first love. My first college football game was Va Tech at So. Car. in 1974, and my father took me to that game.

Cherish your time with your father and your children because it’ll be gone before you know it.
Click to expand...
bama was playing va. tech the first game my dad took me to in 1978. i also had a good time chatting with the va tech fans on marta and in the stadium before and after the 2009 opener (a really fun game to watch)
 
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Tide Rev

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Re: You owe it to yourself to read this except from Marty Smith's book

I appreciate this and stories like this. Growing up, my Dad was an alcoholic and did not care about spending time with me. As long as I stayed out of trouble, I was ok to him. He hardly ever came to any games I played in my growing up years. When my Dad was 61 years old, he almost died. He gave his heart and life to Jesus after that and was a changed man. I finally had a Dad. I was 28 years old and spent the next 9 years getting to know my Dad before he passed away from cancer. I cherish those years now. How I wish I could have spent more time with him. Most days, I wish I could have one more conversation with him. It did push me to be a better father to my kids than my Dad was to me. Thanks again for the great excerpt. I will read the book.
 
Tidewater

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Re: You owe it to yourself to read this except from Marty Smith's book

92tide said:
bama was playing va. tech the first game my dad took me to in 1978. i had a good time chatting with the va tech fans on marta and in the stadium before and after the 2009 opener (a really fun game to watch)
Click to expand...
I used to tell my VT students about the sole Bama-Va Tech in Lane stadium: 20 Sep 1969, which Bama won 17-13.
One of my favorite picks is me in my crimson University of Alabama seal t-shirt at the exit of the tunnel (where Hokie players emerge during "Enter Sandman") reaching up to the Hokie stone. They were bit butt-hurt (moreso after the 2009 game)
 
78Alum

78Alum

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Re: You owe it to yourself to read this except from Marty Smith's book

One of my fondest memories was my Dad taking me to watch the NY Jets play the, then, Boston Patriots in Mobile's Ladd Stadium in the preseason. I believe that it was the summer after the Jets won the Super Bowl. I surely enjoyed seeing Joe Willie. Of course, being there with my Dad was especially great. He has been gone for over 4 years now. I sure do miss him...
 
NationalTitles18

NationalTitles18

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Re: You owe it to yourself to read this except from Marty Smith's book

I just got around to reading this today. Thank you for sharing it. I was fortunate to have my daddy and for as long as I did, but I miss him like crazy. Not a day goes by that I don't. If yours is still around then cherish it. If you have kids give them one moment today for a memory they can cherish.
 
GrayTide

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Re: You owe it to yourself to read this except from Marty Smith's book

One of my fondest memories of my dad goes back to living in Mississippi as a first grader. I played football at school and with neighborhood friends but had never been to a real game. The high school team was opening its season, probably the Friday night after Labor Day (which is how it use to be). I was so excited I could not sleep or eat waiting on Friday. Dad came home from work and we ate supper (not me) I was about to wet my pants to get to the stadium. I remember being in the car with Dad and as we got near the high school the traffic picked up, I could see the stadium lights in the sky and hear the bands, I thought I was going to jump out of the car before we found a parking spot in a dusty field adjacent to the stadium.

My first impressions of an outdoor sporting event was the smell of coffee, hot dogs, and peanuts, smells I always associate with my father on that night. I don't recall much of the game since I was too busy playing with my friends by the fence surrounding the field. By the time we got home I was worn out and covered in dusty sweat form being tackled and rolling on the ground, but it was one of the most special events in my life. Needless to say my mother wasn't real happy and made me take a bath before hitting the sack. Great memories of simpler times when it did not take much to entertain kids.
 
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