Coach Bryant vs "The Bear"

[Crimson_Revenge]

I have been reading these boards for quite some time now (5+ years) and I've never really felt the need to post until lately. I am a die hard BAMA fan, I was raised in a divided household (dad- Bama/mom- the Barn). One thing my parents taught me was RESPECT. I say all of this to preface what i about to say...His name is COACH BRYANT! Not Bear...not the Bear...COACH BRYANT! Unless you knew the Coach and he gave you explicit permission to call him by his nickname; as a true BAMA fan - show the man some RESPECT! Alot on this board speak of the Coach fondly; but then they go a show DISRESPECT by calling him by a nickname. Maybe I'm off base here; but I bet if you look at the posts - alot of the "more seasoned" posters will show respect when referring to the Coach. Maybe some of the newer posters could take note....

(off Soapbox Now)


RTR!!!!

C_R

 

[Anchovy]

Someone brought this up awhile ago and the thread denigrated into a religious argument. Some guy completely missed the point of the thread and posted that he only showed one person the ultimate respect and that is God. I don't remember exactly what happened but it was a bizarre thread.

 

[bryantreg5]

I am a true Bama fan, but I believe Coach Bryant's nickname "The Bear" is not disrespectful, because it showed what our great Coach was all about. Coach Bryant was a growling Bear when he had to be, but he was also a loving teddy bear to some at times. Coach Bryant was well loved and I don't think people are being disrespectful when they use it.

What about Alexander the Great, Let's win one for the "Gipper", Knuke Rnocke, Coach "Bebes" Stallings, and Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, the greatest and most loved coach that ever lived.

ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[92tide]

i think this is a non-issue. i use both bear and coach bryant with the utmost respect.

i wasn't dissing him when i was 8 years old and went to my first bama game and grabbed my daddy's arm saying excitedly "there's the bear, there's the bear " when he walked out and leaned on the goal post right in front of us.

and anyway, the Alabama song just would be the same if it were

"coach bryant from alabama, hero to little boys and their dads"

 

[theBIGyowski]

I call him "Coach Bryant" in my posts...or I try to at least. I can tell you though that most people that call him "The Bear" or "Bear Bryant" don't mean any disrespect at all. Plus...I can tell you this much...where he is right now...I doubt he cares at all whether he is referred to as "Coach Bryant" or "The Bear".

People who were alive to watch him coach remember him as that...a coach. The generation after that only knows him as a legend...The Bear. So...don't get all upset when you hear someone refer to him as The Bear because they are more than likely only talking about the legend they know about...not the man.

Paul W. Bryant might have died a few decades ago...but The Bear, his legend, lives on today.

RTR!

 

[tidefan39817]

I am a true Bama fan, but I believe Coach Bryant's nickname "The Bear" is not disrespectful, because it showed what our great Coach was all about. Coach Bryant was a growling Bear when he had to be, but he was also a loving teddy bear to some at times. Coach Bryant was well loved and I don't think people are being disrespectful when they use it.

What about Alexander the Great, Let's win one for the "Gipper", Knuke Rnocke, Coach "Bebes" Stallings, and Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, the greatest and most loved coach that ever lived.

ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!

Listen to any former player or asst under Coach Bryant and they all refer to him as Coach or Coach Bryant. None of them refer to him as "Bear" or "Bear" Bryant. Joe Namath, Ken Stabler, heck even Coach Croom refers to him as Coach Bryant. Former Admin's while Coach Bryant usually refer to him as Mr. Bryant or Coach Bryant. If it is good enough for them it is good enough for me. I have always said "Coach Bryant".

 

[BigAL413]

I have been reading these boards for quite some time now (5+ years) and I've never really felt the need to post until lately. I am a die hard BAMA fan, I was raised in a divided household (dad- Bama/mom- the Barn). One thing my parents taught me was RESPECT. I say all of this to preface what i about to say...His name is COACH BRYANT! Not Bear...not the Bear...COACH BRYANT! Unless you knew the Coach and he gave you explicit permission to call him by his nickname; as a true BAMA fan - show the man some RESPECT! Alot on this board speak of the Coach fondly; but then they go a show DISRESPECT by calling him by a nickname. Maybe I'm off base here; but I bet if you look at the posts - alot of the "more seasoned" posters will show respect when referring to the Coach. Maybe some of the newer posters could take note....

(off Soapbox Now)


RTR!!!!

C_R

Does this come from being a Bama fan...because I have never heard a single discouraging remark made about Gene Stallings referred to as BeBes, or Steve Spurrier being called Ole Ball Coach, for that matter Tommy Tuberville being called Ears....the nickname Ears is disrespectful; calling someone by a nickname that everyone in the world knows someone by is not disrespectful...calling Gene Stallings Bebes is closer to disrespect due to not many people knowing that is a nickname of his.

By the way, if I were to run into you in Franklin, should I call you Crimson Revenge or Mr. Crimson Revenge...don't want to be disrespectful..

 

[TommyMac]

I strongly prefer Coach Bryant because to me, the title "Coach" is one that should command the utmost respect and no one ever earned and deserved that title more than Coach Bryant. There are a lot of folks out there wearing whistles and heading up athletic teams, but not all of them are worthy of the title. That's why after the MSU loss I no longer used that title when referring to Mike Shula.

 

[NYBamaFan]

I will try to get angry about this...

Didn't work - no anger... :conf3: :blush: :redface:

Merry Christmas!!! :biggrin2:

 

[BhamTide]

Someone who respected him must have called him "Bear" or he never would have gotten the nickname.

My father and Coach Bryant were pretty good friends during his years in Tuscaloosa. My father always called him "Coach", because Coach Bryant was considerably older than my Dad and to call him anything else would have been disrespectful to an elder. However, Coach Bryant often stopped by with Mrs. Bryant, who always called him Paul, and friends who called him Paul and Bear, but never called him Coach. I think they all respected him. I also so complete strangers walk in and call him Bear and he never seemed at all offended. He was always cordial to everyone, aquaintance or stranger.

 

[ROTYDE]

I strongly prefer Coach Bryant because to me, the title "Coach" is one that should command the utmost respect and no one ever earned and deserved that title more than Coach Bryant. There are a lot of folks out there wearing whistles and heading up athletic teams, but not all of them are worthy of the title. That's why after the MSU loss I no longer used that title when referring to Mike Shula.

I will have to agree with you on this one T Mac, I feel the same way. RTR:biggrin2:

 

[bryantreg5]

Listen to any former player or asst under Coach Bryant and they all refer to him as Coach or Coach Bryant. None of them refer to him as "Bear" or "Bear" Bryant. Joe Namath, Ken Stabler, heck even Coach Croom refers to him as Coach Bryant. Former Admin's while Coach Bryant usually refer to him as Mr. Bryant or Coach Bryant. If it is good enough for them it is good enough for me. I have always said "Coach Bryant".

Of course, because Coach Bryant was their Coach.
I call my father, "daddy", because he is my daddy, but my mother calls him "honey", and her "big lovable teddy bear", and his name of course, because that is who he is to her.

I never played for Coach Bryant, so he was not my coach, even though he was "The Coach", but he was also a "Bear" of a man, "growling" and "loveable" on and off the field.

 

[BocaLance]

Thank you, Crimson_Revenge.
You have really given me reason to take a quick inventory of the priorities in life.

Let's see ... God, kids, wife, job, mortgage, commute, finances, holidays ... Nope. Bear Bryant nowhere to be found.

Shouldn't we be more concerned about WHO our new coach will be instead of how one deceased more than 23 years should be referred to as?

 

[Crimson_Revenge]

BigAL - Why the snide remark to me? Respect is earned not given - so I would expect you to call me what you will as you would not know me from Adam. That being said - I never refer to Coach Stalings as Bebes as I do not know the man personally. If I did, and he had no issue with it - I guess I would call him by his childhood nickname when I would address him; but in the earshot of others I would still call him coach. To me - The Coach of the University of Alabama is a respected position and I as a fan, will give the respect to the Coach. Just the same I would give respect to the President (be it Pres Bush or Pres Clinton etc.) I just feel personally that Coach Bryant has earned LIFETIME respect and that we as Bama fans should give him that. Just my opinion...dismiss it if you will....

 

[BhamTide]

There are a lot of folks out there wearing whistles and heading up athletic teams, but not all of them are worthy of the title. That's why after the MSU loss I no longer used that title when referring to Mike Shula.

One of the few times I've disagreed with you.

 

[UA90]

I doubt that anybody who refers to Coach Bryant as the Bear does it with even a hint of disrespect.

 

[TNBama]

Of all the discussions that keep raising their head over the years on this board, this one I always find the most rediculous and meaningless. No matter what respectful name one chooses to call him, what does it matter? The important thing is remembering what he did for Alabama specifically and college football in general. No matter what you call him, he was a great man. So I wish people would let this silly argument die.

 

[TheCrimsonLiver]

There are alot of people out there in different parts of the country and world that don't even know his first name is Paul. They simply look at him as a legend. People abroad see him in the same stature as a John Wayne. Tough as life itself. I can't see the harm or disrespect in that. Thats how legends are born.

 

[lafella]

When I was younger my grandfather and Coach bryant were fairly good friends they went to Bama together, my grandfather left early for the pro's in baseball, but returned as a scout/recruiter for Bama back in the day.

I can remember him being at my grandparents house off and on when I was young . Getting to the point my grandfather when talking to him called him Paul, when referring to him while talking to someone else he was Coach Bryant. When he was there we called him Coach Bryant.

I don't see any disrespect in Calling him Bear Bryant in the least. Dunno how many would call him that to his face if he were alive. Still I don't consider it a disrespect I call him by both these days. If he were standing in front of me I would call him Coach Bryant.

 

[rpeastep]

I'm sure no one intentionally means to show disrespect, but it has always bothered me when someone refers him as anything other than Coach Bryant.

Plus, Alexander didn't have a last name.