Alabama Crimson Tide

This is an excerpt from the book 'The Totally Biased Guide to Southern College Football' by Pete Davis, available now on Amazon.com's Kindle for just 99 cents at:  amazon.com/dp/B005FRFMYW

And you can follow me on twitter: @petedavis1

 

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

            Based in Tuscaloosa, Gateway to Hades.

This part of the book is brought to you by Spike 80DF Tebuthiuron, the Official Pesticide of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Tuscaloosa is a town made famous by two men:  Bear Bryant and Groucho Marx.

            Alabama has the distinction of being the only college and state named after a country/western band.

            Their nickname is The Crimson Tide.  If they weren’t so good most of the time this would be the worst nickname since Flounder.  Before you start to make fun of this moniker, take a look at what they were called before they came up with that nugget of joy.

            At first the team was simply called the Varsity, but Georgia Tech fans kept asking them for chili dogs, so they changed to the Crimson White after the school colors, but even Alabama fans found that too simple so sportswriters came up with The Thin Red Line.  Not exactly the stuff cheers are made of. 

In 1907 during a rainy game against highly-favored Auburn in Birmingham, Bama played them to a 6-6 tie.  Hugh Roberts was the sports editor for the Birmingham Age-Herald and described the team as a “crimson tide” in the red mud.  The worst story on how a team got a nickname EVER.

So how does a team named the Crimson Tide end up with an elephant as a mascot?  Amazingly it has nothing to do with Groucho.  No, that would be INTERESTING.

Actually, this story has some interesting bits.  In 1930 the Tide, under Coach Wallace Wade, won the national title by shutting out Washington State in the Rose Bowl.  During the season they played Mississippi and the game was reported on by Atlanta Journal sportswriter Everett Strupper.  He wrote that the smaller Rebels line held their ground against the bigger Bama players, but after the first quarter a rumbling was heard and the ground started to shake and the varsity Alabama line came running out to play and they were even larger.  A fan hollered “Hold your horses, the elephants are coming!” Strupper described them as “Red Elephants” because of their red jerseys.  That’s funny.  I could have sworn there was something interesting in there somewhere.

Their Rammer Jammer Yellowhammer Cheer is used once the Tide has put the game away and was once banned by the school because of its taunting lyrics and use of the word hell, but the students voted to bring it back.  The Rammer-Jammer was a student newspaper and the Yellowhammer the state bird.  Some say the cadence for the cheer was lifted from the Hotty Toddy cheer from Ole Miss and the drum major still moves his arm in a big O to signal the band to start the cheer.  If this is true then Bama needs to write the Rebels a check for their mascot and their main cheer.

            The mascot is an elephant named Big Al and the fight song is ‘Yea Alabama.’  They do not have an actual live elephant.  Usually Miss Alabama fills the role.

            Paul W. “Bear” Bryant is the most famous coach/god associated with the school.  He matriculated there before leaving to coach other teams.  But when the school contacted him in 1957 to return home, he did.  When asked why, he replied “Mama called.”  She told him to bring some Golden Flake tater chips and some Coke-Cola.

The 1953 season ended with another SEC title, but it’s most remembered for what happened in the Cotton Bowl against Rice.

            The Owls’ Dicky Moegle broke free on what looked like a 95-yard run down the sidelines for a sure touchdown.  But just after he crossed the 50 yard line, Alabama player Tommy Lewis, who had been standing on the sidelines and not even in the game, suddenly rushed out and tackled Moegle in front of a stunned crowd in Dallas.

            The Rice coach ran all the way across the field to yell at Bama coach Red Drew “What did yo boy think he was doin’?!”  All Lewis could think of to say was “Coach, I’m  just too full of Bama.”  The referees gave the touchdown to Moegle and the Owls went on to win, but Lewis and Moegle got a trip to the Ed Sullivan show.  Moegle later complained that Lewis was made to be the hero in the whole affair and he himself was made to feel like a heel.

Finally, an example of Alabama cheating caught on film.

If you like what you've read so far just wait until you see the rest about Alabama and all the other SEC schools, as well as Texas, Texas A&M, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida State and Miami. It's all in 'The Totally Biased Guide to Southern College Football' by Pete Davis and available for the price of a Whopper Jr. on Kindle at:  Amazon.com/dp/B005FRFMYW

And you can follow me on twitter: @petedavis1