Crimson Red Sports

At least at birth, if not in the womb.  A child is designated as BAMA when they are born (the unlucky ones are ..let unsaid)

My uncle was the first of our family to grad from BAMA, and when he was there 1954-1957, I visited a lot, and got blooded for BAMA..I grad'd in 67(Jan) and although my sons grad'd from UT-CHATT and Charleston,they are both BAMA..my no. 1 d-i-l  ditto, my no.2 d-i-l grad'd from Clemson, so they are no 1 with her, but she is BAMA thru and thru no. 2!  My brother and sister are both BAMA, My wife's family..all BAMA (except for one black sheep niece (barner by mariage)).

Yes, it starts early..and continues for a lifetime.

To paraphrase ol' Lewis Grizzard:

"BAMA born, BAMA bred, when I'm gone, I'll be BAMA dead!"

I don't remember a time from before I was a Bama fan.  I know by 6 years old I was hard core.  I know my son is hard core at 5.  He plays a kiddie football video game on the xbox and every time he scores he jumps up and down and yells TOUCHDOWN ALABAMA!

I have been a Bama fan as long as I can remember. I recall Namath and Sloan playing QB for the Tide but little else before 1967. In 1967 I was old enough to start sitting with a radio and listening to every game. I can still tell you exactly where I was when I listened to the 1967 barn game and Stabler's run in the mud.

In the early 70's I had a friend whose Dad worked for the Coke distributer in B'ham. He got us jobs selling Coke's for Bama games at Legion Field. I would sell as much as I could before the game and at halftime. During the game I would just walk around with an empty tray watching the game.

My first game was against Missouri in 1975 (Legion Field). My friends (fellow students) were all saying how they had never seen Bama lose. I was saying that I've never seen them win. My losing streak did not last long.

We owned a couple of houses on 10th Avenue by the RR tracks (across from Sherill Plaza). I parked cars before the game, bought kegs with the money, then ran to the stadium to make KO. My sign at the street was "BEAR PARKS HERE".

When I had a TV to watch back in the early 1960's I didn't know anybody else had a team. It was all Alabama. RTR!

 I guess when I was able to know what football was.  I use to get in trouble in Elem. school in Miss.  We had to take a choir class and they would sing the fight songs from Ole Miss and State.  I would get in trouble for subing Alabama in for their names.  I have also converted one out here in Tx.

Saw my first gmae in 1957 (12 yrs old) while visiting uncle who was ME undergrad. was fan thereafter, following Namath, et.al. Wife and I married 64, we lived on 10th ave just 2 blocks from the stadium..she is just as rabid a fan as anyone!  we wen to all the games in 64, 65, and 66, even the SB in 66, watching BAMA demolish Nebraska..again. we suffered thru the bad years living in Chatt the early 70's when UT was beating us every yr..move to Ct in 72 and was unable to make any games except the first time we  played the scarlet knights, 1979? moved to Houston, and still unable to make a game, had tickets to the CB one yr, but wife came down sick. moved back to Tn, saw a few games in Legion Field when CBC was there.,even sat thru a loss to Vandy.. loved the CGS yrs, hated Dubose and saw BAMA play LSU when  CNS was their coach, and Shula had just punished a grass smoker by holding him out the first series (puke!) , suffered thru some other yrs, was not all that thrilled to see CNS come, but quickly became a believer!

I will say openly and without shame, I put CNS in the same class as CBB.

Saving my coins to try to make Pasadena next Jan!!  WE'LL BE THERE! Roll, Tide!

I honestly can't remember a time when i wasn't pulling for the Tide. I remember my dad watching the Bear Bryant show on Sundays in the late 1970s and very early 1980s, and can still remember that blue backdrop with a bottle of Coke and a bag of Golden Flake chips on the desk. When Bear died in 1983, I was in school in the second grade and our principal came in and told us. I sobbed just like I had lost a close relative. The Liberty Bowl that year was the first game I really remember watching, though I can recall snippets of other games prior to that.

I posted a while back, the story of how my grandfather in Mississippi was an Alabama fan and turned me into one at a very early age. As far as my first experience at a game, my father took me to my first Bama game in 1967 against Ole Miss. Stabler was the QB and Bama won 21-7. I was already a huge Bama fan and was completely smitten by the experience. I remember the awe that I felt seeing Coach Bryant standing near the goal post during warm-ups. I have that same feeling watching Coach Saban lead the team onto the field.