Cheering on the Crimson Tide

I love college football.  We’ve got several team loyalties competing among the staff in my office, which means our Mondays in the Fall always include a lively discussion!  Today, I’m turning the newsletter over to Sallie Pellon, our office assistant and a proud (rabid?) Alabama fan.

       Roll Tide!

       What does it mean to be a Bama football fan?  My Connecticut-born husband gets to hear, “It’s Game Day, Baby!” every Saturday morning in the Fall.  My daughters know I’ll be cheering loudly, yelling at the TV no matter how late the game is on (not one of the three is a football fan, so I’ve failed on that front).  My co-workers know I’ll be wearing my Alabama earrings and some variation of red, white and houndstooth.

       I’ve been traveling back to Tuscaloosa to attend one game each year with my sorority sisters for the past several years.  It’s so sweet and wonderful how easy it is to fall back into the rhythm of friendship with people you met so long ago.  We sing along with “Sweet Home Alabama” and the Fight Song, marvel at the size and décor of the new sorority houses and reconnect with old friends over Dreamland ribs and Yellowhammer drinks at the tailgate on the Quad.  I enjoy it more every year! 

It’s even more fun now that we have a winning team.  During my college years, our football team post-Bear Bryant did not enjoy the strong winning record the Crimson Tide has earned in the past several years.  It didn’t matter.  We still went to the games, cheering loudly and staying until the last play, even if we were losing.

School spirit runs strong, and it’s been a lifelong tie for me, even while I’ve been living in New York and Connecticut for years.  Whether it’s in response to the large Bama magnet on my car or the Alabama t-shirt I’m wearing in the grocery store, I never tire of hearing a “Roll Tide” greeting from anyone!