Image via WikipediaI know some of you aren't football fans and some of you are fans of another fine institution but I became an Alabama Fan at birth almost I'm even told "The Bear"
held me as a baby while my dad got the family autograph football ready during a Senior Bowl visit by "The Bear."
My earliest memory of watching an Alabama game was at my Uncle Joe's house and his prodding me successfully I might add to checking out the checking out the cheer leaders and the majorettess in the Million Dollar band!
I've been a fan of Blonds in Crimson every since that day! No offense to brunettes and Redheads for God's sakes but the facts are the facts!
I really sat and watched my first game when Bama and UCLA played in the Liberty Bowl in 1976 a 26-6 Tide victory the best I can recall without looking it up. It was a down year for the Tide have lost 3 games I believe. I think my folks were at that game because I was staying with my grand parents that night and with my grand-daddy Sauce you didn't say a word during a Bama game!
Yeah this ADHD kid sat and watched that game because who knows I might see my paents or something!
I had been fortunate to have been two a couple of pretty good games prior to the 1979 Sugar Bowl actually the January 1, 1979 Sugar Bowl between #1 Penn State and the man most of now call "Joe Pa.".
I remember one regular season game in Tuscaloosa and a missed trip to Neyland Stadium to see Bama @ Tennessee when I was in the 1st grade. I can't remember my 1st grade teachers name but I do remember getting out early to leave for Knoxville! "Laughing"!
The other trip was one week-end when we flew on Southern airways from Mobile to New Orleans to watch Archie Manning and the Saints play the Cincinnati Bengals but the Super dome in Crimson you'll never forget! "Laughing"
Well I liked the Saints but my parents were pulling for the Bengals which was confusing as hell to me having watched the Saints play at my grand-parents house on a little black and white Television they had on the dining room table, God rest their souls!
The prior year in 1978 I had been with my family to see Ohio State and Alabama play in the Superdome, my second trip to that awe inspiring facitlity. The legendary "Woody Hayes" was the coach at Ohio State and in true fashion his fire and determination to win showed through as he was as Woody Hayes was portrayed, tough as nails and in your face! Bama won 34-13 I think.
The 1979 Season had started well with our lone lose of the season coming agaiinst USC. Alabama had positioned itself by the time of the Sugar Bowl to play the "Nittany Lions" for the National championship!
Little did we know on September 12, 1979 we would get pounded in Mobile by hurricane Freddy. It did break the wind guage on Dauphin Island Bridge with a 148 MPH gust!
Alabama went on that year to beat a fine Lou Holtz team at Arkansas 24-9 for the "National Championship" our 11th at the time in the 1981 Sugar Bowl!
In anyway back to the Penn State game. We stayed at the Bourbon Orleans. I was to young to go down on the street. It was a hell of a time though as the fans from both schools taunted each other all night long!
The game is a blur with the deafening noise of the Alabama faithful erupting time after time as Alabama's defense played to perfection lone 1 Penn State touchdown but no more than when Barry Krauss and the Defense stopped the Penn State running back straight up as Joe Paterno sent his running back straight up and over the top on fourth and 7 or 8! A pass intereference calll gave PSU the opportuntiy to have four more shots at the endzone.
I'd write more but my CPU is slowing down.
The Bama/Saban nation should expect tomorrows game to be maybe better than I have heard talk of just because of the nature of the rivalry!
Sincerely,
Floyd C. Wooley
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