The Legacy...and Love...of College Football

I guess you could say that I was born with college football in my blood.

Born to college student parents, I lived my first two years on a college campus (a small one in east Texas), where Dad said they'd walk from their married dorm to the stadium every Saturday afternoon and get into the games for free. He still gets a little misty eyed when he tells the tales of those idyllic days, long before College Game Day and blue-chip recruiting...when a day at a football game was pure enjoyment (and that's all).

As my father ventured into the world of academia, I was blessed to live all of my growing-up days in college towns. And, let me tell you, there is no better place to grow up...surrounded by the smell of books, the sound of ringing chimes, an appreciation for marbled columns, and a love of learning. And, of course, an unabashed passion for tailgating and fight songs, for cheerleaders and marching bands, and for touchdowns and game-winning field goals.

As a girl, my first love came in the hue of burnt orange. My father received his PhD from the University of Texas, and he says he can still remember the look in my eyes when I first heard "The Eyes of Texas" played at dusk right beneath the Tower. At just eight-years-old, I learned to yell "Hook em Horns" with the best of them.

But, children are fickle, and when the University of Arkansas came calling, I quickly learned to call the Hogs. I have such sweet memories of going to games at Razorback Stadium (for some reason, the one that sticks out in my mind was one against SMU, back in the days of the Southwest Conference), but even sweeter ones of Barnhill Arena and the heydey of Arkansas basketball.

My loyalties were divided and I often riled up my family when I'd cheer for the Hogs over the Horns (and, in fact, I almost got booed out of a game in Austin one time when they played each other...but, I guess the fans didn't have it in them to eject a twelve-year-old).

But, soon, no loyalties would exist in my own personal world of college football allegiances. My family moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, before my sophomore year in high school. That's never an easy age at which to start over. I cried when we left Fayetteville; cried for my lost friends and the fear of beginning again. And, yes, I cried because I was leaving behind my beloved Hogs.

We arrived in 1983, as Ray Perkins took the helm of the football program. So, no, I never experienced the Bear Bryant era; I never heard him speak or saw him stalk the sidelines (in fact, my only "real life" memory of him is of him beating all the teams I ever cared about as a child). So, you see, I never really expected to fall in love with the Crimson Tide...but, I did... just as sure as you can't help but fall for the allure of the perfect boy. You know the one? The one with the smile and the swagger and the sense of humor and the style. That's what happened once I moved to Tuscaloosa. I developed a big ole crush on the town and the campus and, of course, the football team.

I spent six years at the Capstone (in undergraduate school, and then again in graduate school) and some of my fondest memories are of the Saturdays spent either at Legion Field in Birmingham or at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. At registration, I got a little jolt of anticipation as I saw the new slate of classes on my schedule; and got an even bigger jolt when I checked the box that said, yes, I'd like to order my student football tickets for the season.

Time has gone by since then, and I've endured the ups and the downs over the years. The heartbreaking losses (how can I forget the loss to Tennessee by two points? We actually sang a dirge in the stands of Legion Field after it ended); the mediocre seasons; the unbelievable wins; and the national championship run (we watch the 1992 game on DVD every year before bowl season, and my three daughters almost know the plays by heart).

And so it is that I have come to the beginning of another season of Alabama football. It's 2008 and the slate is clean. The opportunities are endless. The future is bright. And the day can absolutely not get here soon enough

In fact, in just ten days, we will kick off against a highly-touted Clemson team. It will be the big game of the weekend; ESPN will be there; the bourbon will flow and the ribs will be a'smokin; the fans will be worked into a frenzy; and the sounds of Roll Tide will emanate from every corner.

I will be watching from home, my stomach tied into knots before the opening kickoff. I will cross my fingers, say a little prayer (I know that God really doesn't care much of anything about the outcome of a football game, and I usually ask for forgiveness for getting my priorities out of whack when I head to church the next morning), and then cheer for the team that might just fulfill my football dreams this season.

And then I will settle down...and just enjoy the ride for the rest of the next four months.

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(And that, my football friends, is my little introduction to this blog which I am affectionately calling "Tide Chick." I will share day-after analysis of the Bama games each week; post any news I find as I scour across the Internet; share pictures and videos and other fun stuff; hopefully start a podcast as the season moves along; and pretty much share anything that has to do with college football, sports in general, and Alabama football. And, as you can probably tell from this post, I will also be known to wax philosophical about my love of the game. Despite my love for the game, though, I am also an intelligent student of the game and I think I'm pretty unbiased as a fan. I hope, then, this blog will not only be entertaining but also knowledgeable.

So... I hope that you will pop by often. Tell your other football friends about it, and comment to let me know that you're stopping by. And join in with me as we scream "Roll Tide" as we start on the 2008 season...a season that I, actually believe, holds a lot of promise and is going to set us on the road for some championship seasons sooner rather than later.)