I’ve been
watching American football games for decades, but until I came to visit my son
and his wife in Alabama recently, I had no clue about the intensity of college sports
rivalries. I learned QUICKLY! Auburn University and the University of
Alabama play against each other at the end of the football season every year,
and to be perfectly honest, I don’t think they like each other very much. This year the game was of historic
proportions because Alabama was rated number
one in the country and Auburn number
four. Yesterday’s game was played in
Auburn. The pageantry and interest in
the game was “off the charts.” Even the
New York Times featured it. Because my
son teaches at Auburn, I became an instant fan.
I felt like they had been “my team” forever. The game started out well, with Auburn
scoring the first touchdown. But
Alabama, the perennial power and winner of the last two national championships,
didn’t wait long to even the score. And
before halftime they had a
two-touchdown lead.
But Auburn, fresh from recent cardiac finishes, and still remembering
the 49-0 drubbing they received from Alabama the previous year, were not about
to fold. The constant roar of the crowd, more than 80,000 of them, kept them energized and focused. By halftime they had cut the lead to seven
points. The second half of the game was
a mixture of exciting runs, phenomenal passes, and comedic errors. In the end, Auburn prevailed, turning a near
last second loss into a win unequalled in Auburn history. It will be forever remembered by its wild
finish, a 100-yard race to the end
zone by Auburn return man Chris Davis, following a failed field goal attempt by
Alabama with one second left on the clock.
There was jubilation everywhere in Auburn land. My son and I were laughing and running
through the house doing high 5’s. My
hand is still sore from one of them.
Phone calls came in from around the country. Shouts were heard from the outside deck,
including my son’s. Normally subdued
streets were packed. Auburn was
overjoyed, and so were we!
Soon I’ll be
heading home, back to the land of Minnesota Nice, but I’ll remember fondly
Auburn, Alabama, where the Tigers play with passion and zeal, and on one
November 30 in 2013, they stemmed the tide of history and overcame the Crimson
Tide of the University of Alabama. I’m
now a believer—forever locked in Auburn
folklore and the joy of college football.
GO TIGERS!!
