How I became a Crimson Tide Fan

[TIDE-HSV]

I grew up in a Bama family. One older brother attended UA before WWII and finished up at Birmingham Southern, after the war. The next youngest went all the way at BS but was also a huge Bama fan. My dad was recruited by Coach Crisp, but felt he had to turn the offer down because he had a four-year old son (wife had died) and lacked a year of HS. Things were looser then, and they offered to take care of my older half-brother and my dad could finish up at Tuscaloosa HS. He would have played with Coach Bryant. Anyway, as I said, we were a family of Bama fans. However, when I approached my senior year in HS, my older sister had married an Auburn man and he remains one of my closest friends. He is a former director of Kennedy Space Flight Center and has an honorary doctorate from Auburn. He thought I would make a great engineer and AU was where I should go - and I almost did. I ended up going to Bama for the C&BA school. Football had nothing to do with it. Whitworth was the coach and I don't need to say more. As I've posted a number of times, dad died in February, 1958, but after Coach Bryant had resigned to return to UA. One of the last things my dad said to my mom was "Alabama's going to be all right. Coach Bryant is coming back." What a vision...

 

[Bamanooga]

Okay, I'll bite, although my story is more about my resurgence as a Bama fan. Everyone in my family was an Alabama fan, so I was raised hearing John Forney on the radio and seeing Coach Bryant in his houndstooth hats. My sister graduated from UA. Before she left, I visited the campus one weekend and truly fell in love with the school.

After graduation from Alabama, I worked for large corporations out of state that trained managers to avoid talking about team sports or anything that could cause a division among employees. That idea as it applied to football would probably not fly within the state of Alabama I knew long ago. But liking regular paychecks, I suppressed being a fan except away from work.

I moved to Tennessee and married. Then, my soon-to-be-daughter-in-law, a huge Vol fan, walked into our house for the first time, telling me she liked me despite the fact that I went to Bama and she hated everything about Bama with every fiber of her being. (Nice to meet you, too!) In the interest of family peace, I suppressed being an avid Alabama fan when they were around for five long years.

After five years of hearing how she and my stepson hated Alabama, hearing how the Vols were among the football elite (hah!) and getting rub-it-in calls after every UT game they won (these were the bad old years when they did win), I'd had it. I put a big Bama flag out the front door year-round, joined the local alumni & fan association, eventually found TideFans (although I didn't sign up until later), and came out of the closet as a full-fledged fan once again. This all happened pre-Coach Saban.

Although it might not sound like it, I love the stepson and daughter-in-law, and they've finally gotten a life away from the ugly orange. The Vol's turmoils over the past dozen years have also helped. Best of all, they no longer think the Vol's are among CFB's elite.

ROLL TIDE!!

 

[BadgerTidefan]

I was born in 1953 and raised to be an Alabama fan. My uncle played basketball for -auburn and kiddingly always was trying to convert me as a child. Of course I never even considered it.

 

[Crimsongator]

I was born

 

[Bluegrasstide]

Started with the Sugar Bowl beatdown of the Canes. Was solidified when a Boone County, Kentucky boy by the name of Alexander started carrying the ball. Turned into a Bama room, Houndstooth chair, and 6 year old triplets who have known every word to "Yea Alabama" since they were 3. Known as the "Bama Fan". It is hard to live in a basketball state. When asked why I am a Bama fan, I usually reply, "Because I found a group of people who love football as much as I do..." RTR

 

[Elefantman]

It started when my father got out of navy at the end on WWII. He wanted to go to college on the GI Bill. His criteria for choosing an institution of higher learning was simple, it had to be located somewhere warn. My Dad grew up in Boston Mass. and wanted to get away from the snow and ice. So my dad shotgun applications through out the southern US. Schools like UGA ,UF , Ole Miss, Texas. He made the decision to attend the fist school that sends him an acceptance letter. By the grace of God, the University of Alabama letter was the fist one in the mail box.

 

[USCBAMA]

I was born a Bama fan (Tuscaloosa, 1967). Mom & dad, uncles, and most cousins attended UA. I became a Gamecock fan by attending USC (monetary & family issues prevented me from going to Bama). I am a USC fan & support my almamater, but deep down I still love the Tide.

 

[TriCountyTider]

When asked why I am a Bama fan, I usually reply, "Because I found a group of people who love football as much as I do..." RTR

I Love it!

 

[uofaJO1987]

My mom is a huge Bama fan, but my dad is a barner. So as a kid I never really got into it. My mom also liked Bobby Bowden, so I became a Florida State fan. I always pulled for Bama when the they played the barn, but I was a 'Nole fan. Then the fall after I graduated high school I went to my first Bama game in T-Town. I had been to games at Legion Field, but as you all know it just isn't the same. Anyway it was the "Third Saturday In October". Me and three buddies, one of which is a Vols fan, got up that Saturday morning and drove to Tuscaloosa. We ended up buying counterfeit tickets, but they got us in the stadium. It was the game when Roman Harper caused the fumble through the end zone and Bama went on to win it 6-3. After that I was hooked. I still pull for the 'Noles, but I'm a Bama man first. ROLL TIDE!!!!

 

[drjohn432]

7 generations at 'Bama

 

[DownUnder]

In about 1992 I picked up a copy of Football Digest in the bookstore with Curry and Copeland on the cover. Growing up in Brisbane, Australia, that was a Rare find. Followed their progress but it was a 6'4 320lb Monstar that really got me in. Gameday at BDS last year cemented it.

 

[SavannahDare]

Gameday at BDS last year cemented it.

So glad you enjoyed your time in Tuscaloosa. It grows on you quick, doesn't it?

 

[bamafaninOhiO]

Born and raised in Fyffe, Alabama and remember listening to the games on the radio as a kid...
got hooked on the excitement, and stayed hooked!