No spring game. Your thoughts?

gtgilbert

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Aug 12, 2011
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I don’t care for CKD’s format as it is so I’m fine with it being cancelled.

If I want to watch situational football plays for points I’ll play Madden or NCAA FB (which I won’t either).
I think CKD had to change the format away from 1s and 2s due to depth. NIL had hit OL really, really hard as there isn't a reason for a guy to wait if he can go play somewhere else, so last year I don't know that we could have fielded 2 full OLs to have a real game.
 

Con

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I love watching practices or the games. You get to see that the coaches are actually seeing what we see because they work it in practice every single day.
 

CB4

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As a kid growing up in the 1960’s the Spring Game for us kids was a big deal. Maybe not to the adults, but for us to see the guys that would take the field next year was huge. For us kids, those players were larger than life. At school the topic of discussion was “who are you pulling for? crimson or white?”. The side with most of your favorite players tended to be the one.
I grew up in a lower middle class blue collar family. We didn’t go to Alabama games then. We couldn’t afford it. But getting the chance to feel “a part of it” by attending the spring game meant the world to us kids.
Finally, I think Bryant made the Spring Game a priority in his early years because of his upbringing as a poor kid in Arkansas. Bryant wanted Alabama football to be part of all citizens’ lives in this state, from the poorest all the way up. At that time in this state there wasn’t a lot for us to hang our hat on, pride wise.
Hey, I get it. Why put forth a real “game” when you can do a glorified practice and milk a few more NIL dollars from the masses. I’m sure the NIL offering plate will get passed around in more ways going forward.
 
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selmaborntidefan

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As a kid growing up in the 1960’s the Spring Game for us kids was a big deal. Maybe not to the adults, but for us to see the guys that would take the field next year was huge. For us kids, those players were larger than life. At school the topic of discussion was “who are you pulling for? crimson or white?”. The side with most of your favorite players tended to be the one.
See, I can absolutely see the value in this for that time frame (which was sorta my point).

But it's sorta like the fact baseball cards were much more popular when the sport wasn't on TV every day and you couldn't pretend to actually BE your favorite player on a video game.
 

teamplayer

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I’m conflicted…while I agree with you, I also love football. (I must, I’m a Chicago Bears fan and I still watch them…😭)
So I’ll still love Alabama Football…it’ll just have a more disconnected feel.
FTR…that’s sad…
It is sad, and I am also very conflicted. I keep trying to hold on to my love for college football, but the fact of the matter is that it is not even close to being the same thing that I grew up watching and loving. The traditions of the past are gone. I know that time moves on and things change, but I have yet to see a change for the better. I did not always attend the A-day game, but I still remember attending a few on beautiful spring days when I got to see old friends that I hadn't seen since school days. Edit: I just remembered other wonderful times when old college buddies started bringing girlfriends/wives to the games. Then, some of our children were able to play together on the quad. Those are nice traditions and memories, so I hope they keep some type of connection with our programs going in the spring. Perhaps they could use a big baseball and softball weekend to also bring out the players of the other sports for a big campus wide celebration. We shall see. Oh well, I am just one of the old men yelling at the clouds these days. Roll Tide!
 
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CrimsonTheory

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I’m conflicted…while I agree with you, I also love football. (I must, I’m a Chicago Bears fan and I still watch them…😭)
So I’ll still love Alabama Football…it’ll just have a more disconnected feel.
FTR…that’s sad…
I knew there was another Bears fan on this board.

I feel ya on the disconnection. Still love Bama football and I still love coming to this site but the days of living and dying over a Bama game has long past.
 

Ledsteplin

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I'll miss the A-Day game for sure. I've enjoyed checking out the players. It is what it is. Practice scrimmages might be a little fun, but not much. And would really be a drag, if none of it was scrimmage. A-Day made for a good off-season football pick-me-up from the doldrums of no Bama football. Oh, well! We'll still have discussion about practice news, videos, and photos.
 

BamaMoon

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I've got mixed emotions about it. I've only gone to a few, but I was there "2007" and it was amazing....the atmosphere!

I hate it for those who make it about family.

But, change is ever occurring and this is one.

FWIW, the game itself never told us much. If anything, it might mislead as to what would happen in the fall.

But, I love tradition, so I hate to see it end.
 

TraskiTideFan

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Not to make lite of the subject, because I kind of liked hearing the broadcast of the A-Day Game over the years and I still remember attending the Alumni game during Perkin's tenure when we were kids. BUT what about the Loser gets The Beans and Winners get The Steak??
There is only so much tradition you can punt on, you know. :unsure:
 

Crimson1967

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Nov 22, 2011
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So have we seen our last A-Day game? Will there be a huge outcry over this year and DeBoer bows to tradition and brings it back?

Or should we just accept that spring games are going to be tossed on the scrapyard along with the leather helmets and single platoon football?
 

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