To the Vols

[bamamike]

This may be a long post but stay with me.

I came to this board expecting a bunch of flames and excuses; I was surprised at what I found. Although there were a few, “we should have won that game” or “we couldn’t catch a break” comments and a couple of other, “Bama’s not a top 5 team…” diatribes; for the most part it’s pretty sane in here. Equally, there are a few Bama fans getting their frustrations out, so I offer a little sanity to our side as well.

Today’s game was exactly what I expected out of an UA-UT match up, no matter what the records were. They say an evenly matched game can be defined by 7 or 8 key plays and you can almost count them; I’m just glad we were on the right side of most of those.

I know the frustration of losing a close one that could have been won and not catching a break. Last year’s UA-UT game left me scratching my head as the Tide ran up and down the field on the Vols without a QB and fell just short. I can’t even begin thinking about a 4th and 17 in OT against the #7 Vols in 2003.

The Tennessee game is of special importance to me because my birthday is on October 19th. I haven’t had many birthday moments in the last 10 years, and I hate that the game has moved from the “third Saturday in October.”

More important than this, however, is that I want to beat Tennessee more than any other school; yes, even more than Auburn. Why? because of respect. No other team in the SEC has even come close to Bama’s tradition except for Tennessee. Auburn has upset Bama on their way to big seasons, but the Alabama-Tennessee game has been more important in deciding on who HAS a big season. Auburn may have knocked off a 10-0 Tide from time to time, but the big seasons were validated by a win over the Vols, not by a win over Auburn. To put it succinctly, more times than not, the road to the SEC championship (and national championship) goes through Tuscaloosa and Knoxville. Not Gainesville, not Athens, not Baton Rouge and not Auburn; those are all dirt roads. The roads between Tuscaloosa and Knoxville are 8 lane super highways and you got to pay a toll to get on them. How’s that for a metaphor? :hi:

You guys are classy in a loss and I appreciate that; it speaks of character.

Good Game.

 

[Volstorm]

Great post. I think that a lot of us feel the same way especially for the REAL bama fans who represent that great university with dignity and class like yourself. Just because the game is over, doesn't mean you have to take off. And I have to agree with the CBS broadcasters, the UT/UA game is like a fight between two brothers. We get meaner and nastier than any other matchup, but in the end, the respect is there (at least from fan to fan).

 

[MyBloodRunnethOrange]

bamamike, you're a class act, and I hope you'll come back. Congrats on Bama's win!

 

[volbrian]

Excellent post!! Now, take this win and DO SOMETHING WITH IT!!! :good:

 

[bamamike]

Thanks for the replies. I will come back, I now have the board in my favorites.

I always enjoy intelligent conversation about college football, especially when people are not just blowing smoke. Sometimes it's hard to get objective thoughts from people who are emotionally invested in a team.

I do hope we do something with this win. LSU and Auburn will be tough games so I'm not getting my hopes up just yet; there's a lot of football left to be played.

Good luck the rest of the season, I know it will be fun putting the hurt on Spurrier next week. :yes:

 

[Fulltime4BAMA]

More important than this, however, is that I want to beat Tennessee more than any other school; yes, even more than Auburn. Why? because of respect

It was while I was visiting the lovely state of Tennessee at the Music City Bowl last year that I realized just how far Alabama and we as fans had fallen in regards to being respected. We finally had a coach who is trying to "do it the right way", a team who had overcome a tremendous amount of adversity just to get there, and a majority of good fans just excited that something good was happening. Both teams played their heart out and towards the end it was obvious that Minnesota was going to win the game. Then the band played.
With the final seconds ticking down, it wasn't good enough that Minnesota had the game in hand. Their band starting playing Rocky Top. I looked at my wife and we just stared at each other as the band played on with the Vols fight song. We both talked about what a lack of respect of everyone associated with Bama that playing that song at that time showed.
For me, beating the Vols yesterday, was perhaps, just a step back towards a little respectability for Bama. The Vols loss yesterday will not cause the program to lose any respect from other programs around the country. (See Bama's losses to Northern Illinois, Hawaii, and Central Floriday, among others, in recent years and the 9 for 10 record against Bama until this year, for that.) Alabama has what many consider one of the top defenses in the country behind the Vols this year.
I really believe the following is what is driving this team to do what it takes, with a little bit of luck, to win this year (Quoted from the Bham News)

"I was in pain from the start," Hall said Saturday after catching 10 of Croyle's 17 completions. "There's a difference between being injured and being hurt."

Who would know better than these players? When one coach abandoned them and another took leave of his senses, they embraced each other.

"We're like a family, man," said tailback Ken Darby, who made the yards that made the kick that won the game that much easier. "We're like brothers.

Here's hoping the Vols find it again and stomp the Irish!

Roll Tide and I look forward to visiting Tennessee again this winter for a little R and R.

 

[LadyinOrange]

Bamamike, as a Mod on this board, I was really worried about
the effect of this loss on our posters and anticipated having to edit about a hundred posts and even getting a few folks banned bad. To be honest, I expected a total meltdown. Not only have I been SO impressed with our board members (You are TERRIFIC, folks&#33 for handling this loss with class and dignity, but I have been ( overall) impressed with the quality of BAMA fans that have come to the board. Most have not come to gloat or rub salt in the wounds, but to show respect to the losing team and its fans. Like the others, I sincerely hope you will become a regular member of this board.

:thumbsup:

 

[LadyinOrange]

Originally posted by Fulltime4BAMA@Oct 23, 2005 1:08 PM
I look forward to visiting Tennessee again this winter for a little R and R.

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You need to come to WEST Tennessee and do some catfish fishing and tramp around Shiloh Park. Pickwick has a golf course that was designed by some famous player, (Jack Nicklaus, maybe?) and the friendliness of the people is unmatched anywhere.

:thumbsup:

 

[RockyTopEmpire]

well said bama mike

 

[rwemyss]

It has taken a lot of work by true Vol fans, and even some good oposing fans to keep this site sane! I do enjoy it when the idiots like the ones who post on tidefans come over and they are run out the door! Even more enjoyable is when we don't have to do that, and there is some good conversation going on.

 

[bamamike]

Originally posted by LadyinOrange@Oct 23, 2005 1:16 PM
Bamamike, as a Mod on this board, I was really worried about
the effect of this loss on our posters and anticipated having to edit about a hundred posts and even getting a few folks banned bad. To be honest, I expected a total meltdown. Not only have I been SO impressed with our board members (You are TERRIFIC, folks&#33 for handling this loss with class and dignity, but I have been ( overall) impressed with the quality of BAMA fans that have come to the board. Most have not come to gloat or rub salt in the wounds, but to show respect to the losing team and its fans. Like the others, I sincerely hope you will become a regular member of this board.

:thumbsup:

[snapback]172330[/snapback]​

Thanks Lady, I plan on discussing some issue here from time to time and I hope most of you folks remember me so that I may be afforded a little latitude. :victory:

 

[OWB]

Originally posted by bamamike@Oct 23, 2005 11:46 PM
Thanks Lady, I plan on discussing some issue here from time to time and I hope most of you folks remember me so that I may be afforded a little latitude.  :victory:

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Would you settle for longitude?

 

[dan4vols]

I know of no other SEC site that is so tolerant of rival school posters

 

[MemphisVol]

Thanks Lady, I plan on discussing some issue here from time to time and I hope most of you folks remember me so that I may be afforded a little latitude.

Originally posted by Orangewhiteblood@Oct 24, 2005 1:05 AM
Would you settle for longitude?

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Being a bama fan, I'm sure he would.



Damn........ sorry.


I swear, I wasn't born with an instinct for crude straight lines- you twisted gets have perverted me

 

[orange4ever]

Good post Bamamike and thanks. Hope you return sometime to talk more football. Florida had our number for awhile but it was never as big a rival as Bama. There's a different feeling in the air when the Third Saturday in October rolls around. We know that bigtime football is going to happen. Win or lose, it never fails.

 

[volmanjr]

Classy fans are always welcome here, Good luck the rest of the way, just don't get too upset if the same thing happens to you guys that happened to Auburn if you win out along with USC and Texas.

 

[JennVols]

Welcome to Volnation, Bamamike. It's always great to see some Bama fans that want to come on here and talk football instead of instigate the Vol fans. :thumbsup:

 

[orangetd88]

Thanks got the kind words, bamamike.

 

[orangetd88]

Originally posted by LadyinOrange@Oct 23, 2005 1:16 PM
Bamamike, as a Mod on this board, I was really worried about
the effect of this loss on our posters and anticipated having to edit about a hundred posts and even getting a few folks banned bad. To be honest, I expected a total meltdown. Not only have I been SO impressed with our board members (You are TERRIFIC, folks&#33 for handling this loss with class and dignity, but I have been ( overall) impressed with the quality of BAMA fans that have come to the board. Most have not come to gloat or rub salt in the wounds, but to show respect to the losing team and its fans. Like the others, I sincerely hope you will become a regular member of this board.

:thumbsup:

[snapback]172330[/snapback]​

I think most of us have resigned to the fact that we are just not very good this year, and everything that can be said about that has already been said. As good as some of us here are at rehashing old arguments, I think we are tired of the same stuff. I know I am.

Having said that, I figured there would be a few more rants, but if you watched the game Saturday, you know there is really not alot to complain about, other than a few plays here or there.

 

[wilburnVol]

Originally posted by bamamike@Oct 23, 2005 4:10 AM
This may be a long post but stay with me.

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Pass. :air_kiss:

 

[gonygonygo]

BAMA is good this year. If they had Tyrone Prothro, that game in Tuscaloosa would have been ugly!!! He should be up for heisman. too bad he broke his leg.