Game #5: vs Alabama aka Roadtrip #2

HOTTY TODDY to all!!! No this posting wont only be about a moral victory. If you saw the game or read anything in the paper or online, then you know Ole Miss played big. What I saw in person, our defense was amazing and our entire team played 60 minutes. When there was less than a minute in the 4th quarter, there was no doubt we would lose, the Ole Miss Rebels were playing like it was the first minute in the first quarter of a bowl game. Leading up to the game, I heard many fans grumble when the game time was announced saying things like "great, now the nation can watch Ole Miss be stomped in prime-time." The Ole Miss Rebels gladly took the stage in prime-time and proved to college football that we're a team to be watching. People around the country turned their tv's on Saturday night to watch Alabama, but they turned them off thinking about Ole Miss.

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Saturday was a long day for Charlie and me. We got up early, drove to Alabama, enjoyed the day in Tuscaloosa, watched a great game, and then drove back to Tupelo. This was my 3rd time to attend the Ole Miss game in Tuscaloosa and Charlie's first. If you've never been to Tuscaloosa, it's a big place. The city around it is spread out and the campus itself is big with massive buildings.

 



Regardless of your opinion about the University of Alabama, this is a ridiculously large football stadium; Bryant-Denny stadium seats just over 100,000. On a side note, after marrying Charlie White I developed a soft spot for the University of Alabama, rather at least their football progam, because Charlie White's grandfather Charlie Fitts played college football there. Futher, Charlie Fitts's parents, grandparents and great-grandparents are buried in the cemetary on the other side of the stadium that is as close to the stadium as we are in this picture, if not closer. Click here for pictures.

 

During the day we just goofed around Tuscaloosa: walking around campus, finding the tastiest place ever to eat, 5 Bar (I dedicated an entire post to it, click here to read). While walking around Tuscaloosa, and we walked a TON, I was surprised to discover one thing: Alabama fans aren't as open-arms, hospitality driven as Ole Miss. I understand that I'm biased, being an Ole Miss fan, and no one was ever rude to us; but we were invisible. Granted not all Ole Miss fans fit this mold; but if myself or my family see an away team fan we strive to always: tell them to enjoy their time in Oxford, usually offer them food and a beverage, ask if they need help finding somewhere, and at the least tell them to travel home safely. I won't lie, there may be some friendly football banter thrown in, but the point is we notice them. We take it upon ourselves to be ambassadors, not only of our good names, but also of the University and the town. And I will say considering the sheer number of Alabama fans that were in Tuscaloosa, there were probably some open-arms, hospitality driven fans and we just didn't get the opportunity to meet them.

 

Moving on to the game . . .

 

One thing I have to say out the Alabama fan base in their stadium--it reminds me of the old chant "I've got spirit, yes I do; I've got spirit, how about you!" Alabama fans show up, are loud, and are truly engaged with the game. It's not just that they have spirit; they have unified spirit. Some Ole Miss fans may remember that several years back, I think '06ish, Ole Miss had a professional group come in and evaluate the Ole Miss game experience to help us reach other schools number of crowd retention and the like. Anyway, every student was just cussing mad when the report declared that Ole Miss fans didn't have "spirit." We have spirit. I think what they intended to say is that Ole Miss fans don't have "unified spirit throughout the entire game." The Are You Ready at the beginning is a great start, but in the past it's stopped there. This year we're definitely getting better. Who is leading this unity? The Pride of the South.

 

Here is their Grove warm-up from the first game this year:

 

Super kudos, snaps, praises and brags for the Ole Miss band, The Pride of the South. I don't know what changed in the past few years, but I like it. In person, they were the Ole Miss spirit--the only spirit most of the time (I will save that rant for another day, but I wish at away games our fans would act like it's a home game.) Anyway, earlier Charlie and I were re-watching Saturday's game and I heard a band constantly playing between snaps. Had I not sat next to the band at the game and watched them steadily play, I would have thought it was Alabama's band I was hearing on tv.  They sounded awesome on tv. THANK YOU--THANK YOU--THANK YOU--THANK YOU Ole Miss Band for traveling to the away games. More importantly, thank you for teaching Ole Miss fans to unify our spirit, we're not quick learners but you're getting us there!

 

Back to the game . . .

 

In case any of you didn't know, there was a time during the game that Ole Miss was beating Alabama. I'm so glad I told Charlie to take this picture quickly because the lead didn't last too long.

 

 

I don't know why, but Alabama is a common enemy of many SEC teams--maybe it's because of their winning record or some would say their ego (if Ole Miss won that much I think we'ld have bigger egos), regardless some days you route for them because they are an SEC Western Division team (the more they win the more money comes to our conference and division) and other days you route against just because you can. This kid was a few rows behind us, and I was impressed with his initiative to make his choice early.

 

 

Yes, he is decked out in purple and gold, jersey and all.

 

All in all it was a good day. Don't get me wrong I had hope that we would win, but seeing an end score like this with a team like that, I'll take it this year.

 

 

 

Hotty Toddy to all, and to all a good night!