Alabama Football

Fall 2009

As anyone can tell I'm really up on this Blogging thing. I keep up with my brother's blog and a friends but I can't seem to get the hang of it. Every year or two I put something up and pray I remember my password to get back on.

Life has changed a lot for the Mitchell/Carr/Knighten family since my last blog. Jeff and I have both changed jobs, we have a driver, an almost driver and all 5 kids are in school. We still follow sports year round. Of course now it's football season, which I might say is my favorite!. Our family has been cheering for a different high school team for the past 2 years but that's okay at least we have high school football. And of course we have Alabama football.

Alabama football, my family of origin(my mom, dad, step dad, brothers, aunts etc..) don't understand my conversion to Alabama football. Not that I ever really understood why I was an Auburn fan. This is an important decision when you live in Alabama. My parents went to Samford, and Momma's parents were both Alabama fans. So why exactly was I supposed to be an Auburn fan? Because for years, everyone said redheads couldn't wear red? I looked better in navy? I don't know?

I spent a lot of time with my Aunt Lola when I was growing up. First at Athens's State College ( why wasn't I a hard core Athens's Bear fan?) Then in Tuscaloosa when Aunt Lola went there to work. I always got those neat thick notebooks from the Alabama bookstore to use in school and wanted to keep them so neat but felt that I had to deface them and put Auburn on them. I got to meet Bear Bryant, I wandered around the Tuscaloosa campus, eat in the cafeteria. Still during those times I was supposed to be a die hard Auburn fan. Odd. My brother's then attended Auburn, should my loyalty go to Auburn for them? I attended Troy State Dothan, an off shoot from main campus and as an adult. No die hard Trojan fan either. I was still a big Auburn fan but had no real drive for it a little light competition with friends but my heart wasn't really in it.

My family say I just converted because my now husband is a HUGE Alabama fan, is that why? Maybe, but I think it had been there all the time. I can remember being at Homecoming in Tuscaloosa around 1982. It was so exciting seeing all the Sororiety girls at the KD house get ready for the game and then get ready to go out later that night. Their date's looking so handsome in their preppy handbook styles, with the proud colors of crimson and white mixed in. I can remember the feeling of the energy, pride and excitement in the air. Now I can't tell you if Alabama won that day or not but I remember the electrical feeling of being a part, if only by slight association, and being on that campus.

When Jeff and I got together and he started talking about Alabama football that electricity, that pride that little taste I had as a 13 year old girl came back. Then we as a couple went to his friends (Alabama fans) home for one of the games. The anticipation and excitement was reborn . I was asked that night by a now friend if I was an Alabama or Auburn fan. That night I honestly answered I'm not sure, but by the next Alabama game I watched with my soon to be husband, I finally knew the answer, I was an Alabama fan, through and through.

So those who like to say I'm a turn coat, only rooting for Alabama since they are winning, well I still root for Auburn, when they aren't playing Alabama and I promise if Alabama does loose I will stick by them through and through. For I know now I am an ALABAMA FAN heart and soul.