Tide rides high as the pride of Tuscaloosa

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Forget the guy who bid $100 for a Coach Fran bobble-head doll, or the CEOs who plopped down $50,000 for the use of a sky box for seven home games this year, or the thousands who drove from Tuscaloosa to Los Angeles to watch the Crimson Tide play in the Rose Bowl two years ago.

"There are a lot of things in Alabama's history that people here are not proud of," said Kirk McNair, editor of BAMA Magazine, "but football was something they could take pride in. There's a great passion for football. You don't measure it in silly hats or painted faces. You don't see that. It's just a love of football."

"Roll Tide" is the rallying cry that has sounded since 1907, when a newspaper editor, Hugh Roberts, first referred to the football team as the "Crimson Tide."

It has endured while the Tide rolled to 12 national championships, 21 Southeastern Conference titles and 51 bowl appearances.

In Tuscaloosa, a city of 110,000, Alabama football is the topic of discussions at water coolers and over brews.

Fans crave anything related to Alabama football. They fetched the 11,000 bobble-heads depicting coach Dennis Franchione. They bought Tide tennis shoes, Christmas ornaments, license plates and, yes, caskets.

"We've seen it all," Hopper said.

McNair started BAMA magazine in 1979, and paid subscriptions now total about 15,000. His Web site receives hundreds of thousands of hits each week, and the message board always is busy.

"We post four stories a day, and that's not enough for some people," McNair said. "They'll take all you can give them."

For Saturday's game between Alabama and host Hawai'i, UH media relations director Lois Manin said she received 18 requests for press passes from Alabama reporters, by far the most in recent memory. She said UH athletic director Herman Frazier has agreed to relinquish his stadium box to accommodate the demand.

Alabama has used its allotment of 6,000 tickets, no surprise, given that Tide fans outnumbered UCLA supporters in the Rose Bowl for the 2000 game.

Many Tide fans who can't make the trip to Hawai'i will gather at the Rama Jama restaurant and Dreamland Barbeque in Tuscaloosa.

"Football is the biggest thing here," said Will Dobson, Dreamland's manager.

On game days, Dobson will set up tents and provide live music. Everyone but Jenny Craig is welcome.

"There's nothing green on the menu," Dobson said. "All we serve are ribs, bread and sweet tea."

His secret ingredient? "Love," he said. "All of the ribs are made with love."

Said Hopper: "Football is the king in the South, no more so than in Alabama."

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