I Am So Excited To Have A Guest Host Pen My Blog Today. He Is Possibly The Biggest & Most Dedicated Alabama Football Fan In The Bama Nation. And He Proves This 24/7 By Being the Admin Of 5 Facebook Groups Dedicated To None Other Than The Best Football Team In The Nation "The Crimson Tide" - At Least In The Hearts Of All Fans Of "The Crimson Tide" Is The Best Team In The Nation. I Can't Thank Him Enough For Agreeing To Host Today For Me. I May Can Talk About How Much I Love Alabama, But I Don't Know My History Like I Should. I Look Forward To Him Guest Hosting Again In The Very Near Future. He Has Promised Something Special And Funny Really Soon - So Don't Forget To Check Back Every Day So You Will Not Miss Out...
If You Know Me At All - You Know There Is Not Many Bigger Tide Fans Than ME - No Matter What Kind Of Season "The Tide" Is Having.
Can I Just Say This? "What A Great Year For The Crimson Tide".
And We Are Not Done Rolling Yet!!!
ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!
Can I Just Say This? "What A Great Year For The Crimson Tide".
And We Are Not Done Rolling Yet!!!
ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!
 I have been told that this was the original Big Al Costume & that it is now displayed in the Bryant Museum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama... I could be wrong... My source was from a google search which may or may not be reliable - but I think it looks like a Classic... I Like IT!!! |
History of Roll Tide & Big Al
Here's the most accurate version (coming from a lifelong Bama fan.)
This is borrowed from a Bama website, and this story is written about in Winston Groom's (of Forrest Gump fame) book on Bama football:
Behind the "Crimson Tide" nickname and the elephant mascot are two bits of trivia that might stump even the most loyal of Alabama football fans. The team was not always referred to as the "Crimson Tide." Early newspaper accounts of Alabama football simply listed the team as the "varsity" or the "Crimson White" after the school colors. Headline writers then made popular the nickname "The Thin Red Line."
It was not until 1907 that the name "Crimson Tide" was used to describe Alabama. The name was supposedly first used by Hugh Roberts, former sports editor of the Birmingham Age-Herald. Roberts coined the nickname to describe the 1907 Alabama - Auburn game, played in a sea of mud. Although Auburn was favored to win, Alabama played well in the red mud and held Auburn to a 6 - 6 tie, thus gaining the name "Crimson Tide." Zepp Newman, former sports editor of the Birmingham News, probably popularized the name more than any other writer.
Big Al, Alabama's elephant mascot, certainly holds a special place in the hearts of Crimson Tide fans. Perhaps surprisingly to some fans, Alabama has not always boasted an elephant for its mascot. Coach Wallace Wade's 1930 Alabama football team was the first to be associated with the elephant. Sports writer Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal wrote a story of the October 4, Alabama - Mississippi game. Strupper's story called the Alabama team big, tough, fast and aggressive. Strupper also commented that the Alabama players looked " like they had nearly doubled in size" since the previous season.
"At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow," Strupper wrote. "Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, ' Hold you horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity."
Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the Crimson jerseys.That 1930 team of "Red Elephants" posted a 10 - 0 overall record and defeated Washington State in the Rose Bowl to be declared National Champions.
This is borrowed from a Bama website, and this story is written about in Winston Groom's (of Forrest Gump fame) book on Bama football:
Behind the "Crimson Tide" nickname and the elephant mascot are two bits of trivia that might stump even the most loyal of Alabama football fans. The team was not always referred to as the "Crimson Tide." Early newspaper accounts of Alabama football simply listed the team as the "varsity" or the "Crimson White" after the school colors. Headline writers then made popular the nickname "The Thin Red Line."
It was not until 1907 that the name "Crimson Tide" was used to describe Alabama. The name was supposedly first used by Hugh Roberts, former sports editor of the Birmingham Age-Herald. Roberts coined the nickname to describe the 1907 Alabama - Auburn game, played in a sea of mud. Although Auburn was favored to win, Alabama played well in the red mud and held Auburn to a 6 - 6 tie, thus gaining the name "Crimson Tide." Zepp Newman, former sports editor of the Birmingham News, probably popularized the name more than any other writer.
Big Al, Alabama's elephant mascot, certainly holds a special place in the hearts of Crimson Tide fans. Perhaps surprisingly to some fans, Alabama has not always boasted an elephant for its mascot. Coach Wallace Wade's 1930 Alabama football team was the first to be associated with the elephant. Sports writer Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal wrote a story of the October 4, Alabama - Mississippi game. Strupper's story called the Alabama team big, tough, fast and aggressive. Strupper also commented that the Alabama players looked " like they had nearly doubled in size" since the previous season.
"At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow," Strupper wrote. "Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, ' Hold you horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity."
Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the Crimson jerseys.That 1930 team of "Red Elephants" posted a 10 - 0 overall record and defeated Washington State in the Rose Bowl to be declared National Champions.
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Picture by Alabaster, Alabama Artist - Michael (Mike) Wooten in 1983 -- I purchased it from him in 1983, while going to college and working part-time in a bank where he banked at. It's signed and only 1000 were made. Bear Bryant - Walking On Water... |
Here's To Keeping It Classy In Coastal Alabama Today - With The Crimson Tide!!!
Cindy Lou...
Roll Tide
ReplyDeleteGreat article. Glad to know how many years and all the names were used to come up with The Crimson Tide and the mascot of an Elephant "Big Al". Roll Tide Roll. Enjoyes reading this.
ReplyDeleteWow heard so many stories this was interesting.
ReplyDelete