I had sworn off Finebaum at the start of the season and I've been true to my word, except for a brief moment yesterday. I heard about 5 minutes and a couple of things that were said got me wondering if some people really get it...or not. The discussion during that time cenetered around the proposed Missouri to the SEC issue and one caller blathered on about how Bama's tradition is winning championships and Mizzou has no clue what they're getting into. Finebaum followed up by asking the question, "If LSU beats Alabama and Bama winds up going to a great BCS bowl, do you think Bama fans will consider this a successful season?" His answer was an emphatic "NO".
What I began wondering about is whether or not that is the one true "tradition" they claim. You see it on every shirt, flag and car magnet. You hear it out of their mouths virtually every time any comparison of programs is discussed. 13 is our tradition. That's all fine and well. I get it. Bama has a long history of SEC and National Championships, whether you dispute the actual numbers or not. And I'm not writing this to argue those numbers, only to ask if there is anything else Alabama fans claim as a "tradition". And what other fans call tradition on game day.
I grew up in an Auburn family and still sit in the same seats in JHS that I did as a kid watching Terry Beasley make over the shoulder catches on throws from Pat Sullivan. My father and his father graduated from Auburn. My sister owns an AU diploma and I met my wife there. I started at Auburn at the end of the Barfield era and left just after the 83' Sugar Bowl. Needless to say, it was the outhouse to the penthouse during my days on the Plains. Since leaving Auburn, I've seen undefeated seasons, rebuilding years, turmoil and coaching changes, trips back to New Orleans, Tampa etc. for bowl games, Atlanta for SEC Championship games, winning streaks over our biggest rival and last year....a magical season culminating in a National Championship. The biggest thing in my mind about Auburn winning the MNC is being glad that I got to experience it as a fan. I certainly hope to experience it again but truth be known, the odds are probably against it unless the moon and stars and Newtons align again for another magical season. But, that matters not to me. I don't look at any of that as an Auburn tradition.
While at Auburn, tradition meant the annual Wreck Tech parade, where the Friday before the GT game, fraternities and sororities built floats and wore pajamas while walking in the parade. Tradition at Auburn is Tiger Walk, an Auburn original that's often imitated but never duplicated. Another Auburn original that never fails to raise goose bumps is the majestic flight of the eagle prior to game time, the way the band enters the field and spreads the colors for the National Anthem. Tradition is tailgating and greeting fellow Auburn fans with "War Eagle". And no other tradition matches the gathering at Toomer's Corner to roll the old Oak trees after an Auburn victory. Tradition means different things to different people, not only at Auburn, but at Universities all around the nation. It's a big part of what sets college football apart from every other sport.
Ole Miss has The Grove. Tennessee has the armada of boating tailgaters. Ohio State dots the i. Georgia has the weekly pre-game visits to their incarcerated players. LSU prides themselves on launching urine soaked nerf footballs and screaming obsenities at opposing fans. I ask this question to the Bama posters on board and I don't ask it to flame or make jokes. In all my years living in this State, I've never heard of anything that Alabama fans claim as their own tradition...other than national championships. What do you actually consider a real tradition? Something that's a must see or do when you go to a game in Tuscaloosa. Something unique to your program. Auburn fans..what do you consider your Auburn tradition when you hit the Plains? Hog fans, what about you?
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