Living rooms and bars across Alabama erupted a few times on Saturday night. The first eruption came when T.J. Yeldon ran the game-winning touchdown in with only 51 seconds left in the Alabama-LSU game. The second came when our defense sacked LSU’s Zach Mettenberger to solidify the win.
There was jumping, screaming and even a few tears from fans and players as our team kept our dream of another national championship alive. As everyone calmed down, one of the first things I said was, “If we can’t fill Bryant-Denny on Saturday after that, we never will.”
Being an Alabama fan has been anything but hard this season. Until Saturday, our boys have had every game all but locked up by halftime, and they’ve spent the second half showing us just how great they really are.
Around the time the game turns into more of an exhibition than a competition, the stands at Bryant-Denny slowly begin to empty. By the fourth quarter, the students left could fit in the first few rows of the student section, while the rest are left as a dumping ground for discarded cups and broken shakers.
As with many Alabama fans, I’ve become complacent this season. My freshman year, the thought of leaving a game before “Rammer Jammer” was unheard of, let alone skipping a home game to sit on my couch or drink. This year, I’ve missed one game and left a few early – a fact I’m embarrassed to admit and upset with myself for doing.
During the weeks leading up to our game in Baton Rouge, a lot of stock was put into the role the LSU crowd plays in their games. Watching the game, you can hear why it’s the topic of conversation before every night game in Death Valley. Until the game was decided, the Tiger fans were yelling. Bryant-Denny on any gameday this season can only be considered quiet in comparison.
It’s easy to assume the best of Alabama and skip a game this season, but the best team in the nation deserves the best fans in the nation. According to our pregame videos, the Alabama Crimson Tide – the players, the coaches, the fans – live football. We should prove that loyalty by not only showing up in Bryant-Denny, but playing the only role in the game we can – doing everything in our power to distract the other team.
This weekend we officially welcome Texas A&M into the SEC. We should welcome them by being the loudest we can be, for all four quarters. From the time the play clock starts while the Aggies are on offense until the time the play is called dead, we should be yelling. The way living rooms and bars erupted on Saturday should be the way we as fans erupt in the stands for great runs, great passes, great catches and touchdowns.
Every student who swipes in and every fan who has a ticket ripped should be standing there when the clock hits zero, hopefully with the final cheer of, “We just beat the hell out of you.”
