Week 4 - Arkansas

Tide Fans –

Champions find a way to win…they dig deep, and put it all on the line. Most teams fold when they are down 13 points with a little over a quarter to play on the road. Alabama is a team of champions…and they got it done. Amongst the squeals of 75,000 hog fans, Alabama sucked it up, made the plays, and took the win away from Arkansas. You have to play the game for 60 minutes…Arkansas found that out the hard way. Arkansas knows why we hold up four fingers at the start of the 4th quarter…Saturday was living proof. The Tide rolls in Fayetteville keeping our championship repeat hopes alive! Well done men…well done.

There are so many stories from this little journey I took to the Ozark Mountains this weekend. So many, that I will only be able to cover a few without writing a 10 page blog. Where do I even start? I guess I will just try and paint a picture of how a few events transpired. My journey started on a Southwest flight from Birmingham to Little Rock where I was met by my parents who had driven out earlier in the week to visit with old friends. Believe it or not, we used to actually live in Arkansas for four years – very early in my childhood. The day we left Arkansas I remember my dad telling me…“Now son - we live in Alabama now, and you are an Alabama fan, and always will be!” I remember this, even though I was only 5 years old. Since that August day in 1979, I have been and will always be a ridiculously loyal and dedicated fan to The Alabama Crimson Tide. That is some of the best advice I have ever received from my dad…and I have lived my entire life around it. Yes, we masqueraded as semi Arkansas fans for a few years while we lived there, but when we moved back to my dad’s home state, the Great State of Alabama, the words “pig sooie” were never spoken again. Thank you dad for moving us back to Alabama…thank you!

Back to the trip – as we left the airport headed towards Fayetteville I asked what our hotel arrangements were going to be. In the words of my dad, “I got us a suite with two rooms at this new hotel!” I was thinking – cool that will work. We probably should have known this, but apparently a suite in Springdale, Arkansas consists of 1 bed and a pull out sofa bed…in the same room. Not quite the two room “suite” we were imagining, and not even two rooms. A small sofa bed separated by a coffee table and a wall cutout of about 6 inches constitutes a suite in Springdale.
There were no other available rooms, so we were going to have to make the most of it. Thankfully, my wife and kids went to Nashville for the weekend to visit with her parents – otherwise it would have been real interesting!

That night we ate at a local rib/steak joint called Herman’s, and it was pretty good! It is a local favorite so we were told to go early like 4:45. Well we got there at about 5:00 and there was no one there – it looked empty. We went in and were greeted by friendly staff all decked out of Razorback gear. We asked where everyone was, and literally before we had finished our first drinks the place was packed – amazing what about a 15 minute difference made. Believe it or not, my dad’s real name is Herman, so of course we had to have pictures made, and every server in the place knew my dad’s name was Herman before we left. If any of you reading this know my dad, and have ever eaten with him, you know he likes to find out everything about his server. Where are you from?, what do you do?, is this home?, are you in school?, etc…he will start a conversation with anyone! It is usually a very entertaining conversation, but sometimes I think he forgets that the servers have to wait on other tables also. Anyway, the ribs were good so if you ever make the trek to Fayetteville you need to check this place out, and go early like they say, or be prepared to wait in a very long line!

Back at the hotel, we pull out the sofa bed and it is the old school kind with the metal bar and thin mattress…I could live with that…but I just about gagged looking at the mattress which looked as if someone had been murdered on it. I am not a big fan of hotel beds…they kind of gross me out, but this one almost had me sleeping in the car. I decided to cover it with 3 sheets thinking that would keep away any disease or bed bugs that might try to visit in the night. I’m pretty sure I slept a total of about 45 minutes – it was a long night on the thin somewhat disgusting bed.
The next morning I awoke (or should I say just got out of bed) and drank about 4 cups of coffee. I was irritated about my lack of sleep, worried with the fact that I would not be able to concentrate on The Tide, and the big game ahead. It was going to be a long day, and I had little energy. After my shower, (which I scrubbed my skin with soap until I turned pink trying to rid myself of any mattress funk that managed to get through the 3 layers of sheets), I felt better. A quick meal and a coke zero got me focused and ready to take on the day – I could get through on adrenaline if I had to…little did I know I would get plenty of that during the game!

The Arkansas fans were so jacked up for this game…you would have thought we were playing in the SEC championship. To them, this game was their season…this was the big one that would put Arkansas on the map! Most of their fans were nice, but they were very confident that they were going to win this game. If I had to hear one more damn word about Ryan Mallett I was going to punch someone in the face…good Lord that is all they could talk about. All throughout the day friends were calling me trying to get my take on the game…most of them nervous. I never got nervous about this game. In my mind I knew they could not stop our running game…they could not stop 4 quarters of pounding runs from Ingram and Richardson. Did I think we were going to blow them out…no. I knew Arkansas would score, and I knew Mallett would make some big passes against us. I was confident we would outscore them if it came down to a shootout.

My seats were up close to God in Razorback Stadium. Thankfully Bryan, a dear friend and old work colleague sat next to me. We had not seen each other in a while and it was good to catch up and laugh. Funny thing is he is from Arkansas, but not a Hog fan…Alabama all the way! Our seats were supposed to be in the Bama section, but Arkansas gets creative and separates the visiting teams fan base by sprinkling in lots of Hog fan season ticket holders. So, there were plenty of people calling the hogs up in what was supposed to be part of the Bama section. That cheer is really annoying, not just the sound, but how long it is…I mean do you really have to yell “whooooooo pig” three times slowly before you finish the cheer? Finally we got a few Bama cheers going in our section to which the Arkansas fan in front of me said “Is that really one of your cheers… Ala – Bama? That’s kind of lame.” I quickly reminded him that their main cheer consisted of calling a pig…he turned back around with no response.

I knew Arkansas would come out with guns blazing, and they did. Of course the crowd was all fired up, and then they make that first touchdown in like 2 plays… it was loud. Many Bama fans in my section were all irritated and I heard several “well that’s great…gonna be a long day for us.” I was not fazed at all by this first touchdown – I knew they would come out and score quickly. I turned around and reminded as many people that could hear me that the game was four quarters, and to calm down…we got this. Bama answered quickly thanks to the awesomeness of Mark Ingram – dude is ridiculous! Did you see the 2 stiff arms on that run to stay in bounds…2 stiff arms! I’m not going to give a complete recap of the game – you all saw it, and I know this post is getting long.

Offensively we moved the ball, and defensively we couldn’t stop the pass in the first half. McElroy made some terrible throws, but he also made some critical passes in the 4th quarter when we needed them. Defense finally got their head out of their ass and figured out how to slow Mallett down. I know we were trailing for the majority of the game and did not look very good, but deep down I just knew we were going to win. I never really got nervous – I was willing us to win. The only time I got nervous was at the very end on the 4th and 1…but what a great call. You don’t give that ball back to Mallet for a last second heave to the end zone…no sir. A very ballsy call by Saban!

As Julio was quoted in the Arkansas paper “This game is 60 minutes…ain’t no 30!” I love this quote, and how true it is! Alabama started to gel in the 4th quarter, and did what they had to do to bring home that sweet SEC road victory. Huge interceptions by Lester and Kirkpatrick, and just gutsy running by Ingram - he is unstoppable! Shout out go to Julio, Hanks, and Trent also. One of the catches Julio made late in the game for a first down was amazing – it was thrown way behind him and he still makes the grab! I wish I could repeat what my friend Bryan said after Lester intercepted the ball and was running it back, but I have been asked not to quote him. All I have to say is – it was hilarious!

The look on the faces of the Arkansas fans after the game was astonishing. They were absolutely devastated, and it was so quiet leaving the stadium, minus a few Roll Tide’s. It was like a funeral march down the 15,000 ramps we had to walk to get down. No “pig sooie”, no “go hogs”…nothing - just 75,000 silent Arkansas fans leaving the stadium. I have to give them some credit – they played a great game, but you have to play 60 minutes to beat Alabama!

I am so tired today…the game and lack of sleep just wiped my ass out. Another fantastic night on the sofa bed was just delightful! Add to that the 9 hour drive back from Hog Town to Birmingham…I’m whipped. Yes – I flew out and drove back with my parents…more stories there – just not enough time to tell them. I know our team is tired too, but they can’t rest long – we have another huge game this weekend! Florida comes to town in a week, and all their “jort” wearing cheesy fans. Let’s welcome them with a loud crowd, and swarming defense! Florida has had this game circled since we whipped them in December. This will be a very tough game with another high powered pass attack. I know Saban and the staff will be working to smooth out some wrinkles, and that we will be ready! We really need to be loud in Bryant-Denny this week – it needs to be deafening. Yes, we are all tired from the stress of this past game, but it is time to do our part and suck it up! Our team needs us big time in this week, so if you are going…you better be loud! If you are not going and I find out that you sold your tickets to a Gaytor fan - I am coming after you!

Come on Bama…rest up this week, and get your game face ready for Saturday – it is going to be awesome!

Before I sign off - I have to say this:

Don’t ever give up on The Tide – don’t ever doubt. This was another one of those games that tests your belief in what we can do…you have to believe – even when it is not looking good – if there is still time on the clock you better believe that we will find a way to win!

Until next week…Roll Tide!

Jason