looks pretty cheesy and gimmicky to me. i hope they prove otherwise.

There’s acknowledging tradition, and wallowing in the past, and I’m afraid that falls more toward the latter in my opinion. Maybe if its in a suite or luxury box area, but if that’s in constant sight of fans in the stands I don’t like it. Isn’t Bryant Denny Stadium on Bryant Drive near the Bryant Museum with a statue of Paul Bryant outside enough?

I think that this is going to be the cover for a concession area in the concourse level. I don’t think it’s going to be an actual fixture to the stadium itself, per se, and honestly I cannot even think of a legitimate place where you would put it. I’m pretty sure that’s not what it’s for.

With that in mind, I think it looks pretty cool and moreover I think it’s a great business idea. When you have competing concession interests within a sporting venue, the biggest probably you face is that your stand doesn’t really stick out. Most people just go to whatever is near them, and don’t even bother to pay attention to things that are even a gate or two up. However, if you can devise something like this that will obviously grab everyone’s attention, you can drum up a bit more interest / business for your stand. Whoever came up with this one, I think, had a pretty good idea.

Amen brother. Over the next 15 years the landscape of the average Alabama fan is going to change dramtically. I myself have been an Alabama fan my entire life (26 years) and very little of that has anything to do with the Bear. I am a fan because i was born in Mobile and fell in love with the sport and the team that bares my states name. I was born in 82 and never saw the man coach, never heard him speak (other than recordings) and know very little about the man.

Alabama fans of the future (ie my upcoming children) will be just like me. We will respect the hell out of the legend but know very little about the man. This will create a lack of understanding of the infactuation that so many Alabama fans have of a man that has been dead for 20 something years. Is this wrong, no. All we will have is stories. But I fully intend to teach my children who the Bear was and everything he meant and did for Alabama. But i want them to look to the future instead of living in the past.

This is embarassing. This is even worse than those guys wearing the houndstooth baseball caps around. I HATE those things. I don’t want to start an alumni v. ‘true’ fan debate, but this is just horrible. I gotta think Saban is not going to be down with this, not that he is too concerned at the moment, but what about RESPECTING the past (not making a joke of it) and looking to the future.

…and he says that Coach Saban just wanted to have a hat as big as the one Les Miles wears. Hope this clears things up.

there is way too much emphasis on this, it’s just a hat! whatever sells…just because someone wears a hat, does that mean they are “uncool”, my g/f has one of the houndstooth ballcaps because its fashionable and she doesn’t know anything football, she just wants to support the team and thinks it’s “neat” that people still care for the The Bear.

as long as it remains inconspicuous, ie the suggestion of a concession area … agreed that it may add a little excitement (not that it’s really needed at the moment), business interest, etc … our fan base has a very unique way of settling the debate of old vs. new with a basdardization that is uniquely our own (ex: goofy hats)

… are horrible and reinforce the redneck stereotype. If you call them “fashionable,” well, then you’re stepping right into it.

this blog is dominated by well-meaning youngsters who may or may not have ever gone to a game or graduated from Alabama. The Bear was not only a great coach but an incredible leader and a symbol of excellence. People crave leadership and Coach Bryant provided that to countless athletes, buisnessmen, and everyday citizens in Alabama and across the nation. Honoring those on whose shoulders you stand is the epitome of class and Coach Bryant embodied capstone class. The houndstooth hat finished a gameday outfit of coat and tie that represented the respect and authority that Coach deserved much like a military officer has distinction in his dress. Maybe one day Coach Saban will have his straw panama enshrined at the capstone, but without “The Bear’s” legacy-we would not have Coach Saban. Respect your elders, younguns.

In all kindness think you missed the point a bit here. I dont know of a single Bama fan that disrespects Coach Bryant. I was born in 79 and dont remember anything of his life. But I am a Bama alumnus and think Coach Bryant was one of the greatest leaders of all time, on equal ground with Robert Lee. Now the discussion about the big ass hat is not about Coach Bryant, but about the university we love pimping out the image of a legend to make some money. Now that I know the stupid hat is going in the concourse to sell food and drinks I could not care less. But in my humble opinion, anything that makes a joke of Coach Bryant (and one could argue that hat does) sure as hell shouldn’t be located in the stadium bearing his name.

Also, I would be willing to bet he won more games wearing a fedora than the houndstooth hat. And he never wore a stupid houndstooth baseball hat.

Do you think LSU fans are fretting this much about that giant hat Les Miles brings to their stadium? Hell, neaux! I’m done with the decorations — let’s talk some football.

I’d like to see to see them put that in the Paul W. Bryant Museum!

I have read little comments here before about " Fans" who went to Alabama or go to games frequently. These comments seem to suggest that if you didn’t attend Alabama or don’t go to T-Town on a regular basis then you are less of a fan. That just pisses me off. I have been to only one Bama game in T-town and did not attend the University but i would put my loyalty, passion and love for our University up against anyone here. The fact that you were able to either go to Alabama or are able to afford tickets makes you no more of a fan than anyone else. So please don’t talk about respect unless you can show it yourself.

Thank You!

As a life long fan and UA alumnus, I couldn’t agree more…a BAMA fan is a BAMA fan is a BAMA fan. Period.

Roll Tide!