Goalpost Goddess: Mama, I’m Coming Home

When I was but a child my mom would take me to Thursday night Middle School games (her students were always playing and begging her to come watch them), Friday night High School games (they eventually got older, of course) and Saturday Bama games (every so often they'd even make it to play for Bama, one of them was #35 Martin Houston who played on the '92 National Championship team.)  My Mama instilled in me a love for the game that can only be described as truly fanatical.  Anyone who has ever experienced viewing a game with me will note the "crazy" that might appear in my eyes whenever that oblong shaped ball isn't bouncing our way.

Homecoming at the Capstone has always been nostalgic for me, even before I ever set foot on the campus as a student I would look forward to all the tradition and celebration surrounding the weekend.  I remember my first weekend long visit for homecoming when I was slightly older than my daughter is now.  We had a very close family friend that was a student at Bama and she had extra room in her apartment for my mother and I to stay the weekend.  At the time I had no idea how that could possibly cramp her style, I just thought she was the coolest friend EVER (she had earlier been the girl who introduced me to Huey Lewis and the News' "Sports" album while taking me to Pizza Hut in her Gold 1978 Trans Am Special Edition.)  Anyway, her apartment was in Northport and her younger brother was her roommate.  I don't believe I saw him that weekend, guess a 50+ yr old woman and some tween wasn't going to harsh his Bama weekend.  I just know that we went to the bonfire and pep-rally on Friday night, I wore a big corsage to the parade and the game the next day, and we handily beat Memphis State 37-0 in front of a sell out crowd of 60,210.  My, how times have changed.

This year my parents are going to be going to the game in my place.  They haven't been to a game at Bryant-Denny since the newest renovations for health reasons.  I can't wait to hear my father complain about parking and my mother rave on and on about how beautiful the stadium is now.  You see, no matter who it is that we play at homecoming the University will always roll out the crimson carpet for those that came before us to make the Capstone what it is today.  Regardless of what has been written by those at the Crimson White about the "tensions" in the Greek system, the University will continue to move forward.  No matter the number of games that HaHa Clinton-Dix ends up sitting out, the team will still march down the field on Saturdays in the fall.  Whether I am in the stands on Saturday or the ones that laid the foundation for my love of the game, those that come after me will also fall in love with that school.

Bama will handle Georgia State readily on Saturday, this is a certainty.  It's the tradition off the field on Saturday that matters, the one that passes the love of all things Bama from one generation to the next. That's the ceremony to watch if you're in Tuscaloosa this weekend.  You'll be amazed at all the wonder you will miss if all you do is rush to and from the stadium on Homecoming Weekend.

Again, each week I'm going to leave you with these three things:

1.       The RollBamaRoll Welcome Center (in case you missed it.)

2.       My email for any questions you may have that you don't want to leave in comments:  RollTideYall74@gmail.com

3.       One of the most delicious men on television right now, the RBR Beau:

Mr. Anson Mount

via 1.bp.blogspot.com

Everyone enjoy homecoming & as always,

Roll Tide, Y’all!!