I think one of the most exciting things about the University of Alabama is its football program. For as long as I can remember, I’ve known Tuscaloosa to be the football paradise of collegiate America. I was born here in Tuscaloosa and still remember living here as far back as when I was nearly 2 until we moved to Maryland when I was about 4 and a half. Mom and I would always watch the football games at home. We never could really go to one because it was too noisy for a little tyke like me. But we would go down to the band field. She’d pull me in one of those little wagons every now and again and we’d go to watch the band practice. I didn’t like loud cheering back then. I was even babysat by two football players who lived in our apartment complex on 15th street. To this day I still love it here in Tuscaloosa, and I’ve always dreamed of coming back someday. And here I’ve been for over two years now. I’m greatly considering settling here in T-Town after graduation. The academic road isn’t always easy, but I still love it here.
But the one thing I love more than anything else is Alabama football. If you’ve never been to a game at Bryant-Denny Stadium before, you’ll never forget the first time you set foot in that gate. It’s nothing like an NFL game; it’s even better. Now you may think this is coming from a typical student, and I may be a normal student, but the only difference is that I’m totally blind. So some might ask, “How do you see the game?” Well, it’s actually pretty easy, thanks to the Crimson Tide Sports Network. Inside the stadium, they sell these sports radios that allow the user to get the game on the radio with no delay on stations that only work inside the stadium, as well as other sporting areas such as the Coliseum. The one I have also has an AM and FM tuner, and I can plug any earphones into it. So, Eli Gold is my eyes, and he does a great job describing everything. I love how just before kickoff he always tells the listeners exactly what the players from each team’s uniforms look like. The real excitement begins when Tony Giles, the voice of Bryant-Denny Stadium, comes on and says, “Ladies and gentlemen, THIS IS ALABAMA FOOTBALL!”, the band strikes up and we all start singing our favorite tune, “Yea Alabama.”
During the game, when there’s a flag and I ask, “What was that for?”, one might say, “What was what for?” I’ll say, “That flag just now, what was it?” And then people will say, “How’d you know there was a flag? You can’t see it.” Then I’d say, “I just heard there was a flag on the radio.” I found this last game, the SEC opener against Arkansas, to be particularly interesting, because there were most definitely a couple of calls that shouldn’t have been, and some that should have been. I remember there was one time near the end of the game when there was a late hit on Arkansas that Eli Gold and all the fans saw, but the ref didn’t call it. We were all mad, and so was the coach obviously; he nearly gave that ref a piece of his mind, that’s for sure! He was calling everything on us and nothing on them. I got my cane up and started waving it in front of me and shouted, “Hey ref, what are you blind? You need a cane? Or how ‘bout a guide dog!” And everybody laughed.
I also think the band made a good choice by moving from DD to BB. Their sound is more open, and therefore we can hear them a lot better there. They certainly were a lot louder where I was sitting. I love to sit right by the band at all the games, because hearing the band makes game days even more fun. I think the most memorable game I’ve ever been to was the game two years ago against Tennessee. As many of you may know, that’s when Terrence Cody blocked a last-ditch field goal by Tennessee’s Daniel Lincoln that, if good, would have cost us the game, a perfect season, and perhaps a national championship bid. I’ll never forget when he made that block for the second and last time, and the entire place just exploded—EXPLODED! Man, I couldn’t even stand there cheering beforehand; I just stood there real still, quiet and tense. Those last four seconds nearly gave me a heart attack. When Cody blocked that kick, I just went wild; I was like “Oh my gosh, did that really just happen?” I was so happy I almost cried and was going crazy. Just about every one of us in my row hugged each other, and of course all of that was followed by THE biggest and loudest Rammer Jammer I’ve ever heard. I will never forget that day. I came back to the dorm with my ears ringing and nearly no voice for the rest of the night. It was a marvel I could sing at all that Sunday morning in the choir. Now Terrence Cody’s playing for my Baltimore Ravens.
I want to thank Eli Gold, the voice of the Tide football team, for doing a good job being my eyes. I look forward to the next game against Vanderbilt, which will be held on October 8 at BD Stadium. I also look forward to the pep rally and bonfire which will precede it. I’ll be there; won’t you all join us? I believe the party will begin on the quad on Friday night, October 7 at 6 PM. Nick Saban will probably speak, and the band will play, so you don’t want to miss the free fun. In addition, I believe this is also when the homecoming queen and parade party will be announced. So bring your chairs on down to the quad next Friday night, and be prepared to watch the Tide roll all season long here at the University of Alabama. You and the University of Alabama: ROLL TIDE!
--David Rissling-Venit
