Law Students

25 Years Without the Bear

By Pete

So today is the 25th anniversary of the death of the best college football coach ever to walk a sideline. A few years ago I wrote a little post about The Bear.

Good seasons come and go, and without tradition when they go, they?re gone. Nothing more than a few faded memories and stories that start with ?remember when? and end with ?that seems like so long ago?. When you?ve got tradition, though, those seasons become part of something bigger ? they become a part of the tradition. They bolster it, add to its majesty and longevity. The immense tradition of Alabama football is rivaled by few in the college football world, and it all started with The Bear.

That?s why he holds, still to this day, such a dear place in the hearts of true ?Bama fans ? whether they?ve been fans for life, or recent converts, one has to appreciate what Mr. Bryant did for this school, and one has to realize how little the accomplishments after his would seem had it not been for the foundation he laid.

Even as Alabama prepares to wrangle in a Top 5 recruiting class with one of the best coaches in the game today, these words are still just as true today as they were then.

I also laugh, every time we have a coaching search (which has been far too often lately), at fans of other schools who chastise us for “trying to find the next Bear”. I have news for you folks: everyone is trying to find the next Bear Bryant.

Full post as published by PeteHoliday.com on January 26, 2008 (boomark / email).