British personality/actor Stephen Fry on his show that airs on the BBC network called "Stephen Fry in America" talks about the Iron Bowl: the yearly gathering of football teams from the University of Alabama and Auburn University.
Fry uses many adjectives to describe Amercian football as well as the Auburn-Alabama game, but one word sticks out...American.
For me, growing up in the shadow of Jordan-Hare Stadium going to football games, there is no greater sports event of the year than the Iron Bowl. There is no other college football rivalry so anticipated, so revered. It's chocked full of tradition. From "Punt, Bama, punt!" to the first game played in Auburn in '89, to "Fear the Thumb."
When you're born in the state of Alabama, it is said that you either look over and see orange and blue, or you look up and see crimson and white. You're either an Auburn fan OR an Alabama fan. All season long you may pull for the other team as long as they're playing someone else, but come Iron Bowl day, it's war.
Yes, Mr. Fry was right. This game is as American as they come. Folks outside of our little corner of the world may not ever understand what the words, "Roll Tide," or "War Eagle" mean. That's okay. We don't expect them too. But rest assured, if they ever visited, there's no doubt that the excitement wouldn't latch on as if they'd been watching these two teams all of their life. It's contagious. It is frought with the American spirit. No wonder Mr. Fry and his crew chose an event such as this one to film and show the rest of the world exactly how American it is.
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