Tide faithful cheer return of national champions
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 11
Redemption. After what seemed like a death sentence loss to LSU in the regular season, it is what fueled the Alabama Crimson Tide to a 21-0 shellacking of the Tigers in the BCS National Championship Game rematch in New Orleans Monday night. And after a tumultuous college football season preceded by the devastation of the April 27 tornado, that’s what brought hundreds of the Tide faithful to cheer on their team’s return Tuesday afternoon in the pouring rain.
Birmingham News – Jan. 11
Tide fans flood stores after game
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 11
Crimson Tide fans Tuesday packed area stores that had Alabama BCS National Championship apparel for sale. “This is my fifth (Crimson Tide) championship. I have championship shirts from 1978, 1992 and 2009,” said Kevin Parham as he bought a 2011 commemorative victory shirt at Sports Addition at University Mall. “My ’78 shirt doesn’t fit anymore because I was 3 years old at the time. My ‘92 shirt doesn’t fit either, but this one will.” Parham said headed to Sports Addition after failing to find a University of Alabama BCS Championship shirt in the right size at other stores.
Alabama QB AJ McCarron wore bracelet during title game for gravely ill Mobile girl
Mobile Press-Register – Jan. 11
Last Friday morning, DeAndra Chapman leaned in close and whispered to her 3-year-old daughter, Starla, that Crimson Tide quarterback AJ McCarron was wearing a bright yellow bracelet that she’d given him when he visited her hospital room on Christmas Eve. He was still wearing it Monday night when he helped lead the University of Alabama to victory in the BCS National Championship game.
Alabama fans scream ‘Roll Tide!’ in NYC, celebrate BCS title
AL.com – Jan. 11
When Alabama and LSU play football, New York City takes notice. The Big Apple once again needed four bars across Manhattan to accommodate the University of Alabama alumni and other Crimson Tide faithful for the BCS championship game, according to Tuscaloosa native and New York resident Reese Goode. The Ainsworth (Midtown on the Westside), The Hill (Murray Hill, Eastside), The Fulton (Financial District, Southern Manhattan) and Pub One (Brooklyn) had more than 800 Alabama fans request seating reservations leading up to the 21-0 Crimson Tide victory Monday night.
UA, LSU fans come together, give back to New Orleans
Crimson White – Jan. 11
Students, faculty and alumni of the University of Alabama and Louisiana State University met at the Boys and Girls Club of Southeast Louisiana in New Orleans a day before the national championship to give back to the community that hosted the fans of both teams. The mixed group of fans worked together to paint classrooms and desks and revamp their baseball field… “LSU has been the best partner that we could have asked for, because this is obviously more their domain than ours,” said Chandler Wright, the UA SGA senator who organized the event. …Dozens of volunteers, donning the colors of both teams, worked for hours, both inside and outside the club. They also took time to make fleece blankets, which the group sent back with the UA SGA to distribute to tornado victims…Both SGA and University leaders considered the event a success. “It really is remarkable to see students from two different schools, rival schools, come together and put aside their differences for what we have in common and use their good work for the community here where we’ve all come together for this event,” Vice President of Student Affairs and Vice Provost Mark Nelson said.