There’s nothing like rolling with the Tide

Madeline Davis, right, with her mother, Leah Oldham in front of Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa on November 10.

My love for Alabama football all started when I was 6 years old, when my stepfather, Chase, came into my life. He grew up in Decatur, Alabama, and he attended the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Before my step-dad, I was not a fan of football and I knew nothing about it. I once went to a Georgia game when I was in the third grade. After my mother remarried, my brother and I became Alabama fans and started watching the Crimson Tide football every Saturday during football season.

Now, I am a huge fan of football and I love watching it every Saturday. I go to about one Alabama game per year, sometimes more. It’s hard for my family to go to a lot of games because Tuscaloosa is about five hours away. I hate seeing my friends getting to go to Athens every weekend while I’m not able to go to Tuscaloosa. On Fridays, my friends talk about how excited they are to go to Athens the next day, and I’m just disappointed I can’t go to Tuscaloosa.

It is hard living in Georgia being an Alabama fan. Many people talk to me about how much they hate Alabama because they are constantly winning. Also, people talk bad about Alabama around me and it is really annoying. Many Georgia fans like to call me a bandwagon but the definition of bandwagon is “to become involved in an activity that is already successful so that you can get the advantages of it yourself.” This is not me, I barely knew what football was or how it worked before my step-dad introduced me to it.

Last year, when we beat Georgia in the National Championship Game, I cried tears of joy. It was the best day ever. The day of the National Championship, we got to wear Alabama/Georgia clothes to school. I got a lot of hate for wearing my Alabama shirt. But I never said anything to the Georgia fans because I was  worried we were going to lose. I remember someone asked me if I was a bandwagon and how I even became an Alabama fan. I had no regret for wearing my Alabama shirt that day.

When I got home that afternoon,  I was so nervous for the game. But, at the same time, I was so excited. It felt like an eternity had gone by before the game, but it was really only four hours. After the first half,  Alabama hadn’t scored any points. I remember feeling so many emotions, nervous, scared, and mad. I got on Snapchat after the first half and watched Georgia fans’ Snapchat stories and that was a mistake.

It made me really upset. All the Georgia fans were posting stuff about how they were winning. I decided I wasn’t going to look at my phone for the rest of the game.

During halftime, I asked my mom, if I had to go to school the next day if Alabama lost because I knew everyone was going to rub it in my face. She actually said no but I was already preparing for all the hate. I hadn’t fully lost hope of us winning, but I was preparing for the worst. Also, I knew if I didn’t show up that would make me look even worse.

Alabama eventually won in overtime, and I was filled with emotions. At first, I started jumping up and down while screaming because I was so excited. Then, I cried tears of joy.

I was so excited to go to school the next day just because I knew no Georgia fan was going to brag that Georgia won. I didn’t brag or say anything to anyone, unless they brought it up.

This Saturday on December first, I am going to the SEC Championship where Alabama will play Georgia. I am a little nervous for the game this weekend because Georgia has a good team this year. I hope Alabama will beat Georgia again and remain undefeated.

Living in Georgia being an Alabama fan is difficult, except when you beat them.