I recently read an article on Fox Sports written by Aram Tolegian saying that the Auburn-Alabama rivalry was THE most overrated rivalry in college football today. Honestly, I couldn't believe what I was reading, but nonetheless, I endured the "brilliant" point that Mr. Tolegian was trying to get across.
He said that the Iron Bowl isn't a great rivalry because both teams aren't in the top 10 or aren't battling for a national title every year. His quote was, "families split, blood runs through the street, yeah, yeah, yeah..." How convenient of him to dismiss the very reason that rivalries are as intense as they are.
Let me give you the definition of a rival: one striving to reach or obtain something that only one can possess. A rivalry is made by the passion, the hatred, the competition, and the will to possess something that your rival can't—pride and bragging rights.
It's not made by how many times you are in the top 10 when you play, nor is it made by the amount of national exposure it gets every year, even though the Iron Bowl isn't lacking in either of those criteria.
The point is families do split. Brothers and sisters watch the game in separate rooms, maybe even separate houses, because they don't want to kill each other in the process. Parents and children don't talk to each other. There are even parents that don't allow their children to go to one school or the other simply because they graduated from the rival school.
We're talking about a kid's future here, and the parent could care less. Getting the picture?
Well, if you aren't, let me explain it in another way. This series was suspended for 41 years, from 1907 to 1948, over a money disagreement.
Well, if you aren't, let me explain it in another way. This series was suspended for 41 years, from 1907 to 1948, over a money disagreement.
How much money? Well, Auburn wanted a raise in per diem from $2 to $3.50 per player and a raise in traveling men from 17 to 22 for the trip to Birmingham, Alabama. Alabama countered with a $3 offer and a raise to 20 traveling men. Auburn didn't accept the compromise, and thus the series was suspended for 41 years.
If nothing else is said in this article, that should tell you all you need to know about the seriousness and competitiveness of this rivalry, that neither team can back down and they are always out to show up the other. A great rivalry suspended for 41 years over $.50 and two players.
This rivalry is a culture war like none other. There are other rivalry games that call themselves the "Holy War," but this rivalry doesn't involve two schools associated with a religion like Notre Dame or BYU. They don't need it. These two programs ARE a religion, and every Saturday the fans of Alabama and Auburn go to church in sanctuaries named Bryant-Denny Stadium and Jordan-Hare Stadium.
When it comes to football, these two teams share the same media and have to recruit the exact same kids every day of the year. The competition for even media coverage is a constant battle, and the competition for players is unlike anything in the country. There isn't a state that is more highly contested in terms of recruiting than what goes on in the state of Alabama between these two schools.
This rivalry is a culture war like none other. There are other rivalry games that call themselves the "Holy War," but this rivalry doesn't involve two schools associated with a religion like Notre Dame or BYU. They don't need it. These two programs ARE a religion, and every Saturday the fans of Alabama and Auburn go to church in sanctuaries named Bryant-Denny Stadium and Jordan-Hare Stadium.
When it comes to football, these two teams share the same media and have to recruit the exact same kids every day of the year. The competition for even media coverage is a constant battle, and the competition for players is unlike anything in the country. There isn't a state that is more highly contested in terms of recruiting than what goes on in the state of Alabama between these two schools.
Any kind of intervention or mediation between these two sides is a lost cause, really. This is a fight that rages every day.
In Mr. Tolegian's article, he states his reason for the Iron Bowl being overrated is because they aren't in the top 10 or because one team has been down in recent years. Well, how realistic is it to expect two teams in the same state, competing for the same players, to both be in the top 10 every season? It's almost impossible for that to occur on a consistent basis.
In Mr. Tolegian's article, he states his reason for the Iron Bowl being overrated is because they aren't in the top 10 or because one team has been down in recent years. Well, how realistic is it to expect two teams in the same state, competing for the same players, to both be in the top 10 every season? It's almost impossible for that to occur on a consistent basis.
Every positive thing that happens to one of these schools has a direct negative impact on the other. That's the beauty and the curse of this rivalry: Because they are in the same state, everything affects the other.
Unlike other rivalries, if I want to talk smack to an opposing fan, I don't have to drive across state lines to do it. I simply walk next door to do it, or walk to the office next to mine at work, or see the person in the grocery store with a rival sweatshirt on. This rivalry is fought every day of the year, on every type of "playing field" there is.
Unlike other rivalries, if I want to talk smack to an opposing fan, I don't have to drive across state lines to do it. I simply walk next door to do it, or walk to the office next to mine at work, or see the person in the grocery store with a rival sweatshirt on. This rivalry is fought every day of the year, on every type of "playing field" there is.
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about 1 month ago
J.H., since I am the first to comment on this article, I want to congratulate you on one of the best articles I have ever read on B/R, and THE best article I have ever read on the Iron Bowl. You did it great justice. You should save this and try and get it published before next years game. This is professional work that should be in SI or TSN.
Being from the south, I have always admired and enjoyed the Iron Bowl and the intensity that it brings out in both Auburn and Alabama fans. I can't wait till tomorrow! Tolegian must be missing a few bolts.
Absolutely a great read and classic work by a very talented writer. *****POTD
from about 1 month ago
Can't agree at all. The game is so significant that for half a buck they didn't even play it for 41 years? Yeah, real significant rivalry game. And fans in 49 of the 50 states don't care if it's played or not. Sorry, I can think of plenty of rivalry games which garner far more national attention than the Iron Bowl on a regular basis - Oklahoma/Texas, USC/Notre Dame, Michigan/Ohio State, Florida/Florida State, even Army/Navy, just to name a few (ok, Army/Navy certainly isn't anything like it once was, but in terms of "rivalry" it's a significant leader). I hope this game never goes the way of Pitt/Penn State, but to say it has no equals is absolutely laughable unless you live in one specific southern state.
from about 1 month ago
Then you do not understand Mark.
from about 1 month ago
Mark must be from above the Mason-Dixon Line. :)
about 1 month ago
Great article. I wholeheartedly agree. 5 stars and POTD.
about 1 month ago
Thanks to GG and Ben both. Appreciate the comments.
about 1 month ago
Wow-great article...I could not agree more....5*
about 1 month ago
Nice article, Justin, but the rivalry pales in comparison to Notre Dame - USC for at least three quarters of America. You put off the rivalry game and state bragging rights for 41 years due to a squabble involving a few coins?
I can't say I have ever watched more than a few minutes of it. I read in BR that the Georgia-Auburn rivalry is older. Florida-Florida State, South Carolina-Clemson, Georgia-Georgia Tech, Tennessee-Vanderbilt - aren't those rivalries much longer (all over 100 years old) and more intense?
from about 1 month ago
"You put off the rivalry game and state bragging rights for 41 years due to a squabble involving a few coins?"
I think you missed the point here.
from about 1 month ago
Mentioning Notre Dame in the comments section of this article is a joke! Great article Justin - as a CFB fan I would say that the Michigan-OSU rivalry is about even but as an SEC fan I tend to tip it to the Iron Bowl.
about 1 month ago
I'm going to defend Aram. If your boss gives you an assignment, and says here are the teams, and you have to write about why they are most overrated rivalries, what do you do? In this economy, you write the assignment up, and hope it pleases the brass. You don't want to lose your job-not that his was ever in jeopardy.
What alot of B/R creatures don't realize is that being a writer isn't exactly all cake and champagne. You are sometimes given assignments, and you have to come through. I would bet my last dollar that if any B/R creatures were working for a major website, and were given an assignment, they would make sure they followed the tone and parameters of that assignment.
Don't judge someone who writes on subjects that may disagree with your inner-sense. Sometimes, that's the whole point of the assignment, and sometimes, the website may just want you to spark debate.
Aram did his job. He is to be commended for writing about a tough assignment...you can't please everyone.
from about 1 month ago
"the website may just want you to spark debate"
Which is what happened. Success. Congratulations to Aram. I am sure he appreciates your silencing of the dangerous and vile "B/R creatures".
"I would bet my last dollar that if any B/R creatures were working for a major website, and were given an assignment, they would make sure they followed the tone and parameters of that assignment."
Not everyone can be bought. Many great writers have given the middle finger to editors and wrote in the tone they wanted. Of course, many have sold out. If I didn't sell out, would you give me your last dollar?
from about 1 month ago
"Aram did his job. He is to be commended for writing about a tough assignment...you can't please everyone."
That list sucks, and it has his name on it.
1. Auburn-Alabama
2. ND-USC
3. Army-Navy
4. Miami-FSU
5. Florida-FSU
6. Kansas-Mizzou.
With sentences like this:
"One good season by both teams and all of a sudden this is one of the best rivalries in the country?"
"There's a reason you keep seeing old footage of "wide right" before and during each annual installment of this once-classic rivalry. It's because not much has happened since those early '90s classics." (this is a factual error - two of those classics were in 00 and 02).
"Auburn is terrible. Until this game pits two teams having meaningful seasons, it will remain one of the most overrated rivalries *of the season.*"
I came to the conclusion that he neither understands college football nor rivalries, even if the conditions and teams were given to him. That ain't commendable.
Rivalries are never defined by one season (as he implies). Since a progression of seasons is necessary, a ranking can't change from year to year, contrary to what he implies.
If you're going to do a "tough" assignment like this, the first thing to do is lay down specific criteria, defining terms like "overrated." Aram seems to use "recent success by both squads" as his main criteria (it certainly isn't passion!), but by that standard, KU-Mizzou shouldn't be listed. So his criteria seem to be self-contradictory.
"Don't judge someone who writes on subjects that may disagree with your inner-sense. Sometimes, that's the whole point of the assignment, and sometimes, the website may just want you to spark debate."
My first reaction is that that's not writing, it's hit-whoring. My second reaction is that debate can be sparked without the writer looking ignorant or the website looking desperate for hits by just throwing popular rivalries on a list.
"If your boss gives you an assignment, and says *here are the teams,* and you have to write about why they are most overrated rivalries"
The editors at Fox told him to put specific rivalries on there? If they did, I'd ask that my name not be on the article (I'd also say they made poor choices in terms of hit-generation, but that's another story). At that point, it's not writing anymore; it's descended into something hinging between prostitution, advertising, and standing out in the street with a bullhorn telling people their cats are ugly.
about 1 month ago
Excellent article. Other people outside the state simply do not understand. I am part of an Auburn family, but my sister turned traitor and married an Alabama graduate. We still love them, but we do feel a little bit superior to them no matter which team wins.
We believe Auburn fans are those who have close ties to the school or to people who went to Auburn.
We feel a certain number of Alabama fans support a team simply because that team has had some great moments and lots of publicity. Lacking a professional team to root for some go for the state school that seems the more nationally prominent whether that is the case or not.
about 1 month ago
As an intense Alabama fan I loved this Justin and I agree. However I was surprised to read a few weeks ago that Bear Bryant cared more about beating Tennessee than he did Auburn.
about 1 month ago
Fans outside the state of Alabama who have never experienced the football rivalry between Alabama and Auburn will never understand it. Today is Sunday, November 30, and Alabama beat Auburn yesterday by a score of 36-0. I have already talked to two of my friends who are Auburn alums and they are already talking about next year's game. It never ends. We live this rivalry 24-7, 365. It has no equal. Those of you who don't understand it are simply clueless. Live it, and then we'll talk. I don't blame you for not understanding, you can't understand it unless you've "been there, done that". There are other rivalrys that are great ones, but none can equal the intensity and the effect this game has on a whole state full of people like the Alabama-Auburn game.
Mark (the guy above who has made 1 comment in his BR existance), the reason the game was cancelled for more than 40 years was to keep people from killing each other. You just helped support the point of the intensity of this rivalry. Thank you.
Bennie, your comment that stated " We feel a certain number of Alabama fans support a team simply because that team has had some great moments and lots of publicity. Lacking a professional team to root for some go for the state school that seems the more nationally prominent whether that is the case or not" probably has some validity, but not just for one team...for both teams. Bandwagon Auburn fans simply disappeared this season because of the poor performance of the Auburn football team, so they are not really Auburn people. The same can be said of Alabama fans who disappeared for a decade, and now they are back. Those people are insignificant. True Alabama and Auburn supporters are die-hard fans through thick and thin. We couldn't care less about a pro football team in Alabama...in fact we hope it never happens. We are college football fans, and that's is what matters to us.
from about 1 month ago
The Iron Bowl is a great rivalry and one of college football's best. It reminds me of the North Carolina v. Duke rivalry in college basketball. Your comment about how those in the state of Alabama can't understand is very true. Unless you live the rivalry, you just don't get it.
In the same sense, however, you can't understand the rivalries we believe in. Tradition and all of the history of the rivalry play a part, but I firmly believe that rivalries cannot be ranked. The significance of a rivalry depends on where you live and who you root for. No rivalry can be better than another. Although I may think the Army/Navy rivalry is a joke, I'm sure no fans of either team or member of the schools think so. Just the same that maybe those fans believe my Michigan/Ohio State (Go OSU) rivalry is not the best in college football. I do not have to agree, because to me it is the most important.
Rivalries are wonderful to watch, but they cannot be ranked. Big rivalries can still occur if the teams are in different states. NO RIVALRY IS TRULY BETTER THAN ANOTHER. As a major fan of college football, I love to see a rivalry game but hate to see anyone diss another's favorite game. Instead of criticizing fans of the Iron Bowl, embrace what they believe in. Instead of criticizing fans of other rivalries, embrace it and understand. It is all college football, and it is all a wonderful sport to watch.
from about 1 month ago
Eric, point taken, but I now live in North Carolina and have lived the UNC-Duke rivalry, and trust me, it is mild compared to the Alabama-Auburn rivalry, as are most others. The closest comparison is UNC-Duke basketball or maybe Michigan-Ohio State football, or maybe the Yankees-Red Sox, but even those three give it a rest during the off season. Most rivalries exist during the season in which they are competitive, the Alabama-Auburn rivalry is more than a rivalry...it is a way of life. As I said, unless you have been a resident of the state of Alabama, you can never fully appreciate or understand it. People who move to Alabama from other states quickly find out how serious it is, and one comment I always hear is "I knew this was a rivalry, but people down here live and breath football every day...ya'll are crazy!". This rivalry takes on a life of its own 24-7 365. Everyone under-estimates this rivalry until they live it. So anyone can say what they will, but if you live this rivalry you become a part of it.
from about 1 month ago
The rivalry is a big one, and i do not doubt it. No one will ever understand a rivalry that they don't fully participate in. It's just a fact of life. I know what you are saying and you make a good point. The article is a good one, but the ranking of rivalries just shouldn't be done. The Iron Bowl is one of the best, if not the best rivalry in college football, but it sits at a level playing field with all other rivalries as it pertains to one's own allegiances.
Great article, and 12 you truly know what you are talking about. No one understands another's rivalry and that is just the way it is.
about 1 month ago
Do you thing that Mr. Aram Tolegian lives in a state that just doesn't have a rivalry?
about 1 month ago
It's the only thing the state of Alabama has to cheer about. They have no professional sports, and everyone still thinks any soda is called a coke. I'm surprised they haven't changed the name to the "Y'all Bowl". It has more of a southern ring...don't you think?
about 1 month ago
Justin, I really enjoyed this, you did a really great job. Thanks for sharing it with us!
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