The Get Back Coach

This video is a humorous look at a phenomena in American sports.  In American style football most teams have a coach who is assigned to act was the “get back coach” during games.

Sometimes, during the heat of a game, one of the team’s coaches or players will become so emotional that he will run out onto the field of play. This can result in a penalty being assessed on the coaches team. In the professional version of American football, the action may even result in monetary fines assessed against the team. Sometimes, players and coaches in unauthorized areas on the field can even be injured by accidentally colliding with 300 pound men running while wearing protective armor and hard helmets.

To prevent penalties and/or injuries, one of the other coaches is assigned the in-game duty of being the “get back coach.”  He continually reminds the other coaches and players to “get back” when they get too close to illegally entering the field of play by crossing over the sideline “out-of-bounds” strip of paint.  He will often resort to grabbing the momentarily insane coach and “escorting” him back off the field of play. 

 Sometimes, we as Christians can go off on tangents and have to be grabbed and restrained by a loyal friend until we return to our senses.

“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.” Galatians 6:1. 

"Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Roll Tide! War Eagle!

I have spoken before about how football is almost a religion in Alabama.  People are born into Alabama or Auburn families and sons of players at one school almost invariably play at the same school.  Most approach this in a rational fashion and take good natured pokes at one another.  As with anything, a few become obsessive to absurd levels.

Today is the first game day of the 2012 season.  Auburn is playing the Clemson Tigers in Atlanta, Georgia and the currently second-ranked Alabama is visiting the Michigan Wolverines in Dallas, Texas. 

(Some videos will not play properly when you click on the triangle.  Instead,  click on the title line in the picture and the video will begin .  When the video is completed, close the You Tube pop-up window to return to this blog.)

Roll tide

War Eagle flight

The origin of Crimson Tide and Roll Tide:

The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California is where the Alabama team won their first four national titles (a total of fourteen.)  The national sports writers spoke of the team looking like a tide of red, a Crimson Tide, pouring onto the field.

The association with an elephant (the mascot: Big Al) began because the sports writers noticed a picture of a red elephant on the personal storage trunks the players brought with them.  The trunks were supplied to the team by a local Birmingham luggage company, Rosenberger's Birmingham Trunk, whose business logo is a red elephant.  The elephant logo refers to the strength of the trunks which they sell.

The origin of War Eagle:

The Auburn Tigers mascot is Aubie the Tiger.  The eagle, also, became associated with the team very early in Auburn history. In 1892, an eagle circled over the football field during a football game and the fans pointed into the air and yelled “War Eagle!”