SIAP...I may have missed it...
Alabama-Tennessee rivalry grows uglier
By TONY BARNHART The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 10/21/04
Believe it or not, the Alabama-Tennessee football rivalry used to be about football. It was the kind of rivalry people wrote books about.
In "The Third Saturday in October," the late Al Browning wrote of two proud institutions that would use this game as the ultimate measuring stick of their respective programs.
"Coach [Bear] Bryant always believed that if we beat Tennessee, then we might be good enough to win the SEC championship or the national championship," said Alabama athletics director Mal Moore, who has been a part of more than 30 Alabama-Tennessee games as a player, coach or administrator. "He had a great deal of respect for Tennessee."
Oh, how times have changed. There has been a lot of discussion this week about the 87th meeting between Alabama and Tennessee on Saturday in Knoxville. But it's not coming from players, coaches and fans. It's coming from lawyers.
That's because this historic rivalry has taken on a meaner and harsher edge. The bad blood between Tennessee and Alabama during the past few years has spawned at least three lawsuits and two federal indictments.
The battle lines are clearly drawn.
Alabama's proud football program is in a competitive hole, and a significant portion of the Crimson Tide fan base is convinced that Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer conspired with NCAA investigators to put it there. They believe Fulmer gave false and misleading information about Alabama to the NCAA in exchange for the NCAA's turning a blind eye to transgressions in the Tennessee program.
Montgomery attorney Tommy Gallion says he will prove it when his $60 million lawsuit against the NCAA goes to trial next June. Gallion is representing two former Alabama assistant coaches — Ronnie Cottrell and Ivy Williams — who say their careers have been ruined by the investigaton.
Fulmer is not a defendant in the case, but Gallion vows to make Fulmer sit down for a deposition.
"Suing the NCAA is like suing the Vatican, but win or lose the truth will come out about Phillip Fulmer's involvement in this case and how he worked with the NCAA to get Alabama," Gallion said. "All we want from Phillip Fulmer is the truth."
Fulmer said he simply did what he is required to do by NCAA regulations. He determined that an institution, in this case Alabama, was violating the rules and turned that information over to the NCAA. In fact, Fulmer was one of several people who turned in the Tide during the most recent case, which, on Feb. 1, 2002, resulted in a two-year ban on postseason play and the loss of 21 scholarships over three years.
As a result, Fulmer has become Public Enemy No. 1 in Alabama. Things got so bad that in July, he refused to cross the state line and come to Birmingham for the annual preseason football meetings because Gallion had threatened to subpoena him. Alabama fans skewered Fulmer on the talk shows, and some of the state's media outlets called him a coward.
"It's all hogwash," said Jeff Hagood, Fulmer's longtime attorney. "Mr. Gallion uses emotion to make his case, but we have the truth. The truth is that coaches have been fired, the university [of Alabama] has accepted its responsibility for cheating and has been punished. And one of Alabama's prominent boosters [Logan Young] has been indicted on federal racketeering charges. That is the truth."
Fulmer, who has an 8-2-1 record against Alabama in 11 years as coach, said he has not been bothered by the criticism.
"Frankly, I never think about it or talk about it unless somebody asks me about it," Fulmer said. "I know where we stand on this whole thing, and I know what we have done here is right."
Alabama fans would beg to disagree. The Crimson Tide's bowl ban ended last season, but it may be a long time before the Alabama football program recovers from the effects of the sanctions. The Crimson Tide is under its fourth head coach in as many years. The Tide, which went 4-9 last season, is 5-2 going into Saturday's game with Tennessee. Alabama will be favored in only one game of its remaining four with Tennessee, Mississippi State, LSU and Auburn.
In short, it could be a long time before Alabama, which has won more SEC championships (21) than any other school, is able to win another title. For that, the fans who call Paul Finebaum's Birmingham radio show blame only one man — Fulmer.
"Most clear-thinking Alabama fans ackowledge that wrong doing was done in the football program," said Finebaum, who hosts the most popular show in the state. "But the severity of the punishment is what they question, especially given some of the things that they hear went on at Tennessee. They believe Fulmer was obsessed with getting Alabama and had help from the NCAA.
"There is no question that they really hate Fulmer."
The University of Alabama, for its part, wants to move on. It has no stake in the legal manueverings involving Fulmer.
"I just want people to start talking about two great schools and a great football game again," Moore said. "I'm hoping that will happen soon."
http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/1004/22utbama.html
ROLL TIDE!! Rick
______________________________________________________ RollTideFan - The University of Alabama Athletics Discussion List
Welcome to RollTideFan! Wear a cup!
To join or leave the list or to make changes to your subscription visit http://listinfo.rolltidefan.net
New AOL.com addresses are NOT allowed on this list. Get a real ISP.
