How Al DelGreco Made Me Weep

I grew up as a rabid Alabama football fan--it came from my mother.  When a game came on TV, my father and sister would not watch the game with me and my mother, because we became so emotional--either good or bad depending upon how the game was going.  Obviously, this should have revealed to me that I had a problem.  But, I was blind.  I was blind until my problem was revealed to me by grace.  It's always that way--grace is what truly reveals the state of our hearts, not the law.  Let me explain.

Since I was a red-blooded, dyed-in-the-wool Alabama fan, I hated Auburn.  Maybe hate is too strong, but probably not.  I wanted Auburn to lose.  I wanted Auburn to be sanctioned for cheating.  Sadly, Auburn began beating Alabama during the last 20 years pretty regularly.  Sadly, even though Auburn players and Terry Bowden said that Auburn players were paid, little to nothing was done by the NCAA.  Where was justice?  I wanted justice.  So, when the story about Cam came out, I thought that Auburn was finally going to get its comeuppance.  I thought that Auburn fans knew about, and were okay with, cheating to win.

Guess what.  They are not.  My Auburn friends want any cheating to be rooted out.  My Auburn friends want to win, but not by cheating.  I discovered all of this during the Cam scandal, and it was illuminating.  What's more, one of my rabid Auburn friends congratulated me on the Alabama victory in the Iron Bowl.  He didn't make excuses, didn't say:  "We'll get you next year."  He just gave an unqualified congratulations.  Wow!  That is grace--that is what changes the human heart--my cold, dead heart.

Then, I was listening to the Opening Drive with Jay, Al, and Tony this past week.  For years, I have heard Alabama fans claim that Jay is too gracious towards Auburn.  In the past, I felt the same way.  Then, the grace of my Auburn friends began changing me.  I then became thankful that Jay was so measured in his statements, was so gracious towards Alabama's chief rival.  Then Al made me weep.

I was listening to an interview on the OD with an LSU fan, perhaps a sportswriter.  Al, Jay, and Tony wished him luck in the SEC Championship game.  Then, Al made a comment that I probably won't ever forget.  He said:  "We are looking forward to a rematch in the BCS Championship game."  Al said: "we."  I have never been a big fan of Al's (obviously due to my long-held hard-line Alabama fanship), but I will forever view Al in a different light and look forward to hearing what he has to say.

P.S.  Sorry for another blog dealing with my Alabama fanship, but, as you can tell, it has been an issue for me.