Holding a Grudge is a Football Tradition

Interesting article by Bill Curry - link here. Note these comments on Bobby Dodd:

We were coached by our own living legend, "The Gray Fox", Bobby Dodd. He and Coach Bryant were longtime friends, and the Alabama coach was fond of saying, "When I look across the field on game day I would rather see anybody other than that damn Dodd. He can beat you with his brain."

Coach Dodd was a General Bob Neyland disciple and understood the wisdom of ball security, field position, and error-free football better than anyone else in his era. He also made public reference to the fact that he wanted his boys to have fun playing football and refused to allow us to scrimmage during the season. Rival coaches found this appalling and said so. In that era football was supposed to be a daily gutcheck, not fun.

This on Bear Bryant and GT getting back into the SEC:

Finally he blurted out what he had been wanting to broach. "You ever see Dodd?"

"Yes sir, I do talk with him every now and then," I answered.

"Me and Dodd are too old to be feuding," he responded.

"Yes sir, I believe you are right about that," I said, breathless now in my excitement.

He thought some more, then spoke forcefully. "I tell you what you do Bill. You go home and call Dodd. Tell him what I said, and tell him one more thing for me."

He looked me hard in the eye, and said, "You tell him I will personally sponsor Georgia Tech to come back into the Southeastern Conference."

I hurried home, called Coach Dodd and delivered Coach Bryant's message. Dodd did not hesitate, saying "Paul's right, we need to stop our fussing, but we will never get back into the SEC. The Mississippi schools would simply not allow it. I tell you what, I'll call Bryant. He and I should get back together."

And this on leaving GT as head coach to take the Alabama job:

When I was offered the head coaching job at Alabama in 1987 I foolishly assumed that all was forgiven between the two schools and that the transition would be a smooth one.

Both fan bases erupted and I became the polar opposite of that which I had imagined. I was the lightning rod that reignited all the passions from all those years before. Not only did Alabama people resent my hiring, my Georgia Tech people were outraged, perhaps even more than the Alabama faithful if that were possible.

It was no one's fault. We simply did not understand the grudge factor. So when you watch Tennessee and Alabama play this weekend, understand that the current controversy is more than football, more than lawsuits and more than personal animosity.