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re: Coaching legend Paul "Bear" Bryant passed away 40 years ago today...
Posted on 1/26/23 at 10:17 am to RollTide1987
Posted on 1/26/23 at 10:17 am to RollTide1987
My favorite Bear Bryant quote, "Excuses are for losers."
He was an outstanding coach. RIP
He was an outstanding coach. RIP
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Posted on 1/26/23 at 10:18 am to RollTide1987
The posting on this site is shite now but this is a great reminder of him. He was legendary and such a presence. Remember seeing him in Tiger Stadium as a yute and it was awesome seeing him lean against the H post.
Posted on 1/26/23 at 10:18 am to coachcrisp
quote:
Coach Bryant was a mean man
Bryant, and most other men of his age group, were formed and forged by their experiences in World War II. Whether they actually saw combat or not, they served in the military and underwent military training. Military training is designed to do two things: 1) Put trainees under stress to try and prepare them for the stress of combat, and 2) Force the trainees to learn to operate as a team by giving them a common enemy: the instructor. It was only natural for them to take that experience and apply it later to football, which also requires men to come together to form a team under physically trying conditions. Bryant himself said of his coaching methods something along the lines of, "I put a man through hell in practice because I want to know if I can count on him. If he's going to quit on me I want to find out in practice, not in a game." Replace "a game" with "combat" and that is about as succinct a description of military-style training as you can find.
Posted on 1/26/23 at 10:24 am to AwgustaDawg
quote:Don't get me wrong!
I played football from the age of 7 until my senior year of high school and had a heaping pile of coaches in that time and every last one of them was a mean SOB on the field with players. This was in the 70's and 80's. The same is true of drill sargeants....they are "mean" to recruits and many are just downright mean but many are also very nice people away from base. It is entirely possible that Paul Bryant was a nice, decent man, in his time, to reporters and fans while being a seriously cruel sob to players. Football is a violent game played by violent men...there is an element of cruelty in every football player who plays for any period of time ON the field...most do not carry that cruelty off the field but some definitely do. It takes an element of cruelty to get people with a streak of cruelty in them to begin with to work together as a team....thus coaces are generally speaking assholes to players and players cuss coaches for it but usually, hopefully, also admire the coach and may even grow to genuinely care about the cruel SOB.
Probably 99.9% of his players would've run through a WALL for him!
Being a "mean man" as it pertained to football back in those times was as normal as breathing. Some of the stuff coaches did on the practice field back then would land a coach in JAIL now, or at least fired!
Actually Coach Crowe was, I believe, paying Coach Bryant a compliment!
PS- This makes me remember how coaches at practice would grab your face mask, and hold their arm straight down by their side, and walk you over to where you should have been on a play, if you'd
been out of position!
Posted on 1/26/23 at 10:25 am to coachcrisp
quote:
Some of the stuff coaches did on the practice field back then would land a coach in JAIL now, or at least fired!
Oh yeah
Posted on 1/26/23 at 10:31 am to coachcrisp
Exactly. Things were just different back then.
In those days, teachers or principals had paddles that they regularly used in schools. The punishment from parents back then would have landed them in jail if they were doing it today.
I not saying it was right or wrong, but it was just the way it was and everyone accepted it. Being called a tough SOB, or a mean man wasn’t an insult back then at all, like you said, it was a compliment.
In those days, teachers or principals had paddles that they regularly used in schools. The punishment from parents back then would have landed them in jail if they were doing it today.
I not saying it was right or wrong, but it was just the way it was and everyone accepted it. Being called a tough SOB, or a mean man wasn’t an insult back then at all, like you said, it was a compliment.
Posted on 1/26/23 at 10:35 am to BamaMamaof2
I can't count the # of times I had my arse paddled at school!...and I'm talking about it leaving a bruise.
PS-...and I deserved it EVERY TIME!
PS-...and I deserved it EVERY TIME!
This post was edited on 1/26/23 at 10:37 am
Posted on 1/26/23 at 10:49 am to RollTide1987
“Have you called yo Mama today? I sho wish I could call mine.”
LINK
Met him many times. His good friend was Jimmy Hinton, and once at dinner party at his house, he and Coach Bryant were in back room drinking Couvousier talking, and dinner was announced. One of them said “why would I spoil a $50 buzz with a $5 steak?”
Just home from Vietnam, twin brother and I were eating breakfast at 5AM in Northport when Coach walked in. He came to our table and growled “how you boys doin?” After Army service and Vietnam I was disinclined to salute anyone, but when he spoke both of us jumped up and stood at attention…he had that effect on people.
Another time, a crowd of TV-it’s and reporters were finishing some documentary and about 30 media types were milling around bottom of steps, all dressed like usual ‘70s media, long hair dirty jeans, irreverent, loud… then Coach slowly walked down the steps like god descending, stretch out a hand, the media cried fell dead-silent.. and he just said “I want to thank all y’all for comin’ today.” It felt like the greatest mass compliment in history and I watched every one of those self-important media types stand up a little straighter…he had that effect on people.
I was driving to Tuscaloosa from Morgan City when I heard the news of his passing. I had his book in the back seat planning ti get him to autograph it. Regret putting that off today. And his book is the best for showing who he was of, and a terrific story… best biography I’ve read. Every page is a jewel, especially the A&M parts.,
His funeral was national press covered, and hundreds of planes of notables flying in were stacked up because of fog and bad weather. He was a John Wayne figure. I was honored to meet him. Still feel that way…he had that effect on people
LINK
Met him many times. His good friend was Jimmy Hinton, and once at dinner party at his house, he and Coach Bryant were in back room drinking Couvousier talking, and dinner was announced. One of them said “why would I spoil a $50 buzz with a $5 steak?”
Just home from Vietnam, twin brother and I were eating breakfast at 5AM in Northport when Coach walked in. He came to our table and growled “how you boys doin?” After Army service and Vietnam I was disinclined to salute anyone, but when he spoke both of us jumped up and stood at attention…he had that effect on people.
Another time, a crowd of TV-it’s and reporters were finishing some documentary and about 30 media types were milling around bottom of steps, all dressed like usual ‘70s media, long hair dirty jeans, irreverent, loud… then Coach slowly walked down the steps like god descending, stretch out a hand, the media cried fell dead-silent.. and he just said “I want to thank all y’all for comin’ today.” It felt like the greatest mass compliment in history and I watched every one of those self-important media types stand up a little straighter…he had that effect on people.
I was driving to Tuscaloosa from Morgan City when I heard the news of his passing. I had his book in the back seat planning ti get him to autograph it. Regret putting that off today. And his book is the best for showing who he was of, and a terrific story… best biography I’ve read. Every page is a jewel, especially the A&M parts.,
His funeral was national press covered, and hundreds of planes of notables flying in were stacked up because of fog and bad weather. He was a John Wayne figure. I was honored to meet him. Still feel that way…he had that effect on people
This post was edited on 1/26/23 at 11:11 am
Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:17 am to coachcrisp
quote:
I can't count the # of times I had my arse paddled at school!...and I'm talking about it leaving a bruise.
PS-...and I deserved it EVERY TIME!
I aiint willing to admit I deserved it every time but if you count the times I did plus the times I did and didn't get caught I was WAAAAAAYYYYYYYY ahead of the game. Can you imagine a 65 year old woman snatching a 8 year old child up by the hand and paddling his behind today? Good god almighty there'd be some property destroyed. Mama would have to have an ambulance and Daddy would need years of therapy. I had some cruel stuff done to me on football and practice fields and was called all manner of fowl and disgusting things and told how worthless I was on a regular basis....many's the time this would come from my own loving father on the sidelines LOL....and to be honest none of that evet hurt me in the least because it made the few times I got it right that much sweeter.
Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:19 am to Jacknola
quote:I guess you're talking about eating at The Cove at the corner of #82 and #69 highways. If it was a Sunday morning during football season, you probably saw a half a dozen papers from all over the country of his back table. The ONE question that nobody could answer was how in hell did he get the Sunday New York Times paper in Tuscaloosa at 5 AM on Sunday morning!...but he could and DID...along with the Atlanta Constitution.
Just home from Vietnam, twin brother and I were eating breakfast at 5AM in Northport when Coach walked in.
By the way, Jimmy, N.C. Morgan, Frank Moody, and Harry Pritchett were more than just good friends. They invested his money for him.
Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:25 am to kywildcatfanone
quote:
He never got over leaving Kentucky.
Great coach. Such a shame he didn't get more time in retirement.
I'd be bitter and immediately leave too if I was a reigning SEC football championship winning head coach watch the reigning SEC basketball championship winning head coach at my same school be gifted a brand new Corvette for his efforts while I received a pocket watch or something weak like that. Kentucky football forever sealed their eternal football fate with how they treated Coach Bryant in the 50s.
Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:37 am to psk_Vol
quote:
Corvette
Try Cadillac....and that was an often used banquet tale of Coach Bryant, even though he did leave because Kentucky was/is a true Basketball state. Also, there was strong rumor of a close relationship with Gov. Happy Chandler's lovely wife. The Chandlers and Bryants were pretty close.
Posted on 1/26/23 at 11:50 am to coachcrisp
quote:
Try Cadillac....and that was an often used banquet tale of Coach Bryant, even though he did leave because Kentucky was/is a true Basketball state. Also, there was strong rumor of a close relationship with Gov. Happy Chandler's lovely wife. The Chandlers and Bryants were pretty close.
Caddy/Vett/whatever the story is.
And wouldn't surprise me. Bryant being a poon-hound his entire life is a very well known historical fact. Had a good bud who attended Alabama show me his old apartment near the Strip in Tuscaloosa where he would go bang all the Coed girls at Bammer. What a legend.
Posted on 1/26/23 at 12:05 pm to psk_Vol
If you're referring to when he was a student, possibly. If you're talking about while he was coaching,.... 
...there's some lying going on.
...there's some lying going on.Posted on 1/26/23 at 12:05 pm to pbro62
quote:
Remember seeing him in Tiger Stadium as a yute and it was awesome seeing him lean against the H post.
My family is from Alabama and Bama grads, but I used to date a girl who graduated from LSU. Her dad had been a yell leader for LSU in the 70's and he told a story about playing Bama in Birmingham and Bear was leaning up against the goal post smoking a cigarette before the game. He said he introduced himself "Hey Coach, my name is John". He said Bear finished his cig and put it out then stuck out his hand and said "Welcome to Alabama, John". Loved that story because I can picture it happening
Posted on 1/26/23 at 12:11 pm to WilliamTaylor21
WilliamGaylor21
This post was edited on 1/26/23 at 12:26 pm
Posted on 1/26/23 at 12:12 pm to RollTide1987
do not be deceived...a quote from Tommy Wilcox all American db 78-81 ish..in a book on the bear..that it was a myth that bear got soft after the junction boys problems it was just as tough to the very end going into training room everyone comes out puking their guts out...
Posted on 1/26/23 at 12:13 pm to jchamil
...and the amazing thing about that is if"John" had run into Coach years after that and reminded him, coach would have recalled it, AND probably called him by name!
He had an extraordinary ability to remember people and their names, even from short term encounters.
He had an extraordinary ability to remember people and their names, even from short term encounters.
Posted on 1/26/23 at 12:13 pm to rtr23242526
quote:
23242526
Do those numbers mean anything?
Posted on 1/26/23 at 12:26 pm to RollTide1987
I remember exactly where I was when he passed.
I great man. Had come home on leave and went with Dad to Memphis to see him coach his final game. Next thing you know, about a month later, I'm in the field in a far away place and my RTO comes over to me and tells me Coach Bryant had died.
Having just had open heart surgery myself six weeks ago I am reminded of how far things have come in the preventative heart surgery field. He seemed so old at the time ... roughly the same age I am now. I think The Bear was a big smoker though ... and he had to have ignored all the signs prior. I had the signs, had to ignore them for most of 2022 being out of country and then dealing with other family deaths ... but if the signs are there, heed the warnings. Bear didn't ... and I almost waited too long as well.
Would have been cool if he would have lived into his 80s at least.
I great man. Had come home on leave and went with Dad to Memphis to see him coach his final game. Next thing you know, about a month later, I'm in the field in a far away place and my RTO comes over to me and tells me Coach Bryant had died.
Having just had open heart surgery myself six weeks ago I am reminded of how far things have come in the preventative heart surgery field. He seemed so old at the time ... roughly the same age I am now. I think The Bear was a big smoker though ... and he had to have ignored all the signs prior. I had the signs, had to ignore them for most of 2022 being out of country and then dealing with other family deaths ... but if the signs are there, heed the warnings. Bear didn't ... and I almost waited too long as well.
Would have been cool if he would have lived into his 80s at least.
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