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When I found this title I was absolutely dumbfounded that there was only one article about this great rivalry. I was also shocked that the one article written was so short, this rivalry deserves more.

If you do not live in Alabama, or have never been to the Iron Bowl, I would suggest that you do at least one or maybe both before you pass away. Alabama has some of the most gracious and friendly people on the planet. If you love college football, as I do, then you MUST attend an Iron Bowl at least once. It is THE GREATEST RIVALRY in all of college football. It engenders everything that is college football.

I realize that there are other in-state rivalries, but when it comes to passion and pagentry, none of the others can compare. The passion boils over to a hatred at times. If you are an Auburn fan, as I am, then you might be heard saying, "I pull for Auburn and whoever is playing Alabama." And vice versa if you are for Alabama, or "bammer" as I like to call them.

This rivalry started on February 22, 1893. Auburn won that very first meeting 32-22. According to historians, the contest was decided at Lakeview Baseball Park in Birmingham, Alabama. From that time, until this day, the rivalry has taken some strange turns. For instance, from November 16, 1907 to December 4, 1948, the Iron Bowl was put on hold due to each school debating over money. For 41 years the citizens of Alabama were deprived of this great game. Luckily, I was born in 1970 and did not have to suffer this injustice.

Another interesting fact about the series is that from December 4, 1948 until November 25, 1988, the Iron Bowl was contested at Legion Field in Birmingham. So in 1948 the two teams finally got the money right between them, but Auburn agreed to play the game at Legion Field for 40 years. Now this was supposed to be a "neutral" site to play the game, but I am of the opinion that it was not a "neutral" site for Auburn. In proximity, Tuscaloosa is much closer to Birmingham than Auburn. And during that time the crowds were decidedly in Alabama's favor. I am sure that someone (a bammer) will argue with me about this, but during that 40 year period Alabama was a school on the rise and probably had more fans jumping on thier bandwagon. During the 60's and 70's Alabama won six mythical national championships and that is the point I use to cement my argument.

If you like this article let me know. I will try to write more about the Iron Bowl in the near future. There are more stories to tell about the greatest rivalry in college football. WAR EAGLE!

Learn more about this author, Keith Smitherman.
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