by: JJ KennedyCollegeFootballNews.com
It must have been around mid-day when I remembered that my article on College Football News had gone live. I have to admit it was a lot of fun to see my rhetoric being sprung on message boards, much to the dismay of Alabama fans everywhere. After reading through grammatical errors and comma splices, I was able to decipher that the Neck Nation was quite upset with my musings.
Apparently, my neighbors of the Crimson Wave did not take kindly to my fact-driven opinions that seemed to highlight them in a negative light. So I said to myself, "Self, perhaps you should take it easy on these guys. Many of them are working on their GED's and are reduced to bragging about off-field subjects like recruiting when conversations of college football arise. There's no need to come down off the wall to stir the pot."
But then I thought, "Where would the fun in that be?"So I decided to lay a stick of dynamite into the greatest sacred cow of them all - The Myth of Alabama's 12 National Championships.
For the sake of space, I will refer you to Jay Coulter's insightful research at www.trackemtigers.com/story/2007/11/22/153316/48.
I realize, of course, that by referencing an Auburn website I have undoubtedly clouded what little reason might have existed in the normal Alabama fan's mind. I am grateful to report, though, that the Alabama nation is not my target audience - rather my subject matter. I have long since abandoned the idea that sheer facts hold much water with the typical Alabama fan.
I also want to add before we dive into this that I do not expect these truths to change the thinking of the Alabama nation. In NO WAY do I seek to elevate any other team over Alabama, but simply to illustrate the ridiculous nature surrounding their claim of 12 National titles. The University of Alabama has an outstanding tradition, and has actually won a few championships. Just not 12.
I feel it is also very important to point out that to begin to counter these facts with arguments such as "Every other team does that too, you're just picking on Alabama" is a weak attempt to justify something through the actions of others. In other words, it is an admission of defeat. So now that we're all feeling better about that, let's move on to blowing up this golden calf and calling it a day!
1925 National Championship - Alabama claims they share this one with Dartmouth. Who awarded the NC? Houlgate and Helms. Houlgate started his system in 1927. So Alabama won their 1925 NC using a formula that didn't exist until 1927? Helms Athletic Foundation began in 1941. Can you say "retroactive"?• National Championship? = LEGITIMATE (1) (The above information is true, but they were 10-0 so we'll count it.)
1926 National Championship - Alabama claims they share this one with 3 other teams with equal or better records! Once again it is the Helms Athletic Foundation in 1941 that awards it!• National Championship? = WEAK (they finished 9-0-1: under this system of naming champions, I think I would have finished 8th that year in the final polls.)
1930 National Championship - The Davis poll says that Alabama tied Notre Dame for a NC this year, and was the ONLY POLL to do so. Notre Dame was named NC in 6 polls! Parke Davis is another retroactive system! He (an individual, not an organization) conducted his poll in 1933!• National Championship? = LEGITIMATE (2) (Although this one is debatable, I will not deny a 10-0 SEC team a Championship.)
1934 National Championship - Alabama says they share this with two other teams. The awarders are Dunkel, Williamson, and The Football Thesaurus. Dunkel was an individual who came up with his own system. Williamson was a geologist who came up with his own system. Football Thesaurus first appeared in 1946!• National Championship? = LEGITIMATE (3) (They were 10-0, but we're all very thankful for retroactive polls.)
1941 National Championship - This is a complete joke. The AP ranked Alabama 20th in the nation with 14 teams with better records in the top 20. Once again it is The Football Thesaurus that retroactively awards the championship. Alabama finished 3rd in the SEC that year.• National Championship? = ABSOLUTE CRAP (This would be similar to Clemson claiming a National Championship in '07. Alabama even lost to Vanderbilt this year).
1961 National Championship - Finally a clean NC, although one poll did not give it to Alabama.• National Championship? = LEGITIMATE (4)
1964 National Championship - While the AP did award the NC to Alabama (10-1-0), Arkansas had the better record, 11-0, and defeated Texas during the regular season. Alabama played Texas in their bowl and LOST. The AP final poll was before the bowl.• National Championship? = WEAK (lost their bowl game to a team that the undefeated team defeated. Give me a break.)
1965 National Championship - The AP gave this to Alabama, although there were 3 teams with better records. Alabama 9-1-1, Michigan St 10-1-0, Arkansas 10-1-0, Nebraska 10-1-0.• National Championship? = WEAK (3 teams with better records, one in the SEC. Hmmm....)
1973 National Championship - AP puts Alabama 4th after their bowl game loss. Alabama claims a NC from the UPI poll that was taken before they met Notre Dame in the bowl game and lost. There were 3 teams with better records than Alabama that year. The embarrassment of naming Alabama number one caused the UPI to begin naming champions after bowl games.• National Championship? = WEAK (At some point, you should really stop saying you're better than all the other teams with better records. However, they can claim from the UPI poll.)
1978 National Championship - AP gives this to Alabama (11-1-0) even though USC (12-1-0) had the better record. Guess who Alabama lost to that year? USC!!!!!!!!!. UPI gave the NC to USC.• National Championship? = WEAK (Yep, can't be claiming you're the NC when you lose to the team with a better record. Starting to see the fallacies?)
1979 National Championship - Their second legitimate NC. Their first Unanimous NC.• National Championship Category = LEGITIMATE/UNANIMOUS (5)
1992 National Championship - Their third absolutely legitimate NC. Their second Unanimous NC.• National Championship Category = LEGITIMATE/UNANIMOUS (6)
You can see why people ridicule Alabama fans when they talk about their "12 National Championships". The early ones were awarded by individuals years after the games were played. These were not consensus polls but awarded by people that had their own formula for determining champions.
Some quick facts to summarize the myth:
Alabama has two legitimate, undisputed championships.
The 1941 "championship" is a downright embarrassment to claim - and if you're the kind of person who can attempt to argue that, you should be shouted down and escorted from the room immediately.
The '73 championship is a joke. How can you lose to Notre Dame in the bowl game and claim this when, once again, 3 teams finish ahead in the final polls with better records?
The '78 championship is just as ridiculous - losing to USC in the regular season, and the Trojans have a better record at the end of the season?
Maybe one day, when I have nothing better to do, I'll go to a NASCAR event with a Dale Earnhardt Jr. shirt on and just start making up stuff. I'll tell them things like: "I used to eat smurfs", and "I used to beat up Arnold Shwartzeneggar even though I'm not sure how to spell his name", and "I can bench press Yankee Stadium", and "My name is Phil McCrevice." I feel like after about 5 and a half weeks, the legend of Phil McCrevice who eats smurfs, beats up Arnold and can bench press Yankee Stadium would be alive and well in the state of Alabama.
At least then I'll have some idea of how people began saying "Alabama has 12 National Championships." haha.
