Iron in the Blood. Jay Busbee.

  

Iron in the Blood.   Jay Busbee.

How the Alabama vs. Auburn Rivalry Shaped the Soul of the South.  

As far as college football rivalries go the annual game between the two biggest schools in the state of Alabama ranks among the best in the nation.    The game, played at the end of the regular season, is known as the Iron Bowl because it traditionally took place in Birmingham, the state’s largest city.   However, the Pittsburgh in the south, happened to be fertile region blessed with iron-ore resources at one point during the 20th century, hence the moniker that sticks to this day.   Veteran author Jay Busbee decided to add another literary resource, for which there is seemingly no shortage of documentation, describing this rivalry and fascinating topic by publishing his book Iron in the Blood.  

This is a book that gives equal quarters to both of the prominent state schools and fervently discusses some of the key games that took place over this more than century long rivalry.   In addition, Busbee informs the readers about some of the legendary coaches that participated and competed in the iron bowl along with some of the well-known players and there were many.   In an effort to be objective, the author seemed to alternate or rotate the topics of each chapter discussing the crimson tide in one section and then switching to the tigers in another.    In addition, Busbee did his research pertaining to the state history (post bellum attitude, the cotton gin, poisoning of trees) and the civil rights issues (Selma church bombings and school and roster integration) that are deeply ingrained in the fabric of the yellowhammer state.

We like how the author kept the transactions in a timely order dating back to the 1890’s when the nascent contest between the two rivals was first tried.    For fans outside of the region it may come as some surprise that the game was suspended for three decades not too long into the rivalry’s existence.    The dialogue documented between players (Bo Jackson, Joe Namath, Pat Sullivan and Ken Stabler), coaches (Bear Bryant, Shrug Jordan, Pat Dye and Nick Saban) and other important characters in the book provided a great visual for how and why the rivalry became so important and how it continues to enthrall the fans and citizens of the cotton state today. 

Along the way this book manifests itself into an engaging source for the less initiated to learn more about the legendary coaches and figures that have walked the sidelines during these epic in-state grid-iron battles.   Busbee provides an inordinate amount of background details for the key coaches essential to the rivalry.   One example to note was how former Auburn head coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan, whose name adorns the stadium on the plains, earned his nickname as a young person (pronounced like sugar) and that he spent some harrowing days as a soldier during World War II fighting for the allies encompassing D-Day in 1944.   Intended or not, the book is nearly about the head coaches as it is the long standing and famous rivalry that remains in Alabama lore every day of the year.  

Busbee, author of Earnhardt Nation and senior writer for Yahoo!, even made it a point to highlight the key games between both schools where the readers can find them interspersed between chapters.   The well-informed can recall, as clearly highlighted in the book, some of the outstanding Iron Bowl performances by their name.   Some of the thrilling examples include Pick Six, Punt “Bama” Punt or even more recently Gravedigger.  While entertaining to read about some of the actions and behind the scenes transactions it is hard to avoid some of the minutia involved when describing game details in many of those sections.   

Iron in the Blood is not necessarily a serious book, in fact may be characterized a bit as lyrical, but it may take a determined reader to navigate through the three hundred and fifty pages.   Nevertheless, this could be considered a classic college football book that just happens to highlight a fierce in-state grid-iron competition taking place in a small corner of the country.    There is no shortage of historical references, passion and humor in this manuscript.   We cannot all be born with this fortitude, but we can enjoy reading how a culture of impassioned fans, who are faced with choosing sides at birth, celebrates and live through this on a yearly basis.     

 

Suggested discussion questions:

What makes the game of football so important to southern born fans?

What are the primary differences between University of Alabama and Auburn University?

How are Alabama legendary coaches Paul “Bear” Bryant and Nick Saban compared to one another?

Which head coach had the greatest impact and influence pertaining to this rivalry? 

What are the key historical events that shape the state of Alabama’s history?

What makes a good college football rivalry?   How does the Iron bowl shape compared to other rivalries around the south and the nation?  

 

You might like to read this book if you are an Alabama College football fan.

You might like to read this book if you are an Auburn college football fan.

You might like to read this book if you seek more information about the history of the state of Alabama.

You might like to read this book if you covet stories about college football rivalries.

You might like to read this book if you want to learn more about social justice in the southern states. 

 

Learn more about the author on X:   https://x.com/jaybusbee