History of Alcoa Football

[Rebel Nation]

JRC- Let's get Tornado74 to fork over 12 bucks and if he will build a web-page, I will be available to help him with some of the research.  L. A. Campbell would be an excellent source and I can think of others.  Donnie Bledsoe has a lot of memorabilia and would love to contribute.  David Duggan is going to be a judge and I know he is always interested in anything about Alcoa.

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I could use your help too Clint.

[Rebelsman]

Rebelsman-  I saw Janet break other hearts. so don't feel bad.  I still would like to get Tornado74 to respond.  Maybe I will have to float a loan for 12 bucks.

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I'll split it with you coach, if we can get him going! I hope you know who I am. You guys always called me JoeTip. My dad is known as Tip and that is a badge I wear proudly.

[Rebelsman]

Other than growing up down the road from the Love's and being family friends and having played minor league and little league in the Alcoa baseball program, I don't have a lof credentials to get involved in this incredible thread, but I do have one story that comes to mind that kind of fits in.

 

I think it would have been spring/summer of '69 (I was playing minor league baseball) when this event occurred.  We used to practice at a field that was next to the "African American" swimming pool (can't recall it's name... was it Halls?).  One night we practiced right up until dark and for whatever reason, our coaches left me at the field waiting for my parents.  Mom was at a church function; dad was at a work function.  They got their wires crossed on who was supposed to pick me up and neither did!  Here I was, seven years old, all alone in the parking lot and it was getting dark quick.  I did the only thing I knew to do ... I started walking up a street, wailing as loud as I could.  I'll never forget the most precious black lady came out of her house, gathered me in and gave me a big hug, took me in and helped me track down my mom on the phone, and then fed me cookies and milk till mom got there.

 

Something about that event always has stuck with me.  I wasn't scared that night because I was in a predominately black neighborhood ... I was scared because I was a little boy and I was alone in the dark.  That woman was an angel to me, I could have cared less if she was black, yellow, white, or green.  It didn't matter.  Kids aren't born hating people that are different than them.  It's a learned behavior.  We parents, coaches, teachers, ministers, etc. have a God-given responsibility to speak out against racism and to model acceptance of all with our lives.

 

Coach Hamp (ton) will always be a hero to me because he modeled to  me at an early age what a man was supposed to be like.  James & Edmund Cox, Lamar Norris,  Sidney Scott ... these guys were great teammates and great friends to me.  I hope I was always the same.

 

Sorry for the sermon ... but this thread really pumped me up.  Great stuff.

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This is great stuff. I hope it continues because it is a warming dialogue for the season.

[clintabbott]

Rebelsman- I already knew who you were- Help us get Tornado74 going.

dmoyers1- I'm willing to do anything to promote good will to our community. Give me an e-mail cabbott@chartertn.net Thanks

[STARSNBARS]

I fell in love with Janet Backus (Love) that year but, she had her eye on another. I finally enticed her to go to The Carpenters concert when we were in 7th grade. We doubled with my sister and her date. It was kind of neat that my big sis, four years older, would let us tag along. I was on cloud nine.

 

 

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Rebelsman, eye ghess you longed two bee clost two her....."naaaaaaah....nah..nah..nah..nah......clost two you."

 

Eye hope your big sis haid a lot uv grocery money. Them koncert kuncesshuns wuz and are higher than a cat's back.

 

Rebelsman, thay just bee sumthin' wif yu and gurls naimed Janet.

 

Go Rebs.

Edited December 18, 2004 by STARSNBARS

[JRC]

Other than growing up down the road from the Love's and being family friends and having played minor league and little league in the Alcoa baseball program, I don't have a lof credentials to get involved in this incredible thread, but I do have one story that comes to mind that kind of fits in.

 

I think it would have been spring/summer of '69 (I was playing minor league baseball) when this event occurred.  We used to practice at a field that was next to the "African American" swimming pool (can't recall it's name... was it Halls?).  One night we practiced right up until dark and for whatever reason, our coaches left me at the field waiting for my parents.  Mom was at a church function; dad was at a work function.  They got their wires crossed on who was supposed to pick me up and neither did!  Here I was, seven years old, all alone in the parking lot and it was getting dark quick.  I did the only thing I knew to do ... I started walking up a street, wailing as loud as I could.  I'll never forget the most precious black lady came out of her house, gathered me in and gave me a big hug, took me in and helped me track down my mom on the phone, and then fed me cookies and milk till mom got there.

 

Something about that event always has stuck with me.  I wasn't scared that night because I was in a predominately black neighborhood ... I was scared because I was a little boy and I was alone in the dark.  That woman was an angel to me, I could have cared less if she was black, yellow, white, or green.  It didn't matter.  Kids aren't born hating people that are different than them.  It's a learned behavior.  We parents, coaches, teachers, ministers, etc. have a God-given responsibility to speak out against racism and to model acceptance of all with our lives.

 

Coach Hamp (ton) will always be a hero to me because he modeled to  me at an early age what a man was supposed to be like.  James & Edmund Cox, Lamar Norris,  Sidney Scott ... these guys were great teammates and great friends to me.  I hope I was always the same.

 

Sorry for the sermon ... but this thread really pumped me up.  Great stuff.

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GovMan: I have to give a big AMEN to your sermon above. Right on target.

[JRC]

Guys, check out unapproved website, especially you Tornado74.  There's a link on the right side of the page you'll like...though it's not much right now.  It's only the beginning.  The will be all kinds of good stuff including a store and memberships for the chat rooms etc later on.  It'll be a Blount co thang....not just all rebels, all the time.

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It looks like you are off to a good start. We appreciate the Alcoa section and hopefully, can provide you with some material for it.