The Bear and the Butterfly
“Thus Appeared a Phoebis sennae”
Part of a series of inspirational stories concerning the game of life.
Thus appeared a Phoebis sennae, then a Bear, and I wished I could call home.
I first met the man behind the Voice in 1987. I felt as though I had known him for a lifetime. There was a glow to him this day. He was once again the Voice of the Crimson Tide. He was replacing a very talented and a professional broadcaster, Paul Kennedy. I consider Paul a friend and one of the best at his profession. Paul had replaced the Voice in 1983. It was not an easy act to follow, but he had handled it with class and dignity. He was a student of his trade and it showed in his work, particularly in 1985. Many Bama fans don’t realize “the kick,” Van Tiffin’s last-second field goal against Auburn was practiced and rehearsed way before the kick even occurred. Paul would have Keith Jackson critique his work and add nuggets of gold to enhance the broadcast each week. It paid off. Countless Bama fans can still recite “the kick” by Paul Kennedy and color commentator, Doug Layton. “The kick is in the air. It has distance. It is good…. the state of Alabama is Crimson.”
Paul was very talented, but today’s story is about my friend John.
His passion and vivid descriptions painted a heaven on earth for this little country boy. About the time of year when yellow leaves began to fall, my ears would be in tune to each word John energetically echoed across the airwaves. I can still hear them. He filled the airwaves with poetic phrases like “Bama’s Redwood Forest, and suddenly, splendidly, and magnificently the Alabama offense has marched the length of field for a touchdown!” For those not familiar with the terminology, Bama’s Redwood Forest vividly described the appearance of Bama’s tenacious defensive line. The names Musso, Davis, Rouzie, Kraph, Bisceglia, Jackson, Strickland, Hannah and Big Buddy Brown still remind me of a golden time. 1971 was a special season in many ways.
TV games and highlights were a rarity in the early 70’s, so was a Jane Chastain (a pioneer in sport’s broadcasting). The artisans of radio and print were the messengers. Their vivid play-by-play descriptions of the games brought the games to life for everyone. Names like Chris Schenkel, Keith Jackson, Curt Gowdy, Jim McKay, Lindsey Nelson, and Bill Flemming still echo through my mind. The state of Alabama was blessed itself with some of the best broadcasters and writers in the country, but that is another story.
Now back to John. He walked into my office, and I felt as if though John Wayne just entered the room and ordered me to circle the wagons. John was special, especially to the Tide fans that grew up in the 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s. Bama football was special. It wasn’t a question of if they would win but by how much.
John walked into my office with a box containing quintessential gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Inside I found Crimson gold, The contents included an 8-Track audio tape of the 1971 USC game, a VHS tape of Coach Bryant telephone commercials and a piece of pie from the Bright Star restaurant in Bessemer. I could almost hear angels singing. The 8-track was broken with little hope of repair. The VHS was damaged, but I was able to transplant the tape inside into another cassette shell. The pie was perfect.
When I played the tape it sounded as if it was a broadcast of a Vasili Alexeyev weightlifting contest from Russia. I decided to record the audio to the only recorder I had at the time, a ¾ inch U-Matic video tape recorder. In doing so, I recalled the words of a former elementary school teacher who challenged me to learn the alphabet from Z to A as a kid. She told me it would help me later in life. I wonder how she knew. A thought suddenly materialized in my head. What if? I started the machine from the endpoint and played it in reverse. The next sound I heard was golden. I heard the voices of John Forney and Doug Layton, (Bama’s gifted color commentator.) They were in Los Angeles The year was 1971. All of a sudden I was on my back porch with my dad listening to my first Alabama game. It was a Friday night and the sun was about set in the west. The night glistened in crimson.
I was glad the Brady Bunch and the Partridge Family would not be on TV for another week. It was a truly magical moment in Bama history, and it was the first game I ever listened too and it was classic crimson. How big was the game? It produced Coach Bryant his 200th win, the wishbone offense was unveiled, it was the first time an African-American started for the Crimson Tide, but he was not the first African American to be on the team. That is a topic for next week. John Mitchell would garnish All-American honors a year later and is very successful as a coach in the pros today. John Forney, the voice of the crimson tide, was ecstatic and so was I as we listened to his play by play of Alabama quickly driving down the field. Davis and Musso were blasting through and around a powerful USC defense. The reel contained the first half of true crimson glory and to listen to it with the composer of the victory sonnet was truly a great day. It is a rare moment to become friends with one of your heroes, and I was truly blessed that day.
This brings us to the Phoebis sennae, better known as the yellow butterfly.
Scribbled across a piece of paper in the box containing the videotapes were the words Bryant, 1971, LA, Bright Star and momma. As the tape began to play, I saw a yellow butterfly floating in the wind. It was an odd scene, since we were viewing the insides of Bryant Denny Stadium. “The Coach” was walking across the field, and I wasn’t sure if he was walking on turf or sea. Bryant had been rumored to have the ability to walk on water. “The Legend” Eddie Robinson once told me how he was in Memphis speaking with Coach Bryant, and as they left the luncheon, he and Coach Bryant were walking together when a young lady appeared and asked Bryant if he could walk on water. Robinson said Bryant hesitated, smiled, distanced himself from the crowd and said, “On some days I can.” Coach Robinson said he and Bryant laughed all the way back to their hotel.
But on this day, Bryant was walking on the field where champions roamed, clad in crimson, they were unbeaten during the 70’s on this field and Bryant was the commander, and John was his Voice.
John Forney and I watched several more minutes of classic Bryant. He was a master in front of the camera, and he knew the importance the media played in promoting a team. Why do you suppose Coach Bryant placed his team on the east (sunny and hot) side of the stadium during ballgames, while the visiting teams were in the shade? Back then, the press box and television cameras were located on the west side, and they shot one way, toward the east. He wanted his teams to be seen by the nation. Bryant knew the power of being seen, but on this day, his words were the message.
The next clip on the VHS tape was classic Bryant. I will never forget him asking (paraphrased from my memory), “Have you called your momma today? I sure wished I could call mine…” John said Coach Bryant ad-libbed the line. I imagine South Central Bell (now AT&T) made money that day.
So you ask, what is the deal about the yellow butterfly? The answer is simple. I was walking today near a football field and heard the sounds of drums, horns, grunts, collisions and whistles. During the commotion and scorching heat a rare cool breeze suddenly crossed my path and some yellow leaves slowly descended to the ground as if to say autumn and football season are near. As I walked closer to the trees, a yellow butterfly landed on my shoulder and then quickly flew away. An elderly lady was watching them, and she told me the Phoebis sennae use the leaves as camouflage. I had to ask her twice myself. She said they appear in mid to late August just about the time trees start sporting yellow leaves. As she walked away, I noticed a coach walking across the field instructing his players about this game of football. I wondered if these players understood just how important their coach’s words were. Words like sacrifice, dedication, teamwork and pride filled the air. Would these young men understand the importance of these words? These are life lessons, not just football lessons. To Coach Bryant and John Forney, football was a game about life, and on this day, I remembered how a little butterfly could recreate a magic moment from my past, especially those of my friend and mentor, the Voice of the Crimson Tide, John Forney. Now it’s time to go get some pie.
