By Staff
Leada DeVaney, Hartselle Enquirer
I picked up the phone at home to check my messages last week, something I'm not exactly disciplined enough to do every day.
"You have one voice mail message," the electronic woman said.
I pressed all the appropriate numbers and heard silence, a sure sign that the message was left by a telemarketer. I started to hang up the phone when I heard a man's voice come on the line.
"Roll Tide! This is Coach Mike Price and I'm inviting you to attend our A-Day game this weekend. Come out and support your Crimson Tide."
I played it again, just to make sure I had heard it correctly. Mike Price, Alabama's new coach, had called me.
Sure, it was a tape-recorded message and he doesn't know me from the next Alabama fan. But still, his voice was on my phone.
I saved it and immediately called Greg, who, as I have mentioned before is perfect in every way except being an Auburn fan.
"Guess who just called me?" I yelled into the phone. "Mike Price. The Mike Price. The football coach."
"He called you?" Greg asked rather incredulously. "Why?"
"He wanted some information on how I thought the defense should operate next year and how we're going to fill those holes. We talked a bit about the offense, too, though I think he's got that pretty much in hand. I did express my concern about the kicking game because that's been a weakness in the past and with the lack of scholarships…"-
"You did not," Greg said. "Did you?"
"Well, maybe we didn't go into all of that, but he did call me."
"Was it a tape recorded message," he asked.
"Um, yes," I replied. "He was asking me to attend A-Day. But I'm sure he's going to call back later and get more information on how I think the team should be run."
"I'm sure he will," Greg smirked. "Now if Bear called, that would be something…"
Auburn fans. You can't explain things to them. All I know is Coach Mike Price had called my house. OK, so it wasn't like he dialed the number himself and actually spoke to me, but I've never gotten a call from an Alabama coach before.
The next day, I was at ball practice with my nephew and my brother, Lanny. My brother, like Greg, roots for that other team.
"Hey," Lanny said, "Did you get a call from y'alls new coach?"
"Yes," I replied, all ready to regale him with the details of my call.
"I hear they sent out about 100,000 taped messages," he said.
"Yes," I replied. "But mine was special."