'I've never been nothing but a winner'

"When people ask me what I want to be remembered for, I have one answer: I want the people to remember me as a winner, 'cause I've never been nothing but a winner." - Quote attributed to Paul "Bear" Bryant on an Alabama fan's Web site.
For weeks, I've been struggling with my thoughts and feelings about the recent gridiron success of the Mississippi State University Bulldogs. The tussle's origins are two-fold: A haunting fear of alienating myself from my alma mater - the University of Alabama - warring with a core sense of what I believe is true regarding an opportunity the Alabama faithful let slip past about four years ago.
MSU's coach, Sylvester Croom, is a man with a proven record as a player and an assistant under Bryant. According to his profile on Wikipedia, Croom coached the likes of National Football League greats Derrick Thomas and Cornelius Bennett. He's a native of Tuscaloosa. He was on Bryant's staff when they won back to back national championships.
You can't get much more Crimson than that.
Yet when Alabama went looking for the person to take the helm after a downward spiral loaded with feelings of disappointment, betrayal and downright embarrassment, the higher-ups chose the safe alternative in Mike Shula.
Granted, I like Mike and I think the powers that be did wrong by him in the way they treated him. They forgot how much he had to overcome just to get the Tide back on solid footing.
So when they tossed Mike to the curb, they looked to someone they thought could get instant results. Instead, Alabama limped to a 6-6 regular season finish in 2007.
One of these losses came at the hands of the very man Alabama turned its back on four years ago. In fact, he's beaten them twice in a row.
After he wasn't selected at the Capstone, Croom went about 80 miles to the west, where people were glad to welcome him.
For their generosity, the folks at MSU earned the distinction of having hired the first black head football coach in the Southeastern Conference and even in the words of Croom (according to his Wikipedia profile, quoting a Washington Post article), referring to Mississippi: " The place has changed a great deal. I don't know how many people outside here understand that. But they're about to find out."
For what MSU's decision to hire Croom says about Mississippi and its attitude about race, I think it speaks even louder about what it says about the state of Alabama and where it needs to go in terms of racial harmony.
I still feel the way I did the day MSU beat Alabama this season: Alabama earned it when they chose not to give Croom the job for which he was immensely qualified.
Late add: The irony that a Bryant understudy - who wasn't selected to lead the Tide - won the Liberty Bowl 25 years after Bryant's final victory isn't lost on me and shouldn't be lost on any of us.
I hope Croom continues to remind Alabama's leadership of their poor choice, because, as Croom has proven with the 2007 season, he's like the man he played for and worked with.
He's nothing but a winner.