It’s always good to come home. Whether you’ve been on the road a long time or whether it’s just been an instance having a busy schedule, it’s nice to go back to that place that you know and love and be around people who feel the same way. For fans of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide, the football game against Mississippi State on October 27th was a chance to finally come home. Not only was it the annual Homecoming game, it was the first home game of the season since September 29th. Personally speaking, it was also a chance to continue my “Faces of a Season” photo project. I was happy to continue the project after a gap spanning nearly a month, and with the game being Homecoming, I had the extra perk of being able to incorporate the annual parade into the project. The Strip, though, was active before the parade began so it allowed me to document some of the fans who were making the day an early one, even though kick-off wasn’t going to happen until 7:30 P.M. local time.
As the time for the parade drew near, people began to gather on both sides of University Boulevard to watch the festivities. The Grand Marshals for this year’s parade happened to be Pat Murphy, head coach for the University of Alabama softball team, and Sarah Patterson, head coach for the University of Alabama gymnastics team. Both were selected to honor the fact they had both claimed national championships in their respective sports during the spring of 2012. Following them were the Million Dollar Band, the gymnastics and softball teams, the 2012 Homecoming Court, and various other representatives from clubs, agencies, and organizations throughout the region. The crowd gave them both a warm and receptive ovation as they lead the parade down the street and towards the campus. The annual display from the University of Alabama Law School with students decked out in morning attire to flaunt an outdated city ordinance brought an end to the parade procession for the year. From there, it was time to focus on the game at hand as Alabama easily handled Mississippi State for a 38-7 victory.
The full gallery from this game and entry in “Faces of a Season” can be seen by clicking on this link: “Alabama vs. Mississippi State”.
I look forward to sharing with you the next entry of this project after the Alabama vs. Texas A&M game, which will be held on November 10th. For your reference, the previous photos from this project can be viewed by clicking on the following links:
“The Faces of a Season: Western Kentucky”
“The Faces of a Season: Florida Atlantic”
“The Faces of a Season: Ole Miss”
Enjoy!
-David
DSmithImages
“Modern Photography for Modern Times”
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david@dsmithimages.com
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