Where does "Crimson Tide" come from?
Hugh Roberts, a former sports editor of the Birmingham Age-Herald, is credited with coining the phrase "Crimson Tide" in an article describing the 1907 Iron Bowl played in Birmingham. Until then, the Alabama football team had simply gone by the nickname the "Crimson White" in reference to their school colors. The team also had a popular nickname as the "Thin Red Line." Leading up to the 1907 Iron Bowl, a game played in a field covered in mud, Auburn was heavily favored to win. Yet, Alabama played a tremendous game and held their ground in the red mud and thus gained the new nickname, the "Crimson Tide."
