Columnist calls for end to 'stupid' celebratory cigars after Alabama-Tennessee rivalry games
Think back to any Alabama-Tennessee game you’ve seen, and one of the prevailing memories will probably be of the winning team smoking cigars after the final whistle.
If one columnist had his way, the tradition would be abolished going forward.
In a column published Thursday, Jack McElroy of The Knoxville News Sentinel called the celebratory cigars “stupid” and advocated for both teams to discontinue the practice. The tradition started in 1961 and has persisted throughout the years, but McElroy points to health concerns for the players and fans in attendance as reasons to put an end to the victory smokes.
Crimson Tide players have recently hogged the cigars to themselves with 12 straight wins. They don’t appear to be growing tired of it, so don’t hold your breath waiting for Alabama and Tennessee to suddenly outlaw the tradition.
So having one (or part of one) cigar after a game where you can suffer brain damage or tear your ACL is bad for your health?
I’m sick and tired of so-called “experts” making suggestions and changes to years and years of tradition in college athletics. We’ve had to rename the UT-UK football rivalry because “The Battle for the Beer Barrel” was apparently too edgy and on that same note we had to rename the FLA-UGA rivalry from “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party”. Like renaming a rivalry is going to keep people from drinking before or during a football game and driving home. My gosh you bunch of sissified, PC writers please keep your hands out of sports!!
^
Preach!!!!!
Cheers!
Jack McElroy, time to sit down!
Nobody is made smoke a cigar. It is by choice.
Hey Jack, When and if Tennessee ever beats Alabama again, we will not smoke a cigar after that game. Until then we will smoke our cigars. Bama going for a bankers dozen in 2019.
So right. A sport that is so good for the human body should absolutely not be followed by such an unhealthy activity.
Yes stop this dangerous practice. Let’s see now what could we replace cigars with. Hmm let’s see well our Canadian neighbors just legalized pot and they some form of football so that’s it let’s start smoking a large doobie instead!
I would be okay with that.
Now we are talking
VICTORY VAPE!!!
It must be tough to find anything news-worthy around Knoxville after these games.