Pudlugger
06-06-2004, 08:23 PM
DUTCH & THE BEAR [John Derbyshire]
A friend in Alabama sent me the text of Ronald Reagan's 1984 campaign speech to Memorial Coliseum in Tuscaloosa. The whole thing is here. My correspondent pointed out the following passage in particular.
"Now, I have to leave soon, but I can't go without talking a minute about a great man that I was proud to call friend -- Bear Bryant. He was sort of the essential American. And, you know, a few years back, I set a kind of a record here at the University of Alabama. I was here to go to a formal dinner where I was to be the after dinner speaker. And Bear invited me to come out and visit practice out here -- football practice.
"Well, the only way it could be worked out and the timing and all was that I had to put the tux on first. So, there I was out on the practice field throwing a ball around with about 65 fellows, and I was in black tie. [Laughter] Bear got quite a kick out of this. But he really started to laugh when it began to rain. [Laughter]
"He was a leader, patriotic to the core, devoted to his players, and inspired by a winning spirit that wouldn't quit. And that's how he made legends out of ordinary people. He was a true American hero, and he was Alabama's own.
"The greatness of America and the solution to her problems begins with the people -- with all of you. You know that dreams, drive, courage, and creativity make all the difference. You know, better than anyone, that it's in the hearts of the people that the tide begins to roll."
Wow what a great man Reagan was. Throwing the football around with the players in a Tux!!!! He will be (and is) missed.
from
The Corner at NRO
A friend in Alabama sent me the text of Ronald Reagan's 1984 campaign speech to Memorial Coliseum in Tuscaloosa. The whole thing is here. My correspondent pointed out the following passage in particular.
"Now, I have to leave soon, but I can't go without talking a minute about a great man that I was proud to call friend -- Bear Bryant. He was sort of the essential American. And, you know, a few years back, I set a kind of a record here at the University of Alabama. I was here to go to a formal dinner where I was to be the after dinner speaker. And Bear invited me to come out and visit practice out here -- football practice.
"Well, the only way it could be worked out and the timing and all was that I had to put the tux on first. So, there I was out on the practice field throwing a ball around with about 65 fellows, and I was in black tie. [Laughter] Bear got quite a kick out of this. But he really started to laugh when it began to rain. [Laughter]
"He was a leader, patriotic to the core, devoted to his players, and inspired by a winning spirit that wouldn't quit. And that's how he made legends out of ordinary people. He was a true American hero, and he was Alabama's own.
"The greatness of America and the solution to her problems begins with the people -- with all of you. You know that dreams, drive, courage, and creativity make all the difference. You know, better than anyone, that it's in the hearts of the people that the tide begins to roll."
Wow what a great man Reagan was. Throwing the football around with the players in a Tux!!!! He will be (and is) missed.
from
The Corner at NRO