Festive Atmosphere Building for Annual Magic City Classic

BIRMINGHAM - The initial day of the official ancillary events of the 59th annual Magic Classic saw representatives of Alabama A&M University and Alabama State University take turns both complimenting each other and offering jabs over who'll emerge victorious come Saturday. The occasion was Wednesday's 7 a.m. BellSouth Magic City Classic Kickoff Breakfast.

Saturday's 3 p.m. Southwestern Athletic Conference game will pit the rival AAMU Bulldogs (4-3, 2-1 SWAC), ranked No.2 in the league's Eastern Division, against the front-running ASU Hornets (5-2, 4-0 SWAC). Nearly 60,000 fans are expected for the game, which will be played at Legion Field in Birmingham. Reserved seat tickets are $20 each and remain on sale at all TicketMaster outlets, at the box offices of the participating teams, at the Alabama Sports Foundation office and at the Legion Field ticket office.

"This is a special day for L.C. Cole and it's a special day for my family," said Cole, who's in his first season as Alabama State's head coach. "I went to school at the University of Nebraska, so this will be a different experience for me."

Cole said the secret to his team's instant success this season is that his players made a commitment to change their attitude, discipline, a focus on education and using their athletic skills to the best of their abilities. Ron Cooper, Alabama A&M's head coach, stated, "We're definitely excited about the football game on Saturday. The game's always hard-fought."

A year ago, Cooper's Bulldogs defeated Alabama State by the score of 15-10. This year, not only do the Hornets enter Saturday's game as favorites against the Bulldogs, but a victory would automatically put the Hornets in the second annual SWAC Championship Game, which is scheduled for December 2 at Legion Field. A win by the Bulldogs would keep the Eastern Division's berth to the championship a three-team race been the two Alabama schools as well as Jackson State.

Not only were the coaches pumped up about the upcoming game, but so were alumni representatives.

Charles Varner Jr., a 1959 graduate of Alabama State, said he somewhat disagrees with Vince Lombardi's adage that "winning is everything." "Winning is not everything. We're part of a much larger team," said Varner. "Winning is not everything, but working together is.

"Our objective is to work together for the benefit of our football team and our alma mater," added Varner. "We together have achieved a great victory, even before our teams hit the football field. We stand on a solid foundation built by these two fine institutions 59 years ago."

Carol A. Watkins, a 1970 Alabama A&M graduate, said the word "magic" means many things.

"The magic is much more than just a football game," said Watkins. "It's about perseverance and persistence. The magic is about determination.

"For one Saturday, we are separated on the football field, but on Monday, we stand together," said Watkins. "The Magic City Classic is about pride. The magic is about cooperation. It's about wearing furs and hats. It's about the tingle you feel when you see the band turn the corner in the parade."

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