Mixing religion, football easy in the Big Easy

Mixing religion, football easy in the Big Easy

NEW ORLEANS – On a second-floor wall, right above the Poydras Street entrance to the Superdome, site of tonight’s Sugar Bowl, there are two poster-sized photos side by side.
They are candid black-and-white shots of the two greatest religious icons to have appeared at the Superdome:
Pope John Paul.
Paul “Bear” Bryant.
The pope, on the right, smiles serenely. The Bear looks like a man who has just devoured a plate of bad oysters down in the French Quarter.
The pope, by having the double name, would actually be well-qualified to be an Alabama quarterback (Joe Willie, John David, John Parker, et al) though the robe would clearly affect his scrambling ability.

al.com
1/2/09