Blue & Gray

Three Graybeards advance in the BDCS

MONTGOMERY, AL - Back during the Civil War, the Union troops wore blue uniforms and the South troops wore gray uniforms. My guess is this was how they kept from shooting their own soldiers. Any college football team that wears blue (Auburn, Ole Miss, Florida, Georgia Tech, etc.) these days is in a way betraying the Confederate States of America (CSA). Montgomery was the capital of the Confederacy and the city used to host the annual "Blue-Gray All-Star Football Classic" at the Crampton Bowl around Christmas and mostly on Christmas Day from 1939 to 2001 with the exceptions of 1943 due to World War II and 2003 when the game was played in Troy, Alabama. The game was almost always the first major college football all-star game of the year, so the teams were made-up of college football players whose teams didn't get to go to a bowl game. The players were divided geographically into North (Blue) and South (Gray) squads based on where they played their college ball. The game was the brainchild of Alabama college football legend William "Champ" Pickens. Not many Bama players ever ended up playing in the game because of their pending bowl game, but we always pulled for the Gray squad. The "Grays" wore white jerseys and the "Blues" wore blue jerseys. Both teams wore gray pants. Only seniors played in this game because it was their first venture into professional football since they were all paid for their participation. In the game's later years, most of the players came from teams with losing records and from smaller schools who didn't play NCAA Division I football. The Blue-Gray Classic gave these players an opportunity to be noticed by pro scouts and others who may not have had the opportunity to see them play during their collegiate careers. Jerry Rice was a good example of this type prospect. Rice played in the 1984 game and was named the game's Most Valuable Player. In all, 64 Blue–Gray Football Classics were played. The Gray won 33 times, the Blue won 29 times and there were two ties. In Week 16 of the BDFL, it was the beginning of the post-season playoffs for the Big Daddy Championship Series (BDCS) and the Big Mullet Series (BMS). Most of the league's teams are singing "The Blues" after the quarter-finals since three of the four "Gray" Beard Division teams (Mayors, PowerSleds and Cheetahs) won and will advance to the BDCS semi-finals in Week 17. All the favorites (Sloth Monsters, Blue Deacons, Dogs and Bullets) advanced in the BMS.

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down by the Band (1969)

Final Scores

COMPLETE SCORING DATA FROM THE ALADDIN SCORING SYSTEM