Dixieland Delight

Armadillos give the Juggernauts a whirl

GARDENDALE, AL - Most Americans can’t fathom what it is like to grow up in Alabama, much less to grow up in Gardendale, Fairfield, on Sand Mountain, or in Ft. Payne. So in Alabama’s classic song "Dixieland Delight", when writer Ronnie Rogers penned, "On a Tennessee Saturday night”, he wasn't necessarily talking about Tennessee, but rather a simple weekend diversion from the regular daily, hard-working grind and grit of the Alabama people. He just as easily could have written, "On a hillybilly Saturday night", or "On a Georgia moonshine run", or a "Mississippi honky-tonk night", it really all just means the same to Alabamians. "Dixieland" is a nickname for the Southeastern part of United States. While there is no official definition of this "Dixieland" region, most definitions include the States below the Mason–Dixon line that seceded and once comprised the Confederate States of America (CSA) and it always includes the Deep South States which are Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina and Louisiana. "Dixieland" in the modern sense usually refers to: Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina, Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia and Texas. Sorry to Missouri, Maryland, Oklahoma and West Virginia, you may want to be considerd a part of Dixie, but you don't meet the criteria. "Dixieland" is also a style of jazz music that was developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band brought awareness to this new style of music that still exists today. The song "Dixieland Delight" was recorded by the American super-country music band Alabama and was released on their seventh studio album, The Closer You Get in April of 1983. It was inspired by a road trip on U.S. Route 11W (Also known as the Great Indian Warpath, the Great Stagecoach Road and Lee Highway) taken by the songwriter (Rogers) and was the first single pre-released from the LP by RCA Nashville Records in January of 1983. "Dixieland Delight" drew immediate commercial success, peaking at #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart shortly after the album's release that April. The accompanying video for the song was directed by David Hogan and was filmed in Fort Payne. In 2019, Rolling Stone placed "Dixieland Delight" seventh on in their 25 Best Songs About the South rankings, describing it as a great example of "high-octane, country-rock with a hint of bluegrass that is so distinctive to the lower half of the Mason–Dixon that you can smell the whiskey in the wisteria". "Dixieland Delight" has been remarked by Billboard country music writer Tom Roland as one of the band's most enduring singles and is closely associated with 1980s country music as a whole. The song is referenced in Brad Paisley's "Old Alabama" and Midland's "Make a Little" as a tribute to its popularity and lasting impact on country music. "Dixieland Delight" would go on to be a college football tradition at the University of Alabama. Once the tradition took off, Alli Patton with American Songwriter wrote, "It just makes sense...Alabama, the country music band, and Alabama, the college football team, have more in common than just their name. They both have pride: in where they come from and at being the best", referring to the chart dominance of the band and the success on the field of the Crimson Tide football team. The song is played regularly at Bama home football games usually during the intermission between the third and fourth quarter. Throughout its time as a tradition at the Bama home football games, fans have always made cheerful chants during the song to add to its long-lasting lore at Bryant-Denny Stadium. In Week 13 of the BDFL's 30th season, the Duncanville Armadillos were singing "Dixieland Delight" loudly long before this one was even half way over on Ed Bruce Field at Driver Stadium this past Thanksgiving weekend.

Final Scores

The Lost Boys

The lost teams from the BDFL's past

TITLETOWN - The BDFL has been around since 1995 and in these 30 years we have kept seven of the eight original BDFL franchises. This group is commonly referred to as "The Magnificent Seven" in BDFL circles and in the media. However, over the years some BDFL teams have come and gone during this time period. Most were model members and we were sad to see them go, but the BDFL isn't for everybody and we have recognized this over time. One original BDFL club, the Hueytown Hummers left due to an unfortunate death in the BDFL family (Jill Burr Conner) and is still in good standing with the league. The BDFL's 9th and 10th clubs, the Pasco County Wizards and the Pelham Blades are no longer with us for different reasons, but both were with the league during our formidable years and we appreciate their contributions to the league. The Wizards left their mark on the BDFL with The Wizard's patented "Wizardz Winnerz" weekly prognostications and a couple of BDFL Championship Titles from the 1998 and 2006 seasons. The Bristol Bootleggers and Helena Fighting Slovaks were asked to leave the league due to lack of particiption and for violating the league's only real rule which is to "do the minimum". Two clubs from Blount County, the Smoke Rise Woosiers and the Mt. High Blue Deacons withdrew from the league with a lot of class after serving the league well during their tenure. Both the Woosiers and Blue Deacons left the league with BDFL Championship Titles in tow, the Woosiers were league champions in 2004 and 2014 while the Blue Deacons captured the Grand Daddy Trophy in 2018. In a footnote, the Western Hills Wildcats missed a season due to a misunderstanding, but otherwise have been a solid member of the BDFL. Other teams have filled in for a season, or for select post-season games and exhibitions for scheduling purposes, but these clubs never were official card-carrying members of the BDFL. These teams included the Fieldstown Phantoms, the Homewood Highlanders, the Lakeshore Salamanders, the Marr's Spring Sturgeons and the North River Neanderthals. The BDFL will remain a two-way road as it has been from day one, and if you ever need to get out of the BDFL for whatever reason, just let us know. There will be no hard feelings since we've been down this road before.