The best thing of all is the way the men who play the game with such passion and ferocity conduct themselves. We've not seen the unseemly fights you see in so many other rivalries. There are more hugs than cheap shots.

The worst thing is that otherwise normal people who have nothing whatsoever to do with the outcome get their own self-esteem tied up in which football team wins a game.

It is that phenomenon that creates situations like 2006 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Auburn defensive back David Irons, leaving the field after the Tigers' victory, was hit in the face by a water bottle thrown from high above.

Until a terrified public address announcer talked them out of it, a group of Auburn fans almost threw a large piece of the goalpost off the top of Jordan-Hare Stadium after Auburn's 18-17 win in 1997.

In 40 years of covering college football in this state, I have spent considerable time around both schools. The truth of the matter is that the men who play at Auburn and play at Alabama are just alike. They work remarkably hard. They have the same hopes and the same dreams. That's why they have respect for each other and respect for the rivalry.

The fans would do well to follow their example.