Crimson Christmas

Perhaps Alabama's biggest fans are in a small town about 70 miles north of Gulf Shores.

The Physical Therapy (P.T.) Department recently won first place in Atmore Community Hospital’s Christmas bulletin board contest with their “Crimson Christmas” entry. Festooned in metallic crimson and white pom-pom strips, the winning display featured a Santa theme combined with the University of Alabama football team headed to California for the national championship game. Individual letters spelling “Crimson Christmas” were cut from black and white hounds tooth print paper reminiscent of the trademark hat of legendary former Alabama coach, the late Bear Bryant.

Alabama’s mascot, Big AL, pulled Santa’s ‘Bama red sleigh. The ferocious looking gray elephant’s trunk curled triumphantly around a crimson Alabama pennant as his feet trampled the head of a Texas longhorn, the mascot of the University of Texas whom Alabama will play on January 7 for the BCS Championship title. From the rear of Santa’s sleigh, icons of other collegiate football teams spilled from Santa’s sack. A tiny ‘Ole Miss Rebel, a Mississippi State Bulldog, and a Florida Gator never had a chance, nor did any of the other teams whose icons fell onto the field.

The upper left corner of “Crimson Christmas” featured a clever photo-shopped Alabama cheering section composed of individual cut-out photos of the members of the ACH Physical Therapy family. All were festively dressed in ‘Bama game day attire and waved Alabama pennants. Even rabid Florida fan, Trent Altman, wore Crimson Tide colors … and a bemused half-smile. The women all wore houndstooth print scarves.

Top Row, L to R: Trent Altman and Brittany Martin; Bottom Row, L to R: Shane Johnson, Regina Worrell, Gail Cotton and Shane White

Four large dialogue balloons coming from Santa’s lips incorporated greatly revised lyrics borrowed from Jule Styne & Sammy Cahn’s 1945 Christmas song, “Let it Snow.” The P.T. cheerleaders renamed the song “Let it Roll.” Letters in the title had also been cut from houndstooth paper. Lyrics of “Let it Roll,” included the following:

“Colt McCoy's stats may be frightful

But California is so delightful,

And since the Heisman winner is rarin' to go. . .

Let it roll! Let it roll! Let it roll!


“Ingram doesn't show signs of stopping,

McClain & Cody are ready for some head-popping,

They'll turn McCoy's lights way down low...

Let it roll! Let it roll! Let it roll!


“When we finally tell the Longhorns goodnight,

How we'll love taking California by storm!

And with Julio leaping high and tight,

All the way home we'll be warm.


“The Longhorns will be slowly dying,

And, my dear, BAMA will still be high-fiving

But as long as McElroy scores some mo'

Let it roll! Let it roll! Let it roll!”



P. T.’s group effort combined the creativity of therapists, assistants, administrative staff, and maybe even a patient or two.

According to a December 23 in-house memo from Linda Lowrey, ACH Human Resources Manager of Baptist Health Care, this year’s competition was extremely close. The Intensive Care Unit and Radiology tied for second place in the contest with Medical/Surgery, Surgery and Dietary tied for third.


This story was previously published in Atmore News on January 6, 2010.

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