ESPN's "First Take" was broadcast live from Birmingham on Friday ahead of this weekend's Magic City Classic, and Stephen A. Smith, one of the hosts, used the opportunity to argue that the Iron Bowl was not the best rivalry in college football.
Auburn legend Cam Newton described how the rivalry was the best because Auburn and Alabama are the two biggest teams in the state. He described football as a "religion" and "way of life."
Smith agreed with fellow host Ryan Clark that Alabama's recent success was why nobody had paid much attention to the rivalry lately. They noted that ESPN's "College GameDay" has been going to the site of The Game, the rivalry between Ohio State and Michigan, lately, rather than the Iron Bowl.
"[T]his is the biggest reason why it ain't the greatest rivalry: It ain't really been a damn rivalry," Smith told Newton. "I mean, the fact of the matter is, is that, I mean, since Cam departed, I mean, we haven't really paid much attention to Auburn and what's going on at Auburn compared to Alabama. That's just the truth. OK? That's just the truth. Alright? There's no way around it. OK. The reality is, is that Nick Saban, in terms of SEC football, Nick Saban has dominated the landscape for the better part of two decades. That's a reality. And when you look at it from that standpoint, there's no way around it. Now, if you were still playing and you were still doing what you do, what you did, you would be right. But that ain't happening."
Newton then begged God to forgive the two hosts "because they know not what they are doing."
The former quarterback then pointed at people watching the show live from Legion Field and declared, "All they know is football."
He agreed the rivalry had been "lopsided" but said the two fanbases had a different type of "passion."
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