God’s in His heaven, all’s right with the world.

Indeed so, because Sideline is back on, or should I say, “Si-i-i-ide–li-i-i-ne!” with all the rugged husk of a senior football captain breaking down a huddle, a clump of turf stuck in his helmet and fresh grass stains on his jersey.

It was actually sportscaster Rick Karle who first blessed us with that specific pronunciation of the word: to do it right, you’ve got to have a fanatical yet friendly growl in your voice, drawing out the “i” like the flat plain of a river delta but with a high and nasal twang so common among the people living in the Appalachian foothills of Alabama. 

And Mr. Karle was born and raised in Syracuse, New York. I’d say the man’s done well here in the South.

Did he know that Sideline would become a Friday night tradition after that first episode in 1989? Did he realize that fans would gaze skyward during the games, hoping to see the helicopter circling our field? Did he know how we would rush home and wait in anticipation to catch a glimpse of our hometown team on our big box Magnavox?  

To be featured in the “Game of the Week” was like making it to an ESPN highlight reel. A few seconds of prime screen time meant glory, fame, and honor for more than just the team, for what’s a football game without the cheerleaders’ chants, the marching band’s familiar cadences, and the fans’ shouts of victory when the clock runs out?

And may we not forget the days before social media, when Sideline was a lifeline if we wanted to find out which teams were triumphant and which went home in defeat. We didn’t have to wait to see the final results in the Saturday morning paper anymore, for we could always depend upon the scores flashing at the bottom of the screen, called in by the same loyal fans who tuned in weekly from late August until early December.

Sideline is now helmed by the ever-popular Sheldon Haygood and Jeh Jeh Pruitt, after Mr. Karle passed the torch some years ago upon leaving Fox 6, and the duo is carrying on the legacy. Fans still do their best to make it home before 10:20 pm, or thereabouts, in order to tune in for the highlights.

We also now have a variety of weekly honors to spread the notoriety around, for there is a featured fan, MVP, pep rally, comeback, coach, band, cheerleaders, and scream. Oh, and a sideline standout. 

Might I suggest we need a hotdog, hamburger, or barbecue nachos of the week, for those of us who’ve been supporting high school sports for any length of time know that you can’t have a full experience without the traditional gameday fare found only at your local concession stands.

Think about adding it, Sideline. Everyone would love a food feature, except for those sick over their team’s loss and who won’t sleep a wink for reliving every fumble, missed tackle, or play gone awry.

But if you don’t take my suggestion, that’s ok. I’ll be tuning in anyway, relishing the highlight reel and looking for those scores.

Mr. Karle understood the kind of appeal such a show would have, and now 36 years later, it continues, an institution of Friday nights in central Alabama, and we are the better for it.

He said it best, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Sideline, when reflecting upon what the sports show now means to generations of fans: 

“To think back on 30 years of hosting ‘Sideline’ and nitpicking every second of video shown—making the show not about football games, but the Friday night football experience—and seeing how players and fans changed their Friday night viewing habits—makes me proud.”

It makes me proud too, Mr. Karle.

It makes all of us proud.