Roll Tide, Eh?

Last year, Birmingham sent an observation team to Winnipeg, Canada for the 2023 World Police and Fire Games to learn and better plan to host the Games in 2025. They expected to see Canadian things like maple leaf flags, poutine, hockey fans, maybe even catch a glimpse of a RCMP Mountie. 

They saw all that, but what they didn’t expect to see was a smiling Canadian athlete wearing a University of Alabama T-shirt walking through the hall. We quickly discovered that Evan Minaker is a native Canadian who serves with the Winnipeg Fire Department, playing Field Lacrosse in his first WPFG with his WPG LAX team.

Evan then shares he has never been to Alabama. So how did he become a Bama fan up in the Frozen North? 

“They show a lot of American football on TV up here, and a lot of people watch it,” he explains. “I started following the Alabama Crimson Tide 15 years ago, and that’s who I cheer for!”

Evan is understandably excited for the opportunity to go to Birmingham, and would have loved for the Games to coincide with football season so he could visit Tuscaloosa and see a game in Bryant-Denny Stadium. “It’s a little disappointing to be that close, but I’m sure we’ll find a lot of fun things to do there.”

When we wished him good luck, he stuck up his thumb and had the perfect reply. “Let’s go, Bama. Roll Tide, baby!”

By Del Moon