Ah, Alabama-LSU. What memories. For a longtime LSU fan like myself, the memories are, except for yesterday, terrible. But I do remember one game in particular that I associate with one of the better days in my life.

It was the day a proposed to my wife.

The game itself was terrible. LSU lost by a ton (surprise), and I was in such a bad mood I almost didn’t do it. If you think I hate Bama now, imagine if the Tide had blown my marriage-to-be.

My wife and I attended a very strict college in Pennsylvania where we met as freshmen. We had dated for three years when I decided to use the money I had been saving to start an investment club with friends on a shiny rock instead. But I needed a suitably romantic way to propose to the lass.

I hate public displays of affection and I cringed at the thought of a restaurant full of strangers congratulating us while my girl bawled her eyes out.

Also, it was November and there was roughly eight feet of snow on the ground – a picnic was obviously out.

Plus, I wanted it to be a surprise. Then I had an idea.

Our school was so tight that we weren’t allowed cable TV, so I often got a hotel room just to watch SEC football on ESPN on Saturdays.

LSU was hosting Alabama that week, and the game was on cable. I knew my unsuspecting girlfriend would think nothing of my getting a room to watch the game. We’d have privacy, I could have champagne (obviously another no-no at my college of choice) and I’d get to watch LSU football. Perfect.

The plan was to get there first and hide the roses and booze. Then, we’d show up to watch the game. I’d say some friends were going to join us, but had to cancel at the last minute. And then, while celebrating a tremendous Tiger victory, I would drop to one knee and propose.

The plan went perfectly – until around the middle of the second quarter.

I won’t bore you with the awful details of the game. They’re all the same, anyway. LSU couldn’t run the ball, the quarterback threw a handful of interceptions, and it was obvious well before the game was over that the Tigers would lose and lose bad.

This presented me with an interesting situation. I had spent the last half hour screaming obscenities at the screen. It didn’t seem quite right to then clear my throat and ask my love to spend eternity with me.

I decided to abort mission for the time being. I took her out to dinner (it was a nice dinner because I had expected us to be engaged at this point) and then returned to the room.

The mood still didn’t seem right. I was still cranky because of the game. I mean, it’s not like LSU was even in the game. They were crushed. There was nothing positive one could extract from that game.

But there was one heck of a positive I could extract from the day.

I realize it makes me kind of a cad to become engaged partly to help heal the wounds caused by watching a game taking place roughly 1,200 mile away, but my wife didn’t seem to mind. She’s an LSU fan, too.

But now I know why those guys that propose at Saints games do it in the second quarter.

Nick Adams is sports editor of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at (601) 445-3632 or by e-mail at nick.adams@natchezdemocrat.com.