Getty The joint Oklahoma-Alabama football "Boomer Tide" slogan created by the Sooners football Twitter account to honor Jalen Hurts didn't land with the public
The “Boomer Tide” slogan coined by Oklahoma football’s Twitter account in response to the Alabama football official Twitter isn’t something that is going to last long when the Sooners make their way to the SEC in 2024 — but it’s something both accounts thought would create a temporary truce between the two fanbases to rally around Jalen Hurts in the 2023 Super Bowl.
Boomer Tide!
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) February 11, 2023
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Not only did the Oklahoma/Alabama alumni’s Eagles blow a double-digit halftime lead to lose the game in the closing moments due to a holding call on cornerback James Bradberry, but the slogan fell flat on social media. Many flamed the Oklahoma football Twitter account for uttering those two words together:
https://t.co/ldp11xnYyh pic.twitter.com/eZfMEudVpb
— Ryan (@Ryanmcc_9) February 12, 2023
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It really did all go downhill since Lincoln Riley left 🤦♂️ https://t.co/d0EjhfamLD
— Richard Schnyderite (@RivalsRichie) February 12, 2023
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— Blessing🇰🇪 (@AfricanCityBoy) February 12, 2023
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Nasty nasty nasty work https://t.co/iUfEu389ap
— Yapp Jenkins🤘🏽🤘🏽 (@YappJenkins) February 12, 2023
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https://t.co/hYdS0gDoxX pic.twitter.com/pSMGZ65eCy
— Adrian Minjarez Jr. (@adrianknows_) February 12, 2023
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Alabama football owns a 2-3-1 all-time record against Oklahoma, most recently defeating the Sooners in the 2018 Orange Bowl 45-34 on December 29, 2018 en route to a College Football Playoff championship loss to Clemson on January 7, 2019.
AL.com on Jalen Hurts Oklahoma-Alabama Football Debate
AL.com’s Joseph Goodman recently weighed in on the Hurts debate, and he claimed the NFC champion quarterback for Alabama football back on January 31.
“There’s something bigger happening now that Hurts is headed to the Super Bowl, but it still centers around the quarterback’s identity at Alabama,” Goodman wrote. “His success and struggles in Tuscaloosa molded Hurts into who he is today, and what he represents. He was “built by Bama” alright, but in a more meaningful way than the billboards could ever advertise.”
It was his troubles with Alabama football that set him up to handle anything at the pro level. “Maybe Hurts wasn’t always the best quarterback in the room at Alabama, but he always had class,” he wrote. “He was doubted at Alabama, and he was doubted when he was drafted by the Eagles. He never let it bother him, but he certainly used it all as motivation.”
Jalen Hurts on 2023 Super Bowl Loss
The former Oklahoma and Alabama football product Hurts took the loss to the Chiefs in the 2023 Super Bowl well, owning his role during the February 12 post-game presser.
“I always hold myself to a very high standard in everything I do,” he said in the moments following the Chiefs’ 38-35 win. “Obviously, I try to control the things I can. I touch the ball on every play. I want to protect it. It hurt us. You never know what play it will be. I don’t do this to be loved. I don’t do this to be hated. I don’t do this to seek anybody else’s approval. I do it for the guys in the locker room. I do it for all the time we invested in this. I do it for the thrill and love of something that we put work into.
Hurts didn’t hide that losing hurt him, but he did keep a positive tone moving forward. “It is a tough feeling to come up short, but I know the only direction is to rise and that will be the mentality going forward,” he said. “We’ll sit back and reflect on it and learn from it. I’ve already challenged everyone to think about those things. Look yourself in the mirror and be able to learn from everything. You either win or you learn.”