Cigar Marketing: Tennessee v Alabama ...and the Victory Cigar

[El Presidente]

The tradition dates back to 1961 when Alabama's athletic trainer, Jim Goostree, distributed cigars to players and coaches after the Crimson Tide defeated the Volunteers for the first time in years. What started in the locker room has now become a widespread celebration with fans smoking cigars after an Alabama victory over Tennessee

100,000 people in the stands. 14 million people watching screens. The cigar smoking celebration imagery spread worldwide in news and social media. 

In pure marketing $$$'s how much is this worth to the cigar industry?  

Let me put it another way. If this tradition/celebration didn't exist.......what would a multinational such as Swedish Match/General Cigar pay to achieve such an outcome? 

 

 

 

 

[HDGSN]

[JohnS]

Savoring the Third Saturday in October is big business, cigar shop owner says

Business owner Dave Watson says he usually sells 3,500-4,000 more cigars than usual in October because of the UT-'Bama game.

[JohnS]

10 things Alabama fans love and hate: That Ty Simpson throw, puke orange, cigar smoke

By Ben Flanagan - Published: Oct. 15, 2025, 7:15 a.m.

Alabama fans are ready to light it up in Bryant-Denny Stadium when Tennessee comes to town on Saturday. (Ben Flanagan / AL.com)

Tennessee week is special, isn’t it? The Third Saturday in October always seems to deliver. It’s synonymous with college football. A true rivalry. Pure hatred between the fan bases who want nothing more than the other to fail, sometimes even more so than themselves to succeed.

The winners smoke victory cigars. The losers throw them in the trash. Alabama went on a 15-year winning streak, relegating the rivalry to just another game under Nick Saban. But the Vols are back. Fresh off of a College Football Playoff appearance, they’re competitive, and they’ve won two out of the last three meetings, only worsening the hate.

So Bama fans have a lot on their minds, especially after escaping Missouri with a much-needed road win in what some called a “trap game,” ahead of the one they really had circled on the calendar. Here we are again. It’s Hate Week. And here’s what Tide fans love and hate right now...

That Ty Simpson throw

Enjoy Alabama’s starting quarterback in Tuscaloosa as long as you can, because if he keeps making throws like the one on 4th-and-8 to Lotzier Brooks to keep the drive alive in hopes of putting away the fightin’ Tigers, the pride of Westview High School’s name will be called on the first day of the 2026 NFL Draft. As our friend John Doe would put it, “perfect product placement.” Looked like the dot Bryce Young threw to Jahleel Billingsley on 4th-and-7 on that historic, game-tying drive in Auburn in 2021. Simpson looks better with each game.

Missouri’s stadium

Ol’ Hoover Dam lookin’ stadium in Columbia. Looking like Bane was about to roll out with a nuclear physicist and tell Gotham it’s under attack. Looked like the end of “Tenet.” The whole fourth quarter was a temporal pincer. Did Adrien Brody’s character from “The Brutalist” design this place? Looked like Excavator City. My 4-year-old nephew never was more excited for a game. Like everything those Gene Stallings CraneWorks radio ads were promising and more. (I’m sure it’ll look great after the renovations, Tiger fans. Enjoy.)

Proctor needs the ball

Have we said give this man the ball, let the big dog eat, etc.? If we sound like a broken record, we will only say it louder and more annoyingly. Kadyn Proctor is a critical part of this offense as a ball carrier. Take a minute to ponder that.

Kalen DeBoer understands it’s hard to tackle a man standing 6-foot-7-inches and 360-pounds. And Proctor lined up in a wildcat formation. This giant person was standing in shotgun. He took a snap. And ladies and gentlemen, I think he scores a touchdown if the Missouri player doesn’t commit an uncalled facemask penalty. If his neck doesn’t get yanked aside, the nimble -- dare we say “balletic” -- Proctor extends the ball to cross the plane and log a rushing score for the books.

Hoodie graphic

We’ve admittedly paid far more attention to Kalen DeBoer’s sideline attire than most people or media outlets. But ESPN appears to be all in, too, as evidenced by the graphic that appeared on screen as soon as the clock hit zero in Columbia.

Kalen DeBoer has lost exactly two games while wearing, to quote Mizzou’s Eli Drinkwitz, “the black hoodie of death.” The signature garment remains out of stock online, so put those DeBoer costumes on hold this Halloween, unless you bought stock on the ground floor.

Kane Wommack: A Two-Part Story

If and when his defense gives up a touchdown on the first drive, Tide DC Kane Wommack better not check social media in real time. It gets ugly. As in, “Fire Kane Wommack”-ugly. Fans want him gone, never mind any adjustments he and the defense make once they’ve played a few series. Never mind the second half turnarounds we saw in Athens and then against a pesky Vanderbilt in Tuscaloosa last week. Even he on Monday called it a “truly unacceptable start.”

But we know better than to reason with the feelings of passionate football fans mid-game. Still, let’s look at what we saw on X/Twitter during the first half of Bama-Missouri, and then the second once things shaped up...

And if you can believe it, the language took a turn further left than what Brandon Chicken’s Burner posted. But what about when Alabama held Ahmad Hardy, the nation’s leading rusher, to 52 yards on 12 carries? Or the two QB sacks and two interceptions, including one that iced the game?

When the game ended, after Bama got the stops they needed, some fans did chime in with some positive affirmations for Wommack and the defensive unit.

So yeah, notice the posts aren’t exactly before-and-after reactions from the same accounts. When things aren’t going well, emotions run high. And when the wheels aren’t coming off, you don’t get the same extremes.

But Alabama fans managed to take a breath, look at the body of work and conclude the defense hung in there and got it down after Wommack and his staff made the necessary adjustments the players executed impressively.

Hate Week

Win or lose, as soon as Alabama’s game the week before they play Tennessee ends, fans fire it up. The man, the myth, the legend: Irvin Carney. You know him better as the “I Hate Tennessee” guy, or the star of that viral video wherein a University of Alabama student reflects on the reasons he doesn’t care for the school or football team in Knoxville, including terms and phrases like “snitches,” “puke inside of a pumpkin orange,” “garbage truck worker convention.”

Most telling is Carney (who is not a dog person) admitting he hates the Vols even more than he does archrival Auburn, whom he only “dislikes.” You hear this from a lot of fans, admittedly of a certain age by now. Those whose understanding of this series was born during that 15-year winning streak likely don’t even consider it a rivalry. But Carney’s message has become almost medicinal to anyone who ever lost sight of who or what is “lowdown or dirty.”

Mount Cody speaks!

Arguably the most towering figure in the modern era of Alabama-Tennessee rivalry appeared on AL.com’s podcast “Beat Everyone” to reminisce on the moment that forever made him a Tide legend. The man who blocked not one but two field goals to seal Bama’s 12-10 win on their way to Nick Saban’s first national championship in Tuscaloosa revealed why he felt so emotional after the win, why he didn’t have a victory cigar that night and why he and the head coach had such a special bond. Next time you see this man (and he’s still hard to miss), hand him a cigar.

‘Shut up, show up and do the work.’

Put it on a T-shirt. During his Monday press conference, Kalen DeBoer shared the message he sent Crimson Tide players for the remainder of the 2025 season. They’re in the driver’s seat in the SEC. After the FSU loss, few thought they’d right the ship, but here they are. But we all know what they did under similar circumstances in 2024.

DeBoer appears locked in. Bama is all business right now. They don’t want to trash talk. They want to win. DeBoer can clearly win big games in the SEC. Whether or not he and the Crimson Tide can do it every week remains a mystery, but who can these days? The parity is real. But we know Bama has looked the part since it looked like rock bottom in week one. So those of us who buried them then might need to shut up, too.

The return of Finebaum

The longtime ESPN and SEC Network host recently caused a stir announcing interest in running for Alabama’s vacant U.S. Senate seat. He’s since returned to the airwaves for his usual back-and-forth with fans from all over, and you can see it live in Tuscaloosa, as “SEC Nation” rolls into town, which always means Finebaum’s show will broadcast on campus the Friday before.

An alumnus of the University of Tennessee, Finebaum brings good vibes anytime he visits, giving fans a peek into how things work behind the scenes on a show that has long offered a window into the souls of college football fans, the true lifeblood of the sport and its culture. So depending on Finebaum’s political aspirations, it might be your last chance to go insist Tennessee or whichever team you currently hate “ain’t played nobody, PAWL!” in person.

ESPN's Paul Finebaum on the "SEC Nation" set before Alabama-Ole Miss kickoff Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. (Ben Flanagan / AL.com)

Cigars

After 15 straight years (that’s a decade-and-a-half) of straight-up beatdowns from Tuscaloosa to Knoxville, the Third Saturday in October has once again become a rivalry where the Tide and Vols trade knockout punches annually. It also means the victory cigar celebration has never felt sweeter for fans as soon as they can light ‘em up.

A year after Tennessee finally ended the (15-year) streak, as a mushroom cloud of cigar smoke plumed from Neyland Stadium, Bama fans sparked up in record time and savored every puff as they glided down the Bryant-Denny ramps. This rivalry still means everything to a good chunk of the Tide faithful, and yes, they will smoke ‘em if they’ve got ‘em.

It gets a little smoky in Bryant-Denny Stadium after an Alabama-Tennessee game. (Ben Flanagan / AL.com)

BONUS: It’s...basketball season?

Don’t be a FOG, what some tenacious Tide fans call a “football-only Gump.” Why would be, after all, when Nate Oats is coming off of back-to-back Elite Eight appearances, with his squad ranked 15th heading into this season? Oats and company arrived for SEC Media Day to remind us Alabama is also a basketball school making unprecedented runs at a national championship, something many fans never thought they’d see in their lifetimes. And now with Bruce Pearl retired, does that help clear the way in the SEC? We’ll know soon enough, but back to football, for in October, we are proud FOGs.

Source: https://www.al.com/alabamafootball/2025/10/10-things-alabama-fans-love-and-hate-that-ty-simpson-throw-puke-orange-cigar-smoke.html

[JohnS]

Alabama Snuffs Out Tennessee In “The Cigar Game”

The two programs have an annual, tightly-contested rivalry that concludes with victory cigars, but this year, Alabama won in emphatic fashion

 Oct 21, 2025 - By Garrett Rutledge 

Alabama linebacker Yhonzae Pierre running off the field with a cigar in his mouth after a big victory over the Tennessee Volunteers. Photo/Michael Chang/Getty Images

College football is rooted in tradition. Rivalries between colleges go back decades, some even stretch back to the 19th century. Many have quirky names and virtually all foster intense animosity towards opposing schools. But our favorite, as should be the case for all cigar lovers, is the annual matchup between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers, officially known as “The Third Saturday in October,” or more affectionately, “The Cigar Game.” This past Saturday, after years of close, back-and-forth matchups, The Tide rolled all over the Volunteers in a convincing 37-20 victory—and cigars took center stage again. 

Saturday offered up another perfect day for "The Cigar Game" rivalry, with ideal weather and a rowdy atmosphere. (Photo/Michael Chang/Getty Images)

For those unfamiliar, the rivalry stretches back to 1901, between colleges located just 310 miles from one another. As the legend goes, back in 1961, Alabama’s head trainer Jim Goosetree offered cigars to the players if they could end their losing streak against Tennessee. The Tide won, the cigars were broken out, and ever since, it has been tradition that the winning team (and most of the fans in attendance) light up cigars in the stadium to celebrate victory. 

The cigar-smoking tradition in this rivalry goes far beyond just the players--fans of all demographics are quick to join the smoky party. (Photo/Gary Cosby-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images)

Heading into Saturday, the stage was set for another heavyweight showdown between these two powerhouse SEC programs. In the last four matchups in this rivalry, the home team has won each time. This year, it was back in Tuscaloosa, Alabama for the prime-time slot on ABC, No. 6 Alabama versus No. 11 Tennessee. Both teams were 5-1, but had been steadily climbing up the college rankings. In the newly-expanded, twelve-team College Football Playoff format, games like these weigh heavy at year-end. 

Alabama starting quarterback Ty Simpson with Reagan Starner of R&R Cigars after the game, his cigar at-the-ready. (Photo/Reagan Starner)

Vegas had Alabama favored by 7.5 points heading into the game, and that spread turned out to be quite generous. The game can be summed up in one play, a moment that is likely already in the heads of anyone who watched the contest. The score was 16-7, with Alabama ahead and nine seconds remaining in the first half. The Volunteers had driven all the way down to Alabama’s one yard line, with what seemed to be enough time for two chances at a score, touchdown or field goal. Instead, on second down, a Volunteer pass was intercepted by Alabama defensive back Zabien Brown, who returned the interception 99 yards for a touchdown as time expired in the first half. The Tide went up 23-7 at halftime. For Alabama fans, it was a wonderful display of the chaotic majesty that is college football. For Tennessee faithful, a dagger to the heart.

In past years, fans feverishly rush to light cigars when the game clock hits zero. But this year, fans got a casual start before the game was even over. (Photo/Gary Cosby-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images)

Momentum stayed in the Tide’s favor in the second half as they kept Tennessee at bay the rest of the way. Alabama’s eventual victory marked the fifth time in a row that the home team has won this rivalry. After many epic battles in recent years, the decisive win and subsequent celebration seemed subdued in comparison. For Alabama, it was strictly business. Fans didn’t rush the field, some were even casually smoking cigars in the stands minutes before the game clock struck zero. Alabama players and coaches had cigars in-hand once the game ended, but for the most part, they took their party to the locker room. 

The smokes made by La Flor Dominicana for Tuscaloosa-based cigar shop R&R Cigars for this smoky rivalry. (Photo/Reagan Starner)

The Tide get their smokes for the rivalry game from the Tuscaloosa-based cigar shop R&R Cigars. Owner Reagan Starner has been supplying the team with his in-house Casa de Estrellas cigars since 2015, delivering them the week of the game. His shop also sells a special-edition “Cigar Game” smoke in conjunction with La Flor Dominicana. The Dominican company has been making the cigars for R&R since 2019. Starner could be seen just after The Tide won handing Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer a cigar, which he warmly received. ESPN’s "Sportscenter" actually did a brief segment on Starner and R&R Cigars in the lead up to last week’s game, demonstrating how much the cigar theme has caught on with this rivalry.  

Tim Ozgener of OZ Family Cigars released his own Tennessee-themed Cigar Game smokes ahead of this year's matchup, but this time around, they can't be used as victory smokes. (Photo/OZ Family Cigars)

For now, Alabama will have to put cigars in the rearview, as Tennessee aims to do the same with Saturday’s performance. The Tide jumped up to No. 4 in the college football rankings, and are primed to continue their rise, whereas the Volunteers slid down to No. 17. College Football Playoff hopes are not dead in Knoxville yet, but in a loaded SEC conference, Tennessee will have little room for error the rest of the way. 

Source: https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/alabama-snuffs-out-tennessee-in-the-cigar-game

[griller]

As an Alabama grad (along with my wife & sister, and my son is a Junior at the school), this is the game I want to win over any other on the schedule each year. I'm born & currently live in Tennessee, and most of the year I'm hammered with that hideous orange drama when it comes to any discussion regarding college football. Regardless, there is much respect for the folks in Knoxville and I like that the game is a rivalry again (Alabama recently won 15 games in a row). When I was a student, the cigars were enjoyed by the players & there wasn't much of a fan participation element. It's great to see this evolve to include the supporters, both Vol and Bama alike.