Like many of you, I have lived in Alabama all of my life. Therefore, I am an avid college football fan. As a boy, I followed Major League Baseball, but as an adult, I barely watch or pay attention to professional sports. However, I feel compelled for some reason, I guess as an American Patriotic duty, to watch three sporting events: The World Series, the Super Bowl, and the Kentucky Derby – and I will choose a team or horse to pull for in each.

On the Saturday of the Kentucky Derby this year, just prior to the running, I got a text from an old friend and fraternity brother, Reverend Mike Watson, with the most interesting information about the legendary racehorse, Secretariat. All 21 horses in this year’s Kentucky Derby were descendants of the famed racehorse, Secretariat.

This year marks 52 years since Secretariat ran away from the field at the Kentucky Derby in his triumphant jaunt. Secretariat won the Triple Crown – all in record times that still stand today. His legacy would have been honored, no matter which descendant won. Obviously, genes and lineage matters in horses. A good many times, this is true in people.

The aforementioned Reverend Mike Watson is truly a super success story. A lifelong Methodist, he became the Bishop for the entire Methodist Church in America. As mentioned, we were fraternity brothers at the University of Alabama. Our fraternity, Sigma Nu, was made up of boys from mostly the Southeast/Wiregrass area of Alabama, therefore, we were all raised conservative Baptists or Methodists. The only one that did not succumb to the whims of the raucous, new fraternity life was Mike Watson. He had grown up in the First Methodist Church of Dothan, the son of a prominent real estate businessman, Excell Watson. He was born grown. He was an all-A student and campus leader while at the Capstone. In addition, he pastored a small Methodist church outside of Tuscaloosa.

Upon graduation he married his lifetime sweetheart, Margaret Lee, who was also from a fine Wiregrass lineage. Her father, Alto Lee, was considered the most prominent attorney in Dothan. Mike rose through the ranks of the Methodist Church. He built a church from scratch in Dothan. This church, Covenant Methodist, is the largest Methodist church in the Wiregrass. He traversed through the largest Methodist churches in America., then became a Bishop about 20 years ago. He rose to be the Ecumenical Officer for the United Methodist Church, globally.

Mike is now 75 and semi-retired. He and Margaret live in Birmingham and attend Canterbury Methodist Church. They get to enjoy sitting on the same pew with their daughter and four grandchildren. He and Margaret are doing well.

Another prominent family from Dothan were the Baxleys. Bill and Wade Baxley both became lawyers like their father, Kenner Baxley, who was the legendary solo Circuit Judge of Houston and Henry Counties. Bill and Wade grew up in their daddy’s courtroom. There was never any doubt in either of their minds that they would become lawyers.

Bill Baxley’s first law job was with Margaret Lee Watson’s father’s firm. Bill then became District Attorney for the Houston/Henry Circuit, then was elected Attorney General of Alabama at 28 years old and served eight years as Attorney General. He was elected Lt. Governor four years later. He is now 84 and practices law and lives in Vestavia in Jefferson County.

Wade Baxley practiced law in Dothan his entire adult life. He was generally considered one of the best lawyers in Dothan. Wade passed away a few years ago from cancer. His wife, Joan, preceded him in death from the dreaded disease about a year earlier. One of the best stories I have ever heard was how brave and cavalier Wade took his prognosis and inevitable death from cancer.

Wade Baxley was probably the last real yellow dog Democrat left in Ruby Red Republican Houston County. He was a real Democrat and an extremely loyal, rabid Alabama football fan. He and Bill went to college and law school at the University of Alabama.

When his doctor told him he only had a week or so to live, he called his two sons in who, of course, knew of his lifelong loyalty to the Crimson Tide and the Democratic Party. He told his boys, “I’ve had a conversion experience I want to tell you boys about. I’ve decided to become a Republican and an Auburn fan.” They were aghast. They just stared at him in disbelief. Wade said, “Yeah, in a few days, there is going to be one less Auburn fan and one less Republican on earth.”

Alabama is one big front porch, especially in the Wiregrass.

See you next week.