If you’ve been online at any point in the last month you have probably come across video of the “Montgomery Riverfront Brawl.” If your Wi-Fi or 5G has been out for the last month or perhaps you’ve been traveling overseas, AL.com has all the local coverage of the fight and aftermath to catch you up.
The basics are that a group of white boaters attacked a Black dock worker for trying to get their boat to move. After assaulting the dock worker, many bystanders (mostly Black) fought back against the boaters as the situation deteriorated into a prototypical Pier Six brawl. The fight became a flashpoint for commentary on America’s racial divide and, of course, social media memes. One of those bystanders swung a white folding chair like he was The Rock swinging away at Mankind at the 1999 Royal Rumble. Thus, the white folding chair became the meme that “won the internet” according to Rolling Stone.
Enter Desmond Howard on College GameDay emanating from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Howard is known for going against the grain with his picks. So it wasn’t a surprise that he picked Texas to upset Alabama. What was a surprise was when he pulled out a white folding chair with a Longhorn logo on it to do so.
Hilariously and predictably, Kirk Herbstreit clearly had no idea what the connection was about while Pat McAfee was all about it.
Desmond Howard must be feeling pretty good about his Texas pick earlier today, especially after bringing out the white folding chair in Alabama. IYKYK pic.twitter.com/NZuPagek3I
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 10, 2023
Those in the know on social media loved the reference from Howard.
Today in college football, Texas plays Alabama, and Desmond Howard uses a folding chair to pick Texas to win.
If you know the joke, this is the funniest thing you’ll see today! ???pic.twitter.com/lprB41YFn4
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) September 9, 2023
Desmond Howard really pulled out the chair to pay homage to the Montgomery Riverfront Brawl on College Gameday as Alabama takes on Texas.
Incredible. pic.twitter.com/1fQBSdi05m
— Colin Kaepernick 7️⃣ Was Exiled Exercising Rights (@RickStrom) September 9, 2023
Desmond Howard bringing out THAT white folding chair on College Gameday in Alabama. Forever goated. ?
— Kenyatta Chambers (@YattaChambers) September 9, 2023
As for the accuracy of the pick, not only did Howard provide a subtle moment of brilliance with the white folding chair, but he correctly called the upset as the Longhorns beat the Crimson Tide 34-24 on Saturday night.