University of Alabama alumnus Tom Herndon arrived at Murphy's Bar & Grill yesterday with a red Crimson Tide T-shirt and a stuffed toy replica of Big Al, the school's elephant mascot.

His son, Anthony, a law student at the University of Hawai'i, wore a gray UH law school T-shirt and sat next to him.

And so, the friendly family rivalry was on.

Tom Herndon, 58, had a good time early as the Tide rolled to a 15-3 halftime lead, but it was his son's turn in the second half as Hawai'i rallied before falling short on the final play, 25-17.

The season-opener for both teams was only available on pay-per-view TV, and Murphy's on Merchant Street was one of many establishments around the state that welcomed football fans.

Tom Herndon's Big Al stuffed toy played "Yea Alabama" — the school's fight song — when he pressed its left foot. He said he played it after Crimson Tide scores, and he even drummed the tune by slapping his table top.

"I was a snare drummer in the University of Alabama Million Dollar band in three of my four years there and I went to all the football games I could," said Tom Herndon, a 1970 graduate.

Anthony Herndon, 28, said he enjoys watching Hawai'i-Alabama games with his father except when he goes overboard with the cheering.

"He's already too loud," Anthony Herndon said before the game. "Obviously the last two times Alabama and Hawai'i played together, we watched together and were rooting against each other."

Alabama beat Hawai'i in 2002, and lost to the Warriors in 2003.

FRIENDS ROLL IN

Tom Herndon was pretty much the only Alabama fan at Murphy's until Ellen and Jamiel Saliba of Birmingham, Ala., arrived just before kickoff.

Tom Herndon yelled "Roll Tide" from across the room when he saw the couple. A UH fan responded by yelling "Don't let him in."

The Herndons, of Kahala, and Salibas didn't know one another, but wound up sitting together.

"It was really nice to see a fellow Crimson Tider and Big Al," Ellen Sabila said. "We're here celebrating our 31st wedding anniversary and my husband is more excited about the Alabama game than he is about that."

Said Jamiel Sabila: "The anniversary is actually not till Wednesday. All that matters today is Alabama football."

Their daughter is a freshman at Alabama.

Jerry Anaya of Makiki was happy to be healthy and able to watch the game at Murphy's.

He missed the UH sports season last year because of ill health.

"I have leukemia and had a stem-cell transplant at Duarte, which is near Pasadena," said Anaya, who spent five months at The City of Hope National Medical Cancer Center.

Friend Mavis Kim, also of Makiki, spent two months with Anaya in Duarte.

"They would tape some of the games and send the VCR tapes up there," Kim said.

BIG UH FANS

The pair has owned season tickets for UH men's and women's volleyball, men's basketball and football for years.

They weren't able to use them last year, but Don Murphy, the bar's owner, came to their rescue.

"Don sold our tickets," Kim said. "We didn't want to give them up so we paid for them and Don sold them for us."

This year, Anaya is healthy and they plan to attend various UH games together.

A couple of former Warriors made it to The Red Lion on Coyne Street, near the University of Hawai'i-Manoa.

They liked the way the Warriors played despite falling short.

"It's the first game of the season, they have things to correct and stuff, but they'll be all right," said Ikaika Curnan, a linebacker from the 2002 to 2005 seasons. "First game, they have to get all the jitterbugs out.

"A couple plays and it turned the game around, but the boys did all right. I'm proud of them."

Tanuvasa Moe, a linebacker from the same years, said: "I think they were great. They played an awesome game. You can see they played with heart.

"I bleed green and black. I'm down with UH. I wish they would have won this game because it would have put them on the map."

'THAT'S MY BOYS'

Darrell Tautofi, a linebacker from 2003-04, said he's looking forward to attending UH games at Aloha Stadium this season.

"That's my boys out there on the field so I've got to see my homeboys out there," said Tautofi, who still has eligibility. "I'd love to be out with them right now, but circumstances, you've got to do what you've got to do."

Increasing business seems pretty simple for the establishments: show pay-per-view UH football games and the fans will come.

"We hire extra during the season — at least another five to 10 people during the football season," said Robbie Acoba of Eastside Bar & Grill on University Avenue.

During yesterday's game, which started at 1 p.m. Hawai'i time, he had six extra employees.

TOO MANY CUSTOMERS

Acoba said he had slightly more than the seating capacity of 250, and had to turn patrons away.

"It's a good problem to have, but we feel sorry," he said. "We're trying to accommodate as many as possible."

Acoba added the crowds showed up well before kickoff.

"The UH crowd knew it was going to be busy so they came by 10:30, 11 o'clock," he said.

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.