The Wrestlers of Arab, Alabama

Do a google search for "Arab men," and you're likely to get a lot of men of Arab ethnicity, who are from or descended from residents of the Middle East, who speak or whose ancestors spoke Arabic. There are nearly two million Arab-Americans, and about 100,000 students from Arab countries studying at American universities.

But if you scroll down a few pages, you'll find that Arab (pronounced Ay-rab) is a town in Alabama, about 30 miles south of Huntsville.  It was named by mistake: the Postal Service misread the name "Arad," after Arad Thompson, the town's first postmaster.   town sent in the name Arad, after the first postmaster, but the Postal Service misread it.







There are very few ethnic minorities in town, and no mosques.  Other than its unique name, Ay-Rab seems like any other small town in Alabama, with a Hog Jaw Road and a Fry Gap Road, a lot of Baptist churches, a lot of burger places, and a Dollar General Store.

Arab High School is very proud of its Knights (that's a scimitar on the wrestling team's singlets).  I like the guy on the right with the suspicious expression.











There are a lot of wrestlers in Arab.

















Not many boys on the swim team, though. They must think it is a female-coded sport.


















I'm pretty sure that's the same swimmer, but this time he's posing with a friend.
















When you start looking for the over-21 crowd, pickings get slimmer. Is that hair fake?  I know the bulge is.



















Better, but I'm still kind of leery.  I guess all of the cute guys move to Huntsville after high school.

Or to West Hollywood.