The Dangling Ear

Bama vs Detroit Preview

2011-12-09T12:04:00.003-06:00

After a tough loss to Georgetown at the buzzer, and one of the most disappointing and poor efforts from Bama since early last year against Dayton, the Tide hosts the Detroit Titans Sunday afternoon. With games against Oklahoma State and K-State looming, the Tide need to get back on track by playing well and beating Detroit.

Detroit competes in the Horizon League, which also features the Butler Bulldogs. Detroit finished 17-16 last year, and sit at 5-6 right now, but are still expected to be a serious contender for the Horizon League title, especially with Butler in a bit of a rebuilding mode. The Titans have lost by 6 at Notre Dame early in the year, and are 2-2 in their last 4 games. They lost a pair of close games to Youngstown and Cleveland State, but have won their last two, a 69-63 win over Saint Johns and most recently 92-81 over Western Michigan. Detroit will be arriving in Tuscaloosa with confidence, especially after seeing the way Georgetown and Dayton were able to get good looks against Bama, and also defend rather well against the Bama offense.

Afte struggling against solid guard play, spacing, and perimeter shooting in the last two losses, Bama better get ready for another dose. Detroit is led by solid guard play, and 6'6 Senior Chase Simon leads the Horizon League with almost 17 ppg. His sophmore backcourt mate, 6'0 Ray McCallum (the son of the Head Coach) adds 14.7 points per contest. McCallum was the first freshman from Detroit to make the All-Horizon League team last season.

Detroit has 3 other guys averaging right at or over double figures -
Nick Minnerath, SR, 6'8, 230 F with 12 points a game
Doug Anderson, JR, 6'5, 220 F with 9.6 a game
Jason Calliste, JR, 6'2, 165 G with 10 points per game.

Detroit will play 9 guys, and also contributing will be
Lamarcus Lowe, SR, 6'11, 200 C, with 7.3 ppg
Evan Bruinesma, SO, 6'7, 190 F with 6 ppg
Donovan Foster, SR, 5'10, 160 G with 3.4 ppg

A big plus with Detroit is the return last game of Senior Eli Holman, who missed the first ten gamed due to a personal leave of absence. Holman just jumped in with 21 points against Western Michigan, and in only 19 minutes. At 6'10 and 255, the SR and 4 year letterman will present major problems for Alabama inside.

Detroit rebounds by committee, as 8 of their 9 man rotation collects 3 or more rebounds per game. However, Holman inside will be their leading rebounder over the course of the year, and he had 9 boards in the WMU game - I will be surprised if Holman does not average right at a double-double in Horizon play.

Detroit stats......................

PPG - 75.9
FG% - 46.7
3 PT FG% - 35.3
FT% - 69.7
Rebounds per game - 36.5
Steals - 5.3 pg
Assists - 13.6 g
Blocks - 3.7 pg

Detroit will be a challenge, especially for a team whose confidence must be reeling a bit right now. The Titans bring a pair of talented and experienced guards, and a SR big man who will be problems for Bama inside.

The Tide must do a better job of defending the ball and stopping dribble breakdown of our defense. Green and Mitchell must also start showing the poise and leadership needed from our most veteran guys, and avoid displays of temper and also avoid foul trouble. To have success this year, not just this game, Alabama must start again to defend with passion, aggression, and intensity.

Offensively, we need to get better spacing in the half court. Green needs to get back inside, Releford needs to start attacking the lane again, and a Tony Mitchell with an improved 3 point shot must start playing like the talent he is. Tony can be a nightmare matchup with his skill set, but Coach Grant must get him the ball where he can do damage, and then Tony has to want it as well.

The freshman need to defend their fannies off, and make plays offensively when they have the opportunity. Bama also needs to get back to creating turnovers, offense off them, and attacking both boards.

Should be a good test, and Bama needs to get back on track before playing the tougher games just down the road.

As a personal aside, I hope one of our staff takes Mitchell and Green aside and goes off on how they need to stop going for the ESPN Tip-Slam and make the easier play of tipping the ball in with control or just securing the offensive rebound. I wish I had a count on how many crowd "OOOOH-ing" tip-slams we have bounced off the rim.

Coach Saban's Ballot

2011-12-08T16:42:00.000-06:00

and the predictable media backlash..... and I mean sad, but also sadly predictable, media backlash.

The Tim Brando's (who has become biased and agenda-driven to the point of absurdity) of the world act like the Coaches owed it to Oklahoma State to vote them at least #3 in the final ballot.If you did not, Brando is painting you as unethical, as he is intimating that Coach Saban cast his ballot for the purpose of helping Alabama and harming Oklahoma State.

Of course Gary Danielson joins Tim and sings with the choir, even stating that "Someone, the SID or someone, should have pulled Nick aside and said "Do you really want to do this?"" Tim, if that was really his purpose, would he not have placed them at #5, or even #6, as some other voters without gloves in the fight did?

You say Nick Saban is a smart guy - do you really think Coach Saban would face this ridiculous media frenzy for the sake of one spot on his ballot, unless it was how he really felt?That's right Tim, and Gary - maybe Coach Saban had Stanford at #3, and saw no reason to move them down in the final ballot.And could it be that Coach Saban voted his conscious, honestly and ethically - and that it is the Brando's and Boilermaker Gary's of the world who are advocating breaching ethics based on personal bias?

The AP Should Party like its 1964

2011-12-06T15:35:00.002-06:00

So much ridiculous talk about giving the AP title to LSU if they get beat by Bama........................

First, you cannot turn the Bama-LSU game of Nov. 5th into the National Championship game, as many media members and Bama haters are attempting to do. That game was, pardon the term, but part of the process in determining the participants for the BCS Championship Game. LSU won the game, and pretty much locked down a spot in the Title game. They also became the SEC West representative for the SECCG, and thus earned the right to become an SEC Champion. Winning that game was very benficial to LSU.

Conversely, losing was costly for Alabama. Outside of losing the goal of winning the SEC, The Tide dropped well down the ladder of BCSCG hopefuls. Alabama was forced to win out and look good doing it, and then to hope for help around the country.

Oregon, Stanford, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State all had a better opportunity on Nov. 6th to meet LSU than Bama did - and all failed to get it done.

Despite losing to LSU, Alabama, whom anyone with honesty and football savvy will admit is one of the two best teams in the nation, did what was needed to make the BCSCG. The BCS worked by sifting through the season to provide the best two teams to play for the Championship.

The winner is the National Champion. The BCS is designed to pair the top two teams and have them play a game at a neutral site for the National Championship. The winner of that game is the BCS National Champion.

Now, the AP does not like the BCS and in fact chose to break away from the BCS process. So, if the AP does not want to consider the bowl process in determining their National Champion, as they would not be if they award the title to LSU if Bama wins - then I have a suggestion.

Go back to the way you did it in the mid 1960s, and really start sticking it to the BCS process. Just award your title after the regular season.

In your system, make the BCS bowl system totally inconsequential.

Because that is essentially what you will be doing if you vote LSU as your National Champion even after a loss on January 9th.

Expansionistas, Slivers, Missouri Compromisers

2011-10-27T13:05:00.002-05:00

Lend me your Beers!

I come to bury SLIVE, not to praise him;
The evil that men do lives after them,
The good is oft interred with their bones,
So let it be with SLIVE ...
The noble Bogie Hath told you SLIVE was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath SLIVE answered it ...

Here, under leave of Bogie and the rest,
(For Bogie is an honourable man;
So are they all; all honourable men)
Come I to speak in Slive's tenure's funeral ...

He was my commissioner,
but unfaithful and unjust to me:
But Bogie says he was ambitious;
And Bogie is an honourable man….

Slive hath brought many captives home to Birmingham,
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Slive seem ambitious?
When that the poor fans have cried, Slive hath ignored:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Bogie says he was ambitious;
And Chief is an honourable man.

O judgement! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason….
Bear with me; My SEC is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

Missouri is engaged in a civil war. There is a powerful segment in Columbia that likes to fancy themselves as a Big ten program, and would do anything for a Big Ten Invite.Then there are others and a lot of the general fanbase who want the SEC. They are in turmoil, as evidenced by the waffling and listening to all offers.

They do not have a clear plan of action drawn out, and they are going to end up where the wind blows them.Wanted the Big Ten, now reconsidering the Big 12 - we do not need Missouri then, now, or ever.

Cajun-Italian Burger

2011-10-25T17:56:00.003-05:00

OK - Due to the retsraints and challenges of tailgating in Tuscaloosa, I now do much more of it a home. However, some friends have a tailgate challenge going with a LSU Krewe, and I have been solicited to assist.I have been working on some new things the last couple of weeks, and last night did some Cajun-Italian burgers at a friends apartment, as a trial run of sorts.Thought they turned out well- and pretty easy to boot.

Ingredients.......................

2 Pounds Ground Chuck - I like the 80-20 meat to fat version for a more juicy version, but have sometimes found nothing but the 85-15 mixture. You need at least 15% fat content.

2 large Sweet Onions - one chopped, one sliced into strips

1 Green Pepper - cut as above

Beefsteak Tomato - 4 hearty slices

Romaine Lettuce - 4 burger sized leaves

Ketchup - One Cup

Balsamic Vinegar - 1/2 cup

Yellow Mustard

Tabasco or favorite hot sauce

Garlic Powder

Italian Seasoning - 1TBS

Kosher Salt

Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Fresh Oregano

Fresh Basil

Cajun Seasoning

Gunpowder Style Steak Seasoning

Crustini Rolls (I used Arnolds last night and they were great)

Worstershire Sauce

Sliced Gouda Cheese

I do not measure a lot of stuff, so I will estimate on quantities. I used the above to make 4 1/2 pound burgers.

Prepare your grill - I use lump charcoal and will add some dry pecan, cherry, hickory, or apple wood when I start to grill.

Place ketchup, vinegar, a handful of onions, 2 TBS Cajun Seasoning, 2dashes of Tabasco, dash of salt and grind or two of black pepper in a small pan, heat on low till warm, whisking every so often to combine.

In a microwave ramekin, melt some butter mixed with garlic powder.

Chop fresh oregano and basil roughly, enough so both combined make a 14 to a 1/3 of a cup, place with meat and Italian Seasoning in mixing bowl. Shape intop 4 1/2 pound patties, press top of burger to make a quarter sized indention. Sprinkle with Garlic Powder, Salt, Cracked Pepper and Gunpowder seasoning, then drizzle top with worstershire.

Place peppers and onions on a greased sheet of aluminum foil, sprinle with pepper, salt and gunpowder seasoning. Wrap into a square, place on heated grill on top rack. I let these go about 30 minutes, or till they soften and start to char a bit on the edges.

Let meat come to room temperature, when ready spray grill with cooking spray and place burgers on grates. Cook for 4-5 minutes a side, then flip. To create a crust at the end you can pour a little melted butter on patties to create flame for some extra char - just a few seconds and a quick flip.

Spoon pepper and onion mixture on top of herb custed side of patty, then top with a slice (or two) of cheese, and move meat to edges of grill so cheese will melt, as in an oven.

At the same time, brush the buns with the garlic butter, then brush the top bun with the balsamic ketchup to coat entirely. Grill buns just a few minutes, till they get a bit toasty and grill marked.

To serve - coat bottom bun with yellow mustard, top with chopped onion, tomato, lettuce and the burger, cheese side up, Brush the top bun with some more balsamic ketchup, then enjoy.

NCAA Ruling on Auburn Defies Belief

2011-10-13T13:25:00.002-05:00

There is a fresh wind blowing through Collegiate Football right now, a wind that appears to be ushering in an era of expansion and Super Conferences.

Concurrently, there seems to be a new attitude sweeping through NCAA offices where investigation and enforcement is concerned - an attitude extolling the virtues of blissful ignorance.

Three recent examples of the new look NCAA spring to mind, the recent rulings on Tennessee and Ohio State, and the decision handed down yesterday on Auburn University.

The New NCAA rewards lying. Both Tennessee and Ohio State had Head Coaches lying to NCAA investigators, yet Tennessee got an NCAA slap on the wrist for violations in Football and Basketball. Ohio State has not been tagged with the "Failure to Monitor" and "Lack of Institutional Control" charges, despite Head Coach Tressel knowingly playing ineligible players, and then lying to NCAA investigators about it.

Ohio State and Tennessee both came clean only because they were caught.

But the Auburn ruling is the most curious, and sets a potentially crippling precedent for future cases where compliance is concerned.

Auburn has a long history of cheating at the highest levels. They are not a Penn State or Northwestern - no, Auburn has been sanctioned multiple times for providing extra benefits to student-athletes. Yet the NCAA says despite a lengthy investigation utilizing many resources, they found nothing - not even any secondary violations??

Look at the letter AU received from the NCAA.......................

http://www.ncaa.com/content/auburn-ncaa-investigation-letter

In the second paragraph of this letter, the NCAA states....................

As reflected in the university's November 30th, 2010 self-report, it was determined that a violation of amateurism legislation occurred when Mr. Newton's Father and an owner of a scouting service worked together to actively market Mr. Newton for compensation. NCAA Bylaw 12.3.3 prohibits individuals or entities from representing a prospective student-athlete for compensation to a school for an athletics scholarship.It was also determined that Mr. Newton and university representatives were not aware of that activity.

In other words, according to both SEC and NCAA bylaws, Cam Newton was ineligible from the moment he was marketed by Dad and agent. They also ruled that Cam was not aware either from the recruiting process or family structure that he was being shopped around.

Most astounding, the NCAA decided the violation of amatuerism was not worthy of any sanction, outside the two hour dog and pony show suspension and subsequent re-instatement dating from last November.

Later in the same letter linked above, the NCAA clears Auburn in the HBO matter, where four former players admitted being paid at Auburn. Amazingly, though the four were happy to throw their former program and employer Auburn to the wolves on HBO, none of the four would allegedly speak to NCAA investigators.

I wonder why those four guys would suddenly hush?????

Now lets look at the NCAA statement to the world at large...................

"After Conducting more than eighty interviews, the NCAA has concluded its investigation into Auburn University. The NCAA enforcement staff is committed to a fair and thorough investigative process. As such, any allegations of major rules violations must meet a burden of proof, which is a higher standard than than rampant public speculation online and in the media. The allegations must be based on credible and persuasive information and includes a good-faith belief that the Committee on Infractions could make a finding. As with any case, should the enforcement staff become aware of additional credible information, it will review the information to determine whether further investigation is warranted."

I am sure University of Alabama officials, and those of many other programs who have fallen under the NCAA hammer in the last 20 years, are just giddy that the New NCAA is committed to fairness, and now must meet, in leagalese, a "burden of proof."

I guess admissions by family members and former players are not considered as valuable as the private and secret testimony of a biased snake like Tom Culpepper.The old NCAA would look at the Auburn history, the admissions on HBO, and act on what they believed, not what they could prove.

The New NCAA will use the inability to secure their own personal confession as a reason not to act.

Much of what the NCAA and Auburn would have the world believe about the Newton case is illogical - and some is downright unbelievable.

Welcome to the New NCAA - where Image is more important than Integrity, and where Compliance is no longer as important as Cover-Up.

NCAA - All About Image, Not Integrity

2011-10-12T16:56:00.004-05:00

It has been coming for a while, but the NCAA put a stamp of finality on the investigations into Auburn with an "All Clear".

There will be outrage and disbelief around the nation, and aubs everywhere will act like they do not understand. Despite Cecil Newton clearly violating SEC bylaws by shopping Cam, and rendering Cam ineligible in the process, despite the stripper parties, shady recruiting and blackmail tactics, despite players openly flaunting photos of themselves with wads of cash and new cars..............

Auburn has been given the all clear.

In retrospect, in reality, this was destined to play out this way dating back to last November. When Cam was allegedly placed on a double secret ineligibilty, petitioned to be re-instated, and the NCAA ruled in favor in an unprecedented two hours, the final findings were all but assured.

In a rather unprecedented statement today, the NCAA not only cleared Auburn, but alluded to not being able to meet a "Burden of Proof". Funny - Alabama fans and fans of other programs will not remember meeting a "Burden of Proof" being a NCAA priority in many other cases.

In many other cases that did not have former players going on a national TV network and admitting Auburn provided them extra benefits.

It almost makes you wonder if the Gene Chizik outburst at SEC media days, and tete a tete with Julie Marie Roche was nought but staged grandstanding. Or maybe that Chizik was expecting a statement, and Roche did not appreciate the questions because she feels Auburn is dirty.

The NCAA is not concerned now with Member Institutions, and creating a level playing field for them.

The NCAA is concerned now with Image, not integrity - and while Auburn may have been given an "All Clear", that is a far cry from an "All Clean".

Bama Primed For Season's Second Half

2011-10-10T16:28:00.004-05:00

Alabama has put together an amazing first half season run, but what does that get you??

It just puts you in position to accomplish your long term goals.

Still, one half of the season in, you can start to draw some firm conclusion abouts a team - and for Alabama, those conclusions end in a BCS Bowl, quite possibly THE BCS Bowl playing for it all.

The defensive numbers are bordering on incredulous. Six games in, Bama is giving up 239 yards rushing..... FOR THE SEASON. A few defensive stats and how Bama ranks in the SEC...................................

Scoring Defense - 1st
Total Defense - 1st
Rushing Defense - 1st
Pass Defense - 2nd
Pass Efficience Defense - 1st
Third Down Efficiency - 2nd

These numbers would be outstanding in almost in scenario, but when you factor in ganmes at undefeated and healthy Penn State and Florida, and home games against Arkansas and an improving Vanderbilt team.

But what really surprised me were some of the offensive numbers, listed below with SEC ranks......................

Scoring Offense - 3rd
Total Offense - 2nd
Rushing Offense - 1st
Passing Offense - 4th
Pass Efficiency - 5th
Third Down Conversions - 2nd

If Alabama goes to Ole Miss on a business trip this weekend, there is little in the Rebels body of work to make you think the Rebels will make a big dent in any of these numbers.

Still, as always, there needs to be improvement weekly, and some real improvement in a few areas. Bama is just 4th in red zone defense, and 6th in red zone offense. The Tide is only 9th in sacks, and 4th in sacks allowed. Special teams wise, Alabama is 9th in kickoff coverage and a dismal 11th in net punting.

Alabama is set up well schedule wise - facing mid-pack SEC competition in the next two weeks, away and then at home with Ole Miss and staggering Tenensee. A week off, and then LSU looms large.

But perhaps as much or more than what happens on NOV 5th, the progression of this team in the next three weeks may be the real key to achieving all the long term goals.

Vegas makes Bama a 4.5 Point Favorite at Florida

2011-09-26T16:13:00.002-05:00

Line floated at 6, then opened at 4.5 - I think even Vegas has some question as to how this game will play out.

http://www.vegasinsider.com/

Arkansas - The good, Bad, and Ugly

2011-09-26T14:57:00.002-05:00

THE GOOD...........

The Offensive Line - Seemed to do much better in the run game, and seemed more cohesive. We also gave up two sacks, but only for a loss of 8 yards combined. The improvement needs to continue as Alabama hits the road for what may prove be the most difficult game of the year. One Caveat - The Hogs were missing both starting defensive ends.

Running Back Play - Lacy kept up his fine play, and showed toughness by returning to the game after hitting the halftime break early with a toe issue. Trent seemed to run with more purpose, toughness, and confidence, and found the lanes well. We got the backs a bit more involved in the pass game - now we just need to see them used in wheel routes and as a middle check to increase D coordinator headaches League wide.

The Defense - just an incredible outing against one of the nations top offensive teams and Coaches. We gave up the one real drive, and the hogs scored on an incredible desperation type play in the second half. There were more licks given yesterday than in an ice cream shop on the 4th of July.

Aggresive Play Calling to Start The Game - The Tide won the toss, took the ball, and took some hogs breath when Coach Saban called for the fake FG. The execution was beautiful.

Plus Two in Turnover Margin - Alabama protected the ball, and the two turnovers we created could easily have been 3 or 4. Bonus points for the pick 6......................

Dre Kirkpatrick - Absolutely phenomenal. I thought before this season that Dre played as physical as Deion Sanders - but now Dre is not only a cover corner, but a guy who can also create turnovers and momentum with big hits.

Run Game Dominance - this encompasses both sides of the ball. When you hold any SEC opponent to 17 yards rushing, you hae put in a good day's work. When you also are able to run yourself to the tune of better than a 10-1 ratio in rush yards gained - allowed, you would have to work to lose the game.

THE BAD.................

Now I know some think there is NEVER any bad, especially in such a stellar performance. But no game is ever a perfect game, and there are always lessons to be learned, aspects that need to be improved.

McCarron Decision Making - It was good most of the day, but there were the couple of throws into coverage on the RB screens. A quarter of stellar play and decision making can be erased on one of those type throws that turn into an opponents TD. And one play like that this week can get you beat.........................

Conservative Play Calling to end the Half - Ok Bama is up 10, with the ball near the 40 and over 3 minutes left in the first half. You know Arkansas is capable of scoring points, per their long TD drive in the first quarter. This is when you step on the gas and put a boot on their head Jordan Jefferson would be proud of. A drive that killed time and provided points would have been big for yesterday, and big for the confidence of AJ and the offense going on through the schedule.

No Sustained Drives - Sure we scored 38, and it could have been 50 perhaps. But we did not have one of those 12, 15 play drives for a TD that Coaches love.

Stuffed at the One - I praised the offensive line above, but they need to watch this film repeatedly - a series that stunk so badly they might need to fumigate the film room after watching it ..........................

CJ Moseley - He will be missed in Gainesville

Fight Night - The Hog OLineman who tried to play Joe Frazier to Barrett Jones Ali. There should have been a flag and possible ejection.

SEC Officiating - If all 11 defenders came acroos the line before the snap, Referee Hubert Owens would still look confused and unsure of the call.

The FUGLY...........................

Arkansas Message Boards after the game.....................

A great win over a very good team - but a bigger etsts looms just a few days down the road

Gene Smith Does Not Pass The Eye Test

2011-03-14T10:37:00.002-05:00

and other random thoughts from "Rejection Sunday"

1) Gene Smith Does Not Pass The Eye Test

I have never seen a less confident, thoughtful, intellectual set of responses from The Chair of "The Committee." Smith addressed ZERO specifics of the selection process, and kept falling back on useless lines such as "They just did not get enough votes", "Body of Work", "15 quantifiable criteria", etc.

Smith never explained the criteria he mentioned, never explained just which resume items this committee valued the most, never explained anything of substance.

It did not help that both CBS and ESPN had very limited time with Smith, and just floated up softball questions that Smith deflected without any follow-ups.

As the face of "The Committee" - Gene Smith was a complete failure. As an AD at football power Ohio State, Smith has worked closely with head Coach Jim Tressel - the same Tressel who has knowingly violated NCAA rules to keep star players eligible, and then lied about it to the NCAA.

Expecting integrity and fairness in the selection process under someone like Gene Smith was probably akin to expecting integrity and fairness from Ghadafi.

In other words, Smith was in a position of power which exceeded the limits of his character and intellect.

2) Where were Vitale and Packer when you need them the most??

In the past, one of these two would have excoriated some of these selction decisions, and then posed the tough questions and follow-ups to The Committee Chair.

Yesterday, when perhaps it was needed the most, no one was willing to put Smith's feet to the fire - and Rece Davis of ESPN seemed most concerned that Smith would not address the situation with his lieing cheat of a Head Football Coach.

3) This Committee mailed it in this year.

I noticed during his short time on camera that Gene Smith looked fresh and rested, almost like a man on vacation.

There was none of the usual discourse on how many tough decisions "The Committee" were faced with, the long debates and longer hours, how drained the members were, and how tough the process was.

I think this committee mailed in the selections based largely on RPI, and then just debated seeding. I think there was very little consideration given in the last week to the power conference tournaments - see Colorado beating KSU for the third time in the Big 12 tourney, and Alabama beating Georgia TWICE in the final week of teh season.

Perhaps Smith could not discuss specifics, because this committee did not debate a lot of specifics.

I get the inpression there may have been a lot more free time with the 2011 "Committee" than with previous years. I think local restaurants, room service, and area golf courses were probable beneficiaries.

Gene Smith did not lok like an exhausted "Committee" Chair ready for a good meal and a long sleep - he looked like he was ready for the "After-Party".

4) This "Committee" sent a message...........

The message I got was that .........."We are confused and incompetent"

Some teams seemed to benefit from conference tournament play, others did not - see VCU and Kentucky..................

Some teams seemed to have injuries and suspensions considered - others did not.

"No bad losses" is a more important resume item than wins

Head to head competition does not matter, RPI does - see Alabama and Georgia.

Accomplishment and improvement are secondary to computer numbers and finding some "Good Losses"

Again, the final message from this "Committee" is "We are confused, incompetent, and do not care"

5) This "Committee" did a horrible job.

Jay Bilas came out and said it yesterday, and he is right. Bilas said that they have always had some debate and disagreement on the selections and seeding, but that they have always felt the "Committee" did a good job overall.

Bilas said "That is not the case this year" and he is right.

The 2011 NCAA Tournament Selection Committee was as incompetent as the officiating crew in the last 5 seconds of the St Johns-Rutgers game...............

and Gene Smith is firmly ensconced in the role of Tim Higgins.

The State Of Alabama Athletics Address

2011-02-13T13:26:00.002-06:00

Ok, here we go..........................

FOOTBALL - A SOLID "A"

Nick Saban has this program at a higher and more stable level than Tuscaloosa has seen since coach Bryant was an employee.

Enterng year 5 of Coach Saban's tenure, Alabama has one National Title to its credit - but of greater importance for the future, Alabama has a foundation of multiple top 5 recruiting classes to build on.

If Coach Saban were to retire to Lake Burton today, or elect to coach the Cowboys or anyone else, Alabama fans should do nought but wish him well, even carry his bags to the airport as a sign of appreciation. We have seen what a guy like Les Miles could accomplish with the Nick Saban foundation to work with.

As long as Coach Saban is at Alabama, I expect to see nothng but teams, and recruiting, at the highest of levels.

PS - I would have offered an A+, had Alabama held on to beat auburn this past fall, as we should have.

MENS BASKETBALL

Coach Grant has done an incredible job of turning what looked to be a wasted season as the New Year approached into a team competing for the SEC regular season title. Alabama in not very big, not particularly athletic, not very good at shooting the ball from distance - but Grant has developed them into a team that how they have to play to win.

They defend, work the glass, limit turnovers and bad shots, and make the opponent earn it if they win (Or, in the case of Vandy and Arkansas, at least solicit a little help from their "friends".

This staff has done an outstanding job of getting Green and Hillman to do the things the team needs them to, and Hines is just a fighter out there.

Coach Grant is an excellent recruiter, and an excellent program builder. He is laying a foundation, and has perimeter help on the way next year. If Green returns, 2011 could be a special year for Alabama Basketball.

The grade would be higher, had Coach Moore been more proactive in realizing that the Gottfried train was off the tracks, and making the move to upgrade sooner.

Grade - "B-" and rising

BASEBALL

Mitch Gaspard has done a credible job, and Alabama was a surprise team of sorts last year.

However, this program is like the Men's Basketball Program - trying to rebuild and catch up after the AD Moore allowed the previous coach to stay too long for the good of the Program.

Also, with baseball, Alabama is in dire need of facilities improvements. Without the help of a Hope type scholarship to bring in talent, Alabama is facing an uphill battle as compared to many SEC foes. The facilities level just widens that gap.

Grade - "C-"

Women's Basketball

A once National Program under worm farmer Rick Moody, this Program has been allowed to deteriorate to the worst in the SEC.

Harping on an altogether unfortunate recurring theme, this is yet another situation where AD Mal Moore has made major personnel gaffes. The hire of Stephany Smith is maybe the women's side version of "Ears" Whitworth, and then to follow that disaster with a Wendell Hudson simply reeks of an AD that does not care.

GRADE - "F"

GYMNASTICS

Always a contender, but seemingly never the big winner anymore - "B+"

SOFTBALL

See above, but as a sport I still think is on the rise at The Capstone, I award an "A-"

OVERALL

There is lots of good happening around Alabama Athletics. Great Football facilities, the rebirth of Foster Auditorium, renewed excitement for Alabama Basketball, and a man called Saban.

However, this review considers all sports, and their direction.

I would like to award a higher grade, but until The University can finish in the top half of the SEC in the all sports evaluations, I will offer an overall..........

"C+"

PS - If Alabama makes the NCAA tournament I see this going to a "B-", and of course the finishes of softball, gymnastics, baseball, and golf could raise that even higher.........................

Auburn a Sacred Cow in a Culture of Corruption?

2011-02-07T10:22:00.003-06:00

Editors Note - It should be noted at this time that every Auburn Head Coach from the late 1950s until the late 1990s has paid players and provided extra benefits not allowed by NCAA rules.

Once Terry Bowden told assistant Wayne Hall, perhaps third in command at the time behind Dye and Lowder, that Bowden was going to stop paying players, Bowden assured himself of a short stay at Auburn.

When he was finally forced out, Lowder turned to a rather unusual and interesting choice as a replacement - Tommy Tuberville. Tuberville was then the head Coach at Ole Miss, and was guiding that program through some rather severe sanctions.

I have always wondered why Lowder settled on Tubbs. Tuberville was a hot name at the time, and some questioned how he was able to convince players with offers elsewhere to come to Ole Miss with little or no aid at first, just promises of a scholarship down the road. Tubbs also had no problem telling lies, as evidenced by his promise to Ole Miss boosters and officials that "They are going to have to take me out of here in a pine box" a mere 12 hours before he was in Auburn taking the Lowder job.

Perhaps Lowder was influenced by Birmingham radio hosty Paul Finebaum, who practically served as an agent and PR firm for Tubbs at the time, and for much of his career. Maybe Lowder just though that Tuberville had real potential to become a "True Auburn Man," with all the nefariousness that entails.

But no matter the reason, Tuberville arrived in Auburn, and was neither a confident and compatriot, nor controllable puppet. Thomas Hawley Tuberville became the first Auburn football coach in 40 years that neither admitted to, nor was found by the NCAA to hav epaid players.

But his tenure was not devoid of controversy.

It took Lowder and Dye a short time to reach the conclusion that Tuberville was nothing more than an 8-4 type Coach. He was never going to dominate the SEC as they wanted, but Tubbs had come at an opportune time for an Auburn football coach. As Alabama struggled with NCAA sanctions, and horrendous management and leadership, Tubbs went about the business of winning enough games to stay employed, capped by a yearly beating of DuBose or Shula at Alabama.

Nevertheless, in late 2003 an impatient Lowder fueled up his Colonial bank jet, filled it with Auburn trustees, and flew to Sellers, Indiana, to talk with Bobby Petrino about replacing Tubbs at Auburn. Inexplicably however, word leaked out, and when Tuberville masterfully played the innocent martyr to the media, he was seen as a wronged and sympathetic figure.

The national media blasted Auburn and Lowder, and when Tubbs went out and beat Alabama a week or so later, the rank and file Auburn fan was also firmly behind ole Tommy.

Then Tuberville went out in 2004 and had a perfect season, denied a chance at a National Championship only because the top two teams in the original rankings, Oklahoma and USC, also went undefeated.

Tuberville was in complete control at Auburn now, with almost the full support of the Auburn nation......... for a short time. Tuberville did not extend the olive branch to Lowder and those who were looking to supplant him - rather the opposite. He pushed Lowder and Dye further away, and continued to rub it in their faces at almost every opportunity.

In short, he stirred the snakes, and when you make powerful people angry, there is usually a reckoning.

That reckoning came in the shape of an unlikely ally - the new Head Coach at Alabama, Nick Saban.

Tuberville, now weary and burned out from the stresses and pressures at Auburn, could not recruit on the level of a Nick Saban. When, in year two of Coach Saban, Alabama hammered Auburn 36-0, Lowder and Dye had suffcient leverage to move Tubbs out the door.

As noted, though Tuberville escaped NCAA sanction, there was no escaping questions and controversy.

In early 2005, Selena Roberts of the New York Times wrote an article questioning the legitimacy of the relationship between Auburn, Team Chaplain Chette Williams, and Williams Christian ministry.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/03/sports/ncaafootball/03roberts.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

The article detailed yearly donations from Bobby Lowder to "The Ministry", a "Board" consisting of Dye and Lowder disciples - Associate AD Terry Windle as keeper of the books, Chairman Mike McCartney, a former Auburn BOT member and Lowder associate, and most curious and ominous of all - Wayne Hall as Treasurer.

It was revealed that Rev. Chette was living in a house valued at 350k, a house records showed was owned by Windle.

Auburn responded to the article in the typical Auburn way - hide and deny.

Rev. Chette, who, after the 2004 undefeated season had become a minor state celebrity of sorts, went underground. If wrongly accused, he did not meet the questions head on. He refuted nothing, did nothing to change the perceptions the article placed in many people's minds. Instead of fighting for the sake of his reputation, and to help further his altruistic ministry, Rev. Chette hid.

Maybe the questions had merit, and mayhaps the "Ministry" was not the "feel good" sort of thing Auburn officials liked to portray it as being??

Then in July of 2006, Auburn was the subject of another New York Times article.

This article detailed what appears to be another Auburn scandal, this time stepping into the academic side of the university.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/13/sports/13cnd-auburn.html

"A graphic popped up on James Gundlach’s television during an Auburn football game in the fall of 2004, and he could not believe his eyes.

One of the university’s prominent football players was being honored as a scholar athlete for his work as a sociology major. Professor Gundlach, the director of the Auburn sociology department, had never had the player in class. He asked the two other full-time sociology professors about the player, and they could not recall having had him either.

So Professor Gundlach looked at the player’s academic files, which led him to the discovery that many Auburn athletes were receiving high grades from the same professor for sociology and criminology courses that required no attendance and little work.

Eighteen members of the 2004 Auburn football team, which went undefeated and finished No. 2 in the nation, took a combined 97 hours of the courses during their careers. The offerings resemble independent study and include core subjects like statistics, theory and methods, which normally require class instruction.

The professor for those players and many other athletes was Thomas Petee, the sociology department’s highest-ranking member. The star running back Carnell (Cadillac) Williams, now playing in the National Football League, said the only two classes he took during the spring semester of his senior year were one-on-one courses with Professor Petee.

At one point, Professor Petee was carrying the workload of more than three and a half professors, an academic schedule that his colleagues said no one could legitimately handle.

“It was a lot of work,” Professor Petee said. “And I basically wore myself out.”

It appears Professor Petee was "All In."

Lets call this what it is - academic fraud.

There is no doubt this was a hushed dumping ground for Auburn athletes, allowing them to maintain eligibility in emergency situations. The fact that AU brought in some regular students in an attempt to disguise this program's purpose is inconsequential - this is tantamount to academic fraud.

So the Tuberville tenure ends - free of sanctions, but not controversy.

And despite a banking business goind down the tubes, Bobby Lowder was ready to take back control of the Head Coaches office, and bring Pat Dye back closer to the program.

A decision that paid a short term benefit, but may result in a very bleak long term outlook.

Is Auburn a Sacred Cow in NCAA Eyes? Part III

2011-01-26T10:12:00.005-06:00

After Pat Dye was forced to resign in 1992, following the fallout of the Eric Ramsey scandal, Auburn turned to the son of one of college football's biggest names to steer the program through probation.

Or, perhaps I should ammend that - Trustee Bobby Lowder turned to the son of an emerging legend, and hired Terry Bowden from Samford University in Birmingham.

The following is an excerpt from an interview Bowden gave central Alabama publisher Paul Davis at his home..................

" In 1991 when I was at Samford, Wayne Hall called to ask about a job for Katherine Lowder at Samford. Bobby Lowder then called and he said he would contribute money to Samford equal to Katherine’s salary as long as we didn’t tell her where the money came from. Katherine and my wife became good friends.

Then the Eric Ramsey thing hit. One day Katherine sticks her head in my office door and says, “Dye is leaving and my dad wants you to be coach at Auburn .” Dye resigned a week later. Lowder made him resign because Lowder was sure Auburn was going to get the death penalty if he didn’t resign."

We can take several things from this - first that Pat Dye would not have left on his home, despite the exposed corruption and coming sanctions. Next, that Bobby Lowder was in control here behind the curtain, and finally that Lowder seemingly never met a situation that he could not control by throwing money at it.

Even in getting a job for his daughter.

So Lowder hand-picked his replacement for Dye, yet there was still an interview process to go through, a selection process, and other candidates such as Mack Brown to beat out. Nevertheless, Lowder, as usual, had a plan.

From an Auburn favorite, the New York Times..................

"With the Auburn football job open in December 1992, Mike Lude, then the university’s athletic director, interviewed a stellar group of candidates: North Carolina’s Mack Brown, Southern California’s Larry Smith and West Virginia’s Don Nehlen.

But Lude and the hiring committee were most impressed by a long-shot candidate, Terry Bowden, the little-known coach at Samford in Birmingham, Ala.

Years later, Lude found out why Bowden, who ultimately won the job, was so prepared for the interview. Bowden told him that the Auburn superbooster Bobby Lowder, who had sat in on other candidates’ interviews, had prepped Bowden in his hotel room the night before his meeting with Auburn officials."

Bobby Lowder stays out of the spotlight, but he is ruthless, cunning, and a meticulous planner.

So why Terry Bowden?? Well, it is apparent that Bowden, Lowder, and Wayne Hall all had some degree of relationship already established. It is my contention that Bowden was Gene Chizik part one - someone Lowder was familiar with, who he felt he could work with or around (Remember that Lowder procured a job for his daughter by essentially buying off Terry) - and that Terry would be an easy fire after coaching through the sanction years.

But then the wheels came off a bit. First, though Auburn was heavily sanctioned for the Ramsey investigation, they were the last through the door before the NCAA began to hand down heavy scholarship sanction, which crippled programs. So despite the Bowl and TV bans, Auburn was able to field a full team - which Terry Bowden promptly coached to 20 straight wins.

But of more importance, Bowden proved to not be as easily manipulated as Lowder envisioned.

From the USA Today...................

"AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Former Auburn coach Terry Bowden said on tape two years ago that boosters were funneling thousands of dollars to football players when he became coach in 1993, a time when the Tigers already were on NCAA probation.
"They were paying players cash, $12,000, $15,000 to sign," Bowden said on a recording reviewed by The Associated Press. "All I was told to do was shake hands and say, 'Thank you. I appreciate how much you love Auburn.'"

Bowden did not make clear whether he reported the payment scheme to the NCAA, but said on the tape: "When I came here, I put an end to it."

But Bowden did not put an immediate end to it.

In the taped interview from his Ranch, Bowden details how Lowder made sure he had his henchmen kept in place, and also how the depth and manner of payments - even naming several Board of Trustee members as providing cash for players...............................

"I was the last to interview, then the committee immediately took a vote that day. Somebody was opposed to every candidate until they voted on me last. That’s how I got the job. Lowder said he wanted me to hire Wayne Hall as an assistant.

Tommy (Bowden, Terry’s brother and a member of the Pat Dye staff) told me that if you wanted anything done you gotta go through Hall. My second day on the job (athletic director Mike) Lude said “you can’t hire Hall.” But then I understand Lowder called and said that if I couldn’t hire Hall we will find a new president.

So I hired Wayne Hall. One week on the job, Hall came in with a ledger of players who have been paid, who paid the money, how much money and when it was paid. He said we’ve still got 9-12 players that we’re paying $600 per month.

We paid then $12,000-$15,000 to sign. We sign about four every year that we pay.(Former assistant coach Rodney) Garner paid most of the players. He was paid when he was a player at Auburn.(Stacey) Danley is the assistant compliance guy, and he was paid when he was a player. I broke the rules. I said pay it off, and it will never happen again.

Hall said “OK, but you will change your mind.” Katherine came to Auburn as my assistant, but she worked for Colonial. We were real close. I told Lowder “We have cash all over.” Lowder said “I told Wayne not to collect more than we had to have to pay the players.” Wayne had a safe in his house wherehe kept the money. Within two weeks of me being hired they told me about paying Jelks.

Nothing was done without Lowder knowing. I will go under oath and say that Lowder looked me in the eyes and said, “I didn’t want Wayne to collect more money than we needed to pay the players.” I was hiding a dirty secret. We were paying (star running back and current Washington Redskin) Steve Davis and his cousin the fullback.

It took about two years to get it all cleaned up. Most the guys we were paying weren’t any good and weren’t helping us win games. Steve Davis was the exception.

Here is how it works, fifty to 60 men give $5,000 per year. Wayne would collect it. These are all good men. They didn’t ask questions. The coach tells them that everybody cheats so we have to. My first two years we went 11-0 and 9-0-1.

My third year, (assistants Jimbo) Fisher and (Rick) Trickett said, “Hall is on the phone a lot with Lowder.” I thought he was going back to cheating. I told Hall that when the season was over he needed to move on.

I told Garner that I was taking him off coaching for a year. That was the beginning of the end for me. Jimmy Rane was in on all of this. He is high maintenance. Three current Board of Trustees members gave cash to players – Rane, Spina and McWhorter."

So, Bowden has made a stand, but essentially sealed his fate as a short-timer at Auburn. He has made the critical mistake of defying the AubFather Lowder, and as recruiting began to lag a bit, and losses began to mount, it was clear in 1998 the end was near.

"When I got here Lowder said don’t talk to Muse, he’s weak and his wife is a n—-r lover. Lowder told me John Denson was trying to kill him. The last week I was coach: Monday – The Huntsville Tmes runs a story that says an undisclosed sources says that Bowden has lost the confidence of the Board of Trustees and he must win four of the last five games to keep his job.

I lied to my staff and told them that I had talked to Lowder, the story was not true and everything was OK. I was trying to keep up morale. Tuesday – (Defensive coordinator Bill) Oliver brings a hidden tape recorder into our coaches meeting. I believe this was because Lowder wanted to have proof that I told a lie about talking to him the day before. Wednesday – I had a 7 a.m. meeting with Housel.

He asked if I had seen the article in the Huntsville Times. He said he had talked to Lowder, and Lowder wanted me to know that he was the undisclosed source.

He said he also wants you to know that he doesn’t care if you win five of your next six, you’re out. David said the only way I would keep my job was if Fob James wins (the governor’s race). Thursday – I brought in my lawyer, Ricky Davis, and said to David that I wanted to resign.

He called Lowder while we were in his office and we worked out a settlement. Muse didn’t even know. They were using Oliver. They were never going to hire him. When I resigned it shocked them."

Thus ends the tenure of Terry Bowden. In the end, as it always seems to in Auburn, Corruption, Lies, Cheating, and Lowder win the day.

But there are some important things to be taken from this saga..........................

First - Terry Bowden is not blameless here. He was not on board with the system, but did allow it to continue. He may seem like a knight on a white charger in this culture of corruption, but that perception is largely created in comparison to all the other players mired in this cesspool.

Also, note that after the interview, Bowden refused to comment further, so as to protect almost 1.5 million in cash, property, and vehicles, per his buyout agreement. So, in a sense, Lowder was right - Bowden could be bought.

Secondly - the alleged involvement of Trustee members in paying players. Not "Rogue Boosters" or alums - but Auburn employees, coaches, and Board Members!! This is not a "Lack of INstitutional Control", this is more akin to a "Complete and Corrupt Institutional Control".

Third - the lack of control by both the President and Athletics Director at Auburn.

Fourth - The ruthlessness and careful planning of Bobby Lowder. It should also be noted that after the Auburn Student Newspaper printed articles critical of Lowder and selfish control of Auburn University, the two sides went to battle.

Predictably, Lowder prevailed, and the Auburn School of Journalism was absorbed into the School of Communications.

Finally, and the most damning, and troubling..................

The fact that despite severe NCAA sanctions and admonishment, the Auburn cheating machine was quite prepared to never miss a beat. Lowder made sure guys like Wayne Hall and and Rodney Garner were still in place to make things happen as Lowder wished. Dye had been removed, Bowden brought in, sanctions levied - the cast had changed somewhat, but the cheating was to continue unabated.

And not just cheating, but a systematic, planned process of rules breaking. As detailed by Bowden, Ramsey, and NCAA findings, there was a system of handing out signing bonuses, monthly payments, and even performance bonuses.

With many of the same sordid characters still in place in Lee County, does anyone really honestly think that it is still not being done, but on a larger and more high tech scale??

How is Auburn University still in the Education business, much less the football business??

Links to the NY Times, USA Today, and Bowden interview articles referenced above................

http://www.illegalshift.com/2010/11/18/remember-the-terry-bowden-interview-in-2001/college-football/

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/sec/2003-09-16-auburn-bowden_x.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/sports/ncaafootball/09boosters.html

Is Auburn a Sacred Cow in NCAA Eyes?? Part II-A

2011-01-24T13:02:00.004-06:00

or...................

Is the NCAA out of the enforcement business???

While Alabama, USC, Florida State, Florida, Miami, Tennessee, Ohio State, Michigan, Oklahoma, and others have expeienced run-ins with the NCAA in the last 15 or so years, there is one rather notable exception to this list.

An exception many are beginning to think is little more than a habitual cheater.

It is Auburn University.

But while some are coming to embrace the idea of Auburn as a cheating monster, Auburn should not take all the blame for such. The NCAA and SEC offices must share some of the "Credit" in the creation of this Frankenstein.

It is a case of the parent foregoing discipline for a child running wild and unchecked.

First, lets consider the end of the Pat Dye tenure as Head Coach, now nearing some two decades ago.

Pat Dye was forced to resign as Head Coach in 1992 in the turmoil of an NCAA investigation and sanctions, brought on by allegations by former player Eric Ramsey. Ramsey had some 70 tapre recordings that implicated Dye, assistants, and a booster as providing extra benefits for Ramsey.

From the New York Times...........

"Two years after Eric Ramsey, a former Auburn defensive back, revealed that he
had spent three years secretly taping various coaches discussing illicit
payments to him and other players, the National Collegiate Athletic Association
imposed heavy penalties on the school's football program yesterday, including a
two-year ban on post-season play and a one-year ban on televised games.

Relying heavily on Ramsey's tape recordings, the N.C.A.A.'s Committee on
Infractions cited a series of "very serious major violations" in placing Auburn
on probation for two years.

In a scathing introduction to its 18-page
report, the committee chastised Auburn for becoming one of only three
universities -- the others are Arizona State and Southern Methodist -- to have
been placed on probation six times, in Auburn's case a total of 12 years on
probation since 1956.

Auburn has been such a persistent repeat offender,
the report noted, that the new two-year period of probation will not even begin
until Nov. 23, when its most recent two-year probation, for basketball and
tennis irregularities, expires."

http://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/19/sports/football-tapes-bring-auburn-penalties.html?src=pm
Auburn got away very lightly, considering that Auburn basketball and tennis was on NCAA probation at the time, making Auburn a "repeat violator."

Since other programs were also on probation, maybe we should place a fair share of the blame on the Athletics Director?

Wait a minute - the AD was Pat Dye as well..................

Throughout the process, Dye could be classified as defiant, surly, and combative. Dye stated during the saga that "They ain't got nothing on me", and he even called for a boycott of the press from Auburn faithful - namely The Montgomery Advertiser, the paper which first broke the story. Dye called for the boycott live on his call-in radio show on a Thursday in late October.

From the Chicago Sun-Times...............

AUBURN, Ala. Coach Pat Dye suggested Auburn supporters boycott The Montgomery Advertiser, which broke a story about alleged payments to football players in violation of NCAA rules.

"I'm going to do everything I can do to let (the newspaper) dry up on the vine," Dye said Thursday on his radio show, "Tiger Talk."

"I don't buy The Montgomery Advertiser. . . . I wouldn't do one thing that would help The Montgomery Advertiser make a dime."

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4079465.html

Although the quote went out over the air waves, and was later put in print by several reputable National newspapers, Dye later denied even saying it.

Enough to make you wonder if he is just a habitual liar.

But Ramsey was not the only player to claim Auburn was doling out the benefits. Meet Vincent Harris, who also made The New York Times...............

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Oct. 6 (AP) — Another former Auburn football player has accused his alma mater of breaking National Collegiate Athletic Association rules, according to a report published today.

Vincent Harris, who played fullback for the Tigers from 1986-88 and graduated in 1989 told The Birmingham News that on separate occasions he had received money from assistant coaches Wayne Hall and Bud Casey, once at the direction of the head coach, Pat Dye.

Dye refused to comment today on Harris's accusations; Hall and Casey said they were untrue.

Similar accusations were made more than a week ago by former Auburn cornerback Eric Ramsey, who said he had received money and other benefits in violation of N.C.A.A. rules. The N.C.A.A. has started a preliminary investigation of the case and Auburn has also begun an inquiry.

http://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/07/sports/new-accusation-against-auburn.html?src=pm

Since this time, other players having stated they received impermissible benefits at Auburn, including basketball player Charles Barkley.

It begs the question - if marginal players like Ramsey and Harris, and a basketball star were getting benefits including cash, do you not think that football stars like Bo Jackson and the Rockers were getting something?

So The Fall of the Dye Reich is complete with the hire of Terry Bowden from Samford University, to replace Pat Dye for the 1993 season.

As Pat Dye, the Georgia Academic All American stated in his double negative denial of "They ain't gott nothing on me"...............

He was right, though completely by accident, of course - "they" did not have "nothing."

"They" had the goods.

Link to a compilation of new York Times articles on the Dye soap opera.........

http://www.nytimes.com/keyword/pat-dye

Is Auburn a "Sacred Cow" in NCAA Eyes?? (Part I)

2011-01-23T15:04:00.005-06:00

Or, perhaps a better question - Is the NCAA trying their best to stay out of the enforcement business??

Take away the Alabama - Albert Means witch hunt, and lets look at now other cases involving high profile football programs have shaken out in the last ten or 15 years..............

USC - severe sanctions, but only after a protracted investigation, an investigation that might well have never ocurred had it not been for national media pressure. Yahoo and other outlets had the story, with sources and evidence to back it up. Fans got the impression over time that the NCAA was looking for any way to avoid or minimize sanctions, but could not, in such a documented and high profile case.

But there is an appeal to be ruled on in the next two months, and it will be very interesting to see if the NCAA does not indeed grant some relief. Especially interesting since USC was so intent on staying clean that they hired the walking secondary violation, Lane Kiffin, to guide them through these tough times.

And Kiffin continues to recruit at a very high level.....................

Oklahoma - QB Rhett Bomar and OG JD Quinn were being allowed to clock in and be paid for no work at "Big Red Imports", a car dealership that provided vehicles to OU coaches. Bomar was clocking in and heading to workouts, yet received 40 hours pay for as little as 5 hours work.

What you have here is an alumnus close to campus essentially paying players for being players - yet the sanctions to OU were minimal. Both players were dismissed, and Oklahoma was forced to vacate all 8 wins from the 2005 season, and limit some off campus recruiting.

Though it would seem OU got away clean, especially considering that Oklahoma was in a repeat violator window - they still appealed, and the NCAA later re-instated the 8 wins.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3258745

Ohio State and Mo Clarett - Clarett told NCAA investigators that Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel, staff members and boosters provided him with extra benefits, including cars and cash.

Ohio State was found to be in the clear.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=1919059

Tennessee and Tee Martin - Tennessee QB Tee Martin had 3 payments totalling $6,000 forwarded to him from Mobile sportwriter Wayne Rowe. The checks were writen to Rowe from Mobile businessperson Diane Sanford, a Tennesse alum and season ticket holder.

Copies of the transactions were sent to the NCAA and SEC office, yet no sanctions were ever levied in the matter. Rowe later resigned his position.

Inexplicably - the NCAA ruled Dianne Sanford was not a booster, thus clearing the way for her to send 6k to Tee Martin for alleged "Car repairs".

http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=194774&c=3

Ohio State and the Tatoo 5 - High profile Buckeye QB and Terrell Pryor and 4 other players are now suspended for the first 5 games of next season, for "for selling championship rings, jerseys and awards. They also received improper benefits -- from up to two years ago -- from the tattoo parlor and its owner."

Ohio State AD Gene Smith opined to the NCAA that the players were using the benefits to help family in the tough economic times................

"The time this occurred with these young men was a very tough time in our society. It's one of the toughest economic environments in our history," he said. "The decisions that they made they made to help their families."

Smith was asked how getting money for their families jibed with getting free or cut-rate tattoos.

"The discount on tattoos is not as big as the other pieces," he said. "I'm not trying to make those two the same. But the cash was relative to family needs."

Inexplicably, the NCAA allowed all the players to participate in the Sugar Bowl despite the violations. The NCAA felt the players were not properly apprised of the proper "rules education."

"The NCAA did not suspend the players for the Sugar Bowl because they "did not receive adequate rules education during the time period the violations occurred."
in a statement.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5950873

Lennon said a game was added to the usual four-game penalty because the players did not "immediately disclose the violations when presented with the appropriate rules education."

There are seven full-time staffers and two interns in Ohio State's compliance department. Smith said they were complicit in the violations because they didn't make it "explicit" to players they weren't permitted to receive such benefits.

Smith and Tressel said they were relieved the players can play in the Sugar Bowl. The NCAA said its policy allows players to participate in a championship or bowl game if they were "not aware they were committing violations"

Hello???

Is this not a clear case of a failure to monitor, failure to teach compliance, and general "lack of institutional control"? And the Ohio State defense is "poor families" and "We did not teach them even the basic formula of what constitutes an impermissible benefit"?

Glad to see that Tressel and AD Smith could joke before the Sugar Bowl - "As Smith and Tressel left Thursday's news conference, Smith tried to lighten the mood.

"We might," he said with a smile, "hire a tattoo person and put them in the Woody Hayes [Athletic Center]."

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5950873

It was seem as though Ohio State was intent on pushing the envelope as far as possible, and becoming the most hypocritically corrupt program in college football.

However, that pales in comparison to another program, the subject of Part II, a "Family who is now all in" .........................................

Mike Slive, Mark Emmert Have Failed The Game

2011-01-14T12:29:00.002-06:00

Mark Emmert as President of the NCAA and Mike Slive, SEC Commissioner, are perhaps the two most powerful officials in Collegiate Sports, and ceratinly in the top three. These gentlemen had an opportunity presented to them in the Cam Newton situation, an opportunity to make a strong statement for fair play and integrity.

Instead the "sport" of Collegiate Football has never been failed this badly by its top officials, two respected and intelligent men.

One can argue that Slive was doing his job in trying to help Auburn avoid investigation and possible sanctions for any violations thusly uncovered. Some have argued that it is Slive's job to assist institutions like Auburn, especially one making such an unforeseen title run.

I wonder where this mindset went missing during the Alabama - Albert Means situation??

Also, if Mike Slive is doing his job by "assisting" Auburn in a time of duress - is he also not failing the other 11 member institutions who were not playing a star who should be ineligible and bringing pressure to bear on the SEC and NCAA to find him in the clear.

At the heart of the matter is a pretty straight forward sounding SEC rule, reading as follows...............

14.01.3.2... "If at any time before or after matriculation in a member institution a student-athlete or any member of his/her family receives or agrees to receive, directly or indirectly, any aid or assistance beyond or in addition to that permitted by the Bylaws of this Conference (except such aid or assistance as such student-athlete may receive from those persons on whom the student is naturally or legally dependent for support), such student-athlete shall be ineligible for competition in any intercollegiate sport within the Conference for the remainder of his/her college career."

Sounds pretty clear that solicitation should result in a loss of suspension, pending re-instatement on possible appeal. To argue that Cecil Newton proposed a $180,000 deal with a three installment, 60 day plan, is not "agreeing to receive" is preposterous.

The arguments that Slive offers for upholding Newton's eligibility are border on absurdity as well.

Slive took it upon himself to interpret "intent" of the rule, stating........ "Based on my research the league's intent when it added this bylaw was to ensure that if an athlete participated in an NCAA investigation that he wasn't able to transfer to another institution within our own conference. Essentially to keep one institution from getting into trouble and then have an individual attend another school in the same conference," Slive said.

Slive continued, "You could read this bylaw expansively to conclude that an athlete is ineligible at all institutions for receiving a hamburger. I did not believe and do not believe that was the intent of the rule."

Commissioner, I am sure you eat at lots of fine and expensive restaurants - but even in New York City for the Heisman travesty, $180k buys a whole lot of hamburgers....................

Slive also spoke to precedent........................

"The league added that bylaw in 1985," Slive told me. "That's a long time ago and since that time it has never been applied by me as commissioner to rule someone ineligible and I don't believe any of my predecessors have ever applied it to make someone ineligible either. That was significant."

Again, absurdity.

Mike Slive no doubt helped Auburn in a huge way along their path to the most tainted national title in NCAA history, and certainly the most disrespected championship since BYU won in 1985.

But in so doing, Slive failed the other member institutions, and failed in his primary job - of creating a fair, balanced, and equitable playing field, providing all member instutions with an equal oportunity to succeed within the rules.

As for Mark Emmert, he has done little but play patsy for Slive, and issue some Clintonesque statements regarding future intents - statements that come across as pathetic and weak as Coors Light.

Finally, regarding Slive's statement that he did not use the bylaw mentioned above to declare ineligibility, the "I have this rule here, but I have never used, nor to my knowledge my predecessors" line.

Commissioner Slive, sometimes leadership is called for, and a precedent must be set. You had the chance and failed deplorably.

President Harry Truman was faced with a similiar decision in 1945, one with much greater and long term ramifications.

I am sure millions of Americans are glad President Truman was not afraid to go outside the box and "set a precedent".

Cecil Newton at BCS Game

2011-01-13T13:22:00.003-06:00

Auburn AD Jay Jacobs assured the media that by mutual agreement, and respect for his son, Cecil Newton would not attend the BCS Title Game - yet there was Cam going right to the proud papa just minutes after the game for a righteous hug.

Seems someone connected with Auburn lied again, huh??

More lies, as the national articles linked below will show - lies, that is unless we are really supposed to believe Cecil's legal team's "Wholy and Holy Swiss Cheese type Holey" story that Cecil watched at a outside establishment. Then he supposedly made his way into the stadium, sans ticket, eluding security, to celebrate with Cam.

Of course, this takes time, especially in a large crowd, so I guess we are also supposed to believe Cecil missed the end of the game, using his powers of prophecy to foresee the outcome falling in Auburn's favor.

And if we can swallow all this - might as well believe that Divine Intervention brought father and son so quickly and exactly after the game.

Sure.

I believe you Cecil - but it might help if your legal staff can do better than " I don't know" when questioned about any of the specifics of your desert sojourn.

It also does not help that there are photos of you on a cell phone, right outside the stadium shortly before the kickoff.

I guess Auburn folks will argue that their officials did their part, and it is not really a big deal.

But if the Newtons cannot follow even the easiest and smallest of rules - does anyone with a brain really think they are following any of them??

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/brennan/2011-01-12-cam-newton-dad-at-bcs-title-game_N.htm

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/newtons-lawyer-cecil-came-in-after-game-29416

Belief that 2011 Auburn Football is Clean Defies Logic

2011-01-09T17:32:00.004-06:00

Do they teach ancient Greek history at Auburn?? Are the works of Plato and Aristotle included in the education offered by Auburn University?

I am starting to doubt it - because any sentiment this is a "Clean" program flies in the face of intelligent and logical examination.

Is it logical to assume that the most recent Auburn Athletics Director search, one that was to be a "National search for the best candidate" found the best man to already be toiling in the Department as a fund raiser and Senior Associate AD? Or was he hired because he could be manipulated and controlled, and be the lever for Pat Dye and Bobby Lowder to pry Tommy Tuberville out of Auburn??

Is it logical to assume that Auburn hired Gene Chizik due to outstanding track record?? OR was Chizik a fallback position, brought in after the top candidates spurned AU?? Was Chizik hired because the Auburn Mafia, the behind the scenes manipulators who control the important decisions, knew they could either work with or around Chizik??

Is it logical to assume that an unknown Head Coach with a sparkling 5-19 record, assembled a staff of "recruiters"? Or was that staff basically assembled for him?

Is it logical to assume that Chizik would be recruiting on a level equal to Nick Saban and the defending National Champions, Urban Meyer, Bob Stoops, Mack Brown, etc.... after a thrilling bowl win over Northwestern in overtime?? A win that capped an 8-5 season that stumbled down the stretch? Or was that class, and particularly the high profile late "Gets" a product of what Pat Dye calls "the Old Way" of doing things??

Is it logical to assume that Cecil Newton attempted to pry $180,000 from Mississippi State boosters for his son Cam, yet made the choice for Auburn from selfless motivations?? Bear in mind, Cecil even had the details of a three installment, 60 day payment plan ready to present to State, the school Cam was committed to, and apparently wanted to attend. Auburn was not even on the radar - yet a few weeks later Cecil told Cam it was Auburn.

If you want 180k from Starkville, are you going to send Cam to a larger program, with much more resources, without working another deal? Logical?

Auburn has a proud history of cheating and corruption. Lets just look at the 80s and beyond.............

Charles Barkley has admitted to taking money at Auburn. If a fat basketball player was getting "perks", do you not think that a guy like Bo Jackson, on campus at the same time, was getting much more for football?

NCAA investigation showed that players were being paid under the Pat Dye regime. Loans were arranged, loans were given with the understanding they would never have to be repaid. Coaches and boosters were involved, and Terry Bowden has detailed the payment system of that time.

The NY Times has written about the curious relationships between former Auburn Coaches, Athletics Department employees, and current AU Chaplain Chette Williams "Ministry". Auburn officials and Rev. Williams failed to address the questions, hiding behind "No Comments".

The NY Times also revealed the sociology department being used as a venue for keeping players eligible via "Directed Reading" courses......

"One of the university’s prominent football players was being honored as a scholar athlete for his work as a sociology major. Professor Gundlach, the director of the Auburn sociology department, had never had the player in class. He asked the two other full-time sociology professors about the player, and they could not recall having had him either."

This is tantamount to Academic fraud, in my estimation.

So - Auburn Football is having a once in a lifetime type season. They are miraculously recruiting at the highest level with a new and unproven staff. The star player had his Dad trying to sell him to the program with the fewest reources in the SEC. They have a tradition of cheating, and the usual suspects - Pat Dye, Wayne Hall, Robert Lowder, Jimmy Rane, etc, are all involved at a much higher level than they could be when Tommy Tuberville was the head coach.

Is it logical to believe this football program, perhaps this entire academic institution, is clean and operating as a University with integrity and class should?

Formulate your own conclusions.

As far as Greek history and logic goes, I would imagine they teach it at Auburn.

I just I am not entirely sure that it is not offered solely as a Directed Reading course, populated primarily with athletes in various states of acedemic distress.

Yeah - I can see Nick Fairly toting a copy of "The Republic", getting his "Plato" on...................

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T11:30:00.003-06:00

Looking for a great day of January 1 football, and for Alabama to build momentum for the 2011 season by beating a very capable Michigan State team.

Does UConn have any business playing on New year's Day in a BCS Bowl?? I think not, but they have an opportunity to prove doubters wrong.

Will Michigan and Florida win one for the Head Coach?

And the smoke continues to swirl in East Alabama around one of the most traditionally corrupt programs in NCAA history.

Alabama may only be playing for the "What's in your Wallet" trophy - but at least Alabama has confidence their Bowl win will not be taken away later.......................

Get you some blackeyed peas, cold beer, and enjoy the games!

SEC Office and State Media Share Blame

2010-11-10T12:24:00.000-06:00

When it comes to this Newton situation. Some things I know, and some I feel comfortable stating using deductive logic.

The Aub spinmeisters are trying to use a persecution perspective to help their lemming fanbase circle the wagons and raise morale. They like to point at "The Timing" and ask "Why Now - because they are out to get us" when pointing out the SEC office had this info since January.

The reason for "Now" is that the SEC Office sat on this info.

All major Conference commissioners these days have egos, and like to place their own stamp on things, create their own legacy. Roy Kramer was a BCS guy, a revenue creation guy, and wanted to be part of a legacy that ground Alabama Football into the dirt. Mission only partially accomplished, Tennessee Roy.

Mike Slive entered this job and quickly made clear his mission was to become the "Cleanup Commissioner" and wanted to see the major sports all probation free as soon as possible.

When Mississippi State turned over their concerns regarding Newton's recruitment to the SEC, I think they tool a calculated gamble and sat on it - not wanting to become involved with another Albert Means type deal if it could at all be avoided. Throw in the fact that a minority religios figure was a central player, and the SEC guys decided to hold their hand, and get away without ever having to show their cards when the hand was finished.

Well - something they never imagined hapened. Cam became the face of College Football, a Heisman frontrunner, and Auburn close to making a BCS Bowl and maybe even the BCS Title game.

The parties that knew the truth felt betrayed by the lack of action from the Conference Office, and finally decided to leak some information to national media types, to force some action on this matter.

I cannot believe that such entities as ESPN and the NY Times are releasing the statements they have without some concrete evidence.

I believe they are holding some Aces in this hand, and are feeding out the new stuff out slowly, almost as a lifeline. This will allow Auburn to address these things and save some face, or else for the Auburn "Leaders" to use the line as a rope to hang themselves in totality.

As far as the Alabama State media goes - I shake my head. What a useless group of hacks who have no journalistic integrity.

The bulk of the media has defended Auburn and demanded proof of any allegation, while offering none in defense. They have tried to cloud the issue by acting as if the whistle-blowers are the bad guys, that Cam's character is being "assasinated" by the revealations of cheating and theft.

For eternity, Auburn types have liked to cry and moan about what they perceived as a media bias against them, ie "The Bammerham News" and such. Watching the state media cover this situation, and remembering the Albert Means story - I would like to offer that Auburn has turned the tables in the media.

There is no one asking questions or investigating - they are using their assets and energies to defend, deflect, and excuse.

There has not been a quality Investigative reporter in this state since Paul Finebaum went Hollywood and sold out.

I cannot but help believe that when the dust settles there will be a lot of hurt in this state, and not just egg, but a whole chicken coops worth of egg on the face of the collective media.

Tide Rolls Most Hated Rival

2010-10-25T12:57:00.002-05:00

What a great Saturday night in Knoxville.

An Alabama team that has been trying to find itself perhaps did in the second half against Tennesee.

A second half outburst propelled Alabama to a 41-10 demolition of the Vols, and now have the luxury of a bye week to rest and recharge for the stretch run.

I look for a more healthy Alabama team, focused and filled with confidence, to take the field against LSU in 2 weeks, and with a win, carry that over into a serious run at another BCS title.

Take that VOLS!!!

Part One of Amen Corner Accomplished

2010-09-26T18:05:00.002-05:00

What a gutty win.

Alabama played in a hostile stadium populated by ravenous, delirious hog fans.

Alabama encountered adversity, but found a way to win the game. Just what this team needed before the Gators swim on Tuscaloosa in a week - a come from behind, confiidence-boosting win over a good team on the road.

Alabama learned a lot about itself Saturday - not the least of which was if nothing seems to work, just give it to Mark Ingram.

Time to chomp the Gators again!

Is The SEC In a State of Transition?

2010-09-05T11:14:00.004-05:00

Granted, it was only week one, and a week that typically shows shadows of what may yet be, and glimpses into potential issues and problems, promise and hopes.

But, reflecting on this past week in The SEC, I think it safe to say that there are certain issues that are worth keeping an eye upon as we move into week two.

First, the "Upper Echelon" who played like it...................

Alabama - did what you are supposed to do against an opening opponent the level of San Jose State. Alabama moved flawlessly down the field on its first drive for a touchdown, quickly put the game away, and played the second half to get guys experience and work on certain weaknesses.

Georgia - seemed to answer some questions at the QB position, and easily beat an out-matched foe.

Next - "Upper Echelon" who played like they were middle of the pack.....................

Florida - never looked really good, much less like a dominant Top 5 team. Shotgun snaps were keystone cop-ish, and there was no running game. Could Florida be trending downward, and is Florida already showing that the departed Dan Mullen and Charlie Strong were the driving forces between the success under Meyer?? Also - are we seeing the spread offense being reduced to just another scheme in The SEC?

LSU - in fact, LSU may be mid-pack again now, though their fans would never admit such.

Typical Miles LSU Football - some brilliance, lots of athletes, but inconsistency and mistakes leave you scratching your head. Was there ever any doubt Davis would win this coaching battle? (CHA-CHINGGG!!!) Performances like this will tag LSU with 3-5 losses this season.

UPWARDLY MOBILE......................

Kentucky - Their Program made a stride forward under Rich Brooks, and Joker Phillips seemed in week one to have the Cats ready to move forward, not backwards.

Miss State - Dan Mullen talks a lot, but I believe he can also flat out coach. The AU - MSU game Thursday has not only become a lot more interesting after week one, it also became a lot more important.

Arkansas - We know about Petrino, the offense, receivers, and Their Mallet. But after yesterday, the question is, can they continue that type performance on the other side of the ball. Defense dictates Arkansas's fate this year.

South Carolina - expectations are now rocketing for this team. QB Garcia finally looked like he had a command of the offense, exhibited some leadership, and made good decisions in when to run and when and where to throw. The defense looked stellar - the only question might be "How BAD is Southern Miss?"

South Carolina looks ready to finally contend for the East Title.

Tennessee - I know they have somewhat of a dearth of athletes, and other issues - but a week one 50-0 win is hard to argue with.

STANDING PAT ..................

Auburn - I know the aubs will be paying homage and saying prayers at the altar of Cam Newton, but they looked like the Auburn team of last year - a different offensive style, unique and maybe gimmicky, but very effective at moving the ball and scoring, but a porous defense.

We will know more about them after Thursday evening - will, as I think, SEC DC's beging figuring how to shut down the Malzahn Pine Bluff spread?.....................

DROPPING LIKE A ROCK.................................

Ole Miss - granted there were distractions, but after the Ole Miss and Houston Nutt posturing and complaining about the Masoli issue, I laughed heartily that he played, and Ole Miss still got punked! With hack writer and Bama-Hater Neal Mcready intimating Coach Saban may have cared enough to work at keeping Masoli out of Oxford, Ole Miss played Masoli and still blew a 31-10 lead at home.

Good job Rebs - Vandy excluded, you are now the most INsignificant Program in The SEC.

Marcel Dareus suspended for two games

2010-09-02T22:10:00.002-05:00

Marcel Dareus has been suspended for two games due to problems with his ill-advised trip to Miami over the summer, to cavort with other top players, all under the orchestration of another shady agent.

Alabama will appeal the two game penalty, with Coach Saban intimating that he thought only a game was suffucient, die to the circumstances.

I will be shocked if the appeal is successful, and more shocked if the NCAA can or will review the situation, deliberate, and grant relief in what amounts to just one weeks time. I am not really on board with this appeal anyway - I think when it comes to NCAA fights, you need to pick your battles.

I think this is just a case where The University should bite the bullet, bite their lip, and let it go. There is some responsiblity on Marcel's part, as a simple visit or call to the folks in compliance would have stopped this little episode in its tracks.

If Alabama has to have Ingram and Dareus in uniform to beat this Penn State team, then it is not a National Title caliber unit, and there will be another loss or two down the road.

Birmingham Dining Options for PSU Fans - Part Deux

2010-08-15T14:22:00.003-05:00

Continuing with Dining recs for the Birmingham area, especially for our Penn State guests who will travel down for the September 11 renewal............................

BBQ

Now, I admit I am very picky on my "Q" - but I will admit that there are several BBQ options in the Birmingham area that provide serviceable to very good BBQ, and all will likely please our Northern guests.

Some options, in no particular order............................

Moe's BBQ

http://www.birminghammenus.com/restaurant/?id=76

The Golden Rule

http://www.goldenrulebbq.com/stores.php

Saws BBQ in Homewood - My Personal reccomendation...........

http://www.sawsbbq.com/

Demetri's BBQ in Homewood

http://www.demetrisbbq.com/

Full Moon BBQ

http://www.fullmoonbbq.com/

I DO NOT particularly recommend Dreamland in Birmingham - can be good, can be fair, but is not the consistent type ribs that earned Dreamland their national recognition. The one in Tuscaloosa is better for food and ambience, but the food is still below the level it used to be.

Bar and Pub type offerings............................

Bob Baumhower's Wings - the former Alabama and Miami Dolphin great, and member of the "Killer B's" - Bob has done quite well with his restaurants. The original was a dive called "Wings-n-Things" on The Strip in Tuscaloosa, steps away from Bryant-Denny Stadium. His place is loaded with TVs, and you cannot go wrong with cold brew and hot wings - my favorites are the XX Hot and Wesley's sauced wings............................

http://www.baumhowers.com/

Buffalo Wild Wings

http://www.buffalowildwings.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=april+coupon+search+and+jumbotron&utm_campaign&utm_term=wings+sports+grille#/

On Tap Sports Cafe - my personal favorite

http://ontapsportscafe.com/

Ot's

http://local.yahoo.com/info-14747277-ot-s-neighborhood-sports-grill-birmingham

Billy's Bar and Grill - another cool place, with lots of snooty and expensice eye candy on weekends.............

http://www.billysbarandgrill.com/

Asian

PF Chang - located at The Summit outdoor shopping mall, always consistent.

Surin West - to "Thai" one on..................

http://www.surinwest.com/

Taste of Thai - located in Hoover

Mexican - It is what it is, I do not think that there is a lot of great Mexican offerings in Birmingham, as is the case in many places. However, there are plenty of pretty good options...........................

http://local.yahoo.com/AL/Hoover/Food+Dining/Restaurants/Mexican+Restaurants

Next time, I will offer some dining options for Tuscaloosa - but if you want a high quality meal, Birmingham offers many more choices.

Why TCU and Boise Belong at the Kiddie Table

2010-08-11T22:54:00.003-05:00

Okay - I will admit it. I am past tired of the growing ill-founded support for the Boises's and TCU's of the world crashing not just the BCS bowl, but the actual BCS Championship Game Party.

These "BCS Liberals" and "College Football Socialists" (trademarks applied for) are willing to fabricate their cases without using facts or any sort of rational thought. Compelled by hatred of the traditional powers, these types will use any means, ignore any fcats, to promote their intersts, and achieve the ends they have deemed right and proper.

So - lets peruse the facts.

Below are the schedules for TCU, Boise, and Alabama for the 2010 season, with the final Billingsley computer rankings for 2009 losted along side...................

TCU

Oregon State - 19
Tennessee Tech - Div. 1-AA, Sagararin rated at #183
Baylor - 81
SMU - 49
Colorado State - 110
Wyoming - 67
BYU - 11
Air Force - 44
UNLV - 43
Air Force - 12
San Diego State - 102
New Mexico - 115

Boise State

Virginia Tech - 17
Wyoming - 67
Oregon State - 19
New Mexico State - 17
Toledo - 99
San Jose State - 109
La Tech - 91
Hawaii - 86
Idaho - 75
Fresno State - 70
Nevada - 50
Utah State - 101

ALABAMA

San Jose State - 109
Penn State - 9
Duke - 77
Arkansas - 38
Florida - 2
South Carolina - 43
Mississippi - 15
Tennessee - 52
LSU - 14
Mississippi State - 55
Georgia State - No Rating
Auburn 33

I threw out the lowest rated game on each schedule, which for Alabama would be Georgia State, and then computed the average opponent's computer ranking for each program...................

TCU - 59.3
Boise - 71.2
Alabama - 40.5

Then factor in that Alabama has the additional hurdle of the SEC Championship game, whil eBoise and TCU relax and recline after negotiating their "treacherous" conference waters................

Consider as well that Alabama beat 7 of the Sagararin top 30 in their Title run last year - while TCU and Boise each checked in with a pair of wins against the same top 30.

Finally - let me address the myth that Boise and TCU are held back by the system, and will play anyone, anywhere, anytime. The myth that these type programs would love to be in a power conference, so they could "Really Show The Man".

There is a rather singular and telling reason that Boise and TCU are not in power conferences - that being they really bring very little to the table from a financial and status perspective. If either of these programs entered the SEC, does anyone think that over time they would be anything more than an Ole Miss or Mississippi State???

Not I.

Quite simply, Boise and TCU do not face the mental and physical grind of an SEC, Pac 10, Big 10, or like schedule. It is a weekly battle to survive the meat grinder, and call me crazy, but I think it is probably more difficult to beat a Tennessee or South Carolina on the road than Nevada or SMU.

In an expansion scenario, the power leagues would take hard and long looks at programs like North Texas, Cenral Florida and South Florida. These programs have all the elements to compete at a high level, and offer more from location, size, and potential perspective than either Boise or TCU.

Boise and TCU have worked at, and refined their approach to slither into a BCS Title game......................

Play one fairly highly rated program from a power league, run the weak conference table, and hope the hype and sympathy wave led by the bleeding hearts and "College Football Socialists" lands you a title shot.

No matter how these posers try to paint it - there is a Big Boy Table for those who have earned over decades the right to be there, and a Kiddie Table for the petulant teens to text each other about how unfair life is.

Enjoy the chicken fingers and mac-n-cheese, Boise and TCU.

Dining Suggestions for Penn Staters Headed Down

2010-08-08T13:30:00.003-05:00

First, for the Birmingham area.

Birmingham has a very excellent and varied selection of locally owned restaurants, showcasing a variety of cusines. The Birmingham Cuisine scene is very much undervalued in my opinion.

Some of my favorites.........................

Finer Dining Type Establishments..........................

Highlands Bar&Grill - Consistently rated one of the best in the country. Chef Frank Stitt is a local legend, Author of several Cookbooks, and veteran of many televesion appearances.

http://www.highlandsbarandgrill.com/

The Veranda on Highland

http://www.verandaonhighland.com/

Ocean

http://www.oceanbirmingham.com/

Hot and Hot Fish Club - Chef Chris Hastings is a local celeb chef, and does outstanding culinary work.

http://www.hotandhotfishclub.com/

Cafe DuPont

http://www.cafedupont.net/

Daniel George

http://www.danielgeorgerestaurant.com/

Steak House Style

Birmingham offers both Fleming's and Ruth Chris as excellent Steak House options.

Casual and Eclectic

Silvertron Cafe

http://www.silvertroncafe.us/

Chez Lulu - French Sidewalk Cafe feel - replete with sidewalk tables! Breakfast, lunch, and dinner served - they bake their own breads as well. Lighter fare that should be popular with any who like to relax with some wine and fine cheeses - lots of vegetarian offerings

http://www.chezlulu.us/

La Dolce Vita and Bellini's - Two good Italian options

http://www.ladolcevitabirmingham.com/

The Village Tavern - one of my favorite places for a cocktail and a steak.............

http://www.villagetavern.com/locations.cfm

Nabeels - Greek and Mediteranean style food - very inexpensive

http://www.nabeels.com/

These are a good starting place - I will offer some Mexican, Chinese, BBQ and Pub type suggestions in another post.

The Alabama Fanbase is looking forward to these two games with Penn State with great fervor and anticipation!

Alabama to Open with Meeeechegan in 2012???

2010-08-08T12:26:00.003-05:00

In The Fantasy Land known as JerryWorld in Dallas, Texas???

There have been rumors of some big non-conference news being in the works for some time now - could this be it???

According to this Michigan blogger, a contract will be signed tomorrow - despite some good arguments on his part as to why "The Leaders and The Best" would shun such a game.

I hope this happens, as I have no liking for that most over-rated of programs.

http://mgoblog.com/content/michigan-alabama-dallas-2012

ESPN British Open Coverage Found Lacking

2010-07-18T11:25:00.002-05:00

I was excited and hopeful when I learned that ESPN was going to be offering such extended coverage of my favorite major, The British Open.

That soon turned to frustration and disappointment as ESPN once again missed the mark with coverage of a major sporting event.

ESPN offered too little in the way of real coverage, and too much in the way of fluff pieces, Tiger, and Phil.

Now I understand that it makes sense for ESPN to focus more on the American golfers, but as I turned on the TV this morning at the crack of dawn, I realized something......................

I think I have seen 80 or 90 percent of Tiger's shots, 70 percent of Phil's - but only a handful of second place Paul Casey's work, and none of the leader Oosthuizen.

Technology and resources are not always translated by ESPN into spectacular coverage - for me at least, the coverage styles of 10-20 years ago trumps the fragmented offerings of ESPN.

Expansion Winners and Losers

2010-06-20T17:47:00.004-05:00

It seemed so certain, it was almost like it had already happened.

The Pac 10, led by new commissioner Larry Scott, was going to make history. Scott, in the role of Gavrilo Princip, was going to fire the shop that would precipitate World War I between the power conferences.

The plan was for the Pac Ten to raid the Big 12 and return with the prize of Texas, and its entourage of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Colorado.

Then all Hell would break loose, as the Big Ten and ACC looked to mop up, and the ACC and Big East would kneel and pray for survival. After Colorado accepted the first Pac 10 invite, and Nebraska bolted the Big Ten, it seemed the dominoes were ready to fall.

But a funny thing happened on the way to forum.

Big 12 commish Dan Beebe began to work on saving his conference. He presented a sweetheart deal to Texas, and coupled with Texas state legislative pressure, the fickle and conniving woman known as the University of Texas decided to punt on the idea of heading to the west coast.

So who won, and who lost???

Winner - all those conferences who sat tight and held their cards.

Winner - Nebraska

They escaped the Texas playpen known as the Big 12, and are ready for a fresh romance in the Big Ten, replete with a resurging football program.

Winner - programs like Baylor and Iowa State, who are not left out in the cold.... at least for now.

Winner and Loser - The Big 12.

They managed to hold together, albeit with ten teams and no conference championship game now. The peace is as uneasy as the climate in Europe after World War I - you just feel the second one is coming soon.

However, they are together, and can now at least pursue their survival in the future - though it is difficult so see the Feudal Lord Texas relinquinshing any power or money for the common good. The commoners will likely have to be content, or revolt.

Winner and Loser - Texas

The horns came out with more power, their much-desired own TV network, and an ego that must be as big now as, well, Texas.

However, they must know they are in what will be a temporary truce, and they will not hold all the cards forever. And they are now becoming a rival for Notre Dame when listing programs with the most selfish, trucculent, and egotistical of behaviors.

Winner - Texas A&M

The Aggies at least had enough sense and guts to look at other options for their own good, and not just ride the Texas wagon train wherever it may lead.

Loser - Oklahoma.

They surrendered their manhood to the Horns.

The Biggest Loser - The Pac 10

The grandiose plans sputtered to a halt with only Colorado added from the Big 12, and then an invite to Utah out of necessity to get back to an even number. Hardly what they envisioned - and now their cards are all on the table for all other players to read, digest, and counter.

PLUS - With USC hammered by the NCAA, there is now no glamour Texas or Oklahoma to fill the void.

These are strange times of change, and there is certainly more to come - but that is what happens when institutions begin to consider their bottom lines ahead of other missions.

Sad - but we now have many Institutions not so much of Higher Learning, but of Higher Earning.

Coach Moore, Now is the Time

2010-05-31T14:51:00.003-05:00

Now is the perfect time.

It is the perfect time to announce your retirement as Athletics Director at The University of Alabama, and ride into the Tuscaloosa sunset, with tremendous respect and thunderous approval from The UA alums and fanbase.

Alabama is coming off a National Championship in Football, the sport far too think represents Alabmaa Athletics in its entirety. The University is about to unveil the latest addition to Bryant Denny, the sporting venue far too many care solely about.

Penn State is coming to town in early September for an ESPN prime time national broadcast - what better time and place for Coach Moore to announce his retirement, effective at the end of the calendar year?

Coach Moore's approval rating is higher than it has ever been. Most fans and alums have forgivcn or forgotten the many problems The University endured during his tenure. The horrible NCAA fiascos, questionable and downright abysmal hires, ridiculous contract extensions for coaches like Gottfried and Shula have all been assuaged by the hire of Nick Saban and his success.

Even the announcement last week that UA finished 8th in the SEC All-Sports, continuing a disturbing trend of mediocrity in our Athletics Programs, will pale in the light cast off the BCS Championship Trophy.

But even the hire of Nick Saban was a stroke of luck in some ways - don't forget that Coach Moore, unwilling to wait, and handed a contract to Rich Rodriguez, against strong counsel from some more crafty BOT members.

No one is wishing Mal to disappear from Alabama Athletics, No - I think a position should be made for Coach Moore as a "Fund-Raiser Emeritus" a Director of fund-raising, if you will. Coach Moore should be a part of our Athletics Department as long as he wishes.

But it is time to take stock of where we are as an Athletics Department, and then take action. The mission of The University of Alabama should be to strive for excellence in every endeavor, to strive to be the best at all we undertake. When Coach Bryant felt he was unable to do the type job The University needed, he moved aside, in what I consider one of the greatest acts ever of selflessness and love for The University of Alabama.

There is a tremendous lesson in Coach Bryant's sacrifice. "Mama Called" Coach Bryant to come home and fix things, and 25 years later "Mama Called" again and whispered "It is time to let go." Coach Bryant, to his immense credit, heeded both calls.

There could be no better time for Coach Moore to go out on top. Let someone else deal with turning around the basketball programs, making baseball elite again, addressing facilities issues and the looming spectre of SEC expansion.

Failing to expect excellence only encourages mediocrity, and I am of the opinion that it will take new leadership in the Athletics Director Chair to change the mindsets necessary to make overall excellence a reality. Alabama Athletics as a whole needs a Mentality Makeover.

Coach Moore, you have served very long, and very well. You will always be revered among Alabama faithful.

But if you walk the field of Bryant Denny, silent and empty on a summer's day, I think you may hear, softly and gently coaxing, the voice of "Mama."

As with Coach Bryant what is now many years ago.......................

When "Mama Calls", great men listen.

A Morning Meeting at Gettysburg

2010-05-26T22:40:00.004-05:00

For Memorial Day, As Published some years ago..........

There are some events that just become indelibly imprinted in our memories.
Gettysburg National Park is a place that stirs deep emotions, due to the extreme valour exhibited,and great personal sacrifices of the heroes that struggled there. For those that truly experience it, I believe it gives you a piece of itself, to carry with you forever onward.

It was the mid-1980s, and I, with my girl of the moment, were driving to Boston from Tuscaloosa. With the carefree joys that accompany 20 somethings with a bit of money, a lot of time, and a world to explore, we decided to make several stops along the way.

But no stop had the impact of our two days at Gettysburg National Park.We were finishing our visit to the site of the bloodiest battle in American History, which saw 50,000 killed, wounded, or missing. Walking into the entrance to Evergreen Cemetery, we were approached in the mists of an early summers morn by an older, smallish man. He was exiting The Cemetery, clad in a Navy Coat and Hat that read "USS Norfolk."

As if he had been seeking us feverishly for some time, he made a beeline in our direction. Perhaps he was just in need of human interaction, because we noted he was weeping as he walked, the tears flowing down his cheeks.

Stopping in front of us, I can still see him shaking his head and then looking us in the eye, and saying in a sharp Northeastern accent.....

"Why did they do it"??

I would like to say that I experienced a brainstorm resulting in my uttering a statement of staggering cosmic wisdom, but as happens sometimes when we need them most, words utterly failed me. So we all stood there looking at each other, shaking our heads at what we could not explain, when my girl hugged him.

The former Sailor returned the hug, then straightened himself and reached out to shake my hand. He then said "God Bless You", and walked down the hill at a steady pace.

I have since oft thought of his question, and our meeting. Odd that such a quick encounter, with a man who spoke only eight words, could have such a lasting impact on me. And I think I may have found my answer to his question of.........

"Why did they do it"??

Maybe, in part, because some 120 years later, two fresh faced, naive college students wearing Alabama gear, would chance into an old Navy Veteran in that hallowed place. Despite living thousands of miles apart, and being separated in age by roughly half a century, three people whose ancestors were likely on different sides of that conflict, shared unity, compassion, and sadness together as Americans.

In retrospect, perhaps my inability to find proper words was fitting and right. I think now they would have just tarnished the moment.

But I do have one regret.

When that weeping old Navy Vet extended his hand, I wish now I had given him a hug as well.

Caller Of The Year Contest - We're at a Point

2010-05-25T19:06:00.005-05:00

I have received some questions as to why I set the Caller Of The Year (COY) odds as I have.

I will be happy to explain my rationale on this issue.

If you look at the favorites, you will notice they, with the exception of Ms United, are all former winners.

Barry McKnight is a self-proclaimed Andy Griffith fan, so I will use a Mayberry analogy to clarify my reasoning.

Aunt Bea always wanted to win the pickle contest at the State Fair, but never succeeded. Perhaps it was her busy schedule with the Hellion Opie, or the housekeeping for that Playboy, cigarette smoking nephew Andy, but the spinster Clara Edwards always took the Blue Ribbon in the pickle category.

Now, imagine you are Clara Edwards, and you make your traditional recipe - and walk into the Judges Tent to see the same Judges that crowned you last year! You must feel pretty good about this year's chances as well, right?

That is where the Budweiser Sportsline Caller Of the Year contest finds itself. In the words of a long-forgotten coach of a semi-major University of this state...............

"We're at a point. If you want to get another point, you can't keep on as is".........................

That is why I, Bogie, the Budweiser Sportsline Rodin prototype, have come up with an idea.

An idea basic in nature, far-reaching in scope.................................

Lets have Barry McKnight and John Longshore serve as MCs and moderators, and bring in an independent judging panel of local celebrities.

John and Barry can moderate, comment, and analyze the calls, while the judges take them in, contemplate over the Memorial Day Weekend, and announce a winner the following Tuesday.

A partial field of potential judges..................................

Dee "Action" Jackson - local sportscasting icon

Ray Boles - River Region carpet layer (calm down Ms U) and soon to be legislative power broker

Josh Moon - Central Alabama's answer to Gene Shalit

Dr. John Ed Mathes... Never Mind

Mike Turk - the man who dashed Longshore's Heisman hopes

Ann Coulter - A mild mannered right wing apologist

Rod Bramblett - if he can manage it into his "Coneheads II" filming schedule

Any Former COY who would like to recuse himself for the year and judge his peers

I could go on, but unless you are Charles or Tammy, you probably get the idea.

It is time to take this contest to the next level, create some added "Sizzle" and start acting like an 80 million dollar program.

Makes sense to me.......................

Does it To You??

Odds for The Budweiser Sportsline "Caller of the Year" Contest

2010-05-23T10:27:00.007-05:00

Memorial Day Weekend approaches, and it is once again that time - Friday is the "Caller of the Year" Contest on The Budweiser Sportsline with John Longshore and Barry McKnight.

As the first and really only handicapper of this contest, I once again offer a sneak peek at the numbers I will be releasing to Vegas this week. Now, lets get right to it!

The Favorites.................................

1)The Realist

The Realist has guaranteed a victory, and as a Two-Timer, and Two-Time Caller of the Year (COY), has a proven winning formula. In fact, TR was possibly headed for a third win last year, until an unfortunate indiscretion while discussing the current President saw The Realist not only finding himself disqualified from the contest, but adding to his record total of Sportsline Probations.

The Realist a clear early Bogieline favorite at 3-2

2) VIP

Since giving the listeners a poetry enema two years ago, VIP, perhaps through his close personal daycare contacts with Longshore, came up with a winning formula last year. I look for more of the same - a balanced discourse on current events, and also the Montgomery-Cloverdale and 80s references that tickled Longshore's fancy last year. VIP has also stepped up and said he is coming in with the goal of being the first repeat Champ.

VIP schmoozes in at 2-1

3) JD

Always dangerous, the former champ may have met his match - marriage. Due partly to work travels, we have heard less from JD this year, and as matrimony often does, his style of edgy coolness may have been blunted. However, as a former winner who came from nowhere, he will likely be a favorite of bettors looking for dollar value.

JD - 6-1

4) Russell

Another former COY, Russell is fighting the distraction of marriage as well, along with the cushiness of a Pike Road lifestyle. Maybe, just maybe, the hazy"Mellow" times he spent with Troy athletes has helped take away his edge as well. Sure to be another wiseguy favorite, Russell checks in at - 8-1

5) Mrs United

She has the female 740 karma working, as well as the fact she flaunts herself in workout gear to Longshore by prancing down the Cumulus hallways . Bawdy and risque describes her style, and you can look for predominately sexual themes to be the basis of her call. The modern day Mae West checks in at ......... 9-1

6) Beano

An air of mystery and a cloud of flatulence surround former Champion Beano. Rarely heard from, he always leaves a mark. He might be placed higher, but there remains doubt if he will even call, or if he will be otherwise occupied by a doctors' appointment or Notre Dame fan club meeting. Plus, there is a question as to how many times you can go to the "Grey Goose and Metamucil" jokes well.

Always a threat, and one who I have a good sneaking suspicion is a Longshore bud, Beano totters in at 10-1

7) Mr Pittsburgh

Mr P shares the distinct honor with The Realist of being the only Two-Time Caller of the Year winners. Blessed with the hardware and the experience (And I mean LOTS of experience), Mr P is a caller to be wary of. They say fine wine gets better with age (True) but they rarely add that even the best wines have a peak and prime time, and then begin to decline and decay.

I fear Mr Pittsburgh, like Doc NBA, falls into the latter category.

Mr P hits the board at 12-1

8) Mr United

After tremendous build-up a couple of years ago, MR U fell flat on his face in the contest, and has never really recovered from the trauma. I fear Mr U will forever be labeled the "Ryan Leaf" of the Caller of the Year contest.............. 15-1

The Longshots

9) TCU Doug

By Championing the "Little Guy", Doug naturally endears himself to McKnight, and is armed with often irrelevant facts and numbers. He knows he can rarely win the day, so he just tries to cloud the issues and muddy the waters - sounds like the typical Alabama gubernatorial candidate. But just how many times can you fly the Utah kite???

When all is said and done, Doug, like the program he reps, will be on the outside looking in, as the "Big Boys" fight it out for #1.

Doug - 23-1

10) Steve

For a guy who was booed off the tonight show after trying to sing with Diana Ross, he is resilient. Not talented, but resilient. Plus, I have a tough time trusting a guy who repeatedly lobbies to make breakfast for other men? I don't believe that is a waterfall off your deck, nor do I believe you have a chance, Helicopter Guy.

Steve 27-1

11) Professor - about as much chance as a squirrel on a Longshore vinca........... 32-1

12) Shadow - excells only at riling the ire of Longshore - to quote John - "Shadow, You ain't gotta prayer of touching the cup"................. 39-1

13) Dennis Mitchell - Longshore is hyping him, but have you ever seen the movie "Carrie"? .................. 45-1

14) Tammy - She Ain't got no kinda chance, even if she done done a script........ 82-1

15) TidePride - "The TidePride Show" has less chance than "Joannie Loves Chachi"........ 90-1

The Wild Card - or the first time Cinderella story...................... 17 - 1

Off The Board..........................

The Paleolithic Man from Reeltown, Doc NBA, Big C, Bob from Prattville

Under The Board.....................

Mr Ace

There you have the opening lines. If you want to listen live, check in at http://www.sportsradio740.com/, and if you have the guts, call and enter at 334-240-9230.

Friday AM - 7-10 AM CDT, The Budweiser Sportsline Tournament of Callers...... ALLEZ Appeler 740AM!!!!!!

Expansion - From The University of Alabama Perspective

2010-05-17T12:57:00.002-05:00

As noted before, I think it in the best current interests of College Football if the Big Ten adds one team to get to 12 members, the Pac Ten perhaps adds two to get to 12 members as well, and everone else stands as is.

BUT - if the Big Ten goes to 16 members, and the SEC pulls its "Super Conference" expansion plans out of Mike Slive's "Top Secret" top drawer and follows suit to 16 members, what will that mean for The university of Alabama?

I believe any expansion will carry some negatives for a program like Alabama.

The University of Alabama, as a charter member of, and the Flagship Program of the SEC, has shown it could succeed and win in both the pre-Conference Championship era, and in the current period of the BCS and Conference title games being the norm.

Would the addition of two or four new members really be beneficial from the Alabama perspective?

Regarding the previous expansion - after almost two decades, have Arkansas and South Carolina really added anything from a football or basketball perspective?? I think they have added marginal value, if anything at all. The real intrinsic value of adding Arkansas and South Carolina was that it allowed the SEC to split into divisions, and create a revenue producing Conference Championship game.

Now that we have the Title game, what is the purpose of adding new members?

The SEC pie is split into 12 equal pieces each year. Would the current members be happy with splitting the revenue 16 ways if it meant that each piece of the pie would be smaller?? Would adding the likes of Clemson, FSU, Ga Tech, and say, Louisville, create enough ADDED revenue to justify splitting the pie 16 ways??

On the converse - if you add big names that would likely justify expanding from a financial viewpoint, would the league become TOO difficult??? Imagine adding FSU, Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M - and what that would mean for league strength. It would probably mandate most programs seriously consider never playing a legitimate non-conference game again ever.

Either stay at the current SOS level in the league, but with marginal revenue benefits, or bring in the power programs and perhaps toughen yourself out of BCS title hopes in many years?

From an SEC and University of Alabama perspective, there is no "Win-Win" scenario here.

Why The Rush to Expand???

2010-05-03T14:30:00.004-05:00

It is the Buzz Topic of the College Football off-season.

Conference expansion, that is, with the Big Ten seemingly looking to assume the role of catalyst, and initiate the dominoes tumbling. It makes sense for the Big Ten to add another member, maybe even three, if they have decided to join the money-grab that is the Conference Championship Game. Waiting for Notre Dame has become tiresome to Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney, and if he cannot press gang the Irish into joining, then Delaney appears to be ready to take his offers elsewhere.

It makes sense for the Big Ten to consider an expansion of sorts, being a league with 11 members - but my question is, why do the other power leagues seem to feel compelled to join the musical chairs game of expansion to "Super Conferences"???

What is wrong with things as they are??

The WAC did this very thing in 1996, expanding to 16 teams. After just three seasons, most of the WAC charter members decided that 16 teams was just too oversized, and they departed to form the Mountain West Conference.

The Big East has expanded to 16 teams, but that league also has the feel of being too large, and has not been a huge success to this point - in fact, the Big East is looking instead to become picking grounds for the other Leagues. The "Super Conferences" lose a sense of regionalism when they expand into different areas of the country - and this compromises traditional rivalries within the leagues, and also the classic inter-conference match-ups.

Case in point - When the SEC expanded, Alabama lost its yearly game with Vanderbilt in order to accomodate the addition of a yearly game with Arkansas. I still miss the trip to Nashville every two years, and the trip to Fayetteville is almost like a punishment instead.

In my perfect world, the Big Ten would add only Notre Dame, allowing the other Leagues to stay comfortable in standing pat. Perhaps the Pac 10 would still add a pair of teams to get to 12 like the other power leagues, but we would still have our power conferences representing their respective regions of the country.

And the idea that many fans to seem share - that expansion to four 16 team "Super Conferences" would make a play-off system imminent?? Not so fast, I say.

The same presidents who would be voting on re-alignment are the same individuals yearly refuting playoff proposals in favor of the Bowls and the BCS system. If their end game goal was a playoff - why not just go ahead and vote for one??

Conference expansion is somewhat like Blackjack or Poker - sometimes it is best just to keep your cards.

Southeastern Conference Malfeasant in Scheduling

2010-04-27T21:24:00.002-05:00

Day 117 - Alabama Football Held Hostage

Held Hostage at least by "Our" Conference office from a scheduling perspective.

The SEC dispersed over 132 million dollars between member institutions in October 2009 - but apparently has not progressed financially or administratively enough to utilize computers in their yearly football scheduling.

Amazing, huh?

Maybe this can explain why The University of Alabama will be forced to run the guantlet at the end of the year, as Alabama's last six SEC opponents all will be fresh and rested off bye weeks.

However, even the lack of use of modern technology in scheduling cannot excuse this - a cursory visual scan over any composite schedule should quickly reveal the unfairness and bias in bold, pulsing Crimson letters.

What were the folks in the SEC office thinking? They have an obligation to each member institution to provide a fair and leveled playing field within the League. They have clearly failed where the University of Alabama is concerned.

The failure to use modern technologies is unthinkable and unforgiveable. Does Mike Slive and his minions use an astrolabe to navigate to their boxes at the National Championship game??

Do Slive and the bean-counters use an abacus to tally and disperse the Conference revenue?

But the blame does not entirely reside in the SEC office. Athletics Director Mal Moore and University of Alabama officials should have noticed this trend, and been more proactive in bringing it to light, and lobbying for fairness and equity. As usual under Moore, Alabama is reactive, not proactive.

While there is posturing and bluster about possible changes to provide Alabama some relief in the 2010 campaign, it simply is not going to happen. SEC Athletics Directors were unanimous in supporting Mal Moore in seeking fairness in scheduling.

"In a recent meeting of our athletic directors," Slive wrote, "it was agreed to add a scheduling principal to make every effort to have no more than three of four open dates before conference games, if at all possible, beginning with the 2012 schedule, which begins the next 10-year scheduling cycle. In the meantime, the conference is making every effort to see if changes can be made in the 2010-11 schedules to reduce the number of open dates before games with Alabama."

But do not be deceived. A public show of support is just that - a show. When individually and privately approached by Slive, each and every AD will refuse to adjust their schedule for Alabama's benefit.

Really, who can blame them?? It is the job of the SEC office to create fairness and balance in scheduling, not the job of member institutions to shuffle games to cover for SEC Office administrative failure.

Mike Slive and the SEC Office has been malfeasant in their duties. Blame it on laziness perhaps, a failure to change with the times, or even the ghost of Tennessee Roy Kramer pottering through the League offices.

But all I know is - SEC, if you are a 150 million dollar league, start acting, adjucating, and administrating like it.

A Lesson in Double Talk

2010-04-05T12:13:00.002-05:00

Courtesy of ESPN's Colin Cowherd.

After reports surfaced today that Duke's Coach K would be the subject of a wooing from the New Jersey Nets to the tune of 12-15 million dollars, ESPN reporting the following................

Krzyzewski cuts down Nets

By Chris Sheridan
ESPN.com

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski says "I wouldn't have any interest in the job" in response to a published report that incoming New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is prepared to offer Krzyzewski a $12-15 million annual salary

On his Monday morning ESPN radio show, Colin Cowherd stated "Of course he is going to say that. But remember that Roy Williams denied interest in North Carolina and was on a plane there 48 hours later. Its called GAMESMANSHIP."

So, let me get this straight.....................

It is "gamesmanship" for Coach K to change his mind if he chooses, even if it involves either misleading or or outright lying to the media, but in the same situation, Nick Saban was a "liar, cheat, devil"?

Nick Saban was unfairly castigated by national media pukes for doing something we all still have the right to do, even in this age of diminishing liberties.

Saban merely changed his mind to take a job that he wanted, and gave him greater job staisfaction, even at a lesser level of compensation. He has that right, and should have been free of media oppression for doing so.

Coach K has that same right, and it will be interesting to see how this story plays out.

NCAA Selection Committee Sends Confusing Signals

2010-03-15T14:55:00.007-05:00

Talk about mixed messages and confusing smoke signals, and I offer the 2010 NCAA Selection Committee as exhibit A.

There is no apparent thematic approach to the construction of the 2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket.

In some cases, they claim to have rewarded "Body of Work", in others it appeared to be "How They Finished".

But there are some curious decisons - how do you put Florida in, losers of 4 of their last 5, and how do they rate a ten seed?? If you teams like Georgia Tech and Minnesota are rewarded for conference tourney runs, how is Mississippi State left out??

A couple of weeks ago, Notre Dame was on the bubble - yet they emerge with a favorable #6 seed??

The Selection Committee seems to get confused enough with a 65 team field - could they maintain sanity and tournament integrity if they are forced to select a 96 team field?

Auburn Basketball At A Crossroads

2010-03-15T11:55:00.002-05:00

There is a brand new basketball arena waiting to be unveiled, and a vacant Head Basketball Coach's office to be filled at Auburn University. The new construction, coupled with the firing of a Coach who spent the last six years in the NCAA tournament only if he had ticket, would suggest that Auburn is now serious about Basketball.

That remains to be seen, as the proof is in the pudding, or as we will soon see, in the hiring.

Auburn needs to aggressively pursue some proven winners in major conferences, instead of handing the keys to the new arena to a hopeful up-and-comer.

Auburn needs to woo Coaches with a name, not Coaches trying to make a name.

And not someone with a faux reputation, ala Orlando "Tubby" Smith. Some Auburn Illuminati, are opining for Smith, as evidenced by "The Realist" blog on the search at www.realistrants.blogspot.com.

Smith is nothing more than a competent Head Coach. Sure, he has one National Championship to his credit, but Rick Pitino put together that team and style, and Tubby was just a caretaker. That first year post-Pitino was Smith's only Final Four appearance, and a cursory look at Tubby's time at Kentucky reveals some rather negative things.

In ten years at Kentucky, Smith posted double digit losses in five years, or for half his career.

Secondly - Tubby had trouble bringing in upper echelon five star type talent.

If you cannot win and recruit at Kentucky, you certainly will fare no better in Auburn, Alabama.

Currently, in his third year at Minnesota, Smith is averaging 12 losses a year.

Tubby Smith would be a good representative for Auburn, would create a bit of a splash if hired, and would be a competent coach. But there is nothing in his resume to suggest he would bring in top talent, or that he would ever be anything more than a 20-10 coach.

If Auburn is serious about Basketball, they will hunt proven winners with the ferocity of a starving wolf, and will not haggle over coin.

If not - then I hope they have that curtain stored safely and close at hand.

Ben Roethlisberger Guilty of Absymal Judgement

2010-03-14T16:40:00.002-05:00

Ok - the recent situation involving the Steeler QB is in the preliminary stages of investigation. For those not totally familiar with the issue, here is a synopsis from http://www.cnsphilly.com/ ...........

"When Ben Roethlisberger was a Pittsburgh Steelers rookie, he spent his nights eating takeout food and watching DVDs in his apartment. “He’d rather be a homebody than hit the clubs,” wrote Tom Spousta in USA Today.Obviously, things have changed. Five years and two Super Bowl rings later, Big Ben is enjoying the celebrity that comes with being an NFL superstar.

Indeed, he may be enjoying it too much.Authorities in Milledgeville, Ga., are investigating allegations that Roethlisberger sexually assaulted a 20-year-old woman in a bar. Roethlisberger denies the charges, but the investigation continues and for the player and the Steelers, the stakes are enormous.

It would be a mistake to dismiss this as just another “he said, she said” case that will soon fade away. Perhaps it will, but we don’t know that. If the investigators find evidence of an injury to the victim that could only result from a forcible sexual assault, Roethlisberger is in serious trouble.We’ve seen superstar athletes such as Kobe Bryant walk away from similar scrapes pretty much unscathed. But we also saw Mike Tyson go to prison for three years. The justice system is a tricky thing, even for the rich and famous.

That’s why the Steelers and their fans are holding their breath.In Georgia, sexual assault can mean any of 16 acts, ranging from rape – with a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison – to sexual battery which means physical contact with the intimate parts of another person without that person’s consent. Groping someone in a bar would qualify as sexual battery.

Roethlisberger has hired a big-time attorney, Ed Garland, to handle his case. Garland defended Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis against a double murder charge in 2000. He picked apart the prosecutor’s case and got Lewis off by having him plead guilty to the lesser charge of obstruction of justice. "

After fighting this battle once before, one would assume Big Ben had learned a lesson - but that apparently was not the case.

If he had, Ben would not have chartered a "Booze Bus" to cart himself and his entourage some 30 miles to a college town, in order to "Big Dog" it for impressionable co-eds. VIP Rooms in a place like Milledgeville, Georgia are designed more for wannabees and chumps than real stars.

And they are designed for trouble where guys like Roethlisberger are concerned - guys who have more money and celebrity than maturity and common sense.

How this will all play out remains to be seen. The fact Big Ben has hired a noted attorney and also a private investigator who were involved in defense of people like Ray Lewis in his murder case lets the world know that Roethlisberger is taking this seriously.

For a player who is noted for making good decisions under pressure on the field, Roethlisberger certainly is showing a propensity for making horrible decisions and judgements in his personal life.

Speaking of Finebaum.................

2010-03-12T17:31:00.003-06:00

He just made public something that has been in the works for several months, and something which Paul has long coveted.

Paul Finebaum is going national - on both Sirius and XM satellite radio.

NOW - Paul can finally expose the inane circus his caller segments have become with the entire nation.

Wonder how Thurston from Carmel, Cali, will view the state of Alabama after hearing a few minutes of the stupidity that is Charles from Reeltown, or his cronies???

One can only hope this move is something, maybe the only thing, that will motivate Paul to care once again about the quality of his show.

Finebaum Masking Show Flaws By Pointing Fingers

2010-03-08T12:39:00.006-06:00

Anyone with an ear to hear realizes the quality of the Paul Finebaum Radio Show has been in a steady decline for some years now. Success has blunted the pointy-headed pundit's drive for excellence, and the move from a primarily news based station to WJOX, an "All-Sports, All Bubbas, All the Time" station has provided a larger, but less intellectual, group of listeners.

You would think Paul would be about the business of polishing his dome, counting his coin, or just maybe even improving his own show, but no......

Apparently Paul thinks his time is better spent attacking other state shows, such as The Roundtable on sports radio 740am in Montgomery. Airing between 12-2 PM, the show is a rather low key, caller-driven show that examines sports and issues surrounding them, beyond the scope of Alabama and Auburn Football.

Hosted by Doug Amos and Josh Moon, The Roundtable is not close being to being on the level of the vaunted "PFRN", nor are the two in direct competition. Amos and Moon are just jovial average Joes talking sports and life, sharing their views and disagreements with an audience.

Still, Finebaum felt it a good use of his show's time to poke fun at another show that leads in to his own, on a station that is a member of the Finebaum radio "Network." The "Coach Killer" decided to berate two guys trying to create something, trying to carve out their own niche in the radio business.

As the host of a show that trots out such pathetic "Celebrity" callers as Charles from Reeltown, "Legend", the skanky Tammy and snuff-piching Patsy, and the racist Joe from Hoover, Paul should realize that he has issues of his own to face. Instead of attacking other broadcasters, perhaps Paul should focus on improving the quality of his own show, and his pathetic caller base.

Instead, the Radio Kingpin has apparently decided to mask his show's deficiencies by throwing arrows at other shows.

It is sad that Finebaum has packed it in and decided to coast to the finish line so early in his career, but it is riches and ease he covets, not a quality product, and the work needed to provide it.

The State of The Program Address - Alabama Basketball

2010-02-28T15:30:00.006-06:00

I have been watching and enjoying Alabama Athletics for approaching four decades, and established some years ago the tradition of posting a year-end "State Of The Union" type assessment of both Football and Basketball. It is usually something I enjoy, especially with the Basketball Program.

That is not the case this year.

Despite the long overdue dismissal of Mark Gottfried, the hiring of Anthony Grant, and the natural optimism and fresh hope that naturally follows in the wake, this has been a dismal season begging to be forgotten. Alabama Basketball circa 2009-2010 can be classified with many adjectives, few of which are good. Inconsistent, stale, dispassionate, and boring makes for a good start.

Now - How did Alabama Basketball get to this sad place, and how can we turn it around?

How We Got Here

When Coach Sanderson was caught up in the circumstances that led to his dismissal, David Hobbes was hired, and the downturn began. Coach Hobbes was a nice man, and a very good assistant, but was not cut out to be a Head Coach. Hobbes was not the dynamic leader and charismatic leader that Sanderson was, and under Hobbes leadership recruiting suffered, and the talent level began to slide.

When Coach Hobbes was fired, and promising young Mark Gottfried brought home, expectations rose again. Gottfried spoke openly and often of making Final Fours and competing for National Championships, and his first recruiting class with Meade, Dudley, Walker, etc led Bama fans to believe Gottfried could back up the talk.

However, after a few years, knowledgable basketball types could see chinks in the armor of Alabama Basketball. Gottfried was an easy-going players coach, who would still praise players after blowout losses. He seemed afraid to hire experienced assistants who might challenge him, was out-coached from an X and O standpoint too often, was not a very good game Coach, and in the end, his recruiting began to suffer.

When Coach Grant was hired this past spring, the hand he was dealt to open with was so weak, one wonders whether The University should sue former coach Gottfried for malfeascance and dereliction of duties.

Coach Grant inherited a team that rostered small players destined for nothing more than mediocrity. When you are not big, not physical, cannot shoot well, and have no team chemistry, then great things are just not in the cards. Any Hoops layman realizes that a team without an inside scoring presence, perimeter shooters, and a break-you-down off the dribble penetrating point guard, will be challenged to score, and to notch more wins than losses.

To compound matters, the players Mark Gottfried brought in follow the blueprint of many Southern Basketball Programs - find athletes who are not necessarily skilled basketball players, and let them play to their strengths. The team seemed to also suffer from a lack of on-court leadership, and general lack of energy and passion. I do not sense that they have the level of passion and committment needed to succeed at this level, and the results of the year bear that out.

It takes more than a year in most cases for a Coach to make a Program his own, but the better ones make a mark from day one, and begins at least to change the culture of losing in that first year. While Coach Grant may well indeed have made significant strides in this aspect, it is somewhat disconcerting that more tangible evidence of such steps have not played out on the court.

It is also disappointing that Coach Grant and this staff have not been able to parlay some of these close games and big leads into more wins. As we close down year one of Grant's tenure, we still have a team that, in their heart of hearts, hopes to win, but expects to lose. As Coach Bryant intoned, losing becomes a habit, and right now Alabama Basketball can be classified a habitual loser.

So, thats where we are - at as low a point as I have ever seen Alabama Basketball, both from the on-court results and fanbase passion perspective.

How We Get Out of the Cellar

I think there are three issues to address, following in order of importance.............

I) Recruit like a Saban

Alabama needs better players, and Coach Grant realizes this. We need help in aspect of the game. It is heartening to see Grant has addressed two glaring needs, point guard and perimeter shooting, with the recruitment of Trevor Releford and Charles Hankerson. It is also particularly heartening to note that Grant went to Kansas and Florida to secure these players. The state of Alabama, as do most Southern states, produces great athletic talent, but the top players who have the skill level to complement their talent are becoming harder to keep in-state.

Quite frankly, I think Coach Grant must recruit other areas, because I feel the basketball skill levels and "Basketball IQ" of state players has been in a steady in decline for some years. Players can leap higher and are more athletic, but basketball is a game of skill, and skill levels have not improved at the pace the athleticism has.

We also must address our "Doughnut" - ie. the hole in the middle. JaMychal Green has talent, but plays too soft to be a force in the paint in SEC play. Our coaches need to help him in the offseason with his back to the basket moves and footwork, and he needs weight and conditioning work to help him play with more explosive power in traffic. You do not need a dominnat center to win big in college basketball, but Alabama needs a couple of strong and physical players who can attack the glass, occupy space, defend and score in the paint.

As previously noted, help is needed in the form of guys who can penetrate and create shots for themselves and others, as well as perimeter shooters. The first and foremost item on the new staff's "To Do List" is to go get players.

II) Revive a Fanbase that is on lifesupport

Alabama has passionate fans, but that does not always translate to rowdy, loud and intimidating crowds - either in football or especially basketball. Nevertheless, Alabama does have a solid, hardened core of real Basketball fans who have become somewhat apathetic towards the Program, but are begging for a reason to be lured back. While winning cures all ills, I feel there are other steps that should be taken to not only help Alabama Basketball rebound from the cellar, but to succeed at higher levels than ever before.

A) We need a greater committment from the top levels of our Athletics Departmant. It is sad to say that certain influential members of our Athletics family were concerned that Coach Sanderson was having too much success, and Basketball's popularity was starting to adversely Alabama football. What a stupid, myopic, and selfish concept!

Our Athletics Director, and University community as a whole, should expect excellence in every endeavor.

B) Directly connected to the above, I feel The University should create an Assistant AD position expressly devoted to Basketball Development. This individual would seek new and innovative ways to promote and market basketball, create excitement within the arena, and increase student interest.

I advocate looking at experienced individuals from a Programs that play to sellout crowds, where basketball is a hot ticket, and fans and students care. If Football is priority one, then lets make basketball priority 1A.

C) Lets find ways to reward those who do not let their seats go empty. One problem with Tide Totals is that encourages people to purchase season tickets for basketball just to help their Tide Totals, not because they actually care about the sport. In this age of technology, why not track ticket USE???

Give the point for purchasing season tickets, but offer MORE points if the tickets are used at certain levels. Once again, this deals with the COMMITTMENT to basketball idea - reward ticket use more than the mere purchase.

III) FACILITIES FIX!!!!

Auburn is about to unveil a new arena that will be the best in the state, and may have a new coach to go along with it. Either or both can only help their problem.

Meanwhile, Alabama has lagged behind. The 20 million dollar facelift bone Coleman was thrown was wasted money, and illustrates yet again the lukewarm committment to basketball in Tuscaloosa.

First, lets look at building a state of the art practice facility, with a weight room, film room, training room, and the like. Such facilities are major selling points on the recruiting trail, and exhibit committment to the sports that the athletes can see.

Next, on a far more bold and grandiose scale, I strongly advocate a new arena.

I think the timing is perfect for The University to examine partnering with the City of Tuscaloosa and its neighbors to create a multi-purpose arena which The University could use for basketball games - ala the FedEx Forum in Memphis.

The Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center is aging, and the city of Birmingham proper withering away on the vine. While the Birmingham folk speak of Domed Stadiums and send Mayors to trial, the time is ripe for the Tuscaloosa area to assert itself with such a project. This West Alabama entertainment center could be used for concerts, shows, sporting events - and could fill a void that is only partially covered at this time by the BJCC and Verizon Music Center.

Oh - and I did mention that there is a natural title sponsor candidate in Vance that makes fine automobiles?

Well, there you have it - my analysis on the state of Alabama Basketball. To summarize.......................

Where we are - The bottom of the barrel

Where we could be - At a very good to elite level

How we achieve it - Committment from all involved - The University, coaches, players, and fans.

I believe in Coach Grant, and realize that while things are not good now, they may not improve greatly next year. If we can infuse some life into the Program, find a renewed winning attitude, blend in talent and hard work, then The Coleman Mausoleum can once again become the vibrant, enthusiastic place it was a couple of decades ago.

If we fail - then I believe Auburn has a curtain headed for storage they would probably part with pretty cheaply.

Tiger Woods Has Become The New Michael

2010-02-22T19:43:00.004-06:00

It takes special talent blended with opportunity for someone to achieve the type success that ensures you are instantly identified and recognized by a single name or term.

Someone says "The Boss", "Jordan", or "Ali", and people the world over will identify those words with Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jordan, and Muhammad Ali. Hear "Tiger" or "Michael" and it is Tiger Woods and Michael Jackson that spring to mind - two individuals who not only reached the "Pinnacle" of their professions, but shared similiar paths on their upward climbs.

Michael Jackson was a talented and cute kid who, along with his siblings, was pushed to succeed at a young age by their demanding and abusive father, Joe. Michael has related over the years instances of physical abuse, and also emotional scarring, much of which dealt with the budding King of Pop's personal appearance.

Tiger Woods was also the son of a demanding father, although there are no accounts of Earl being abusive in physical or emotional ways. Still, as in the case Michael Jackson, it can hardly be debated that Tiger had little choice in his career path.

Woods was introduced to golf even before he had reached the age of two. While most kids are learning to walk and talk at that age, Tiger was also learning to drive and putt.

If Michael Jackson was groomed to become the "King of Pop", then Tiger Woods was groomed to become the King of Golf. In both cases, success, and career royalty, wealth, and fame, was achieved in spectacular fashion.

But at what great cost?

In the case of Jackson, it can be argued he paid the ultimate price. Scarred by the physical and emotional abuse, and the unrelenting pressure of his celebrity, Michael lost touch, or distanced himself from, what most of us call reality. His behavior became increasingly odd, eventually encompassing self-mutilation, alleged child abuse, and drug issues. All of this helped lead to Jackson's early demise, where he left this life as a shattered person, a shell of his early self.

And in a twist of tragic and bitter irony, Michael Jackson was being driven and groomed for another money-grabbing "World Tour".

As for Tiger, you can say that the public has just witnessed the first cracks appear in his foundation. The recent admissions of not just one or two affairs, but many affairs involving waitresses and even porn actresses suggest that this may not be just a "sex addiction", or bad morals and judgement, but perhaps the first visible signs of Tiger in revolt.

Just like Michael Jackson before him, Tiger may have gained fame and fortune as a result of his upbringing, but there was also sacrifice and loss. Both superstars sacrificed normal childhoods and experienced a loss of personal identity - things that are respectively impossible and difficult to regain.

When you become a worldwide superstar identifiable by a single term, you are no longer just a person - you are a business and a trademark. Decisions are no longer made by just you, and for your own reasons, but they are made with the help of all manner of assistants and marketers, and all in the name of profit and image.

Which is what we saw this past Friday when this charade of an apology / press conference was conducted by Tiger Woods. The set looked like something from a Saturday Night Live skit, and the audience and environment were just as scripted. Woods literally read a statement contrived by his managers, instead of speaking directly from his heart.

The whole production was just the first salvo in the battle to repair the Woods image to the corporate world, and to the purchasing public.

Tiger Woods is a fierce competitor, and as tough-minded as he is physically strong. He will probably not fall apart in the way the more emotionally fragile Jackson did, and Woods may even go on to greater golfing glories than ever. Tiger seems to certainly be much better equipped to deal with his emotional problems and demons than Michael ever was.

But you never know till it happens.

As for now, remember the corporate conglomerate that is Tiger Woods, just like the one that was Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson before him, and Elvis before even that, that corporate entity has at its ultimate core a human being. Just a person who, despite the image polish and PR administered by their managers, is still just a person subject to the same emotions, fears, and weaknesses that we all deal with.

Supreme talent and success lends itself to supreme opportunity for others to manipulate and scheme themselves into a position to profit from it. Sometimes, too often in fact, the person or persons at the center get swallowed up in the vortex created around them, consumed by the black hole of greed and selfishness.

And pecking out these thoughts I have come to a couple of simple yet heretofore unrealized conclusions. Often, one starts down a path with a particular ending in mind, yet unforseen forks lead to realizations that surprise and a changed finale, and in doing so reveals something about you yourself.

First, I care not at all for Tiger Woods the Corporate entity and Trademark.

Secondly, I feel compassion, sorrow, and even yet still a sense of liking for Tiger the Man - who in some very important ways is not as rich as I.

Good luck, Tiger.

Now USC Awaits NCAA "Justice"

2010-02-22T11:28:00.002-06:00

After three full days of meeting with the NCAA, The USC Athletics Department now awaits for the NCAA vedict.

Lane Kiffin attended as part of what NCAA Hack Tom Yeager referred to as a "Scared Straight" Program, designed to inhibit potential future violations.

The LA Times printed the following........................

"USC's hearing before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions is back in session after a lunch break.

Running backs coach Todd McNair is still here, fielding questions for a second consecutive day.
Pete Carroll is gone, but Coach Lane Kiffin remains because the NCAA encourages schools to bring new coaches to hearings.

Kiffin, of course, isn't new to being a head coach. And he knows the NCAA from his years as a USC assistant and his controversial one-year stay at Tennessee. But this is his first infractions committee hearing.

Former committee chair Tom Yeager said last week that for new coaches, "it's almost like a 'Scared Straight' program."

"They don’t want to be there ever again," Yeager said of coaches. "They’ll tell a [committee] member, ‘I’m having a staff meeting within 20 minutes of getting back on campus. I’m never going to be sitting in that chair answering questions."

Lane Kiffin stated afterwards that he could not recall ever sitting still for so long in his life.

This case could be a defining one for the NCAA, who shattered the "Sacred Cow" image with its harsh sanctions directed at Alabama Football in the last decade and a half. Meanwhile, such high profile Programs as Tennessee, Notre Dame, and Ohio State have dodged what appeared to be serious allegations, and emerged unscathed.

The case against The University of Alabama was compiled with "Secret Witnesses" who Alabama had no access to before the hearing. The case was aided by the testimony of Milton Kirk and Lynn Lang types, who stood to gain from assisting the NCAA. The case was compiled by what can only be referred to as "hearsay", much of which eminated from people such as Tom Culpepper and Phil Fulmer who had personal reasons to wish harm on The University of Alabama.

In comparison, the USC case is ripe with paper trails, credible witnesses, and years of stories detailing such from media sources such as Yahoo and ESPN.

Examining the evidence, and considering the questions that arise after doing so, it is hard to see how the NCAA cannot file this under "Lack of Institutional Control - Failure to Monitor" heading.

In fact, it would seem that the USC case might be considered a poster child for such.

Be it false bravado or not, USC officials are putting a happy face on the meetings.

"I can't even say no comment on no comment," USC president Steven Sample joked with reporters, then added. "It will come out. It will be great."

Said USC spokesperson James Grant, "We've been asked by the chairman of the committee not to discuss the proceedings. But we do want to thank the committee and NCAA staff and everyone involved for these proceedings and we are pleased we were able to present our side of the events and we look forward to an outcome and to moving on."

Now, we have two months or so of speculation on the findings from the gang in Indianapolis. The NCAA is the 800 pound gorilla in the room, but a gorilla on crack - it WILL do just what it wants, and often for no logical reason.

Will the NCAA administrate "Tough Love", or just Love??

Curling Mania Threatens To End Sport

2010-02-21T16:29:00.002-06:00

As reported by Yahoo Sports, the precious supply of Blue Hone Granite, the absolute best to use in producing curling stones, has dwindled to a dangerous level. This granite is the only type approved by The Olympics, but is only found on Alisa Craig, a 104 acre uninhabited island off the coast of Scotland.

From Yahoo Sports...........................

"VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Jutting its rounded self from the waters off the west coast of Scotland is Ailsa Craig, an uninhabited 104-acre island that’s home to the only known supply of the granite needed to make a proper curling stone.

It’s called blue hone granite – an intensely hard substance that is uniquely suited to slide smooth and true down a 146-foot long sheet of ice, withstand countless crashes into other stones and prevent even trace amounts of moisture to seep into it. That would cause it to pit and thus move unpredictably.

“This is the best type of granite in the world for this type of purpose,” said Donald Macrae, managing director of Kays of Scotland Curling Stones, which has exclusive rights to the island’s granite.

You could say without blue hone granite there is no sport of curling. The Olympics refuse to use anything else. There’s only one problem.

“It is not going to last forever,” Macrae said."

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/curling/news?slug=dw-curling021810&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Link to full story above

There is speculation that there is only enough granite to last a couple of decades, while some feel the situation is not that dire. However, with China entering the sport, and its worldwide poularity increasing, it would seem logical that supplies will see an ever-increasing demand.

The OIC needs to begin searching for posible solutions to this issue at once, lest the ancient sport become ancient history in our lifetimes.

Meanwhile - Get your stones while you can!

USC To Meet With The NCAA This Weekend

2010-02-17T20:55:00.002-06:00

Is this the calm before the storm??

Though USC officials have stonewalled and even refused to acknowledge any NCAA inquiry into Trojan football, a cursory and quick phone call from Yours Truly yielded some results.

After being passed over from one Department and person to another, a ranking member of the USC Sports Information Office admitted that USC officials would be meeting with NCAA investigators in Tempe, Arizona, this Feb. 19-21.

Not shattering news by any means, but at least USC folks are starting to make this admission publicly.

As of Jan. 11 ESPN wrote the following.......................

"USC has never acknowledged an NCAA investigation, notice of allegations or a pending hearing.

USC is a private institution and therefore doesn't have to release its report to the public under any freedom of information act. But the NCAA will make public the committee on infractions report when a decision on any punishment is rendered. That can be six to eight weeks after a hearing, meaning that it might not be until the spring when more details emerge on the violations that were uncovered in the football and basketball case.

USC sports information director Dave Tuttle said that any information regarding a pending meeting with the COI would be part of an ongoing investigation and therefore the university would not comment."

Though this process has remained very quiet, the watchful eyes of Football Powers across the country are focused squarely on Tempe and Los Angeles.

The allegations against USC seem more severe than what was used against The University of Alabama to levy extremely harsh penalties. In the USC case, you have high profile players driving Escalades and taking luxury trips to Las Vegas. Yahoo Sports receipts to prove this, and aslso of cash disbursements to Reggie Bush.

The family of Bush also did the "George Jefferson" - "Movin' On Up" to more luxurious digs, courtesy of the New Era Entertainment Marketing firm.

While Alabama fought allegations involving "Rogue Boosters", USC is defending itself, in the football case, against agent involvement in their program. USC officials feel that they will get off lightly, as the agents are operating outside the scope of USC Athletics.

This is theit great hope - but also their great peril.

It is quite well documented that USC football under Pete Carroll was a culture that was not only easy for potential player agents to become involved in - it actially welcomed them. Access to players was easy, and agents were both at practices and on the sideline for games. It was all to easy for agents to target possible clients, then provide benefits in the hopes of securing their business as clients when their shot at the NFL draft rolled around.

This is the definition of Lack of Institutional Control, and a Failure to Monitor - two charges which no program wants to hear bandied about when under NCAA investigation.

These infractions are not a case of the third team Right Guard going home to Bakersfield and having the local hardware store owner slip him a couple hundred dollars - there is no way for any Program to effectively monitor this.

No - these infractions involve the HIGHEST profile players, and as such, the ones that USC should have kept the most intense eye on. If you are unable to figure out your Heisman Trophy winner and family are being taken care of by an aspiring agent, what else have you "Missed" over time?

This also is just as much a recruiting violation as what was alleged against The University of Alabama. Recruits see what is going on, and current players tell them the facts - come to USC, and there will be people who can help "Take care of you".

And while there was no paper trails or receipts available to justify hammering Alabama, there are such pieces of evidence in this USC matter.

In the meantime, the USC attitude reminds me very much of the one in Tuscaloosa during their NCAA dealings. There is a sense of "Nothing will happen, they will just slap us on the wrist", and a lot of heads being deposited in sandy areas.

The NCAA will send a message through this case. Light or no penalties will essentially be stating that agents can be used as NCAA-proof conduits to provide extra benefits to athletes, and all any Program has to do to stay clean will be to adopt a "Don't ask - Don't tell" philosophy regarding extra benefits.

A tough penalty will send a message to all NCAA members that agents should be monitored and disallowed from University functions, and also that members ARE responsible for the monitoring of their student-athletes.

Especially where they are likely targets for those unethical sports agents who will do anything to secure a client.

NASCAR Getting Passed By

2010-02-16T12:31:00.004-06:00

NASCAR started their season Sunday in the hole - in the pothole, that is.
Literally.

For a sport that has struggled with the recent economic downturn, the last thing NASCAR needed was to encounter any snafus at The Daytona 500. Nascar has the unusual disadvantage of STARTING the season with their crown jewel event, The Great American Race, The Daytona 500.

Unfortunately, the wheels came off in lap 122, as Jimmy Johnson relayed the following message to his Pit Crew......................

"Looks like we may have a hole," the four-time defending Cup champion told his crew after suffering a cut tire that damaged the wheel well of his No. 48 car. "We may have a red flag here. Looks like a big piece of the track came up."

Jimmy was right on all accounts.

A rather pedestrian race was thus delayed for over 90 minutes, as workers struggled to repair the huge hole. Drivers and crews sought various ways to fill the time without completely losing focus, until the race could be continued.

After the long delay, the track held up for all of about 15 laps, as drivers then began reporting hat chunks of rocks were beginning to fly up from the repair. On lap 161, it was deemed that the race had to be stopped again for more repair work, which stalled things for another 45 minutes.

Some fans left the track, missing Jamie McMurray hold of Dale Jr. in yet another green-white-checkered finish, the rather vanilla NASCAR version of an "Overtime".

I hope those fans realize that Daytona track issues were not a surprise to anyone affiliated with Nascar - just last year Earnhardt Jr. had the following comments................

"The track is old," he said. "It's a terrible time to ask anyone to pave a race track, but if anyone needs it, it's probably Daytona. You just don't put on a good show. I like the bumps. If you're going to ask guys in here, they're going to say, 'Aw man, come on, the bumps are cool.' They are cool, but they'll be back. When you pave a track, the dirt underneath always settles. It'll create new bumps.

"Highways get paved more often than that, and they're only going 55, 65 down them," he added. "I'm sure if I own a race track, I'm going to pave that damn thing and get blasted because it costs a lot of money to pave it. I can understand why it doesn't happen more often, paving a race track, but they did pave Talladega and that got great reviews, everybody was real happy about it, it's real smooth, puts on good races. Maybe we'll get this thing paved before I retire."

Combine this debacle with last year's Daytona 500 finish, which saw many fans unhappy with the NASCAR officials rather quick decision to call the race for rain, and you might say NASCAR is now looking at an 0-2 count.

When you examine Sunday's track issues, you might be of the mindest that it was "Just one race that experienced some unfortunate problems".

However, consider that the track at Daytona has not been paved since 1978, and that despite some obvious track problems, NASCAR and Daytona officals decided to hold off on paving the track until 2012. This 2012 repaving will incur an estimated cost of 20 million dollars, but despite the cost, the 2010 Race should cause that plan to be re-evaluated.

In fact, re-evaluation and a makeover is needed for the sport as a whole. As fans and families are learning how to cut spending, and to find or create inexpensive forms of entertainment, NASCAR is feeling the squeeze. They are losing revenue from lower attendance at tracks, and also a decreased market share in the TV ratings battle.

Just a few short years removed from some rather bold and aggressive expansion plans, NASCAR is now struggling to hold on to what they have instead. With the efforts of making NASCAR more than a regional sport having been met with lukewarm results, perhaps sport officials should focus more on keeping their core fan base intact.

As for the races themselves, there are issues that need to be addressed and fixed. The races have become rather boring, cookie-cutter, and the green-white-checker finishes leave fans many times with bitter tastes in their mouth.

Even at the sacrifice of speed, NASCAR needs to bring actual racing back to the event. There is too much time spent for fans watching two lines of traffic circle the track endlessly. Drivers are forced to put the process of racing and trying to win off until the last stages of the event, merely biding time and trying to avoid the "Big One". Much like critics of the NBA opine, all but the most hard-core of fans are tempted to tune in for the last 20 laps or so, just to see the finish.

The empty seats are proof that NASCAR needs to make some quick changes for the good of their sport, and their bottom line.As far as Daytona and its racing surface go, it might be considered a microcosm of the decisions facing NASCAR officials. Do they do the easy thing and put off the costly maintenance until the scheduled 2012 date, or do they bite the bullet and fix the Daytona racing surface now?

Some may wonder if they can afford to pave Daytona now, and also address other issues in their sport - but the better question is.............................

Can NASCAR Afford NOT TO????

Bo vs Deion - Celebrity Sports Star Deathmatch!

2010-02-09T19:08:00.007-06:00

The Legends from the Budweiser Sportsline, AM740 in Montgomery, Alabama, have been debating here and there (Time Filler??) whether Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders was the better two sport athlete. John Longshore advocates Deion, while of course resident Aub Barry McKnight backs Bo.

Being that Barry is likely legitimately too busy to research this topic, and Longshore is innately too lazy, I figured I would lend a helping hand, to settle this issue.
That's just the All-American, helpful sort of chap I am.

First, lets compare Football stats!

Bo Jackson played just 4 years in the NFL, between 1987 and 1990. He played in 38 games, rushed 515 times for 2,782 yards, a staggering 504 yards per carry. Bo scored 16 rushing TDs, and also caught 40 passes for 352 yards and 2 more scores.

The numbers are not overly impressive, but the 5.4 yards per carry is, and then you need to factor in the oft-forgotten fact that Bo was actually a BACKUP of sorts to NFL legend Marcus Allen.

Deion Sanders played a total of for 14 seasons, between 1989 and 2005. Neon played in 188 games, recording 53 interceptions and bringing 9 back to the house for Touchdowns. Sanders also scored once on a fumble recovery return, and contrary to those who like to paint him as one who shirked contact (McKinght), recorded 492 tackles in his career.

Deion also played some offense, catching 60 passes for 3 more scores - but he was more dangerous as a return man. Sanders returned a total of 367 combined punts and kickoffs, with 9 more scores, all done in his inimitable high-stepping fashion.

Sanders was a first team All-Pro 6 times, and a second team pick twice. He was twice chosen as the NFC Definsive Player of the Year, and was the NFL Defensive Player of the year in 1994. Deion was also a member of two Super Bowl Champions.

Now, for Baseball.........

Bo Jackson played in the Major Leagues for 8 years, beginning in 1986 and ending in 1994. He played in 694 games, with a .250 batting average, 141 Home Runs, and 415 RBIs. Jackson had a .309 on base %, and a slugging percentage of .474.

Bo was an all-star once in 1989, and won the game MVP award, and also was the Tony Conigliaro comeback player of the year in 1993.

Deion Sanders played 9 Major League Seasons, appearing in 641 games. He has a career .263 batting average, with 39 HRs and 168 RBIs. Deion has an on base percentage of .319, and a slugging % of .392. Sanders also stole 186 bases.

Deion was never an all-star, but did play in a World Series and two League Championships.
Well, there are the numbers. When you compare, you could probably win the argument that Bo Jackson had a slightly better baseball career than Deion, but I think even the most blatant AUB Homers would have to admit Deion had a much longer and more productive Football career.

In this battle of multi-sports superstars, I declare Deion Sanders the clear winner.

A Potential Super "Super Bowl"

2010-02-06T13:42:00.002-06:00

Well, it is time again for the Super Bowl - the event that is been the most hyped in our history, and yet often leads to letdown with a disappointing, boring game. However, we have been blessed in recent years with two stellar games in the Giants over the Patriots, and last year the thrilling final minutes in the Steelers win over Arizona.

And there is reason to believe this game may be as good, or even more entertaining.

There are tons of story lines - The Saints post-Katrina, Brees vs Manning, two high powered offenses, Manning's legacy, and his family ties to New Orleans and The Saints, The "Who Dat Nation" and the voodoo of Marie Laveaux, etc etc etc.

So, it is a bit surprising to me that the story of the week has been..... Freeney's foot.

Let me say this - with a torn ankle ligament, the guy is not going to be a factor. He may play some, but anything the Colts get out of him will be icing on their Super Bowl cake. I just do not see how he can be effective on the field.

There is great potential for entertaining, esoterically pleasing football. Both offenses should be able to move the ball fairly well, if not at a fast-break style of play. But it is still football, and the fundamental things apply. The team that wins the turnover battle and plays the best defense should have the best chance to win.

I think red zone defense is key, especially for the Saints. Peyton Manning and the colts excell at scoring TDs in the red zone, and it will be of vital importance for New Orleans to limit some of those opportunities to Field Goal attempts.

Maybe it is because I just spent a great weekend in The Big Easy, maybe because I hate Peyton "Moon" Manning, but I am going Saints here.

I think New Orleans has a better running game with Bush-Bell-Thomas, high powered-passing game (Brees has actually thown for more yards than Manning this year) and I give New Orleans an edge in the Coaching staff matchup.

Maybe I am still a bit loopy after drinking Beer and Sazeracs in The Quarter, but I am bucking Vegas and calling for ....................

New Orleans 29 - Indy 27

PS - this based partly on my hope that the same crew that worked the NFC Championship game is in Miami :)

Auburn Fans Euphoria Well-Founded

2010-02-03T19:10:00.003-06:00

But also a bit hypocritical and unrealistic.

After perusing the internet, and listening to statewide sportstalk radio, One must conclude that Auburn fans are esctatic and celebratory over their 2010 recruiting class.

And with good reason - this was an outstanding class, and a strong foundation for future success. Indeed, it may have the best recruiting haul EVER for the Auburn Tigers.

However, it is just one class. Auburn has succeeded in creating some space between themselves and the Mississipi States and South Carolinas of the world, but also must consider Florida, Alabama, LSU and Tennessee all brought in Top 10 classes as well.

Given the fact that Alabama and Florida have been head and shoulders above the rest of the SEC the last two years, and each have a top rated class in the last two years, does not bode well for the rest of the SEC. Its hard to gain ground when you cannot run faster than the leader in a marathon, after all.

With Tennessee in a bit of a rebuilding phase, South Carolina never meeting expectations, and Georgia sliding, it is hard to see anyone but Florida in the SEC Championship game for the next couple of years. Likewise, Alabama and LSU have stockpiled talent, with Ole miss and Arkansas battling Auburn to move up into the upper half of the West.

Also, both staffs at Alabama and Florida have shown an ability to identify, recruit, and coach talent to National Championship levels. The current Auburn staff has to prove all the above, and it will not be easy. Getting the players is only part of the process of developing a Championship Program.

Finally, lets close with some rain on the orange and blue parade, and the recognition of some first-class hypocricy.

Auburn fans have bragged on "Beating Saban", "Out-Recruiting Alabama", "Sending Notice", and the like. But did they really??

Recruiting at best is highly subjective and inexact, and CBS, ESPN, and Scout all have Alabama ranked ahead of Auburn. Only Rivals has Auburn rated ahead of Alabama at this stage of Signing Day.

Thats right - Rivals, the same service Auburn fans tried to discredit the past two years when they rated Alabama #1, saying that founder Shannon Terry was an Alabama guy, who was manipulating his site to assist Alabama's recruiting.

Auburn fans who ridiculed Rivals, and mocked Alabama fans excitement at being ranked #1 in the Rivals recruiting list are now rolling their corner in glee at being ranked just ahead of Alabama for this one year.

Sometimes, you just can't make this stuff up.

The Brothers Allen and Brown, and The "Mentors" Who Guide Them

2010-02-03T13:12:00.007-06:00

There is now a new sinister figure that has emerged in the world of Division One recruiting, and is beginning to emerge impudiently from the shadows.

Coaches are being forced more and more to deal with a being known as "The Mentor".

Now, like a dirty Montgomery politician, "The Mentor" likes to project himself as a doer of good deeds, a selfless individual making personal sacrifices of time and resources to help his "constituents" - or in this case budding athletic stars.

In actuality, "The Mentor" is a greedy and selfish person seeking to profit by being the only conduit to a star athlete. There is really very little difference between "The Mentor" and a Jimmy Sexton.

Both are agents for hire, seeking to make deals for their clients in order to profit themselves.

Two good examples of this strategy would be Brian Butler, "Mentor" to The Brown Brothers, and Otis Yelverton, the Greensboro, North Carolina High School version of Scott Boris. Bryce Brown went to Tennessee, his brother Arthur to Miami, and several North Carolina stars have decided the West Coast was best for them, with the kind, selfless help of Otis Yelverton.

From oregonlive.com......................

"Yelverton is quick to distinguish himself from the middle men or
financially motivated "handlers" who have become increasingly prevalent figures
in college recruiting. His time and effort working the phone and organizing the
piles of recruiting packets in his home office is strictly voluntary; he says he
enjoys the exact part of the sport that many high school coaches was just as
soon avoid.

"I'm a coach who feels it is his duty to make sure every kid has an
opportunity to go to college," Yelverton said. "As an African-American male, I
want to be a positive role model in these kids' lives.

"I don't determine (their college choice). We evaluate a school's depth
chart, looking at how many players are redshirt freshmen, and how many are
seniors. When they come to make a decision, I'm not part of it."

Alston had scholarship offers from across the Southeast, but he liked
Oregon as a youngster and also was intrigued by Cal. Yelverton reached out to
each school's running backs coach - Gary Campbell at Oregon and Ron Gould at Cal
- and they ended up as Alston's finalists. His father, Remene Alston Sr., said
the attention from programs near and far was a boon for players in their area,
and credits Yelverton for it happening.

"If he's got a kid that believes in himself and wants to go somewhere
and be somebody, he's the type who will bend over backwards to help that child,"
Alston Sr. said. "We have a lot of talent here, and a lot of talent ends up
working in the grocery store or driving school buses or doing something they
don't want to do because they didn't have anybody going to bat for them. You've
got to sell your son or daughter to these colleges. You gotta help them out." "
Link to full story http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindducksbeat/2009/09/oregon_football_could_reap_div.html

The Allen saga is rather perplexing.

Keenan Allen was a Novemeber verbal committment to Alabama, and seemed solidly entrenched as a crown jewel in another stellar Nick Saban class.

Then, in a true soap opera fashion, the world turned.

After Head Coach Turner Gill left Buffalo, Keenan's half-brother Zach Maynard, a Buffalo quarterback, apparently got his feelings hurt that the new staff did not contact him quickly enough after arrival. Yelverton saw an opportunity to use this as a lever for "advising" Maynard to seek a transfer, with visions of shopping Keenan through his brother's transfer, as a package deal.

Clemson, North Carolina, and NC State were mentioned as options to Alabama, and were closer to home. However, Yelverton convinced Keenan to consider west coast schools Oregon and Cal again, despite the distance from home.

From George Paschal of Bustersports.com.........................

"Allen's brother, Zach Maynard, was the quarterback at Buffalo. Recruited
there by Turner Gill, Maynard sought a release from the University once Gill was
hired to be the next head coach at Kansas. For his next destination, Maynard
looked closer and showed interest in schools like North Carolina, NC State and
Clemson, and included a not so close to home option in Cal.

The kicker to Maynard's recruitment, however, quickly became Keenan Allen.
The general idea was that the boy's mother would like the two to play together
and close to home. That thought took one step closer to becoming a reality when
not only Maynard, but Allen as well, took official visits to Clemson this
weekend. Up until Allen's return from the visit to Clemson it was popularly
thought that Allen was solid to the Tide and simply accompanying his brother to
help him with his process.

Now it seems as though the initial commitment is now "soft" at best."

When Alabama and Clemson did not want to play "Mentor Ball" with Yelverton and his package deal of the Allen brothers, and when their was some issue of possible tampering with North Carolina, as a former Buffalo assistant was now on stafff there, "Papa Mentor" Otis decided to make like Horace Greeley, and look west for his young men.

The Allen brothers landed at Cal - compared to Greensboro, another world, in another world.

But the Allen Brothers circus is a cheap carnival compared to the Barnum and Bailey-esque situation of the Brown Brothers. The Ringmaster here is Brian Butler, a former rapper turned "Mentor", who handled all workouts, recruiting visits, and media requests.

The New York Times wrote an article on this gray area between "Helpful Mentor" and "Outright Agent", and here is a part of that article...........................

"On a Web site, Butler sells updates of Brown’s recruitment for $9.99 a
month or $59 a year. He also seeks contributions that he says are used to take
players on a tour of colleges each summer.

Butler, a former rapper and cellphone call-center manager, is among a new
breed of entrepreneurs inserting themselves into college football recruiting.
Some say he is navigating gray areas of N.C.A.A. rules and brokering his clients’ futures for personal gain. Others say he is providing his clients with exposure they would not normally receive by leveraging connections he has made during the recruitment of the Brown brothers to create a market for lesser players.

Butler encouraged Huldon Tharp, a linebacker he trains, to spread word that he got a scholarship offer from Miami to raise his recruiting profile. A Miami spokesman, who checked with Hurricanes Coach Randy Shannon, said that the Hurricanes did not offer Tharp a scholarship or seriously recruit him.

Butler’s efforts are not even limited to the realm of college athletics. He said that he was considering having Bryce Brown skip college and play in the Canadian Football League. “I’m doing a dang good job,” Butler said. “I know that I’m the most connected guy in Wichita and probably in Kansas. Probably in the Midwest, and let some people tell, probably in the dang nation when it comes to high school recruiting.” "
Kansas high school coaches have many points of contention with Butler and his tactics. From the same NY Times article...................

"In his representation of about 30 players from around Kansas, Butler has
upset many local high school coaches. They say he persuades players to skip
school-organized summer workouts in favor of his own — an assertion Butler
denies. Coach Brian Byers of Wichita East High School said he suspected Butler
of telling the Brown brothers to “shut it down” in games once they piled up big
statistics.

Byers, who has coached football for 30 years, described Butler’s
philosophy this way: “It’s all about me, me, me. That’s not what football is
about. We’re a proven fact. We had supposedly the best football player in the
country in high school, and we went 6-3. We didn’t have a team because of
that.” "

Links to other articles dealing with this issue can be found below, and should be read by anyone concerned with keeping College Football out of the recruiting gutter that College Basketball has found itself in.

Basketball is no stranger to these issues - Bernard King came to Tennessee in part because UT offered a scholarship to a High School teammate and friend. Everyone knew that to sign Danny Manning, you were going to have to hire his Father Ed as an assistant.

But College Football has now become more and more infected with these package deals and "Mentor" issues. The idea of the "High School Player Agent" is fast becoming a reality, and the NCAA must focus on stopping this trend - or the world of College Football will be over-run with the likes of player-agents like Brett Bearup, and filthy coaches like John Calipari.

And we will know its too late when Jimmy Sexton announces he is now representing a rising 10th grade quarterback...............................

The NY Times Article - a must read..................

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/sports/ncaafootball/04recruit.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&ref=sportshttp://

The Sporting News on the Keenan Allen situation as it happened.........

http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/TheRecruitnik/entry/view/54133/who-can-figure-out-keenan-allen

George Paschal of BusterSports on Keenan Allen...........

http://www.bustersports.com/blog/buster-blog/2010/01/25/will-brotherly-love-keep-keenan-allen-away-from-alabama/

USC acted with Incredible Stupidity and Short-Sightedness

2010-01-18T11:55:00.002-06:00

Respected and notable sports journalists around the country are expecting the USC Athletics Department to receive NCAA sanctions, quite possibly of a very severe nature, stemming from what has been learned in the Reggie Bush, OJ Mayo, and now Joe McKnight investigations.

Such tuned-in types as "Mr. College Football", Tony Barnhardt, are expecting USC to get hammered.

So what does USC and AD Mike Garrett do when Pete Carroll decides now is a really good time to bail?? They go round up the usual suspects. In what seems to be a move of collossal stupidity and incredible brashness, Garrett hires the Kiffin Family and Ed Orgeron, in an attempt to be Pete Carroll's USC sans Pete. Kiffin proved at Oakland he is a petulant brat, and proved at Tennessee rules mean nothing to him. In fact, Kiffin cannot be bothered to not just follow NCAA rules - but he does not even know them.

Add to this mix the lunatic Ed Orgeron, who makes Kiffin look like a mousey saint full of morality and scruples in comparison.

Garrett even tried to ice his cake by bringing back Offensive Coordinator Norm "Cheating Chow Mein" - but the more cerebal Chow apparently sees Kiffin for what he is, and made the cerebral decision to stay in Westwood.

In short - Mike Garrett and USC threw water in the face of the NCAA by hiring the same group of cheaters who the NCAA have been investigating for some years now, and who have been flaunting rules at Tennessee in the meantime.

Lack of Institutional Control?? Failure to Monitor??? Enormous Stupidity???

I think all of the above apply to USC, and think they have backed the NCAA into a such a tight corner that they will be forced to levy punishment, even against their will.

Have fun on the carpet, USC - and I don't mean The Hollywood Red Carpet.

Tennessee is No Longer a Football School........

2010-01-15T09:36:00.002-06:00

The good folks - and I do mean the small but high-quality older element of the Tennessee fanbase - are suffering a hard lesson right now.

They are learning how how bad things can get when a Program stops focusing on its own future, and instead focuses on bringing down others around them. The Volunteers were not happy with just their own success in the 1990's - they wanted to ice their cake by bringing down Alabama Football as well.

The Vols were willing to go to any lengths, violate any NCAA by-laws, and eschew basic morality to assist the NCAA vendetta against Alabama. You can argue that the won the battle, but it is becoming increasingly clear they lost the war.

Tennessee sold its symbolic soul, and entered into a deal with the devil, to wreak misery on its rival, and the payment note is now due.

Tennessee got out of the Football business and into the investigation business when Culpepper and Fulmer holed up like rats in that hotel room, and Tennessee is finding it very difficult to transition back into Football.

It could not be happening to a more deserving group of fans and administrators, who are reaping the black evils sown by Fulmer and Dickey years ago.

And though I feel for the older Tennessee fans who are from a more respectful era, I mitigate my sympathies by realizing that generation allowed the Fulmerites to do as they would, to take control of the program.

And sadly, many of that older generation took joy and glee from the turmoils and travails cast upon Alabama Football in the last 15 years.

Go To Hell Tennessee - 15 years later, Alabama has added another National Title to its trophy room, is in a tremendously strong position to add more Titles in the future, and Tennessee Football is struggling to stay in business.

Tennessee - you won a battle, but Alabama has won the war.

Time to Break Our Longest Drought Ever

2010-01-04T12:06:00.002-06:00

Something that has not been mentioned much, if at all in the last couple of years, but something I feel is of vital importance.

The University of Alabama is currently in its longest drought of being awarded a National Title by at least one selector, since The Tide was crowned National Champ in 1925.

Thats right - the longest previous drough was 16 years, or the time between the 1945 team that was awarded the National Title by the National Championship Foundation, and the 1961 team that was a near-consenus selection as National Champion.

This is now the 17th season since the 1992 team beat Miami to become a consensus National Champion, and Alabama has the means and opportunity to end that streak.

Be that as it may, it amazes me at the low-key approach of Alabama fans to this game. Many seem to be as consumed with Auburn, LSU, and other matters as they are with Alabama playing Texas for the National Championship.

Given the fact we have not played for a national Title in 17 years, the rank and file fanbase should be at a fever pitch for the BCS National Championship game. Why does this not seem to be the case? It raises an interesting question...........................

Has Nick Saban's meteoric success somewhat dulled the experience? Has Coach Saban succeeded a bit to quickly and too soon? A decent first year that stumbled to its end, followed by an undefeated regular season that was one quarter shy of a BCS Title appearance, followed by another undefeated team that became SEC Champs and made the National Championship game.

Are fans now expecting EVERY year to be as the last two have been? Has the thrill of Thursday been dulled by fans thinking we are going to be right back in this spot quickly and often??

As noted, this is a very important game in the timeline of Alabama Football History, and its important because we are not guaranteed to ever get here then.

We are here now, however, so lets embrace it, make the most of it, and bring home #13!

Going Back To Cali

2009-12-30T20:26:00.002-06:00

There is a steely determination, intense focus, yet a quiet, relaxed confidence among both the Players and Coaches. The Players should be well prepared for the Texas offense, but there may be some period of initial adjustment, as Bama will likely see some new looks and wrinkles on both sides of the ball.

Practice has gone well, and we are ready for the trip West, which will bring some potential distractions, but expect no problems.

Our Players are looking at this as a business trip, and the leaders have really stepped up into Championship type roles - hence the team's unanimous decision to travel as a group,and forego the benefit of pocketing travel expense money.

This does not ensure a win, by any means, but it should mean that Alabama will give a determined and intense effort - and I think Alabama will not be denied a victory.

2009 Alabama Football - A Season of Firsts

2009-12-30T20:16:00.002-06:00

In retrospect, what a great year for Alabama Football.

For the first time ever, Alabama put back to back 12-0 regular season together.

Alabama became the first team to place 6 first team AP All-Americans.

Alabama won 9 games against SEC opponents for the first time.

The Tide notched its first Heisman winner.

And it does not stop there. With a win on January 7th, Bama would accomplish two more "Firsts" - its first ever official win over Texas, and its first 14-0 season.

I think they get it done late, and gain some measure of revenge for Joe Namath in 1965, and the missed out of bounds call on Texas's Allen Lowrey in 1973............................

Ingram Should Win The Heisman

2009-12-12T09:50:00.002-06:00

After hearing the nauseating ESPN lovefest and slobber sessions over Toby Gerhart of Stanford and Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh, I decided to do a little research on these two in comparison with Mark Ingram of Alabama.

While all three are outstanding players who can make compelling arguments for taking home the stiff-arm trophy, I think analysis shows that Mark Ingram has the best case.

Gerhart has rushed 311 times for 1775 yards, with a 5.6 yard per carry average. He scored 26 touchdowns, with a long run of 61 yards. Toby also caught 10 passes for 149 yards, without a TD.

Ndamukong Suh had 82 tackles (50 solo and 32 assisted) with 23 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, and 24 QB hurries. He also had 10 pass break-ups and one interception.

Mark Ingram rushed 249 times for an Alabama record 1,542 yards, with a 6.2 yards per carry average. Ingram scored 15 rushing touchdowns, and has fumbled only once in his two years at Alabama. Mark is also a weapon in the pasing game, as he is second on the team in receptions, with 30 receptions for 322 yards and three touchdowns. The ESPN and anti-Ingram types fail to mention Mark's prowess as a receiver.

Now - lets shake it out. Suh is an outstanding player, likely the best defensive lineman in the nation. However, he is getting a ton of mileage out of the Big 12 Title Game against Texas, where he recorded 4 of his 12 sacks. To flip that around, Suh had 8 sacks in his other 12 games, and in fact was neautralized to some extent in several games during the season.

Gerhart has great stats, but does not have close to the receiving numbers of Ingram, and has 60 more carries to his credit. However - if you project Ingram with 60 more carries at his higher yards per carry average of 6.2, Mark would be far ahead of Gerhart with over 1,900 yards to Gerhart's 1,775.

Next, consider that Ingram missed a lot of time against FIU with the flu, and a whole half against inept UTC, and shares a lot of carries with the very talented freshman Trent Richardson, while Gerhart is the entire show at Stanford. In fact, the second leading rusher at Stanford is the quarterback, Andrew Luck.

CONCLUSION ......................................

Suh is the real deal, and will be a very high draft pick and rich man soon, but does not have the consistent body of dominating work it would take to win the award as an interior lineman. If Hugh Green did not win, neither should Suh as the first true defensive player ever to take the Heisman. This should not be another Charles Woodson situation.

Gerhart was outstanding as the show at Stanford, for an 8-4 team, but lacks the versatility of Ingram.

Ingram has done it in the biggest of games for a 13-0 team that is currently ranked #1. He is a force as a receiver, and a very capable blocker in pass protection. Ingram has been consistent ALL year, with a big game in the opener against the Virginia Tech defense, and book-ending it with three touchdowns, 113 yards rushing, and 189 total yards against #1 Florida in the SEC Championship game. Even when the Alabama offense struggled a bit, and opponents knew it was going to Ingram coming at them in the wildcat, they did not stop him.

If you look at the Ingram-Gerhart numbers and actually try to fairly and equally project them between the two, and realize there have been many equally or more dominant defensive than Suh who never sniffed the trip to New York, I think you can only come to one conclusion..............................

Mark Ingram should be clearing some space on his mantle as Alabama's first Heisman Trophy winner.

Early Heisman Voting shows SEC Media Bias......

2009-12-08T16:58:00.002-06:00

The early returns are rolling in, and it would appear that SEC media types are showing bias regarding Marking Ingram - only it is AGAINST him, not for.

John Adams, Mike Strange and one other voter from Knoxville, a couple of Lousiana voters, Pat Dooley of Gainseville, and all 3 from the Jackson Clarion Ledger all failed to include Ingram anywhere in the three alloted on their ballot.

It would seem they are making a concerted effort to injure Ingram's chances, and the beneficiary appears to be Toby Gerhardt, who I think has no business in the top two.

Oh - and a special "Up Yours" to Kevin Scarbinsky of Birmingham, who wasted his first place vote by choosing McLain, not Ingram, who he selected second.

Seems Scarbinsky would rather be cute and try to draw attention to himself, rather than be a responsible voter.

I guess no one should be surprised.

Bama beats Florida - the biggest Non-Championship game in the last 50 years?

2009-12-07T15:53:00.002-06:00

Josh Moon and Doug Amos of "The Roundtable" on Montgomery sportstalk radio 740am hit on a bit of discussion that intrigued me today.

The premise was - "Is the SEC Championship game of this past weekend the BIGGEST non-National Title game since Coach Bryant arrived??

I say clearly that is the case. Given all that was on the line - the SEC Title, a win guaranteeing a shot at a National Title game in The Rose Bowl of all places, the Heisman implications, and the fact that Alabama had to win to continue its streak of being the only SEC program to win a conference title in every decade since the SEC was created, the answer must be a resounding YES!

This was one of the most important games in not only recent memory, but in Alabama history as a whole.

The question started me thinking about other important games in Alabama Football history, and how they stack up against each other. With cursory consideration, and going as much off memory today as opposed to looking at printed data, I have made the following list of the most important games in Alabama football history, excluding those being played for a National Title opportunity......................

1) 2009 SEC Championship game, for the reasons noted above.

2) The 1925 Rose Bowl - Alabama 20 - Wahington 19

3) The 1922 win over Eastern Power and favored Penn in Philadelphia, 9-7.

For a state, and entire region, struggling to create a new identity for itself and the nation, Southerners took pride in any successes they could. The University of Alabama laid the foundation in these two wins not onlt for its own success, and the success of Southern Football in the eyes of the nation - but also gave Southern people something to gladden their hearts in the tough times of that era.

Alabama was the driving force for Southern Football gaining its due respect on a National Scale. There were two pivotal wins in particular.............................

In 1922, Coach Xen Scott took his final team to Philadelphia to play Eastern Power and favored Penn. Captain Al Clemens said ............

"On the train ride up there we stopped in Washington DC to watch a game betweenNavy and Penn State. The papers were calling this a "classical game", but theylooked like high school players to us. We thought if this is what EasternFootball is like, we can beat Penn.

Alabama won 9-7, and held an impromptu paradethrough the streets of Philadelphia. It was Coach Scott's last season, as he was sadly soon to die from throat cancer."

The second groundbreaking game was when Coach Wallace Wade and the 1925 Alabama team traveled to the City of Angels for a Jan. 1, 1926 Rose Bowl game against double-digit favorite, the Washington Huskies.

Led by Pooley Hubert, Johnny Mack Brown Alabama won 20-19, and the greatest Bowl Tradition in NCAA history was born.

4) The 1992 SEC Championship Game - Alabama 28 - Florida 21

This game was sort of like a Light version of 2009 - Bama was undefeated and needed to win to play for its first National Championship since the death of Coach Bryant.

5) The 1971 Iron Bowl - Alabama 31 - Auburn 7

Both teams were undefeated, and a win over Auburn and Heisman winner Pat Sullivan was needed for the Tide to make its orange Bowl with Nebraska a duel for the National Title. The Tide won, but got rolled by one of the all-time great teams in college football history in that Orange Bowl.

6) The 1971 win over USC in Los Angeles - Alabama 17 - USC 10

The unveiling of the wishbone, and the start of a decade of domination for Alabama.

7) The 1989 Auburn game - Auburn 30 - Alabama 20

Bama came to the plains for the first time ever, and at stake was an undefeated regular season, outright SEC title, and a chance to play Miami in The Sugar Bowl for the National Title. Auburn won, then Miami won, then Bill Curry left for the greener, errr, more blue grass of Kentucky.

8) The 1982 Liberty Bowl - Alabama 21 - Illinois 15

Coach Bryant's final game, and it was imperative he be sent out a winner. Thank heaven for Jeremiah Castille.

9) The 1981 Auburn game - Alabama 28 - Auburn 17

Coach Bryant gets win #315, allowing him to pass Amos Alonzo Stagg for most wins ever by a collegiate Head Coach. Thank you Joey Jones, Jesse Bendross, Walter Lewis, Thomas Boyd....... and especially Linnie Patrick, who earned his scholarship that day.

10) The 1986 Notre Dame game - Alabama 28 - Notre Dame 7

Alabama had lost all 4 previous games to the Irish by a cumulative 13 points, and two cost Alabama National Titles. The tide rolled this day, and Cornelieus Bennett gave Steve Buerlein a Daniel Moore moment.

Others receiving consideration - ............

1972 Iron Bowl "Punt Bama Punt"

1963 Orange Bowl - President Kennedy and Lee Roy Jordan

All other Rose Bowls

Will Tebow Weekend work against Florida?

2009-11-30T13:15:00.002-06:00

Bama had to fight on the road to beat Auburn, Florida rolled over FSU in an emotional setting.

So who does this favor heading to Atlanta?Alabama stared down a do-or-die situation in a hostile environment, and did so with an ice cold, calm confidence that I have not seen from a Bama team since Gene Stallings and Jay Barker were playing the role of Saban and McElroy.With the chips all in, Alabama executed a long and time-comsuming drive with poise and expectation that they would get it done, and win the game.

Prevailing in that situation not only gives our QB more confidence in himself, but also lets the Coaches and his teammates know when its winning time, Greg can get it done. I think this may prove to be invaluable Saturday.

Meanwhile, Florida rolled over its rival to the tune of 37-10, and it could have been worse. The Gator machine seemed to be finely tuned and hitting on all cylinders against the Noles. Tracy "The Wolf" Wolfson was sporting Tebow eye-black patches, Verne and Gary were looking up Bible verses, Spikes was kissing the Swamp - emotion seemed to be flowing everywhere.

So, examining the intangibles coming off last week's rivalry games, who has the advantage?I believe it is Alabama.The Tide got a scare on the road, but in prevailing. obtained more than just a win. They also took the self confidence brought about by the experience of getting it done in the clutch, under great pressure, and for high stakes. I do not think you can put a price tag on that experience.

Meanwhile, Florida should enter Atlanta with great confidence, based on the way they played against FSU. But will the emotional highs experienced by Gator players, coaches, and fans last Saturday become a detrimental emotional hangover for the following week?

It reminds me of 1971, and the Alabama-Auburn game. Both teams were 11-0 and ranked in the top 4, but Bama was slated to play #1 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. so a win meant a game for the National Title. That Iron Bowl was supposed to be a war - but there was an x factor that reared its head.Thursday night before the game. Auburn QB Pat Sullivan was awarded the Heisman trophy. The AU nation was ecstatic, but that emotion worked against them in the game, as Alabama destroyed them 31-7. (Don't ask me what Nebraska did to us in that Orange Bowl )

Granted, Florida has a week to recover from Senior Day, but that was not your typical Senior Day. This was a celebration of Tebow's career, and I think the effects will linger into the week.

This game has been in the minds of Bama players and Coaches since practice began, since we went through spring drills, since Florida was hoisting the crystal trophy - in fact it has been gnawing like a dog on a steak bone since the clock hit 00:00 in Atlanta last year.The Gators will see the most prepared, motivated, and dedicated team Alabama has fielded since perhaps the 1992 National Championship Game. Florida will get all Alabama has in their tank.

But will that be enough? Florida has great athletes, coaches, Championship experience, and Tim Tebow. Florida is The Champ, and the better team - at least until someone proves otherwise.It will take Alabama's best game of the year to beat Florida - but I think that game is out there.

Maybe the 1971 Nebraska-Oklahoma, 1973 Alabama-Notre Dame, 1984 Nebraska-Miami games, and a select few others, need to make some room at their table.There just might be another Classic played in Atlanta Saturday.

Cheers, Gators !

Thanksgiving - The Disappearing Holiday

2009-11-24T16:08:00.006-06:00

It is the Holiday Season.

A time for family, friends, sharing, giving, thanksgiving and celebration.

But sadly, for many, the Holiday season has become all about the commercialism of Christmas. The Christmas season now begins after Halloween, for all intents and purposes. It is all about the money, after all. The manufacturers and retailers know that there is money to be made in Halloween, and potential goldmines in Christmas - but unless you are a turkey farmer or gasoline provider, Thanksgiving offers little but a day off.

That is why retailers have turned the day after Thanksgiving into a shoppers nirvana, and the biggest retail sales day of the year, and why the public begins hearing Christmas songs during commercials as early as October.

It is all about the money, and I would that it could be otherwise. As Alfred, the young Macy's employee said in "Miracle on 34th Street".......

"There are lots of bad "isms" in this world, but I think the worst may be commercialism"

It is a shame and fact that many in this country know longer remember, and maybe never even knew, the true story of Thanksgiving.

As a refresher, from http://www.holidays.net/ ........................................

"The first winter was devastating to the Pilgrims. The cold, snow and sleet was exceptionally heavy, interfering with the workers as they tried to construct their settlement. March brought warmer weather and the health of the Pilgrims improved, but many had died during the long winter. Of the 110 Pilgrims and crew who left England, less that 50 survived the first winter.

On March 16, 1621 , what was to become an important event took place, an Indian brave walked into the Plymouth settlement. The Pilgrims were frightened until the Indian called out "Welcome" (in English!).

His name was Samoset and he was an Abnaki Indian. He had learned English from the captains of fishing boats that had sailed off the coast. After staying the night Samoset left the next day. He soon returned with another Indian named Squanto who spoke better English than Samoset. Squanto told the Pilgrims of his voyages across the ocean and his visits to England and Spain. It was in England where he had learned English.

Squanto's importance to the Pilgrims was enormous and it can be said that they would not have survived without his help. It was Squanto who taught the Pilgrims how to tap the maple trees for sap. He taught them which plants were poisonous and which had medicinal powers. He taught them how to plant the Indian corn by heaping the earth into low mounds with several seeds and fish in each mound. The decaying fish fertilized the corn. He also taught them to plant other crops with the corn.

The harvest in October was very successful and the Pilgrims found themselves with enough food to put away for the winter. There was corn, fruits and vegetables, fish to be packed in salt, and meat to be cured over smoky fires.

The Pilgrims had much to celebrate, they had built homes in the wilderness, they had raised enough crops to keep them alive during the long coming winter, they were at peace with their Indian neighbors. They had beaten the odds and it was time to celebrate.

The Pilgrim Governor William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving to be shared by all the colonists and the neighboring Native Americans. They invited Squanto and the other Indians to join them in their celebration. Their chief, Massasoit, and 90 braves came to the celebration which lasted for 3 days. They played games, ran races, marched and played drums. The Indians demonstrated their skills with the bow and arrow and the Pilgrims demonstrated their musket skills. Exactly when the festival took place is uncertain, but it is believed the celebration took place in mid-October."

I love the Christmas season. There are tremendous lessons to be learned from that great Christian Holiday, lessons which can be meaningful to those who do not subscribe to Christian beliefs.

But I also love Thanksgiving, perhaps the greatest of all American Holidays.

The original Thanksgiving demsonstrates that people of different races and origins, people with very, very little in common except a common dwelling place, can not only co-exist, but can thrive as friends.

Like the good Samaritan, the Indians saw people in need, and offered help, for its own sake.

They demanded nothing for assisting the Pilgrims in their struggle to live and prevail against the odds and elements. The Pilgrims in turn gave thanks for their survival, and for the Indians assistance, by inviting their benfactors to feast, play, and celebrate in an epic three day party.

Thanksgiving is not just about an all day meal, a long weekend, lots of football and basketball.

The roots of Thanksgiving are based on caring, sharing, unselfishness, courage, and an ability, despite vast differences, to come together in times of great trials and challenges.

Thanksgiving represents the values and ideals that built our nation's foundation, and then witnessed greatness created upon that foundation - and as such deserves to be celebrated, respected, and revered by all Americans.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Deja Vu, Twenty Years After - Or Is It??

2009-11-23T12:10:00.002-06:00

1989.

Alabama heads to Auburn ranked #2 in the country, sights set on a National Championship, but a motivated underdog team of Tigers de-rails The Tide, 30-20.

Fast Forward to 2009.

Alabama heads to Auburn ranked #2 in the nation, sights set on a National Championship....................

Can Auburn and history repeat itself???

Highly unlikely.

First of all, Alabama 2009 is better than Alabama 1989. The 89 team had an outstanding offense, but the 09 version is much, much better defensively and also in special teams. The offense this year is off the charts more physical than its 1989 counterparts, and wears people down over the course of a game.

While Bama is better, the 2009 Auburn team is not close to being as talented and physical as that 1989 team. There is very little depth on the defensive side of the ball for Auburn, and the offense can be explosive, but lacks the physical nature and strength of the Pat Dye led Tigers.

Then you factor in Coaching..............................................

The Alabama team will enter Jordan-Hare this year behind Nick Saban, not the preening Bill Curry. Nick Saban will be prepared and confident, unlike the fear and uncertainity exhibited by Curry.

Meanwhile, Auburn is led by an unproven first year staff, not the seasoned staff that coached under Pat Dye. A gimmicky offense and assistants waving towels may be exciting to some, but such ploys do not usually bring home the bacon.

There will be some similarities between 1989 and this year - Alabama IS at Auburn, are ranked #2, the Auburn fan base will be at a fever pitch, might even try to rock the Bama buses. The Eagle will fly, and I fully expect Auburn to come out sky high and play well early.

But at some point in the first half, maybe early in the second, things will start to look less like 1989, but a lot like 1999. Alabama will take over the game with stifling defense, a powerful offensive line, and outstanding ability at the running back position.

People unfamiliar with this rivalry tend to throw the euphemistic "In this game, you can throw the record books out the window" type line, but that is rarely the case. The better team almost invariably wins, and...............

This year the better team is Alabama.

In fact, things might be starting to look scarily familiar to older Auburn fans. Alabama is once again chasing National Championships - Auburn is once again chasing Alabama.

Tide Takes The West

2009-11-09T19:26:00.007-06:00

With a 24-15 win over LSU in a brutally physical game, Alabama has punched its ticket to Atlanta for a potential National Semifinal type game against the Florida Gators.

Alabama did it by outgaining the Bengal Tigers by 200 yards, and also by exerting physical dominance at the line of scrimmage in the second half. The Tide held LSU to a mere 9 yards in the final quarter, with the game in the balance.

Mark Ingram was brilliant as usual, McElroy had his good moments, and a kicking game that has started to look pretty sound all contributed - and the 73 yard catch and run by Julio Jones helped as well.

However, there is still unfinished business before December 5th. First up is Mississippi State - who have lost all their games to top 25 teams, and none by more than 11 points. A night game in Starkville could prove to be a struggle.

After that, a game against UTC which should be little more than an exercise in stying healthy and getting some guys rest for Auburn.

Finally, that cross-state journey to face a rested Auburn team coming off a bye. Alabama is just 2-8 in Jordan-Hare, and will be facing a frenzied crowd, and a dangerous Auburn offense that will pull out every stop, take every risk, to de-rail Alabama's National Championship dreams.

Yes, we now know Nick Saban will take Alabama to Atlanta for the second straight year - the challenge is now to get there unbeaten, and with National Championship hopes intact.

Going against conventional wisdom

2009-10-24T13:09:00.002-05:00

and The Phantom - I just called That Man and actually got Alabama at - 13.5, so for fun, I am about to take The Alabama Crimson Tide.

Time to get inside - May The Power of Good Prevail against The orange forces of evil and decay!

(And may The Good prevail by 14 or more)!!!

Time To Fight The Orange Horde

2009-10-24T12:49:00.006-05:00

Sitting in the parking lot, quaffing some cold Bud Light, doing my part to get ready for the battle against our #1 Rival, the biggest game on our schedule.

It is Good vs Evil, Right vs Wrong - it is Alabama vs Tennessee.

May the Good prevail, and in a mighty way, so the world may be at peace for another year.

God, I hate these people, and the UT "Leadership" that conspired to hurt this beautiful campus.

Lets Beat The Hell out of Tennessee - I am ready!!!!

The Bobby Bowden trainwreck a long time in the making

2009-10-06T19:28:00.002-05:00

Anyone with a working brain should have seen this mess that is FSU Football brewing for some years now.

It is a proven recipe for disaster - the iconic legendary Head Coach, who either fails, or just cannot comprehend that it is time to retire, who is propped up by a forceful group of media members, Coaching colleagues, and alums.

They lose sight that the greater good of The University and The Program should be the primary concern, and that excuses like "He has earned the right to go out on his own terms" are counter-productive and sometimes destructive.

When people start placing their own agendas and desires ahead of the group, bad things generally result. Certainly the "Grumpy Old Men" arms race between Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden has been bad for Florida State Football.

To make matters worse, it any hopes of a graceful and dignified exit for Bowden are long gone.
If I was an FSU Alum, I would have a Love-Hate realtionship with Saint Bobby - Love for how he built the Program, and Hate for how he is slowly helping dismantle it.

DADGUMMIT Bobby, announce this is your last year, and work with all your energy to make it a strong finish.

Do the right thing, not the selfish one.

On a side note, looking for FSU Football photos returns gems like the ones below.......................

Bama will get the Rebs best shot

2009-10-06T18:51:00.002-05:00

It has already been a tale of two seasons for the Ole Miss Rebels.

A pre-season Top 10 selection, and considered a National Title dark horse, the bubble seemed to be burst after the loss to South Carolina a couple of weeks ago. The Rebels were scoffed at by many of the same media who had been hyping them before the season, and Ole Miss slipped badly in the polls, and in National perception.

From the Penthouse to the Outhouse.

But as that man who models funny hats on Footbal Saturdays opines - "Not So Fast, My Friend".

These Rebels still have all their goals yet to play for. With only one loss in SEC play, to an Eastern Division team, the Rebs control their destiny in the SEC West - and if they win out, their larger goals are still lurking on the horizon.

But to keep hope alive, they absolutely MUST beat Alabama Saturday.

This is a situation that Houston Nutt thrives upon. His team is under the radar, with some injured pride, the target of national jabs, largely forgotten on the National Scene now.

Nutt will prepare his team, and they will be at their peak physically and emotionally, for perhaps the biggest and most important game in Oxford since John Vaught walked the sideline. I still remember the espn televised locker room speech Nutt gave before the 1997 game where his fired up Hogs beat Alabama 42-6 in Fayetteville.

The Nutt performance in the pre-game locker room this weekend will top that.

Ole Miss has sputtered, but if this is the weekend Snead starts fulfilling the potential NFL types say he has, and the Rebels are able to experience some of the success Kentucky had running the ball, it will be a hard day's work for Alabama to prevail.

I believe Alabama is better and should win - but The Tide had better be prepared mentally, physically, and emotionally, for what could be a war.

What the "SEC" really stands for..................

2009-10-06T17:13:00.005-05:00

The Acronym "SEC" has long been thought to represent the term "Southeastern Conference".

Judging from the events in Athens, GA, last Saturday, and factoring in the anti-fan policies handed down from The League Office this past summer, I think we can finally discern what the term "SEC" really stands for........................

S topping

E nthusiastic

C elebrations

That was what happened in Athens over the weekend in one of the biggest SEC games of the year, Georgia vs LSU.

A cursory look at officials reactions league wide when a touchdown is scored reveals the striped shirts continually urging players to temper celebrations, and eye-balling every move in the endzone to see if they can throw a flag. They appear to be almost efforting the removal of emotion and fun from the game's biggest moments.

And this applies to the fans as well, who wish to cheer a score, but at the same time must hold their collective breaths in case the celebration and happiness of the players draw another ridiculous celebration flag.

The call in Athens after the rather tame celebration after AJ Greene's highlight TD catch gave UGA the lead late in the game was a momentum shifter, and doubtless played a part in LSU scoring so quickly.

The "Makeup Call" after the LSU TD was laughable and pathetic at the same time, and did not reverse the damage that was done to The Dogs.

Passion, enthusiasm, euphoric summits and valleys of despair are part of the tapestry of College Football, and should not be removed or even tempered by hairline judgement calls made by officials.

Flag the choreographed individual or excessive team celebrations, but let the players have some fun during the game.

I heard today on a national radio show that the Big 12 had something like 4 celebration penalies called ALL OF LAST YEAR! We just saw three in one half of football this past weekend.

I do not think Mike Slive is Amish, but the plain and austere path he and the SEC Office is guiding our game down would be enough to make a devout Amish farmer do extra milking.

It is time for Slive and the SEC Office to make an effort to KEEP the fun and passion in our great game.

Week One - Early Line Thoughts

2009-08-31T11:49:00.003-05:00

Just looking at the lines on http://www.scoresandodds.com/ for week one of the College Football season, some early thoughts......................................

I see Alabama Va Tech as one to stay away from right now. Both teams have questions, and the eligibility of Julio Jones and Mark Ingram for this game is still not certain. Bama -7 is one I am thinking about shying away from.

Minnesota at Syracuse

Minnesota is favored by 7, despite a crash and burn job at the end of last year. Minnesota returns 18 starters, and will be looking to make a statement, while Syracuse has such an abysmal talent level that last year Duke Basketball Point Guard Greg Paulus will be starting at QB.

New Head Coach Doug Marrone has no HC experience, and 8 players quit the troubled program this spring.

I am liking Minnesota at this time

Georgia vs Oklahoma State

There is a lot of love being shown Oklahoma State - they are the Mississippi of the Big 12 this season.

There is a sentiment that UGA will be fodder for the high-flying Cowboy offense in agame one, as they make the statement that Okie St is going to be a player on the national scene.

But maybe, not so fast my friend.........................

UGA brings one of the best offensive lines in the country to Stillwater, and there have been indications that new Dawg QB Joe Cox is looking just fine. Georgia was a pre-season #1 last year for good reason - they have a lot of athletes.

That is still the case, and Mark Richt teams always seems to do better when they are a bit under the radar.

A talented SEC team going in with something to prove in Stillwater, to play a Big 12 team that most seem to be ready to hand this game to before the fact.

UGA is starting to look good to me.

Still researching the other games - but I like the under in the Bama Game, and maybe Penn State and Western Michigan.

Not a lot jumping out at me right now, but time will tell............................

Vegas lists Jones and Ingram as "Questionable"

2009-08-28T13:24:00.004-05:00

The Vegas website http://www.scoresandodds.com/ has listed Julio Jones and Mark Ingram "Questionable due to possible suspension" for the Virginia Tech game.

This is the first mention from oddsmakers that the two may not be available, and this game has been circled by Scoresandodds.

With the recent clearance of Bryce Brown by the NCAA, it makes one wonder if The University of Alabama might have questions about something else uncovered during their check on the fishing trip taking with Athens, Alabama business owner Curtis Anderson.

And why would a University official fly to Indianapolis to meet with NCAA officals on the matter? Just being hyper-precautionary, or is there more involved?

On the converse, if Alabama Coaches had serious concern about their eligibility for the opener, would the two players be taking first team reps?? Of course not. It appears that Alabama is preparing them to assume their starting roles in Atlanta.

Seems there are mixed signals being sent - and given the often inept leadership by AD Mal Moore and Athletic Department officials, and also the volatile Alabama -NCAA relationship, we should probably not be surprised.

Revised SEC Media and Ticket Policy Still Troubling

2009-08-24T11:02:00.006-05:00

First, the facts....................

Here is the recently revised edition http://www.secsports.com/doc_lib/0910_final_sec_ticket_policy.pdf

I highly suggest reading both, but especially the first one, (if you can find it) as it maps out where the SEC would like to take their policies in the future. A quick search on my part did not yield positive results, and I think the SEC probably worked to keep the original as out of the way as possible.

The original had personal freedom infringing tenets, such as...............

Not allowing media outlets to air game clips 72 hours after the event
Not allowing fans to exchange accounts of the event
Not allowing video or photo from cameras or phones to be placed on the internet
No tweeting
Prohibiting media credentials to any non full-time employee from a media outlet. That obviously includes bloggers, but is worded to include freelance journalists and the part-timers at many local media stations as well.
Fans will be forbidden from taking any pictures or video at games, including cell phone pictures. They plan on printing this policy on tickets, though it's too late for football tickets this year, as many have already been mailed out. But I think they'll be very clear about their displeasure at such things at the games this year. Watch for new signage.
Increased restrictions on photo, video, and commentary publications. Along with the previous bullet point, the tickets will state that fans will be prohibited from "sharing accounts or descriptions of the event". Aside from that policy being impossible to enforce according to its letter, that's a clear stab at regulating game descriptions from anybody who acts in a media sense without the proper credentials
Restrictions on live game content. Again, if you take this according to the letter of the law, this could mean they'll try to ban things like live game threads as they could be construed to be a media commentary of a live event. Will it go that far? I wouldn't think so, but the initial writing of the policy appears to be designed to give the SEC maximum leverage.
"No (ticket) Bearer may produce or disseminate (or aid in producing or disseminating) any material or information about the Event, including, but not limited to, any account, description, picture, audio, reproduction, or other information concerning the Event, other than in speech that cannot be restricted under the First Amendment, in any form

Suffice to say, the steps taken in early August were very aggressive and certainly not fan-friendly.

A revised Policy was issued about a week ago, with some concessions. There is, however, a catch-all phrase to be printed on the back of the ticket, which is subject to wide interpretation.

The paragraph states.................

The use of any account, description, picture, photograph, video, audio,
reproduction, or other information or material subject to protection under the
copyright laws of the United States (whether or not the copyright is owned or
controlled by the SouthEastern Conference or one of its member institutions)
concerning the sports event for which this ticket provides admission is
prohibited.

So what does this mean???

I see it as Commissioner Mike Stalin... errr Slive, and the SEC want to control the flow of information as it is distributed to the fans. They want to maximize their revenues by forcing SEC and College Football Fans to play by their rules - ie being forced to use the SEC website and adjoining media outlets to view photos, videos, almost anything related to SEC Sports.

They do not want to see fans "tweet" from events, do not want other websites to utilize game photos, do not want bloggers such as this humble one to have access to any photo, video, or the like, eminating from SEC events..

The SEC is attempting to become its own media monopoly, paired with CBS and ESPN.

The League has now issued a revised media policy, backing off some of the more stringent language, but their master plans are out in the open. We now know where they wish to take the media and ticket policies, and it is all for their own ends.

They launched the first attack not to win the day, but to gauge the enemies strength and positioning. SEC leaders will now regroup, confer with the legal types, and carefully map out a strategy to achieve their aims.

Rest assured, in a smoky back room, this IS happening, and this issue will be in the forefront once more in the near future.

And when that time comes, they will be counting on fan apathy.

So if you enjoy taking photos or texting from a game, if you have a website or enjoy reading a blog that uses photos, if you think complete media control should be relegated to Amin's Uganda or Communist Russia, not our beloved game of College football.................................

Get off your tails and contact the SEC office, the NCAA, and your own member institution, and let them know we appreciate our rights and freedoms as fans, and will not stand idly by as they are sniped off one by one.

For a list of articles from around the nation regarding this, go to http://www.jacklail.com/blog/archives/2009/08/sec-media-policy-doesnt-get-be.html

Touchdown Jesus, #1 Moses, Congrats to Notre Dame

2009-08-24T10:34:00.003-05:00

So, we have reached the top spot. Guess having the luck of a leprechaun, and The Pope on your side means something after all, and #1 Moses and a Touchdown Jesus probably do not hurt either.

I wish it were Alabama, it is so close to being Alabama, or several other Programs, but as Coach Bryant said after the 1977 pollster screw job,

"Congrats to .............................

#1 - THE NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH

Play The "Notre Dame Victory March"http://www.fightmusic.com/mp3/ind/Notre_Dame__Fanfare_and_Notre_Dame_Victory_March.mp3

Notre Dame began playing football in 1887, and have compiled an 831-285-41 record in that span. Only Texas and Michigan have more wins, and the Irish rank second in winning percentage at .736, a scant .002 behind Michigan.

As an Independent, Notre Dame owns no Conference Championships, but have experienced success like no other on the national stage.

Notre Dame officially claims eleven "Consensus" National Championships, and have been named as Champion eight other times by at least one recognized selector.

From http://www.und.com/

Here are Notre Dame's 11 consensus seasons:

Year Team Record Coach Selector

1924 Notre Dame 10-0 Knute Rockne DS, Helms, Boand, FR, Houl, NCF, Poling

Pennsylvania 9-1-1 Lou Young Davis

1929 Notre Dame 9-0 Knute Rockne DS, Dunkel, Boand, Helms, FR, NCF, Poling

Pittsburgh 9-1 J. Sutherland Davis

USC 10-2 Howard Jones Houlgate

1930 Notre Dame 10-0 Knute Rockne All but FR, tie for Davis

Alabama 10-0 Wallace Wade Davis (tie), FR

1943 Notre Dame 9-1 Frank Leahy Unanimous

1946 Notre Dame 8-0-1 Frank Leahy AP, Dunkel, LS, Devold, NCF, Helms (tie), Boand (tie), Poling (tie)

Army 9-0-1 Red Blaik Houlgate, FR, Boand (tie), Helms (tie), Poling (tie) Georgia 11-0 Wally Butts WS

1947 Notre Dame 9-0 Frank Leahy AP, WS, Helms (tie)

Michigan 10-0 Fritz Crisler Dunkel, LS, Houlgate, Helms (tie), Boand, FR, Devold, NCF, Poling

1949 Notre Dame 10-0 Frank Leahy All but FR

Oklahoma 11-0 Bud Wilkinson FR

1966 Notre Dame 9-0-1 Ara Parseghian AP, UPI, FWAA, Dunkel,LS, Devold, FN, Matthews, NFFHF (tie), Helms (tie)

Michigan State 9-0-1 D. Daugherty FR, Helms (tie), NFFHF (tie)

1973 Notre Dame 11-0 Ara Parseghian AP, FWAA, NFFHF, Helms, FN

Alabama 10-1 Paul Bryant UPI

Oklahoma 10-0-1 Barry Switzer Dunkel, FR, Devold

1977 Notre Dame 11-1 Dan Devine All but FR (tie)

Alabama 11-1 Paul Bryant FR (tie) 1

1988 Notre Dame 12-0 Lou Holtz Unanimous

Here are the other eight seasons Notre Dame received some mention:

1919 Harvard 9-0-1 Bob Fisher Unanimous

Notre Dame 9-0 Knute Rockne Davis (tie), NCF

Illinois 6-1 Bob Zuppke Davis (tie), FR (tie), Boand

1920 California 9-0 Andy Smith Helms, FR, Houl.,NCF

Notre Dame 9-0 Knute Rockne Davis (tie)

Princeton 6-0-1 Bill Roper Davis (tie), Boand (tie)

Harvard 8-0-1 Robert Fisher Boand (tie)

1927 Illinois 7-0-1 Bob Zuppke DS, Davis, Helms, NCF

Yale 7-1 T.A.D. Jones FR

Notre Dame 7-1-1 Knute Rockne Houl.

Georgia 9-1 G. Woodruff Boand, Poling

1938 Tennessee 11-0 Bob Neyland Dunkel, LS, Boand, Houl.,FR, Poling

TCU 11-0 Dutch Meyer AP,WS, Helms, NCF

Notre Dame 8-1 Elmer Layden DS

1953 Notre Dame 9-0-1 Frank Leahy All but AP, UP, FRI

Maryland 10-1 Jim Tatum AP, UPI

Oklahoma 9-1-1 Bud Wilkinson FR

1964 Alabama 10-1 Bear Bryant AP,UPI, LS

Arkansas 11-0 Frank Broyles FWAA, Helms, FR

Notre Dame 9-1 Ara Parseghian NFFHF, Devold, FN

Michigan 9-1 Bump Elliott Dunkel

1967 USC 10-1 John McKay All but Dunkel, LS

Notre Dame 8-2 Ara Parseghian Dunkel

Tennessee 9-2 Doug Dickey LS

1970 Nebraska 11-0-1 Bob Devaney AP, FWAA, Dunkel, Helms, FR, Devold, FN

Texas 10-1 Darrell Royal UPI, LS, NFFHF (tie)

Ohio State 9-1 Woody Hayes NFFHF (tie)

Notre Dame 10-1 Ara Parseghian Matthews

Notre Dame has of course produced many of the greatest players in the game, and are tied with USC and Ohio State with seven Heisman winners.

The seven Heisman winners are Angelo Bertelli, Johnny Lujack, Leon Hart, Johnny Lattner, Paul Hornung, John Huarte, and Tim Brown.

Some other Irish greats include............................... Whitey Beinor, Bob Kelly, Frank Dancewicz, Bob Williams, Terry Hanratty, Joe Theisman, Vagas Ferguson, Ken MacAfee, Ross Browner, Brady Quinn, Raghib Ismail, Jim Lynch, Elmer Layden, Bob Crable, Luther Bradley, Mike Townsend,.................. Again, please add your own favorite or "Most Hated" Golden Domer!

Notre Dame has also produced some of the most legendary Head Coaches in College Football History - the names and records below speak for themselves.......................

Knute Kenneth Rockne 1918-1930 105-12-5 .881

Elmer F. Layden 1934-1940 47-13-3 .770

Frank Leahy 1941-43, 46-53 87-11-9 .855

Ara Parseghian 1964-1974 95-17-4 .836

Dan Devine 1975-1980 53-16-1 .764

Lou Holtz 1986-1996 100-30-2 .765

Now for the many Legends, traditions, and history of Notre Dame................

The Four Horsemen

The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame comprised a winning group of American football players at the University of Notre Dame under coach Knute Rockne. They were the legendary backfield of Notre Dame's 1924 football team. The players that made up this group were Harry Stuhldreher, Don Miller, Jim Crowley, and Elmer Layden.

In 1924, a dramatic nickname coined by a poetic sportswriter and the quick-thinking actions of a clever student publicity aide transformed the Notre Dame backfield of Stuhldreher, Crowley, Miller and Layden into the most fabled quartet in college football history, the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame.

Quarterback Harry Stuhldreher, left halfback Jim Crowley, right halfback Don Miller and fullback Elmer Layden had run rampant through Irish opponents' defenses since coach Knute Rockne devised the lineup in 1922 during their sophomore season.

The foursome needed some help from Grantland Rice, a sportswriter for the former New York Herald Tribune, to achieve football immortality. After Notre Dame's 13-7 upset victory over a strong Army team, on October 18, 1924, Rice penned a famous passage of sports journalism:

"Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again. In
dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden. They
formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army
team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds this afternoon as 55,000
spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green
plain below."

The Fighting Irish

Exactly where and how Notre Dame's athletic nickname, "Fighting Irish," came to origination never has been perfectly explained.

One story suggests the moniker was born in 1899 with Notre Dame leading Northwestern 5-0 at halftime of a game in Evanston, Ill. The Wildcat fans supposedly began to chant, "Kill the Fighting Irish, kill the Fighting Irish," as the second half opened.

Another tale has the nickname originating at halftime of the Notre Dame-Michigan game in 1909. With his team trailing, one Notre Dame player yelled to his teammates - who happened to have names like Dolan, Kelly, Glynn, Duffy and Ryan - "What's the matter with you guys? You're all Irish and you're not fighting worth a lick."

Notre Dame came back to win the game and press, after overhearing the remark, reported the game as a victory for the "Fighting Irish."

The most generally accepted explanation is that the press coined the nickname as a characterization of Notre Dame athletic teams, their never-say-die fighting spirit and the Irish qualities of grit, determination and tenacity. The term likely began as an abusive expression tauntingly directed toward the athletes from the small, private, Catholic institution. Notre Dame alumnus Francis Wallace popularized it in his New York Daily News columns in the 1920s.

The Notre Dame Scholastic, in a 1929 edition, printed its own version of the story:

"The term 'Fighting Irish' has been applied to Notre Dame teams for years.
It first attached itself years ago when the school, comparatively unknown, sent
its athletic teams away to play in another city ...At that time the title
'Fighting Irish' held no glory or prestige ...

"The years passed swiftly and the school began to take a place in the
sports world ...'Fighting Irish' took on a new meaning. The unknown of a few
years past has boldly taken a place among the leaders. The unkind appellation
became symbolic of the struggle for supremacy of the field. ...The team, while
given in irony, has become our heritage. ...So truly does it represent us that
we unwilling to part with it ..."

Notre Dame competed under the nickname "Catholics" during the 1800s and became more widely known as the "Ramblers" during the early 1920s in the days of the Four Horsemen.

University president Rev. Matthew Walsh, C.S.C., officially adopted "Fighting irish" as the Notre Dame nickname in 1927.

Gold And Blue

Although Notre Dame's official colors for athletics long have been listed as gold and blue, the color of the Irish home football jersey has switched back and forth between blue and green for more than 50 years.

The origin of school colors can be traced back to the founding of the University. At the time of its founding in 1842, Notre Dame's original school colors were yellow and blue; yellow symbolized the light and blue the truth. However, sometime after the Dome and Statue of Mary atop the Main Building was gilded, gold and blue became the official colors of the University.

The 1984 season marked the last change in game uniform as the Irish returned to the standard navy blue worn throughout the Ara Parseghian years and early portion of the Dan Devine era. The gold Irish helmets and pants remained unchanged.

When Gerry Faust took over in 1981, Notre Dame went to royal blue jerseys with three one-inch stripes on the sleeves, two gold surrounding one white. But the stripes were eliminated on the '84 tops, which didn't feature any trim or feathering other than the white numbers on the navy blue shirts. Lou Holtz's only change beginning in '86 involved adding the interlocked Notre Dame logo to the shoulder of the jerseys and to the left front side of the pants.

That logo on the pants switched from blue to green beginning in '95. The change from green to royal blue in '81 marked the first switch since Notre Dame made the move to green beginning with the 49-19 victory over USC October 22, 1977. The Irish had worn navy blue all during Parseghian's 11 seasons and through the first two-and-a-half years of the Devine era — but they had stayed with the green ever since the victory over the Trojans. However, even Faust made use of the green jerseys on two occasions. He outfitted his Irish in green in a 27-6 win over USC in '83 — six years to the day after Devine first went to the green in a win over those same Trojans. The Irish also wore green during the second half of the 37-3 win over USC in '85.

For the first time during Holtz's tenure as head coach, the Irish used green as part of their uniform in the 1992 Sugar Bowl as they donned white jerseys with green numbers and green socks. The last time the Irish had worn their road white jerseys with green numbers was in the Superdome in Notre Dame's loss to Georgia in the Sugar Bowl 17-10 exactly 11 years earlier.

Notre Dame again wore green jersey in a 41-24 loss to Colorado in the '95 Fiesta Bowl and donned the green against Georgia Tech in the '99 Gator Bowl — a 35-28 loss.

Back in the 1920s during the Knute Rockne days, the Notre Dame varsity generally wore blue while the freshman squad wore green. But, on several occasions the varsity team did wear green — simply for purposes of distinction when the Irish opponent also came out in blue. Games against Navy, for example, in the late 1920s featured green-clad Notre Dame teams, to avoid confusion with the Navy's blue uniforms.

Rockne didn't mind using the color change as a psychological ploy. When Notre Dame faced Navy in Baltimore in 1927, the Irish head coach started his second-string reserves. Navy retaliated by scoring a touchdown in the first five minutes of the game. But, just as the Midshipmen scored, reported George Trevor in the New York Sun, Rockne made his move:

''Instantaneously the Notre Dame regulars yanked off their blue outer sweaters and like a horde of green Gila monsters darted onto the field. From that moment on Notre Dame held the initiative, imposed its collective will upon the Navy.''

The Irish came from behind to win that one 19-6 — then did the same thing the following year in Chicago's Soldier Field, this time beating Navy 7-0. The 1928 edition of the Scholastic Football Review included this description:

''Mr. K. K. Rockne may, or may not, be a psychologist. But, he did array his Fighting Irish in bright green jerseys for their battle with the United States Naval Academy. Mr. Rockne evidently surmised that garbing a band of native and adopted Irish in their native color is somewhat akin to showing a bull the Russian flag.''

The green jerseys remained prominent throughout the Frank Leahy years — particularly so in September of 1947 when Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Lujack graced the cover of Life magazine clad in green. Several of Joe Kuharich's squads wore green with UCLA-style shoulder stripes and shamrocks on the helmets. Even Hugh Devore's 1963 team — after wearing navy blue all season — switched to green in the finale against Syracuse.

Faust's return to blue came after the new Irish coach suggested some research into the University archives to determine the history of Notre Dame's gold and blue colors.

Those findings indicated the blue color was actually Madonna blue,a light blue shade, as opposed to the navy blue shade that has been most common in recent Notre Dame uniforms.

The Leprechaun

In keeping with the nickname Fighting Irish and the Irish folklore, the Leprechaun serves as the Notre Dame mascot.

The Notre Dame logo features a side view of the figure with his dukes up, ready to battle anyone that comes his way. The live version is a student, chosen annually at tryouts, dressed in a cutaway green suit and Irish country hat.

The Leprechaun brandishes a shillelagh and agressively leads cheers and interacts with the crowd, supposedly bringing magical powers and good luck to the Notre Dame team.

The Leprechaun wasn't always the official mascot of Notre Dame - for years the team was represented by a series of Irish terrier dogs. The first, named Brick Top Shuan-Rhu, was donated by one Charles Otis of Cleveland and presented to Irish head coach Knute Rockne the weekend of the Notre Dame-Pennsylvania game Nov. 8, 1930.

A number of terriers later took the role of the school mascot, which usually took the name Clashmore Mike. The Clashmore Mike mascot last made an appearance on the cover of the 1963 Notre Dame Football Dope Book with coach Hugh Devore and captain Bob Lehmann.

The Leprechaun was named the official mascot in 1965.

Notre Dame Victory March

Without a doubt the most recognizable collegiate fight song in the nation, the "Notre Dame Victory March" was written just past the turn of the century by two brothers who were University of Notre Dame graduates.

Michael J. Shea, a 1905 graduate, wrote the music and his brother, John F. Shea, who earned degrees in 1906 and 1908, wrote the words. The song was copyrighted in 1908 and a piano verson, complete with lyrics, was published that year.

Michael, who became a priest in Ossining, N.Y., collaborated on the project with John, who lived in Holyoke, Mass. The song's public debut came in the winter of 1908 when Michael played it on the organ of the Second Congregational Church in Holyoke.

The "Notre Dame Victory March" later was presented by the Shea brothers to the University and it first appeared under the copyright of the University of Notre dame in 1928. The copyright was assigned to the publishing company of Edwin H. Morris and the copyright for the beginning of the song is still in effect.

The words and music which begin with the words "Cheer, cheer for Old Notre Dame" are in the public domain in the United States, but are protected in all territories outside of the country.

Notre Dame's fight song was first performed at Notre Dame on Easter Sunday, 1909, in the rotunda of the Administration Building. The University of Notre Dame band, under the direction of Prof. Clarence Peterson, played it as part of its athletic event 10 years later. In 1969, as college football celebrated its centennial, the "Notre Dame Victory March" was honored as the "greatest of all fight songs."

Michael Shea was the pastor of St. Augustine's Church in Ossining until his death in 1938. John Shea, a baseball monogram winner at Notre Dame, became a Massachusetts state senator and live in Holyoke until his death in 1965.

Lyrics:

Rally sons of Notre Dame:
Sing her glory and sound her fame,
Raise her Gold and Blue
And cheer with voices true:
Rah, rah, for Notre Dame
We will fight in ev-ry game,
Strong of heart and true to her name
We will ne'er forget her
And will cheer her ever
Loyal to Notre Dame

Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame,
Wake up the echos cheering her name,
Send a volley cheer on high,
Shake down the thunder from the sky.
What though the odds be great or small
Old Notre Dame will win over all,
While her loyal sons are marching
Onward to victory.

From Wikki...........................

Knute Rockne

Knute Rockne became head coach in 1918. Under Rockne the Irish would post a record of 105 wins, 12 losses, and 5 ties. During his 13 years the Irish won six national championships, had five undefeated seasons, won the Rose Bowl in 1925, and produced players such as the "Four Horsemen,". Knute Rockne has the highest win percentage (.881) in college football history.

Among the events that occurred during Rockne's tenure none may be more famous than the Rockne's Win one for the Gipper speech. George "the Gipper" Gipp was a player on Rockne's earlier teams who died of strep throat in 1920. Army came into the 1928 matchup undefeated and was the clear favorite. Notre Dame, on the other hand, was having their worst season under Rockne's leadership and entered the game with a 4–2 record. At the end of the half Army was leading and looked to be in command of the game. Rockne entered the locker room and gave his account of Gipp's final words: "I've got to go, Rock. It's all right. I'm not afraid. Some time, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are going wrong and the breaks are beating the boys, tell them to go in there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock. But I'll know about it, and I'll be happy." The speech, although possibly fictional, inspired the team and they went on to upset Army and win the game 12–6.

The last game Rockne coached was on December 14, 1930 when he led a group of Notre Dame All Stars against the New York Giants in New York City. The game raised funds for the Mayor's Relief Committee for the Unemployed and Needy of the city. Fifty-thousand fans turned out to see the reunited "Four Horsemen" along with players from Rockne's other championship teams take the field against the pros.

Rockne died in the plane crash of TWA Flight 599 in Kansas on March 31, 1931, while on his way to help in the production of the film The Spirit of Notre Dame. The crash site, located in a remote expanse of Kansas known as the Flint Hills, now features a Rockne Memorial. Knute Rockne is considered to be one of the best football coaches in the history of football, professional or college level.Rockne was the subject of the 1940 film Knute Rockne, All American.

Due to its long and storied history, Notre Dame football boasts many traditions unique to Notre Dame. Some of these are:

Prior to each game, Notre Dame students paint all football helmets gold, using paint containing real gold dust.

Prior to the start of the game, the team attends mass in formal attire at the Sacred Heart Basilica. At the conclusion of mass, fans form a line from the chapel to the stadium, which the team walks through.

Coming out of the locker room, players slap the famous "Play Like a Champion Today" sign.
Between the third and fourth quarters of home games, the Notre Dame Marching Band plays the finale to the 1812 Overture, as the crowd reacts with synchronized waving of arms, with their fingers in the shape of a letter designating the name of the head coach.

Since 1961, Sergeant Tim McCarthy for the Indiana State Police has read out a driving safety announcement to the crowd during the fourth quarter. When Sergeant McCarthy begins his announcement, the crowd goes silent to hear his message, which invariably ends with a pun.

At the conclusion of every home game, the team turns to the student section to salute them by raising their helmets in the air. They do this after a win or after a loss.

At the conclusion of every home game, the band plays the Alma Mater, "Notre Dame, Our Mother". Those who stay link arms and sing the lyrics.

Play "The Rakes of Mallow"

http://www.fightmusic.com/mp3/ind/Notre_Dame__Rakes_of_Mallow.mp3

The Four Horsemen

Touchdown Jesus

Knute Rockne with an enigmatic smile

Ronald Reagan - Before He was Hailed as Chief, he was the legendary George Gipp

Babe Ruth, a 1927 Golden Domer?

Frank Leahy

Two exposures of the 1973 Sugar Bowl Play that broke Bama Fans hearts - Clements to Weber on third and long. I was sitting in the far end zone, in the gap between Irish OL #71 and #59

Coaches Bryant and Paraseghian on a windy, chilly, rainy 1973 Sugar Bowl night

The Band of The Fighting Irish

So, The Irish hold on, with a lot of skill and a little luck. Had the 1966 or 1977 votes gone for Alabama, like at least one probably should have, The Tide would be high. If USC or Oklahoma managed another National Championship in the last decade, they would be higher, and maybe at the top.

With the Irish reeling, and the three Programs behind them resurgent, it may be just a matter of time before Notre Dame is not just reeling, but reeled in.But, for another year, I must say......................................

SHAKE DOWN THE THUNDER AND WAKE UP THE ECHOES!!!!

Virginia Tech Scrimmage Notes

2009-08-23T13:34:00.002-05:00

from the Virginia Tech Rivals site....................

http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=979215

Ty Taylor went 8-11, seems that they may try to pop the Fullback up the middle a few times, and some mention of "The Wild Turkey" and "Pride and Joy Team."

Tebow Just Another Phony Evangelist??

2009-08-23T12:10:00.005-05:00

For the entire Tebow GQ experience, go to http://men.style.com/gq

You know the type.

They preach in person and on camera, on the radio and now on the internet.

They may even Preach The Gospel, but are doing so from selfish motivations. The Phony Evangelist uses their "teaching" as a means to achieve their own ends - be it money, fame, adulation, or all of these and more.

So, Tim Tebow talks a good game on the Christianity front, and The Lord knows he plays a good game on the field.

But their is an element to Tebow that seems a bit conflicting with his message, at least to me. He seems too eager to pursue the Spotlight, too ready to embrace celebrity status.

So - how did the recent GQ article featuring staged photos of Tim Tebow, shirtless or flexing, help spread the message of Christianity?? Those photos were a glorification of Tim Tebow, not the Lord Jesus Christ.

And how did Tebow and his Head Coach Urban Meyer think that an article in a magazine like GQ would be anything but a bit racy, edgy, and portrayed with sexual and perhaps homosexual undertones?

It was not long ago that Alabama had a revered Quarterback who took the opportunities his status afforded to preach the message of his Lord. But there was an honesty and sincerity, and humbleness about Jay Barker that just does not resonate with Tim Tebow.

Tebow reminds me of a pair of Rodeo Drive DDs - they look perfect and natural from a distance, but on closer inspection feel as phony as a Mexican-Minted Hundred dollar bill.

Perhaps I have just become too jaded, and seen too much that creates a naturally suspicious nature of phemomenons like Tim Tebow. Maybe he is all that,, and the problem in recognizing it is mine, not his.

But actions speak louder than words, and I think there is a clear message sent by this willingness to do an article and photos with a publication of GQ's nature.

Perhaps Tim Tebow is truly looking to gain celebrity in order to have a better platform to spread the word of his God - but from this perspective it is starting to feel like he may be using his religion to increase his own fame and celebrity.

Either way, give me Jay Barker as a role model any day.

Breaking The Code - Saban's Rants on the Media

2009-08-22T11:29:00.003-05:00

Those who really know Nick Saban will tell you he does almost nothing publicly that is not calculated and designed to achieve a certain result.

So when he recently threw one of his mini-rants on how the media covers Alabama Football, many missed a major reason that prompted it. It was not about players worrying about a depth chart, or how the media can influence the players on a daily basis.

I guarantee you no player went up to Coach Saban and whined about not being listed first team in The Birmingham News speculative depth chart.

Coach Saban had another reason for the tirade. It took the focus off how well things were shaping up in Tuscaloosa so far, and placed the spotlight once again on an easy subject for the media to wwrestle with - how Coach Saban treats the media.

Coach Saban found a way to control the increasing euphoria and attached expectations for the 2009 Bama team by making himself a target for a few days.

Many less cerebral types make the patently false assumption that Coach Saban has explosions due to a lack of control - Coach Saban has these explosions primarily to achieve a desired end, and to benefit his team.

You may term him a manipulator or the like, but there is no doubt Coach Saban will use any means available to help his team.

Even if it means a little riot act before the local media.

The #2 All Time Program - Crimson and White

2009-08-17T10:24:00.007-05:00

#2 - THE ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

The Alabama Crimson Tide, The Football Pride of Dixie, The Flagship and Rock that Southern Football success was built upon.

A unique nickname, unique place, and unique tradition. Alabama began playing College Football in 1892, and has a 799-316-43 in that time. The wins are seventh most in NCAA history, and the .710 winning percentage is good for sixth all time.

The Crimson Tide has 25 Conference Championships - 4 Southern Conference and 21 Southeastern Conference Championships, spanning the years of 1924-1999. Alabama claims 11 National Championships, and they have occured in 5 different decades.................................

National championships

Year Coach Record Bowl Result

1925 Wallace Wade 10-0 Rose Bowl Winner

1926 9-0-1 Tied in Rose Bowl

1930 10-0 Rose Bowl Winner

1934 Frank Thomas 10-0 Rose Bowl Winner

1961 Paul Bryant 11-0 Sugar Bowl Winner

1964 10-1 Orange Bowl Loss

1965 9-1-1 Orange Bowl Winner

1973 11-1 Sugar Bowl Loss

1978 11-1 Sugar Bowl Winner

1979 12-0 Sugar Bowl Winner

1992 Gene Stallings 13-0 Sugar Bowl Winner

Alabama has also been selected as a National Champion by at least one recognized selector in six other seasons........................

There are two seasons that particularly rankles Alabama Folks. In 1966, two-time defending Champ Alabama went 11-0, but Notre Dame played for a tie at the end of their bally-hooed tie with Michigan State, rather than risk a turnover. The Irish felt the media would reward them with a #1 ranking, as long as they did not lose.

They were, of course, right - ND and Michigan State split the vote, and there was no three-peat for Alabama.

There was also a sentiment among media folks that "We want to send a message to the state of Alabama about Civil Rights", and I believe there is some merit here as well

Then, there are the inexplicable events of the 1977 season. Notre Dame, ranked #5, crushed #1 Texas 38-10 in the Cotton Bowl, while #3 Alabama also destroyed #8 Ohio State 35-6 in the Sugar Bowl.

When #2 Oklahoma got waxed by Arkansas that night in The Orange Bowl, Alabama fans rejoiced. They knew Notre Dame would get a lot of votes, but the feeling was that at worst the vote would be split between AP and the UPI.

Alabama was ranked higher, had even won its Bowl Game by more than Notre Dame. Both teams had one loss - Alabama by 7 at Nebraska, a day Jeff Rutledge threw 5 interceptions, or Bama likely turns a 31-24 loss into something like a 35-21 win.

Notre Dame had lost to Ole Miss - an Ole Miss team Alabama had routed in the first game of the year.

Bama had to win at least half of the Championship, right????

When it came out - Notre Dame won both polls.

CLASS

Coach Bryant taught it, preached it, and lived it. When informed about the
1977 robbery of a media vote, instead of whining and crying like modern day
Coaches (Stoops, Meyer please read this), Coach Bryant uttered gave the media
four words ......................

"Congratulations to Notre Dame"

Alabama is the nations "Bowlingest Team", with a nation' best 56 Bowl appearances, and a 31-22-3 record in those games. The 31 wins are tied for #1 all time with USC.

As with all the great Programs, Alabama has produced its share of great players, some of which include......................................

W. T. "Bully VandeGraaf, Paul Bryant, Johnny Mack Brown, Wu Winslett, Don Hutson, Vaughn Mancha, Johnny Cain, Harry Gilmer, Bobby Marlow, Bart Starr, Billy Neighbors, Mike Fracchia, Joe Namath, Ken Stabler, Ozzie Newsome, John Hannah, Dwight Stephenson, Don McNeal, Bobby Humphrey, David Palmer, Johnny Musso, Shaun Alexander, Chris Samuels, Ray Perkins, Marty Lyons, EJ Junior, Football Freddie Sington, John Henry Suther, Pooley Hubert..... I could go on all day.

Don Hutson, College Football and NFL Hall of Famer

Don Hutson, #14, in the 1935 Rose Bowl

Before Broadway, he was "University Boulevard" Joe

Paul Bryant and Don Hutson - the two Alabama Ends

Joe Namath, receiving his University of Alabama Diploma

The Wizard of Oz - Ozzie Newsome

Johnny Mack Brown (left), College football Hall of Famer and Movie Star

Ken Stabler and the Famed "Run In The Mud" to beat Auburn in 1967. Note Gusty Yearout watching with a face full of mud...............

Bart Starr

Jay Barker doing what Bama does best - Beat Tennessee

And Linebackers - Penn State has been dubbed as "Linebacker U", but the same term could be applied to Alabama as well. I would take Woodrow Lowe, Lee Roy Jordan, Derrick Thomas, Barry Krauss, Cornelius Bennett, DeMeco Ryans, and the Bama Linebacking Corps against those from any Program.

Lee Roy Jordan, interviewed after 31 tackles against Oklahoma in the 1963 Orange Bowl

"If They Stay Between the Lines, Lee Roy'll get 'em"

Derrick Thomas Mashes a Wolverine

Derrick Thomas, now an NFL Hall of Famer

The Fearsome Woodrow Lowe

Cornelius Bennett

Barry Krauss and Friends EJ Jr, Legg, Wingo, and Lyles provide Bama's signature play

Many People consider the Alabama Coaching Legacyto begin and end with Coach Paul Bryant, but there is far more to this story. Gene Stallings, Frank Thomas, and Wallace Wade all have National Championships on their resumes.

Some Bama Coaching notables....................

Xen Scott 1919 - 1922 29-9-3

Wallace Wade 1923 - 1930 61-13-3

Frank Thomas 1931-1946 115-24-7

Paul Bryant 1958-1982 232-46-9

Ray Perkins 1983-1986 32-15-1

Gene Stallings 1990-1997 70-16-1

Nick Saban Current 19-8-0

"The Four Crimson Horsemen"

Alabama was the driving force for Southern Football gaining its due respect on a National Scale. There were two pivotal wins in particular.............................

In 1922, Coach Xen Scott took his final team to Philadelphia to play Eastern Power and favored Penn. Captain Al Clemens said ............

"On the train ride up there we stopped in Washington DC to watch a game between
Navy and Penn State. The papers were calling this a "classical game", but they
looked like high school players to us. We thought if this is what Eastern
Football is like, we can beat PennAlabama won 9-7, and held an impromptu parade
through the streets of Philadelphia. It was Coach Scott's last season, as he was
sadly soon to die from throat cancer."

Led by Pooley Hubert, Johnny Mack Brown Alabama won 20-19, and the greatest Bowl Tradition in NCAA history was born.

Johnny Mack Brown

People claim there is a lot of pressure at Alabama, but as Coach Gene Stallings said........

"What is wrong with people expecting excellence?"

However, maybe they have a point. Coach Wallace Wade received some criticism after his teams of 1927-29 produced winning records, but basically mediocre seasons. Whispers were that he "had lost his touch".

Sensitive to the comments, Wade announced the 1930 season would be his last. His team went undefeated, and received another Rose Bowl invite, to face Washington State.

Before the game, the great Governor Bibb Graves issued a statement that perhaps may help some here realize why Alabama Football was so important, maybe moreso than in these days.......................

"We have been hampered industrially by an unfair picture the world seems to have of Alabama as a state of undersized, weak people living in swamp lands full of malaria and tuberculosis. None who have seen Wade's Tide in action, or who read the accounts of the games, will continue to embrace the idea."

Alabama went on to win 24-0, finishing as National Champions. Coach Wade went to Duke, where he experienced great success, and finished as Duke's all time wins leader. The Devils currentl play in Wallace Wade Stadium.

Coach Bryant

Then there is Coach Bryant, and none like him in this game. I firmly believe Coach Bryant and Coach Wooden of UCLA are the two greatest ever in their respective sports. Coach Bryant influenced, helped, challenged, thousands of successful people, some of whom he never met. He was also able to realize his limitations, and make changes - like travelling to Austin, Texas, and learning the principles of the Wishbone from Darrell Royal.

Coach Bryant had experienced a couple of mediocre seasons in the late 1960s, and realized change was needed. That was one of his great strengths - being able to adapt, and also understanding to succeed at the highest level, you need to surround yourself with good people, in all areas.

You need good people on the field, in the coaches offices, in administrative positions, everywhere there is a job to be done. Coach Bryant understood this.

"If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes semi-good, we did it. If anything goes really good, then you did it. That's all it takes to get people to win football games for you." - Coach Paul Bryant

Coach Bryant being carried off the field after "The Goal Line Stand" Part II - 1981 at Penn State
Coach Paul William Bryant

Coach Bryant and Penn State's Rip Engle before the 1959 Libery Bowl

TOUGHNESS

Alabama Football is founded on toughness. Coach Bryant played against
Tennessee with a broken leg. But maybe the best example is the story of Bully
Van DeGraaf......................

"Tuscaloosa's Hargrove Van de Graaff was one tough hombre on the football
field.In a 1913 game against Tennessee, he nearly lost an ear.

It "had a real nasty cut and was dangling from his head, bleeding badly,"
Tennessee tackle Bull Bayer recalls in Winston Groom's book, "The Crimson Tide."
"He grabbed his ear and tried to yank it from his head. His teammates stopped
him and his managers bandaged him … He wanted to tear off his own ear so he
could keep playing."

Van de Graaff hung on to his ear and Alabama hung on to a 6-0 lead to beat
the Vols.

Hargrove's brother W.T. "Bully" Van de Graaff was an even bigger star for
the Tide. A fabulously gifted athlete, he became Alabama's first
All-American. "

I think that says it all, and also speaks on our hatred of Tennessee.

"Rammer Jammer" The Vols, always a good time!!!

Some other Alabama Facts, History, and Tradition......................................

How the Crimson Tide Got its Name

In early newspaper accounts of Alabama football, the team was simply listed as the "varsity" or the "Crimson White" after the school colors.The first nickname to become popular and used by headline writers was the "Thin Red Line." The nickname was used until 1906.

The name "Crimson Tide" is supposed to have first been used by Hugh Roberts, former sports editor of the Birmingham Age-Herald. He used "Crimson Tide" in describing an Alabama-Auburn game played in Birmingham in 1907, the last football contest between the two schools until 1948 when the series was resumed. The game was played in a sea of mud and Auburn was a heavy favorite to win.

But, evidently, the "Thin Red Line" played a great game in the red mud and held Auburn to a 6-6 tie, thus gaining the name "Crimson Tide." Zipp Newman, former sports editor of the Birmingham News, probably popularized the name more than any other writer.

The Elephant Story

The story of how Alabama became associated with the "elephant" goes back to the 1930 season when Coach Wallace Wade had assembled a great football team.

On October 8, 1930, sports writer Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal wrote a story of the Alabama-Mississippi game he had witnessed in Tuscaloosa four days earlier. Strupper wrote, "That Alabama team of 1930 is a typical Wade machine, powerful, big, tough, fast, aggressive, well-schooled in fundamentals, and the best blocking team for this early in the season that I have ever seen. When those big brutes hit you I mean you go down and stay down, often for an additional two minutes. "

Coach Wade started his second team that was plenty big and they went right to their knitting scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against one of the best fighting small lines that I have seen. For Ole Miss was truly battling the big boys for every inch of ground. "

At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow. Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, 'Hold your horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity.

"It was the first time that I had seen it and the size of the entire eleven nearly knocked me cold, men that I had seen play last year looking like they had nearly doubled in size."

Strupper and other writers continued to refer to the Alabama linemen as "Red Elephants," the color referring to the crimson jerseys.

The 1930 team posted an overall 10-0 record. It shut out eight opponents and allowed only 13 points all season while scoring 217. The "Red Elephants" rolled over Washington State 24-0 in the Rose Bowl and were declared National Champions.

"Yea Alabama"...........

Yea, Alabama! Drown 'em Tide!

Every 'Bama man's behind you,

Hit your stride.

Go teach the Bulldogs to behave,

Send the Yellow Jackets to a watery grave.

And if a man starts to weaken,That's a shame!

For Bama's pluck and grit haveWrit her name in Crimson flame.

Fight on, fight on, fight on men!

Remember the Rose Bowl, we'll win then.

So roll on to victory,Hit your stride,

You're Dixie's football pride,

Crimson Tide, Roll Tide, Roll Tide!!

TENNESSEE WEEK (from Wikki)

The Third Saturday in October

Despite the heated in-state rivalry with Auburn, Bear Bryant was more adamant about defeating his rivals to the north, the Tennessee Volunteers. The series is named the Third Saturday in October, the traditional calendar date on which the game was played. Despite the name, the game has only been played on the third Saturday five times between 1995–2007. The first game between the two sides was played in 1901 in Birmingham, ending in a 6–6 tie.

From 1902 to 1913, Alabama dominated the series, only losing once, and never allowing a touchdown by the Volunteers. Beginning in 1928, the rivalry was first played on its traditional date and began to be a challenge for the Tide as Robert Neyland began challenging Alabama for their perennial spot on top of the conference standings.[98] In the 1950s, Jim Goostree, the head trainer for Alabama, began another tradition as he began handing out cigars following a victory over the Volunteers.

Between 1971–1981, Alabama held an eleven-game winning streak over the Volunteers and, between 1986–1994, a nine-game unbeaten streak. However, following Alabama's streak, Tennessee responded with a seven-game winning streak from 1995–2001. Starting with their 2001 meeting, each team has split the series with four wins each. Alabama won the most recent game 29–9 in 2008, and lead the series 46–38–7

Some Bama Photos.........................................

Coach Bryant and Joe Namath The 1935 Rose Bowl

Bama Fans Sara Evans and Eva Longoria with Jay Barker

Guess Jay watches "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"
Sela Ward (in the middle)

"Thunderstruck"

Coach Gene Stallings and a True Bama Fan - his Son John Mark

Lt. Colonel Wallace Wade (on the left)

Musso over the top

The Hard Running Italian Stallion ^^^

So, that is Alabama. So close to #1, it is painful.

The 1966 and 1977 pollster bias is the difference, in my opinion. Hard to swallow, for Bama fans, but in the words of Coach Bryant.............................

"Congratulations to Notre Dame"

ROLL TIDE ROLL !!!

I will close with a collection of great quotes from Coach Bryant - note the tenets and principles still apply today, and not just in Football ......................

"Mama wanted me to be a preacher. I told her coachin' and preachin'
were a lot alike."

"But it's still a coach's game. Make no mistake. You start at the top. If
you don't have a good one at the top, you don't have a cut dog's chance. If you
do, the rest falls into place. You have to have good assistants, and a lot of
things, but first you have to have the chairman of the board."

"If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes semi-good, we did it. If
anything goes really good, then you did it. That's all it takes to get people to
win football games for you."

"I think the most important thing of all for any team is a winning
attitude. The coaches must have it. The players must have it. The student body
must have it. If you have dedicated players who believe in themselves, you don't
need a lot of talent."

"The idea of molding men means a lot to me."

"You must learn how to hold a team together. You must lift some men up,
calm others down, until finally they've got one heartbeat. Then you've got
yourself a team."

"If wanting to win is a fault, as some of my critics seem to insist, then I
plead guilty. I like to win. I know no other way. It's in my blood."

"The old lessons (work, self-discipline, sacrifice, teamwork,
fighting to achieve) aren't being taught by many people other than football coaches these days. The football coach has a captive audience and can teach these lessons because the communication lines between himself and his players are more wide open than between kids and parents.
We better teach these lessons or else the country's future population will be made up of a majority of crooks, drug addicts, or people on relief."

"Sacrifice. Work. Self-discipline. I teach these things, and my boys don't
forget them when they leave"

"It's not the will to win that matters - everyone has that. It's the will
to prepare to win that matters"

"I'll never give up on a player regardless of his ability as long as he
never gives up on himself. In time he will develop."

"Set goals - high goals for you and your organization. When your
organization has a goal to shoot for, you create teamwork, people working for a
common good."

You have to learn what makes this or that Sammy run. For one it's a pat on
the back, for another it's eating him out, for still another it's a fatherly
talk, or something else. You're a fool if you think as I did as a young coach,
that you can treat them all alike."

"If a man is a quitter, I'd rather find out in practice than in a game. I
ask for all a player has so I'll know later what I can expect."

"Find your own picture, your own self in anything that goes bad. It's
awfully easy to mouth off at your staff or chew out players, but if it's bad,
and you’re the head coach, you're responsible. If we have an intercepted pass, I
threw it. I'm the head coach. If we get a punt blocked, I caused it. A bad
practice, a bad game, it's up to the head coach to assume his
responsibility."

"It's awfully important to win with humility. It's also important to lose.
I hate to lose worse than anyone, but if you never lose you won't know how to
act. If you lose with humility, then you can come back."

"Losing doesn't make me want to quit. It makes me want to fight that much
harder."

"The biggest mistake coaches make is taking borderline cases and trying to
save them. I'm not talking about grades now, I'm talking about character. I want
to know before a boy enrolls about his home life, and what his parents want him
to be."

"Be aware of "yes" men. Generally, they are losers. Surround yourself with
winners. Never forget - people win."

"If there is one thing that has helped me as a coach, it's my ability to
recognize winners, or good people who can become winners by paying the
price."

"You take those little rascals, talk to them good, pat them on the back,
let them think they are good, and they will go out and beat the biguns."

"If you want to coach you have three rules to follow to win. One, surround
yourself with people who can't live without football. I've had a lot of them.
Two, be able to recognize winners. They come in all forms. And, three, have a
plan for everything. A plan for practice, a plan for the game. A plan for being
ahead, and a plan for being behind 20-0 at half, with your quarterback hurt and
the phones dead, with it raining cats and dogs and no rain gear because the
equipment man left it at home."

"My approach to the game has been the same at all the places I've been.
Vanilla. The sure way. That means, first of all, to win physically. If you got
eleven on a field, and they beat the other eleven physically, they'll win. They
will start forcing mistakes. They'll win in the fourth quarter."

"Little things make the difference. Everyone is well prepared in the big
things, but only the winners perfect the little things."

"But there's one thing about quitters you have to guard against - they are
contagious. If one boy goes, the chances are he'll take somebody with him, and
you don't want that. So when they would start acting that way, I used to pack
them up and get them out, or embarrass them, or do something to turn them
around."

"People who are in it for their own good are individualists. They don't
share the same heartbeat that makes a team so great. A great unit, whether it be
football or any organization, shares the same heartbeat."

"If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride - and never quit
- you'll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the
rewards."

"I have always tried to teach my players to be fighters. When I say that, I
don't mean put up your dukes and get in a fistfight over something. I'm talking
about facing adversity in your life. There is not a person alive who isn't going
to have some awfully bad days in their lives. I tell my players that what I mean
by fighting is when your house burns down, and your wife runs off with the
drummer, and you've lost your job and all the odds are against you. What are you
going to do? Most people just lay down and quit. Well, I want my people to fight
back."

"I always want my players to show class, knock'em down, pat on the back,
and run back to the huddle."

There will never be another Coach Bryant - God Bless you, Coach, from the Alabama nation.