Sunday, December 28, 2008

Rookie Wages Good for Alabama

Roger Goodell announced that NFL rookie salaries will not change this year. Goodell goes as far as to warn underclassmen not to be misled with the unfounded wage decrease.

"There will be no change in our current [rookie pool] system, at least until 2011," Goodell told ESPN on Saturday. "I've explained that to some college head coaches, athletic directors and league commissioners. Any underclassman who is hearing differently is probably hearing it from an agent or from another source who is misinformed."


This is great news when it comes to Andre Smith and Glen Coffee. Although I believe Coffee would have decided to stay after receiving feedback from the NFL Draft Board, it is rumored that an abnormally large amount of underclassmen would have entered the NFL draft with the rumors of lower rookie salary caps.

being an almost guaranteed top 10 pick, I still believe Smith will declare for the NFL draft, but the news of the wage restrictions be unfounded increases the chance Smith will return for his senior season.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Recruiting

We all know that recruiting is a shady business, but I was surprised to read an article in The New York Times, titled Inside the Red River Recruiting Rivalry, covering the recruitment of Jemarkus McFarland. It is obvious these players are wined and dined, but this report is shocking.

LSU, Oklahoma, Texas and USC were all in final running for McFarland with him committing to Oklahoma. An interesting part of the report is his description of Les Miles:

“He was very dry,” Adams said of Miles.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

What A Difference A Year Makes

It's a cliche statement in the sporting world, but I am going to say it one time: No one could have predicted the Alabama Crimson Tide to be 12-0 going into the SEC Championship. Alcohol was often involved when such bold statements were made. I personally thought the Crimson Tide would finish 8-4 at worst and 10-2 at best.

Many 800 lbs. gurillas were lifted off the Alabama programs back including ending Auburn's six game winning streak and Saban beating his former team, LSU. The "process" Saban always mentions is not only taking place, it is a year ahead of schedule.

With all this momentum, I am excited about the Sugar Bowl.

At the moment, the players are on a brief Christmas break and will return to practice in New Orleans on December 27th. That means the players will be in The Big Easy for six nights before the game on January 2nd. This trip to New Orleans is unique for the Crimson Tide because this is the only time each season the team will not travel together to the game. Many players will carpool in order to save their traveling expenses to spend on other things and some will have to fly.

If you have ever been to New Orleans, you know the temptations that are thrown at you. Saban is taking a very relaxed stance when trying to prevent his players from getting into any kind of trouble by saying, "I can't be on Bourbon Street with my whistle like at practice. ... I know if one of our guys messes up, it's going to be my fault. And I'm going to be in bed."

I thought that was a great response, but Saban's approach is not as relaxed as that statement makes it out to be. A curfew will be set and speakers have already talked to the team about what to do and what not to do.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Cody Returning

Terrance Cody is not leaving anything to the average Alabama fan's mind when it comes to him entering the NFL draft after his Junior and only season for the Crimson Tide. Cody will not only forego the draft, he is not even going to apply for feedback from the NFL draft board.

"I felt like I needed another year to get full control, get my weight down and get my knee back to full health and get in better condition and stuff," said Cody when asked about his decision.


To me, this decision shows Cody's maturity for being able to see though all of the hype analysts are building up about him and say to himself that he needs another year. Not many teams in the NFL run the 3-4 defense that Alabama runs and for that reason, Cody's draft position could have been really good or really bad. It is also very difficult to pass up that money.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

The Tides Truly Have Turned

I am trying to remain classy while watching the slow motion train wreck known as Auburn football take place, but t is difficult to not enjoy just slightly after the last six years. There are many lessons we can learn from the meltdown Auburn has been experiencing for the past two weeks, but the main lesson I have learned is: What goes around comes around.

Tommy Tubberville made a career off picking on a struggling Alabama program. The years became more frustrating with the more fingers he would hold up. "Year of the Thumb," remember that Auburn. How classless could one coach be. Tubberville's true self shined after losing to Alabama once and quitting. I can not think of something more immature. It reminds me of when I would quit playing checkers with my brother just as I knew I was about to lose.

I will never forget the tough times Alabama has experienced over the past 10 years, and I am sure Auburn fans will not forget the best six years in the programs history which consist of one SEC Championship and ZERO NATIONAL TITLES. As I write this, I feel the urge to laugh like a mad scientist.

While Auburn has had five recruit de-commit with a week, Alabama received notification of their 20th commit in Kevin Norwood. Norwood marks Alabama's 12 commit with at least 4 stars or higher from Rivals. This is a great sign with Saban having hit the road hard within the past few day. That's right, we have a coach that recruits as opposed to hunting in Arkansas.

Saturday, December 13, 2008





The Alabama - Mississippi All-Star Classic took place today in Mobile, Ala. Many Alabama commits and potential commits played in today's game. The most interesting teammate combination to me is that of A.J. McCarron (QB) and D.J. Fluker (OT). This marks the first game that Fluker will be protecting McCarron's weakside. Josh Bean of the Mobile Press-Register wrote an article about the relationship between Fluker and McCarron.


The game was not on television, but the statistics have been posted by the AHSAA. A.J. McCarron was named MVP of the Alabama team.

Gene Chizik Wears Nick Saban Pajamas

I woke up Friday morning and began my routine - shower, get dressed, toast an english muffin with peanut butter and jelly, and enjoy it with a glass of milk while watching SportsCenter. I was definitely surprised to hear ESPN announce that Will Muschamp is expected to be named Head Coach of Auburn. I have a great deal of respect for Muschamp and although Saban and his staff are great recruiters, Muschamp would pull some recruits away from Alabama.

The recruit that immediately came to my head was Dre Kirkpatrick, who has a strong relationship with Muschamp, is visiting Texas and has the Longhorns high on his list. I really don't think Kirkpatrick will got to Texas because of the fact he has a child and that would be a long distance from his home and family in Gadsden, Ala.

Instead, the Muschamp rumors became just another pole holding up the tent for the circus known as the Auburn Head Coaching Search. Auburn named former Auburn Defensive Coordinator and current Iowa State Head Coach, Gene Chizik, to be the next Auburn Head Coach. I am not exactly worried anymore. Chizik has a record of 5-19 in two seasons at Iowa State. To call this hire questionable, is an understatement.

Although I am playing down how bad Auburn missed the target, but Brian Harbach is not taking it easy on the Tigers his blog. The Paul Clark, pubisher of Iowa State's Cyclone Report, shows his excitement to get rid of Chizik is this article.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Afterthought of the SEC Championship Game

Ray Melick describes how the Alabama handled the loss with class.


SEC reporter for ESPN.com describes what he learned in the SEC Championship game and how it's unfortunate Alabama should be punished for losing late in the season.


Saban's disappointment is described in this Mobile Register article.


The matchup between Florida and Alabama was hyped as the greatest SEC Championship Game ever. The TV Ratings back up the hype.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Great Reads and Videos

There has been a lot of talk this week about the multiple cheap shots Ryan Pugh took during the Iron Bowl. I tried to find the video that was previously was posted on youtube of exemplifying the chop block Pugh attempted on Luther Davis, but it had been taken down. Instead thought I would post the cheap shots he successfully pulled against Clemson and LSU.



There is no doubt that the attitude of the Alabama Crimson Tide has changed tremendously since last year, but when did this change take place? Many of the Alabama players feel it was the practices just before last year's Independence Bowl.


With this probably being the last year for NFL rookies to get paid high dollars, there are probably going to be a large amount of juniors leaving college early for the pros. Chris Low gives his opinion of who has a chance to leave early in the SEC.


What are the bowl game possibilities for the Alabama Crimson Tide?


Matt Hayes and Dave Curtis answer some important questions being asked around the SEC.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Why The Lack of Faith in Alabama???

I understand why the reporters and journalist believe that Florida is going to win the game, but I do not understand why they feel it's going to be a blow out. Sure Florida has turned their season around since losing to Ole Miss by beating LSU by 30, Georgia by 39 and South Carolina by 50, but non of those teams have the formula that Alabama will use in Atlanta.

A physical and dominating defense plus a running game that dominates possession time equals a possibility of victory. Keeping the high-powered offense led by Tim Tebow on the sideline will not only frustrate the defense, but it will also make it more difficult for Tebow to get in a rhythm - something that is huge in running a successful offense.

Story Line for the SEC Championship Game





Something has got to give. That is the theme for the approaching game with the Florida Gators. The Gators are the #1 overall offense in the SEC and one of the best offenses in the country. Alabama bring with them to Atlanta the #1 overall defense in the SEC and one of the best defense in the country. When these two units go against one another, something has got to give. If Percy Harvin is unable to go on Saturday, many would say the Gators are going to be the one to break, but I beg to differ. I have a feeling Chris Rainey, Jeffery Demps and Tim Tebow would agree with me on this one.


Alabama is health going into the SEC Championship. The Crimson Tide is definitely healthier than the Gators. All major contributors were in practice on Monday and that includes Roy Upchurch who has had to miss playing time since the LSU game due to neck spasms. Upchurch is the speed to the three headed attack which also includes the power running of Mark Ingram and Glen Coffee.



Special Teams... Special Teams... Special Teams... This showdown in Atlanta will feature the two best return men in the SEC with Javier Arenas and Brandon James. P.J. Fitzgerald has improved throughout the season, but had a shanked punt at the end of the Auburn game that did not make Coach Saban happy. Although the bad punt did not make a difference against Auburn other that the reception Fitzgerald received from Saban when returning to the sideline, the Gators' high-powered offense will make any team pay when given a short field. The Gators are also well-known for their kick blocking ability,


The Tide is running right. I don't just mean that the Tide is running the ball well, I mean they are literally running right. Opponents have often been able to predict where the ball is going because of the dominance of Andre Smith. When overloading the left side to counteract Smith's dominance, the Tide has begun running to the right side - behind Mike Johnson. A majority of the 234 yards gained on the ground were run to Johnson's side.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Rolle Named Rhodes Scholar

I hope I don't lose my audience for reporting on a player not involved with the University of Alabama or the Tennessee Titans, but I feel a need to with all of the negative news reported about student athletes.

Florida State University Safety Myron Rolle won a Rhode Scholarship this morning. He is one of 32 students to be given the same award earned by the likes of Bill Clinton, Bill Bradley and Kris Kristofferson to name a few.

Rolle now has to chose between the NFL or going to study in Oxford for 2-3 years.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Iron Bowl Headlines

Will Alabama look ahead to Florida in the SEC Championship Game and lose it's seventh in a row to Auburn? If anyone has watched Dick Vitale broadcast a basketball game this week, you know that he is definitely looking past Auburn and to the SEC Championship Game. Mr. Vitale described Alabama's chances by saying, "They have no shot against the Florida Gators." Althought Mr. Vitale is looking past the Iron Bowl, I find it hard to believe that a team consisting of players that have never beaten their bitter rival will be looking past that team. I would chose a route canal over another loss to Auburn.


Rolando McClain might have some problems. This story died down fairly quickly, and that should be credited to Coach Saban who chose to handle this internally. No one knows what happened or who started what, but I am sure the gossip flowing smoothly from faternity row, across the quad and through the halls of Bidgood. I really doubt anything will come of this.


A National Championship and bowl eligibility both on the line for Alabama and Auburn. Nothing would make the Tigers happier than to play spoiler on the Crimson Tide's season. We all know that Auburn has never cared about winning National Titles. All Auburn has ever cared about is being the best team in the state of Alabama. Auburn's bowl eligibility is on the line, so with that gives Auburn a huge advantage and more to play for, but it evens out with Alabama playing for their first win in six meetings.


Can an Iron Bowl win save Tubberville's job? Nothing has made me more happy than to have Tubberville exposed for the smug ass that he is. A very relaxed and easy going guy when taking candy from a baby, but has had a very difficult time adjusting to Saban being in town. If Alabama comes out of this game with a win, Tubberville might be hesitant to talk about six in a row in order to save his job because the seven losses that would outnumber THE STREAK.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

The Tide Turns

Today marks a new day for the Alabama Crimson Tide. The teams that went 0-8 over the past two Novembers and have failed to finish their seasons strong are in the past. Alabama showed the mentally and physically tough team that they are. There were not many things going in the favor of this young Alabama team, but they did not give up. The grinded it out and played old school hard nose football in a hostile environment.

This is the first SEC West Championship for the Crimson Tide since 1999, but the pressure is not off of the Tide. They still have a tough against a Sylvestor Coom led Mississippi State team. Croom always find motivation to get his guys to play tough against Alabama after being overlooked for the head coaching job that was later given to a under-qualified Mike Shula.

Then there is the big showdown with Auburn. The say the Tigers have had a disappointing season would be an understatement, but it's important to remember who Auburn really is -- a team that has never cared about winning SEC Titles yet alone a National Championship. The only thing Auburn ever cares about is being the best team in the state of Alabama. It's sad, but even in their prime all they have ever wanted to do is hold up one more finger than they did the year before after playing Alabama.

I am going to give you a ballsy statement: The Tide is going to blow out Auburn. The leaders on this undefeated Alabama team were juniors in high school at the oldest the last time Alabama beat Auburn. Let's not forget the fact Alabama has never beaten Auburn in Tuscaloosa. That will change this year. I am typically very skeptical with games like this because of the rivalry factor (meaning anything can happen in a rivary with as much tension as the Iron Bowl).

This is a new year and the Tide will turn coming the first Saturday after Thanksgiving, but the only ones having a feast this year will be a very hungry and angry Alabama Crimson Tide Team.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Tomorrow Tells All

There are too many story lines going into tomorrow's showdown with LSU, but none has been bigger than Saban returning to Baton Rouge with the #1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. The first thing I am going to look for is when the defense hits the field and Terrance Cody test the knee he sprained in the Ole Miss game more than two weeks ago.

I ran up on an interesting story on Deadspin about LSU finding out his cell phone number and calling him non stop. LSU fans are notorious for this, but let's hope JP plays like the other victims of these jokes - Knowshon Moreno, Matt Stafford and Tim Tebow. All of those players played major roles in each team scoring 50 points to lead their teams to victory over the Tigers.

Tomorrow could either seal the deal for the Tide's SEC West Championship or could make for a daunting task to stamp the Tide's tickets to Atlanta. If Alabama loses to LSU, they will have to beat Mississippi State, who have defeated Alabama two years in a row, and Auburn, who is on a six game winning streak against Alabama.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Tide Notes


Just in case you forgot how crazy the Alabama vs. LSU game was last year, this video will refresh your memory.

The Alabama Crimson Tide practiced for the first time as the #1 team in the nation -- the first time the Tide has been ranked #1 since 1980. Many wonder how Alabama will play with such a large target on their back, but this week be mostly be about Nick Saban's return to Baton Rouge -- no matter what Nick Saban says.

Terrance Cody fully participated in practice today and it appears he will at least play some role in this game. With Cody's ability to cause an opponent to have to change their game plan just for him, this is a big advantage for the Crimson Tide. The scary part is that Alabama has competed just as well without Cody by just allowing nine points in two games.

Rumors have been spreadingthat Nick Saban will be taking an unmarked car to the stadium and not ride in the charter bus with the team, but I strongly doubt these rumors. Coach Saban has is a stickler for routine and odds are he will not change this routine just before a game against his former team to clinch Alabama's first SEC West title since 1999.


Coach Saban is playing his vards well with this game by saying that it is about the team and not about him. He may be trying to make people believe that, but the Alabama players know this game is all about Nick Saban. Saban brought the Tigers a National Championship and basically handed Les Miles a Championship last year through incredible recruiting while at LSU. There is no reason for the LSU fans to hate Saban. He left the team for what he thought he wanted, a pro coaching career. He did not leave LSU to go straight to Alabama. The Tigers should welcome him, bit we all know that us SEC Fans are not the most rational people.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Story Lines for the LSU Game



The Alabama Crimson Tide travel to Baton Rouge for Saban's first trip back to LSU

It's no secret that LSU is a rough place with rough fans. Saban is downplaying his first game back in Baton Rouge and for good reason -- Alabama could clinch the SEC west title with a win this week. If Alabama fails to win this game, the SEC West race is going to become very interesting with Alabama having to win their next two games against Mississippi St. and Auburn. We all know about the struggles Alabama has had against those teams in the recent past. Although Alabama could clinch their ticket to Atlanta, don't expect the story to change from Nick Saban making his return to the bayou.


The Pressure of Being #1

Since breaking into the Top 10, Alabama has had a target on their back, but after a miracle drive by Texas TEch late Saturday night, that target only got bigger. Being the #1 team in the land really does nothing good for a team unless you are rated that high just after the BCS Title Game. Does anyone remember who was number one this time last season -- probably not, so therefore it doesn't matter. Being #1 after the season is the only thing that counts.

Terrance Cody is expected to play

"We feel like he's progressed in his rehab enough that he should be able to do some practicing this week," said Saban after the Arkansas St. game. This is great news. If this plays out well, meaning Cody was able to keep his weight down and had enough time to heal, Cody will be going into the LSU game with two weeks of rest.


The Alabama defense is for real

When Cody went down, the Crimson Nation held their breath in a Prothro like moment, but Cody's injury has not changed much for the Alabama defense. They had their first shutout since 2005 this past Saturday against Arkansas St., and has only allowed 165.5 yards per game in the two game without Cody. I'. excited to get Cody but, but it is relieving to know that our defense can still thrive without him.


2:30 game in Death Valley

This is huge help for Alabama. Death Valley is a much easier stadium to play in during the day as opposed to a night game. With what is at stake in this game, it should be a prime time game, but a 2:30 game will take the Tiger fans out of the game earlier.


Are Mark Ingram and Glen Coffee heathy

I would be shocked if both of these players did not play in what is going to become the most important game in Alabama history since 1998. Coffee and Ingram went out of last weeks game in the second half with a bruised bicep and a hurt knee. I would be surprised if one of these players is hurt for next weeks games and shocked if theyr were both inactive for the game.


If Cody does play will we see him at fullback for goal line situations

I hope so because he gives used a guaranteed 4 yards.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Pushing the Sled




I thought some of you might get a kick out of this picture of Saban and Deaderick


Now for a Terrance Cody update. Cody is on track to return when Alabama travels to Baton Rouge for the LSU game. Cody is doing a lot more conditioning this week as opposed to last week when he stuck mainly to a stationary bike. Alabama strength and conditioning coaches have been working with Cody in the pool also to take some of the strain off his hurt knee. Cody was doing well enough today to push the sled.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Terrence Cody Update

Terrence Cody is still in a black non-contact jersey today, was off the stationary bike doing conditioning drills with a brace on his right leg. He even jogged two 100 yard sprints with the Alabama strength and conditioning coaches.

Although Cody is definitely out for this week's game against Arkansas State, he will be reevaluated on either Sunday or Monday for the following week's showdown against SEC West contender LSU.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Storylines for the Arkansas State Game

Remember Louisiana Monroe? With how focused Alabama has been throughout the 2nd season of the Nick Saban era, I strongly doubt it. ASU is 4-3 on the season and has put up decent numbers averaging 435 yards-per-game and 33.3 points per game. After last years upset by Louisiana-Monroe, don't expect the Tide to be looking past ASU to Louisiana-Monroe. This one is going to be a blow out.



How is Terrance Cody doing? He was on crutches last week and don't expect him to be showing much movement this week. With LSU coming up the following week, the Alabama coaching staff would probably keep Cody out of the game even if he could play. I expect him to be back for LSU though. Players that are hurt, are put in black jerseys, signifying that they are not to be hit, but it does not mean these players get to take it easy. These hurt players go through conditioning drills for most of practice. Conditioning + 365 lbs = not fun. I would expect Cody to want to stop these conditioning drills and get back on the field by next Monday.



Alabama proved they can play all four quarters, but can they do it consistantly? I expect for the Tide to be doing clean up duty pretty early. Therefore, this question will not be able to be answered this game. We will have to wait until Alabama travels down to play the bayou bangels of LSU to answer that.




Alabama is being overlooked. This is very true, but I don't think journalists feel the Tide is overrated, they are still surprised by how good Alabama is this year. Most people thought it would be next year at least before Alabama would even be mentioned in the same sentence as SEC West Champions. I can almost guarantee you that an undefeated Alabama team that wins the SEC Championship will go to the 2008 BCS Title Game over an undefeated Penn State team. That is the last time you will even hear me say Alabama and 2008 BCS Title Game in the same sentence unless I am sitting on South Beach trying to scalp tickets to the game.



Will The Machine get their homecoming queen elected? Oh my God I hope so!!!!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Tennessee Final Thoughts

The confidence Nick Saban has in the Alabama defense has never been more evident than when he chose to go for it on 4th and 1 from the three yard line at the beginning of the 2nd quarter. He knew that the Alabama defense would be able to hold the Vols offense that actually started getting a little confidence at the end of the 1st quarter.



The Alabama offense struggled early against a very good Tennessee defensive line, but adjusted nicely to lead a six play 66 yard drive, which included two long catches by Julio Jones, ending in a Glen Coffee touchdown. The Alabama team has become so much more of a cohesive unit than last year which would have been busy trying to find out who to blame rather than solve the problem.



Julio Jones has been getting better every week, and this week was no exception. Jones had six receptions for 103 yards receiving. Two of those catches were momentum building catches at a time when the Alabama offense was being held stagnant by a great Vols defense.



The depth of the Alabama receiving core, definitely surprised me. Catches were made by seven different tide receivers. Brad Smelley, fifth on the tight end depth chart, and Will Oakley, not even in the top 10 of wide receiver depth chart, were two great examples of the confidence this team has right now. If players this low on the depth chart are making big plays at important times, the other players getting more playing time, must be feeling like super heroes.



The Alabama defense playing well without Terrance Cody. The defense was put into some very tough situations after a fumble by Arenas and a blocked put which both gave Tennessee the ball within field goal range. The Alabama defense dominated the line of scrimmage and Vols wide receivers were blanketed by the Alabama secondary. Josh Chapman and Lorenzo Washington required double team help from the guards and played a major role in holding the Tennessee offense to just 173 total yards offensively.



Lee Tiffin played the best game he has played his entire career. Tiffin contributed 11 points to the Tide’s 29 total by going 3 for 3 on field goals (with a long of 43 yards) and 2 for 2 on extra points. Most importantly, Tiffin made all of his field goals at the beginning of the game that looked like it was going to come down to special teams.



Oh yeah, and Alabama proved they can play for all four quarters. I was definitely wondering how the Tide would react in the second half to not having a big lead at halftime. Not only did the Tide play well in the second half but they held the Vols offense to just 16 plays compared to 35 in the first half.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Storylines for the Tennessee Game

How will the Alabama defense play without Terrance Cody: To call Tennessee's offense sluggish is like calling a turtle patient. There last game against Mississippi St. marks the third time this season that the Vols put up more than 15 points. Although they scored 34 points last week against the Bulldogs, the Vols offense on managed 275 yards of total offense.



How will an inconsistent Alabama offense do against a good Tennessee Defense: Don't let the Vols 3-4 record fool you. Although there offense is at a all-time low, there defense is one of the best in the country only having allowed 11 more points than the highly regarded Crimson Tide defense. They also have a defensive back in Eric Barry who Saban called, "one of the best defensive players in the SEC."




When will The Tide play four whole quarters: If the National Championship Game was only two quarters, go ahead and put the Sears National Championship Trophy in Saban's living room -- That's if the 2 quarters were the first two and not the second two. Too often this year, Alabama has blown opponents away in the first half to then watch them come back in the second half. As this young team gain more experience, the more complete games they will have. Maturity=Consistency.




Will Kenny Chesney be in attendance at the game: If he is, then I will be shocked. It seems like all he does is film music videos on a beach.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Storylines For Upcoming Kentucky Game

SEC Undefeeateds Go Head-To-Head This Weekend: Both Alabama and Kentucky are undefeated. Although Kentucky has not completely destroyed the talent level of Alabama with easy wins over Clemson and Georgia, they are still undefeated and also beat Western Kentucky by a larger margin of victory than that of The Crimson Tide.


The Tide is For Real: Even die hard Auburn fans are saying that Alabama is very good -- don't worry Auburn, there is still a chance you will beat Alabama to keep your Alabama State Championship. Auburn can have the state championship, I have a feeling Alabama is going to be back in the Georgia Dome for at least one more game this year.


How About John Parker Wilson: It is amazing the difference one year make, or maybe I should say a new offense. It could be both. Alabama Offensive Coordinator, Jim McElwain's offense was publicized as being very quarterback friendly, but JP has also matured. He did not make one bad pass this weekend again the #3 Bulldogs during a black out.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Storylines For Upcoming Arkansas Game

Is This Alabama Team Ahead of Schedule in the Rebuilding Process: Many college football analysts have Alabama at least one more year away from being in the hunt for an SEC title. Although this Alabama team is young, playing 15 freshmen regularly, they play with a great deal of maturity. This weekend (A Blackout Between the Hedges) will give us a better picture of how good the Tide is this year.


What Will The Tide's Strategy Be On Defense: Alabama has been very reserved in both their offensive and defensive play calling, but expect this week to be different on the defensive side. With Alabama having the #1 ranked run defensive in the country, Georgia will try to beat the Tide through the air. Alabama will blitz more than they have all season to put pressure on Stafford. If the Tide Linebackers get to Stafford often, expect the Alabama Defensivebacks to have a field day.


Mark Ingram Overcomes Adversity: Not many people knew how a young man like Mark Ingram would play with his father recently being sentenced to seven years in prison. If Arkansas is any proof of his maturity, it is evident that he is able to leave his off-field issues exactly where they are, off the field. On a personal note, I must say that is incredibly mature of him.


If Need Be, Will The Tide Be Able To Throw On The Dawgs: With Alabama easily running the ball all over most of their opponents and wanting to take the air out of the ball to hold leads, opponents have not put Alabama in a position to have to throw the ball. Georgia might pack the box with eight or even nine guys in order to try to stop the running back duo (I refuse to call them thunder and lightening -- too many running back tandems are called that) of Mark Ingram and Glenn Coffee. If this is the case, they will test the young Tide receiving core by giving them one-on-one match-ups.

Georgia's Back In Black

Mark Richt announced today that there will be a "blackout" at next weeks Alabama Georgia game. The last time they did this was against Auburn last year in which the Bulldogs went on to thump the Tigers 45-20. The fact that Georgia is taking the initiative to have the stadium dress in all black tells me that they are taking #8 Alabama very serious.

Alabama enters Athens 4-0 having just routed a very subpar Arkansas team 49-14. I was definitely surprised by the score, but I don't think the score really exemplifies how the Crimson Tide played. If it weren't for too poor decision passes by Casey Dick which turned out to be pick sixes (with all due respect to Justin Woodall and Javier Arenas, but my grandmother could have intercepted those passes), the score would have been 35-14. The score might have been even closer because the Razorbacks easily moved the ball on the Tide before they would shoot themselves in the foot.

Coach Nick Saban said he was happy about the game, but realizes that his team has a lot of work to do in order to prepare for the #3 Georgia Bulldogs. That is very True. Georgia is not Arkansas. They will not hang themselves when given a long leash. Two Arkansas scores came on fourth downs when The Crimson Tide secondary became confused and a Razorback receiver was left wide open. In order for Alabama to when a tough game between the hedges, their secondary is going to have to step up and start playing... Oh yeah, and it wouldn't hurt to have a long ball catch every-now-and-then.

If enough emphasis is not being put on this game already, Gameday is going to be on location for the matchup. Kickoff is at 6:45 CST.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

How Good Is Terrance Cody?

We will find out how good Terrance Cody is this weekend when he goes against last year's Rimington Trophy Winner, Jonathan Luigs. Luigs gives up about 55 lbs. to Cody who has made an immediate impact since trasfering from a JUCO program to Alabama. There is talk of Luigs trying to block Cody one-on-one, but Cody showed his confidence by responding to a reporter who asked about that very situation by saying:

"If they do, it might be a mistake."

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Storylines For Upcoming Arkansas Game

I have decided to add a new section to Raw Meathead that list headlines and storylines that you will probably see a lot over that upcoming week. These are the topics you will see covered for the upcoming Arkansas game.


Leigh Tiffin Returns To Arkansas: It is Alabama's first time back to Fayetteville since Tiffin's freshman meltdown that included a missed extra point in overtime that opened the door for Arkansas to defeat the Tide. Tiffin did not see anymore playing time the rest of the year. Last year, Tiffin redeemed himself against Arkansas by kicking 23 and 41 yard field goals and did not miss an extra point. The meltdown in Arkansas two years ago was not just a turning point for Tiffin's freshman season, it was a trend for that season in which Alabama lost many games by 6 points or less.


Will Alabama Be Looking Past Arkansas: I strongly doubt Coach Saban will allow this to happen after the Tulane game, but The Georgia game will be getting some hype this week. If they do look past Arkansas, look for Alabama to have a very difficult time against a rested Razorback team.


The Razorbacks Have Nine Days To Prepare For Alabama: The cancelation of the showdown between Texas and Arkansas because of Hurricane Ike took away one of Alabama's biggest advantages. Arkansas struggled early in the season against Western Illinois and Louisiana-Monroe, winning by a combined total of five points, leading me to believe that the Arkansas would have had their hands full with the Longhorns. Like Tulane, Arkansas is getting an extra amount of time to prepare for the Tide. It is going to be interesting to see how a rested and prepared Arkansas team plays on their home field.


Has A Young Alabama Team Learned To Play Consistent: Inconsistency is the number one characteristic I see in young teams and Alabama is no exception. They played great against Clemson, struggled against Tulane and then played well against Western Kentucky. Tulane gave an Eastern Carolina team, which beat Virginia Tech and West Virginia, a run for their money, so maybe they are better than what most expected, but this game will go along way in showing how much a young Tide team has matured in such a short period of time. The Tide has shown they can run the ball, but it's time to turn on the passing game. This game will show whether the Tide has learned to play with a killer instinct no matter who the opponent. This game will be very important in showing the Tide's current season potential in the SEC west.



How Good Is The Tide's Defense: The Alabama Defense allowed their first touchdown against the Hilltoppers, but other than that one play, they have been dominant only allowing 16 points to be scored on them so far. Since Petrino took over the Arkansas program, the team has a different look from the usual running style they've had in the past. Quarterback Casey Dick has thrown for 641 yards and four touchdowns with only one interception. That's a pretty dramatic change from last year where Dick only had 1,695 yards passing the entire season.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Something To Think About Arkansas Weekend

I don't know if anyone else noticed, but the Texas and Arkansas game has been postponed due to Hurricane Ike. This gives Arkansas nine days to prepare for their upcoming game against Alabama at Arkansas. Not to mention a weekend off to rest as opposed to a brutal showdown with the Longhorns.

Alabama's game this week versus Western Kentucky is going to be a momentum setter for the approaching game against the Razorbacks. IF the Tide struggles against the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky, get ready for a tough game against Arkansas.

I know Arkansas has struggled lately against weaker opponents, but expect them to step it up when they begin their SEC schedule against Alabama.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Someone Explain This To Me

I must admit, Alabama's offense looked pretty sluggish after two starting offense linemen sat out the game with injuries therefore causing many other linemen to rotate positions. The line did well enough to help Glenn Coffee and Mark Ingram average over 5 yards per carry. That's not bad in my standard.

The defensive line did great for the second straight week allowing only six points -- totaling 9 points allowed through the first two games.

The one thing I do not understand is how journalists are commending the Crimson Tide's special teams unit. Great, Javier Arenas returned a punt for a touchdown and Chris Rogers recovered a blocked punt and took it in for six, but what about the rest of the special teams. A missed extra point, a missed field goal attempt and a kickoff out of bounds does not sound good to me.

Are You Really Surprised By The Tulane Game?

The biggest flaw of a young immature team is the inability to play consistantly. At a young age, it's also much easier to play as the under-dog than to be the top dog. Going into a game against a lesser opponent with high expectations from a big win in week one is like trying to run around with a 600 lbs. gorilla on your back.

The Tulane game was just as much of a test as playing in the Georgia Dome against #9 Clemson. A young Alabama time learned a big lesson in the Tulane game in that they have to have a killer instinct in every single game they play. Not having you head straight and going into games against teams like Louisian-Monroe, Tulane, Western Kentucky and Arkansas St., that having nothing to lose, you are eventually going to get upset.

The Tide has been taught a lesson now there will be another test this coming Saturday. Will this team pass that test?

Friday, August 22, 2008

Duke Lacrosse Accuser Writing A Memoir



You have got be kidding me?!? I would rather read the memoir of the Little Boy Who Cried Wolf Too Many Times... At least that children's story is older than 29 year of age unlike Crystal Mangum.

Crystal Mangum is the stripper who falsely accused three Duke Lacrosse players of raping her in a bathroom after she performed for a private party. Her accusations quickly sent these three young men's live on a downward spiral. Mangum changed her story repeatedly as the investigation went on. An investigation that would have not seen the light of day had it not been a re-election year for the District Attorney Mike Nifong, who was obviously trying to gain the support of minorities in the area. Charges were finally dropped over a year later when Mangum declared that she did not know for sure whether she had been raped.

If this lady can write a book, then OJ Simpson should also be allowed to release his book about how he did not kill Nichole Brown, but if he did, this is how he would have done it.

Lorenzo Washington Moved To Defensive End

A great story appeared in today's Press-Register about Coach Saban being unable to sleep (Oh My Gosh... He's Human)Saban Loses Sleep, and getting out of bed to go over a few things.

After making a list of defensive linemen and linebackers, Saban decided to move Lorenzo Washington to defensive end. Since Washington was the lone starting defensive tackle in what was Saban's newly introduced 3-4 defense, this is a pretty big move.

I don't know what this means for the defensive end position, but what this does tell me is that Terrance Cody and Josh Chapman are doing great at defensive tackle. That is great news since Cody is new to the Alabama Team after transferring from a JUCO program and Josh Chapman is a red shirt freshman. It's obvious these two young men are making great strides.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Fantasy Sleepers

I decided to get away from college football for a second and talk about something else that makes football season more enjoyable, Fantasy Football. Although I have never won my league, I have some how managed to get second every year I have played. Not many would be proud of this, but I like being consistent. I thought I would give you a list of the players that may still be on the board in the 4th round on. So dorks, take your contacts out and grab your retainers because the Fantasy Drafts are starting. Here are some of my sleeper picks.


Willis McGahee (RB, Baltimore Ravens): Although McGahee will probably be take by the 3rd round, he is destined to have a big season. Why you ask? Two words: Lorenzo Neal. That's right, the man that led the way for Eddie George, Corey Dillon and Ladainian Tomlinson to Pro Bowl seasons is now blocking for McGahee.


Anthony Gonzalez (WR, Indianapolis Colts): With Harrison's career beginning to slow down and Reggie Wayne getting all of the attention from DBs, Anthony Gonzalez is set to increase his production from a stellar rookie season.


Chris Henry (WR, Cincinnatti Bengals): He might be a trouble maker off the field, but as long as Chad Johnson is out with a hurt shoulder he is going to causing trouble for many secondaries through out the NFL.


Ricky Williams (RB, Miami Dolphins): He's had his problems in the past, but he's looking very good this preseason. With Ronnie Brown coming back from a tough injury, Williams could become the feature back in this offense.


Leonard Pope (TE, Arizona Cardinals): Pope, an athletic 6-8, 250lbs. TE out of Georgia, is about to enter his 3rd season and I feel like he is going to have a breakout season. You might not want to listen to me on this one because I thought he was going to have a great season last year.


Chris Johnson (RB, Tennessee Titans): Although LenDale White is not the fastest man in the NFL, he is quick for his size. Chris Johnson will give the Titans a dramatic change of pace with his 4.24 sec. 40 yard dash he ran at the Rookie Combine. The Titans love to run the ball and unlike Reggie Bush, another quick RB/WR, Johnson can run between the tackles.



Rashard Mendenhall (RB, Pittsburgh Steelers): Mendenhall is going to be a great compliment to Willie Parker's quick speed. Mendenhall has had a difficult time in camp getting his timing down, but I strongly feel like he will be in a rhythm by week 2 or 3.


Bo Scaife (TE, Tennessee Titans): Yes... Yes... I know that the Titans added Alge Crumpler, but I can guarantee you that Vince Young is not going to leave his fellow Longhorn teammate empty handed.


Michael Bush (RB, Oakland Raiders): Bush had to take last season off recovering from a broken leg he received his last year at Louisville. Although McFadden is the future of the team, the Raiders didn't chose this guy, knowing he was going to have to sit out an entire year, for nothing. Bush has something to prove to the NFL as well as himself.


Donte Stallworth (WR, Cleveland Browns): Stallworth was able to make a few big plays while fighting for PT in last year's New England Patriot's crowded receiving core. He is going to get more playing time this season and many open looks with Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow getting most of the attention.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

It's Just A Game



What do you think Walter Camp would think if he was able to see the monster known as College Football today? You may be asking yourself, who is Walter Camp? He is known as the "Father of American Football". Camp entered Yale in 1876 and served as the Yale Football Team's Captain from 1878-1879. For over 50 years, he served on many different football rules committees. On top developing what would become a multi-billion dollar sport, Camp was also a journalist. At the time of his death in 1925, he had write nearly 30 book and over 250 article -- many of which appeared in Harper's Weekly.

Now that I have introduced you to Mr. Camp, what do you think he would think knowing that lives of journalists and their families are threatened every year because of the game he made such great contributions to build up? Host of The Big Tailgate on
WPTF-AM in Raleigh, N.C., Taylor Zarzour, has received multiple death threats for leaving #7 West Virginia, #10 Auburn and #18 Tennessee off of his voting list for the Associated Press' Preseason Top 25. Although I do believe all three of those teams deserve to be included in the Preseason Top 25, in no way do I believe that Zarzour, his wife or his children deserve to be threatened over a list that ultimately has no significance... Or at least it doesn't have any significance when compared to a human life.

The next time you get angry about a bad call, a bad remark, a bad play or whatever else can possibly happen to upset you over a football game, remember that this money tree known as College Football was once just a bunch of overgrown kids playing for the pure love of the game. It was not about advertising dollars, paths to the NFL or recruiting. It was strictly college students playing to pass their free time

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Saban On The Cover of Forbes


I have been hearing all day about the Saban article in which he is also on the cover of Forbes. This is a pretty big distinction not only because it labels him as The Most Powerful Coach in Sports, but also because he is the first ever coach to make the cover of the magazine which was founded in 1917.

The second distinction I gave you is the most important of the two. Although the way Forbes decided he was The Most Powerful Coach In Sports was through a mathematical formula, it was a formula they created though mathematical variables they feel are important. These variable are an opinion.

I also have a feeling that too many people who follow sports, this is not a big dealto them unless they are fans of an SEC school. Why not a big deal to the rest of the nation? Let me answer that questions with a question. How many people do you know that actually subscribe to Forbes? How many of you actually read more than five copies of Forbes before the Saban issue?

Many have started to question whether the article is a negative for Alabama Football and I say that is To Be Determined. The determining factor is how fans would react if we had an 8-4 or 9-3 season (which to me 9-3 is not bad). It is important to remember that just because out coach is on the cover of Forbes, we are still a work in progress.

I really enjoyed the article and I thought I would give you some excerpts that I feel put to rest many negative rumors people use to put Saban in a negative light.

Football finances 77% of the athletic department, bankrolling nonrevenue sports like swimming and softball. It also has kicked back millions of dollars to university academic programs

Why do Ivy League schools even bother to field teams that are never going to win a bowl game? It keeps the alumni money flowing. That's how you pay for the English department

-University of Alabama president, Robert Witt


Witt can also argue that not a penny of Saban's salary comes from either students or taxpayers. It comes from Athletic department revenue, which consists of broadcasting fees, as sponsors, donations from "boosters"...ticket sales and shoe and apparel endorsements.

While with the Dolphins, he turned down an invitation to dine with President Bush so as not to miss practice.



I find it hard to believe that many coaches would be so determined to win that they would turn down dinner with the President.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Goalline Troubles?

A few days ago,I read Bama On-line's report about the first pre-season scrimmage that took play last Saturday (8/09/2008) and there is one part of the report I am having a difficult time getting out of my head. It is the part that goes:

"Terrence Cody has shown progress in the middle. The defense stopped them first and [goal] at the one four straight times with him in the middle knocking them back," Saban said.


This is alarming to me because it reminds me of two years ago when Alabama was almost unable to score in the red zone. Maybe Terrance Cody is that good of a player, but I find it hard to believe that a JUCO Transfer can stop an offense four straight times at the one yard line.

The good news is that this is just the pre-season and this is the time to make mistakes and correct them.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Some Good News On The Defensive Side

The latest rumors coming out of Tide preseason camp is that Josh Chapman has made real strides in his game over the offseason. It is real early in the camp, but reports at the moment have the redshirt freshman making a significant contribution this upcoming fall.

This is great news for the Alabama Nation which is hoping to hear more news like this about their shallow defensive. With Chapman stepping up, that would give a great three man rotation at the nose guard position when you throw Booker and JUCO newcomer Terrance Cody into the mix.

I will give you more news as I hear it.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Saban Makes Example of Hall




You do not have to follow the Alabama Crimson Tide closely to know that there is a discipline problem among the players. Hopefully, the three game suspension of Prince Hall is enough proof that the Alabama Athletic program is not going to put up with it anymore.

It is going to hurt losing Hall for those three games, especially Clemson, but this is something that should have been done when Shula was coach.

In other news, all Freshmen report today for Fall practice. All 25 freshmen enrolled in summer school, so they have been on campus for a few weeks now. Preseason starts with two practices tomorrow (August 1st). The returning players will have a 3 pm practice and the freshmen will then have a 7 pm practice. Saturday will mark the first day that they the entire team practices together and that is expected to continue throughout the preseason.

On a surprising note, Sunday's Practice (August 3rd) will be open to the public from 2:30 pm-4:30 pm with an 45 minute autograph session after.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am excited about there being more to read about on sports websites than baseball.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Fulmer Faces The Music

When news first broke about Philip Fulmer being served a subpoena at SEC Media Days, I initially thought and still do think that the whole thing is obvious grandstanding. It was trashy, distasteful and reflected poorly on the Alabama Fans.

I have had a little bit of time to think about it and two things have changed. I still think that the who scene was grandstanding and was simply done to embarrass Fulmer, but this action is not the fault of just one Alabama Booster. The way in which the SEC hypes Media Days as if it is some kind of circus left Fulmer vonerable to this action. For years, the SEC has been bragging about how much bigger SEC Media Days is compared to other conferences' pre-season media sessions. This is what happens when you taunt the lions at the circus, they bite back.

We are also forgetting one major point. Philip Fulmer, who is acting as the victim in this situation, should have faced this in 2004. Fulmer is obviously hiding something. A person that had nothing to hide would have simply given his testimony and gone on with his life.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Upperclassmen Discuss Freshmen

With the way Antoine Caldwell and Rashad Jonhson talked about this year's incoming freshman class, it is very easy to tell that there is a great deal of respect for these newbies. It did not take Johnson or Caldwell to excite the Alabama fans about this year's highly touted recruiting class, but it is a relief to that there is a great deal of respect for one another on the 2008 team.

It shows a great deal of maturity that the upperclassmen are accepting this incoming class that often overshadows the recruit that came in under Shula. All Alabama fans should give kudos to these Juniors and Seniors that put their pride behind for the sake of the team. They realize these Freshmen are special and are a major piece to the puzzle of getting Alabama back to promenance.

I agree with Caldwell and Johnson in that these players are special. I am not talking about just physical talent; these players have the mentality of winners. In their minds, they expect nothing less than a National Championship over the next four years. This commitment for winning is exemplified by all players qualified to attend the university and training all summer. They are attending the football camps that are designed to attract recruits to The Capstone.

Although I believe that this year will be an 8-5 maybe 9-4 season, I also believe the future of the program is in great hands.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

You're Welcome Auburn

With all of the surprises that the media was predicting to occur at SEC Media Days, I don't believe anyone called Philip Fulmer being subpoenaed as one of them. I do not know all of the details because the news just broke on JOX 94.5, but I am going to tell you what I do know.

The case has to do with the Windell Smith case.

Whether Fulmer gives his deposition or disputes it, he will have to make an appearance in a Jackson, Alabama law office that week.

That is the same week they play Auburn.


With Auburn being one of their toughest games, this is going to be a major distraction for the Vols the week of the game. I am assuming they scheduled the deposition for that week in case he did not appear at the deposition. For up to the minute coverage on this, you can listen to it on JOX 94.5.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Alabama Lands Two Big Commits in One Day










Nick Saban had to be feeling very good at about 7:30 pm today (July 22, 2008). That is when Gerald West, a 3 star recruit out of Faith Academy called him to verbally commit to The University of Alabama.

"I told him I was ready to commit to Alabama, and he was very excited. He said he couldn't wait to coach me in college and that I have the footwork and speed to be a great cover corner," said West when asked by Bama On-line about his commitment conversation with Coach Saban.

This is a great pick-up knowing that West's father played running back at SEC foe Mississippi State University. A big loss with the rumors swirling that MSU has been bad mouthing other programs during recruiting.

The commitment of West was just icing on the cake. The cake being William Ming, a 4 star defensive end out of Athens High School. Many knew that Ming, the 9th ranked defensive end in the nation, was going to make a decision before school started on August 7th, but not many knew it was going to be this early.

Ming is the fourth 4 star recruit and West is the sixth 3 star recruit to commit to the 2009 Crimson Tide Class. With the different strategies that Alabama and Auburn having taken in recruiting next year's class, I guess the old question, of is it Quality or Quantity that is more important, will be answered.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Pre-Season All-SEC Team

Alabama, Auburn and South Carolina each had 8 players to make the Pre-season All-SEC Team. LSU (14), Florida (10) and Georgia (9) rounded out the top 3. Looking at the breakdown of this list, I find it difficult to believe that LSU is not getting more recognition as being contenders for this year's National Championship. I know they lost Ryan Perillous, but when you have 14 players make this kind of a list, you are going to have a talented team. Are they not getting the recognition they need because they have Les Miles as a coach?

Another shocker is that Tim Tebow was not a unanimous decision for 1st-Team quarterback. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own players, so everyone that thinks Mark Richt voted for Stafford over Tebow, think again. I really wonder what coach voted for a player over Tebow.

I am proud to say that Andre Smith is one of seven players to be named to their respective 1st-Teams unanimously. Any player that makes a list like this unanimously when Tebow does not, is obviously respected throughout the conference.

To check out the entire list please visit: Pre-Season All-SEC Team

Friday, July 18, 2008

Scholarship Numbers

I know many are curious about the number of scholarships we have and how many players could be gray shirted. Here is a great article about the possibilities of what could happen: Scholarship Numbers

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Alumni Association Recruiting Recap Event

I just returned home from The University of Alabama Alumni Association Recruiting Recap. Rodney Orr, from Tider Insider, was the guest speaker and was excellent. He surprised me and just started by taking questions from the crowd and the crowd had plenty of questions. Here is a summary of the important things I heard. You will have to forgive me, for I did not take notes at the event, so I am having to try to remember everything off the top of my head. You also have to remember that Mr. Orr is very good at what he does, but he will be the first to admit that some of what he hears is hear say.


2009 Highly Regarded Players Who Will Commit to Alabama: William Ming, Nico Johnson, Kendall Kelly, Dre Kirkpatrick, Anthony Steen and Gerald West. Many people are worried about rumors that Muschamp and Texas will get Kirkpatrick over Alabama, but Auburn does not even have a chance at the Gadsden players, how is Texas stand a chance?


Prince Kent's father says he is going to Miami.


Reuben Randle is NOT a LSU guarantee and Alabama has a lot better of a chance than most think.


Trent Richardson's commitment to Alabama is very strong.


Prince Hall will most likely be in an Alabama uniform next year. He has also participated in 7 on 7 drills this summer.


There is a major possibility of getting one more major running back in the 2009 class.


College coaches with commitments that fail to qualify are afraid to enroll their players in JUCO programs within a 75 mile radius of Tuscaloosa.


The Virginia Tech game is highly unlikely. (I know this is common knowledge by now, but just letting everyone know).

Hood Signs With Nationals

Destin Hood has agreed to terms on a contract with the Washington Nationals. For more information in this subject, please log onto Crimson Confidential: Hood signs with Nationals, spurns Alabama football

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Georgia Dome = Talented Recruits

News has been released that Alabama and Virginia Tech are in talks of a neutral site game in the Georgia Dome to start the 2009 college football season. As I have spoke in a previous blog, (Saban A Recruiting Mastermind) this is another smart move on behalf of the University of Alabama to gain quality recruits in the high school football hot bed known as Atlanta.

I also personally believe that Alabama is a year away from being a BCS contender. As these young players gain experience and leadership begins to take over the team, Alabama will be in the running for a major bowl. If Alabama was to play Virginia Tech and win, it would automatically put them among the nations elite.

Keep up the good work Tide.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Big Camp Weekend For The Tide


The University of Alabama is set to host its final camp of the summer beginning this Sunday. This camp is not only going to bring into town big time talent with Alabama offers, but one attendee is already an Alabama commit that many wonder if he is fully committed to The Tide.

Trent Richardson will be a spectator at the camp along with fellow commit D.J. Fluker. It has been very well publicized that Richardson's commitment to Alabama could be shaky at best. Richardson, the #3 ranked running back in the nation, commented on his status with Alabama by saying, "There is no doubt that I am strongly committed to Alabama".

There have been many rumors that Richardson was turned off to LSU because of his lack of communication with LSU Coach Les Miles.

"I just felt like Alabama was the place that would suit me best. I had been talking to Coach Miles a lot. I was down there for the spring game then it seemed like we lost touch. We didn't talk at all really. I was talking to Coach Porter but not Coach Miles. I like to get a relationship with the head coach".


I have mixed feelings about the rumors floating around with Richardson. Many probably strongly believe these rumors because of the early announcement of his commitment to Alabama. A player as talented as Richardson usually announces on signing day. Richardson is the #3 ranked running back prospect now, but I believe he will be #1 if he has a healthy season. Richardson could have also had a change of heart when he realized he will not be the feature back after The Tide added Mike Marrow to the 2009 class.

One thing I do know is that it's too early in the recruiting game to know.

Other highly regarded players to be at the camp that currently hold Tide offers, but have not committed anywhere are:
Dre Kirkpatrick
Kendall Kelly
Quinton Washington
De'Antwan Williams
Rueben Randle

Monday, July 14, 2008

Destin Hood Situation

Alabama signee Destin Hood and his family have not been hesitant in expressing their expectation to get first round money from the Washington Nationals after being drafted in the second round of this years MLB Draft. The Nationals have until August 15th to sign the Alabama signee, but the Washington baseball organization is showing some aggravation in still not having signed their top 5 draft picks (which includes Hood).

The baseball draft is a very strange thing with how many picks (over 2000) there are in it, but I believe Hood will still sign with the Nationals.

"Last year, the Nationals signed each of their top 20 choices -- just one of two teams with such a success rate. But even the most uniquely handled selection, McGeary, didn't come to an agreement until less than 30 minutes before the deadline," wrote Chico Harlan in his Washington Post article.


If the Nationals fail to sign Hood, it is assumed that Hood would join the Alabama football team. With preseason football beginning on August 1st, Hood would join the team two weeks late.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Wild Idea

I read an article today, I don't remember where, stating that Terrance Cody could be the biggest player to ever play at Alabama. Then I went on a Bama On-line message board that had a thread talking about how well he was doing in summer practice. One entry talked about how some guys were going to start the Terrance Cody fan club and make Jerseys with his number on it. Well I want to take it a step further. I want to move it in a direction for the ladies (Dim the lights).

I want someone to make Terrance Cody Shack Shirts. If you do not know what a shack shirt is, it's a shirt a girl receives from a guy after an unexpected "sleep over". The shirt is usually much bigger than the girl (or you hope she is skinny enough in stature to have it look big). The T-Shirt will come in Terrance Cody's T-Shirt Size, which I can not even imagine. His number will also be on the back.

Someone please do this. It would be hysterical to see girls walking around in XXXXL shack shirts.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Rising Juniors May be Last to Get Major Pay Day

With NFL owners opting out of the collective bargaining agreement, pressure is being put on both the NFL and team owners to reach a new agreement by Spring of 2009. If an agreement is not reached by this time, there would be no 2010 salary cap therefore changing the free agency game.

It is safe to assume that NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, will not allow such a free market. Goodell has been very open in expressing his disapproval on "unproven" NFL rookies receiving high dollar contracts like the ones received by Jake Long (5 years - $30 million guaranteed). This leads many to believe that Goodell is going to lead an effort to restrict the amount of money an rookie can receive.

What this means for college football is that there could be an enormously large amount of juniors entering the 2009 NFL Draft. If these rising juniors were to wait one more year for the 2010 Draft, they could miss out on millions of dollars under a new collective bargaining agreement.

It has been assumed that last years Jacobs Trophy Winner, Andre Smith, will be leaving after this up-coming season. The threat for restrictions to be put on rookie salaries has to do nothing but increase the chances of Smith turning pro. You can't blame him. Smith has well lived to the hype of being a 5 star offensive tackle entering college and many scouts believe he is NFL ready.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

The New Big Man On Campus



I added the different version of the pre-game video to excite everyone about the approaching season. With preseason camp less than a month away for the Crimson Tide of Alabama and SEC Media Days just three weeks away, I keep catching myself wondering about the upcoming season. The main thing I cannot quit thinking about is what freshmen are going to make an immediate impact. Bama On-line has not helped my curiosity by posting their opinion on the Top 10 Impact Signees.

I have tried to stay off the bandwagon of this year's excellent recruiting class, but I cannot stop myself from believing that there are going to be at least five freshman standouts due to good play. Amongst Jarrell Harris, Courtney Upshaw and Don'ta Hightower, two out of these three incoming freshman linebackers will see success because of the opportunity to gain a lot of early playing time with the shortage in players at this position.

With the athletes that Mark Barron and Burton Scott are, I find it inconceivable for them not to make an immediate impact on either offense, defense or special teams. I wouldn't be surprised if they made a contribution in all three of those categories.

The wild card I am throwing out in this game of seven card stud is Alonzo Lawrence. He came on very strong at the end of his high school career and really proved himself in, not just holding his own, but stopping elite receivers like Julio Jones while practicing for the Alabama vs. Mississippi All-Star Game.

Then there is the question, WWJD (What Will Julio Do)? This young man is going to find his way into the top three wide receivers at one point throughout the season. But there is also another receiver I feel is going to surprise people and that is Chris Jackson. After enrolling at The Capstone this past December and getting the advantage of a spring under his belt, I wouldn't be surprised to see some playing time for this three star prospect, but then again, he might decide to red-shirt.

What freshman do you think is going to make the biggest difference for The Tide?

Monday, June 30, 2008

New Crimson Tide Uniforms

The Piedmont Gazette recently published another report that has Alabama fans worried. Many might remember the report they did on every fan receiving a breathalyzer prior to entering the stadium (New Game Day changes). The article causing such a commotion this time is about the Tide getting new uniforms (New Uniform Article) .


First of all, this is a fake article. Second, I understand that this would be a big deal, but it is nothing to worry about. The concern people are expressing about an article of clothing is a perfect example of one of the major problems with Alabama Football.

I love and respect the Alabama Football Tradition more than most, but we are also slaves to this tradition. We have a great new coach, a great incoming freshman class and a newly expanded stadium, what would be so bad about having modernized and new uniforms. We could even incorporate our tradition into these uniforms like we did with the houndstooth collars on the 25th anniversary of Paul Bear Bryant earning his 315th win.

I'm not talking about something as dramatic as changing our uniforms to look like Oregon's with Crimson & White coloring. I think people would be surprised at the amount of popularity the Tide will gain outside of the SEC in making a move like new uniforms.

It could also help to ensure that all of our recruiting classes are like this incoming class. Think about it, most of the teams consistently ranked in the top 10 each year have different variations of their uniforms and tend to throw something new on every now and then. It is time we understand that things change. I am happy that things change because if they didn't and I had to settle for the past few seasons we have had, I would not be very happy.

Also another thought, the Georgia black-out was pretty cool to watch last year. That was the first time they ever wore those uniforms. There is no telling what the recruits at that game thought.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Say It Ain't So Jimmy


With many of the facts yet to be released, I am hesitant to cover the arrest of Jimmy Johns, but have chosen to do so anyway. Lets think about some facts that I feel are important:
1) Jimmy Johns was arrested on Tuesday, June 24th at 8 am on 5 counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance
and 1 count of possession of cocaine.
2) Jimmy Johns has been kicked off of the UA football team.
3) Jimmy Johns is facing a minimum of 3 years for each charge unless a plea bargain is reached.
4) Jimmy Johns lived alone in an off campus apartment.
5) Jimmy Johns is the only Alabama player sought after in the investigation.


It is a given that Jimmy Johns' football career at UA is over. As far as the amount of jail time he could be facing, Johns could get 18 years minimum, unless he makes a plea deal. I believe a plea deal will be reached because it doesn't take a genius to know that John's is not the top man in this operation. If you are not the top man in an operation like this, there is always a way to save your own skin. I have a strong feeling Johns will not want to spend 18 years or more in jail, so he will turn his suppliers in for a lesser sentence.

Many Alabama players share apartments on or office campus together, but Johns chose to live alone. This is a good thing because if anyone else happened to live with Johns, they would have been found guilty by the social media until proven innocent, therefore brightening the negative light on the Alabama football program. Johns has also stated to the police that he tried to keep it a secret from his teammates leading me to believe that no other players are involved.

I am not going to call Jimmy Johns an idiot for his actions. I do not know him at all. I do not know his family's financial situation. I do not know the culture he was raised in. I am just going to hope that he receives the proper punishment for his crimes, a punishment that causes him to see the errors of his ways.

Many have said that the coaching staff knew about Jimmy Johns' activities, but did not kick him off the team. Supposedly they tried to drug test him, but he passed every test. Here is my question, if the coaching staff can not prove that Johns was dealing drugs, can they kick him off the team because of some rumors they have heard?

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The Offensive Line: To Stand Tall or Set To Fall?

Rivals released their pre-season position rankings for the SEC offensive line. It is no surprise that the Crimson Tide is ranked #2 in the SEC West, but it also does not mean anything.

We are talking about an offensive line, with 87 starts between 4 returning starters, that should have dominated last year. Being ranked very high this time last year, the Tides offensive Line disappointed many. Injuries and suspensions did plague the experienced line, but this is the year they have to step up. Behind Andre Smith, Mike Johnson and Evan Caldwell, the Tide should be able to run to the left side all day long.

2007 low point: With just 20 total rushing yards and seven sacks allowed, the line had no answers for LSU's front seven.


The big question is who is going to step up and take the right tackle position? It could be Drew Davis, who proved his potential over this past spring or could it be the freshman, Tyler Love, pushing his way into the starting line-up?

We do know one thing, these players have been through a lot of adversity together, but can they learn to overcome these challenges that at times stand in their path. Maybe they could avoid these adversities all together when speaking of suspensions.

What do you think is going to happen to the Tide's OL this fall?

Friday, June 13, 2008

Does Anyone Remember Tiki Barber???

The 2008 Super Bowl Champions probably remember him. I definitely remember him as being that guy that retired premature to become a NFL commentator. I also remember him for criticizing Eli Manning for poor leadership skills and Tom Coughlin's poor coaching strategies.

I assume Tiki felt such a need to be accepted as an "intelligent" and "all-knowing" commentator that he told about locker-room information from his playing days for the Giants. He broke a major unwritten rule by going public with locker room information.

Well, Tiki must feel like an ass now. Eli and Coughlin's right hands are a little bit tougher to lift with that big rock that reads Super Bowl Champions.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Save The "Stadium Dog"

It has been announced that Centerplate, Inc., based in Conneticut, will be the new food, beverage and merchandise provider for Bryant-Denny Stadium. Since agreeing to a deal with Crimson Tide Sports Marketing, the company has come in and made some big decisions.

The first decision,which I agree with, is replacing Pepsi with Coke. There is nothing that screams the tradition of Alabama Football like Coca-Cola. Bringing coke back, is like re-applying the numbers to the sides of the helmets after taking them off for years. Besides, I hated to mix my bourbon with Pepsi.

The decision I am almost sick about is the thought of ditching "Stadium Dogs". I feel like stadium dogs a a major contributor to me growing up and being a healthy young man. They have been more essential in my diet than a multi-vitamin. Many people go to the game just to get a "Stadium Dog". This can not happen!!!

Here is an article the Tuscaloosa News write about the potential change: Doing Away With Denny Dogs?!?!

ESPN Releases 2008 Workout Warriors List



Due to popular demand, ESPN has compiled the 2008 offseason Workout Warriors List. No Alabama or Auburn players made this list, but the stats on some of these guys are amazing.

The last time ESPN created this list, was in 2006 and awarded the top spot to West Virginia's Owen Schmitt. I remember last year watching a West Virginia game in which Ray Lewis was in attendance. When asked by a sideline reporter about Schmitt's 480 lbs. power-clean, Ray Lewis was almost speechless. When words finally came out of his mouth, all he could say was unbelievable.

Check out the article at:
ESPN Workout Warriors

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Surprise Visit From Five Star Recruit



Rueben Randle, a five-star receiver from Louisiana, has decided to make a surprise visit to the University of Alabama. Rivals.com broke the news today explaining that Randle's goal is to cut his large list of schools to five by the end of the summer. Randle, the #1 rated receiver and #6 overall player in the country by Rivals.com, plans to be in Tuscaloosa on either Wednesday or Thursday.

The decesion to visit Alabama comes a week and a day after four-star running back Trent Richardson surprisingly decided to end his recruitment early (real early) and commit to The Tide. Richard is the #3 running back in the nation and many recruiting analysts predict him to be rated higher if he remains healthy throughout his senior season. Is the Richardson commitment foreshadowing of yet another great Saban recruiting class?

Monday, June 9, 2008

It Must Be The Hormones In The Chicken

Mike Tyson once said, "If you want to see a tragedy, give an uneducated 18 year-old kid $100 million and watch."
I may not have gotten that quote exactly right (not making it a true quote), but it was something along those lines. Young athletes are developing bigger and faster than ever before.

With this, they are choosing to forgo their final year(s) of college and entering pro drafts in their chosen sports. The four and a half years I attended the University of Alabama were vital in my maturing as a person. I could not imagine leaving after my freshman (like in college basketball) or junior (like in college football) years to begin working in the real world. I am 25 now and at times I still feel as if I am still too immature for the working world.

My feeling about forcing college basketball players and football players to attend school for a certain period of time is indifferent. More so basketball than football because of the big difference in athleticism between the NFL and NCAA Football. When it comes to basketball, I feel like that one year of college allows for these athletes to mature at a more gradual pace, but then I think about the ones that are clearly able to enter and compete at the next level.

I am talking about the Lebron James', Kevin Garnetts and Dwight Howards of the world. As far as the game goes, college would have done nothing for these talented players except delay them receiving the payday that they worked so hard for over their lives. I also think about the players that are currently struggling after choosing to skip college and enter the NBA Draft.

I am talking about players like Sebastian Telfair and Kwambe Brown. Kwambe Brown was not physically or mentally prepared for the NBA level and Sebastian Telfair has struggle to stay out of trouble with two gun charges. Would one year of school have helped these two young men?

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Different Side of Saban


I finally got a chance to watch the "Under The Lights" feature Fox Sports did on Alabama, and I just thought I would give my thoughts. It is clearly evident that Alabama is on the right track. Saban seems to have filtered out the players that he feels weaken the program and players that probably don't want to be there anyway.

I also felt like the feature showed a more personable side to Saban. The feature had scenes of him speaking with the players and even joking around at times. It exemplified how strongly he really does care about these players. Having now seen this side of Saban and also seeing the side he shows to the journalists, I believe that he is the perfect coach for the Alabama Football program.

He cares about nothing more than developing these players and reviving the program. He doesn't care about being known with the newspapers as personable. He also cares nothing about making the boosters happy just to make the boosters happy. With this mindset, the Tide is definitely on the up.

On a side note: The Saban family has donated $1 million in scholarship money to the University of Alabama. The scholarship money is aimed to assist first generation college students. I guess it is even more difficult to say he is a jerk now huh? More information about the scholarship can be found at al.com.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Boise State Was Something / Hawaii Was Junk



Undoubtedly, one of the top 5 BCS Bowl Games ever was the Fiesta Bowl between Oklahoma and Boise State. Two trick plays to tie and then win the game and then a marriage proposal at the end between a cheerleader and the starting running back. That is something you usually only see in a movie. I have that game as the number 2 BCS Bowl Game of all-time behind USC vs. Texas.

Although Boise State pulled a major upset, we shouldn't have a mid-conference team receive an automatic bid into a BCS bowl game every year. Hawaii played a weak schedule and won a weak conference. It was easy to predict that they would get pounded by Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. There were many other teams in tougher conferences that would have given a better showing.

Saban: A Recruiting Mastermind

Everyone is probably wondering why Nick Saban would schedule Clemson for the first game of the season on a neutral field in Atlanta with a VERY young team. In my mind, the question was answered when he also scheduled Duke in Atlanta for the following season.

Georgia, specifically the Atlanta area, is one of the nations hottest breeding grounds for high school football. The Atlanta based game will give Alabama additional exposure to these players. So far, the 2009 recruiting class has three players from the Atlanta area. Although the Clemson game is going to be very difficult to win, it will give more exposure to the highly talented recruits coming out of this area.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Somebody Messed Up At The Wynn

News broke last week about a federal suit being filed against Charles Barkley with the Las Vegas District Attorney's Office. Although Barkley's gambling habits are very well known, many are surprised by the $400,000 debt and rumors have been spreading like wildfires. Today, Barkley repaid the debt, but still owes a $40,000 processing fee to the Las Vegas District Attorney's Office, but Barkley intends to pay the extra money saying he did not know about the fee.

Many feel like there is something missing here. It's as if people want Sir Charles to suffer for his admitted problem with gambling, which he also says is not a problem because he can pay for it. I can almost guarantee you that Barkley has plenty of money. Barkley's first shoe contract with Nike (which was mostly in stock options before the company's brand took off in popularity. Before Michael.) could pay the whole tab for the casino that night he bet away $400,000 on the Super Bowl.

Unless there is something personal between Barkley and The Wynn, someone at the Casino screwed up. A spokesman for the Las Vegas hotel and casino said they tried many times to reach Barkley, but he would not return their calls, so they filed the charges. Do they realize that they are not filing a law suit against any Joe Bob, this is Charles Barkley. This is the man that admits to losing over 10 million dollars gambling over a few years and lost 2.5 million dollar in a 6 hour period of playing black jack. When you have as much money as Charles Barkley, it is easy to forget a $400,000 debt. He probably expected for the Wynn not to worry about it until he showed up again at the hotel because let's be honest, $400,000 is nothing for a hotel & casino on the strip.

The Wynn has not just lost Barkley's business, but I bet they have lost the business of many of their high-profile clients. Somebody messed up.