Obama puppy?

Why the f*ck couldn't I have been the Obama puppy.


HILARIOUS. From Pets who want to kill themselves.

Drama thy name is

You want drama? Head down to the plains of east Alabama, to Auburn.

How's this for drama:

The Tigers' past two coaches – Terry Bowden and Tommy Tuberville – have been successful, yet were forced to resign.

Auburn officials tried to go under the table to fire Tuberville and hire Bobby Petrino in 2003.

Auburn went undefeated in 2004 and got left out of the BCS championship game.

Tuberville fired two offensive coordinators in less than a year.

A New York Times story a few years ago accused Auburn of giving football players high grades without requiring them to attend class.

Rather than go for a win in the 1988 Sugar Bowl, former coach Pat Dye opted to a kick a field goal to notch a 16-16 tie against unbeaten Syracuse and kill any claims the Orange had on the national championship.

Auburn has been on major NCAA probation seven times.

Auburn alum Charles Barkley charged racism when the school hired Gene Chizik to replace Tuberville without interviewing Buffalo's Turner Gill.

So there you have it. Drama, thy name is Auburn.

From the notebook of Albert Press
Bama Fans Who Love to Watch Auburn Fail Association, founding member

Missing Texas already

So excuse me for getting a little sappy in this entry. I just arrived back from a bar mitzvah/family reunion/PAAAAAAAAAAAAARTY in Dallas, Texas. While the rain managed to follow us all the way to Texas and back, we didn't let that stop us from having a honky tonk good time.

I will start with a short list of things I did this weekend for the first time:
1. Danced the "Cotten Eye Joe" in a 50s style polka-dot dress in front of 75 people.
2. Woke up before 7 am after sleeping less than 4 hours three days in a row
3. Ate bagels and lox and drank zinfindel at the same meal
4. Watched a fine film about the gay movement in the 70s called "The Cockettes" starring a distant family member with my family.
5. Danced in red high heals
6. Flew on a delayed flight only to circle the airport for 45 minutes before landing
7. Drank locally-made beer with a distant cousin and several locals at a bar in Allen, Texas
9. Got in trouble for not wearing shoes in a synogogue
10. Sat inside a car made in 1929
11. Listened to the Grateful Dead only station on satellite radio in a Dodge Avenger
12. Danced to a Jonas Brother song with a group of tweenagers
13. Supplied alcohol to minors (dont worry, their parents gave me permission)
14. Ate a chocolate covered strawberry (and didn't like it!)
15. Got to party in a room full of Elvises, Jerry Garcias, Jackie Kennedys, Audrey Hepburns, Scarlett O'Haras, 1920s style gangers, hippies, 50s dancers, flapper girls, Pink Ladies and 80s punk-rockers

During my Aunt Lois' funeral a few months ago I realized how out of touch I had become with my family. Family from Dallas, New Jersey and even local residents gathered to mourn her death, and many I didn't recognize because of years of seperation and lack of contact. That weekend, I made a pledge that in memory of my aunt I would make strides to reconnect with my family. And I did.

The bar mitzvah in Dallas turned into a family reunion of sorts. All three nights I found myself in a hotel hospitality room or at the bar next door laughing myself into tears with my long-lost family. I had become so bored with my life in Atlanta, just going through the motions that I forgot the magic of 'the little things in life.' Thank god I was reminded this weekend.

Now that I am back home, I feel alive again. I am walking around with a smile on my face, chuckling to myself as I recall quips and moments from this weekend. Cousin Jay's impression of Aunt Lois was right on, and my cousin Leslie reminds me of, well, me, seven ago when I too was packing my bags and moving away from home for the first time to go to college. Cousin Ross is well on his way to being the next Jay Leno and Cousin Jay could do a nightly show on the Vegas Strip with his ability to captivate a room with his entertaining stories. For the first time in a long time I was inspired by something other than sports to write about on this blog. I think I saw my Uncle Howard laugh for the first time since losing Aunt Lois.



Ten glasses of wine, 12 cousins, eight meals, two hotel rooms, three sleepless nights, two pairs of VERY uncomfortable of high-healed shoes and one delayed flight later I am re-energized. For the first time in a long time I was too busy laughing with my family to be bothered with TV. And I actually laughed until it hurt so much that all I could do was laugh some more.

My job doesn't seem so awful anymore and my SLOOOOOOOW computer is not making me pull my hair out. Traffic isn't making my skin crawl and my own bed has never been more comfortable. Yes, I have been revitialized this weekend and I needed it.

Thank you to all who attended this weekend for making me laugh and reminding me what it truly means to be happy. I will never forget this weekend. Aunt Lois wouldn't have had it any other way.

** "If I died yesterday, I never would've known about this place." -Aunt Lois ***

Hanson hype: Tommy Hanson all the buzz at Braves spring training camp

Ever heard of a minor league pitcher Tommy Hanson? Well, if you haven't, you will soon.

Hanson, a 22-year-old right-hander from California, is turning heads at Braves spring training camp. While it appears that the starting rotation is set, word from camp says Hanson will be starting with the Braves this season.
Hanson has spent time with the Braves' minor league affiliates in both Myrtle Beach and Mississippi, as well as the Arizona Fall League. For the last few seasons Hanson has been touted at THE top prospect in the Braves organization, and perhaps in baseball. The raving reviews have cultivated a much anticipated major league debut by fans, broadcasters, coaches and even players. He's made a fan out of Chipper Jones. Chipper eagerly shared his thoughts on Hanson during camp. "The kid is going to be a No.1 starter in Atlanta soon. There's no holding him back," he said.

As a matter of fact, he's so good, Chipper thinks the Braves should find a way to get him starting from day one. "Even if I had to go to a six-man rotation. I would do it, just to get this kid some experience and get him on his way. I'd love to see him come down here and dazzle and make this club. I think he can pay immediate dividends," Chipper said.

Chipper's plan may not be that far off, but how long til we get to see the Amazing Tommy Hanson at Turner? Manager Bobby Cox sees Hanson starting in the near future. "It won't be long before he's up here," Cox predicted. He's way ahead of the game." Vague? Yes. But even Braves general manager Frank Wren is talking about Hanson in terms of major league pitching time. “He has turned into an outstanding young pitcher that is getting close to competing for a job at the major league level," he said.

So why all the hype?

He's hurling 94 mph fastballs with impeccable control, but his slider is the show stopper. It has been compared to the likes of John Smoltz. His power arm is said to be of top-of-the-rotation caliber. Scouting reports tout his slider as "devastating," and call him an "ace in the making."

Alright, so he can pitch! But if you want numbers to prove it, you'll find his stats impressive. Between Myrtle Beach and Mississippi, Hanson went 11-5 with a 2.41 ERA, 163 strikeouts and 52 walks in 138 innings. As good as Hanson was during the 2008 regular season, he was even nastier in the Arizona Fall League. He led the AFL in with five wins, a .63 ERA (that's right, .63 ERA!) and 49 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings pitched, holding hitters to a .105 batting average.

But can he make it in the majors? We have all seen the tragic outcomes of same players that come to the majors after dominating in the minors. The standards are higher, the pressure tougher and everybody doesn't survive. Hanson is the ace in the minors. My hope is that Hanson IS the ace in the majors. While I want to see him pitch, I don't want the Braves to rush him to the top.

Ideally, Hanson would get called up just because Cox wanted to call him up and give him a chance, see how it goes. Realistically, he'll get the call when one of the top five gets hurt and he's a necessity. The difference between the two? If he's called up just for the hell of it, and it turns out he's not ready, his first appearance goes bunk, they can send him back down and go back to the regular rotation. But if one of the starters gets hurt, there is no "seeing if he's ready," because injuries are unpredictable. If he's not ready til June or July, but Vazquez gets hurt in April, ready or not, we need a pitcher.

Either way, Hanson plays this season! And he's just the beginning. The Braves are going the way of the Tampa Rays, like they did 4 or 5 years ago when they brought up a handful of guys from the farm system. Dubbed "the baby Braves," that crew included Brain McCann, Jeff Franceour and Kelly Johnson.

Closing thoughts: With all the scandal in baseball with steroids and greed, Hanson's story offers a breath of fresh air. No suspicion of steroid use, no dirty contract negotiations and over-the-top salary. Just a kid who loves the game, waiting for his chance to shine and live up to the Hanson hype.

Check out what others are saying about Hanson's talent:

“He’s totally dominated out here. He’s been tremendous.”
- Rocket Wheeler, Hanson’s manager with the Mesa Solar Sox in the fall league and his manager in parts of the past two seasons at Class A Myrtle Beach.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. I remember when I got over there [to Mississippi], I saw him throw a [bullpen session] and I’m like, ‘Gee, whiz.’ I saw him pitch and I think he struck out 12 in five innings. OK, that’s pretty good.”
-Mississippi and Mesa teammate Stephen Marek

“He’s something special. He’s something I’ve never seen before. Just from my experience last spring training, catching guys like Tim Hudson, John Smoltz — he’s right there with them, in my opinion."
-Tyler Flowers, Braves catching prospect

“He's been impressive. He’s really kind of separated himself from this league from a pitching standpoint. He just has a good look about him out there, being tall, the downward plane, spots his fastballs, three quality pitches. He looks like a guy who’s right there, knocking at the door.”
-Hall-of-Famer Ryan Sandberg, the former Chicago Cubs second baseman who’s a Solar Sox coach. “


* Photo: Bill Mitchell/Four Seam Images. Quotes taken from articles written by The Canadian Press and the AJC. See the full articles at the following links:

Canadian Press Story: http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hir4A4WFRb8n0Nc4KyrdFNGwrh3g

AJC Story: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2008/11/13/atlanta_braves_tommy_hanson.html

Who's in, who's out in the outfield

Opening thoughts: With spring training under way, there is no doubt that the Braves are looking at a fresh start. The Braves have a new look to their roster this year, especially with pitching.

Several newcomers have arrived, including Derek Lowe, Javier Vasquez (starting pitchers). A couple of veterans, including John Smoltz and Mark Texiera are gone. The injured are healing and making their way back (closer Mike Gonzalez, reliever Peter Moylan and left fielder Matt Diaz).

All signs point to a turnaround for the upcoming season. But some of last year's issues still loom.

Here is part of one of an ongoing Braves report, previewing the club in the weeks before the season starts.

Seven players, three spots and a platoon: a look at the outfield
Last season, the Braves outfield hit for combined 27 homeruns, the worst in MLB. What's in store for this season.

The center field spot is virtually open, as three have emerged as the top candidates who are vying it out for the top spot. They are, Josh Anderson, Gregor Blaco and Jordon Shafter. Blaco could fill the need for a leadoff hitter if he plays. He possesses speed, a quality lacking in the lineup. However, last season in 144 games played he hit only .251. However, he did lead the team with 13 stolen bases. Anderson appears to be the favored player with some major league experience from last year. That leaves top prospect Shafer. This is tough because it will come down to who performs when it matters most. Unfortunately, this method may prove to take a good chunk of the first part of the season. My belief, Shafer will be the breakout player of the year. While its unlikely he will start the season as the starter, I belive that down the stretch he will be the go-to guy. Regardless, all three of these guys will be on tap all season to fill holes when needed.

Left field also seems up for grabs despite the signing of Garrett Anderson. Matt Diaz is returning, and the Braves seem to be leaning toward a platoon for this position. The newest Brave, veteran Garrett Anderson, a lifetime Angel, will platoon this spot with Diaz.


Further, Anderson could fill the need for a strong clean-up hitter against right-handed pitching. The problem - he's is a bit of liability considering his age and injury history. The good news- he probably won't play everyday, and even if he AND Diaz both end up injured, there are the three aforementioned outfielders (Anderson, Blanco and Shafer, along with Brandon Jones) to fill the spot. The problem I see wiht both center and left is consistancy. Can the Braves find a plan, with the right outfielders that also contribute and fill holes in the batting order? Consistancy is not only key in the performance of the players, but also in the everyday lineup. While I support the 'platoon' philosophy, I think the Braves need a solid three in the outfield that go out there 90% percent of the time without changing the lineup around every day. This goes the same in the batting order. These guys need to get used to hitting before and after the same guy almost every day, and sharing the green with the same 2 other outfielders every day. Assuming Diaz plays quite a bit, he needs to step it up at the plate. Last year in 135 at-bats, he hit .244 in 43 games played with a .264 on-base-percentage. Backup Brandon Jones hit .267 with a .312 on-base-percentage in 116 at-bats in 41 games. I would like to see Diaz a little closer to .280. Brandon Jones however, impressed me last year and went somewhat underrated. Maybe this year he can get a change to clutch and show his stuff, and perhaps earn a more permanant spot.

This leaves up with the mysterious Jeff Franceour in right field. Let me preface this with a short story. I was at the September 2004 game when Franceour made his major league debut against the Cubs. He was called up with a lot of hype. He went 0-3 and then hit a homerun in the eight, his first in the majors. I felt like a part of Braves history that night. That being said, I was very upset to see Fraceour's, or as Bobby calls him, Frenchy, fall from grace, slowly and painfully last season. With 599 at-bats, the most on the Braves, he hit a terrible .239 with a .294 OBP and 0 stolen bases. He had 111 strikeouts, a sure sign of his eager youth and inability to 'wait for his pitch.'
Pitchers had him nailed before he even stepped up to the plate, knowing exactly which pitch he just 'couldn't lay off of. He looked weak both as an athlete and as a player. Mentally, he seemed discouraged and broken. Even a stint back in the minors couldn't bring him back to life. This season, a lot will be expected of Frenchy. We know he can hit, we've seen him do it. One thing's for sure, he has a helluva an arm. He can nail a guy trying to take home with a perfect rocket from deep right, into the glove of his longtime friend and Parkview High School teammate, Brian McCann. But Frenchy must pull it together, because if he can't do it, there is someone who can. I am sure that Anderson, Blano, Jones and Shafer would jump at the chance to play right field if they don't earn a spot in left or center. And, Bobby wouldn't hesitate (well he might) to put in one of the other guys even though they aren't right fielders by trade.

Baseball Report: Feb. 10, 2009

Baseball Report: Spring training starts next week.

Andrew Jones, alone on the range

You may have heard... Andruw Jones, once the finest center feilder in major league baseball, accepted an offer for $500,000 with the Rangers MINOR LEAGUE team. This is after the Yankees and the Braves put offers on the table. But don't feel sorry for him ... the Dodgers are still paying out his annual $3.5 million check. Talk about someone who is stealing his paycheck. The debate rages on as to why AJ would turn down offers to stay in LA, go to New York or return to Atlanta. The truth, he is lazy and doesn't want to listen to a hitting coach's advice. He wants to be where there is no pressure to perform. What a tool!!!! And to think I once respected the guy.

About the money?

In other news, Tom Glavine claims "it's not about the money," but yet remains undecided on whether to take the $2 million, $3 million with incentives, to walk into the sunset and finish his career in Atlanta, where it all began. He is playing the market, seeing if he can get the price up. Well, sounds to me like it is about the money, isn't is always?

Liar, liar comes under fire (and then comes clean)

And my favorite MLB story of the day... A-Rod comes clean, which is what he should have done. While it was wrong that the results of a cumulitive, confidential steroid test given to players in 2003 was leaked, it is time he manned up. After denying ever using steriods in an interview with Katie Couric, all seemed well. That was until Sports Illustrated broke a story saying he tested positive in 2003. The truth, this won't ruin A-Rod. It was several years ago, and the Yankees fans forgave Jason Giambi when he came clean. Breaking rules is bad, but lying about it is even worse.

The Fat Lady sung

In an effort to demonstrate sportsmanship, I would like to congratulate the entire Pittsburgh Steelers fan nation in taking their sixth Super Bowl victory back home.

The game of all games stayed true to its name giving viewers twists and turns that left the final to be decided with mere seconds on the clock. As a person without a dog in the fight, I was thrilled to watch such an exciting game. Penalties, penalties and penalties came from both sides, including three unnecessary roughness flags on the Steelers. Turnovers also kept the game interesting, as Arizona turned the ball over inches from their end zone on a James Harrison interception. Harrison returned the ball for a touchdown. It was a 100-yard rush, the longest in Super Bowl history.

Other firsts in Super Bowl XVIII: Mike Tomlin became the youngest coach to win the Super Bowl; Arizona scored the first safety in game history and; the Cardinals featured the first Australian native ever to play in the Super Bowl.

The game was a nail-biter, even for neutral fans. Now that says something. The Cardinals came back from a 20-7 deficit in the fourth quarter, scored a passing touchdown, then a safety, making it a 4 point game at 20-16. Than Larry Fitzgerald found a hole and took it to the house to take the lead at 23-20.

Not missing a beat, Pittsburgh took the lead back with less than a minute remaining on a sweeeeeeeet Holmes touchdown. With only seconds left, the Steelers kicked the extra point making it a 4-point game at 27-23.

The Cardinals rushed to move the ball, and were forced to an unsuccessful Hail Mary.

A heart breaker yes, but also a game I am glad I watched in its entirety.

And for the record, I picked the Cardinals. But I won't lose sleep over it.

Coach Mike Tumlin had this to say at the trophy ceremony: "Steelers football is 60 minutes. It ain't always goin' to be pretty. Throw style points out the window. These guys are in it till the end."

I will not venture into the half-time show featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band or the commercials. That is a different entry all together.

Confessions of a college football fanatic

For thirteen weeks I woke up early every Saturday to watch ESPN's College Gameday. Now, a month after college football's grand finale, I already miss it. I can hardly sleep on Friday nights, the excitment of gameday gets me jazzed.

I run through the day in my head. Who plays at noon? Who kicks off at 3:30 and who plays into the night? Will I eat before or during the Bama game? Ooh no, I forgot which channel Bama is on ...damn it, I need to go look it up. Will I be able to see the end of the Georgia, Tennesse game before the Bama game starts? Can we really beat them? Who will Kirk pick to win? I wonder what cool costume Lee Corso will whip out. ... It's no wonder I can't sleep. But waking up Saturay morning is the best. It's like Christmas.

Since most games are crammed into one day a week for only 13 weeks, the fans often find themselves changing channels frequently in an effort to not only watch, but keep up. The truth is: Watching college football as an avid fan can be a lot of work.

Let's face it...If you saw the notorious Graham Herrel, Michael Crabtree pass for the first time as a replay, you missed out on the initial shock value. But, you can't watch them all live all the time.

The week leading up to a big game gets fans pumped. I know, I know, I can't wait! But the hour before kick-off, things feel surreal. It's actually here!

The pleasures of gameday are all around, for me and most hardcore fans. The energy as the team runs out of the tunnel, the crowd chanting. The way the stadium rocks, packed in with football-crazed fans. The nervousness as the quarterback hangs back in the pocket before his move. The frustration with penalties and bad calls. The impatience waiting for a play to reviewed. The excitiment of a running back weaving and dodging as he busts through the defense and makes a break for it. The shock of blocked field goals, missed cues and turnovers. The seeminly slow motion moments as the ball flies through the air on a Hale Mary pass. The nail-biting intensity praying your team can pull out the upset in the final seconds.


Ahh. It's all there. And without it, Saturday is not the same. To all the hardcore, nutjob, obsessive college football fans out there like me,remember:It's only eight months away.

See you next season!!!

Tim Tebow ascending directly into Heaven

MIAMI (SP) -- Shortly after leading the Florida Gators to a national championship with a 24-14 win over Oklahoma, junior quarterback Tim Tebow announced that he would skip his senior season and ascend directly into heaven.

Tebow entered the press room to wild applause. A reporter for a 24-hour cable sports network burst into tears when the 2007 Heisman winner entered the room. Another threw a pair of boxer shorts on the podium. Tebow smiled at the gesture and several sports reporters fainted.

"Sorry I'm late," Tebow began. "There was a six-year-old boy with cancer in row 54 and I had to make my way through the crowd to heal him."

"I want to start by saying that playing quarterback for the University of Florida, winning two national championships, has been a great honor. There has been some speculation about my future and I want to clear that up right now," he continued.

"Don't go, Tim!" a reporter shouted from the back of the room.

"After much consideration, I have decided to skip my senior season at the University of Florida and ascend directly into Heaven," Tebow announced. Upon making the announcement, Tebow was bathed in a blinding white light and vanished.

In response to the news, ESPN announced they will have a month-long tribute to Tebow. ESPN2 will now be known as ESPN-TEBOW and will feature Tebow highlights (including home videos of Tebow's childhood), re-airings of past interviews, Tebow-centric analysis by ESPN air personalities, a Tebow quiz show and a reality show to find
the "most Tebow-like" person in America.

"He wasn't just the greatest player in college football history," said a college football writer at the press conference, tears streaming down his face. "He might have been the greatest person to ever walk on earth."




Albert Press

The Press Release Presents... The List

The Best (and worst) In and Around SEC Football- 2008

~The Best Upset: Ole Miss over Florida. The Rebels became the only team to defeat the Gators in the regular season. Better yet, they did it in the Swamp by blocking an extra point kick.
Out of Conference Honorable Mention: Texas Tech over Texas over Lubbock. Graham Herrel threw the winning TD pass to Michael Crabtree in the final seconds of the game.
~The Best Rivalry Week Upset: Georgia Tech over UGA in Atlanta. Tech broke a 7 year losing streak in the Tech-UGA rivalry game. The game was one of three losses the needed to be wins for UGA to have a successful season. (Bama and Florida were the other two.)
Interconference Honorable Mention: Clemson over South Carolina
~Heartbreaker of the Season: Bama over LSU in Baton Rouge. LSU was unable to make good on their Nick Saban Vendetta. Rashad Johnson intercepted the would-be winning TC thrown by Jarrett Lee giving the Tide new hope. Bama won in overtime, clinching the SEC West, locking up their spot in the SEC championship against Florida.
Honorable Mention: UGA over Kentucky in Lexington
~Most Improved Team Since Last Year: Alabama
~Most Improved Team Over the Season: Arkansas
~Most Improved Quaterback Since Last Year: John Parker Wilson (Alabama)
~Most Improved QB Over the Season: Jevan Snead (Ole Miss)
~Up and Coming QB for 2009: Tie- Randall Cobb (Kentucky) and Jefferson (LSU)
Honorable Mention: McCelroy (Alabama)
~Miss 'em When He's in the NFL: Mathew Stafford (UGA)
~Most Meaningful Victory: Alabama over LSU
~Breakout Freshman of the Year: Julio Jones (Alabama)
~Most Troubled Team: Auburn
~Team Most Likely to Crumble Next Year: LSU
~Coach of the Year: Nick Saban (Bama)
Honorable Mention: Houston Nutt (Ole Miss)
~Best Play: Rashad Johnson's interception of LSU's would-be winning TD in overtime
Honorable Mention: Casey Dick's TD pass to give Arkansas the win over LSU in the final seconds.
~Most Disappointing Season: UGA
~Most Shocking Coaching Move: Tommy Tubberville 'resigning' from Auburn
~Team That Went the Most Unnotices: South Carolina
~Team Most Likely to Bounce Back in 2009: Tennessee
~Most Intense Matchup: Alabama vs. Florida
~Most Shocking Points: Bama 41-30 over UGA
Honorable Mention: Florida 56-6 over South Carolina
~Best 'Too Close for Comfort' Game: Bama over Kentucky 24-21

Defining a season, a team and a tradition

You know when you're down, you can't make sense of anything and can't find meaning. Your'e searching for light, wishing you could go back and do it again. You're sad ,mad, disappointed and frustrated?

Well, that in so many words, is how it feels to be heartbroken.

NO, I didn't just get dumped.

Nope, I'm broken-hearted because I am a Bama fan who watched our boys play three quarter of fantastic football, before losing the fourth quarter, and eventually, the SEC Championshp to Florida.

I am by no means am down on my team or disappointed in them. They have done more than anybody thought they could. They have defined a season, a team and a tradition.

They have had a perfect regular season, and showed the college football nation that Bama is back, and isn't going anywhere. We don't need Tebow and all his damn awards. We don't need Stafford, Moreno, Harvin, or any of those guys. We aren't superstars. No, we're nitty gritty. We don't win with style points. We are down and dirty, in your face. You don't hear too much hype about our 'star players' because we aren't about 'star players' and the glam it brings. We are not about John Parker Wilson, Glen Coffee, Terrence Cody and Javier Arenas. We are about THE OFFENSIVE LINE, THE DEFENSIVE LINE, THE SPECIAL TEAMS, THE TEAM AS A WHOLE!!! Think we're lacking? Yea, the only thing we're lacking is a loss in the regular season. We are 12-0. Hmmm 12 seems like a familiar number. Oh, that's because Bama has 12 national titles, more than any team in college football history, so put that in your prayers Tebow.

I am proud of these players, coaches and what they've done. This one loss, does not define their season, the resilience from last year, the 12-0 'building year' ... that defines the season.

Thank you, Crimson Tide, for defining your season, and your fans, your team and above all, your tradition.

"Time and the Tide wait for no man."

What I've learned Part Two

And now, another edition of "What I've learned from college football" Part Two: "What I've learned from being a Crimson Tide fan"

- You can be a gracious loser
- Defense wins (almost) all the time
- Georgia fans are the most arrogant, whiny fans in the SEC
- Beating 12 opponents of 12 opponents is not enough to make 'them' believe
- Often ,credit is NOT given where credit is due
- Nick Saban is worth every penny of $4 million a year
- Building is just slang for 'kicking your ass with freshman'

Tide Pride

A nation gathered as one today, that is the Crimson nation, to watch the most anticipated matchup of the season, and arguably the biggest game to ever be played in the Georgia Dome. By the time I sadly got into my car to go to work smack dab in the middle of the first quarter, it was clear that if Florida wanted to beat us, they were going to have to earn it. No more of their juggernaut offensive football would work. They would have to fight off the most potent defense in the country, and for most of the game, they were unable to do so. Bama once again reminded anybody who had forgotten, just who we were and how we got here, Blood, Sweat and Tears, that's how, and we weren't going down without a fight, not on your life baby!

I am saying all this to remind everyone, especially the tide nation, and even myself of something that speaks very loudly to who the Tide is and what we are all about. Lets not forget that at this time last year we were hanging by the skin of our teeth just to come away with a winning record, A win in the Independence Bowl would be just enough to bump us over .500. Everybody knew that Florida would contend this year. Everybody knew that they could do it, win 11 or 12 games and go to the SEC championship. But let me remind you what else everybody KNEW about this season...

- Everybody KNEW that Georgia would be a great team and probably play in the national championship;
- Everybody KNEW that USC would go to the national championship;
- Everybody KNEW that Philip Fulmer was the head coach of Tennessee, Tommy Tubberville was the head coach of Auburn and Sylvester Croome was the head coach of Miss St.;
- Everybody KNEW that Clemson would win the ACC; AND
- Everybody KNEW that Alabama would only be improved from last year, and probably at best, make a 9-3 run for it

Imagine what else we'll know at the beginning of next season.

I say all this to bring me back the pride of the Tide. In a world where everybody knew Bama would be 'building' and was still a year away, we taught them a valuable lesson. Our building year can beat your polished, glamorous year.

And, throughout all of this, the Tide players and coaches handled the success with class, never taunting their opponent or their fans, never bragging, but instead briefly celebrating with grace and then without skipping a beat, turning their focus to the next game. They did all this, going 12-0 that is with little respect, being told they CAN'T do it by many anxiously awaited the moment the Tide would fall, the week they would lose and prove their 'weaknesses' true to their critics. But, that didn't happen. Week in and week out they improved, as individuals and as a team. Week in and week out they ignored the naysayers proving themselves where it counts, on the turf, only to quiet the criticism. But never once did the players or head coach Nick Saban mention the pessimism of their peers. In fact, the Tide, recognized the volatility of college football, recognizing that sleeping on their opponent, any opponent, would only turn into a nightmare. They played each and every opponent as tough as the one before. They did it with only 9 starting seniors, the fewest in the SEC.

When all is said and done, the Tide held the Gators to 31, impressive considering they had scored almost 50 points a game, outscoring opponents by 40 or more points on six occasions. Furthermore, the Tide led the game for nearly a quarter and gave Florida just about all they could handle.

But Florida took control of the fourth quarter, but the Tide walked away without looking ridiculous, looking like a team that deserved to be there, a team that could come out alive after Florida. That's more than most of Florida's opponents could say (LSU, Kentucky, UGA, South Carolina)!!

The Tide has shown resilience -- shown that we are somebody, and we aren't going to be left in your dust.

Oh, and next year, we'll be back and the 'early warning' we unleashed against Clemson in week one, is only the beginning. We will only get better, and you see what Saban can do with top recruits -- boys to men baby!

Despite this SEC championship loss, life is still sweet for the Tide, because we're going to the Sugar Bowl.

They are the Crimson Tide, and we are just getting started .... You want some, come and get it! See you next year, and if you think you saw us this year, you ain't seen nothing yet.

The Iron Bowl blowout

For six years, Auburn has beat Alabama in the annual Iron Bowl. With a season in the toilet, the Tigers hoped to wash the bitter taste away with a swish of victory over the Tide on Saturday, continuing their streak and ruining Bama's perfect season.

But Alabama had something else in mind. After a slow start, The Tide would shut out Auburn, 36-0 in a beautiful performance in front of a sold out crowd of 92,138.

Bama had a 10-0 lead at the end of the half. Seconds before the half was over, Auburn threatened to cut the lead by three with a field goal. But as the rookie Auburn kicker placed one perfectly down the middle, Saban called a timeout, forcing the kick again. This time, the Auburn kicke was blocked keeping Auburn scoreless into the half and sending Saban into a rare but short celebration.

But in the second half, Bama would unleash the fury. They forced three fumbles, all were converted into touchdowns. In less than six minutes, The Tide expanded their lead to 22-0 after capitalizing on two consecutive fumbled possesssions.

The first two came on consecutive possessions in the third quarter and extended Alabama's 10-point lead to 22-0 in less than six minutes. On Auburn's first drive of the half, Kareem Jackson forced a Brad Lester fumble that was recovered by Rolando McClain at the Tigers' 39. One play later, quarterback John Parker Wilson hit Nikita Stover for a 39-yard touchdown to put the Tide up 16-0.

On Auburn's next drive, quarterback Kodi Burns fumbled the snap, which was recovered by Terrence Cody at the Auburn 45. After a pair of first downs, Alabama punched the ball in the end zone on a 1-yard run by tailback Mark Ingram to go up 22-0.

Ingram would score a second touchdown in the next drive puting Bama up 29-0.The touchdown was the first of two for Ingram on the afternoon.

Bama also gave Aurburn as strong cup of Coffee, Glen Coffee that is. Coffee owned the ground attack, carrying the ball 20 times for 144 yards and the tide's first touchdown of the game.

Auburn's defense was the only hope they had before the game. Having givin up only four rushing touchdonws all season and allowing 130 yards per game, Auburn gave up three rushing TDs and 234 rushing yeards to Bama.

A spectular defense is just on piece of the Bama puzzle. THe strong offensive line makes Coffee's job easy. He said this: "[The offensive line] showed up like they do every game," Coffee said. "Running behind them doesn't really give us that much to do except hit those holes full speed and take care of the rest."

And it doesn't stop there. Wilson finished the game 8-of-16 for 134 yards and a score.

Saban would honor his seniors and his starters by taking them out one by one in the fourth, allowing each of them to enjoy the crowd's cheer. But their replacements didn't just fill in, they added to the lead.

Backup quarterback Greg McElroy finished 2-of-2 for 44 yards and a touchdown, which came with 2:49 to go in the game to put the Tide up 36-0. Marquis Maze caught McElroy's touchdown pass, finishing with one catch for a 34-yard touchdown. In total, Alabama rolled up 412 yards against the Tigers. Amazingly, the Tide had only ONE penalty!

JPW was ecstatic but showed focus and maturity when he said, "To come out and score all these points, it feels good, but we have a lot left that we have to do," Wilson said. "We will learn from this game and get ready for the next one."

Of Auburn's 14 possessions, 9 of them ended in punts, 1 blocked FG and three turnovers.

Saturday's shutout was Alabama's first against the Tigers since a 17-0 win in 1992. The 36-point win was the largest margin of victory in the Iron Bowl since Alabama beat Auburn 38-0 in 1962.

"It means a lot to earn the shutout," safety Rashad Johnson said. "We were just trying to get better every week. We practiced hard and were able to finish the game."

With the SEC championship game just around corner, Bama will look to Florida. Stay tuned for a breakdown and to see why Bama and Florida is a match made in college football heaven.

To finish off the recap, Saban said, "It was obviously a great win for our fans, and it was a great win for our players," said Alabama coach Nick Saban. "We don't have a player on our team who has experienced this before so that was our goal." When told by the of field reporter that Bama was considered the underdog next week, Saban replied, "That doesn't bother me."

And you know what? it doesn't bother me either. Anybody out there who belives that Bama doesn't have a chance against Florida, or that somehow our position is not legitimate is a f*cking idiot. Don't forget who you're talking to.

And just for fun, I will paste below a blong entry I posted in on Feb. 2, 2007.

Alright already! We get it...as Bama fans we have become accustom to your "hating" and constant trash talk. However, we have a little message for all of you out there. You know who you are, so lets not make small talk. The following was in an email that my dad sent me. The writer of this testimony said it better than I ever could so I will allow him or her to do so.

Hey my Bama faithful, you know... I was reading the article about us being on probation for the last 15 years and I realized that if most other schools had sustained a blow of the magnitude and duration that we've had to endure they would simply fold and vanish into the realm of football has been's. Sure we haven't been the usual dominate Alabama of the past, but we have been far from slouches. During these past 15 years we've had some teams that could hang with anybody and I think our 1999 SEC championship team could have been national champions if it had not been for that mental fart (LA Tech game)we lost that year. My point is...it shows our strength and why we are the Epitome of college football...second to none!!!

See below: THE DECLARATION OF THE CRIMSON TIDE...YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIKE IT...YOU JUST HAVE TO ACCEPT IT!

LISTEN UP!! TENNESSEE, BARNERS, LSU AND EVERYONE ELSE OUT THERE, HEAR ME LOUD AND CLEAR. YOU'RE DAYS ARE NUMBERED!!! NO LONGER WILL YOU BE ABLE TO WREAK HAVOC AND CHAOS OVER THE SEC AND COLLEGE FOOTBALL WORLD DUE TO YEARS OF OPPRESSION OF THE BAMA PROGRAM. THE RIGHTFUL KING OF NCAA FOOTBALL IS BACK. WE WILL SHOW YOU WHAT A JUGGERNAUT PROGRAM IS ALL ABOUT. YOUR GREATEST DAYS ARE BEHIND YOU (hope you enjoyed). TIC TOC, TIC TOC, TIC TOC....THOSE ARE THE SECONDS THAT WILL FEEL LIKE YEARS AS YOU WALK DOWN THIS GREEN MILE. DON'T BOTHER STEPPING DOWN BECAUSE WE WILL KNOCK YOU DOWN AND WHILE YOU'RE DOWN THERE....BOW!!! YOUR KING IS HERE!

---

Well, only 9 months after the kingship was declared, The Tide fulfilled every prediction of the entry. And with that, I will end by welcoming The Tide back to Atlanta knowing they have earned their spot.

Get out your pen and paper, this one's gonna rewrite history.

ROLL TIDE

Lessons learned

What I have learned from college football:

- Sharing toys good; Sharing titles bad
- Beating rivals is the only form of job security
- BCS stands for BITCH, COMPLAIN, SULK
- Offense gets you ahead; Defense keeps you ahead
- People in Baton Rouge are f*ckin crazy
- Stafford is such a good QB, that he couldn't possibly screw up; it must be the wind
- They don't call 'em Rebels for nothing
- A blocked kick can ruin a season
- Mark Richt is God; Nick Saban is the Antichrist; and Tim Tebow is the Angel of Death
- The cost to get rid of a coach in the ACC: $3 million; The cost to get rid of a coach in the SEC: $6 million; The cost to get rid of a Notre Dame coach $16 million
- Vandy isn't just doctors and lawyers anymore
- Bulldog's bark is bigger than their bite
- Pete Carrol won't shut the hell up
- Nick Saban is worth $4 million a year
- Two minutes is a world of time
- Missed extra points will come back and bite ya

The tale of the Tide

It seems like only yesterday the Alabama Crimson Tide arrived at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta for their opening game against the then-No.9 ranked team, the Clemson Tigers. Bama had barely busted through the gates of the pre-season BCS rankings, standing at No. 24. And who can fault the BCS for placing Bama in that spot? After coming off a medeocre season at best, 2008 was expected to be a 'building year,' a process that would take time to pay dividends under Nick Saban. Saban's $4 million contract was heavily criticized. However, while haters were hating, while Mark Richt was shopping for black jersies and while LSU was drafting their vendetta, Saban was compiling an arsenal. The recruiting genious was bringing in top talent from all over the place. The team wasn't the his only project. He rebuilt the entire program, everything from top recruits and the best coaching staff, to team celebration time limitations and a detailed, "one game at a time" philosophy.

When the big day in Atlanta arrived, Clemson's shining stars, Thunder and Lightning were less than the perfect storm, if a storm at all. By halftime, Clemson looked like they were at funeral, and the Tide, well the Tide was dancing on their grave. A team that was barely on the BCS radar, was suddenly grabbing everybody's attention. Even Sports Illustrated jumped in on the media frenzy, featuring the Tide as their cover story with a headline advisory: SEC Beware, The Tide sends out an early warning.

What was an early warning in Week One, turned into an unbelievable season -- a season in which the Tide re-established themselves as a dominant force in the SEC and in college football. Yep, the program that put the SEC on the map, began reclaiming their territory. The Tide has thier last regular season game this Saturday -- an annual "out for blood Alabama affair" against thier ultimate rivals, the Auburn Tigers.

But how did an "early warning" become the only only undefeated BCS team in the country in the final week of the season? Well, The Tale of the Tide goes something like this ...

After the big victory in Week One,The Tide would go under the radar as they played Tulane and Western Kentucky. While mildly struggling against Tulane, the Tide, as great teams do, found a way to win. Then, they stomped W. Kentucky 41-7.

Week four would bring about a familiar foe, The Arkansas Hogs. Once a competitive SEC West team, the Hogs folded under the pressure of the Tide, losing 49-14 at home. Guess I was right about them Hogs...they are far inferior after losing Coach Houston Nutt to Ole' Miss and Darryn McFadden and Felix Jones to the NFL. Who knows, maybe Petrino will turn things around, but no such luck this time around.

With four games and four wins behind them, the Tide would face UGA in a much-anticipated matchup Between the Hedges in Athens. A matchup in the past only seen every 5 years or so had reared its ugly head, lining Bama and UGA up for the second year in a row. The Dawgs gloated about their big win over the Tide last year, foolishly forgetting the the Tide took them into double overtime before ultimately losing. The Dawgs would use this matchup to rally the fans into a blackout. The Dawgs took the field in their much-reverred black jersies, but their bark would prove to be bigger than their bite. The Tide scored 31 points in the first half completely dominating. While the Tide cooled off the second half, the hole, or should I say grave, was too deep for the Dawgs to reconcile and they lost, 41-30, but atleast the Dawgs were dressed for the occassion.

Now the Tide had passed the test. UGA was preseason No. 1, but you wouldn't know it come 10 pm on Saturday Sept. 27. But as puzzling as UGA's descent down the BCS ladder, was Bama's near misses against Ole' Miss and Kentucky.

In what Saban called "a clinic on how to keep the other team in the game," the Tide would squeak by Kentucky, redeeming themselves of 10 penalties. With a 24-3 lead at the half over Ole' Miss, the Tide would once again, squeak by in "find a way to win" fashion. But nonetheless, with the season halfway over, the Tide was undefeated at 7and 0 and climbed through the top ten, sitting pretty at No. 2

As the plot thickened in college football, The Tide beat the struggling Tennessee Vols in Knoxville before rolling back to Tuscaloosa for homecoming against Arkansas State, a game they won 35-0. But outside of Tuscaloosa, the college football fan nation would watch as the race to the top became a "last man standing" battle. Top five teams such as Texas, Penn State and Oklahoma became victims of upsets, dropping like flies and leaving a room for rent at the top.

The Tide was on the winning side of BCS deal, sitting even prettier in the No.1 spot. The power came with responsibilty -- the responsibility to NOT screw it up --and as the BCS continued shifting, it seemed that it was only a matter of time before the Tide would become like the one's before them, No. 1 has-beens.

But that was just the beginning of the uphill battle ahead. The Tide was only one win away from clinching the SEC West, guarenteeing them a spot in the SEC Champoinship. But not just any win would do it. The Tide would have to beat one specific team. The timing was perfect, because just their dumb luck, the one team they had to beat was next up on the schedule. Hollywood couldn't have scripted it any better. The one team that stood between Bama and a spot in the SEC championship was none other than thier SEC West rival,and defending national champs, the LSU Tigers, aka, The Rajun' Cajuns.

Bama would arrive in Baton Rouge for a homecoming, minus the warm welcome and hospitality. While the intense rivalry reared its ugly head, LSU fans had another bone to pick. Just a few years ago, after leading them to a national championship, Saban left for a bid in the NFL. His stint in the NFL was a failure, and Saban was on the hunt for a coaching job back where he was best, college. But after sending Saban off with a farewell and best wishes, LSU was mad as hell to see Saban reappear in the SEC as the head coach at Alabama.

Bitter and out for blood, LSU would give Saban a good-old-fashioned welcome for his first return to Baton Rouge since the leaving. LSU relished the opportunity to come back and haunt Saban as the potential spoiler of the Tide's perfect season.

The Brawl in the Bayou kicked off at 3:30 on a sunny afternoon. After the Tide's far from perfect first half, hat made every Bama fan want to crawl out of their skin, it appeared that LSU was on their way to making good on their vendetta -- the promise to wreck Bama's perfect season, thus trashing any national championship hopes.

The second half ensued. The afternoon brightness started to fade. And as the sun went down, you could begin to feel that change in the air, that spooky feeling. It was nightfall in Baton Rouge, and you could feel it in the pit of your stomach. Nighttime in Baton Rouge is creepy, something weird happens down there at night. Everybody knows night games at Tiger Stadium are no good.

But as darkness arrived, the Tide began to turn. Bama would take a lead, only to lose it, then gain it back. This tug-of-war brought the game to a field goal. The Tide lined up to kick for three and take the win, but in true LSU/Bama fashion, it wouldn't be that simple. Liegh Tiffin's would-be winning feild goal was blocked.

Overtime was the last hope for either team. But LSU made a fatal mistake ... The young Jarret Lee got greedy in their first possession of OT, throwing a deep pass into the endzone that intercepted by Rashad Johnson. After the turnover, JP Wilson would go long to Julio Jones, and at with only inches standing between the Tide and an SEC West title clinching win, JPW would leap his way into the endzone to close the deal.

While the Bayou Brawl, an instant classic, would reveal both teams' weakenesses, it would also, once again, showcase the Tide's ability to come through, even if they have to find a way to win.

After the physically and emotionally exhausing game at LSU, The Tide returned to Tuscaloosa to take on Mississippi State, led by former Bama Center and coach, Sylvester Croome. After beating us in the last two matchups, the Tide had to settle the score. After a rough start, the Tide unleashed on the Bulldogs. Javier Arenas would return a punt for a touchdown. This, along with JPW, Ingram and a solid performance from the kicking team, would lead the Tide to a 32-7 victory.

Still sitting pretty at the top, the Tide looks to their final challenge of the regular season. With one away from perfect 12-0 season, the Tide will host the Auburn Tigers. The rivalry, played out annually in the Iron Bowl, seems like a matchup the the Tide can handle After all, Auburn has struggled mightily this season and the Tide has had tremendous success this season. What could possible go wrong?

Well, despite Auburn's pitfalls, they do have thing... defense. As a matter of fact, the Auburn defense may be the toughest defense the Tide will face. Sounds funny, huh? But with a season in the toilet, a result of ineffective offense and a circle of rumors surrounding the leadership of the team, this could be the chance Auburn will finally capitalize on. Auburn lost to UGA in their last game, however they fought hard and showcased their strengths. UGA, once again, won in spite of themselves, but only by 3 in a 17-14 game. UGA had trouble breaking through Auburn's defense, but Auburn struck first, showing that their offense is improving. And not a moment too soon. But will the Tide rewrite 6 years of Iron Bowl history, or will Auburn come out on top with ONE win that can wipe out SIX losses?

And now, here we are, just days before the Iron Bowl. But after the Auburn chapter is written, The Tide, will return to the Dome, to where it all began 13 weeks ago. Except this time, a national championship is on the line against an opponent who has averaged almost 50 points a game, wiping teams like South Carolina and Vandy off the map. Will the SEC championship be the final chapter in the Tale of the Tide, or the beginning of a dynasty?

Stay tuned ........



Wrapping up, here a just a few of the highlights of the Tide's season:

John Parker Wilson (QB) has not put up big numbers, but he had done something just as important -- manage the game. He has showed poise and discipline and shined as a true leader.

The rushing game: The Tide has dominated with their running game using running back Glenn Coffee with Andre Smith as his blocker. Freshman Mark Ingraham has also had his share of carries adding to a dynamic offensive line.

Terrance "Mount" Cody: A junior college transfer, Cody has stopped offenses as the nose tackle. Teams have trouble finding a way to get through him and are forced to spread or put more than one of their guys up agianst him. And according to Cody, "He is living the dream"

Julio Jones: A highly recruited kid, JJ has made big plays at WR. And he doesn't look like a freshman. His stature and athleticism will land him in the NFL. And the best part: YAC -- he not only makes the big catches, but fights for yards with churning legs that often drag 1 or 2 along with them.

Special teams: Karim Jackson snuck in on Miss St today to block a punt. Javier Arenas returned at 90-something punt return for a TD, today. Rashad Johnson intercepted the would-be winning touch down last week to put the Tide back in the game, and the kicking team has done a good job of managing opponents' field position.

Ahhh... The First Kiss Chronicles: Part 2: The second (and third and fourth and fifth) kiss

It just keeps getting sweeter. While I considered not to continue blogging about my romantic life, I have decided to do so even if it means only that others can experience romance vicarously through me. But also because I believe that although flirting, romance, intamacy, love and everything in between are personal, discussing it in a public forum, as long as details are kept to a minimum and names anonymous, can help people in their lives, as well as help me deal with the ever-confusing world of dating. Read on for more from "Ahhh ... The First Kiss Chronicles"

Last night I see Mr. New New (not be confused with Mr. New Old) at the watering hole and we had a great time like I expected.

He kept kissing me at the bar, which I guess is ok. Its just awkward the first time you kiss someone in front of other people, especially HIS friends.

Anyway, he drives me home and of course, I am totally nervous and he could tell. But whatever, I am allowed to be nervous. I think it gave me a little bit of sex appeal. I gave him a nervous tour of the house and kissed him in my room. Too bad about the rents, because that could have been fun ...

Then he left, but not before kissing me by his car, among other things. I spare details.

I am on Cloud 9 and I don't want to leave. Could this be the start of the next chapter in my book of love, or is it just another Mr. New, soon to be an old fling?

Stay tuned for more of "Ahhh ... The First Kiss Chronicles"

Post-season, SEC commentary

(AP Photo/Butch Dill)

I simply couldn't help myself. I saw this on ESPN.com shortly before Game 3 of the Dodgers, Cubs series began, a game the Cubs would have to win to keep their post- season hopes alive. While everyone cheers for the quintessential underdogs, The Chicago Cubs, I couldn't help but laugh out loud as I read this comment posted by an ESPN blogger...

"My broom is working, and I need to start sweeping. Oh let's say 9 p.m. PT. "
brianz0009

Another fantastic football Saturday is almost over and bigger than the Bama win over the tough UK is Vandy's heroic defeat of Auburn. Go Vandy. I'm rooting for you to keep this up. I have always respected you guys and in a recent post, I said this:

If you are a Vandy fan, you are probably hopeful, thats what a win over The Evil Genius Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks will do for you. Keep it up and you may be able to ruin somebody else's Saturday this season...I would put money on it.

And I was correct. Good for you guys!

And because I was at work during the Bama Kentucky game, I will leave it to other bloggers to share their thoughts on today's game as well as other matchup. It's a little lazy, but some of these comments are great... I couldn't have said them better myself. Read on and enjoy:

I'll agree, Kentucky SHOULD be ranked, even with that loss. And I'm not saying that to inflate Bama heads either. UK deserves it. 4-1 is a respectable start.

I will freely admit that Bama is a great team...maybe the best in the nation??? not sure yet. But if Hartline didn't drop that ball and give up a freebie TD, KY wins this game 14-10. I think some attention should be given to that.

Well... outscoring your opponents 88-0 in the first quarter and not trailing at all in the first six games IS pretty amazing and it's a huge accomplishment, so the media will tag that as well.

Hey look at it this way; Vandy won, but they keep hearing that it's their first 5-0 start since WWII. Now how would that make you feel to hear after beating Auburn for the first time this century?

Congrats to Bama. They played a great game. Being a cats fan I was very happy. We gave up the big play early with the 80 yard run and then gave away the fumble for the score but they held on and played hard. Bama made some mistakes too to make up for what UK did early in the game and then it got interesting. It showed to me that the cats defense is good, REAL good, and that they SHOULD be in the top 25 and could be up there with the rest of the powerhouses in the SEC. Good game Bama and good luck. GO CATS!!

Kentucky is a good team, and makes Alabama's resume that much better at the end of the season. I'll vouch for that even against other Bama fans.
If Alabama could have capitalized on a few more of those mistakes though, it might would have been a wider margin.

Kentucky is not a bottom feeder. They have come off of two winning seasons and two bowl victories. They were one of only two teams to beat the national champs last year. They held their own against the nation's best team. YEAH,I SAID IT. Alabama is the best team in the nation. Oklahoma just looks good playing against crap competition.

I guarentee you'll hear about how close that game was more than you will about the win. But, on the other hand, it is a pretty big deal when one player rushes for 200+ yds. against the nation's scoring defense leader. And that is a compliment to Kentucky as well.

Good game, it had me on my heels.

I love some of these idiots knocking Kentucky. Kentucky played with Bama the entire game. Alabama is an awesome team so it speaks volumes when Kentucky only loses by 3. Are some of you really comparing Baylor to Kentucky? That is absolutely idiotic.

Bama is great and Kentucky has turned the corner. A win over LSU should have told you guys to wake up. Kentucky is no longer a pushover. They are a legitimate team.

Shoulda, woulda, coulda....bottom line it's a win for Alabama.....bottom line for Auburn...you loose

I don't understand why it is if you listen to the media discuss this game (CBS, ESPN, etc), they just talk about how much rushing yards Bama had, how well they played in the first half, and how they moved on to be 6-0. They barely mention the final score, and don't say a damn word about Kentucky, and how well they played.

Alabama played horribly, and Kentucky played very well. There was horrific officiating, which may have affected the tide more than UK. The Tide's Coffee needs to get better at holding onto the ball, this has been a problem for him all season long. Bama should have scored much more than it did, but UK's impressive defense was able to keep them under control. Unfortunately, Bama's pass defense hasn't been great at preventing first downs all season long, which allowed Kentucky's strong passing offense to score some much needed points on the board. Alabama got lucky this game, because according to the skill, and how well both teams played, UK should have come away with the victory. The win can be attributed to the Tide's defense, and Coffee, who put the team in the position to make the game point.

People expect good teams to have blowouts. That rarely happens in SEC conference games because almost all SEC teams are good teams. The SEC doesn't have any "high school" teams masquerading as college football teams. The SEC has talent.

I second this. The SEC is the BEST conference by far.

Thank you..a win is a win is a win! I just think people did not give enough credit to UK...it's not like they are a Baylor team..they are an SEC team.

Good, Bad, Ugly, Pretty, Penalties, No - Calls,Fumbles. Talk is talk. The game is over. Kentucky and Bama both have a good football team and this was just a classy SEC matchup that proved Kentucky is a good team. Alabama is not overrated, if anything Kentucky is underrated. Still, good game and congrats to the Wildcats and good luck the rest of the season. Talk all you want, but Bama is still 6-0. dmccullough007 (35 minutes ago) Report Violation Goodness...a little too close for comfort...but all is well...a win is a win...especially in the SEC! Roll Tide...Ole Miss in two weeks.

This speaks more about Kentucky than it does UA. That defense for the 'Cats did not quit, but their young QB did them in. That being said UK isn't a homecoming game anymore and UA showed why they're one of the top teams in the SEC. hogwild1989 (42 minutes ago) Report Violation good job Bama.. now that you got that little hickup out.. roll the rest of the season and then crush whoever you're up against in Miami Catsbyfive (46 minutes ago) Report Violation Alabama was the better team. They made a lot of mistakes and maybe a few bullsh*t penalties, but the tide's defense is definitely better than the cats. I think UK showed a lot of heart and character today though, especially without the help of micah, cobb, lumpkin, and jeffries. If even 3 of those 4 are healthy for the rest of the season, I think UK could potentially beat anyone at home, I know that's a bold statement but i was impressed with their play today. Hopefully we will pull one out against the old ball coach for once next weekend.

You're right,UK was really, really good. Excellent test for our Bama team ("Mt. Cody" hasn't breathed that hard all season). They needed that little smack in the mouth to keep them humble for the rest of the season. We cannot sleep on Ole Miss.

We are, once again, back in the position of being every SEC team's rival. It's a savory spot to be in, but we haven't had a group of players that are used to that kind of pressure in a long, long while. It will be interesting to see how they handle being that heavily targeted -- esp. by teams that most people will not consider real competition for 'Bama. Those are the teams that can pull out one of those Boise St. Statue of Liberty-type stunners (God forbid...).

This is neither a Coach Bryant nor a Coach Stallings type team. The players on those teams signed with 'Bama because they wanted to play for the school and contribute to the program's winning tradition. This group of players signed with 'Bama because they wanted to play for Saban. Totally different vantage point. Totally different mentality.

Will be very interesting to see if these kids can keep their heads.

Saban didn't let Bama down like Nutt did in the Ole Miss game after a big win.

I hope mizzou does jump lsu in the polls this week because rankings mean nothin right now

Congrats to Kentucky on a tough game. The cats are the real deal for sure. This was the first team to test the Tide all year, and this game was the hardest hitting contest Bama has been in. In a way, I'm glad the Tide played such a physical opponent that they couldn't easily push around. Even though they lost, Kentucky still looked like a top 20 team. I'm sure that Bama's players and fans would agree. Again, good game Cats. Your team is damn good.

I hear u brother! all u can do is laugh at some of these post! I hear the scenery in Lexington is nice this time of year w/ Keeneland and SEC football

Cat fans be proud you will go bowling again, hope Vandy goes. Now we need to finish Bama.

Hats off to the CATS, They played their butts off against one of the best teams in the country! great job with both programs, hell of a game!

Ahhh....... The First Kiss Chronicles: Part 1: The First Kiss

The way your heart races so fast it almost jumps out of your chest. The way your hands shake and your legs tingle. The way the world as you know it disappears from your mind. I am talking of course, about a first kiss. There is nothing more glorious than that first kiss as you lean in, the way you wish it would never end and the way you are gleefully consumed by it for days. So new and exciting that I felt compelled to write about it here.

Is this a softer side of Scoops? I think so. Normally I am blogging about SEC football, baseball or how I dislike liberal policy. But today, I too, am gleefully consumed by a first kiss. Only 2 months after The Break Up from my longtime beaux, I have found myself immersed in singleness. I am wading around in the scary waters of dating, finding that this it is a f*cking blast and wishing I had done it sooner. How come nobody from the single team sent me a Memo about this? Eh, they were probably too busy enjoying singlehood. Since the breakup however I have been fortunate enough to reunite with an old friend and make some new ones at a local watering hole that has become my second home, and the people, a new family. The old friend is out of my league in my play book, but he disagrees. We went out a few times and eventually the innocent flirting turned into not so innocent slumber parties. However, recently he chose not to call me back regarding plans we made and has yet to answer as to why. While I am not mad (anymore) I am a little disappointed. Unsure where that was going, if it was going anywhere at all, I continued on my quest to have a good time.

Last night, just as my anger faded from the unreturned phone call from Mr. New a week ago, a somewhat unexpected event occured. An attractive, Paul Newman-esque gentlemen who I was social with at my local watering hole, began to show some interest in me. He was the last of the crew to flirt with me, the others were overly eager. It started last week with playful flirting that spilled over into last night. We bonded as partners in a game of beer pong (sarcasm of course) and then inched closer to each other at the bowling arcade game in the back corner. He distracted me during our bowling game, I'll spare the details, but it was quite nice, and I found myself in a place that I haven't been to in so long I almost forgot what it was like. For those precious moments I wasn't the woman who over thinks every little detail of every aspect of my life. I wasn't the SEC expert talking defensive spreads or the uptight, overworked, underpaid maverick. I was instead a free spirit, an innocent girl who jumped up and down and cheered every time I bowled a stike and giggled as he kissed my neck and sqeezed my behind. I was the girl who leaned closer to him while we played that arcade game and smiled as he looked at me. Oh, it felt so good.

As the bar cleared out and Laura hollered 'Last Call!!!!' we found ourselves alone at a table. Then we went outside as the night winded down. We leaned against the concrete column smoking and talking, and then, it happened. He kissed me and I kissed him and all the world around us stopped. Laura and Trish came outside to continue a catfight and Guido followed, but none of that mattered. He held me so close and I couldn't help but wrap my arms around him and go with it. After all, it felt good, so good. This continued by my car.

Once the makeout session was over, I pulled out, smiling ear to ear, a smile that has remained on my face all day today despite my hangover and being at work. I don't know what will happen now... Maybe nothing, maybe everything, but it is fun and it feels just like a should, a first kiss.

Oh, and by the way, Bama won today over Kentucky 17-14.

The Tide has rolled in

Crimson Tide defeats UGA in an upset 41-30 between the hedges.

Ok, so I promised that I wouldn't talk trash to Georgia fans during the game. I did this for two reasons.

1. A game can shift momentum at any time and...
2. I have more class than that

But... the game is over, and now the insult to injury can begin and my class can go out the window. I think I'll start with the blackout. How foolish does UGA look after their mega-loss to the Crimson Tide after all the hype about the spiffy black jersies? I warned in my last post that all the black jersies and barking wasn't going to win UGA anything, but their talent would. Well at least I was right about one thing! I think it's safe to say that the Tide put an end to UGA's infamous blackouts for awhile. See, I told you guys black jersies wouldn't win you anything.

Next, Knowshon Moreno was more like 'No'shon Moreno. Where the hell was he? All I heard about for days before the game was Knowshon this and Knowshon that. Don't get me wrong, I know he is talented, but apparently the Tide was too much for Moreno to handle. And just because low blows are kinda fun ... What was up with that stupid mohawk?

The offensive line for UGA is young and one that will certainly grow as the season progresses and probably mold into a strong line in a year, but they were no match for our defensive line stacked with our center, Mount Cody, Dont'a Hightower and our offense is far superior at this point. Andre Smith, Antoine Caldwell, Mark Ingram, Glen Coffee and need I even mention Julio Jones all had fantasic games.

Quarterback control is key to this game and John Parker Wilson had a near perfect game. His arm strength, although, not what he is known for, was fantasic. He was in complete control the entire game, never faltering. He carried himself like a true leader. Stafford on the other hand had a tough game. Poor guy, probably is still sleeping off our wrath.

Nick Saban straight up outcoached Richt and Bobo. He was prepared for the game and instead of worrying himself with how his players would dress, he stuck to calling the shots. (Ouch, even that was too harsh for me). Let's just say those White jersies work just fine for us.

But now that all is said and done I will give UGA a much needed pep talk. Don't worry. I am certain UGA will bounce back from this. It is likely that you will contend in the SEC East, and if that is true, then it is also likely that the Tide will see you again in the SEC championship. Except maybe this time, you guys will stick to your more traditional red jersies : )