Birmingham News reported charges against Rashad Johnson likely would be dropped early next week as part of a plea deal. One of the issues being considered, Swords said, is that the police report authored by Tuscaloosa Police Department officer Derek Kilgore and the surveillance video taken from four angles at The Legacy that night offer [...]
Archive | February, 2008
Friday is here
A few random thoughts this morning: I wonder if any football players will be out at 3 a.m. on the Strip this weekend? The Tuscaloosa News handling of the David Wasson situation was pathetic. Doug Ray, the executive editor of the News, never responded to questions asked by the Capstone Report. I wonder how the [...]
Associate AD on ESPN
ESPN’s First Take featured Wendell Hudson during its Black History Month spotlight Thursday morning at about 9:50 a.m. CST. Hudson’s comments covered his experiences at Alabama; he was the first African-American scholarship athlete at Alabama. He now serves as an Associate Director of Athletics at UA. “The most important thing I remember about that time [...]
Media on discipline
Mr. College Football, Tony Barnhart weighs in on the discipline issue in college football. Here are a few interesting points: While the fans the media see a freshman left tackle or a sophomore running back who just violated team rules and embarrassed himself and the program, the coaches and the school see somebody’s child. At [...]
The arrest (fair & balanced)
Ian Rapoport catches heat regularly. I remember throwing some his way during the malaise days of Mile Shula. But he provided a very nice update to the Rashad Johnson arrest in a blog post this afternoon. He provided this link to an eyewitness account to the arrest, former football player Freddie Roach. The interview was [...]
Why people hate the media (part XVIII)
Why do people hate the media? Maybe the condescending nonsense spewed by reporters like this Rick Karle blog entry. Let’s take a close look: Uh, coach? Here’s my rub. Like you, I have two children- and I can tell you my two kids would never be walking around the Tuscaloosa Strip at 3:00 am. If my son [...]
Final Four thoughts
With the Final Four underway at the BJCC, it is time for my regular whine. Why is the state basketball tournament played at a nicer facility than the state football championship? The BJCC is a palace compared to the dump called Legion Field. You can feel the energy of the basketball tournament; the football Super [...]
Hunter Ford: Pay Attention to the Light
The guy who played Bear Bryant: ‘The truth requires no questions.’ Saban: ‘It is what it is! No more questions!’ By Hunter Ford editor’s note: Hunter Ford is starting a new blog. You can read his writing online at: alagonzo.blogspot.com. I didn’t even bother to watch the Alabama-Auburn basketball game over the weekend. Tide roundball [...]
Saban 2/26 press conference video
If you want some text to read along with the video, here’s UA’s release on the staff changes: Saban Announces Football Staff Addition as well as Two Promotions (UA) TUSCALOOSA—University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban announced the hiring of a new Director of Player Personnel, Tim Davis, as well as promotions for current [...]
PD was issue in recruiting
As talk radio and message boards buzz with allegations the Tuscaloosa Police Department has targeted Alabama football players, one thing I can verify: The arrests last summer were an issue during the recruiting season. I was told by one recruiter, the issue was raised by prospects last year. I was told recruits ask about the [...]
Saban: We are family
Nick Saban defended his family at a Tuesday press conference, where he covered a wide-range of issues including discipline. Saban explained his philosophy of discipline—it isn’t chastisement qua chastisement, but a process of purification—improvement. “Rashad Johnson does not deserve to be suspended from the team,” Saban said. “We’re not going to throw the baby out [...]
Monday (late) roundup
Short is the joy that guilty pleasure brings—Euripides Alabama legend Keith McCants was arrested Monday morning on drug charges, the Mobile Press-Register reported. There is little to say, other than how sad this is. Advertisement: Story continues below In other news of the day, Nick Saban plans to address the media Tuesday. I’ll try to [...]
Media Review: Harp on Sports
What’s the worst radio show in Alabama? Harp on Sports. And big surprise, it is in Huntsville. Why is Huntsville afflicted with pathetic newspaper reporting, and poor talk radio? The morning show hosted by Seth Harp airing from 6 a.m.-9 a.m. on WUMP 730 AM in Huntsville was a disaster Friday. The show talked at [...]
Discipline Crisis
Another weekend, another arrest. The Strip was a problem for the football team last year, and has already made its mark this year with the early morning arrest of Rashad Johnson outside the Legacy. That makes six arrests in the last year, according to Bamaonline.com. They also reported the Legacy was the venue where three [...]
T-News confesses
A sexual harassment allegation led to David Wasson’s exit as executive sports editor of the Tuscaloosa News, and led to his resignation as an adjunct instructor at the University of Alabama. The allegations of sexual harassment were first reported in the Crimson White Thursday, but the parties were nameless due to privacy policies at UA. [...]
Another player ends career
Ian Rapoport reported tonight that reserve lineman Cody Davis is ending his participation in football. “Davis will give up playing rather than have surgery and a lengthy rehab that may or may not have gotten him ready to play, according to the Rap Sheet.” Advertisement: Story continues below
Wasson out at T-News
UPDATE 2: Tuscaloosa News executive sports editor David Wasson resigned due to sexual harassment allegations connected to his position as an adjunct instructor at UA. UPDATE:A caller on talk radio’s Paul Finebaum show asked Friday afternoon if a story from the Crimson White could be linked to Wasson’s ouster. The article reports: “An incident of [...]
Subtract another
Despite the worries by MGOBLOG over Alabama’s roster, it looks like at least one player is leaving the team for medical reasons. The Mobile Press-Register reported B.J. Stabler of Grove Hill, AL. is giving up football. Advertisement: Story continues below According to the Press-Register: “After three years of pain, I’m doing the right thing,” Stabler [...]
Losing its virginity: high school sports
Tonight ESPN showed a high school basketball game. Basketball. High school. In primetime. Things have changed in the world of high school sports. The attention, money, prestige, and did I mention money have grown prodigiously over the last decade. With the attention came the corrupting influence of money. Cheating is endemic in Alabama high school [...]
Why did Alabama lose games in ’07?
Why did Alabama and Nick Saban lose games they could have won in 2007? The story could be found in NFL scouting analysis posted as players prepare for the NFL Combine. Three players set for the combine are DJ Hall, Wallace Gilberry and Simeon Castille. Each of these players were important cogs on the Alabama [...]
Media Review: Paul Finebaum on WJOX
I listen to the Paul Finebaum show as much as possible. Whether it is during football season or out of season, Finebaum is the most interesting and informative show on the radio. Finebaum covers sports and politics with aplomb. The Tuesday show was textbook Finebaum; it combined a sports topic of the day, with a [...]
Even Bobby Knight knows
Even Bobby Knight knows Auburn (7 times on the NCAA major infraction list) cheats. During filming for ESPN’s coverage of BASS fishing tournament, Knight offered pithy advice and insights, according to this ESPN story. “Do you recruit for Auburn?” Knight asked Horton, an avowed Tigers fan. “No,” Horton replied. “With NCAA rules, I can’t …” [...]
Stop persecuting Moore
Dr. Robert Witt has done an exceptional job as president of UA. However, he has one black mark on his record; he has allowed the continued persecution of Daniel Moore. I’ve written about this case before. I compared the leadership’s decision to sue Moore to the foolish decisions to hire Mike Dubose, or Bill Curry. [...]
Just to clarify
Just because you want something to be true, doesn’t make it true. MGOBLOG thinks the Bryant Scholarship is “hypotheticalâ€, and shouldn’t apply to a recruit like Wesley Neighbors. ‘Bama either has a scam going or Michigan should institute the “Everyone Scholarship.” The ‘Bama bloggers are making much of this hypothetical “Bear Bryant scholarship” and how [...]
Alabama listed at 50/1 to win 2009 BCS title
Spring practice hasn’t even started, but gambling has already begun on who will win the 2009 BCS National Championship. Online sportsbook Bodog’s list of odds showed Alabama as a 50/1 shot to win the next BCS title. That is better than Notre Dame who is listed at 70/1, and better than Boise State who is [...]
Media Review: The Opening Drive on WJOX
Tony Kurre, Jay Barker and Al Del Greco host the Opening Drive on WJOX. The show airs 6 a.m.-10 a.m., and features sports talk with some entertainment talk. Kurre provides a balance between the two famous football players. The Friday show included talk of the upcoming Daytona Race with a racing legend, basketball talk, and [...]
Good blog goes bad
One of the best football blogs around, MGOBLOG, has decided to go on the warpath against Alabama and Nick Saban. Unfortunately, the attacks have little to do with reality and more to do with a misunderstanding of the rules and business of major college football. It began with a post calling Nick Saban a Snake [...]
Report: Moore visits Coleman
Ian Rapoport reported Mal Moore took in a second consecutive Alabama basketball game last night. This is news because Moore has attended few basketball games over the last two years, according to the Rap Sheet. Rapoport asks if this means anything. Is it a vote of support? Is it Mal watching to either make a [...]
Media Review: Roundtable on WJOX
I decided to take at least one hour of my life and devote it to listening to the major sport radio programs around the state (or at least the ones available online or over-the-air in the Birmingham-Tuscaloosa-Anniston I-20 corridor.) I had planned on listening to the Opening Drive this morning, but a few commitments kept [...]
Tuberville: 2008 class is good, really!
Tommy Tuberville’s 2008 recruiting class was so good he had to go on talk radio and defend it. According to the Mobile Press-Register: “I know we get ridiculed when we come up supposedly short on anything. We didn’t come up short on recruiting. This group is going to be a heck of a class,” he [...]
Auburn’s lunatic fringe displays its hypocrisy
The Never To Yield Foundation is right—all Alabama fans are rude and evil. We are sinners. It is too bad [...]