The pettiness of the minor sports programs in the Southeastern Conference (cough Auburn cough) was once again on display when a school (cough Auburn cough) threw a hissy fit over the Gridiron Bash. According to the Gridiron Bash organizers, a member of the SEC complained about the event. It takes little imagination to deduce where [...]
Archive | March, 2008
Big strides evident from scrimmage
You can’t read much into a scrimmage stat line, but there were some important points from the first scrimmage of the spring. The defense is improving, the quarterbacks are improving, and the team has player leadership. All of these are necessary elements for an improved record in 2008. Let’s start with the most important point, [...]
Saban’s 3/29/08 press conference
(UA) TUSCALOOSA—The Alabama football team worked through its first scrimmage of 2008 spring drills on a muggy, sunny Saturday afternoon at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Head coach Nick Saban and his staff put the team through a two-hour workout that consisted of approximately 125 plays from scrimmage plus special teams work. Saturday’s scrimmage started with the Crimson [...]
Friday is all about Saban
Nick Saban plans to retire in Tuscaloosa. He told ESPN’s Chris Low that this would be his last stop—he regrets moving so much in his coaching career. “This is it for me,” Saban said this week. “I’m 56 years old. I’ve moved around, in my opinion, too much. I’ve made some mistakes. I learned about [...]
Need more Shane?
AlabamaGameday.net posted an interview with Shane from Centerpoint. Click the link above to read more including comments like these: The Process is entering its second season. The two most important components required for success in football are team continuity, and consistency. Coach Saban’s Fourth Quarter program should begin to show on the field, with this [...]
Hypocrite: Tubby’s not as tough as touted
Editor’s note: Shane from Centerpoint first wrote this column for the Finebaum website. It was written in response to Tuberville’s assertion that the Tigers do things the right way. Shane’s research exposed Tuberville’s hypocrisy. We’ve included links to verify each of the crucial points; the most damning point was Tuberville allowing the misogynistic Clifton Robinson [...]
Two basketball items
Two big basketball stories happened Wednesday. First the good news: JaMychal Green performed well in the McDonald’s All-American game. Green scored 12 points on 5-7 from the field and 2-3 from the free throw line. He grabbed five rebounds and notched two assists. You can read a game story from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel at [...]
Hannah won’t run for Congress
John Hannah won’t be seeking a Congressional seat despite talk coming from the Alabama GOP. Last week state GOP chair Mike Hubbard told the Huntsville Times that the Alabama football legend was considering a run to fill the soon-to-be vacant Alabama Fifth Congressional District. Hannah told the Capstone Report this afternoon he was not running. [...]
Remembering…
Victor Ellis died last night, and the Chattanooga Times Free Press provides the best information on the young man’s passing. Going through the story, the quotes from his football coach are good, but the most important line is from another cancer patient: In the same way he once thrilled fans at Red Bank and Alabama, [...]
Saban’s 3/24/08 press conference
Nick Saban’s March 24 Return to Practice press conference video: Saban subscribes to a newspaper, and reads it! This shocking revelation came during his Monday press conference. “They didn’t even deliver me a paper yesterday at my house, so I didn’t even get to read it,†Saban said. “I had to watch ESPN to find [...]
Media Review: Alabama’s Best Print Journalism
Alabama’s best journalism continues to be delivered by print media. Television and other outlets fail to provide the depth or breadth of coverage for sports or political issues. The Capstone Report consumes at least three or four newspapers per day—so we are ready to offer our judgement on Alabama’s best newspapers. Best Alabama Sports Coverage: [...]
Hunter Ford’s conversation with Bill Baxley
Note: These columns were originally written for the Hoover Gazette last year. Â I visited with former Alabama Attorney General Bill Baxley in the summer of ’07 on a whim. I had always wanted to interview him. Â Mr. Baxley was a gracious interview subject. He is an interesting man who played an important part in Alabama [...]
Four days of magic; Alabama MIA
Four days of magic. Four days of nonstop basketball. The first and second round of the NCAA tournament are some of the most intense and interesting days in all of sport. So many memories. So many games. And Alabama was at home. The crowds at the BJCC were cheering for other teams. Advertisement: Story continues [...]
Off topic: Hunter on APTV
For those who read Hunter Ford’s columns, Ford will appear on Alabama Public Television’s For the Record with Tim Lennox tonight (Friday, March 21) at 8 p.m. For more information on the show, you can visit APTV.org. Advertisement: Story continues below Topics for tonight’s show include the Adjutant General of the Alabama National Guard A. [...]
NCAA Round 1: Belmont vs. Duke
We just witnessed the best game of the tournament. It won’t be topped. Duke held off Belmont 71-70. Alabama’s loss to Belmont doesn’t look so bad now. Does this help the Tide’s RPI? Unlike the vast majority of Alabama fans, I love Duke. I always have. I remember watching Duke defeat UNLV. I remember Coach [...]
An open letter to Chette Williams (revisited)
Editor’s note: This column first appeared June 29, 2007. It is being republished due to Rev. Chette Williams recent appearance on the Opening Drive on WJOX. Rev. Williams appeared Feb. 27, the day after Jason Campbell appeared on Paul Finebaum’s radio program. Both interviews were conducted during turmoil over player arrests in Tuscaloosa. Second note: [...]
Media Review: Roundtable on WMSP
Josh Moon has the intellect for television, a face for the radio, and a voice for the newspaper. In other words, he shouldn’t be part of the Alabama media. He’s a joke. A Finebaum wannabe that fails. He’d have to improve significantly to be called a hack. Of course in the modern media environment where [...]
Watching NCAA Games Live
If you want to watch the NCAA games live, you can do that by clicking this link: Watch or listen to every game from the NCAA® Championship LIVE ONLINE for FREE! WITH BOSS BUTTON. I just checked on the games, and already 25,000 are waiting for entry to the feeds. The first game Georgia vs. [...]
Regaining relevance
While Alabama football works hard to regain relevance on the field, the football program has become relevant off the field again thanks to recruiting success and last year’s A-Day game. Reviled at the time, the fan passion is now the gold standard by which every spring game is judged. Need another example of how the [...]
Dealing with a crisis
The NCAA featured a detailed account of what the SEC did when the tornado struck Atlanta and damaged the Georgia dome Friday evening during the Alabama-MSU game. Here are some important quotes directly from SEC Associate Commissioner Greg Sankey: “The first need was to secure people’s safety. With the weather being what it was, and [...]
The case to expand Bryant-Denny now
While Dr. Robert Witt’s economic analysis turned out to be prophetic (who knew that hallowed Bear Stearns was on such shaky ground?), there has never been a better time to expand Bryant Denny stadium. The reasons for expansion are both economic and athletic. It just makes good sense to do it now. Here’s why. 1. [...]
Hunter Ford: On Finebaum and the off-season
Real sport to fill football off-season is played on the radio By Hunter Ford You can read more from Hunter Ford at his blog Alagonzo.blogspot.com. Ford’s columns also appear in Bessemer’s Western Star newspaper. The University of Alabama’s 2007-08 basketball season was finally shot in the head like the lame nag that it was. The [...]
Nightmare basketball scenario brewing for 2009
A nightmare scenario is brewing for next basketball season. The Richard Hendrix turning pro talk is heating up behind the scenes, and Ronald Steele might not be ready for next season. But wasn’t that a guarantee before—that Mark Gottfried would win big next year thanks to having one of the best point guards in the [...]
Hudson hire sends a message?
Wendell Hudson’s hire as women’s basketball coach could be viewed as sign of change in the way things are done at UA. I was told this was an attempt to circumvent some of the problem persons within the athletic department administration. Following Rick Moody’s retirement as women’s basketball coach, a search committee was formed, and [...]
BREAKING: WEATHER DAMAGES DOME
A 63-minute delay interrupted play at the SEC tournament as a possible tornado damaged the Georgia Dome. Play resumed at 10:43 p.m. eastern with Alabama losing to MSU 69-67. More pictures from Yahoo Sports At 9:40 p.m Eastern a possible tornado damaged the Georgia Dome, Westin Hotel, Omni Hotel and other parts of downtown Atlanta. [...]
Pat Dye: Auburn’s savior or tarnished tiger?
By Shane from Center Point Bob Carlton, the entertainment writer for Alabama’s largest newspaper, The Birmingham News, recently began a tournament type contest pitting sixty-four of the State’s greatest sports legends (in who’s mind?) against each other so the public could vote and pick the “best of the bestâ€. Much to the chagrin of popular [...]
Bama wins over UF, but…
Alabama did its best impression of the Washington Generals last night as the team allowed a 28-point lead to shrink to 6. The Tide went almost 15 minutes without a basket as Florida went on a 21-2 run. Alabama won, but… Mark Gottfried’s game management was abysmal. He once again failed to call a timeout [...]
Off topic: No better than a criminal
The Alabama Education Association (AEA) finally said something correct. They were trying to be make a point, but that just shows how much of a joke they are. Here’s the quote from the Birmingham News: “I believe it’s just wrong to say to our employees they cannot serve in the Legislature and hold a job [...]
Media Review: Colin Cowherd
Colin Cowherd is clever and entertaining, but he is more akin to a standup comic than a sports journalist—and that is the problem. ESPN today is more about laughs than real information. Last Wednesday’s show spent more time discussing men using tanning machines than real sports talk. They also spent an inordinate amount of time [...]
No Bryant-Denny expansion
The slowing economy and growing economic uncertainty means Bryant-Denny must wait longer for expansion, according to UA’s president Dr. Robert Witt. “I’m not certain it would be wise or prudent to embark on another major fundraising campaign for athletics right now,†Witt said in an interview with The Tuscaloosa News today. The economic uncertainty now [...]
Hoover braces for baseball tournament without Bama
As the Southeastern Conference baseball tournament begins, Hoover businesses are getting ready to feel, well, not much of anything. Since [...]