Football: practice ends, Erin Andrews & links

• Posted by capstonereport on November 20th, 2009 filed in General
• 3 Comments »

Practice concluded for Chattanooga, Erin Andrews stalker is headed to court, and several links including an examination of how Alabama will deal with a short week for the Iron Bowl.

First up, Erin Andrews. According to the AP, An Illinois insurance executive accused of secretly making nude videos of ESPN reporter Erin Andrews is expected to make his first court appearance Friday. (read the rest of the report below.)

UA Football Team Wraps Up Chattanooga Week
The Alabama football team practiced for 90 minutes in shells inside the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility Thursday afternoon wrapping up a week of preparation for Saturday’s game with Chattanooga.

“Our team is really focusing on improving,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said earlier this week. “I’ve said time and time again, I think our best game is out there someplace and we need to keep trying to work for it and develop the kind of consistency and performance that allows us to play our best game.

“Chattanooga has a good team. I mean, they’ve got an SEC quarterback and he’s done a really good job for them. We try to play these games one game at a time and these are the type games you never forget if you don’t play well in. We certainly want our players to have a good experience, especially for our seniors who will be playing the last game in Bryant-Denny Stadium.”

The Chattanooga game will mark the final home game for 27 Crimson Tide seniors. The group will be honored in a pregame ceremony on Saturday. The complete list of scholarship players, walk-ons and medical hardships includes Eryk Anders, Javier Arenas, Alex Benson, Evan Cardwell, Terrence Cody, Drew Davis, Brandon Deaderick, P.J. Fitzgerald, Hampton Gray, Baron Huber, Marquis Johnson, Mike Johnson, Tyrone King, Mike McCoy, Colin Peek, Cory Reamer, Chris Rogers, Brian Selman, Ali Sharrief, Leigh Tiffin, Heath Thomas, Jacob Vane, Roy Upchurch, A.J. Walker, Byron Walton, Lorenzo Washington and Justin Woodall.

Alabama will host Chattanooga in its final home game of the season on Saturday, Nov. 21, at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game will be televised by the SEC Network with kickoff set for 11:21 a.m. (CT), with Doug Bell and Chris Doering calling the action. The game can also be heard on the Crimson Tide Sports Network with Eli Gold, Phil Savage and Barry Krauss. The game can be heard locally in Tuscaloosa on WFNN-FM (95.3).

• Nick Saban on preparing for all possible circumstances
  "Interestingly, Saban noted that Charlie Weis mentioned — and he could confirm that he did this when he worked for him — that Belichick still conducts this same 45 minute meeting where, no doubt, the infamous fourth down play was decided there. It seems a bit wild to think that they discuss that possibility every week (though they do so from a high level of generality, no doubt), but I believe Saban on such a point." Very interesting post.
• Your Week Eleven Pammy Nominees (And Week Ten Winners)
  "They do not bring the field goal unit out. It would be about a 65 yarder"- Dave Pasch
• Who can still win which awards for Alabama's football team?
  Nice list of all the awards.
• If you like 'blinkered middle-class pandering,' you'll love 'The Blind Side'
  Not shocking that football purists would miss the point of films like this. Sports isn't so much about the sport as the entertainment surrounding it. This film isn't about football, but a personality that overcame so much through the help of others. It is easy to dismiss it, but the message comes through despite those "elites" who wish to condemn this film. Also, anyone notice a trend of those most critical of the film?
• FOX And ABC Release BCS Bowl Game Announcers
• Two Internet Writers May Have Cost Chris Carpenter the NL Cy Young
  I'm not sure I buy this argument: "Getting new blood into the voting pool is a positive. In the MLB package era, local newspaper writers have no discernible advantage for determining comprehensive awards. How many Cardinals games is the guy who covers the Phillies six nights a week watching? Focused on one team by necessity, they’re seeing less baseball than their Internet counterparts, let alone the dedicated fan. Writers voting based on what they heard only hardens conventional wisdom."
• Tuscaloosa officials ask judge to block Alabama from closing or moving Bryce Hospital
  I get sick and tired of people using the judicial process to interfere in what are political issues. The Tuscaloosa contention is that this is a legislative power, but as such, shouldn't the legislature be the one to assert its power via its own route? Also, if the legislature fails to act, isn't this giving its consent? Isn't the old maxim that silence indicates consent?
• Brett Favre Now Officially Giving Comfort to the Enemy
• NCAA Names Six Former Student-Athletes as Recipients of the 2010 Silver Anniversary Award
  For our Auburn readers: Gregg CarrAuburn UniversityFootballCivil engineeringOrthopedic physician
• Winning the fourth quarter in the SEC
• Bowl Game You Don’t Want Your Team Playing In
  Another reason to pray Alabama doesn't head to the Sugar Bowl.
• 'The Blind Side' nearly an LSU flick - Shreveport Times
  More interesting details on Nick Saban and 'The Blind Side'; this is a very good read.
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