Sports in Paradise By Dale Jones Back when Michael Jordan was in his hey-day, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that he was indeed the greatest basketball player alive. There were commercials airing aimed at kids who wanted to “be like Mike.” Men were buying cologne at $45 a bottle so they could smell [...]
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To all my Alabama friends,
note: Dale sent this note in last night, but I was away from my laptop. Posting it this morning as it reflects the feelings of so many. To all of my University of Alabama friends. I have spent a lot of time in Tuscaloosa over the years and the sights and reports I am hearing [...]
Jones: Time to calm down and show some class
Sports in Paradise By Dale Jones As I have stated in the column before, I believe the Auburn vs. Alabama rivalry is the best rivalry in all of college sports. There are a number of pro sports rivalries that probably garner more national attention, but people all across the country are aware of the major [...]
Gottfried will turn Wolfpack program around
Sports in Paradise By Dale Jones You think coaching in the SEC is easy? No, I am not talking football, I mean hoops. Going up against Kentucky and Florida on a regular basis is no easy task, but what if your future trips to post season play depend on how well you do against Mike [...]
Thinking about the dangers of baseball
Salazar story makes sports fans cringe Sports in Paradise By Dale Jones Several years ago, I took a weekend trip with some buddies of mine to watch the Atlanta Braves take on the Chicago Cubs. We managed to snag some tickets sitting on the bottom row, just above the wall in left field. Truly great [...]
Bama fans and Auburn fans need to relax!
Sports in Paradise By Dale Jones I love SEC football just as much as the next guy. Maybe more. During the off-season, I am one of those that can be flipping channels, and if I run across one of those “classic” games from 1987, I will stop and watch. I love college football. All that [...]
Big holes to fill before kickoff in 2011
Sports in Paradise By Dale Jones So what happens now? The 2010 football season is officially over. The BCS Champion has been crowned and the teams, bands and cheerleaders have left the stadium. Just like that, it starts all over again. Recruiting! Talking smack! Spring practice! Here in Alabama, football is not a seasonal sport. [...]
Defense will determine BCS winner
Sports in Paradise by Dale Jones So here we go Auburn Fans, a shot at the title. A place that no one, not even the Auburn faithful, expected to be at the end of this season. Now, on the tails of an Alabama National Championship, comes the Auburn Tigers with a chance to bring the [...]
Will Tide fans pull for the Tigers in BCS game?
Sports in Paradise By Dale Jones You have heard the old joke that says, “My favorite two college football teams are Alabama and whoever is playing Auburn.” This joke, like pretty much any other Alabama / Auburn joke can be easily turned around. It is not difficult to find fans in these parts that love [...]
A new Football Capital of the South?
Sports in Paradise By Dale Jones Written across the upper deck at Legion Field in Birmingham were the words “Football Capital of the South.” No doubt many historic contests happened in that stadium. Memories of the “Punt Bama Punt,” game, watching the Bear Bryant lean on the goal post, and numerous high school state championships [...]
Here is your Iron Bowl prediction…but first
Sports in Paradise By Dale Jones I spent the early part of this decade living in the Hattiesburg, Mississippi area. One day on the golf course, a buddy of mine asked me to explain to him this “whole Alabama and Auburn thing.” I asked him what he meant? He told me he had never seen [...]
Jones: Some conference title games on the line
Sports In Paradise By Dale Jones The gridiron seashell did not let me down last week, as we were 13-2 missing only the Southern Miss game and the Baylor game. Otherwise, it was a good week, taking us to 128-37 on the season for a .776 winning percentage. Most fans in our neck of the [...]
Jones: Tide & Tigers play Bulldogs
Sports In Paradise By Dale Jones Say what you want, but after last week, I think the Iron Bowl just got a lot more interesting as a stand-alone football game. Yes, I realize that Alabama is no longer in the hunt for an SEC Championship or to repeat as National Champs, and I would agree [...]
Big game for Alabama in Baton Rouge
Sports In Paradise By Dale Jones The unpredictability of college football continues to make this sport the greatest ever. With a mountain of undefeated teams continually being reduced to a molehill, the homestretch of this 2010 season gets more interesting by the day. That number will decrease even more this week with No. 4 TCU [...]
Jones: Will No. 1 go down again this week?
Sports In Paradise By Dale Jones With still a month to go in the regular season, many have already begun to label the 2010 Iron Bowl as “the game of the year” in college football. That could be the case, but the Tide and the Tigers still have some hurdles to jump before we get [...]
Jones: Tide and Tigers continue to win in week 8
Sports In Paradise By Dale Jones Football season is fun when the two favorite teams in our state are both doing well. This year, they are both doing extremely well. The Auburn vs. Arkansas game last weekend was truly one of the most exciting SEC battles I have ever seen. Those with tickets definitely got [...]
Jones: No. 1 will fall again this week
Sports In Paradise By Dale Jones Our old faithful gridiron seashell led us in the right direction last week, as we predicted correctly 13 of the 15 games, including the upset of the week, South Carolina over Alabama. While Bama fans are licking their wounds from being pounded by the Gamecocks, Tiger fans don’t need [...]
Jones: Will the Tide survive?
Sports In Paradise By Dale Jones If you did not catch the ending of last weeks’ Tennessee vs. LSU game, don’t worry about it. You will be seeing it for years to come as one of the craziest endings ever to a college football game. Alabama cruised to a big win against the Gators, Auburn [...]
Jones: All Eyes on Tide vs. Gators
Sports In Paradise By Dale Jones Fans all over this state are still catching their breath after last weeks’ nail-biters. Alabama and Auburn mounted impressive comebacks, and UAB took Tennessee into double overtime. Crazy!!! As for my picks from last week, I guess I should have gone with Auburn after all, the Longhorns let me [...]
Jones: Picks for Week 4
Sports In Paradise By Dale Jones I am so happy that last week is over. WOW. Coming off a perfect 15-0 run in week 2, last weekend, thanks to surprises from Vandy, Southern Miss, Arizona and UAB (are you kidding me) I went a pathetic 10-5. I apologize and will try to do better, but [...]
Jones: Predictions for Week 3
Sports In Paradise By Dale Jones Boom chakalaka!!! For the first time since I’ve been predicting football games in this sports column, I was perfect last week with all 15 selections, including my upset of the week. That puts me at 27-3 on this young season for a .900 winning percentage, and for two weeks [...]
Jones: Tide & Tigers will start with big wins
Sports In Paradise By Dale Jones It is going to be pretty tough to beat my record from last season. During the 12-week regular season, picking 14 games each week as well as an upset of the week, I went 142-38 for a winning percentage of .789. On top of that, I selected the upset [...]
Jones: Moore owes Saban a BIG one
Sports In Paradise By Dale Jones If I were Mal Moore, I would think long and hard before selecting Nick Saban’s Christmas gift this year. Thanks to Saban and Saban alone, Mal Moore is now enjoying the monetary benefits of a Championship athletic program. On Wednesday, the University of Alabama trustees offered Moore a three-year [...]
Jones: Football checklist 2010
Sports In Paradise By Dale Jones Okay guys, it is July 3rd. We are only two short months away from kickoff. So, in preparation for the upcoming football season, let’s quickly run down our preparedness checklist: __ Renew subscription to Sports Illustrated, Sporting News and Sunday NFL package from satellite network provider. Check! __ Set [...]
Jones: Here’s an idea – Ultimate NASCAR
Sports In Paradise By Dale Jones Race fans are, well, fanatical. There’s no doubt about it. Last year, I received more comments from an article I wrote about NASCAR than from all of my football, baseball or basketball columns combined. The theme of the column was that NASCAR (Non Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks) really [...]
Jones: Celebration Outlawed!
Sports In Paradise By Dale Jones Celebration Outlawed! You can score a touchdown, but don’t be happy about it On a daily basis, bad decisions are made all across this great country. Decisions such as adding Ellen DeGeneres as a judge on American Idol, passing the Obama Healthcare Plan, and closing down Milo’s in Foley. [...]
Jones: Tide and Tigers play bean ball
Sports In Paradise By Dale Jones Did you hear the one about the Alabama pitcher who intentionally threw a ball at an Auburn batter and was tossed from the game, along with his coach? …And then the Auburn pitcher intentionally threw a ball at a Bama batter and he and his coach were tossed as [...]
Jones: Parents actions can make or break a Little League season
Sports In Paradise By Dale Jones Coach Jones called little Johnny in from center field during a Little League game for a quick talk. “Listen Johnny,” said the coach, “you know the principles of good sportsmanship that the Little League practices. You also know we don’t tolerate temper tantrums, shouting at the umpire, or abusive [...]
Jones: Hopefully the ‘Obama jinx’ won’t rub off
Hopefully the “Obama jinx” won’t rub off on the Tide Sports In Paradise By Dale Jones There is probably not an Alabama fan reading this who is not welling up inside with pride from the comments made by President Barack Obama on Monday morning when the Crimson Tide football team visited the East Wing room [...]
Jones: A sincere apology? I guess we will see
Sports In Paradise By Dale Jones The whole world came to a standstill last week when, for the first time in three months, Tiger Woods stepped to the microphone to give us his “apology.” All of the major television networks carried the 13-minute address, as did cable networks such as ESPN, Golf Channel, MSNBC, CNN, [...]
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 [...]