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 of the White House.

The Prez became somewhat of an honorary member of the Tide squad when Mike Johnson presented him with a No. 1 Alabama football jersey, complete with his name on it, and then a No. 13 helmet and autographed football from Javier Arenas.

During their 15 minutes of White House fame, President Obama recognized Coach Nick Saban, giving him credit for the success of the football program and calling attention to his two National Championships at two different schools within a six-year span.

Obama also congratulated Alabama’s first Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram and Rolando McClain, winner of the Butkus Award, which goes to the nation’s top linebacker.

President Obama also called attention to Alabama’s high graduation rate and all the hours of community service that the student-atheletes have performed.

Before meeting with the most powerful leader in the free world, the Crimson Tide football team visited some kids in one of Washington D.C.’s roughest neighborhoods. The players talked with many of the kids, encouraging them to make smart choices and to stay in school.

All-in-all, it was an exciting day for the coaches, players and fans of Alabama football.

They just better hope that they aren’t affected by “the jinx”.

There is no doubt that Nick Saban has done an incredible job in his short time at Alabama. He took over a team from Coach Mike Shula that went into hibernation every time they entered the red zone, and turned them into a powerfully balanced team that often ran through or passed over the red zone.

But now, they have met the President. They all shook his hand – coaches and players alike.

Honestly, with the dismal approval ratings of what is quickly becoming the worst presidential administration in the history of the United States, this was much more of a positive PR move for the White House than for The Tide, and hopefully it won’t come back to bite them.

Alabama is on a winning streak.

They just went undefeated.

They won the SEC.

They won the National Championship.

They won the Heisman and the Butkus awards.

They recruited another top five class.

Right now, in Tuscaloosa, everything is clicking on all cylinders.

So why even take a chance of driving by 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and jinxing all this fine success they are enjoying?

I mean, seriously. Other than siding with the Saints, it seems that everybody Obama picks to win, well, LOSES!

In the middle of some very heated debates over national healthcare (more about that in a minute), Obama dropped what he was doing and headed overseas and speak to the Olympics Committee personally in order to bring the games to Chicago. The games went to Rio de Janeiro. Obama lost!

In the New Jersey Governors race last fall, Obama supported Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine, who was running against Republican Chris Christie. Christie won. Obama lost!
In Massachusetts, traditionally a “blue state” Scott Brown wins the Senate seat in a vote heard ‘round the world. Again, Obama loses.

Earlier this season, with the Kentucky Wildcats sitting atop the college basketball polls for the first time since 2003, Obama makes a phone call to the team, and what happens? They drop one to South Carolina. SOUTH CAROLINA!!!

(sigh)….Obama loses AGAIN.

In regards to national healthcare, it appears that, yet again Mr. Obama is going to come out the loser, as recent polls show that well over half of Americans are opposed to Obamacare. We can only hope this is the case, otherwise Americans will be the losers.

My point is that, while shaking hands with the President of the United States would ordinarily be a positive thing, I’m not so sure I would want to subject my winning program to this.

Nick Saban is a hard worker. He expects nothing but 100 percent effort from his assistant coaches and players. He has worked very hard to put his team back into the national spotlight.

Once again, Bama fans are proudly wearing boxes of Tide and rolls of toilet paper on their heads.

Why jinx all of that with a 15-minute visit with a losing, one-term president?

Hey, call me superstitious.

Hit ‘em straight.
—Dale Jones covers sports and news in Baldwin County.