brandonh
May 12, 2008 Jun 01, 2012 27 1474
a fan of
Alabama Crimson Tide
Rashad Evans
RSSUser Blog
"I told the guys, 'It's a big win, but it's not the biggest win for this year,'" McClain said today. "I told them that 'If we win the national championship, put whatever you want to put on him. But until then, we're not going to drench coach with Gatorade.'"
"It wasn't the right time for it," McClain said. "I didn't want those guys to feel like the SEC championship was it for us. I didn't want them to feel like that was the last game and the most important game, because it's not. We have the biggest game of our life out there. After we win it or when we win it, you can dunk coach then."
Mark Barron is working ahead of Robby Green in individual drills, as the battle for the safety opposite Justin Woodall continues to go strong. While I imagine the coaching staff would like to settle on one player, this could also be a game specific type of decision. With Tyrod Taylor being much more of a rushing threat than a passing threat, Barron’s skills are more well matched to stopping the Virginia Tech offense. When the Tide faces a more pro-style quarterback (think Jevan Sneed at Ole Miss), we could see Green’s coverage skills get the nod.
http://www.bamasportsreport.com/2009/08/26/practice-report-wednesday-august-26/
That's what I'm talking about.
Oh Noes - Courtney Upshaw arrested for 3rd degree domestic violence.
Why Courtney, Why?!?!? After a great Tuesday, Courtney has put himself in a nasty situation. So much for Bama players staying out of trouble with the law this year.
Hopefully, this will blow over quickly, the charges will be dropped, and Courtney can get back to "popping" with Sunseri. But who know how Saban will handle this ordeal?
ed. - I'll just add this tidbit in here, but the arrest was made by UA police and a woman was also brought in facing the same charge and bond. Sounds like a case of an argument getting badly out of hand more than actual violence, but we'll just have to wait for details.
Eddie Lacy is Cleared!
"Eddie Lacy, four-star running back from Geismar-Dutchtown, La., has been waiting for the news to arrive from the NCAA Clearinghouse after completing two summer classes. The Tide signee was excited Wednesday morning."
Great news for us. Better news for our backfield. Welcome aboard, Lacy!!
The Rivalry Has Reached a New Low: Operation Red Dog?
by brandonh on Jun 5, 2009 3:12 AM EDT
on Roll 'Bama Roll
We all know the rivalry between Alabama and Auburn can get somewhat bitter at times. However, what started as a healthy, competitive rivalry might have recently hit a new low. I recently received the following in an email that is supposedly authored by an Auburn internet poster at autigers.com forums (which is affiliated with Scout.com):
AU85Grad:
Not sure how I am supposed to say all this but I have been advised that I needed to set the story straight given the past few weeks of revelations. The history of the rumors about the gumps and Gadsden:
1) This started when JH went to bammer at the last minute instead of AU. A coach of his had ensured AU staff that he was headed to AU and not bammer. He was aware of what AU had offered JH and his mother stuff and possibly knew that JH mom had taped AU's offer. He still felt AU was his choice. JH put on the bammer hat and the **** hit the fan at AU. Our staff called the coach and asked him what happened and he said he did not know but would have to guess that bammer "countered" AU's offer. He never said he knew that bammer had cheated but that he guessed that took place. After this, he asked JH why he went to bammer and he said that if he went to AU he thought his eligibility might have been revoked if the NCAA found out about AU's offer. JH said bammer and MSST both played it straight with him and his mom and that is why he went to bammer.
2) This incident led the AU staff to believe that they lost out on the bidding for JH and they told people that bammer had cheated. At this point, the coach could not get the corrected story out there fast enough. Irontiger knows this coach and was told the first story about how the coach thought bammer cheated. Later, irontiger was told that bammer did not commit infractions but he had already started his own rumors and his reputation grew as well as his imagination.
3) Irontiger then brought in a few of us to help spread the rumors- myself (ITAT name withheld) sherpa88, troopT and a few others and then koury. I dropped out about three months ago when I found out they had hired a PI that might have broken some laws and when I confronted iron about it he said they would send the information anonymously and no one could trace it back to him. The problem is his big mouth and he could not stop talking about it - then everyone found out about operation red dog and who was in it. After I dropped out koury joined the inside board back in March of this year as the repeat and sounding board of irontiger. The plan was simple: irontiger would start the thread and a few of us would join in and then someone would come back and verify everything irontiger has said was truthful- that is koury's job now.
4) During the past 16 months this has been going on. The MO was to stay the same in every area. Charge that recruits got new cars- Mobile was escalades and Gadsden was chargers. Start new rumors along the way about booster infractions, enticements and other benefits as much as we can. The most effective thing that irontiger came up with was that when any bammer player does something immediately tie it to an infraction. If julio and mark goes fishing a booster paid for it- it was really simple. If KK got a car immediately say a booster paid for it even though in this case they knew for sure it came from his mothers college fund for him.
Now everyone knows how this happened. Now to the why.
We all knew that CTT and staff were not going to be effective against Miles, Saban, Richt and Meyer. We had to negate one of them and the easiest one was to hit Saban. We choose him due to his proximity and volatility of our rivalry with bammer. We all really thought CNS was cheating a little (secondary type stuff)and thought if we can keep enough rumors churning we could get the NCAA to investigate or at the least keep a few recruits away from bammer. Irontiger knew this would work and said, "the idiot masses on ITAT will believe any rumor we put out about bammer because they want to believe it"! I was skeptical until I saw the masses believing every rumor even as our gang accidentally got the rumors incorrect many times- types of cars, colors and amounts of cash. Each time we told the rumor it seemed to grow and our fanbase kept believing every one of them until Michael14 and Austudent22 caught on to us and called us out for it.
You will see more revelations about this coming from multiple boards as they have started figuring out that 4-5 posters on ITAT started all these rumors. Once it went so far I told irontiger that coaches at these schools were being implicated as cheaters from the AU fanbase and that we should call it off and he said those ******* coaches were bammers and he did not care if they got called cheaters. I told him that they weren't cheaters and that they had started calling into AU's athletic department complaining about. When the PIs and reporters showed up and questioned these high school coaches about cheating for bammer they wrote AU off. This really hit the fan around March of 2009 and that is when I left irons group. I know for a fact that irons rumors cost us 2 recruits last year (one four star and one 5 star) because the coaches at there school were called cheaters by the rumors started on ITAT. Our 2009 recruiting efforts were dramatically hurt by these rumors and 2010 is looking just as bad for instate recruits.
I stayed on the fringe until last week when the PTB at AU sent word to me and irontiger that it had to stop. Irontioger stopped for a day or so and then started rehashing it all over again. He has troopT and koury doing the heavy posting now and he just "supports" the rumors instead of "initiating" them. If our own posters knew just how stupid irontiger said they were they would not follow his rumors any more.
Now, I have completed the task I was advised to do. Once PF gets to the bottom of this and the package that iron put together it will turn litigious.
I don't usually give any weight to this type of internet foolery, but this email also came with accusations detailing how Auburn fans have been calling prospective UA recruits posing as UA Boosters and offering them money, incentives, etc. to come to UA. Also, they have reportedly posed as NCAA investigators and called UA recruits attempting to learn of some wrongdoing on UA's behalf. If true, this is the lowest a fanbase can go, not to mention the legal consequences for those involved.
Disclaimer: This may all be a load of BS, take it all with a grain of salt. I hope all of this is cleared up soon so we can get down to what really matters: the game played on the field. Oh, and Roll Tide!
156 comments2010 QB recruit Phillip Sims plans to enroll in January to get an early start on competing for the QB job.
Woodall says Bama will have the best front seven in the nation - 4/14 Practice Interviews
All of the defensive players that were interviewed today seemed extremely confident that the defense will be nasty this year. Just hearing them makes me excited about what the season holds.
Regarding the offense, Mike McCoy basically said that he expects the ball to be spread around more this year with receivers stepping up their roles and bringing their own abilities to the table.
Also, Mike Johnson and Mark Ingram return to practice per Crimson Confidential
Player interviews from 4/14 practice:
Terrance Cody
Cory Reamer
David Ross
Mike McCoy
Prattville safety Nick Perry commits to Bama
Bama's fourth 2010 commitment.
Ht: 6-foot-2
Wt: 195 lbs
Forty: 4.55 secs
Bench max: 230 pounds
Squat max: 430 pounds
Vertical: 36 inches
Shuttle: 4.21 secs
Class: 2010 (High School)
New Gameday Changes: Attire and Inebriation
Some articles of clothing that will no longer be allowed into the stadium:
• Tank tops or shirts with the sleeves cut out
• Halter tops and cut-off t-shirts
• Cut-off blue jean shorts
• Jerseys worn into the stadium must be Nike
• Attire with vulgarity or obscene photographs
• Shoes must be worn at all times
State Troopers will be stationed at random gate entrances and if they, or the gate workers, suspect you of drinking, you will be asked to take a breathalyzer test. If you blow more than a 0.08%, you will be asked to leave the stadium, and if you are a season ticket holder, your tickets will be revoked and you will not be able to renew them.
Ok, I understand the drunks and the blue jeans shorts, but I hope they don't ban flip-flops with the "shoes" rule. Wearing flip-flops is a constitutional right and I won't go down without a fight.
Also, I hope many season ticket holders are stripped of their tickets so I can move up the Tide Pride wait list quicker.
Kicking it with McElroy
ESPN's Chris Low interviews Greg McElroy. Interesting read.
Antoine Caldwell on the next QB, NFL combine, and Saban's coaching
"The NFL Combine stuff was pretty run of the mill just what you'd expect. He said Saban had pounded it into his and his teammates head to suck it up and finish. Caldwell explained that at a certain point he began to say that to himself and it helped carry him through tough times this season and during preparation for the NFL Combine. On Saban, Caldwell stated Coach was only tough if you didn't do what he asked you to do. The last question concerned the impending quarterback battle at the Capstone.
Caldwell said he saw the situation as a toss up at the moment. He gave Greg McElroy the edge in having a better grasp of the offense because he has been around longer, but he said that if Star hits the playbook hard then the competition will be tight battle this spring. Jim Dunnaway asked if Star might possibly be moved to another position and Caldwell said no. He continued by saying that if Star wasn't the quarterback this season he would be sometime in the future."
Do we get daily Spring 2009 practice updates?
I'm just wondering if the blogs/news sites that cover Bama football provide daily updates on how the spring practices are going. I didn't follow Bama much on the internet last year so I'm not sure what we got to hear on a daily basis.
What to watch in the SEC this Spring
ESPN takes a look at who and what we should watch out for this Spring. Their take on Bama:
"ALABAMA
Spring practice starts: March 23
Spring game: April 18
What to watch:
* With John Parker Wilson gone, the starting quarterback job is probably Greg McElroy's to lose. Alabama coach Nick Saban has promised that it will be an open competition, which means Star Jackson will certainly get his shot this spring. Jackson redshirted last season, but showcased excellent passing and running skills as a high school player. McElroy is extremely intelligent and has a firm grasp of the offense even though he's only played in a couple of games during his Alabama career. If neither quarterback stands out this spring, then true freshman A.J. McCarron could be a factor when he gets on campus this summer.
* The quarterback issue is one thing, but the most daunting challenge for the Crimson Tide this spring may be rebuilding their offensive line. Outland Trophy winner Andre Smith is gone at left tackle, and so are All-American center Antoine Caldwell and steady guard Marlon Davis. Junior college newcomer James Carpenter will probably get first crack at left tackle. He's on campus and gets the spring to prove himself, but touted true freshman D.J. Fluker arrives this summer. William Vlachos is somebody to watch at center, and this could be the spring that prized 2008 signees Tyler Lover and Barrett Jones make their moves.
* Nine starters are back on a defense that was exceptional last season, but it won't be easy to replace safety Rashad Johnson. He was such a versatile player and was the quintessential leader. Ali Sharrief, Tyrone King and Mark Barron are three of the main candidates to step in for Johnson. Sharrief has an edge in experience, but Barron's going to be hard to keep off the field. The spring will be a huge test for Barron to see how he handles the mental part.
"
Anyone have experience with these footballs? Or recommendations for others?
I want to buy a NCAA approved football that teams in the SEC actually use. I am deciding between the Wilson GST F1003 and the Nike 3005. Anyone know of the actual balls used by the team? Or have an opinion on them? Thanks.
After playing head-to-head match in NCAA Football game, AU fan skewers winner with a 10-inch butcher knife.
"College football fans are hardcore, but they apparently don't get much more hardcore than 34-year-old James Wilson. The real-life rivalry between Tennessee and Auburn was being played out digitally in Athens, Alabama, when superfan Wilson took the Tigers' loss personally, reports the Associated Press. At some point in the evening on Saturday night, Wilson entered the bedroom of Lance Borchert, who was on the winning end of the game, and stabbed him in the back with a 10-inch butcher knife. The blade punctured Borchert's lung, and Borchert was airlifted to a local hospital. "He went to the hospital with the knife still in his back," Sheriff Mike Blakely said of Borchert. Wilson was apprehended later that night. The AP did not specify which NCAA Football game was being played, nor did it mention specifically what console was being used, referring to the system only as a "PlayStation."
I know this report is from 2006, but since Auburn football is in it's current state, please be careful out there. You never know when you might get stabbed in the back.
Ed Stinson commits to the Tide!
"I told (Saban) I was ready to make sure I had a place in this class and wanted to play for him," Stinson told BamaOnLine.com. "I've been thinking about Alabama for a long time. They have what I'm looking for on and off the field. They need an edge rusher and I have a chance to play as a freshman which is my goal."
Maybe we can get a little pass rush, eh?
Coaches in LA talk Miles vs. Saban
First question: Better coach, Miles or Saban?
The responses:
"Saban."
"Saban, no question."
"Saban."
"Saban, without a doubt."
"Saban, easily."
One coach begged off, saying that he didn’t watch a lot of college football due to concentrating on his own team.
The coaches who answered the question were unanimous in their appraisal. Saban is the better coach, hands down.
Read this on Team Speed Kills, but more Bama fans will see it here.
James Willis - LB Coach from AU Hired at AL
"I'm excited about the opportunity to come and work with Coach Saban at the University of Alabama," Willis said in a statement. "He is one of the best defensive coaches in the game and this is a chance to gain some great experience and learn from the best. You don't get many chances like that in the coaching business. When you combine that opportunity with the history and tradition at Alabama, it was a decision that was best for me personally as well as professionally. I know my wife and the kids are as excited as I am to join Coach Saban's staff."
Alabama ranked #6 in new AP Poll
1. Florida (48) 13-1 1,606
2. Utah (16) 13-0 1,519
3. USC (1) 12-1 1,481
4. Texas 12-1 1,478
5. Oklahoma 12-2 1,391
6. Alabama 12-2 1,264
7. TCU 11-2 1,193
8. Penn State 11-2 1,153
9. Ohio State 10-3 1,013
10. Oregon 10-3 997
11. Boise State 12-1 938
12. Texas Tech 11-2 916
13. Georgia 10-3 903
14. Mississippi 9-4 857
15. Virginia Tech 10-4 713
16. Oklahoma State 9-4 534
17. Cincinnati 11-3 506
18. Oregon State 9-4 467
19. Missouri 10-4 435
20. Iowa 9-4 317
21. Florida State 9-4 246
22. Georgia Tech 9-4 223
23. West Virginia 9-4 144
24. Michigan State 9-4 138
25. Brigham Young 10-3 137
Others Receiving Votes
California 128, Pittsburgh 106, LSU 95, Nebraska 64, Tulsa 61, Northwestern 53, Ball State 13, Boston College 11, Rutgers 11, Rice 8, Arizona 4, Kansas 2.
ISU Football Players Lash Out At Chizik
Apparently some of his current players are a little pissed about him leaving...
"A lot of people asking me what I'm going to do with coach Chizik leaving. I understand business is business, but this man lied," Darks said in the video. "At a team meeting he was sitting there saying 'I told your mother, Jerrod Black, and I sat on your auntie's couch, Darius Dark, and I told her I would take care of you while you was up here at Iowa State.' Where's that n---- at now? Auburn University."
Great Article on the Game
"I was wrong. The Crimson Tide under Nick Saban deserved their No. 1 ranking. Alabama was easily — easily — the best team Florida has played this season. We fans were treated to two of the best teams in the country playing great ball and slugging it out to determine who’s tougher, who’s better...
This won’t be the last time the Gators face Alabama in the SEC CG with coaches Meyer and Saban at the helm. This is the birth of a new order in the SEC: Florida will rule the east while Alabama will control the west. This will be "the" SEC rivalry in the coming years. Teams like Georgia and LSU will really just be competing for second place."
Great perspective on the game from a respectable Florida fan.
What was that Fannin? I can't hear you over the sound of Rolando pile driving you into the field.
Another in the series.
Another in a series on Track Em Tigers' game thread.
I'm making a few of these based on their posts throughout the game.
Link to larger image
The team is preparing for Florida?!??!
"Alabama head coach Nick Saban said Monday that one of the objectives of this week’s practices is to expose the players to some new sets, formations, plays, etc., they may encounter later in the season."
This might mean that we are preparing for Florida ahead of time and focusing on Auburn next week.
Quote from: http://crimsonconfidential.com/news/articles/2008/11/19/mcclain-still-donning-soft-cast-as-tide-continues-off-week-drills
Good Game LSU
by brandonh on Nov 8, 2008 7:47 PM EST
on And The Valley Shook
It was everything I thought it would be and both teams gave a good fight. You guys put great pressure on JPW and put him out of his element. And that field goal block...wow. I was extremly impressed with the fight you guys displayed, especially in the first quarter when you punched us in the mouth and let us know that this game was serious. I look forward to the games we play in the future. Good luck to you guys the rest of the season.
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