Category: College Football

I’ve Been Hooked

To all you Bama and Texas Longhorn fans who stopped by yesterday (and who are still showing up today) scouring for scuttlebutt on Mike Shula’s replacement–thank you very much.

Not since the Nancy Grace/Church of Christ fiasco last March has my sitemeter sang such soaring soprano; 348 unique visitors, 597 page loads–an all-time Ocular Fusion record.

It seems that my post on Shula’s firing was hooked, so to speak, to a Texas message board mainly due to my passing on the rumor about Paul Bryant Jr.’s jet sighting in Austin and speculation over whether or not some university representative was there to pitch the Alabama job to Texas HC Mack Brown.… Read the rest

From Coach to Commentator?

I noticed yesterday that many were coming to my post “One Six Short” from a site called keepmikeshula-swicki. Turns out that people searching the term “Mike Shula” at a blog named keepmikeshula.com were landing on Ocular Fusion, and that was my first indication that something was in the air. Don’t be fooled by the name–the authors of this blog have tongues firmly planted in cheeks. In fact, it contains some of the most deliciously wicked satire that I’ve read in quite some time.

There are confusing signals this morning as to whether Crimson Tide Head Coach Mike Shula will survive a disappointing 6-6 season and his overall 26-23 record over four years at Bama.… Read the rest

One Six Short

iron-bowl-ticket.jpgAnyway you cut it, the University of Alabama came up one six short in their 22-15 Iron Bowl loss to intrastate archrival Auburn on Saturday. The missing touchdown came in their opening drive which started with a bang but ended in a whimper with a feeble field goal after the Tide failed to find pay dirt on 1st and goal from the three. Add a six there, plus a couple of PAT kicks rather than two failed two-point attempts, and we’re basically even.

At 6-6 on the season, Alabama finished one six short of the Mark of the Beast. Considering the way the Tide was bedeviled inside the red zone this year, an extra six there would have probably produced little more than an “it figures” shrug from the average downcast and in-the-dumps Alabama fan.… Read the rest

Un. believe. able.

Tomorrow, Number One Son, Eyegal and I will head down to Tuscaloosa so that he can tour the University of Alabama campus, one of the schools that he’s considering attending next year. Since he’s a National Merit Semifinalist he gets the so-called “V.I.P” tour (well, la de da!). It will include a tour of the campus and the new honors dorm, free food and other goodies, meetings with professors and advisors, and even a tete-a-tete with the President of the University, Dr. Robert Witt. That last one was enough to send even me for a haircut the other evening.

bds_night_aerial_cropped.jpgTo add to the fun, we’ll be there on the Friday of Iron Bowl weekend with Bama hosting long-time archrival Auburn this year.… Read the rest

Hey Alabama! Back Off Would Ya?

“This lawsuit is the equivalent of the Catholic Church suing Michelangelo for painting the Sistine Chapel.”

–Keith Dunnavant, author Coach: The Life of Paul “Bear” Bryant

The bubbas-turned-pundits have been wracking their Bud-addled brains trying to figure what’s wrong with the Crimson Tide. Presently, Alabama is on the fast track to a less-than-acceptable .500 season unless they can turn things around and knock off archrival Auburn this coming weekend in Tuscaloosa. After Tiger losses to Arkansas and now Georgia, hopes are up a wee bit that Auburn might be beatable. But they might be sky high were it not for that little fact that in order to win football games one must actually score touchdowns when in possession of the ball inside the twenty.… Read the rest

One Game is Not Enough

USA Today’s Mike Lopresti nails it on the head this morning.

One game is not enough. Not even close. Donna Shalala, we expect more from you.

If you’ve been on another planet or under a rock the past few days, here’s the video.

So which is more disturbing: the actual fight, the crowd reaction, or the remarks of commentator Lamar Thomas (who was fired from his broadcaster’s job Monday)?

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Update 10/18

President Shalala has spoken.

It’s time for the feeding frenzy to stop. These young men made a stupid, terrible, horrible mistake and they are being punished. This university will be firm and punish people that do bad things.

… Read the rest

On Any Given Day

ticket.jpgLast Saturday morning, our family awoke at the crack of dawn and headed down to Game Day in T-town. It was only a 2 ½ hour drive from Huntsville to Tuscaloosa, but for all practical purposes it might as well have been 40 years.

I say that because that’s what it felt like–1966. After the obligatory pregame meal at Dreamland BBQ, we arrived on the beautiful, oak-lined, University of Alabama Quad, bordered by Denny Chimes to the south and Gorgas Library to the north. The stereotypical Southern fixation with the past was never more perfectly illustrated than by the Crimson-clad legions bivouacking on the expansive green, reveling in the memories of past teams and glory years gone by.… Read the rest

A Sneak Preview

The largest phantom, of course, belongs to legendary Crimson Tide coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. His presence is seen and felt in every corner of the Quad and in the shrine and museum which bears his name located on (where else?) Bryant Drive. Houndstooth hats, SEC and national championship trophies, the rings, and of course, his desk and chair, are on full display, sacramental relics which render the gazing Tide faithful breathless, teary-eyed and all atremble.

Coming tomorrow–Game Day in T-town

… Read the rest

Do You Want to Hear Something Really Scary?

Things I love about this time of year:

  • Cooler, crisp weather and the extra spring in my step during my morning run.
  • The pageantry and thrill of college football (Roll Tide!)
  • Midnight Madness, and the beginning of college basketball season (Go Duke!)
  • The MLB playoffs and World Series (Go Cards! Please?)
  • Watching (and coaching) my sons play soccer
  • Having a fine dinner with Eyegal and driving home with the top back and the windows down
  • Catching a glimpse of God in the bushes and trees which are just starting to burn with the fiery colors of fall
  • Pumpkins. And the sweet aroma of decay emanating from piles of fallen leaves

Things I hate about this time of year:

… Read the rest

A Tale of Two Hats

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The weekend has concluded, the Tide hung in there for a while but didn’t escape from “The Swamp” and “Wide Right Jesus” is still signaling “no good.”

But unless the world screeches to a halt and stops spinning on its axis, the Crimson Nation should be be smiling next week at this time after dismantling one of the nation’s most feeble college football teams, the Duke Blue Devils. I suspect the boys from Durham are making a handsome sum for showing up in Tuscaloosa for their thrashing. Duke lost their Homecoming game 37-0 to UVa on Saturday, so look for Saturday’s game to get butt ugly very quickly.… Read the rest

Wide Right Jesus

egg_beater_jesus_for_www.jpgI’m grateful to Full Professor Elrod for reminding me that we have our own version of “Touchdown Jesus” right here in Huntsville. “Eggbeater Jesus” is a 43 feet tall mosaic Messiah consisting of approximately 14 million pieces of the very finest Italian tile. This culinary Christ is located on the side of the First Baptist Church on Governors Drive near downtown Huntsville, just a few steps from where I work.

The name should be self-explanatory, but given the performance of Alabama place kicker Leigh Tiffin (3 missed FGs and 1 missed PAT) last Saturday against Arkansas, I would propose we give Him a new title– “Wide Right Jesus.”… Read the rest