And oh yeah, the big ticket item this Christmas!!!

ROLL TIDE ROLL ALL THE WAY TO PASADENA!

(remember the Rose Bowl we'll win then)

Merry Christmas!

Santa visits Ryan and Sarah Christmas morning!

Muppet Christmas!

ding dong!

Warning: VIRAL.........

One of the great wisdoms one trades their youth for is another oldie-but-goodie:

What goes up, MUST come down.

Kind of like a Tiger Woods advertisement contract.

And don't we just wallow around like a pig in slop over all of it.

Sad. (but funny)

Merry Christmas!

and a Happy New Year!

God, I Miss This Guy.........

CHA CHING!!!!

And as if to verify my previous post on the economic impact of the Alabama fan base:

http://blog.al.com/huntsville-times-sports/2009/12/crimson_tide_turns_38_million.html

"Nick Saban's eight-year, $32 million contract looks like something of a bargain, considering University of Alabama athletics turned a profit of $38 million in the last academic year.


The Associated Press reports that's almost 40 percent more than the year before Saban was hired in 2007.


The windfall doesn't include this fall's football success, which has the top-ranked Crimson Tide (13-0) heading to Pasadena, Calif., for a BCS championship showdown against No. 2 Texas (13-0). That sure-to-be-record profit won't be counted until the end of the current academic year in May."

And with the certainty of the tide rolling in, Alabama state representative John Rogers is now once again clamoring for an Alabama v. Alabama/Birmingham matchup.

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2009/12/legislator_urges_alabama_aubur.html

"At the legislative budget hearings on higher education today, Rep. John Rogers Jr., D-Birmingham, urged the presidents of Alabama and Auburn to schedule UAB in sports events."

Why?



And why bring up this request at a budget hearing? A "higher education" budget hearing???

A similar thing happened in 1947. Officials at the Alabama Polytechnical Institute (Auburn) lobbied the Legislature to re-institute a football game between the University of Alabama and API. Why? Auburn historian David Housel will tell you it's because their athletic dept. wanted us to (say it with me) "show them (me) the money". He's freely admitted in the past that Auburn's coaches were stealing money from the Coke machines to buy helmets and pads. They needed that game for the money. And if you look at what they have in Auburn now, it's not hard to see what our money did and still does for them.

The game at Legion Field, you know..... the REAL Iron Bowl, was moved for more than just the recruiting or the fans psychology, but for the economic impact we have everywhere we go. Our money has built more than just a stadium, it's built Auburn. Alabama could easily replace Auburn in our season ticket package and move on. Remove it from theirs and go hide. Nothing's changed in 61 years. In the best of times for Auburn, they need us, we don't need them.

(Remember what I told you in the past about Auburn's 61 game winning streak. Doesn't matter what the final score is, when they take the field with us, they're automatically winners)

The school colors are green and gold, ironic considering Mr. Rogers interest in procuring this money-maker for his "other" employer, UAB.

Don't believe for two seconds Mr. Rogers isn't keenly aware of the economic windfall the Alabama athletic department currently enjoys thanks to Coach Saban.

And he wants his piece of the pie. (like Mr. McGregor says, "you can be a winner too!" Cashin' in on a 'Bama game is better odds than Larry Langford playing Uncle Miltie's bingo, lot's better! It's the surest of sure things)

And he wants it for more than just the money for UAB. He wants the Crimson Tide back in Birmingham.

Crimson Tide football is the ONLY sporting endeavor to ever be financially successful within the city limits of Birmingham. From the towel-wavers on Graymont parking cars to the businesses to City Hall, money was made by all. Over time, the city's leadership lost sight of that. From the near constant state of dis-repair of Legion Field to the financing of UAB athletics (that begs the question: did UAB ever repay the 2.2 million the city loaned it back in the late eighties???) with money Crimson Tide athletics helped it make, Birmingham didn't make it a hard decision when the City of Tuscaloosa started lobbying the University to bring it's games home where they'd be more appreciated.

Is Rogers planning an "instant replay" of Auburn's playbook in 1947?? Does Rogers plan to use his political influence to force a game, basketball or football, with Alabama?? (and don't be distracted by the Auburn thing, he wants a game with ALABAMA, a FOOTBALL game with ALABAMA)

If so, you really couldn't blame him, it's an old weakness.

Sing it, Tanya.




But take some advice from Glen, John, it ain't gonna be without a fight.

The Economic Crimson Tide

I've always held onto the firm belief the Alabama fan base is a stimulus package all in itself. Cities and towns of Alabama's opposition and bowl games of all varieties love to see the Crimson Tide coming because of the economic boom that we provide when we get there. (even in the tough times for the football team AND the economy)
Politicians at any level wish for the stimulus the money that the Alabama Nation can collectively provide.

Dissatisfaction with the internal workings of the program have affected season ticket sales and attendance in the past but downturns in the economy never have.

Folks like the Auburn historian David Housel will confirm that the Auburn program was literally running on Coke machine money before the Alabama state Legislature forced us to re-start the Auburn/Alabama series. They needed us for the money. Just like they needed to get the Iron Bowl out of Birmingham and down to Auburn for the money.

Alabama people follow their team and spend big money doing it. We rival NASCAR in brand loyalty and have for years.

This misguided blog:

http://legalschnauzer.blogspot.com/2009/11/are-football-and-fraud-connected-in.html

and the Mark Ingram S I cover led me to opine.

I read this piece and laughed, not because of the suspicion of Paul Bryant Jr. but because of the failure to understand how the financial windfall the hiring of Nick Saban works.

And please don't misunderstand my knowledge that Roger Shuler is a black helicopter conspiracist (if that's not a word, it should be) who believes that everyone this side of the Mississippi had a hand in his "unlawful termination" from UAB.

But it does provide for me the launching pad from which I can crow about..........us.

The hiring of Nick Saban has paid off in spades for the Alabama athletic dept. not because of Paul Bryant Jr.'s money alone but because of ours. From the biggest skyboxer to the Joe Lunchbox fan, the hiring of Nick Saban and his subsequent success has spurred all Alabama fans to shell out big bucks whether it be big time donations to the program or sales of officially licensed shirts, caps and other memorabilia.

People think media members like Paul Finebaum make their living off the trials and tribulations of a program like Alabama's but Paul will tell you quickly the opposite is true. I've personally heard him comment that financially, things were never better than after Alabama's '92 national championship. Everybody made money, he personally did, his newspaper did, we all know Daniel Moore did.(not that there's anything wrong with that)

The "Tradition Continues" that commemorates the Tide's 12th national title has 19,920 "limited" edition copies, one of which hangs in my personal office. Moore's made so much money off commemorating, how shall we say......defining moments, (hope I haven't trampled on any copyrights there!!!) the University sued him for MORE money than their original licensing deal provided for. (the United States civil court system recently sided with Mr. Moore) Moore has done many paintings and sold many prints but none like the "Tradition Continues". Regardless, Alabama fans have made Moore a wealthy man. (along with many Moore wannabes)

Which begs the question: how does a cover like the Ingram cover - that Capstone Report recently posted about - or the now famous or infamous, however you choose to look at it, "'Bama's Back" cover from a few years ago affect Sports Illustrated's bottom line?

It's a known fact that S I made tons off the Alabama 1992 national championship special edition. Of course, I have no balance sheets to prove that but judging by the fact that before that '92 Sugar Bowl, Sports Illustrated had never done a "special edition" championship magazine and since they've branched off into special edition packages that include a leather-bound book, a fleece shirt with the S I logo, (of course!) memorabilia and the obligatory half-price subscription on everything from Chinese ping-pong to Bavarian tiddlywinks champions, I'd say the Alabama fan base that rushed to the bookshelves and newspaper stands to gobble up that mag that magic year opened Sports Illustrated's eyes to the potential financial windfall such a thing could be. (and we didn't get a dime for our troubles. Know a good lawyer? - that's a rhetorical question considering that if your hold a degree from the U of A, you probably ARE a good lawyer!)

So Roger, go fly your black helicopter elsewhere. We know who the culprit is paying Nick Saban's salary. We know from whencst the money comes. Did Paul Bryant Jr.s money play a role? Certainly it did. But we all look in the mirror every morning with the warm satisfaction of knowing the role we all played in bringing Nick Saban to Tuscaloosa, the financial windfall that has occurred since and the "rain" we make everywhere we go.

(next thing you know, Roger will be suing US for his "unlawful termination" from UAB!!!)

This time, we got us a winner in Nick Saban.

RTR!

Raymond McKinnon (finebammer)

Officials see rise in militia groups across US

Wow! An ominous headline to say the least. More Oklahoma City's. More militia nuts. More guns.

But what evidence does Eileen Sullivan use to back up the claim??

"Last October, someone from the Ohio Militia posted a recruiting video on YouTube, billed as a "wake-up call" for America. It's been viewed more than 60,000 times."

That's it. Read the piece.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9A140QG0&show_article=1

"Bart McEntire, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told SPLC researchers that this is the most growth he's seen in more than a decade.

"All it's lacking is a spark," McEntire said in the report."

Breathlessly.

All it needs is a spark.

But in the paragraph prior we read this:

"The stress of a poor economy and a liberal administration led by a black president are among the causes for the recent rise, the report from the Southern Poverty Law Center says. Conspiracy theories about a secret Mexican plan to reclaim the Southwest are also growing amid the public debate about illegal immigration."

But Bart, what more motivation would a poor redneck need to go out and buy a gun that uses 22 caliber (slightly above a pellet gun round) ammunition to wage war on "a black president".

"Things are bad, things are real bad, and it's going to be a lot worse," said the man on the video, who did not give his name. "Our country is in peril."

The man is holding an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, and he encourages viewers to buy one."

If you militia nuts out there are reading this, forget the .22.

Go for the gusto:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9zR5HTtaCI

Peace out.

Fish For This............

Last week in response to Matt Drudge posting videos exposing President Obama's real intentions for health care reform, the White House responded by exhorting Americans to send any emails or "casual conversations" that might differ from their views ("sound fishy") in the health care debate to "flag@whitehouse.org".

The White House responded by saying their not "collecting" names.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/07/white-house-collect-fishy-info-health-reform-illegal-critics-say/

"The White House Thursday denied that it was playing "Big Brother."

"Nobody is collecting names," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said."

Well, if not, exactly what are they doing with them?? The e-mail addresses?? The information they receive???

And imagine the howls of those Patriot Act opponents and the left wing media had this occurred on the Bush administration's watch

This extremely disturbing news brings to mind the current controversy involving the continued drip-drip leakage of names of the Major League Baseball players who tested positive for whatever in '03.

In 2003, MLB and the player's union agreed to test their members to gauge steroid use and any possible actions to combat it. The players were promised by MLB and the union that all results would be kept secret.

First off, I question the intelligence of anyone who believed that.

Two, the more people who know the list, the more opportunity for leaks.

Which is what happened when the government (the Justice Dept.) confiscated the list.
Players were paraded before Congress and compelled to testify in the now memorable liar's brigade that ensued.

Now let me be clear that I in no way, shape or form endorse steroid or human growth hormone use. I believe it's devastating to kids and their families who look to these players as role models. They're telling kids this is what you have to do to win.

But I also believe the player's confidentiality in this matter should mean something. And as sure as death and taxes, if you want everybody to know something, tell the government and tell them to keep it a secret.

It should surprise no one regardless of party affliation, that some government bureaucrat is leaking these names. (See Joe Wilson. He was sent to Niger by his wife and the CIA to investigate Saddam Hussein's actions in trying to acquire yellowcake uranium, came back and went straight to the New York Times)

I think it's important to remember when the administration tells you your personal health care information collected as a part of the health care reform package (which it will be. That's why Jeffrey Immelt is currently a White House consultant on the matter. His future and that of his company, GE, depends on getting the government contract to manage that information. This is the same GE, under Immelt's watch, who was doing business with Iran while they were training terrorists to kill our soldiers in Iraq until Bill O'Reilly of Fox News exposed him)

I think it's also important to remember this when the White House tells you they're NOT collecting names or e-mail addresses sent to them by their operatives and supporters.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0809/25891.html

“If you get hit, we will punch back twice as hard,” Messina said, according to an official who attended the meeting."

Word.(s)(Just)

Things That Make You Go "Hmmmmmmmmm"

Question: How many of those spending money hand over fist to buy some piece of Michael Jackson's legacy in the wake of his death have health insurance on themselves or their families???

Stimulus Hypocrisy

Feel the "stimulus" yet?

Well, the nation's state governors certainly are. At a meeting with state officials yesterday President Obama told them the Feds will be watching closely as they spend the taxpayer's money.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5itBENNErYRQKT05EtyY6woQTQb1wD96SQ1AG0

"If we see money being misspent, we're going to put a stop to it".

"If wasteful spending is found, we will call it out and we will publicize it".

Pretty strong language coming from a man who promised in his campaign for the presidency to veto legislation from Congress containing wasteful earmarks.

Then just this week signed a budget with over 8000 pork barrel earmarked projects in it.

Then is it any wonder Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, Bob Riley of Alabama, Mark Sanford of South Carolina any others are wary about accepting the carrot, eyeing the big stick that hangs menacingly above it.

Wasteful is in the eye of the beholder. Cross the administration on a project they want and they'll hang you from the gallow's pole for all to see.

And then there's the hypocrisy of an administration warning the state governors then on the other hand doling out 990 million dollars to the terrorist organization Hamas with nary a word said about how that money is to be spent.

The dots:

Obama's ties to Tony Rezko.

Rezko's ties to Saddam Hussein's former operatives in Great Britian.

The administration's suspension of the U. S. S. Cole's bomber's trial at Gitmo.

The $990,000,000 in aid to the known terrorist organization Hamas.

We supply, you connect.

A Search For A Basketball Coach

Since the "resignation" of Mark Gottfried as Alabama's head basketball coach, the typical rumor mill of possible replacements has achieved high RPM. It seems there are two camps in which the names of possible candidates fall: the legitimate and the hopelessly impossible.

Bobby Knight, Mike Anderson, Anthony Grant and others are some serious contenders for the position.

In the hopelessly unrealistic category fall the likes of John Calipari, Rick Barnes, Jim Boehiem, Roy Williams or any other top shelf coach currently working at a "basketball" school.

Another in the unrealistic category was thrown into the fray last week by Nick Taylor of the Tide Times blog last week: Tom Izzo of Michigan State.

Nick opined on his blog last week that Alabama athletic director Mal Moore had tendered an offer to Izzo to become Alabama's next basketball coach.

In the blind-squirrel-stumbles-on-a-relevant-opinion category, a February 15th column by Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News addresses the severe breach of protocol such an action by Moore would be.

Now, if there's a bigger dolt than Kevin Scarbinsky, it has to be Nick Taylor of the Tide Times.

During a recent call to Paul Finebaum's radio show, Nick was pushing his incredibly STUPID (and despite Nick's claims of "journalistic integrity and ethics") and UN-SOURCED (of course, that would probably be a selling point should Nick apply for a job at the New York Times!) story, he also claimed that the current coach at Oregon State is the brother-in-law of Michelle Obama and due to Nick's perceived "red state" mentality of the fan base he might not be looked on favorably by the search team.

And this idiot claims to be alum. (and that wouldn't surprise me)

Never mind the fact that the athletic dept. at the University has never given one whit what the rank-and-file Alabama basketball fan thinks or feels.

Nor did he give any statistical evidence of a majority political bent in the Alabama basketball fan base one way or another. Or that if there was, it would matter at all.

Since George Wallace's "stand at the schoolhouse door", (for which I will never forgive him) the University has bent over backwards to and made tremendous strides in improving minority participation.

Currently the minority makeup in the student body at the Capstone runs at around 25%.

Compare that to "that-school-down-the-road" (if there's anything good that came out of the Franchione regime, wasn't it that phrase??) where minorities are about 2% of the student body.

Recently at the university, a big-to-do was made over apologizing and recognizing the mistreatment and efforts of two slaves who worked at the school in the 1800's. Their graves were marked and a day was dedicated to the remembrance of their service. (and rightfully so)

Contrast that to Auburn, where in this century, this decade, on campus, frats posted pictures of themselves partying like it's 1899.

Pictures of some in black face, others with guns and ropes, pretending (or was it practicing?) to lynch blacks, were posted on the Internet.

When it went public, the school moved to expel the frats from the campus grounds by taking them to court. (as they should have) Feeling they were being singled out for special treatment, the frats hired attorneys to defend themselves.

In court, the lawyers for the frats in question appeared with 202 pictures of other frats and sororities (at least they're not sexist in their racism!) engaged in similar activities.

Auburn's legal representation immediately moved to settle the case and negotiate to seal away the pictures from the exposure of public disclosure.

Of course, what would you expect from the grounds of an old Confederate hospital???

Over in Oxford, Mississippi, one can still go to a football game on a fall afternoon and see a Confederate battle flag proudly waving in the stands.

But of course these comparisons are lost on Alabama graduate Nick Taylor.

He claimed to speak to Nick Saban regularly. But he can't figure out by listening to ole Saint Nick's public statements and sentiments he's a loyal Democrat who likely voted for Obama for president. (I say "likely" because I don't know that for a fact...... but considering his public comments on his time at Kent State, Martin Luther King, Jr. and his snubbing of a Republican president, I'd bet the house he did. )

He can't look around his alma mater and figure out it's now one of the biggest bastions of liberal thinking and philosophy in the South.

He can't see that every Democrat politician in this state of any consequence has a Capstone pedigree.

No, it's not enough for Nick Taylor to post outright fabrications about Mal Moore and Tom Izzo on his blog, he's got to call Paul's show and opine through the fine linen of his Klan hood.

While those who read this blog likely know my politics are a little to the right of Attila the Hun, I believe one thing Alabama basketball Democrats and Republicans can come together on is we need, no, we DESERVE a competent basketball coach regardless of his politics or connections. It's a "don't ask, don't tell" thing, I think most fans understand.

But truly, with friends of the Alabama basketball program like Nick Taylor, who needs enemies.

(and we wonder why bloggers have such a bad reputation)

Sifting the Sugar Bowl Rubble

In the wake of the Utah tsunami that engulfed Nick Saban's Alabama football team last Friday, the shreds and shards of the embarrassing loss to the under-appreciated Utes are being examined for evidence of the crime.

Before the game rumors that Assistant Head Coach and defensive co-ordinator Kevin Steele was considering a move to another team. Was he distracted and did this affect the preparation of the defense for Utah?

In the business world this concept is called "short-timing it".

Many bosses (including mine) won't accept two week notices. Why? Because they believe your not focusing on the work at hand. And if you're not focusing on the work at hand, you're into other things.

I've seen it before, hell, I've done it before. In the '80's, due to the nature of the job market, one had to quit one job for another to get a raise. As a result, I've changed jobs many times in the past to climb the ladder. (been with my current job 20 yrs.) Once in my mind I knew I had another job lined up, my motivation changed. Once I realized what was happening, I'd just go ahead and quit. I felt that if I wasn't giving the man 100%, I shouldn't be taking his money.

Now do I believe, IF Steele was considering another job, this happened? Certainly.

Do I believe that's the sole reason the team looked so unprepared? Certainly not.

Disasters like Friday night (and in football terms, this was a disaster) are generally the product of another phenomenon called the "cascade affect".

That's the theory that NOT one single event caused the disaster but many did.

Was the team hungover after losing the SEC championship game?

Probably.

Was there too much time off?

Likely.

Were they underwhelmed by their bowl situation?

Were you? How many of us were disappointed with our team's bowl game? How many wished it were Ohio State or Texas or some other "name team"?? You think those players and coaches are aliens? Of course not! They're humans too.

Did Andre Smith's situation create a distraction??

Likely.

Did Nick Saban's commentary provide an already out-to-prove-something Utah team added motivation?

I think that's obvious.

I think it's also obvious that not one but all these things combined to create the "perfect storm" Alabama walked into Friday night.

And it's a storm that sometimes an established program can't weather.

And it must be remembered that this was the SECOND year of Nick Saban's "process".

Do we have the depth and stability of other programs that aspire to national prominence?

I think that's obvious too.

WWNSD?

Hit the recruiting trail with a little extra motivation.

(if that's possible)