New "Geico" Commercial

I couldn't resist throwing this up here. I have good friends who are Tennessee fans, so please forgive me for this one.

You've seen the Geico commercial with the caveman on the moving sidewalk in the airport? Well, apparently here's the version from Knoxville.

You're on notice!

Welcome to Alabama! Everyone else, you're on notice! :-)

We've got him!!!!!!

Welcome to Tuscaloosa, Coach Nick Saban! Welcome back to the college ranks!

Saban rolls with the Tide

Yes, he denied becoming the Alabama coach, but he did so because reporters kept bugging him about it. He had to protect his job. It's common for coaches to do that these days (Remember Fran to TAMU and Tuberville to Auburn?).

Will he be at Alabama long? Who knows, but at least we have him for now. He wasn't the greatest in the pros, but he's a great college coach.

Mal Moore can now retire with a little more class.

No Time For Panic

Cecil Hurt is the sports editor for the Tuscaloosa News. He's also one of the only people I trust to accurately report on Alabama athletics. The rest of the people I trust are those on that T-News staff, along with Paul Finebaum (I may catch heck for that name).

That aside, Hurt has a great head on his shoulders when it comes to looking at the future of Alabama football. All you have to do is read his article below.

Now is not the time for UA to lose focus

Kudos, Cecil.

No Coach Rod

Well, Coach Rod decided to stay at West Virginia. That's where he and his family are originally from, so I can't fault him. Best of luck to you guys.

Bama moves on in the coaching search. I think I'll be a little more patient this time. We'll get someone who's right for the job.

If not, ESPN has all the more ammunition toward us.

The clock ticks down for Coach Rod

What a week it's been. We've seen Shula fired, now we are anxiously waiting for these next three days to pass. According to ESPN.com's Ivan Maisel Tuesday night, Bama will decide whether or not to offer current West Virginia University Coach Rich Rodriguez the head job within 72 hours.

I watched the WVU-Rutgers game Saturday night with Dad. Am I impressed with him? You'd better believe it. From everything I've seen and read, I'm all for this man to take over the Crimson Helm.

Spurrier would've been nice. Saban, too, but I think we're about to have a quality and disciplined man leading our team.

I hope we can soon say, "Welcome to Tuscaloosa, Coach Rod."

SHULA FIRED!

Wow... It's just after 1:00 a.m. Monday morning, and Tuscaloosa News is reporting Mike Shula has been fired as Alabama's head coach.

I hoped for it, but didn't think it'd happen. I like Shula as an individual, but he wasn't cut out for the job.

So... Who's our new coach? Spurrier? Saban?

Tick, tock, tick, tock...

True?

First of all, let me say I was at the Iron Bowl, and I wasn't upset Auburn won again. Will it have an impact on Shula's future?

That's the rumor flying around radio and chat boards right now. Many are saying the Board of Trustees has met and decided Shula will not return next year. Even Finebaum this afternoon was "90 percent" sure Shula's as good as gone.

Now, everyone has an opinion. There's no need for me to dive into that old saying about rear ends and opinions. Rumors fly and they disappear. However, if Finebaum's hinting at it, I'd put a small dose of credibility into it.

Here's the thing: The Board can't fire Shula. They can only make a recommendation to the president and AD. They voted to keep Mike Price, but Dr. Robert Witt walked him to the chopping block.

Who knows what will happen. Interesting times are ahead once again for Bama. Can they just get a good coach in there and keep him for a while?

Please?

Hog Heaven

With Auburn's loss today and Arkansas walking all over Tennessee, I guess we'll all be watching the Razorbacks and Gators play for the SEC title this year (I know they have to win one more game, but they have Mississippi State next week). I couldn't be happier for the other UA. They came out of nowhere this year to become a powerhouse. Congrats to you guys!

I was reading a pretty good column today by Paul Finebaum (I think I'm one of the few Bama fans that don't hate him or what he has to say, but that's neither here nor there). He talks about how the Iron Bowl next week won't mean a hill of beans to the national audience like it used to. To make matters worse, Ohio State and Michigan face each other at the exact same time.

That especially rings true after Georgia's win over Auburn. Heck, I knew after Alabama's loss to MSU last week that I didn't even want to go back to Tuscaloosa for the Iron Bowl. Unfortunately, I have to work it, so I have to be there.

I never thought I would want to skip the Iron Bowl (and I've been to a few), but this one is worthless to me. The coaching staff has ruined it for me this year. I was talking to a friend who works across the hall from me, and he made some good points about the team being so young (half of the 100+ on the roster are freshmen).

He's not exactly ready to hang it up on Shula, but I just can't feel the same way. I remember being a student Shula's first year there. I remember the electricity and relief everyone had when he was hired in that town. We had just been through Dennis Franchiphoney and Mike Price, and he was a breath of fresh air.

Now, a lot of us don't want him there any longer. I don't need to go into all this again. I've written and vented enough. Heck, as I write this, Bama and LSU are 10 minutes away from the end of the game, and I'm emotionally numb. I knew LSU would kill them, so I'm not mad. I do hope, however, there's enough anger elsewhere that someone will finally make a change.

*snicker*

Georgia 37
Auburn 15

There will be, and have been, people who say I have no right to talk about AU since Bama's doing so poorly. Well, just let me know when I start bragging on my Tide again instead of sounding off. Maybe then I'll stop picking on AU, too.

Enough is enough

I just got home from shooting the Alabama game, and let me tell you one thing: Bama fans are sick and tired of Mike Shula. How in the blue blazes do you lose 24-16 to Mississippi State?

A friend, Brad Hood (see blog at right), and I were talking on the sidelines during the fourth quarter. He said something that almost everyone in Bryant-Denny Stadium was feeling this afternoon: "Boy, this team is just bad."

Paul Finebaum wrote a column Tuesday that hit the nail on the head. He talks about how Auburn is the new Alabama, and vice versa. Everyone expects AU to blow people out and how Bama is expected to eek by or not eek at all.

I've said it before this year, and I'll keep saying it (along with the majority of the Bama Nation). Something must be done to that coaching staff. Defensive Coordinator Joe Kines is welcome to stay in my opinion, but Dr. Witt (UA president) and Mal Moore (AD) need to either replace Mike Shula at the end of this season, or hire one heck of an offensive coordinator and tell Shula to stop calling the plays.

There's an AP picture of UA students in the stand today with paper bags on their heads (see above). They were all standing a few feet away from us, and they had a message on those bags: "Shula is a bum."

Mike, you're a great guy off the field, but you HAVE to make a change, or you need to go. Our beloved program and team are too important to us to let this slop continue. Our tradition is too great to just flush away.

We want OUR Alabama back.

We have a winner!

All I need to say is YO YO YO YO YO YO... Football!

Arkansas 27
Auburn 10

:-)

I can't kick!

Bama deserved that loss to Arkansas today. That's my alma mater, that's my all-time favorite team, but Shula called some stupid plays today (hey, let's keep running it up the middle!). Tiffin, poor kid, had a nightmare of a day, but Christensen should've come in to kick the field goals and extra points late in the game.

Horrible, horrible, horrible... When is that coaching staff going to get their heads out of their rears? Shula needs a new offensive coordinator, and he needs to stop calling the plays himself. Look at what Tuberville's done at Auburn witrh his staff. THAT"s how you do it, Shula.

On the road again

I know I haven't posted too much lately, but this will be my third weekend in a row that I'm heading back to Tuscaloosa. I'm shooting all the Bama games this year, and to be honest, I'm very weary. The guys back at the station don't know, but today is basically my 20th day in a row for work. Monday through Thursday I'm pulling regular reporter duty. Friday is reporting and shooting high school football.

This third Saturday in a row takes me back to T-Town (I leave in less than an hour). Sundays, I'm usually driving back from Tuscaloosa, then spending a few hours in the bureau getting highlights edited and interviews narrowed down. The next two weekends, despite them being road games, I'll still be traveling with family and friends. The two weekends after that will be spent right back in Tuscaloosa.

If you know me, you know I'm a "home" type of guy. I cherish my days off, and I prefer to spend them in-town and around the house. I'm not catching a Saturday to myself until October 21. If it sounds like I'm complaining, yeah, you're right.

I'm pretty frustrated and tired. This week, work wore me out (especially after a 14-hours-straight Friday). It would be nice to not be committed somewhere. I enjoy Tuscaloosa, but I'm tired of seeing Bama just eeking through these no-name games.

Yeah, I know. it could be worse.

Pathetic

Pathetic is the only way I can describe what I saw from Alabama's sidelines Saturday. A three-point win over Vandy? No wonder Auburn's going to beat them for the fifth straight time.

Something's got to be done about Bama's offense. They badly need a new offensive coordinator. There's no reason a game against Vandy should come down to a field goal.

I'm a very proud UA alumnus, but I'm getting tired of seeing that coaching staff put out the "Hey, it's a win" mentality. They have got to learn how to destroy the opponent if they want to get back into the national title hunt.

It won't happen this year, and it may not happen with this coaching staff. I like Coach Shula a lot. I've had the chance to talk to him many times, but something has to change on that staff.

I'm no Auburn fan (except I do like Tuberville... see Shula reason above), but kudos to them for getting it right. They deserve their ranking and their status. I won't cry or be upset if they nail us again this year because it might be the wake-up call Bama needs.

Rolling To The Tide

Well, I'm sleepy. I've also got a long day tomorrow (today). I'm heading back to Tuscaloosa for the first of eight home games.

I'm looking forward to them all, but I need my sleep. Roll Tide!

Pigskin Paradise

Well, my youth is still alive and well even though I hit the big 3-0 next week. I ventured out to EB Games at midnight last night and picked up my copy of NCAA Football '07. It's a beautiful game, and I'm a very tired man today. :-)

YES!!!

USC LOSES!
USC LOSES!
USC LOSES!
USC LOSES!

I don't like Texas either, but THANK GOODNESS! USC LOSES!

Roll Tide!

Happy New Year! Bama beat Texas Tech 13-10 to win the Cotton Bowl! Another 10-win season!