Several months ago, news came out that the Major League Baseball team that has a lifetime contract with Satan, the New York Yankees, reached a deal to play host to a bowl game in the new Yankee Stadium. Already, the Yanks had been brokering deals to bring in regular season games with teams like Notre Dame and Army, in a desperate attempt to get Beano Cook to return their phone calls (they love you Beano — they didn’t mean what they said about 1950s Syracuse).
ESPN, the main generator of the out-of-control growth of bowl games in the past 20 years, has signed on to broadcast this massive mistake. Dec. 30, outdoors, a bowl game in New York City. Between the No. 3 Big East team and the No. 6 Big XII team, after BCS selections. RATINGS BONANZA!
And, oh, did you know what the official name of this steaming pile? It’s the..
Future generations will look back at such an abomination and rightly call us all idiots.
The Alabama football team went on the annual pilgrimage for national champions to the White House. Like the last time the Crimson Tide went to DC, the team was received by a first-term Democrat. Like we’ve said before, we blame George W. Bush for the recent travails (probation, probation again, losses to LSU and Auburn (2005), loss to Florida (2008). Is it any wonder Texas won its first national championship in years during the Bush era? (Conspiracy!)
President Barack Obama congratulated coach Nick Saban, Heisman Trophy-winning running back Mark Ingram and star linebacker Rolando McClain. The team presented him with a helmet featuring the number 13 (for the number of Bama national championships), a ceremonial football and the requisite custom jersey.
Also, Twitter.
Everyone knows how hard Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is on his quarterbacks. Considering how mediocre many of them were after college (OK, we’re just talking about Florida here), it seems to lend credence to the idea that Spurrier’s unorthodox — perhaps even dickish — treatment of his signal callers worked when it was needed.
But like other championship coaches (Paul Dietzel, Lou Holtz) who arrived in Columbia, Spurrier isn’t happy with what’s going down on the field. Especially the play of ‘09 starter and presumed ‘10 starting quarterback Stephen Garcia. What, with quarterbacks transferring (one to play baseball at Alabama), The Head Ball Coach didn’t have much in the bullpen.
So, Spurrier let his opinion be known when asked about it at ESPN The Weekend.
(via EDSBS)
We’ve got one thing to ask for, for our upcoming birthday (that is, beside tickets to the Alabama-South Carolina game this fall and a case of Ketel One). Famed sports painter Daniel Moore did it. It’s out and available, like a debutant. It’s “Maximum Block,” the artist’s depiction of Terrence Cody putting his massive paw in the air and blocking another of Tennessee kicker Daniel Lincoln’s attempts, this time to win the game.
BIRMINGHAM — “Maximum Block,” the Daniel Moore painting that commemorates the game-saving play in the closest game of Alabama’s undefeated 2009 national championship season, was unveiled tonight during a reception at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.
[...]
A steady stream of people stood in line to get free prints of the painting autographed by Moore, a Birmingham artist whose paintings have captured big moments in Alabama football history.
Ah, beating Tennessee at the last second. That never gets old. Or coronary-inducing.
I can has?
Remember Carly Fiorina’s demon sheep? Of course you do. We all love the demon sheep. No more than the Playoff PAC, a political group lobbying Congress to destroy the Bowl Championship Series. So, they took Fiorina’s ad and did their own play on it (h/t Dr. Saturday).
We told you we were going to milk this bastard. For Carolina fans — try a 10-win season, you might like it. For Clemson fans — try getting into the national championship hunt in an era when white belts weren’t in style. In the words of the best of the Southeastern Conference (winners of the last four national championships), “Don’t worry. We got this.”
The U.S. House passed H.R. 1007, congratulating Alabama on winning the national championship. We don’t know exactly how this went down, but U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus was joined in speaking on the resolution by Mazie Hirono of Hawai’i and Brett Guthrie of Kentucky. We’re imagining there’s some sort of informal college football roundtable going on among the representatives. Or they could just have been roped in because of membership on the House Education and Labor Committee.
Also, U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby collected on his turkey from fellow senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson.
Hirono:
The extraordinary achievement of this year’s team is a tribute to the skill and dedication of all the players, as well as coaches, students, alumni, families, and fans that have helped to make the University of Alabama a premier football program. Winning the national championship, finishing the season with a 14-0 overall record, and leading the Southeastern Conference to another championship has brought national acclaim to the University of Alabama and great pride to those that care for the school. I know the fans of the university will revel in this great triumph as they look forward to the 2010 season.
Guthrie:
I congratulate the University of Alabama, the team, and Head Coach Nick Saban on winning this BCS championship. And I congratulate Mark Ingram and the team for winning the 2009 Heisman Trophy. After Alabama won the 1978 national championship in a very famous and legendary college game against Penn State in the Sugar Bowl on December 31, 1978, just the previous spring the University of Kentucky had won the national championship in basketball; so immediately the next weekend or so they played each other in basketball, and I will never forget the University of Kentucky fans unfolding a banner that said “Congratulations from one champion to another.’”
It showed a lot of class for my fellow Kentuckians to do that to another school. But it showed a lot of spirit in the SEC and the pride we have in each other. And of course after last night, and we expect this weekend, the University of Kentucky’s basketball team will be ranked number one. So hopefully, after this spring, the University of Alabama fans, like my friend from Birmingham here with me today, will be able to congratulate our team, the University of Kentucky, on winning the national championship following Alabama this year. That is our hope. And I endorse this resolution. I urge my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Bachus:
The game itself had inspiring personal stories. The quarterback for Texas, Colt McCoy, is a fine young man. When he was injured, his team took from his example and never gave up, fighting until the end. Alabama’s quarterback, Greg McElroy, quietly played with two broken ribs. Alabama running back Mark Ingram, the MVP of the game and the first Heisman Trophy winner in school history, is a student-athlete of outstanding character and spirit. But it was a team effort. In the end, Alabama came out on top, and finished the season with a perfect 14-0 record, and its first national championship season since 1992, under Coach Gene Stallings.
There was another undefeated team, and that was Boise State University. And I congratulate coach Chris Peterson of Boise State. When someone said they should be invited to the White House together with the University of Alabama, he graciously said there is only one national champion, that is the University of Alabama, and they should be invited. So I congratulate Boise State University on their successful undefeated year, as do all citizens of Alabama.
Whereas, on January 7, 2010, the University of Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the University of Texas Longhorns, 37-21, in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship Game in Pasadena, California;
Whereas the University of Alabama located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, has become one of the premier athletic and academic institutions in the country;
Whereas the University of Alabama has been the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Football Champion a record-setting 22 times;
Whereas the University of Alabama has made an NCAA-record 57 bowl appearances;
Whereas the Crimson Tide players won many individual accomplishments throughout the season including, Mark Ingram as the first player from the University of Alabama to win the Heisman Trophy, Rolando McClain as the Butkus Award Winner, and 6 players selected as Associated Press First Team All Americans;
Whereas Mark Ingram rushed for 116 yards and 2 touchdowns to be named the Offensive Most Valuable Player of the BCS National Championship Game;
Whereas Marcell Dareus returned an interception for a touchdown and was named the Defensive Most Valuable Player of the BCS National Championship Game;
Whereas the Crimson Tide defense held the University of Texas to 276 offensive yards and forced 5 turnovers during the BCS National Championship Game;
Whereas Nick Saban in his third year as head coach led the University of Alabama to its first National Championship since 1992; and
Whereas residents of Alabama and Crimson Tide fans worldwide are to be commended for their longstanding support, perseverance, and pride in the team: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives–
(1) commends the University of Alabama for winning the Bowl Championship Series National Championship;
(2) recognizes the achievements of the players, coaches, students, and support staff who were instrumental in the victory; and
(3) directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to transmit a copy of this resolution to University of Alabama President Dr. Robert E. Witt and head coach Nick Saban for appropriate display.
If you’ve thought we’ve moved on from Alabama winning the national championship, you’ve got another thing coming. After 17 years in the wilderness, we’re enjoying the hell out of this one, and will milk it for as long as possible. Hopefully, that will only be until next year’s BCS National Championship Game, considering that the Crimson Tide has a wealth of talent returning.
It’s understandable why no one would want to live in the capital of meth and moonshine that is East Tennessee, and the recent troubles with the Tennessee football program scared off any big-name hire that the Volunteers could bring in. So, the UT administration went to option No. 5 (or six, or seven), Louisiana Tech head coach Derek Dooley. Several times today, it went back-and-forth as to whether this was true, but late Friday, ESPN’s Joe Schad and Chris Low reported that it was all but a done deal.
Louisiana Tech spokesman Malcolm Butler says Dooley has resigned from his positions as coach and athletic director to join the Volunteers. A statement by the university was expected later Friday.
The son of former Georgia coach Vince Dooley, Derek Dooley went 17-20 in three seasons at Louisiana Tech.
The Volunteers hired him after a quick search to fill the vacancy created when Lane Kiffin abruptly resigned Tuesday night, bolting to Southern California after 14 months.
Huzzah! An almost Chizik-ian hire. Like Alabama after the Mike Price “It’s rolling, baby!” saga, Tennessee was in a pickle ahead of the beginning of the recruiting season and needed a coach, immediately. According to information passed on by Rivals/Yahoo! writer Tom Dienhart, a press conference is expected from Knoxville around 9 p.m. tonight.
What is there to say about Dooley? He’s a man, he’s 40! He’s also the son of legendary Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, and was an assistant under Nick Saban at LSU. But here’s some things you may not know. He earned a law degree from Georgia (after playing football and getting his undergrad at Virginia) and practiced with Nelson Mullins in Atlanta. The record with Tech, a middling WAC team, is anything but solid. In his three years there, he didn’t win a conference championship.
2007: 5-7 (4-4 WAC)
Key wins
None.
2008: 8-5 (5-3 WAC)
Key wins
Mississippi State, Fresno State, Northern Illinois (Independence Bowl)
2009: 4-8 (3-5 WAC)
Key wins
Hawai’i
The commentariat seems to believe that Dooley is a stand-up guy and will be able to do some things with the talent that is traditionally drawn to Tennessee. However, people said the same thing about Mike Shula, and he only had one winning season in four years at the Capstone.
The Alabama delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives is ready to do what is de rigueur these days when a team wins the national championship, submitting a resolution to honor the winning team. We’re totally down with that, because, hell, if you can’t enjoy being a homer for your team and your conference, then what good is it being a fan?
Each representative from the state’s seven districts gave their own statements, but the best, by far, came from AL-01 representative Jo Bonner.
All Alabamians can take pride in the Crimson Tide’s victory over Texas in the BCS National Championship Game. This crowning achievement is a fitting testament to what a motivated team inspired by exceptional leadership can accomplish. In three short years, Coach Nick Saban and his players have restored the University of Alabama to its rightful place among the best in college football. The young men of Alabama have demonstrated a toughness, resolve, and commitment to each other that will serve them well throughout life. As a representative, an alumnus and a fan, I couldn’t be happier with the Tide’s triumph over the talented and determined Longhorns – Roll Tide!
