680 The Fan in Atlanta reported that "sources" say Mal Moore has made another offer to Saban.
¶ 1:54 PM 1 comments
I seriously doubt this report is accurate. Saban is gearing up to play the Jets on Christmas day. The guy simply hates losing, so he's not going to toss in the towel on this season even though he may not be there next year. And seriously, what's with all the Gruden talk? Do we really want this guy? I'd rather have Paul Johnson, in all honesty. 
Monday, December 18, 2006
Saban's season will officially end on Dec. 31st. No playoffs this year after the 'Fins put up an egg at Buffalo. Does that mean we'll have a new coach by about Jan. 4th or so? Who knows. But I do know this. The basketball team is FREAKING AWESOME. Jermareo was swattin' shots like flies Saturday night. And Alonzo Gee may end up being the only All SEC player on this team. haha. ¶ 10:06 AM 3 comments
Friday, December 15, 2006
"At a TD Club meeting many years before his death, Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant told the following story, which was typical of the way he operated. I had just been named the new head coach at Alabama and was off in my old car down in South Alabama recruiting a prospect who was supposed to have been a pretty good player and I was 'havin' trouble finding the place. Getting hungry I spied an old cinder block building with a small sign out front that simply said "Restaurant." I pull up, go in and every head in the place turns to stare at me. Seems I'm the only white 'fella' in the place. But the food smelled good. So I skip a table and go up to a cement bar and sit. A big ole man in a tee shirt and cap comes over and says, "What do you need?" I told him I needed lunch and what did they have today? He says, "You probably won't like it here, today we're having chitlins, collared greens and black eyed peas with cornbread. I'll bet you don't even know what chitlins are, do you?" I looked him square in the eye and said, "I'm from Arkansas , I've probably eaten a mile of them. Sounds like I'm in the right place." They all smiled as he left to serve me up a big plate. When he comes back he says, "You ain't from around here then?" And I explain I'm the new football coach up in Tuscaloosa at the University and I'm here to find whatever that boy's name was and he says, yeah I've heard of him, he's supposed to be pretty good. And he gives me directions to the school so I can meet him and his coach. As I'm paying up to leave, I remember my manners and leave a tip, not too big to be flashy, but a good one and he told me lunch was on him, but I told him for a lunch that good, I felt I should pay. The big man asked me if I had a photograph or something he could hang up to show I'd been there. I was so new that I didn't have any yet. It really wasn't that big a thing back then to be asked for, but I took a napkin and wrote his name and address on it and told him I'd get him one. I met the kid I was 'lookin' for later that afternoon and I don't remember his name, but do remember I didn't think much of him when I met him. I had wasted a day, or so I thought. When I got back to Tuscaloosa late that night, I took that napkin from my shirt pocket and put it under my keys so I wouldn't forget it. Heck, back then I was excited that anybody would want a picture of me. And the next day we found a picture and I wrote on it, "Thanks for the best lunch I've ever had. Paul Bear Bryant." Now let's go a whole 'buncha' years down the road. Now we have black players at Alabama and I'm back down in that part of the country scouting an offensive lineman we sure needed. Well, he's got two friends going to Auburn and he tells me he's got his heart set on Auburn too, so I leave empty handed and go on to see some others while I'm down there. Two days later, I'm in my office in Tuscaloosa and the phone rings and it's this kid who just turned me down, and he says, "Coach, do you still want me at Alabama?" And I said, "Yes I sure do." And he says okay, he'll come. And I say, "Well son, what changed your mind?" And he said, "When my grandpa found out that I had a chance to play for you and said no, he pitched a fit and told me I wasn't going nowhere but Alabama , and wasn't playing for nobody but you. He thinks a lot of you and has ever since y'all met." Well, I didn't know his granddad from Adam's housecat so I asked him who his granddaddy was and he said, "You probly don't remember him, but you ate in his restaurant your first year at Alabama and you sent him a picture that he's had hung in that place ever since. That picture's his pride and joy and he still tells everybody about the day that Bear Bryant came in and had chitlins with him. My grandpa said that when you left there, he never expected you to remember him or to send him that picture, but you kept your word to him and to Grandpa, that's everything. He said you could teach me more than football and I had to play for a man like you, so I guess I'm going to." I was floored. But I learned that the lessons my mama taught me were always right. It don't cost nuthin' to be nice. It don't cost 'nuthin' to do the right thing most of the time, and it costs a lot to lose your good name by breakin' your word to someone. When I went back to sign that boy, I looked up his Grandpa and he's still running that place, but it looks a lot better now; and he didn't have chitlins that day, but he had some ribs that 'woulda' made Dreamland proud and I made sure I posed for a lot of pictures; and don't think I didn't leave some new ones for him, too, along with a signed football. I made it clear to all my assistants to keep this story and these lessons in mind when they're out on the road. And if you remember anything else from me, remember this - It really doesn't cost anything to be nice, and the rewards can be unimaginable. Coach Bryant was in the presence of these few gentlemen for only minutes, and he defined himself for life, to these gentlemen, as a nice man. Regardless of our profession, we do define ourselves by how we treat others, and how we behave in the presence of others, and most of the time, we have only minutes or seconds to leave a lasting impression - we can be rude, crude, arrogant, cantankerous, or we can be nice. Nice is always a better choice." ¶ 4:39 PM 0 comments
I jumped on the Spurrier bandwagon partly because of all the stuff that I KNEW was happening. Spurrier was going to be the next head coach...what happened after the initial agreement, I have no idea. I've heard Bama fucked with the contract, etc. Either way, they missed out on it. Next in line, from what I understand, was Saban. The BOT got involved with crap again and decided that, because of recruiting, etc, they couldn't wait until January to "talk" with Nick, so they went after Rich Rodriguez. After that flopped, and Mal and Dr. Witt both became irritated with media leaks, they are now waiting for Nick Saban. And with just cause. Papa John's found buying stake in Dolphins So the Dolphins are in the middle of a financial situation. And Mr. Saban is not going to make the playoffs again. Chris Mortensen, from ESPN.com, thinks that Saban is Alabama's top prospect and that Saban is still interested, but won't discuss it until the season's over. ""So, here we go again with Nick Saban as the focal point of Alabama's search," Chris Mortensen said on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, according to an ESPN transcript. "Saban acknowledged the Crimson Tide had been in contact with his agent, Jimmy Sexton, but that he was sticking to his commitment to Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga, who waited for two days on a airport tarmac to coax a reluctant Saban out of his LSU job two years ago. End of story? Saban's public pronouncement came when it appeared [Rich] Rodriguez was taking the job. Saban had always been Alabama's first choice and they initially floated a 10-year offer between $35 and $40 million. If there's no coach in place when the Dolphins' season ends Dec. 31, well, stay tuned. "Saban was clearly annoyed when asked to respond to the reports during his Monday news conference. "I've addressed this enough. When does this become a dead story?'' Saban said. "I've already said what I said. I've talked to my team and I don't think I need to continue to address this. I'm about trying to beat Buffalo and focusing on that. I don't see the issue here or any reason to talk about it.'' "I have no intentions of going anywhere,'' Saban said. "They might not want me here after this season. Did you ever think of that?'' Saban's response drew quite a bit of laughs from reporters, who probably won't back off the issue until the Crimson Tide names a successor to Shula." Sooo...is Nick unhappy in the NFL? He could make almost as much, and he would be left with the task of fixing an incredibly screwed up athletic department. We haven't had a coach step in and tell the BOT to back off since Stallings. Luckily, Stallings had Hootie Ingram. If Mal can get Saban, resign after the spring, and hand over his duties to Ozzie Newsom, then you'll again have a coach that can take control of the football program and keep everyone else's hands out of it. There are only a few coaches that can really fix Alabama's situation, and Saban is one of them. ¶ 3:54 PM 0 comments
Thursday, December 14, 2006
It's interesting to see how many different names are being thrown out right now. Before, it was Spurrier and then it went directly to Rodriguez, but right now there are ALL SORTS of names: Saban, Johnson, Parcells (haha), and even Houston fucking Nutt (HAHAHA). I'll post what I know...but it looks like nobody really knows anything anymore. I do know this...I'll know absolutely 100% whenever the coach is behind the podium at the press conference. I'm guessing that will be after the new year...but again...that's just a guess. ¶ 4:35 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
"I read your blog only because it's free, unlike TiderInsider, and you have been very responsible throughout the whole process. However, you keep repeating something that is WHOLLY INACCURATE. Rodriguez is the person who laid out the terms of the contract. We wanted to pay him more money. However, he didn't want the pressure of being the highest paid coach in the SEC. He could have named his price. SO QUIT REPEATING THAT WE DIDN'T OFFER HIM ENOUGH MONEY. This is your biggest misstep in your reporting. You can trust me - or you can ignorantly dismiss this info thinking I'm so repeat poster trying to stir up gossip- but I know this info for a fact from sources that I cannot reveal. Additionally, you have yet to hit on one big aspect of the coaching search that took place the day we offerred Rod the job. Keep digging and you may find an unreal story that no one has even come close to tying together." and later... "This is likely my last post, but I wanted to make something clear to Mr. FMSN: The University is not doing anything to spin the Rodriguez story. They have been over him since Friday. They believe it's time to move on. In fact, the people running this search could care less about media spin. There has been so much false info out there, but they have really only responded to one thing - that was the ridiculous Saban offer that Sexton made up. I'm not trying to spread "some cover your ass story" here. The fact of the matter is this - We went to Rod and said "What will it take?" He laid out all terms. It is as simple as that. He was adament about not being the highest paid coach in the SEC. His agent was with Mal all day Thursday and Friday until the news broke out. Agent was blindsided b/c these were Rod's terms. If it was about the money he would have negotiated for more. He didn't do that - he called and said "I'm staying, and it's not negotiable." As far as the other information goes, all I will say is this "Follow the money." How high up can you follow it? It looks like your source - or the newspapers' source - don't have a source with the money. They are getting their info, like yourself, from staffers or friends of the money. Ain't good enough." And here's what else I have run across. More planes and shit, but, again, it is incredibly coincidental. Again, probably a bunch of crap. There is a plane that left from Miami at 9am est on Friday morning, arrived in Birmingham at 12:17 CST, left at 1:38 headed to Tuscaloosa, arrived at 1:57,then left Tuscaloosa regional at 2:27 EST and arrived at Kendall Tamiami Executive in Miami, FL at 7pm. It left the next morning at 10:30 and headed back to Birmingham. It then went back to Miami yesterday (Monday) and is still there from what I can tell. Not sure if this is "The U" trying to get Shula for OC, or maybe just somebody making round trips that's not even related to college football, but it is pretty interesting. Flight Aware link ¶ 8:47 AM 4 comments
Monday, December 11, 2006
Cecil still thinks that Saban is a candidate. I just don't see it. I see Stoops before that, and I think that Bob's still probably untouchable. I just can't figure out, for the life of me, who the next coach may be. I've got billions of guesses, but the Spurrier talk was actually legit. People are now saying that deal was screwed because of our lack of putting stuff in writing that we agreed to verbally. That's happened before, and it looks like it's continuing. ¶ 4:21 PM 1 comments
Sunday, December 10, 2006
And nothing today, I would imagine. My guess now is that there's not going to be anything real until after the bowl game. The basketball team crushed Alabama State last night, without Ronald Steele or Jermario Davidson. Justin Tubbs came in and provided a spark off the bench, Coleman played well, Hollinger looked pretty good. There were several times when Gottfried has all freshmen out on the floor. Nice look at the future of the club. Riley is quickly turning into one of my favorite players. Makes you forget about that Notre Dame loss pretty quickly. We get to go to NC State in a few weeks, so we have a shot at one more decent road game. Lots of people calling for Mike Leach on TideSports forums lately. If that's your idea of a good coach, then I'm glad you're not behind the search. :-) ¶ 8:58 AM 5 comments
Friday, December 08, 2006
I know that it LOOKS like this could be a huge mess, but I read a post a few days ago that went something like this: Conversation between Mal Moore and Rich Rodriguez: Mal Moore: Hey Rich, I've got an idea. Rich Rodriguez: Yeah Mal, what's that? MM: You're hinting around that you want more money and your facilities upgraded. We've already got our coach, but he doesn't want to be announced until after the bowl games. RR: What does your new coach have to do with me? MM: Let's say we put some leaks out and say that we've been discussing contracts, etc and that everything fell apart in the end because you just couldn't leave home. That way it'll look like I'm doing something, rather than just keeping completely quiet and letting all of the Alabama fans rant and rave about how we're not trying hard enough. RR: I think I like that idea. I could get all of the stuff I need to be successful at WV, along with some more moolah, and all of us will be happy. Sucks that Bama fans will have to wait without any idea what's going on. MM: Well, let's just say I think they'll be happy when they hear who it is. I wish. Bob Stoops, please. Anyway, don't freak out yet. There is somebody that wants the job that is a good coach. We just haven't been there to ask yet. We'll find them, or they'll find us, one or the other. ¶ 5:59 PM 15 comments
 Bob Stoops: Head Coach of the Oklahoma Sooners Word is that Stoops is unhappy with the administration in Norman and may want a way out. We'd have to pay some SERIOUS money to get him, but I, for one, feel like it would be worth it. We'd easily have to offer a 7 year, $3.5 mil/year offer along with some serious incentives, but I think that's doable.  Gene Stallings: Former University of Alabama Head Coach Bebes told Mal 4 years ago that he would be willing to take over the program for a few years and get it headed in the right direction so they could pinpoint their next target, but Mal declined. He's 71 years old, but he is in excellent health and I think still has a fire to coach for another 5-10 years. They could hire him and pick up another assistant coach to breed for the job when he leaves. He stated today on Finebaum that he would LOVE to come back and coach Alabama, but not for a long amount of time.  Paul Johnson: Head Coach at U.S. Naval Academy (aka Navy) Won multiple DI-AA national titles at Georgia Southern before taking over Navy 4 years ago. Adapts to his personnel and finds the best option for his guys to win. Knows that you have to play good defense and run the football in order to be successful, but also understands that passing is important as well. Could be a steal if we land him.  Jim Grobe: Head Coach of Wake Forest Demon Deacons I don't think he's the best fit at all. He's not a proven winner, but he does coach good fundamentals. Defensive minded, focuses on the run. Might do ok, but I don't think they'll win consistently with him as the leader of this group. Might average 8 wins per year, but that won't suffice for us.  Mike Stoops: Head Coach of the Arizona Wildcats Supposedly told people around Oklahoma that he would have "walked from OK to Alabama for the job" four years ago before Price was hired. The knock on him was that he did not have head coaching experience. Has that really changed? He's not proven, but you can see the fire he works with.  Sylvester Croom: Head Coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs Was passed over three years ago, hasn't proven anything as a coach, but he bleeds Crimson and was a Bear boy. State has shown the ability to get better throughout the year, but has yet to get over 3 wins in one year. Is not a great recruiter, but that could change if he comes to Alabama as the first black coach in the school's history.  Jeff Bower: Head Coach of the Southern Miss Golden Eagles I believe that ALL Bama fans have the utmost respect for Coach Bower. He is a proven winner, has won multiple conference usa championships, and isn't scared of anybody. He has not had the talent at Southern Miss to be able to beat the big boys year in and year out, making it almost impossible for him to even get close to a BCS bowl. He could do good things here at Bama. I don't know if this is what the fans want though. It would be like hiring your younger brother.  Mike Leach: Head Coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders Is a proven winner, I guess, but has not been able to beat rival Texas (not many people have lately). He has no clue what's up with defense, and that's what worries me the most. I'm sure he would probably fix the offensive problems, but what's the use in scoring 35 points if we give up 38. If he leaves the defensive staff alone, he might be able to put something together here. Scary hire.  Steve Kragthorpe: Head Coach of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane Was the hot name at the beginning of the year. He won the Conference USA title last year, but is only 21-17 so far at Tulsa. Not really a proven winner, was favored to win C-USA again and didn't even get close. Probably had a better shot at the NC job than this one. Don't think Alabama will even think about him.  Frank Solich: Head Coach of the Ohio Bobcats Solich was at Nebraska for several years, but was fired after a 9-3 season wasn't good enough in Lincoln. They suffered from the same tradition crap we did and are now stuck with a fired Oakland Raiders coach. Anyway, he has taken a losing team and turned them into winners at Ohio. They lost in the MAC championship game to Central Michigan and ended the season with a 9-4 record. I don't really think he'd be a good fit, but he is an option.  Mike Sherman: Asst. Head Coach of the Houston Texans Sherman is the former head coach of the Green Bay Packers. He tossed his own name in the hat to let people know he is interested in the job. If nothing else, he's a good leader and did a good job with the packers after Mike Holmgren left. He's known for being a defensive minded coach with a lot of NFL experience, but no college experience. He'd have to have some help finding some college asst coaches to work on recruiting. It'd be another experiment, and I don't think we want that.  Jeff Tedford: Head Coach of the Cal Golden Bears I have no idea why I'm even mentioning him. He's always been a west coast guy, but a lot of people are talking about him pretty highly and they seem to think he'd leave his home state to come down to Bama. I think he'd help the offensive troubles. Again, his defense stinks. Simply won't fit here.  Bo Pelini: Defensive Coordinator of the LSU Tigers Pelini has had excellent defenses at Nebraska, Oklahoma, and LSU. He knows what it takes to win, and was a winner even as an interim coach at Nebraska. Might be a good next step. Stoops started out as a defensive coordinator. Pelini might be the next good one. I think he'd be a great hire.  Brent Venables: Defensive Coordinator of the Oklahoma Sooners If you can't get Bob Stoops, get a young guy with a fire to win that learned under him. Stoops is easily the most successful coach of the past decade, and anybody that's been under him learning defense, etc for an extended amount of time might be a good hire. Still think he's possibly too young and his name's not quite big enough yet.  David Cutcliffe: Offensive Coordinator of the Tennessee Volunteers He can't recruit for nothin', but he is a Bama boy, and he did win at Ole Miss, which not many people have been able to do lately. He would've found a way to win games last year and this year at Ole Miss, and you've seen what he did with Tennessee's offense this year. This is a VERY last resort type of hire. ¶ 2:59 PM 8 comments
That's why I like the T-Town News. They don't report complete CRAP. Ian Rapaport should be fired and the Birmingham News should not be allowed to report anything else involving Alabama football. They have screwed this story about 4 different times and haven't gotten it right yet. I'm still holding out hope for Stoops. I'm guessing Paul Johnson is next on the list though. Alas, I will be changing the banner now. ¶ 2:48 PM 7 comments
I had a bad feeling about all of this. I think Rich may have gone a little more over the line than he anticipated. I feel like this was just a ploy to make some more bucks at WV and get the school to seriously do the renovations he was wanting. The reports that we've given him a deadline don't make me feel any better. Didn't we give Mike Riley a deadline on the last go round and were turned down? Not that I wanted Riley or anything. Oh well. Again, all of the talk is on Rodriguez at the moment. Nothing else new to report. ¶ 11:46 AM 2 comments
Thursday, December 07, 2006
It was WAY overdue that I got Mr. Shula off of that thing. If Rodriguez is announced tomorrow, any idea if he'll coach the bowl game. I have heard from numerous message boards that Kines will remain as head coach through the Independence Bowl. Also, if you're going to the game in Shreveport, let me know and we'll hook up and tailgate. If you need to contact me, e-mail me at gsegars@gmail.com so we can try and plan some of this out. ¶ 11:04 PM 3 comments
Talks still going on with other coaches. The rumor is that Rodriguez will NOT coach the Gator Bowl, that the press conference will be tomorrow at 1pm, and he will fly via private jet this evening to Tuscaloosa. Then again, I've heard that he's denied the job. We'll see. ¶ 6:13 PM 6 comments
Do you agree? Also, if the offer has been extended to Rich Rodriguez (I am now hearing he has until tomorrow, Friday, to accept), is this considered a home run hire? I personally do not view him as fitting under the criteria that Mal set out in the initial press conference. Rodriguez, in my opinion, is not proven. He has had six years of head coaching experience at West Virginia. He only has to get ready to play maybe 3 times per year, and even that. Notice how West Virginia got damn good after Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College left the Big East? I don't think Auburn, LSU, and Tennessee will be leaving our schedule any time soon. And for the critics that say that he did well as the offensive coordinator at Clemson, check out these numbers: 2000-Clemson (ACC) 9/2 vs. Citadel (non-IA) W 38 0 9/9 vs. Missouri (3-8) W 62 9 9/16 vs. *Wake Forest (2-9) W 55 7 9/23 @ *Virginia (6-6) W 31 10 9/30 @ *Duke (0-11) W 52 22 10/7 vs. *NC State (8-4) W 34 27 10/14 vs. *Maryland (5-6) W 35 14 10/21 @ *North Carolina (6-5) W 38 24 10/28 vs. *Georgia Tech (9-3) L 28 31 11/4 @ *Florida State (11-2) L 7 54 11/18 vs. South Carolina (8-4) W 16 14 1/1 vs. Virginia Tech (11-1) L 20 41 @ Gator Bowl 1999-Clemson (ACC) 9/4 vs. Marshall (13-0) L 10 13 9/11 vs. *Virginia (7-5) W 33 14 9/23 @ Virginia Tech (11-1) L 11 31 10/2 vs. *North Carolina (3-8) W 31 20 10/9 @ *NC State (6-6) L 31 35 10/16 @ *Maryland (5-6) W 42 30 10/23 vs. *Florida State (12-0) L 14 17 10/30 @ *Wake Forest (7-5) W 12 3 11/6 vs. *Duke (3-8) W 58 7 11/13 @ *Georgia Tech (8-4) L 42 45 11/20 @ South Carolina (0-11) W 31 21 12/30 vs. Miss State (10-2) L 7 17 @ Peach Bowl 6-6 in '99, 9-3 in '00. Against the better teams in 2000, here's what they scored: 10/7 vs. *NC State (8-4) W 34 27 10/28 vs. *Georgia Tech (9-3) L 28 31 11/4 @ *Florida State (11-2) L 7 54 11/18 vs. South Carolina (8-4) W 16 14 1/1 vs. Virginia Tech (11-1) L 20 41 @ Gator Bowl That's an average of 21 points in each of those 5 games. Now, granted, that's more than we've given up this year, but look at how much they gave up: 33.4 per game. We haven't allowed over 28 points in a game in three years. West Virginia doesn't give up a lot of points to bad teams, but if you look at the "decent" teams that they play, it's usually not very good. 44 to Louisville in '06, 39 to Rutgers in '06, 34 to Va Tech in '05, 35 to Georgia in '05, 44 to Louisville in '05, 36 to Boston College in '04, etc. Well, either way, I'll still be cheering for them next year. ¶ 4:32 PM 1 comments
According to the Tuscaloosa News and the Florence Times Daily, "Moore talked to other possible candidates while in New York." Finalists for the Draddy were from the following schools: Oklahoma Rutgers Florida West Virginia Penn St Colorado Wyoming Connecticut Now...who out of that list would Mal have talked to about taking this job? ¶ 1:11 PM 5 comments
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
REMINDER: This site is only for my thoughts about what's going on at Alabama. If people want to chime in with their two cents, that's cool...but I'm not going to have morons posting random bullshit on the boards. If you want to post, just sign up and post. If it's offensive, inapporpriate, or unrelated to anything that we're discussing, it will be deleted. Problem solved. This was not meant to be a safe haven for the wackos that get banned from other sites. If you like Petrino, cool. If you think I'm an idiot for putting more into the Spurrier / Stoops rumors than other people, cool. I'm just posting what I like to post. With that said...today's meeting between Mal and Rodriguez "went well" according to Rodriguez. Please see ESPN's story. Very odd that Rodriguez would come right out and talk about chatting with Mal Moore after he denied ANY interest in the position whatsoever. If they do, in fact, go after Rodriguez, they need to make sure he brings in a worthy defensive coordinator. West Virginia's defense could have cost them several games this year if it were not for Project Pat and Super Slaton saving the day. My suggestions for defensive coordinator: Brother Oliver (of course), Randy Shannon, or Coach Kines. Maybe somebody like Vic Koenning would be good. He is currently the defensive coordinator at Clemson. He was the head coach at Wyoming from 2000 - 2002 and was Troy's defensive coordinator under Larry Blakeney in '03 and '04, leading them to top 10 defensive finishes in both seasons, if I'm not mistaken. He's got a good defensive mind, and would have a lot of ties down here. ¶ 7:28 PM 14 comments
Rodriguez set up the meeting with Mal today. Neinas did contact him early on, but has not called him back since then. Rodriguez wants the job more than Bama wants him. If he doesn't get it, it's because we didn't want him. Only thing I'm hearing is that we could get an announcement tomorrow afternoon about Stoops. The Draddy is tonight and I hear that Stoops won't be going back to Norman afterwards. Not sold just yet. Haven't gotten as many details as I want. Another interesting fact - Saban got the dreaded "vote of confidence" by the Dolphins. I'll post the link as soon as I find it again. More soon, hopefully. ¶ 2:53 PM 11 comments
Monday, December 04, 2006
msnbc.msn.com article on Chuck Neinas ¶ 12:49 PM 5 comments
There ya go. It wasn't me this time. ¶ 10:31 AM 0 comments
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Guess which Big 12 Championship coach will be in NY this week with one of his players that is a finalist for the Draddy (Academic Heisman). If Richie Rich is in NY to interview for the job today (as evidence by his "prepared statement" and cancellation of his conference call today - see http://westvirginia.scout.com/2/597091.html), then there's no reason to think they wouldn't talk to Stoops out there. I still think all of the Spurrier talk may have been to get a shot at Stoops. Or...maybe I give the athletic administration too much credit. Stoops put out feelers earlier this year to the NFL (see CollegeFootballTalk.com back in early August) and talked with some of his friends about whether or not to pursue the NFL. Not to mention the fact that Fran bolted when the NCAA came to town. Who's to say Stoops wouldn't do the same. And for those that think that Oklahoma is in the clear with the NCAA, please see FoxSports.com from back in August). I do remember Jimmy Sexton telling George and Geoff on "Sportstime" on WHBQ in Memphis this past Tuesday that Alabama was going after a big name that hasn't been reported yet, and that it's going to shock people when he accepts, because he is interested in the job. The only big name that fits Mal's criteria (proven coach, won a national title, conference champions, etc) that hasn't been talked about is Stoops. Everyone else under the SUN has been discussed. I think that the University could be planting rumors out regarding Spurrier and Saban, etc. The Rodriguez rumors came from West Virginia -- he wants the job and is letting people know it. Alabama had not even contacted him about it before he started putting his staff together. If you think this is dumb, please remember... THIS IS ALL SPECULATION.There is no reason to think this is actually happening...but then again, there's no reason to think it isn't. Before you start bashing me and saying "There's no reason he would leave Oklahoma" please present yourself with the facts and actually THINK for a little bit. Fran didn't like the administration here, and he bolted for Texas A&M. There's no reason to think Stoops wouldn't want to get out while the gettin's good. ¶ 6:03 PM 32 comments
I know this stuff is getting old, but hey, there's not much else to talk about. I'm beginning to feel like this coaching search has become a failure, but I'm still holding out hope that they'll find somebody competant. I do not want Rich Rodriguez. Period. I don't think he would fit down here at all. Can't really give you a reason why, other than I just don't like that style of football (don't call it "winning football"). Would probably dig Saban, for a little while, but we all know that eventually he would leave. Same with Spurrier. I like the fact that both of them are proven winners. I think Stoops, if he's even a candidate, would hang around for a long time if he thought the place felt like home. He could do the same thing with Bama that he did with Oklahoma. Take it from nowhere and turn it into a top 10 program year in and year out. I know the last entry was a lot to read, but I just copied and pasted an e-mail that I received. Basically it says this: 1) Spurrier kept his name in the hat as a smoke screen 2) There were no real negotiations for him to come here...the real deal would be for Stoops 3) Stoops fits Mal's criteria (NC, experience, proven winner, etc) and he's an SEC guy 4) Stoops is unhappy at Oklahoma, due to him wanting to run a clean program and not getting much help from the administration in Norman (basketball is already on probation, he had to kick two starters off before the season for taking money, etc) 5) The real candidate is usually the least talked about Sounds like bull, I know...but it does have some credence. Oh well. Basketball team won again (and Kansas lost again), so we'll be moving up one more spot in the polls. We're playing at Notre Dame this Thursday, so that should be interesting. At least we'll have that since there won't be any football. Rutgers got beat, so I'm not worried about LSU getting a BCS bid anymore. I believe it's a done deal. So we're going to Shreveport. Roll Tide. ¶ 9:48 AM 53 comments
Saturday, December 02, 2006
"My friend's exact words to me at the Auburn game were that they had been told that Mal had been "talking to Spurrier since September". Why would he be talking to Spurrier? You are all correct---Spurrier is not the kind of scumbag that would say he is not leaving then go. In fact, as much as we don't want to admit it, Spurrier is now the same kind of power broker in the south that Bear was in the 70's. So now we have to look another direction. Who is Spurrier close to? And why would he put up with the BS he has put up with the past two weeks? The posters from SC have made a big deal about how loyal he is to his assistants and how much he cares about them----especially if they are good---keep that in the back of your mind as we continue the discussion. Spurrier could have ended the speculation should he have chosen to----but he didn't want to. Now, the question becomes, why? He either wanted to use it to get more money---like he really needs it ---or couldn't have it just by asking---or he was protecting something that was dear to him. I chose to believe he was protecting something. Next question----what would mean that much to him that he would want to protect it at the expense of all the questions and suspicion? And even more importantly, why would he do it with Alabama involved? Two things----#1 He accused Bama of something that was unwarranted and being the fair guy he is, he owed us one (and yes, I do believe he initiated the contact). #2 He now knows, with Logan Young gone (RIP) and us facing the sure enough death penalty for any transgression, we are completely above board-----and that fits into the reason for his call to Mal. There is a close personal friend of his that is unhappy and is looking for an out. He first looked to the NFL(documented in several newspapers and online columns in early September) and I expect Spurrier told him the pitfalls of that thought process. This guy respects SOS and listened. So the two of them, together, started looking for the guy a comparable job. A call to Mal---who (like us) by the Arkansas game, had seen enough----and the thought process begins. Alabama is very respected by the looking party due to past competition and dislike of the same type people (Can you say Fran?). Bama is now clean, and that is VERY important to him. But he can't pull the trigger because he has too much riding on the season----incentives in his contract demand that he stay the course through the end of the year----and besides that, he doesn't have enough years in yet to "DEMAND" Spurrier money, especially if he slips this year---the year he wants out. So the clandestine process begins. I think the phrase "done deal" has been overused in this scenario----but I think this has been a done deal since probably the week after the Mississippi State fiasco. The Spurrier rumors had legs a week later----so with everyone thinking Saban and Spurrier, why deny it? Feed it!!!! It keeps the heat off the real guy. Saban wasn't going to be party to it and he pretty well stopped it the day he heard it. Spurrier has, meanwhile, chosen his words carefully and avoided using the words "NO" and "Alabama" in the same paragraph---much less the same sentence. And the Alabama side certainly isn't going to reveal who they are talking to---in fact, they are going to continue to feed the Spurrier story (with his blessing) to keep the spotlight off his friend. Sunday or Monday-------- Here's a hint----you might get a preview of OUR new coach by watching the Big 12 championship game rather than watching the pigs and the gators. Compare Mal's criteria, Shaun Alexander's statement, and what we know about Spurrier's involvement and see which coach in that game might just fit the idle chatter. Colin Cowherd: August 3, 2006 at 12:36 pm | In Oklahoma Sooners, Bob Stoops, collegefootballtalk.com, Bob Stoops NFL rumor | No Comments Collegefootballtalk.com Rumor Mil is reporting, “Several NFL sources told us late Wednesday night that incident to the breaking story that Oklahoma starting QB Rhett Bomar was kicked off the team Wednesday after an investigation revealed he broke NCAA rules by working at a private business and (gasp) was getting paid for work he didn’t really do, acquaintances of OU Coach Bob Stoops “will start putting out feelers now to the NFL that he wants to be a head coach there in 2007.” Click here to continue Reckon who those acquaintances are? Maybe SOS? What might SOS have recommended about the NFL? Hey---I know where there is a clean college program that needs a coach----you need to forget that NFL mess and stay where you belong and know what kind of good you can do! Why he'd be interested????? NCAA Investigations: A Primer for OU Fans Aug 04, 2006 | 6:54AM | report this With the news out of Oklahoma that two starting players have been kicked off the team by Coach Bob Stoops, the all-too-familiar NCAA investigation is soon to follow. So, to help my fellow college football brethren, I thought I would summarize what's gonna happen next. The first thing the school will do is disavow itself from association with any of the parties involved. This has already happened with the players, expect the booster to be next. This will be a little harder, because believe it or not these boosters can have a bigger impact on the program than a starting QB or O-lineman. Damage control will be essential before cutting ties to the booster. Worries about what else might be revealed or discovered will mean moving slowly, and cause many sleepless nights for Stoops and his staff. Next, the school will launch an internal investigation. Once again, this has already begun at OU. The school will promise to fully disclose any findings, and pledge to cooperate fully with any NCAA investigation. The NCAA will send some people to snoop around, but they won't begin an official investigation until they receive a report detailing the school's findings. Meanwhile the school will have hired a big-bucks lawyer who previously worked for the NCAA and is very familiar with investigations. After the school releases their report, the NCAA will begin to "officially" investigate. They will be in no hurry, saying that they have several other cases still pending. Expect the investigation to last at least two full recruiting seasons, during which time opposing coaches will use the cloud over OU to their advantage through negative recruiting. They will remind recruits of Alabama's post season ban for similar infractions. They will say "You can't compete for a conference championship, you can't compete for a national championship, you'll be spending New Years at home watching games on TV." Finally, the NCAA will release their report. The school will at a minimum be found guilty of "Lack of Institutional Control", and placed on probation. Lack of institutional control is defined as a major violation by the NCAA, and a few scholarship losses may be thrown in. Whether OU had any knowledge of wrongdoing or not, whether they could have prevented it or not is irrelevent to the NCAA. Punishment justifies their existence, and other schools who faced similar charges would be irate if no penalties befell OU. The NCAA will believe they must penalize OU to send a message to boosters that programs are held accountable for the boosters' actions. It's sad to see this happen to OU, because Stoops has worked hard to run a clean program and do things the right way. In the end, it won't matter. AND FURTHER: Oklahoma appeared before the Committee on Infractions in April regarding an investigation into excessive recruiting calls made by the school's men's basketball team under former coach Kelvin Sampson. In that case, the NCAA largely accepted Oklahoma's self-imposed sanctions, including probation, reductions in scholarships, recruiting calls and trips and visits to the school by prospective recruits. The committee also issued a public reprimand and censure. Sampson, now the coach at Indiana, was banned from calling recruits and participating in off-campus recruiting activities for one year. Infractions committee chairman Thomas Yeager said Sampson and his staff “deliberately disregarded NCAA rules” by making 577 impermissible phone calls from 2000 to 2004. can you say "REPEAT OFFENDER"? All this went down in August----no wonder Big Game Bob was looking for an out! also, check out this read.... From the Tulsa sports pages---and please note the date : At 9/13/2006 2:51:45 PM, Does Stoops still like his job? More and more, I wonder if Bob Stoops still enjoys his job as OU football coach. Two players betrayed him, media criticized him and he seems increasingly irritable. Longtime observers of Stoops’ press luncheons say his demeanor Tuesday might have been the most agitated they’ve seen in that weekly setting. Stoops has never liked the media much, so irritability is nothing new. But his frustration is higher than ever. Here’s one guess about why he’s so upset. Two of Stoops’ fundamental principles have been damaged – trust and pride. Players violated Stoops’ trust when they lied and cheated. Then, whether it’s fair or not, Stoops’ reputation of running a clean program was sullied. He can’t get that back, and it undoubtedly bothers him deeply. Stoops has always prided himself on more than winning. He wanted to be respected as a winner who ran a good program. Now, an NCAA investigation seems inevitable. Put it all together, and it makes me wonder: Does Bob Stoops still enjoy his job? And if not, is he the kind of person who will keep a job he doesn’t like? ¶ 2:09 PM 98 comments
ESPN sucks. Jackasses. Preach it, Brotha Finebaum. ¶ 11:55 AM 10 comments
Friday, December 01, 2006
WVmetronews.com has reported that, according to sources inside the West Virginia athletic department, Rodriguez is ready to accept the Alabama job, if offered, and is already talking to some of his assistants about following him to Tuscaloosa. Very strange, especially when Mal just released a statement (which I think is complete crap, by the way) saying that they have not contacted any coach whose regular season isn't over. Click here to read the full statement. ¶ 4:53 PM 121 comments
Rumors circulating that Jerri Spurrier is telling her friends that Steve is helping Bama with its coaching search. Big Game Bob has won a national title and has played in several other national title games. He can take very little and do very big things with it (please see this year). Remember, money talks, and UA, from what I'm hearing, would be willing to offer around the same type of cash as with Spurrier. Similar type of contract, but without as much control over the football program (I'm sure Spurrier's earned his stripes a bit more than Stoops). The biggest issue right now is whether or not Stoops is happy in Norman, OK. He has, lately, been having issues with boosters, and, even though he is trying to run a clean program, the athletic administration has not been as tough as he wants to be (see Rhett Bomar and JD Quinn earlier this year). He should be losing Adrian Peterson and will have to rebuild at the skill positions again next year, and could see this wad of dollars as a chance to rebuild a monster program, much the same way he did with Oklahoma. His name has been extremely quiet around here, but I think he could be a wonderful fit. Remember, nobody has EVER won a national championship with two schools, which should be used as a selling point, especially with big name coaches with big time egos. More as I hear it. ¶ 3:42 PM 27 comments
All signs were pointing to everything being done after the bowl announcements on Sunday night. SC IS in talks with the Chick-Fil-A bowl, but without Spurrier, there's no way they get that deal. He wants what's best for SC, even if he leaves. Another interesting name has been popping up. Stoops was ferocious about the boosters, etc and everything going on at Oklahoma. He has apparently mentioned in private conversations that he would like to coach in the SEC again, and the Alabama job could be perfect for him. Spurrier's wife told some of her buddies that Steve is helping Alabama with their coaching search. Of course Spurrier and Stoops are still friends, so this would make a hell of a lot of sense. No credibility to this at all, but the name has been thrown at me a couple of times. I just hadn't thought about it until now. ¶ 1:58 PM 20 comments
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