I don't know why...

but a couple of people asked me to post what I sent to the Dunaway and Brown show (greatest sports talk show in the southeast) on my blog with my thoughts on the Sugar Bowl after attending so here it is:

Ok…in case you don’t have enough topics for conversation about the game (ha ha…yeah, right, that’s a funny one, Cheesehead) – here are a few observations from someone who was there (some reality and some with tongue firmly planted in my cheek):

1. Halftime show was fabulous (pretty sad when the best part of the game is the halftime show…although I’ve been down on the Million Dollar Band for a few years, but they apparently have made a comeback)
2. Their fans – they never let up…they were great and truly supported their team 110% wholeheartedly and 110% of the time no matter what
3. Our fans – we have the best and the worst fans all at the same time. Our fans are great when we’re doing great – a little cocky, but mostly great. Our fans are the WORST fans when we’re doing badly and that’s when the team needs us the most. I’m so thankful that I didn’t take my kids…there were expletives that I hadn’t even heard in MY lifetime…some were directed at refs, some at coaches and some at players, but overall I have been VERY disappointed by our fans over the past couple of years from booing our own team to Friday night and I’ve not noticed that before – it seems to be getting worse and alcohol certainly makes it worse.
4. Acoustics in the dome are horrible!!!! We couldn’t even hear our band because they basically were sitting up underneath our section…it’s terrible. There were times that you couldn’t hear the announcements about different things like what the band was doing or dignitaries in attendance, etc. (as if we cared), but I heard all 4,386 times President Palmer talked about Allstate…were they the sponsor of the Sugar Bowl? I couldn’t tell…I’m sorry.
5. The announcer in the dome for play calling was TERRIBLE!!!!! Surely I’m not the only one that noticed this…he was nasal toned and he got names wrong and couldn’t even get yardage right half the time. You would think for a paying gig you could AT LEAST get to know who the team’s play makers are before the game and don’t pause in the middle of the sentence and wait until the digital board says what yard line the ball is on before announcing it…at least wait to start the sentence so you don’t look so amateur.
6. I think we (hubby and me) were the only ones in N.O. NOT drinking alcohol
7. The Florida loss took a lot more out of our team than we thought it did.
8. Sirhan Stacy needs to come to EVERY game and come out on the field at the beginning of the game
9. Our team didn’t even run out of the tunnel or look fired up from the beginning…if the Sugar Bowl, national TV in prime time, wearing a crimson jersey, representing THE University of Alabama, representing the SEC, coming out in the middle of your band playing the fight song and PYROTECHNICS don’t light your fire then your wood is wet.
10. We’ve won without Andre Smith before…get over it – he’s not the reason why we lost the game, but his suspension did take some of the spirit away from our team
11. Marquis Johnson (#24) is horrible and we should have figured that out after the Florida loss…if not before…hello?
12. The timing of the Steele story getting leaked stunk and probably had something to do with how terrible our defense looked
13. Next year we need to remember how Urban Meyer must have handed over our play book to Utah and make them pay for it
14. Only a few Alabama players actually came to win…Bobby Greenwood (great game), Javier Arenas and possibly Mike Johnson, but he got hurt before we could find out.
15. We were sitting behind 4 Auburn fans…why would they be happy that we lost and lost badly? I have been pulling for EVERY team in the SEC…if the shoe were on the other foot I would want them to do well too in their bowl game because I would want the SEC to make a good showing…give me a break – it doesn’t do anything for you fans!
16. Outside of the game…I can also add that the Sheraton must not have gotten the memo that the Sugar Bowl was in town…totally ill-prepared and just finished inking the letter to their management
    
    I think I’m through with my rant. Roll Tide anyway…and to add insult to injury I came home to no Packers or Favre in NFL playoffs…what a shame…Southern Cheesehead

Whatever happened to class?

I love Alabama football. I love this time of year. I love the crimson uniform and seeing Nick Saban on the sidelines with those uniforms as head coach. I love going to Tuscaloosa to see a game live and in person...MOST of the time.

I went to see Alabama play Tulane Saturday night. It was the first home game and we had just knocked off a top 10 team the week before and played solid smash-mouth football EVERY down. I was so excited to go to this game and as usual, the fan's expectations were overboard, but being realistic has never been a Bama fan's strongest point. We were even compliant with the stadium announcer who asked us to treat the Tulane team with respect when they came on the field because of the hurricane that week evacuating them from their city. We cheered for them when they came on the field. I was so proud of our fans...until we started playing mediocre and the fans booed. How classless!

I'm proud of all of our national chamionships - it's something to be proud of, but excuse me if I don't think that booing the team you support is acting like a champion. I believe that if you are a fan of a team then you support them through thick and thin. You're loyal to a fault and you take the good with the bad.

It certainly wasn't the prettiest win and we didn't play to the standards that we've become accustomed on every play, but these are kids out there lest we forget...someone's child. Their parents were probably sitting in the stadium somewhere - call it my mommy heart - I don't care. There should be no room to boo your own team or team's coaching staff. Form your opinion and tell your buddy...call talk radio and complain...blog on it for heaven's sake, but don't boo your team...period. Do you think you have to boo to let a veteran head coach that gets paid several million dollars a year know that his team doesn't look great? Give me a break! Act like a champion even if you're losing...which we weren't either time the fans booed. We won the game...we had some sacks...some injuries...allowed a few big plays...and missed some kicks, but we WON. Show some class, Bama fans...winning or losing...show that we're champions.

Apparently CBS and ESPN think the SEC has merit!

For all of you football fans out there that love the "dominant conference" debate...how about that CBS deal? Wowzers! Apparently we have to agree on the fact that the SEC must have some smarts! They were interested in hiring Chuck Gerber when no one else was according to Tony Barnhart. It sounds like that was the ace in the hole.

I've seen so many blogs and comments from people who are guilty of nothing but being passionate about the conference in which their preferred team is a part. I really try to not engage in such debates because I believe "the proof is in the pudding" as they say down here in the south, but truly this is quite a deal for the entire SEC and all schools represented. Imagine basically tripling your income overnight! Not to mention all the residual affects that the above mentioned article spells out for each of the teams.

Apparently Forbes Magazine got it wrong and Mike Slive should have been on the cover...or even Chuck Gerber instead of Coach Nick Saban. Listen, you may not like our "podunk" schools down here in the south or the way we live college football as a religion and will go to our grave thinking we're better than you, but you have to hand us this one...your conference just got schooled!

Playing catch up...tis the season!

Yes, blogger land, I'm still among the living. I'm sorry for my hiatus, but it's the most wonderful time of the year...and the busiest when you are a full time working mother of 2 children under the age of 6! We're back to regularly schedule programming now and I have a lot to cover since I've been busy playing Santa's little helper.

First of all, my favorite subject of my Pack. Of course I'm disappointed with losing to the Cowboys, but I'm more disappointed in the way we lost. We really could have and should have won that game. (I will take this opportunity to complain about the fact that there aren't any "official Packers sports bars" in the greater Birmingham area according to www.southendzone.com so I sat for 4 1/2 hours at a local establishment in my most obnoxious green and gold attire talking my normal smack to the cowboys in the room instead of sharing it with only Packer fans. There were other Cheeseheads there, but let's just say that they weren't as loud as the people in silver and blue...but not to disappoint you guys...I did represent trying to make up for the short fall.) As I was saying, we had plenty of opportunities to win that game - even with Favre hurt on the sidelines and Rodgers at the helm - but we still gave it away. That frustrates me more than anything, but it wasn't as devastating as some fans would like to make it out to be.

After the win yesterday at home against the Raiders we have clinched the North currently at 12 and 2. We're at St. Louis and Chicago and then end at home with Detroit. A rematch is desired and expected after that. It's an exciting year for the Green Bay Packers and it couldn't have happened at a better time. Favre is having a blast out there and that's when he is at his best. I've had so much fun watching him this season and feel like a proud mama (even though he's older than me).

Speaking of Favre - it was announced last week that he is Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year. I couldn't think of a more deserving player this year. SI did a great job honoring not only Favre on the field, but off the field as well. I even learned some things about him that I didn't know from the article (and that's saying something there)! He's truly a unique person and I'm proud that WHENEVER he retires that no matter what he'll go out on top as a Packer!

Now, moving to college football with respect to the BCS Bowl selections (wow, that is some fancy typing to get 'respect' and 'BCS' in the same sentence...and all without laughing out loud while doing so). There are several things that seem crazy to me...one being that Alabama got into a bowl game (yes, I guess that I'm Alabama's only realistic fan). Just one year ago we fired our coach after going 6 and 6...now we're paying a 6 and 6 coach $4 million. I realize that Alabama travels well (compared to SC) and there is a really "neato" story line for the talking heads with Saban going back to Louisiana, but who is going to be excited about watching this game? The SEC had 9 teams selected to go bowling...I repeat 9! Is it just me? I will "tow the company line" and will root for all the SEC schools playing in the bowls because that is the conference my team is in, but what a joke. No one else in the country could care less about 9 SEC teams going to bowl games. Good luck LSU in the "championship" game and for retaining your coach for another year...you'll need it!

Finally, congratulations to Tim Tebow of Florida on winning the Heisman. We all knew that you were a great player, but now we are also impressed with how you conducted yourself this past weekend. You added class to the crazy hype of the show and you were a fantastic representative of your school, conference and family. I pray that my boys grow up as unashamed, outspoken and with as much integrity and class as you seem to have on and more importantly off the field. I hope that you will excel one day soon in the NFL despite the majority of your predecessors with this trophy. I hate that you ended up a Gator as an Alabama fan, but glad we didn't have to play you this year and don't next year either!

In closing, it's been an interesting season in both college and NFL. We've had fruit basket turnover in the BCS and watched some very memorable games, and we've got both an undefeated and a winless team in the pros. None was probably expected, but at the end of the day both of my teams are post-season...I just hope they don't cause me to go postal this season!!

Big Orange Crush...and even St. Nick has a heart...
Short blog today as I'm pressed for time, but what kind of blogger (or fan for that matter) would I be if I didn't at least mention the beautiful Saturday morning game that I was able to enjoy in T-town? Have I mentioned that I hate orange? I sat right next to some TN fans...nice people for the most part and good sports, and I was proud of myself too for not being too terribly obnoxious.

I can't believe the onside kick call at the beginning of the game. We were all in shock...elated state of shock, but shock nonetheless!

Our 4 million dollar man may not care about the media, but you can tell that he was really proud of the players...he even got choked up in the press conference after the game. People say that he has no heart, but I disagree...he is just selective with what he cares about. It's fine with me, by the way.

We have a week off to rest and then our truly toughest test of the season with LSU with whom we are tied for the west in the SEC. It bothers me that they have a week off as well after a tough one down to the wire against our in state rival, but I know it will be a good one. Could there be any more hype for this game? I say if Game Day comes a-callin' that we refuse...we can't win when they're in town to save our lives! Auburn turned down their offer to be on Lincoln Financial against Ole Miss this weekend for pay per view and I think it's for the same reasons...they lose in that 11:30 slot. It will be a long shot, but I truly believe that if we come out with the arsenal loaded like we did this past weekend that LSU is beatable (if that's a word). They are much more talented and deep than we are...they're truly like an NFL team this year, but as it has been stated before...at some point and time Les' luck will run out. It will eventually catch up to you and bite you and I'm hoping that happens on 11/3! I've been to 3 games live this year so far...Vandy, Arkansas and Tennessee and those turned out great so maybe I'm the lucky charm...have I mentioned that I will be at LSU?? I can't wait...I hope I don't eat those words!

"Let's quit talking about it and go out there and do what we've gotta do to do it!"
...Coach Nick Saban

It's probably not as eloquent as it could be from a multi-million dollar man, but I love that quote and hear it quite often on my favorite sport radio talk show. This past Saturday the Alabama Crimson Tide did just that - they quit talking about it...or they did their talking on the field - however you want to phrase it they did what they had to do to win the game against Arkansas.

I was fortunate enough to join over 92,000 in T-town this past Saturday night along with my friend, Beth. I admit it - I was excited, but very nervous going into the stadium. I got that chill up my spine that I always get as I watched the jumbo-tron and heard Bear Bryant's voice and saw clips from Tide teams over the years making incredible plays.

By the time the first quarter was over and we were up by 21 and containing McFadden pretty well, I was feeling pretty good about things. My phone goes off and it was a text message from my husband that said, "it's not over". He knew what I was thinking but he remembered last year - I guess what he says is true about me having selective memory because that was a fleeting thought by this point.

The 2nd half was like watching a totally different game, but we were still up 31 to 17 at the end of the 3rd quarter. My phone went off again with another text message from my husband that said, "it's still not over". At this point I'm laughing and texting back "yeah right - come on - we've got a good lead"...then the 4th quarter came and the pigs scored 21 straight points and we went for a field goal...what was that? I couldn't believe it - neither could the rest of the crowd as a hush came over the stadium. What was Saban thinking? I started having flashbacks and it wasn't pretty. I immediately text messaged my husband asking where his crystal ball was and if I could borrow it to fund our retirement! jk

Well, we all know by now what happened in the last 2 minutes of the game to cause the Tide's sweet victory and I was gladly eating crow for my doubt of Tiffan's leg and Saban's coaching ability for that brief moment. It just goes to show you why he's getting paid the big bucks and we're paying to watch in the stands! I left the game screaming "Roll Tide" walking down the ramp with my hoarse voice in amazement. What a difference from last year! We didn't give up and take our ball home and also our coach made an informed decision based on the fact that he knew our team and talent well enough...shocker!

Now that the polls have come out I'm amazed again...16th? Give me a break! I love the Tide as much as the next person, but I thought that we'd finally break the top 25...16 is a bit much! Either the voters in the AP are just waiting to see Saban fall flat on his face or they've finally proven what we've all suspected - that they really don't know what they're doing!

I will go into this weekend with the same excitement and nervousness playing Georgia. They've got the hunger of upset written all over them to "prove" themselves and I have a great respect for Coach Richt the man and the coach.

In the end my husband was and is still right...it's still not over. The game wasn't - they still came back - we just were able to fight to get the win. The season isn't - we've got to continue to "quit talking about it and go out there and do what we've got to do to do it"!

ANOTHER FOOTBALL WEEKEND...

Good grief, I love this time of year!

I made the trip to Nashville this weekend to watch my Tide play Vandy. Everyone jumped on the bandwagon and called upset on this one, but it just didn't happen. That being said, we need a TON of work! I went in concerned about our defense and left more concerned with our offense. Wilson didn't set the world on fire. He seems to be ok if he has a lot of time, but if he gets rattled or has to run for his life (which happens way too much) then he's likely to make poor decisions. I also hate the draw plays because he just isn't a fast runner to say the least. Kicking game still concerns me because at best it's inconsistent and that needs to change because the red zone offense isn't better than last year's unfortunately.

I have to say that it is so much fun to watch Andre Smith play. As large as he is (even after losing 19 pounds in the offseason he still logs 340) he is fast. He truly might end up being the best Offensive Lineman to play at Alabama. I would certainly feel good about running behind him...which brings me to Terry Grant. If he can stay healthy (please, God, keep him healthy) then he just might be a Heisman candidate...great freshman talent!

Moving forward with my Pack on Sunday. We squeaked out a win, but apparently my college and pro teams are both going to have red zone offense issues. I'm going to have to get NFL ticket or something...I can't stand not seeing these games, btw. Anyway, I digress, hats off to the defense for containing Westbrook and McNabb, but if our offense doesn't get it together then we're going to have another season like last year if we're lucky. I don't know if I expected anything more than that anyway beginning this season, but I always hold out hope as a fan(atic).

This next Sunday we're going to the Giants and we'll be able to tell a lot more about the Packers with that game and see what they're made of and if they can man up...away from the Lambeau "magic".

The Tide welcome the Hogs to T-town and I'll be there to hopefully pull us through. As good as our defense was this past weekend, they're going to have to be even better to shut down McFadden. Vandy didn't come close to having that type of talent. It will be a line battle and for the love of all that is ESPN I hope that we can win it consistently enough to win this SEC battle in the western division.

As for our in state rivals...sports talk in Birmingham is eaten up with Auburn fans calling for Cox's head on a platter. My question is the same as some other people's that I've heard in response...who else is there? I think he's a head case more than anything...he has the talent. He's not as good as some recent past QBs that Auburn has had, but he has the experience and some talent...he's just a head case from the hits he has been taking. I may be wrong, but that's my opinion.

There are a lot of good weeks ahead in football so I would just caution anyone and everyone to not knee jerk...it's still early.

FIRST COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEKEND FOR 2007 IN THE BOOKS
...Let's not get too hasty!
Wow is the only word that I can think of to describe this past weekend in the wonderful sport of football! Mine started Thursday night when I went to Nashville to watch the last pre-season Packers game against the Titans. I was keeping up with the score of the first SEC game while I was there via Blackberry (love modern technology). I realized very quickly that it wasn't much of a game so I turned my total attention to the Pack.
I unfortunately missed the opening drive which was the only one that Favre played and he also scored a touchdown...if we had only left 30 minutes earlier! :-) I see some much needed improvement on the o-line and got to see our 3rd string QB which I didn't even know his name (it's Thompson, btw). Overall we looked good at times even though we lost - which I mostly equate that to the fact that most of our 1st string was out by the end of the 1st quarter and their 1st string was still in by the 3rd (Vince needs the reps)! Our defense has also improved thankfully, but we still need work in all of these areas.
Now, to turn to college discussion. ROLL TIDE ROLL, first of all - I had to get that out of my system once again. We hung 52 points on someone (finally), Tennessee got beat, Notre Dame got beat (loved seeing Charlie Weiss rattled on the sidelines)...I could go on and on. Auburn almost got...well, I won't be ugly - it's still early in the season...I'll save it for November (hopefully we'll still be in a status worthy of some smack talk).
I can't wait to see the Tide live and in person this weekend in Nashville (I just need to take up residency there or something I guess). I was speaking to a fellow "Bammer" this morning and we were talking about the difference on the field Saturday. You knew who was in charge and there was a level of respect that we haven't seen in a while and we never worried that our coaching staff didn't know what to do next...LOOOOOOONG overdue!
I don't want to get too hasty though either. I've said before that I'm a realist as well as a passionate fan. I try not to look too much through the green/gold glasses or the crimson glasses...which ever shoe fits. We were playing Western Carolina, for heaven's sake! We will have a much better opponent this weekend at Vanderbilt who scored 41 points this past weekend lest we forget! Vandy has been one of the SEC step-children for a long time, but they may surprise some people this year. That being said, Alabama will be prepared. We have a great coach that will study game film and will know how to call the game (again, have I mentioned that this is long overdue?).
Also, Bama fans, look out for the 22nd against Georgia. They are for real this year and it could be our first loss of the season. I've always been a fan of Coach Richt and respect him a great deal - I'm glad that they will have a good year, I just hate that they chose the year we have to play them to get it together, if you know what I mean!
I can't wait for another football filled weekend - my Packers play the Eagles on Sunday and my Crimson Tide against the Commodores of Vandy...look for me on that Lincoln Financial game as the hubby and I will be enjoying the southern hospitality in Nashville for that one!
On another note...
Thank goodness that I no longer feel alone! I'm meeting more and more females that are geeked up football fans like me this year. I don't know if they're just finally coming out or they're just catching on, but either way PLEASE know that the welcome mat is out and I'm thrilled to finally have some company. We can dispel all the myths that women can't hang in the conversation or know what we're talking about just because we're women...that has ALWAYS been my pet peeve!!! Ok - glad I got that off my chest.
It was a great beginning to the season and I look forward to the momentum continuing as the weeks go on...happy football season!