It's bound to happen. Probably around the middle of the show. It's as predictable as Kirk Herbstreit showing love for any Big 10 team.

One of the guys on the Gameday crew will call out Alabama for scheduling Arkansas State. Forgetting that Alabama played Clemson on Opening Day of the season while everyone else was playing a creampuff, they'll try to get the crowd fired up by asking Alabama to play a tougher team like Texas or Texas Tech. (Insert wild crown scream at this point)

Yet, I uncovered this little nugget about the game this Saturday.

Alabama was a relatively late addition to ASU’s schedule. The Red Wolves were originally scheduled to play Penn State — which is ranked third this week — but ESPN helped put together a deal that put Oregon State on the Nittany Lions’ schedule and added ASU to the Crimson Tide’s slate last December.

And yes, as a fan, I would love for the Tide to be playing USC or Ohio State this weekend. But I'll settle for the laughs I'll get from knowing the truth.

Lost in all the "Kool-Aid" drinking of the Alabama football team, (By the way, the fans were correct in their thoughts after the Clemson game, the football team is good) the college basketball season will be starting soon. Which means the ultimate media puppet master will start giving us his annual quotes.

And it's already started. Here's what our boy Mark Gottfried had to say about how the 2008-2009 team will play this year.

According to head coach Mark Gottfried and point guard Ronald Steele, the Crimson Tide will be a faster, more perimeter-oriented unit. It may not be the organized chaos of the old Arkansas teams and their “40 Minutes of Hell” approach, but Steele says it will at least be 40 Minutes of Unpleasantness for opponents.

“As far as being like the way Tennessee played last year, I don’t know if we will go that far or not,” Steele said at a Wednesday media briefing. “We’re definitely not going to be the old Arkansas teams. But perimeter play is going to be the strength of this team. We’ve got a lot of guards, we’ve got a lot of people playing and we are definitely playing faster.”

Here's another nugget..

"Remember, when we had Richard Hendrix and Jermareo Davidson, you don't want to fly up and down the floor," Gottfried said. "You got to build your team to your personnel. And we've got some real quickness on the perimeter. To run, you've got to be a great rebounding team, a great defensive team, and you've got to get some steals. We have a great opportunity for that."

Sound familiar to you?

It should.

Here's what he said last year....

Although 6-foot-9 forward and Wooden Award candidate Richard Hendrix (14.6 points per game last season) and explosive 6-6 guard Alonzo Gee (12.6 ppg) return as starters, Gottfried has equally high hopes for 6-6 shooting guard Mykal Riley in what the coach calls more of an “up-tempo style” of Alabama offense.

Whenever the Tide basketball team is coming off a bad year, the standard line is "We will go more up-tempo." And why do you think we hear that?

Because it sounds good. It sounds fun. Who wouldn't want to watch a team that runs the ball up and down the court? Who wouldn't want to watch a team that scores 100 points a night and has multiple highlight reel plays as possible.

But there is one problem with going "up tempo". It's the reason you won't see them play faster and the reason we hear that the team will improve in that area every year. It's something I would love to hear a member of the media ask Gottfried just one time.

You can't run the court and play the high post offense. At least not the high post offense that Alabama has been running over the last few years.

But it sounds good, so we'll read stories about it.

Besides, if you want to see an up tempo team, you'll get your chance. In Maui, 2nd game. The Tar Heels.

Our first great quote.... That can only mean one thing..... Basketball season is here.....

Prepare yourself for perhaps the best high school football story ever...

An October Friday night in Vernon, Alabama. Packed stands. A region championship on the line. Lamar County (Vernon) was hosting undefeated Winston County, a team ranked #5 in the state. And seemingly out of nowhere he appeared.

After the 37-0 win by Lamar County, everyone wanted to know who he was. A reserve that played a huge role in the game? Not exactly. Did a new star running back move into town and dominate the game? Nope. This guy didn't even play.

Jake McCoy's high school eligibility expired in 1987. But his heart never left Lamar County. Every Friday night in the fall, he longed to be back out on that field. A linebacker in 1987, his playing career was cut short when he suffered a freak knee injury. During his senior season, he couldn't even bear to go to the games, and it has haunted him ever since.

Many fans in the stands had no idea who McCoy was. The pain of that 1987 injury forced him to leave Vernon as soon as possible. He's lived in several Alabama towns, but he's never felt at home since he left Vernon.

Until October 24, 2008. Or "Redemption Day', as Jake would later call it.

"I knew this was a big game and just didn't think they knew how important it was." stated McCoy in an exclusive interview he granted "Play Is Under Review".

So what did McCoy do about it? He just marched right into the locker room and asked the coach if he could give a pregame speech.

The coaching staff was caught off guard when this crazed man entered their locker room and gave his motivational speech. But when he started speaking to the boys, they responded. According to several sources, imagine Chris Farley's "Man Down by the River" character on steroids, multiply the intensity by two and you now you are getting the picture.

By the time the team was leaving the locker room, they were ready, McCoy felt like he had done his job. He planned to go stand on the back row and watch the game. And then the pain hit him.

Memories of 1987 all over again. As a high school senior, his eyes would well up every time he watched his team run out on the field without him. Seeing the 2008 team lined up, ready to run out on to the field, he knew he had to do it.

"I did it for two reasons." stated McCoy, "One, I felt like they had lost some of their intensity during the playing of the alma mater. But more importantly, I knew something was missing in my life. I had to run out with the boys one more time."

McCoy asked the boys to "grant an old man one wish" and let him lead them out on the field. After busting through the paper, McCoy walked ten yards and then led the team in a sprint onto the field.

What happened next?

Lamar County took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown and essentially the game was over.

At halftime, McCoy joined the team for a half time speech imploring them to "not be satisfied" even though they were up 24-0. On the opening kickoff of the second half, Lamar County recovered a fumble on the kickoff and returned it for a touchdown.

When asked how he felt afterwards, McCoy said he finally found that "sense of peace" he's been looking for. The pain of 1987 was now gone and he could move on with his life.

McCoy will not make weekly appearances for the team. "They have a great coaching staff. They can get the boys ready every week. I'm ready to move on."

Jake McCoy. His eligibility may have ended in 1987, but his high school career ended in 2008.

This week Georgia will face off against Florida. If you've forgotten about last year's celebration penalty, you won't by the end of this week. In case you have, here's one of multiple You Tube clips out there...




Today, I saw that Urban Meyer put a gag order out on his players. However this article has some quotes from Florida since the incident happened.

Here's a sampling from the Florida players:

"Georgia is a game that everybody knowingly wants on our team," linebacker Brandon Hicks said last month. "Everybody wants that game back. It feels like we have something to prove to the world. They came out and everybody thinks they intimidated us. We didn't play good after the stunt they did.

Linebacker Brandon Spikes called it a "big disrespect" after the game. He declined comment Saturday night, saying "I don't want to get in trouble."

Although Meyer has publicly refrained from criticizing Richt, he said in his authorized biography that, "We'll handle it. And it's going to be a big deal."

"As a player, it's just one more thing to fire me up and get my adrenaline going that much more and the intensity," Tebow said. "I don't think it's an extremely smart move to make."


"That's not been our style," receiver Percy Harvin said. "When teams do that, they expect not to score. We plan on putting points on the board, so we don't need that. We don't celebrate here. We go hug a big man and thank the people that got us in the end zone."

Two thoughts.

1. Hey Gators. Quit acting like that celebration didn't effect the game. It did. The Dawgs got in your head. Just admit it and move on.

2. You had an entire game to get revenge. It's not like this happened in the fourth quarter. You're not "better than that", you're just mad they beat you to it. Both teams are different this year. If you retaliate this year, you look petty.

I wonder how many times CBS will reference it in the game this week. I believe Vegas has set the over/under at 8.....

So Alabama wins 29-9 last night and the team improves to 7-0. At the beginning of the year, did anyone think the team would be here? Ummm, me either.

Here's a couple of observations from last night's game, one of the first I've watched on TV not being in a large crowd. (I could actually here what the analysts were saying)

Hey, did you know that against a team like Alabama (whatever that means) you're only going to get a few chances so you better make the most of those opportunities? Just wondering, because I really don't think the announcers emphasized that enough last night. (Also, I don't think they emphasized that Alabama is not very good at pass protection blocking.)

I may be wrong, but even when my team suffered through the Dubose Era, probation and the Shula Era, I never saw a fan with a bag on his head. Wow, are things that bad in Knoxville?

I love how Saban manipulates the media. All week long, you read stories about how this was just another game. That he wants the team to treat this game like any other game. Then, after the game, he talked about the importance of winning a rivalry game and how he ran to the fans to thank them for their support.

At this point, I would prefer that Alabama plays all of their games on the road. I think Alabama fans support their team better on the road than they do at home. By support, I mean rise up when needed and cheer for the little things. And the results of the games support that theory.

If I'm going to criticize the announcing, I should be fair and say that the sideline reporting was excellent last night. JP had a cut on his chin. The number of injuries to the UT defense in the second half. And the story about the QB criticizing the WR for smiling when they were down was actually relevant.

Is it just me, or do you get so used to the fact that the yellow line is on the TV, that you assume the players know it is there as well?

Officiating in college football is horrendous right now. Alabama got some favorable calls yesterday and I'd be pretty upset if I was a UT fan. However, nothing was as bad as the "Tipped Ball" call in the Georgia - LSU game.

My boy Kareem had another solid day. He's been so good, that when a WR gets some separation from him, the officials automatically assume that he had to have cheated to get open. Hence, the pass interference call in the first half on Tennessee. I mean come on, you see KJ's man open, why wouldn't you throw a flag?

Tomorrow, I'll talk about how I think Saban confessed to the real reason Alabama has struggled in the second half....

Until you watched tonight's national broadcast of the Auburn - West Virginia game, you probably did not know that Tommy Tuberville was under fire and many Auburn people want him gone. After watching the game, you might see where some of the criticism is coming from, but you also could look at his body of work, consider his multi-million dollar buyout and think, hey why don't those guys give him another chance.

Regardless, Tommy Tuberville is under fire around here. Many of the Auburn folks want him gone. Even if he has beaten his rival the last six years (man, that's just painful to even say).

And watching Auburn tonight, reminded me of some of those 3-8 seasons we Alabama fans have suffered through. The talent is there, but mentally, once the other team gets some momentum, the players seem to give up. Suddenly the other team is getting 15 yards a play and your own offense keeps going three and out. And then you have to watch your coach walk around on the sideline and try and cheer everything up. As a fan, you just feel hopeless. Then you convince yourself that next week will be better, and by halftime, you just know it won't.

I love playing the "What If" game. "What If" the referee had made the right call? "What If" he had made that tackle? "What If" our wide receiver had caught that ball.

Here's my "What If" game for Auburn right now. "What If" Auburn had won the national championship in 2004? Would everyone be ready to send the coach that won a national championship at their school packing?

Let's just hypothetically say that Auburn gets in the championship game instead of Oklahoma. And with the running game of Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown, they control the ball and win the game by keeping Reggie Bush and Matt Lienart off the field. Tuberville would be the only coach to ever bring them a national championship right? And he would have done it with his own players, not a previous coach's players similar to Larry Coker at Miami.

It sure has been hard for Tennessee to get rid of Phil Fulmer hasn't it? And why do you think that is? Because every time they get ready to get rid of him, those memories of the national championship come back and it's hard to let that go. (Side note, it might happen soon though. There could be a statue of limitations of 10 years on this theory.)

Watching the game tonight and hearing Tuberville's body of work, as an outsider it is hard to believe they are ready to let him go. But I've seen crazier things. Who would they get that would be any better?

And if they do let him go? To quote TO's publicist, "He'll have $5 million reasons to be happy."

On September 26, a Friday, I wrote this throw away comment about USC after they lost to Oregon State:

By the way, despite what everyone will be saying today. Somehow I have a feeling that USC will be in the national championship hunt in the end.

Guess who's #5 in the BCS poll. That's right, it's the Trojans of SC.

That same weekend, there were articles about how the Dallas Cowboys might go undefeated in the regular season.

Now, after losing to the Rams, the same paper is calling for the coach to be fired.

Friday morning, the Devil Rays had just lost a 7-0 lead and were looking to young to contend for the World Series.

Monday morning, the Devil Rays are a young team that might be the next Atlanta Braves and dominate baseball for years to come.

We see it all the time. In this age of talk radio, sports chat rooms and blogs (hey, wait a minute, is this the pot calling the kettle black?) it's amazing how quickly things can change.

Take the Tide for example. After the Georgia game, everyone loved Alabama's dominant running game. "Just like the days of old!". But should the Tide lose a game in the future, everyone will cry that the Tide is to "one dimensional" and needs to open up the offense some more. There will be multiple, I mean exponential, postings calling for Julio Jones to receive 45,000 looks a game.

(This may be why I'm sticking with my Kareem Jackson love so much. I'm staying with him, thick or thin. I'm not going to give up on him for one play.)

Seasons, any sport, are a marathon not a sprint. But fans treat each game like it's the only one that ever happened. With a win, regardless of how it happened, everything is OK. With a loss, regardless of how it happened, we need to change everything and fire the coach. Only to change our mind when the team wins the next night. (Classic example. Here is someone calling for Nick Saban to be fired last year. How do you think he feels now?)

Sure, we can blame the media for this if we want to. But they are only doing what fans want them to do. Otherwise we wouldn't read their stuff.

So fans, let's just calm down a little bit. Don't get to high, don't get to low. Until your team wins the championship that is.

Or your coach won't go for it on fourth down...

Or your QB throws another interception...

Or you beat your rival....

Or the referee makes a horrible call...

Or the coach won't put in that backup....

Or the when the pitcher can't throw a strike...

I think you get the point....

It has been well documented on this site, that I haven't followed baseball much this year. But I had no idea. I mean, absolutely no idea, that Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn, former closer for the Indians in the movie "Major League" (pictured below)...

Retired and became the coach of the Tampa Bay Rays......

Who knew?

It happened once, then it again. And again, and again. Ole Miss wide receivers running down the field, blanketed by Alabama DB's. Sometimes the pass would be completed, sometimes it would go incomplete. Either way, it seemed as though all the DB's needed to do was to turn around and and an interception was inevitable.

I heard one fan yell for the DB to turn around. Then another. About this time, I leaned over and spoke quietly to my wife. "Maybe they are not supposed to turn around. Maybe that's how they are taught to play defense." I'll give my reasons for that later, but for now, let's continue with the story.

Finally, one of my good friends lost it. He just wanted one of our DB's to turn around just one time. Now here's where I was in the wrong. (Maybe if it wasn't Jackson that he was yelling about, I probably would have stayed calm. I need help!) Instead of calmly giving my position, I raised my voice back stating my case. Neither one of us convinced the other and we were laughing about it five minutes later.

About two or three plays later, Ole Miss scored a touchdown on a pass play in which Arenas had the WR covered, however, the WR stopped quickly and Arenas couldn't react in time, because seemingly, "He didn't turn around and find the ball!" So in just about everyone's mind, my friend was right. I mean, they scored a touchdown, right? If only Arenas had turned around he would have stopped the play.

I still wasn't convinced. Although, I didn't start another argument, what was the point. I knew just where to go to find the answer. I had to go to the friend who will know the answer.

We all have that friend. He's the definitive "go to guy." If I want to know about fixing something, I go to my buddy Greg. He'll always have an answer and no one will question him. If I need an answer on my aching foot, I'll go to my friend David, a podiatrist. If I need an answer on football technique, I go to my buddy Joey, a former high school football coach.

The thing about Joey is, he doesn't really want to answer these questions. As a former coach, he hates anyone that questions another football coach. Also, he recognizes that he was a high school defensive coordinator and the college guys are way more knowledgeable than him. Also, the answers to these questions are never cut and dry. So you have to drag it out of him. But once you get him started, he loves it. He loves having someone who actually cares about the game. And is willing to take the time and learn about it. He also hates people that think they know a lot about the game and actually know very little.

We had problem though. I couldn't get in touch with Joey after the game. So I went to the next best source. The place where everything is true. The Internet. (Yes, I get the irony here. This is on the Internet as well.) After searching for a while, I got some hints as to what is the correct defensive technique, but no definitive answer. So I had to wait until Sunday to get an answer.

When I finally spoke to Joey, here's his answer. Take it for what it's worth. He says we're both right.

What? How can this be?

Actually, he says the only person that knows the correct answer is the defensive coordinator or maybe the head coach. (I'll get back to that in a minute)

Here's the thing. First, you have to know which defense is being played. If Alabama was in zone, then yes, the defensive back should be playing his zone and reading the quarterback.

I'm pretty sure most of those plays were actually in man to man, rather than zone. Most of them, I believe were bump and run. So what does the DB do in that coverage?

Well, that's different. First, you have to assess whether the defensive back is beat. If he's been beaten, he definitely shouldn't look back, as he's got to work hard to catch up to the wide receiver. If he is covered, (and the definition of covered is "you can touch the WR") then he should look back at the ball once the player shows that he is looking for the ball. But only when he has turned his head and has his hands out. The rest of the time, he should be focused on the WR's hips. If he doesn't see that, then he should continue to focus on the WR.

(Side note. DB's are taught to run next to the WR and tap them on the leg with their arm swing. That lets them know they are still covering the WR without drawing a flag.)

Now why would you not want to turn around? Because if the ball is not in the air, then the WR can change his course of direction, thus causing the DB to lose sight of his man. Also, when you turn your head, you will slow down. Don't believe me, try to run fast and then turn and look for a ball in the air. You'll lose ground on the WR every time.

If defensive coaches know this technique, then offensive coaches know it as well. So how do you attack it as an offensive coach? There are two ways to attack it.

The wide receiver will only look back for the ball at the last possible minute. After watching some NFL games today, you'll see this to be true. At the last moment, they throw their hands up to catch the ball. The defensive back has no chance because the wide receiver hasn't given away that the ball is in the air. However, the only way the pass will be completed is for it to be perfect. And face guarding is allowed in college football. Remember, the DB shouldn't turn around unless he is within arm's length of the WR.

Or, the best way to attack solid man to man coverage is to "under throw" a pass. On the touchdown, Arenas had the Ole Miss WR covered. The WR knew that a pass would be waiting on him as soon as he hit the goal line as it was obviously pre-determined. Again, the pass has to be perfect. And it was.

But let's also remember the last play of the game. Arenas had his man covered again, Ole Miss tried the same play but the pass fell incomplete. It's hard to complete that play when the defensive back is covering the WR. Arenas never turned around and no one stopped to notice because the pass fell incomplete.

So who was right? I think you can argue both. Only the defensive coach can know what defense we were in. Without game tape here at Play is Under Review headquarters, I can't go back and review each play. And all of this wouldn't matter if the defensive line could get some pressure on the QB.

But let's look at Alabama for a second. They are coached by the $4 million dollar man, Nick Saban. It is well documented that Saban spends individual time with the secondary in each practice, specifically working on technique. If our DB's are routinely (as evidenced by the number of fans yelling at our DB's to turn around) not turning around to look for the ball. And they continue to do it without getting pulled from the game (See Glen Coffee - fumble) Then maybe, just maybe, that's the way they are being coached.

So, If you don't like it, you're probably just going to have to get used to it.

And now that I got my friend Joey fired up about teaching me football, he's going to give my a defensive drills tape by Brother Oliver. Compete with the old coaching shorts, I'm sure I'll find a few more nuggets for you regarding other defensive techniques in the future.

This has nothing to do with the fact that some of my friends were yelling at the man crush, KJ. Yea right......

So, I've been absent for a little while, but it time to talk Alabama football again. Once again, the Tide jumped out to a double digit lead and held on in the second half to win 24-21. I think we're starting to see a patern here. Here's a few quick thoughts....

At this point, everyone is expecting the Tide to have a letdown in the second half. You could feel it in the stadium, it reminds you of the Shula years, except back then, you expected it the entire game. As a fan, you just expect the team to lose their focus in the second half.

But what's the real cause? Saban, being the master motivator, is surely not going easy on them in the locker room. Could it be our lack of depth shows up in the second half when the team is fatigued? I'm not so sure that the defense is the problem, rather than the offense isn't sustaining any drives in the second half. What gives?

The play by Hightower to stop Ole Miss on the fourth and one doesn't happen in the last ten years. It just doesn't. Alabama hasn't had a player make solid fundamental tackles since Demeco Ryans roamed the field, and most of the time he was chasing players from behind.

Speaking of the poor second half, until Alabama actually proves they can play a complete game, can we please stop with the fourth quarter sign. You know, it's the sign everyone holds up to show that the 4th quarter belongs to us. Well, since we haven't earned that right, let's just stop doing it. Besides, isn't that outdated anyway? Can't we just hold up 1 finger and say, "The first half is ours!"

I'm not a big fan of the Rammer Jammer cheer. I think its pretty classless, so I might be biased here. However, shouldn't there be some standards the band uses for when the song is played? For instance, having to hold Ole Miss on the last drive doesn't really represent "beating the Hell" out of them. Beating Ole Miss 31-10 with your starters pulled halfway through the fourth quarter does.

For those of you that have wondered for three years this thought, "Don't we have someone on the team that can do better on kickoffs than Tiffin?" I think you got that answer loud and clear today.

Finally, as for my man crush, Kareem Jackson. Yes, he had two pass completions against him. One was in zone coverage and the other had a blatant push off, but then again I'm covering for him. Yes, he did recover a fumble, but that's expected. Say what you want about my boy Kareem, but if he doesn't come from 20 yards back and tackle the Ole Miss running back at the 3 yard line, which Bama eventually held to a field goal, the game is tied and Ole Miss is driving down the field for a field goal to win the game at the end of regulation. And do you think Bama is winning that game in overtime? Umm, I doubt it.

We can add, "Able to track down running backs from 20 yards away" to his resume...

Here's several random mini-posts all rolled into one. I'm not sure any of these would warrant a full post, but they've been on my mind, so here goes...

#1 - The Cubs and the Angels demise in the playoffs are exactly why I can't follow baseball anymore. The season is so long. And then to have your team face another team with good pitching and then fold would just make me sick. I know it happens in other sports too. But with the length of the baseball season, I'd hate to follow a team that long and then see them lose in 3 games.

#2 - Speaking of the Cubs. You could read the desperation all over their fan's faces as soon as the Dodgers went up 4-2 on a grand slam in the 1st game. It's just in their nature, they expect the worst. And it has to effect the players. How can it not?

The attitude of the fans have to effect the players. When things go well, Alabama fans do the opposite. They just expect their team to win no matter what. And it results in a mediocre effort from the players. The only time Alabama fans really cheer is when they score a touchdown, or get a turnover. In Bryant Denny, if Alabama doesn't get a 3 and out, the fans sit down and quit cheering for the defense. Bottom line - You can add as many seats in the stadium, it won't ever be the most intimidating place to play and Alabama will never dominate at home because anything less than a touchdown or 3 and out is considered a failure.


This video doesn't do it justice, but Bryant Denny can get loud. The loudest I've ever heard Bryant Denny was during this play last year.




#3 - It was funny to hear all of the Alabama players tell the media that they do not get on the internet and read anything about themselves. I know they are saying that so Saban get on them, but seriously. Do you know any 18-22 year old that doesn't get on the internet at least once a day? And we're supposed to believe that a 105 players didn't get on the internet? Ummm..... yeah.

#4- Have you ever wondered why it is a penalty to kick a kickoff out of bounds, but not a punt? I have.....


#5 - It looks like we might be heading for our answer to how the Spread would fare in the SEC. I'm not talking about Auburn, as it's very obvious they do not have a QB that can run their system. It is very possible that the SEC Champion (LSU, Florida, Georgia, One team not mentioned for jinx purposes) could face the Big 12 Champion (Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri) in the title game. Although it probably won't happen because the National Media will do everything they can to somehow get USC or Ohio State in the game. I'm curious to see whether the Big 12 spread offenses are just that good and they make the Big 12 defenses look that bad. Or if the Big 12 defenses are so bad that they make the Big 12 offenses look good.

I've been shouting from the moutain tops for weeks about my boy Kareem and he came through big time Saturday. Everyone that came up to me this week and said, "I know you love Kareem, but he looked pretty bad against Georgia." can take that comment and stick it up.....

Wait a minute, this is a family blog.

Kareem finally got his first pick. Was targeted several times in one on one situations and was always in the correct coverage. The one pass completed was just a great throw and catch by Kentucky.

After his interception and tackle for a loss on a run by Kareem, the electronic scoreboard that surrounds Bryant-Denny was flashing "Big Play, Kareem Jackson". It just warms my heart. Hey, did I mention this guy is just a sophomore?

But enough gushing over Kareem. Let's talk about the elephant in the room that everyone knows, but doesn't want to acknowledge.

As Andre Smith goes, so goes the Alabama offense.

I've never seen one offensive lineman have such an impact on a team as Smith. (On second thought, maybe I have. Chris Samuels did the same thing for Alabama in 1999.) When he was injured in the Clemson game, the offense came to a halt. Against Tulane, a game in which Smith did not play, the offense looked terrible. Once he injured his elbow against Kentucky, the offense didn't look the same. He was obviously hurt. I've never seen him have so many miscues in one game. Good thing for Tide fans we have a bye week for him to recover.

Offensive lineman just get no love. According to Mel Kiper, if Smith comes out this year, he will be taken top 5 overall. Translation: He will come out this year. As an Alabama fan, you can rave over Julio. (Random tangent - The "JUUU Cheer" designed to make a boo sound is a big reach and it doesn't work. Let's try for something else.) We can overlook Coffee's two fumbles. But the truth of the matter is, Smith is the gas that makes the engine go.

In the mean time. I'm off to my Kareem Jackson fan club meeting. I'm a charter member.....

I'm in the process of training for my fourth marathon. One of the crazy things about the current marathon I'm training for is several other people I know are planning on running the half marathon as well. When I've previously trained for a marathon, it's just me and my three running partners gearing up for the big race. Now, it seems like everyone I know is planning on going to Memphis in December to either run the half or the full marathon.

And I'm happy about that. I even welcome the additional company. (Though I have no doubt that several will bail on the race should Alabama make it to the SEC Championship Game.) Chumps....

In most instances, we welcome additional company. The more, the merrier. Most people would say, "I don't care why they are here, I'm just glad there are more people here." Yet, in sports, we get a little territorial. We'll make arguments that say, "Where were you when we were losing? You're not a real fan!"

If you ask most sports fans, what they think about "Bandwagon" fans (BWF's), they will tell you they hate them. Can't stand them. Want nothing to do with them. "You stick with your team, win or lose!"

It sounds great. And you can feel vindicated when you've followed a team for years while they are losing and they suddenly become a contender.

But I've got a secret for you. Being a BWF is fun! But that's not really a secret, is it? Secretly, you've been a BWF and just kept it to yourself. Who else are you going to root for when your team is stinks. The can't root for your team in the playoffs when they aren't in them.

I realized last night that I'm currently a BWF in baseball. I've been a "lukewarm" Braves fan since I was a little boy. But now they stink, and honestly, I don't love baseball that much. So this year, I'm pulling for the Cubs in the playoffs. (Why? Because who wouldn't want them to win and I have a friend that is a Cubs fan who cares about them a lot. Maybe too much.) And guess what? If they lose, I'll just switch to another team. Maybe the Rays or the Red Sox. Who knows. But guess what? My team will at least be in the finals, I can guarantee that.

I've done it in other sports. When the Tide isn't "rolling" in basketball, I'll still follow them, but I'll give the Dukies a good look. In the NFL and NBA, I don't really have a team so I just pick any team that catches my eye. And guess what, my team usually has a winning season.

And whether you want to admit it or not, I'm not the only one doing it. Take a look at any sporting event. If the team is good, you'll see a lot of fans in the stands. If a team is bad, the stands are empty. I guess that's just a coincidence.

My family has had an argument for years regarding fandom. Do real fans boo? Only real fans _______________. Are you a fan if you ____________? We base all arguments on the definition of a fan, which is:

an enthusiastic devotee (as of a sport or a performing art) usually as a spectator

When I become a BWF, I'm enthusiastic and devoted. Once they lose I'm devoted to someone else. So technically, a BWF is still a fan.

BWF's, it's time to unite. We can root for the Cubs tonight, the Cowboys on Sunday, the Lakers this winter and the Tar Heels in March........