Nick Saban Retired

 

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Welcome to Retirement Nick, the fifth dimension is great!

 

What a career you had!  Filled with ups and downs, teachable moments, victories and losses, life lessons and in the end, you were at the place you needed to be. 

 

Such humble beginnings to the top of the College Football World, a place on Mount Rushmore of college football.  Many hated you; many respected you, many learned from you (your true legacy) but they all wanted to be you and wanted to be the Alabama program you restored to prominence. 

 

You were not perfect, and you never tried to be.  You had failures, but your ability to adapt, to learn, to change and to deliver your message about how to win at life were all the qualities that defined your success.    

 

You can now golf, you can fish, you can spend time with Miss Terry and your family now and I am sure you can make a bundle on the speaking circuit, but I have your next job waiting.  We need you at the Bad Drop at RTJ The Shoals. 

 

Imagine how good you would be for business, but we would have a rule, you are just Nick, no fanfare, no pictures no poses because you are just a guy at the bad drop.  Imagine the shock of someone pulling up getting out of their car to hear you say, “Good morning boys, who is driving and who is riding?”  He would begin to load the bags on the carts and then offer, “where are you guys from?” Which would stir further banter.      

 

The great part about the job is the chatter with the patrons as they arrive for their round, which would suit you perfectly.  You will find yourself in conversations about sports, vacations, people you know from where a patron is from up North, East or West, other golf courses, just great friendly banter. 

 

We even make a little tip money at times which is all part of the fun at the Bag Drop.  Sure, you will be washing carts, emptying some trash, driving the tractor to pick up the driving range practice balls but it never feels like work and will make you laugh at times at the tasks at hand based on what you have accomplished in your life.    

 

So come to The Shoals Nick, hell we just need you one month a year, April would be good.  We can work in some golf, and you can just be Nick, Red Shirt, Khaki Pans, Khaki Hat at the bag drop for a period of time.

 

 

Random

 

From @FUNBaseballFacts on Twitter.  I like to the at the stats of some of the ballplayers they post on twitter, this one is Bill Madlock, solid hitter – “He won the batting title four times (only Cobb, Gwynn, Wagner, Carew, Hornsby, Musial, Williams and Boggs won more).”  Bill Madlock Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com

 

Bad Day at the National Championship Game https://x.com/TreyWallace_/status/1744606610696110532?s=20

 

Honestly as long as it is not Dabo, I will be good with whoever Bama hires, but I am in Camp Kiffin!  Most interesting case for a hire by Bama I have read yet.  Who should Alabama hire to replace Nick Saban? Start with Kalen DeBoer of Washington (yahoo.com)

 

 

Did not know this! – In 1964, Charlie Finley signed a pact with the Commonwealth of Kentucky to move the Kansas City A's to Louisville. Finley planned to call the team the Kentucky Colonels, allowing the team to keep “KC” on its hats and jerseys.

 

Bud Harrelson, scrappy Mets shortstop who once fought Pete Rose in the playoffs, dies at 79.  I guess the only reason I know who Bud is goes back to this fight. 

 

Starting to dribble in, pun intended, some CBB.  Only really watched Kentucky play at this point and that will be my pattern until the NCAA Tourney starts.  Seems like there is a lot of parody based on the results I am seeing this week.  Cal has the best team he has had in a while but not sure they have a run in them to the title, defense is lacking. 

 

Marks Stoops is the longest tenured coach in SEC at the same school.  That is amazing to me!  I guess the moment he went to the Aggies does not count. 

 

Bad Mofo Wallet in back pocket.  Ted missed some great years serving his country but my guess is he would have done the same over and over again! 

 

Now two more Bad Mofos: 

 

 

Those Games Were Great

 

Ruby, Ruby, where you been so long……  - Bon Scott

Happy New Year 

What a great year 2023 was for me and my bride.  First full year in retirement for me and it has even been/gone better than I dreamed.  We love our new community, getting more involved in the local scene, making new friends and hosting out of town visitors on a frequent basis.  Golf trip to Ireland was unreal and my wife and I had a great trip in October to Fairhope, AL after skipping a few years while moving.  

We are almost done with round two of projects for our home, excited to have those finished.  

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Bama Vs Michigan

 

Read - What Nick Saban said after Michigan football beat Alabama in the Rose Bowl (yahoo.com)

To me it was a battle of two heavyweight champs, the Ali vs. Frazier bouts but this time college football. 

Alabama standing tall after ending Georgia’s 29 game winning streak and snatching the SEC Title back to Tuscaloosa for another year. 

Michigan, a program who is ‘there’ in recent years but has not been able to get over the hump.  A controversial coach and maybe a chip on their shoulders.    

Oh, that Auburn game.  It Loomed big in this one and that game was what scared me about this one for Bama.  Obviously, the Michigan coaching staff watched a lot of that tape, as they should have.  Auburn had a playbook on how to beat Bama and it damn near worked to perfection for them, it did for Michigan. 

In the who was the best prepared, Michigan won that battle in the first half even though they trailed at the end.  Their ability to confuse the Bama defense on the first drive was pivotal in this game and that finally transitioned to their last drive. 

Bama made great adjustments in 2^nd & 3^rd quarter and took advantage of a muffed punt in the 1^s but it was obvious they were struggling up front with the Michigan D Line.  Harbaugh said before the game this one is one you can truly say will be won in the trenches, and it was.    

Bama won the adjustments game after halftime, but Michigan made the adjustments needed on their final drive in regulation and in the OT, when it really counted.  The play calling and the confused Bama defense allowed the Wolverines to march right down the field and tie the game. 

Bama had a chance to close it out but by coming away with just a FG on their last scoring drive that set up the dramatic finish.  A well-coached game on both sides of the ball but obviously a game that the thing the fans don’t always see, the adjustments, were the key and well played by Harbaugh and his staff. 

Michigan is the real deal, but I think Washington has a shot in a high scoring game but……….  After watching top 5 match ups, in most cases, defense will prevail, and I think Michigan will hold the Talented Mr. Pennix to a good game and not a great one. 

Florida State

You know overall it is sad that CFB put themselves in a position where they had five conferences vying for four spots.  Each year the risk was there but in the last year of the Invitational, there were six deserving teams and it was “unfair” to any of those team to be left out. 

I do not think the FSU players who opted out are bad guys, don’t know any of them and honestly do not know any of their names off top of my head, but I do think they turned away from adversity and opportunity.  Character is built, it is undeniable, with the seeds of how one faces adversity and opportunity.  Often this is where true leaders are born and a person’s success is cemented, when in the face of adversity and opportunity.  I wish great success to them!    

The players on the field in the Orange Bowl for FSU played hard, played to the end but they were greatly overmatched by a team that did not walk away from adversity and opportunity, they seized upon them!  Georgia, like Bama last year, still had something to prove, wanted to prove it and they will need that experience in their future when those elements are faced, and they will be many times, again. 

As for did they get the four right?  No they did not!  No way to get it right, no matter what, two on the outside looking in is the tragedy!

College football is at a turning point, “things” need to be worked out to ensure that everyone shares in the success of the product with EDUCATION still being the focal point, the number one thing!  College football needs a commissioner, someone in charge!    

Random

The Texas and Washington game was also a great one!  Both teams played up to their expectations and from a fan perspective what a fun game to watch.  Obviously two very good coaches! 

 

This is true There won’t be an asterisk on this Michigan season, but there will be a stain (yahoo.com) 

66 Days to Pitchers and Catchers report to Spring Training 

At this point I am indifferent about professional golf.  I will use the AK quote at 2008 Ryder Cup when Sergio was trying to get a favorable drop on number 7, “Whatever you want to do man!” He then turned and walked away. 

The Bama fans jumping off the deep end, smh.  They should not be, and some are even calling for Tommy Rees to be fired = ridiculous.  Bama is still Bama, there every year and will be there for many more to come with new format.  Play on! 

After the Championship Game I will make my way to CBB.  Have watched the Wildcats play a few games so far, he has a good group of talent, but have not really paid any attention to any other. 

The world needs more people like this!  Founder of retirement thoroughbred farm in Kentucky announces he's handing over reins to successor (yahoo.com)

One of my favorite Carson Shows, they are both great!  Great Bob Gibson story in there!  Bob Uecker Tonight Show - 1971 (youtube.com)

Chaos Part3

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LIV

Although I post many things on Twitter rooted in some level of sarcasm, this is not one of those.  Greg Norman is a destructive person (explore his background and you will find out allot of crazy stuff).  There is a difference in arrogance, narcissism and confidence and he is 100% the first two.  His goal is to destroy the PGA Tour and he has partners, the scary MFs as Righty (Phil is not left-handed so time to stop calling him lefty) stated. 

Righty, Westwood, Poulter, McDowell, Casey and a host of others are over their golf prime, and you cannot blame them for taking that kind of money to jump to LIV. These are not guys I care to watch compete unless they are on the Champions Tour, which to me is now the “fun” tour.  The sad part is, and why I do not have any respect for them, is they now choose to bash the PGA Tour and DP World Tour and without those tours we probably have never heard of any of these guys.  A Lee Westwood and Rory fight in the parking lot is something I would however pay to see.  Honestly line any of them up for Rory, the Irish are tough dudes. 

Sad thing is the Saudi’s have unlimited money and profit or charity is not something they even care about.  On its current path, unless something is worked out, the PGA Tour is likely to move down a notch because the Saudi’s are paying people for who they are, not what they accomplish.  To me this is much like why the MLB is struggling to attract the fans it once had when it was America’s game, which it no longer is at this point. 

I am a capitalist and I believe everyone has the right to go make as much money as they can or need.  Not sure that the Saudi’s is a group I would want to be involved with at any level but $$$ will often overshadow morality, something I have seen too often in my lifetime. 

Sarcasm alert, or is it…..  Guys like DJ, Rahm and Pat Perez also need a lot of money to keep up their wives’ appearances and those expenses will get greater and greater over time.  Fast forward 25 years and they will look like the Coach After Eddies wife looks now, unrecognizable as a human (Perez’s wife already in that category). 

Also good if you are a fan of LIV and want to see golf go in this direction. 

 

Ones

 

• Plays of the Week (maybe they did not happen this week but first time I saw them): 

https://x.com/KNBR/status/1734033580450521138?s=20

https://x.com/PitchingNinja/status/1611750155891675138?s=20

 

• From @FunBaseball Facts - The T-13 hand grenade used in World War II was designed with similar dimensions to a baseball. Developers thought servicemen were familiar with baseball and could throw it with distance and accuracy. It was nicknamed Beano, a reference to a beanball #mlb #baseball #pearlharborday

 

• Yankees receive: OF Juan Soto, OF Trent Grisham  Padres receive: RHP Michael King, RHP Jhony Brito, RHP prospect Drew Thorpe (No. 99 in MLB), RHP prospect Randy Vásquez (No. 13 on Yankees), catcher Kyle Higashioka – My only thought is Soto for real?  Soto had some solid time with the Nats but in San Diego he sort of flopped.  The Yankees line-up could be a tough one if he shows up. 

 

• Lost in the chaos is how good the Ducks vs Washington and Bama vs UGA were played.  Both games were great to watch.  The Bama Game was such a chess match especially the sequences at the end of the half and end of the game related to clock and time-outs.  Two great coaches there!  No disrespect to UW or Ducks, your guys are solid also.  The Milroe story is one that kids should aspire to and hats off to his parents for raising such a fine young man. 

 

• In stating my points that I felt related to the CFB I got this response from someone on Twitter, “Also since 2019 2/3 of the playoff games have been blowouts and only one national championship game has been worth watching. So the Committees think tank is failing. So instead of blaming teams for not being good fix your 💩 ass system. Maybe you should go get an education. Cause you can’t comprehend anything. Then again you can’t teach common sense.” – Wow! I believe that had Michigan played FSU they would have blown them off the field as will UGA in the Orange Bowl. 

 

• FSU looking like they may be headed to the B10, hope that works out for them. 

 

• From the Internet: “Brady Quinn, in a debate with Kanell, brought up a similar scenario in 1993 (that FSU was in at that time), but that’s not something Kanell wanted to hear. He argued that the Seminoles haven’t been paying attention to the history of the Playoff and college football, listing off Kanell’s 1993 Florida State national championship team. The Seminoles jumped an undefeated West Virginia team in the polls and beat Nebraska in the national championship” – That is some Karma right there!  Look it is simple the committee seeded the teams, #1’s get in #2’s still get a good bowl game.  It is that simple!  The biggest slight to me is still UGA not FSU. 

 

• From the internet: “In Tallahassee, Joe Tessitore of ESPN, who called the ACC Championship, was the keynote speaker at the Tallahassee Quarterback Club in a previously scheduled event. For the Florida State fans who bought into some kind of ESPN conspiracy, Tessitore was red meat. One person asked, “Do you think it’s appropriate to use a players’ injury just to accomplish a predetermined goal that included the SEC champions into the playoff?” Tessitore replied, “Come on man. A predetermined goal? I don’t know what to tell you. The process is the process. I get a paycheck from ESPN. I work for my wife and two kids. That’s who I work for.” – Nice retort Joe.  Did someone at the top of ESPN make the four picks?  No they did not!  Did they have any influence in the room that Sunday?  Only the people in the room can answer that question. 

 

• Still listening to the Album Some Girls quite often lately.  Interesting to read the history behind this album.  Woods first official album with the band and the song “Some Girls” reached number one in the US which I did not know.  I was 14 when I first heard it upstairs at Mad Dog Shelton’s house on 8^th Street in my hometown.  Sure sounds different now!   

Some Girls - Wikipedia

 

• Way more information you need on the Tyler O’Neil trade:

Analyzing the Return from the Tyler O’Neill Trade - Viva El Birdos

 

• Some Seinfeld for you:

32 Phrases Seinfeld Introduced To The English Language (yahoo.com)

College Football Chaos V2

 

Chaos - complete disorder and confusion

 

Chaos!  Ladies and Gentlemen, we are on the brink of it starting today in College Football have chaos. The most compelling weekend of College Football ever, period, end of story brought us Chaos at the highest level.  This College Football Playoff was built for this type of disaster, and it happened. 

The guest on SEC Now yesterday summed it up by saying, and I agree, there was no way to get this right.  You have 5 Power 5 conferences and 4 slots; it was going to happen. 

Look, FSU “deserved” to get in, no question but this ‘thing’ was flawed the entire time, not just this year.  This was bound to happen, but damn they almost made it without this level of Chaos! 

Despite what Danny Kannel thinks, no one has ever liked this “invitational” format.  Not even sure it was/is better than the BCS but way better than a coach’s poll and a media poll deciding after the bowl games (College Football used to crown their NCs through the polls before any bowl games).  As for Danny’s rant.  He got some of it right but not all of it.  The 12-team format is going to do the trick though! 

It is wrong that Florida State did not get it and it is just as wrong, not more or less, that two-time defending champ UGA, after winning 29 straight is not in or why the Buckeyes, with just one loss to the #1 team, is not in this invitational.  The system sucks and it blew up one year before the 12-team playoff. 

FSU should be mad at UGA, first & foremost and now they can take it out on UGA!  Will they? 

Some things I find interesting related to all of this:

• Apparently, the ACC is the reason there is not a 12-team playoff this year, they were against it which means they also shot FSU in the foot
• Do not discount Kentucky beating Louisville (which shows how weak the ACC was overall) because had the Chickenheads not lost, they are a top 10 team vs. FSU & trying to play their way in vs. now playing in the “Opt out Bowl"
• It clearly states in the committee by laws they could penalize FSU for having a key injury and in the end they did.  Same for strength of schedule

In the end the “Chaos” is really all those things everyone says it driven by the huge dollars that do pay for a lot of things on these campuses.  I am going to enjoy the bowl games, just like I do every year, and move on to the 12 Team Playoff next year. 

 

Random: 

A discussion I heard made this pop in my head, greatest US Sports Venues, IMO (not in any order): 

1.     Ebbets Field
2.     Old Yankee Stadium
3.     Fenway Park
4.     Wrigley Field
5.     Boston Garden
6.     The Forum
7.     Chicago Stadium
8.     MSG
9.     Lambeau Field
10.     Augusta National
11.    Cotton Bowl
12.    Pebble Beach
13.    Rose Bowl
14.    Cameron Indoor (I will get hammered for this)
15.    The Palestra

Ones:

1. In the end FSU “deserved” to get in and Bama played their way in by winning the SEC.  The strength of schedule this year worked in Bama’s favor and beating who many thought were unbeatable at this point.  The ACC was not the ACC of the past five years this year and Louisville proved that point.  
2. Not so sure the ACC is dead yet.  I think with the 12 team FSU and Clemson might see they best stay put vs. a jump to the SEC.  
3. Each conference needs to play conference opponents 10 games each year.  It is up to the school who they play in the other two games but no longer can they play FCS Teams. 
4. St Louis signed a couple of older pitchers.  I do not think any of them will post Warren Spahn after 30 type numbers.  If you do not know about those look him up, damn amazing what he did after age 30. 

College Football Chaos

 

Chaos - complete disorder and confusion

 

Chaos!  Ladies and Gentlemen, we are on the brink of it starting today in College Football.  As I have told people the last 48 hours, this is the most compelling weekend of College Football ever, period, end of story! 

 

Sit back and enjoy the long football weekend and we will see what we get from here with this potential chaos.  Three chaos scenarios to chew on: 

 

#1

Bama beats UGA,

FSU, Texas, Washington, Michigan win

 

#2

Bama beats UGA, Ducks beat Washington

FSU, Texas, Michigan win

 

#3

UGA beats Bama, Ducks beat UW

Texas wins, Michigan wins, FSU wins

 

What the committee is hoping for:

 

UGA wins, Washington wins, Michigan wins, FSU wins.

 

So many other scenarios if Michigan were to lose and FSU were to lose.  What about Ohio State, what do they need to happen?  In the last year of the post BCS era, we could have complete disorder and confusion everyone always wanted with this format!

 

I am not a fan of the upcoming 12 Team Playoff but the "Gang of 8" as I call them would be one of hell of playoff this year and in any year.  Even Dick Van Patton knew “Eight is Enough” but twelve it is starting in 2024. 

 

The Conference Championship Games, moving forward, to me become more relevant as they will be for seeding or for a team on the bubble to slip into the mix or out of the mix.  Hold on, I see the excitement intensifying, more people paying attention, all great things for CFB overall and the schools (just do not forget the players)! 

 

With one week to go, if it were 2024 only an Iowa upset of Michigan, Texas loss to OK St or a FL St loss, the 12 would almost be set.  Ole Miss & Penn State are on the outside looking in for a peek and here is still the Tulane & Liberty argument if both are undefeated.  I believe one gets in, if it were 2024 as I am not sure what the set-up is for next year (at this point to lazy look it up) so my scenario ends here. 

 

I will be glued to the TV starting Friday night for the weekend!  The most compelling weekend of college football in my lifetime and I am not going to miss the action.  My predictions:

 

UGA beats Bama

FSU beats Chickenheads

Oregon beat Washington

Texas beats OSU

Michigan beats Iowa

 

Who get’s left out?  Hard to leave out a conference champ but I believe Texas would be out in this scenario.  Fair?  Unjust?  What about Buckeye’s?    

 

One’s:

-      I did not see Kentucky beating U of L but I think that shows the weakness of the ACC in 2023.  Louisville dodged Clemson, UNC and FSU in regular season, doubt that happens again.  10 win Louisville is much like 10 win Kentucky the two years they were able to achieve that goal.  10 wins much easier in ACC though, undeniable but many will try. 

 

-       Myself, I believe Mark Stoops was going to Texas A&M.  Stoops is probably only one of a few coaches who would have stayed at Kentucky this long with the overall success he has had with the UK program.  Hands down, 2^nd greatest coach for the program.  In the end he is where he should be but he is still overpaid, IMO. 

 

-       My guess is many TVs were broken in Alabama on the punt drop and those people did not even see the end of the game.  What a crazy game and Pick 6 is no mas after that, canx it out.  #RollTide

 

-       Navy has a chance to finish 500 in their first-year post Ken.  Coach Newberry has stepped in and done a nice job.  Based on what I have read, there will be some new wrinkles added to the offense, but it will still be option based moving forward.  Keenan Reynolds would have had different numbers with some RPO mixed in but now I digress. 

 

-       Inequity and frustration drive PGA Tour veteran Chris Stroud to play LIV Golf qualifier, "The Tour doesn’t care about you if you’re not in the top 30," he said. - ….and there is that whole play better thing!

 

-      The PGA Tour and LIV have turned into a joke at this point.  What will be the final punch line when it is all said and done.  Sad that Phil did not have a sit down with Tiger before all this BS started and worked out exactly what to do to take care of the players in a way that still rewards great play.  I guess Phil needed “that” money more than he did continuing to play the PGA Tour and becoming legendary on the Champions Tour!