Why it really is almost as fun to watch them lose as it is to watch us win:
From Facebook:
"Fire that motherf--ker McElwain. We won't score a point against Georgia St!"
From the post game radio show:
(Speaking very slowly) - "Now, I ain't drunk or nothing so you better not go hanging up on me. Don't you hang up on me, ok? Now, I've been a Bama fan since Joe Nameth was playing. I've been a Bama fan since the 60s. And I love Eli Gold. I do. I think he's been great. But today? He was rooting for the other team. As the Bama play caller, he should be positive for Bama every game. Every play. That's how the Bear would have had him do it. But today? He wanted LSU to win. When #4 had that football in his hands, which he did catch that football, Eli was quick to say he didn't catch it. Because he wanted LSU to win. When #22 had the ball in his hands, Eli was quick to say he didn't. I love Eli, but today, he was helping LSU win that football game."
Overheard at a restaurant last night around 8:30:
"Saban just isn't the Bear. Never has been and never will be."
Auburn...
- Yawn.
- How dare I yawn at Auburn football? Well, I'm not exactly yawning at Auburn football. I'm just yawning at the fact that teams can schedule opponents like UT-Chattanooga. I understand teams need a break - especially college teams where quality players are not as common as the NFL. However, you might as well have given Auburn a bye week. It would save UT-C the embarrassment of getting blown out.
- All in all, this was a great experience for Cam to silence any doubters. No one can say these allegations are bothering Cam. He had the best 1st half of his career. It reminded me of Favre after his father passed away. "How would he play knowing the investigation (Favre's father's death) is ongoing and he might be ruled ineligible?" Well, how did he play, media?
- Cam Newton is my favorite football player of all time. Every thing he does impresses me. He's been a great leader. A great player. A great showman. And now, a great example of how to handle the bullshit that comes with being a superstar. What better way to say, "Screw you," than to stroll down Tiger Walk with a big grin, fly like an eagle into Jordan Hare stadium, and then put up the best numbers of your career?
- One more. No longer does Amen Corner matter concerning the SEC Championship. Now, BCS? We better go lights out the rest of the year. But as for the SEC W? Just one more game.
Alabama...
- Nothing to be depressed about, Alabama. This was a great football game. This was a great football game between two very good college football teams.
- Now, I understand that Alabama fans have been spoiled from last year. Last year's defense was head and shoulders better than every offense it played. It was going to make plays and cause turnovers and shut teams down when it mattered. It was going to give Ingram and Richardson the chance to break a big run.
- This year, however, it has typical college football issues. Great talent. Great coaching. Great play calling. Just a few mistakes that can let big plays get behind you.
- Dre Kirkpatrick, who talks more smack than anyone I've ever seen without getting a penalty for it, completely botched an assignment. Rueban Randle, a previous #1 player in the Rivals 100, took it to the house.
- Jerrell Harris, a previous Rivals 100 member, didn't keep contain on the 4th and 1, and the LSU runner took it around almost to the endzone.
- If you want to watch guys who don't make mistakes and rarely allow big plays to happen, there's plenty of NFL games to watch today. However, for college football, that was about the norm when it comes to two big time teams playing in a big time game.
- HOWEVER, the issue here is the fans' response to the loss. There were more quotes than I mentioned above. At the restaurant last night, the guy's wife responded, "No shit. He's too short to be the Bear."
- Another facebook status said, "This is why we should have hired someone who's from the Alabama family. Saban doesn't really care about winning every game for the Crimson Tide."
- And another - "Hey Auburn fans! I hope you enjoy getting another victory over us when we're down. It's the only way you can beat us!"
- You have, in my opinion, the best coach in college footbal. Your fanbase will run him off with these kind of quotes and thoughts.
LSU...
- A magical ending for the hatter. Some great play calls to accompany some dumbass clock issues. About par for the course with Miles.
- Are LSU fans happy or upset that he's winning? Bittersweet? I mean, if he finishes 11-1, he won't be able to be fired for another 2-3 years.
- I'm rooting for you LSU. We don't have to play you again, so if you can finish 11-1 and ranked in the top 5, you'll be a huge boost to our strength of schedule.
Having thoughts in week 10...
- It's hard to analyze teams at this point. We've seen so much football from each squad that we all know how they're going to play and what mistakes they're going to make. We know pretty much what's going to happen.
So what is going to happen?
- LSU will finish 10-2. After blowing out LA Monroe and Ole Miss, LSU will face a super hot Arkansas team. LSU's offense will sputter, and Mallett will hit a few deep balls. Patrick Peterson might get a punt return for a TD to keep it close, but in the end, Arkansas will pull out the victory.
- Auburn will beat Georgia 49-35. Auburn can't stop the pass. AJ Green can't be stopped by anybody. However, Auburn's offense will continue to roll up big numbers and ensure the victory.
- Alabama will struggle against Miss State. There's nothing to play for at this point. Too many outside variables are involved in getting Alabama to the SEC championship. Will they lose to Miss State? I don't think so. Bama's defense will shut down Mullen's offense due to the talent disparity. However, it's going to take a hefty effort by the Bama offense to overcome a pretty stout Miss State defense.
- Florida will win out and meet Auburn in the SECCG. They're pretty much already locked into the championship game. South Carolina is starting to suck again.
- Oregon will win out by bludgering teams by 40 points. Cal? Almost lost to the worst BCS school (Wash St). Arizona? Blown out by Stanford. Oregon State? Lost to UCLA. Oregon is your lock for one spot in the BCSCG.
- Boise State will pile on points and stats. And will finish 4th in the BCS.
- TCU will finish 3rd with weak arguments to play in the BCSCG.
- The Iron Bowl will still determine a spot in the BCSCG. It's just that Alabama isn't eligible anymore.
Final Thought...
- This past week has shown how powerful the media is. To borrow a quote from the first spiderman movie, "With great power comes great responsibility."
- I understand that in the world of professional sports, anything goes. Those guys are rich men trying to build an empire for themselves. If they're going to take advantage of their status by engaging in immoral and illegal activities, then they deserve to be blasted in the media.
- However, when it comes to college sports, these are kids. I don't care if they're future millionaires. I don't care if they act like idiots. They are still college kids. They haven't stepped out into the real world yet. They haven't had to pay any bills. They haven't had to have a full time job. They are simply kids growing up with a spotlight on their jersey number.
- That is why the media should make damn sure they have their facts correct before reporting a story that could ruin a player's reputation for the rest of his life. Cam Newton will always from now on have someone speculating his eligibility and recruitment because ESPN and CBS Sports ran a story that didn't have all of the facts.
- What's worst is that it was obvious they didn't have all of the facts. They simply had one quote from a guy with a bit...just a bit...of credibility. It was the responsibility of the sports analysts to step back and say, "This is a college kid that could be ruined if this story doesn't have all of the t's crossed and i's dotted. Perhaps we should wait until we can get a few more facts about Auburn and Cam actually being involved in this."
- They debate Brett Favre being suspended or banned from football because he sent penis pictures to some girl who's asking for attention by letting her tits hang out.
- They analyze and criticize Tiger Woods for banging porn stars and lying to his wife.
- They argue over Pete Rose being allowed into baseball's hall of fame.
- But when they commit a social crime like this? Nothing. It drifts away into the fog and no one goes after the pundits who were responsible for this issue.
- Pete Fiutak, while not being my favorite sports writer, was the only one I saw defending Cam Newton and seeking the truth of the situation.
- Everyone else went with the original allegations and continued to remind the reader of those allegations even when new information made it look less likely that Cam was involved in any of the mess that Kenny Rogers or John Bond or whoever started.
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