Tide Tidbits - Mar. 31, 2008

How he reclaimed Mobile
"The coaches came from Florida to Southern California, converging on Mobile-area high schools to attract a dazzling crop of football prospects. But only one school caught their eye, held their attention and won their signature. "

Offense struggles, defense shines in scrimmage
"[Arenas] has done a really good job," Saban said. "He's got a lot more confidence in the defensive part of it. I think that was a big thing with him last year. We've always liked his ability. He's a very quick, explosive physical player. Even though he's a little bit short, he doesn't play small."

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You Might Be... #033

You might be a Tennessee fan if...

• You can field dress a deer, but can't change a diaper.
• You check your shirt to spell your name.
• You read the Auto Trader with a highlight pen.
• You've ever hit a deer with your car... deliberately.
• You get homesick watching cops.

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Bama Joke #041

Two Bama players were jumping on a man-hole cover in downtown Birmingham yelling "thirteen, thirteen". An Auburn fan came by and asked, "What are y'all playing?" "A new game", they replied, "Wanna play?" "Sure", he said, and the Auburn fan stood on the man-hole cover shouting, "thirteen, thirteen". As he jumped, the Bama players grabbed away the cover, and the Auburn fan disappeared into the hole. They slammed down the cover and jumped on cheering, "fourteen, fourteen...".

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Tide Tidbits - Mar. 29, 2008

Saban equipping Tide to live up to Bama's storied past
"My expectation and what I thought would be the case here was that it would be a difficult process, in terms of building the things we wanted to build, from a football standpoint, from an attitude standpoint, from a character standpoint, from a competitive-spirit standpoint," Saban said. "You name it, and it was going to take time to develop what we wanted to develop."

"We played up to the good teams and down to the bad ones," he said. "If you're a good competitor and have pride in your own performance, it really shouldn't matter who you're playing. You play at a certain level all the time because you're trying to be a dominant player, and that's what really good players do and that's what great competitors do. That's something we need to continue to establish here."

Sweet Home Alabama
Saban, entering the second year of an eight-year, $32 million contract at Alabama, said the only other challenge he wants to tackle in his coaching career is returning the Crimson Tide to prominence.

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Thanks BW for the links!

Bama Quote #028

When Coach Bryant was asked about the importance of beating Notre Dame he replied this way: "Sure I'd love to beat Notre Dame, don't get me wrong. But nothing matters more than beating THAT COW COLLEGE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STATE!"

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Tide Tidbits - Mar. 28, 2008

'There are no other horizons for me'
"This is it for me," Saban told Low. "I'm 56 years old. I've moved around, in my opinion, too much. I've made some mistakes. I learned about myself in each one of those jobs. Even going to Miami, I learned about myself and what it means to me to be a college coach and how much I enjoyed that. This is an outstanding opportunity. I'm going to stay here and do this. There are no other horizons for me."

He added: "Again, there's nothing else out there for me. I feel an obligation and responsibility to the people here who gave me this opportunity and our fans who have supported us in a very positive way. I'm happy and anxious to stay the course here and try to build the kind of program these people can be proud of."

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You Might Be... #032

You might be an Auburn fan if...

• There is a puddle in your driveway year-round.
• You've ever read the entire Sunday paper sitting in the bathroom.
• You've ever watched the game warden through your scope.
• You get your oil changed by your barber.
• Your car wakes people up when you drive down the street.

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Tide Tidbits - Mar. 27, 2008

'Best practice in two or three years'
"I felt like today was one of the best practices we've had in two or three years since I've been here," center Antoine Caldwell said. "Guys getting after it, people stepping up and everybody taking responsibility and doing their job. It was a good day."

Johnson back in spotlight
Rashad Johnson was back in the spotlight for the reasons he prefers on Wednesday afternoon. “I definitely believe I’m a leader on defense,” Johnson said. “My approach is going to be the same as last year, but it will be different, too. There will be less of me having to tell [teammates] what to do and more of them knowing what to do. You can really tell a difference in the second year of Coach [Nick] Saban’s system.”

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Bama Joke #40

Q: Why do Vols like smart women?

A: Opposites attract.

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Bama Quote #027

"He knocked me woozy. I have never been hit like that before, and hopefully I'll never be hit [like that] again."

--Notre Dame quarterback Steve Buerlein after Cornelius Bennett sacked him in the 1986 game (from Talk of the Tide)

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You Might Be... #031

You might be a Tennessee fan if...

• Your truck is insured by Smith & Wesson.
  
• You sweep up the rice at the wedding and serve it at the reception.
  
• Your daddy has ever said, "You kids run down to the dump and see what they left."
  
• A night on the town includes city jail.
  
• Your flashlight holds more than four batteries.

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Bama Joke #040

Did you hear they had to cancel the cheerleading program at Auburn this year?

The cheerleaders kept grazing on the field!

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Bama Quote #026

"Playing at Alabama taught me mental toughness, being a team player, being a winner. I remember my freshman year; my position coach kept getting on me and kept getting on me. I called my mother and told her I wanted to quit. She told me that coach was pushing me for a reason. He was passing on the same things he had learned at Alabama as a player and he keeps on passing them on now. That coach is Mike Dubose."
--former 'Bama star Cornelius Bennett (from Alabama Illustrated)

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You Might Be... #030

You might be an Auburn fan if...

• You think the Yellow Pages have something to do with training a puppy.
• You have Mason jars filled with stuff the FBI can't identify.
• You think espresso means 8 items or less.
• You keep a pellet gun by the front door.
• You think "recycling" means going home from work.

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Bama Joke #039

Q: Where was O.J. hiding right before the famous white Bronco chase?

A: On the University of Tennessee campus. That's the last place you would find a football player.

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Bama Quote #025

"I can honestly say that I didn't come to the University of Alabama because I thought it would be easy. No, I came because I knew it would be hard."
-- Tommy Wilcox, former Bama defensive back (from Alabama Illustrated)

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You Might Be... #029

You might be a Tennessee fan if...

• You know how to milk a goat.
• Your local funeral home has a neon sign in the window.
• Your dog goes "oink."
• You write off a radiator as a business expense.
• For your anniversary you take your wife to dinner at the Wal-Mart snack bar.

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Bama Joke #038

A man walks into a store and says, "I would like an orange hat, blue pants, orange sweater, and white shoes." The clerk says, "Are you a Auburn fan?" "Yes," replies the man, "How did you guess--by the color combination?" "No," answers the clerk, "because this is a hardware store."

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Bama Quote #024

"I grew up sneaking into Legion Field to see Alabama play. I vividly remember Joe Namath's first varsity game. I remember Kenny Stabler running down the sideline in the rain and mud against Auburn. I remember Lee Roy Jordan chasing down a running back and intimidating without even hitting. I really appreciate the people who have contributed to this legacy and the tradition that has been passed down. And the people who have continued it—the goal line stand and Van TIffin's kick and all those memories of people who have carried on the tradition of Alabama football. I really feel blessed to have had the opportunity to be part of the tradition of Alabama football."
--Johnny Musso, former Bama running back (from Alabama Illustrated)

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You Might Be... #028

You might be an Auburn fan if...

• You have eight cars and still have to bum a ride to work.
• The original color of your carpet is an unsolved mystery.
• The hood of your truck is higher than the roof of your house.
• Your local ambulance has a trailer hitch.
• Your idea of a big Saturday night is burning trash.

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Bama Joke #037

Knoxville News Report: Football practice in Knoxville was delayed on Monday for nearly two hours. One of the offensive players, while on his way to the locker room, happened to look down and notice a suspicious looking, unknown, white powdery substance on the practice field. The head coach, Phil Fulmer, immediately suspended practice while the FBI was called in to investigate. After a complete field analysis, the FBI determined that the white substance unknown to the players was the goal line. Practice was resumed when the FBI decided that the team would not be likely to encounter the substance again.

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Bama Quote #023

"I don't know if I'll ever get tired of football. One time I thought I might. . . I was out there on the practice field wondering whether football had passed me by. Then I heard the Million Dollar Band playing over on the practice field. When they started playing 'Yea, Alabama,' I got goose bumps all over me. I looked out there and those young rascals in those crimson jerseys, and I just wanted to thank God for giving me the opportunity to coach and contribute in some small way at my alma mater and be a part of the University of Alabama tradition."
--Paul Bryant in the late 1970s about tradition at Alabama (from Alabama Illustrated)

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Tide Tidbits - Mar. 13, 2008

Schemes aside, Saban praises McElwain's fire

• "I like Mac's enthusiasm," Saban said Tuesday. "I think he believes in toughness, and I would hope that those two things would make us a better offensive team.


• "He does some things different than what we're used to," quarterback John Parker Wilson said. "Getting involved, yelling a little more, getting in guys' faces, being a hard-nosed coach."


• "His experience has certainly been welcomed," Saban said, "but I think his personality of toughness, discipline, effort is certainly welcome for what we need for the development of some of our players."


• Saban also announced Tuesday that rising sophomore defensive end Luther Davis will not participate in spring practice because of "personal reasons." Davis also missed the last two weeks of winter conditioning, Saban said.


• Freshman defensive back Chris Lett, who has been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, has applied for a medical hardship, essentially ending his college career.

The SouthernPigskin.com Power Poll
The SouthernPigskin.com Power Poll is a combined ranking of teams from the ACC and SEC. Has us at #8. I question some of teams ahead of us (TN and AU).

You Might Be... #027

You might be a Tennessee fan if...

• You repair your styrofoam cooler with duct tape and bubblegum.
• Drying your clothes depends on the weather.
• You can eat a McDonald's cheeseburger in one bite.
• Your best linens have Property of Motel 6 printed on them.
• You have to honk your horn when pulling into your driveway to keep from killing chickens.

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Bama Joke #036

Q: What do you get when you cross a groundhog and the Auburn Tigers?

A: Six more weeks of bad football.

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Bama Quote #022

"I thought Nebraska was the most football-crazed state until I came to Alabama. Coach Bryant got up and introduced members of the 1925 Rose Bowl team, and he got teary-eyed, and so did all the people in the audience who welcomed the team with an absolute admiration that is hard to describe."
--James Michener in 1975 when he was writing his book Sports in America (from Talk of the Tide)

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You Might Be... #026

You might be an Auburn fan if...

• Your TV remote control is your son Junior.
• Your family business requires a lookout.
• You have to take the entire day off work to get your teeth cleaned.
• You've ever hollered, "You kids quit playing on that sheet metal."
• You've ever rolled your riding lawn mower.

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Bama Joke #035

Did you hear about the Volunteer fan who was so upset that the Crimson Tide beat Tennessee that he tried to commit suicide by jumping out of his basement window?

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Bama Quote #021

"I know one thing; I'd rather die now than to have died this morning and missed this game."
-- Coach Bryant after Alabama's 31-7 win over unbeaten Auburn in 1971.

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You Might Be... #025

You might be a Tennessee fan if...

• No matter which side of the track you live on, it's the wrong side.
• There is the equivalent of 3 large orders of fries scattered on the floorboard of your car.
• The "Save Naugahyde" protection group chooses your house as a picket site.
• You get your daily requirement of fiber from toothpicks.
• You wore a three-day growth of beard before Don Johnson and your husband.

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Bama Joke #034

At the Birmingham Airport one man approached another and said, "I bet you graduated from Auburn." "Why yes I did" answered the other. "How could you tell, was it my good looks, my debonair charm, my taste in clothing?" "No," replied the first, "I saw your class ring as you were picking your nose."

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Bama Quote #020

"Call your mama. I wish I could call mine"
-- Coach Bryant's ad lib on a South Central Bell commercial.

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You Might Be... #024

You might be an Auburn fan if...

• You think the Battle of the Bulge is an argument between your wife and mother.
• You've ever had to turn your truck around because of bridge clearance restrictions.
• You view duct tape as a long-term investment.
• You think the Super Bowl is a top of the line bathroom fixture.
• Every workday ends with the same argument about who gets to ride in the cab of the truck.

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Bama Joke #033

Q: How do you make University of Tennessee cookies?

A: Put them in a big Bowl and beat for 3 hours.

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Bama Quote #019

"Coach Bryant always taught us we were special and never to accept being ordinary. I think that is one thing that has sustained Alabama through the years. Players with ordinary ability feeling somehow, someway they would find it within themselves to make a play to help Alabama win a football game. There is no way to describe the pride an Alabama player feels in himself and the tradition of the school."
-- Kenny Stabler on tradition at the Capstone (from Alabama Illustrated)

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You Might Be... #023

You might be a Tennessee fan if...

• You videotape fishing shows.
• You burn trash in your Sunday clothes.
• You've ever come home and found crime scene tape across tour front porch.
• Your dog drinks from the same toilet as your kids.
• You have to dress up the kids to go to K-mart.

Roll Tide!