Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Today, as every day, try to find gratitude and small pleasure in the joys and blessings you have — whether they be small or large, earned or otherwise.
Be good to your people. Always have seconds. Pet all dogs and cats. Be patient with children. Give your time to the elderly. Be kind to service workers. Never cheap out on the things that protect you from the ground: Shoes, tires, and mattresses. And, never ever turn down a free meal, a quick nap or a chance to use the bathroom.
To that, I also add my own personal mantra, but you’re not bound to follow it. These are advanced life hacks.
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The Tide’s schedule is a bit re-arranged with the holiday, so this is going to be a little lean on Alabama news. But, perhaps the most incendiary thing to fire up your holiday was an astonishingly riled-up Nick Saban, who last night blasted ungrateful fans who suppose the Tide should look better, should be winning by more, should be a more aesthetically pleasing team, and the like.
Alabama by 50.
Look, I agree with you, Coach. But can we work on covering that spread a bit more? Bear Bryant knew the wisdom is making the number — boosters love gambling.
It was a rant directed at “ungrateful” and “self-absorbed fans” to be sure, but there were a lot of recipients in here — it was as much to the College Football Playoff Committee, as it was to his own team, as it was to the fans.
But, the subtext was clear to fans and the committee: This is the Crimson Tide you have, not the one you want. And it is still a damned good one that is perhaps being maligned or overlooked. Be grateful for it.
I shared this late last night on the Twatters from a ‘Barner, and it is hilarious in its accuracy. We know the more Saban says ‘a’ight’ the more keyed up he is. But did you know his hand gestures come in tiers?
Whatever is beyond “scare the grandkids?” That’s where Nick is at this weekend.
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There have been many surprises with the 2021 Crimson Tide. I’d be lying if I said that all of them were pleasant. But one that has exceeded expectations has been the play of first-year starter Jalyn Armour-Davis. All during Fall camp, Saban consistently singled out JAD and praised his effort and play.
JAD leads the team in interceptions, has 30 tackles, and is second on the team in PBUs.
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I could keep linking articles here, but you can listen to Saban’s post-practice remarks for yourself below (via al.com)
For those who’d rather read his remarks, Potter did the Lord’s work and transcribed them over at 247:
And, mercifully, it seems like this week we may get the Motivated, Ready-to-Execute Alabama team we’ve come to expect, as opposed to the Entitled, Mistake-Prone, Derpy version that has prematurely aged everyone in this room by half a decade in 2021.
We say it often here, but I don’t think we truly understood it until the reality slapped us in the face repeatedly this season: getting consistent effort and execution from players at the college level is the single most difficult task in coaching college athletics — and it affects every program, in every sport: From golf to adaptive athletics to tent pole football franchises.
On the team’s effort in practice...
“I think the players have had good energy in practice and had pretty good focus, so you never know until you get to the game. I know we’ve got a lot of guys that are banged up like every team does at this time of the year. So it gets a little bit harder to stay focused on doing your job if you’re going to focus on what’s ailing you. But we have a lot of guys that have a lot of mental toughness that are able to play through those types of things. But it’s been good so far.”
It’s not quite 2011, but it may be close to 2014, as the CFP field remains remarkably fluid — some big-names are out there which can still upend the apple cart, provided things break their way.
Dennis Dodds fires off a list of hypotheticals over at CBS.
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You know who else I’m thankful for this year? The man I would take a bullet for, Nate Oats.
While preparing for a much-improved Iona team, the head dude of the No. 10 Alabama Crimson Tide has been spending a lot of time with his counterpart, the one and only Big Dick Rick.
And it seems like there is genuinely a lot of mutual respect and learning between the two, which makes sense. I always looked at Oats as a NextGen Rick Pitino anyway — relentless defense, workaholic, fantastic recruiter, run-the-floor, and yes even abrasive. You love them or you hate them, but you can’t deny that either are great at what they do.
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Despite continued speculation surrounding Saban protege, Mel Tucker, the Sparty head man had still not signed his contract even after the defenestration in Columbus, leaving many LSU and Florida fans with some hope that Tucker was in play.
Scratch him off the list. Yesterday, Tucker signed a 10-year, $95-million deal, in what can only be described as a historic contract (and less charitably as one that is going to completely f*** the market.)
Nick Saban, after 30 years on the sidelines and 7 natties, makes “just” $10.7 million-per. And Tucker’s deal is in line with the guys just below that paygrade — the Dabos and Jimbos of the world — those who have already won a title. This is where we remind you that for all his assistant experience, and despite MSU’s turnaround in Year 2, Mel Tucker has only coached 19 games and his recruiting hasn’t been so hot.
It also makes me wonder what other hot names will command in this brave new world, who are objectively more accomplished (and did so under worse situations): Billy Napier, Jamey Chadwell, Matt Campbell, Hugh Freeze, and Luke Fickell?
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If you’ve not had a chance, please read our eulogy to the loss of a legend, longtime Tuscaloosa News and TideSports beat reporter Cecil Hurt, whose career spanned from Bear’s last year at the Capstone to Saban’s 15th.
And, when you’re finished, head on over to sign our petition to have the Bryant Denny press box named in his honor.
The petition is beginning to take off. It’s sitting at 1500 or so signatures, but I’ve received correspondence from some press, and Tuscaloosa News picked up the story today.
Cecil has earned this, and few could deserve it more.
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FINALLY, I leave you with something funny.
Everything about this story is delightful.
Over the weekend, a group of Army cadets drove four hours to a private farm in Annapolis looking to complete a “spirit mission,” which is part of a longstanding tradition before the Army-Navy game where each side tries to kidnap the other’s mascot.
Upon arrival, the noisy group reportedly spooked a trip of goats out at pasture before giving chase. The cadets managed to grab only one goat, but it wasn’t until arriving back in West Point that they realized Navy’s mascot isn’t an arthritic, one-horned goat.
Sounds about right for the Army.
One morning, an Army drill sergeant was upset at one of his young recruits, and shouted at him, “I didn’t see you at camo and concealment this morning, soldier!”
To which the private supressed a smile, straightened up proudly, and shouted back, “Thank you very much, sir!”
Go Navy, Beat Army.
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Alrighty, we’ll back later with some Giving Away Money for Rivalry Week...as soon as I can finish cranking numbers. Parker has a hoops preview in a few, and later today, we’ll have a general Turkey Day open thread — one suspects the Egg Bowl is going to go off the rails tonight.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones. Be safe. See you later.
Roll Tide
Comments
Happy Thanksgiving and Roll Tide!
I’m thankful for friends and family, having a good football team, and all the hard work all the RBR crew does all year. Roll Tide!
By RollTide423 on 11.25.21 8:00am
Happy Thanksgiving!
I'm thankful I don't have to hang out with all of you IRL.
Roll Tide!
By CarrotTop4 on 11.25.21 3:19pm
Likewise.
By bamafan1972 on 11.25.21 3:56pm
Go Army
But whether you’re Army or Navy I think we both can agree, we wish we made better life decisions and joined the Air Force. Those guys got it made…true story, there was an Air Force base cross the way from the Army base I was stationed at. Well, Air Force base barracks were getting some major fancy upgrades, Hollywood elite level upgrades (relatively speaking, we lived in WW2 barracks). Anyway, while under construction, Air Forces fellas have to cross the ole train tracks and swing on down and live in the mud with us.
We thought it was hilarious until we found out they were getting a stipend for having to live in "hazardous living conditions" which was just our normal living conditions.
By MeltdownThreadsAreNotReal on 11.25.21 8:07am
A friend of mine was stationed up at Bentwaters in the 80s and the activity there is why he now believes in extraterrestrials. Oh and he thought being in the air force would be easier too. ;))
By TiderInTheSouth on 11.25.21 8:12am
My second tour in Iraq found Air Force personnel living in CHU’s amongst us.
A CHU is a Containerized Housing Unit – basically a small connex with electricity and air conditioning. The Air Force personnel…living in the exact same conditions as us Army folk…were receiving an additional $250/month in Sub-standard Living Condition pay. Did I mention there was electricity and air conditioning? No idea what they would have done if they had been with us on the initial invasion. Ha! Can’t make this stuff up.
By bamafan1972 on 11.25.21 9:03am
As a USNA grad that chose the Marines
I have no doubts I made the best decision.
We Marines quite enjoy getting the shittiest equipment we get, the least resources provided, and still being the first ones asked to kick down the door so the Army has a clean field to play with and the Air Force has their Wi-Fi.
By MontanaGump on 11.25.21 9:09am
As a high school grad that chose the Army
I have no doubt that I chose the Army…mostly because I had the uniform that said US Army. That and we were constantly being told, "Hey, the marines fucked this all up, we have to fix it…again. They tried to kick in these doors but the port a potties were locked and they couldn’t get out."
By MeltdownThreadsAreNotReal on 11.25.21 10:59am
USMC has my deepest respect....
That said, they steal everything they can from every other branch at every opportunity which alleviates the funding issues. Probably provides them an excellent training opportunity as well. My next door neighbor in El Paso was a Marine Major and we gave each other hell in good fun, though he was a aTm Cadet grad as well. Ribbing him about joining the SEC was fun until Johnny football…
I was an advisor with the Iraqi Army and served with some very fine Marines in Ramadi Aug 06 to Nov 07 and a few squids and zoomie FAC who weren’t half bad either. Ramadi was an extremely unpleasant place in mid to late 06 but with everyone working together we sorted it out pretty damn well by Sept 07.
Go Army!
By CommoChief on 11.25.21 11:15am
Ramadi was my brother's last stop
That kid had three tours, and in some deeply shitty places. But that was the one that sent him back home. I fucked with him a good bit about it too (when you’re in a wheelchair, dark humor is sometimes the only way to go).
I asked him how he could dodge ass-bandit Pashtuns in the Hindu Kush without a scratch, join the reserves in another branch only to get his dumbass shot by a tent-dwelling three-card monte dealer in a fake Rolex. (’Twas not the most politically correct of banter, no).
By Erik Evans on 11.26.21 5:56am
Erk, you use your tongue better than a $2 whore!
By TiderInTheSouth on 11.26.21 2:52pm
That’s a nice theory y’all hold on to. Ha!
By bamafan1972 on 11.25.21 11:43am
My mom asked me why I joined the Marines, considering I was joining the armed forces for cryptanalysis.
I told her it’s because 1. I had searched my heart, and realized that I could take a human life, and, 2. Given that, I may as well be the smartest psycho in the room with the least amount of common sense.
By Erik Evans on 11.26.21 5:47am
Thank you for your cerberus.
By TiderInTheSouth on 11.26.21 2:53pm
Humanity First
By Erik Evans on 11.26.21 7:17pm
When the Air Force builds a base:
They design their runways around the golf course.
Fly Navy
By homietate on 11.25.21 10:14am
Fly Navy!
Seriously I so appreciate all the kids on both sides of that rivalry. It’s a bucket list item to go to that game. God Bless them all. And again Fly NAVY!
By MetallibamA on 11.25.21 12:25pm
Happy Thanksgiving you motherscratchers!
I’m thankful for: my boys, my upbringing (thanks, Dad!), my heritage, my culture and nationality, my girlfriend, living in Flawwwwr’duh, for the truth, for the battles I’ve won and learned from and for entertaining sports that Alabama has brought to us all.
That’s goes for Coach Saban who doesn’t go into games expecting us to win much less demolish the other team. Perhaps this is the "ah ha!" moment that keys this team’s identity? We’ll see, but thanks to the no-bullshit folks that bring sports commentary and analysis to us. *
By TiderInTheSouth on 11.25.21 8:11am
90% percent of the people in the bg are the ones being addressed, and none of them realize it.
I was 10 when I first started following bama football. The first game I watched as a fan….the road opener against UCLA.
Is Alabama a sloghtly more stressful team to follow this year? Yes. Is putrid football being put on the field? Hell no!
That said….FIRE DOUG MARRONE! And maybe Drew Svobada (sp?)(mostly because Special Teams and TEs have been….lacking)
By OatsAndHoes on 11.25.21 8:11am
LOL.
They were cheering their own ass-chewing
By Erik Evans on 11.25.21 8:35am
Honestly, being on the receiving end of a Saban ass-chewing would give me a great story to tell over and over.
I personally encountered Coach Bryant a couple of times but have no cool stories to tell about it.
Thanks for taking the time to Gump with us unwashed masses on Thanksgiving.
By dietcokeaddict on 11.25.21 12:14pm
Coach Bryant didn't at least put you in a headlock? That was the way he greeted most folks.
By TiderInTheSouth on 11.25.21 6:10pm
I've met every Alabama coach from Bear to Nick
And by far the scariest dude going is Gene Stallings. That is a terrifying, intimidating presence.
My favorite? Bill Curry. A nicer, more normal dude you will not find.
By Erik Evans on 11.26.21 5:59am
That I can believe.
It was 1994… either our game against UGA or bUTtchug and the low closeup camera angles they had on Stallings were frightening. I wish they’d treated him far better because I refuse to believe he wanted out in 1996.
By TiderInTheSouth on 11.26.21 2:56pm
He didn't. Bob Bockrath wanted him out.
The AD was uncomfortable with football running the show and felt that athletics had too much sway over the university, given Andrew Sorensen’s mission to completely revamp academics, which worked, but REALLY kicked into overdrive as the school got more money. And that came with unparalleled football success.
I liked and respected Dr. S. He taught a few of my symposia and public health classes. He and his wife both were good people. But he was just wrong on this one, in not reeling in Bockrath. If anything, the last 15 years have shown how well academics can piggyback on athletic success. Enrollment almost doubled in a decade, endowments were up, academic performance skyrocketed, and football was a major reason reason why.
By Erik Evans on 11.26.21 7:22pm