AllSportsMan

I would say Bielema's actions were more like a little league football coach but that would be an injustice to little league coaches. The officials were handling things but Bielema inserted himself into the situation, instigated a reaction by Robinson and then celebrated like a child when Robinson pushed him out of his face and drew the questionable flag. A head coach should have more class and self-control. I wondered why many in the Big Ten were happy to see Bielema go to Arkansas. At first I though it was because he was winning so many games up there, now I know it was because they were embarrassed to have him around. His big mouth and his sideline antics should be a an embarrassment to University of Arkansas leadership and fans alike. The more he loses, the more embarrassing he seems to become. The Razorbacks played a great game Saturday but the behemoths up front ran out of gas in the second half and Bama sailed by with what looked to be more desire to win in the second half. It wasn't officiating that lost the game for Arkansas it was Bielema getting outcoached and a strong Alabama defensive effort. Because of the speed of the game, there are questionable calls all over the conference on any given weekend. Every team gets their share. Slow-motion video review has taken most of the guesswork out of the questionable calls made at full-speed. And granted there are still missed calls that are not reviewable. No doubt officials still make some mistakes but blaming them for losses is what losers will always do.

I know Paul and off-air he is actually one of the nicest and kindest people around. But, Paul is also a showman, the P.T. Barnum of sports. Early on he found his niche - controversy. Paul knows little to nothing about x's and o's but he also realizes most of his listeners/viewers don't either. Controversy is what motivates them and Paul plays on it. Paul is the Rush Limbaugh of sports talk. You either love him or hate him. There is little middle ground. The thing is, love him or hate him, you listen/view at least a few times a week. When Tammy and the big mouths are on you can't help but pay attention. It is kind of like watching a car wreck, you want to turn away but you can't. Paul plays up the controversy, pits fans of teams against each other and can be insulting because that is what has made him (in)famous. ESPN didn't hire Paul as another game analyst, they have plenty of those. The network hired Paul for the entertainment value and because he knows people love to hate. He has made a nice tidy living from it.

I feel sorry for Duke Williams, he has all the talent and skills he needs to be a superstar. Unfortunately, he apparently doesn't have the maturity or the appreciation of the chance he had to move forward in life. I can relate, I had all the career chances in the world to move up to great jobs (not as an athlete). I excelled early, got lots of praise then got cocky and thought I could sail through life without working hard. It always saddens me to see anyone not live up to the capabilities because their head isn't screwed on right. Duke Williams can now take one of two paths in life: (1) Blame Gus and Auburn for his failures and approach life in an arrogant and angry manner or, (2) Learn from the experience, use it to motivate himself to change to being a hard working team player and not let his ego control him. Then when someone is willing to take a risk on him, he will be in position to shine. Duke Williams is at a crossroads in his life and which path he chooses will impact him for years to come, if not for the rest of his life. More than ever the NFL and businesses are looking at the character of potential employees. I pray Duke takes the path to improving his life.

Tammy is an embarrassment to Clanton, the State of Alabama, the South, the Southeastern Conference and the United States. No wonder her husband drinks moonshine. Who would want to be sober and married to her?

It is interesting, Brad, how you attempt to make Nick Saban's comments sound like he is attacking a segment of the Alabama fan base when he is actually referring to fans in all sports. Are we trying to spark some controversy here? All of us, if we are honest with ourselves, no matter what team we support, have witnessed poor fan behavior within our fan bases. Unfortunately there is a segment of our society who believes buying a ticket to a sporting event gives them the right to be rude, crude and otherwise socially unacceptable. They can go from cheering for a 10 yard gain on one play to booing a two yard loss on the next. They unrealistically expect every play to be successful and every game to be a blowout win for their team. This occurs in pro sport, college games, all the way down to the little league level. There have been studies of the so-called "angry fan" element in sports. The studies found there is a segment of fandom that is comprised of people with low self-esteem and a feeling of no accomplishment in life. These people attempt to compensate for that by wrapping themselves into support for a team or sports figure. They are the ones who live and die with each game or even each play in college sports. They are also the ones who keep Paul Finebaum and other sports talk show hosts working. Finebaum knows little, if anything, about x's and o's but he knows everything about how to stir emotions and spark outbursts from the 'angry fan'. They are the 'entertainment value' in his show and to a degree it drives a great deal of the sports media. Unfortunately, social media and sports talk have given the 'angry fan' a voice. At first they are entertaining, we listen and laugh and feel superior to the ignorance flowing through the speaker. Eventually though it just becomes noise that over shadows the true fan's mantra of "my team, win or lose, still my team". It is a shame that some fans cannot have they sportsmanship of most of the players themselves.

I've seen fights after game in virtually every stadium in the SEC and some outside the league. Saw a Tennessee fan coldcock a UGA fan after a game in Knoxville several years ago. Most of the time the injuries, if any, are minor and get ignored by the media. Get some fans full of booze and angry because their team lost, combine that with the winning team's fan taunting the loser and you have a recipe for problems. There is no justification for violence but there is a reason it happens everywhere. Bama fans get lots of press when it happens because everyone loves to hate the team that is on top for any length of time. Plus, it fits a stereotype so why not make a big deal out of it and make believe it doesn't happen anywhere else.

Tammy is certainly an expert on trash. She must be running low on her meth supply.

It wasn't 12:35 in the morning when that game ended either. You are comparing apples and oranges. I've seen Auburn fans leave early. Many other team's fans would with their team behind by 19 and the clock approaching midnight. I doubt many would have left if it had been an afternoon or even early evening game. My wife and I always stay to the end. Just wish I could brag to those that left about how we saw the greatest comebacks in Bama history and they missed it. It amazes me how many people on here are more interested in trashing other teams than supporting theirs. Ole Miss deserved the win. They have a great coach and fine talent. I'm proud they are in the SEC West.

Everyone's ready to throw Bama on the scrapheap. I think this is more of a rebuilding year at UA than most people thought. However, ruling Alabama out of a major bowl is a bit premature. It is possible the Tide could lose a couple of more games. If they do, I would think the Citrus Bowl would be more interested in a Saban versus Harbaugh coaching matchup. That would be interesting.

I think this child just likes attention. She knows a Bama fan ripping Bama fans will get it with the Bama haters. I heard some booing in the stadium but what I heard was directed at the officials not the players. There may have been some scattered booing of players but it was a small minority of the fans who did it. Considering the poor play by UA, the lateness of the hour and the four-plus hour length of the game; I am surprised more people didn't leave. Most of those who left around me were older fans or young couples with children. My wife and I always stay to the end and this last Saturday we almost witnessed a history making comeback. 8:15 PM kickoffs are crazy. My wife and I didn't get home until 2:00 A.M. It's all about ESPN and not about the players or the fans. As long as the network and the SEC can make big bucks off of five minute commercial breaks that cumulatively help stretch the length of a game to over four hours, who cares if anyone is inconvenienced? I don't believe fans of any other team have a right to gloat. I've seen similar and far worse fan behavior in almost every other SEC stadium over the years. It is just the times in which we live.

Maybe I'm more than a little cynical but character issues don't seem to matter much in football on any level now. Once an incident happens there is a big blowup for a few days then it goes away, overshadowed by next week's games. As long as you are a great athlete, you are worshipped by adults, who should know better, but look the other way. Yes, football is a violent sport and coaches teach aggression but when a game becomes populated with people who can't let that aggression go when the whistle blows then we have a problem. The Pacman Jones situation is not an isolated incident. It is happening with unfortunate regularity. It is partly our fault as fans because we demand winners over character. So what if the guy has a violent history, he is a 5-star recruit and we need him. The arrest rate of college and pro football players is increasing every year and their offenses are not minor. Crimes like sexual battery, assault & battery, resisting arrest, armed robbery, domestic violence, hit and run, animal cruelty, DUI, drug possession, rape and attempted murder are reflections of the character flaws among some athletes. It is not just poor college players who are 'exploited' by the greedy colleges and are forced into crime just to buy a meal. 'Pacman' Jones and Ndamukong Suh are two recent examples of players who repeatedly commit violent acts after the play and off the field but continue to earn millions and be idolized by fans young and old. If what happened to Amari Cooper had happened on a city street, Jones would be arrested for assault. So what will the NFL do to Jones? Probably fine him a few thousand and perhaps suspend him a few games. Jones will then appeal with the help of the NFLPA and have his fine and suspension reduced. Then Jones will do something similar again at a later date because he is a great athlete and that is all that matters.

Every team had highs and lows in their first week's performances. OK, Vanderbilt had more lows than highs, especially on offense. The next couple of weeks should bring most team's into better focus.

First, the people reacting on the video are the ones acting like immature 12 year olds. Secondly, apparently weeks of band camp did not improve the band's ability to march what was on the chart correctly. Thirdly, could the K-State Band Director not foresee how this could be misinterpreted? Or did he not want to see? Fourthly, the Enterprise attacking the Jayhawk looks like poor sportsmanship. Fifthly, the K-State Band went out of their way to trash their chief in-state rival when they were not even playing them, why? Sixthly, if you think this was obscene then you are the one with the dirty mind. (i.e.: first comment) :-)

It's funny, Nick Saban's response to the reporter's question was an honest answer. I actually saw the answer, it didn't look like a meltdown to me. It looked like he answered the question. Yes, he did it in his usual no-nonsense manner but that's just Nick Saban. Saban, like most other head coaches, uses his press briefings as an avenue to send messages to his team. Believe me, they know what the coach says to the media. But the media is always looking for a raised eye brow, slight emphasis of a phrase or a look to use as evidence that Saban had a meltdown. It reinforces their negative stereotype of him. Can Saban have his moments? Most definitely! He can go off on a question, what coach doesn't at times. But it doesn't mean he is having a meltdown. If you want to see the living definition of having a real meltdown just ask Donald Trump the wrong question. That man can melt wax candles a mile away. When Paul Bryant ruled the roost at UA he always pounced on the dumb questions from reporters and very seldom revealed any worthwhile information. He could make sportswriters and sportscasters feel about an inch tall. But that was viewed as endearing. If John Harbaugh or Urban Meyer had answered the reporter's question similar to Saban, as they frequently do, it would have been characterized far less negatively than as a "meltdown". I think too often reporter bias is revealed by the way they repeatedly use negative descriptions to paint a coach, player or a team. In Saban's case, if you don't want an honest answer then don't ask the question.

This should be an incident in which all fans, no matter their school allegiance, should be able to agree was wrong and is not a joking matter. This should NEVER happen, no matter how upset anyone is with the officiating. Such hits could have permanently disabled the official. Most high school football officials don't do it for the money and definitely not for the glory. They do it because they love the game and feel they are doing something to further high school athletics. It is a thankless job and because of incidents like this, death threats from fans and even attacks by some irate adult fans and coaches; it is becoming more difficult to find people willing to give up pre-season nights for training and every Friday night of the fall for games. These two players should now be ex-players, banned at least one full season and required to attend anger management counseling. If at that time it can be determined they are indeed remorseful then they should be given a second chance. If not, then they should be banned for life. There is far too much anger in this country right now and far too often the result is violence. That is reflected by the rising number of domestic violence cases and assaults involving athletes in all levels of sports. Whether that anger is justified or not, it does not warrant attempting to injure someone. No matter how important the game and how passionate you are for winning; it is still just a game.

Show us stats and accomplishments halfway through the season and then we will have a better idea about the frontrunners. Until then it is just media hype to spark fan interest.

There have been reporters, many very respected, who have predicted Saban will leave Alabama every year. Some have even vowed they had very reliable sources. Many are the same reporters who predicted Saban would never leave Miami to go to Alabama in the first place. There is a significant number of reporters who hate Saban for a variety of reasons. Because he of the way he left Miami, his abrasiveness, his tight control of his program and those allowed to speak for it, his confrontational attitude toward reporters who are always looking for the negative story and his total concentration on the next game are among the things that have always rankled sports writers and broadcasters. There are also those in the media who cant stand that Saban revitalized a struggling Crimson Tide program. Many of them had boldly predicted that the problems at UA since the retirement and death of Paul Bryant were signs that the once proud program was crumbling and would not be a dangerous power in the foreseeable future, if ever again. Every year the 'Saban is leaving' stories pop up at the beginning of the season and again near Recruit Signing Day. They give Saban is unhappy, Saban is anxious, Saban is frustrated as always the same reasons. Hmmm! One day they will be right. If you keep predicting something long enough it will eventually happen. But I'm sure it will be on Saban's timetable.

Note that Barnett is wearing a no contact black jersey.

What the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) seems to not understand is the US Constitution does not say freedom from religion. It bans the government from creating a state religion and denies the government of the ability to "impede the free exercise" of religion. Something the FFRF wants to do. To them the free exercise of religion is within the church only. Basically the FFRF's intent is to ban even the mention of God in public, doesn’t matter if the mention is a private citizen or a government official. Granted, freedom of religion does give us the right of freedom from religion. But what FFRF construes those words to mean is freedom from ever hearing the name of God mentioned in public, freedom from hearing religious music in stores owned by Christians, not having to see religious Christmas displays in public places. Their celebrated “separation of church and state” does not grant them the right to remove religion from the public consciousness, as they seek. Yet they know if you remove God from the public arena then eventually you will have removed God from this country. Look at religion in Europe where that has already happened. The last couple of generations have been raised in a society where God is being pushed back inside the church walls. The FFRF is attempting to thwart church outreach in a community. They are attempting to remove all vestiges of religion from society so they can set up their own version of religion – secular humanism. They may call it free thinking but within their group it is right thinking and to them it is the only thinking that should be allowed in public. Unfortunately, they have some left-wing Federal judges who agree. The irony is FFRF likes to call themselves ‘free thinkers’ and seem to believe they are more intellectual than people of faith. If you get past their contrived public image of ‘thoughtful people’ you most often find a group of angry, even hateful people, who want to wipe religion off the face of the earth for a variety of personal reasons. Their politically correct thinking is Godless thinking. In their mind, if I don't have to deal with God in public then He doesn't exist and I can go on my merry way. Ron Reagan, the son of the late president is one of the celebrities of FFRF (if you can call him a celebrity). Several Hollywood types, some disgruntled former ministers, of course a group of college professors, some writers, a few scientists and a host of others who see themselves as superior to people of faith comprise the foundation. I don't hate atheists or agnostics, I do feel sorry for anyone who places all their trust in mankind because they will always be let down. However, there does seem to be a hatred toward Christians from many atheists. An oddity is that some Christian organizations have allied with FFRF in various court cases. That would be like the few Jews (and there were some) who were German Army officers during WWII. They allied with the very organization (Nazis) which was trying wipe their race off the face of the earth. FFRF blames religion (mainly Christianity) for all the ills of the world. What they don’t comprehend is just because someone calls themselves a Christian does not mean they are one. Hate, vengeance and discrimination are anathema to Christianity. But we see it in some who profess faith. The coming of Christ should have ended the bloodshed of the Old Testament. Yet, there are and have been people who preach hate in the name of God. I doubt they practiced any real Biblical principles. At the young age of most college athletes, chaplains serve a purpose of helping these young men and women understand that the world is bigger than themselves and that they are not alone in facing that world. Are athletes discriminated against if they do not participate in FCA or kneel in prayer? I’ve never heard of a case where a coach has done that. I doubt anyone else has. Other than the anti-chaplain letters there is another SEC football connection to the FFRF. According to their website, most of the FFRF staff are University of Wisconsin graduates. Gives me even more reason to yell “Roll Tide” when Bama plays the Badgers.

And people wonder why we are seeing players coming to college with a sense of entitlement and arrogance? Its all about money for Rivals and a sickness among fans that puts undue pressure on children. Go talk to high school coaches about the kids walking the hallways in their schools who should be playing football but who are already burned out on the sport. There is plenty of time for hype once the kids get to prep ball. Just let them enjoy playing and learning how to play in the sixth grade.

The story does not say Julio Jones was a Heisman finalist.

Paul's show takes on the image of circus freaks when Tammy, Phyllis, Jim and Charles rant. Oh wait, I should not insult circus freaks. These four are celebrities only in their own minds. Listeners know what they are going to say each time their call is taken. It is embarrassing to Alabama and the entire south that these backwoods rednecks are on a national call-in show. By the way, was that a banjo in the background while Tammy was ranting?

Hilarious!! I used to like Florida State but no longer. I've lost all respect for the school. If they think Winston is innocent then why move the honor code hearing until after the season? Why not have it now, clear the air and move on? Seems to be some fear in the administration that their football prince is not so charming. Go Gators!

Danny Kanell is an FSU homer and an idiot!

When a team is losing consistently everything gets blown out of proportion. Fans seethe with anger and look to blame anything and everything on the coach. Every team in the SEC has gone through down times like Florida at one time or the other. The best thing a coach and team can do when a player suffers what looks like might be a serious injury is to stay away and let the trainers and doctors work. Taking a knee is not the issue for players on either side. You can say a prayer, be concerned while kneeling or standing. The players who have been in the game generally take a knee. Typically the team doctor or head trainer will get word to the head coach quickly as whether the injury is serious or that they are jus taking extra precautions. A team knows if their coaches care about them, not from whether the coach goes out on the field when a player is down but from how the coaches interact with and treat them every day. The day-to-day relationship between players and coaches is something fans do not get to witness. I don't now if Will Muschamp and his players have a good relationship or not. But for a fan irate about losing, who probably does not know Muschamp personally, to call him a "bad human being" such as Kyle Morgan did then the question is 'who is the person without class'? It is fair to criticize Muschamp's coaching but yet another thing to attack him or any other coach or player personally, especially when you base it on something you saw from afar and don't know the reality of what was taking place. Mr. Morgan does not know what information Coach Muschamp and the Florida sideline had about Latroy Pittman's condition . There has always been a great intensity about fan support of their favorite team in the Southeastern Conference. That is a good thing. The bad thing is the when emotions too often get out of kilter with reality become hatred. Believe it or not college football is still 'just a game' not real life. Our lives and self-worth do not, or should not, depend on whether our favorite college team wins or loses. College games are fun, especially when your team wins, but we are too much of an 'in your face' fandom (a reflection of today's society) these days. Just listen to the hatred displayed by fans on radio sports call-in shows, read the acidity of posts on blogs, hear the anger of a fan yelling obscenities at the coach from the stands, experience fans from opposing teams getting into a fight while exiting the stadium in front of you, hear unsportsmanlike cheers from the student section, see fans hurling objects at the opposing team (and sometimes their own if they lose). No one team's fandom has a corner on poor sportsmanship. Being civil with each other does not mean being weak. It takes a heck of a lot more strength to be a good sport than a bad one.

In his day Verne was as good a play-by-play guy as there was. Now, he has become almost a parody of himself. He only had a couple of gaffs last Saturday, calling the wrong player name, but unfortunately a relatively mistake free game is almost an anomaly now. Gary has to cover for Verne far too often. Verne and Gary are both nice guys, I've met both and like them personally. However, sometimes on air they are way too opinionated and Verne often doesn't even know what city he is in. All of the guys who do college broadcasts, no matter what game or what league, are way to critical. There is nothing wrong with pointing out a mistake or talking about better plays that might have been called. The problem is they too often belabor the point. The players they criticize endlessly are 17 to 22 or so years old, most still learning the game. The are not NFL players getting paid to play (or shouldn't be). Get over your feeling of self importance and just call the game. I don't care what you think. The play-by-play announcer is supposed to describe what happened. The color analyst is supposed to tell why it happened. Leave it to that and don't give me your biased or in some cases uniformed views.

You are correct, it was not a fast-paced offense that Ole Miss ran against Alabama (much to the surprise of many). Hugh Freeze was quoted saying he was concerned that a fast offense could result in offensive mistakes. At times they were quicker than other times but mostly Alabama had time to get the defense set. The issue with Bama's defense was with the secondary (Saban's responsibility). Also, the Tide's defensive line could not get a consistent pass rush on the Rebels' Bo Wallace. On the offensive side of the ball the Ole Miss secondary did an awesome job of blanketing Tide receivers. Bama QB Blake Sims showed his inexperience some in having trouble reading his check downs. It was a game either team could have won but Ole Miss seemed to want it more.

Agreed James. It is amazing how quickly some fans (especially those from competing teams) are willing to throw away the life of a kid because they make a mistake. So many of the athletes in college football and other sports come from backgrounds most of us can't imagine. Often they live in an environment where only the strong survive. Single parent families, being raised by relatives, living in gang infested neighborhoods where you hear gunshots virtually every night and plenty of bullying are apart of many of the players daily lives. Sports is often the only escape some of these kids see. I don't think Nick Saban or a judge would grant Pettway the ability to come back and finish school, get a degree and play college football if they did not see mitigating factors that tell them this kid learned from his mistake. The police report from the incident says Pettway was not directly involved in the robbery but was waiting in the backseat of a car. There was even some question if he even knew what was going down. I'm far from some liberal softy on crime but I am a father and I have worked with kids. Our goal as a society should be to work to help them succeed in life, not throw them away and forget them because they made one mistake. Take off your school colors for a moment and think not as a fan but as a parent. Forgiveness is not a weakness, it is a strength. The same type second chance has been granted to plenty of other non-athlete kids and many have made the most of it and turned their lives around. Maybe you haven't been involved in a crime but I am sure you have had to be forgiven many times in your life as all of us have. After-all each of us has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.