News Article: A Few Topics as Summer Arrives [by JessN]

JessN · May 22nd, 2009, 03:33 AM

A few topics as summer arrives
By Jess Nicholas
TideFans Editor-in-Chief
May 22, 2009

As summer arrives, a football fan’s own personal purgatory – that vast nothingness between spring football and the onset of fall camp – rears its ugly head.

For the next three months, the sports world will revolve around NASCAR, PGA golf and the completion of playoffs from a NBA season that began sometime in 1987.

Here are a few topics to kick around as the summer doldrums kick back.

For the full story, click here: A few topics as summer arrives

BamaGreek · May 22nd, 2009, 08:49 AM

Thanks for the good reading material Jess! Of course all of us Alabama fans and SEC fans can't get enough of SEC football and especially anything Bama. I agree with all of your comments. Things will be slow around here for a while until Fall camp opens. I will be counting the days until Sept. 5th. Have a good Summer!.

Bhammer · May 22nd, 2009, 08:59 AM

	Quote:	JessN
	who has gotten where he is thus far based mostly on self-promotion and a famous last name.

Lane Kiffin = Paris Hilton

REBELZED · May 22nd, 2009, 11:36 AM

	Quote:	Bhammer
	Lane Kiffin = Paris Hilton

ROFL!

The similarities really ARE scary!

ACT1 · May 22nd, 2009, 12:49 PM

Agree with your comments on Brooks... always thought his coaching skills were undervalued.

red55 · May 22nd, 2009, 03:51 PM

After Kiffen got his 4th secondary violation since January, Les Miles was asked about him this week.

"I don't quite know exactly where he's heading," Miles said of Kiffin. "But I know one thing, he's got some enthusiasm for his school, and we'll kinda stand on the sidelines and watch what he does."

Nobody knows where he's heading, Les. Keep an eye on your recruits.

JessN · May 22nd, 2009, 10:37 PM

	Quote:	red55
	After Kiffen got his 4th secondary violation since January, Les Miles was asked about him this week. "I don't quite know exactly where he's heading," Miles said of Kiffin. "But I know one thing, he's got some enthusiasm for his school, and we'll kinda stand on the sidelines and watch what he does." Nobody knows where he's heading, Les. Keep an eye on your recruits.

This is funny as heck to me because Miles himself comes across sometimes as just plain goofy.

And when the goofy guy in the room basically says he's going to stand back and let you make a fool out of yourself, well...

stallingsstyle · May 23rd, 2009, 11:16 AM

I glad you brought the bama comparison up. When I saw him say that I knew he was ate up with the "bama envy". He's already beat.

p'colabamaman · May 24th, 2009, 07:01 PM

Great read, Mr. Nichols. and "attention hound" is a very good description of Kiffey-boy. He just don't know when to shut up. But "believe you me", (as Bear used to say) that big mouth will catch up with him sooner or later. Hopefully sooner.

Hal Bennett · May 24th, 2009, 08:44 PM

Very well-written, thoughtful, interesting article.

Historically, Kentucky cycles around to hiring Rich Brooks-level coaches, but they always end up fizzling, after a brief, impressive flare-up. Remember Hal Mummie? You have to be old to remember Jerry Claiborne or Charley Bradshaw. Or even the guy who succeeded Bear there, I believe, Blanton Collier. All these guys came to Kentucky with a certain big-time reputation, and all of them received great press attention, and each and every time, Kentucky was "almost there but never quite there." Collier even went on afterwards and coached the Cleveland Browns.

If I could venture a hypothesis, Kentucky's unique position in the sports world is that it is arguably the number one college basketball program in the country, and it is also the place where Paul William Bryant was head coach second longest to Alabama. That makes for tradition and memories out the wazoo, and thus their football program always seems to be either at the end of one of these excitement-periods or at the beginning of another. And their fans and writers always seem to expect more out of their football program than is realistic.

Wasn't it a cigarette lighter that Bear Bryant received when Adolph Rupp (the basketball coach) was given a Cadillac? That after Bear had won the Sugar Bowl in 1951, beating mighty Oklahoma and Bud Wilkinson. Kentucky has never broken that mold. And they will never get another Paul Bryant there, or anyone close. They will continue to get the Rich Brookses, the state of Kentucky will continue to produce basketball recruits and few football recruits, and fans and writers will continue to get excited when a Rich Brooks comes in, but then it will all end, again, not with a bang, but with a whimper.

GrayTide · May 25th, 2009, 08:43 AM

Good post Jess. I agree with Hal's comments about UK, they will never have a Nick Saban, but on the ohter hand we will never have a John Callapari. These 2 programs are polar opposites in their commitment and ability to produce nationally ranked programs, UK's in football and UA's in basketball.

That is not to say both can't excel at a higher level in these sports but in the end it is about football at Alabama and basketball at Kentucky.

Kiffin and Chizik not withstanding, the SEC will have 6 teams, UA, LSU and AU in the west, UF, UGA, and UT in the east as haves and the rest will, except on occasion, be have nots.

The jury selection process is underway at UT and AU. IMO if Kiffin's coaching ability is no better than his PR skills UT is headed for a free fall. I also feel that given enough time and without constant interference from the AU power brokers, Chizik may get the AU program in decent shape, but that is a BIG IF. Nutt will no longer have the element of surprise on his side at Ole Miss. He still gets my vote though for getting the most from the least and is always good for at least one shocker a year.

Lastly, at some point Mark Richt will need to overtake UF, if not the Dawgs may get restless. SOS at USC is as you say, knocking his head against a brick wall, but he still has enough legendary status to leave on his terms.

KanBama · May 26th, 2009, 06:44 AM

Good read Jess,
thanks for the input.

BamainBoston · May 26th, 2009, 01:59 PM

Given that the SEC has won the last three national championships, I don't know why it would push for a playoff. Having to go through the SEC schedule and then another string of games against top teams seems brutal. Much better to be a USC, cruise through an easy PAC 10 schedule with a loss or two, and then come on strong in a play off like they do in bowls now.