Nick Saban Photobombs aGraduate
Glorious Spectacle
The University of Alabama held their commencement ceremonies for thousands of deserving graduating students on Saturday
One person who was in attendance for the momentous occasion was Crimson Tide football coach Nick Saban. How do we know? Well, we have this semi-creepy photo for proof.
Fan gets Sons of Anarchy Alabama tattoo
Roll Tide
This gentleman above will have no regrets whatsoever about his newly inked tattoo, which contains a hodgepodge of references to Nick Saban, Alabama football and Sons of Anarchy. Why would he?
Kevin Sumlin takes championship belt at WWE event
How many championship belts does Nick Saban have hanging in his office at Alabama? Zero.
Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, on the other hand, can add a strange yet unique achievement to his coaching résumé: World Wrestling Entertainment Honorary Champion.
Katherine Webb’s Sports Illustrated photos are HOT
TALENT
Katherine Webb nearly broke the Internet a few weeks ago when she surfaced during the BCS National Championship game, and she seems to have done it again. The girlfriend of A.J. McCarron did a photo shoot for Sports Illustrated and it is absolutely wonderful. All photos were photographed by Troy Robertson.
Father of Alabama signee father arrested after 16 years on run
Roll Tide
Many sports fans knew a few things about Reuben Foster. We knew he was a top linebacker prospect and that he got an Auburn tattoo before decommitting and signing to play with Alabama. But many of us did not know that his father was a fugitive who escaped jail in 1996 after being indicted for shooting him and his mother.
US Marshals said they captured Danny Foster, 41, in Miami. He shot his wife, Inita Barry Paige, in 1996 while she was holding Reuben, who was 18 months old at the time. Danny Foster was indicted in Alabama, fled to California where he was caught and extradited back to Randolph County. He escaped jail and has been a fugitive since Dec. 1996. Foster was found in Florida where he had assumed a new identity, living as Jefferson McClendon.
Paige was shot in the back and suffered a collapsed lung from the shooting.
Foster seemed to be happy about his father’s capture. He wrote the following on his Twitter account:
“Tears pooring!!! Never knew him but ain’t nothin like a real father when you keep asking Foster side where your dad at and they lie about!!!”
“I knew he was out there but his family had to be hiding him!! I ask about you daddy every time we was with your family but they said you was dead”
Kate Upton is 2013 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover girl
TALENT
Just like the Alabama Crimson Tide did in college football, Kate Upton goes back to back as the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue cover model.
Alabama recruit signs national letter of intent dressed as Nick Saban
Less Permanent Route
Five-star recruit Reuben Foster paid a little homage to Nick Saban yesterday when he signed his National Letter of Intent to play for the Crimson Tide dressed as his soon-to-be head coach. The future Alabama linebacker showed up for National Signing Day wearing the signature straw hat and an Alabama vest similar to the one that Saban dons at every practice.
If you don’t remember Foster, he’s the recruit that flip-flopped between Alabama and Auburn a bunch of times and got a huge Auburn tattoo on his forearm before finally deciding he wanted to go to Alabama.
Former SEC WR’s message to recruits: is don’t go with the money
Don't Show Me The Money??
Former Mississippi State wide receiver Chad Bumphis, who just completed his senior season with the Bulldogs, was once a four-star prospect with scholarship offers from most of the blue-blood programs in the SEC: Alabama, Florida, LSU, Auburn and Tennessee, not to mention the Bulldogs, Oklahoma and Texas Tech.
Having once been a highly touted recruit himself, Bumphis could give high school seniors a meaningful perspective on the recruiting process and now would be a good time to drop some knowledge, what with national signing day less than 24 hours away.
Cue Bumphis, on his Twitter account, with some words of wisdom for the 18-year-old prospect:
“With NSD near, recruits listen. DON’T go with the money! After its gone ur stuck at a place you probably don’t even like for 3-5 years!”
It’s at this time that I stress the words “former Mississippi State wide receiver,” though I’m sure Bumphis is still within enough distance of Starkville to catch an earful from coach Dan Mullen (among other university leaders).
Bumphis wasn’t talking about his recruitment to Mississippi State, however. Asked on Twitter if he was “speaking from experience,” Bumphis said, “no. Believe it or not I turned it down to go” to Mississippi State.
A follower then wrote to Bumphis, “and those girls that recruited you won’t be there either, they did their job.” Bumphis replied, “lol. Right.”
And in closing, Bumphis had a short message for fans of rival Mississippi:
“Funny. I tweet that and the only people offended are my sweet little rebel followers!! Guilty much??? Possibly. Lol”Mississippi has been one of the surprise teams during this recruiting cycle, following up a 7-6 finish in coach Hugh Freeze’s first season with one of the nation’s top classes. As of midday Tuesday, Rivals.com ranked Mississippi’s class as the 11th-best in the country.
On Wednesday, Freeze and his staff are in play for another pair of five-star prospects, including the nation’s No. 1 recruit, defensive end Robert Nkemdiche.
The team’s recruiting success has raised eyebrows, which in turn led Freeze to write on his Twitter account, “If you have facts about a violation, email compliance@olemiss.edu. If not, please don’t slander the young men.” (The tweet has since been deleted.)
Toomer’s Corner oak trees being removed
Dying Tradition
Auburn University is planning one final roll of the historic Toomer’s Corner Oaks this spring before the trees are removed. The school has not set a specific date to take down the poisoned oaks.
“The Oaks at Toomer’s Corner have been a part of Auburn tradition for generations,” Debbie Shaw, Auburn University vice president for alumni affairs and executive director of the Auburn Alumni Association, said in a statement. “Their removal will in no way diminish the Auburn Spirit, which has grown even stronger during these past two years.”
Harvey Updyke, a lifelong Alabama fan, was charged with poisoning the trees during Auburn’s run to the national championship in the 2010 football season.
Updyke, who has yet to stand trial due to numerous delays, has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect to charges that include criminal mischief and desecrating a venerable object. The next trial date is set for April 8.
Katherine Webb lands Super Bowl gig
TALENT
AJ McCarron is once again getting shown up by his model girlfriend. After Miss Alabama Katherine Webb, an Auburn grad, stole the spotlight in the BCS Championship game that saw Alabama convincingly thrash Notre Dame, the Crimson Tide quarterback now has to digest the fact that Webb will have an NFL job before he does.
Webb, who became an Internet star after ESPN’s Brent Musburger made awkward comments about her beauty during the live BCS title game broadcast, sent out a tweet Monday night suggesting she’d have a TV-related role in the Super Bowl.
“So excited to be chosen to cover the Super Bowl XLVII for @InsideEdition in New Orleans!”Webb’s specific job has yet to be revealed, but “Inside Edition” is a thirty-minute syndicated news program that plans to cover the Super Bowl behind-the-scenes.
McCarron’s mother, Dee Dee Bonner had Webb’s back, though.
“proud for you and ignore the jealous folks maybe one day they can host something like the loser convention or something” Bonner tweeted in support.
Brent Musburger does it again, says reporter was really smokin
Brent Musburger was calling his first game since making headlines during last week’s BCS national title game for ogling Katherine Webb, the girlfriend of Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron and almost made it through almost all of Monday’s Kansas basketball victory over Baylor without referencing the incident or alluding to his network’s apology for the comments. Then
“Once again, your final score, Kansas 61, Baylor 44,” Musburger said in the manner he has hundreds of times before. “Coming up next, SportsCenter. For Fran Franschilla and Holly Rowe, who was really smokin’ tonight, I want to say ‘so long from Lawrence.’”
Extra emphasis on the “really smoking,”
Katherine Webb to appear in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue
TALENT
Katherine Webb, Miss Alabama USA and girlfriend of Crimson Tide quarterback AJ McCarron, will be appearing in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue this year.
“Every single model wants to be in Sports Illustrated, and I feel extremely blessed to have that opportunity,” Webb said in an interview with SI Friday. The 2013 swimsuit issue is on sale the week of Feb. 11.
Webb skyrocketed to fame after cameras honed in on her as she sat with McCarron’s mother at the BCS Championship Game Jan 7. Sportscaster Brent Musbuger took notice on-air, and Webb’s Twitter devotees took off, soon topping more than 200,000.
While her instant fame created a few awkward moments, Webb told Sports Illustrated that she was “completely dumbfounded” when she got the call to appear in the famous swimsuit issue. She aslo indicated that she wouldn’t let her sudden fame compromise her image.
“I’m from Alabama and I have morals and I have class. That’s my personality. A lot of people have said I’m the anti-Kim Kardashian and I’m all right with that,” Webb told SI. “I want girls to be able to look up to me and to say, ‘I want to be just like her one day.’”
Father of Manti Te’o urges people to not read hometown newspaper
Full Manti
You mess with Manti Te’o and, well, you get his dad. After Brian Te’o laid eyes on the Honolulu Star Advertiser following Notre Dame’s crushing 42-14 loss to Alabama in the BCS championship game, he wasn’t happy. He found on the front page a large photo of Alabama running back Eddie Lacy getting past his son—with Te’o on the ground desperately reaching to grab Lacy—with the headline: “Bowled Over.”
So Te’o’s father went on Facebook to the “Manti Te’o ‘Official Fan Club’ page and wrote the following (which has since been deleted):
“Our family has been very gracious to the Star Advertiser by providing interviews and photos of our son in the recent week. On our way home from Miami we were ‘privileged’ to see how the Star Advertiser returns the favor … So, from this point forward, Star Advertiser you have been officially black listed … I will encourage all who have a subscription to your newspaper not to renew.”
Te’o’s father will have to get accustomed to that sort of criticism when his son lands in the NFL next season. Maybe he should subscribe and grab some back issues from the season of the New York papers and their coverage of the Jets and Tim Tebow.
Mama Margie’s Major Meltdown: Brent Musburger
Brent Musburger
Every Thursday Sports Grind Entertainment will present you with the Mama Margie’s Major Meltdown. The recipient of this honor goes to ESPN sportscaster Brent Musburger who got extremely excited about Katherine Webb, the girlfriend of Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron during the BCS National Championship game. The 73-year-old Musburger expressed repeated adoration for 23-year-old Webb that didn’t exactly sit well in the public eye. ESPN offered up the following statement: “We always try to capture interesting storylines and the relationship between an Auburn grad who is Miss Alabama and the current Alabama quarterback certainly met that test. However, we apologize that the commentary in this instance went too far and Brent understands that.”
Former MLB player Jai Miller to play football at Alabama
Big Pickup
Outfielder Jai Miller, who had brief stints with three major league clubs, has decided to quit baseball so he can play college football for Alabama, AL.com reports.
Miller, who committed to play football at Stanford out of high school, instead signed with the Florida Marlins after being selected in the fourth round of the 2003 MLB Draft. He played in more than 1,000 minor league games from 2003 to 2012, hitting .239/.326/.397 with 137 home runs and 125 stolen bases.
But his major league career was limited to 28 games over three seasons with the Marlins, Kansas City Royals and Oakland A’s. During his 2011 stint with the A’s, Miller went 3-for-12 with a homer and two RBIs after being called up in September.
He was traded to the Baltimore Orioles before last season, but hit just .196 over 312 at-bats in the minors and never got called up.
The 27-year-old native of Selma, Ala., is expected to start out playing safety for Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide squad, AL.com reports.
“I think the desire was there on both sides to get him back into football and see what he’s capable of doing,” Miller’s brother-in-law, Matthew Elliott, told BamaOnline.com. “If the opportunity is there for him to play professional ball, then the best situation for him would be to play for one of the best coaches in the game and that would be coach Saban on the defensive side.”
Miller was heavily recruited as a wide receiver out of high school, landing offers from Alabama, Auburn and Georgia Tech in addition to Stanford. He also was a top basketball player and was expected to be a combo guard for the Cardinal hoops team.
AJ McCarron’s reaction to his girlfriend’s fame
The reaction the Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron had to hearing of his girlfriend’s Katherine Webb newfound fame — Twitter followers at 164,000 and counting — was priceless.
Alabama “Teabagger” gets sentenced to 2 years in prison
Sat In Gum
The Alabama fan who teabagged a drunken and basically passed out LSU football fan at the Bourbon Street Krystal Burger after the 2012 BCS Championship game was sentenced on Thursday to spend two years of his life in prison.
Brian Downing, 33, pleaded guilty last month to two obscenity counts and agreed to the deal, skirting a trial on his original charge of sexual battery, a possible 10-year sentence and registration as a sex offender.
Criminal Court Judge Karen Herman called Downing a “bully,” adding: “You chose wisely to enter into this plea bargain. The actions that you took on Jan. 9 of this year were morally reprehensible, there’s no way around it.”
The YouTube video spread across the internet, finally reaching Downing’s cousin, Russell County, Ala., Sheriff Heath Taylor, who called Downing’s father and encouraged him to turn himself over to the law.
The victim has filed a lawsuit against Downing and the fast-food chain.
The video which can be seen HERE.
Floyd Mayweather wins $275K bet on Spurs-Lakers
Imagine What He Would Earn If He Fought You Know Who
Danny Green became Floyd Mayweather’s best friend Tuesday night. Green drained a go-ahead, eventual game-winning three-pointer with 9.3 seconds left to help the San Antonio Spurs narrowly defeat the Los Angeles Lakers.
While Green helped most Spurs fans win the small feat of happiness, the 6-6 guard helped Money Mayweather win a lot more.
A lot more…as in $275,000.
Mayweather, who was in attendance at Staples Center, might have been the only non-Spurs fan jumping for joy. It surely wasn’t his biggest bet ever placed, but it was still a huge win. And this was actually a smart bet, too. The Spurs are 7-1 and the Lakers are obviously going through a coaching change after firing Mike Brown. That’s a much safer call than when Mayweather most famously lost $3 million by betting on Michigan against Alabama. The Wolverines lost that game 44-14, but Mayweather lost a lot more.
“Kobe Bryant is a living legend but I bet $275k on Spurs and Danny Green got me that green,” he tweeted.
Alabama fan gets ass tattoo of score to Texas A&M
Gig 'Em
Texas A&M shocked the college football world on Saturday when it came way with a road victory against No. 1-ranked Alabama. That caused a Bama fan to lose a bet and was forced to get the score of the game tattooed on his rear-end. The best part of the artwork is the fact that the apostrophe was placed after the “12″ to indicate the year that this game happened. Classic SEC fan.
WTF: Crimson Tide Family
Roll Tide
The holiday time is fast approaching and that means families across the country start to pose for pictures to send out, even in Alabama they partake in this. However one Crimson Tide family thought it strike the funny bone by throwing their 11 month baby like a pigskin.
Roll Tide!
Floyd Mayweather Bets $3 Million On Michigan
Vegas His Happy He's Put Of Jail
Floyd Mayweather will hope Michigan is hailing the victors in Saturday night’s mammoth matchup with Alabama. The boxer wagered more than $2.9 million in nine different Las Vegas sportsbooks on Michigan beating the 14-point spread against favored Alabama on Saturday night.
The 35-year-old boxer has been known to make big wagers in the past, including winning bets on the Los Angeles Clippers in a regular season game ($1.9 million) and against Tim Tebow’s Denver Broncos in the AFC divisional playoffs ($1 million).
“I’ve won a lot of money on games, I’ve lost a good piece of money on games,” Mayweather said in April.
Nick Saban Says Preseason Predictions Hijacks The Game
He Does Support Dorothy Davidson
Alabama football coach Nick Saban doesn’t like preseason predictions.
“All these predictions that you all make, they hijack the game,” Saban said Sunday before even taking a question in a 17-minute meeting with news media. “All anybody worries about in college football is the BCS, who’s going to be in the final game. We have a lot of great games, for our fans, for our players, great competitive venues.
“Michigan is going to be a great game. The Arkansas game, Tennessee game, LSU, Auburn. I could go through every game on our schedule and say how exciting a game this is going to be.”
Saban is a voter in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. The preseason poll that came out Friday predicts the Tide at No. 2 in the country behind Southeastern Conference West Division rival LSU.
Sports Cartoonist Updates Joe Paterno Obituary Cartoon
Original vía Cagle Post
Sports cartoonist Rob Tornoe, who does sports cartoon work for the Philadelphia Inquirer, drew the above cartoon shortly after Joe Paterno’s death in January which features legendary Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant welcoming him into heaven. But since the Freeh Report’s release Tornoe has updated his original cartoon.
Updated via Cagle Post
Nick Saban Says Tax Penn State Athletics To Benefit Kids
Come Here My Son
Nick Saban said one option to address the Penn State tragedy might be a ticket tax on athletic events and giving the proceeds to child abuse funds.
“This is a very, very criminal situation that probably reflects poorly on a lot of folks,” Saban told a small group of reporters before speaking at Southeastern Conference media days. “It’s probably too almost raw to really have a feeling that I can express. I think that what we all should probably be thinking a little bit more about is what do we want to be the outcome of this? Something that’s a win-win type thing, for kids in the future, the people that are there now, the players that are there now.
“Maybe they ought to tax all the tickets that they sell on athletics and give the proceeds to some child abuse organization. Or something like that, rather than worrying about some punishment that is really going to have no positive affect on anything.”
The Alabama coach didn’t go into details of how a tax would be implemented. He stressed his comments had to do more with philosophy than a real recommendation.
He also said he has faith that Alabama tries to promote the moral obligation that we all have to protect other folks.
“Everybody has a responsibility and obligation to represent their institution that way, and I believe in that.”
