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Tide Begins Preparation For Texas A&M
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The Alabama Crimson Tide football team began preparation yesterday afternoon for their contest with the Texas A&M Aggies this Saturday. Yesterday's practices in shells was just a little over an hour in length.
Bama is again working on all facets of the game. Quarterbacks are working toward better decision-making, as is the team as a whole. Interceptions in this game with the Aggies could cause dire consequences, especially playing in their house.
Alabama has a 5-2 lead in their series with A&M, and won the last two in a row, including last year's 59-0 shutout in Tuscaloosa.
Alabama has a 5-2 lead in their series with A&M, and won the last two in a row, including last year's 59-0 shutout in Tuscaloosa.
Bama faces the Aggies this Saturday afternoon beginning at 2:30 p.m. CT at Kyle Field. The game will be broadcast by CBS, with Verne Lundquist, Gary Danielson and Allie LaForce on the call.
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Ragland Named SEC Defensive Player Of The Week
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
The Southeastern Conference yesterday announced that Alabama senior linebacker Reggie Ragland has been named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week. This is the first such award for Ragland.
This was the fifth game this season that Ragland has led the Crimson Tide in tackles. Against Arkansas he accounted for eight tackles, seven of which were solo. He had one sack, a forced fumble, a pass breakup as well as two quarterback hurries.
Congratulations, Reggie.
Bama Baseball Showing Improvement
Photo Credit: RollTide.com
Bama enters its third week of baseball practice today, the first of three before three intraquad scrimmages this week. The Tide has one scheduled for each of three days, Thursday through Saturday.
RollTide.com reports progress in all facts of the game after two weeks on the practice field. They reported that the Crimson team beat the Gray team in both scrimmages at the end of last week. All three practices this week are afternoon practices.
The Thursday and Friday intrasquad games are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. CT. The Saturday game is to be played at 9 a.m.
Practice is not open to the public.
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Hey, Alabama Football, You Are My Guys
I watched "Twitter" folk during this past weekend's game with Arkansas just as have each week against every opponent. Proclamations espoused ran the entire gambit of human comprehension. Numerous times throughout the season several have said, "So-n-so is back!" or "Same old Bama" or "Fire Lane Kiffin" or such. I watched the same people contradict themselves in the same game, and more than one game, in fact. I was determined this season to watch the game and watch the fans.
Many, I think, enjoy complaining almost as much watching Alabama win. There are those who fancy themselves sports experts and just enjoy seeing their comments in print, especially if they can get them "stared" or "retweeted", or in the case of Facebook, "shared."
No, not every comment is disrespectful of the player or a coach. Everyone has a right to their opinion. Funny how when an opinion is directed against the "opinion-espouser" they don't like it though. They have a right to their opinion is their defense, but you don't have the right to put into print the idiocy of many of their opinions.
Alabama football is up and down this season. The play at quarterback has been erratic. The play in the kicking game has also been erratic. Some of the things going wrong have to be credited to the team that Alabama is playing in a particular week. Others, well, bad decisions or lack of concentration or lack of ability can be pointed out. But not to the point of dissension or fracture.
These are still "kids" playing this game. Yes, older ones, but still maturing. The vast majority never go on to play in the NFL. Alabama has had a plethora of players make the NFL, but still the majority do not. What does that tell you? The majority of players on any team are not NFL caliber. Thus the majority of the players are not going to be what the fans want them to be. Regardless of coaching they will not make it. So there are going to be deficiencies in each and every game.
I liken fan comments to the same as they liken the players and coaches. Some are intelligent observations and are stated succinctly and on-point and don't have to call into question the ability of the coach or player. Others just shoot from the hip and really don't care as long as they "get their say." This second group is one that makes me happy not to be a part of their home-life.
Coach Saban will rip the media and fans from time to time. We have fans ripping Saban, Kiffin and players every week. I don't agree with everything either, but that's from my limited view of what's going on. I didn't see all the game film, or how the player is performing throughout the week at practice, or what scouting report details reveal or don't reveal for a particular game.
Fans think they are frustrated? You don't know frustrated until you've walked in the shoes of these players who know they screwed up or were unable to perform to the expect level. You don't know the frustration of the coaches who thought they had prepared for every contingency to find the opponent adjusted to what our guys expected, or even though they had it right for some reason our guys just couldn't pull it off.
These kids read the social media comments as well as the sports reports.
This won't change anything. The "I have the right to comment" fans are still going to run down the players and coaches. Those fans that state their disappointment in a manner that doesn't call into question the ability of the coaching staff, the heart of the players, or the chastity of their mothers I applaud. They don't even say, "I have the right to my opinion" yet state it in a gracious manner.
Every time I've written one of these articles or touched on the subject, three times now, I've lost readership. Fine. I was used to complaints when sports editor of a daily newspaper many years ago, and it's sure not going to bother me now. I've been a fan of Alabama football longer than many of my Twitter followers or blog readers are old. I can take the criticism.
Funny how most saying they are only offering constructive criticism are actually espousing destructive criticism. But I guess it wouldn't be football for them without it.
I, for one, am always proud of our football team. Of course I'm not the only one. I receive DMs in Twitter quite a bit that say the same. I'm not always happy with the play, but always am proud of the player. Our guys haven't quit this season. The game we lost we were not out of until the last second ticked off that clock. I have watched fans quit on this team in every game.
Thank you, again, Nick Saban, Lane Kiffin, Kirby Smart and the entire coaching staff for your dedication. I think, personally, we have a great coaching staff with the best interest of players and the university at heart. Thank you, players. The gifted as well as the guy that goes out and gives 100% every practice yet doesn't get to play. You ARE Alabama football.
You ARE my guys.
