Thursday, June 9, 2016

Brown Advances In Track & Field Championships; Marynowitz Returns To Alabama; Men's Tennis Will Kick-Off In Georgia; New Football Commit Receiving Negative Tweets; Men's Basketball Second In Nation In Attendance Increase




Alabama Men's Track & Field


Tony Brown Advances To Final Of NCAA Championships


Univesity of Alabama's Tony Brown
Photo Credit: RollTide.com


The University of Alabama's Tony Brown has qualified for Friday’s final in the men’s 110-meter hurdles during the first day of the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon yesterday. Crimson Tide hammer thrower Elias Hakansson came in with a 12th-place finish in the men’s hammer throw final yesterday also.

Brown finished third in his heat, recording a time of 13.71, to earn the final qualifying spot for the Friday night’s final round in the 110-meter hurdles. This was the second-fastest time of Brown’s career, just off the the 13.52 mark he turned in the NCAA East Regional final in Jacksonville, Florida on May 28th.

In all, Tide 110-meter hurdlers have earned All-America honors five times in school history – Ron Bramlett three times (2000-01-02) and Keith Talley twice (1985-86).

Meanwhile, Hakansson began the day for Alabama with a 220' 2"  (67.11m) toss in the hammer throw, good for 12th place in his third career appearance in the NCAA Championships. He earned All-America honors as a freshman at the 2013 championships.

In the last final of the day for the Tide, Anitbahs Kosgei turned in his second-fastest time of the season in the 10,000 meters (29:42.89) to finish 18th in the event.

Alabama senior Ahmed Ali captured a 15th-place finish in the semifinals of the men’s 200 meters with a time of 20.84, while fellow senior Tadashi Pinder placed 19th in the 100 meters with a 10.42. In the men’s shot put final, junior Kyle Felpel (60-8.75) and freshman Kord Ferguson (59-6.25) finished 21st and 24th.

The Crimson Tide ladies will be on the track today. Junior Quanesha Burks will be looking to defend her NCAA title in the long jump. Also seeing action today will be Alex Gholston in the 400 meters, Haley Teel in the shot put, Vanessa Clerveaux in the 100-meter hurdles and the Tide 4x400 meter relay team.
 

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Ed Marynowitz Returns To The Capstone
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Will Be The New Associate Athletics Director For Football


Ed Marynowitz
Photo Credit: RollTide.com




Ed Marynowitz is coming home to Tuscaloosa.

University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban yesterday announced the return of Marynowitz to the Capstone via a press release from the University of Alabama Athletics Department. Marynowitz will be the Tide's associate athletics director for football.

Marynowitz will work with the Alabama player personnel department and football operations while assisting with athletic administration, according to the announcement.

In the press release Saban stated, "Ed did an outstanding job during his time with us at Alabama, and we are extremely excited to have him return to our staff. He brings a wealth of knowledge from both the NFL and collegiate level and will be a tremendous asset to our program."

This past year Marynowitz served as the Philadelphia Eagles Vice President of Player Personnel. In that role he oversaw the Eagles player personnel department, ran their pro and college scouting office and handled the preparation for the NFL Draft and free agency. Marynowitz joined Philadelphia in 2012 as the team’s assistant director of pro scouting and was later elevated to assistant director of player personnel.

In the press release Marynowitz commented, "This was a unique opportunity to return to The University of Alabama and one that I am very excited about. Alabama has always been a special place for me and working for Coach Saban again was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up."

Marynowitz originally joined the Alabama staff in December of 2008 as the Director of Player Personnel. During his time with the Tide, Marynowitz was instrumental in helping construct three No. 1 recruiting classes with all four classes ranking in the top five nationally. The recruiting classes during his tenure produced nine players selected in the first round of the NFL Draft and Alabama posted a 36-4 record during his three seasons in Tuscaloosa.

With the Miami Dolphins, Marynowitz worked under general manager Jeff Ireland and executive vice president of football operations Bill Parcells. Prior to Miami, Marynowitz spent two years on staff at the University of Central Florida under George O'Leary. He served as a graduate assistant during the 2006 season, working primarily with football operations before joining the staff on a full-time basis for the 2007 season as the recruiting administrator for the Knights.



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Men's Tennis In Kick-Off Weekend In Georgia


Photo Credit: RollTide.com


It's tennis time again.

The Alabama Crimson Tide men's tennis time will be participating in the 2017 ITA Kick-Off Weekend, which is scheduled for January 27-28. The Crimson Tide selected Georgia as its site of choice in the annual draft.

The number one seed will the the sight's host, the Georgia Bulldogs, followed by No. 2 Washington, No. 3 Alabama and No. 4 Purdue. All matches will be played indoors at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex. Competing in the first match will be the Bulldogs and Boilermakers, while the Huskies and Tide will be featured in the second match. The winners of each will then compete in the championship, while losers will meet in the consolation match.

Athens, Georgia is one of 15 sites across the country hosting ITA Kick-Off Weekend. The 15 teams that win both of their matches will be invited to play in the 2017 ITA National Team Indoor Championships, which will be hosted at Virginia at the Boar’s Head Sports Club February 17-20.
The Crimson Tide’s last trip to the indoor championships came in 2010 after the Tide defeated Arizona and Duke at Kick-Off Weekend.



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Can't We All Just Get Along?
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New Bama QB Commit Mac Jones Receives Negative Tweets


 Latest Alabama Commit, QB Mac Jones
Photo Credit: 247Sports




Just yesterday we reported that four-star quarterback 2017 prospect Mac Jones out of the state of Florida had flipped his commitment from Kentucky to the University of Alabama. Of course Alabama fans have been excited at the news, as well as Crimson Tide coaches, like Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin.

Not everyone, however, is pleased with the flip. Especially fans of the Wildcats. Jones has received numerous tweets that would be categorized as "not so nice," to say the least.

However, the young man is also receiving tweets of an unkind nature from those who should know better...those who should understand how difficult the recruiting process is. Even one of Jones' "former future teammates" and a COACH of all people have sent messages that would have been better unsent.

Kentucky Wildcat defensive tackle Matt Elam couldn't simply "let things go". He decided everyone in the Twitterverse needed to know his expert thoughts on the departure of young Jones.

To make matters worse, University of Kentucky's co-offensive coordinator and quaterbacks coach Darin Hinshaw took to Twitter to express his feelings about the Jones flip also. In his tweet Hinshaw used a quote from James E. Faust:

"In this life we have to make many choices. Some are very important choices. Some are not. Many of our choices are between good and evil. The choices we make, however, determine to a large extent our happiness or unhappiness, because we have to live with the consequences of our choices."

A bit passive-aggressive, wouldn't you say? Evil? Live with the consequences of your choice. So now Kentucky represents "good" choices while Alabama would be the "evil" choice in this situation? All from a kid simply wanting to play college football where he thinks he would best fit in and have a better opportunity to enjoy his four-year career and hope to advance to the next level.

Shame on you, Hinshaw. Shame on you or any coach from any college or university that gets upset enough to brow-beat a high school kid.

Of course to lighten the situation, enter Mr. I-love-to-troll-Twitter-and-stir-up-some-fun, Lane Kiffin.
Alabama's offensive coordinator retweeted the quote from Hinshaw and then mentioned that it seemed as though someone was having "an inapproriately strong negative emotional response from a percieved personal insult." Of course Alabama fans loved it. Lane just seems to know where to put the knife to remove the kidney in the most humorous fashion possible.

Alabama fans, your comments can lift up and your comments can bring down. Please, as these young men wrestle with their futures PLEASE be aware that they are STILL high school kids. Think of them as your own kids and give them that same respect.

Alabama has lost its share of recruit commitments. There will be more. Please allow these kids to make their decisions without insult and heckling. Many have flipped back to their commitment. But how many may not because of the harrassment?

Welcome to the Crimson Tide family, Mr. Jones. Make yourself at home when you graduate and enjoy this last year of high school life. You'll be working hard your senior year, but rest assured, you'll work harder at Alabama. Of course, you'll be getting rings for that hard work down the road.



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Tide Men's Basketball Second In Attendance Increase


Photo Credit: RollTide.com


In his first season as the head men's basketball coach at the University of Alabama, Avery Johnson brought the Crimson Tide to an unexpected 18-15 season, a trip to the NIT, and was oh-so-close to a bid to the NCAAs. When he told the Alabama faithful to "Buckle up!", he meant it.

That excitement and charisma he has brought back to Bama is born out by the fact that Alabama ranked second in the nation in "Largest Increase for Average Attendance from Previous Year," according to a release by the NCAA yesterday. Alabama men's basketball improved by 2,934 fans per game, going from 10,176 in 2014-15 to 13,110 in 2015-16. Only Maryland was higher with an increase of  5,169 fans per game.

The Crimson Tide’s average attendance from the 2015-16 season ranked 22nd in the nation among Division I home attendance leaders, while the Southeastern Conference as a whole ranked second in the nation in average attendance at 11,144. That number was +325 in average from a year ago, which led all conferences.

Alabama set a school record with its average of 13,110 fans per game during the first year under Johnson, topping the former mark of 12,484 fans per game during the 2011-12 campaign.