The proverbial road less traveled is on display this week for all the world to see. HBO's intimate documentary, Namath, and the NBA's reality show, Jeremy Lin, spin fascinating narratives of athletes who couldn't be more different . . . or similar.

The larger-than-life arc of the Beaver Falls/Broadway Joe tale is familiar to all and the stuff of pulp fiction: small town boy from a troubled home doesn't make the academic grade, finds salvation in sports, thumbs his nose at convention, battles debilitating injuries and pain, wins the big game, then squanders his talent and meets his demise in a sad, boozy haze.

The spontaneous combustion that is Jeremy Lin, on the other hand, is playing out in real time with an uncertain ending: good-boy son of Taiwanese immigrants grows up Ivy-League-smart in an affluent town, defies racial stereotypes by taking up basketball, plays like a star but can't get no respect, never quits trying, then explodes onto the scene as a take-it-to-the hoop savior of the woebegone New York Knicks. He has singularly, and forever more, redefined "driving while Asian."

The world is filled with wannabe iconoclasts who confuse "different" with making a difference. They come and they go, like New Coke and disco, blips on the cultural radar. The true iconoclasts set off cultural earthquakes--and it can't be done unless you got game.

Joe Namath's style, verve, brinksmanship, and ability to deliver the goods when it counted were seismic qualities that brought down many of the NFL's antiquated structures . . . and then catalyzed the league's growth. The magnitude of Jeremy Lin's jolt is smaller, of course, and still being calibrated. But it's shaken a locked door off its hinges.

Sport has a way of alchemizing "can't" into "can" with a white-hot immediacy that cools over time and then morphs into uplifting legacy. Is it magic? Heck, yeah. Common? Well, no. And that's why we come back for more. Right, Joe?

(If you are in my Sunday School class, or if you are my mom, do not read this. NSFW language.)

I don’t know where Kentucky football fans come from. I haven’t met very many of them. I don’t know what happens to them, whether they hibernate until basketball season or if they just kind of keep their peace and wait for the Music City Bowl to roll around.

When I got out of school I worked for a couple of years in a drug and alcohol rehab. It was the kind of job where I got to meet the people that I watched play on Saturdays and Sundays, but could never mention any of their names because of confidentiality laws. So it was kind of strange.

My coworkers were by and large Christians, which is to say, Alabama fans. There was also one old Kentucky fan who had worked at the facility for a long time. He looked like Floyd the barber from The Andy Griffith Show and he was quite odd. His name was Hiram, if that helps color the picture.

One day a gentleman came into rehab who was not ready to get clean. We’ll call him Buddy. I can’t remember for sure, but it seems like Buddy was an Auburn fan. He dressed like one, anyway, with a Ron Jon t-shirt and camouflage pants and a frayed visor with sunglasses hanging around his neck.

Buddy was trouble. He broke dozens of rules and we finally decided to discharge him. It fell to me to deliver the news.

I found him on the smoking porch, arm around one of the female patients, trying to convince her to provide "therapeutic services"* in exchange for some pills he had smuggled in. (*IMPORTANT NOTE: I MEANT SEXUAL STUFF)

"Hey Buddy, can I talk with you for a second?"

Buddy put the negotiations on hold and joined me on the walking path. With every step he took, the vial-shaped bulge in his pants pocket rattled like a box of Tic Tacs.

"I don’t think it’s working out for you, Buddy." I said diplomatically.

"Whuh?"

"You can’t bring pills into rehab and give them out."

"What pills?" he demanded, without even flinching.

"The pills in your pocket. I can see them. And hear them."

I informed Buddy that we were going to discharge him, but that if he ever reached the point of getting serious about recovery, he could come back. He left me to go pack his belongings. I concluded, incorrectly, that things were going well.

A few moments later, I walked into his room in time to witness Bill W.’s blue Big Book of AA sail out the open window, cutting an arc through the empty air and vanishing into the woods.

"FUCK THIS BOOK AND FUCK THIS PLACE!" he screamed.

In the span of a minute or so, Buddy had worked himself into a frenzy. In his bent perception, his discharge from the facility had grown into a vast, punitive conspiracy that included all the staff and other patients. Everyone was out to get him, and he was going down swinging.

Buddy grabbed his suitcase and stormed from the room, brushing past me as if I was invisible. Outside, his AA book sat face down in the dead leaves.

"I’M GOING TO GIVE THIS PLACE A PIECE OF MY DAMN MIND." He shouted in the hallway, to no one in particular.

I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but it didn’t sound good.

Buddy found a lecture hall and burst into the room. As luck would have it, the presenter was Hiram, the Kentucky fan.

Buddy strode out into the middle of the floor. Patients of every age and gender looked up from their AA books. Buddy took his time, sizing up the dozens of people in the room.

"There’s some snitches up in this bitch!" he bellowed. Several women in the room gasped.

Buddy stuck out his finger and pointed it at one patient after another. The threats flew out of his mouth fast and loose, bouncing around the room like bats out of hell.

I’m going to track you down on the outside.

I’m going to kick your ass.

You’ll be sorry.

Then, just as things felt like they might turn violent, a second voice captured the attention of the room. This voice was different—an easy, mumbly bluegrass drawl. The small, bespectacled counselor in the blue Wildcat jacket pawed at his silvery white hair and stared straight through Buddy.

"Son, it’s time for you to leave."

Buddy took several steps toward Hiram.

"I’ll kill you, old man." He seethed.

Hiram did not seem troubled in the least.

"No you won’t." he said simply.

Then Buddy issued a frightening missive, a blanket threat that he would murder and rape every staff member in the facility. Or maybe it was rape and then murder. Either way it wasn’t pleasant.

Hiram adjusted his glasses. The two men were toe to toe now, their noses perhaps an inch apart.

"Son, if you’re going to rape me you’re going to need to wear a rubber."

Buddy’s face trembled with rage.

"Do you think I’m joking?" he screamed.

Hiram’s eyebrows flickered.

"Do you think I’m joking? Son, you don’t know where I’ve been."

Then, for reasons I will never understand, Buddy’s internal constitution fell apart. His confidence crumbled into pieces right there in front of the entire room. He glanced around, at all the sets of eyes watching him. He inched backwards. And then he was gone, out the door and down the sidewalk, dragging his suitcase behind him. We never saw him again.

Hiram stood there, all 5’6" of him. He had won. He took off his glasses and wiped them on the front of his shirt. The old man sighed. He walked back to the whiteboard and picked up a marker.

"…Hmm, where were we? Everyone turn to the chapter How It Works. Now, the interesting thing about Bill W. was…"

In response to the new safety rules proposed by the NCAA rules committee, some of Bama’s opponents have submitted the following suggestions:

1. Yellow “non-contact” jerseys for opposing QBs
2. Bama’s LBs have to suit up in the big foam Sumo wrestling suits.
3. Bama is allowed 11 defenders, but 2 of them have to assist the offense by tackling Jesse Williams
4. Saban’s pre-game speech is limited to 3 seconds. Must observe monk-like silence at half.
5. Replace Scott Cochran with emotionless pod person.
6. Cade Foster, Vinnie Sunseri, Trey DePriest, and HaHa aren’t allowed to tackle on kick-offs
7. Opposing team allowed 6 “Peremptory” Challenges to remove Bama players from the game. Any coach that Saban has made quit gets 12 challenges.
8. Bama gymnast or Big Al must play nose tackle.

When asked about these rules changes, Saban was quoted as saying “I really don’t care about all that sh” (Saban wasn’t allowed to complete his comment due to rule #4)

Feel free to add your own.

RTR!

Okay folks, you know the drill...let's get this show on the road. Hit us with your most-random 10, and discuss...Cheers!

1 - Sublime - Zimbabwe - Live At The Firecracker Lounge

2 - Jane's Addiction - Just Because - Strays

3 - Black Sabbath - Snowblind - Vol. 4

4 - Radiohead - Idioteque - Kid A

5 - Sly And The Family Stone - I Ain't Got Nobody (for real) - Dance To The Music

6 - Soundgarden - Kickstand - Live In Paris, 08-04-1994

7 -Slum Village - Who Boy (Produced by BR Gunna) - Prelude To A Classic

8 - Radiohead - Gagging Order - Go To Sleep, CD 2

9 - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Hey Joe - Are You Experienced?

10 - Primus - Have A Cigar - Miscellaneous Debris

And the Bonus Track : Audioslave - Your Time Has Come - Live At The KROQ Weenie Roast

There ya have it, peeps...let us all get behind our hoops squad...they need our support about this time of the year! RTR!!

I'll be there running in the Half-Marathon bright and early Sunday morning. It's right next to the Boutwell Auditorium in downtown Birmingham. Mercedes Marathon Weekend . There is also a running expo Friday and Saturday at Boutwell if you feel like looking at expensive running gear and equipment.

I've run up to a 15K once, and have done 10K a few times. Still, this is my first attempt at a half-marathon and I'm getting a tiny bit nervous. Anything past mile 10 should be really fun.

Just another reminder of how far ahead of the curve the leadership of the SEC is: B1G considering Plus-one

Not that it will help their most pitiful attempts at FOOBAW. Just a reminder folks, our leadership along with the ACC proposed just this change to the format. b1g and their fail-partners big xii, pax 24, LEAST, etc., shot that down. Look who is laughing now.

Maybe we should demand that, to participate in a plus one, a conference whose name includes a number, that conference shall have that number of teams. If you cannot count, surely you cannot play championship football.

Roll Tide Roll.

As always the truth isn't near as damning as first reported. Looks like Mr. Philon not only had injury issues but it looks like he also may have issues with Grades. Arkansas may have taken a chance that even Aubarn wouldn't take and they have serious needs on the DL. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out for Darius and Arkansas. I wish the best for the kid.

The Injury & The Grades?

Since we had a discussion about the 2012 Post-Signing Day Projected Offensive Depth Chart, I figured I'd take a stab at the Defense. As you know, this is not as cut and dry as the O depth chart. There will be some big time battles this spring which should make for an entertaining A-Day game (April 14).

Two CBs look to be Dee Milliner and Travell Dixon. Another will need to step up as the Bama defense often goes with 3 CBs. John Fulton? Deion Belue? Other?

Safeties look to be Robert Lester and Vinnie Sunseri. Depending how he heals, Will Lowery should be in the mix too. There are many other candidates including Clinton-Dix, Nick Perry, Landon Collins among others...

At Linebacker, Nico Johnson, C.J. Mosley and Trey DePriest will play vital roles.Many other will fight for field time: Adrian Hubbard, Xzavier Dickson, Brandon Ivory and all those top-notch freshmen (Reggie Ragland, Ryan Anderson, etc.)

The defensive line will have some returnees but a lot of newcomers too. Jesse Williams, Quinton Dial, Ed Stinson, Damion Square and Jeoffrey Pagan should all be in the rotation, Expect some freshmen to see some playing time too:

I am sure I have left some names off and I really have not pinpointed any positions but this is just a jumping off point. September is a long way off. What do you think?

It's been a really shitty week and this day is getting worse by the second. Hopefully some good music will change my mood. Fuck, and I need to hurry. Play it, post it. RTMFR, friends.

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Experiencing relatively little drama during NSD, Bama hauls in an impressive class. Based on some of the comments flying back and forth, I took some time to look at the top prospects by state and which SEC schools they chose. Since FSU has been in our backyard, I included them to see how they performed.

Here's a breakdown by state for the top 25 and top 5 recruits for GA, LA, FL, AL, TN and MS:

Source was 247 Sports.

Top 25 from each state

State: AL | GA | FL | LA | MS | TN

Aubie 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1

Arky 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1

BAMA 8* | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 *Philon is up in the air - we possibly had to offer a greyshirt

FSU 2* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 *Winston has yet to sign

Gators 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0

GDogs 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1

LSU 1 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 0

MS St 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 1

SCAR 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0

TA&M 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0

Vandy 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6

Vols 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2

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