Bear Bryant-At the time of his death, he was the all time winning-est coach, last game he coached, he won against Illinois. The date was Jan. 26th, 1983, less than 60 days after he left the sport he loved. Penn State was National Champs in Bryant's last season, 1982. Joe Paterno. Also the winning-est coach at the time of his death. He also won the last game he coached, also against Illinois. He died Jan. 22nd, 2012, also less than 60 days after leaving the sport. In his last season of coaching, Alabama wins The National Championship.

chant from other fan bases because two morons who are UA fans, out of probably hundreds of millions over the last 180 years, did really stupid things? I would like all of our faithful readers to post here any highly disreputable fans or grads of any other college or university.

I will start with a student who attended my own undergraduate alma mater, dear old Spring Hill College in Mobile. SHC was founded by the Jesuits in 1830 and prides itself on providing its students with a top nnotch, liberal arts education amidst a socially responsible and ethical religious environment. However, that did not stop PATRICIA KRENWINKLE from being a student there. For the younger readers, Trish was a Charles Manson disciple and murderer.

My brother was a Deputy Sheriff in Mobile at the time of her arrest and said she was the most hirsute person he had ever seen and that she never wore ladies' undergarments of any type. Now, wouldn't it be reasonable to think that the murdering and hairy flashing were encouraged by or due to the guidance of the Jesuits or that they "attract" that kind of person?

If you know of any other similar illustrious grads or fans, please add them here. Also, my browser won't let me keep paragraphs for some unknown reason.

So here we are again, basking in the delightful glory of an Alabama Crimson Tide National Championship facing that terrible dilemma: What is the best shirt to buy in order to commemorate this grand occasion?

There's the official game shirt rolled out for the players to don after the final whistle blew in the Superdome (pictured above). While Todd was quick to alert us all to the infinitely more awesome LSU version of this shirt posted for sale on Amazon.com it seems the powers-that-be interceeded and won't allow us to procure any before they are sent to their new home in sub-Saharan Africa.

Still, even the most cursory review of any fan apparel site shows there are a multitude of designs to choose from and, like last time, we're interested in knowing which are your favorites. And if you can find a shirt that can out-Gump this one Todd found, please let us know.

As for me... this one says just about everything that needs to be said, IMHO.

You know the rules: iPod, iTunes, Zune, WinAmp, etc...put it on random and list the first 10 things that pop up. Happy Friday and see some of y'all in Tuscaloosa tomorrow.

Enjoy the greatest interview ever, skip the weird unplugged version of the song and then watch what it's supposed to sound like in the video below this one:

01: Soundgarden - "Fell on Black Days"
02: Sonic Youth - "Kissability"
03: St. Vincent - "Apocalypse Song
04: Woven Hand - "Ain't No Sunshine"
05: The Lemonheads - "Left for Dead"
06: Ladytron - "Tomorrow"
07: Steve Reich - "Music for 18 Musicians"
08: PJ Harvey - "A Perfect Day Elise"
09: Chris Thile & Michael Daves - "Your Running Wild"
10: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - "The Mercy Seat"

Look I am not a tinfoil hat wearing conspiracy theorist. I hate that crap.

But this guy is pushing the limits of professionalism and the stats against Alabama every time this moron takes the court is astounding.

from rivals tinfoil hats

In our last TWO HOME GAMES against Vandy - they have shot 66 Free Throws while Alabama has shot 27. By the way, we have taken the ball two the rim a LOT more than Vandy has.

from GoodmanCBS on twitter

@SethDavisHoops By the way, told Mike Stuart - ref who hit Anthony Grant tonight - has T'd Grant up each of the last three games he's done.

The stat I'm seeing on the tinfoil hat boards is that we've lost the last ten games Mike Stuart has called - all with the fouls favoring the other team. The tinfoil hats seem to think it's because he is from Tennessee and is a Tennessee fan and blah blah blah.

I don't care about that. Frankly I think he has more of a problem with our coach than our team. Maybe Grant's style rubs him the wrong way. Maybe he doesn't like the way he dresses or cuts his hair. Maybe he doesn't like Coach Grants implied he has sexual relations with his mother, I don't know. But the man does not like our coach.

He's either biased or incompetent and either way I don't want this guy refereeing an Alabama game.

If I'm being a Barner about this tell me so I can take the tinfoil off, but this guy just seems bad at his job.

UPDATED

On JOX they are now saying that the ONLY three times Anthony Grant has been called on a technical in SEC play has been by Mike Stuart though I kind of doubt this I don't have the time to do the research - I only post wild speculation in my anger haha

for reference THIS did not result in a technical from Ref Tim Riggins

A quick thank you from a some what new user. I appreciate the time you all put in to make RBR great. I appreciate the fact that you guys wait on credible sources before posting content. Unlike the thousands of sports blogs that report "Saban to the Cowboy's for elevnty billion dollars". Or "Trent's momma owns 85 cars and 10 houses paid for by T-Town Menswear"; here's looking at you Sports By Brooks. And OTS, your breakdown of games is fantastic. Have you ever considered sports journalism for a newspaper or TV show? I will say that your "Eeyore" mentality helps keep me grounded and realistic in my expectations.

When a conference wins six consecutive BCS championships, conventional wisdom would suggest staying the course. In 2011, conventional wisdom was abandoned in favor of If It Ain’t Broke, FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YA’LL.

As such, not even the SEC proved immune to the epidemic of blind panic that swept across the college football landscape this year. Six straight titles or not, Mike Slive ain’t going home empty handed, son. So during the coked-out swap meet that was the 2011 conference realignment, the SEC got all grabby and came away with two handfuls of…

Missouri and Texas A&M.

While it must be said that the haul certainly could have been worse (say, had the SEC invited in weaker teams such as Duke or Ole Miss), the addition of Missouri and Texas A&M was also panned by a number of pundits and fans. Some felt as though the SEC had diluted their brand.

Nonetheless, as a regional population we are bound to the time-honored tradition of pretending to be nice to people we don’t like, so here is a Missouri primer for SEC fans. Brush up on the tenets of sorta Midwestern football as we await the influx of literally dozens of fans into the SEC fold.

(Ed.— Ole Miss; already in. Got it. Apologies.)

Missouri is called the "Show-Me State," which is a slogan made up to trick tourists into crossing the border. Once people visit, they learn that there is literally nothing to see or do in the entire state, except Steak ‘n Shake, which is a southern man’s Kryptonite. People in the lower half of Missouri believe that they are part of Arkansas. These Missourians are appalled by the godless behavior that goes on in the rest of the state, which they can see clearly because Missouri is perfectly flat. People in the northern part of the state, where the border rubs up against Wisconsin, or South Dakota, or Ontario—whatever—are mortified by their hickish southern neighbors. These Yankees seized control of the state for good during the Civil War, when they built the city of Branson to distract the southern Missourians. Ever since then, the northern Missourians have kind of been in charge.

When it is time to follow your favorite SEC team to Columbia for a road game, certain cultural adjustments must be made. First, don’t worry about purchasing tickets. As is their tradition, Missouri officials open the gates of Faurot Field 30 minutes before every home game. Whoever happens to be standing nearby, or driving past the stadium, or who can be lured in with Steak n’ Shake, is whisked inside and told to cheer loudly when the team in the pukish jerseys scores.

Second, the Missouri accent can be difficult to decipher. Unlike the southern dialect, which relies on the stretching and mangling of vowels, the Missouri brogue is one of whining through a nose that has been stuffed full of beans. Thus, "44" becomes "FARTY-FAR". This is not a joke, so do not laugh at them. We might not lose to them in football, but we will lose the phonics battle.

Missouri does not typically win any important games, but neither does anyone else in the SEC East, so it seems like a good fit. The most famous game that the Tigers ever played was a wild shootout against a #1 ranked Nebraska team in 1997 where the final seconds of the fourth quarter saw a deflected pass kicked in the air and caught for a touchdown that may or may not have been legal. (Or, as Les Miles calls it, "2007")

The best player in the history of Missouri, kind of, was Brock Olivo, who was the grittiest gritty white running back that ever gritted grit on a football field. Missouri fans cling to his memory proudly. Of course, Brock Olivo never had to run against an Alabama or LSU front seven in his heyday, and if he was playing today and attempted to do so he would likely explode upon first contact (sending grit everywhere), but that is beside the point. SEC fans: LEAVE THEIR OLIVO ALONE. Just let them keep believing. It’s better this way.

Now, to the Missouri fan who might be reading this: Do not be afraid. Oh, the next year will be terrifying. You will see things you have never seen. Our non-offensive players will frequently impede your team’s path to the end zone, and often wrap their arms around your backs and forcefully plow them into the ground. (We call it "tackling.")

You will want to go back. You will think you have made a grave mistake.

Persevere, for the day will come when you will find yourself in December, 6-6, representing your new league in a third-tier bowl game against some hapless band of ninnies from the PAC-24. When that day arrives you will be hardened, steeled by your many battles. As you pound the opposition into oblivion a clarion call will rise out of the stadium, where paying fans have flocked in the hundreds—nay, thousands—to watch your team perform.

S-E-C! They will chant. S-E-C!

Welcome, Tigers.

With just 2 weeks left before the Feb 1 signing day, here are some updates:

The Tide sit at the top team ranking in Scout, Rivals and ESPN. Usually the Tide fair well in one or two, but this is the first time I can remember landing all three at the #1 ranking. This class has a BOATLOAD of talent to rival the 2008 class. Of course we have to see how it plays out on the field, but Saban has a very strong track record to date for translating potential into on-field production.

This will probably go down as one of the less dramatic (please no CK or BC type drama!!!) signing days unless there's some last minute shuffling due to signings we weren't expected to get.

FSU seems to be in the mix much more during the last 2 years with the 2012 class having the 2 biggest prospects probably making a signing day decision between the Tide and the Noles'.

1) Jameis Winston QB (current FSU verbal) - still being HEAVILY pursued by Bama and will have an in-home visit from the Saban coaching contingent, including the new OC. I still have this one as a long shot, based on his comments about bonding with the other FSU verbals at the UA All-America game - but who knows.

2) Eddie Goldman DT - A primary need for the Tide with the loss of Josh Chapman, all reports point to Goldman being a man child who can contribute immediately. He runs a 5.05 40 at 6'4" and 315 lbs. The other FSU vs. Bama battle.

3) Korren Kirven DT - Another DT who seems to be a late pursuit, could lead us to believe that Goldman is cooling on Bama. Another interesting tidbit is Kirven deciding between TN, Va Tech and BAMA. Kirven was hosted by TN last Sunday by one coach Lance Thompson. As I am sure most are aware, it has been speculated that Thompson is headed back to Bama.

4) Dorial Green-Beckham WR - Looking to be an ARKY, Mizzou or TX decision. If he's smart he'll play SEC ball as the jury's still out on the 'Horns.

Newcomers on campus for January enrollment: As previously mentioned in another thread, the following players are already on campus: Ryan Anderson (LB/DE), Deion Belue (DB), Chris Black (WR), Amari Cooper (WR), Travell Dixon (DB), Dillon Lee (LB), Alphonse Taylor (DT/OT), T.J. Yeldon (RB).

We just sat through the travesty of the Packers -- a team that had a historic run in the regular season -- being forced to re-play a team it had already BEATEN on the opponent's HOME FIELD. It wasn't fair for them to have to have a rematch against the Giants -- a team it had already beaten. Some other team -- any old NFL team -- should have gotten the opportunity to play the Packers because its just not right to have a rematch. Why you say? Its because . . . well, its just wrong, Ok. Who cares if the Giants are actually the better team -- its just not fair. It throws into question the legitimacy of the whole system used by the NFL to pick a champion.

an. 13, 2012

The following information comes from RollTide.com:

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama will celebrate the Crimson Tide football team's 2011 National Football Championship on Saturday, January 21, at 2 p.m. in Bryant-Denny Stadium. The event will feature the Crimson Tide football team and head football coach Nick Saban. The celebration will last approximately one hour and admission is free.

The entire celebration will occur inside of Bryant-Denny Stadium. There will not be a Walk of Champions event preceding it. Tickets are not required to enter the stadium, and all seating is general admission and will be first-come, first-served. This event will be held regardless of weather conditions. Items normally prohibited in the stadium will not be permitted in the stadium during the celebration event. Block seating will not be available for students.

Seating will be limited to the West side of the stadium. Fans can access the stadium via the lower bowl entrances by entering through gates 10-13 and 16-19. They also can access gates 5 and 21 for the upper levels and on the West side of the stadium. UA students with a valid UA Action Card can access the field for the event though gate 31 located at the southeast side of the stadium. The first 1,000 general public fans that wish to watch the event from the field will be allowed to enter via gate 30. All gates will open at 12 p.m., two hours prior to the event.

Stadium concessions will be available in multiple locations in the lower level of the stadium, but food vendors will not be located on the Quad. No outside food or drinks will be allowed into the stadium. Officially licensed National Championship products, apparel and more will be available for purchase outside the stadium and in the SUPe Store.

The first 30,000 fans entering the stadium will receive a poster of the championship team. Fans also will be allowed an opportunity to have a photo taken with the BCS National Championship Trophy in the South End Zone Plaza starting at Noon.

Celebration Timing Schedule 12 p.m. - Bryant-Denny Stadium Gates Open 2 p.m. - Program Begins

For additional information, please go to uagameday.com.