The Jumbo Package | 04.10.2013

Arie's rise, recovery brings an all-Kouandjio half of Alabama's offensive line closer to reality

"It's insane. I love it," Arie said. "We're real in sync and we know how each of us feel and we don't really have to talk that much to know what's going down with each other. It's real cool, all of it."

It sounds like Arie is leading the pack to replace Warmack at left guard. It's would be really cool to have brothers playing side by side, just wrecking people, so I hope it will work out that way. With Arie playing with the first string in the last scrimmage, it seems we'll only have to wait until the 20th to see it in action. I'm really excited about seeing these guys play next to each other.

Phil Steele Predicts Bama Will Top Preseason AP Poll

How do you top becoming just the second school since World War II to win three National Titles in four years?

You don't top it, PAAAWWWL. Write it down now, folks. That preseason championship trophy might as well be already in transit. On a more serious note, Phil (we're on a first name basis, Phil and I) correctly points out that the favorable schedule in '13 puts this year's team in an even better position than any of the Tide's championship teams of the past four years. It's going to be difficult to manage expectations over the next five months, as you really couldn't draw up a much better scenario for a three-peat.

Bama's never-ending 'process' again underway

Sound familiar? It should. Rewind the tape to this time a year ago and you'll notice the same displeased tone. Whether it's genuine disappointment or a never-ending battle to fight complacency through the press, Saban is nothing if not consistent.

The comments and tone being referenced came from Saban's press conference after the scrimmage this past Saturday. While the Process © has proven remarkable in its ability to resurrect Bama's program from the ashes, its true value is seen in years like last year, and again this upcoming year. Bama has the talent to three-peat. Bama has the schedule to three-peat. In my mind there are only two things that can fell this team: 1) a plague of injuries, or 2) the players' minds not being right. Realistically, nothing but our hoodoo sacrifices can stop the former, and the Process is the only thing that can stop the latter.

Lawyer for ex-players calls NFL brain-injury panel a 'sham'

About one-third of the league's 12,000 former players have joined the litigation. Some are battling dementia, depression or Alzheimer's disease, and fault the league for rushing them back on the field after concussions. Others are worried about future problems and want their health monitored.

Whether you are staunchly in support of player safety, or feel that this suit is symptomatic of the overall "wussification" of the sport, one thing is for certain: this topic is not going away. Personally, I tend to err on the side of safety. We all love the sport, and we all love the guttural "OOOH" that reflexively shoots out of your mouth when you see a huge hit. But if we truly love the game, our foremost concern should be preserving both the game and the individuals that lay their bodies on the line for the layman's enjoyment. These guys deserve to be monitored and receive proper care from the day they retire until the day they pass.