The Jumbo Package │07.07.14

Offensive lineman Brandon Hill says he's been released from Alabama scholarship | AL.com

The 6-foot-6, 385-pound Hill is from Collierville, Tenn., announced the move via a series of tweets. He did thank the coaches for support, and hashtagged a Roll Tide at the end of his tweets. He retweeted several messages of encouragement and later tweeted that he's "leaving by choice."

Still no official word yet from Saban or UA so I guess we'll just have to take Hill's tweet as confirmation, at least for now. If my math is correct, I think this leaves us at 86? Maybe Slice or someone else who's been keeping track can give us an official roster number.

2014 SEC Preseason Football Position Rankings: Defensive Line - For Whom the Cowbell Tolls

So deep. So talented. So how did Auburn run for 296 yards on essentially the same unit last year?

Y'all know how much I dislike preseason polls, and I know this is just positional rankings, but this is a prime example of why I hate them. You take one game from the previous year and wonder why the current group, who hasn't played a game yet, allowed 296 yards against Auburn.

But I guess if we didn't have this kind of stuff to talk about the off-season would be doubly as awful..

Ex-Alabama football star gets help to pay $10,000 in student loans - CBSSports.com

Shannon Riley, CEO of One Stop Environmental, said she was moved by Prothro's story and her company plans to donate $5,000 into a fund to raise money for the former player. The company has created the Tyrone Prothro College Fund Account at Regions Bank in an attempt to raise at least $10,000 for Prothro. Prothro testified he took out student loans mainly for summer expenses, such as bills, food and items for his dorm, and figured he would be able to repay the money after reaching the NFL.

Good for her. Hopefully Prothro can raise enough money to eliminate this debt all together.

Keith Olbermann Blasts Texas A&M for Trademark Threats - Team Speed Kills

If they don't crack down on Sonntag and his cohorts, it could cause them legal problems in trying to keep an NFL team or someone else from stealing their trademark. Thus, the threats.

My lawd, Olberman is a giant grandstanding douche. I get it, threatening to sue disabled people always looks bad but the law is the law and A&M has the right to protect their trademarks. What are they supposed to do? Allow anyone and everyone to use "The 12th Man" without any provocation? That's almost like allowing people profit off your likeness and not pay you for it..wait..

Protecting the 12th Man Trademark - Good Bull Hunting

Do you have any idea how many of those cease and desist letters A&M has sent out in the last two years? I don't have a number in front of me. In the last two years I think it is just south of 200 combined. We send out a lot. There's been a lot of issues that we had to deal with and it's just a part of the job. As our brand gets bigger and people like what they see, imitation is a form of flattery and people try to imitate. Some uses are okay and not an infringing use and other uses aren't.

A&M's side of the argument..

Alabama running back Kenyan Drake arrested | AL.com

Alabama rising junior running back Kenyan Drake was arrested early Saturday morning and charged with one misdemeanor count of obstructing governmental operations. Drake's vehicle was parked inside a crime scene and he ignored orders to stay outside the scene, Tuscaloosa Police Spokesman Sgt. Brent Blankley told AL.com. "He was trying to cross a crime scene," Blankley said.

"We had a shooting and his vehicle was parked inside the crime scene. We told him that he could not get his vehicle and he tried to cross the crime scene anyway so he could get his vehicle. Officers arrested him for obstructing government operations."

Um, OK, this has to be the first time I've heard of a player getting arrested for crossing a crime scene...Saban gave his customary "We'll look at all the facts and punish accordingly" line so I doubt we hear much more of it. Still Drake...comon man..