Happy Monday, everyone. Our softball team had an awful weekend in the field and ended up dropping three of four in Tallahassee. Needless to say, that wasn’t the type of start a #1 ranked team hopes for. They still have plenty of offense and pitching, so hopefully they can get it ironed out. The women’s basketball team completed a season sweep of Auburn, which is always a good thing, and the Gym Tide put up a robust 197.550 score in a win over Missouri.
The most amusing story from the weekend is that half-wit Georgia writer Michael Carvell sent the fanbase into a tizzy. On the punt block by Tyler Simmons that was nullified by an offside call:
“We had a miss. Alabama was on the ropes. They were deep in their own territory and they’re punting. The punt gets blocked. There’s a flag on the ground because the line judge had Georgia offside. Oh, boy. He (the player, Tyler Simmons) actually had a running start and timed it (properly). He wasn’t offside.”
Props to Capron for owning up to his crew’s mistake, years later. Even more surprising/disturbing for Bulldog fans, Capron has yet another confession from the same game:
“But that (the Simmons’ mistake) wasn’t my call. The blocking backs, a split-second before the snap, moved. That was a false start. That should have been my call. It still wouldn’t have been a blocked punt but instead a five-yard penalty against the offense.
Emphasis mine. Chip Towers, Carvell’s colleague at AJC.com, apparently reads better than he does, or is in less dire need of clicks. As Chip notes, there is nothing “surprising/disturbing” about the second admission. He’s saying that regardless of the missed call, the play should have been a false start and a dead ball. Georgia got screwed... out of 10 yards.
Hunter Johnson said it best.
I would like this as a shower gel https://t.co/Uy7hCfrQD8
— Hunter Johnson (@HunterLJohnson) February 8, 2020
I’d buy that, and maybe it can come in a gift set with this:
#Bama Video Day: 2nd and 26. pic.twitter.com/KX2K4WMBrB
— BamaOnLine (@BamaOnLine247) April 18, 2018
You’re welcome. Moving on, Lane Kiffin went on Finebaum and was asked about Nick Saban. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a clown show this time.
“You know how he is, there’s a lot of things he’s not going to change. He wants to have real conversations and that’s part of why he’s so great, too,” Kiffin said. “So instead of all the coaches texting recruits, he’s the one picking up the phone and talking to them for 30 minutes every single night. I’ve said it before, there is nobody that works harder in recruiting than Coach Saban.”
We’ll see if Kiffin’s mouth runs as freely now that he has to play Alabama annually.
BamaOnline has a nice very early rundown of Alabama’s 2021 class.
Maye, a UNC legacy, committed to the Tide last summer and has been solid in his decision ever since. Maye attended several UA games in Tuscaloosa this season and will be back in March for an unofficial visit. Since committing, the Top100 signal caller hasn’t been in communication with other coaching staffs. That’s not going to keep programs from trying to flip the elite talent under center, though. But Maye has shown no signs of wavering to this point. Nick Saban, Steve Sarkisian, and Charles Kelly were in North Carolina a couple of weeks ago to watch Maye play basketball. On the season, the 6-foot-5, 210 pounder is averaging 16.3 points and 11.4 rebounds per game on the hardwood.
If North Carolina continues to improve under Mack Brown, you have to wonder if they get back in it with Maye, especially if Bryce Young wins the starting job at Alabama. He is definitely a departure from Jalen, Tua, and Bryce with his big 6’5” frame.
Last, Coach Oats announced the passing of his beloved grandfather.
My last remaining g-parent Bill Martin passed away today. So glad I took my family to see him last year and made a trip to Pekin this summer to hang out with him one last time. He was one of my favorite people on this earth. Look forward to seeing him in heaven one day. pic.twitter.com/fJ5tFxtzgS
— Nate Oats (@nate_oats) February 10, 2020
You have our condolences, Coach.
That’s about it for today. Have a great week,
Roll Tide.