Jumbo Package: Cochran hypes Georgia — with Alabama’s national titles and Heisman Trophy winners

How brutal is this? You’re offered a nice paying job on your brother’s staff, as an on-field coach at an SEC program. But, instead, you say “nah, I think I’ll stay an intern at Alabama.”

Kentucky football fever, catch it!

But, seriously, this goes back to the point I made a few weeks ago — if you are serious about coaching as a profession, from Xs to Os to how to run a program, there is simply no better place to be...even if you’re a 58-year-old intern with 35 years of experience.

EARLY GUMP DAY, Y’ALL!

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BOL has a great story here on getting to know Alabama’s new S&C coach, David Ballou, and its Speed Coach, Dr. Matt Rhea:

— According to an article from Stack.com, Indiana players saw their average top running speed increase by three miles per hour after working with Rhea in his first year in the program.

“Team speed is what wins football games,” Rhea told Stack.com. “Those kind of improvements are a combination of the intense work ethic of our players and the fact Dave Ballou and I are willing to invest a ton of time into individualizing this as best we can for our players.”

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Scott Cochran has turned full-heel, diving right into his roll as Kirby’s unqualified lapdog. He finally broke his silence yesterday, releasing a video hyping himself — where he claims Alabama’s national titles and two Heisman trophy winners under the banner of Pax Canis.

Weird flex, bro.

I am ready to anoint Georgia as the true Little Brother. Sorry, Auburn. You’ve been demoted.

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Despite criticisms of Alabama’s ridiculously invasive beacon app to ensure that students stay through the fourth quarter, Byrne and Co. seem reasonably pleased with the results.

Reading between the lines, Byrne seems to be saying: Don’t count on this condescending, nanny-state invasion of privacy to go anywhere.

Sorry, we tried our best to highlight the serious problems. You are just another data point, another marketing opportunity to Alabama and its “partners”.

And it’s disgusting.

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Fresh off of claiming nine titles at SECs, Alabama Swim and Dive had another strong weekend in the pool.

The Crimson Tide took home 11 crowns at the Bulldog invitational in Athens, “including sweeping the top spots in the men’s and women’s 50 and 100 freestyles.”

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Terrell Lewis has not exactly been holding back on his criticism of Pete Golding this spring (nor have I, to be honest). But now that crack in the edifice is starting to generate all sorts of hot takes. Don’t expect that criticism or analysis to go anywhere either of the man being called “the worst defensive coordinator of the Saban era.”

You can almost certainly predict what the narratives will be going into the 2020 season, and they are pretty simple: Replacing Tua, and “Is Golding on the Hot Seat.”

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D1Baseball Rankings haven’t yet shown some love to the 12-0 Crimson Tide (nor has Baseball America, womp womp), but that doesn’t mean that Brad Bohannon’s work is not being recognized.

Bolstered by some very strong freshmen, transfers and other new faces — as well as a healthy Sam Praytor, the Crimson Tide find themselves at No. 25 in the USA Today Top 25 and No. 23 in the Baseball News polls. I’m not ready to declare the Tide “back,” nor do I think is anyone connected to the program (isn’t that right, Roger), but the rebuild is definitely beginning to pay off.

And, for what it’s worth, D1Baseball’s omission of the Tide is especially curious since, by D1B’s very own metrics, Alabama has the 5th best RPI in the nation.

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It’s nice to see the local folks jump on board with what we’ve been screaming for, oh, about five months now — Freshman Jaden Shackelford is the truth.

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It is a big month for visits to Tuscaloosa for recruits. And, coincidentally, that just happens to be timed for Alabama’s Pro Day. #AlwaysBeClosing

Here’s who is coming.

(Language warning, obviously. It’s Glengarry Glen Ross. Duh.)

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Okay, I’m off to go vote and monitor polls. It’s Super Tuesday for many of you — 14 states, in fact (and, I do understand that there is a very heated GOP Senatorial campaign underway for you Alabama folks).

The best part? You — yes, you! — can take part in the continuing-though-sometimes-creaking democratic experiment that we call America. No matter whom you vote for, the fact that we can is itself a remarkable achievement of human progress. That we choose whom to rule us rather than through fiat and strongmen and violence, is an enduring testament to a better future.

And it’s free! (well, after those pesky poll taxes went away, that is.)

F’ yeah!

You pumped for democracy now? Of course you are.

Want to know where to vote? Sure you do: Here’s your polling place.

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Basketball later. Have a great day. Roll Tide.