Tide vs. State is always an unpleasant occasion

One of my good buddies asked me the other day why do Alabama fans hate Mississippi State so much. I don’t think that ‘Bama hates State football, but there is no love lost on the basketball floor. I’m not really sure when this happened, but sometime in the Richard Williams era the feud started. When Rick Stansbury became head coach for the Bulldogs it was a full blown Hatfields and McCoys deal.

The schools are only an hour and a half apart. I don’t mean this with any condescension but Mississippi State is a lot further away than ninety minutes. I’d say the difference is in decades. Mississippi State isn’t close to anything. It isn’t famous for anything either. Well, maybe cow bells and for turning in Cam Newton. Going to Starkville (a most appropriate name) is like a trip back in time. Some of that is good, but a lot of it is bad. Why would anyone willingly choose to attend State. Now I fully know this isn’t true, and that a lot of nice people are State fans and students. But, and how to say this, Alabama fans tend to think of Mississippi State as Auburn west. You know the old joke - why don’t State fans roll a tree like Auburn does? They don’t use toilet paper.

Alabama fans have already made their minds up why Mississippi State gets so many good basketball players. Tide fans even spell the school with $ signs instead of an S. It doesn’t matter that State has never been branded by the NCAA for any truly major violations regarding buying players. Regardless, of what you believe you have to give State some major credit for becoming a force in basketball. Look, I don’t care if they do pay players. You couldn’t pay most people to drive to Starkville much less attend school.

Mario Austin’s decision to attend State when ‘Bama fans knew he was a lock for the Tide was like the firing on Fort Sumpter. It may not have started the war but fans knew they were in one when it happened. Many of us had said he didn’t really want to attend school with Gerald Wallace. Not many people wanted to attend school with the mercurial Wallace, but Tide fans had visions of Final Four dancing in their heads. Austin was not going to sign with ‘Bama. It wasn’t an option once Wallace committed to the Tide. It didn’t help matters when Austin’s coach “verbally committed” Austin to Alabama. After that $tate bough Austin clear and simple, and a little truth wasn’t going to cloud the judgment and opinion of Tide fans.

Personally, I’d rather beat Mississippi State than Kentucky. Kentucky is crooked it is almost like playing football against Auburn. The State game has that kind of feeling about it. The Hump? Isn’t that what your dog invariably does against your guest’s leg when you least expect it? The State jokes could go on forever. Just replace all your Barn jokes with the name State. On Thursday night Vanderbilt put another loss on the Bulldogs. If Bama wins on Saturday it means the a three game lead in the West. I don’t know about all of you guys but that would make me pretty happy, and Vanderbilt put a thump on them in the Hump. And Auburn is still the worst team in the SEC. And Auburn is still the worst team playing NCAA ball, ever.

Crimson Tide set to host lackluster LSU

Less than 1,000 tickets remain for this weekend's tilt against the clawless Bayou Tigers. We don't score enough points to win one going away, but this will be a great chance to give it a shot. The only good thing I can say for the Bayou Bengals is that they are better than Auburn. Of course, a lot of junior college teams are better than Auburn.

I don't think Alabama will win the SEC or even the W

est this season but its going to be a fun ride to find out for sure. Maybe the last sentence will be my worst predicition ever. When you break down the remainder of the season it is hard to find anyone that will beat the Tide easily. Anthony Grant coached teams don't go down without a fight. Even the games the Tide loses are always competitive. I keep thinking about this season's team with a couple of real outside threats. Next year we have those threats.

Big question I always get is does Bama get Huntville's Lacey. I think the Tide is in a dogfight with Kentucky. This Kentucky squad isn't as loaded with one and dones. Lacey understands that he will be the centerpiece of the outside game. Green is stay around. Lacey knows he'll get lots of open looks because of Green inside and Releford giving him the rock. One player can really make a difference. I'm not sure that Rodney Cooper isn't that far away from anyone. I've seen him play a couple of high school games. He can score inside, mid-range, and delivery the trey. He is the longest kid I've ever seen. His forte is supposedly defense and he has the tools to be a stopper. I had no idea the kid was superior on the offensive end. Bama has already signed blue chipper Levi Randolph who I love watch play. This kid is super.

He is going way up in national ratings. I'd be he'd end up a top twenty-five player if he continues his red hot season. A lot of people think he is the best player in Alabama and in honesty he might be. I asked one of my good friends who know his hoops. He calls him overwhelmingly effective. He isn't flashy. Teams just can't stop him because of his versatility. He could end up being a five star player. He is going to end up being a great college player. Let me say this - should Bama get Lacy our recruiting class will be the class of the SEC.

This and that...

Georgia is pretty good. I think it will be our quickness vs. their strength You can really see the similarity between Florida's offensive sets and ours. I can't wait for us to get some outside shooters. Couldn't help but think that Alonzo Gee would have flourished under Grant. That kid had heart.

I have no idea what is going on with Carter to answer some questions from readers. Hankerson  came in a little bit against Auburn but it had to do more with foul trouble than him contributing. Everyone talks about the SEC West being down. I don't but it. LSU and Auburn horrible but the other teams could beat anyone in the SEC East. Georgia had the chance to prove they were a contender and not a pretender. Was it me or did it seem that Georgia played soft, and whine.

Tide settles down and topples the Tigers 68-58

For almost 34 minutes the Crimson Tide and Auburn played a game of pick up basketball. It was almost like the prizefight fan who went to a match and a hockey game broke out. I'm sure the next Lee County grand jury can sort out the various fouls and misdemeanors committed.

For most of the game Alabama played along with the hapless Tigers. With ten minutes left in the game coach Anthony Grant took out prized forward Tony Mitchell and replaced him with Andrew Steele. You remember Steele, the second of the injury proned John Caroll stars. Steele is not as dynamic as Mitchell. He is cool, collected, and steady. He is a basketball player. He just played basketball the way Bob Cousey would have approved. He took a couple of good shots, got a couple of steals, had no turnover, and helped Trevor Releford slow down the frenetic pace of the contest.

At the five minute mark near the end Scenario Hillman hit a jump shot. It was a short jump shot. Grant abandoned the outside game and allowed Green and Hines to dominate the middle. Hines played the best game of his short Bama career. The Tide also knocked down 16-20 free throws down the line. It had been an Auuburn party up to that point. Hines and Green turned out the lights and the party was over. As the AU faithful stampeded over themselves to leave the arena they may have missed a turning point in Alabama basketball. In three out of its last four games the Tide won the game in the final five minutes. This one wasn't just a road game. This was a trap and the Tide avoided it. There may be a better coach in the SEC than Grant. I can't think of who it is though.

Alabama dedicated the new and splendid basketball arena for the Tigers. They had best get used to seeing the Tide win home and away. A new dawn is coming...

Bama' in for a tough day...

What good does it do to beat Kentucky and then lose to Auburn? The answer to that is none at all. I'd beat my last devalued dollar that Anthony has preaching the gospel of living in the present right now. What happened yesterday is gone. Saturday the present is looking you right in the face. Auburn is a bad basketball team. Yet, they almost beat Florida at home. Only a couple late three point baskets by the Gators snared the Tigers.

Now on Saturday,with every farmer, possum eater,and toothless Auburn fan will be drooling (well make that drooling more). Auburn gets that thing aam gig trophy for beating Alabama in football. It has no place at a basketball game anyway. What if they gave it at the football game right before kickoff. Underneath the good humor and laughter lies a deep seated hatred between two school that make custody battles over children seem like, well.. child's play. Let's just call it what it is. We hate Auburn.We hated them yesterday, and we'll hate them tommorrow. Decades when we are gone to glory our great grandhildren will hate them.

As my daughter told me when she was 12 - the farmer in the dell can go to hell. I had to punish her because her mother was shocked at the language. I sent her to the bedroom beaming with pride. It's that kind of world. This season when Auburn chose to cheat about football players big time it made Tide vs. Tiger rivalry even worse. You can't deny the Tigers their just due. They are as good a semi-pro team as we will ever see. I wouldn't let Cam Newton accept the trophy. He'll steal it. Wait, that was a low blow. I meant to say his father will sell it.

One thing about a blog is that you can write what you like. If I was the Alabama guy who had to give it back I'd say. "Here is the trophy. Screw you because you cheated to get it. The decades you go on probation will mean you have to give it back twice." It's that kind of rivalary. My cousin was telling me how much he hated Auburn. It was pretty pointed. I asked him if the Auburn team plane had both engines on fire and Captain Sully was try miracle landing surely you would pray for the team. Hell no, I'd buy stock in fire engine equipment.

His son, God bless him, got a full scholarship to Auburn. His son is an Auburn fan. His soon to be daughter is an Auburn fan even if she is a mexican and not a citizen (somehow this made sense to me) is an AU fan. His wife is an AU fan. The day his son was taken to Auburn he dropped him off. I asked him what he said. "I was nice, I said good luck and see you in four years. Stay in touch."

My cousin is what I'd call a middle of the road Bama fanatic. My friend and great head coach Wimp once said,"you just have to hate those ____" If Wimp had a choice of making it to the sweet sixteen or beating Auburn twice he go with the latter. He once told me that he hoped he drew AU in the SEC tournament so he could beat 'em again. If Wimp's life could be saved by painting himself blue and orange he call a priest for last rites. He's our kind of guy, right?

I hope the current class of players understand the importance of this game. It is a big game for the SEC West Crown but more than that it is simply beating "those people". If Releford thought that Kansas and Kansas State was a rivalry he ain't seen nothing yet. The Auburn crowd will be loud and proud. The faint odor of bourbon will waft through the rafters of Auburn's new arena. Once when I was younger a group of use went down to watch the Tide in Auburn. Eddie Phillips owned the Tigers. As the game wore on our taunts got pretty bad. That guy, Dye, who used to coach at Auburn and got them on another couple of years probation was sitting in front of us. We didn't know. He finally turned arouond and told us if we didn't hold it down he get us thrown out. I apologized. My buddy said, "___ you. You are so drunk you couldn't find a cop." I was kinda scared but even Dye laughed. He then said words the effect that it was just basketball. Therein lies the problem with Auburn. It's just basketball. The other day I commented to an buddy who is an eagle that Auburn would miss Frankie Sullivan. Who is that he replied. I told him he was their best basketball player. He told me thats okay it's not like he played football.

I hate Auburn. I don't hate Auburn fans. My best friend is an Auburn fan. As he has stumbled through the travels of Cam Newton and why it was okay I just say back in the golf cart and lisented. Not only was Newton not guilty of doing anything his father was merely showing us what real family values really are.

I asked him who Cam Newton was. I told him I didn't give a tinkers damn about anything about Auburn. And I don't. And I won't. And my chidlren won't. And my grandchildren won't either. That is why our team needs to focus and whip the Tigers. A child will lead us and our inside players must score and rebound. If that happens we should win. I don't care if is football, basketball, or ice hockey I'm ALL IN for the Tide.

A Roundball man in an oblong land..+

Do you know how difficult it is being a basketball fan in the Southeast? Very. A football is oblong with points on the end. A basketball is perfect sphere. Footballs bounce in odd directions. Basketballs react in perfect dance with the Ying and Yang. Both are sports they pride themselves on winning and being the best team you can be. You might be the worst team but get all those lucky bounces and you "upset" the favorite. It's all math. The chaos theory completed. No chaos theory in basketball, just chaos.

A basketball game is played indoors and is uniform. The floor of each arena is the same. Football on the other hand is played on artificial grass. It is played on real grass. It is played in mud,and on frozen fields. It doesn't rain indoors except in Atlanta during the SEC Tournament. There is no wind. The temperature is always 72 degrees. Now take the other sport. Some days it is hot enough for the players to overheat. Other days it is so cold the players can barely hold on to the ball. You never hear a basketball announcer say something like "he stands at the free throw line with the game winning shot in the balance. The wind is in his face and is so cold it bits your face." Nope. You drop a basketball and it bounces in the exact trajectory it left your hand. It might hit several hands fight to catch it but the geometry is always the same.

Footballs? Oddly shaped and designed to let luck determine what happens. Mark Ingram running for the end zone and the ball is knocked forward. It could have just as easily bounced out of bounds and Bama might have won the Iron Bowl. Instead, it bounced forward and to the amazement and disgust of all Alabama fans,it went in the end zone. Great play by Auburn. Sure was. Luckily for Auburn the ball bounded in the end zone. Unfortunately for Bama it didn't go out of bounds. No skill involved. Just luck.

That's a lot like your boss tossing your friday paycheck and you see it floating to a co-worker who smiles and says, "hey I got paid twice this week." When a head coach said that luck is involved in winning the national championship it isn't just coach speak. You will never hear a hoop coach complaining a pass bounced the wrong way. It might have gone the wrong way but someone threw wherever it ended up.

Those are just a few of the reasons I love basketball more than football. Two other important reasons is that the hot dogs and rest rooms are close by. That rest room thing get more important when you get older. Roll Tide.

Bama wins in upset...

Bama roared in like a lion, and almost finished like a lamb. The key word was almost. Bama almost hung on to beat Arkansas before losing by 5. The Tide held an 11 point lead in Fayetteville. Against the SEC royalty of Kentucky the Tide exploded to a 20 point lead only to see it dwindle to 1. The lead dwindled but never away. When you score one field goal in the last 10 minutes of any game you are going to lose. The stats just never lie. The Tide only made one field goal but won. They won despite some pretty shabby work on the offensive end. The Tide won the behind some hard fought defense. The final was 68-66 in favor of the good guys as Chris Stewart likes to say.

If the Tide stumbled they would not fall. Kentucky supposedly started 3 fabulous freshmen. These guys were all billed as one and done. It might be more like two and we're through. It might even be like three and we're free. Whatever happens in the world Calipari ball doesn't really have much to do with Alabama. Alabama's basketball team is more of blue collar bunch. Alabama wins by doing things the hard way. They have no size. They aren't good shooters, and they have a freshman point guard. On ESPN and before a national television audience Kentucky was introduced as the second coming. Alabama just came along because Kentucky needed someone to showcase their considerable talent.

Hmm... A funny thing happed because Alabama proved they are big enough by winning the battle of boards 41-32. They shot well enough to make 7 three point baskets, and the freshman point guard played like he might be one and done. Trevor Releford played his heart and body out. He finally cramped up so bad the coaches made him sit down. With less than 11 seconds to play mighty mouse limped to the bench.

I had seen TR play twice in high school when I found out we might land him. He was special. He flowed up and down the court like quicksilver. He handled the rock like it had a rubber band attached. He was faultless. He wasn't flashy. He didn't pound his chest after a great pass. Not Releford. He'd done all those things so many times before it wasn't special to the young man. It was to me. Last night he was special to the Bama Nation.

JayMichaelGreen has a new best buddy. He has someone who can dribble inside and dish. Or he can dribble inside and score. He can look to his left while he radars a pass to his right. He has put the Alley in the Tide's Alley oop. Sure he kicked a ball out of bounds. He took into the wild big blue yonder when he didn't need to. But when the game was on the line the freshman wanted the ball. More than anything else he wanted to get the ball to Green.

Instead of making the winning shot or making a great pass he hobbled to the bench a man victim of causing his own hit and run. Davis and Eblen got top billing at the end. Davis deflected a UK pass which Eblen picked up. His one made free throw made the lead two. Kentucky couldn't find a miracle on in the last 2.5 seconds. The little crimson train that thought it could, did. You almost expected Bama to take off their hard hats, pick up their lunch boxes, and ride home in the back of an F-150 and have a cool one. Boy are they fun to watch or what.

A roundball man in an oblong land...