Time out!

As I prepare to go on vacation ... yes, it's not something that one should simply jump blindly headfirst into ... two thoughts strike me:

1) I'm exhausted. There really is no offseason, but this one was especially short and busy, while a nasty case of the stomach flu didn't help much either.

2) I just saw/experienced what can only be described as the most remarkable year in Crimson Tide sports history.

The following is a sort of year-end column I wrote for BamaOnline.

(http://alabama.247sports.com/Article/A-year-after-the-tornado-Alabama-came-back-with-a-vengeance-7674).

Seriously, tell your friends because we're proud of what we're doing on the site.

When I get back from vacation, some very big changes will be happening in my life. See? Preparation.

See you soon.


THE YEAR OF CHAMPIONS

The imagery and contrast were impossible to ignore, especially after everything that had been endured.

Two fire trucks were shooting arcs of water over the plane bringing back the University of Alabama softball team from Oklahoma City on Thursday, roughly 12 hours after capturing its first national championship and the athletic program’s fourth since the calendar turned to 2012.

It wasn’t quite as picturesque as the rainbow that miraculously appeared over Tuscaloosa when the gymnastics team pulled in with its sixth NCAA trophy just a couple of months ago, but sure beat how those rescue trucks were used last year in the aftermath of the April 27th tornados that carved up the state.

Perhaps that was the only response that exceeded what Alabama athletes have pulled off.

Deep down we all sort of knew that there was a possibility of things clicking together like this, even after the softball team dropped Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series to Oklahoma. Tuscaloosa was riveted when the Alabama showed that it wanted it more in Game 2, and then proved to be the more resilient and tougher team during rain-delayed Game 3 that went past midnight.

It was as if the Crimson Tide proudly declared: “We dealt with a tornado, and you’re being distracted by some rain? Give us the trophy already.”

Thus, Oklahoma wasn’t the first team to submit to Alabama’s will this past school year, merely the last. The momentum began building with Todd Bramble’s soccer team making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998 (before losing to Miami 3-2 in double overtime), and didn’t end until the Crimson Tide could claim enjoying one of the most successful years ever.

Of course, such things don’t happen overnight. This was Alabama’s eighth appearance in both the College World Series and NCAA Championships, and softball and women’s golf had taken many important steps that led up to these triumphs.

Never before had the Crimson Tide won more than one national title during an academic year, and the numerous crucial factors to why that benchmark was shattered now include:

1) The commitment to excellence.


In addition to aggressively hiring promising and/or proven coaches, athletic director Mal Moore’s facilities and endowment initiative, the Crimson Tradition Fund that evolved into a $150 million campaign, paid off handsomely.

In addition to a major overhaul of Bryant-Denny Stadium, Coleman Coliseum and nearly every other athletics facility, Bryant Hall was converted into an academic center that’s contributed to some impressive graduation rates. The initial project was completed in 2006, but the improvements continue.

“We all recognize that we’re now in position that we can compete with anyone in recruiting,” Moore said at the end of the 2006-07 season. “I’ve said to coaches, many times when I’m speaking, and when I’m around and about, we should expect, the coaches should, I should, our alumni, our president, everyone should expect positive results from this, and will. I think it’s an exciting time for Alabama, and for the future down the road at Alabama.”

Granted, there have been some bumps in the road, like when softball coach Patrick Murphy accepted the LSU job last summer only to return a few days later, but pale in comparison to the triumphs including Moore orchestrating the $65 million expansion of the south end zone in time for the 2010 season, making Bryant-Denny Stadium one of the largest and desirable home venues in collegiate athletics.

"Everybody works together,” said Murphy, who similarly spearheaded efforts to make Rhoads Stadium one the best softball facilities in the nation. “One team wins, everybody wins, and it doesn't matter if it's football, gymnastics, women's golf or softball it's good for the entire athletic department and we're becoming so close, as coaching staffs. It's the neatest thing to see that."

2) Nick Saban's arrival.

There’s no way to understate his impact and importance to the university.

While football championships have traditionally led to a spike in applications, Alabama has also been attracting better students and more from out of state. Conversely, it’s helped other coaches recruit as well, and nearly every athlete who just won a ring arrived after Saban landed at the Capstone in 2007.

“We try and contribute any way that we can to the total program at the University of Alabama,” Saban said. “I think that the exposure that they get certainly helps us be successful, and hopefully the exposure that we get certainly helps them.

“In this day and age, the media, press, EPSN, all that is important to being successful.”

It also helps when the only football coach to win three national championships in the BCS era is on campus and occasionally visits other teams.

“I talk a lot with Jay (Seawell). I talk a lot with Mic (Potter), because golf is kind of like a metaphor in life,” Saban said about Alabama’s coaches, and jokes that he likes to get free lessons in return. “You hit a good shot and you have to hit the next one good and re-focus. You hit one in the drink, or the hazard, and you have to re-focus and do it again. That’s a lot like any competitive sport. It’s like a lot like life.

“Focus on the next play. Keep on competing, try and be consistent. Don’t let what happened on the last shot affect the next shot, which is how we try and play with our team as well.”

3) The tornado.

It’s not a coincidence that the four titles came in its wake.

“Absolutely,” gymnastics coach Sarah Patterson said about the tornados impact.

Not only did dealing with overwhelming life-and-death issues and being reminded of them on a daily basis constantly put things into perspective, but caused many Alabama athletes to intensify their efforts.

Yes, they all wanted to win a championship before, but this past year they were also driven to give back, whether it was by volunteering time or bringing home a trophy.

It helped Brooke Pancake make that clutch putt on 18; Jackie Traina notch the final strikeout despite making her sixth start in seven days; men’s golf dominate in the SEC and regional tournaments and be within a hole of its first national championship; Ashley Priess stick the landing off the balance beam to shock Florida again; and the football team destroy LSU 21-0.

So while the Alabama’s 2010-11 academic year will primarily be remembered for how it ended, with devastation and suffering, Patterson pinpointed the word that will be used to describe 2011-12.

“Heart.” 

An emotional roller coaster of a week

What an unbelievable week -- and that's before I caught a really nasty flu bug.

I went from finishing the proofs on the updated edition of "100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die," writing nine stories for a preview magazine the University of Alabama will soon publish, and completing two big projects for BamaOnline, to attending two conferences that were as different as can be and clearly demonstrated the state of our industry. 

As previously mentioned, last Sunday was the Alabama Sports Writers Association's annual gathering, where the mood, to be kind, was pretty morbid. 

Two days later, Advance Publications told 600 employees at the Birmingham News, Huntsville Times, (Mobile) Press-Register and the Times-Picayune in New Orleans, that their services were no longer needed as of Sept. 30. 

Among those let go from the News' sports department were Steve Irvine, Mike Perrin and Doug Segrest -- all really good guys, and here's hoping they land on their feet. At Huntsville, 32 of the 45 newsroom positions were eliminated, including everyone in sports except one person. In New Orleans, 84 of the 200 let go were from the newsroom (which had 169). 

It felt like a death in the family. Even worse is that the prevailing feeling was "Who's next?"

Later in the week was the 247Sports convention, which could only be described as first-rate. Subscriptions are up, expectations are being exceeded and the outlook is very positive. We even took time to do a team-bulding exercise. 

I'm very grateful, but I do wish the same was true for more of the industry. 

Hey look, awards ...

I'm not a big awards guy, but these deserve a little mention -- well, one in particular.

I received them last night from the Alabama Sports Writers Association during the annual awards banquet, which is just about the only time we can get everyone together and talk about the state of our industry. Of note:

1) These will likely be the only ASWA awards ever handed out in an Internet Division, which was a huge step for the very-traditional organization. With some of the state's major papers no longer having printed editions every day beginning in the fall, the division will almost certainly be discarded with all "published" entries allowed, not just "printed"for the various categories.

2) Because this was essentially the first contest we could enter, I believe these are the first writing awards in BamaOnline history.

3) Specially on the awards:

- The game story was for Alabama's win again Auburn last season. Because entries essentially have to be during the calendar year, I get to submit my story from the national championship game for the 2012 contest.
- The one on the right was for the tornado story I did, titled, "Three weeks later ..." (although it was initially announced for the feature I did about the student making Nick Saban's statue). In second place was my column right after the tornado, "Tears for Tuscaloosa."

In honor of of the tornado victims, this one's definitely going up on my wall and is dedicated to their memory.

The changing face of college football

My efforts to post at least once a week hit a recent snag as I was diagnosed with a nasty sinus infection, had a minor medical procedure that drove me nuts for a few days and I've overwhelmed with projects. 


I promise to try and do better -- perhaps posting another column after attending Sunday's Alabama Sports Writers Association convention in Birmingham. 


This appeared on BOL a couple of weeks ago (FYI, the photo is from last year, I took it from my seat in Sewell-Thomas as Chris Stewart was interviewing Gene Stallings on air during a baseball game):

It seems almost fitting that as the rest of the country finally starts to turn its attention to summer with the approaching Memorial Day weekend that the Southeastern Conference and Big 12 decided to make a big splash Friday.


Bear with me a little as I plunge into this analogy.


With the announcement that the two leagues will pair their football champions, or best team not otherwise occupied, against each other in a New Year’s Day bowl game for five years beginning in 2014, they more than made waves.

It’s big news, period. However, as for the eventual ripples we’re all going to have to wait a little to see the extent, both short and long term.

By forming an alliance with the conference it just raided (.. is it the enemy of my enemy is my friend, or the fiend of my enemy … ah, never mid), the SEC has beautifully positioned itself for the expected switch to a four-team playoff that was in danger of being manipulated by a bunch of commissioners that, quite frankly, in many ways have SEC-envy.

Aided by the fact that when you win six-straight national championships it’s good to be the king, the league once again took a pro-active approach.

Might it lead to the demise of the Atlantic Coast Conference as we know it? Did we just take a huge step toward someday having four super conferences (although remember there was talk of Pac-10/Big 12 merger just two years ago)? To use a Talladega reference, was this the “Big One” that we’ve been sensing and expecting?

Perhaps, but first and foremost remember that the new bowl is primarily about the same thing that has driven all the major changes in college football over the past 30 years, money.

It goes back to a lawsuit in 1984, the NCAA v. Board of Regents of University of Oklahoma and Georgia Athletic Association. Simply, put, the Supreme Court was asked by the NCAA to overturn rulings that said the parent organization couldn’t limit the number of televised football games. The litigation had been triggered by the NCAA’s response by the College Football Association, an organization of the more dominant football-playing schools and conferences, to develop an independent television plan.

At the time, cable television was still a relatively new concept, with fans having very few options each weekend.

The Supreme Court ruled that the NCAA was essentially regulating free trade, performing illegal price fixing and “restricted rather than enhanced the place of intercollegiate athletics in the Nation’s life.” In the process, the court also rejected the NCAA’s arguments that widespread broadcasts could curtail live attendance and that competition on the airwaves would be bad for the game.

The same year as the Supreme Court’s ruling, No. 6 Ohio State played No. 18 Southern California in Pasadena, while the national championship came down to whether or not surprise No. 1 Brigham Young could defeat unranked Michigan in the Holiday Bowl (it did, 24-17).

The wheels that were set in motion are still spinning. The first of the big independents to join a conference was Penn State with the Big Ten in 1990. Roy Kramer, and others, realized that the 10-school SEC could take advantage of a loophole in NCAA rules to create an extra revenue-enhancing championship game, but in order to do so needed a minimum of at least 12 teams. South Carolina and Arkansas jumped at the chance, while the troubled Southwest Conference – which had a membership that included just two states -- fell apart.

“I personally was concerned that [Texas] A&M and Texas would leave and not include us,” Arkansas’ Frank Broyles said at the time, when the SEC was interested in a package deal that never materialized.

Accelerating matters was the SEC signing a landmark five-year, $85 million deal with CBS. Days later, the ACC signed an $80 million deal with ABC and ESPN, and CBS quickly added the Big East, which formed in 1991, for $75 million, including basketball games.

Florida State signed on with the ACC and Miami with the Big East (but later jumped to the ACC with Boston College and Virginia Tech). The Big Eight evolved into the Big 12, Notre Dame signed an exclusive deal with NBC, and the revolving door has kept going.

But college football had another lingering problem, the national championship, and again the sport was led by its pursuit of profits. Over the previous 29 years, there had only been eight bowl games matching teams ranked first and second, with growing concern that Congress might soon intervene should some sort of playoff system not be implemented.

One of the fathers, if not the father, of the Bowl Championships Series was ACC executive Tim Mickle, who supposedly one day started scribbling down ideas for a new bowl format on a restaurant napkin. It grew into rotating a championship game between the major bowls.

“Maybe I should have kept it to myself,” Mickle told writer John Feinstein years later, after NCAA presidents used the BCS as a preemptive strike and excuse for not creating a playoff, thus strengthening their grip on football revenues and bowl payouts.

That’s the real reason why there hasn’t been a playoff until now, to keep the money where it is and from being distributed to all schools participating in football, not just those in the BCS.

With this latest move, though, the SEC and Big 12 have their own version of the Rose Bowl, and not only is there the potential to basically auction the game off to the highest bidders for game locations and broadcast rights, but it also gives both conferences a major chip in the negotiations over the four-team playoff and more.

Long story short, the SEC-Big 12 bowl agreement isn’t the first splash, or necessarily the biggest in this long process, but another cannonball dropped squarely on college football’s power struggle – with most of the those involved not really caring about how deep or rough the waters may be, just that they keep swimming where the color remains green.