Thursday, October 23, 2014

Yeah, I'm crazy ...

So I haven't posted much lately not because there isn't anything new (FYI, I keep hearing that the book is doing really well), but because I downloaded new software that was supposed to make my computer even better, only one of the side issues is that it says that I have no access to my own blog. 

Those of you who have met me know that this is exactly the kind of thing that drives me nuts. So I got out my old computer to post this ... 

Anyway, I have two book signings coming up:

1) As previously mentioned I'll be at the Preview Gala for Mobile's Christmas Jubilee on Nov. 12 -- and I'm skipping work that day to do it so please don't tell my boss. 

2) I'll be at Barnes & Noble in Tuscaloosa on Black Friday at 11 a.m. For all you early-morning shoppers when you need some coffee come on through and we'll set you up for the college football fans in your life. 

Get ready for the stretch run of the season everyone because it's going to be quite a ride. 

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

'They treat the writers like cow dung'

There's not much new with the book, at least that I know of, but it seems to be doing well. I've seen it for sale on the Walmart website, walked into a Barnes & Noble in Florida and found copies, and we're offering it in four different formats (trade paper, EPUB, Mobipocket and PDF) on the Triumph Books website

By the way, the B&N in Tuscaloosa has more than 50 copies. 

What got my attention this week was something on the journalism front from former Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan, who has a new book out: Scribe: My Life in Sports. 

I still have to figure out a way to get an autographed copy, but check out two things Bob said during a recent interview for USA Today:

On the teams’ treatment of sports journalists: “As far as writing, it’s very annoying what they’ve done to us. They treat the writers like cow dung. They care not one lick about the print press. They are so close to charging us to get in that it’s frightening. That’s a whole other matter. …They care about television. That’s it. Everything else is a bother.”

What he’d do if he were coming out of college today: “I wouldn’t want to be a beat writer. … I don’t think that’s an enjoyable way to make a living any longer. The lack of access is totally frustrating, and the conditions that I just described about how you’re treated like a total afterthought, who needs that? … What I would probably do — as much as I love to write, and I did and I do — I’d want to get into sports on the other side. I’d want to work for a team or a league and work my way through that rather than being involved in the coverage knowing what I know about what that’s like now.”

I've actually talked to Bob about some of this and I can pretty much guarantee that just about everyone in the business feels the same way. I've long said that the only way I can suggest this as a profession any more is if you can't not to do, which is sad.  

Monday, September 22, 2014

What do I have in common with U2?

In addition to Kindle and Nook, Nick Saban vs. College Football is also available on iTunes.

Considering that the book was written on an Apple Macbook Air it seems only fitting. 

From Apple: "This book is available for download with iBooks on your Mac or iOS device, and with iTunes on your computer. Books can be read with iBooks on your Mac or iOS device."

Specifically: "To view this book, you must have an iOS device with iBooks 1.3.1 or later and iOS 4.3.3 or later, or a Mac with iBooks 1.0 or later and OS X 10.9 or later."

The price is $9.99. I couldn't help but notice that 100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know & Do Before they Die is also available, but for some reason it's $11.99, and the Triviology books (Packers, Steelers and Cowboys, oh my!) can also be download. 

By the way, if you buy the book they'll throw in a free copy U2's new album: Songs Of Innocence, which is a really good album to listen to while reading. 

Sunday, September 21, 2014

A little nook action ...

I'm happy to announce that Nick Saban vs. College Football is now available on Nook.

It's already available on Kindle, but if you're a big Barnes and Noble fan here's the website link.

I also have to wonder, how is it that some websites were offering used copies of the book before it was even released? Yeah, I don't get it either.

A quick note of thanks ...

I've done so many signings over the years at the Bryant Museum that at this point it's more like visiting old friends than being part of a promotion. This time I even got a cup of coffee out of it right after this photo was taken. 

Thanks to everyone at the Museum and Supe Store, I greatly appreciate everything you did for me. For those who couldn't make it I left behind a number of signed copies that will remain on sale. Just think, the holidays will be here before you know it ... 

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Dagnumit!

So when I was asked about doing a book signing for the Alabama Supply Store before Saturday's game I made a point to request to have it at the Bryant Museum.

My thinking was this, I signed books in the store's tent on the Quad last week (which went really well) and in case the weather isn't the greatest I wouldn't have anything to worry about. I'll be there from 10 a.m. to noon and then head over to Bryant-Denny Stadium for a full day of covering the game.

Well I've since found out who is signing books on the Quad prior to Florida at Alabama:

Lars Anderson, The Storm and the Tide, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Bobby Bowden, The Wisdom of Faith, from noon to 1:30 p.m.
Howard Schnellenberger, Passing the Torch, from 9 a.m. to 11 a..m.

.... and they're just the ones I've heard about. There could be more.

Regardless, I'd like to encourage everyone to come out and check out all the books and meet the authors as this is literally a once-in-a-lifetime lineup -- and obviously not because of me.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Both a plug and a recommendation ...

I don't read a whole lot of sports books because I firmly believe that being a well-rounded reader makes you a better writer, but I just got done with Fourth Down in Dunbar. 

Before I describe why you should definitely go out of your way to check it out, a little background. I know the author, David Dorsey, and we used to work together at the Fort Myers News-Press. Many of the people profiled in the book I covered my first few years as a sportswriter, like Jammi German, Jevon Kearse, Anthony Henry, Phillip Buchanon and Earnest Graham. A couple others, including Najeh Davenport and Terrence Cody I crossed paths with later while covering NFL and college teams.

One of the first lessons you learn as a reporter is to try and be as objective as possible, but I couldn't help but quietly root for the kids from Dunbar because of how tough that area was and almost none of them had fathers in their lives.

One day in particular brought home the point. It was in January 1995, Deion Sanders was about to play in Super Bowl XXIX and the newspaper was going to have a series called "A Daily Dose of Deion." I was given a dual weekend assignment: Do a story on former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson giving a speech to cancer survivors -- he had gone through a bout with prostate cancer -- and then drive out to the neighborhood where Sanders grew up and see if I could find people to comment on his playing in a Super Bowl.

Dawson couldn't have been nicer so I was in a really good mood when I headed out to Dunbar, just down the street from the newspaper office. I had the address of where Sanders had grown up, but this was before GPS, so when I got to Henderson Avenue I didn't know which way to turn off Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. I went right, which was the wrong way.

Two blocks up the road I saw a large crowd of people gathered and thought I would simply ask for directions. However, when I got close I saw what they were watching, a dog fight. I hit the accelerator but the street was a dead end and there was only one way out. That's when I started to get nervous. Sure enough, when I turned around and went back I had things thrown at me and a few people chased my car, but nothing else.

This is an important book and David did a terrific job. It's the perfect documentation of a talent-rich community that seems to be in a never-ending circle of drugs, violence and poverty, and of how the choices kids make can affect their whole lives. I highly recommend it for football fans, counselors, youth coaches, counselors, parents and athletes everywhere.

It can be ordered on Amazon. 


Monday, September 15, 2014

Another successful book signing and another planned for this week ...

Despite falling under the weather about halfway through my session before the Southern Miss at Alabama game, we had a very successful signing in the Supe Store tent on on the Quad.

For those of you who don't know, the Quad is the main tailgating area and heart of the Alabama campus, and the Supe Store is short for the campus Supply Store.

Pretty much all of those books in front of me in this picture were gone before I departed, which considering that most of the people were heading to Bryant-Denny Stadium and had to carry them until after the game -- to me that's another really good sign.

Thank you everyone who purchased a book and to everyone from the Supe Store who contributed. We have another signing scheduled for Saturday before Florida at Alabama, 10 a.m. to noon at the Bryant Museum. Stop by and say hi!

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Electronic versions of "Nick Saban vs College Football"

Just a quick note, there's no official announcement here but I've noticed that Nick Saban vs. College Football is now available on Kindle. So if you're more into electronic books here's the link on Amazon.com.

For you Barnes & Noble fans, it's not on Nook yet, but it should be soon as most of my recent books are available.

Also, here's the link for ebooks.

Thanks.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

A signing later this week, and details on a big-time event in Mobile


Ok, some big news on the signing front:

As I previously mentioned I'll be doing signings before this Saturday's game against Southern Miss (12:30-2:30 p.m. in the Sup Store tent on the Quad), and next week's game against Florida. I've also agreed to do a couple of signings down the road, but the details have yet to be worked out.

Here's the one I mentioned before that will hopefully cause my signing hand to cramp up: The Christmas Jubilee 2014 -- Mobile's largest holiday shopping market and Junior League fundraising event.

I'll be signing on the first night during the Preview Gala, Nov. 12 from 7-10 p.m. Tickets are $50 and it's a 21-and-over event as there will be an open bar, silent auction, food and live music by 4 Barrel Funk. 

Please come by and say hello. 

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Huge thanks to everyone who swung by ...

I just want to thank everyone who came by for Monday's launch party at The Alcove in Tuscaloosa. We had a good turnout, sold a bunch of books and had a little fun. 

That's all despite it being unbelievably hot outside. The temperature was in the 90s, the dew point was in the 70s, and in the blazing sun you sure felt it. I know it's nothing new this time of year in Alabama, but I sure can't wait until it cools off a little. 

My friend David Dupree took the photo to show off what he got today. We also gave out some Saturday Down South t-shirts. 

Special thanks to everyone at The Alcove for letting us hold the event there, Mary from Barnes & Noble for selling the books, Drew Roberts for letting us give out SDS gear and my wife Megan for helping set everything up. 

Monday, September 8, 2014

This was a nice surprise ...

Ross Atkin from the Christian Science Monitor made up a list of seven books that football fans (pro and college) should check out this season and Nick Saban vs. College Football was No. 5. It was definitely a thinking-person's sort of list as well, which has me even more excited. Thank you CSM, which has always been a terrific publication.

Here's the description and link:

Football books: from the Seattle Seahawks to Nick Saban
The first wave of football books of 2014 are a mix of memoir, history, and gridiron venting. The subject matter ranges from the Seahawks Super Bowl championship to a Pennsylvania high school team that lifted a small town’s spirits during a long-running 1959 labor dispute. Here are some of the best works with notable excerpts from each.

I consider this a very good omen for tonight's launch party at The Alcove in Tuscaloosa.

Monday, September 1, 2014

"Nick Saban vs. College Football" is officially released out into the wild ...

Even though you might have already seen Nick Saban vs. College Football out in bookstores, today is the official release date. Hooray!

Yes, Labor Day, which is kind of fitting how hard I worked on it (ok, cliche, but it was a long weekend with the season opener and I'm just not at my best today. Maybe more coffee will  help).

Anyway, some of the events we have coming up include:

- The launch party will be next Monday, Sept. 8, 5-8 p.m. at Alcove International Tavern in Tuscaloosa. The address is 730 22nd Ave. Barnes & Noble will be there selling copies and Saturday Down South will be represented as well. Here's the public invitation on Facebook.

-  I'll be signing copies of the book in the Sup Store's tent on the Quad prior to Alabama's home game against Southern Miss on Sept. 13. I'll be out there from 12:30-2:30, with kickoff scheduled for 5 p.m.

- A week later I'll be signing books again before the Florida game although the time and place have yet to be determined (kickoff time will be announced two weeks beforehand). Between you and me I'm hoping for the Bryant Museum.

- Alabama fans in the Mobile area, I'll be doing a Preview Gala on Nov. 12. Details have yet to be announced, but I've been told to expect a lot of people.

Hope to see a lot of you all one of these events. Thanks!

Thursday, August 21, 2014

We're having a party and you're all invited ...

I'm excited to let you all know that we're having a launch party for Nick Saban vs. College Football at the Alcove International Tavern in Tuscaloosa. 

Although the book's official release date is Sept. 1, that's Labor Day, so we're waiting a week and having it it Monday, Sept. 8, beginning at 5 p.m. Barnes and Noble will be there to sell copies, which I'll be happy to sign, and Saturday Down South will have a presence as well.

For those of you who have not been to Alcove and are GPS-minded, the address is 730 22nd Ave., Tuscaloosa, AL 35401. The formal signing will be until 7 or so.


Monday, August 11, 2014

I spy with my little eye ...

... a copy of Nick Saban vs. College Football on the NFL Network.

That's Ian Rapoport, who used to cover the Crimson Tide for the Birmingham News, who is now a big-shot reporter for the NFL Network. That's the book underneath the football on the right side of the screen (stage left for him if you know that term).

For those wondering that's actually from Ian's home as the various reporters regularly do segments from wherever they're based. That's why you see a Mississippi State cowbell (for his wife), a Columbia bobble head (where he graduated), and a hockey puck. Ok, I have no idea on the puck, but I'm a huge hockey guy so big thumbs up.

Thank you! (Photo credit Ian Rapoport, follow him on @RapSheet, everyone be nice and say hello to the Banktress, and brought to you by the campaign for IanIsAwesome.com).

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

First signing in the books

A huge thank you to everyone at the Alabama Booksmith for today's signing and to those who came by including Jonathan Harder and Carla Jean Whitley (author of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio: How the Swampers Changed American Music). It was 100 degrees out, school started today in the Birmingham area and the interstate was in total shutdown-gridlock mode, but we were still very pleased how things turned out.

The book seems to be off to a great start even tough the official release date is September 1.

The Alabama Booksmith only sells autographed books and I think I put my name in about 50 extra for the store, but promised that when they run out I'll be happy to come by and do so again. If you you've never been to the store, you're missing out. Make sure to meet Jake and try and get him to tell some stories.



Wednesday, July 30, 2014

It wasn't by design, but I ended up doing a media blitz this week

Huge thanks to News 13 Birmingham for having me on "Alabama Tonight" on Wednesday. Everyone was super nice and they did a great job making sure the book was behind me on the screen when I talked (see - they're good) -- Here's the link if you want to check it out:

Also, they're doing a profile on Saturday Down South  on Friday (6:30 p.m.).

Meanwhile, I made the rounds Monday-Wednesday after receiving numerous appearance requests. I think this is in order of appearance:

Paul Finebaum Show (guest host Tony Barhart)

The Game with Ryan Fowler on 99.1 FM in Tuscaloosa

The Opening Drive on Jox 94.5 FM in Birmingham

The Chris Stewart Show on 991.1 FM in Tuscaloosa

TiderInsider on WVUA-TV in Tuscaloosa

The Thom Abraham Show on SportsRadio 730 the Ump in Huntsville

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it.







Sunday, July 27, 2014

The book is out!

So I had to do a little traveling late last week and while I was away my wife saw the above display at Barnes & Noble in Tuscaloosa. I finally got a chance to swing by today and they had 26 copies, which makes me think some have already been sold.

Note: The books are not in sports, but the Alabama section along the front row, basically between the Starbucks and new releases (see below photo).

Meanwhile, it's going to be a busy week with the Crimson Tide reporting for training camp. I'll also be making a pair of TV appearances:

Tuesday: "TiderInsider," WVUA-TV in Tuscaloosa, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday: "Alabama Tonight," NBC-13 in Birmingham, 6:30 p.m.

... and away we go!



Monday, July 21, 2014

The first book signing is set

Ok, this I'm just flat-out excited about.

We'll be launching the book with a signing at the Alabama Booksmith in Birmingham, on August 6th. That's a Wednesday, and I'll have to double-check the time but I think it's set for 4 p.m.

The store should post all the necessary information during the next couple of days: 2626 19th Place South Birmingham, AL 35209; Tel: (205)870-4242; booksmith@mindspring.com

For those who don't know I'm a huge fan of this store and last year joined its Signed First Editions Club. It was one of the smartest things I've ever done. I'm honored that they want to host this event and I hope a lot of you will swing by.

[Update: The time is set for 4 p.m. Here's the link for more information]


Sunday, July 20, 2014

Plugging away ...

I got a couple of nice mentions/plugs over the weekend including a writeup in The Fifth Down, the online newsletter of the Football Writers Association of America. Here's the link If you want to check out "Walsh has a new book out Saban," which was also emailed to the entire membership.

So a big thank you for that.

Also, the Associated Press Sports Editors sent out a tweet that I had a new job with Saturday Down South. I won a couple of APSE awards last year after online services were allowed to apply for membership, and I think I can safely say that SDS will be looking to join in 2015.

Friday, July 18, 2014

Real men wear black ...

Somehow I survived the first four-day SEC Media Days, which was crazy as usual but in a whole new way for me.

This week was my first with Saturday Down South, and it couldn't have been more fun. I might have learned more about promoting than from the first 24 years of my career combined. The object was to make a big splash and we did that and whole lot more. Our brand was everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Now I just have to hold up my end and write some good stories for SDS.

BTW, if you want to see some of what we did, including sit-down interviews with numerous prominent people including commissioner Mike Slive, and Stephen Garcia helmet cam, check out the site. I guess you could call it my debut as a TV broadcaster.

In addition to all that the book was a huge hit as well. Triumph Books did up some nice fliers that I handed out on radio row, which led to numerous interviews. I'll also be appearing on NBC 13's Alabama Tonight on July 30th at 6:30 p.m.

The first book signing is set for Aug. 6th, but I'm waiting for the store to make the announcement. Let's just say I'm very excited about where it will be.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

The Walsh book collection ...

Ok, I'll have an announcement in the very news future, but in the meantime ...

They're here!

This is what was waiting for me when I got home today. Getting the first copies of your new book never gets old.

Just to answer a couple of questions preemptively:

1) Yes, it looks as good as I had hoped. The folks at Triumph Books did a fantastic job.
2) It should start appearing in stores at any time, but if you can't wait copies can be pre-ordered on the websites of many major bookstores;
3) I'll be donating a bunch of these copies to the Nick's Kids Foundation, so you might want to keep an eye out during upcoming charity events.

We've tentatively scheduled a special signing session to help launch the book in early August. Hopefully I'll be able to post details soon.

QUICK UPDATE: I've been told that the books are scheduled to ship out to distributors on Friday, July 11 (which is tomorrow as I type this).

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Before we look forward, a quick look back ...

As I hinted before I have something in the works that I should have finalized very soon, and let's just say that I'm extremely excited about the potential.

In the meantime, I've already posted my last free-lance story for Bleacher Report. For those who don't know B/R quickly offered me a position after my contract expired with BamaOnline on March 1, and I only have good things to say about the experience. Hopefully the people there feel the same way.

Here are results of some reader polls with my Bleacher Report stories ...

Who is the most overpaid coach in college football? Bielema 39.2 percent, Hoke 18.0, Other 11.1, Ferentz 9.5
Is Alabama's defense on the decline? No 76.9 percent, too early to tell 16.3
At which position is Alabama most set? RBs 62.5 percent, DL 15.3, LBs 10.6, WRs 10.3
If you could pick an all-time coach to face Saban for a title, who would it be? Bryant 72.7 percent, Bowden 6.8
If you could pick an active coach to face Saban for a title, who would it be? Fisher 27.4 percent, Malzahn 18.6
Which team would you like to see Alabama schedule a game against? Ohio St 33.3 percent, Oregon 28.3, OU 11.3
Which of Alabama's 5-star additions in 2013 will have best 2014 season? Henry 61.8 percent, A.Robinson 13.6
Which Alabama draft result was most surprising? McCarron 38.5 percent, Sunseri 17.3, Hubbard 17.0
How many games will Alabama win in 2014? 15 44.4 percent, 14 16.5, 12 10.5, 13 9.6.
Who has been Alabama's best first-round selection during Saban era (2007-2013)? Julio Jones 87.4 percent
Which team should be preseason No. 1? FSU 73.2 percent, Alabama 12.9, Auburn 7.3, OU 4.3, Oregon 2.3
Who will be Alabama's starting QB for season opener against West Virginia? (Asked before A-Day) Coker 47.5 percent, Sims 39.2
Who will be Alabama's starting quarterback? (Asked after A-Day) Coker 83.3 percent, Sims 10.7.
Who will lead the Crimson Tide in tackles this season? DePriest 44.7 percent, Collins 30.0, Foster 19.4
Who will lead the Crimson Tide in rushing in 2014? Henry 60.9 percent, Yeldon 34.0

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Not to drop a hint, but ...

... or maybe early July.

Either way, watch this space.

Monday, June 23, 2014

NFL.com names Nick Saban college football's best coach

I love indirect book plugs.

Bryan Fisher of NFL.com put together his list of the best college football coaches and not surprisingly it was topped by Nick Saban.

He wrote: "Not much needs to be said about Saban, who rightfully earns the title of the highest-paid coach in college thanks to his 79-15 record over the past seven years with the Crimson Tide. He has four national titles to his name, and although he had a rocky first year in Tuscaloosa and a few questionable losses, he's turned Alabama into an NFL factory that has been to BCS games five of the last six seasons."

His list:
1. Nick Saban, Alabama
2. Chris Petersen, Washington
3. Urban Meyer, Ohio State
4. David Shaw, Stanford
5. Bill Snyder, Kansas State
6. Art Briles, Baylor
7. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
8. Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
9. Gary Patterson, TCU
10. David Cutcliffe, Duke
11. Steve Spurrier, South Carolina
12. Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
13. Jimbo Fisher, Florida State
14. Mike Riley, Oregon State

Thursday, June 12, 2014

The final version of the book cover ...

At last, here it is.

The final changes were to add Tony Barnhart's name (huge thanks to him for doing the foreword), and to take Joe Paterno's name off the list of coaches with their names scratched off. I pushed for that because Nick Saban had a ton of respect for him and Paterno's name was right at eye level (see older version to right). Besides, history will have a role to play regarding his legacy.

There were some other things we talked about, like if we changed any names the ones added should be from the south or west, and that's pretty much how Steve Spurrier was added. The back cover has a nice picture of Saban holding a crystal football, and my bio.

Jeff Fedotin, who had the difficult task of editing the book, told me he thinks the cover looks awesome. I couldn't agree more.

We should all start seeing it in stores in about two months.

Sunday, June 8, 2014

I don't think I've been the subject of an Associated Press story before ...


Walsh wins top ASWA writing award

TROY, ALA. — Christopher Walsh received the Alabama Sports Writers Association's highest writing award at the association's 43rd annual convention Sunday.

Walsh, who won two awards at this year's convention for his work with 247Sports, won the Herby Kirby Award for his story "Their place in history: A look at Alabama's, Nick Saban's and AJ McCarron's place in college football lore." The story also won Best Enterprise Story.

The award was 247Sports' first overall Herby Kirby Award and the second for Walsh.

The Herby Kirby Award is given in memory of longtime Birmingham Post-Herald sports writer Herby Kirby, who died in the press box after covering Notre Dame's 24-23 national football championship win over Alabama in the 1973 Sugar Bowl.


... Credit John Zenor from the Associated Press for that story. 

First off, I'm honored, humbled and truly thrilled. I want to thank everyone not only in the ASWA, but also BamaOnline and 247Sports

In order to be up for the Herby Kirby one has to place first in a category (best football story, investigative piece, etc.). I finished second to Mike Szvetitz of The Opelika-Auburn News in column writing, a category I couldn't enter last year because online was considered a separate division. 

So this was the first time an online submission/site won the HK, and I'm pretty sure I'm the first multiple winner from different news organizations (which is kind of fitting since Saban was the first coach in the modern era to win national championships with two different schools). 

One thing I was sad about at the banquet was when legendary Huntsville Times journalist John Pruett asked for previous winners of the Herby Kirby to be recognized, only two other people in the room stood. So I want to dedicate this to the other former winners and all of my other colleagues over the years who are no longer in the industry. You are missed my friends. 

P.S. A special shout-out to my former associates at the Tuscaloosa News. After cleaning house at the recent Associated Press Sports Editors awards the staff took home a convention-high seven honors to cap an outstanding year. Congrats. 

Saturday, May 31, 2014

We can already project a winner in one of the races ...



The polls have been posted for about 24 hours, and in the all-time category it's all Paul W. "Bear" Bryant, with 73.7 percent of the vote. Bobby Bowden is second with 6 percent, Tom Osborne is second at 5.9, and "other" is fourth.

The more interesting results are in the active category, and here's the link:

Through June 3, 1,462 votes so far:
Jimbo Fisher 27.6 percent
Gus Malzahn 18.6
Steve Spurrier 17.5
Urban Meyer 16.0
Les Miles 8.6
Bob Stoops 6.6
Other 5.1

Friday, May 30, 2014

VERY interesting reader polls

Ok, I'm really curious to see how this goes.

For a Bleacher Report story I did about how Nick Saban is still the best big-game coach in college football (how easily some people forget the national championship games, you know?) I did two reader polls that I think are going to be very interesting.

If you could pick an active coach to match up against Saban in a title game, who would it be?
If you could pick any coach in college football history to face Saban in a title game, who would it be?

I know people are going to complain about not including more coaches in the voting, but someone needs to do a computer simulation of Saban's best team against Paul W. "Bear" Bryant's.

Here's the link. I'll post the results here in a few days.


Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Yes, Nick Saban does slow down ... a little

We've reached that point of the year when what I call the "Annual Nick Saban World Tour" is about to come to an end, as the coach has next week's SEC Meetings in Destin, Fla., followed by his Nick's Kids Charity Golf Tournament on June 5th before sort of disappearing from the public landscape for a while.

Yes, Nick Saban does take vacations. Miss Terry makes sure of that.

So far the highlights have been Saban making a $50,000 donation to the V Foundation for cancer research at the Dick Vitale Gala, and telling a Nashville reporter to "kiss my ass" when asked about a former West Virginia player saying he was offered a car to attend Alabama before he was hired. It's hard to tell which one of those Alabama fans were prouder about.

Anyway, two things of note:

1) After seeing Saban yesterday at this year's final Crimson Caravan event (and yes, he looks ready for a vacation), I wrote this column about how he's hoping for change when it comes to the growing number of underclassmen in the NFL Draft http://ow.ly/x6JlG.

2) The book is in the final stages of production, with a deadline of June 6th for completion. Then it's off to the printer.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Updating Saban's impressive draft numbers

One of the problems to writing a football book that uses a lot of statistics about an active coach is knowing where to draw the line. Otherwise, you'll never stop updating the numbers. 

For Nick Saban vs. College Football, the decision was made to stop before the 2014 NFL Draft, which makes things a little statistically unbalanced (you'll see what I mean when it comes out), but we needed to get the thing to the printer. 

So, here's update some things I researched myself, and used in a recent Bleacher Report article to preview the draft:  

1) Saban now has the most first-round draft picks by an active coach. It was previously Mack Brown, who has stepped down at Texas. With two this year, Saban is up to 21.

2) Saban has the highest career average of first-round selections by any active coach. It was Les Miles with a career average of 1.17, compared to Saban’s 1.12 (which doesn't include at least six LSU players credit to Miles who Saban recruited). 

After Odell Beckham was first-round selection, Miles has 15 in 14 years, for a 1.07 average. But with his two picks this year Saban's career average is up to 1.17.

3) Saban has had the most first-round selections of any Alabama coach. He's had 16 with the Crimson Tide while Paul W. “Bear” Bryant had 14.

4) Saban's average of 2.3 first-round draft picks at Alabama is unparalleled in college football history. 

5) Saban moved into the top five for all-time first-round selections. At his current pace at Alabama, he'll catch Joe Paterno's 33 during the 2018 draft.

Nick Saban vs. College Football is due out in August. 

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Great minds think alike.


How's this for an indirect tie-in for the book?

Every year Matt Hayes of The Sporting News (we like him, he's a good guy), ranks all the coaches in college football, and for the fourth straight year he has Nick Saban at No. 1, while bumping Steve Spurrier up to second.

As ESPN's Chris Low (another good guy) put it, "I can't say that I would disagree with him."

Here are his top 10 with the link to the story:
1. Nick Saban, Alabama
2. Steve Spurrier, South Carolina
3. Urban Meyer, Ohio State
4. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
5. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
6. Chris Petersen, Washington
7. David Shaw, Stanford
8. Les Miles, LSU
9. Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
10. Jimbo Fisher, Florida State

BTW, the photo is of Saban's plaque in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, which I recently visited in Birmingham. Link

Friday, May 2, 2014

Finally!

I'm happy to announce the book proofs for Nick Saban vs. College Football are finished and have been returned to my publisher for final changes.

Funny, after going through all that the last thing I want to do is look at anything that has to do with this project, yet in about two months I'll be very eager to see the final product. Go figure.

One quick note, were were thinking about having a last-second update to include everything from the upcoming NFL Draft, but decided against it. I guess you have to draw the line somewhere.

Time to celebrate ...

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Once more into the breach ...

It's sort of a hectic week as I'm putting the final touches on the stories I'm doing for Alabama's A-Day game program (some good stuff if I do say so myself -- at least I like them), and doing my usual responsibilities that keep me busy.

A-Day is April 19th at Bryant-Denny Stadium, and I'll be covering it for the Associated Press.

On top of that, though, I just received word that the final proofs of the book are on the way, so this will be my first chance to see the whole thing put together. I must admit, I'm eager to check it out.

So that will be keeping me busy for the rest of the month, and then I'm posed to jump into another project. But I'll post something about how the manuscript looks when it arrives and I start compiling the last changes.

Friday, March 28, 2014

Pre-orders now being accepted for Saban book

I found out late last night that pre-orders of Nick Saban vs. College Football are now being taken on both Amazon.com and the Barnes and Noble websites.

Here are the links:

Amazon.com

... and ....

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nick-saban-vs-college-football-christopher-walsh/1118877596?ean=9781600789120

As I recently posted on here I'll be taking a look at the final proofs in the very near future, and will continue to post updates.

In the meantime, here's the book description:

Overview

When coach Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2007, he boldly proclaimed “We want to be a champion in everything that we do.” Since that time, Alabama has won three national championships and become the nation’s number one destination for recruits and the top source of NFL talent while simultaneously graduating its players. No other program has won more games, captured more awards, or come close to approaching the kind of consistent success as the Crimson Tide. In Nick Saban vs. College Football, author Christopher Walsh not only explains what separates Saban from his peers and compares his accomplishments to some of the all-time legends, but tells why, if there were a Mount Rushmore of college football coaches, Saban’s face would already be on it. From his upbringing in West Virginia to his relationship with legendary coach Bill Belichick, “the process” has not only led to Saban having a statue along Alabama’s “Walk of Champions” in front of Bryant-Denny Stadium, but the establishment of a new standard that may be unparalleled in college football history

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Seems like I'm just about everywhere ...


I've been getting a lot of question about what I'm up to these days and the answer is a little bit of everything. Among them:

-- Today I was the guest host on The Chris Stewart Show on Tide 99.1 FM here in Tuscaloosa and enjoyed it immensely. Friday morning I'll be a guest co-host with Baron Huber on Houston and Huber on the same station. http://tide991.com

-- During the show I unveiled this year's Walsh college football program rankings, which for years I had used as a buildup to SEC Media Days. It's on my database site: http://www.ultimatefd.com/walsh-program-rankings/

-- I've been working on some Crimson Tide track features, including profiles on Imari Brown (http://www.rolltide.com/sports/c-xctrack/alab-c-xctrack-body.html) and Alexis Paine (http://www.rolltide.com/sports/c-xctrack/spec-rel/031014aaa.html). There are more in the works.

-- I'll also be writing a number of columns on Alabama football, with the first being on Amari Cooper: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2005627-even-with-impressive-numbers-crimson-tide-receiver-cooper-still-underrated

-- Meanwhile, I'm getting eager to see proofs of Nick Saban vs. College Football, which is due out this summer, and I also have a couple of other projects in the works and not just as a free-lancer.

Never a dull moment, huh?


Saturday, March 15, 2014

My first look at the book cover ...

For the most part, I think it looks great. I'm going to try and get a couple of things changed, but that's a cover that will jump out in a bookstore.

Here's the writeup on the Triumph Books website:

When coach Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2007, he boldly proclaimed "We want to be a champion in everything that we do." Since that time, Alabama has won three national championships and become the nation's number one destination for recruits and the top source of NFL talent while simultaneously graduating its players. No other program has won more games, captured more awards, or come close to approaching the kind of consistent success as the Crimson Tide. In Nick Saban vs. College Football, author Christopher Walsh not only explains what separates Saban from his peers and compares his accomplishments to some of the all-time legends, but tells why, if there were a Mount Rushmore of college football coaches, Saban's face would already be on it. From his upbringing in West Virginia to his relationship with legendary coach Bill Belichick, "the process" has not only led to Saban having a statue along Alabama's "Walk of Champions" in front of Bryant-Denny Stadium, but the establishment of a new standard that may be unparalleled in college football history.

Link: http://www.triumphbooks.com/nick-saban-vs--college-football-products-9781600789120.php?page_id=21

Friday, March 7, 2014

Some news and notes ….

So it's Day 3 since my contract with my former employers expired and while I'd love to tell you all how much I'm enjoying some down time, I've actually been doing free-lance work.

I'm not concerned though, because I have a whole lot of nothing scheduled for the next few days.

While you'll all see one one of the free-lance stories very soon, and I will provide a link here, I also had the honor of doing a peer review of a book that's in the works. I'll wait until it gets published to post specifics, but will give everyone a big heads up because it'll be a must-read for serious college football fans.

In the meantime, I am proud to announce a pair of awards. This year the Associated Press Sports Editors, which is the organization when it comes to newspaper sports journalism, decided to allow on-line publications to apply for membership, and BamaOnline was one of seven approved by the membership.

My hope was to help out with the judging this past week in Indianapolis, but unfortunately that didn't work out. I did, though, land top-10 finishes in two categories, projects and beat writer. The project was the elaborate 15-part "Their place in history" series from last summer, and the beat writing required five stories to be submitted (from me it was a game story, feature, explanatory story, project and a think the fifth was a column).

First through fifth places will be announced in the coming days, but if that's how I go out as a beat writer I'm pretty happy with that.

Under 30,000 circulation division
Beat writing
Dustin Dopirak, The Herald-Times (Bloomington, Ind.)
Stephen Fastenau, The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette
Ben Frederickson, Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune
Tom Green, Opelika-Auburn News
Brendan Meyer, Columbia Missourian
Brad Elliott Schlossman, Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald
David Sparks, Daily News Journal (Tenn.)
Aaron Suttles, The Tuscaloosa News
Mike Vorel, Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune
Christopher Walsh, BamaOnline

Projects
BamaOnline: Christopher Walsh
Daily Chronicle (DeKalb, Ill.): Ross Jacobson, Steve Nitz, John Sahly, Kate Schott
Denton (Texas) Record-Chronicle: Ben Baby
Kitsap Sun: Jeff Graham
St. Cloud (Minn.) Times: Mick Hatten
Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine): Kalle Oakes
The Tuscaloosa News: Zackary Al-Khateeb, Andrew Carroll, Tommy Deas, Jamon Smith
Times-News (Twin Falls, Idaho): Nick Ruland
Wyoming Tribune-Eagle: Jeremiah Johnke
Yakima (Wash.) Herald Republic: Scott Sandsberry, Dave Thomas, Roger Underwood

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Time's up … and time for me to move on to the rest of my life

So now that my days are officially up with BamaOnline and 247Sports, a lot of you have been asking what's next in my life, and unfortunately I'm here to tell you that I can't tell you yet.

I think I know what's going to happen, but have to let it all play out a little. My best guess at this point is that will involve a three-pronged approach, all with very different things, of which everyone already knows one:

1) TBA
2) TBA
3) Nick Saban vs. College Football will be coming to an Internet/bookstore near you in July. I should be receiving the final proofs in a couple of weeks and promise to post some specifics when they get here.

In the meantime, my wife and I plan on staying in the Tuscaloosa area, and I have a new twitter handle: @CrimsonWalsh (get it?). Hopefully I'll have some more updates over next few days while I enjoy some down time.

(By the way, the photo credit goes to the Washington Post)

Monday, February 24, 2014

Moving right along …

We just posted this on BamaOnline: 


There’s no easy way for me for write this, so I’ll just get right to the point, my time with BamaOnline is coming to an end as my last day will be March 4.

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been covering Alabama football for 10 seasons, including the last five for BOL when I had the amazing experience of seeing a dynasty form and win three national championships (so far). However, it’s time for me to do something else and take on some new challenges.

I want to thank everyone at BOL and 247Sports for everything they’ve done for me over these years, but mostly I want to thank you, our readers, who have been very supportive and are truly the most passionate, die-hard fans anywhere.

It’s been my pleasure trying to meet your expectations and getting to know so many of you. I know I’ll look back on my time here fondly and will remain proud of what we all accomplished.

As for what’s next for me, I honestly don’t know, only that I plan on taking a break and figuring that out. My wife and I hope to stay in Tuscaloosa, and maybe when I’m ready to start writing again I might finally finish the novel I started years ago.

Thanks again for everything.
Yours truly,

Christopher Walsh