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. 

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 ... 

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.

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. 

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!

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

"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!