That's bullshit. Finebaum needs to join this list if he thinks BAMA fans are soft.
----- Original Message ----- From: "kurtrasmussen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "rtf" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, August 22, 2004 9:10 AM Subject: [RollTideFan] Poll shows Bama fans going soft > http://www.al.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/sports/109316619931160.xml > > Poll shows Bama fans going soft > Saturday, August 21, 2004 > > It has been nearly a week since the Mobile Register-University of South > Alabama poll was published, indicating that Alabama football coach Mike > Shula was the most popular thing to hit our state since sweet tea. > However, in looking deeper at the numbers, I found the poll results to > be even more astonishing than after the first read. > > The results showed that 58 percent of the respondents felt Shula was > doing either a good or excellent job, which led me to a rather > predictable retort: "Were these people watching the same football games > last year that I was?" > > When you get deeper in the numbers, and cut out the Auburn fans who were > polled in the survey, the results were stunning: A staggering 73 percent > of Alabama fans polled are happy with Shula. > > It's evident this poll did not include a Birmingham native who now > serves President Bush as national security advisor. Condoleezza Rice and > James Carville (an LSU man) are featured in this week's Sports > Illustrated talking college ball. > > In response to a question of which coach is on the hottest seat, Rice > said: "I would have to say Mike Shula. The expectations of Alabama are > so high and so tough. I lived there and I understand how tough they are." > > Putting aside the view from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., there are many > conclusions one can draw. I have always felt Alabama fans were some of > the most astute observers of football I've ever encountered, in part > because they follow it so intensely. However, in Shula's case, in giving > him a deserved free pass for what happened last year, is it possible > that some of the fans surveyed have completely lost all objectivity and > ability to reason? > > Over and over, fans have proclaimed the usual litany of excuses about > last season, from the coaching turnover to the NCAA scholarship cuts. > But now a new one has snuck into the equation. > > The cry from many I have spoken with is this: Alabama was in just about > every game but one or two. Was that sound we all heard Bear Bryant > rolling over in his grave? > > There's nothing wrong with giving Shula time to get a handle on this > program. However, Alabama fans need to quit sounding like those from > Vanderbilt when trying to rationalize the results. > > I heard a fan arguing the point the other day that Alabama was even in > the Georgia game. After all, he said, the final was 37-23. But what fans > conveniently forget is the Tide was disgraced for much of the game, > going down 30-3 midway through the second quarter. Had this been pee-wee > football, the "mercy rule" would have been instituted and we would have > all gotten out of the stadium two hours earlier. > > Two weeks later, in Oxford, it really wasn't much better, when Ole Miss > jumped on Alabama 38-10. Oh, the Tide sliced the final to 43-28, but the > point had been made. > > LSU led 27-0 before the dysfunctional Alabama offense could finally eke > out a mere field goal in the game's final minutes. Even laughable Hawaii > got up 37-21 before Alabama scored a touchdown in game's final seconds, > setting up the Tide's most familiar fourth-quarter formation last season > -- the onside kick. > > Perhaps fans weren't overly concerned about some of these games since > they read too much into the Tide's games against Oklahoma, Arkansas and > Tennessee. Against the No. 1 Sooners, Alabama kicked a field goal with > 1:32 left to cut a 10-point lead to seven, setting up the trusty onside > kick. Alabama had leads against the other two before succumbing in overtime. > > In the glory days, Bryant used to encourage his players to raise their > fingers in the fourth quarter, because Alabama used to own the final > stanza. The Tide did that as well in 2003, going 7-2-4 in the fourth > quarter. This does not factor in the two overtimes that Alabama lost. > > In all, Alabama was ferocious in the third and fourth quarters, > compiling a record of 8-4-1, which is perhaps what many fans remember > about the worst Alabama season in memory. > > Alabama never quit, you might say. But what happened when the games were > still in doubt? Alabama was 5-6-2 in the first half of the 13 games and > often had to abandon the game plan the coaching staff worked on all week. > > Most believe Alabama will improve on the 4-9 record this season, and > that optimism is likely indicated in the recent poll results. If Shula > can't live up to those expectations, his poll numbers will probably drop > precipitously and so will his chance for survival as head coach. > > (Paul Finebaum's column appears Tuesdays and Saturdays in the Mobile > Register. Contact him at [EMAIL PROTECTED]) > > ______________________________________________________ > RollTideFan - The University of Alabama Athletics Discussion List > > Welcome to RollTideFan! Wear a cup! > > To join or leave the list or to make changes to your subscription visit http://listinfo.rolltidefan.net > > AOL.com addresses are NOT allowed on this list. Get a real ISP. ______________________________________________________ RollTideFan - The University of Alabama Athletics Discussion List Welcome to RollTideFan! Wear a cup! To join or leave the list or to make changes to your subscription visit http://listinfo.rolltidefan.net AOL.com addresses are NOT allowed on this list. Get a real ISP.
