Something tells me Shula ain't gone like making less $$$ than TEH FSCKIN BASKETBALL COACH!
Slef E. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rick McMahan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "RTF" <RTF@rolltidefan.net> Sent: Sunday, June 26, 2005 8:31 PM Subject: [RollTideFan] Good Shula Article You guys may have seen this ... it was published last Wednesday in the local paper, but it is good. Can't wait for football season to get here! ROLL TIDE ROLL!!! Rick ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Baumhower lauds Shula's leadership http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/sports/columns/050615.shtml TUSCALOOSA He played for college legend Paul "Bear" Bryant. He played for NFL legend Don Shula. He knows the positive impact strong leadership can have on a group, whether it be a football team or corporate business. Former Alabama and all-pro Miami Dolphins nose tackle Bob Baumhower says third-year coach Mike Shula has righted the Alabama football program and fans can expect big things in the near future. He was careful with his words when discussing the tainted coaching tenures of Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione and Mike Price. "What Mike (Shula)has done is come in and change the mentality of the team and the program as a whole," Baumhower, now a restaurant chain owner, said as a guest at the Alabama Sports Writers Association's convention here Monday. "I feel Coach (Gene) Stallings had the program where it needed to be. But after he left, leadership issues no doubt hurt the program. It doesn't matter if your product is a business or a college football team, without high standards there are going to be some problems. If there are compromises, there are going to be consequences. What we have in Shula, again, is an uncompromising attitude. He is focused, intense, tough and a real leader." Baumhower, an all-decade SEC team member who recorded 153 tackles during his Tide days, says he feels the Tide ebbed to a new low in its 40-38 loss to Central Florida in front of 83,000 stunned home fans on Oct. 28, 2000. In the game, Central Florida scored 27 unanswered points before coming back to boot a game-winning field goal. "That's about as low a point the program has ever been in that I can remember," said Baumhower, a former two-time All-SEC performer. He noted the 19-16 Tide loss to Northern Illinois of the Mid-America Conference on Sept. 20, 2003, in Shula's first year was not indicative of Alabama football, but perhaps more of a result of the NCAA limitations on scholarships. "Limited scholarships are leveling the playing field in college football," said Baumhower, who played in 125 consecutive games for the NFL's Dolphins from 1977 to 1984. He was also the NFL's defensive rookie of the year in 1977. "The MAC is getting tougher, and state schools like Troy and UAB are putting some good players out on the field. There aren't enough scholarships to go around for all the players who want to play here." He said the limited scholarships place even more pressure on coaches. "You have to get the right leader for the program even more so today," Baumhower said. "The coaches are the ones who will make the difference. ... But I can see the players here love Mike. They want to put it all out on the field for him. I saw a lot of positive things from the team last year. They didn't tire and quit in the fourth quarter. That says a lot about Mike. "He's young and good looking, and because of that I think he is underestimated. I talked to Lee Roy Jordan this week and he says he feels real good with Mike running the program." Baumhower said Shula's high morals set him apart in recruiting prep players. "He has high standards, high values and knows how to work the mommas when he visits with the kids. The fact that he is good-looking sure doesn't hurt. ... The guy is a winner." Baumhower says he stays busy with his restaurants and promoting the "Cruisin' with the Tide" program, which benefits the Crimson Tradition Fund, but not too busy to ignore his first love, Alabama football. "Coach Bryant said there needs to be surprises in the recruiting class and on the field to have a great year," Baumhower said. "A healthy Brodie (Croyle) will be bigger and stronger. "If you have a strong defense, you will have an opportunity to win close games and have a good season. If we get some luck and keep people on the field healthy, we could have a reason to be proud again this year." _______________________________________________ RTF mailing list RTF@rolltidefan.net http://rolltidefan.net/mailman/listinfo/rtf_rolltidefan.net _______________________________________________ RTF mailing list RTF@rolltidefan.net http://rolltidefan.net/mailman/listinfo/rtf_rolltidefan.net
