“The man who broke every rule in the political handbook has captured the White House.”

I didn’t vote for him. I voted Libertarian. In part as a protest and in part because I knew he would carry Alabama.

That said, I also knew that he wouldn’t play by the normal rules of politics.

He didn’t, and he won the White House because of that very fact.

“Can I win? Can I win?” Trump would ask his strategists in the closing weeks, though he often defied their advice, refusing to eliminate trips to Pennsylvania, Colorado and other states that he had virtually no chance of winning.

Over and over, the real estate mogul displayed a fingertip feel for public sentiment and remarkable ability to bounce back, despite being written off by what he came to view as the corrupt media. He would criticize Mexican rapists, John McCain, Carly Fiorina’s face, call for a temporary ban on Muslim immigrants, and yet drive the news agenda and keep on winning. But that was with Republican primary voters.

On the broader stage, running against a Democrat whose unpopularity nearly matched his, Trump’s own words became the most potent weapons against him.

The pattern was remarkably consistent. Trump would hone a successful message, stick to the script — often reading from once-disparaged teleprompters — and wind up chafing at the rhetorical shackles.

His savvier advisers would realize that he wasn’t having fun. And then he would rebel. He would create a new narrative. It could be a phrase, a tweet, an extended riff in front of a rapturous crowd. Trump would mar the story line, blame the media for twisting his words, keep defending or tweaking his remarks, and suddenly he was no longer talking about taxes or terrorism.

The mainstream media used to think that they make the rules and everyone else has to either play by their rules, or be destroyed. Donald Trump absolutely wrecked the rules, and Hollywood, CNN, MSNBC and all of the other sef-styled elites are aghast.

That’s a good thing in my book. I didn’t vote for Donald Trump. But I did sit last night and watch in amazement as he broke the once formidable Blue Wall and took Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and probably Michigan. It looks like for once, the little guy won. The average Joe. The dude who pulls on his boots before sunrise, dons his hardhat and gets to work for his family and their future.

Average Joe showed up yesterday, and he Got Shit Done.

God Bless America, and may He, in His infinite wisdom, lead Donald J. Trump on the right course for this country and its future.

I am going to call him Jalen “The Terminator” Hurts

“It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop... ever, until you are dead!”

So plays Alabama Quarterback, Jalen Hurts. He is a true freshman, but he plays like a machine sent from Skynet to destroy the opposition.

When he gets knocked down, he gets up, rejuvenates and does not quit. When he makes a mistake, he adapts, he innovates, he learns and then overcomes.  Such a quarterback has not ever been seen in these parts, and might not ever be seen again, unless Skynet really does send a Terminator back in time.

“He. Does. Not. Stop. Ever.”

Until you are beaten. Ole Miss Learned it. Texas A&M learned it. Arkansas learned it. Tennessee learned it. LSU learned it. Everybody has learned it, and everybody else has a good reason to be scared witless.

For Alabama fans, this is both a beautiful and scary thing. To have such a deadly talented, remorseless and relentless player at the most important position in the new SEC is a good thing. On the other hand, having that much power placed in the hands of a true freshman is scary.

Hurts is likely headed to New York in the next couple of years, and it’s just as likely that he’ll accept Alabama’s third Heisman Trophy. It is unlikely that he’ll stick around for the remaining three years of his eligibility.

Machines like Hurts are built to succeed, and there is no indication whatsoever that he won’t. And that’s going to come with the lure of millions and an early exit to the NFL, where he will almost certainly succeed.

”The Terminator's an infiltration unit: part man, part machine. Underneath, it's a hyperalloy combat chassis, microprocessor-controlled. Fully armored; very tough. But outside, it's living human tissue: flesh, skin, hair, blood...”

Mmm Hmmm. And it’s coming for you, College Football. It should be as much fun to watch as Terminator.

For that reason, I will heretofore refer to Jalen Hurts as The Terminator.

 

 

Us vs Y’all: The Third Saturday in October

Here we go again. This time, the calendar is right.

Alabama plays Tennessee at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, 15 October 2016.

This is absolutely one of the most intense and storied rivalries in SEC and college football history. For many Alabama fans, Tennessee is the most despised rival, even over that thing we have on the last regular season game of every year. For many Tennessee fans, this rivalry’s intensity exceeds the one they have with Florida.

On the field, Tennessee has beaten Alabama 37 times. No other team on the planet can claim 37 victories against Alabama. Tennessee has 13 SEC Championships. No other school in the league is as close to Alabama’s 24.

Beginning in 1995 with Peyton Manning as a sophomore in Knoxville, Tennessee ran off a streak of seven straight victories. No team in the SEC has ever beaten Alabama seven straight times and it may not ever happen again. Tennessee rightfully claims six National Championships. No other team in the SEC is as close as Alabama’s 15.

These are the two marquee programs of SEC Football lore. These are the two flagships. Florida may have more fans and more TV viewers. Georgia, too. But no two programs have done more on the field than Alabama and Tennessee. Nobody. No two programs can claim head coaching legends like Paul W. Bryant and General Robert Neyland. It’s 11 decades of college football at it’s finest and most intense.

One of my earliest football memories was listening to the 1972 game on the patio with my father. Bama was down 10-3 late in the fourth quarter due to a very stout Tennessee defense. But the Tide somehow managed to score two touchdowns in under two minutes and pulled out a 17-10 victory. Bama play-by-play announcer John Forney was nearly unintelligible as the final seconds ran off the clock, but my father’s grin, as he pulled out the Victory Cigar, was all I needed to be told—beating Tennessee is huge.

It’s the Third Saturday in October and this year the calendar is right.

It’s Us vs Y’all.

I can no longer support Donald Trump for President.

I must now find someone else to vote for.

Many of you know me. Many of you also know that I am the father of four girls, and live in a family of 237 females (not that many but sometimes, it seems like it). 

Locker room talk? Yeah. Been there. Done that. But never like this. I consider this violence. A lady’s dignity, to me, is always sacred.

I have never; nor would I ever, ever, engage in acts of abject aggressiveness. I don’t care how hot she is, or how hot she is for me. It’s just not done by a gentleman. That’s not how I was raised.

And therefore, though I despise the idea of even speaking the words “President Hillary Clinton,” I can no longer support, nor will I vote for, Donald J. Trump for President.

The Republican Party needs to move immediately to remove Trump as the nominee for President, and replace him with Mike Pence, a fiscal and constitutional conservative we of all good sense and conscience should support.

I have told a lot of folks that we had a choice between an unpredictable clown (Trump) and a known crook (Clinton) and that I was going with the clown. We’re going to hell in a handbasket either way; why not enjoy the ride?

When you treat women like this? Ride’s over, dude.

“Head Roll Bowl” Loser Les Miles Loses Head

He’s out.

Les Miles is now the former head coach of the Louisiana State University Bengal Tigers, and everyone saw it coming.

I can’t take credit for the term “Head Roll Bowl,” as a few of my Twitter, Facebook and TideFans pals coined it first.

But, oh my… was it prophetic.

I watched every single play of last Saturday night’s matchup between two of the four contenders for SEC West runners-up. I was both legitimately bored and completely amazed.

We knew both teams had stout defenses. We knew also that neither team had a go-to-guy at quarterback, a position which is becoming increasingly more important in SEC football. We also, also knew that LSU has college football’s best tailback in Leonard Fournette. We also, also, also knew that Auburn would sell out to stop him.

The outcome of the game—and the outcome of either coach’s career at his respective university—came down to one play. And that play would be the offensive penalty LSU committed before the highly controversial and much discussed play in which Danny Etling (1) finally saw an open receiver and (2) finally completed a pass to him.

It is often said that if the outcome of a game comes down to one play, then it’s your own damned fault for letting the game come down to that crucial play.

Had there been four, three or two seconds left at the end of regulation, we might be talking about why Gus Malzahn was fired and how Les Miles saved his job. The pass was made. The feet were down. It was a game winning score.

But it didn’t count, and now Les Miles is looking for something else to do.

Exit Questions: Why fire Miles now? Why let coach Ed “yaw-yaw” Orgeron take over as interim coach with the real meat of the SEC schedule remaining? 

Whose head rolls first: Malzahn or Miles?

I know this has nothing to do with Alabama football or politics, but I have to share this.

I had a very brief, yet very interesting conversation with two of my closest colleagues. One is a dyed-in-the-wool Aubie. The other is Deep Purple and Gold. I love’em both, they’re both good guys and damned good engineers. 

May God bless’em.

These two guys went at it like two brothers on different sides of the Mason-Dixon line in 1861. All I could do, and all I wished to do, was sit, listen, watch, and smile (evilly… I confess).

Among TideFans, We call that Schadenfreude. For those wer nicht Deutsch sprechen, that means taking pleasure from the pain of others, usually adversaries.

At 5:00-ish Saturday, the two teams collide at Jordan-Hare Stadium in what could be a pivotal game for both programs, neither of which is getting it done well enough for their respective fanbases. I know it’s anecdotal, but evidence is evidence.

LSU sits at 2-1, with an away loss to a decent, but beatable Wisconsin team. They’ve beaten Jacksonville State (Who?) and Mississippi State, and neither of those wins convinced Tiger fans about their team’s viability to win a title.

Auburn sits at 1-2, with their only win coming against Gus Malzahn’s old team, the Arkansas State Red Wolves. The only two teams considered quality opponents were Clemson in the season opener and Texas A&M. Clemson was the runner-up in last year’s National Championship game, but Texas A&M is still building and is considered so-so in the SEC West race. Auburn lost both and hasn’t won an SEC home game in two calendar years.

Two. Calendar. Years.

Either Auburn or LSU will come away with a loss Saturday night. Auburn has a surprisingly stout defense. LSU has one of the best running games in the conference. But neither team has a go-to guy at quarterback.

Both coaches have seats that can be generously described as “quite warm.” The loser Saturday night probably gets the heat turned up.

A lot.

So who do you think has his head on the chopping block? Does Malzie with another conference home loss? Does Miles with a close but competitive loss, albeit on the road?

We’ll See Saturday night. And one of my two freinds might not sleep well that night.

Remember when I said @realDonaldTrump wouldn’t fight “fair?”

That’s “fair” as described by the mainstream media and Democrats (I know… I repeat myself). In their minds, the Trump campaign was supposed to go on vacation while the Democrats held their convention in Philadelphia. That’s kind of accepted as the way things are just done. The Democrats observed media silence during the GOP convention last week, right? Of course they didn’t, but no one in the media paid any attention to that breach of protocol and instead gleefully ran every statement by the Clintonistas.

Along comes The Donald, who took the uncouth, unorthodox and totally unfair (snicker) step of holding a press conference right smack dab in the middle of the Democrats Philly lovefest, grabbing media attention and dimming the spotlight on the other side.

And to the media and Democrats (again repeating myself), abject horror, Trump sarcastically joked that if those responsible for hacking the DNC’s email server also gained access to Hillary Clinton’s homebrew email server, they should release the 33,000 messages she deleted while under subpoena.

“How dare Donald Trump hold a press conference and talk about Hillary’s email scandal?!? Totally unfair!”

I said back in May that Trump wasn’t going to fight fair; that he’s not going to run a campaign that fits within the boundaries understood by the old guard.

I also noted that not fighting fair is an American tradition that goes back to the Revolution. When you’re not in a fair fight, it’s in American DNA to not fight fair. It’s in Donald Trump’s DNA, and he’s demonstrating that by breaking not one but two rules that the media expected him to play by.

When Hillary gives her droning acceptance speech tonight, she’ll be figuratively glancing over her shoulder, wondering what Trump has next for her. As a betting man, I’m laying odds that his next move will be a shock-the-media doozy that also breaks a rule or two. 

AU writer at AL.com thinks legal system should punish Cam and Hootie

Imagine that—A dyed in the wool Auburn fan thinks that the pair of Alabama football players should suffer some kind of punishment for their arrest on stolen firearm and controlled substance possession.

Knowing the Aubarn Fambly as well as I do, I’m not the least bit surprised. Jody Fuller, an Opelika based writer and comic, penned the piece wherein he fails to acknowledge that anyone accused of a crime in the United States is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Auburn fans might not like that reality, but it is reality nonetheless.

So it is when rival fans hear news that a Bama player has been accused of a crime: Players arrested = players should suffer appropriate consequences via the legal system. End of discussion. Oh, and the rival fans get to determine what’s appropriate and what’s not—see his reference to Brock Turner, the guy out west who got six months for a rape conviction.

Mr. Fuller also doesn’t seem to grasp that the District Attorney in the case, Ouachita Parish District Attorney Jerry Jones is an integral part of the legal system that he thinks should have administered the sentence. If the DA decides not to prosecute—regardless of his reasoning for choosing that option—then in our system of justice the legal system has spoken.

Mr. Fuller makes no mention of any mitigating circumstances at work in this case. That’s because neither Mr. Fuller, nor me, nor anyone reading this have any clue as to what mitigating circumstances came into play or how they factored into Jones’ decision not to prosecute.

Mr. Fuller does note that there will likely be consequences imposed by Coach Nick Saban, but dismissively suggests that those consequences will also fail to rise to a boog’s standard for justice.

I suggested that Cam and Hootie should indeed be punished by the program. The difference between myself and Mr. Fuller is that I’m not only able to accept that the legal system has spoken clearly and with final authority, but that I also trust my team’s coach to administer the proper measure of discipline.

Make an example of them? Yes. Judge the appropriateness of the punishment—well, that’s not inside of my hula hoop. That ain’t on my side of the street.

That ain’t my cross to bear.

Cam and Hootie will not be prosecuted. But should they be punished

Cam Robinson and Hootie Jones will not face prosecution after being arrested in possession of a controlled substance and a stolen firearm. The Monroe County District Attorney made the decision and released it to the media today, June 20, 2016.

DA Jerry Jones explained his reasoning:

"I want to emphasize once again that the main reason I'm doing this is that I refuse to ruin the lives of two young men who have spent their adolescence and teenage years, working and sweating, while we were all in the air conditioning,"

Well, that’s magnanimous of him but the absolute truth is that it was Robinson and Johnson who stood to ruined their own lives. They are the ones responsible for being in the position they were in—facing at least one felony count and the high likelihood of time in the joint.

So that raises the question of whether there should be extra-judicial consequences for what can only be described as a very, very bad transgression against “team rules.” Those so-called “team rules” are used as a catch-all set of guidelines for how student athletes representing the university are supposed to conduct themselves, both on and off campus. The coach gets to decide whether those rules were broken and if so, what punishment should fit.

I’m all for leaving that decision up to Coach Saban but if these two young men were a part of a team I was responsible for leading, some kind of something ought to be imposed.

I don’t care if it’s running until they puke, cleaning the locker rooms after fall camp workouts or wearing a sign on the Quad saying “I’m a knucklehead.” Maybe sitting for the season opener (or better yet, sitting home in Tuscaloosa reading Moby Dick), I’d do something to make it hurt and make an example.

Breaking rules is not to be tolerated, whether the DA decides to prosecute a felony case or not.

This Bama fan thinks something fitting should come down. What say ye?

Liberal activists vs liberal activists, reloaded

The other day, we touched on the subject of how a liberal is supposed to act when one of the left’s favored classes (LGBT community is attacked by another favored class (Muslims).

Today we have the answer: Double Down.

Via Hotair.com’s Jazz Shaw:

A vigil Monday planned by several University of Missouri student organizations was supposed to honor victims of Sunday morning’s deadly shooting rampage in a popular gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla.

It turned into a blame session against Mizzou’s LGBTQ community for not being intersectional enough.

At the University of Missouri, a group of students staged a vigil in memory of the victims, standing in solidarity with the gay and lesbian civilians who were murdered by the now infamous ISIS supporter. Their planned memorial hit a sour note, however, when another student showed up to decry the service because it wasn’t focused on the correct demographic group. (The College Fix)

Jazz posed the same question that entered my mind: “Do you suppose that there’s any room left in our collective consciousness to realize that we are at war and facing an enemy whose brutality and utter lack of any semblance of humanity knows no bounds? We’re turning the worst radical Islamist terror attack on our home soil since 9-11 into a social justice debate. This is a 21st century version of Nero fiddling while Rome goes up in flames.”

My answer is “no.” Not if you’re a progressive special snowflake with a purpose. The leader of the disruptive petulance doesn’t care that most of the victims of the Orlando slaughter were Latinos like herself. All she cares about is why all of these white, gay vigil-goers weren’t out marching the streets, smashing storefronts and shutting down events for Ol’ Teddy Bear, Michael Brown.

In fact, the entire left side of the political spectrum is trying to turn an apolitical, ideological rampage into a ppolitical impetus to pass restrictive new gun laws. None of that would have done nothing to stop any mass murdering whacko from murdering en masse, but they don’t care. All of their proposals would necessarily infringe on the rights of law abiding citizens without due process.

First they deprive you of the right to arm yourself, then they deprive you of the right to speak out, and then they start depriving you of mobility.

Fortunately however, this little bruhaha at Mizzou shows that they don’t yet have their shit together. Can we pray that they never do, while we also laugh at the little snowflakes going at each others’ throats? In the wake of that tragedy; with the current administration showing no signs of addressing the real problem of growing radical islam violence, laughter may be all we have left until the real shooting war starts.