Would the Real SEC Coach of the Year Please Stand Up!

Alabama's Nick Saban, along with Vanderbilt's Bobby Johnson, and Ole Miss' Houston Nutt have all three been names as SEC coaches of the year. WOW! Lets help mediocrity achieve another level! Way to go SEC. You stink!

I am a huge fan of the SEC under normal circumstances. I normally pull for SEC teams when they play out of conference. I think that year in and year out the SEC is the best conference in the nation. No doubt. But lets face the facts. Houston Nutt came to Ole Miss and turned a program into winners. Not the regular-season-undefeated-winners you see at other teams in the SEC, but winners none the less. Bobby Johnson led Vandy to its first bowl appearance since the eighties. However, all that pales in comparison to what Nick Saban has done with the Tide. 6-7 two years ago, 7-6 last year, 12-1 this year and going to a BCS bowl. Alabama had the second most freshmen on the field (16) of all BCS teams. Alabama won a trip to the SEC Championship game for the first time since 1999. Alabama was ranked #1 in the nation for 5 weeks. Have I left anything out?

Why can't the SEC stop making everyone else feel good and just tell the truth. The best coaching performance this year has come from Tuscaloosa. Therefore, the FIRST ANNUAL COACH TAYLOR COACHING EXCELLENCE AWARD goes to......................drum roll please..................Nick Saban! Congratulations coach!

Automotive Bailout

In case you have not heard yet, Chrysler, Ford, and GM want the government to spend upwards of 15 BILLION dollars to bail out their companies (above: CEO's from each of the companies appear before congress to beg for funds). How are we letting this happen?

Now, as a fair pre-argument point, I know that many people (tens of thousands) could stand to lose their jobs if the bailout does not got through. But my questions is this: whose fault is that? I think the blame should lie at the feet of those running the car companies. These executives make millions a year and have nothing to show for their work. If I were to run a business in to the ground, and be forced to shut down, do you think the government would come to my aid. NOT A CHANCE! I would have to go find another line of work. End of story. However, these CEO's are asking to use my money (read tax dollars) to help their business. I have no stock in their companies. I drive a car made by one of them, but it is paid for. That's right. I don't have the money to buy something I don't buy it. What an odd idea.

I know credit is essential in the business world. I also know that sometimes things must work on a pay later basis. However, the fundamentals of economics do not change. If you spend more than you bring in you go broke. And while the guns are hot, lets fire a few shots at the unions that support these workers. They have over-inflated the worth of their workers to the point where many companies are unable to compete in a global market without government help. Thank you teamsters! Thanks for screwing up our whole automotive industry.

To close, I would like to make one final point. We have GOT to start taking responsibility. If we bail out these auto makers, we are setting a precedent for generations to come. We are essentially saying, "Screw your business up, and the government will bail you out too!" How does this teach responsible business? How does this show the rest of the world our system works? Answer: it doesn't. We have to be responsible, and it starts with me!

My Retraction

Alabama vs. Florida was all that it was supposed to be. The game was not decided until the fourth quarter. The lead changed 5 different times. In the end Florida came out the better team. I was devastated to say the least. I thought this was our year. Oh well. If we are going to lose to a team in the SEC (or in the nation for that matter), I would rather it be to Florida than anyone else. Tim Tebow is a professed Christian who takes yearly mission trips abroad and helped lead his coach to Christ! That is saying a lot more than how many touchdowns he threw (too many)!

However, my step-father, ever the Crimson Tide optimist, set me straight about a few things.

1. We are only a couple of years off of a scholarship reducing probation.

2. Everyone thought we would do good to win 8 games this year.

3. Alabama is back in the top of the college football world.

4. We beat LSU, Georgia, Tennessee, and Auburn all in one year.

12-1 is a great season. We need to add another win to the record. Sugar Bowl, here we come!

My New Toy!

I have acquired a brand new toy. I recently purchased a Nikon d60 camera. Thanks to some guidance from my good friend and neighbor Tim, I am now a fledgling photographer! However, as Tim once pointed out to me, "Everyone with a camera thinks they are photographer." His point was that there is a lot more to photography than point and shoot. He is slowly teaching me how to manipulate my camera to get the shots I want. I will be showing you guys some of my pictures and would love to get you comments on them. If you would like to see more of them, go to this address....

www.flickr.com/photos/firefocus/

Above this post is one of my first attempts at nighttime photography. Enjoy! I know I do!

SEC CHAMPIONSHIP

I am well aware that I may be writing a retraction of this on Monday....but here goes nothing!

I believe Alabama is going to beat Florida in the SEC championship game of Saturday. This season for Alabama has been nothing shy of amazing and unexpected. Even if Alabama happens to drop the game, we still go to the Sugar Bowl (most likely to destroy Utah). When Nick Saban was hired to be the head coach at Alabama, many thought that it would take him several years to even begin to right the wrong that had been going on down at the Capstone. I myself thought the best we could hope for this year was 7 or 8 wins. However, it seems the Tide is turning.

Saban and the Tide may very well lose these next two games. However, even if that occurs, this season was a huge step in returning Alabama to its deserved position in the football hierarchy.

gobamagobamagobamago!

12-0

Enough Said!