ALABAMA FOOTBALL!

I have been holding off on writing this blog because I am very superstitious, but the Alabama Auburn game is now officially in the books for 2008 and I feel it is a perfect time to write it. I recently read an article on how Auburn will never measure up to Alabama. Although I don't know if I totally agree with that, because I do think things can change, I have to agree with that right now. The article's main point was how Auburn fans measure their teams success compared to how Alabama fans measure theirs.

Auburn fans consider it a successful season if they beat Alabama. For Alabama, this is a big measuring stick, but it is not the only one. We measure our success by how we compare nationally. See at Alabama we don't consider it a successful season unless we are winning SEC western division championships, SEC Championships, or even National Championships. For the last 6 years Auburn, to their credit, has had a strangle hold on us. However, this was in a down period for Alabama. Until the last few years Alabama has been on major probation, and until this past year Alabama has not had the full slate of scholarship player allowed by the NCAA. during this period Auburn has beat us and beat us bad while we were down. But the tide is turning and Auburn is still measuring their success on how they compete against us.

To prove this point I pose a question to Auburn fans, since Coach Tubs has been at Auburn how many SEC West Championships have you won, how many SEC Championships have you won, and how many National Championships have you won. While it is always good to beat an instate rival, is it really that rewarding to beat an instate rival while they are down, and to continue to praise your coach even though he has accomplished so little for you Nationally. At Alabama we get made fun of for living in the past. I believe this is because we have a past, and past that includes 12 National Championships. We don't ask if we will win another, we just ask when. See when the new addition was put on Bryant Denny, we added a plaza in the front. In this plaza we recognize all our past coaches who have won national championships, and we have a spot with no coach in it where we will place the next coach who leads us to glory. And while we get made fun us this, by many Auburn fans, Auburn fans for the last 6 years have loved bring up the 6 years of defeating Alabama. Now is this living in the past? The point is if you have a glories past don't live in it, but do remember it and enjoy it, you deserve to.

Why would any school enjoy keeping a coach that has gotten them so little nationally? Is it just because they have gotten them so much instate the last several years? This is my point with Auburn, until they start realizing that it doesn't matter if you beat an instate rival while they are down, and that it does matter when they start competing nationally, they will never be on the same level as Alabama. I am one of the biggest Alabama fans there ever was, but I know when we beat a good Auburn team it helps us out, and when they beat a good Alabama team it will help them out. Auburn fans, do you really won't to measure yourself on how you compete against your instate rival or do you won't to be nationally known and start measuring up to national competition. I believe the answer is in what the Auburn administration does in the next few weeks. Keeping Coach Tubs, will signal that you will continue to measure your seasons on how you compete against Alabama.

As for now all is well in the State of Alabama with Bama Nation back on top. Hopefully we will win this Sat. and compete for our 13 National Championship, but if we don't, what an amazing season it has been with only 9 Seniors and 16 freshman seeing action with 14 contributing immensely. Congratulations Alabama on winning the SEC WEST and for your all but announced birth in a BCS bowl whether it's the Sugar or the National Championship Game. Roll Tide!

Quote of the blog.
"When you make a mistake, there are only three things you should ever do about it: 1. Admit it. 2. Learn from it, and 3. Don't repeat it.”
Paul Bear Bryant

Loss of the Blog V Card

I must admit, I have never been the one to want to blog. Honestly I thought people who did it had wayyyy to much time on their hands, that was until today. I was sitting in Crim. Pro. (Law School Class) and looking over at a friends blog, Blaire Wood, when I realized, where else can you just say what you want and people who want to listen will read and those who won't, well they won't.

Since this is my initial blog I figured I would tell you a little about myself. I grew up in a small Alabama town that has a great past. The town is Alexander City, Alabama. We are known for two things, 1) We are the home of Russell Athletics, and yes everything in the town is named after Russell. From the place you are born, Russell Hospital, to the place you go to high school, Benjamin Russell High School, to the place you by hardware to build a house, Russel Do-It Center, to the place you look for realestate or buy a home, Russell Lands, to the place you buy clothes, Russell Retail, and I am sure I am missing a few along the way. 2) we are known for OUR lake, Lake Martin. It is the best man made lake in the state of Alabama and one of the best in the United States. Multimillion dollar houses line the shores of this beautiful lake, huge catfish, some the size as Volkswagens, swim the waters, and one of the top golf courses in the southeast, Willow Point, calls Lake Martin home. Alex City, as the locals call it, was a great town to grow up in. It was like any small town though, everyone knew everyone and with that came the "everyone knows everyone's business."

After High School I went to THE University of Alabama where I majored in Finance and was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity. These were truly the best 4 years of my life and I now know why some people take the victory lap and make it the best 5, 6, 7, 10 plus years of their life. I made great friend for life and went on more dates than I would want to admit. Unfortunately my time at Alabama didn't result in a National Championship, SEC Championship, or for that matter even a SEC west division Championship. The years I was there, the football team was a little down to say the least, but we did have one great victory, which was my junior year over the University of Florida, which my best friend Nick Dolyes missed do to a drunken Friday night, we will never let him live that down. There are many stories from college that I am sure will come out in future blogs, but for now this should be enough to wet your tongue.

After college I wasn't just ready for the real world, so I decided to go to law school. After I received a 75% scholarship to Jones School of Law in Montgomery, AL I packed my bags and headed south, ok it was only like 120 miles south of Tuscaloosa but it was south. Law School has most definitely been the most difficult road in my life. Everyone who has been to law school will probably agree with that. Within the first two months of law school I went through a grandparents near death experience, a break-up with a girl friend, a virus that wiped me out for at least two weeks, and oh yea this was all during year 1 of law school. Needless to say though I wouldn't trade the lessons I have learned over the last year and a half, I made it through my first year of law school with a decent GPA, high enough to keep the scholarship, and I was highly active in school activities such as SBA 1L Sec. B Senator, SBA Treasure, 1L Moot court Tournament quarter finalist, etc, and I am now almost halfway through my second year. Montgomery, AL is definitely not where I won't to end up, I can not get out of this town quick enough. I am not sure where the road after law school leads, but I hope it is towards Georgia, as that is where I hope to find a job after law school.

I look forward to writing future post and hope you all enjoy reading them. As I said at the beginning you can read if you like and you can stop if you like, but I have officially lost my blog v card.
MJS

Quote of the Blog:
And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.
Abraham Lincoln