Crimson Notes 5/28/10

Even though the “Bama Nation” currently lives in the glory of Nick Saban, a former Tide coach is finally receiving the credit his is due. The National Football Foundation has named a total of 14 players and coaches to enter the prestigious College Football Hall of Fame…and Gene Stallings is on the list.

Coach Stallings joins Barry Alvarez of Wisconsin as the only two coaches to be inducted in this year’s Hall of Fame class.

The official ceremony will be held at the National Football Foundation Awards Dinner on Dec. 7 at the famed Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.

During his tenure at Alabama, Gene Stallings was responsible for some of the “golden years” in ‘Bama history. Stallings roamed the sidelines from 1990-96 and accumulated a winning streak of 28 games, and obtained the 1992 SEC and national championship.

Courtesy of the National Football Foundation:

A member of College Football Hall of Fame coach Bear Bryant's "Junction Boys" as a player at Texas A&M, Stallings returned to his alma mater in 1965 as head coach. In his third season, the Aggies captured the Southwest Conference title and defeated Alabama in the Cotton Bowl. After spending the next 17 seasons as an NFL coach, Stallings took over as head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide in 1990. Following back-to-back bowl appearances in his first two seasons, Stallings led the Tide to the 1992 National Championship, posting a 13-0 season record. Stallings coached 13 First Team All- Americans during his head coaching career.

Since his retirement from football, Stallings has served on President George W. Bush's Commission on Intellectual Disability and wrote a book about his late son, John Mark, who was born with Downs Syndrome. In 2005, he was appointed to the Texas A&M Board of Regents by Governor Rick Perry.

Stallings has been inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Texas Sports Hall of Fame, Texas A&M Hall of Fame, Gator Bowl Hall of Fame and Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame. He and his wife Ruth Ann reside in Powderly, Texas, and have five children.

Finally, courtesy of the Paul W. Bryant Museum, I give you a look at
Denny-Stadium (yes, Denny-Stadium) from 1968.

The video provided below contains no audio, but fans of the Crimson Tide get a rare chance to see the stadium empty and complete with BRAND NEW artificial turf.



Via the video description, and I quote…

“Paul Bryant recommends artificial turf be installed at Legion Field in Birmingham and Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and notes the University will immediately begin installing the synthetic grass on the practice fields on the University campus. The approximate cost of putting in a 100-yard field is $200,000. City officials in Birmingham seem to concur with Bryant's wishes, noting the atrocious playing conditions that exist with the seemingly ever wornout grass at Legion Field.”

'Bama QB Star Jackson Expected to Transfer

Star Jackson arrived in Tuscaloosa with great potential and great promise. However, many times you can simply be in the wrong
place…at the wrong time.

Due to the massive productivity of Greg McElroy, and the rising star that is AJ McCarron, Alabama backup quarterback Star Jackson is expected to transfer.

Jackson met with Tide coach Nick Saban last week to discuss a scholarship release and transfer.

All signs point to Jackson landing at a
Division I Football Championship Subdivision school (formerly known as Division I-AA), where he can play immediately and not be subjected to miss a year of action due to the transfer rule.

The Georgia State Panthers will debut a college football program (FCS) this fall under former Alabama head coach Bill Curry. One of the schools being mentioned in the transfer of Star Jackson is Georgia State.

In 2009 with Alabama, Jackson participated in five games completing 13-18 passes for 116 yards.

All signs indicate that lack of playing time was/is the most paramount reason for Jackson to seek a scholarship release and transfer.

Crimson Notes 5/17/10

Give me your verbal, please? Certainly!

The Alabama Crimson Tide have received yet another verbal commitment for the 2011 season. On this occasion the verbal comes from wide receiver Bradley Sylve of Port Sulphur, Louisiana. Sylve is considered to be an “early” four-star prospect according to many recruiting prognosticators.

In other news, Alabama has extended its contract with Nike through 2018.

UA Media Relations:

With this seven-year extension, valued at nearly $30 million in cash and product, Nike will provide the athletic department with shoes, uniforms, coaching gear and other equipment. Over the life of the contract, the Athletic Department will allocate funds for all sports teams' apparel and equipment as well as for the athletic department's annual Power of Pink initiative in which the company will provide specific "pink garments" to be worn by each women's sports team at one contest per year. Additionally, Nike will provide funds for paid internships for two UA students each summer at the company's world headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. In the contract, Nike will continue to have licensing rights granted by the University and will pay UA a premium royalty on the sale of Alabama-logoed merchandise at a minimum rate of 12 percent.

Bryant-Denny Turf War

When a company decides to sell chunks of your stadium grass...that you aren’t even selling…you know you’re popular!

Earlier this year, a New York based company thought a deal had been reached with the University of Alabama which would allow the group to sell 3-inch freeze-dried chunks of the famous Bryant-Denny sod for $79.99

Long story short, Alabama has decided not to sell portions of the grass, and the school currently has no plans to remove any of the stadium surface for resale at a later date.



So…what’s the problem?

The issue currently sits with Steiner Sports Memorabilia, the New York based company. Even though a change in plan put an end to the selling of turf, Steiner Sports Memorabilia continues to advertise the turf online.

I can’t speak for everyone, but I hate buying stadium turf online that isn’t being sold. Isn’t that a kick in the teeth?