Crimson and White Round-babble
by Alabama Man Dance ~ March 2nd, 2010Will Heath put together an off-season Crimson and White roundtable, the Tower only has square tables, but we can try to wrap our minds around this concept.
1. Can’t we just keep re-living 2009 forever?
I spent the last half of 2009 sleeping in a hastily assembled altitude tent, just so I could preserve that 2009 feeling as long as possible (via an increased red blood cell count). I’m conceivably looking at another month or two with that championship blood doing victory laps through my circulatory system.
But, to take the question to another level. Literally Re-living 2009 forever sounds like some sort of epic Groundhog’s Day type thing, and I’d need to make a big list of the good things and shitty things of 2009 to make sure I was making the best choice. I’m not just going to jump into a fucking TIME LOOP without proper research and preparation. Do I have to watch Avatar each year? I’m not sure I can endure the cliches and blue giant elf sex over and over.
2. Who’s the hardest player from 2009 to replace?
Long Snapper Brian Selman! As noted in our 2008 feature “stick your head behind your legs and kiss your long snapper” the long snapper is an integral part of a trouble-free special teams, like a high fiber diet and a nice regular gastrointestinal system. But if you subtract the few successful cogs from the 2007 – 2009 special team unit? I worry that kicking game buffoonery will be at an all high levels in 2010. Some Cirque du Soleil looking stuff going on. Beamer-ball in reverse. A plague of locusts.
3. Which player — or facet of the game — should we expect to make the biggest jump in 2010?
I’m gonna pick pass rush/defensive line play for the Tide’s 2010 improvement. Cody and Deaderick were great at swallowing running backs, but maybe next years line will be more balanced. I’m looking forward to seeing perpetual signee Kerry Murphy finally go all Drunk Hulk on some unsuspecting offensive lineman, and Marcel Dareus looks to be a force to be reckoned with.
4. Is there one aspect that concerns you going into 2010?
My #2 question kind of spilled over into this question’s scope. Other than #2 spillage, I’ll tell you what concerns me. The spirit of the Alabama Fan. The Big Al psyche. The last loss at Bryant Denny stadium (not counting the intra-squad A-day game, obv) was on Nov. 17, 2007, the great Louisiana-Monroe debacle. Will game-day beer drinking and revelry be replaced by dirty needles and Portishead marathons? Will black be the next crimson? Will the Kool Aid pumps be shut down and melted down at the Nucor plant??
5. What is a reasonable expectation for 2010?
With a tough 2010 schedule looming, its possible this team could improve and still lose some games, the ball might not bounce the right way, the referee accidentally drop the people’s elbow on a linebacker. I think its reasonable to expect some of the best young whippersnappers in the conference to compete with each other and produce a solid, exciting team. I think repeat talk isn’t very realistic unless we see some Florida 2007 to 2008 level improvement. I reasonably expect to see some bone-headed calls and hear some hits that leave my balls bruised. I expect to see teams punt when they should go for it, because this is old school footbaw. BUT As for me, to hell with expectations. I am going turn on my oven, crawl inside, and literally bake in the warm glow of the BCS Championship and the Saints Super Bowl that now power my house.
















