RODRIGUEZ TO BAMA. THAT SPREAD OPTION'LL NEVER WORK IN THE SEC.

But Bear would have called him a Mexican, and at the end of the day, that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?

Houndstooth sombreros all around!

In principle, I agree with the ridiculousness of constantly denying rumors in the press, but what is the guy really supposed to do? What if the deal fell through, and he had to crawl back to his crappy contract in Morgantown? It’s an instant loss of credibility, respect and (probably) bargaining power in the “political capital” sense. If he then put up two 6-6 years, he’d be seriously looking at the unemployment line.

Recruiting and coaching are shady businesses. I’ve just accepted a certain level of retardation in the process.

So, who are the Mounties going to go after? With White and Slaton there, and a Big East sked- seems like a real attractive job.

His offense doesn’t work in the SEC? Well, it certainly worked like gangbusters against my Dawgs in the last Sugar Bowl. Maybe RichRod should just lobby to have all Bama’s home games moved to the Georgia Dome.

I do agree with you that it’s going to take some time to install in Tuscaloosa, though. Or maybe I’m just hoping it does, since Georgia has to play there next season.

As soon as he said the word “plan”- as in “I plan on being the coach here for a long time”- I figured he was gone. It’s a simple (if disingenuous) CYA move. Cus y’know, “plans” can always change.

I just posted this in the other thread:

WV Metro News reports:

"According to a story posted Thursday evening at The Birmingham News website, “University of Alabama officials and West Virginia’s Rich Rodriguez have reached an agreement in principle for Rodriguez to become the Crimson Tide’s next head football coach, two sources close to the search told The Birmingham News tonight.”

"But Rodriguez told the Charleston Gazette early Friday morning that he hasn’t agreed to any deal. He confirmed his agent has been working on some information."

Yes, I know that I am hanging on by a thread here.

Doug – ‘Twas sarcasm. As in "Urban Meyer’s spread offense can never succeed in the SEC." If UF’s history is any indicator, there will be plenty of hiccups for your pups to feast on next year.

My guess is that WVU assistant “Doc” Holliday will be their hire from within, but White and Slaton would look pretty good running the new-school version of Frank Solich’s offense, and Frank might jump at the chance to get away from the dirty hippies at the Casa Nueva and get a contract big enough to afford a full-time designated driver.

OH, and rumor has it that we’re going after Forida’s Doc Holliday. But he was ours first, so whatver.

Oops. Forgot that Holliday was a former WVU guy.

Great news for ’Bama and all…but seriously…

POST SOME CHEESECAKE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!

CBG,
He’s your huckleberry.

I’ve seen posts on a Gamecock board about people at WVU who have mentioned Jumbo Fisher and Skip Holtz as possibilities.
Of course, that kind of hearsay from message boards doesn’t exactly hold up in court.

I wouldn’t overlook JPW’s athleticism, which wasn’t used enough in 2006. He has decent speed, and implementing something as simple as a quarterback draw might have helped the Tide cash in on more red zone opportunities. He’s not exactly Jamelle Holieway, but he could handle the run aspect of the offense as well as Alex Smith did at Utah. All of Bama’s current QBs (JPW, Barnes, & McElroy) played in versions of the spread offense in high school.

Looking down the road, projected signee Robert Marve might be the best fit for Rodriguez’s offense of any of the quarterbacks on campus.

Hang in there, CBG. How are Mountaineer fans reacting? With resignation, or wailing and gnashing of tooth? (sorry for the cheap shot- but I grew up in Bluefield, I can tweak my own)

CBG, if there’s one true thing in this world, it’s that coaches come and go, but furniture stores, they’re always there for you.

I hear Coach Rodriguez makes a mean kosher tamale with grits on the side. Tequilas and moonshine all around!

I live in DC now, so gauging the WV reaction is slightly harder from here.

However, I heard last night from my friend, who heard from his dad, who heard from a close friend/associate of the governor that if Rod takes the ‘Bama job, there will be legilsation passed w/in the week that says that Rod can’t even be buried in the state of WV.

Off the cuff remark? Grossly overexagerated fabrication? Truth? You be the judge… but I’m gauging that the people of WV are a wee bit angry.

Marve’s a passer; I’d think his commitment would be in jeopardy with that offense coming to Alabama.

Shannon’s defensive players were the most active in the FIU brawl that was the final nail in Coker’s reign. Irony there. Shannon was also Michael Irvin’s choice. Speaks volumes.

I can understand R-Rod’s desire to ascend to a “top tier” program (no disrespect to the ‘eers though, they were a solid program before he was there, and will continue to do so after he leaves), but I’m wondering why he’s leaving now, when he has two potential heisman-candidates in the backfield that are absolutely perfect for the type of offense he runs?
     I think looking at UM’s experience at florida would be instructive. he came in, and if it wasn’t for an incredible defense we wouldn’t be anywhere near the position we’re in right now; having a top-10 defense has covered up a lot of the growing pains and inconsistencies of our offense. R-Rod will need 2-3 years to recruit the right players into tuscaloosa, to a program, which if you haven’t noticed, isn’t exactly “patient” in even a lenient sense of the word. I think he should have stayed one more year to see how far White/Slaton would have taken them, then bolted- it’s not like there won’t be more coaching vacancies next year at this time at big-time programs.

You can’t trust a punter (threadjack warning):

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/football/ncaa/12/07/bc.fbc.vanderbilt.player.ap/index.html

At the local Alabama Cracker Barrell sometime next Spring:.

Coach Rodriguez and family are at their table waiting to get their food order…when the waitress drops by and says to the missus:

“I am glad you take your gardner out to breakfast. Bless your heart honey child.”

i don’t know about the rest of you but i was pulling for this rodrigues

rodriguez. whatever.

One thing: when Bama looked at Spurrior and Saban it was jerk miester Jimmy rome saying crap. Hows it feel now jimster? It was Bama turned down yada yada yada. But Miami was turned down by the Rutgers coach and R-Rod wouldn’t even talk to em. All this Bama hate but Thug U is the one jumping up and down like Braveheart and kicking and hitting people with helmets. ESPN = Hate the S.E.C. (Attention Michigan had their shot They lost) bashing Florida and Auburn and hating the Tide! Well where are the headlines about thug U? For instance? R-Rod “Don’t call me I wont call you” News from Rutgers to Miami “Make Me” Mark Richt “Why should I?” Bobby Petrino “Step down” Tommy Tuberville “No way” Sound familar jimmy rome? Oh well it’s o.k. I guess he just needs another Q.B. to kick his butt on national T.V. Roll Tide! :)

RE Cybrtyde

The opinions, grammar, and spelling expressed above are those of the poster, and not necessarily those of the University of Alabama, its employees, and alumni.

Looks like I pursued Onionness over truth. I was wrong. But like our friend [NAME REDACTED] says, it’s being corrected and we’re improving.

Congrats, ’Bama fans?

And as a fellow Spaniard, tapas all round! I’m sure that ya’ll will create a bourbon version of Sangria within the year or at least by the end of the decade.

Out of curiosity, who was the last black QB at Alabama?

Implementation of the offense should be interesting, at the least. UF has certainly had issues – if it wasn’t for a kick ass D and Godzillasafety, I think Gator fans would be having a coniption.

CYBRT1D3 U NO 1+ D00D 35P|\| 15 HT3 SUXXOR5!!111

Wayne apparently has cousins in Tuscaloosa.

Concerning BamaTax Man:
Thank you and you and you are correct about the spelling and grammar. However, this wuz done under the influence of massive amounts of caffeine. However, the opinions are rock solid and dead on perfect! Uh Oh! need more coffeeeeeeee! :)

Still holding onto my thread of hope.

Negotiations Continue Between WVU, Rodriguez.
Posted Friday, December 8, 2006 ; 11:35 AM

WVU trying to counter Crimson Tide’s offer.
West Virginia University is working to keep football coach Rich Rodriguez and the two parties have been actively negotiating today, said sources close to the situation.

Sources have also said that Alabama, who has been courting Rodriguez for most of the last week, have set a 3 p.m. deadline for a decision from the Grant Town native.

Does anyone here speak “leet”? RUTS, can you possibly translate that into English.

(Why I am I having an Airplane flashback right now?)

couchburninggirl…I think there’s a chance you might be keeping your coach

Negotiations Continue Between WVU, Rodriguez.
Posted Friday, December 8, 2006 ; 11:35 AM

WVU trying to counter Crimson Tide’s offer.
West Virginia University is working to keep football coach Rich Rodriguez and the two parties have been actively negotiating today, said sources close to the situation.

Sources have also said that Alabama, who has been courting Rodriguez for most of the last week, have set a 3 p.m. deadline for a decision from the Grant Town native.

Rodriguez and his wife, Rita, met with Alabama athletic director Mal Moore Tuesday night in New York City before the College Football Hall of Fame induction banquet, according to published reports. The meeting lasted about 90 minutes.

ESPN, citing several Alabama newspapers, has reported that Alabama offered Rodriguez a six-year contract worth $12 million.

That salary would put him near the top of the Southeastern Conference. Auburn’s Tommy Tuberville is the highest-paid coach in the conference at $2.2 million per year. Alabama fired Mike Shula on Nov. 26 after the Tide went 6-6 in his fourth season and lost its fifth consecutive meeting with rival Auburn.

cbg: He’s just playing out “if they want me”. No one ever leaves on account of the $‘s. It’s just that they’d pay me more if they really wanted me.

canuck…. just like a woman, I tell ya.

“CYBRT1D3 U NO 1+ D00D 35P|\| 15 HT3 SUXXOR5!!111”

Cyberdude you are Number 1 dude. ESPN really sucks.

Oh, Stewardess! I speak jive!

To NoleInTexas: I think the last black QB at the Capstone was Andrew Zow. I think he was even there in the early ’80s, during the Houndstooth Check (instead of Golden) years.

1. - last black QB at Bama was Andrew Zow, if I recall. He was the last QB to beat Auburn, the last QB to win an SEC title for Bama, and I would have him back in a second – he was pretty tough in the pocket and a solid passer, if slow of foot. before him you’re looking at Danny Woodson, an option-ish QB of no distinction who was pushed aside for Jay Barker (and we know how that turned out). Before HIM, I think it’s Vince Sutton, who was part of that ridiculous QB derby in the 80s with Jeff Dunn and David Smith (1987-88 or so), and before that, the Bear’s last starter, Walter Lewis.

And I think that’s it for full-time starters of color at the QB spot at Bama, unless you count the half-season where they just gave up and direct-snapped to David Palmer on every play. No, not the President. Sigh.

Hey CBG, I have felt your pain. When Saban left LSU in 2004 I had multiple screens going with all the sites to see who might break the story first of if he truly was leaving.

On the flip side, if it is any consolation, it is nice to be trying to reasonably keep a coach from leaving, rather than praying for one to be kicked out.

Les Nessman pronunciation guide-

“Chy Chy Rod-ree-gwezz”

“Rye Chard Rod-ree-gwezz”

Does he have a “chee-huyah-huyah”?

CBG: Pretty much the same:

Whether Rodriguez stays at WVU or goes to Alabama, he will have his parents’ support — even if they don’t agree with his decision. “We’re not too bent out of shape about it,” his mother said. "It’s bittersweet. I don’t know. Whatever is good for Rich, we’re behind him 100 percent. But it’s sad for us because we won’t get to see our grandkids.

The grandkid guilt trip. Ouch!

I’m pretty sure President Palmer would have whipped Auburn in 93….well, until Bobby Lowder assassinated him with a single bullet from the upper deck.

got a feeling Rodriguez isn’t going to leave…

Oy! Rich’s wife just called his agent and asked him to wrap up the new contract ASAP.

Marwan was a barner.

24 rocks!

Orson,
It’s gonna be tough to sell those t-shirts now, huh??

Maybe Goodwill will take ’em

RUTS,

Golly!

Southern Papa—enlighten me, please. How can LSU fans be SO ready to get rid of Miles already? He was 11-2 in a VERY trying year after the hurricane, and 10-2 (likely to end 11-2) this year. He nearly got y’all to the Rose Bowl, and the 2 losses this year were to Florida (playing in the NC game) and Auburn (couple of bad calls away from a win).

On top of that, last year he finished tied for 7th in recruiting (according to Scout) and they’re top 25 right now with plenty of time to go.

So HOW OH HOW can you tiger fans be so ready to get rid of him?

Mike Dubberly from FOX 6 out of Birmingham is in Morgantown and is reporting that according to a source inside WV athletic dep, Rodriguez has accepted the Alabama job, and has called a 2:00 meeting with his team

Interesting article on today’s Charleston Daily Mail. All may not have been completely rosie in Mountaineerland in recent months.

http://www.dailymail.com/story/Sports/+/2006120824/WVU-coach-would-leave-plenty-of-folks-unhappy/

Sorry to burst your bubble, Grits, but the t-shirts are printed to order. You know, though, it might be interesting to see which ones are the best sellers after the season. Orson, potential future post?

Sorry, Matt. But I’m electing not to believe news sources out of Alabama. They reported last night that this was a done deal, so pardon me if I put ZERO stock in them today.

Wow Vandy J, I was going to take on the Bama black QB question but you blew it out of the water. Well done.

As a Bama fan, I’m a little conflicted about this hire because it’s very Yankees-esque, and I really, really hate the Yankees. There was no attempt to use our ingenuity and look for undervalued talent at all—like the Yanks, we just found someone who’s had some success and doubled his salary. I’m happy we got him because I think he’s a great coach with a hellacious offense, but if it happened to us (and it sort of did with Franchione) I’d be pissed.

While I admire the brave face, CBG, you might want to consider borrowing Marshall’s sports information director (pictured in the link below) for the afternoon.

http://www.mattsledge.com/sw/welovemarshall/info2.jpg

cbg…putting aside the fact that im an alabama fan and an asshole to boot…will you marry me?

matt, contact her agent.

glacialspeed, thank you kindly. I distinctly remember irate fans chanting “Put Sutton In! Put Sutton In!” and marvelling at how, six minutes later, they were chanting “Take Sutton Out! Take Sutton Out!”

I concur entirely – hires like Frank Thomas and Gene Stallings were diamond-in-the-rough type acquisitions – but in this case, I think Mal Moore was trying to make a statement: we’re not going to tolerate the bleeding continuing one second longer, and we’ll do whatever we have to in order to get well now. Not unlike the Meyer or Weis hirings a couple of years ago, Bama wants to pay the price (no pun intended) to get a known good. Tough to quibble with, under the circumstances – one more year with back-to-back Bama and Vandy losses to UT and I will probably go on a shooting rampage at the next family reunion in Harrogate, TN…

By the way, JPW ran the spead option in High School for Hoover High and they won 2 (or3?) State Championships. I think he’ll be fine. While not as quick as White, I think he’s quick enough and tough enough that he’ll be fine.

Oh and watch out for future running back Terry Grant…very tough, speedy back. Similar to Slayton.
Also be on the lookout for Roy Upchurch.

We’re absoulutely loaded at RB position, so I anticipate some sort of scheme to incorporate them as much as possible.

Still hoping Rod comes but since the whole Spurrier thing, I won’t believe it until I see him get off a plane in T-Town.

TCOAN-
I shoulda known you were smarter than me…

Please be patient with me; I’m a UT grad…

Apparently I’m late to the party since according to the caption in the pic, this has been discussed at least 3000 times. None the less, if Rodriguez isn’t Mexican, what is he? Much obliged for the update.

Rodriguez is staying in the hills…its official now

The Tide just got buuuurrned!

I wonder what RR’s WVU contract looks like right now. Much larger, I’d guess.

Awww, grits and gravy, give yourself credit; we Southern gals would be lost without you in our cooking repertoires.

I am a HAPPY girl!!!

http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=17223&catid=3

And now I get to try to make up 7 hours of work in one-and-a-half.

Thanks, TCOAN. Glad I can be of service.

RE #65: Looks like the shirts wil fly off the presses now!

In related news couch futures are down sharply on the afternoon amid furious trading.