I've spent so much time wrapped up in basketball season that I've failed to write much about my other true love, The University of Alabama. My intention, when I created my Just Jones It (College Edition), was to spent some time highlighting my passion for the Crimson Tide as well as Carolina and any other sports buzz that seems to catch my attention.

For the time being, Carolina's Road to the Final Four, Alabama's "top-secret" search for a new basketball coach, Andre Smith's 'ordeal', and driving around campus watching Bryant-Denny Stadium begin yet another expansion, is keeping me busy. Oh yeah, and school and work. Well sort of, I watch ESPN from the hostess stand and I mute SportsCenter while I'm in my room studying. (Thank heaven for close-captioning).

But seriously, my love for Alabama is equal to the love I have for North Carolina. Though it may not seem that way - it really is. That's who I am. I'm the obsessive Tar Heel fan that goes to Alabama. I'm a part of this school, and that's something I will never say about Chapel Hill. It's in my blood though, right? (Tar Heel born and Tar Heel bred... when I die I'll be a Tar Heel and Crimson Tide dead). I can give credit where credit is due, however, when you walk into the student section in the south end-zone of Bryant-Denny Stadium, it gets in your blood. When you're dressed in the same dress you wore to a wedding the weekend before (I'm obviously talking about the first game of the year because no Alabama fan would EVER schedule a wedding during the season), when you sip Yellowhammer's from Gallettes on the strip before the game, when you hear the first chords of Lynard Skynard's 'Sweet Home Alabama,' it gets in your blood.

There are so many things I wish I could have experienced by being a student at UNC-Chapel Hill, but there are far more things that I wish everyone could experience that I've been so fortunate to during my days in T-Town. There is something special about this place and I've felt it since the day I first saw it. It looked and felt familiar, I knew I had seen this object somewhere and felt this same way about it. The Old Bell Tower? Yeah, that's what it was. I was on the quad looking up at Denny Chimes and the feeling inside me was such a resemblance to when I visited Chapel Hill as a little girl and hearing The Old Bell Tower. But Kenan Stadium wasn't what was over-shadowing me. After I looked down at the cement foundation of Denny Chimes and saw the cleat-prints in the concrete of all the captains that adorned the Crimson jersey, I realized it was like I was standing in the middle of all the jersey's that hang inside The Dean Dome. I don't think I had to even tell my parents that this was where there little girl would be going to school come August, I think they just saw it in my face. And when I turned to take in the awe of Bryant-Denny Stadium, I could not wait to get inside there for the first game. I had been inside the Dean Dome, and I knew EXACTLY what it was going to feel like. Then came the first chills down my spine.

I kid you not, Tuscaloosa is far unlike any other college town in America. (I just sat here for 20 minutes trying to put it into words, it's not writer's block - I'm not frustrated, I'm simply smiling and trying to retake it all in). More or less, there are no words to describe Tuscaloosa to a tee. It's a place that student's have a deep appreciation for. It's a history and a tradition. It's Auburn's worst nightmare and everything LSU wishes it could be. It's a story of historic success, setbacks and comebacks, tribulation and triumph, an era of hardships and then the rising of the Tide. I don't care what anyone says - you Gator fans, Southern Cal bandwaggoners, and you Orange and Blue 'barners' from the other side of the state - Alabama is THE football program of the world. Vince Lombardi was asked after winning the Super Bowl: "What's it like being the best football team in the world?" His answer: "Well, I don't know. We haven't played Alabama yet." Enough said.

It's more than just what Bear Bryant left behind and it's more than what Nick Saban is doing as we speak. It's the people that make up this university - each one bearing the same passion as the person next to them. It's the oak trees and blossoming dogwoods that line the 'Old-South' architecture of each building. It's the gazillion U.S. Historical Markers that are posted all over campus. It's being reminded over the loud speakers at football games that "Well, I ain't ever been nothing but a winner." It's houndstooth caps and player's helmets that sport only their jersey number, no tacky colors or logos. It's 12 National Championships, some of the greatest quarterbacks and running backs in the history of the game, and zero Heisman Trophies. Why? Because we've all been taught, "At Alabama, we don't care about Heisman Trophies, we're busy winning bowl games." (Ummmmm..... yeah, we're not going to really linger on that one after what happened in New Orleans this year).

But seriously, it's George Teague running down Lamar Thomas of Miami. It's "The Catch" made by Tyrone Prothro my freshmen year. It's 21 SEC Championships and nearly 100 All-Americans. My passion for Alabama comes from eating Carolina Slaw Dogs at Ramma Jamma's, Spring Breaking on the Gulf of Mexico (always watching the NCAA Basketball Tournament, of course), and from fraternity parties where I'm always the first one to dance to 'Dixieland Delight.'

So, need me remind you. I have not forgotten about sleepy sweet home Alabama. I've just been distracted by Roy and his boys (and Saturday, extremely ticked off at them for letting Gary Williams and the 'Terps beat them in over-time). My love for this place only continues to grow as I wake up each morning and realize that some people aren't as fortunate as me. Some people wake up on 'the plains' in Auburn, or even worse - in the middle of nowhere Gainesville. Some are even so unfortunate that they wake up in gothic-city Durham, or nitty-gritty Baton Rouge. I'm living the college dream, in a house on Bear Bryant Drive, with Bryant-Denny stadium 2 blocks away, Ramma Jamma's hotdogs about 1 block away, and 'The Strip' 3 blocks away. Oh, and the library.. well, eh, not sure - I guess I'd say 7 blocks away? Wouldn't you say that's about right, Dad? I haven't walked there in a while.
- - 'Just kidding!'

Like I said way back up there, Alabama's coaching search for Mark Gottfried's replacement is kind of kept secret. Well, actually, no one really talks basketball here (except for me, of course!). But, needless to say, when search for Mike Shula's replacement was proceeding I sure am glad there wasn't any major headline news because that's all that was talked about and all that was in the headlines of the media. But, comment below and tell me who you think Alabama should hire. Clemson's Oliver Purnell? He's African-American. He's from the best conference in NCAA Basketball. He beat Coach K! Well hell's bells, bring him on down here!!

Charles Barkley would be prouder of us than he is of his alma-mater.

What about the Bob Knight rumor? Does he want to go to Athens or Tuscaloosa? Does he want to do that?? If I was Bob Knight I'd just retire and play Dick Vitale in a game called "Who Can Be The Most Annoying Person On ESPN Tonight?"

I don't even know, and I know I just raved about how much I love this school but I just assumed anyone reading this is aware that I love the school, the people at it, the concoctions at the local bars named after the state bird, the southern food, the landscaping, and the football program. But my fanhood stops with college basketball. That part of my heart has always and will always be Carolina Blue.




I'll end with this... a few inspiring quotes from 'The Bear'....


"A quick, small team can beat a big, slow team any time." Coach K must have read this one and recruited every little outside shooter he could find and then forgot to save a place for a big guy in the middle.

"When you're Number 1, you don't play for the tie." And when you're Number 3, you shouldn't have to go into over-time with unranked Maryland. (That last part was from me, not the Bear). Ha!

"We've been able to do more with ordinary players because we don't tell them they're ordinary. Our best teams usually had four or five great players and a whole lot of average ones." I have nothing smart-ass to say about this one. Shocking huh?

"Always be totally loyal to the institution for which you work. If you don't have the best interest of the organization at heart of if you can't be loyal, you are in the wrong place." I feel as if the College Football God has spoken to me, so maybe I would lean for Alabama if they ever played the Heels in football. But I'm pretty sure Bear Bryant didn't give a damn about basketball, so I'm good.







HBO Sports at 9:00 eastern; 8:00 central is debuting "Tobacco Road" tonight; an hour long documentary about the Duke/Carolina Rivalry. I've got to go schmooze some people into letting me borrow HBO from them tonight! As always, Go Heels and Roll Tide!!!!