Death, Taxes, and T-Town's One-Track Mind

It was a long week full of travel delays, dying laptops, and a long-ass road trip with the kids through the snow (SNOW?) in Alabama. But there's one thing you know you can count on at the end of the road: Tuscaloosa's year-long football season.

For example, the "A" Club Football BBQ Cook-Off at Bryant-Denny Stadium, featuring such exhilarating celebs from the Crimson Tide's past as Ray Perkins and Siran Stacy, had an attendance of 4,500...about half of the Alabama/Arkansas basketball game just down the street at Coleman Coliseum (the reason I was there).

I paid my respects at Coach Bear Bryant's statue, half-hoping he'd make me run some suicides. But he just stared back at me, grumbling "Yankee" under his breath.

Wonder when the Nick Saban statue goes up? They've got the spot for it (not kidding), just a few feet away. And it will be up by next football season.

The obsession with Alabama football has got to end. I married a Crimsonette (there's an old expression that Crimsonettes make beautiful babies, but lousy wives) and married into an Alabama football family. After my Tuscaloosa assignment ended, I went to pick up the kids at the in-laws, and I made sure the kids shouted "War Eagle!" instead of goodbye.

As of Valentine's Day 2010, we are an Auburn family. We're going to end this unhealthy obsession one family at a time.

An Alabama Hit and Run

How was your weekend?

Mine was spent behind the wheel. Took my 5-year old to Grandma's in Cullman on Saturday, then made an about face on Sunday.

First stop, truck stop. Meet the family business.

You can spend an entire day and a lot of money at Jack's Western Wear. My son must think that Crocs grow on trees. I considered buying him one of these T-shirts:

A cursory check yielded no such Christmas requests to play for Gene Chizik at Auburn. Not yet anyway.

When I spent the night at my father-in-law's lakeside estate (more on this in a later post), I found a familiar looking statue waiting for me.

And much like the Savannah version, she guards headstones - in his front yard.

Swung by Talladega Super Speedway on the way back.







If fictional race car driver Ricky Bobby ever enjoyed any Talladega Nights, that would be a fictional account too. If there's any nightlife in this sleepy town, it would be a major upset.

Despite being almost constantly on the road, my XM radio kept me connected with my Yankees. Heard both weekend games in their entirety. Got to watch Federer make quick work and history on Sunday morning. Got home in time to see a vintage Tiger Woods Sunday finish.