9/1 Off-Season Update 2
It's game week! In a little over 4 days, the Alabama Crimson Tide kicks off their 2009 season in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta against the Virginia Tech Hokies. Unfortunately, it looks like we are being driven to the game by Mr. Murphy himself, because everything that can go wrong is going wrong, and then some.
First, I'm sure that all of you have heard about "Fishgate." Just in case you haven't, Mark Ingram and Julio Jones took a fishing trip with a supposed long-time friend over the summer. Our compliance department investigated and determined that no violations have occurred because 1) they were longtime friends, 2) the friend had no affiliation whatsoever with Alabama (in fact, he is an Auburn fan), and 3) the players subsequently paid the friend back for the excursion. Just to be safe, we submitted our findings to the NCAA, but evidently the NCAA has been too busy ruling that the new Tennessee running back that hired an agent is fully eligible to make any ruling on the Bama players. I'd love to tell you that everything is all right, but I'm hearing conflicting things from very knowledgeable folks, so to honest, I don't know what's going to happen.
If that wasn't bad enough, the flu has been sweeping around campus, and members of the football team have been affected. Javier Arenas had it, but appears to have recovered. Terrence Cody had a bad case, and is currently recovering. All players affected are immediately quarantined, but it's hard to say how many players will be affected, or how much they'll be affected. I find it hard to believe that the players that are currently affected (including Cody) won't be at least somewhat weakened.
And finally, the worst news of all, Brandon Deadrick, starting defensive end, was shot last night outside of an apartment complex in Tuscaloosa. Apparently he was shot in the forearm, but details are still coming in. He is in "good" condition, so it must not have hit the artery or anything like that, but needless to say, his playing status is in jeopardy. Certainly, it could have been worse, but from a football perspective, this is a huge blow to the team. Deadrick is probably our best, most consistent defensive lineman; we need him.
So worst, case, we're going into our season opener without our starting RB, WR, DE, and nose tackle, all of whom are vitally important to our team. In my opinion, best case we'll have Julio and Ingram, but I don't see any way for Deadrick to play, and I can't see how Cody will be at full speed. In other words, our chances of winning have decreased significantly. With Julio and Mark, I think we have a 60/40 chance of winning. Without those two, I'd have to drop our chances to 25%. Of course, we still have Saban, and last year's Sugar Bowl notwithstanding, he always has our team ready to play. If he manages to pull this one off, we could have another magical season. If not, well, let's just cross that bridge when we come to it.
Be sure to check back next week as I comment on our season opener. Until then, feel free to contact me with any questions or comments. Roll Tide!
Kenny
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