"This is no different than somebody going to Mount Rushmore and defacing one of the heads..."

Jail time may be the least of the worries of the person responsible for poisoning the soil around Toomer's Corner. Bo Jackson wants a piece of him first. The former Auburn running back on WJOX radio in Birmingham, Alabama:

"This is no different than somebody going to Mount Rushmore and defacing one of the heads of the Presidents that's at Mount Rushmore. It is no different than that. This is a 130 year old tree that has never played a football game, has never been in Jordan-Hare Stadium, has nothing to do with what goes on in Bryant [Denny] Stadium or Jordan-Hare Stadium. Has nothing to do with that. And then to sit and brag about it.

This person, it doesn't matter if he's an Auburn fan or Alabama fan, needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. If it was my own child, and I'm not just saying this but if it was my own child I would expect him to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But first the authorities need to let me spend five minutes with him in a room."

The "fullest extent of the law" for being found guilty of criminal mischief, a class C felony in Alabama, would be 10 years in prison and a $5000 fine according to this website.

Good luck to the lawyers trying to find a good precedent for this case leading up to trial. I'd guess it never reaches that point and the person responsible agrees to a plea deal with plenty of probation and very little time behind bars. Perhaps his biggest concern will be once he leaves prison if he attempts to resume a normal life in the state of Alabama.

"I'm thrilled for Steve, to see what he's done..."

Once bitter rivals at Tennessee and Florida, Phil Fulmer appears to have an appreciation for Steve Spurrier now that he no longer has to dodge barbs and beatdowns on an annual basis.

Fulmer on the Tim Brando radio show following South Carolina's win over then-top ranked Alabama:

"I'm thrilled for Steve, to see what he's done. I guess I pull for the old guy a little bit to do well.

And it's just great to see the kids respond as they have and had a huge win and upset the whole apple cart in the Southeastern Conference."

Considering the way Fulmer was ousted from his alma mater it's likely the, "You can't spell 'Citrus' without 'UT'" line doesn't carry with it the same sting that it used to.

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"That's kind of unfortunate that (the officer) wrote that statement..."

Glen Coffee made waves this summer by announcing his retirement from football after God told it was time to take a different path.

That path was not supposed to include a night in jail.

Coffee admits to getting pulled over for in Florida for driving 50 miles per hour in a 30 mph zone and subsequently not having his registration or insurance in the vehicle. Items he says are still inside boxes from his recent move.

After getting pulled over and not having his registration or insurance, the officer told him that the car would have to be towed and an inventory taken.

Here's the rest of the story as told by Coffee on WJOX in Birmingham, Alabama:

"While he's checking inventory he finds the pistol in my center console and that's how I got in trouble. And he says it was cocked. My gun was not cocked. My gun was actually uncocked and I had the safety on.

What it was, I had the hammer... pulled back, but I still had to go through two steps to actually fire the gun. So the gun was not cocked. There was no bullet in the chamber and the safety was on so that's kind of unfortunate that he wrote that statement.

I wish he was correct in his actual statement but that's how I got in trouble and I had to spend the night in jail. Now I've got to go through this process and get a lawyer and all that so it's an unfortunate situation.

I should have had my insurance. I should have had my registration. I should have had my concealed carry license. So I can't really be mad at the police officers for doing their job. In the end, it was my fault. It was a great mistake that I made and I'm sorry I made that mistake.

I just believe in carrying a gun for personal protection. Simple as that."

Coffee is now in the process of hiring a lawyer to fight the felony charge he now faces. Here's my free legal advice.

Spend a little less time worrying about the definition of "cocked" and a little more effort on hunting down some documents.

"I tell you one thing. You got an argument that you can't win right here..."

What started several weeks ago as a humorous interview with two former Alabama coaches turned sour in a hurry on the Paul Finebaum radio show this week.

The situation went south after Gene Stallings and Pat Dye were made aware of a remark by former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach in a prior appearance on the show:

"Last time I checked those two fellas were fired too but based on the success that they had, I guess I'm in pretty good company. Although suffice it to say, I didn't get fired for violating NCAA rules."

That led to Stallings directing an offensive toward the radio host:

"Obviously somewhere along the line, Mike Leach said that I was fired because of NCAA violations and that's absolutely not right at all. Nothing could be further from the truth than that.

"It was also reported to me that you said that you knew without a doubt that I was asked to resign. That's not right at all. I just want to make sure that your listeners know what's true and what's not true."

Pat Dye offered a similar response:

"I wasn't fired and a long way from being fired. You'd have to call somebody that's more important than me at Auburn and ask them."

"You could have defended me."

Stallings:

"That's my point also."

When told by the host that he had "sources" to confirm that Stallings was forced out at Alabama, the former coach responded:

"You do not have anybody to back up the fact that I was asked to resign. Nobody even knew I was going to resign. Not one soul other than the president and my family knew that. I resigned at a press conference."

"And I had reasons for resigning. Not a soul even implied that. Had no buyout or nothing."

Dye:

"Just take one thing into consideration and what you're dealing with. Is Coach Stallings welcomed back to Tuscaloosa and Alabama?"

"I tell you one thing. You got an argument that you can't win right here..."

It is true that both Stallings and Dye are in "good standing" with Alabama and Auburn respectively. Stallings has a statue in honor of the national championship won under his watch while the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium is named after Dye.

It is also fact that both left their programs at the tail end of major NCAA investigations. It is also a fact that neither coach was found to have directly committed any wrongdoing.

What is left up to interpretation is the nature of their departures from their universities.

Both technically resigned and apparently do not take kindly to the idea of anyone suggesting they were "fired" or "forced out."

Duly noted... and thanks for the great radio.

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"I've got Alabama in my top 7..."

Former Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach has been given a regular time slot on SIRIUS XM satellite radio and is making the most of it in the early going of the 2010 season.

As co-host of College Sports Nation along with Jack Arute, Leach had this to say about where he thinks top ranked Alabama really belongs in the pecking order right now:

"I think Alabama's a top 10 team right now and, like I said, I'm fully prepared to be wrong.

Right now, I don't think they're a top 5 team. I've got Alabama in my top 7.

I think Ohio State's better than Alabama. Florida I think has some really good, young, emerging players. The worst game Florida played last year was the one against Alabama so my thought is Florida gets Alabama this time around."

Two former coaches in the state of Alabama, who earned their fair share of scorn from the state of Idaho for comments directed at Boise State last week, turned their attention to Leach while making their weekly appearance on the Paul Finebaum radio show.

Former Alabama football coach Gene Stallings begins by dishing out a nice slice of unintended irony:

"Well, first of all, where is he coaching? If he's not any smarter than that, he has no business coaching."

Pat Dye, former Auburn head football coach:

"I wouldn't want him teaching my child if he doesn't have better sense than that."

Current college coaches be sure to make a note. If you plan on stopping by the Dye household on a recruiting visit, have your current top 25 poll in hand before knocking on the door.

Stallings:

You're talking about a top 7 or a top 10 team. I've looked at a lot of football teams and, you know things can change but as of right now, I haven't seen anybody that I think is better than Alabama.

Then Leach's credentials are further explored by the Stallings and Dye comedy duo.

Dye:

"It's world renowned. Everybody knows (Leach) is crazy and that proves it if he don't think Alabama's the number one team in the country.

I mean, he likes skeletons and pirates and things that folks with good sense don't care nothing about."

Stallings:

"He never played. He's one of the few coaches that's been in a major conference that hadn't played and he's one of them."

Dye:

"I didn't realize that."

Stallings:

"Yeah, he didn't play. That doesn't mean you've gotta play to coach but most coaches have played some and anyway he's one that hadn't."

He may be crazy. He may not have played college football. But before he put Craig James's kid in the corner, he made a Lubbock-based football program nationally relevant.

Perhaps a little credit is due to the guy?

The conversation eventually swings back to Boise State where Pat Dye takes his own turn at a Mike Leach-style re-ranking of a highly touted team.

Dye:

"I'd put (Boise State) somewhere probably 10 or 11... 12. Somewhere in there.

I don't think they're better than Florida. I don't think they're better than Ohio State. I don't think they're better than Iowa, Alabama, Oklahoma, Oregon. You know they may not be better than TCU. Even though they beat TCU in the bowl game last year.

And some of the teams that are going to end up with 1 or 2 or 3 losses may be as good as Boise State. And I love the coach and I love the team and the quarterback and all of it but until they play a schedule that is comparable to the teams in the Big Ten and the Pac-12 and the SEC then I don't think that you can talk about them in the same way.

Yes, he did say Pac-12. Which means he's either visiting us from the year 2012 (when Colorado is expected to complete the dozen) or perhaps prefacing this comment about the Utes:

"Utah may be better than Boise State. They're a pretty good football team. I'll say that."

And if the BCS suits have their way, Utah and Boise State could eventually get the opportunity to settle that all important score in a bowl not named the BCS title game.

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"In 30 plus years of coaching, Jason Taylor was one of his 5 favorite players"...

The offseason signing of Jason Taylor by the New York Jets tweaked more than a few Miami Dolphins fans and it turns out a not so popular former 'Phins coach had a big hand in the process.

Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum relates the story to 790 AM in Miami:

"What did it for us was Nick Saban spent a day with us. I think it actually says a lot about Nick Saban. He won 14 games in a row at the University of Alabama and he wanted to spend the day with Rex (Ryan) to learn more about Rex's blitz package.

With that said, when he was in our building knowing that Jason Taylor was on our radar screen, I asked Coach Saban about him and he said in 30 plus years of coaching, Jason Taylor was one of his 5 favorite players and he told us a story.

There was a game where he got hurt in the first half and the trainers came over to Saban and said, 'Hey, look, he's going to be out a minimum of six weeks.' And Jason came back and played the second half.

And when someone of Nick Saban's caliber recommends Jason and, again, he has no vested interest in the transaction. That was, after watching him for as long as I have and hearing what Saban said about him, it was an easy decision for us."

Another delayed shot to the blowhole courtesy of the Nick-tator.

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"I wanted some things too..."

Charles Barkley is defending college athletes accused of taking money from agents because he did it himself. On the Dan Patrick radio show, Barkley goes into specific examples of items he bought courtesy of agents while at Auburn:

"Players, going back to my day in 1984, got money from agents. This ain't something that just happened last week or last month. It happens a lot. It's always happened a lot and I think it's so hypocritical of these college coaches to come out and act like the world is crumbling."

"I borrowed a couple dollars from a few agents. I think maybe two or three total (agents) I borrowed some money from but I paid them back."

"They're not allowed to do it but we all did it. We wanted some money. Colleges weren't giving you any money. I wanted some things too. I wanted a nice pair of slacks. I might've wanted a coat during the winter. I might've wanted to help my mom pay some bills. These colleges, they're not giving you any money. They're making tons of money. They're making tons more now, I might add."

"These colleges are out there raiding other people's conferences, not caring about tradition or rivalries, just trying to get bigger TV markets. And they want to get out there to some kid who's poor and is trying to help his family? Gimme a break."

If an easy answer existed to the age old problem of "amateur" athletes making millions for institutions and television networks, it would have been solved by now. There are several issues that haven't been properly resolved.

First, is the concept that a net profit is gained by schools playing Division 1 college football. If NCAA studies are to be believed, only a fraction of the 120 institutions playing football are a part of athletic departments that make money. What isn't factored into those studies is the value of the publicity gained for the rest of the university when it comes to increased admissions, charitable giving, etc. From that standpoint, football (and athletics) would have to be viewed as an effective "loss leader" or it wouldn't exist.

Do you pay athletes in just revenue generating sports (football, men's basketball) or every athlete on campus? How much should they receive?

Since most athletic departments report a net loss, could a percentage of money from television contracts be directly earmarked for the athletes?

Since they want to share in revenue generated, would it be fair that a stipend for a football player at UNLV be for less money than one at LSU?

Of course, the biggest hurdle toward any change is that those pocketing the money won't be sharing it anytime soon unless they have to and, despite efforts in recent years, college athletes don't have a union or any sort of effective representation in this matter.

Which means players will keep taking money from those who offer it to them. Others around them may have been caught but, like Charles Barkley, nobody takes cash from an agent and plans on getting busted. And, just like Barkley, enough of them consider it worth the gamble.

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Filing it under "coincidences being more amusing than reality," Don Shula's statue is unveiled outside of the newly renamed "Sun Life" Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins and this week's Super Bowl 44.

The coincidence coming this past week, Alabama officially announced its plans for a statue to honor Nick Saban after the Crimson Tide won the national championship. It's a tradition in Tuscaloosa to honor coaches this way along the "Walk of Champions," a plaza located outside of Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Saban replaced Shula's son, Mike, as head coach of the Crimson Tide in 2007. A turn of events that was less than pleasing to Father Don on two fronts: Saban abandoned the Dolphins to replace his son in the SEC.

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The Alabama football team celebrates its 13th national championship with its fans inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. Nick Saban declares that "this is just the beginning" and a statue of the 5th head coach to win a national title at the school is currently in the works.

Full transcript below:

Alabama football fan:

This is kind of the culmination of some tough times that finally paid off.

Alabama public address announcer:

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Alabama football.

Dan Sheldon:

Coach Nick Saban, where does he rank now as far as Alabama coaches go?

Alabama football fan:

Right next to Bear Bryant.

Dan Sheldon:

Right next to him?

Alabama football fan:

Yeah.

Mal Moore, Alabama athletics director:

Coach Saban became the 5th Alabama coach to win a national championship and this achievement will be recognized on the Walk of Champions with a statue that is already underway.

Dan Sheldon:

What are you doing taking a picture in front of a plot of grass right there?

Alabama football fan:

Because that's going to be for number one national championship, Nick Saban. That's where his statue's going to be right there.

Nick Saban, Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach:

I knew when I walked out that tunnel right over there three springs ago and there were 92 thousand people in this stadium for a spring game that that kind of positive energy was going to allow us to achieve the highest expectations and goals that we all can have. But I want everybody here to know, this is not the end. This is the beginning.

Public address announcer:

Ladies and gentlemen, this is Alabama football.

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More than a smirk or a grin, the media finally catches Nick Saban with a full fledged smile across his face.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban holds up the Coaches' Trophy. Alabama beat Texas 37-21 in the BCS title game on Thursday in Pasadena.

Now Saban officially gets his statue along the Walk of Champions next to Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

Here's a look at the area included in a story I did earlier this fall on the shadow of Bear Bryant hanging over the program.

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