Good article from Ray Melick

[SCBusPilot 72]

http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/rm....xml&coll=2

After beating Clemson, Bama fan expectations are through the roof

Monday, September 01, 2008

Sorry, Nick Saban.

We know you don't like expectations. We know you don't like evaluations. We know you don't like comparisons, or depth charts, or a whole lot of other things that make football so much fun for the rest of us.

Sorry, because after Saturday night, the expectations of Alabama fans went through the roof.

Of course, Tide fans always have high expectations. They had high expectations for Mike Shula, Mike Price, Dennis Franchione - even Mike DuBose, for crying out loud.

Nick, remember, these people all believed in those guys the same way they believe in you.

So they will have expectations. And they will make evaluations. They will argue about how Mark Ingram compares to some of the best SEC all-purpose backs in recent memory, how Julio Jones compares to Calvin Johnson and Terrence Cody looks like the next Glenn Dorsey.

Oh, and depth charts? You better believe the fans will be talking today about their favorite players and who they think should be playing more and playing less.

Get used to it, Nick.

Besides, you've got no one to blame but yourself. You're the one that decided to start your second season in Atlanta on national TV, against what was supposed to be a top-10 team. You could have opened against Georgia Southern or Southern Utah or Jacksonville State.

Oh, wait. Maybe you did. At least, Clemson looked like just another of the cupcakes that allowed Southeastern Conference teams to outscore their opponents 388-139 in season openers.

Sure, Clemson is supposed to be the favorite in the Atlantic Coast Conference. But this is a league whose best Web site headlines Sunday were "Duke cruises past James Madison" and "Terrapins hold off Blue Hens."

If you really want to temper expectations, Nick, then that is what you have to sell. Sure, Alabama looked awesome Saturday night in Atlanta. But Clemson quit. The Tigers got down and didn't fight back. Nobody in the SEC curls up and dies like Clemson did.

The problem is, can you convince your fan base? Remember, this is a rabid bunch that bought 100,000 copies of a magazine most of them never looked at before and will probably never look at again, simply because you were on the cover.

Here's the thing: Alabama fans want to play their part in your whole Pacific Institute "everybody's a winner if you can be all you can be" wall poster philosophy. Tide fans know how to "coachspeak" as well as anyone. They will say this was only one game. They'll say they remember last year's 6-2 start and how the season finished. And, of course, they'll say this Bob Toledo-coached Tulane team coming to Tuscaloosa this week is pretty scary.

They'll say it because that's what Alabama fans always say. But deep down, they're fighting to hold in a bad case of the giggles.

They do it because they are fans, Nick. They are like kids who come home from school and find mom has left a plate of chocolate chip cookies on the kitchen table with a note that says, "Just take one."

They'll mean to do what you say. They really will. But it's a big plate of chocolate chip cookies and it's been a long, long time since lunch.

After beating what was supposed to be a top-10 team, the expectations are for real, Nick.

Now, let's go find out if your team is. Ray Melick's column appears Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Write him at rmelick@bhamnews.com.

[Birmingham 0]

I didn't read all of your post because you kept saying the same 3 things over and over. But as far as "not liking depth charts" I'm assuming you have taken that from week 1 in fall practice when the media was asking if Julio would start. They were also asking what the depth chart looked like. He simply replied that there wasn't a depth chart. He said that there would be a depth chart made out the Monday before gameday 3 weeks from then.

I don't know where you get your information from but I would always be concerned about if it was accurate or not before I put my name beside it.

[SCBusPilot 72]

I didn't read all of your post because you kept saying the same 3 things over and over. But as far as "not liking depth charts" I'm assuming you have taken that from week 1 in fall practice when the media was asking if Julio would start. They were also asking what the depth chart looked like. He simply replied that there wasn't a depth chart. He said that there would be a depth chart made out the Monday before gameday 3 weeks from then.

I don't know where you get your information from but I would always be concerned about if it was accurate or not before I put my name beside it.

Ummm.... not my words or my article, dude. Ray Melick writes for the Birmingham News. With your username, I would have thought you might have known that............

[stoic-one 1,549]

I didn't read all of your post because you kept saying the same 3 things over and over. But as far as "not liking depth charts" I'm assuming you have taken that from week 1 in fall practice when the media was asking if Julio would start. They were also asking what the depth chart looked like. He simply replied that there wasn't a depth chart. He said that there would be a depth chart made out the Monday before gameday 3 weeks from then.

I don't know where you get your information from but I would always be concerned about if it was accurate or not before I put my name beside it.

hmmm

Then there is that there link thing at the top of the post....

[WarTim 3,457]

Come on guys...You are assuming a west vancester can avail himself of the thought proccess.

[Birmingham 0]

I am aware that it wasn't you who wrote it since you say as much in the title, and give your thoughts of it being a good article. Which is why I wrote "I don't know where you get your information from but I would always be concerned about if it was accurate or not before I put my name beside it."

As for my user name, Birmingham is where I am from and where my family still is. I doubt Mr. Melick was writing for the Birmingham News when I was there.

[SCBusPilot 72]

I am aware that it wasn't you who wrote it since you say as much in the title, and give your thoughts of it being a good article. Which is why I wrote "I don't know where you get your information from but I would always be concerned about if it was accurate or not before I put my name beside it."

As for my user name, Birmingham is where I am from and where my family still is. I doubt Mr. Melick was writing for the Birmingham News when I was there.

Post-game stress disorder?

[Birmingham 0]

Post-game stress disorder?

Post-game??? Why would we be thinking about a game that was 4 days ago? We are thinking about the game 3 days from now.

[WarTiger 3,925]

Post-game stress disorder?

Post-game??? Why would we be thinking about a game that was 4 days ago? We are thinking about the game 3 days from now.

this coming from a program that still thinks about games from 30+ years ago when they were good.

[TDAuburn 2]

Good 'un WarTiger.