Think back for a moment, if you will. Think back to the middle of last week, where all was right in Tuscaloosa and all was, well, on edge in Auburn. Crimson Tide fans were confident about their team taking care of business in the Iron Bowl and once again watching their beloved head coach lead […]

I am a creature of habit, and I’m all out sorts. You see, prior to the beginning of every year, I mark the first Saturday of December on my calendar. For 10 of the last 11  years, I have traveled to Atlanta to cover the SEC Championship football game. For me and most of you, […]

Are you a University of Alabama football fan who may be feeling a bit down in the dumps after Saturday’s Iron Bowl? Before you answer that question, let me introduce you to Jason Sanders of Utica, MS; in a family chock full of LSU fans, Jason absolutely loves his Crimson Tide — he’s been rooting […]

Dear Pat, We hope you don’t mind if we take a few minutes to tell you how much you mean to us. In the coming days, I know that many will be speaking about your class and your courage, and we’re honored to be among them. When we heard the news, our heart sank. It […]

The colors orange and blue make his blood pressure rise. The words “War Eagle” make him queasy. And an Iron Bowl win by the Tigers make him question his reason for living. Why? He’s a former University of Alabama center who played for Bill Curry and Gene Stallings. He’s a two-time All-SEC lineman, and he’s […]

It’s a heartwarming story that will bring tears to your eyes, and I bring it to you just in time for Thanksgiving. Chris Stewart is back home after spending nearly four months in a Birmingham hospital. Chris, a University of Alabama Athletics Department play-by-play announcer who calls men’s basketball, Crimson Tide football and baseball (he […]

I want to bring you a story that you have never heard — a beautiful story sent to me by Jeff Cantrell, the Ramsay High School softball coach. It’s the story of a Homewood High School star athlete, a star athlete who made a real difference. A few years ago, Ramsay faced powerful Homewood High […]

Are you as excited as I am? Of course you are! The 2019 Iron Bowl is only days away, and if you are like me, you are playing the big game over and over in your mind in a futile effort to determine how the game will turn out. Of course if we knew that, […]

It won’t be long now! With all due respect to Saturday’s Tide and Tigers games, the road ahead is all about the Iron Bowl — and oh, how that game looks different than it did a week ago.

His five words hit home. Five words that could have been uttered by a Tua Tagovailoa teammate, one of Tua’s parents, an Alabama football fan and, yes, you. “I feel bad, I’m hurting.”

He will go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks in Alabama Crimson Tide football history, yet he came and went in a flash. A long weekend has reminded us how fleeting joy can be — after all, “2nd and 26” was just 20 months ago. Yet, it seems that Tua Tagovailoa would be around […]

I have sad news to share with you: Our friends at The Bright Star restaurant have confirmed that longtime owner Jimmy Koikos has passed away at the age of 81. Bob Carlton was one of the first to report Jimmy’s passing. Jimmy, who has been fighting a cancer diagnosis for months, was born in Bessemer. […]

We’re just hours away! The biggest game this weekend in college football should be a wild one, as the world of the College Football Playoffs will run through Jordan-Hare Stadium. Say what? The Auburn Tigers are nowhere near the top four teams in the latest rankings. Yet today’s result will have a domino affect on […]

This is a story about tragedy and triumph, a story about loss and love. It’s a story that perhaps hasn’t received a lot of local attention, but it’s a story that needs to be told, as it’s a story about perseverance, strength and determination. A warning: If you are not holding a tissue, find one ASAP. […]

You can surely call me wacky. You can surely call me unconventional. Just don’t call me Shirley. And after perusing this column, perhaps you will call me enlightened (I can only hope). Yes, I’m telling you that there’s a chance. That chance may be slim, but there’s a chance that the Auburn Tigers could soon […]

I heard the buzz earlier this week on sports talk radio, and I sincerely thought it was a joke. But no joke it was, as I had heard the news correctly: A talk show host was relaying information that a prominent media star was telling his national TV and radio audience that he thinks it’s […]

It’s a story that you might not have heard — a story that I think is, well, awesome. You may know that University of Alabama linebacker Dylan Moses is out for the season after suffering a knee injury before a game was even played. Why then, was Bama’s star linebacker in uniform for the LSU […]

The end zone was but a few yards away. His eyes widened as over 100,000 fans held their breaths — after all, this was Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa not passing the football, but instead running toward paydirt. Wasn’t the Crimson Tide signal-caller supposed to go easy on that ankle — the same ankle that was […]

Have you started your drive to Tuscaloosa? You better get after it, as it’s going to be a wild weekend in T-Town! As all eyes will be on the likes of Tua Tagovailoa, Joe Burrow and President Donald Trump, I’m here to tell you that if the Crimson Tide win the game against LSU, you […]

Let me take a wild guess: You have been giddy with excitement as the Alabama-LSU football game draws closer. You have listened to the pundits, yet you remain confused about which team will walk off the field a winner. Your brain is filled with frightening thoughts: What if Tua is not 100%? What if Bama […]

While it’s a huge weekend coming up for the Crimson Tide football team and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, it’s already been a huge week for Tua’s father. Galu Tagovailoa told me that he reaffirmed his faith just a few days ago by taking part in the Church of the Highlands’ “I Have Decided To Follow Jesus” […]

The biggest game of the college football season is now even bigger, as numerous media outlets (including Yellowhammer News) are reporting that President Donald Trump will be traveling to Tuscaloosa this weekend. Will the president have a few moments to visit with Nick Saban before No. 2 Alabama faces No. 1 LSU? If so, here’s […]

Ready for this weekend’s big game? Heck, the Alabama-LSU match-up is so big, President Donald Trump will attend (and he better not leave the game early…). While there is no doubt that you want your favorite team to win, I have good news for you: The loser of the game will still have upwards of […]

He was hulking and handsome, a talented Auburn University tight end from Atlanta who was known for his great motor and his big heart. But in the early morning hours of June 29, 2014, Philip Lutzenkirchen was gone — and after making a series of bad decisions, at that. Over five years later, Mike Lutzenkirchen […]