Sorry. Gotta rave about college football for a moment — and rant once again about how the L.A. Times is always so quick to snarkily discount Alabama’s success. This morning columnist Chris Dufresne had this to say about Coach Nick Saban’s undefeated Crimson Tide being atop the national polls:
Saban sympathizers and [Texas Tech Coach Mike] Leach lovers should make copies of this week’s Bowl Championship Series standings, take them to print shops, and have T-shirts produced.
You might never see anything like this again.
You might not see anything like this next week.
Alabama is No. 1 in the BCS and Texas Tech is No. 2.
If the season ended today, according to rules originally scrawled out on a cocktail napkin, these schools would play Jan. 8 in South Florida for the BCS national title.
Is anyone ready for Mike Leach versus Nick Saban?
The Mad Scientist versus the coach who always looks mad?
The season didn’t end Sunday, though, so what you’re looking at is probably a BCS false front similar to that Western town, Rock Ridge, in Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles.”
The idea of a BCS title game showcasing Alabama versus Texas Tech is not repugnant, it’s just not promising.
In fairness, Dufresne points rightfully to the tough remaining schedule that remains for Alabama. But on the heels of the Times suggesting yesterday that previously No. 6 Texas Tech might take the No. 1 spot from No. 2-ranked ‘Bama, I had enough of the latest in a long line of ceaseless dissing and you know I let it all hang out in a letter to Dufresne:
I was particularly miffed yesterday to read that certain scribes there on Spring Street suggested that Texas Tech might leap over Alabama into the No. 1 BCS spot after its upset over Texas, despite the Tide’s impressive (if not marquee) shutout defeat of Arkansas State. And then today by way of getting that wishful prediction wrong you’re telling me I better head over to Hicksville T-Shirt Company and memorialize my favorite college football team’s rightful national position atop the standings because it’s bound to change.
As perhaps the only (or at least one very rare) Los Angeles native who’s an Alabama fan (mom was an alum before coming out to Hollywood with stars in her eyes), I’ve cringed and twinged and grrrrrr’d through the years at the institutional bias and snark from Jim Murray on down that the Los Angeles Times has always shown ‘Bama, which seems doomed to ever get no respect — or at best the begrudging kind — from the local sports writers.
And while I’m not so rabid to realize that who’s No. 1 today might be No. 7 next week, if for some shocking reason the Tide does manage to fortify its position at the summit with victories over LSU, Auburn and Florida, I’ll be ordering a crow sandwich for you and serving it up cold.
Will Campbell
UPDATE (06:45 a.m.): Dufresne turned around a quick response to my inbox. He writes, “I’ll take my sandwich with mustard and a pickle! Great response…”