Tide Tidbits – April 19, 2009

Saban pleased with A-Day effort, crowd
University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban didn’t spend a lot of time looking at the statistics after the annual A-Day Game at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday.Instead, he looked in the stands, where the college fan base that has set the standard for spring game attendance responded once more with a throng of 84,050 on hand despite a morning drizzle and a live television broadcast. “It was like most spring games,” Saban said. “The guys who approach it as an opportunity to get better, the ones who have a look in their eye usually do well. The ones who say it’s just another spring game and are sort of nonchalant about it don’t have the same success.”

Greg McElroy leads Alabama quarterbacks in A-Day spring game
Greg McElroy solidified his lead for Alabama’s starting quarterback job as he outplayed two other contenders in Alabama’s spring game Saturday. McElroy completed 16-of-30 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns to lead the crimson team to a 14-7 win over the white team in the A-Day game. See also: McElroy leads Crimson past White, 14-7; Battle for Position at Alabama: Quarterback; McElroy’s makes convincing case for starting QB; QB Greg McElroy earns MVP honors;

Spring games have evolved into much more than scrimmages
Southeastern Conference football programs have long been engaged in an arms race involving stadium size, coaching salaries and even which university could build the most posh weigh rooms and academic centers for athletes. Your average fan could pledge his support for doing anything possible to gain a competitive advantage in recruiting — and, by extension, an advantage on the field — but there wasn’t much he could do to add to the progress. But the latest weapon in a recruiter’s arsenal has everything to do with the fans. Call it the Spring Forward initiative.

Awards galore
Defensive lineman Marcell Dareus was named the Dwight Stephenson Most Valuable Lineman in Alabama’s annual A-Day game, while Crimson quarterback Greg McElroy and White receiver Marquis Maze became the first duo to share the Dixie Howell Memorial most valuable player award. Drawing a crowd: The crowd of 84,050 was the second largest crowd to ever witness a spring football game in the nation, bettering the mark set by Nebraska and Alabama last year and trailing only the 92,138 set by Crimson Tide fans in the Nick Saban’s first spring game in 2007. Last year, Alabama drew 78,200. Nebraska, in Bo Pelini’s first year as a head coach, drew 80,049.

Crimson Tide not so defensive these days
It’s a helpless feeling, being on the beans and weenies’ side of an A-Day game. And the White team, especially with its vaunted first-team defense, certainly did not play like it wanted to eat steak. “They should have a higher expectation,” said Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban. “I think there needs to be more discipline in guys doing what they’re supposed to do. I think there are a few guys that think they are a little better than they are and it changes their attitude about how they go about their work. And if we weren’t out there in front of 80,000 people, I would have let them know that today. But they’ll see it, and they’ll find out soon enough. We’ve got a meeting on Monday.”

Surgery for D.J. Fluker
Five-star Alabama offensive line signee D.J. Fluker of Foley underwent arthroscopic surgery Thursday on his left shoulder. Fluker attended Saturday’s A-Day Game at Bryant-Denny Stadium with his arm in a sling. He is expected to make a full recovery long before the 2009 season, according to Foley coach Todd Watson.

Alabama’s A-Day Game Was a Big Success Despite Rain
You win some, you lose some and some get rained out. Not so for Alabama fans who attended Alabama’s A-Day game in Tuscaloosa Saturday. Almost 85,000 Alabama fans were in attendance at Alabama annual A-Day game despite rain and the threat of possible storms on Saturday. The weather apparently didn’t dampen the Crimson faithful spirits though as tens of thousands arrived early to enjoy the day and see next years Crimson Tide in action. Alabama has taken its Spring drills to a new level since the arrival of Nick Saban, and has set one record after another for attendance for these types of inter-squad games. See also: Alabama’s Spring Game Invites Comparisons to the 1992 Championship Team; Saban sees a potentially outstanding team, but asks: Do you have the passion?; Nick Saban: “We can be an outstanding team” … and other stuff!;

Roll Tide!

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