Tide Tidbits – May 30, 2009

Tide Defensive Coordinator Kirby Smart Says Pass Rush Must Improve
You would think that Kirby Smart, defensive coordinator for Alabama’s Crimson Tide, would be a happy man. He returning almost intact the number 3 defense in college football. This is a unit that will almost certainly be better than last year. Maybe it’s his five years working with Nick Saban, another man who is rarely ever satisfied, or maybe it’s those last two games the Tide lost this past season. But listening to Kirby talk, one is reminded of Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, who would also “poor mouth”. To listen to Kirby, you’d think he has a bunch of skinny boys that will be lucky to stop anyone.

Pass-rushing Florida native eager to make impact with Tide this fall
While many of the other members of the football recruiting Class of 2009 will arrive at the Capstone over the weekend to enroll in the first session of summer classes, Ed Stinson will not, which is more than fine with him. He first has to graduate from Homestead (Fla.) South Dade High School on Wednesday. Then he’s heading straight for Tuscaloosa. “I want to get my name up there and everything,” Stinson said. “Big-time freshman in the SEC.”

SEC doles out another record payout to schools
With revenue from football television generating more than one-third of the profits, the SEC announced a few minutes ago it was distributing a record $132.5 million among its 12 member schools. Football TV raked in $52 million. Each school received about $11.1 million. And to think this does not even include the new TV contracts from CBS and ESPN, which will go into effect this season.

Success may make SEC coaches bigger than SEC itself
SEC commissioner Mike Slive verbally flogged the league’s football coaches for their public bickering this week in Destin, Fla., saying “I had all 5-foot-9, 175 pounds of me into every word I said. I can tell you that.” But can one of the most influential figures in college athletics influence 12 egotistical football coaches who are pretty much adored by their fan bases?

Records: Paterno has $1 million salary
Penn State coach Joe Paterno is a millionaire. Records released yesterday by the university show the 82-year-old Hall of Famer is Penn State’s highest-paid employee, making more than $1.03 million last year. That includes his base salary plus any bonuses, but does not include compensation from outside the university. Paterno’s total compensation is not a public record.

Are secrets right for poll?
See, the problem with this poll isn’t that it is open or secret. The problem is the poll creates a conflict-of-interest for the coaches. Think about it. You think Dave Wannstedt is going to vote for West Virginia, his rival on the field and in recruiting, if he’s assured that it won’t come out that he passed them over or ranked them 10 places below where they belong? You think Bill Stewart will vote for Pitt? Alabama’s Nick Saban for Auburn? USC’s Pete Carroll for UCLA? Honorable men would be challenged to make such votes and coaches, while talented, dedicated and educated, have been known to be ethically challenged on occasion. They rank slightly above the lawyers they hired when they skip out on valid contracts.

Roll Tide!

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