AJC > Sports > Blog > Archives > 2008 > July > 17
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Alabama at Dome in 2009 far from done deal
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Let’s begin today’s visit with a couple of “Not So Fast” items.
1. Alabama at Dome in 2009 far from done deal: Virginia Tech announced yesterday that it had agreed to open next season by playing in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff at the Georgia Dome on Aug. 29, 2009. Virginia Tech released the information on its website even though no opponent had been signed. In that release the school said that Alabama would be a possible opponent. But I heard from somebody in the Alabama football building last night telling me that the odds were against the Crimson Tide coming back to Atlanta for the second straight year. Alabama opens the 2008 season against Clemson on Aug. 30 and is thinking about playing Duke in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game in 2010. Alabama will also have a rookie quarterback in 2009 as John Parker Wilson moves on. The Crimson Tide might not want to throw a new QB against Bud Foster’s Hokie defense.
2. SEC Network still on the table: A couple of media outlets in Orlando reported this week on Florida’s huge multi-media deal with the Sunshine Network that will pay the Gators somewhere between $8-10 million per year over 10 years. One of those stories strongly speculated that Florida’s signing of such a deal means that an SEC Television network is not going to happen anytime soon. Why would Florida sign such a deal if the SEC, which controls all football and television rights, was going to form its own network?
I talked to Charles Bloom, the director of SEC Media relations, and others close to the process who told me that all of the league’s options are still on the table as negotiations continue to hammer out a new TV deal with CBS, ESPN, and its other television partners. Those negotiations, I’m told, have reached a very sensitive period and everybody on both sides wants to keep all of their options open.
Do I think there is going to be an SEC TV network when the new deals start in 2009? No I don’t. I think given the the popularity of SEC football, the league will get a very attractive deal and will not have to create a network with all of the distribution hassles that go with it. But it makes for a great bargaining chip.
3. Kudos to Stinchcombs, Greene: We read way too much about athletes getting in trouble. The fact is that every school has about 100 players in its program and it’s usually 8-10 guys that keep coaches up at night and keep reporters checking the police blotter. But if you’re a fan and you love the game, it is discouraging and you grow pretty tired of reading about it.
That’s why it’s refreshing to see what former Georgia players David Greene, Matt Stinchomb, and Jon Stinchcomb are doing in an effort to give back. On Saturday they are hosting their annual Countdown to Kickoff children’s charity event at the UGA practice fields in Athens. There is golf on Friday and a fans day on Saturday, July 19. Over 22 former Georgia players are scheduled to participate. They will be signing autographs and there will be games for the children. There is more information, including the chance to buy tickets, at their website www.ugakickoff.com. All proceeds from the event go to four charities all dealing with the care of children. This is a good thing.
4. Price of football going up: Georgia is not the only place in the SEC where it is going to be hard—and pricey—to get a football ticket this fall. Thanks to some fine work by Jon Solomon of the Birmingham News, it looks like the minimum donation necessary just to buy a ticket has gone up about 80 percent over the past 10 years in the SEC. The fact is that while a lot of people complain about the BCS and the lack of a playoff in the sport, the popularity of college football, and thus the ticket demand, is at an all-time high. The good news in that for schools is that they can charge a high premium for the right to buy tickets. The bad news is that younger fans, like recent UGA grads who are just getting started in their careers, can’t afford to buy tickets of any kind.
5. What will happen to Ezekial Knight, Alabama linebackers? Alabama’s linebacker problems took another hit Wednesday when the school declared senior Ezekial Knight “medically disqualified” for the 2008 season. Knight’s health status cannot be completely revealed because of privacy laws but it has been reported that he had surgery in 2006 in an effort to correct a heart murmur. Now comes word that Knight will try to leave Alabama and play at a lower division. Whoever signs Knight needs to be very careful. I just hope the kid and the new school don’t go doctor shopping.
Alabama is now down to basically one linebacker they know can play, the splendid sophomore Rolando McClain. Knight, who started at outside linebacker last season, is gone. Prince Hall, who started five games last season, is on indefinite suspension for an undisclosed violation. He may or may not get back on the team. Jimmy Johns, who may have given some depth at the position, has been kicked off the team after being arresting for cocaine distribution. This position is a big concern for Alabama.
