Gary Palmer holds meet-and-greet town halls
Congressman Gary Palmer (R-AL06) was back home in the district this week. Palmer, his wife, Ann, and his staff hosted meet-and-greet format town halls with constituents in Alabaster on Monday and Trussville on Wednesday. Alabama Today caught up with Palmer on Wednesday in Trussville. Despite severe weather, approximately 80 people attended the Trussville Civic Center for the congressional town hall. “I was here Friday for the Prayer Breakfast, and it is still raining,” Palmer said. “Trussville is growing. I am really excited about the direction we are going.” Trussville Mayor Buddy Choat said, “Thanks for taking the time to come out and meet with us. Welcome back to you, your wife, and staff.” Palmer told the residents that construction would resume again on the long-delayed Northern Beltline. “It won’t be I-459 – I think it will be I-422,” Palmer said. “I think it will make a big difference.” “In just eight years, Birmingham has gone from the number one city in Alabama to number three,” Palmer continued. “I think that is because we have not been bringing in the companies like we should have.” Palmer said that it is important to attract companies and jobs for this area rather than them going to Charlotte or Dallas, “so you don’t have to fly to Dallas to meet the grandkids.” Palmer said that he brought his D.C. staff out to meet the people of the district because “they need to meet the people that they work for: you.” “Thank you for coming,” Palmer said. “We have the Washington staff as well as the district staff. I chair the Republic Policy Committee, so I also have the Committee staff.” “Ethan Vice is my District Director, while William Smith is my Chief of Staff,” Palmer said as he introduced the various members of his staff. “These are some of the absolute best people that I have ever worked with across the board. I am blessed to work with them.” Palmer said that if a constituent has a question about a veteran’s benefits issue, he has a staff person there who specializes in that and a staff person who specializes in IRS issues. Palmer made reference to the growing passport delay situation. Palmer said he has staff that specializes in passport issues. “We get about fifty of those calls a day.” The renewing, issuing, and replacing lost or stolen passports has become a major issue. The State Department is months behind on the work. If you are planning on international travel within the next ten to twelve months, apply for a passport or passport renewal as soon as possible due to the bureaucratic delays and new European security rules that will not allow American visitors whose passports will expire within the next three months. State Representative Danny Garrett (R-Trussville) was also there to chat with constituents. Palmer grew up on a small farm in Hackleburg in North Alabama. He attended the University of Alabama and played football for then-head football Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. He co-founded the Alabama Policy Institute (API) with Tom Parker, which he headed for over 25 years. In 2014, when Congressman Spencer Bachus announced his retirement, Palmer entered the crowded Republican field to replace Bachus. Palmer and then State Representative Paul DeMarco advanced to the Republican primary runoff, where Palmer prevailed. Palmer advanced in the Republican leadership under then Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Ohio) to head of the Republican Policy Committee. Palmer recently announced that he is seeking a sixth term representing Alabama’s Sixth Congressional District. CD-06 presently includes all or parts of Shelby, Jefferson, Blount, Bibb, and Chilton Counties. In the map that the Legislature passed three weeks ago, the district would lose Blount County but would pick up parts of Autauga and part of Elmore counties. That map, like the previous map, is currently being challenged in federal court by civil rights activists. The ongoing legal saga means that there is currently a great deal of uncertainty about what those congressional districts will actually look like in next year’s election. The major party primaries will be on March 5. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Golden Flake snacks no longer to be made in Birmingham
A Pennsylvania company will no longer make Alabama’s iconic Golden Flake snacks in Birmingham, although it will still sell them. Utz Brands said Wednesday that it will close the longtime factory in early July, laying off 175 workers. Utz said about 100 employees will continue working at a new warehouse in Birmingham to distribute the snack foods. “The decision reflects the company’s dedication to network optimization and cost containment,” Utz, based in Hanover, Pennsylvania, wrote in a filing to investors. Utz said it would spend $3 million to $5 million on the closure, including $1.5 million in employee severance payments, with the rest being spent to transfer production. The company said it “expects no distribution or availability issues” because of the factory closing. The company said it would also mark down the value of its assets by $8.5 million to $11 million. Utz bought Golden Enterprises, the former owner of Golden Flake, for $141 million in 2016. The brand was founded in 1923 in the basement of a north Birmingham grocery store. Golden Flake has a longtime association with college athletics in the state, with the brand sponsoring University of Alabama football coach Bear Bryant’s television show from 1960 through 1982. The factory was also a popular field trip destination, with schoolchildren sampling chips fresh from the fryer. “The Golden Flake brand remains an important part of Utz’s portfolio, and our product offerings and partnerships under this banner are not changing,” Utz Foods Vice President Kevin Brick said in a statement to AL.com. “We will continue to have a presence in Birmingham and will stay an active part of the community.” Besides Utz and Golden Flake, the company sells snack foods under other brands, including On The Border, Zapp’s, Good Health, Boulder Canyon, and Hawaiian Brand. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Famed Alabama quarterback Clell Hobson turns 92
Today, Clell “Butch” Hobson Sr. is celebrating his 92nd birthday. The Tuscaloosa native is one of the oldest living former University of Alabama quarterbacks. Tot Fikes, who quarterbacked the two-hand touch women’s football team from the 1940s, is technically the oldest living quarterback for the University of Alabama. The University of Alabama discontinued women’s football after one of the players was seriously injured. Alabama Today spoke on Sunday with his son, Clell “Butch” Hobson Jr., about his father’s career. Hobson played for Coach Harold Drew, who was head coach of the University of Alabama from 1947 to 1954. Drew succeeded legendary Coach Frank Thomas. Hobson lettered for Alabama in 1950, 1951, and 1952. Alabama finished 9-2, 5-6, and 10-2 during Hobson’s career. Freshmen were not allowed to play during that era. Hobson will be one of this year’s Grand Marshalls at the West Alabama Christmas Parade on December 5 in Tuscaloosa. The University of Alabama was 10 and 2 in Hobson’s senior year in 1952. That season was capped off with an Orange Bowl victory over Syracuse. Even though most teams in those days preferred to run the ball, Hobson threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Luna for Alabama’s first score of the game. Syracuse tightened the game to 7 to 6 in the first quarter, but Alabama blew the game open in the second quarter. Hobson’s 50-yard pass to Thomas Tharp made it a 21 to 6 game. Eventually, Hobson’s backup quarterback, Bart Starr, would come into the game. He also threw a touchdown as Alabama routed the Syracuse Orangemen 61 to 6. The game is still the largest margin of victory for a Tide team in a bowl in program history and was the largest margin of victory in any bowl game until 2008. Hobson had 107 completions for 1,299 yards and 11 touchdowns in his career at Alabama. He also rushed 164 times for 453 yards. Following his career at the University, he was drafted by the Cleveland Indians organization as well as by the Cleveland Browns. Hobson chose to make baseball his career. He spent several years in the minor league but never was called up to the majors. Once his playing career was over, he returned to the University of Alabama as a graduate assistant under legendary football Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. Hobson spent many years coaching high school football in Alabama before moving into administration, where he became a vice principal. His son, Butch, followed in his father’s footsteps playing both football and baseball as his father had done. “I learned a lot from my father and Coach Bryant,” the younger Hobson, now age 71, said. The younger Hobson also played quarterback for the University of Alabama and also went on to play minor-league baseball. Butch gave up football in his senior season to focus on baseball. Butch would play in the Boston Red Sox farm system, though, unlike his father, Butch was eventually called up to the major leagues, where he played for eight seasons, six of them for the Red Sox. Butch followed his father into coaching, going on to manage numerous minor league baseball teams. From 1992 to 1994, he managed the MLB Red Sox. Now 71, he is still in baseball as the manager of the Chicago Dogs of the American Association of Professional Baseball. The elder Hobson is still not a member of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Butch said that he has forwarded information on his father to the Hall and hopes that he will be in the next class. “I would like to get this done for my dad before he dies,” Hobson told Alabama Today. To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
TV station donates thousands of items to Alabama Archives
A television station has donated thousands of items including historic footage from the civil rights era to the Alabama Department of Archives and History, which will make the material available to the public. WSFA-TV in Montgomery announced it had given the agency materials dating to the 1950s, including footage from news conferences by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., coverage of the Freedom Riders in 1961, and original film from the “Stand in the School House Door” by then-Gov. George C. Wallace in 1963. The video also includes scenes from a visit to the NASA center in Huntsville by President John F. Kennedy and Vice President Lyndon Johnson in 1962 and special reports on the death of former University of Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant in 1983. While the TV station was planning to switch locations, managers determined it wasn’t practical to move the large numbers of delicate film reels and boxes full of video and other items. Steve Murray, the Archives director, said archivists had long suspected the WSFA studios held valuable content for historical preservation, and his department jumped at the opportunity to add to its collection when a phone call came in late 2019. “It was one of those kind of chilling moments … where the hair stands up on the back of your neck when you see these closets after closets of tapes and films,” Murray explained. “Just the opportunity to take something off the shelf and see a label … related to the civil rights movement or to other major public events and Alabama’s life and history really made you, made me appreciate the value of what was there.” The donation includes more than 7,000 audiovisual items in a variety of formats, plus WSFA-TV scrapbooks, photographs, negatives, correspondence with viewers and officials, and newsletters. “We are intimidated by this collection, to be honest with you, because it is huge,” said Meredith McDonough, digital assets director for Archives and History, “and because it is unlike anything we have.” Under the terms of the donation agreement, the department will use the material to benefit state citizens through museum exhibitions, K-12 classrooms, and other educational products. WSFA-TV will be able to broadcast and publish the content of the collection after it is digitized. The agency is processing “test batches” of film and it will take years to fully process the boxes. So far, about 15 hours of film has been digitized, which represents only 30 items in the collection. No payment was made for the collection, WSFA-TV reported. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Steve Flowers: Jim Preuitt
Jim Preuitt, a legendary House member, State Senator, and Probate Judge of Talladega County passed away in September at age 86. Jim was one of my best legislative buddies. We came to the legislature together in 1982 and became fast friends. We became seat mates in the House, and we were inseparable during our entire first four-year term (1982 -1986). Our friendship was forged by our relationship with Gov. George Wallace. The legendary governor was in his last term. Wallace let it be known that Jim and I were his favorite first-year legislators. Jim was a successful car dealer in Talladega and had been a big supporter of Wallace in all of his previous campaigns for governor. I first met Wallace when I was a young teenage Page in the legislature. Ironically, 20 years later, I was Wallace’s representative because I had his home county of Barbour in my district, which placed me in a select category with Wallace, similar to Jim. Wallace let it be known that Jim Preuitt and I were going to receive deferential treatment. The governor controlled the legislature and even chose the speaker, as well as deciding who served on which committees. Prior to the 1983 organizational session, rumors swirled around Capitol Hill that Wallace had two favorite freshmen legislators. When the committee assignments were released, the rumors were founded. Jim and I were the only freshmen assigned to the powerful Rules Committee. When the House seating arrangements were revealed, we were seated beside each other in prime spots on the floor. We bonded. Jim and I became allies of Alabama Farmers Federation (Alfa). We would go to supper every night with Milton Parsons, the veteran chief lobbyist for Alfa. We would usually dine at the politically famous Elite Restaurant. Jim smoked a pipe. I love the smell of quality tobacco pipe smoke. He would smoke it all day at his desk then also at the Elite. He was a quiet, dignified, gentleman, who chose his words carefully. He exuded quality and class. Even though he had humble roots, he had the demeanor of someone born into royalty. Jim Preuitt was born in July 1935 near Moulton in Lawrence County. He was the oldest of seven sons. His father was a sharecropper. Jim was determined to have a better life. Like Bear Bryant, the son of a sharecropper in Moro Bottom Fordyce, Arkansas, would say when asked why he worked so hard to succeed, “I did not want to spend my life plowing someone else’s land behind an old mule.” As a teenager, Jim met the love of his life, Rona Jane Millsap, on a school bus. They were married soon thereafter. She was truly his love and his best friend. Jim and Rona had been married 66 years when he passed away in September. He was successful as a businessman and politician. However, his greatest and most satisfying aspect of his life was as a family man. He had two beautiful daughters, Lynne Stanford and Leigh Leak. Jim adored his grandchildren. In 1968, at the age of 33, Jim acquired his first car dealership. The dealership was in Talladega. Jim packed up Rona and his two young daughters and moved to Talladega where he lived the rest of his 50 years on earth. He was one of the most successful businessmen in Talladega County. If we were in Session in October, I would look over at Jim and kiddingly say to him, “Well, the Special Education Fund is okay now, you have paid your Income and Property taxes.” Jim served only that one term in the House (1982-1986). He was then elected to the State Senate in 1986 and quickly became a leader in the upper chamber. After eight years in the Senate, he left to run successfully for Probate Judge in 1992. He served his entire 6-year term in this mundane, mostly administrative post then returned to the Senate in 1998, where he became an even more powerful Senator. Jim was a force in the Senate. He chaired the Senate Rules Committee. If Jim gave you his word, you could take it to the bank. His word was his bond. Jim served 30 years in the legislature. As I am writing this in my office, I am looking at a picture of Jim and me standing together, arms embraced in the halls of the legislature taken a few years ago. It is front and center on a wall of pictures of past and present Alabama political legends. I will miss my old friend. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Alabama native announces candidacy as first Republican in Arizona’s race for U.S. Senate
Energy Executive Jim Lamon’s candidacy marks the first Republican to jump into the race to become Arizona’s next Senator in 2022. He is gearing up to restore the GOP’s Senate majority by defeating incumbent Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), a Democrat and former NASA astronaut. Lamon jumps into the race with a background as the founder and CEO of Scottsdale-based firm DEPCOM Power. Launched in 2013, the company is responsible for the engineering, construction, and operation of one gigawatt (GW) of utility solar plants for companies stretching from Oregon to Mississippi to North Carolina. DEPCOM Power was situated at number five on the 2018 Inc. 5,000 list of fastest-growing private companies and, in December 2018, made the Top 20 Best Places to work in Phoenix list. Raised on a family farm in Alabama, Lamon recounted his early experiences growing up in the state, “Everybody has their responsibilities on a family farm, and I learned a lot about the importance of that kind of regimen,” he says. “My parents came from nothing. Dad grew up with no electricity or indoor plumbing. He then worked three jobs, getting a college education at night, with my mom right there by his side, working herself and raising two kids.” “Our home, as well as those of my aunts and uncles who lived nearby, were built by the families with love and help from all the cousins, uncles, and aunts. There’s a great photo of me at seven years old, up on the roof laying tiles. It’s things you learn early on a farm.” Lamon studied civil engineering and played college football at the University of Alabama under the direction of legendary Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. Formally ranked by ESPN as America’s greatest college football coach, Coach Bryant’s influence and teachings continue to guide Lamon. Following his time in Alabama, Lamon served as an engineer airborne officer for the U.S. Army, including a deployment in pre-unification Germany. “Serving in Germany during the Cold War showed me that American freedom is so powerful, people would risk their lives to escape communism,” he shares in a campaign announcement video depicting scenes of the historic fall of the Berlin wall, a barrier between the communist East and free West. Lamon has touched on familiar Republican themes as he has publicly criticized the “political and media elites” who he expressed have “the power to divide us and distract us, to amplify the angry, the lies, and suppress the reasonable.” His official campaign website states, “It’s time to end ‘BUSINESS AS USUAL’ in Washington,” with Lamon using his considerable experience in the power industry to drive home a “power to the people” message in his campaign announcement video. Lamon’s campaign will be centered around putting America First, securing the Border, and streamlining the Federal Government.
Tide’s Nick Saban tests positive for virus, will miss Iron Bowl
The Iron Bowl will be without its biggest star. Nick Saban, the coach at No. 1 Alabama, tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday as the Crimson Tide prepares for its annual showdown with No. 22 Auburn. Since he was experiencing mild symptoms, it appears there won’t be a false positive reprieve for Saban like there was last month before another huge game against Georgia. “He has very mild symptoms, so this test will not be categorized as a potential false positive,” team physician Dr. Jimmy Robinson and head trainer Jeff Allen said in a joint statement. “He will follow all appropriate guidelines and isolate at home.” The Crimson Tide is set to face its biggest rival Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium without the 69-year-old, six-time national champion coach. Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, a former head coach at USC and Washington, will oversee preparations and lead the team on game day. Saban said he has had a runny nose, but no major symptoms. When he tested positive ahead of the game with Georgia, he didn’t have any symptoms. Saban ended up being cleared to coach in that game after subsequent tests leading up to the game came back negative. This time appears different. “It was a PCR test which was different than the false positive that I had before,” Saban said on the Southeastern Conference coaches’ teleconference. “I don’t really have any cardinal signs of the virus right now. I don’t have a fever, no loss of taste or smell, no fatigue, no muscle aches. … I’m the only person in the whole organization who tested positive this round.” Saban will still run meetings and monitor practice via Zoom at home like he did ahead of the Georgia game. Sarkisian will still call offensive plays during the game, but Saban said other details were still to be ironed out. “Last time I did this for three days, I absolutely did everything from home that I did in the office,” Saban said. “I just did it on Zoom.” Saban said he has no idea how he got the virus, and it wasn’t immediately clear if anybody else within the program will be affected because of close contact. Saban believes that’s unlikely “based on how we manage things internally in the building.” “I’m around nobody. I mean, I go home and I go to the office,” Saban said. “I have no idea. Now, there are some people in and out of our house on occasion, but I have no idea how this happened. We really practice social tracing, social distancing, all the things that we need to do to be safe. “We’re always six feet apart in meetings,” he said. “We have staff meetings in large rooms. Everyone is required and we all wear masks. Players all wear masks in meetings.” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn figures facing Alabama without Saban on the opposite sideline will be the latest bizarre aspect to “a really weird year.” “I hope his symptoms are not severe or anything. Hope he makes a speedy recovery,” Malzahn said. “It’s going to be a really weird deal playing the Iron Bowl without Nick being there. Just another sign of a very unusual season.” Saban is one SEC regular-season victory away from tying ex-Florida and South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier for second in the history of the conference. Spurrier’s 131 SEC wins trail only Alabama legend Bear Bryant (159). While Alabama was hopeful the Tide will still be able to play on Saturday, two more Top 25 teams called off games this weekend: No. 7 Cincinnati won’t play at Temple because both teams are dealing with COVID-19 issues and No. 14 Oklahoma postponed its game at West Virginia due to recent positive tests and contact tracing. That game is now scheduled for Dec. 12. The American Athletic Conference said the Cincinnati-Temple game could not be made up on Dec. 5, even though both teams have an open date, because league protocols “would not allow for a sufficient number of players to be available for competition on that day.” The unbeaten and conference-leading Bearcats’ next game is scheduled for Dec. 12 at No. 24 Tulsa, which had its Saturday game against Houston postponed because the Cougars have been hit by the virus. Tulsa is also unbeaten in conference play and with a victory next week against Navy it would clinch a spot in the AAC championship — against Cincinnati. With Thursday’s Colorado State game at Air Force also called off, 13 games this week have been postponed or canceled across major college football. That raises the total for this month alone to 56 games directly impacted by COVID-19 issues for at least one of the teams. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Steve Flowers: Some positive political observations for 2017 so far
Most times political columns are critical or derogatory of politicians. However, today I would like to share some positive observations from the first few months of this year. Sometimes I enjoy striding down the halls of our old capitol reminiscing about my younger days when I would walk those halls as a page boy and then during my 30s and 40s as a member of the legislature. In bygone days, you would never see a constitutional officer in their offices working on Fridays, not even the governor. A few months ago, I walked down the halls at about 3:30 on a Friday afternoon and popped into Secretary of State John Merrill’s office and to my amazement Secretary Merrill was in his office working. After visiting with him a while, I walked across the hall to the State Treasurer’s office and lo and behold there was Young Boozer working away. We chatted a while, Young’s daddy was a good friend of mine. His name was also Young Boozer. He was a very successful businessman. He had been a star football player at Alabama during the 1920s with Bear Bryant. He intercepted a pass that won the Rose Bowl against Stanford, which by the way is this Young’s alma mater. Well about three weeks later I was attending a ceremony in the old historic House chamber, which was also on a Friday afternoon. I repeated my steps from the previous Friday and again Merrill and Boozer were in their offices working. In essence not only are John Merrill and Young Boozer uniquely qualified for their jobs, these two gentlemen have an honest to goodness work ethic for the people of Alabama. Our Senior Senator Richard Shelby has been our U.S. Senator since 1986. During those 30 years, he has kept a campaign promise made during that 1986 campaign. He has come home and visited all 67 counties each and every year. As he begins his sixth six-year term he finds himself in a pinnacle of power never before matched in Alabama political history. He is without question one of the five most powerful men in the United States Senate, which makes him one of the nation’s most important leaders. Senator Shelby chairs the omnipotent Senate Rules Committee. Within the next two years he will set the record for Senate longevity by any Alabama Senator in history. He will exceed John Sparkman’s record of over 32 years in the Senate and he will also become Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Most U.S. Senators in his position would enjoy the trappings of power and adulation in Washington. Not Shelby. At 81 years old, he spent the months of February and March quietly traveling the state visiting with Alabama businesses discussing how he could use his seniority to enhance their opportunities and growth. One Wednesday night in late February, I joined my old friend Shelby for dinner in downtown Enterprise. He had spent the past two days visiting with military-related industries throughout the Wiregrass around Ft. Rucker. As we reminisced about past times in Alabama politics I marveled at how sharp Shelby is for 81. He looks and moves more like someone 61. We are fortunate to have Shelby. State Senator Gerald Dial has been in the Alabama Senate for 30 years. He has adamantly said he is not running for re-election next year. He is using his last term in the Senate to be a leader and workhorse. He seems to be in charge of the Senate. He is involved with every major issue and is chairing the Reapportionment Committee, which has to have a resolution by the end of the Session. He seems more like the Governor than a powerful State Senator. State Senator Cam Ward has taken the bull by the horns with the prison overcrowding bond issue. He has been the architect, developer, chief cook and bottle washer of this premier and critical issue. He has filled a void left by the governor’s office. Representative Steve Clouse has become the budget guru and mainstay of the beleaguered General Fund. As Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee he has worked adroitly and prudently to keep the ship of state afloat. If it were not for Clouse’s diligence and stewardship, the state would be floating aimlessly into the Gulf of Mexico. See you next week. ___ Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state Legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Gary Shelton: Even in loss, Alabama is still football royalty
Now about this: They lost, which doesn’t happen often. They gave up the winning touchdown late, which is rare. Their defense gave out of gas, which was amazing to see. Still, in all, the University of Alabama is still one of the nation’s premier football teams as far as legacy. Before you chide the Tide, think of it this way: What other program would dare to be disappointed by finishing second in the nation. Ah, but Alabama is the home of national championships, houndstooth hats and lore. And know this: When the Tide lose, it’s generally because another legend has been born. The Tide had never faced a quarterback like Watson in any of their national championship seasons. Monday night, it was Deshaun Watson, who led Clemson on an incredible comeback. In two years, Watson has thrown for 825 yards and seven touchdowns. What other quarterback has ever done that on a national stage? Still, Alabama’s place in college football is likely to be unchanged. Who would you pick as next year’s national champion? ESPN says Alabama. So does Bleacher Report. How about the year after? The year after that? As long as Nick Saban is steering the machine, the Tide is expected to be elite. It has always been this way. In one poll or another, Alabama has won a version of 16 national championships. Wallace Wade. Frank Thomas. Bear Bryant. Gene Stallings. Saban. The first beat I ever had in journalism as Alabama. I covered Bryant’s last two titles at the school, and there was no other place quite like it. The Tide came opponents in waves, with their tearaway jerseys and Bryant’s leather-skin and his smoke-tinged voice. Alabama had too much defense, too much precision on offense, too many players, too much history. Bryant would win six titles, and although his team lost its bowl games in 1964 and 1973, people tend to forget 1966. That year, the Tide was a two-time defending champion and the only unbeaten and untied team in the country … and finished third after Notre Dame and Michigan State played to a tie. Eventually, Bryant has morphed into Saban who, frankly, has it harder. In his early years, Bryant could lose a bowl game and still win a national title. He lost to Southern Cal in the 1978 regular season, but earned a split. He never had to negotiate a playoff run, which can be tricky. Still, Saban has been successful with a distinct formula. The Tide plays superb defense. It usually has a great running back. And it often plays around its quarterback. This time, freshman Jalen Hurts wasn’t good enough. What both Bryant and Saban did was win most of the time. It is still unexpected to see an Alabama coach at the podium following a loss. It’s a sun-setting-in-the-south sort of feeling. Today, the Alabama Crimson Tide is no longer a champion. Just royalty. ___ Gary Shelton is one of the most recognized and honored sportswriters in the history of Florida. He has won the APSE’s national columnist of the year twice and finished in the top 10 eight times. He was named the Florida Sports Writer of the Year six times. Over his time in sports writing, Gary has covered 29 Super Bowls, 10 Olympics, Final Fours, Masters, Wimbledons and college national championships. He was there when the Bucs won a Super Bowl, when the Lightning won a Stanley Cup and when the Rays went to a World Series. He has seen Florida, FSU and Miami all win national championships, and he covered Bear Bryant, Bobby Bowden and Don Shula along the way. He and his wife Janet have four children: Eric, Kevin, K.C. and Tori. To contact, visit garysheltonsports@gmail.com
