TTBB Goodnight Sweetheart Goodnight--Alabama All State Choir final practice 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMpJAi2-D-8&hl=en

Move That Dresser!!

It was 1:30 in the morning in CJ Dunn Tower of Alabama State University...and we decided to make this....WHOOO!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB85-7qkHbU&hl=en

The Close of the NFL Regular Season Has Sports Fans Wondering Whether Brett Favre Has What it Takes

The story of Brett Favre is certainly a remarkable one. The 40-year-old NFL quarterback legend has made his mark on the American sports world for nearly two decades. He is a sight to see, a showman, hero, athlete and more. Looked up to by up-and-coming football players all over the country, Favre has made what is sure to be a long-lasting impact on the National Football League.

While this Green Bay Packer God is definitely one of the best of the history of the sport, he does have some downfalls. Like all heroes, Favre is imperfect.

Talk to any Green Bay Packer fan or Wisconsinite, and they'll tell you that his greatest flaw is his disloyalty. After years with the Packers, Favre retired only to return to play with another team, the New York Jets, the following year. After a year with the East Coast team, Favre yet again retired, only to do the unthinkable - become the head quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings, the Packers' ultimate rival. Sports fans around the country gasped at Favre's apparent disregard for those who had loved him for so long. Nevertheless, even the most diehard Green Bay fans had to admit as the season got underway - he always has been and always will be a great player.

This 2009 football season has been one of Favre's best. For weeks, fans watched on and were amazed by what they saw on their high definition televisions. The NFL Sunday Ticket was a great investment this year for those wanting to see some of this great's best work. He led his team to a number of victories, keeping them undefeated for weeks. Beating the Green Bay Packers twice and playing stunning football, Brett's age seemed not to be showing at all.

That said, in recent weeks, Brett Favre's second and perhaps greatest imperfection has come to light: he can't seem to really finish a season off. While he played remarkably during the pre-season and the majority of the regular season, in past weeks, he has seemed unable to keep it together. After being seemingly guaranteed a top-spot in the play-offs, the Vikings have struggled to keep their winning streaks going, falling to two teams they should have defeated quite easily in recent weeks.

And while it is impossible to argue that the outcome of an entire game and entire season depends upon one man, it is also impossible not to notice that this seems to be an imperfection that plagues Brett Favre. When he played for the New York Jets in 2008, the story was quite similar. He started off as spectacular, only to sort of fizzle out later on. And the year before, he was unable to get the Packers to the Super Bowl - throwing an interception at the NFC Championship Game.

Sure, all heroes are imperfect, including the untouchable Favre. Sports fans cannot help but wonder, however, whether this year he will finally be able to seal the deal.

Javier Arenas Punt Return's on Miss. State

javier arenas runs all over miss. states punt team



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m5PHSiDNsU&hl=en

Lux Aurumque

The Auburn University Symphonic Band, directed by Dr. Rick Good, performs Eric Whitacre's "Lux Aurumque" for the Alabama High School All State Band Festival in April, 2008.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akP5c7NgDgc&hl=en

Six 2009 Bowl Teams Used Defense to Win, None More Convincingly Than Iowa

While Nebraska used its stifling defense to record the 2009 bowl season's only shutout (a 33-0 victory over Arizona), six other bowl winners used their defense to achieve victories--Iowa, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Boise State, Marshall and Connecticut.

We are defense, claimed coach Kirk Ferentz and his 10th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes, and they proved it again by holding Georgia's high-powered, triple-option offense (2nd in the nation in rushing and 11th in scoring) to 12 yards passing and forcing a team-high 7 punts while beating the 9th-ranked Yellow Jackets, 24-14, in the BCS Orange Bowl.

It was the same Iowa defense that had held 4 bowl-bound teams to 10 points or less during the regular season. Georgia had only 14 three-and-outs during the season, yet failed to pick up a first down in their first 4 possessions against the Hawkeye defensive assault.

Iowa did not need a lot of offense to get the job done. True freshman Brandon Wegher ran for 113 yards in 16 carries (7.0 ypc) and a touchdown, and Ricky Stanzi, returning from a sprained ankle injury, went 17-for-29 and 231 yards passing.

The win was the Hawkeyes first in BCS bowl play, matched the school record for season wins (11-2), and gave them their highest national ranking in a half-century. Georgia finished at 11-3.

Sophomore Terrelle Pryor threw for a career-high 266 yards, had 2 TD passes and rushed for 72 yards, but it was the Ohio State defense that held Oregon's explosive offense in check as the Buckeyes whipped the Ducks, 26-17, in the Rose Bowl. Ohio State was ranked 8th coming into the game and Oregon 7th.

The Buckeye defense held Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli and his no-huddle offense to only 81 yards passing, and held star running back LaMichael James to only 70 yards.

The victory was oh-so-sweet, not just for a struggling Terrelle Pryor trying to come of age, but also for Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, who won a national championship and then lost 3 straight BCS bowl games. The monkey is now off of Tressel's back.

Pryor made some early mistakes (already forgotten in winning), but when it counted in the 4th quarter, he came up big during a 13-play, 81-yard drive eating up 6+ minutes of time, and ending with a 17-yard TD strike to DeVier Posey to put the Buckeyes up 26-17, the final score with approximately 7 minutes to play.

Wisconsin, ranked 24th coming into the Champs Sports Bowl against 14th-ranked Miami, brought its big and slow Badger linemen to face the Hurricanes fast and speedy offense. Someone forget to tell the Badgers they were too slow to catch the Hurricanes. The result was a 20-14 upset victory that left Wisconsin 10-3 after the game and Miami 9-4.

The Badgers chased Miami's Jacory Harris around all afternoon, getting 5 sacks and holding the Hurricane runners to 61 yards on the ground. Meantime, John Clay rolled up 121 yards and scored 2 touchdowns in Wisconsin's victory. Clay was the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.

Wisconsin was on offense for almost 40 minutes during the 60-minute game. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out if you got the ball longer than they do," said Badger coach Bret Bielema, "you have a better chance of scoring more points." Nicely said Bret, and thank your defense for keeping Miami off the field.

In the first ever BCS bowl game that pitted unbeaten mid-major teams against each other, 6th-ranked Boise State upset 3rd-ranked TCU (Texas Christian University), 17-10, in the Fiesta Bowl. Boise State came in at 13-0 and left 14-0; TCU came in at 12-0 and left 12-1.

It looked like this game might end in a 10-all tie, but a gutsy call by Bronco coach Chris Petersen for a fake punt on a 4th-and-9 at the Bronco's 33-yard line resulted in a 30-yard completion by punter Kyle Brotzman to a wide-open Kyle Efaw. That keep a drive alive that resulted in the winning Boise State touchdown on a 2-yard run by Doug Martin. The TCU Horned Frogs (I'm not kidding, that's their nickname) were caught with their pants down.

The play was called the "Riddler", and TCU had no joker to solve it.

Last year TCU beat Boise State 17-16 in the Poinsettia Bowl. This year's BCS contest pitted two high-scoring offenses as Boise State led the nation with 44 points a game, and TCU was scoring 40 a game. However, both teams, thanks to defensive play, ended up punting 8 times.

TCU never seemed to recover after Boise State's successful fake punt play led to the touchdown that spelled the difference. The Broncos ended up one of only two unbeaten teams following bowl competition, finishing at 14-0. Alabama won the national title with the same 14-0 mark.

The victory was Boise State's second in BCS play, and gave them as many BCS wins as Michigan, Penn State and Alabama have combined.

Marshall's Andre Booker returned a punt 58 yards for one touchdown, and Mike Ward rushed for 72 yards on 9 carries (8.0 ypc) and scored two TDs to put the Thundering Herd up 21-zip as Marshall held off Ohio to beat the Bobcats, 21-17, in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. Marshall finished the year at 7-6, and Ohio was 9-5.

Marshall was led by interim coach Rick Minter after Mark Snyder resigned. Snyder will be replaced by John "Doc" Holliday, the West Virginia assistant coach who was an assistant to Urban Meyer when Florida won the national championship in 2006.

South Carolina (7-6) played its worst game of the year in the Papajohns.com Bowl as Connecticut (8-5) put the hurt on the Gamecocks, 20-7. South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said after the game, "I'm embarrassed. Blame me. It was a sad, sad effort, especially the offense."

Man, he was not kidding. The Gamecocks, playing in the heart of SEC country at Birmingham (AL), were sucking major Louisiana pond water. Connecticut held them to 76 yards rushing, 129 yards passing and forced them to punt 7 times. Stephen Garcia fumbled once and was intercepted once.

Connecticut led 20-0 and darn near got a shutout as South Carolina finally scored a TD with 3:24 left in the game. The Huskies' Andre Dixon picked up 126 yards on 33 carries and scored a touchdown. Connecticut players were motivated to win following the stabbing death of cornerback Jasper Howard, who was killed in a fight outside a school-sponsored dance in October.

Copyright © 2010 Ed Bagley

The Hill of Crosses in Lithuania

In the summers of 2006 and 2007, my husband and I traveled with a group of Methodists from the southeastern United States to Liepaja, Latvia, to build a youth camp. The site was a former Russian farm, located at about a ten minute walk from the shores of the Baltic Sea. The North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church had purchased the farm. We were there to clean out the years of debris and remodel the century-old buildings into suitable accommodations for young people.

In 2007, we planned time to take a day trip to Siauliai, Lithuania-the site of the world-renown Hill of Crosses. After we crossed the Lithuanian border, we drove through miles of flat grain fields. In the distance, a small hill rose, uncharacteristically, from the level ground. As we neared the site, we found a large mound of dirt that was covered by an untold number of crosses, carvings and statues. The crosses and statues had been left there over the years by pilgrims of the Christian faith and patriots of Lithuania proclaiming their peaceful resistance to religious oppression.

The history of Siauliai goes back to 1236. The city was occupied by Teutonic Knights during the 14th century which heralded the beginning of more than six centuries of repression of national identity and religion. In 1795, Siauliai was incorporated into Russia but was returned to Lithuania in 1918. Germany captured the city in World War II but Russia retook it at the war's end. From 1944 until Lithuania's independence in 1991, Siauliai was a part of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic of the USSR.

During all these years of national and religious repression, the Hill of Crosses served as a symbol of freedom and hope. The Christian crosses were repeatedly removed by the Soviets who went so far as to level the hill, burn the crosses or turn them into scrap metal, and then cover the area with waste and sewage. These desecrations took place in 1961, 1973, and 1975. After each desecration, the local residents and pilgrims from all over Lithuania rapidly replaced the crosses on the sacred hill.

The story of the Hill of Crosses, and the determination of the Lithuanian people to preserve their nationality and religious freedom, spread rapidly about the world.

This humble hill has become a symbol of man's determination to be free and to worship his God. We marveled at the size, variety and number of crosses. Crosses have been placed by pilgrims from all around the world. We left our small mark, a cross in memory of one of our loved ones, on that hill-in recognition of and respect for the deep, undying faith and determination of the people of Siauliai, Lithuania.

WVTM, 2-15-09, Birmingham, AL

Alabama pumps more than $1 million to develop alternative energy sources across the state.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXkS5corx1g&hl=en

1983 Marching Southerners Part 1

JSU Marching Southerners 1983 Exhibition at Paul Snow Stadium



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb6ysVgJKBw&hl=en

Not a Good Week For Syracuse

It was supposed to be a good year for the University of Syracuse; the football program just landed a NFL quality coach in Doug Marrone after Greg Robinson ran the program into the ground. The one time Syracuse High School legend Greg Paulus who was the Gatorade National high school player of the year his senior year left Syracuse to pursue a basketball career at Duke University. After finishing a remarkable 4-year college basketball career, he came back home to Syracuse to use his last year of college eligibility as a quarterback for the football program.

While Paulus is not exactly the same quarterback that showed so much promise coming out of high school, it's his leadership and communication skills that earned him the starting job. While the team is currently 3-5 they still look a lot better than they have in years. The defense is forcing turnovers and playing hard, and the offense had a major downfield threat in Mike Williams until this week.

Just when things were looking good especially for Williams who even while being on a 3-5 team was name one of the top 10 finalists for the Biletnikoff Award that goes to nations top wide receiver. But without warning early this week Williams quit the team and the University without any real explanation. While he may have had good reasons for leaving, the loss of Williams is huge for the Orange who plays 13th ranked Pittsburgh this weekend. While the football team season seems to be heading downhill quickly the basketball team is starting off the same way.

Ranked 25th in the preseason polls the Orange basketball team was hoping to bounce back from their loss in the sweet sixteen to Oklahoma while trying to reach the national championship. Coach Jim Boeheim knew it would be a good but challenging year for his young team. This year the Orange are trying to get over the loss of three starters from last Eric Devendorf, Paul Harris, and the electric Johnny Flynn who lead the team to one college basketball greatest games last year in a win over Uconn that went into 6 overtimes.

Even with the key departures the Orange were excited about finally having Wes Johnson who sat out last year after transferring from Iowa State. They also returned three point specialist Andy Rautins, and big time rebounders Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson. Given the height and skills of 4 out of the 5 starters, last nights exhibition game between cross-town Division 2 Le Moyne Dolphins should have been a walk in the park but it wasn't.

From the beginning of the game the Orange were out played by a team that came in ready to play. Syracuse coach Boeheim knew coming into the game that they needed to work on man-to-man defense and the Dolphins proved that last night beating the Orange 82-79 even with Johnson scoring 34 points. The Dolphins used dribble penetration and cuts to get open at will against the taller slower Orange. The Orange who are known to rely on the zone defense during a majority of their games figured last night would be a good night to work on other defenses, well we all now know there is no other defense. If they think they had a hard time playing man to man against a division 2 school wait until they start Big east conference play. While the Big East may be a joke when it comes to college football, Big East basketball is the SEC of college football. Top to bottom the conference is loaded with at least 6 teams that have a chance every year of winning the national championship.

Hopefully the Orange can look at last night's loss and never play man defense again unless they are up by 20 points with 1 minute left. The zone is what makes them a top 25 team without the zone they play defense like a deer in headlights. Last nights game showed why exhibition games are important it lets you work on all of weaknesses before the season starts. The Orange basketball team should be fine this year, given the talent they should finish within the top 25 and make it back to March Madness next year. While the football program needs to now regroup and think of other ways to score, the wildcat offense my not be a bad idea against a Pittsburgh defense that likes to commit early on run plays so misdirection could work but not for a whole game. Not saying the Orange could win but if they can stop one of the best running backs in the country Dion Lewis a freshman from near by Albany NY they could have a chance.

TCU and Boise State Are Getting Screwed

The BCS is a joke.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN8sH0GZyi0&hl=en

How to Find Out More About Universities

Many people dream of going to college, and in many families it is expected that the children will follow in their family's footsteps and attend an institution of higher learning. It can be overwhelming selecting the appropriate universities, because there are so many of them. However, there are some basic truths about universities that will help you in your search to learn more about universities and colleges, so that you can select the one that will work best for you.

There are universities located in each state of the country. Universities, which also can go by the name of colleges, typically offer four-year programs leading to a Bachelor's degree when completed. Some schools also offer graduate degrees that build upon the knowledge gained from the Bachelor's degree program. State universities in the past had been known as colleges that offered practical degrees, especially those in agriculture. However, today's state universities provide college degrees in a wide range of subject areas, and are typically less expensive to attend than other schools.

Universities and colleges usually will also offer on-campus housing for their students. In many instances, younger students are required to live in campus dormitories until they reach a certain age, although this varies from school to school.

Colleges, universities, and other accredited schools will offer financial aid to students who wish to attend and are currently attending. Many students find that if they can find enough scholarships when they graduate from high school to get them through their freshman year at college, once on campus they find that there typically are more scholarships available for which they may apply. If you want to attend colleges, universities, community colleges or other schools, it is a great idea to contact their office of financial aid to see what financial aid is available. You may be awarded Pell Grants from the Federal government, which do not have to be repaid and are used for paying tuition. Other grants may be available if you have good grades and are financially challenged. Scholarships are granted to students, and this money does not have to be repaid either. In addition, there are college loans available, which require repayment after a short grace period after you graduate.

If you go to any search engine, you will find university listings available online. Here you can get more information about admission requirements to colleges, universities, trade schools and other schools. Having the information from university listings available to you, you will be able to compare universities and colleges for cost to attend, programs offered and other learning opportunities, in order to discover the specifics about each school and narrow your choices down to the one that is right for you.

Troy University Sound of the South Marching Band "Fanfare"

This is the 2006 Troy University Sound of the South Marching Band at an exhibition playing "The Fanfare"



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe-7KBvbPxY&hl=en

Hamilton Gables by Epcon Communities - New Homes Opelika, Alabama

Direct Phone Number: 334-737-3776 New Homes In Opelika, Alabama AL 36804 Hamilton Gables is a maintenance-free community of luxury ranch condominiums situated on 15 acres of gently rolling terrain alongside a meandering stream. Ideally located in the epicenter of Auburn-Opelika, rated as one of the nation's top six retirement spots and recently named "Best Golf Location" nationwide by Golf Digest. Hamilton Gables is within walking distance of Tiger Town, the area's newest upscale open-air mall; complete with coffee shops, grocery, pharmacies, retail shops, hotels, dinining & entertainment. The Shoppes at Capps Farm is coming soon and will introduce a state-of-the-art panoramic theater. Directly across the street from Hamilton Gables is the Saugahatchee Country Club and Auburn University (home of the Auburn Tigers!) is only minutes away. To provide a quaint, neighborhood atmosphere we have carefully determined the number and orientation of each home in Hamilton Gables. The walking paths and lush landscaping bring it all together creating a park-like setting. In addition to the beautiful surroundings, each homeowner can enjoy the impressive clubhouse with health & fitness center and pool - a perfect place for family and friends to gather. This is what suburbia should be... quiet nights, good neighbors and simply enjoying life. Hamilton Gables is another reason why Auburn-Opelika is consistently ranked the best place to live, work and play!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOoqb8dZNGA&hl=en

BCS National Championship Game - Florida vs Oklahoma

Between them, they have won 9 National Championships. Coaches for both teams are considered the best in college football. Bob Stoops coached OU to a 12-0 record in 2000 which culminated with a 13-2 win over Florida State in the Orange Bowl. It was only Stoop' second year with Sooners and he had already guided them to a National Championship. Urban Meyer spurned Notre Dame to become head coach at Florida in 2005. Just like Stoops, his second year ended with the Gators securing the National Championship. An added amount of intrigue about this BCS title game is the fact that Stoops was the defensive coordinator for Florida before leaving for Oklahoma.

Oklahoma got into the title game by beating Missouri 62-21 in the Big 12 conference title game. No one debated who was the better team in that game, but some people wondered whether Texas should have been playing instead of OU because of a late season jump in the BCS rankings. Nevertheless, no one questions Oklahoma's talent. The Sooners set a modern-day NCAA record, scoring 702 points this season. Quarterback Sam Bradford led this prolific offense throwing for 48 touchdowns, the most in college football this season. And for that, he won the Heisman Trophy(college football's award for the best player). The Sooners won 11 games and lost one. That one loss is the reason for the controversy as it was to Texas, the team they jumped in the rankings.

Florida got into this game by beating Alabama 31-20 in the SEC Championship game behind their Quarterback Tim Tebow's heroics. Tebow, who won last year's Heisman award, threw for three touchdowns in the game against previously unbeaten Alabama. Although Oklahoma owns the most prolific scoring offense in the country, Florida isn't far behind in the rankings at 3rd. Along with their high-ranked offense, they own the 5th-ranked defense in the country. The challenge for Florida will be for their strong defense to limit the explosive Oklahoma offense.

The BCS National Championship is the defacto championship game for the college football championship in the US. And although the winner of this game is considered by most to be the best that year, the title is not sanctioned by college sports governing body, the NCAA. But the BCS is not without controversy. Every year since its inception, it has attempted to identify the best college teams and proclaim a winner. However, the process of choosing the teams to play in the title game has its detractors.

At the end of the regular season, the top two teams in the BCS rankings are pitted against each other. But the criteria used to rank the teams is heavily criticized. As a result, even when the #1 and #2 teams meet, some people will question whether or not they were the right teams. More and more people(including US President-elect Obama) have called for scrapping the BCS system and installing a playoff system.

College Football - No 24 Alabama Stuns No 9 Clemson, East Carolina Upsets No 17 Virginia Tech

After a topsy-turvy 2007 college football season full of surprises, the 2008 college football season opened like business as usual. No less than 20 teams among the AP's Top 25 Preseason Poll won their opener.

It would be hard to call 2 of the 5 losing teams as an upset-No. 9 Clemson lost at home to No. 24 Alabama 34-10, and No. 20 Illinois lost to No. 6 Missouri 52-42 on the road. This was a preseason poll and all 4 teams were ranked.

The only three real upsets were No. 17 Virginia Tech's loss to host East Carolina, 27-22, since East Carolina was unranked, No. 25 Pittsburgh losing its opener at home to unranked Bowling Green 27-17, and No. 18 Tennessee's overtime loss to host UCLA 27-24.

The 20 ranked winning teams racked up some pretty impressive opening victories:

No. 1 Georgia hosted and defeated 1-AA Georgia Southern 45-21. Georgia hosts Central Michigan next, another easy opponent.

No. 2 Ohio State hosted and shut out 1-AA Youngstown State 43-0. Ohio State hosts in-state rival Ohio next.

No. 3 Southern California (USC) traveled to Virginia and won easily on the road 52-7. USC takes a week off and then hosts Ohio State on Sept. 13, giving them lots of time to prepare for the Buckeyes.

No. 4 Oklahoma hosted and ripped apart 1-AA Chattanooga 57-2. Oklahoma hosts Cincinnati next, another lightweight.

No. 5 Florida hosted Hawaii and gave the Warriors a taste of top competition, 56-10. Florida hosts in-state rival Miami next.

No. 6 Missouri hosted and defeated No. 20 Illinois 52-42. Both of these teams should be good again this year, but it does not appear than either of them has a defense against a good offense. Missouri hosts in-state rival Southeast Missouri State next while Illinois hosts in-state rival Eastern Illinois. Both should win easily.

No. 7 Louisiana State (LSU) saw 1-AA Appalachian State coming to Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge and promptly sent them packing with a 41-13 loss. LSU hosts Troy next. Troy should get run over.

No. 8 West Virginia hosted and defeated 1-AA Villanova 48-21. West Virginia travels to East Carolina next and the Mountaineers from the Big East Conference had better be on their game. The East Carolina Pirates from Conference USA are on a big time roll. Coach Skip Holtz led East Carolina past Boise State last year in the Hawaii Bowl, giving him two huge wins in a row.

No. 10 Auburn hosted and shut out Louisiana-Monroe 34-zip. Auburn hosts Southern Mississippi next.

No. 11 Texas hosted and smashed Florida Atlantic 52-10. Texas travels to in-state rival Texas-El Paso (UTEP) next, another easy opponent for the Longhorns.

No. 12 Texas Tech's pass-happy offense blew by 1-AA visitor Eastern Washington 49-24 and will travel to Nevada next.

No. 13 Wisconsin feasted on Akron 38-17 in the Badgers' home opener, and host Marshall next. Many pundits are looking at Wisconsin as a powerhouse in the Big Ten this year. Akron might agree.

No. 14 Kansas treated visiting Florida International like road kill in a 40-10 victory. The Jayhawks host weak Louisiana Tech next.

No. 15 Arizona State hosted and turned back 1-AA in-state rival Northern Arizona 30-13. Next up for the Sun Devils is visiting Stanford, which won a big game in its home opener against Oregon State 36-28.

No. 16 Brigham Young (BYU) hosted and stormed past 1-AA Northern Iowa 41-17 and now travels to Washington to face a young, inexperienced Husky team.

No. 17 Virginia Tech lost to host East Carolina 27-22 and should easily rebound when the Hokies host 1-AA Furman next. Trust me when I say it will not be a good day to be Furman. Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, the master of special teams play, got beat when East Carolina's T. J. Lee scooped up his own blocked punt and ran it in for a 27-yard touchdown with 1:52 left to seal the Pirates' victory. Beamer and his band of Virginia Tech players will take it out on Furman. Virginia Tech should drop in the first regular-season AP Poll this week, especially since East Carolina was an unranked team.

No. 18 Tennessee traveled to UCLA and lost a heartbreaker to UCLA 27-24. The Volunteers led 14-7 at the half, led 14-10 after the 3rd quarter, watched UCLA take a 24-21 lead with 27 seconds left in the 4th quarter, managed to tie the game at 24, and then lost in overtime when UCLA's kicker made a 42-yard field goal and Tennessee's kicker missed a 34-yarder. The win represented the first game and first win for new coach Rick Neuheisel's UCLA coaching debut at his alma mater.

No. 19 South Florida hosted and stomped Tennessee-Martin 56-7. Next up for South Florida will be a trip to in-state rival Central Florida. South Florida surprised a lot of teams last year with a 9-4 record, including a 56-21 loss to Oregon in the Brut Sun Bowl.

No. 20 Illinois traveled to No. 6 Missouri and lost 52-42 in a high-scoring offensive shootout.

No. 21 Oregon hosted and put a licking on Washington 44-10. The Huskies, who only trailed 14-10 at the half, proved no match for Oregon's spread offense and speed. Oregon hosts Utah State next while Washington has its home opener against BYU. Coach Ty Willingham and his Washington players will be lucky to leave Husky Stadium with their shirts on after BYU gets done with them.

No. 22 Penn State hosted and stomped a mud hole in 1-AA Coastal Carolina 66-10. Penn State will host a very angry Oregon State team next. The Nittany Lions had better be ready because the Beavers play tough, hard-nosed football to say it kindly.

No. 23 Wake Forest traveled to Baylor and got the job done, 41-13.

No. 24 Alabama traveled to No. 9 Clemson and the Crimson Tide rolled out with an impressive 34-10 victory. We predicted that Clemson could be in trouble with a capital T, and in fact they were. Alabama led 23-3 at the half and outscored Clemson 11-7 in the second half. Alabama entertains Tulane next in the Crimson Tide's home opener. The Bryant-Denny Stadium will be rockin', and unless the Earth caves in, Alabama will be 2-0.

No. 25 Pittsburgh had its season opener at home against Bowling Green and came up short, losing to the Falcons from the Mid-American Conference, 27-17. Is Pittsburgh that bad? Yes. Bowling Green is a Mid-American Conference team and Pittsburgh plays in the Big East Conference. If Pittsburgh coach Dave Wannstedt keeps this up, he will never get any respect. Are you aware that Bowling Green won the Mid-American East title last year, went 8-4 overall and played in the GMAC Bowl? Yes, the Falcons lost to Tulsa 63-7 in their bowl game, but at least they went.

Pittsburgh last year was 5-7 overall and spent the season sucking pond water. A lot of fans are in prayer in Pittsburgh, hoping the Panthers will get better. Will someone please inform rabid Panther Nation fans that it is OK to pray like it depends on God, but the Panther players need to act like it depends on them. Pittsburgh should fall right out of the first regular-season AP Poll and take its rightful place in obscurity.

Seven of the 8 non-ranked teams that needed to win their opener did. Only Michigan, which lost its opener at home last year to 1-AA Appalachian State 34-32, managed to lose again at home in the Big House to Utah, 25-23. The loss represented the first game and first loss for new coach Rich Rodriguez. Had Michigan not come up with 13 points in the last quarter, the Wolverines would have lost 25-10. Do you think they sell Utah jerseys in Ann Arbor? In fairness, Michigan did end up at 8-4 last year and did beat Florida 41-35 in the Capital One Bowl.

The 7 non-ranked teams that won included:

Arizona over Idaho 70-0 (49-zip at the half), Arkansas over 1-AA Western Illinois 28-24 (don't laugh, at least the Razorbacks won), Boise State over 1-AA Idaho State 49-7, Boston College over Kent State 21-0, Connecticut over 1-AA Hofstra 35-3, Kansas State over North Texas 45-6, and Nebraska over Western Michigan 47-24 (the Cornhuskers still have a lot of work to do).

Add-on winners include Colorado at home over in-state rival Colorado State 38-17 (this game is in the same category as the Oregon-Oregon State civil war shootout every year), and Wyoming at home over Ohio 21-20 (many Wyoming backers have made big bucks betting on Wyoming at home over the years).

And my pick for game of the week? The mighty Buffalo Bulls (hear my mighty roar) scored in every quarter to paste visiting Texas-El Paso (UTEP) 42-17. Keep an eye on Buffalo. The Bulls, with coach Turner Gill, have decided to stop being the NCAA's doormat and start beating people because they can.

That's the story on this opening week wrap-up. Other teams may have played and won, but until they stop standing around and looking important rather than actually beating someone, they get no coverage here.

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

Jake Locker Returns - The Outlook For Washington Husky Football in 2010 Just Rose 1000%

Whoever figured out that a great, experienced quarterback is almost a necessity for a championship team was a genius before his time. The recent Super Bowl confrontation between the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints both had great quarterbacks-Peyton Manning and Drew Brees.

Now the University of Washington Huskies have Jake Locker back for another year to continue a tremendous re-building effort by new head coach Steve "Sark" Sarkisian.

Locker, who struggled through two futile years with the coach from nowhere whose name I refuse to even mention, finally found his proper mentor in Sark-a very successful single-caller in his own right at Brigham Young University.

Sark also coached two Heisman Trophy winners-Carson Palmer in 2002 and Matt Leinart in 2004, and mentored additional NFL-draft picks John David Booty and Mark Sanchez. All are quarterbacks.

In 2008, Locker and his teammates endured an excruciating, winless season (0-12). In 2009, with the arrival of Sarkisian, former Southern California offensive coordinator, and Nick Holt, USC's former defensive coordinator, as the new defensive coordinator for the Huskies, Locker began "schooling" as an NFL drop-back quarterback. An interested, coachable student, Locker made amazing progress and the Huskies began to improve.

Washington played LSU tough in its opener but lost, 31-23, before beating Idaho 42-23 and then upsetting Southern Cal 16-13 in a game that became national news. The Huskies lost their first road game at Stanford 34-14, and lost again at Notre Dame 37-30 after taking the Irish into overtime.

After upsetting Arizona 36-33, they stood at 3-3, and then promptly lost to Arizona State, Oregon, UCLA and Oregon State, making some fans wonder if the upbeat beginning was in for a longer season end.

Thankfully, Washington absolutely decimated its cross-state rival, humbling Washington State by shutting out the Cougars 30-zip, and then upsetting a very good California team 42-10 to end the season on a triumphant note. The Huskies' 5-7 record did not reflect how far they had come from a winless season, or how much they had progressed.

On the precipice of taking a giant leap forward in 2010, NFL scouts began drooling over Washington's centerpiece of re-birth-Jake Locker. A junior quarterback with 4.3 speed and good enough to be a starting running back, Locker was an absolute must draft because almost any coach worth his salt knew the talented Husky had enough moxie and muscle to play about 7 different positions on the football field.

Sarkisian never thought twice about moving Locker from his QB station. Sark just wanted to make him into an NFL drop-back QB, and Locker went on a steep learning curve in a hurry.

If there was ever any doubt that Locker would become a legend after his playing days at Washington, that all vanished in a heartbeat when, upon consideration, he decided to turn down millions in now money to perfect his training as a drop-back QB.

When Locker announced his decision to return to U-Dub and finish the business he started, whispered prayers of thanks could be heard floating across the Montlake Campus.

By deciding not to sell out his school, his fans, his supporters, and not to keep them waiting for months on end about his intentions, and then calling a big press conference to announce his decision, Locker has become a living legend before his final season even starts.

Locker did not even bother with the NFL application process. He walked in on Sarkisian and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier and said "Coach, I'm staying." That's Jake Locker-an immensely talented, humble, matter-of-fact kind of guy you wish was dating your daughter.

Locker is far from your normal, money-grubbing, self-centered, all-world athlete in today's sports environment. Raised right in a home that puts God ahead of everything else, it makes eminent sense that Locker would make his decision with right thinking and right motives. There are no hidden agendas with Locker, no need to push everyone out of the way so the light shines on him. With Locker, the light comes from within.

With his return to the Montlake Campus and the field of battle, Locker will make everyone around him better. Receivers will catch more balls, rushers will make more yards because of his presence, and his linemen just might be blocking for a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Even the Husky defense will benefit because he will extend the offensive team's time on the field, or lead his team into the end zone so quickly and often that it will not matter.

So just how huge is Locker's return? Well, astronomers are not naming stars in the sky of Western Washington for football players, but they might start thinking about it, especially if they are U-Dub graduates.

Copyright © 2010 Ed Bagley

Morehead State Lives To Play Another Day

The Morehead State Eagles earned the right to take on in-state foe Louisville with a win over Alabama State on Tuesday night in Dayton. Ryan Cost talked to some smiling Eagles after the game.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zwjJ5tWm0s&hl=en

2008 Eagles Ready to Fly

The 2008 Philadelphia Eagles team will feature some of the most dynamic players in the NFL, if they can stay healthy. Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, and Asante Samuel are marquee names in the league. Each should put on a stellar show if they are able to play all sixteen games this season.

McNabb was never really healthy last year. His diminished mobility hurt the team. This year, he is reportedly back in peak condition and ready to resume his top tier performance from earlier in his career.

Brian Westbrook had more yards from scrimmage than any other player in the NFL last year. To clarify, 'any player' includes San Diego's LaDanian Tomlinson. He was rewarded in the off-season with a healthy new contract. Westbrook was never in contention for the NFL's Most Valuable Player award due to the poor performance of the Eagles, but there was not another player in the NFL who contributed as much to their team offensive output as Brian Westbrook. With better supporting players around him and a healthy quarterback, Westbrook's future looks bright.

Asante Samuel will start the season flush with the truck loads of money the Eagles offered him to come to Philadelphia from New England. The expectations for Samuel are probably unrealistically high, but partnered with fellow cornerbacks Sheldon Brown and Lito Shepherd, he will be a part of one of the best rotations in the NFL.

Head Coach Andy Reid has, in his nine years with the Eagles, drafted for the future. The team has not typically sought or gotten a great deal of productivity out of their rookies. This year, however, looks to be different. Rookie DeSean Jackson will be the starting punt returner on opening day. With the injury to Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown's lingering hamstring problems, he may play a big role as a starting wide receiver as well.

Another Eagles rookie, Quintin Demps, will be the starting day kick returner. Like Jackson, Demps showed some spectacular moves in the return game during the preseason. How well those moves translate against starting NFL players when the score counts remains to be seen, but Demps and Jackson look like they may have the skills to produce right away and for years to come.

Rookie Lorenzo Booker is listed as the third running back on the team's depth chart, but his speed and receiving skills will make him a dangerous weapon. Barring a disastrous injury, Booker will not supplant Brian Westbrook this year or any time soon, but he may see significant time on the field in two running back sets.

On paper, the Eagles have some of the top individual players in the NFL. How well they will mesh together and perform is yet to be determined. If, and this is a big if, they can all stay healthy, the Eagles will be a force to contend with in the NFC East in 2008.

College Football - Week 12 - Florida Crushes South Carolina, Giving Coach Spurrier His Worst Defeat

Sixteen of 20 AP Top 25 teams won in College Football's 12th Week but none won bigger or more impressively than Urban Meyer's Florida Gators, who literally crushed Steve Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks, 56-6, in what many thought would be a much closer contest.

After being upset 31-30 at home by Mississippi 6 weeks ago, the No. 3 Gators have gone ballistic, ripping off 5 straight wins by huge margins-38-7 over Arkansas, 51-21 over LSU, 63-5 over Kentucky, 49-10 over Georgia and 42-14 over Vanderbilt. Now they were staring at incoming South Carolina.

The Gamecocks were 7-3 and rated No. 11 in the nation in rushing defense, No. 10 in scoring defense, No. 4 in passing defense and No. 12 in passing efficiency defense. Florida was loaded as well, ranking No. 22 in rushing offense, No. 21 in rushing defense, No. 4 in scoring defense, No. 17 in passing defense, No. 10 in passing efficiency, No. 14 in passing efficiency defense and No. 4 in turnover margin.

Surely, No. 24-ranked South Carolina could at least slow down No. 3-ranked Florida, even in a losing effort. Didn't happen.

Despite some impressive statistics of their own, the Gators were ranked 91 in turnover margin, and did it show against the Gators, who capitalized on 3 consecutive turnovers in the 1st quarter, scoring 3 touchdowns in 8 plays. From then on, South Carolina and Steve Spurrier were toast.

The loss was Spurrier's worst in a storied playing and coaching career covering 5 decades. He had not been hosed that bad since falling 63-7 to Florida in 1995. Spurrier coached at Florida for 12 years, from 1990 to 2001. For Florida it was business as usual, racking up its 16th victory over South Carolina in 17 years, and pushing its record to 9-1 this year.

For all of South Carolina's defensive statistics against other opponents, they had to watch the 3 touchdowns on turnovers, watch Percy Harvin run for a career-high 167 yards against them, and watch Gator quarterback Tim Tebow account for 3 scores.

The first 16 ranked teams in the Top 25 Poll this week were not about to lose their ranking and status. They included:

No. 1 Alabama at home over Mississippi State 32-7, No. 4 Texas on the road over Kansas 35-7, No. 6 Southern California on the road over Stanford 45-23, No. 7 Penn State at home over Indiana 34-7, No. 8 Utah on the road over San Diego State 63-14, No. 9 Boise State on the road over Idaho 45-10, and No. 10 Ohio State on the road over Illinois 30-20.

No. 11 Oklahoma State on the road over Colorado 30-17, No. 12 Missouri on the road over Iowa State 52-20, No. 13 Georgia on the road over Auburn 17-13, No. 14 Ball State on the road over Miami of Ohio 31-16, and No. 16 Brigham Young on the road over Air Force 38-24.

Also winning this week were No. 19 Louisiana State at home over Troy 40-31 (the Tigers were losing to Troy 31-3 before scoring 37 unanswered points in a impressive comeback during an unimpressive win), No. 22 Cincinnati on the road over Louisville 28-20, and No. 23 Oregon State at home over California 34-21.

Five teams in the Top 25 were idle this week-No. 2 Texas Tech, No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 15 Texas Christian, No. 18 Michigan State and No. 21 Pittsburgh.

Among the 4 Top 25 teams that were upset this week, only South Carolina played a ranked team, No. 2 Florida.

No. 17 North Carolina lost to Maryland 17-15 on the road, No. 20 Florida State lost to Boston College 27-17 at home and No. 25 Tulsa lost to Houston 70-30 on the road.

South Carolina, Florida State and Tulsa all dropped out of the Top 25 Poll again, Maryland and Oregon returned again, and Miami (FL) arrived for the first time this year.

Could we please now stop all of the spin about how Tulsa, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Connecticut, Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt, Florida State, Clemson, California, East Carolina, South Carolina, Illinois, UCLA, Fresno State, Wake Forest, Oregon, South Florida, Arizona State, Wisconsin, Auburn, West Virginia, Minnesota and Maryland should be in the Top 25.

All of these teams have been in and out of the Top 25 in the first 12 weeks of the season. Sure, some of them are good but all of them are terribly inconsistent.

The truth is only 13 teams have been in the Top 25 all 12 weeks. They are currently ranked No. 1 Alabama, No. 2 Texas Tech, No. 3 Florida, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 6 Southern Cal, No. 7 Penn State, No. 8 Utah, No. 10 Ohio State, No. 12 Missouri, No. 13 Georgia, No. 16 Brigham Young and No. 17 LSU. Now that's consistency.

The only 5 undefeated teams remain 11-0 Alabama, 10-0 Texas Tech, 11-0 Utah, 10-0 Boise State and 10-0 Ball State.

There are at least 3 good matches this week as No. 2 Texas Tech (10-0) visits No. 5 Oklahoma (9-1), No. 7 Penn State (10-1) hosts No. 17 Michigan State (9-2), and No. 8 Utah (11-0) hosts No. 16 Brigham Young (10-1).

The unranked losers game of the year pits winless Washington (0-10) at Washington State (1-10). To add insult to injury, Washington State's one win came against 1-AA Portland State. Minus the 1-AA fiasco, these two birds will play each other at 0-20. There is a rumor floating around that fans will be paid to drive to Pullman to watch the game.

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley

ASU Band Hall of fame, www.Freddyo.com

2008 fall



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPDXF20E_f0&hl=en

TTBB Alabama All State Choir practice-----Pentatonic Alleluia 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0AJQq9a3FU&hl=en

Marching Southerners - Entry and Warmup

On Saturday, October 25, the Jacksonville State University Marching Southerners performed at the JSU Contest of Champions high school band competition. The band enters the field to the thunder of the JSU drumline. Next the band and the drumline put on a show in and of itself with their on-field warm-ups, culminating in the drumline performing "Ditty", as made famous by the Concord Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eXCYSJRRnk&hl=en

"HORACE: The Bridge Builder King" (1995-96) PART I

"HORACE: The Bridge Builder King" (1995-96) PART I LINK TO: PART II: youtube.com HORACE KING TEACHER GUIDE PDF www.auburn.edu HORACE:The Bridge Builder King is an hour long documentary about a freed slave in the 1800s named Horace King. His Master, John Godwin always treated Horace as a partner or as an equal in all of their business dealings. He was well known around the south for constructing town lattice truss covered bridges. He was in the bridging building business from around 1820 until around 1885. Born in Cheraw District of South Carolina a slave. The Alabama Legislature freed Horace King on Feb 3, 1846 by an Act of the Legislature in order to keep his talents in Alabama. Horace built gun boats for the Confederate Navy during the Civil War and is likely, the only slave ever to have erected a moment on a master's grave. Horace did just that in 1859 and the monument is still located at the Godwin Cemetary in Phenix City, Alabama. Historical Consultants: Thomas French, Jr. RLS - Dr. John Lupold, Ph.D., Columbus State University - William H. Green, Ph.D., Lexington, Kentucky - Richard Bailey, Ph.D., Montgomery, Alabama Karl-Heinz Reilmann, Richmond, Virgina Kaye Minchew, Archivist-LaGrange, Georgia Trivia: Somewhere around 1995-1996, while the production was full under way, Tom Lenard and Thomas French, Jr (noted Horace King Historian) had the good fortune to be able to speak with noted Ken Burns "Civil War" historian Shelby Foote when he visited Auburn University to ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qQWPX3oaNU&hl=en

Alabama Crimson Tide Football - From Players to the Fans That Idolize Them

The Crimson Tide, the team of many names, has been referred to as the Crimson White, the Thin Red Line, and even the Red Elephants. With so many names, how do Tide fans know who they're talking about? From the Tide tradition, that's how. Alabama fans are proud of their past and pass their traditions on to their children at as young of an age as they can comprehend it! Roll Tide is a praised phrase as a child while the term War Eagle is considered right on up there with shut up and butt head. Yes, tradition is a special part of the Alabama experience that fans love to relive on game day and when walking through campus on a sunny autumn day. Little girls dressed in line with their hopes of one day being an Alabama Cheerleader. Young boys running across the Quad playing their own game of football before the real game begins. Grandparents, telling stories of Bama back in it's glory days with the Bear as coach and times when Alabama was a shoe-in for the National Championship Title.

Some are past players of the Bear and seem to always feel in the spotlight one last time when they step inside of Bryant-Denny Stadium, even if they had played at Legion Field, or elsewhere. The only thing that matters is where the Tide calls home. Today, that is Bryant-Denny Stadium named after the legendary Paul W. Bear Bryant whose name you can find in various places all over town, and Denny Chimes, who also has his legacy spread out over campus. Honoring them before were monuments, street names, and even museums, but having the stadium coined after them was quite an honor for those respective families. Anything that has to do with Alabama football has a serious reputation to uphold. With more National Championships, SEC Championships, Bowl Appearances, Bowl Wins, SEC Conference Wins, and most consecutive SEC Conference Championships than any other team in the NCAA, the Crimson Tide and it's players are looked upon by fans to continue this tradition and be the team to beat for years to come.

Alabama's historical rosters and current game attendants include Kenny, the Snake, Stabler, legendary Joe Namath, and Barry Krause among others. Stabler, Namath and one hundred and forty-five others are forever remembered along the Walk of Fame at Denny Chimes. A tradition since 1948, it immortalizes spectacular players like no other team and the tradition of doing so is one of the most important in Alabama history. Players of the Tide can be found on occasion greeting fans at the Paul W. Bryant Museum, signing autographs, and sometimes even sitting next to lucky fans at the games. At the University of Alabama, it's all about the fans, and the experience of Alabama Football. You can guarantee student tickets will be sold out within the first thirty minutes they're made available, and if you want to get your hands on one, it won't be a cheap buy. Fans of the Tide are dedicated, and some of the best college football fans out there! Roll Tide!

CIA Drug Trafficking: Town Hall with Director John M. Deutch (Part 1)

November 15, 1996 Juanita Millender-McDonald (September 7, 1938 - April 22, 2007) was an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1996 until her death in 2007, representing California's 37th congressional district, which includes most of South Central Los Angeles and the city of Long Beach, California. She was a member of the Democratic Party. On December 19, 2006, Millender-McDonald was named Chairwoman of the House Committee on House Administration for the 110th Congress. She was the first African-American woman to chair the committee. She was also a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and of the New Democrat Coalition and was considered a front-runner for the job of Secretary of Transportation if John Kerry had been elected President in 2004. Millender-McDonald was born in Birmingham, Alabama. She was educated at the University of Redlands, from which she received a business degree; California State University, Los Angeles, from which she earned a masters in education; and the University of Southern California, from which she completed her doctorate. She worked as a teacher, a textbook editor, and later as director of a nonprofit organization working for gender issues. She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Millender-McDonald served as a member of the City Council of Carson, California and was a member of the California State Assembly before entering the House. She was first elected to the ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrGl_WqgjDc&hl=en

PC Documentary Part 3.wmv

Phenix City: "The Wickedest City" Directed and Narrated by Joey Smajd for Dr. Gardiner's 6145G course at Columbus State University. A short documentary with live interviews from 1954 and 2009 about Phenix City, Alabama in 1954. The film when Albert Patterson was assassinated b/c he stood up to the mob that ran "Sin City" USA and controlled every aspect of the government hierarchy from the ballot box to the jury box, from the sheriff to the mayor. The rise and fall of America's wickedest city. "20:47 min:sec run time." Dedicated to John Luttrell.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ClrkEHiOps&hl=en

AAMU Word Up vs Jacksonville State 08

Alabama A&M University playing "Word Up" vs Jacksonville State 08



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqmrehP8qBg&hl=en

Alabama State University Percussion vs. TxSU 2004 BOTB

ALABAMA STATE GYM



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaM3OjUsTpI&hl=en

2008 Arizona Cardinals Outlook

The Arizona Cardinals will play their 89th season for the NFL this year, along with their 21st season in the state of Arizona. The Cardinals ended their 2007 season with a score of 8-8; far from transcendent but actually a notable improvement from 2006 where they finished last place in the NFC West with a 5-11 record. This year will be the second for head coach Ken Whisenhunt who started coaching in 2007. Though last year wasn't exactly a winning season, management was probably impressed at how quickly Whisenhunt improved the team. Whisenhunt is known for his brilliant offensive plays as well as his success in Pittsburgh serving as that team's offensive coordinator.

The team's draft picks would be an important part to predicting the season. Early on, the team was looking to fill a few key positions, including an offensive tackle, because of unimpressive results from Oliver Ross and with the loss of Leonard Davis. The linebacker was another important position, as most team members playing thus far haven't warmed up to the role. Cornerback was another position that the team had to consider going into the 2008 draft. In addition to these needs, the team felt the pressure of history, as their last four drafts have been rated as excellent and let to many quality starters and backups.

The team's draft started with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, a cornerback from Tennessee State University. He was followed by defensive end Calais Campbell of the University of Miami, wide receiver Early Doucet from Louisiana State University and Kenny Iwebema, a defensive end from the University of Iowa. Round out the list were running back Tim Hightower from the University of Richmond, defensive end Chris Harrington from Texas A&M University and offensive tackle Brandon Keith from the University of Northern Iowa.

What was the media's reaction to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie? Uncertain, though he was declared first-round stock potential because of his performance at the Senior Bowl. Of course, some argue that most of the receivers at the Senior Bowl we're lacking. Experts agree that if Rodgers-Cromartie is to help the team, he really needs to be developed at a fast pace. At least Rodgers-Cromartie was a popular choice-Campbell was less well received, as he doesn't seem to fit in well with Whisenhunt's defensive strategies thus far. The bottom line is that many of the team's draft choices have to be introduced quickly and developed quickly if they hope to make a difference in Arizona.

The biggest problem is that among these draft choices there are no sure-thing playmakers and that may be a risk the team cannot afford to make. Plus, they have some heavy competition this season against the St. Louis Rams and the Seattle Seahawks. It should be noted though that under the management of Ken Whisenhunt, the Cardinals have already improved their score; 8-8 may not be major league yet, but it is the team's best record since 1998. Whisenhunt obviously has a strategy in 2008 and the resurrection of the Cardinals may be starting slowly but surely.