Bama 20 - Cocks 6. Bidgood Bob game notes

The sports world is awash with the Crimson Tide today. Mark Ingram is getting well-deserved Heisman buzz and the defense hasn't given up a TD in two games. The Crimson Tide has jumped the Gators to land at #1 in the AP poll and #2 in the BCS. Oh, and the Aubs lost at home to a mediocre Kentucky team playing without its starting QB. Life is good. 

Here are a few Bidgood Bob observations:

South Carolina fans. The Cock fans seemed to be a very well-behaved group who came prepared to take their ass-whipping with dignity and grace. I've always thought SC had a good fan base and I didn't see anything Saturday to change that perception. They were real nice folks. I only saw one near-incident when a pickup truck with Butler County plates tried to cut off another pickup with SC plates. What ensued was a classic verbal exchange with some of the most excellent cussin' I have ever heard in public. The best interchange was between the women riding shotgun in the respective rigs (both had tattoos). As I watched this disagreement between fellow southerners unfold I realized that the Confederacy never really had a chance.   

"We are perennially second-tier, but our stadium is louder than yours!" A couple of SC columnists I read today seemed to take solace in their perception that Williams Brice Hellhole, er, Stadium in Columbia is louder than Bryant-Denny. Well, if you're basing that assumption solely on your visit last night, you may be right. BDS wasn't particularly loud. But you also need to understand this: you're South Carolina. Your fans get excited when Bama comes to your stadium. We don't get very excited when you come to ours. You've never stood between Bama fans and any sort of prize. You've never pissed us off. Your head coach was at Florida the last time he inflicted any damage on Bama fans, and that was a long time ago. Now, he's just a lovable old cuss who's lost his fastball. You want loud? Come back to Tuscaloosa next weekend when the Vols come to town.  

The ribbon boards are a distracting nuisance and serve no purpose other than maybe causing migraines. Scores and stats? Hell, no. REGIONS BANK!!!! YOU MUST BANK AT REGIONS BANK!!! Or my favorite -- ZERO METH!!!!! Sometimes when the ribbon boards change colors they are brighter than the stadium lights. A couple of times last night I thought I had a brain tumor. 

And speaking of ZERO METH, I appreciate their sponsorship of University of Alabama football and it's certainly a good cause. It can't possibly be cheap to advertise on THE RIBBON BOARD or to sponsor the "Zero Meth Instant Replay" (maybe the University is donating the ad space). But I have to wonder if this is effective advertising. I mean, what sort of a meth addict are you if you are inside of Bryant-Denny stadium? Wouldn't you have traded your tickets for some meth?

We know it's third down. I can't believe we need sound effects, creepy animated elephants and that weatherman-sounding PA announcer to let us know it's third down. Alabama fans used to know when it was third down. 

I think the whole thing has gotten a little too polished. I miss Simpson Pepper.