Boomo Bugg Show 082526

[0:00] Now, get ready to roll, Shoals, Decatur, Athens and all of Northwest Alabama and Southern Tennessee. It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM Sports Voice. The Boomo Bugg Show. Your exclusive inside track to the Tigers, Tennessee and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Good afternoon and welcome in to the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us free ride around the Tennessee Valley. Brett Beaird, welcome in. We're the big bosses across the country. Are talking to those guys when they come back from the NFL, the very latest. Welcome in. How are you?

Happy Tuesday to you and the listeners. Yes, we'll be discussing that throughout the show. Also, Bruce Marshall, Las Vegas Insider, will preview and predict week of zero games in college football. Martin Newton, the son of CM Newton, an athletic director at Samford, will preview Samford and UNA Saturday night. But Harold Bugg, I am happy. I am glad. I am giddy. I am ecstatic. Finally. The return of Roger Hoover to the Boomo Bugg Show. Thank you, God. Oh, gosh. Roger, when I hear those words, you take Visa or MasterCard. Whatever it is, just write it in. It's worth it. He's finally happy.

You are a miracle worker, amongst other things, when you're not busy. They're on the Alabama Crimson Tide Network. Roger Hoover, welcome in. Welcome back. How are you? Boomo Bugg. I'm really happy to be back. It feels like the start of the season now that we've got this going once again on Tuesdays at noon. So, look forward to joining you guys all throughout the athletic year to talk about what I feel like is going to be a very good season. Not just about football, but let's win it all. Basketball, baseball, soccer, softball. Let's win it all this year.

What was it? The famous line from Wall Street. Greed is good. Just win it all. You know, heck with this second place stuff. Roger, why do you say this is, according to your gut, you're a very smart man. Why are you saying this is going to be a special year? I think enough time has passed for him on the board to be in Tuscaloosa and really have his own imprint on this program. Not just with the roster. I think we're really starting to see that now that he's in year three.

But his staff members, the familiarity with what it's like to play in the SEC week in, week out, and knowing how to build a roster the way he wants to, as opposed to making sure you kept a lot of people happy at first. And that a little bit continued into the second year with some of the players and the coaches left over from the Saban era. So, I think it's truly his program right now. And I think while there were a lot of good things last year, obviously getting to the college football playoff, appearing in the SEC championship game, having those great SEC wins that Alabama had, two of the last three times Alabama played, it really didn't go well against Georgia and Atlanta, and obviously against Indiana and the Rose Bowl.

So, there's a hunger that's around this team that kind of reminds you of what it would be like the year after Alabama with Coach Saban lost to Clemson in the national championship game, came back ten times stronger the next year. Or, you go back even the beginning of the Saban era, that first loss to Florida in the SEC championship game, look what happened the offseason after. There's kind of a similar feel around this group right now. So, that has me really optimistic with what could be ahead this season.

And the main thing will be just trying to navigate these crazy waters. Alabama can have the best regular season possible, but it all depends on how they navigate through the college football playoff to determine whether this year was success or not. But I like the way we're starting. I like the way the schedule sets up. That's what gives me a lot of confidence. Starting with Keelan Russell, I don't think anybody who follows this program, like some of us, are terribly shocked. Obviously, you had to make a decision.

That's why these guys make the big bucks. Their future job security is based on that. So, forget about politics and all that stuff. This is just based on their expertise, the best man to get the job done. Roger, your take on Keelan Russell basically doing what a lot of folks thought would be the starting quarterback at Alabama this season. Well, he really went out there and earned his opportunity, even with Austin Mack getting the majority of the first team reps of the early weeks of fall camp.

And in the first two scrimmages, whenever Keelan had an opportunity to perform, he performed at a high level. He could show that he was a real playmaker. And I think you've got the respect of this whole team. I think those things were all taken into consideration by Coach DeBoer, Coach Grubb, and the entire coaching staff. And it was pretty evident, being at some of the scrimmages, that this was a different level for Keelan Russell operating in this offense than what we had seen with Austin Mack.

And, look, I think Austin Mack can play a lot of winning football, not just in Alabama, but anywhere in the country. But Keelan had an ability to really make some plays. And even though he wasn't able to be tackled, I think there were a few times that, you know, some of their restrictions and scrimmage kind of limited even bigger plays that we could have seen from Keelan Russell. So I think he went out and really earned this job the right way. He's been in the system for a year.

[5:21] And I think he's got somebody in Austin Mack that's going to really help him on game day and game week in the preparation for these opportunities. So I think it's a win-win for everybody involved. And I think it's great to have this kind of clarity about that position as we get ready for next week in East Carolina. Absolutely. Roger, I think this offensive line is going to be much improved. We'll see once they line up against East Carolina in about 10, 11 days. But Jackson Lloyd, Mal Waltrip, maybe at left guard, Rayson Delgotti, Michael Carroll at right guard, Evan James at right tackle.

We'll see how everything works out. But Adrian Clem coming in, Richard Owens, the tight end coach. Kalen DeBoer has put a lot of effort into improving the offensive line, thus improving the running game. Absolutely. And that was a group I really enjoyed getting to see during the scrimmages. I thought they performed at a pretty high level, kind of with some of those different combinations that were in there, rotating Michael Carroll in at different points as well. But starting with, you know, Jackson Lloyd looks like a really strong left tackle and a left tackle that can really move.

And then one guy I love in the center of the line is Rayson Delgotti's center because every time he snapped a football, it was on target. There were a couple of backups that had some kind of up and down snaps that we got to see later on throughout the scrimmage. So it almost really made you appreciate how crisp the snaps were from Delgotti every single time. And then held his own blocking as well against guys like Terrence Green and Devin Tompkins, the two are monsters on the other side of the line of scrimmage.

So I really liked what I saw from the offensive line. And I think that should be another area of optimism, knowing that Coach Clem is kind of reworking this line into his own vision with fresh personnel. In the huddle with Roger Hoover, Crimson Ties Sports Network. Like a lot of camps, coaches hating to hear this word, the I-word injury, banged up, whatever. Obviously, Jara Edwards, the latest, at least the latest that we saw anyway, added to the list. Jeremiah Beam is still trying to come back from last year's injury.

Your thoughts just about the overall health at this point in camp. Yeah, it happens in every single camp. And unfortunately, Alabama's been hit a little too often, especially AK Deer going down late on first scrimmage after he had performed so well for Alabama. He and Daniel Hill, Kevin Riley, and Treshawn Brown. I mean, that looked like an embarrassment of riches there for a little bit. And that's even without EJ Crowell being able to go in the scrimmages. So that was a tough one. Definitely with Jara Edwards, he's a talented playmaker who's part of his secondary one day.

But I don't think it has to be this season. And even early in SEC play, I wasn't even sure how often he'd be able to get on the field with the depth of some of those thoughts that Alabama is very fortunate to have. If you can afford some injuries, probably the secondary room is the one area where you can afford a few injuries. And hopefully this doesn't deter Jara Edwards from turning into the all SEC, all-American-style player we anticipate. But to me, the two big ones to keep an eye out are Lottie Brooks, Lottie Brooks, trying to work his way back from a minor setback, and then EJ Crowell.

Those guys can be good to go for ECU. It'll be interesting to see how well they play considering they haven't practiced much during the month of August. But if they're able to come in and perform like the playmakers we think they're going to be, I mean, look out for the team. And even once we get to the second half of the season, we may see them even kick it to another level. So even though Alabama's endured some tough injuries in camp, most notably I think AK Deer, I still think Alabama has gone through this process relatively unscathed.

And that's been really good, getting ready for the season. Absolutely. You mentioned this at the beginning of the interview. Alabama finished last year 13th in the Learfield Cup standings. I believe the best finish was 2021 when they finished seventh. But you alluded to it. Softball 56-9. They get to the World Series. Men's cross country nearly did. They gave one game. Men's cross country an SEC title. Football 11-4. Men's basketball 25-10. Sweet 16. Baseball, as you well know, 42-21, 18-12. And oh, by the way, made Roger Hoover's dream to go to the World Series.

Women's basketball 24-11. I agree with you, Roger. I think this could be another special athletic year. Yeah, there's a lot of optimism based on how well everything went a year ago. And how much Alabama in sports, you know, not named football and men's basketball, continues to learn the transfer portal, continues to pour resources in to NIL. I think a lot of people probably don't realize that there are a lot of NIL efforts being made for non-football and basketball sports. And, you know, I'm lucky I get to call the majority of Alabama soccer matches that are on NBC Network Plus.

[10:23] You know, they're off to a 4-0 start this year with ranked wins on the road at Memphis, home this past week, against PCU, the team that went to the Final Four last year. And then they won again this past week against Nebraska on the road. So, already we're off to a really good start. And now it's just up to football to start carrying the banner forward and get Alabama fans the kind of start they want for this season. Roger, please talk Alabama fans off the edge.

EJ Crowell, what we understand is this kid will be back, so don't go ahead and press any panic buttons. You get the impression that this guy came out of high school ranked so highly and didn't want to take any chances. They pretty much knew what he had the potential to do. You never know until you run against this kind of competition and get tackled at this level. It seems like they've kind of bubble wrapped him in a way. But from all indications, based on what you're hearing, see if it agrees with us, Roger.

He will be ready to go, just not right now. Yeah, he's getting much, much closer. And I think the coaching staff is pretty hopeful about East Carolina, if not in these first few weeks of the season. Right. And PCU, Kentucky, Florida, Staten. The good news is Alabama isn't missing him being that every down side back, that Najee Harris or Derrick Henry. They're more looking for him to be that second or third guy off the bench, complimenting Daniel Hill. And then we've seen a really good camp behind Daniel Hill, whether it's Kevin Riley or somebody that had originally no stars when he was being recruited.

He eventually made his way to being a three-star. But Treshaun Brown has been an absolute wonder in camp. We have loved him. I mean, you know, growing up in East Tennessee, the first name that comes to mind is Travis Henry. I mean, he looked like Travis Henry on the field, kind of a shorter stature, kind of a thumper that Henry used to be for the ball. It's like Treshaun Brown has that with a little more speed, even. So I love getting to watch that guy, Treshaun Brown.

And I think he's going to become a fan favorite, probably within the first game that he hasn't already in fall camp, along with Daniel Hill, who is finally healthy. He wasn't fully healthy at all last season. And Daniel is going to be dynamic, not just running the football, but he is excellent coming out of the backfield, catching screen passes, going downfield and running back routes to get involved in the passing game. So, again, I think that's a good position for Alabama. If there is a little bit of injury adversity, they can overcome it with some of the bodies they have there.

And certainly when E.J. Crowell is able to play and be healthy, I think he's going to help that group. And the good thing is not every pressure of this offense is on his shoulders going into the field. There are more people that are able to pick up the load, and we just can't wait to see E.J. on the field for the time. Absolutely. You mentioned soccer. You're already busy doing that. Talk about your week now. Hey, Coach, Crimson Drive is back. In fact, you've got to get an interview with Alabama soccer player Mason Smith, volleyball player Laney Hennessy.

Any changes to the radio broadcast? A week from Saturday, I believe it would be 8 a.m., it was three hours before kickoff with the radio crew. Talk about Roger's week and radio broadcasting, et cetera. Yeah, we're excited to have Crimson Drive for the final time just once a week coming up this Thursday. And then starting next week, and this week, we'll be kind of focused on more on volleyball and soccer. But once we get into the next week, it's all ECU prep. The show changes pretty much football only.

There's some football player interviews, which we're going to share at a later date. But Tuesdays and Thursdays at 2 o'clock, we'll have all those exclusive interviews right there on the CTS and YouTube channel. Radio-wise, we are good to go. We've got the exact same crew as a couple years ago. We've got to go back to 2024. Damien Square was our sideline reporter. Damien is back with us. He'll be roaming the sidelines for us once again. And then up in the booth, we'll have Chris Stewart on play-by-play. Tyler Watts is our color analyst once again.

I'll be the host. And then right next to me, helping out Chris, will be our spotter, Butch Owens, who's doing it since the 1980s. And then Tom Stipe, speaking of the 80s, will make sure we are heard. Because if he doesn't do his job, you won't hear anything today. So he's got the most important job in the booth. Tom Stipe's ready to go for another season of Alabama football. We're going to have Christian Miller join me a lot pre-game in that first hour. We've got eight hours of game day coverage coming out from the Crimson Side Sports Network.

And look, I study broadcasts from all around the country. I don't think there is another crew that is dedicated to their school and their program and dedicated to giving the fans a little something extra than what we put in each and every Saturday. And I certainly hope fans can join us starting at 8 and certainly at 11 o'clock for the kickoff. And the congregation said amen. By the way, thank you so much for helping Brett get in a good mood. The check is in the mail. If it bounces, I now live in Canada, okay?

[15:24] There you go. I mean, you guys are so far north, it might as well be Canada, right? There you go. Good luck. Beat Jasper this weekend. We're losing 40 down. There you go. There you go. Hey, thanks so much, Roger. Good to hook back up with you. You stay safe down there, okay? You guys do that. Thanks for having me on. Thank you, buddy. Roger Hoover hooking up with us. This is the Crimson Tide Sports Network. He's all over the SEC. He's Jim Gomm, and he's next here on the Mimbo Bug Show.

Stay with us. It doesn't matter if you're running drills at the park, playing pickup on a Saturday, or sinking the final putt. When you compete with your friends with Michelob Ultra on the line, competition isn't that friendly. The trash talk? Next level. And the stakes? Oh, those are crystal clear. With only 95 calories and superior smooth taste, it's the ultimate trophy. Superior is worth playing for. Michelob Ultra, superior light beer. Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2025. Panhurst of Bush, Michelob Ultra, light beer, St. Louis, Missouri. DQ presents the Blizzard Double Flip Deal.

For a limited time, when you buy one Blizzard treat, you get a second for just 99 cents. That's two Blizzards, two spoons, two flavors, and two flips. So don't miss out on the Blizzard Double Flip Deal, available only for a limited time and happening now at DQ. Because the only thing better than a Blizzard treat is a second Blizzard treat for just 99 cents. It's a deal to flip for. The Blizzard Double Flip Deal. Get it in the app. Participation may vary. Imagine you're reading Pride and Prejudice.

Except you're not reading it. Harris Dickinson and Marissa Abella are reading it to you on Audible. Her barbs sting you. This coldness sends a shiver up your spine. Your heart aches. Your ears burn. You yearn for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy to profess their undying love for one another. You can't bear it any longer. Well, maybe a chapter longer. Performance is so good, you'll give love a second chance. Audible. Stories that speak to you. Pat Boyle here to help you beat the books. 21 scores. Paul Skeens returns to the pump tonight and I'll be fading him again.

It's clear over his past few starts that Skeens is making major tweaks to his mechanics to try and rediscover his velocity. The Pirates are also taking it easy with his pitch count. Hasn't thrown more than 81 pitches his last two starts. Hasn't made it more than five innings in his last four. His over-under outs tonight against the Padres is 15 and a half, a.k.a. five in the third innings. I'm taking the under. I think it'll be another relatively short outing for Skeens. I'm Pat Boyle. Bet smarter and beat the books.

Download the BetMGM app today. I'm David Ortiz. When I lost my mom, she was only 46. And I lost my dad to cancer. It was the worst pain I ever felt. It made me think, what will happen with the people I love when my time is up? That's why I have life insurance. Ethos makes it easy. It's all online. Take about 10 minutes. And you can get up to $3 million and cover it. Get your free quote at ethos.com slash game. That's ethos.com slash game. Pay testimonial.

Time spent on application may vary. Online health questions required. The home of the Atlanta Braves for Northwest Alabama and Southern Tennessee. 93.9. The score. I'm David Ortiz. When I lost my mom, she was only 46. And I lost my dad to cancer. It was the worst pain I ever felt. It made me think, what will happen with the people I love when my time is up? That's why I have life insurance. Ethos makes it easy. It's all online. Take about 10 minutes. And you can get up to $3 million and cover it.

Get your free quote at ethos.com slash game. That's ethos.com slash game. Pay testimonial. Time spent on application may vary. Online health questions required. Hey, it's Wendy here. Are you looking to rebound from your high interest credit card debt? A SoFi personal loan could help. Consolidate your debt with a SoFi personal loan into one low monthly payment. And you could save money on interest over time. And with as soon as the same day funding, you could hit the ground running ASAP. Apply today with no fees required at SoFi.com slash debt rebound.

Loans originated by SoFiBake. NA member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply. NMLS 696-891. Fast funds. Terms apply at SoFi.com slash debt rebound. Need life insurance but have diabetes, high blood pressure, or on anxiety meds? If you're a 50-year-old male, even porky, or with type 2 diabetes, a million dollars of life insurance may only cost you about 200 bucks a month. For affordable term life insurance, call Term Provider and speak with Big Lou at 800-444-2013. 800-444-2013 or visit BigLou.com. Remember, Big Lou's like you. He's on meds too.

800-444-2013. Straight Talk Wireless presents Pickup Truck Wisdom. Trust is earned. That's why I've stuck with Straight Talk. Same price since 2009 on Verizon's 5G network. Because shoot, anyone can make a promise. Keeping it for years, that means something. Now plans starting at $25 a month with four lines. Find us at straighttalk.com and Walmart. Straight Talk Wireless. Straightforward. Always. Same price claim applies only to the base monthly price of our $45 plan from October 2009 to present. That's the ease at which you get information. You want it? You get it.

[20:35] Like that. Ask your phone. Group chat. Smartphone. You're always connected and informed in real time. No waiting. So if you're diabetic and still using finger sticks to read your blood sugar, what are you waiting for? Knowing your blood sugar levels instantly is important for managing diabetes. Call US Med at 888-665-0696. To learn more about Continuous Glucose Monitors, a real-time, instant method to track your blood glucose, US Med is an approved provider for Medicare and over 1,000 private insurers. And the best part? Call 888-665-0696. And we'll give you a free insurance benefits check today.

So call 888-665-0696 today. That's 888-665-0696. And manage your diabetes as easy as… What's happening this week in college football? The Lindy's Football Report has the answers. 30 minutes of college football discussion on the biggest matchups of the week. Concise, engaging, accurate. With opinions thrown in from some of the most knowledgeable reporters in the business. The Lindy's Football Report. Check it out. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in, Brett Beaird. Did you do your homework last night? Because if you didn't, it's pop quiz time.

I'll be honest, show of hands, how many people know the name Blaze Berlowitz? Do you want to give me your answer, Brett Beaird? He is the, now announced this morning, the starting quarterback for the Vanderbilt Commodores. Oh, my goodness gracious. You passed the test on your pop quiz, and I'm sure Jim Gumm will do the same. He's the owner and editor of the BlitzSports.com family and the fine author of Conference Pride. Jim, welcome in, and welcome to the Blaze. How are you? I'm doing good, fellas.

How are y'all? Hey, Jim. Man, we're doing all right. This is like daffodils in the spring. You're popping up all over the place as far as these coaches naming the starting quarterback. As Brett alluded to it there, a lot of folks thought, not so fast, my friend. But Blaze beats out the competition. Where do you start in breaking down the respective new starting quarterbacks in the SEC? Man, I'm telling you, it's fun. It's exciting. Listen, here's my thing. It was so fun to do, you know, to talk to everyone around my area because everyone's so invested in Tennessee.

You know, face on Brandon was announced yesterday. And the fan base is all excited. You know, they're going to go undefeated and play for a national championship. You know, everyone's excited, and I love it because, you know, that's what we love about college football is everyone's so excited this time of year, man. Well, you know, we're going to break it down, and I promise you, it isn't amazing, Jim, how fast fans go from basically being so full of optimism to cussing like a sailor in no time after that first loss.

It's amazing how they lose their religion after losing the game, is it not? But you do a good job following it all. Before we get into some of the particulars, talk to us. If we take a big sniff, we can almost smell the first edition of the Blitz coming out. Can you talk to us about when we can be looking for that? Actually, I've already sent it out. You guys, did y'all not get yours? I did not. No, no, no. Okay, well, we need to double-check that and make sure because you should have gotten it.

Great. You know what? Check your spam. If nothing else, I'll send it again. Please do. Please do, Jim. Yeah, but we're excited, man. I mean, listen, we all know that week zero is what it is. By the way, this time next year, week zero will actually be week one. Yeah. But, you know, we're excited about what few games we've got coming up this weekend. But, obviously, around Labor Day is when that's when the real stuff starts to happen. And I'm just wondering how many former NFL football players are going to be playing college football.

Jim, are you for that or not? Well, I respect at least the Big Ten has come out and said, no. Greg Sankey, I think he's basically seeing which way the wind blows before he knows which way to go. You know this is a legal issue. But, to me, this is the biggest no-brainer in the world, is it not? It is the biggest no-brainer in the world. Listen, here's the thing. The Big Ten's come out, they're going to make a rule. And you know what? They're probably going to get sued.

Here's the way I look at it. I don't care if everyone says, oh, yeah, you're allowed to do it. The coaches just need to be told, you can do it, but you're not going to do it. And the athletic director or the president says, no, don't do it. Just because these guys are out there and they could, that doesn't mean they should. So, I put it on the schools themselves. Don't do it. The youth, your locker should be locked in right now. You shouldn't be adding guys that were kept from NFL practice squads.

[25:52] But, you know what? It's hard to believe we actually are having this conversation. That's right. I just think it's ridiculous. Jim, we've already gotten a precedent or one of them. Greg Sankey tells Alabama, don't play Charles Bidiaco anymore. You know, but when he comes over from the G League, and of course, Lane Kiffin is involved in a controversy, former Ole Miss player wanting to go to enter the transfer portal and go to LSU. But, Jim, I've been saying this for a while, but my dad was a former attorney and judge.

And I get all of the injunctions. But every organization has rules. And they've got to have some jurisdiction to be able to enforce the rules. And if you're a conference and you say, look, this player on this team can't play, he shouldn't play. He shouldn't play. And if he does play, there needs to be ramifications if he does play. Thank you. There needs to be penalties saying, if you do this, listen, and give him a stiff warning and say, you haven't done it yet, but if you do it, this is what's going to happen.

If you're ineligible for this, or you're going to be, you know, I don't know, just something, just let him know that, you know what, just don't do it. And here's my thing. You've got the president, the coach, he can get hired and fired. So, he is not the ultimate boss. There's someone above him. Someone above him needs to tell him, no, you're not doing this. Yeah. Well, it goes back to mama. Did you ever, I don't know about your mom, but if my mom ever said it, I can do it all right, but I promise you there would be consequences.

That's one of the first words I learned to spell growing up was consequences. But your thoughts as far as now that the quarterback's position is pretty settled, GM, how has that changed your perspective as far as ranking the teams around the SEC coming in? Well, you know, it makes it a little easier, but there's, there again, if these guys are, you know, haven't been, haven't proved themselves, it's still that what if thing. Yeah. Listen, I think, I, we all think that we know, but we don't know until we watch them play.

I mean, I've seen guys that came in with all the hype in the world and just turned out they just weren't as good as advertised. And then you get some other guys that are a two-star or, you know, and he wows you and you're like, boy, I didn't see that coming. And so, you know, so I guess it's one of those things where I, it probably will affect me a little bit, but at the end of the day, I'm going to look at the totality of the roster and I'm going to use that as much as anything as opposed to who was named the starting quarterback.

Absolutely. Listen, tell us again where our listeners can get online and subscribe to the blitz. Some of your categories, you have some really great stuff and, and also you're a historian of the game. I know several of the copies had pictures of the old stadiums, which I thought was unique. Where can our listeners get online again and what were some of your topics in the first blitz? Yeah. And I'll make sure I get y'all an issue, by the way. You can go to the blitzsports.com, but the best way to reach me is just email me direct at jimgum.blitz at gmail.com.

But like, one of the things I've got in this issue is a look at all the FCS schools that have defeated FBS schools from 2002 through last year. That's neat. And it's interesting because, I mean, last year, I don't know if y'all know, there were just four. There were just four FCS teams that beat FBS teams where there's been some years where it was like 15 to almost 20, you know. Wow. So, I mean, you see it varies pretty dramatically from year to year. We've got that. We've got a decade-by-decade winningest teams from the 40s to the 2020s.

So, we've got that, and then we've got, of course, the AP and the coaches poll. We've got those in there. But we've got all sorts of stuff. We've got all the schedules. We've got all the games that are going to be coming up, you know, this coming week and the following week around Labor Day for week one. So, we've got that. So, we've got all sorts of things. I've also got a pretty neat thing. I like to buy the preseason magazines, Phil Steele, Athlon, Lindy's, and Sporting News.

And I've got their top 25 lists on the front page. Great. Yeah. Yeah. So, we can hold those guys accountable, too. Yes. Sounds like now the hard work's done. You might be able to kick back and enjoy some of this stuff, Jim. This man is upon us, I believe, not only two more nights because technically week zero kicks off on a Thursday night. It's due to that first Saturday. So, kick back and enjoy. And thank you so much. Let's do this again soon, okay? Absolutely. Thank you, Jim.

[30:53] Jim Gomb hooking up with us. Visit there at theblitzsports.com. Coming up, what's Vegas gearing up for? I think we know Bruce Marshall, the latest next. Stay with us. Hello, I'm Eddie Buckley, president of Certified Alarm. No matter where travels take you, Certified Alarm will help you be worry-free. Our security systems have all the latest technological features. Certified Alarm has North Alabama's only UL-listed central station. Our halo alarm transmitters give the fastest and most secure monitoring available. Certified Alarm since 1960, keeping the shoals secure and in touch.

Call 256-383-1225 or online at certified-alarm.com. In a world parks for excitement, one drink will emerge. Twisted Tea, the refreshing thrill ride of flavor. Recreating its classic role is the hard iced tea that goes down smooth. Twisted Tea doesn't just taste like real iced tea. It's made with real brewed tea and a 5% kick of alcohol. Taste the adventure with Twisted Tea Hard Iced Tea. Keep it twisted. My name is Whitney Allen, and I'm a widow. My husband, Ryan, died. We never thought we'd ever have to use life insurance, but the unexpected happened.

With Ethos, signing up was fast and 100% online. You can get a quote in seconds, apply in minutes, and get same-day coverage. No medical exams, and you can get up to $3 million worth of coverage. I'm grateful we were prepared. Get your free quote at ethos.com slash play. That's ethos.com slash play. Paid spokesperson. Time spent on application may vary. Online health questions required. I'm still going for it. Even with higher stroke risk from etrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat not caused by a heart valve problem. In a clinical study, Eliquis Apixaban reduces stroke risk and has less major bleeding than warfarin.

Don't stop prescription Eliquis without asking your doctor. Stroke risk may increase. Eliquis can cause serious and potentially fatal bleeding. Don't take if you have an artificial heart valve, abnormal bleeding, or antiphospholipid syndrome. While taking, you may bruise more easily or bleed longer. A spinal injection increases blood clot risk, which may cause paralysis. Get medical help right away for unexpected bleeding or bruising, or back pain, tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, or incontinence. Aspirin products, NSAIDs, SSRIs, SNRIs, and blood thinners increase bleeding risk. Tell your doctor about planned medical or dental procedures.

Learn more at Eliquis.com or call 1-855-ELIQUIS. Ask your doctor about the number one cardiologist prescribed blood thinner, Eliquis. All sports, all the time. Sports Radio 93.9. The score. The score. Two hours ago, Kyle arrived at the bar. Hey, what's everyone drinking? Thirty minutes ago, Kyle got his friends another round of drinks. Cheers! Five minutes ago, Kyle decided to drive home drunk. A minute ago, a law enforcement officer pulled up behind Kyle. Sir, have you been drinking tonight? A chain of events that began two hours ago is about to change Kyle's whole world.

Drive sober or get pulled over. Paid for by NHTSA. Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93.9. The score. The Atlanta Braves are back connection tonight with the Braves play at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Braves are 76-55. Bryce Elder will start for Atlanta. He's 8-7 with an ERA below four. Tether Glass now will start for the Dodgers. He's 3-0 with a 2.72 ERA. NFL preseason action this week. The Atlanta Falcons will play Friday night in Miami against the Dolphins. Saints also in action on Friday night.

They head to AT&T Stadium as they take on the Dallas Cowboys. North Alabama and Samford are set to kick off the football season on Saturday. The two are set to meet at Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville. Tune in tonight for Braves baseball as they take on the Dodgers. First pitch at 6-15. I'm John Thayer with the Sports Flash presented by Progressive on 93.9. The score. Roll out! Pros. Find the right flooring for the job in Lowe's newly redesigned flooring showroom. Shop our expanded assortment of trusted brands and get up to 35% off style selections.

Stain Master and Stain Master Pet Protect special order carpet. And while you're here, save $100 on a DeWalt 20-volt max 6-amp hour 2-pack of batteries. Now just $179. Get more of what you need faster and save more where it counts from the ground up. Our best lineup is here at Lowe's. The Colonel's cooked up a new $10 bucket of the day just for you. Monday, 10 wings for $10. Tuesday, 8-piece fried chicken for $10. Wednesday, 8 tenders for $10. Thursday, 10 wings for $10. Friday, 24 nuggets for… Ooh, you guessed it, didn't you? $10! Finger lickin' the same.

[36:07] The $10 bucket of the day deal. Every weekday. Only at KFC. It's finger lickin' goo. Prices and participation. Very well. Supplies last. Not available on third-party ordering platforms. Tax extra. Chris in South Carolina. Chris, right on brand. Hanging up on himself. Best call ever. He's now in the Hall of Fame. Go find on. Weekdays at 3 Eastern on the ESPN app and the SEC Network. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. You can bet you he's loading up on his Wheaties because he's going to need a lot of energy.

He's got in a place called Las Vegas with college football season looming. Bruce Marshall's the guru out in the desert. He's in there with a Las Vegas insider. Gold sheet wager. Winners and whiners. CBS Sportsline. Bruce Marshall, welcome in. How are you? Pretty good. We have arrived. There you go. Bruce, are you ready for that Lidlifter? Maine and Townsend amongst the first games of the season, not in September, but Thursday night. We're basically just over 48 hours away, and I know you've anticipated this Maine and Townsend event for a long time.

But kidding aside, your thoughts coming in, how do things change as far as college football and Vegas? Well, Black Bears and Tigers, I can't wait. There you go. It should be a big one on a Thursday. I mean, not much different. I mean, it's just every year there's twists and turns with each of the different schools. But I think always at the start of the season in college, there's a little bit of trepidation amongst guys like me. A little bit more so nowadays because so many of these teams have done complete, complete flips of their roster and very few returnees.

But you're generally, in a lot of cases, you're replacing them with guys who have played elsewhere. So it's not like you're coming in with a whole new bunch of freshmen. So really watch those first couple weeks carefully, and we don't have a lot of action this weekend. We've got a few games to watch. Belichick, who do you know, over in Dublin. By the way, that Dublin game, I wouldn't take that game if I was somebody because the teams that have lost that game, their season has been wrecked.

Look at Nebraska in 22 and Navy in 23 and Florida State, you know, two years ago and last year, it was Kansas State never seemed to recover from that loss to Iowa State. So the loser beware, season could be no good to be 0-1 and you haven't even played a game in your own country yet. I agree with you. I would not do that game if I had the option of doing it. But let's look at it. North Carolina, TCU, and Dublin, Ireland. I believe TCU is an eight-point favorite.

Correct me if I'm wrong. Both of these teams brought in a lot of players, and particularly North Carolina. Belichick wants to certainly have a better year. North Carolina bringing back Demon Jones. Don't Walker, preseason watch. There are some good players on this. Your thoughts, North Carolina and TCU. Well, they've brought in, you know, Billy Edwards, who seems to have had like a 10-year college career quarterback. I've been at Maryland. Yes. And he seemed to have been there for many years and went to Wisconsin, but he got hurt in the opener last year.

So he never really got to play for the Badgers. And then, you know, they moved him out and he got a chance to come here to North Carolina. We will see. I mean, I've been… Maryland only won one Big Ten game with Edwards, a quarterback, a couple years ago. Not that it was necessarily his fault, but I mean, I'm still not convinced on him. Their quarterback last year, Gio Lopez, is now at Wake Forest. Yes. So we will see. I'm more interested in what Sonny Dykes has going.

You remember this opening last year? Remember all that Ballyhoo, that Monday night game? And TCU just blew the doors off North Carolina at Chapel Hill and that sort of shut the bellachick talk after the first week last year. Now, Hoover, their quarterback from last year, very productive. The last couple years, you know, he's moved to Indiana. This is an interesting thing that Sonny Dykes has done. He's got, apparently, an Ivy League quarterback, Jaden Craig from Harvard, pretty productive in the Ivies. We've seen a couple of Ivy players move up.

I can't recall a quarterback in recent years who's made a transfer like that, but we will see. They seem to think he can pull the trigger on this go-go offense for TCU. Listen, last year, Belichick had such a bad feel, and I don't know what's going on there. I don't even think Michael Lombardi is, you know, even, you know, he's suspended right now, the football GM. You know, the personnel mix they brought in last year was not that good. So I don't know if they could work worse this year, but I think just based on what we've seen from these programs in recent years, TCU squeezes a lot more out of what they've got, I would not take North Carolina in this game.

[41:12] Maybe weekly on TCU is not a game I'm going to play this weekend, but I'm definitely not interested in the Tar Heels until we see something more from these guys. You better listen to him. He's Bruce Marshall, the guru in a place called Las Vegas, which is always a fun place. It's kind of like the opening round of the March Madness. In that opening round, there's always a giant killer, and it seems to be the case with week one, week zero, if you don't have counted, of college football.

Bruce, in the eyes of the Vegas gurus, who will be the biggest giant killer in either week zero or week one? In other words, the biggest upset on the schedule. I have got an interesting one to look at next week. There's not enough games to get really interested, but I have a feeling Fresno State's going to play USC really tough. That's a Friday game, and it's a Fox game next week. But this is now Fresno State is now in the Pac-12. It's not the Pac-12 that they always dream about joining for all these years, but they are in whatever power of the snooze, which is like another version of the Mountain West, but there they are, and they may be the best team in that loop.

They've got an experienced team. This transfer quarterback from Maryland, Martin, is supposed to be a real gunslinger, but they're physical, they're big, and USC is talking really, really big. But I've seen this thing with Lincoln Riley. We saw it at Oklahoma. His first team was his best one there, and it just kind of slid down a little bit from there. Same thing that's happened at SC. I don't know about this Gary Patterson hire as a defensive coordinator. I mean, they're talking it up. We've got a Hall of Famer now as our defensive coordinator.

Well, he also hasn't coached in five years. And his last few years at TCU were not good. So, I mean, has the game passed him by? And they had a state-of-the-art coordinator. Danton Lin, supposedly, the last couple of years, went to Penn State. Matt Campbell's new staff. USC's a big favorite in this game. And about a 23-point favorite. I think it's going to be a tough game. Fresno's going to play them tough. North Carolina State at Virginia. This is a 2-30 game on ESPN Saturday afternoon.

C.J. Bailey is intriguing. The North Carolina State quarterback. Virginia's defense is supposed to be better. Virginia, I believe, is a six-point favorite. Check me on that. North Carolina State at Virginia, an ACC conference matchup. I kind of like NC State. Now, a note on this game, there will be some preseason publications. People mention this game being played in Brazil. That is not happening. They couldn't pull it off, so they're playing in Charlottesville instead. So, keep that in mind, it's a Virginia home game. Played a wild game early last year.

NC State knows them out at the end. Bailey's another one of these guys who's been around for a long time, it seems. And they've kept him there. He is a playmaker. NC State last year started very quick, and we've seen that before from Dave Doran's sides. And then they sort of end up, you know, 6, 6, 5, 7, and 5 every year. But I think they're a pretty live dog here because they're generally competitive. Virginia breaking in a new quarterback, Bo Pribula. We saw him last year at Mizzou. But he's new coming in here to Virginia.

And I know they're kind of excited there because they had a good year. But a lot of that was Chandler Morris, the quarterback, had a really good goal last year for Coach Elliott there at Virginia. I would probably take NC State. This game landed 66 points last year total. The total we're looking at is about 55 here. I could also see it going over just because Bailey's kind of a live wire. I could see it kind of going back and forth. So maybe a little bit NC State, a little bit over as well on Saturday, Charlottesville, Virginia.

How you have you, Bruce Marshall. Again, Vegas Insider, amongst other places. Bruce, since the last time we chatted, we now know the starting quarterback at Alabama. I'm assuming you weren't any more shocked than the rest of us who follow this program on a daily basis. In your mind, how does this in any shape, form, or fashion affect how Alabama, in your opinion, as far as before this decision and the SEC now, they're popping up all over the place. Vanderbilt named theirs, Florida named theirs, Tennessee named theirs.

Now that we now know some of these guys who are going to be starting a quarterback in the SEC, how does that affect Vegas' view of these teams? Well, again, Harold, I think we're going to kind of have to see them. This isn't a huge surprise at Bama. We kind of thought Keelan Russell was going to be the guy, and now Coach Moore finally announces it. But that's sort of where we thought this was going. Again, we'll see, because, I mean, he hasn't really played. And now, you know, the Russell we see in October might be different than the one we see in September.

So I'll have to, you know, think what I want to do with this game against East Carolina next week. But no surprise here. But it looks like, you know, they're sort of going. They think there's some upside there, and they're willing to take a role with the quarterback. Without much experience, do they think he can get really good? Tennessee is doing the same thing with this freshman, Faison Brandon, who they're very high on, pretty well regarded. But we kept hearing, we did not hear most of the spring and summer that he was going to start.

[46:34] We did sort of hear that Russell was for Alabama. But now it looks like Coach Heupel is gone for the upside there. The one that surprised me a little bit was Vanderbilt, because we had heard all this hype about Jared Curtis, and they're still high on him. Although Berlowitz, who's been the backup the last couple of years, is apparently going to get the start, and they didn't play until next week. He did transfer over from New Mexico State with Pavia and Tim Beck, and Jerry Kill, and Tim Beck, the coordinator, does some Pavia things.

I think he's a little more mobile. You see, he does, you know, he plays a little bit like Pavia, if not as good. But it looks like Vanderbilt likes that sort of, you know, versatility a bit more, and maybe Curtis, you know, a little bit more of a pro-style quarterback. We'll see. I mean, all these guys, we will know more about them in a couple weeks than right after that. So it's sort of a leap of faith with some of these. What are you going to do?

Florida's just announced, Filo, we sort of expected that, too. But keep an eye on all these. Quarterback, we'll hear more of these announcements today, I suppose, and tomorrow. Let me ask you about another game Saturday. This is a intriguing game to me. It's 9 o'clock on Fox. Memphis at UNLV. Charles Huff coming from Southern Miss. In fact, he took quite a few of his players with him. Dan the man, Mullen, formerly at Mississippi State and Florida. They've got Jet Thomas, a very good running back. UNLV, a 5.5-point favorite.

Silverfield, of course, moved from Memphis to Arkansas. Your thoughts on the interesting game, Memphis at UNLV. Yeah, Charles Huff, interesting here. His third head coaching job in three years. Yeah. Now, he's jumping. Marshall did a great job in 2024. They were slow on giving him a contract upgrade. And he said, the heck with it. Southern Miss actually was going to pay him a little more. So he moved to Hattiesburg. But that was going to be sort of a short-term thing. He took a lot of his Marshall players with him.

And Southern Miss did fairly well last year until right at the end of the season when it looked like he was going to leave again. And he did. But he brings a lot of Southern Miss players with him to Memphis. So it's new jobs. But he's got familiar guys all around him. That's a key. What he's got to do is figure out who's going to – he's not bringing his quarterback with him. It's going to be Aaron Nolan, who had been in South Carolina, or Marcus Stokes, who had been in a D2 school in West Florida, where he was very, very productive.

If one of those two guys comes up big, I think Memphis will be all right this year. It's almost – he's got like all Southern Miss' defensive line from last year has moved up in mass to Memphis. A lot of Southern Miss' team from last year will be on the field for the Tigers. So it's not like, you know, a team with all these new faces. Jackson Arnold is the UNLV quarterback. He is working his way down the college food chain. I can't saloon for him. They do have Thomas, but a lot of other, you know, replacements there.

And UNLV's defense has not been that great, although UNLV has had a couple of good years in a row with Odom and then Mullen. I think Memphis is a very interesting play, plus the point here. And Huff, very good underdog coach. I mean, Marshall, two years ago, was one of the best point spread teams in recent memory. Lost one spread game all year, two years ago, and he's a great underdog coach. I'm going to take a lead with Memphis here. I think they have a chance to win.

I'll take the points. All right, Bruce, we jump off. Are you with the Lane gang on this NFL back-to-college ranks? Are you with the commissioners, the Big Ten? They've made up their mind. I think Greg Sankey's waiting to see where the wind's going to blow before he makes his final decision. I've seen where he is intimated. I haven't seen anything official yet. But where are you on this great debate, basically saying, I thought I was good enough for the NFL, but I'm now only going to be making maybe $500,000.

I can go back to college and double that. Where are you on this great debate, Bruce? Well, you know, the one thing I would have been sure of, if there was a coach who was going to break ranks and be the first one. There you go. You know, guys? It was going to be Lane Kiffin. So there you go. He's already done it. I mean, Sankey had sort of intimated before. He didn't want schools to do it, though. He hasn't made the announcement that the Big Ten made, like, don't do it.

So you knew that Kiffin would. It doesn't surprise me. And I thought, listen, in the era of nil, let's just go for a minute. I go to Oregon and Dante Moore. Dante Moore would have been the second pick in the draft. The Jets would have taken him in the draft behind Mendoza and the Raiders. First round pick, second pick in the draft, he decides to come back to Oregon. And that means they must be paying him God's blood to come back. This is the reality now.

A lot of these guys can stay in college and make more money. And until they can, and it's, the legislation's door. And I think Dan Westlaw had a good column on ESPN here that the NC2A keeps going, trying to go really big and trying to work through Congress on these things, when they should really just go smaller and try to, you know, get some control over, you know, legal eligibility. They tried that, this 5-on-5 thing, but that's got court challenges. And the transfer report, you know, trying to do something with that to make it a little bit more manageable.

[51:55] But unless they get something there, you're going to see more of this. They're going to keep trying, and I'm telling you, at some point down the road, unless there's some collective bargaining goes on or something else, players are going to challenge to keep playing college football for as long as they're enrolled. And they could be 7, 8, 9. Now, this is down the road. It hasn't happened yet, but I bet you it will. Because, you know, you're talking about paying these guys millions of dollars, and they're saying, well, you can't make that much money.

It's a mess, and it's really all the NCAA is doing. That's right. It didn't, you know, no surprise that a guy like Glenn Kiffin is the guy that's the first time to drive a truck through that hole. We'll see. Week 0 this Saturday, week 1 next week. Can't wait to look at week 1 with you, but week 0 is here. Major League Baseball still there. The Braves and the Dodgers begin a crucial three-game series for the Braves trying to hold on to that lead in the division. Where can we get online and get the gold standard with college football now on the doorstep?

Yeah, here we go. By the way, Tyler Glasson will pitch for the Dodgers first time in almost four months. So he will pitch against the Braves tonight against Elder down in Atlanta. Anyway, yeah, check me out online. Sign up everything under the wagertalk.com umbrella. It's $5 Tuesday, so we've got $5 top choices up there today. And soon coming up with football, we had a good NFL preseason weekend, so that we've got NFL preseason coming up this week, too. So wagertalk.com. Also, that should go pick some parlays, winnersandwiners.com.

And starting next week, go up to goldsheet.com. We'll have our weekly publication as well. It is here, Bruce. We know you're busy, my man. Thanks so much for taking time out of that busy schedule and joining us again today, buddy. Okay, gentlemen. Thank you, Ben. Bruce Marshall and the other place is Vegas Insider. The name of the day is Justin Buzzard. He is a minister out in California. He's also now trying to make the roster as a defensive end with the San Jose City College Jaguars.

What makes this story unique? He is 47 years old. You heard it right. Coming up the next hour, we're going to be checking in with Martin Newton. He's going to be hooking up with us, talking about a pretty big showdown between his boys from Sanford and our friends up here from UNA. Cole Peetton talking to Auburn Tigers. Ben Thomas. Oh, my goodness. What a week on the high school of Grand Isles. And, of course, Elmer Pierce. It's all straight ahead. Stay with us. Attention golfers, mark your calendars for the YMCA Benefit Golf Tournament on Thursday, August 27th at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Muscle Shoals.

Grab your team for an 8.30 a.m. shotgun start in this exciting four-man scramble. Best ball format. Compete for fly prizes on both courses, take your shot in the hole-in-one contest, or enter the Mulligan prize package drawing. And new for 2026, the Banker's Trophy, awarded to the top finishing financial institution team. All proceeds support YMCA children's programs by offering financial assistance to qualifying applicants. Register today at ymcasholes.org and tee it up for a great call. Hello, Shoals. It's Elmer Pierce from Garner Pierce Autos. Are you tired of being told that it will take two weeks to service your vehicle or even to look at it to tell you what's wrong with it?

Are you tired of being told that it's going to be $200 to $300 an hour for labor? At Garner Pierce Autos, we have four full-time certified and trained technicians that have over 75 years of automotive service experience. We service vehicles of every make and model and do anything from oil changes to engine and transmission replacements. We're your one-stop shop for servicing your entire fleet or your personal vehicle. We have every accessory for your car, truck, van, or SUV. 4.9 stars on Google and Facebook. Garner Pierce Autos on Florence Boulevard right next to Appleby's, where it's our business to earn your business.

Bush Light is cold and smooth and waiting for you to get out there. Everyone knows that the classic taste of Bush Light is brewed for the outdoors. So before cracking open your next adventure, grab a case of Bush Light. Because nature is even cooler with Bush Light in your cooler. Head for the mountains of Bush. Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2026, Sennheiser Bush, Bush Light Beer, St. Louis, Missouri. The colonel's cooked up a new $10 bucket of the day just for you. Monday, 10 wings for $10. Tuesday, 8-piece fried chicken for $10.

Wednesday, 8 tenders for $10. Thursday, 10 wings for $10. Friday, 24 nuggets for… Ooh, you guessed it, didn't you? $10. The $10 bucket of the day deal. Every weekday. Only at KFC. It's finger-lickin' good. Prices and participation vary while supplies last. Not available on third-party ordering platforms. Tax extra. Hi, robot thing. Rotten soggy egg salad sandwich in lunchbox. Clean? Just use Clorox disinfecting wipes. Glitter slime paper mache explosion? Clean? Also, Clorox disinfecting wipes. Sun! Yes. It's not rocketed. Yes. All over the kitchen counter. Clorox disinfecting wipes. Kills 99.9% of germs. Without smelling like it.

[57:10] Clorox. Clean feels good. Used as directed. Sports Radio 93.9. The Score. Rich Eisen here. Running a small business means every hire matters. A bad hire costs time and money, but the right one helps your business grow. The challenge? Finding that person without sorting through resumes. That's where LinkedIn Hiring Pro comes in. It screens candidates so you can focus on conversations with qualified talent. With Hiring Pro, you can hire with confidence and build the team you need. Join the 2.7 million small businesses using LinkedIn to hire. Get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com slash Eisen.

Terms and conditions apply. Chris Canney here. Football season is back. And Lids has you covered. Just in time for kickoff. Want the latest headwear to rep your team at the tailgate, at the barbecue, or at the game? Shop the 47 Brand NFL Collection. Exclusively in store at your local Lids. This collection puts a new spin on retro NFL gear. Lids has every fan covered with all 32 teams featuring the big-time hits and alternate team logos. You'll find the perfect fit for every Sunday. Selection may vary by store.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has launched an investigation into the founder of ChatGPT, Sam Altman, as well as OpenAI. Marshall has already sent a subpoena to Altman as this investigation gets underway. The AG says that the impetus for the whole investigation is the recent hacking of Hugging Face, which is another AI company. The hacking occurred this past June while OpenAI was experimenting with an artificial intelligence model, and that model went rogue during testing and broke through its barriers going out onto the Internet and initiating this hack.

AG Marshall says he's looking into the company's oversight and safety measures within this product and whether or not it violates the state's consumer protection laws and its Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Alabama is part of a multi-state coalition that has also asked OpenAI to stop all testing of this experimental model until OpenAI and Altman can show responsible and controlled measures are in place. I'll be back with more Alabama stories after this. Join the Alabama Federation of Republican Women for the kickoff of our Praying for America midterm series.

We're honored to welcome special guest Pastor Lorenzo Sewell. As we come together in prayer for our communities, our leaders, and the future of America. This Wednesday, August 26th, at Hotel Capstone in Tuscaloosa. Doors open at 530. Come pray with us. Reserve your seat today at alfrw.org. Police in Dothan have caught up with the woman who owns the laundromat business in Dothan where dead animals were found. 41-year-old Brandi Tyrell of Midland City is facing criminal charges after the animals were found inside the business in Northside Plaza.

Dothan Police Chief William Benny believes animals were trapped in that facility during the summer heat for about a month. I'm Andrea Toys. For more news affecting Alabamians, go to 1819news.com. And while you're there, subscribe to the daily newsletter. Valley Broadcasting Corporation, WITK-FM, Rogersville, Athens, Decatur, The Shore, Sports Radio 93.9, The Score. Pull up a chair, Braves country, because your Atlanta Braves are ready to play ball on the Braves radio network. And he swings and it's one high and deep to left field. Green to the wall, and it's gone!

O'Brien has the Obie's! Tonight, one of baseball's biggest matchups comes to the truest part as the Los Angeles Dodgers roll into Atlanta for a three-game series with the Braves. Braves radio is on the air at 6 p.m. Central on the Braves radio network. Brought to you locally by… The law firm of Johnson, Pesher, Medley & Virtual. J.C. Hammonson. First Metro Bank. Nationwide insurance agents Michael Doe and Bill Cochran. Champy's Famous Fried Chicken. Medford Jewelers. Valley Credit Union. Mugshots Grill & Bar. Certified Alarm. Southern Pride Pest Control.

Lost Pizza. Cypress Creek Indoor Range. And Alabama Health Guidance. Atlanta Braves baseball. Tonight versus the Los Angeles Dodgers on 93.9, The Score. 93.9, The Score of Weather. For today, a 20% chance of morning showers, then clearing, high around 95. Tonight, partly cloudy skies, low near 70. Tomorrow, a 30% chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms, high around 95. Tomorrow night, a 30% chance of overnight showers and thunderstorms, low near 70. And for Thursday, a 40% chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms, high around 90. Your weather from 93.9, The Score. Now, get ready to roll, Shoals, Decatur, Athens, and all of Northwest Alabama and Southern Tennessee.

It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM Sports Voice. The Boomo Bugg Show. Your exclusive inside track to the tide. Tigers, Tennessee, and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9, The Score. Welcome back in, our tour to the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg, alongside Redbeard. Thank you so much for giving us a free ride around the Tennessee Baylor and for checking in on the 93.9, The Score app, wherever you may be. It is a pleasure for us to kick things off with Ben Thomas.

[1:02:44] He's got it all covered from one end of the state of Alabama to the next when it comes to high school sports. They're at a place called AL.com. BT, welcome in. Did anything of interest happen throughout the state in week one of high school football action? I can't think of a thing. Can you go? I can't think of a time when the opening week kicked off with such bluster. Can you, I don't remember the last time that the ball got rolling with this much, not only statewide news, but national news.

Yeah, I mean, you know, it's not often you have two national stories, at least two national stories on the same day. And on a Saturday, you know, we had games Thursday, that big Thompson-Central Phoenix City game highlighted the schedule. We had a lot of games on Friday, highlighted by Brett's Mars Hill team, finding another way to keep winning. That's right. Winning my picks for another week. And then, obviously, you're referring to a lot of Saturday. I mean, up there, Columbia. Congrats to Columbia. I mean, thank goodness to get that monkey off their back.

Sammy Coates doing a great job up there. Thomas Ashworth had some great coverage for us on that game. Great videos and post-game celebration. Wrote a column earlier this week about it. And, look, I don't think this is going to be the last victory for Columbia this year. No. They got some things going there. Christian Ritchie's going to be a big addition coming over from James Clemens as the principal there. And I think you're going to see this. As you know, Brett, I picked Columbia as my surprise team.

Yes, you did. Now, I promise that that didn't mean they're going to win the state championship. Right, I know. They're going to get to the playoffs. But here we are. So, congrats to them. And I was at, we can talk about that if you want to, guys. But I was at St. Michael in Fairhope on Saturday. It was, Harold, I think it was 145 degrees. Oh, Lord. In the shade. Man, it was hot. But, obviously, Luke Bryan, you know, the headliner, not the headliner singer, but, you know, he came and watched his son play, Bo Bryan, who plays for Battleground.

I thought he had a really good game. Pass from 300-something yards, 375, I believe. He got two really good receivers. And that was going to be a really good game until Gunnar Rivers got hurt late in the first quarter. I think it was going to be a 35-34 type shootout. But Gunnar Rivers left with a knee injury. I did not come back. We don't know when he's going to be back. I talked to your friend of mine, Phillip, or at least I texted with him yesterday. And he said it looks like he's not going to have to have surgery and is not season-ending.

But not sure when he's going to be back. So, we'll see if it's one game, two games, five games. Whatever the good news for, you know, St. Michael is in that AA division, all those teams go to the playoffs. So, you know, it really doesn't matter what they're seeded. If they get Gunnar back late in the season even and he gets polished up, you know, they can still make a run, those things. So, two huge stories that turn into national stories. Absolutely. No, that was great coverage.

In fact, we talked to Thomas yesterday and he was right. Sammy Coates came in with a plan. Harold and I talked about this multiple times. Columbia High School is located in Research Park and there's not a lot of residential area around that. And they had last year, at some practices, only 11 players available. They've now got 57. They got behind 14 to nothing and outscored Greensboro 41 to nothing. And I agree with you, BT. I think they're going to have a very good year. And another streak. This one ended, Cody Gross at Athens, we talked to Cody during the summer.

He has a young team, but don't tell Drew Phillips at West Morgan that. Athens ends West Morgan's 34-game regular season winning streak, winning emphatically 28-6. Well, that was a surprise. I mean, I was surprised by, judging by my picks, I was surprised by a lot of games in week one. But, you know, actually, West Morgan has a Madison Academy. That was a tough pick for me. But, yeah, for them to beat West Morgan 28-6, we know the job that Drew Phillips does down there. Great win for Cody Gross.

And we'll see if maybe Athens has it back on the right track as well. It's early yet. I mean, I think they got, you know, three straight road games starting with Bob Jones this week. So, we'll see how it develops. But a good win, certainly, to start off with. Absolutely. I saw a classic. The 100th meeting of Russellville and Desler. Desler was going for a two-point conversion. I talked to Patrick Malone, the Desler coach. I knew he was going for two to win the game. It failed, but Desler came back from 14-point deficits twice.

[1:08:06] And, BT, this has been one of the more amazing series. I don't know if you saw this. That was the 100th meeting. The all-time series now, 48, 48, and 4. That's one of the more amazing things I think I've ever seen. Matt Davis for Russellville ran for 147 yards. And, again, Darrell Higgins gets to face his former school, Morris Hill. Morris Hill travels to Russellville Friday to play the Golden Tigers. But that's been an incredible series, and that was an incredible game. Yeah, that's going to be a fun one.

But, you know, you expect Coach Higgins to win. I mean, we're used to him winning. And I like the move to go for two. It didn't pan out. I mean, we've seen that so many times where you've got the momentum. You know, you've got them on their heels. Go ahead and try and punch it in and get it over with. And it just didn't work out. But, you know, obviously, it doesn't get much more even than that series. 48-48. So, good game there for sure. Ben, obviously, it's amazing how coaches come and they go.

And you say, well, the rosters, they change. What's going to happen this year? You look at what they mentioned there, Morris Hill. They win again. And then you talk about Hartzell. It's like, does it really matter? It's almost like you and I can go down there and coach. They're going to win. They beat Bob Jones. Not only they beat Bob Jones, one of the biggest schools in the state, but by no margin of error, 35-6. Your thoughts about Hartzell and their start? Well, I mean, I just, yeah, you're right.

I mean, I think it's just one of those teams that you expect to be, you know, semifinals, quarterfinals of the playoffs every year, no matter who the coach is. And, you know, Coach Newton done a good job there. And, you know, they go, well, they got this way, go to Coleman, I think. Yes, correct. That's a good one. So that should be a good one as well. But, yeah, you know, if you look around the state, the teams, you know, you kind of expect to win that have a winning tradition.

It ends at some point. You know, Spanish support is kind of an example of that. For 10 years we thought, well, they're just going to win, even no matter how far they get down. But now you look at Thompson, you look at Clay Chalkwell, Hartzell, Sierra Land, all these teams that have built this tradition of winning, they think they're going to win no matter what. I mean, the clock might hit zero before you celebrate. Or Mark Hill is another one. Or they're going to find a way to pull it out.

And, of course, this wasn't a close game for Hartzell. I mean, they came out and really took it to Bob Jones. Absolutely. Florence beat Pinson Valley. I thought it would be much closer, 45-0. Watch Florence this year. I think they're going to surprise a lot of people. Hoover and Muscle Shoals, a very good game. Hoover, that was a defensive battle. Hoover holds on to win 14-8. I couldn't have a good tickle. Harold and I talked about this a little bit yesterday. Paul Benefield, of course, who thinks he can't do anything as far as a coach, even though he's won 369 games.

Said, it's a miracle. They came back and beat Clay Chalkville 21-20. Roderick Gibson runs for 151 yards. It's the same thing. They run about five plays a game. But, once again, BT, they know what they're doing. They came back to upset or beat Central Clay. Yeah, I mean, that was a surprise. I mean, obviously, Central Clay is a little bigger school. And, yeah, you can't believe Paul, Brent. I mean, we're just a little old team. We don't got much talent over here. I don't know how we're going to be able to even field a team.

Right. Only, you know. Yeah. And, you know, then you got Ryder Gibson. I mean, they always got some stud running the ball and playing linebacker. And Ryder Gibson is the latest one of those guys. So, it'll be interesting. I mean, you know, I don't – like we've talked about maybe this is the last year for those two guys, Paul Bennefield and Danny Horn. I hope it's not. But, you know, Paul, maybe the all-time wins race a little bit more interesting, though. Ben, as far as individuals, you know, if you can answer the question as far as individual standouts across the state, so is your list.

But Trent Seaborn, this kid, I mean, what, this is his 10th year playing high school football, as far as it seems, but your thoughts just about the start that he's had there at Thompson again this year. Well, I mean, you know, he was – I was in my young teens when he started playing, I think. I mean, I got social security, right? Started as an eighth grader. We got a good video piece coming out on AL.com later this week on Trent that Clay Yeager did. Really interesting piece.

But Trent is, you know, just one of those guys who started young. Got involved with the right coaches along the way. Ended up at Thompson, where he's got a great quarterback coach in Mark Freeman, and I think he's just gotten better and better. He got taller, which was a key, I think, in his recruiting. I mean, it looked like for a little while that he might just be too small for these big-time colleges, but, you know, he got taller, and he's a really smart kid. I say kid, he's almost a young man now.

[1:13:22] And obviously, he's got a lot of weapons around him, and that doesn't hurt either, you know, when you've got the best talent around you. So, I do think, I hate, you know, I don't know, like I said earlier, I don't know what the situation for the future is of Gunnar Rivers in high school. I was really looking forward to those, you know, kind of following week to week those two, because they're so close in all-time passing. Both of them about 10,200 yards, somewhere in there, a little bit over that, and it was going to be a nice race to see maybe who wins Mr. Football, but also to see who the state's all-time leading passer, and still might be.

We don't know about that, but to me, it did not look like something that is just going to be, he's going to be out a week and come back. I think it might be a few weeks, and we'll see him, but I know Phillip's not going to risk anything with his future. Tell us about the rest of the week, I believe Randy Kennedy is going to have an update Thursday on the best of Bama, the five questions for North Alabama, Birmingham, Mobile, and then the lousy picks, and particularly your lousy picks, that comes out, tell us what's coming up the rest of the week on AL.com.

Well, a guy was, when Greensboro went up 14-0 and I picked Columbia, I think, well, I'm going to be under .500 this week, and it's going to be terrible, but thankfully, I got to send Sammy a thank you note for winning that one, I was able to scrape by and get a 11-9 record. But yeah, the picks come out on Friday, we got our guy Carl Praler up there, so he picked, I think he's the only one to pick Spanish for it to beat Daphne, so good job by Carl, but those comes out on Wednesday.

We're trying to get into the flow, we got a lot of new things, kind of new elements on Wednesdays, we're doing our five things to know, and Mobile, and Huntsville, and Birmingham, which I really like, and just yesterday, I started my Ben's 10, this is my top performers of the week, you got a cool little graphic picture of me, you win, I get to send that out, and this week, it had a lot of big-time stars, a lot of big-time stats, but it might not always be that, it might be somebody who made the key play of the game, or somebody who showed good sportsmanship.

It's whatever I want it to be, but just recognizing 10 players across the state, we'll do that each Monday, so plenty of good stuff on AL.com, and obviously on Friday night, football high live starts about 6.30 and goes all through the night. Well, I don't know what I'm going to do for an encore after the opening week, but we shall see, we got eyes on you, Ben, keep up the good work, and thanks so much for your time today, buddy. All right, thanks, guys, y'all, have a good week.

You too, bud. The BT Express, Ben Thomas, AL.com, optimism all over the place, a place called Auburn Cold Pinkston, the latest next, stay with us. All right, grab some buds and listen up. Grilling season's here. Now we find out what we're made of. Are we going to fold under pressure and overcook the burgers, or are we going to nail the carne asada and the brisket and pack the coolers with ice cold Budweiser and Bud Light, because that's the difference between winning and losing, between flipping burgers and grilling like a pro.

This summer, grill like a pro with Bud and Bud Light. Stock up today. Anheuser-Busch Budweiser and Bud Light Beer, St. Louis, Missouri. Hey, y'all, it's Charlie Starr from Blackberry Smoke. Y'all know our fans are like family to us, and family watches out for each other, especially when we're out riding. So before you or your crew get on your motorcycles, make sure you're good to ride. Even one drink could be too many. Don't let a good ride end the wrong way. Ride sober or get pulled over.

Paid for by NHTSA. I'm David Ortiz. When I lost my mom, she was only 46, and I lost my dad to cancer. It was the worst pain I ever felt. It made me think, what will happen with the people I love when my time is up? That's why I have life insurance. Ethos makes it easy. It's all online, take about 10 minutes, and you can get up to $3 million and cover it. Get your free quote at ethos.com slash game. That's ethos.com slash game. Pay testimonial. Time spent on application may vary.

Online health questions required. Are you ready to make a difference for the environment while helping the visually impaired at the same time? Then donate your vehicle to Heritage for the Blind today by calling 1-800-983-6530. Every donated vehicle will either be properly recycled in an eco-friendly manner or given a new life through reuse. Donating your vehicle is easy. Simply call 1-800-983-6530 and Heritage for the Blind will do the rest. They'll even arrange for your vehicle to be picked up at no cost to you.

And for a limited time, when you donate your car, you'll receive a $200 restaurant voucher and a two-night, three-day hotel stay at one of 50 locations. Call 1-800-983-6530 right now to schedule your vehicle donation and make a positive impact on the environment while helping others. Heritage for the Blind, where every car donation counts and every person makes a difference. Call 1-800-983-6530 now. This advertisement is paid for by Heritage for the Blind. The home of the Atlanta Braves for Northwest Alabama and Southern Tennessee. 93.9. The score.

[1:18:54] DQ presents the Blizzard Double Flip Deal. For a limited time, when you buy one Blizzard treat, you get a second for just 99 cents. That's two Blizzards, two spoons, two flavors, and two flips. So don't miss out on the Blizzard Double Flip Deal, available only for a limited time and happening now at DQ. Because the only thing better than a Blizzard treat is a second Blizzard treat for just 99 cents. It's a deal to flip for. The Blizzard Double Flip Deal. Get it in the app. Participation may vary.

Imagine you're reading Pride and Prejudice. Except you're not reading it. Harris Dickinson and Marissa Abella are reading it to you on Audible. Her barbs sting you. This coldness sends a shiver up your spine. Your heart aches. Your ears burn. You yearn for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy to profess their undying love for one another. You can't bear it any longer. Well, maybe a chapter longer. Performance is so good, you'll give love a second chance. Audible. Stories that speak to you. From the University of Alabama, this is Crimson Tide Today.

It's a daily update on Bama sports and it's brought to you by Vector Security Champions Lane. The best pregame fan fest in college football. Visit championslane.com for updates throughout the season. Hello again, everybody. I'm Roger Hoover. On Thursday's edition of Crimson Drive, driven by NASCAR, we'll be joined by Alabama soccer goalkeeper Maddie Munguio together. Oh, yeah. We are, like, bonded. And same thing with our other goalkeeper, Liv. I mean, she's new, but, like, we're with each other every day, so we get close really quickly, but, yeah.

That's really outstanding. So, again, season's about to begin. What has you the most excited about what's in store for this group this year? Kind of like what I said earlier, just, like, with that underdog mentality. Like, I'm just really excited to see us prove teams wrong. And, you know, like I said, we have a young team, but, like, I don't think that stops us from doing anything. I think, if anything, like, it can give us a new perspective of, you know, just playing and being with each other.

So, I'm really excited. I'll have more in a moment. Are you ready for game day in Tuscaloosa? Don't miss the ultimate pregame experience this season at Vector Security Champions Lane. Opening four hours before each home game, this fan fest has everything. Located next to the Walk of Champions, you'll enjoy live music with our great concert series. Plus, player autographs, food trucks, giant LED video boards to watch games, and ice-cold beer at Legends Lounge, where there is never a cover charge. Check out ChampionsLane.com each week for the latest updates.

Roll Tide. Join us on Wednesday night at Baumhauer's Victory Grill in Tuscaloosa for Hey Coach and the Kalen DeBoer Show, presented by Alpha Insurance. Chris Stewart is your host with the show beginning at 6 p.m. You can listen on our full radio network, watch a video stream on CTSN's social media platforms, as well as listen on the Varsity Network app. Crimson Tide Today is brought to you by Vector Security Champions Lane. Crimson Tide Today is a production of the Crimson Tide Sports Network from Learfield. The Score.

Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. A big shout-out to our man, James, the producer extraordinaire, giving us the news, some sad news, BB. One of the best, Dolly Parton passing at the age of 80 today. I'll tell you what, Harold, I don't really know what to say about that. As James said, I feel like I've lost my aunt or your grandmother or something. She was such an incredible icon, so very, very talented. Genuine. Our thoughts and prayers certainly go out to her family.

Had an opportunity to see her years ago at another place. Disney World actually invited the station down at one of their anniversaries. We did our shows down there for an X number of days, and at night they threw a party in Dolly. It was there in downtown Orlando. Did not disappoint. But what was more amazing about anything else, she pretty much stayed true to herself. She never forgot where she came from. She was definitely a genuine person, and our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and all of her fans at the age of 80 leaving us.

With that, we say hello to Cole Pinkston. He is up with us from auburnsports.com, part of the on3.com family. Cole, welcome in. How are you? Doing great. Thanks for having me again. Man, we appreciate it. It's almost, we can almost reach out and touch it, can we not, Cole? The season itself, and I guess the question is, it's not your first rodeo. Where are you as far as your gut with this team at this point? You're on the cusp. Every team, we've talked earlier with some of our friends throughout the entire country, and there's a common theme, every fan base is going to go unbeaten and not going to be scored on.

That's pretty much the common theme until they don't. But where are you in a genuine sense with this team right now as far as your gut? I'll tell you, my gut feel is all over the place with this team. I have a lot of optimism in some areas, and I have a lot of pessimism in other areas. And I've been burned a lot with optimism over the past five years. So I don't want to expect entirely too much from them. But at the same time, I really, really like Coach Gullis and what he's done over there and his coaching staff and the way that they go about their business at the end of the day.

[1:24:13] I really like that. I just, I still believe that this first season is going to have some turmoil. It's going to take a minute for them to get this all worked in. Having your guys over from USF, having Byron Brown definitely helps. This is not an official record prediction, but I am leaning on seven and five is where I kind of feel like it could end up. And that's having a little bit of optimism on that. Well, you make a good point, Cole, because fans naturally are going to sit here and buy the hype at this point.

But go back to a fellow by the name of Nick Saban. He was walking on water, got off to a good start, and we saw how that first season ended. Because let's face it, there's a reason there's a new coach in town. Now, DeBoer's a different ballgame. He inherited a good situation there. But most times, you're there because the other guy didn't get the job done. So you've got to cut down a lot of trees, take the wrecking ball, and clear out a lot of space to build your own foundation going forward.

Right. And that's what they did with this roster. And, you know, they had a lot of guys leave when they first got there. They kept some, some important ones, but had to influx the roster with guys that they completely trust and guys from USF. And, you know, how did those guys' talent levels translate to this level? Because, you know, they're all from around here for the most part. So it's not that they chose USF over Auburn. They went there because they probably didn't get the big offers from Auburn and Alabama.

So, you know, I take all that into account, but I think they've developed those guys into really solid football players who can absolutely help Auburn have a winning season this year. Let me ask you about some players who made, and you had an article, five breakout players for Auburn this season. And I've heard this name quite often. Jordan Crawford, second year defensive lineman, has a tremendous amount of potential, only played 40 plays. But I know you went back and looked at every one of them. Gavin Jenkins, cornerback.

I've heard his name come up quite a bit with Rayshon Pleasant, Darian Smith, a defensive lineman too. Xavier Newsome has been a big surprise at tight end. And then I know you had Corey Pettigrew, second year. Listen, if three of these guys come out and have solid seasons, they're going to help. Yeah. I'll tell you, I'm going to narrow that down to one because last year, I'm kind of proud of myself. I picked Xavier Atkins to be the breakout player. Now, can I strike lightning twice?

I don't know. We'll see. But I'm leaning more towards if I'm picking someone off this list, it's going to be either Gavin Jenkins or Darion Smith. Those are the two that when I went back and talked today with some sources and tried to figure some things out, you know, those are the two I continue to hear about. Just good news on those guys and other ones too, but those two more than the others, I'd say. Interestingly, Jordan Crawford was working as a scout team defensive lineman today, which you have to remember, walk-ons are not what they used to be.

so somebody's got to do it. That's right. I still expect him to be part of the rotation, but I don't know if he's going to completely break out. I think St. Farrier is a guy that's maybe ahead of him on the pecking order. So, it's going to be really hard to pick a breakout player from this team. There's so much unknown with it. Cole Pinkston again hooking up with us AuburnSports.com. Cole, as we mentioned, a week from Saturday, the real deal gets rocking and rolling.

What is far from your perspective? What is your biggest concern that you'd like to see this coaching style kind of take the polishing rag out on and kind of shine things up over this next basically couple of weeks, less than a couple of weeks now? I think that Auburn fans and people who study Auburn probably don't realize the impact that Keldrick Falk and Kieron Crawford really had on that team. The record doesn't show it, but the defense was really good for Auburn. I think it started with those two.

As good as Xavier Atkins was, as good as some other guys were, those two guys set the tone. They were pass rushers and they stopped the run at an extremely high level. Both are in the NFL now, of course. So you're replacing those guys and you're replacing them with a youngster in Jared Smith and a guy who's been a rotational guy only in the SEC in Deshaun Womack. He's never played more than 25 to 30 snaps a game and he's about to get 60. That's the biggest area of concern for me overall on the team I think is can they generate pass rush when they don't have to send all these extra players on a blitz?

Can you do it with four guys? And that will help the defense tremendously in this team and that's the area for me pass rush. I need to see them pick up where those guys left off or at least be close to it. Absolutely. Listen, bang up coverage all week. This is mock game week by the way. In fact, I think that's a nice touch balance goal which just go ahead and to have a dry run so to speak as far as getting ready for next week you and Brian Matthews and the team got everything covered.

[1:29:36] I know your article about the five breakout players. Where can we get that and all the other good stuff this week? AuburnSports.com part of the On3Rivals network. We still have our 75% off annual deal. You get in for about 30 bucks and gets in for a year. Really, really hot deal. A lot of people taking advantage of that. Come join us. That's great. Colissa, man. Thanks so much. Get some rest. You're going to need it. Let's do it again soon. Okay? Yes, sir. Anytime. Thank you, bud.

Oh, peace. I'm going to win this AuburnSports.com. You in a fans tomorrow. the top line. Coach Brent Dierman talking about his opening game. Coming up next, their opponent, a very familiar name, Martin Newton talking about the other side of the coin. It's next. Stay with us. It's summertime in the shows, which means sunshine, hot weather, and a lot more bugs. Ants, mosquitoes, termites, they love this time of year just as much as we do. That's why so many homeowners and businesses trust Southern Pride Pest Control, locally owned and operated right here in Muscle Shoals.

With years of experience, honest service, and a commitment to doing the job right, our team doesn't walk away until you're completely satisfied. Let us help you take back your home this summer. Call Southern Pride Pest Control today to schedule an appointment when you have pests, we have solutions. DQ presents the Blizzard Double Flip Deal. For a limited time, when you buy one blizzard tree, you get a second for just 99 cents. That's two blizzards, two spoons, two flavors, and two flips. So don't miss out on the Blizzard Double Flip Deal, available only for a limited time and happening now at DQ.

Because the only thing better than a blizzard treat is a second blizzard treat for just 99 cents. It's a deal to flip for. The Blizzard Double Flip Deal. Get it in the app. Participation may vary. Imagine you're reading Pride and Prejudice, except you're not reading it. Harris Dickinson and Marissa Abella are reading it to you on Audible. Her barbs sting you. This coldness sends a shiver up your spine. Your heart aches. Your ears burn. You yearn for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy to profess their undying love for one another.

You can't bear it any longer. Well, maybe a chapter longer. Performance is so good, you'll give love a second chance. Audible. Stories that speak to you. Empower! Pete's back on the links with all new golf clubs and hopefully less swearing. Dang! Slice debt. He worked with Empower to help him get good at money so he can be a little bad. Heads up! Oof. Talent sold separately. Guy said these were slice proof. At least he has money for lessons. Invest well, live a little. Start today at Empower.com Did you know Skechers makes high-performance footwear for almost every sport you play?

Here's what our athletes are saying. Hi, I'm pro basketball player OG Ananobi. I dominate in Skechers basketball. Skechers delivers championship-level performance. I'm WNBA star Jackie Young. Skechers keeps me quick, comfortable, and ready for anything. And you can get high-performance Skechers and hands-free slip-ins technology. Just step in and perform. I'm pro golfer Matt Fitzpatrick. I play in hands-free Skechers golf slip-ins. Find yours at a Skechers store, dot com, or whatever high-performance sports shoes are sold. Our power stays the same 24-7. Sports Radio 93.9 The Score. As a fitness coach, my active psoriatic arthritis can slow me down.

With Sky Rizzy, Rizzin Kizumab RZA, I'm treating my skin and joint symptoms so I can keep moving. Sky Rizzy, a prescription-only injection for adults, helps me move with less joint pain, stiffness, swelling, and fatigue. And for those who have plaque psoriasis, 90% clearer skin is possible. With Sky Rizzy, there's no daily dosing. It's just four doses a year after two starter doses. Don't use if allergic to Sky Rizzy. Serious allergic reactions, increased infections, or lower ability to fight them may occur. Before treatment, get checked for infections and tuberculosis.

Tell your doctor about any flu-like symptoms or vaccines. Thanks to Sky Rizzy, there's nothing like clearer skin and better movement. And that means everything. Ask your doctor about Sky Rizzy. Visit SkyRizzy.com or call 1-866-SKY-Rizzy to learn more. Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93.9 The Score. North Alabama and Samford are set to kick off the football season on Saturday. The two are set to meet at Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville. The Atlanta Braves are back in action tonight with the Braves play at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Braves are 76-55. Bryce Elder will start for Atlanta. He's 8-7 with an ERA below 4. Heather Glasnell will start for the Dodgers. He's 3-0 with a 2.72 ERA. NFL preseason action this week. The Atlanta Falcons will play Friday night in Miami against the Dolphins. Saints also in action on Friday night. They head to AT&T Stadium as they take on the Dallas Cowboys. Tune in tonight for Braves baseball to take on the Dodgers. First pitch at 6-15. I'm John Thayer with the Sports Flash presented by Progressive on 93.9 The Score.

[1:35:09] The Colonel's cooked up a new $10 bucket of the day just for you. Monday, 10 wings for $10. Tuesday, 8-piece fried chicken for $10. Wednesday, 8 tenders for $10. Thursday, 10 wings for $10. Friday, 24 nuggets for… Ooh, you guessed it, didn't you? $10. The $10 bucket of the day deal every weekday only at KFC. It's finger licking good. Prices and participation variable. Supplies last not available on third-party ordering platforms. Tax extra. When you see this in your kitchen… The stainless steel fridge is covered in fingerprints. You hear this. Leslie, people are going to think you were raised in a barn or by wolves.

Erased in a barn by wolves. Fortunately, Wyman's stainless steel 3-in-1 cleans, shines, and protects to give you the best shine. Spray and a wipe will have your fridge shining like a mirror. Wow, my fridge looks brand new. Your fridge looks amazing, Leslie. Sorry, I was being a little traumatic earlier. Your kitchen says a lot about you. Let it brag with Wyman. This is Roger Hoover with the Crimson Tide Sports Network. Join me and Tyler Watts this fall on Monday nights at 6 p.m. for Crimson Tide Rewind.

Live from Baumhauer's Victory Grill in the Stavia Hills and on this great station. Tune in and roll Tide. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. Coming up tomorrow, scheduled to hook up with us, top-line coach Brent Dierman, and I can almost assure you, BB, he knows the name of our next guest, as does everybody in college sports of the entire country. Martin Newton is the vice president for intercollegiate athletes at Samford University. Martin, welcome in. How are you? Man, I am doing fantastic.

Thanks for having me on today. Hey, Martin. Well, we appreciate you taking time out. It's not like you've got other things to do, so we do appreciate it. Very interesting matchup. As we mentioned, we've got Coach Dierman on tomorrow, and he's been talking about Samford since the Cows came home. This has to be an exciting game, neutral-sight game, and by the way, at a place, Martin, it has a history of its own sort, Joe Davis Stadium, home of the former guys named Jose Canseco, Mark McGuire, and by the way, current Atlanta Braves manager, Walt Weiss.

He played there with the double-A stars back when they were the athletics, so a heck of a place to kick off the season in the Rocket City. I know you are excited. Yeah, we really are, and I didn't know that information about that place, which is that much more special, but I don't know about this neutral-sight, though. We were up for the press conference, and you told me how many guys North Alabama plays in home for us. You guys kind of hoodwink me. Josh Haney, hoodwink me a little bit.

Obviously, this has to be fun because, let's face it, Huntsville is a growing town, and for both schools, they love this opportunity because there's a lot of talent in isolated places. Now, compared to the high school talent, Birmingham, it may not be there, but they've got some kids. This has to open up so many opportunities when you come to a place like this and expose you to respective programs to a different area. Well, it really does. We've both got great institutions, and so to be able to take those institutions and showcase them on the road in one of the best cities in the state of Alabama, it's really exciting, and so we're looking forward to it.

We've got a brand-new football coach who's really excited to get up there and see what his team looks like more than anything. He's tired of playing against each other, so we'll both learn a lot about ourselves in week zero. Martin, it's amazing to me. Saturday night will be exactly 24 years since these last two teams played August 29, 2002, and I guarantee you, I don't know if you have the numbers, but there are a lot of Sanford alumni in North Alabama who are going to be pleased to be able to see the team.

You alluded to John Gross coming in. was a lot of success at Jacksonville State. Tell our listeners a little bit more about him, Martin. Well, he's an Alabama guy, and what convinced me to hire him was just his roots. We needed to get back to recruiting high schools in the state of Alabama, especially in this area that we're in and Huntsville and others, and so he's an Alabama guy, coached at the high school ranks forever, and then went with Bill Clark to Jacksonville State, and then after Bill left, he took over, and he only won like eight conference championships at Jacksonville State, took him to the finals of the FCS playoffs, and so he's been very successful everywhere he's been, but I'll tell you what excites me the most about him is you talk about an institutional fit.

He is the perfect fit for our institution, and we're just so thrilled to have him. He's a strong Christian man, believes in what the mission of Sanford University is all about, so just couldn't be happier, and I'm hoping this is my last hire. I don't have many years left, and I dang sure don't want to have to hire another coach. Coach, we were hoping it would be like nine more because it would be for many, many more years, but hopefully he'll never have to because he stays, not because of that, but talk to us about this team.

[1:40:15] Obviously, we talk UNA, and UNA fans are always curious about the other team. Talk to us about the team coming in from Sanford. To be honest with you, there's a lot of unknowns. Anytime you have a coaching change, and quite frankly, even if you don't have a coaching change in this world of the portal, you're rebuilding a team every year, so we really don't know a lot. We've got a lot of unknowns. I will tell you this, the team that he's coaching today and the team that he came in and worked with in spring practice is much improved.

In fact, he made a comment the other day we'd beat that team by 50, and I think a lot of it has to do with just their physical presence. They've gotten stronger. There's just so many unknowns. New quarterbacks, a new defensive system that we're trying to put in. It'll be an interesting test for us. I know North Alabama is a fantastic program, always has been, and so it's probably not how you want to start your tenure or your era at Sanford as the new head coach having to play at North Alabama on the road, but on the same token, we're all trying to get better, and we may not see a lot of, on the win-loss column, you may not see a lot of that this year from a win standpoint, although I think this team has an opportunity, but what I will tell you is this team's going to play hard, they're going to be tough, and they're going to be more physical than we've been in the past.

Martin Newton hooking up with us, Vice President, Intercollegiate Athletics at Sanford University. Martin, talk to us about your challenge and people in your position throughout the entire state. In the modern, you brought up this point, that's why it sparked the note, in the modern era, it's always been tough to win, but when you see all the budgets out there from LSU, Ohio State, Alabama, Auburn, et cetera, talk to us about the challenges for both schools like UNA and Sanford in the modern era. Yeah, it's interesting.

I was talking to Greg Sankey the other day and he was talking about the challenges that he's got at his level. I said, you know, I really don't want to do that. Oh, man. Because I don't know what the question is, but I know what the answer is. It's money, right? And that's, unfortunately, at our level, that's what it's come down to. You know, it used to be we would be more about relationships and now it's all become about transactions. And that's the hard part for us because we're limited on our multimedia rights deals.

We've got great donors. Both schools have great donors and support systems. But at the end of the day, it's just a challenge to figure out how you're going to continue to compete for student-athletes and putting your roster together every year. The thing that frustrates me the most and that I talk to people about every chance I can is we quit talking about student-athletes. We quit talking about education. That's right. That's right. And that's the hard part for me. You know, we've led the country or we've led the state of Alabama in the 10 years that they've had the graduation success rate or posted it.

We've led the state and graduation success rate to 97, 98, 99 percent. And that's never going to waver at our place. We are not ever going to be in a position where they're just athletes. And I think UNA is probably the same way. We want to win. We want to be competitive. But you know what? We want to get them to get a degree and we want to get an education. Absolutely. Our listeners are quite familiar with you, obviously. CM Newton was your dad. My brother and I got a chance to talk with him after several games.

I remember one game he spent 30 minutes with us talking about some of his frustrations. The only two games he could get fans to come out to were Auburn in Kentucky. And he was genuine. He would always talk about that. The CM Newton Classic is named after him December the 12th in Birmingham at Legacy, Alabama and St. John's. And this has been a tremendous event over the years. Martin, talk a little bit about the game. Yeah, you know, it's Michael Eady, a dear friend of mine here that has an IDD company.

And they came to me with this idea. And we wanted to do something to honor his legacy. And his legacy was not about, you know my dad as you do, it was not about just winning games and winning conference championships. His legacy was about trying to change people's lives. You know, integrating the Southeastern Conference and Wendell Hudson and Leon and all those homegrown guys that just made such an impact on not only the University of Alabama, the state, but also the country. I'll never forget the National Observer did an article when Alabama was in the NIT and they started off five black players.

That was unheard of in the South at that time. And so I think that was his legacy. And so to be able to do something for him to honor his legacy in Birmingham, to be able to give back to the community, and that's exactly what NITD does in the University of Alabama. Alabama, and then we've had some really good teams playing this game. I mean, you've got St. John's coming this year, you had Arizona, you've had Gonzaga, you've had Illinois, so Alabama has not fared too well in the CM Newton Classic, so if they don't start winning some games, we may not have it very often, but it's a great event and it's a great way to honor.

[1:45:16] Obviously, he's my hero, so I have him on a pedestal, but it's a great way to honor his legacy and I think he would be really proud of this game. By the way, I was joking with you the last time we had you on that you're so instrumental in the NCAA Basketball Division I Council and, of course, the Men's Basketball Committee. If you want to do the college football playoff and take that on the role as chairman, please do so. On behalf of many college football fans, please consider doing that.

Well, I tell you what, I'm going to let you hold that opinion until after the tournament this year because as the chair of the basketball committee this year, I'm already getting beat up on expansion. Oh, man. Yeah, so we'll let, we'll hold, you hold that judgment until after the tournament. No, I tell you, it's been a dream come true for me to be able to serve the basketball community in that regard and I know that's another thing. My dad and I are the only father's son that have ever done that.

That's right. So I'm really excited about that. Absolutely. Listen, tell Lenny Acuff what we said. Harold and Brent said hello. It was such a joy to work with when he was at UAH and Bobby Champagne and he had quite a few games. Listen, you're busy. Thank you so much for your time. We always enjoy talking with you. Have a safe trip up to Huntsville. Hopefully we get a chance to see you at some point this weekend. Well, I hope to see you this weekend and you mentioned Lenny Acuff and I'll tell you this, there's not a finer gentleman in the country and maybe not a better basketball coach in the country in my opinion.

So I look forward to seeing you guys always. Thanks for having me on and continue to promote college athletics especially at these major schools like Sanford and North Alabama. You guys are the best. Hey, anytime, Martin. And welcome to that neutral side game at Joe Davis Stadium a week from Saturday. Thank you, Martin. Absolutely. Martin Newton looking up with us Vice President Intercollegiate Athletics at Sanford University. Again, Coach Brent German talking about the other side of the coin coming up tomorrow. But first, what if you want to go to the game in style?

Elmer Pierce as h***'s next. Stay with us. Attention golfers, mark your calendars for the YMCA Benefit Golf Tournament on Thursday, August 27th at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Muscle Shoals. Grab your team for an 8.30 a.m. shotgun start in this exciting four-man scramble. Best ball format. Compete for fly prizes on both courses, take your shot in the hole-in-one contest, or enter the Mulligan prize package drawing. And new for 2026, the Banker's Trophy, awarded to the top finishing financial institution team. All proceeds support YMCA children's programs by offering financial assistance to qualifying applicants.

Register today at ymcasholes.org and tee it up for a great call. When getting the job done right, is job one. You need construction equipment that's built right. From compact track loaders to the world's number one selling compact excavator, the Kubota construction lineup features durable Kubota engines, more comfort, and the versatility to do it all and do it right. Visit your local Kubota dealer today. Go to KubotaUSA.com for full disclaimer. Stop by Brown Equipment, located at 826 North Military Street in Loretto, or visit them online at BrownEquipment.com.

Nothing says legendary like the Atlanta Braves, but here in the Shoals, there's another hometown legend you can taste. Step up to the plate at Champy's Famous Fried Chicken, where the fried chicken is as unforgettable as a walk-off home at a Braves game. Load up on those legendary homemade sides, and don't forget a true Delta classic, Champy's Homemade Hot Tamales. Lunch, Dinner, or anytime you're craving something unforgettable, it's always a winning play at Champy's. 22nd Street in Muscle Shoals. Famous fried chicken, legendary sides, and a meal worth cheering for.

It doesn't matter if you're running grills at the park, playing pickup on a Saturday, or sinking the final putt. When you compete with your friends with Michelob Ultra on the line, competition isn't that friendly. The trash talk, next level, and the stakes, oh, those are crystal clear. With only 95 calories and superior smooth taste, it's the ultimate trophy. Superior is worth playing for. Michelob Ultra, Superior Light Beer. Enjoy responsibly. Copyright 2025, Anheuser-Busch, Michelob Ultra Light Beer, St. Louis, Missouri. Harold Boyg, inviting you to join Brent Beard and me for the latest on UNA during the two weekdays of the Boomo Bugg Show here by 93.9 The Score.

I'm still going for it. Even with higher stroke risk from etrial fibrillation and irregular heartbeat not caused by a heart valve problem. In a clinical study, Eliquis apixaban reduces stroke risk and has less major bleeding than warfarin. Don't stop prescription Eliquis without asking your doctor. Stroke risk may increase. Eliquis can cause serious and potentially fatal bleeding. Don't take if you have an artificial heart valve, abnormal bleeding, or antiphospholipid syndrome. While taking, you may bruise more easily or bleed longer. A spinal injection increases blood clot risk, which may cause paralysis.

Get medical help right away for unexpected bleeding or bruising, or back pain, tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, or incontinence. Aspirin products, NSAIDs, SSRIs, SNRIs, and blood thinners increase bleeding risk. Tell your doctor about planned medical or dental procedures. Learn more at Eliquis.com or call 1-855-Eliquis. Ask your doctor about the number one cardiologist-prescribed blood thinner, Eliquis. We expect our information in real time. U.S. Med carries continuous glucose monitors, which provide real-time readings of blood glucose levels. U.S. Med is an approved provider for Medicare and over 500 private insurers.

[1:50:56] So call 888-665-0696 today for a free insurance and Medicare benefits check as easy as… That's 888-665-0696. Harry Douglas here to tell you about Fruity Rainbow 5-Hour Energy Shots. It's a fruity candy-flavored explosion. And I mean explosion. Fruity Rainbow 5-Hour Energy Shots. A zero-sugar treat that's sweet tooth-approved. These can take care of my candy cravings and provide a tasty caffeine kick without all the sugar. Fruity Rainbow 5-Hour Energy Shots. Get candy-flavored chaos with Fruity Rainbow 5-Hour Energy Shots available online at 5-HourEnergy.com or Amazon.

Hey everybody, Bill King, Bill King Show. Listen to me. 9 until noon. 93-9. The score. Monday through Friday as we talk college football like nobody else does. Because he listens in Florence. Our show's, Charlie, our show's on down there. Bill King Show. Monday through Friday. 9 until noon. Every league, every big topic is covered. 93-9. The score. The score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93-9. The score. Welcome back in. It's sad to say, baby, Elmer's getting everybody geared up to drive to the UNA Sanford game. Would you agree with that?

He is. No, we've enjoyed having Elmer on this summer to talk about. He does it the right way. A lot of it is online. He does have quite a few cars on the lot, but very easy. The service is incredible. I've used it quite a few times, but no, Elmer's been a delight to work with this summer. And the Big L local, that's the key there. Maybe the Big Ten set to pass a rule in which any player who's declared for the NFL draft and did not withdraw appeared on an NFL roster or signed a contract with a pro league and not be on a Big Ten roster.

What is, Greg, thank you, waiting on the SEC? Well, I'm going to be curious. The SEC presidents and ADs have a conference called this afternoon, and I'm guessing they're going to follow suit and announce it later tonight. Again, the NCAA should have had so much of this stuff. James and I were talking about this earlier in the show. James Moody, our producer, the NCAA could have held 80% of this Herald back 10 or 15 years ago and they just got, they were too greedy and didn't want to do it.

That's later on, but also the Braves later on. It's go time. They start the night three and a half up on the field. Can they get the job done tonight against a pretty good team, B.B.? This is a key series for the Braves. Three with the Dodgers. Not when they need to be playing. The schedule really has stuffened up for the Braves and you kind of see the result. Here's the game again tonight on 93.9, but the Braves really need to win this series against the Dodgers.

Just about a month to go, go Braves. That's going to take care of business for now. On behalf of B.B., Greg, James Blair, the entire crew here, Peril Buck, thank you so much for your time today. Let's do it again tomorrow at noon to two for the BIMO Buck Show. Back here on Sports Radio 93.9 The Score. 18-19 News. The state of Alabama is launching the show. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.