Boomo Bugg Show 030426

[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 a street ride around the Tennessee Valley. Brett Beaird, welcome in where Alabama suffers a big dog bite and Auburn says we're not quite through thanks to LSU. Good afternoon, welcome in and how are you?

Happy Wednesday to you and the listeners. Georgia snaps Alabama's eight-game winning streak, 98-88, and Auburn rebounds to beat the LSU Tigers, 88-74. The Dessler boys lose to Fairfield, 61-57. In the Class 4A state semifinals to end the run for our Shoals teams in the Final Four, Gary Breed, as usual, leads the team scoring 21 points for the Tigers. And not only that, Luke, who is on the on-deck circle to lead off AA from ESPN, Andrea Adelson checking in from the Big O, Orlando. Andrea, welcome in. How are you?

I'm doing great, fellas. How are you all doing today? Good, dear. We, thanks, I'm proud you asked. We have a question. So are you, you're a Florida grad, are you taking your boy Todd Golden or John Calipari in the next battle of testosterone? Wow, I was not expecting. You know, usually you welcome me in with a little bit of softball. I was not expecting that question, Matt, but I appreciate it. Look, how can I go against Todd Golden, right? I mean, hello? Like, reigning SEC and national champs, guys? Like, you've got to go with the champs. Testosterone or no testosterone?

And I got a feeling that age may be on his side if they're going to go to the middle round. Andrea, let's talk a little bit about things that are going on crazy. Of all the things that are interesting with what's going on in the world, what's coming up this week for college sports fans in general, not just football. The power for a conference commissioners are supposed to huddle at a place called the White House in a round table with a guy by the name of President Donald Trump about the future of college athletics.

Andrea, how much confidence did you have once this thing is done, all these problems are going to be fixed? Oh, yeah. On a scale of like one to ten, my confidence level is a one because I feel like college has been going to Congress for how many years now asking for help? Yeah, I appreciate that the president is offering them an opportunity, but nothing has changed in the entire landscape. It's only gotten worse than the fact that the leaders have been asking for federal help. And, you know, I don't know, it's just me, guys, but I feel like a war going on in the Middle East.

Yeah. Maybe you should take precedence over what's happening in college sports first. Not in Alabama, Andy. We should do. Okay. That's just me. I don't know. I don't know, guys. But, you know, look, it's good that you have a bunch of voices. They're going to be coming together and everyone's going to get to say their piece. But what is the ultimate outcome here? How are they going to get together in a roundtable discussion to come up with the type of meaningful change that is absolutely needed, particularly because you're going to have a bunch of guys and gals sitting at these tables who have wildly different viewpoints about what needs to happen in collegiate athletics?

Andre, actually, Condoleezza Rice may be the most logical person to lead this. We'll see where that goes. But, again, I'm like you. I don't have a lot of confidence in the meeting. I agree. I'm glad somebody's trying to get some people together to do something. But, AA, who is ever going to step up? Will it be the conference commissioners, the selection committee? That's not their mission statement. But who is going to step up and say, look, here is a proposed agenda for the college football calendar to begin at week zero, have two byes.

Here's the early signing day proposal. This is when the playoffs should begin and end. Will we ever see an entity or individuals or a committee step up and say, look, let's start with this. We can work. We can take this out. We can take that out. And just here is a blueprint. We think we will work. Let's just sit down and work it out. Yeah, I really wish that would happen. And, you know, in conversations I've had with coaches, you know, they talk about this at their AFCA meetings, right?

[5:29] I mean, coaches have ideas about how to fix things. The problem is that once it gets to committees and once it gets out of the coaches' hands, then you start dealing with folks who are thinking, well, they've got all the answers and they know what's best. And so you get a lot of frustration talking to coaches about nobody ever consults us, nobody ever wants to hear from us. We have the answers, and yet it doesn't seem to happen. And I think part of it is because there are competing interests when it comes to television, for example, with the playoff and also working around the NFL.

And I think that's kind of where the biggest frustration has been from the coaches. If you heard Dan Lanning talk last year during the CFP, he had a great solution for how to fix all the calendar problems. And the national championship is on Jan 1, and then we're done. But, well, but then there's a conflict with the NFL, and then we can't extend it into January, and then what about television, and what about the eyeballs, so on and so forth. And so now you're left with a situation in which you are playing next year even further into January.

I don't know what that's going to do with the portal and getting guys into school for those teams that are playing on Jan 25. So it is a mess. Everybody knows it's a mess. But because of all the competing interests involved here, fellas, nobody is willing to step up and come up with a solution. Kind of what's happened with college sports in general. Too many people with too many competing interests who can't come together for their greater good. Yeah, it's real simple. Two letters says it all, Andrew.

A-I. Just go to A-I and ask you. I mean, when I'm trying to choose a popsicle, I just go to A-I and it tells me. So it's not that complicated unless we make it that way. Andrew Adelson, ESPN. Andrew, they're finally getting to the part here where this thing is kind of getting out of control. Football players being sued for breach of contract. Brendan Soresby is the face of this. Hello, Cincinnati. I love you. But, oh, by the way, Texas Tech is going to offer me more money, so I'm leaving.

Cincinnati says, not so fast, my friend. They're suing him for at least up to a million dollars because he transferred breach of contract. How important is this case? Because in law terms, it's called a precedent. If Cincinnati wins here, what signal is that going to send for the rest of the brethren? Well, you know, it's interesting because obviously Duke also sued Darian Mensah because he had a two-year contract. And I know it's a slightly different circumstance. This is solely overpaying the buyout. But there are so many schools that are going to be paying attention to this because you have some comments.

I believe the Big Ten has kind of like a standard contract that they've been giving the players. The ACC, for example, does not. I'm not sure what the Big 12 situation is. But I know Florida State, for example, has been very proactive about inserting these buyouts into their contracts with very, very clear language that if you were to leave, then you would be on the hook to pay this money, which I'm assuming is the case for Cincinnati. I can only speak to the folks. Just using this as an example, they had several players who thought about maybe looking around and said, I'm going to enter the portal or a third party said they were going to enter the portal.

But once the language in the contract became clear that the buyout, there was no negotiating around the buyout. This is what the contract said. Those players ended up staying at Florida State. So, again, I'm not sure what the Cincinnati contract says. I'm not a lawyer. But if you sign a contract that says there's a buyout in it, I'm not sure what the legal wranglings are to be able to get out of that buyout. Now, we've also seen coaches who've had large buyouts, and then those buyouts have been lowered through negotiations.

We've seen all sorts of things. But the one piece of leverage schools have felt that they have had in writing these contracts is the buyout language as a way to keep players to the contract without them breaking it early. So, that's why I feel like this is such an important test case that's going to go through the courts or arbitration, however it's going to end up, because schools that I know who put these buyouts in have felt like that's the only part of relief that they can get in order to make guys stay.

So, I think it is going to be fascinating to see how this whole thing plays out, because, again, we go back to the central point. What's the point of a contract or a multi-year contract if anybody can just get up and break it? Well, that's just it. My dad, God rest his soul, was a judge for 12 years, and you've got a written contract. Double-A judges look at that differently than a lot of people. If it's written, I think he's going to have to work out something with them, because he's going to have to pay something.

[10:42] Your staff does a really good job. I know with spring practice beginning for a lot of schools, Alabama actually begins Monday. The storylines, the spring storyline, the position of intrigue, players to watch, your staff has got the Big Ten preview, the SEC preview. I'm guessing the SEC you may be helping with, but talk a little bit about if you want to get a little bit of a jump start on the upcoming season, and in particularly spring practice, the ESPN staff does a good job of looking at all the conferences.

I appreciate that ACC dropped today, and I can tell you that we put in a lot of time and effort into this. We've got about 500 words on each team in all of those conferences. Nowadays, with so much player movement, as we just mentioned, through the portal, freshmen, guys going to the NFL, teams are more different than ever year after year. Even for us reporters, it's hard to keep track of all the movements sometimes. So when you take a look at these, it just puts it in very easy, digestible form with your key players who are back, key players who are in position battles, key transfers who may end up making an impact.

So it's just one comprehensive place to find all of that information. As you mentioned, schools have been kicking off. Clemson started this week. In the ACC, for example, NC State's already underway. Florida is underway as well. Saw some footage today on social of new quarterback Aaron Filo, you know, throwing some pretty balls. So it's great to see spring ball back, and it's a great place on ESPN.com to really get your readers' digest for all the powerful teams and what's happening this spring. Now, before we jump off, you're tied with Mr. Dalbo.

What's going to happen at Clemson this season? You know, it's a great question. I actually was listening to the coordinator press conferences now that their spring is underway. Chad Morris is now the offensive coordinator, so I guess what's old is new again. They're sticking with Christopher Vizina as the quarterback. They didn't go into the portal to get a quarterback. They feel like he's got all the tools, but you're going to see a different Clemson offense. They really want to establish the run again. As you guys know, when Clemson was hitting on all cylinders and winning national championships, they were so good in the run game.

Travis was such a key component to all of that. So, they really want to go back to that offensively, establish that as their identity, which had been their identity for so long. And defensively, guys, they brought in nine transfers for Tom Allen going into year two. They needed help across the board. Of course, one of them, Luke Ferelli, you guys know, left for Ole Miss. But they've got key contributors on the defensive line and in the secondary that I think are going to be valuable additions for that unit to get them back to being elite.

But is this a team that can win an ACC championship? To me, it's funny. I was talking to Mario Cristobal the other day. He was in town for a coach's clinic. And he finally plays Clemson this year. And he told me he thinks Clemson still is the most talented team in the ACC. I said, Mario, I feel like you're selling yourselves a little bit short. I feel like Miami has surpassed Clemson. And he said, have you looked at their roster? I said, yes, I've looked at their roster.

I think Miami's done a better job developing some of their players than Clemson has over the last few years. My overall point is that coaches in the league still think Clemson is among the most talented teams in the entire conference. They are among the most talented teams. And they were last year. And you'll see that in the NFL draft when they have a bunch of guys who are taken. The question is, can the coaching staff pull these guys all together, get them going in the same direction, so we can see that talent maximize to the best of their potential.

They can win more games. Yeah, I'm sitting here looking in, and now you and David Hale did a very good job. And, again, Justin Haynes, who has migrated from Alabama to Michigan and all the way south again to Georgia Tech. That's going to be fascinating to see how he does with the rambling rack. Great stuff, my dear. Hopefully we'll have a little more clarity to where college football is going in the weeks and months to come. But keep up the great work. Where can we get online and get all of the great preview articles?

Appreciate that, fellas, ESPN.com. Just click on the college football page. And I'm going to be headed to SEC territory this weekend. I'm going to the SEC women's basketball tournament. So I'm looking forward to that and seeing some great basketball and some elite basketball, I should say. So it should be a fun time. Make sure you say hello to the pride of the Tennessee Valley with Alabama. Carly Weathers, by the way, of all the smart people in the SEC, Carly named the scholar athlete of the SEC.

[15:58] Make sure you say hello. We can't talk to her. She's too smart for us. But say hello to Carly, okay? Absolutely will, fellas. Thank you so much for having me again. All right, say travels to him. From the one, the only, Andrew Adelson, who's going to win this from ESPN. Huge shout out to Carly. Got brains, got games. And we got the man who is at the end of an era here in the shows, Coach Scott Bayeson on Dax. Stay with us. You like saving money, right?

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Order online at ConecuhSausage.com. Hello again, everybody. I'm Roger Hoover. Here are thoughts from Crimson Tide legend and SEC Network basketball analyst Richard Hendricks ahead of Alabama's run at the 2026 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament. If you're Christy Curry, this has been a phenomenal season. She's done a really good job of getting the most out of her squad and making sure that these girls are playing collected and together and motivated. Now you're getting to postseason play. It's time to reset and pull some of that positivity that you had from those big wins that you had early on in the season.

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The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. The Score. Welcome back in. It is an absolute pleasure for us to open the door and say hello to a fellow who certainly doesn't need a GPS to work his way around the shows. Most of the shows head football coach, Scott Bazin. Coach, welcome in. How are you? Doing well. How are you doing? It's good. Well, we're in a little bit of a shock. Coach, you need to go and play poker because, not to advocate poker, but you've got the face.

Man, when I saw the news, I said, nah, that's got to be one of those computer things. It can't be true. And I think a lot of folks did a double take. Obviously, Coach, at the end of an era at Muscle Shoals, tremendous record. Where do you start in summing up your decision recently, what, over the last few days to retire as the head football coach at Muscle Shoals? Well, you know, obviously, it's not been a knee-jerk decision. I've been praying about it, you know, for five years and just felt at peace with it.

And, you know, I always try to let God lead me what needs to be the next chapter. And it was a lot of prayers and answered prayers, you know. Really, it's just all in his time. And I can't thank, you know, his community and, you know, our coaches and our players enough for all that they've given. And, you know, been blessed. I mean, you know, obviously, you know, good Lord has truly blessed me in my career. And, you know, but at the end of the day, it's about the relationships, the men you work with and the kids you impacted.

And I don't mean this ugly, but at the end of the day, you're a press release. And that's what you'll be. Scott, your record at Muscle Shoals in 18 years was obviously sparkling. 170-50. Overall, in 26 years, 238-79. Won a state championship that I remember well at Cordova in 2007. And we could go on and on about 28 playoff wins, 17 postseason appearances, which is incredible. But what impact you have on young men developing boys and kids into young men does not make the headlines. But I know that's very important to you, and you can't measure that in a lot of clarity.

But I know you're proud of the accomplishments, the wins, the championships, et cetera. But talk about molding and helping young men or boys turn into young men and also working with assisted coaches. You know, and I appreciate you saying all that. But it really goes back to my first year as a head coach at Parrish. And like I said, you know, I think in the three programs we've ran, boy, missed the playoffs twice in 27 years. And, you know, that's great. But the one that stands out, my first head coaching job at Parrish, we had a young man by the name of Martez Williams.

And we just got beat in the playoffs. And at that time my wife was still living in Florence, and Martez was tragically killed in a car wreck after that game that night. Wow. And, you know, obviously that does something different to you, and I hope nobody ever has to experience that, and I'm sure a lot have. But right then, you know, and I've always known that God called me to be a coach at that season in my life. And right then, but I got convicted, did I talk to him enough about God?

And did I talk about him in Savior Jesus Christ? And I didn't like my answer. And so for the next 26 years of my career, it's always been something we've always done on Wednesdays. You know, I'm not saying this to promote what we do, because I've always kept it in-house. And, you know, you've never known this. But, you know, every Wednesday, and I've been blessed in a public school setting that, you know, everybody I've worked for has left me alone. But we have church for 20 minutes every Wednesday around the season, and we have small groups.

[26:39] And because, you know, I've told this story a million times, Wednesdays were always my game day. It wasn't Friday nights. And Friday nights, obviously, you know, the record speaks for itself. I was immensely blessed. But the Wednesdays were the most important thing. And, you know, and that's one thing I asked Coach Dart, you know, he can't be me. He's got to be him. The only thing I asked him to do in leading this program, that he would continue that. And he assured me he would. And I told him, I said, if you'll do that, then God will handle the rest.

And, obviously, just old dumb country boy, won a lot of football games. But I hope that I made an impact for God more than I made for football. Coach, I appreciate it. I know, Brett, does share that story. Never apologize for your faith. I mean, if he does, he gives you an opportunity to explain why you feel that way. So I know you probably feel the same way. But I appreciate you sharing that story about kids. Because I remember when my dad was undergoing cancer treatment, I had to go to the local clinic.

And I just happened to be in the waiting room. And my old fourth-grade teacher was in there, just a happenstance. And I went up to her and told her how much I appreciate and what she meant and everything. I couldn't have given her a prize, a tangible prize that would lit up her eyes more than that. And I know over the years, you've been in it long enough now, you've had kids to come through. And now they've got kids. And I would imagine at some point you crossed paths.

Talk to us about what that means, just being able to see now young men who were young back in the day. Now they've got young men as parents of those kids. Well, you know, that is exactly right. And, you know, you do things throughout the course of your career that you hope that you're doing the right thing on teaching them. And I can't tell you the past week how many texts. I've had to cut my phones off about just how that Wednesday impacted them more than what they ever learned on a football field.

And you know what? That, just like you said, that's what everything's about. And, you know, I wanted to write a book about it and leave it to my coaches and my kids. And, you know, obviously I'm not a writer and I've learned that through this editing process because you have to pay somebody to do that. But, you know, I'm hoping to finish that book before I finally leave here in May. And it's titled Wednesdays because I really think that that is the most, when people talk about Scott Bateson, I don't want them to talk about the record.

I want them to talk about how I impacted kids. Right. Absolutely. Listen, before we let you go, you mentioned Michael Darden taking over as head coach. Most of the shows, offensive coordinator, I know, at Oxford and ARAB. He's been with you, I believe, for at least five seasons. Scott, tell us a little bit more about him. You know, Michael played at Albert Wolf for Coach John Gross. His daddy was a longtime coach there. Michael was a quarterback. You know, he's a lot prettier guy than I am.

You know, a sole offensive lineman, not really pretty. But the face of the program will look a lot better with Michael because he's real pretty. He's got all of his hair. And I'll tell you about five years from now, he'll be bald like me and it'll be great. And just couldn't have asked for a bigger blessing than him and his family to come into my life five years ago. And I know all our coaches are staying. You know, obviously, they believe in him and our kids believe in him.

And, man, he's just going to do a fantastic job. And, you know, I'm going to be behind the scenes and support him in every way I can. But, hey, the program will be a lot prettier with him, Lee, than I can assure you. Well, listen, we sincerely appreciate your honesty. And Harold and I are both Christians. And I appreciate your testimony with that. We have enjoyed the conversations for years. As you mentioned, the wins are great. But the impact you've had on these young men, a lot of cheerleaders, a lot of women, a lot of parents in the program, the assistant coaches, Coach Gay comes to my mind at Huntsville right now.

Congratulations, number one, on the success on the field. But more importantly, the success off the field. Hopefully, you'll let us call you from time to time to see how you're doing. But, listen, have a, again, congratulations on everything you've accomplished there. And hopefully we can do this again with you soon. Absolutely. Love you guys to death and appreciate you. And having me on, just like always. And, yeah, I'll still be involved. And I can assure you my next chapter is going to be involved in Wednesdays, too.

[31:51] So, anytime, wish y'all the best of luck. And God bless you. Can't wait to see your book, Coach. I echo those sentiments. Thanks so much. Maybe dust off the golf clubs and the fishing rod, okay? Thank you. There you have it. The one, the only, Coach Scott Bates. It's always going to be Coach SBB. Yep. Coming up, a rough night for the folks down in Tuscaloosa in the hardwoods. And can you believe football is about to get rocking and rolling down in Titan? We'll take you there next with Rodney Yor.

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North Alabama will play today in the A-Sun Tournament. They'll take on Florida Gulf Coast. The Lions went 4-14 in the A-Sun this season. The winner will play Lipscomb on Friday in the quarterfinals. Catch Alabama women's basketball against Missouri in the SEC Tournament tonight right here. Tip-off at 7-30. Bundle auto and home, renters or condo, and save with Progressive. I'm John Thayer with the Sports Flash presented by Progressive on 93-9, the score. I checked Allstate first and saved hundreds on my car insurance. Really smart. Unfortunately, I didn't check if I took the gas hose out of my car's tank.

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[37:18] It wasn't a snack. It was a meal. He called it a twister and never called that friend again. The colonel lived, so we could chicken. The Twister. Now back at KFC, classic or with bacon. Also try it spicy. It's finger licking good. Prices and participation may vary. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. The Score. Welcome back in. What do you say? We head on down to Tide Town. Check in with a man who's got it all covered there at tighterinsider.com. The founder and editor of T.I.

Rodney, you're in the huddle with us. Rodney, welcome in. How are you? Hey, guys. How's it going today? Hey, Ben. Well, we're sitting here looking at March Madness. Not exactly the way Alabama wanted to get the ball rolling with their trip to Georgia. They suffer a big dog bite. I guess it's all how you look at it. Basketball is one of those deals. It's a marathon. You're going to have some wins. You're going to have some losses. They win eight straight since that debacle against Florida.

And then last night running into a buzzsaw. It was kind of the perfect storm, was it not, Rodney, in some ways. Here's a team that's been good. Georgia's playing for the life to get into the tournament. Alabama trying to leverage some seed money there, if you will. But Georgia said, you know what? If we can win this ball game, we're going to like selection Sunday a lot better. And we have the home cooking. Rodney, your thoughts. How do you analyze Alabama's loss by 10 to Georgia last night?

Yeah, you know, again, Georgia's a good team. I mean, obviously, they can score a lot of points. And like you said, Alabama had won eight in a row. They had, look, I really think, and this is certainly not an excuse, all the things you said are true. You know, and I do think, you know, when you're talking about, you know, going on the road in the SEC, it's really tough, especially when you fall behind. And again, Alabama's done that, you know, multiple times on the road.

They've done it, of course, here at home as well. But they've had dramatic comebacks last night. They just couldn't do it. You almost wonder, are they a little bit out of gas? Because it is a tough, emotional kind of comeback from Saturday's win over Tennessee. But I think if you're Alabama right now, you know, certainly the first thing you want to do is take care of Auburn. You beat them there. You'd love to finish with the sweet, obviously, in this game. But, you know, I would say this, if you're Alabama right now, you still have to feel really good about where you are.

I think this team has come together really well. The pieces have come together. A lot of guys have developed. You know, Harold, Brett, how far can this team go? I mean, obviously, they have some limitations. But still, you just never know. If they get hot the way they can shoot the ball, they can get on a pretty good run. Yeah, Georgia had a kid by the name of Catchings who was averaging 10 points a game. He ends up getting 32, seven threes. And, in fact, Georgia hit six threes.

Every time Alabama made a run, Georgia would go down and throw up a three, a lot of times with a hand in the face. But, Rodney, you're right. If they can defend and rebound and match the physicality, which is the subject of our next conversation, Alabama can go to the Sweet 16 and, I think, even the Elite Eight. And speaking of matching physicality, Alabama about to begin another spring on the practice field starting Monday. And you had an article on Tyner and Sander about what Kalen DeBoer needs to fix in.

26, and, again, we'll get a little bit better idea about what the roster is at the end of the eight-day game, et cetera. But you mentioned consistency, and you've mentioned this two or three times. And, Rodney, again, it's like 20-25. I mean, 2024, you beat Georgia. Next week, you lose to Vandy. You run LSU at a Tiger Stadium. The next week, you don't even show up at Oklahoma. And you've got weeks like that all over the place, particularly in November when this team seems to have a swoon.

But you mentioned it, show up every week with effort, discipline, toughness for 60 minutes. And you do that, I guarantee you, you're going to win a lot more games than you lose. Correct. And, you know, like I said, too, let the chips fall where they may, you know, if you show up every single week like that. And, again, I understand it. It's not, you know, you listen to people now, and they start saying, well, that's impossible. You know, nobody does that. Well, I just don't believe that.

I mean, I think that, you know, like you said, the wild swings and performances have been pretty dramatic. And if they could find some consistency there, you know, there could be some improvement, obviously. But, you know, I think a lot of it, Harold and Brett, frankly, goes back to mental and physical toughness. And, you know, I think we've seen this team, and I think we've seen some really good things from Cale and DeBoer's teams. Don't get me wrong. But I'm talking about if you kind of want to take the next step and get – it's not going to be Saban.

[42:39] We understand that. But if you want to get back in that elite tier, which I think Alabama slipped a little bit, even though they did take a step. They went to the playoffs, and they, you know, obviously played for the SEC championship game. But I don't think you can lose games by two, three, five touchdowns like they did. That's not Alabama football. I think they've got to get physically tougher. I think they've got to be able to establish a running game that's an SEC-level running game, not like 126 in the country or whatever it was.

They've got to get a lot better in those areas. And I think DeBoer's made some changes in terms of he's now brought in Adrian Clem as the offensive line coach, as we've discussed before. They've brought in a lot of new offensive linemen out of the portal. So it's a really big spring, I think, in developing that. And I think you look at the defensive line as well. You know, I think they've got to be able to stop the run on a more consistent basis. I think they really got eaten alive.

They got torn up. They got their rears busted against Indiana. You know, that Indiana offensive line just dominated up front. So I think all of those things are really important. And you've lost your three starters, you know, on the defensive line. So you're replacing those with portal guys. So I think those question marks this spring, you'll start kind of laying the foundation for the fall at the line of scrimmage. Rodney, you're in addition to being there at Titer Insider's books called Bigger Than Bama. You answered the question there, Rodney.

I think the boards finally realized this is the SEC. Not only that, it's Alabama. Take no prisoners from the fan base. It's not the West Coast where you get a latte and a cappuccino with extra whipped cream. That ain't going to work down in this part of the country. But you mentioned toughness. And I think a lot of Alabama fans were just in a state of shock when they saw some of that over the last two seasons. The other element, as far as addressing, and I think he has, at least on paper right now, has a more promising answer to some of those questions.

Where is the strength and conditioning program? Because under Nick, that was one thing that he put a lot of emphasis on, especially in months like March. What's the state of the strength and conditioning program? You know, Harold and Brett, that's really a good question that I wish I could answer. I mean, I know, obviously, Nick Saban did an extensive search after Scott Cochran left. And he hired David Ballou and Dr. Matt Ray. And Dr. Ray went on to, you know, he was more of the scientific guy.

He went on now to the NFL, and I assume he's still there. And, of course, David Ballou is still here. You know, I really have a hard time believing that David Ballou doesn't have a good plan. The question is, you know, how effective is it right now? I don't know. I just don't know. I know that people look at some of the combined numbers, and they say, well, take Tim Keenan, for example. How's this guy at 320 pounds, and you've got a wide receiver or a running back doing almost as many reps at 225?

You know, and strength varies with guys, and I think strength's really important. But, you know, again, it's not everything in terms of, you know, some guys just are limited in certain lifts or whatever it might be. And, you know, who knows, Tim Keenan may squat 1,000 pounds. Probably does squat a lot of weight because he's built to squat, actually. So there's a lot of things in terms of the strength that I think if you just see an isolated number here or there can be misleading. But, again, listen, I'm just telling you what I see.

And I'm more concerned about the mentality of the team. I'm more concerned about when you talk to people, frankly, you know, that's been in coaching for a while, and what do you really think? And, you know, the word you hear is they're a finesse football team. They're soft. Now, again, I'm not saying that. I'm saying this is kind of the perception you get by watching them at times, and then when you talk to people that you know have been around it, they've coached it, they've coached on this level.

And that's the perception, that's what they sense. That's what they see. And I look at them against, you know, in some of these games, Harold and Brett, and, frankly, in the Georgia game, in the SEC championship game, it was almost like they didn't even come to play, come to win. And then in the Indiana game, when things got a little tough, they quit. But at the same time, then you look at them in that Oklahoma game in the playoff when they're down 17, and they make an incredible rally.

And that's just kind of what we're talking about, these wild swings of, you know, how they respond one week and how they respond the next week. So, I mean, I think you've got to be able to find some balance there. Rodney, you've got the Dandy Dozen spring watch list, and it reminds me a little bit of the Firecracker 5, which Brett Beaird eagerly looks forward to every 4th of July, as I've told you frequently over the years. The top six, and I don't know if this is a coincidence or not, young man, but the top six on this list are linemen.

[47:58] Knowing Rodney Orr, I doubt if it's a coincidence. Grayson Delgotti, Jamin James, the Mississippi State transfer, who I like on what I've seen on film, Nick Brooks, Strayhorn, Terrence Green, the Oregon transfer, I think who can have a big year, Kendrick Bingley-Jones, and then Tompkins. Talk about some of the newcomers that we'll get a chance to see during the spring. Well, I think it's going to determine where Alabama goes this year, you know, maybe in the future, immediate future as a program, because, I mean, if you can't win the line of scrimmage in the SEC, you're going to lose some games.

And you know how that's going to go. So, I mean, I think, Harold and Brett, you could have four guys, potentially, you could have four new guys on the offensive line that weren't part of the program last year. And then on the defensive line, you're probably going to have at least two starters that weren't part of the program, two of the front three, I would think. Certainly, you're going to have three or four guys up front that are new guys that are going to make contributions, strong contributions.

So, I think the line of scrimmage on both sides is really important. You mentioned some of those guys on the offensive line. I think, you know, defensively, obviously, you've got Terrence Green and Kedrick Bingley-Jones and Devin Tompkins and Dez U, as I call him. You can go ahead and pronounce it, Brett. I know you've got it down. That's okay, Ron. You do. But, you know, again, the transfer from South Carolina. But I do think that the trenches is where it's at. I mean, they've got to get better play in the trenches or, you know, it'll be tough.

Absolutely. Well, it is always fun to talk to Rod DeOre. Spring practice beginning on Monday. You will have the absolute latest and, I'm sure, a couple of speculation articles about what this team can do. Basketball, big game with Auburn heading into Nashville. 24-7 message board. All the great stuff. Titer Insider TV. Rodney, where can we get online and get all the good stuff for a very nominal price? Right. It's TiterInsider.com. It's only $48 a year. You can get instant access with your credit card if you prefer.

There is an address there to send a check. And that gives you all our premium information and also the, as you mentioned, the All Sports Forum. That's the community there. A lot of talk going on, obviously, about basketball right now. Not a lot of chatter. We've had some about spring practice. But right now, everybody's focused on basketball, it seems. Must be March. And the madness is on. Rodney, it's always good to hook it with you. Thanks so much. And have a great rest of the week.

Okay? Okay, guys. Thanks. Take care. Thanks, bud. You are TiterInsider.com. Speaking of basketball, the women's SEC is turning underway. Kentucky knocking off Arkansas 94-64 in the opening game. And right now, Florida leads Mississippi State 21-11. The Auburn women take on Texas A&M this afternoon at 5. And Alabama and Mizzou later on tonight here on 93-9, the score 7-30, the game time for that. And, B.B., the ASUN is about to get rocking and rolling. Our tipping off at the bottom of the next hour. Guess who may be tipping off at the top of the hour with us, B.B.?

The head lion I'm going to guess. What does that say about Coach Tony Pujo? We'll find out what he says straight ahead. Stay with us on the Boomo Bugg Show. It's not March Madness. It's Mad Marchness at Sam's Sports Grill in Florence. Every game, every bracket buster, every unbelievable buzzer beater, all on wall-to-wall TVs. Fuel your picks with quality food, ice-cooled drinks, and game-day energy that hits harder than a full-court press. From crave-worthy favorites to unbeatable drink specials, Sam's is where Florence comes to watch, cheer, and win.

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The president of the Petroleum and Convenience Marketers of Alabama, Bart Fletcher, says that he would not be surprised if there's an increase on gasoline prices as much as 35 to 40 cents per gallon. This increase also includes diesel fuel. Fletcher says there's still plenty of fuel in the system and so far no major disruption to the supply lines. I'll be back with more Alabama stories after this. Where I was living was not a great place to live anymore. I began to pray for a place to go, praying for all of these things that a nine-year-old would want.

I wanted horses, big house with a bunch of people my age. I wanted parents. I wanted a mom and a dad. Before I even prayed it, the Lord had already answered my prayer with the Big Oak Ranch. Who would that nine-year-old be if she never came to the Big Oak Ranch? I would be trying to fight for survival instead of fighting to break a cycle. Big Oak Ranch, a Christian home for children needing a chance. An Arkansas man was arrested and charged by police in the city of Troy for possession of narcotics.

47-year-old Jason Smith of Little Rock was found to have a large amount of meth and some amount of marijuana, police recalled on Monday about a suspicious person being seen using those narcotics. Bottled water is now being handed out to customers by the Limestone County Water and Sewer Authority. After some maintenance on the water lines caused discoloration, the water authority says that this is natural sediment running through the pipelines. Customers who are being affected by the discoloration can receive a case of bottled water per household for the next few days.

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[58:27] Tomorrow, partly sunny with a light breeze and a high around 80. Tomorrow night, mostly clear with a low near 60. And if you're Friday, mostly sunny with a 30% chance of afternoon showers and a high around 85. 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 crew of the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg, alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us free ride around the Tennessee Valley and BB. If you are a college basketball fan, it's easy to say this is the best time of the year. March Madness breaking out everywhere, including for the UNA men's basketball team. The women, we're going to get to that in a second. When I taught last night with Coach Pujo, he said, listen, I know I'm busy tomorrow, but I can still come on right at the top of the hour because I have a little bit of a date at the bottom of the hour at the ASON tournament against Florida Gulf Coast.

Obviously, it's a lot of situations, so he's a little busy right now, so as soon as he can break away, Coach Tony Pujo, which kind of says a lot about Coach. He's one of those guys, a lot of coaches would never agree to that. He is one of the guys who will because he understands the importance of getting the word out about his team and all the best of the UNA men's basketball team down in Jacksonville, Florida. Is your brother going to go to that game, BB?

He told me he may actually make an appearance there this week. He couldn't go this week, but Florida Gulf Coast has won four out of their last six games. In fact, they beat the conference champion, the ASON Central Arkansas. They've got the defensive player of the year, which I'm sure Tony knows, Isaiah Malone. They've got an all-freshman selection, Jordan Ellaby. In fact, they're the fifth seed in the ASON tournament, so Florida Gulf Coast is going to be a challenge, but I hope Tony packed a lot of clothes, and they're there for about four days.

And the thing is, obviously, Tony is the first to tell you, one thing he will not do is dodge tough questions and dodge the importance of this season compared to last. I mean, last year, it illustrates when everything comes together, you've got good coaching, you've got good players, and you get the breaks. Last year, just, I mean, a hiccup away from making the dance, if you will, before losing on the road up at Lipscomb. This year, obviously, not the same as last year, but the thing is, it's one of those situations in the modern era.

Would you agree, with a handful of exceptions, you're going to get situations like this? Because every year, with the portal being what it is, you can't sit here and say, well, we finally got it rocking, because, let's face it, once you get it rocking, teams elsewhere are going to see, maybe that player can play for us. Let's go see what we can do. So, it's a different era. I know old-school fans say, well, you did it last year, why can't you do it this year, if it's only that simple, BB?

Well, it's not easy. In fact, this year, Harold, the biggest problem that Tony's had is being a short bench. They've had injured players now. Darkon King came back for the first time in a month, and I think scored five to seven points in the last game. But, Tony, I know, mentioned to us last week that he thought they might be healthier going into the A-Sun tournament than they've been in quite a while. And Tony's got some of the same problem, and a lot of people don't mention this, with Nate Oates.

Nate Oates' transfers have not exactly been incredible as far as their play, and he's had a short bench himself. So, that's one of the things that, hopefully, that will help them a little bit more. He's still trying to develop some players, but, Harold, one of the reasons, quite simply, is I think some of it has been turnovers, but a lot of it has been health for you, Nate. They just haven't been healthy the last month. I think the last time we had Tony on, I think he said he had seven scholarship players who could handle the bill.

And, you know, the thing about that, a savvy coach on the other side, if he has anything at all, the simple strategy there is you try to figure out who are the key guys, anybody for that matter, but especially who are the key guys on that team with only seven guys. They call it a short bench, and the strategy is pretty simple. Try to get them in foul trouble early, and then you just basically, you got open borders, if you will. You can say what you do, what you want, the paint down low.

So, when you're only playing with seven guys, and Tony, to his credit, has never used that as an excuse. He just made it a fact. BB, obviously, we're going to be seeing what goes on with the men's A-Sun. As we mentioned, it's going to be get rocking and rolling in about 25 minutes down in Jacksonville. The women, speaking of Jacksonville, not too bad themselves, they go down, and they've already gotten the ball rolling. The UNA women at the A-Sun, they knock off Queens by a bucket, 57-55, BB.

[1:03:50] Well, and Harold, you mentioned the score. You know, a lot of women's basketball may not be the fast break, up-tempo as the men, but when you get into conference tournaments, it's half court, it's defense, it's rebounding, it's intensity. That's what wins games, and it's thrilling to watch 117-115, as we did two weeks ago with Alabama and Arkansas. But when you're in the mid-50s in a tournament game, that's about right, because all of these games are a half-court defensive slugfest. The win by the UNA women stamps their ticket.

They get the day off. They will now take on number three, Central Arkansas, coming up tomorrow night. That game is 6.30, our time, at the Vistar Veterans Memorial Arena, also down in Jacksonville. BB, while we're talking about March Madness, we're going to get to Alabama and Auburn here in a second. But hats off, we're so blessed to be able to talk with people who've been there and done that, and talking about a modest family, and you know where I'm going with this, with the David Weathers family.

Carly, obviously, had all the choices in the world. She goes to Alabama. She is a Tennessee, her parents now live in Tennessee, but think about it. She grew up basically everywhere with home, because her dad was a major league baseball player for almost two decades. They settled back in the hometown of Loretto, and she goes to Alabama. But this kid is an inspiration, BB. Of all the honors that, as a parent, you want your kid to get, one of the things that has to be basically a cherry on top is the Scholar Athlete of the Year in the entire SEC.

That's mind-boggling to think, how many smart kids are out there playing? And then Carly, and not only that, I mean, when we have David on, she is now doing clinicals. She's in nursing school. I can speak to this. My wife went through that, too. That's not an easy task. If you can do chemistry, and you come out, and you're the Scholar Athlete of the Year, and you can still handle a practice schedule, BB, Carly Weathers picking up, to me, one of the most prized honors you can get as a kid, because at some point, the playing days are over.

But if you can sit here and show on your resume that you're a pretty smart person, that's not bad, BB. Well, David taught all the kids, along with his lovely wife, mental toughness. Nobody knows that more than David. And not only was she the Scholarship Athlete of the Year, but she's one of the members of Community Service, the SEC Community Service Team, in all the hours. Quite frankly, I don't know where she's got the time. She's got to be a time management genius to be able to juggle clinicals, schoolwork.

She's very involved in the community. Oh, by the way, she plays SEC basketball. Yeah, a starter. She's a starter at that. And you can hear Carly and the Alabama women later on tonight as they take Amazoo at the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament up in Greenville, South Carolina. Let's talk a little bit about the men's basketball team, BB. I agree with Rodney Orr. Fans, this is, if you will, a paradigm for football. In other words, if you lose a ballgame, it's Armageddon. Basketball, you're going to lose ballgames.

It's not to endorse it, but it's just living in the real world as opposed to living in Disney World. And last night, to me, was the perfect storm for Georgia and perhaps against Alabama, winning eight games in a row. Short week, back-to-back, an emotional game at Tennessee. You've got to come back, and the SEC alternates between Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Alabama drew the Tuesday this week. A short week, again on the road, and Georgia playing with their hairs on fire because they knew if they won that ballgame, there's a good chance they're going to be going to the dance.

It would be a perfect storm last night for Georgia and a tough night for Alabama. I thought this was going to be a tramp game, Harold. If that game would have been played tonight, and one of the reasons that it's not, there's only one SEC basketball game, men's game tonight, Arkansas and Texas. I think that's because of the SEC women's tournament in Columbia, South Carolina. But Alabama's emotional gas tank, I thought, was empty last night. Again, they stayed with Georgia midway through the first half, and then Georgia, gradually, they kept hitting threes.

Got out by Alabama, closed it to four. They hit. Catchings hit another three, basically at the buzzer. And then Georgia jumped down, I think, to a 12-point lead. Alabama came back two or three times, but every time they would, Catchings or somebody else would hit a contested three. But again, eight consecutive wins, which is amazing for any conference, much less the SEC. The extra day, I think, will help. Amari Allen is someone who's been missing in action. He scored two points against Tennessee. He scored three points last night.

[1:09:12] And, Harold, if he has his usual double-double of 12, 14 points and nine rebounds, Alabama wins that game. Now, we'll talk to Drew DeArmond about him at 135, and that's one of my first questions. What has happened to a double-double machine in the last couple of games? Now, again, Houston Millett played pretty well, but Alabama's got a short bench because a lot of the transfers have just, quite frankly, not developed for Nate Oates. He's got three players injured for the entire year. But Georgia made the plays when they had two, as you mentioned.

I don't know if desperate, but they really wanted to get a very good quad one win, which they did. They're now safely in the tournament. But I think mentally, Alabama would just wheel up last night. So, what do you think it does to their seed? Because, to reiterate, if you don't follow March Madness closely, it's, A, good to make the dance. Alabama, they're going to make the dance. The question is, where and when are they going to play? In other words, what seed? I know they were anticipating as high as a three seed.

The one thing you don't want is a four, and you certainly don't want the five. And the reason that is, history just shows that's not kind to a five seed. It can also be the same for a four seed. What is, right now, we know, obviously, if they get hot, that's going to affect one thing. But where are things right now relative to, in your gut, the seeding for the NCAA tournament? According to Lenardi, Joel Lenardi, they're still on the four line. Now, if they beat Auburn and win two games in the SEC tournament and were to lose another close game to Florida, that might be able to jump them up to three.

But, again, you've got to see what happens with some of the other teams in the tournament. But, no, if they take care of business Saturday on senior night and win a couple of games in the tournament, now, if they end up playing right now at 6 o'clock on Friday night, the Gators are on the other side of the bracket. So, they would not face Florida until Sunday. But, right now, they're safely on the four line. I don't see them dropping to the five. But, again, if they were to win, beat Auburn and win two games in the tournament, they may jump up to the three.

But, I think right now, they're certainly safe at four. Pretty good strength of schedule to factor in, too. But, you mentioned Auburn. How ironic is it that here we are for the final regular season game of the year, which is the Iron Bowl, that coming in, Alabama will be on a losing streak, and Auburn will be on a winning streak. Your thoughts about Auburn, everybody's had them written off. But, as Lee Corso would say, maybe not so fast, my friend. If they get hot, then their equity is going to start building, too.

Your thoughts just about the game Saturday. First things first, Alabama and Auburn, with Auburn getting some wins last night themselves. Well, Auburn had a much-needed win. I saw some of the second half. That's amazing. That game tipped off at 9 o'clock at night. Pettiford scored 27. Overton scored 21. Pettiford looked better than I'd seen him, quite frankly. Harold in a month. Keyshawn Hall added 17. Freeman scored 10. They played well at home, which they should have. I think Alabama is the better team than Auburn. Again, I would take winning 8 and 9 over losing 7 out of 8.

It was a big win for Auburn to at least get a better mind frame. I think the game Saturday is certainly going to be competitive. But it's going to be, can Alabama match Auburn's physicality in the paint? And can they shoot the ball? The extra day of rest, I think, is going to help both teams, but in particularly Alabama. Speaking of Alabama, a pretty famous former Alabama player, the Wizard of Oz, is ready to roll into the shows. Megan Dyer with the details next. Stay with us.

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I am sad to report I died five years ago. This is all I got. Like Elvis, right? Your take on Arch Manningham, you already, like everybody else, bestowed him as the Heisman Trophy winner. I did that last year. I'm not going to do it again. Twice. He was actually quite good in November, in December. Here's what I'm going to do, though, guys. I'm so sick of being humiliated and harassed by Big Ten idiots. I'm just going to pick the Big Ten to have all 12 spots in the college football point.

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The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. The Score. Welcome back, and it is an absolute pleasure for us to open the door and say hello to Megan Dye, the Associate Athlete Director of External Relations at UNA. Megan, welcome in. How are you? I'm great. Thank you all for having me. Oh, you're more than welcome. The reason we did, it's kind of sneaky, Megan. Brent and I did this because, if you don't mind, can we get on your wheel and get your Rolodex? Yes, I dated myself, Rolodex.

I mean, you look at the guys that you've had coming in here, Bill Walton, Pete Rose, and you're going to go on and on and on and on. Can we have your Rolodex one of these days? I mean, you guys know some people when it comes to the Renaissance Shows Conference Center every spring, every year. Talk to us about the latest chapter of Hall of Famers. Yeah, so we are so excited to have an Aussie Newsome join us this year. You know, we truly have. We've lucked up so much with the speakers that we've had and been able to connect with.

And as we started thinking about it, it's like, okay, you know, every year, how do we compete with the year before? And so we decided it was time to bring a Shows native back and get him back in the community and just rally around him and support him. And we were just tickled that he was willing to make the time to come back and support our calls and just get back to the Shows area. You know, we have a little bit of a time change. You know, normally this event's in August, but we wanted to work around his schedule.

His football season starts back normally, and, you know, he's normally tied up in that August window. So we were able to work out him coming back in May this year. So it's a little bit earlier, but definitely worth it to have him join us. You know, the thing that strikes you, Megan, for everyone who's ever met a native of the Shows, and I've had that privilege, he always came back in the spring and had a charity golf tournament at Cypress Lakes. And I always thought I had big hands.

[1:19:55] I look like I was hand challenged. He's got the biggest hands of any human on the earth. But not only that, he's just a super nice guy. And when you look at all the accolades and the reason that he would have to brag, he is still, at least, unless he has had a drastic change the last time that I had the opportunity to work with him, just a down-to-earth guy. Oh, absolutely. I mean, just as humble as they come, and, again, just more than willing to work with us and accommodate us to come back.

And, you know, we're just tickled to have such a kind man like him to come back and speak to the area. And I think everybody's just going to love it. Megan, there are quarterback clubs across the country who would like to get the speakers that you've had for this event. Pete Rose in 21, Bill Walton in 22, God rest their souls. Archie Manning in 23, Steve Sperger in 24, and, of course, Murph. Now, Murphy last year, May 19th, beginning at 5 at the Renaissance. Charles Conference Center, let us try to help you sell some tickets, if there are any left.

Now, if a business that is listening to us would like to sponsor a table or be a sponsor of the event or individual tickets, tell us about how somebody can go ahead and reserve, buy tickets individually for a family, for an organization. I know teams have done this before. How can they get more information to tell us as far as purchasing tickets? Yeah, so we've got tickets, tables, and sponsorships all on sale right now. You know, normally we just sell tables early on. But, again, just such a popular guy coming back that we went ahead and put individual tickets on sale as well for people to purchase.

But they can go to roarlines.com to purchase tickets. They can reach out to me directly, 256-765-4615. We do have some meet-and-greet opportunities available within our sponsorship packages. So lots of opportunities, you know, to purchase, to get in the door, and get to listen to them. And, like I said, if somebody wants to meet and have a picture made, we'll have those opportunities available, too, before the event. And a little Megan died. Megan, talk to us. Okay, that's great to get to meet Ozzie. But it basically serves more than one purpose.

The proceeds go to the North Alabama Lions Athletic Club. But the folks are asking, what is that? How do you answer? Yeah, the Lions Athletic Club is the official booster club of North Alabama Athletics. You know, 100% of the money raised goes back to enhance the experience of our student-athletes, from operational costs to travel, you name it. Those dollars are extremely important for running our department. And just really grateful for the Lions Athletic Club and all of our members out there and what they do to support.

I'm actually just coming from a luncheon. We have our luncheons, you know, twice a month where everybody can come out and listen to the coaches speak. And just really appreciative of them and all that they do to raise funds to support the department. So, this event, it's just one of the special events that they have each year. So, all the money goes back into that booster club. Megan, I know the athletic department has a lot of employees. But when you think about this for a minute, and I know Josh Looney could add his two cents worth.

But what goes on in the spring, March the 4th, the UNA men's and women's basketball teams are in Jacksonville, North Florida. The women have already played and won. The men are about to tip off in five minutes, literally. UNA baseball is in Oxford tonight playing Ole Miss. They play Southern Miss this weekend. And it's cross-over season. Yeah, you've got softball and tennis. Besides your hair turning gray or turning out, how in the world do you run an athletic department this time of the year? We survive in advance each day.

We have a fantastic staff, and we all wear multiple hats, but we love it. You know, we truly have the best work family, and we jump in where we're needed. And we are all over the place this week. About half our department is down in Jacksonville with the basketball teams. But we've got some of us up here that are, you know, taking care of softball, that are on the road. You know, with baseball today, we divide and conquer. And, you know, when you enjoy and love the team you work with and you love your coaches and each other like we all do, it just makes it fun.

You know, it's tough, and there's a lot of late nights, a lot of weekends. But, you know, that's what you sign up for when you get in the world of college athletics. And, you know, crossover season doesn't last long. But, you know, when it is busy and we're all in different directions, you know, we do the best we can and make sure all of our athletes, no matter where they're playing at, feel loved and promoted and supported. You know, Megan, one thing about it, a lot of people go to work and then they don't see any fruits of their labor.

[1:25:18] My late dad was a builder. And you can go back five years, ten years, even 50 years after some of his work, and there it is. And I would imagine you want to brag a little bit about some of the investment that this community has made. Is it true that baseball has a new home and this fall football will have a new home? Would you like to brag a little bit about that? Oh, it's just, it's beautiful. You know, baseball, we had the grand opening back, Valentine's weekend.

And it was more than we could have asked for. You know, you prepare for these things and you watch it get built and you know it's going to be exciting. But until you get there and experience it, like, it's just this sense of pride. Like, as cheesy as it sounds, like, you walk into, you know how much work everybody has put into that facility and seeing our athletes get out there for the first time. And, you know, having a facility that they are just so proud to bring people in and seeing it.

I mean, it was a standing room only crowd. Yeah. It was just packed. And we've been so fortunate with the weather that we've had these first couple weekends. Because we were on the road pretty heavy at the beginning of baseball season last year while, you know, the build was under construction. So, our home schedule is pretty heavy on the front end this year. And, you know, we've just had picture-perfect weather. The crowds have been fantastic. And, I mean, it's just, it's truly the, I know I'm partial, but it's one of the prettiest facilities I've been in.

Like, it's fantastic and it's exactly what we need, the size we need. Our crew has worked so hard. You know, we've never had a video board at baseball before. And our creative team has worked so hard to create just a fun, fan-engaging experience that everybody wants to come back to. And, you know, it's football. Watching it go, it makes you even more excited for that grand opening. And, you know, construction's right on schedule and watching it go up. And it's, I can't wait for September to roll around.

It's going to be a facility that the entire community is so proud of. Megan, if you would like to donate $100 or $100,000 to a football stadium, to the baseball stadium, to the athletic department overall, I know there are some unique opportunities with Mike Lane Field and particularly with the new football stadium. And I'm sure you've already had a lot get involved. But I know you'd like to have some more. Where can they get online, participate? What levels, what opportunities are available for the football stadium and the baseball stadium?

Yeah. So we've got a new website that we launched back at Christmas. It's unabankindependentstadium.com. And you can visit the website. And it's got information from season tickets to giving opportunities to Lions Athletic Club membership and how it relates to season tickets in the new stadium. There truly is. There's a way for anybody to be a part of it. There are still some naming opportunities from – we'll have a donor wall right inside the stadium that's $100 and up. We've got plaques to trees. There's so many different ways that people can get involved and feel like they're a part of that facility being built.

Season tickets actually go on sale next Wednesday. We're working through a priority system list, but they will start next Wednesday. So that's exciting, you know, starting to get everybody their seats for the first time and, you know, just filling that stadium up. And they'll go on sale to the public later this summer. But, yes, lots of ways to get involved and make the facility feel like a little piece of home for them, too. You can save on your gym membership. You've got enough going on. You don't have to go to the gym to stay in shape.

Megan, we're shocked that you can find time with us for that busy schedule, but we're grateful. Thank you so much and all the best with the upcoming event with the Wizard of Oz. Oh, thank you. I appreciate y'all having me and taking time for me to come home and brag about all things UNA. Thank you, dear. Megan Dye, Associate Athletic Director of External Relations at UNA again. Ozzie Newsome coming up May 19th. That's a Tuesday out of the Renaissance Shoals Conference Center. It should be a huge night.

Let's hope the weather continues to be fantastic. Coming up, Double D, Drew DeArmond on deck. Stay with us. Got wine? Offering 10% off six or more bottles of mix-and-match wine and an unmatched selection of nearly 1,000 different wines to suit any budget, the Carriage Wine & Market is your one-stop wine and craft beer destination in the heart of downtown Florence. In the mood to relax and wind down? Indulge in our bar service featuring fine wines, wine cocktails, and craft beers, all paired perfectly with house-made small bites and charcuterie, and served with a smile in our cozy living room-style atmosphere.

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Discover why Pella is a trusted choice for homeowners everywhere. Visit Pella.com slash Eisen today. That's Pella.com slash Eisen. Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93.9. The score. In the SEC Women's Basketball Tournament tonight, the Auburn Tigers will play Texas A&M in Greenville, South Carolina. Auburn went 3-13 in the SEC, while the Aggies were 7-9 in conference play. The winner between Auburn and Texas A&M will advance to take on Ole Miss tomorrow night. Missouri and Alabama will also play tonight in the final game of day number one of the tournament.

Alabama, if it wins, would advance to take on the sixth seed, Tennessee. You can hear all the action between Alabama and Missouri in the SEC Tournament right here. Pre-game coverage is set for 7-15. Tip-off tonight is set for 7-30. Bundle auto and home, renters or condo, and save with Progressive. I'm John Thayer with the Sports Flash, presented by Progressive on 93.9. The score. That palette of pavers collecting dust? The beginnings of a garden? Those stray fence posts? Are you haunted by half-finished projects on your land? John Deere is here to say, not anymore.

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How are you? Hey, we're doing all right. Drew, let's talk about it. Obviously, Alabama, eight-game winning streak. And as they say, all good things must come to an end. And it did last night with a Georgia win. Your thoughts about the game and where this Alabama basketball team is at this point in the season. Well, you know, they still have everything to play for. I didn't think they played very well last night. Now, they started promoting tip. I didn't think they were locked in. They gave up a dunk on the first possession on an offensive rebound.

They didn't rebound very well. They got out-rebounded by 10. They played well enough offensively. They scored 88 points. They made 16 threes. But defensively, they lacked intensity. They gave up 98. They gave up 13 threes to Georgia. They gave up way too much inside. I didn't think it was one of HRL's better defensive games. I didn't think it was one of the teams better defensive games overall. Now, credit Georgia. They're good. I think they're going four out of five. They've definitely played their way from the bubble into the field. It certainly wasn't a bad loss, though, from the standpoint of resume-wise.

[1:35:46] But I think it probably did a lot of damage to them trying to get them to three-line. I think their scoring is probably the four. And that's going to be tough because if you get to that second weekend to him matched up against one of the one-seeds, very likely. I mean, because the one that I think teams like Duke, Michigan, Arizona, New Alabama's already faced. Connecticut, they've kind of separated themselves. And you're going to probably have to face one of them on a neutral floor. Now, is Alabama capable of beating someone like that and shooting the basketball very well?

Yes. But as we've seen, this team is not a great defensive team. It's not a great rebounding team. But you never know. And Alabama didn't play very well last night. It was disappointing. But certainly, if they beat Auburn on Saturday and they snap out of it, then they're going to be the two-seed. We know that. They'll lock that in. And it allows you to be in the bracket opposite Florida who's separated themselves and everybody in the SEC. And it allows you a path to get to Sunday and maybe be a high four, whatever that is.

I think they were, at one point yesterday, they were considered the top four seeds. So we'll see. But they've still got a ton to play for. And they certainly need to snap out of it and have a chance to sweep Auburn on Saturday because you'll be doing two things. You'll be locking up your key seat for yourself and very likely costing Auburn a chance to go to the NCAA tournament and beat them this week. Drew, let me ask you about that. To me, one of the things, this team obviously can win ballgames.

But I think the one thing you see that's pretty consistent is the inconsistent first-half play. It's almost like they've got to wait and fall behind and then get their coffee going down the stretch once they look at the scoreboard and say, we're running out of time here. Let's clock in and get busy. You know Nate Oates sees this. You know, as a head coach, it's frustrating because, let's face it, as you mentioned, slam dunk off the opening bell there. That kind of sets its own. What do you think Nate Oates is saying?

Guys, look, at this point in the season, with everything on the line, and over the way, we're facing Auburn this weekend and you've got the home cooking. Your thoughts to me, that is one thing that seems to be a common thread with this team. It's like they don't get the coffee going until sometimes the end of the second half. Well, you know, that's true, but they have been a good second-half team all year, but I do think it's about creating a sense of urgency and coming out and executing.

You know, we're hoping that maybe they had gotten past some of that with the 63-point outburst against Mississippi State, but I think what you've figured out is Mississippi State has basically quit. They've been losing the last three games, I think, by an average of 30-plus, including at home to Missouri, which was just baffling. And so we will see. But, again, I think Alabama has played good basketball since the debacle in Gainesville up until last night. It's a good Georgia team. It's a team that I think, honestly, should win in Starkville on Saturday and should win 10 SEC games and probably be on the 8-7, 8-9 line at the NCAA tournament.

So it's not the end of the world. But it was disappointing only for the fact that since that kind of unbelievable 23-point performance and 8-10 shooting, we've only seen Amari Allen go 2-for-14 from the floor in the last two games. He's a guy that's going to need his all-around play, his ability to bring the ball to the floor, his ability to create, his ability to get to the rim and shoot the basketball. They're going to need all that. And they need to get him back going.

And he needs to play well in Coleman on Saturday against Auburn. Because LeBaron played well yesterday, at least offensively, certainly. And certainly, Latrell Wright, who I thought, had a nice performance, and even Aiden Holloway. But they're going to need Amari Allen's all-around play. And then I think they're going to need a better all-around effort, especially defensively, and to stay out of foul trouble from the big man in the middle. Because if they don't have any kind of interior play, and I didn't think they had Buds last night, Aiden Cherell played okay.

But they're going to need Aiden Cherell we saw in the previous month, most of the previous month, to advance in March. But again, you just have to kind of get back up on the horse. You've got an extra day to prepare for Auburn. And the way Auburn played last night, they're going to probably get their best shot because they know their backs against the ball. So you better come out, as you put it, Harold, and be ready to play and play a good first half against the Tigers if you want to, you know, finish the regular season on a high note and go into Nashville with no middle.

You touched on what I was going to ask you. Amari Allen, who has been a double-double machine, scored two points against Tennessee. He scored three points last night. He was one of seven. He had all of one rebound, five personal fouls. D2, if he scores 12 points and nine rebounds last night, there's a good chance Alabama would have won that game. Well, and five assists as well if the ball's moving. But I just don't think the ball moved quite well enough last night. They had too many turnovers, especially in the first half that Harold's talking about because they gave up 50, as I like to say, in the first half.

[1:40:52] Yeah. And I had a feeling that this was going to be a tough game for Alabama coming off of the emotional grinder of a game against Tennessee. And I said, you know, the first team to 100 is probably going to win. And unfortunately, that was Georgia who got 98. So Alabama was going to have to bounce back. And if they had kept fouling it, they wouldn't have given that to 100. So it wasn't the best effort. And like Nate Oates said, and I've always loved this about coach, he doesn't miss words.

He said, they've got to get a mark going. They've got to have more of a sense of urgency. They failed in their opportunity to win another quality road game. And now they've got to have a sense of urgency to finish the regular season, get that two seed, and then have a chance to go on a run in the postseason. Because I still think this team has a chance to get to the second weekend. And if they didn't, I think it would be very disappointing considering the talent that they still have at their disposal.

Drew Jarman, 97.7 FM, The Zone. Drew, if 10 means he's absolutely incredibly healthy and one says he's lacking, where's Phylon right now on that 1-10 chart. And all season long, that's been a topic of conversation. The team is not healthy. They're trying to hang on. But last night, from everything I was able to gather, we were able to gather. It looked like, roughly speaking, they were pretty healthy. Your thoughts about on that 1-10 scale where Phylon is and the overall health of the team right now? Well, I would say Phylon's probably 8-1-1-2.

So, I mean, it's the old Ty Simpson deal. I think he's healthy enough to play and he had 20 picks. So, they certainly had a hard time guarding him last night and he certainly made a lot of plays. I didn't think he was great defensively, but, I mean, heck, I couldn't tell you somebody that was really good defensively last night for Alabama. Nobody really was. 98 points, is it all? Yeah, they didn't play very well on that end to the floor. They didn't rebound very well. But certainly, I think he's probably an 8-8-1-1-2.

They're going to manage him the rest of the year. I think it's probably as healthy as the team's been in a while, even though they got 11 minutes out of Bull Bowen last night. He's largely infected. They still need to kind of manage him and get him back on the floor. But they are who they are at this point. You want to keep the guys that you have in your rotation healthy enough to go. And then they've got to go out and produce. this game Saturday is very, very important.

What Latrell Wright I think was referring to last night is we're entering the phase of the season where it's win or go home. You don't get a mulligan. You have to win to advance. If you want to win an SEC tournament, you have to win every game. And then if you want to advance to an NCAA tournament, you just want this journey to go about as long as possible. And for that to happen, you've got to win games and you've got to play consistent basketball. And that's what they want to do.

I will say this. I've learned with the way NATO's coaches, it's about locking in and get hot at any time. Offensively, they're going to have a chance to beat anybody they play, but it's going to come down to the little thing. Take care of the basketball, the rebounding, and then, of course, defensively playing with intensity for 40 minutes if they want to advance. We've talked about the lack of production with the transfers. I mentioned it numerous times during the course of the year. It's a rare season where the four, and particularly Bo Bowen, Bristow, Noah Williamson, and Bethea, who scored four points, hit a three, and was one of two from the free throw line.

And again, as you mentioned, you are who you are when you get to the end of the season, but can they get some help from Bo Bowen is I know he can hit a three, does rebounding. I know Nate has challenged him on that the entire season. Bethea will come in and chuck up a 30-footer and then goes to the bench. Can they get some help from Bo Bowen or Bethea in the next couple weeks because they're going to need some production at the bench? Well, I mean, I think that's the key, especially with Bo Bowen because they, you know, I had someone text me last night and say, you know, why is Noah Williamson playing so much?

Because they don't have any depth in the post. I mean, Nate Terrell is the dude. We know Bethea is now gone never to return and so that's not because you don't have that option. And then Bo Bowen has been limited. If they can get Bo Bowen back and, you know, get 20 minutes a game out of him, he's capable of rim protection, he's capable of rebounding, he can make it open for him, he can finish in traffic at times. So you need that version of Bo Bowen, the good version that we saw earlier in the season because you know you're not going to get Kristo back.

He's out for the gear of course on Nijiuaka so you need Bo Bowen and he's crucial to provide you some depth in the post and some ability to relieve some of the load off of Nate Terrell. He's going to be very important and maybe Bethea. Bethea, I actually thought he went bad for his four minutes. He hit a frame, he attacked the limb, he got to the line, he hit one in the throat. So he is capable, he just has to play under control so that's going to be a really interesting situation to monitor going forward against Auburn on Saturday and then if they go into Nashville with that double bye.

[1:46:11] Speaking of Auburn, Drew, your thoughts, obviously everybody had them pretty much written off last night. They win, albeit against LSU. Your thoughts on what that does as far as the ultimate demise that a lot of folks said about the Auburn Tigers. The way I answered that question is their destiny is in their own hands. They went out, they're going to get some equity between Alabama Saturday and the SEC tournament. The question is what do you think will happen with this Auburn team? Well, I mean, I think Alabama should win the game.

If they do, I think Auburn's hopes are on life support. But is it an impossibility? No, it's not. The game in Auburn went down to the wire. This Auburn team has the best win of the year in the SEC because they somehow won in Gainesville. That seems like the twilight zone now for the way Florida's playing. But it was an unbelievable effort. It shows you on any given day what could happen. It should be a wake-up call for Alabama to be ready to go because Auburn should be playing with desperation.

They'd be going to win. I think if they got this win and then won the opener in Nashville, I think they'd be in because they'd have 18 wins. I wouldn't have them advance and pass the first day but I think with the leagues in the quarters if that gets you that you're still 18 and 15 but the strength of schedule they've got I think they'd be in the tournament whether it's the first four or just solidly in the field. I think they'd probably be solidly in the field because they'd have wins over Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, St. John's.

They'd be in good shape and then the win on the opening day of the tournament so I just think Auburn would be in good shape but I think they've got to win the next two games in order to get there. I think Alabama would go a long way but then winning in Nashville would probably keep them in the tournament which I think would be huge for Steven Pearl but if you're Alabama though you want to seal that second seed overall to go with that double by because you don't want to drop to the fourth spot at all because you want to stay away from Florida so you absolutely have to play him which would be on Sunday.

Absolutely and hopefully Houston Millett can step up too and help them coming off the bench his energy hopefully will be contagious Saturday and in the postseason a little recruiting talk a little barbecue tomorrow night there D2 tell us where we can come and listen to you and Freddie Kirby tomorrow night and then where can we listen to you in the morning you and Scott with the expanded show yeah absolutely you can catch Scott Tyson from 7 to 10 a.m. now we've got a new expanded we've been doing that for a couple months now the new expanded three hour talking ball and we always enjoy the interaction you can catch us if you miss us you can go to our sound five days 97.7 the zone or ESPN 97.7 the zone or you can go to 97.7 the sbn.com and catch it and of course we live stream as well we're on WZZN TV on YouTube every morning and then of course Freddie Kirby and I we're going to have our annual a little later this year due to the changing landscape and the coaching staff changes and the transfer because the transfer portals really almost become more important than that February signing day we're going to have our our early gathering I'm sure we'll talk some basketball as well with Alabama headed down the stretch and hopefully another nice run in March ahead for Nate Oates and crew but we look forward everybody come on out to the old Green Bar Barbecue all we ask is for a small donation to the speaker's feed and to have some great food and Clemson Tide conversation and we look forward to being out there tomorrow night ready not to put a lot of work into it we always enjoy seeing everyone catching up and we always enjoy being on the Boomo Bugg Show with you guys in Florence right back at you Drew safe travels out there this week the last game there in Tuscaloosa next week the ball is going to get rolling up in the music city with the tournament thanks so much safe travels to and from okay thank you appreciate it thank you good 97.7 FM the zone speaking of attorneys we mentioned UNA underway at the ASON last report basically right now looks like Florida Gulf Coast is up by 10 to 7 Florida Gulf Coast a very good team BB but a great opportunity as they say for UNA to make some noise down in Jacksonville yeah hopefully Harold they're getting healthier so they can make a run and you can see if the Alabama women make a run game one to the women's SEC tournament the SEC coming up later on tonight 730 when they take on the girls from the show me state Missouri stay tuned it's going to take care of business now on behalf of BB Greg James Blair the entire crew here Carol Buck thank you so much for your time today let's do it again tomorrow on noon to two for the bug show back here on sports radio 939 the score