What about Ingram’s ‘A’ gloves from the Rose Bowl?

Crossing the Rose Bowl goal line in the second quarter of January’s BCS title game, Mark Ingram found a television camera and made a gesture that’s become part of Alabama football lore. (See the video here)

Touching both hands together at the index finger and thumb, Ingram flashed the two script-A gloves towards the ABC cameras that still is part of the SportsCenter opening theme.

“I just liked the gloves,” he said. “I just liked the A”

So whatever happened to those two gloves? Are they in a trophy case somewhere?

“No, I took them off and I didn’t wear them in the second half because they ripped,” he said. “I have a pair just like it. To me, they’re just like my gloves.”

Mystery solved. Sorry, collectors.

Aranas thankful for BCS "streaker"

The sight of the “streaker” in the second half of January’s BCS National Championship Game made most witnesses chuckle. For Javier Arenas, Alabama’s cornerback standing directly in the path of the clothed wacko running across the Rose Bowl, it was more of a blessing.

Here’s what he said when I asked about it before Saturday’s autograph signing in Decatur.

“I was thinking, I’m not moving one foot. I didn’t laugh. I didn’t have any energy. I had no air in my lungs, so I thought God had sent him out to the field at that moment, because I needed it real bad.”

“He smelled like alcohol too. I got a little whiff. I got a contact intoxication.”

“I was about to go shake his hand, but I didn’t want him to leave me hanging. That would have been embarrassing.”

VIDEO: Saban on defending Texas, breaking down film

This is Part II of the unstable videos I recorded during Nick Saban’s address to high school football coaches Thursday in Huntsville.

First, listen to Saban talk about the Crimson Tide’s defensive strategy it took when preparing to play Texas in the BCS National Championship Game back in January. Not only did Alabama coaches meet with Oklahoma coaches to get pointers on defending the Longhorns, Saban said the Tide spoke with the Cornhusker coaches from Nebraska who nearly upset Texas in the Big 12 title game.

Next, Saban breaks down footage from Alabama games and practices.

The BCS championship: Seven months later

Greetings from the past. This is one of those posts I scheduled to go live before I left on vacation last week.

It’s appropriate since today marks the seven-month anniversary since Alabama picked up that crystal football out in Pasadena.

So with summer at its height, but with football season inching up on us, check out a few look-backs at that night in the Rose Bowl.

We start with the video I took in the moments just before and after the final snap.

Just click here.

A few more of mine:
Nick Saban mobbed at Disneyland
Walking into the Rose Bowl
Alabama takes the field before the game
Rolando McClain after the game

And a few posted by others
National anthem before the game with Flea and Josh Groban
Texas fight song (the sun set is the best part)
Team sings Yea Alabama in locker room after game
Game highlights
The clothed “streaker” gets arrested
Trophy presentation

Official UA highlights from game

A few notes for your post-holiday Tuesday

There is nothing major to report on this day after Memorial Day, but there are a few nuggets of note. Here they are in no particular order:

• Tide basketball player Demetrius Jemison was released from his scholarship after missing the entire 2009-10 season with a torn Achilles tendon. He graduated in May and would have been a fifth-year senior if he would have returned next season. Jemison becomes the second player to opt out this off-season after Justin Knox transferred to North Carolina last month.
• Things didn’t work out in NFL camps for former Alabama linebacker Eryk Anders, so he’s taking his game to Canada. The linebacker who put the blind side hit on Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert in the BCS title game signed on to play for the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL.
• Star Jackson is heading to Georgia State next season, according to the Mobile Press-Register. The former third-string Tide quarterback will play for the first-year FCS program that visits Bryant-Denny Stadium in November.

A St. Patty’s day update

It’s been a while since checking in, so let’s take a quick look around the world of Crimson Tide sports and the news it makes.

• The Washington Post takes a look at former Alabama football recruit Destin Hood and his decision to sign a Major League Baseball contract with the Nationals instead of playing football in Tuscaloosa. Interesting read.
• Speaking of baseball, the Tide is on fire to open the season. At 13-1, they’ve climbed into the national rankings under first-year coach Mitch Gaspard. Also, second baseman Ross Wilson was named SEC player of the week. Read more about last night’s win here.
• The $4.3 million price tag for Alabama’s trip to the BCS National Championship Game has drawn attention nationally.
• One newspaper put Alabama basketball coach Anthony Grant on the list of potential candidates for the vacant Iowa coaching job. Interesting.
• And now the latest development in the Daniel Moore vs. UA legal batter.

Tide heading to White House

Read more later, but the Crimson Tide’s trip to the White House was just made official. The BCS National Champions will head to Washington to meet President Obama on Monday, March 8.

Again, check back later.

Thousands of Texas BCS shirts go to Haiti

Check out this story from that Austin Statesman-American about Texas’ plans to send national championship gear to the earthquake-ravaged country. It turns out they have 14,000 useless t-shirts laying around since both schools playing in a championship game prints mementos before the fact.

I’ve seen stories about New England Patriots’ Super Bowl shirts going to Africa after the Giants stunned the world a few years ago, so this isn’t a new thing. But nice, nonetheless. Kudos to Texas.

Speaking of the Longhorns, check out this strange story coming out of Tuscaloosa.

BCS Trophy spotted

No, it is not still at Walmart. Driving past the football complex before Wednesday’s basketball game with LSU, I spotted the glowing beacon of the Crimson Tide’s successful football season coming from a window facing Bryant Drive.

VIDEO: Championship celebration pt. 2: Saban speaks

Here is Nick Saban’s speech in two parts followed by a Rammer Jammer and some fireworks.

VIDEO: Championship celebration pt. 1

Welcome to the championship celebration

It’s about an hour before the festivities begin in Bryant-Denny and the crowd isn’t huge yet. Construction, meanwhile, continues as we speak on the north end zone expansion. Pictures to come later.

Senator: Boise St. should join Tide at White House

Check out this story from the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Orrin Hatch is urging President Barack Obama to invite Boise State University to the White House along with Bowl Championship Series winner Alabama, arguing both undefeated teams deserve the honor traditionally afforded to college football’s national champion.

The Utah Republican, a fierce critic of the BCS, made the request in a letter to Obama Thursday.

Hatch wrote that because there is no playoff, fans are left to speculate whether more than one team deserves to be called the best in college football. Hatch was already irate that his home state team, Utah, didn’t get to play for the national championship last year despite going undefeated.

Last fall, he urged Obama to ask the Justice Department to investigate whether the BCS violated antitrust laws, but has yet to receive a response.

In Thursday’s letter, Hatch argued that inviting both teams will “send a clear message” that champions should be chosen on the field.

Bill Hancock, the executive director of the BCS, said it was up to Obama on whether to follow Hatch’s suggestion.

“But Boise State’s own coach, and every other coach in the USA Today poll, along with every journalist in the AP poll, agreed with what happened on the field in Pasadena — that Alabama is the national champion,” he said in an e-mail. “Really, doesn’t Congress have more important things to do?”

The current college bowl system features a championship game between the two top teams in the BCS standings, based on two polls and six computer rankings.

In 2008, shortly after his election, Obama said he was going to “to throw my weight around a little bit” to nudge college football toward a playoff system.

“In my view, inviting both these great football teams to the White House would be one particularly effective way to do just that,” Hatch wrote. “Furthermore, should you invite only Alabama, you would add legitimacy and credibility to a system we both believe to be flawed.”

The White House declined to comment on the letter.

Last month, a House subcommittee approved legislation that would ban the promotion of a postseason NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision game as a national championship unless it results from a playoff. But the bill faces a tough road ahead in Congress.

Yet another Sports Illustrated cover for Alabama

For the third time since Iron Bowl week, Alabama lands on the cover of the definitive sports weekly, Sports Illustrated. The word “DYNASTY” can’t make Nick Saban happy if he’s hoping to keep his returning players grounded for next season. (Credit Gentry Estes of the Mobile Press-Register for being the first with the cover picture this morning)

On the topic of Sports Illustrated, I wanted to pass along a link to this story on SI.com by Andy Staples. I’ve heard differing opinions on it, but I am a fan. He stepped out of the box and tugged at the heart strings. Let me know what you think.

A collection of BCS videos

As a YouTube enthusiast, I’ve tracked down a collection of videos captured by you, the fans, from the BCS Championship. Enjoy and send me a link to anything I missed.

Players sing ‘Yea Alabama’

‘Yea Alabama’ on the violin and the mandolin

Alabama marching band pregame

More pregame festivities

America the Beautiful

And the not so pretty: Clothed streaker hits Rose Bowl

Ingram touchdown from the seats

Same touchdown, different camera phone

Celebrating on “The Strip” in Tuscaloosa

A “Roll Tide” cheer in church

And a few of mine.

Rammer Jammer from the field

Alabama takes the field

Nick Saban awarded trophies