Day 56 - Alabama's Governor Did What? Trooper Taylor Did What?

Alright everyone, I'm back to ramble on about a few things. There has been a little movement in BingoGate. There has been mud slinging from the plains. Brooks of SportsbyBrooks is still wrong more than he's right. Bobby LOUDER has somehow retained power at Auburn University. John Parker Wilson finally broke down and got a twitter account. AND.... Will Ferrell is still hilarious.

This past week, Gilley (one of the original Bingo - Eleven) plead guilty. In more than one instance he directly implicated Milton McGregor as being another to bribe Alabama State Officials for their votes to legalize gambling in the state. Gilley's guilty plea has set off a firestorm in both the media and the  message board world. What exactly does Gilley's deal mean? That's anybody's guess. Regardless of what Milton McGregor's attorney (Joe Espy) would have us believe, it can't be good for Uncle Miltie. To me, Espy's statement of, "Nothing has changed." is about as convincing as Au's 2010 National Championship being on the up and up. How can things not have changed? One of the "co-indictees" has fingered Espy's client by name as being a party to bribery. Things have changed and this very well could be the beginning of the end for a lot of different people. Espy seems to think the Feds coerced Gilley's plea because of Gilley's personal situation (IE: In jail, sick wife, injured son, broke, cat is old, needs new tires, etc, etc, etc,). I hate to break it you Joe, but I think Gilley jumped on the deal knowing that if he did so first he would most likely get the most leniency when sentencing day rolls around. He's in the front of this roller coaster, but Mcgregor is the one with his hands up and screaming at the top of his lungs. Don't worry Uncle Miltie, you  may have screamed at the first little dip, but I bet the next big one gets you some screaming company.

On the other hand, it is possible that Espy is 100% correct. Nothing has changed. If you will remember, back during the whole Healthsouth debacle, founder and CEO Richard Scrushy was directly implicated by several different people in the organization, yet was acquitted on all counts. They ended up backdooring Scrushy so he is at least in jail, but he just almost got away with it. If Uncle Miltie walks, Espy is right, nothing has changed. Corruption still runs rampant in the Alabama government.

Speaking of corruption in the Alabama State government. How about Governor Bentley's stamp of approval for Bobby LOUDER being reappointed for another term as a member of the Au board of trustees? What? Did I just actually type that? No, it can't be. Why in the world would a governor anywhere condone the appointment a guy that is expected to be indicted at any time in connection with the 3rd largest bank failure in the history of the United States? What politician in their right mind would make such a move? Well, hang on to your seats everyone as the answer to that one might be a bit startling. The answer? NONE. There isn't a politician anywhere that would back this guy UNLESS.... he felt sure nothing was going to happen to him or that the connection to the future jailbird would be minimal. That's a little scary to me. Does Bobby LOUDER have that much power? I think he thinks he does and he may be able to talk the game well enough to convince people like Bentley that all is going to come up perfect at the end of the day. I think the variable here is the FEDS in general. While I by no means think that the Federal Government is void of corruption, I do not think that LOUDER will have near as much control over the outcome of any possible upcoming proceedings as he appears to think he will. At the state level, he may have a scary amount of power, but on the federal level; I suspect LOUDER would be considered a peon. Of course, this is purely speculation on my part and I am open to anyone giving me a good reason as to why Bentley would continue to back him given the current circumstances. Campaign contributions aside, it just doesn't make sense. The not completely silent minority of normal fans, faculty and alumni from Au (yes, it is true, they aren't all raving lunatics) have balked at this and I sure hope that some of their "open letters" garner some national media attention.

Another bit of Au news? Surely not. What else can happen down there? Believe me folks, I think things are just getting going good down on the plains. The latest OSU / Tressell revelations may be giving the Plainsmen a bit of a break, but I sure wouldn't get out of my foxhole yet if I were them. The most recent Au commitment, Zeke Pike, had a very interesting article published a few days back. In that article he claimed he wasn't worried about the accusations being leveled at Au because Gus Malzahn Turned down $15 million, to stay at Au. MY question is from WHERE? Let's take it a step further. He also claimed that much maligned and accused Au assistant coach Trooper Taylor turned down a job with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys to stay at Au. MY response...PROVE IT. I've been told from several different directions that the Cowboys did not offer Taylor a job of any kind. So, if someone out there has information to the contrary, I would love to hear it. Otherwise, I'll file this in my ever growing collection of "Au Recruiting Trail Bull Crap."

On to Brooks... my favorite reporter wannabe. Oh Brooks, when will you ever learn? I find it hilarious that he outed the University of Tennessee for being a co-conspirator in all of the racial hate that Colonel Reb (Ole Miss' former mascot) supposedly brought to the SEC. Sorry Brooks, the Volunteers moniker has nothing to do with the Civil War. I'm an Alabama fan and know that the Vols take their name from the state's nickname of The "Volunteer" State. This is in reference to the war of 1812 and more specifically the Battle of New Orleans where Volunteer Soldiers from Tennessee played a major role. Come on Brooks, is your Google broken again? Did your UGA ties not help you out on this one or have they all disowned you too? Someone retweeted a post from you saying that you didn't blame the Tennessee fans for being mad at you. Well, what do you expect with the half-assed reporting you continue to do from of all places, LOS ANGELES, CA? The state that I and every other SEC fan are sure to turn to first when looking for information pertaining to the South. Everyone knows that Los Angeles is known for it's prowess on having a thumb and forefinger on the very pulse of the Southern states. DUDE.... write about something you have a clue about and even if you don't have clue at least try to actually "look into it" before you publish it. A reporter with Jeff Lee as a source, a reporter that censors opposing views (that actually prove what a dimwit you are), a reporter....YEAH RIGHT!

Former Alabama QB, John Parker Wilson finally got rid of his Nokia Bag phone and has joined the world of Twitter. You can find him @jpwilson4. Bama fans, add him and let him know we haven't forgotten him. JPW was crucial to turning the Alabama program around and while I must admit that he sometimes raised my blood pressure 20 points, he always gave everything he had. JPW is a winner and I am thrilled to see him get an opportunity at the next level. I have every bit of faith that he will eventually leave is mark at the next level as well.

I have no idea if @wilIferrell is the real Will Ferrell, but whoever it is; that guy is hilarious. Worth the twitter follow for sure.

My buddy the @BandiRef over at www.banditref.com is doing a major overhaul at his site. Keep an eye on it as it's about time for another one of his Toons to go viral. Show the love and remember to click an advertising link or two while there. It's a lot like tipping your waitress for guys like us. It only takes a second and actually does help us out.

RTR


BamaSon25