Archive for September, 2012

Nick Saban says he’s not a happy camper.

Coming off Alabama’s dismantling of No. 8 Michigan, coach Nick Saban is furious that his team is getting too much good press.

Saban, a follower of Bobby Knight’s “every silver lining has a cloud” approach, ripped into reporters at a press conference in Tuscaloosa Wednesday because they’re not giving enough respect to this week’s opponent, Western Kentucky.

As quoted by several news outlets, Saban went off at his post-practice press conference.

“… when you people start writing stuff about people that we’re playing that doesn’t give them the proper respect, that’s not fair. It’s not fair to them, to their players who work hard. It’s not fair to our players, who need to respect them.

“There is so many more good things that you could write about that is happening around here, that people would be interested in. I’d love to see some of you do a little bit of research and figure it out. It would really do my heart good.

“We win one game, and …

Continue reading Saban blasts media for pumping up Tide »

Javaris Crittenton says he’s preparing for a return to the NBA.

Javaris Crittenton is facing a murder charge in Atlanta, but that isn’t stopping the former L.A. Lakers and Georgia Tech star from living the high life.

TMZ posted a video of Crittenton out on the town in Los Angeles with what the video photographer describes “a lot of hot chicks.”

“Everything is great … God is great,” Crittenton says during the impromptu interview. Crittenton said he was not sure when his next court date is but said “I’m innocent.”

Crittenton says he’s working out in hopes of returning to the NBA if he’s acquitted.

“I’m just staying ready,” he said.

He is accused of killing Jullian Jones, a 23-year-old Atlanta mother of four, on Aug. 19 after allegedly firing gunshots from a black SUV. Police say he believed he saw someone who had robbed him of $55,000 in jewelry.

Crittenton has denied the charges and is free on $230,000 bond. There are no out-of-state travel restrictions in his bond terms, said …

Continue reading Javaris Crittenton parties in L.A. »

Some Georgia Tech fans apparently engineered a bit of payback for the Yellow Jackets’ painful loss at Virginia Tech on Monday.

Someone made off with the “T” from the Lane Stadium sign outside the box office — a heck of a feat that left the sign reading “Lane S adium,” the Roanoke News reports.

Virginia Tech Police Maj. Gene Deisinger told the newspaper that the “T” had indeed been stolen.

While police say they have no suspects or leads, a Facebook group called “Only at [Georgia] Tech” posted a photo of the sign with the caption, “Lane S adium. Only a ech.”

The photo has since been removed from the site amid concerns it might encourage copycats.

Stealing “T’s” is a longstanding tradition at Tech; it began decades ago when students began stealing the T from the Tech Tower on North Avenue.

Some wags speculated that the jolly good fellows who stole the T may have been drinking their whiskey clear.

In any case, Virginia Tech fans had a ready — and stinging — response. …

Continue reading Tech’s payback for loss fits to a ‘T’ »

An offseason of “you won the ACC, but about that Orange Bowl” was wiped out in one night for No. 14 Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on Saturday at the Georgia Dome.

Tajh Boyd passed for 208 yards, Andre Ellington rushed for 231 and Clemson’s defense made stops when it needed to lead the Tigers to a 26-19 victory over Auburn.

“This puts a lot of wind in our sails as we kick the season off,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “But this is just the beginning. All we did was accomplish our first goal, which was to win the opener.”

Clemson won the ACC last year, its first conference crown in 20 years, but all its players and coaches heard about was the 70 points it allowed in the Orange Bowl to West Virginia in the Tigers’ next game.

Swinney was defiant during the offseason that the Tigers had nothing to apologize for.

But they did have something to prove.

Brent Venables was brought in from Oklahoma to lead the defense and Clemson went to work. The results showed …

Continue reading Clemson knocks off Auburn in Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game »

Get insight into this year’s college football season with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s annual college football preview for the iPad.

‘SEC Supremacy’ is available for $4.99 for iPad, iPhone, Kindle Nook and Android devices.

From columnists Mark Bradley and Jeff Schultz to beat writers Chip Towers, Tim Tucker, Ken Sugiura and Doug Roberson, the College Football app give you a special look at understudies awaiting their turns at your favorite football program. We will also take a comprehensive look at the SEC and ACC as well as state colleges and complete schedules of every team.

As a bonus we’ve also included the college preview sections from our sister papers, the Palm Beach Post and Austin American-Statesman, as well as our 2011 special section.

Want more?

Check out the AJC’s e-book, “SEC Supremacy,” featuring an in-depth look at each of the 14 football programs in the Southeastern Conference and an historic look at one of college football’s greatest …

Continue reading AJC college football app for iPad »