West Alabama Monday Briefing
Good morning West Alabama! It is Monday, February 24, 2025. This is the 55th day of the year with 310 days remaining.
Monday Morning Observations:
What is going on at ESPN? Have the leaders there ordered the commentators and announcers to scream to get attention? The talk shows are so annoying when they yell the entire time. Apparently, they labor under the misconception that louder equals smarter sounding.
My hearing is not what it used to be, but even I can't watch Stephen A. Smith, Skip Baylis, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo and others who apparently think you win debates by just outshouting the other person. Even some young viewers say all the yelling obscures the points being made.
The yelling has now crept over to play-by-play and voice overs of game highlights. Seemingly, ESPN believes that makes the broadcast more exciting. It doesn't, it just makes it more annoying.
The SEC Network screams at viewers like we don't have the sense to know the play we just watched was a big one. There is a difference from voicing excitement versus just screaming. Give me the measured excitement of the "Voice of the Crimson Tide" Chris Stewart any day.
I understand their reasoning; they believe yelling conveys excitement and energy. They also think screaming during highlight voice overs emphasizes key moments. But to a growing number of people, it is just obnoxious. It doesn't add more information to the game, it just makes it difficult to watch (or listen to).
The maturity level of ESPN sports debate and commentary is sinking quickly and along with it any standards. What was once taboo, obscenities, is now almost a requirement. Pat McAfee accelerated the use of foul language and even former Bama Coach and now ESPN analyst Nick Saban has fallen into punctuating comments with crassness. Is it a limited vocabulary or do they just think it sounds cool?
In an interview on the website "Awful Announcing" former NFL quarterback and tv analyst Ron Jaworski hit the nail on the head, “And I wish executives at all the networks would realize that. People want more. They don’t want a bunch of people on TV screaming at each other, ‘You’re right’ and ‘You’re wrong,’ they want intellectual conversation, and they want to see why teams win and why teams lose. And the tape shows that, and networks and producers don’t use enough of that.”
Maybe you enjoy the ramped-up, over-the-top ESPN of today. But to me, all the hollering sounds more like anger than imparting informed opinion or knowledge. It is not entertainment; it is just annoying.
(Opinions expressed in Morning Observations are those of the author and not necessarily those of the ownership, management, staff or sponsors of Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa.)
Weather:
Halleluiah, another warming trend as we inch every so closely to the beginning of spring on March 20th. Highs are expected to top out in the mid 60s today and the high 60s to mid 70s through the remainder of the week.
Outside of a small chance of a passing shower Wednesday night and into the day Thursday, the week will be highlighted by sunny days and clear nights.
While there could be another Polar Vortex type cold spell, the Climate Prediction Center is forecasting mainly above normal temperatures with 50-50 precipitation chances for the next month.
The Forecast:
Topping the News:
Pickens County Schools to Tighten Security
The Pickens County School System is promising metal detectors at all schools after a gun was discovered in the waist band of a student at Gordo High last Friday. Superintendent Shawn McDaniel informed parents that the system will also increase law enforcement presence and cooperation.
Read More: Gun Found On Student Friday at Gordo High School
UA Board Approved Construction Projects
There will be lots of construction going on at UA. The Board of Trustees have approved $59 million Student Wellbeing Hub on the Bryce Campus, a $13 million ROTC and veteran’s center near McFarland and Campus Drive, and $1.7 million for renovations and additions at the Parker-Haun Tennis facility. Undergraduate admissions will also move to a new site on 7th Street.
VA Medical Center Town Hall Planned
The Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center is hosting a veteran's town hall on Wednesday. It will be from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the VA sports atrium building and also available on the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center Facebook page.
West Alabama Democrat U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell Critical of Trump
West Alabama Democrat Congresswoman Terri Sewell claims in a Facebook post that President Trump is not only not following through with a campaign promise to end inflation but says his policies so far are making it worse. She stated she is still waiting for him to makes things better. Sewell says Trumps tariffs are instead worsening inflation.
U.S. Supreme Court Overrules Alabama High Court
The U.S. Supreme Court says people left waiting for months on their unemployment claims during the coronavirus pandemic in Alabama must be able to sue the state over the delay. The 5-4 ruling overturns a ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court that rejected a lawsuit from 21 people.
Alabama Fire College Welcomes Youth
At a time when it has become difficult to attract new firefighters, The Alabama Fire College in Tuscaloosa welcomed teenagers from Alabama and Georgia to "The Fire Explorers Weekend". It attracted 157 youth this year, an increase over last year.
Among other training, the youth repelled from the side the facilities fire tower and donned fire gear as well as viewed fire apparatus.
Topping Sports News:
Senior Day for the University of Alabama Women's Basketball Team started out scary but ended up all smiles for the 18th ranked Crimson Tide (22-6 overall, 9-5 SEC).
Aaliyah Nye knocked down her first 3-pointer of the game, making her 273rd career 3-pointer and setting a new program record. It came as the Bama Women’s Basketball Team came from behind to beat Auburn 66-50 at Coleman Coliseum.
Former Alabama Quarterback Jay Barker's daughter Sarah Ashlee Barker became the fifth Alabama player to reach 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 250 assists during her tenure at The Capstone.
The Crimson Tide has now claimed the 11 of the last 12 matchups against the Tigers, dating back to the 2019-20 season
Next up is LSU in Bama's final home game of the regular season on Thursday at 8:00pm.
Bama Baseball Sweeps Three Games but Gets Bad Publicity
Trailing 10-0 entering its half of the fourth, Alabama baseball began a streak of 12 unanswered runs on the way to a walk off, 12-10 win over Ohio State on Sunday at the Jax College Baseball Classic in Jacksonville, Fla. The victory improves the Tide to 8-0 and earned UA the tournament title for the weekend.
The 10-run, comeback win becomes the largest comeback in program history, surpassing the Tide's 11-9 victory against Kentucky on April 11, 2010, when UA trailed 9-0.
Tide Coach Rob Vaughn told reporters after the game, "Obviously, not the start we wanted. We left guys on base, and we gave them some stuff in the middle innings, but (our guys) just kept showing up."
The winning weekend was marred by social media publication of the Alabama team in their locker room making an obscene gesture to the Buckeyes. A team member later apologized and remarked that it never should have happened.
The Tide also beat Coastal Carolina and N.C. State to win the classic.
Next up is Jacksonville State on Tuesday at "The Joe". First pitch is set for 4:00pm.
Click on TuscaloosaThread.com for the latest West Alabama news, sports and weather. Better yet, download the app.
Have a great start to the week!
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