Florida tops Alabama for national title

Florida pitcher Hannah Rogers holds the trophy as the team celebrates following an NCAA Women's College World Series softball tournament game against Alabama in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, June 3, 2014. Florida won 6-3 and took the title. (AP Photo/)




Florida pitcher Hannah Rogers, left, celebrates with teammates Aubree Munro (1) and Kelsey Stewart, right, following an NCAA Women's College World Series softball tournament game in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, June 3, 2014. Florida defeated Alabama 6-3 and won the title.

I had to look hard to find this article on the internet, and as you can see, it was only a couple of photographs with captions. OTHER sporting events get massive coverage. This was a great tournament and the culmination of a great season for the ladies. This is PURE sports, I'm sure there are others, but I honestly think these young ladies are the epitome of what college athletics should be. They get a fine education, prepare exceptionally well, represent their schools, and ENJOY the entire experience. Neat, also, Hannah the Florida pitcher and Jaclyn Traina, her counterpart on Alabama have been competing against each other since little league, then high school, now college .... and, they hardly ever speak to each other. I think they each have had championships at each level .... first one, then the other. I THANK THEM ALL FOR A COMPETITIVE AND AN ENJOYABLE SEASON .......

Alabama all the way

I just got an email from a friend asking my opinion of tonight's Championship Game. I don't know how many people around the world are even concerned, but to answer his request I will give my opinion.

First, I have always been a Notre Dame fan, UNTIL, they haired their unprincipled new coach of a few years. He's the one who WALKED OUT on his team at Cincinnati right before their bowl appearance. This recent flurry of bowl games had many "assistant coaches" running the show, as the head coach left for another job. May do a count, but many coaches left their teams. I forget which game, but I admired the coach who insisted he stay on coaching till the end of the bowl game. Hats off to him.

Secondly, I personally don't think ND was number one in the country, anyway. I was never impressed with them in the games I saw. One game they stole. I am also somewhat under the impression that TV has a hand in determining the BIG games. ND and Alabama is a great draw. I predicted them when the season was half over. Not by the quality of any teams or coaches, but the game that might bring in the most advertising revenue.

The experts on TV, and there are sooooooo many of them on are predicting a close game. If it is close, through the half, and the third quarter, then we will all know it is rigged for TV. "Keep all those viewers glued to their sets, at least till the fourth quarter, then, you guys go ahead and play." That is just my aged opinion.

So, one of two scenarios. I think Alabama is a much better team and may, if allowed, run away with the game. If the "financial" pressure is applied, a close game till the half, and the game will be played in the second half.

This is just one old opinion .................

Now, doesn't that look good

Pecan Praline

French Toast

French bread and praline sauce have ranked this breakfast from Kate Shepard House one of “Alabama's dishes to eat before you die."

Alabama win's NCAA women's softball title

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) An impromptu party in front of the dugout during a fourth-inning rain delay turned into a celebration that will last a long time for Alabama's softball team.

The Crimson Tide turned the 13-minutte delay into the momentum that propelled them to a four-run inning, the key in their 5-4 win over Oklahoma in the deciding game of their best-of-three NCAA championship series that ended early Thursday.

Jackie Traina threw a five-hitter and delivered a key RBI single, and Alabama became the first Southeastern Conference team to win an NCAA softball title. Alabama (60-8) is the first team from outside the Pacific-12 Conference to win the title since Michigan in 2005.

''It was a heck of a run for us,'' said Alabama coach Patrick Murphy, who returned to the Crimson Tide last year just days after leaving Alabama to accept the head-coaching job at LSU. ''It's a dream come true for everybody at Alabama.

''For us, I don't think it's sunk in yet. It's been a long time coming.''

Against Obama, even a jailbird gets some votes

By LAWRENCE MESSINA

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Just how unpopular is President Barack Obama in some parts of the country? Enough that a man in prison in Texas is getting 4 out of 10 votes in West Virginia's Democratic presidential primary.

The inmate, Keith Judd, is serving time at the Beaumont Federal Correctional Institution in Texas for making threats at the University of New Mexico in 1999.

Voters in other states showed their displeasure with Obama in Democratic primaries last March.
In Oklahoma, anti-abortion protestor Randall Terry got 18 percent of the primary vote. A lawyer from Tennessee, John Wolfe, pulled nearly 18,000 votes in the Louisiana primary.

In Alabama, 18 percent of Democratic voters chose "uncommitted" in the primary rather than vote for Obama.

ECHOS from the past

NCAA 'very concerned' about AU point shaving probe

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — NCAA officials say they are "very concerned" by point-shaving allegations involving Auburn's basketball program and also say they have been in contact with the school and federal investigators since the issue arose last month.

In a statement released on Thursday, the NCAA also says it will defer action on the matter until after the FBI has concluded its handling of the probe because point-shaving is a federal crime.

The NCAA's statement comes after Yahoo Sports reported earlier Thursday that the FBI is investigating suspended Auburn point guard Varez Ward for allegedly point shaving in at least two games this season.

The report cited anonymous sources and said the FBI began an investigation in late February centering on losses to Alabama on Feb. 7 and Arkansas on Jan. 25.

In my opinion this problem permeates many levels of collegiate and professional sports. Millions are wagered on each game, just seems natural that someone wants someone to shave points. Money can motivate and buy results.