Month: May 2014

By Chad Underwood As the National Football League and its fans wait through another offseason, one of the league’s premier events is only a couple weeks away: The NFL Draft. It is a spectacle in every way, from the non-stop coverage provided by ESPN and the NFL Network to the fans who pay to watch it all unfold from their seats in Radio City Music Hall. The draft can be a blessing or a curse for the bottom feeders of the league. In 2012, the Indianapolis Colts drafted Andrew Luck, who went on to have a remarkable first two seasons in the NFL. That pick set up the Colts to be successful for the foreseeable future. Much harsher realities face teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cleveland Browns, who cannot find the right formula when it comes to the draft. Both teams will once...

By Darrell Puckett The assumed expectations of some fans towards a certain college program or professional team sometimes seem too much.  Growing up both an Auburn and Louisville fan, there were instances where I observed obsessive behavior from other fans at games.  These fans were at times misguided it appeared.  They seemed consumed with something other than enjoying watching their team play.  They seemed consumed with winning. I often find myself asking one question consistently.  Is winning the only thing that matters?  Of course, being young and ignorant I didn’t understand the winning tradition for athletics.  Becoming a fan was more than giving my allegiance for this or that particular team.  It was a lifestyle. The state of Alabama takes college football seriously.  W...