“As we have been telling you for some time, Kirby is a spiteful little man…”

Hmmmm… it seems someone’s panties are in a wad because a former assistant coach well-known for successfully employing negative recruiting tactics in support of his then-employer’s program — no complaints at that time, obviously — is now using those very same skills to benefit his own.  Amazing how that works.

Meanwhile, the more interesting takeaway from Bud Elliott’s article is that the teacher apparently is learning from the pupil.

Alabama’s coaches are also using social media en masse for the first time. Insiders think this is a reaction to Georgia’s social media presence.

Coach Kirby Smart has copied the Saban blueprint almost step-for-step, with the exception of social media. Georgia coaches routinely post videos of themselves cutting up, having fun, etc. Alabama isn’t looking to cede its image as the program most resembling the NFL, but it’s now trying to pitch itself as able to have fun as well.

“I think he’s pissed about the perception and narrative that he’s slowing down,” Garcia said. “And I think he’s pissed about finishing No. 6 in the rankings. He won’t say it that way, but every time someone says he can’t do something, there’s a renewed energy.”

Kids are taking notice of the new approach.

“With the social media angle, we’ve never seen that. We’re seeing tweets, graphics, videos,” Garcia said. “The whole ‘Bama Cuts’ thing, you have Julio talking about the Alabama standard. It’s all about recruiting. They’ve always been ahead of the game in every element, except for social media recruiting. And now they’ve jumped up towards the top.”

Saban having fun.  Who’da thunk it?

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Mark Bradley hasn’t come to bury Paul Johnson’s contract extension.

He’s come to fellate it.  And so you don’t have to waste your time reading his kiss-assery — honestly, the more praise in that direction, the merrier, as far as I’m concerned — just catch the lazy, reflexive nip he takes at Georgia:

Station Kirby Smart at a school where calculus is a requirement and see how many 5-stars he signs.

Yeah, put the genius some place where his warm and fuzzy personality wouldn’t be handicapped by those damned academics and watch the magic begin.

Remember, it’s not what your football program can do for you. It’s what you can do for your football program.

Fans, Kirby wants you to Always.  Be.  Closing.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart joined 680 the Fan’s Buck and Kincade on Tuesday to discuss spring practice. Almost immediately, Smart took advantage of the platform to make a call-to-action to fans.

“They need to come out and see G-Day,” Smart said. “It is a big part of our recruiting piece. Everybody loves good recruiting. I think our fanbase is excited about getting good prospects in here. Bringing in a new group of Georgia football players in.”

In 2016, Smart’s first year at the helm, Georgia fans packed Sanford Stadium for “93k day.” Last year, 66,133 were in attendance for G-Day. The Dawgs signed the No. 3 and No. 1 recruiting class the past two cycles.

“We certainly cannot do that without their help,” Smart said. “We need their help. We need a huge G-Day. Because so many new coaches, I have said over and over, they are all passionate and they are all crying to their fanbases about coming out, going to Gainesville and Knoxville and going to all these places. We need them in Athens, Ga. to turn out just like it was the very beginning because that is what carries over to these kids.”

Not only is it costing me more to attend games, but now I’ve got to work at them?  Shee-it.

I just hope I don’t get blamed if Kirby loses a five-star to ‘Bama.

Man, what did you expect?

I can’t say I’m particularly sympathetic to Ole Miss’ current plight, but that doesn’t mean I’m surprised by this news, either.

Ole Miss is objecting to Shea Patterson’s assessment of the conditions within the program that the quarterback claims caused him to transfer from the school amid an NCAA scandal, his attorney tells CBS Sports.

The objection recently sent to the NCAA could impact Patterson’s ongoing transfer waiver appeal as he is looking to immediately become eligible to play for Michigan in 2018. The objection is part of a response delivered to the NCAA last month, according to attorney Thomas Mars.

Patterson is seeking a waiver of the NCAA’s traditional year-in-residence rule for transfers before becoming eligible. The approval of such a waiver would presumably have a significant impact on the Wolverines’ 2018 season.

“Whoever wrote that response for Ole Miss either wasn’t paying attention last year or had a case of selective amnesia,” Mars said.

Or perhaps — just perhaps — there’s another reason.

Ole Miss has issues with how its former quarterback portrayed his reasons for transferring after the Rebels were put on NCAA probation late last year, sources said.

CBS Sports reported in February that Patterson and five other former teammates feel they were misled on the scope of that NCAA investigation by former coach Hugh Freeze.

Electronic communications obtained by CBS Sports supporting their cases were included by those players in their appeals.

Another person working closely with Patterson’s appeal said misleading statements made by Freeze about the scope of the NCAA investigation were “a flat-out, deliberate lie.”

Does Mars really think the school was just going to shrug its shoulders and say “our bad”?  Patterson may still wind up gaining his eligibility in time for the 2018 season, but to think Ole Miss was going to roll over and accept Mars’ portrayal of its recruiting is its own version of not paying attention.  That’s not about what’s already happened; it’s about the here and now on the recruiting trail.

Snip, snip snippy

Skipping past the LeBron James fooferaw, it seems Nick Saban’s on a bit of a mission with his new haircut show.

Saban added more depth to the conversation by adding this, which is important to the whole idea behind the creation of “Bama Cuts:”

“But I still think there’s mis(information) about Alabama football. There’s mis(information) out there that people get told they can’t play here, people get told things that really aren’t exactly right.”

You can almost see the self-awareness on screen as Saban speaks. A man who supposedly doesn’t even know how to send a text let alone use “Miss Siri” understands how negative recruiting is effecting his classes. What better way to combat that than with a new recruiting tool that pulls back the curtain on a man and a program that focuses inward exclusively.

If you’re a ‘Bama fan, some people use recruiting tools and some people are recruiting tools.

It rhymes with "Furby Start" https://t.co/5ucFot0I6j

— Roll Bama Roll (@rollbamaroll) April 9, 2018

Funny how it didn’t bother those folks when Kirby was inside the tent.

BWAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHA!!!

Oh, wait… you were serious about that?

I can’t get past this line — … faith in Rice based on her distinguished career. (If she can run a group tasked with Iraq stabilization, shouldn’t she be able to handle college basketball?) — without shaking my head in amused disbelief.  Hey, how’s that whole Iraq stabilization thing going these days?

This, on the other hand, is what reality sounds like.

… NCAA president Mark Emmert supported this notion, flashing the type of tough talk that has historically preceded NCAA inaction: “Just to be blunt about it, you don’t waste Condoleezza Rice’s time if you’re not serious about it…” Emmert said. “Everybody that’s involved in college basketball right now recognizes this can’t continue the way it’s continuing.”

To veteran coaches who’ve become jaded by decades of the NCAA’s failure to police and administer the sport, Emmert’s words are as empty as they are familiar. “Most of the people on the Rice Commission don’t know anything about college basketball,” said former USC coach Kevin O’Neill, who works as analyst for the Pac-12 Network. “You need people who’ve been in the streets, dealing with that year-in and year-out. I’m not sure any of the people, with a few exceptions, really know what the culture of basketball recruiting is.”

No doubt this will end well.  At least that’s Emmert’s story and he’s sticking to it.  Until the next crisis, anyway.

Don’t be an April fool.

If you were an intended recipient of this message, it may be past time for you to rethink your life’s priorities.  Just sayin’.