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Recent reports we've posted at CapstoneReport.com:

The salary war: Would a big coaching salary be bad for Alabama or college football?

Alabama warming to Houston Nutt?

Festivus Eve

Profootballtalk.com: Saban option remains open

Air of confidence: Saban remains focus, but it is a high stakes game Moore is playing

Finebaum to WJOX?

Testing new site: Feedback appreciated

never mind, I got the same obnoxious thing on a second visit. Once I get that fixed I'll repost asking for more feedback. Thanks.

Just to scare you...

Alabama warming to Houston Nutt? Is Sexton pulling a bait and switch? Could this be a real Nightmare before Christmas?

FESTIVUS EVE

Get your decorations here. Also get ready for the feats of strength!

Profootballtalk.com: Saban option remains open

Profootballtalk.com said this morning the Saban denial didn't convince them. "We still don't buy it. Common sense suggests that Alabama wouldn't have made an offer to Saban absent some indication that Saban was interested. And with new ownership of the Fins on the horizon (we ain't backing off of that one yet), Saban is smart to keep all options open."

Air of confidence: Saban remains focus, but it is a high stakes game Moore is playing

Listening to outsiders, the Alabama coaching search is a disaster. But if you listen to those close to the program or in the administration, there seems to be an air of confidence that this search will end on a positive note. There is not a frantic scramble. There is no panic. The University is moving ahead, privately, with its coaching search.

Despite the Thursday afternoon denial by Nick Saban, a person close to the administration (OH MY, DID I JUST USE THE ANONYMOUS SOURCE?!?), insisted Saban remains the candidate. On Wednesday afternoon, Saban told reporters he would not be the Alabama coach. It was his most specific denial to date. However, elements of Saban's story have contradicted versions of the story relayed by his agent Jimmy Sexton.

Previously, Sexton told the media that Alabama had not contacted him about Nick Saban. Later, Saban told the media, Alabama had contacted his agent, but Saban said he declined to discuss the opportunity since he wanted to stay with the Dolphins.

Someone's not telling the truth. You can bet it is the agent.

It appears from the beginning, Alabama Athletic Director Mal Moore wanted Saban.

He offered only an half-hearted attempt at Steve Spurrier, then followed that up with the Rich Rodriguez fiasco.

Moore was willing to settle for Rodriguez and to be honest that wasn't a bad decision. Rodriguez would've offered Alabama new blood and a new direction for the football program. It would have been a safe hire and ended weeks of speculation begun prior to the ouster of Mike Shula. However, someone, possibly University bureaucrats involved in the negotiations or perhaps Mal Moore or Dr. Robert Witt or even members of the Board of Trustees, interfered with the process. The result was an offer to Rodriguez, which was easily matched by West Virginia. The offer also complicated the relationship with Rodriguez. The coach was frustrated by the unsatisfactory offer (an offer paying him substantially less than Auburn's Tommy Tuberville.)

The numerous leaks within the University scuttled the Rodriguez deal by allowing UWV to craft a counteroffer. Leaks plagued the entire process and led to a credibility problem for the University and its officials.

The situation now has Mal Moore sitting in a high-stakes game of poker. Like the gambler, he's holding them, waiting on the end of the NFL season. There is a very real danger involved if Saban is not hired. Moore missed out on his best chance to play it safe and the Rodriguez hire was botched. Now there is no turning back. If Alabama doesn't land an A-list coach, the focus of fan discontent will fall squarely on Moore. For the moment, people around the program seem confident, but in the background consultant Chuck Neinas has worked on a doomsday back-up plan in case the Saban gamble fails.

Other news: From the Miami Herald, denials are not enough to be convincing.

Finebaum to WJOX?

With Herb Winches out at WJOX is the way paved for Paul Finebaum to broadcast on FM and overcome the weak signal strength of WERC? According to the Birmingham News, Winches left WJOX due to its courting of Finebaum and a refusal to play on the "B-Team."

KEY QUOTES: He referred questions to his attorney, Russ Campbell, who said talk Finebaum might leave WERC is just "industry speculation." AND Daniels declined to say if Finebaum is a candidate to take Winches' place at WJOX.

Those are weak denials. There is obvious interest in the WJOX job by Finebaum. You can't trust his lawyer's weak denials. Where there is smoke there is fire. My sister's grocer's plumber's hairdresser said it was a done deal: Finebaum to WJOX.

Oh wait, I'm supposed to say those things about Saban. Just ignore that last paragraph.

Saban denies interest in Alabama job

Saban: 'I'm not going to be the Alabama coach'

In his most vigorous public statement yet, Nick Saban said he would not be Alabama's coach next season. This despite a day filled with rumors and radio reports saying Saban was Alabama-bound.

Cutcliffe, Bielema and Jack Del Rio to Alabama? That's just stupid

I didn't address this before because it was a stupid rumor created by a stupid commentator, but with the boring lack of information, this rumor is picking up supporters. It's stupid not because David Cutcliffe is a bad coach. On the contrary, he's a good coach who shouldn't have been fired by Ole Miss. What makes the idea stupid is Ivan Maisel suggested it.

Here's a simple rule: anyone Maisel suggests hiring would really be bad for Alabama.

While that appears axiomatic, it is certainly highlighted in this case. Alabama doesn't need to hire Cutcliffe because there are plenty of other coaches who are younger or more successful still available for the University to hire.

But the fearful fans demand we cease our search and "hire someone, anyone" now to staunch the PR and recruiting problems. As I've said before, the recruiting fears are a consistent posting of a small, but vocal minority of Alabama fans. The worst thing Alabama could do would be hire a lower-tier coach just to keep this year's recruiting class safe. A solid hire will keep the class together. And judging on a conversation I had, most of the Alabama prospects haven't wavered in their commitments. There are some big name recruits at risk, but a good hire prevents their defection or could bring them back into the fold. A bad hire not only sets back this year's class, but could harm several seasons.

Cutcliffe was knocked at Ole Miss for his failure as a recruiter. Of course panicked fans would rush head first into a bad hire. Let's stay the course. The dead period is here, the bowl season and NFL season will be over soon.

Other names just as absurd
Mark Edwards wrote in the Decatur Daily that Navy's Paul Johnson, Wisconsin's Bret Bielema and the Jacksonville Jaguars' Jack Del Rio are considered back-ups to Nick Saban. I think it is safe to say it won't be Bielema or Del Rio. Those names are just ludicrous.

He also questions why waiting for Saban is worth it. "I'm having a hard time figuring out why he's worth so much. His history says that even if he comes to Alabama, he'll leave quickly — probably after four years or less, maybe when the next good NFL offer comes along," Edwards wrote.

I'm sorry. Saban is one of the best coaches around. Would it be better to hire a second-tier coach or a proven winner? The best bet is the winner. On a second note, the idea of Saban quickly leaving Alabama isn't a reason not to hire him. The problem is the analysis that Saban would leave based on history is afallaciouss assumption.

History can't be used to prove future performance. The reason is that in the past, Saban was working to get to his goal, the NFL. What happens when you realize your goal wasn't what you wanted?

How long was Bryant at Maryland, Kentucky and Texas A&M? Answer, Bryant was at Maryland one season, at Kentucky eight seasons and at Texas A&M four years.

My point? Good coaches job hop moving up the chain. And sometimes they make lateral or puzzling moves, but saying Saban doesn't stay a place long enough is a very bad reason not to hire him.

Hiring decisions should be about getting the best talent, not getting someone known more for loyalty than excellence. Hiring for loyalty is what got us stuck with Mal Moore as AD.

The most cynical appointment since Caligula made his horse a senator

As I reflect on UAB's hiring of Neil Callaway, I'm struck by what amounts to the most cynical appointment since Caligula named his horse, Incitatus, to the Senate and attempted to make him a consul. It really was a horrible hire, not because Callaway is a bad coach, but because UAB ignored what could be more important than X's and O's--excitement.

Since the UAB program began, nobody has been excited about it. Not even a dramatic win over LSU could lift the program into the public's consciousness. The small, underdog program on Birmingham's Southside hasn't gained traction for lots of reasons, but perhaps the main reason is our cultural need for escapism.

As southerners, we are lambasted by the national media on a consistent basis. They'll make fun of the way we talk, the foods we eat and our passion for sports. But this passion comes from the fact we can excel on the gridiron in the way we haven't on other fields. Alabama and Auburn are top programs ready to compete for championships, but UAB is a program still in its early years, facing the troubles of adolescence.

One theory says UAB fails because Birmingham won't support a team (any team pro or college.) While the last few years of the Birmingham Fire and other laughable pro experiments have hurt Birmingham's image as the Football Capital of the South, one cannot look past how the community supported teams like the Americans and of course the Stallions of the USFL.

Of course the USFL days were a different time and Legion Field was in a different class back then. The stadium is a dump. Any time I go there I fear for my life because the area surrounding the stadium is dangerous.

The worries over safety keep many families at home who would otherwise consider a trip to watch a UAB game.

But the safety fears aren't the only thing keeping people away. If it were safety, then all those Hoover and Prattville people who attended the state championship game (approximately 30,000 fans on a cold Saturday afternoon) would have just stayed home and watched the game on television.

Why did those fans attend?

It was the excitement. Hoover fans were excited about the program, the chance of another title and the show the Hoover offense provided.

When have UAB fans ever been that excited about anything?

So when Hoover's coach Rush Propst said he was interested in going to college and was specifically interested in the UAB job, you would think administrators would at least give him a call.

It didn't happen. UAB administrators were enamored with Jimbo Fisher. While Fisher has a higher profile, he would not have excited the fans until he won football games. Depending on what story you believe, the UA system trustees either told UAB to forget Fisher or they didn't. Whatever the case, UAB moved from Fisher to Callaway. Whatever the case, UAB props up the football program with money from the president's discretionary fund.

The UAB program was bleeding money and should not have hired Fisher based on sound financial reasons. However, there was no reason to avoid hiring Propst. Propst would have come cheap in comparison to Fisher and could have energized the fans around Birmingham to maybe care about the Blazers.

In any event, Callaway is the coach and the hiring looks like a cynical move by the UAB president and athletic department staff. On second thought, cynical probably isn't the right description. Maybe incompetent would be a better word.

LOOKING AT THE BOWLS

Papa John's Bowl notes from the Birmingham News has this disturbing quote about Legion Field: They Said It: "I love this stadium. It's one of the best ones I've played in. It's so big." - East Carolina wide receiver Phillip Henry on Legion Field.

Wow. Legion Field is a dump. It is a dump dump. The stadium continues to deteriorate as the neighborhood surrounding it. The city of Birmingham made a serious mistake in not spending the money necessary to keep the stadium in good condition. Of course the city made a major mistake in not investing in urban renewal and revitalization around the Legion Field and Birmingham Southern area.

Independence Bowl preview: The Mobile Press Register attempts to answer the question of how Dave Radar's offense would work post-Mike Shula. But the story misses key problems with Alabama's offense systemic to Mike Shula's system, namely, lack of toughness and discipline. I've always given Shula a pass on his offensive play calling. In most respects his play calling was not as conservative as a Gene Stallings-era team; other times it was more conservative, but conservative by itself wasn't the problem.

The problem always focused on how the offensive line and other players just were not tough enough to execute plays. With Kines as interim head coach, the team should execute better because practices are being run more efficiently and intensely. You can call the best play in the world, but if the players can't execute it, then it doesn't mater. At the very least, Alabama has the opportunity to look better in the bowl than it has all season, but that is hard to predict with all the distractions which the team has faced.

Alabama defeats NC State 82-75

Richard Hendrix was the big star of the game scoring 23 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. The win keeps the 10th ranked Alabama Crimson Tide on course for the start of the SEC season. The team shows potential, but must improve to make a real and sustained run to the Final Four.

Ronald Steele's knee problems are a concern. According to the Birmingham News, Star point guard Ronald Steele shrugged off recent ankle and knee injuries to start Wednesday, but he went to the bench late in the game with cramps in his left calf muscle. Missing its leader, the Tide couldn't convincingly put the Wolfpack away.

The road win over an ACC team should help the team come tournament time in March when the bids and seeding are done.

NY Times takes another shot at Auburn

The NY Times takes on the NCAA and Auburn University in an editorial today, click here to read the entire editorial. The NY Times points out how athletics can corrupt not only the athletic side of the university but can seep into other areas as well. Worth reading.

An excerpt that points out the major problem Auburn fans can't seem to comprehend:

An internal audit by the university, made public this month, has uncovered a new round of problems. It found that a grade for a scholarship athlete had been changed — from an incomplete to an A — without the professor’s knowledge. This conveniently raised the athlete’s grade point average in the final semester just above the minimum required for graduation. In addition, the athlete received three other A’s from so-called “directed reading” courses that required no classroom attendance. The professor who issued the initial incomplete in 2003 — and only recently learned it had been changed — suggested that someone in the university had guided the athlete through the scheduling process.

Saban, Gruden center of speculation

Two names are at the center of NFL speculation regarding Alabama's head coaching search: Nick Saban and Jon Gruden. And since the plumber has plugged most leaks, speculation is about all we have left.

As said about 100 times, the Saban situation is interesting because NFL sources repeatedly indicate he is interested. When you couple that with Alabama's obvious interest, then you've got the one person who is the frontrunner.

Gruden's name is interesting because it gets hotter every day in the Alabama coaching discussion. While Gruden is safe in Tampa for at least another season, there is growing media attention to a Gruden possibility. Much of the media attention is speculation; however, it is clear Neinas has contacted most coaches in the U.S. (and we hear even a few "football" coaches from Mexico and Cuba.) Gruden was probed for interest and could be open to listening to the University.

The post-Christmas/New Year period will be an interesting time as the NFL season ends and the bowl season concludes.

Self doubt could lead to bad head coach

One of the worst things for your blood pressure is to read Internet message boards. And I'm not talking about the Auburn or Tennessee boards where opposing fans are critical of Alabama. The most depressing message boards have Alabama fans who either can find 100 reasons to be critical of a coaching candidate or can find 100 reasons to hire Joe Kines or you might even find the more panic-induced pleas to hire "someone...Anyone" now to salvage recruiting.

With no real news on the Alabama coaching search, some Alabama fans have taken their frustrations out on message boards. One of the most irritating things to do is to read message board posts bashing coaching candidates. These posts run from the expected Johnson's offense at Navy won't work in the SEC to the more idiotic, Saban sucks and we don't want him.

There are legitimate positives and negatives to every coaching candidate. And that's a fact Which some fans fail to realize. Does Saban have some drawbacks? Sure, but his positives--winning at MSU and LSU, 2 SEC crowns and 1 national championship in five years at LSU are big pluses. The most common criticism of Saban involves his short stays at every school.

Here is a trivia question: How long was Bryant at Maryland, Kentucky and Texas A&M?

Answer, Bryant was at Maryland one season, at Kentucky eight seasons and at Texas A&M four years.

My point? Good coaches job hop moving up the chain.

And sometimes they make lateral or puzzling moves, but saying Saban doesn't stay a place long enough is a very bad reason not to hire him.

The same could be said of someone like Navy's Johnson. He's won everywhere he's been and he knows how to make his schemes fit his talent. Coaching at the service academies is a difficult thing to do. Those schools aren't talent rich like the SEC or other programs, but he still has won.

Are their drawbacks to hiring someone like Johnson? Absolutely, his lack of name recognition would probably hurt recruiting the first year. But the discipline he would bring and experience he possesses would be a big improvement over the Shula and Dubose years.

The recruiting fears are a consistent posting of a small, but vocal minority of Alabama fans. Some want to hold out for a marquee name (probably the wisest course of action) and a subset of this group who wants "someone, anyone" right now to staunch the bleeding. The worst thing Alabama could do would be hire a lower-tier coach just to keep this year's recruiting class intact.

A solid hire will keep the class together. And judging on a conversation I had, most of the Alabama prospects haven't wavered in their commitments. There are some big name recruits at risk, but a good hire prevents their defection or could bring them back into the fold. A bad hire not only sets back this year's class, but could harm several seasons.

The growing sound of fans asking for Joe Kines as head coach isn't a testament to a faith in Kines, but rather exasperation with the hiring process. First, the firing of Shula lingered a week, so we ended up with Shula-fatigue and after about three weeks of coaching gossip fans are now weary of the coaching search. This fatigue combined with some fans sensitivity to national media criticism makes a Joe Kines for head coach movement possible. While I have nothing against Kines, in fact I believe he would make a good head coach and should have been hired instead of Shula following the Price fiasco, right now Kines is not the man for the job.

If you fans want a PR nightmare, name Kines.

But the PR aspects of this coaching search shouldn't be our main concern. The blowhards on ESPN will have their laugh, but with patience and the right hire we can end up laughing for years to come.

What the news is: It is now clear Alabama is waiting on Nick Saban. Whether Saban ends up the coach or not, nobody knows. But there is a clear effort on the part of the University to pursue the NFL option. Moore could have about a dozen second or third-tier college coaches, but he hasn't rushed to fill the slot; therefore, he is waiting on his first choice to finish the season. There is sufficient evidence from the NFL and other sources indicating Saban could consider bolting. The potential sale of the Dolphins is a rumor which shows the NFL team could lack stability. Futhermore, Saban wants to feel needed. His personality needs to feel important and the fans at the University would shower him with the desired reverence. Predicting anything in this circus is not wise. But we can say with certainty Alabama is looking at the NFL and looking at Saban.

For some of the interesting stories:
CECIL HURT: No early Christmas gift for UA

UAB hires Callaway
What a horrible move for UAB. They shouldn't have gone after Fisher or anyone but Rush Propst. Propst would have brought excitement to UAB and gotten fans in the Birmingham area interested in what was happening. It is probably better for Propst he didn't go into such a horrible situation. If UAB's search committee wouldn't even consider interviewing Propst you know the UAB administration has real problems.