Jamey Tucker

Beside the Point

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Whatever Happened To: Jason Standridge?

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Funny how you can be going through the day when a name pops in your head. A name that you haven’t heard, read or even thought about for years and years. It’s maybe not even someone you know.

A few minutes ago I was grabbing my keys to walk out the door when the name Jason Standridge came to mind. The name probably means nothing to you. He isn’t someone famous. At least not anymore.

13  years ago, 1997, Auburn signed a quarterback out of Trussville high school that was supposed to be the one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Here’s what a recruiting service said about him not long after he signed a letter of intent to “take his talents to the plains.”

Strong-arm, drop-back QB with surprising speed from same high school (Hewitt) that produced Alabama’s Jay Barker; No. 1 QB prospect in Alabama; rated top passing QB in South by Pigskin Preps, which projects him to contribute in first year; Atlanta Journal-Constitution “Super Southern 100”; rated 9.75 by Jeff Whitaker; as senior, hit on 50 of 95 passes for 698 yards and seven TDs; playing for run-oriented team, was No. 3 on Birmingham Post-Herald “10 Most Wanted” list and The Birmingham News “Super Seniors” list; “Alabama Super Seven” by Inside the Auburn Tigers magazine; No. 5 on The Tuscaloosa News “Sweet Sixteen”; member of Mobile Press Register “Elite 18”; member of Forrest Davis “Alabama’s Top 12” and “Southeastern Top 40”; “Gifted athlete who runs extremely well. May need a redshirt year because he plays for a running team,” says Davis, who rates him 4 on 5-point scale; Standridge also has a very strong arm (BP 315) with big hands and a great knowledge of the game. As a 90 MPH pitcher, he also expects to play baseball for the Tigers; selected for 1997 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Football Classic.

I remember Auburn fans were ecstatic about Standridge signing with the Tigers. He was going to be the next Pat Sullivan, the qb to take the team to championships.

But he never showed up

Standridge opted to play baseball, notice that “90 MPH” in the bio? For some reason ( football being a month away, baseball on my now perhaps), I wondered what the heck ever happened to that guy? I don’t remember seeing him in any baseball highlights. Ever!

Here he is, playing for the Hanshin Tigers in the Japanese Baseball League. I wonder if he ever wonders what might have happened….

CBS Has the Best Theme Music

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Fox may have American Idol, but the network with the best original music has to be CBS.

This week is a good example. Last Monday night, “One Shining Moment” played behind the highlights of the NCAA basketball tournament. The song, written by David Barrett was first used by CBS after the ’87 championship game. One of the best sports songs of the last 25 years.

And then this weekend, CBS is using another classic sports theme for The Masters.

I’m sure you’ve heard the instrumental under pictures of azaleas and dogwoods, but in case you don’t know what I’m talking about…

Now I’ve heard this song for years but I didn’t know anything about it…until today. Written by David Loggins, the song “Augusta” actually has lyrics though CBS uses only the music.

David Loggins, the same guy who sang “Please Come to Boston” wrote the song after visiting Augusta National.

Two really cool pieces of music that airs on one network in the same week. Until I hear them…there is no spring.

Memphis’ One Shining Moment

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Darn it. The Memphis Tigers were a few seconds and a few free throws away from their first National Championship but couldn’t nail it down. I never really became a Memphis fan when I was living there. When it comes to college sports, I pull for one set of Tigers. In the other games I pull, not necessarily for a team, but for the players or coaches.

I was pulling for Coach Cal in this one because, well I like the guy. I was also pulling for Memphis because of what a National Championship would mean to that city.

I lived and worked in Memphis 25 years after the Tigers lost to Bill Walton and UCLA and people were still talking about what that team did for the city. Still bragging about Larry Finch and Larry Kenon and Gene Bartow.

That 1973 runner-up finish still means a lot to Memphis. It put the city on the map for something other than  the assassination of Martin Luther King Junior and the bathroom death of another King.

This loss will hurt. The game was won. Free throws would have put it out of reach. Make 1 and the city would have its first national championship ticker tape parade. One free throw might have been able to do more to unite the city than anything or anyone in the past 40 years.

Congratulations Memphis on a terrific season. Wish it would have ended with a win.

Iron Bowl Week

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Best line on sports talk radio this week?

The American dollar shows signs of weakness. Bama’s loss to Louisiana-Monroe proves $4 million doesn’t buy what it used to.

It’s Iron Bowl week and in the state of Alabama, nearly everything talked about, everything worried about and everything wished for, revolves around what happens when the Tigers and Tide meet on Saturday.

The honeymoon seems to be over for Nick Saban. He and his family are finding out what it’s like being the coach of a not-so-good Alabama team. Then, he sticks both feet in his mouth equating the loss to ULM to 9/11 and Pearl Harbor.

Seems all of this has taken a toll on Saban. This photo was snapped by a buddy of mine before the Alabama-Mississippi State game. It’s a bama fan but look at his face closely. Tell me this isn’t what Saban might look like after a few more seasons like this one.


All right. I don’t know where the photo came from. It looks like it’s been doctored since Sylvester Croom crounching behind the tailgate…and is that a reflection of the bear in the side-view mirror?