A (fictional) Message from Munson:
All right you guys get the picture.
We’ve had a pretty good run here so that’s something. Got off to a little bit of a rough start cause all these Dog fans still remembered Thilenius and even Jim Wood and back to Bill Munday and those guys, and these Dog people were wondering who the heck this fisherman from Minnesota and Vanderbilt was … took four or five years, a lot of you don’t remember that do you?
Yeah … and it was a Tennessee thing that kind of turned it around.
Not that hobnailed boot call … and I didn’t even know what one of those was by the way, even though everybody seemed to like that call pretty good … no this was when we came back on ‘em pretty good up there in 73 and won 35-31 or something and after all those years just getting the dog beat out of us when I was at Vanderbilt … well I got pretty excited about beating Tennessee in Knoxville.
Dooley always said that’s the call when I became a Bulldog. He may just be right too you know.
Anyway, this aging stuff is tougher than a dog … and I mean tough ... so I’ve got to put down the mic.
Yeah, I can still keep up with the game ok and prepare for the opponents and all that stuff – and don’t think these next guys will be anything easy … this Alabama game Saturday is gonna be a monster … have you seen that 400 pound nose tackle that can dunk a basketball or something – man oh man we’re going to block that guy with a freshman? – but some of the other stuff just kills you. Just absolutely kills you.
Here's one example ... see they moved these radio booths and that’s not a little thing.
The press boxes used to be one level up from the field right about the fifty. Then the stadiums suddenly got huge and they stuck us up like we’re on top of a flag pole. Then the fat cats and college presidents wanted the midfield view and all the sudden we’re calling a game from the 20 yard line in some of these places. You try to see some of those numbers on those jerseys from a hundred miles away. Nobody much talks about that.
The travel got me too.
Up the steps to the bus in Athens and then to the airport ... off one bus and onto another and then to the plane ... the knees just aren't what they used to be. Now mostly what I miss are those Friday nights on the road going out with the guys for dinner and maybe even a beverage or two … yeah we occasionally did that. The stories and the talk … I miss that, but getting back from Starkville at 5:00 on Sunday morning?
Anyway, since I won’t be calling these games and maybe one or two of you guys are apparently going to miss it (and yeah I am too … more than you know but I’m not gonna get emotional about this thing), I thought I’d give you a rundown of the game this week to see what it looks like.
Well, let's look at it ... Alabama looks a little tougher than what we thought at the beginning of the season don't they. They got their own freshman receiver over there even though I might take ours, and a pretty good little senior at quarterback – the Wilson kid from that Hoover school. That big freshman running back looks good, and we sure could use one of their tight ends. So, how are you going to stop them? Can one of you tell me that?
On defense, my god almighty they’re big on the line. I like big Kade and Atkins and our guys, but this Cody is a mountain and he can move too. That McClain linebacker is a lot like our Curran, makes just about every tackle. And don’t forget we’re trying to block these guys with a brand new line. Brand new … like you just opened them up from a box or something! I'm not sure how that will work out, but I'm afraid I know and man, I don’t like it so much.
Don’t forget our kicker is a freshman too and that could be big because you gotta figure it’s going to come right down to the end like last year. This Javier Arenas looks like he might just return every kick or punt all the way ... don't forget about him either.
So it's gonna be tough.
Maybe that blackout thing will help us get through.
Alright you guys - thanks.
