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Thursday, February 05, 2009

National Signing Day

Yesterday was National Signing Day. It's the day that high school seniors announce whether they'll be coming to play for Bama or not next year. It's a big day around here. Some people have even been known to take off work.

One local headline I saw yesterday read: "Make Signing Day A National Holiday." And while there's absolutely no truth to the rumors that I started that grass roots campaign, I could not agree more. It's hard to imagine that workplace productivity was very high yesterday. I had four or five browser tabs open most of the day. I was emailing, texting, and watching live press conferences online.

National Signing Day is the college football equivalent of Election Day. Rivals.com is my cnn.com/politics. ESPN2's Todd McShay and Tom Luginbill are my John King and Bill Schneider. Unfortunately, there is no football recruiting equivalent for Campbell Brown.

Around 2:30 PM, word came down the pike that the battle for 2009 National Recruiting Champion was down to a two-team race between LSU and my beloved Crimson Tide. It all hinged on one final announcement. The #2 rated running back in the country. He was scheduled to announce his intentions at 4 PM. Say it with me. Yes. We. Can.

What follows is a crude timeline of the events occurring between 3:54 PM and 4:12 PM yesterday afternoon:

3:54 PM - My sister calls. She has the link for the live press conference online, but it's blocked from her place of employment. "Watch it and let me know what he says."

3:55 PM - I log into the live feed. There is a counter that says there are currently more than 15,000 people watching online.

3:56 PM - The female portion of Kywana IMs me. She's watching, too.

4:02 PM - The press conference still hasn't begun. My sister calls again.

"Has he announced?"
"No. All I see is a table, five empty chairs, and a bunch of microphones."
"Oh. I read online that his mother's car stalled so that's why it's running late.
(At this point, I cannot express to you the pride I feel about my little sister.)

4:03 PM - I am a giant bundle of nerves. I call Axl just to have someone to chatter to.

4:08 PM - People start arriving at the table. The press conference is beginning. The counter says there are now more than 23,000 people logged on.

4:09 PM - My sister beeps in. I click over and stay on the phone with her. Blood is thicker than water. Here it comes...

4:10 PM - "YES!!! YES!!! YES!!!!" I begin to yell as he makes the announcement that he is "gonna roll with Alabama." Booyah!

4:12 PM - Axl calls. "What happened?" Whoops, forgot I was on the phone with him.

And so, for the second year in a row, Bama wins the recruiting national championship. Not quite the same as the real on-field national championship, but something to cheer about nonetheless.

OK, I'm off to google image Campbell Brown or something. We now return you to your regularly scheduled February sports programming of Winter X-Games and the NBA regular season.

Yawn.

"If we took a holiday, took some time to celebrate, just one day out of life, it would be, it would be so nice..."

23 comments:

  1. My husband was trying to call me while I was watching online. He wanted me to start cooking early because he was on his way home and very hungry. I had left my phone in the van on accident, but thank God because I wouldn't have been able to watch it!

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  2. Top 5 things I love about this post:

    5. That you called Axl just to "chatter." And you men talk about us women and our telephone habits?

    4. The fact that ya'll won. I mean, LSU is better than Florida in my humble opinion, but not much.

    3. It's two sports posts in a row!! I realize this might not make everyone happy, but I for one am delighted by this.

    2. (At this point, I cannot express to you the pride I feel about my little sister.)

    Awwww! I'm sure she could feel the pride over the phone lines.

    1. That you forgot about Axl and he had to call back. Hilarious.

    Congratulations on the top class again, Bone. We all know it's because of you ;)

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  3. I find it absolutely incomprehensible that you're single. ;-)

    Michigan didn't too bad, I gather. The people that review such picks put them in the Top 20. I think one had them in the Top 12 and now all the local sports writers are gushing over Rich Rod. I'm sure that will change in a mere 6 months.

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  4. Who knew that National Signing Day could be so fascinating?

    The timeline is great. Wonderful post. Wait it was basically about sports? Still...

    If NSD is always a week and a day before your birthday I will remember next year

    You might make like or at least be interested in March Madness

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  5. Mrs. R - LOL Good for you! Bama football should always come before domestic duties :)

    TC - This is amazing. I almost included the line, "Please list five things you love about this post." :)

    I was nervous, OK? When I get nervous I have to call someone or eat something, since I don't smoke.

    Murf - I know! Apparently once you've dated me, it's a little easier to comprehend? :)

    Evidently, Michigan did very well. Rivals has them ranked #7.

    Pia - Thank you. Not only will I make you like March Madness, but I'll have you filling out a bracket before all is said and done :)

    Actually, you don't even have to like MM to fill out a bracket.

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  6. When I misread this in my reader as "National Singing Day" I headed right over, as it is Signing Day, I end up speechless.

    When it's time to sing let me know. ;)

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  7. I never knew this was something people actually followed/watched.

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  8. I came here thinking that you were doing a public service announcement for those folks who sign for the deaf... Or maybe it was an attempt to get poeple to notice stop signs... Silly me

    Of course, as Murf pointed out, it's a big deal here in MI--in our end of the state the focus was on Michigan State (most people here bleed green and white, not blue and yeller) But me, I grew up in ACC country, before they started getting schools in FL and Boston, so I don't get too excited

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  9. wait a sec.. I just read the comments... It's NOT singing day?? I have to re-read this when I am not bleary eyed!
    goodnight bone
    be back tomorrow.
    :)

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  10. I have never heard of National Signing Day. The things you learn.

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  11. Well, we lost tonight. Florida won. Totally bummed. It was a great game tho.

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  12. Cooper - We'll be singing when we're winning.

    I'll try and find out when National Singing Day is for ya though.

    PennyCandy - Well apparently it is, as evidenced by the 23,000 watching that one feed :) I've only seriously gotten into it the past two or three years.

    Sage - Coincidentally, I've always wanted to learn some sign language.

    Oh, for years, I thought the ACC only played basketball :)

    Actonbell - Apparently, that's a growing sentiment here. And to think, I thought my title would be kinda lame. Turns out it actually intrigued some people.

    Lucy - That's OK. I've actually gone back like ten times to make sure I didn't misspell it as National Singing Day.

    See you tomorrow. lol

    Xinh - Really? That's when USC (and everyone else) gets their players.

    Shelby - Aww, I'm sorry. At least you got to go. That's never a bad thing.

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  13. Wait. I take back my comment. I thought it was National Singing Day, and March Madness was trying to understand the categories in the Grammy's. You must remember the year Chicago got Best Heavy Metal Band

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  14. We didn't do too bad. Oklahoma at #13!

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  15. Tell me you didn't print out the photo of him signing and prance all around the office showing it off like an orphaned child that you just adopted, telling everyone, "That's my boy!"

    Well, that was how my boss reacted in our office.

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  16. National Signing Day: No wonder people kept flinging their hands in weird shapes while trying to communicate.

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  17. I find it fascinating that something that's a big deal to thousands of people has never made so much as a BLIP on my radar. But I might be able to muster up some interest if it meant a day off work...

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  18. Your excitement was palpable...I cheered for you when I got to the good news part! :~)

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  19. I'm kinda with Murf - how does that singleness stay with you?

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  20. lol to murf and your comment back... lmao Did you happen to see the movie Hes Just Not That Into You? I saw it yesterday... not great but it did make me laugh thinking back to all the dating shenanigans!

    Anyway just popped in to say hello!

    hello...

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  21. Shelby - I think it's his preference for boxer shorts. :-)

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  22. I am really sad that I'm just now commenting on this post. Seriously, I'm feeling a little guilty.

    But. Here I am. Better late than never.

    My entire day was shot- and I live in Atlanta. and I teach middle school. The term teach could've been used VERY loosely on Signing Day.

    Because I gave a quiz.

    And sat at my computer with rivals.com open and my cell phone BLOWING up all day. unable to talk to my students.
    forwarding things to my friends, family, and other key people in my life that needed updates on the recruiting powerhouse that is the Crimson Tide.

    All I can say is Roll Tide, my friend, Roll Tide.

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  23. Pia Savage - Is there a National Singing Day? If not, there should be, because apparently a lot of people would be excited about it.

    25 or 6 to 4 is kinda heavy :)

    Mama Zen - Yep. I have a feeling Oklahoma will always do pretty well as long as Stoops is there.

    Daily Panic - Of course not. I just yelled a little, then immediately went and put my Bama flags on the Jeep and drove around town honking :)

    Charlotta - I've always wanted to learn some sign language. Wait, did I say that already?

    R8chel - Exactly. If we got off for Arbor Day, I'd be planting trees like it's going out of style. I might even do a leaf collection.

    Fledgling - Thanks. That's all I ask, is a little support from my readers :)

    Shelby - Other than a couple of angry, cursing women, it actually hasn't been that difficult.

    Helene - Hello :)

    Murf - You don't like my boxers? Why haven't you mentioned this before now?

    Cami - Yeah, I was sad, too. Oh man, that's awesome. You're like the coolest middle school teacher ever. You're too cool for school :)

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