I made my at least annual sojournto The Joe on Saturday to watch Alabama and Mississippi State play the first game of their double header – which Alabama won 21-7. I was there with several friends out in the grassy area behind right field. Other than to watch baseball, most of us there were participating in a benefit for Alabama Assistant Baseball Coach B.J. Green, who is battling Leukemia. There was barbecue and all the trimmings being served up for the “Strike Out Leukemia” Foundation. There was also a poker tournament at Gallette’s later that night. I’ll try and do a little more on B.J. and the foundation in a later post.

The weather was great. As was the food and fellowship but there were two events that helped to draw a lot of attention away from the game. The first was two girls who were parading around in bikinis. The other was that Tyrone Prothro – sportinga sleeve on his ankle that reminded me of one of those neoprene braces people wear on their knees – was with what appeared to be several friends hanging out in the back of a truck there behind the center field fence.

The group he was with appeared to be laughingand having a good time enjoying the great weather and atmosphere – like the rest of us were. They were minding their own business and I’ll have to admit that it was good seeing him laughing and cutting up after the last time I had seen him, which was on October 2, 2005, leaving the field of Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Near the end of the game a lot of the kids in the area, as well as some of the adults, had seen him and for about fifteen or twenty minutes there was a gaggle of people surroundinghim. They appeared to be chatting him up and I saw him signing several items, including a baseball of all things. I’m glad that he has retained his superstar status despite not seeing the playing field in a year and a half. I also found it amusing that no one was asking any of the football players he was with for their autograph.

Boo-ing Golf

Today, for the second time in as many tries, Thomas Brent “Boo” Weekley won the Verizon Heritage PGA Tournament held in Hilton Head, South Carolina. After the win, Boo is seventh on the money list. Why, you ask, am I mentioning a golfer who hails from Milton, Florida on my blog that deals chiefly with Alabama Football? Well, I’ll be glad to tell you. As Boo was walking up to the 16th green with a four stroke lead, the CBS announcer (Nantz?) commented on his “Sunday Red” shirt and the following comment awakened me from my dozing in my hammock on the back porch: “He wears it not to honor Tiger Woods, but the Alabama Crimson Tide, who he follows.”

Now I didn’t confirm that in my internet search of him, but if that is true, I might just have a new favorite golfer.