Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
And Thomas one of the best rights rail dot Com.
You can find him on except Ben Thomas preps. Good
morning Ben on the Hamilton's Hotline. Hamilton's with two locations,
Good morning man.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I always love to be There's nothing better than being
on the Hamilton's Hotline except for maybe eating at Hamilton.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
We're gonna get to do.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
But they have two locations down there, and so maybe
I uh, maybe I'll get there one of these.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
We need a third down in the Spanish Ford area,
don't we da?
Speaker 2 (00:25):
We need a third down there. You could hook You
could hook me up if we had that.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Couldn't do it, buddy. What's going on, Ben? You sounding
good this morning?
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah, I'm doing good. Although you know, my dad, my
dad's birthday would have been He would have been ninety
three today, but I'm still I'm still celebrating him. Good good,
you know, missing every day, but I miss mine too.
I had ninety two great ninety two and a half
great years with him. So but everything's good down here.
(00:54):
We got good weather, had a great weather weekend down here,
got to swim a little bit, and so we're just now.
Jeff was saying, you know, Jeff was kind of hinting
that I was going to take the rest of the
summer off now this championship is concluded, and I told
him that's not the way it works. I have thought
recently about you know, my son's thirteen, and he just
(01:16):
got out of school a week or week or two ago,
and I was trying to remember. I'm like, man, you guys,
remember when you got out of school. You were done
with school for like the summer, and you you might
have worked or had football practice something, but generally speaking,
you were out, didn't have any worries.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
No, no, for the three full months.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Then June, July, and August.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
What a time that was? Ye where that that last week?
You're thinking, Man, I'm about to be out for the summer.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Now that's not like that now I think I think
some people think that's that's my job. But you know,
when it plays over, I'm out for the summer. But uh,
there's other stuff going on and we're trying to cover
it to the best of our ability. So we're getting
ready for that.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
You know what, Ben, We strugg one the summer. Jeff
and I do in here every day sometimes talk radio.
We we get it. It's just it's tough, you know
what I mean, it's sometimes you're well you called.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Me anyhow, de Mark.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
We are there.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
You go go ahead.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
We just came up out with the Alabama Sports Rights Association.
That is just came out with the All State Baseball
team on Saturday, and then we'll have the All State
Softball teams this Saturday, and then on Sunday night at
the annual Alabama Sports Writers Convention up in Jacksonville, Jacksonville State,
(02:35):
we will name Mister Baseball and Miss Softball and that'll
be kind of the conclusion of the All State honors
for the twenty twenty four five season. But still a
lot going on and a lot to look forward to.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah, Ben Thomas with us AL dot com, that's a
big deal for you guys in uh in Jacksonville this year.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
You'all's a big deal every evening.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yeah, we've it's a good time. I mean, I'm always
interested in increasing participation and getting some of the younger writers.
You know, we have less writers than we used to Alabama,
but we do have some and we have some young
writers in the state of Alabama that I'd like to
get involved in this. You know. The great when I
(03:16):
When I took my first job at Gaston, Alabama, the
great Jimmy Smothers was there. He hired me twice, and
the Alabama Sports Rights Association was one of his great passions.
And so that's one reason that I try and try
my best to, you know, keep it going, keep feeling it,
keep making sure it's it's a good thing. And and
(03:37):
so I'm looking forward to I always of course Jacksonville.
My first job out of college was at Gasden, and
I lived in Jacksonville. So that's a good place, a
good place to have it. We've had this third straight
year we've had it there and Greg fights, welcomes us
and helps us with some stuff, and I think it's
gonna be great.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
So look forward to now. Greg is as I call
the O s I D. There is that right or.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
No, no, no, no, Greg is now the athletic director.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
You know what I did know that because you talked
about him doing baseball.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
That's my bad.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Actually I just saw a post from him today or
yesterday where he's starting his thirty third year at Jacksonville State.
He actually was he started excuse mean, he started as
the assistant s I D on there. Mike Galloway Coop
Galloway and then became s I D. With S I
D for a long time and and then gosh, I
(04:31):
don't know, it seems like he's been a D about
ten years now. Done done a great job there, you know,
the you know, just look at his football his recent
football coaching hires. Rich Rodriguez was great there for a
couple of years. And now they've hired Charles Kelly, who
I think is going to be a really good hire.
He's actually going to speak at our convention on good
(04:52):
in the afternoon, so looking forward to hearing from him.
So it should be fun.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Well, good deal.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
I'm glad to hear you doing that and good for
you to keep it up. And I'm and you who
are right about their hires. And I was thinking about
his career path very similar to.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
David House's.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Started at the bottom, worked his way all the way
to the top, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Very very similar, very similar. And if you haven't been
like de Mark, I don't know how much you've been up.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
There lately, but I haven't. It's been a while.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
The facility, you know, obviously, that's where we just were
for the hospital. Baseball State championships and softballs down in Oxford,
and uh, their facilities are really for that level especially
or second to none. I mean the baseball field where
we hold the championships is a great venue. It's about
just the right seating, you know, you get a good
(05:41):
crowd in there, like we had for the six A
and seven A games, and it's really a nice environment.
Really like that they're built. They're building right behind the
baseball field. They're building a huge dorm structure. I think it's
supposed to be like seven hundred and fifty rooms uh
in those dorms, and they're going to have like a
bowling alley and a some restaurants and a hotel and stuff.
(06:04):
So it's growing. They just did a big renovation, just
completed a big renovation to the football stadium where the
end zone is now a really nice football facility. I
haven't been in there yet. I'm actually hoping to go
in there this weekend and and check that out. So
it's good. It's a good, good deal.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Yeah. Ben Thomas with us al dot com.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
He writes uh you can catch his post on x
He writes forl dot com every day and at Ben
Thomas Brix somewhere else. We're going through some just summary
of sports. If y'all touched on the Braves Jiff before
we get any further of you two.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Well we talked, Yeah, we did talk about it.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
They're struggling being what's your take for Let Jeff give
his montage.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
It's going to be.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Okay, let me they're terrible.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Okay, that's my man. You speak in my language now
being there.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
They need they need a new manager. I think they
need a new listen. I think they need a new
general manager because they did nothing in the hall seat
and help the team and the hitting that you know,
the pitching had been too bad, even with you know,
Smith Shauber now out for the year. Bullpens kind of
(07:11):
had it had its hits and Missus the closer hadn't
been very good this year. But that's not their problem.
The problem is they can't hit. They they they I
was just telling Jeff the worst situational hitting team in
baseball and maybe the worst hitting team. I mean, they
just it's like they sit around away for somebody to
hit a three run homer, you know, instead of trying
to manufacture yesterday their first the third with nobody out
(07:36):
in a one run game or two run game, three
to one, and all they have to do is make contact.
Just about anywhere you make contact other than a pop up,
you're gonna score at least a run. And Sean Murphy
comes up there and takes three of the most pitiful forms,
I mean, not even petitive. It's that. So I don't know.
I don't know if they can get it together. I didn't.
(07:56):
It doesn't feel like this year they're going to be
able to get even with a coon. You back that
they're going to be able to to get it together.
But I've been wrong before, so so we'll see. I'll
keep watching them, but I tell you what I don't know.
I'm sure you all talked about college baseball and Auburn's
run this morning, but college baseball is hard to watch
for me, is it for you?
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Guys?
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Like it just seems like it well forever it does.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
I'll tell you it does.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
I agree with that's what you ask. I like it
when I of course watching Auburn, it is. It is
very difficult, though You're right, and I want to tell
you on this, it.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Seems like it takes forever, like they you know, even
though you know Aubert scored eleven runs last night, but
that really wasn't to mean seven of them came in
the same inning. But just you know, the pictures get
a three to two count and then you got to
pick up the rising bag to walk around the town. See,
let's get to it.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
I went.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
I went to the Clean Stones, the double A affiliate
you know in Atlanta, I mean in Columbus from Atlanta,
and they had that was it fourteen second? They had
to clock on. I'm gonna tell you something now, that
thing rolled right along and uh so, I don't know
what is it. Does MLB have o'clock?
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Yeah? What is it?
Speaker 4 (09:06):
It's twenty five?
Speaker 3 (09:07):
And is it twenty five, twenty or twenty.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Wait, it seems like it's lower than that, maybe twenty seconds.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Yeah, I think it's it's lower than that. It does help,
I mean, it speaks the game.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
It definitely speeds it up.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
Yeah, you know in the beginning. I mean, you don't
see anybody get called for it much anymore. I used
to see it quite a bit.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Saw a couple of times. Yeah, generally speaking, you don't
see that. I think it's helped the game.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
It has me And that's what I was going to
tell you go ahead.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
I didn't mean to, but anyway, that's all right.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Here we go.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
MLB time allowed between pitches is fifteen seconds when bases
are empty and eighteen when there's runners on base.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
I knew it was smaller, yeah, because I.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Was twenty teen, when I was just twenty three though,
when I was in Columbus. But they have thirty Batters
have thirty seconds to resume play and the pitch more
more thing, that's right, that's right. The time was reduced
from twenty seconds to eighteen with runners on base in
twenty twenty four.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
I think they get one time. Batter gets one time
out of the back.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
That's right, like that, that's right.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
And the other thing they changed is, and I know
we're supposed to talking about high school, that's okay. The
number of times you can throw over the first base.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
I mean, you know, I didn't do that.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
And they can. You can only throw over there twice
unless you get the guy out. So you know, sometimes
you get you get a Otis Nixon or somebody on
first base and a picture might throw there fifteen times.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Yeah, that is true. Yeah, that is true.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
And now you can't do that if you throw.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Over there twice. Now, man, you might as well give
him second base because he's going.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
The third one. Yeah, I didn't know that.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Well, I'd be running on the brazen, I'd be running
on top.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
I'm gonna tell you something, Ben, And I want to
thank you for your report because Jeff can't say what
you said.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
Well, you know, man, you're a great American. There's no
doubt about it. You are a Brace fan. But I
didn't expect you to be Johnny Raincloud. I mean on
Monday morning and then coming out here talking about the Brace.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
It's uh, it's bad. It's hard, and I guess the
thing that frustrates me about it is this is the
second year in a row we've done. I mean, you know,
we had that great year two years ago where they
hit that record number of home runs and it's just
been no changes since then. You don't see him. When
was the last time you saw the Brace hitting run?
I mean that they even know about a bun.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Now, I don't watch them every time I watch highlights.
Do they bunt?
Speaker 2 (11:24):
They have bunning more than last year. They were like
the last team in Major League Baseball to even trying
to lay down a bun.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
I think, well, I'm not going to get down on
to I see a e by the name when they're eliminated, So.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Well, yeah, they don't steal bunch and and acuna. You know,
now that he's come back from his knee injury, I
think that's kind of dialed him down a little bit
as far as his running and stuff goes. So I
don't know. And you know, this guy that got plenty
of short they make it out like he's obvious and
this or something. I mean he's a good defense. I
(12:03):
understand he's a good defensive player. But if you can't
hit it out of the infit, I mean, we got
to have somebody that can get a few hits. I
mean we're going way down the way down of a
dark hole here now when I wanted.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
To go because I try to talk that way then
to get an actual because I'll tell you when the giants,
the football giants are struggling and Jeff oh it's coming together,
open field running rain class, I mean whatever, and I'm like, dude,
they can't even hit the ball.
Speaker 4 (12:27):
Come on, well, we hadn't had a really been solid
orty stop since Dansby Swanson's.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
See now you're talking see Ben tell you first, and he.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Was you you know, he might hit every now and then.
I mean, he wouldn't bad. You know, none of them
been horrible defensively, but man Dansy could hit.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
Who's the kid at shortstop? Young man?
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Yea? Our Sea and Murphy both came out that first
year we had him. I had great first half of
the season, say the All Star Game, and they really
hadn't done anything since. So I don't know, I don't
know if they're making their I mean, I'm sure if
finances has some plays a big role in some of
their decisions. But anyway, let's talk about something.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Yeah, we got about this before we get through here.
What were you want to go to being?
Speaker 2 (13:12):
I was just thinking, well, let's talk about I think
you know, one of the key subjects right now going
on is this high school training.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
That's where I meant to go to. There you go,
I got it on my tap. I got coach Harmon
coming on Thursday. You've already talked to him, so kind
of enlighten us.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Yeah, yeah, I talked to him last week and actually
he's gonna be uh, he's going to speak to us
on Sunday at the Writers so we're here more. But
they so they met this task force, which you know,
they decided what in April they were going to create
because they you know, he's coach Harmon has said that
in his first season basically he's he's now been on
(13:47):
the job a year, right, and he says the primary
issue he hears about not the only issue, but the
primary issue is non compliant transfers. Now, I think the
key is the key phrase, their non compliant because people
can people make bonaflide mood. They can transfer. I mean
that's you know, any parents, right, and if you make
(14:10):
a bonaflide move, you can you can take your child
to where whatever school you want to go to. But
the complaint is the people who aren't doing the right way,
who aren't moving, or who breaks some some other age
that's say a rule, or maybe lord to another school
in a manner that breaks a rule. So that's so
they've developed this past force. He told me. It's got
(14:33):
about thirty minutes, around thirty members from all across the state. Superintendents, principals,
coaches of different sports athletic directors represented US with all
eight regions and all seven classifications, and they met for
the first time. I believe it was Tuesday or Wednesday
in Montgomery. I'm sure that was a long meeting and
(14:57):
set some ground, set some ground rule, set some gold
and he is I was, you know, mister Harmon. D Mark,
as you know from you what from as you've talked
to him, is very cautious with what he says. He
always is. You know, we're gonna look at the data.
You know, we're not gonna make any decisions up looking
(15:17):
at the data. But I was struck by the fact
that he told me multiple times we're not meeting just
to meet this this this task force is not going away.
So what comes out of it, we'll see. I mean,
already we know that there's going to be another column
on Dragonfly where where schools have to designate whether uh
(15:38):
you know, whether the student isolete is a transfer or not.
That's going to happen. It's gonna happen this year.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
There will be a spot on there. I got two transfers,
d Mark Mental and Ben Thomas.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
That's what you gotta do.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
It'll it'll be somehow I don't know how it'll be marked,
but it'll be somehow marked that you you were a transfer.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Now, I don't know if it'll say.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
A transfer from Parkson High School or wherever, but it'll
probably just I would assume that it would just mark
and say you're a transfer, kind of like I just
kind of like, you know, the collegist once that whole
transfer of portal started, you know, on they're too deep,
A lot of them wouldn't would would signify whether it
was a transfer or whether you've been there a while
(16:17):
or or whatever. So I assume it's going to be
something like that. And and maybe there are other things
as well. I mean, obviously any any big changes have
to go through the legislative process. But you know, he
he told me they're going to roll out some different
things at the at the annual convention in July, and
(16:37):
we'll see what they say. But he's he's serious about it,
which I thought, you know, he was more outspoken about it.
Kind of have to read through the lines a little bit.
You didn't read through the lines of him saying, look
like he was trying to I think he was trying
to tell people, this ain't just to commit, you know,
we're just this is not just for namesake. We are
serious about it, and we do we have. We want
(16:59):
to had some goals that we can see and you
know in a half a year, a year down the road,
seefore making any progress on this on this situation, what's.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Your general thoughts being I got just about two minutes,
three minutes.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Yeah, I mean I think it's good. You know, again
we're talking about non compliant transfers. You know, there's a
lot of people that I'm sure are doing it the
right way, but if there's some that aren't doing it
the right way, there needs to be a plan in place. Now.
I don't know how successful it's going to be, Like,
I don't know what those ideas are going to be.
(17:33):
I mean, obviously, one of the ideas that that has
been floated I think by Bart Sessions and his group
of Christiating, those guys that did this initial research, was
that there'd be some type of competitive balance where if
your school or your football problems, they received a certain
number of transfers, oh my, you elevated to the next
(17:54):
level or whatever, just like private school competitive balance. I
don't know that I have a hard time in.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
That absolute to Chris Ben that's go ahead.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
I shouldn't have said that.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Yeah, I have a hard time seeing that going through.
To be honest with you, so I don't. I don't know,
you know, maybe maybe maybe it's de mark. All that
matters is if we can see what that program X
has thirty student athletes, football, student athletes, transfers, maybe that's
enough to kind of yeah, say, well we got too many.
I mean maybe that's all.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
Yeah, yeah that.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
But but then again, Ben, when you moved to Spanish fort,
did you ask anybody could you move.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
My wife?
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Okay, it ain't. They's justday's business where you move with
your kids.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
That's what The first thing I'm gonna tell all that
committee up there, Heath Harmon and all God's dealing. People
can move where they want to move if they do
it right.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
They can play sports.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
If it's bona faye, thank you.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
That's all it needs.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
All this these coaches up there that never have won
anything before getting on schools that have it bothers me.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
No, I said that you did.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Certainly, there's certainly that take. I mean, I think I
think more people are in the in the in the
percentage of we got too many transfers, and there are
in your in your mindset. I know there's some and
some prominent coaches that believe what you believe, Well.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
How do they stop people from change? Can you tell
ask one of them, how do you stop someone from
transferring if they're not transferring to that particular school that
they want them to.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
How do you stop that?
Speaker 2 (19:25):
I don't think you do. In Flordia, you can play
football at one school and then transfer to another school,
play basketball, and go to a third school and play
baseball in I do. I do like the fact that, Like,
I don't think you ought to be able to change
in the middle of the year. I don't think from
uh and we've had that. I don't know if we've
(19:46):
I don't know how prevalence has been across the state,
but we've had a couple of instances of that down
here where somebody started for one school in the area
and then moved somewhere else and played the same team
for another school. I mean, I don't think that all
to be. I don't think that all to be. You know,
unless there's just a stimulate circumstances that you are able
(20:07):
to do that, well, you I.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
Think you're That was the middle of a season, though.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
That was and that was like the middle of a season.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Ben, That's what I'm talking about, yeah, in the same.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
The same season of the school.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Yeah, yeah, you can't, Like you can't play nine games
for somebody that transfer to somebody that's going to be
in the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
Right, that would be free agency right there.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
With a little free.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Agency, Well, that seems to be the name of the
game at most levels.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
You tink they should put like a date on it,
like uh, like after game five if you you know,
pick up you know what you need, like you got
a tight end, go down.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
If a father gets transferred in game six and his
kids are good, I mean, y'all have to look.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
I don't know, y'all, just y'all are born.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
I understand, but that family, there's people that gets transferred
every day and have to uproot and move. You just
put the laws on the books and have to obey
those laws, the rules.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
I don't know. There's of open field being how's your
family before we go? Buddy?
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Everybody, okay, everybody? Yeah, all right, buddy, when you have
a great day, we'll be in touch. And I hope
everything goes well this weekend for your group.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Okay, all right, you will get it together.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
Yeah, I think they will. I think they will I'm
gonna keep watching.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Yeah, me too, all right, Being take care buddy, all right,
all right, be
And Thomas one of the best rights rail dot Com.
You can find him on except Ben Thomas preps. Good
morning Ben on the Hamilton's Hotline. Hamilton's with two locations,
Good morning man.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I always love to be There's nothing better than being
on the Hamilton's Hotline except for maybe eating at Hamilton.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
We're gonna get to do.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
But they have two locations down there, and so maybe
I uh, maybe I'll get there one of these.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
We need a third down in the Spanish Ford area,
don't we da?
Speaker 2 (00:25):
We need a third down there. You could hook You
could hook me up if we had that.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Couldn't do it, buddy. What's going on, Ben? You sounding
good this morning?
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah, I'm doing good. Although you know, my dad, my
dad's birthday would have been He would have been ninety
three today, but I'm still I'm still celebrating him. Good good,
you know, missing every day, but I miss mine too.
I had ninety two great ninety two and a half
great years with him. So but everything's good down here.
(00:54):
We got good weather, had a great weather weekend down here,
got to swim a little bit, and so we're just now.
Jeff was saying, you know, Jeff was kind of hinting
that I was going to take the rest of the
summer off now this championship is concluded, and I told
him that's not the way it works. I have thought
recently about you know, my son's thirteen, and he just
(01:16):
got out of school a week or week or two ago,
and I was trying to remember. I'm like, man, you guys,
remember when you got out of school. You were done
with school for like the summer, and you you might
have worked or had football practice something, but generally speaking,
you were out, didn't have any worries.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
No, no, for the three full months.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Then June, July, and August.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
What a time that was? Ye where that that last week?
You're thinking, Man, I'm about to be out for the summer.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Now that's not like that now I think I think
some people think that's that's my job. But you know,
when it plays over, I'm out for the summer. But uh,
there's other stuff going on and we're trying to cover
it to the best of our ability. So we're getting
ready for that.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
You know what, Ben, We strugg one the summer. Jeff
and I do in here every day sometimes talk radio.
We we get it. It's just it's tough, you know
what I mean, it's sometimes you're well you called.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Me anyhow, de Mark.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
We are there.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
You go go ahead.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
We just came up out with the Alabama Sports Rights Association.
That is just came out with the All State Baseball
team on Saturday, and then we'll have the All State
Softball teams this Saturday, and then on Sunday night at
the annual Alabama Sports Writers Convention up in Jacksonville, Jacksonville State,
(02:35):
we will name Mister Baseball and Miss Softball and that'll
be kind of the conclusion of the All State honors
for the twenty twenty four five season. But still a
lot going on and a lot to look forward to.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Yeah, Ben Thomas with us AL dot com, that's a
big deal for you guys in uh in Jacksonville this year.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
You'all's a big deal every evening.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yeah, we've it's a good time. I mean, I'm always
interested in increasing participation and getting some of the younger writers.
You know, we have less writers than we used to Alabama,
but we do have some and we have some young
writers in the state of Alabama that I'd like to
get involved in this. You know. The great when I
(03:16):
When I took my first job at Gaston, Alabama, the
great Jimmy Smothers was there. He hired me twice, and
the Alabama Sports Rights Association was one of his great passions.
And so that's one reason that I try and try
my best to, you know, keep it going, keep feeling it,
keep making sure it's it's a good thing. And and
(03:37):
so I'm looking forward to I always of course Jacksonville.
My first job out of college was at Gasden, and
I lived in Jacksonville. So that's a good place, a
good place to have it. We've had this third straight
year we've had it there and Greg fights, welcomes us
and helps us with some stuff, and I think it's
gonna be great.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
So look forward to now. Greg is as I call
the O s I D. There is that right or.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
No, no, no, no, Greg is now the athletic director.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
You know what I did know that because you talked
about him doing baseball.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
That's my bad.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Actually I just saw a post from him today or
yesterday where he's starting his thirty third year at Jacksonville State.
He actually was he started excuse mean, he started as
the assistant s I D on there. Mike Galloway Coop
Galloway and then became s I D. With S I
D for a long time and and then gosh, I
(04:31):
don't know, it seems like he's been a D about
ten years now. Done done a great job there, you know,
the you know, just look at his football his recent
football coaching hires. Rich Rodriguez was great there for a
couple of years. And now they've hired Charles Kelly, who
I think is going to be a really good hire.
He's actually going to speak at our convention on good
(04:52):
in the afternoon, so looking forward to hearing from him.
So it should be fun.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Well, good deal.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
I'm glad to hear you doing that and good for
you to keep it up. And I'm and you who
are right about their hires. And I was thinking about
his career path very similar to.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
David House's.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Started at the bottom, worked his way all the way
to the top, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Very very similar, very similar. And if you haven't been
like de Mark, I don't know how much you've been up.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
There lately, but I haven't. It's been a while.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
The facility, you know, obviously, that's where we just were
for the hospital. Baseball State championships and softballs down in Oxford,
and uh, their facilities are really for that level especially
or second to none. I mean the baseball field where
we hold the championships is a great venue. It's about
just the right seating, you know, you get a good
(05:41):
crowd in there, like we had for the six A
and seven A games, and it's really a nice environment.
Really like that they're built. They're building right behind the
baseball field. They're building a huge dorm structure. I think it's
supposed to be like seven hundred and fifty rooms uh
in those dorms, and they're going to have like a
bowling alley and a some restaurants and a hotel and stuff.
(06:04):
So it's growing. They just did a big renovation, just
completed a big renovation to the football stadium where the
end zone is now a really nice football facility. I
haven't been in there yet. I'm actually hoping to go
in there this weekend and and check that out. So
it's good. It's a good, good deal.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Yeah. Ben Thomas with us al dot com.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
He writes uh you can catch his post on x
He writes forl dot com every day and at Ben
Thomas Brix somewhere else. We're going through some just summary
of sports. If y'all touched on the Braves Jiff before
we get any further of you two.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Well we talked, Yeah, we did talk about it.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
They're struggling being what's your take for Let Jeff give
his montage.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
It's going to be.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Okay, let me they're terrible.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Okay, that's my man. You speak in my language now
being there.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
They need they need a new manager. I think they
need a new listen. I think they need a new
general manager because they did nothing in the hall seat
and help the team and the hitting that you know,
the pitching had been too bad, even with you know,
Smith Shauber now out for the year. Bullpens kind of
(07:11):
had it had its hits and Missus the closer hadn't
been very good this year. But that's not their problem.
The problem is they can't hit. They they they I
was just telling Jeff the worst situational hitting team in
baseball and maybe the worst hitting team. I mean, they
just it's like they sit around away for somebody to
hit a three run homer, you know, instead of trying
to manufacture yesterday their first the third with nobody out
(07:36):
in a one run game or two run game, three
to one, and all they have to do is make contact.
Just about anywhere you make contact other than a pop up,
you're gonna score at least a run. And Sean Murphy
comes up there and takes three of the most pitiful forms,
I mean, not even petitive. It's that. So I don't know.
I don't know if they can get it together. I didn't.
(07:56):
It doesn't feel like this year they're going to be
able to get even with a coon. You back that
they're going to be able to to get it together.
But I've been wrong before, so so we'll see. I'll
keep watching them, but I tell you what I don't know.
I'm sure you all talked about college baseball and Auburn's
run this morning, but college baseball is hard to watch
for me, is it for you?
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Guys?
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Like it just seems like it well forever it does.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
I'll tell you it does.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
I agree with that's what you ask. I like it
when I of course watching Auburn, it is. It is
very difficult, though You're right, and I want to tell
you on this, it.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Seems like it takes forever, like they you know, even
though you know Aubert scored eleven runs last night, but
that really wasn't to mean seven of them came in
the same inning. But just you know, the pictures get
a three to two count and then you got to
pick up the rising bag to walk around the town. See,
let's get to it.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
I went.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
I went to the Clean Stones, the double A affiliate
you know in Atlanta, I mean in Columbus from Atlanta,
and they had that was it fourteen second? They had
to clock on. I'm gonna tell you something now, that
thing rolled right along and uh so, I don't know
what is it. Does MLB have o'clock?
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Yeah? What is it?
Speaker 4 (09:06):
It's twenty five?
Speaker 3 (09:07):
And is it twenty five, twenty or twenty.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Wait, it seems like it's lower than that, maybe twenty seconds.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Yeah, I think it's it's lower than that. It does help,
I mean, it speaks the game.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
It definitely speeds it up.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
Yeah, you know in the beginning. I mean, you don't
see anybody get called for it much anymore. I used
to see it quite a bit.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Saw a couple of times. Yeah, generally speaking, you don't
see that. I think it's helped the game.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
It has me And that's what I was going to
tell you go ahead.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
I didn't mean to, but anyway, that's all right.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
Here we go.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
MLB time allowed between pitches is fifteen seconds when bases
are empty and eighteen when there's runners on base.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
I knew it was smaller, yeah, because I.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Was twenty teen, when I was just twenty three though,
when I was in Columbus. But they have thirty Batters
have thirty seconds to resume play and the pitch more
more thing, that's right, that's right. The time was reduced
from twenty seconds to eighteen with runners on base in
twenty twenty four.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
I think they get one time. Batter gets one time
out of the back.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
That's right, like that, that's right.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
And the other thing they changed is, and I know
we're supposed to talking about high school, that's okay. The
number of times you can throw over the first base.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
I mean, you know, I didn't do that.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
And they can. You can only throw over there twice
unless you get the guy out. So you know, sometimes
you get you get a Otis Nixon or somebody on
first base and a picture might throw there fifteen times.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Yeah, that is true. Yeah, that is true.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
And now you can't do that if you throw.
Speaker 4 (10:35):
Over there twice. Now, man, you might as well give
him second base because he's going.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
The third one. Yeah, I didn't know that.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Well, I'd be running on the brazen, I'd be running
on top.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
I'm gonna tell you something, Ben, And I want to
thank you for your report because Jeff can't say what
you said.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
Well, you know, man, you're a great American. There's no
doubt about it. You are a Brace fan. But I
didn't expect you to be Johnny Raincloud. I mean on
Monday morning and then coming out here talking about the Brace.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
It's uh, it's bad. It's hard, and I guess the
thing that frustrates me about it is this is the
second year in a row we've done. I mean, you know,
we had that great year two years ago where they
hit that record number of home runs and it's just
been no changes since then. You don't see him. When
was the last time you saw the Brace hitting run?
I mean that they even know about a bun.
Speaker 3 (11:21):
Now, I don't watch them every time I watch highlights.
Do they bunt?
Speaker 2 (11:24):
They have bunning more than last year. They were like
the last team in Major League Baseball to even trying
to lay down a bun.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
I think, well, I'm not going to get down on
to I see a e by the name when they're eliminated, So.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Well, yeah, they don't steal bunch and and acuna. You know,
now that he's come back from his knee injury, I
think that's kind of dialed him down a little bit
as far as his running and stuff goes. So I
don't know. And you know, this guy that got plenty
of short they make it out like he's obvious and
this or something. I mean he's a good defense. I
(12:03):
understand he's a good defensive player. But if you can't
hit it out of the infit, I mean, we got
to have somebody that can get a few hits. I
mean we're going way down the way down of a
dark hole here now when I wanted.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
To go because I try to talk that way then
to get an actual because I'll tell you when the giants,
the football giants are struggling and Jeff oh it's coming together,
open field running rain class, I mean whatever, and I'm like, dude,
they can't even hit the ball.
Speaker 4 (12:27):
Come on, well, we hadn't had a really been solid
orty stop since Dansby Swanson's.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
See now you're talking see Ben tell you first, and he.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Was you you know, he might hit every now and then.
I mean, he wouldn't bad. You know, none of them
been horrible defensively, but man Dansy could hit.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
Who's the kid at shortstop? Young man?
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Yea? Our Sea and Murphy both came out that first
year we had him. I had great first half of
the season, say the All Star Game, and they really
hadn't done anything since. So I don't know, I don't
know if they're making their I mean, I'm sure if
finances has some plays a big role in some of
their decisions. But anyway, let's talk about something.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Yeah, we got about this before we get through here.
What were you want to go to being?
Speaker 2 (13:12):
I was just thinking, well, let's talk about I think
you know, one of the key subjects right now going
on is this high school training.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
That's where I meant to go to. There you go,
I got it on my tap. I got coach Harmon
coming on Thursday. You've already talked to him, so kind
of enlighten us.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Yeah, yeah, I talked to him last week and actually
he's gonna be uh, he's going to speak to us
on Sunday at the Writers so we're here more. But
they so they met this task force, which you know,
they decided what in April they were going to create
because they you know, he's coach Harmon has said that
in his first season basically he's he's now been on
(13:47):
the job a year, right, and he says the primary
issue he hears about not the only issue, but the
primary issue is non compliant transfers. Now, I think the
key is the key phrase, their non compliant because people
can people make bonaflide mood. They can transfer. I mean
that's you know, any parents, right, and if you make
(14:10):
a bonaflide move, you can you can take your child
to where whatever school you want to go to. But
the complaint is the people who aren't doing the right way,
who aren't moving, or who breaks some some other age
that's say a rule, or maybe lord to another school
in a manner that breaks a rule. So that's so
they've developed this past force. He told me. It's got
(14:33):
about thirty minutes, around thirty members from all across the state. Superintendents, principals,
coaches of different sports athletic directors represented US with all
eight regions and all seven classifications, and they met for
the first time. I believe it was Tuesday or Wednesday
in Montgomery. I'm sure that was a long meeting and
(14:57):
set some ground, set some ground rule, set some gold
and he is I was, you know, mister Harmon. D Mark,
as you know from you what from as you've talked
to him, is very cautious with what he says. He
always is. You know, we're gonna look at the data.
You know, we're not gonna make any decisions up looking
(15:17):
at the data. But I was struck by the fact
that he told me multiple times we're not meeting just
to meet this this this task force is not going away.
So what comes out of it, we'll see. I mean,
already we know that there's going to be another column
on Dragonfly where where schools have to designate whether uh
(15:38):
you know, whether the student isolete is a transfer or not.
That's going to happen. It's gonna happen this year.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
There will be a spot on there. I got two transfers,
d Mark Mental and Ben Thomas.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
That's what you gotta do.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
It'll it'll be somehow I don't know how it'll be marked,
but it'll be somehow marked that you you were a transfer.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Now, I don't know if it'll say.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
A transfer from Parkson High School or wherever, but it'll
probably just I would assume that it would just mark
and say you're a transfer, kind of like I just
kind of like, you know, the collegist once that whole
transfer of portal started, you know, on they're too deep,
A lot of them wouldn't would would signify whether it
was a transfer or whether you've been there a while
(16:17):
or or whatever. So I assume it's going to be
something like that. And and maybe there are other things
as well. I mean, obviously any any big changes have
to go through the legislative process. But you know, he
he told me they're going to roll out some different
things at the at the annual convention in July, and
(16:37):
we'll see what they say. But he's he's serious about it,
which I thought, you know, he was more outspoken about it.
Kind of have to read through the lines a little bit.
You didn't read through the lines of him saying, look
like he was trying to I think he was trying
to tell people, this ain't just to commit, you know,
we're just this is not just for namesake. We are
serious about it, and we do we have. We want
(16:59):
to had some goals that we can see and you
know in a half a year, a year down the road,
seefore making any progress on this on this situation, what's.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Your general thoughts being I got just about two minutes,
three minutes.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Yeah, I mean I think it's good. You know, again
we're talking about non compliant transfers. You know, there's a
lot of people that I'm sure are doing it the
right way, but if there's some that aren't doing it
the right way, there needs to be a plan in place. Now.
I don't know how successful it's going to be, Like,
I don't know what those ideas are going to be.
(17:33):
I mean, obviously, one of the ideas that that has
been floated I think by Bart Sessions and his group
of Christiating, those guys that did this initial research, was
that there'd be some type of competitive balance where if
your school or your football problems, they received a certain
number of transfers, oh my, you elevated to the next
(17:54):
level or whatever, just like private school competitive balance. I
don't know that I have a hard time in.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
That absolute to Chris Ben that's go ahead.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
I shouldn't have said that.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
Yeah, I have a hard time seeing that going through.
To be honest with you, so I don't. I don't know,
you know, maybe maybe maybe it's de mark. All that
matters is if we can see what that program X
has thirty student athletes, football, student athletes, transfers, maybe that's
enough to kind of yeah, say, well we got too many.
I mean maybe that's all.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
Yeah, yeah that.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
But but then again, Ben, when you moved to Spanish fort,
did you ask anybody could you move.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
My wife?
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Okay, it ain't. They's justday's business where you move with
your kids.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
That's what The first thing I'm gonna tell all that
committee up there, Heath Harmon and all God's dealing. People
can move where they want to move if they do
it right.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
They can play sports.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
If it's bona faye, thank you.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
That's all it needs.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
All this these coaches up there that never have won
anything before getting on schools that have it bothers me.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
No, I said that you did.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Certainly, there's certainly that take. I mean, I think I
think more people are in the in the in the
percentage of we got too many transfers, and there are
in your in your mindset. I know there's some and
some prominent coaches that believe what you believe, Well.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
How do they stop people from change? Can you tell
ask one of them, how do you stop someone from
transferring if they're not transferring to that particular school that
they want them to.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
How do you stop that?
Speaker 2 (19:25):
I don't think you do. In Flordia, you can play
football at one school and then transfer to another school,
play basketball, and go to a third school and play
baseball in I do. I do like the fact that, Like,
I don't think you ought to be able to change
in the middle of the year. I don't think from
uh and we've had that. I don't know if we've
(19:46):
I don't know how prevalence has been across the state,
but we've had a couple of instances of that down
here where somebody started for one school in the area
and then moved somewhere else and played the same team
for another school. I mean, I don't think that all
to be. I don't think that all to be. You know,
unless there's just a stimulate circumstances that you are able
(20:07):
to do that, well, you I.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
Think you're That was the middle of a season, though.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
That was and that was like the middle of a season.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Ben, That's what I'm talking about, yeah, in the same.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
The same season of the school.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Yeah, yeah, you can't, Like you can't play nine games
for somebody that transfer to somebody that's going to be
in the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (20:26):
Right, that would be free agency right there.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
With a little free.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Agency, Well, that seems to be the name of the
game at most levels.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
You tink they should put like a date on it,
like uh, like after game five if you you know,
pick up you know what you need, like you got
a tight end, go down.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
If a father gets transferred in game six and his
kids are good, I mean, y'all have to look.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
I don't know, y'all, just y'all are born.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
I understand, but that family, there's people that gets transferred
every day and have to uproot and move. You just
put the laws on the books and have to obey
those laws, the rules.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
I don't know. There's of open field being how's your
family before we go? Buddy?
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Everybody, okay, everybody? Yeah, all right, buddy, when you have
a great day, we'll be in touch. And I hope
everything goes well this weekend for your group.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Okay, all right, you will get it together.
Speaker 4 (21:14):
Yeah, I think they will. I think they will I'm
gonna keep watching.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Yeah, me too, all right, Being take care buddy, all right,
all right, be
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