Crowds cheer on Alabama football team’s return to Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa News – Jan. 8
Football fans lined up at the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport early Tuesday to participate in what’s become yet another tradition for the Crimson Tide faithful. Hundreds of people gathered at the airport to greet the University of Alabama’s third BCS National Championship team in the last four years. There was a pep-rally atmosphere as people held signs, shakers and small dogs dressed in Alabama gear. Coach Nick Saban walked directly to the crowd after the team’s first plane landed around 1:20 p.m. “Thank you for coming out,” he said. “I appreciate all of your support all year. I know the players really appreciate y’all being here today.” Saban’s appearance drew whoops and cheers from the fans who were chanting “Roll Tide! Roll Tide!” as he approached the crowds. Players Eddie Lacy and Dee Milliner were greeted by yells of “Congratulations!” and “Great job guys!” as they said hello to the crowds.
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Jan. 8
Coaches’ Trophy to be available this weekend for fan photos
Fox 6 (Birmingham) – Jan. 9
Dr. Pepper, along with Wal-Mart and Academy Sports, is bringing the Coaches’ Trophy to Alabama. The trophy will be available this Friday and Saturday for Crimson Tide fans to get a free photo opportunity. This trophy is the exact same trophy that was awarded to the University of Alabama football team after winning the Discover BCS National Championship on January 7. The ball that sits on top of the trophy is said to be valued at $30,000 and weighs approximately 8 pounds. It also takes around 3 months to make the trophy. To get your photo taken with the trophy, visit either of these locations …
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – Jan. 9
Fewer students eligible for Pell Grants
WLOX 13 (Biloxi, Miss.) – Jan. 9
A recent study by the Education Policy Center at The University of Alabama shows that enrollment declined at 14 of the 15 community colleges in Mississippi over the fall, due to the Pell Grant adjustments…”Nationally, 65 percent of community college students are part time. And most of them are working more than 30 hours a week,” said Stephen Katsinas, Director of the Education Policy Center. Pell Grants are considered the cornerstone form of financial aid for colleges in Mississippi.
Your payroll taxes have gone up: Where will you cut back?
Al.com – Jan. 8
Chances are, if you’re employed, you’ve already gotten the dreaded notice. Your taxes are going up by 2 percent this year, thanks to the end of a temporary cut in the Social Security payroll tax that was not extended in the fiscal cliff deal approved by Congress. The 4.2 percent rate is expiring and reverting back to 6.2 percent, which is applied to the first $113,700 in wages. In Alabama, that means a weekly paycheck that’s about $15 lighter for the average worker … The average annual wage for all industries in Alabama was $40,461 in 2011, the latest data available, said Ahmad Ijaz, director of economic forecasting at the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama. Annually, 2 percent of that wage is $809.22. That’s about $15.56 a week. “It will definitely have some impact on consumer spending,” Ijaz said.
Beta blockers may reduce dementia risk
CNN.com – Jan. 8
If you take drugs to lower your blood pressure, your medication may also lower your risk of dementia, according to a new study released Monday by the American Academy of Neurology. According to the study, people taking beta blockers, a class of drugs used to treat a number of conditions including high blood pressure, glaucoma and migraines, were less likely to have less cognitive impairment than those that did not…Dr. Daniel Potts is a practicing neurologist and professor at the University of Alabama who treats patients with dementia. For him, it’s personal–his father died of Alzheimer’s disease. Even though more research is needed, Potts calls this a landmark study. “The study is important for me because it seems to indicate that beta blockers may be more effective than most other blood pressure medications in preventing the brain pathologic changes that are associated with dementia in later life,” Potts said. “Of course, further study is warranted to confirm these findings and also to demonstrate clinical effects: are patients doing better on them, are they having less memory loss on them? … This study looks at the pathology. It will be nice to look at whether they have clinical effects, day-to-day effects on activities of daily living.”
WWLP-22 (Chicopee, Mass.) – Jan. 8
Musburger Criticized for Remarks About Star’s Girlfriend During Title Game
New York Times – Jan. 8
On Tuesday morning, commentary on the broadcast of the Bowl Championship Series national title game between Alabama and Notre Dame included words like “creepy,” “awkward,” “uncomfortable” and “heteronormative.”…The subject was not Alabama’s 42-14 victory, but comments made during the game by the ESPN play-by-play announcer Brent Musburger regarding the girlfriend of Alabama quarterback A J McCarron…“Football is a male domain,” said Jennifer Greer, the chairwoman of the journalism department at Alabama. “And the role that women play even in the journalistic respect is in the supportive role, the mom, the hot girlfriend, the sideline reporter. They’re accepted in this world, but in particular roles. It reinforces this stereotype of the hot model girlfriend attached to a quarterback and the maleness of sports that is hard for serious female athletes.” While critical of Musburger’s comments, Greer said the mere fact that there was controversy surrounding them was a sign of progress for women and sports. “We’ll be using this as an example in our classes when we talk about journalists and sensitivity to issues,” she said.
OPINION: You won’t see Katherine Webb naked here
Al.com – Jan. 8
As a journalism instructor at the University of Alabama, I teach my students about search engine optimization and how journalists can manipulate a headline to make it higher in search results. Or how, by simply using the words in a headline we get more people to click on our stories. This is why, last night, when I Googled “A.J. McCarron” in 14 search results on page one, not one article was about how he led one of the best college football teams ever to a third national championship in four years. Not one mentioned the commanding talent he displayed for the Crimson Tide during the BCS game. And not one mentioned his academic record in addition to his grueling practice schedule. All links were about his girlfriend, Katherine Webb (who is Miss Alabama USA), and comments ESPN announcer Brent Musberger made about her during the BCS game. We’ve all heard them by now. I’m pretty sure the scene that played out in my living room Monday night was much like many around the state when ESPN’s Brent Musberger made his comments about Katherine Webb. My jaw dropped and, as my 10-year-old daughter doodled a picture in her notebook, I stopped. Did I hear that right? Did Musberger just say that? My husband had just gotten up from the couch to leave the room. I rewound the DVR and listened again. (by Meredith Cummings)