Overtime

Ed Daniels

What we are hearing from many is that the Southeastern Conference football paradigm has changed. The Nick Saban era of dominance at Alabama is over. It allegedly ended on the first Saturday night of November in Baton Rouge with a 32-31 overtime loss to LSU. The Tigers are ready to pass the Tide in the Western Division, and everyone in the league is looking up at the University of Georgia. When I hear that, I chuckle. Leave it to Lane Kiffin, former Alabama assistant, and current Ole Miss head coach to put the speculation in perspective. His message is to never underestimate the GOAT (Nick Saban, greatest of all-time). The last time Alabama was essentially out the running this early in the Western Division was in 2010, after a November loss to LSU at Tiger Stadium. The following season, LSU beat Alabama in overtime in Tuscaloosa. What followed?

LSU has arrived quicker than thought possible

Five more Bama national titles in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2020. So, to hear that Alabama is done, and Saban is somehow headed to the exits is laughable. Alabama will be back. And, LSU has arrived, much quicker than anyone thought possible. Against the Tide, the Tigers didn’t do anything special. They ran the football effectively, rode big plays from quarterback Jayden Daniels, played outstanding defense, and didn’t turn the ball over. And, won the game honestly. Every time Alabama punched, the Tigers punched back. And exposed some Bama weaknesses. The Tide are not nearly as good on the offensive and defensive lines as in previous years, and their wide receiver group is average at best. Think back to 2019, when Alabama’s best four receivers were Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, DeVonta Smith, and Jaylen Waddle. All four were first round picks in the NFL draft. Alabama simply didn’t have the players on the edge to threaten the LSU defense. What followed LSU’s overtime was some interesting scenes. Including Saban speaking to reporters while Tiger fans chanted L-S-U! L-S-U! outside the Alabama press room. In the future, that will be some extra coal in Saban’s motivational furnace. Outside on the field, thousands of fans celebrated, many taking selfies with the players. Most fans were respectful, but there were the usual array of idiots. As a reporter navigating the crowd walked down the east sideline to Brian Kelly’s press conference, he looked over and saw a ring of police officers surrounding the Alabama bench. The Alabama staff was waiting for the crowd to disperse before rolling their equipment back to the locker room. But, as they waited several LSU fans were screaming and cursing them. It was disturbing and sad. And, please don’t tell me this is okay, because it is the norm in college football. Please don’t. It totally lacked class and common decency. And, if you were one of those, well too bad. Inexcusable, it was. The LSU Alabama rivalry is heating up again. The Tide isn’t going anywhere and LSU is ascending quickly. Hopefully, there will be more chances for the purple and gold folks to celebrate, and in the midst of joy, maybe throw some restraint into the gumbo, as well. BC

Your personal financial goals deserve a personal approach.

Walters & Associates

A private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

985.446.1968

132 Rue Colette, Ste A Thibodaux, LA 70301 waltersplanning.com

Santa's Helpers

Bring happiness to the needy

Are you looking for a meaningful way to help a family this Christmas? If so, Santa’s Helpers just might be what you are looking for!

Hurricane Ida, along with rental and utility costs skyrocketing this past summer, brought on a new type of poverty to our area. Many families who have been able to make ends meet before have now suffered with the loss of a home and income. As one might imagine, the financial stress of just meeting rent, utilities and other normal expenses is tremendous on these families right now. Many are living in FEMA campers and are paying utilities not only for their camper, but also for the home they are repairing.

Besides the financial stress these parents are facing, the children affected have been through a difficult year as well and are in need of feeling some sort of normalcy. Their need for feeling the love of the Christmas season is stronger than ever before.

For many years, families/businesses/ organizations have reached out to Catholic Charities Diocese of HoumaThibodaux to find a family in need of Christmas help. The gifts the donors have given have reached deep into the hearts and souls of the families they have assisted. After all, it is more than just a toy or a gift to a child that is provided; it is the thoughtfulness and the love shown by the donors that has let the families know that their community really does care about the burdens they are carrying and has helped to eliminate the additional financial stress the parents were faced with. Please consider bringing the peace and strength of our ever loving Christ child to a family who feels tired and run down.

How to Become Santa’s Helper:

In order to become a Santa’s Helper, the family/business/organization first needs to decide how they wish to help another family in need – with toys for the children, clothes, Christmas dinner, and/or badly needed items for the home. Secondly, they need to know if they have enough money set aside to provide these items. Lastly, the family/ business/organization may call Catholic Charities in Houma at (985) 876-0490 to place their request to be paired with a family. Jennifer Gaudet, associate director of Individual & Family Assistance, will help match the group with a family that best meets the type and size family the donor is seeking to assist. Once a family is found, Gaudet will provide the donor with the details they need to go shopping or provide them with information needed to send a check to Catholic Charities where Christmas elves will do the shopping for them. The donor can either deliver the gifts to the family themselves or remain anonymous by allowing the elves of Catholic Charities to distribute the gifts to the adopted family.

In lieu of purchasing gifts, cash donations may be made to the program by sending checks to Catholic Charities Christmas Drive, 1220 Aycock St., Houma, LA 70360.

Any small donations will be combined and used to assist a family (or families depending on the amount received) with gifts when a donor does not wish to adopt an entire family themselves.

BC