"If I Did It" by Joe Mitchell

Joe Mitchell may have walked out of the court room a free man, but he was not found "not guilty".

The verdict was 3-to-3 split.

The attorneys for both sides did their best, but the facts in this particular situation (both from the book, and added) just made a conviction impossible.

Maybe Joe Mitchell should write a book about how he would have done it?

We've got excerpts!

"I thought about killing Brooke every time I saw her."

"I had known for sometime that I would ultimately have to kill Brooke. She was practically daring me to. The way she looked at me with contempt. The way she talked about me right in front of my face!"

"I went to the house that night, hoping I'd get a chance to tell Leslie my good news. Maybe if I could get through to her, I wouldn't have to kill that stupid bitch of a step-mother."

"When Brooke told me Leslie wasn't home, I thought my odds of reconciling with her were even better. Brooke might just live to see September 11..."

"The longer I sat at the theater, the more I realized that it wasn't enough that I was going to get paid as a writer. Brooke was more interested in breaking up our marriage because if we made it 4 years, she would lose all the money the Judge had left her."

"I thought about going to the house after I left the theater and shooting Brooke in the head. I wanted to make her beg. I wanted to make her scream for mercy. Then I wanted to watcher her bleed to death. I hated her."

"I didn't have the nerve. I left the theater and was going to the Ravena gun shop to get my gun and kill the bitch, but I was not man enough to do it. So instead, I got drunk."

"Its amazing how much easier it is after 4 beers!"

"I knew, from my extensive writing experience, that I needed an alibi. I stomped up the steps of the boarding house a few minutes before 10, knowing Raleigh would see me. She would make a great witness."

"I snuck out the back, down the fire escape. It only took about 7 minutes from my bedroom to get to the house on Madison. I was going to park, sneak up to the house, break in, kill Brooke, and take a few things to make it look like a robbery. I knew that Leslie couldn't suspect me, or she would never come back to me."

"When I reached the house, I saw Leslie was on the porch with Brooke. It was too late to turn back."

"I missed again. It had happened once before. I was drunk and I missed. What have I done. I lost my wife, and now I am going to be tried for murder..."

"Stupid Jury...what a bunch of suckers. You'd think they were related to my attorneys they way the disregarded the facts to let me off!"

Joe Mitchell got off, but he will never be innocent.

The book should be on shelves by mid-March.

Stay Tuned...





(much love to DCo1 for the photo work)

One Mans Take

These are not my words. It is, however, a good look at the situation as some of the "message board community" is seeing it.

And I quote:

I have a had a few very good contacts that I've spoken with (really more out of luck on this specific search and the candidates involved) , but I'm not one to make a leap and announce anything is a "done deal," or pretend I know something I don't.

I'll just tell you what I know (from ultra-reliable sources) :

- A journalist contact of mine (VERY close personal friend) is a Sports Editor and covers a school with a WVU recruit (with an offer). I've been talking to him for months about how Rich Rodriguez visits the school and calls the HC of the school all the time. This goes back until the start of the college football season.

Of course, when I heard Rodriguez was an actual candidate, I wondered when he would hear something. He called me Tuesday night, right after he had talked directly, in-person with the HC. The HC had just gotten off the phone with RR. The situation RR reported to him was that Spurrier had a deal on the table, and if he didn't take it (RR said he thought he very well might) then Rodriguez himself was (and I quote) "very interested."

- I also found out about the SOS deal and the specific numbers form a great source. A very high-up with UA Football Operations. He told a former UA player. Former UA player told Former UA BOT memeber, who is neighbors with a close family friend. That is a very trusted line of communication from where I sit.

- My last tidbit, also from a very reliable source, is that Saban initiated a feeler to Alabama (not the other way around) after the MSU loss - when the Dolhins were 2-6, or close to it. This comes down the pipeline from a former associate of NS. Can't say any more than that. Again, very reliable - or I wouldn't dream of posting it.


Now for pure speculation, based on what I know:

As far as Saban being the #1 guy, I believe it and have heard it throughout. So that could mean a number of things:

1) Either the SOS ordeal was a Sexton smokescreen (very possible, if seemingly unlikely) ... and Saban is being lined up and kept out of the limelight.

WHY I WOULD DOUBT IT:

Seems too JFK-ish to me. I can understand Sexton's angle to get both clients paid, but let's get real - every TV station and newspaper in the state isn't going to report something until they get it from credible UNIVERSITY sources.


2) Saban was interested early, when the Dolphins were going nowhere, but has rethought things. Now he is backing off the job and has told UA officials the same. This could back his strong public denial, as well as the massive reports of us going on to Spurrier (our #2 guy).

WHY I WOULD DOUBT IT:

Saban is supposedly a tough, my-way-or-the-highway guy. Strong, resolute, kind of an @sshole. Don't see him wish-washing all that much. If we wanted something, my gut would tell me he would go for it. But the SOS talks have been so strong, does this mean he considered and we couldn't pony up quite enough money to sway him? This is where I start to think he could have said 'no' and we moved on.


3) UA is issuing dis-information to keep everyone guessing and to go about the search in secrecy. I can directly trace the source of the 'SOS contract details' to a person involved in the program and search, so if it came out incorrectly... it was on purpose.

WHY I WOULDN'T DOUBT IT:

If UA is after Saban, but has to wait for him. Leaking our Spurrier talk will shift all the attention there, leaving Saban to answer a few questions and go about his day. His Miami Dolphins situation with Hizenga (sp?), is likely sensitive. We don't need to protect RR. WVU knows when a big-time school comes courting, he will go. He is destined for it and they are well aware, as is ANY small school sitting on a goldmine. Another thing to consider is that RR reportedly knew about the Spurrier deal Tuesday, making it unlikey IMO that it was a false report that was leaked. This means Saban would turned down his offer, if indeed he was #1, as is being reported. There is a possibility that the report was leaked so high it got to Rodriguez, but it's far more likely that we actually did pursue to ol' ball coach.


4) We have in fact strongly pursued and been denied by Saban and SOS. Now we are, through intermediaries, working on Rodriguez (#3). We will wait until after the season, Sunday, to officially contact him ourselves. Then we'll enter into official talks with him, hammer out a contract, go see him personally, and bring him back to Tuscaloosa with us.

WHY I WOULDN'T DOUBT IT:

I know from a source that he's interested, and his public comments only strenghten my resolve in reporting it. All signs point to him taking the job. Is he willing? Most certainly. Is money an issue? Not in the least. Are we ALABAMA? The last time I checked.



What I'm looking for in a timeline:

If there's a press conference set for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday - IMO it's RR.

If it's delayed longer than that, Saban could be in the works. Of course I'm pulling for the Jaguars to knock Miami out of playoff contention, to see if this adds any credence to the 'we are lining up Saban' crowd. Then things could get interesting. I guess he could jump ship early with no possibility of post-season, but I don't know how that works.

But if Saban makes us wait, I would get nervous. I don't want to put RR in a position where he can't come on board. The move needs to be made in the next 2 weeks unless we have Saban LOCKED UP, which we can't do unless it's contractual - and that's impossible until he resigns or is fired. A handshake deal makes me uneasy.

RR would continue to get heat, and would be in a position to hurt WVU's recruiting majorly if we were to leave as late as a month before signing day. It needs to be soon with him. I'd hate to see him sign an extension.


My prediction:

Monday press conference to introduce Rich Rodriguez as Bama's HC.

I have to say, Saban would be cool, but his loyalty bothers me. How long until another school comes and CNS takes off?

I am getting behind Rich Rodriguez at this point. CRR to Bama would make me a happy man!

The talk about CRR to Bama is being fueled by reports like this. It is a good read. Apparently the Governor of WV even thinks CRR is gone. I hope its not to Miami (a.k.a. Thug-U)

Roll Tide!

Stay Tuned...

The search is on...

Saban made it pretty clear that he won't be coaching at UA this upcomming football season.

He could have his choice of college coaching jobs.

Even at a school that likes its coach, if Saban showed up with his bags packed, he would be hired.

There are some rumors that he was interested in UA about a month ago.

That his agent, Jimmy Sexton of Memphis, contacted UA to see about a potential opening.

Did this start the administration thinking about Shula's long term viability at the university?

Maybe.

Probably not.

It probably didn't happen.

Then you have Coach Steven Orr Spurrier.

Bama fans on the message boards are amazing.

"My fathers friend's dad is a real estate agent in Tuscaloosa and swears that SOS purchased property in Northport"

"My girlfriend works at North River Yacht Club, and they are closed on Monday. She was called into work this Monday though, because SOS was playing with the Board of Trustee's"

"My urologists cousin's rabbi heard a woman at the grocery say that her father grew up wtih a man who was told by their gardener that SOS had signed a contract, and the press conference will be Thursday"

Is almost impossible to believe that we've bought into this huh?

Don't get me wrong, I get giddy at the notion that SOS would come to Alabama.

But I don't see him leaving USC.

If he wins an SEC Championship at USC, they rename the stadium in his honor.

His ego is forever fullfilled, and he can spend the rest of his life playing Augusta National.

There are some reasons to think he would consider leaving.

He is only being paid $1,200,000/season.

[I can't believe I just refered to that salary as only]

UA is rumored to be paying anywhere between $2,900,000/season and $4,000,000/season which would easily make SOS the highest paid coach in the country.

UA is rumored to offer a $5,000,000 signing bonus.

It is rumored that SOS is not happy about the recruiting situation at USC, that he is not sure he can bring in the kind of talent necessary to win.

UA offers tradition, which despite the last decade, still sells on the trail.

UA offers National Championship dreams, not just SEC Championship dreams.

SOS isn't coming to UA, but UA is sending out an SOS...

One by one, the big names are saying "no" and one by one, the small names are too.

We could be in trouble.

Roll Tide!

Stay Tuned...

Things that are wrong with America v. 7

I don't even know if I can type this...

An Ohio woman is in jail with a $1,000,000 bail.

The charge?

Murdering her infant child by microwaving her.

Story.

This might be the most crushing thing I've ever heard.

What is wrong with people?

Stay Tuned...

Now we wait...

Spurrier has reportedly said no.

Saban too.

Petrino has been silent.

Rich Rodriquez is rumored to be interested.

The bottom line is, get comfortable. It will be at least the end of the week, maybe as long as a month before the University of Alabama has a head football coach.

I am sorry to see CMS go. I like him a lot.

This is why we won't score a big time coach:

"Saban says Shula did a good job at Alabama and that he should have been given an opportunity to stay."

Who wants to walk into this cluster-fuck?

The expectations are outrageous.

The fans are crazy.

The administration is inept.

Sometimes its not all about the money.

To Coach Shula, I say this:

CMS, you earned one your year in my mind. I hope you return to the capstone down the line as a seasoned coach, and prove the haters wrong. You're a model human being, and the work you did at UA will live on here. You are not forgotten, you are appreciated, and there are tens of thousands of us that are sorry to see you go. 2007 will be for you CMS! Good luck wherever this thing takes you, and I hope to see you back on the sidelines of BDS one day down the line.

I hope that someone at UA knows something that the rest of us don't, because otherwise Alabama Football will be relegated to nothing but a memory.

If it hasn't already happened.

Stay Tuned...

Keep Coach Shula...UNLESS:

Nick Saban, Steve Spurrier, or Bobby Petrino will take the job.

Here is my rationale:

I believe that CMS (Coach Mike Shula) is going to be a great head football coach. I think that it takes time, but he has shown growth the last two seasons. His recruiting is very good, and he has brought respect back to a position that just three years ago had been through scandal, abandonment, and sanctions. He has returned the program to a "family" feeling, and you can see it from the recruits comments, players comments, and the media reports.

Can CMS win a National Championship with UA? Yes, without a doubt. If you look at the recruiting classes, they have made significant steps forward in talent each year. Even looking at the kids who consider UA but ultimately go to other schools we're moving up. Eventually that tide will turn (no pun intended). Tim Tebow choose Florida over UA. It won't be long before it goes the other way. Alabama fans have been through a lot, and are starting to believe that good things just don't happen to us! That will change, but 'Bama fans will need to find something we haven't had since 1982...PATIENCE.

Changes need to take place, without a doubt. Re-assigning the current assistances is not the answer. CMS has proposed moving Dave Unger from Tight-Ends to coach the Offensive Tackles as well, and taking Special Teams away from Unger and giving them to David Turner. He also is going to hand over "play calling duties" to his Offensive Coordinator, Dave Radar. That is just simply not enough. Changes must be made within the system, and unfortunately and unfairly, the must start with replacing Dave Radar. Maybe he hasn't been calling plays on the field, but the Offensive system was his, and such is the life of a college coach, fair or not, sometimes you take the blame and are shown the door. This offense hasn't scored significant points since the third game of the 2004 season (when Brodie Croyle was lost with a torn ACL).

Dabo Swinney is one possible replacement. The head coach of Hoover High, Rush Prospt could be an interesting option. Look at the success that Arkansas had after bringing in a high school coach with an innovative offense.

I am partial to Swinney because he is one of the best recruiters in the Southeast. One football recruiting site said this about Swinney:

Swinney, 33, received a bachelor of science degree in commerce and business administration at Alabama in 1993 after lettering three times for the Crimson Tide (1990-92). A walk-on who went on to earn a scholarship, Swinney played at wide receiver and was a member of Alabama's 1992 National Championship team under Gene Stallings. His position coach was Bowden in 1989 and former Tiger assistant Woody McCorvey from 1990-92. Swinney was also an All-SEC Academic team and SEC Scholar Athlete Honor Roll member in both 1990 and 1992.

Rumors run rampant around Tuscaloosa, and around the internet. Last night there were multiple unconfirmed rumors that Coach Steve Spurrier had agreed to terms with UA and would bring Brother Bill Oliver back as Defensive Coordinator.

This is the best Spurrier Rumor: (keep in mind this is from someone with less than 10 posts EVER on BOL)

I don't post much but I just got a call from a friend who works at UA. Sounded 100% positive Spurrier to bama. I heard rejoicing in the background. He said former player confirmed it (ex great DB)...don't hold me to it till we see it happen but I can't hold this in.

And our favorite blogger - Memphistider -has this to say:

Ok, here's what all I've been hearing regarding Spurrier possibly coming to Alabama. Some of these could just be rumors, and some of these could actually be truths. I'm just putting everything I've heard down.

The University's (N1UA) and Paul Bryant Jr's (N323P) private jets were both in Augusta, GA on Monday after LSU's win over Bama. Please see N1UA's flight pattern and N323P's flight pattern to see this. I have been told it was for routine maintenance, but I've also been told it was not. Very odd that this just so happens to be where Spurrier enjoys playing golf, and it's only 60 miles outside of Columbia, SC.

"I grew up an rooting for Bama. Heck, how can you not love Coach Bryant? But, my opinion of Bama changed when I was not offered a scholarship to play there." - Steve Spurrier in Sports Illustrated back in 2001.

Supposedly, Spurrier's wife, Jerri, was in Tuscaloosa this weekend for two reasons: 1) To visit her goddaughter, and 2) To look at some real estate here in town.

Alumni friends of my parents and grandparents, who also happen to be close with AD Mal Moore, explained to us yesterday that this has been a done deal since the Bama / Florida game this year.

To throw a little credibility to that, Steve and Jerri Spurrier sat with the Crimson White crew on press row at the Florida game and apparently had a nice long dinner with a few members of the Board of Trustees after the game.

Rumors have been circling about Spurrier being ready to get out of South Carolina already because of the inability to recruit and win there. He apparently wants another national championship and knows that it is extremely possible at Alabama. He was always a fan of Bear Bryant, and the chance to coach at Alabama might be too good an offer.

Also, he is supposedly intrigued at getting to play against Florida State again next year.

Rumor has it that his defensive coordinator would be 'Brother' Bill Oliver, who I would gladly welcome back to Tuscaloosa. He and Spurrier have been reportedly been having meetings for the last couple of months, and everyone thought it was regarding Brother going to South Carolina. Brother would probably not leave the state of Alabama to take another job, so this would work perfectly for him. Brother and Mal coached together under Bear Bryant from '71-'79 and again under Gene Stallings back in '90-'93. Brother stayed around until '95. He and Mal Moore also played together under Bear Bryant on the 1961 National Championship team. Almost seems too perfect.

People really are crazy. The BOL community has been watching the "FlightAware" on this website to see where the UA plane and Paul Bryant Jr's plane goes. You can put in the two tail numbers mentioned above to check the current status of those airplanes.

I don't think Spurrier would leave USC unless it is to become the highest paid coach in the country. UA certainly has the money, but when you add in the $4,000,000 buy out of Shula's contract, the $2,000,000 buyout of Spurrier's contract, the cost of buying out the assistant coaches and then hiring new ones, you're looking at more than $10,000,000 to make this change.

Saban is another possibility, and people close to him say he is unhappy in the NFL. He always identified UA as a place he'd like to coach, and his ties to the Louisiana area (and now south Florida) could be huge for recruiting.

Monday will be the next opportunity for official word from the University, and a failure to put out a statement supporting Coach Shula in the 8 days following the loss to Auburn certainly doesn't speak well for his future with the Crimson Tide.

All this being said, the only way that UA can afford to change coaches (and take another step BACKWARDS in its rebuilding) is if that new coach is a proven winner and solid recruiter. To be dragged through another embarrassing national coaching hunt to settle on a "B list" candidate would do more damage than letting CMS coach the team in 2007.

There you have it, two options make sense:
(1) Hire a big name to replace CMS
(2) Keep CMS and make sure real change takes place on the assistant coaching staff.

Roll Tide!

Stay Tuned...

Wii spent 18 hours at Wal-Mart...

4pm Friday -
On my way home from campus, stop at Wal-Mart to see if the line has begun to form and find out details about the Wii release. Wal-Mart Employee tells me that we will be OUTSIDE for the wait. I tell him that I was told by a manager the day before that we would be inside (which was true). I then talk to management, and they tell me we will be inside. I tell him I'll be back every few hours to check and see if a line is forming. They confirm that 30 units will be sold

10pm Friday -
Before AJK and I go out Friday night, we load the car up. Two blankets, homework, iPods, PSPs, folding chairs, etc. We decide we'll check and see if the line is forming. If it is, we figure we will go grab dinner and then come get in line. If its not, we will come back on our way home at the end of the night and check it out again. No line formed yet. I ask the manager where we will be, and again I'm told we will be inside.

3:30 am Saturday -
AJK and I got some dinner, played a few hours of pool and drank out west, and decided its probably time to get in line. We head back to Wal-Mart and talk to a very nice manger, Seth. He has the unfortunate duty of telling me that "an order came down from corporate," and they will have to keep us outside. He walks out to the lawn and garden section to show us where we have to stay. Its about 31 degrees outside, and no one is in line. AJK and I talk it over, and decide we should go home and get a few hours of sleep and try to get back up here about 7. I get the number to the electronics section so I can call them before I get up and check.

6:00 am Saturday -
I wake up, call Wal-Mart to see if the line is formed. They tell me that it is not. I go back to sleep.

7:30 am Saturday -
Wake up, realize we are late, and jump out of bed. "Aaron, get up!" I yell down the stairs. We gather our shit up, check the weather (a balmy 32 degrees) and head out the door. Two long sleeved t-shirts, jeans, thick socks, my Northface Fleece zipped inside my Northface shell. I'm ready to stay warm.

7:50 am Saturday -
We get to Wal-mart, and we cannot find the line. We ask the manager, they point us to Lawn and Garden. We get there to find about a dozen people there. They have started "the list" and I am number 13, AJK is number 14. We're on the list. We're set. We're going to get a Wii if we can stick it out until midnight. T minus 16 hours, 10 minutes.

8:00 am Saturday -
So, the way "the list" will work is a beautiful thing. We've got an unofficial list forming, with thirty spots on it. As people show up, they can join the list. Once your on the list, you have to stay. This is the nice part though, because there is a list, we don't have to actually "LINE UP" and instead we are able to mill around, get comfortable, play cards, etc. Also, as long as people don't mind, you can leave for a few minutes. I realized about this time that I didn't have my space law reading (which I had to spend the next 12 hours working on) and I get permission to run home. While gone, I call AJK and ask if anyone wants McDonald's breakfast. I get an order for an half-dozen sausage and biscuits, and a pancake breakfast. I grab stuff at home, set the Iron Bowl to DVR, grab some food and get back to Wal-Mart. T minus 16 hours.

9:00 am Saturday -
AJK needs to check his IP assignment. He decides to run back to my place and use his computer. I ask him to get the little white TV while he is there, and I go inside to buy "rabbit ears". For those of you who are too young to remember, those are the little metal things that sit on top of the TV and allow you to pick up the FREE broadcast television channels. CBS is all I care about. I get to work on Space Law, people around us are discussing a "cook out". T minus 15 hours.

10:30 am Saturday -
AJK is back, the TV is running, and I've already given up on homework in order to play "Rook" with a few of the people in line. I meet a guy named Mike Pool. Mike's son started an internet business about a year ago (the kid is in HS) and so the family camps out for all the major debut's in order to sell them on eBay. Yes, he's one of those. Although despite that he was really a great guy. They managed to get 5 Xbox360s last year, and 6 PS3s two days prior. They have 5 of them in line for Wii at different Wal-Marts in East TN. Rook is a good game, its like a weird version of Spades, but not as good as Euchre. T minus 13 hours, 30 minutes.

11:45 am Saturday -
The list is full. Number 30 got in line about 11:30. Also, the cook out is on. One of the guys who thinks he is the leader of our group has gone and gotten permission from management to set up a charcoal grill out front. We're all throwing in $3 for burgers and hot dogs. This was also our first experience with Wal-Mart management's totally disfunctional style. They come out to the Lawn and Garden section to tell us we have to move. Where you might ask? THE FRONT OF THE STORE. No, not inside. The sidewalk in front of the store, between the two enterances. Here we are, in an enclosed area (fenced in) out of the way of all the store business, comfortable and safe, and they decide they want to move us. Why? I ask the manager. The Lawn and Garden center closes at 6pm. I look at my cell phone to check the time. "That is in more than 6 hours. You're telling me we need to move now?" The manager doesn't appreciate my good point. Actually, I think the Manager didn't appreciate my tone. Needless to say, we move. T minus 12 hours, 15 minutes.





12:30 pm Saturday -
We're settled back in, the TV is running (as is UT all over Vandy), and the would be leader is grocery shopping for the group. Things look like they will be okay. Even though we're out front and exposed to everyone we feel pretty secure. The list filled up, and we've only had a few people come up and ask. Once we inform them that the list is full, they generally walk away without issue. We've told them that they are welcome to stick around and if someone leaves, they will be able to get the spot. No one is interested in this. Thats okay wth us. Wii have a Wii already. T minus 11 hours, 30 minutes.

1:30 pm Saturday -
Holly brings us Hot Chocolate. I love Holly. T minus 10 hours, 30 minutes.

2:15 pm Saturday -
The cookout was great. Burgers were tasty, the hot dogs were...hot dogs, and the spirits are high. One guy bailed on line, but he was quickly replaced by a Southern Baptist minister who is 26 years old wearing a nintendo power T-shirt. Could be the first SB Minister I've ever really liked hanging out with. Wal-Mart continues to harass us. The CART BOY just yelled at us for the grill. We told him that we had permission and he could take it up wtih management. He did. They he came back out and appologized. Lindsey stops by to hang out too. T minus 9 hours, 55 minutes.





3:30 pm Saturday -
After two solid hours of Space Law reading, its time for Alabama v. Auburn AND Ohio St. v. Michigan. I've put my work away. I've zipped up my jacket, pulled on a blanket, and I'm 5 feet from the TV. I'm ready for football. I fell like a NORTHERNER! Mike Pool has volunteered to buy a remote for the TV so we can flip back and forth. Its dangerous to be at Wal-mart all day, because anytime you say "Man, I wish I had (blank)" you can just walk inside and buy it. Case and point? I just bought a second pair of socks. T minus 8 hours, 30 minutes.

3:55 pm Saturday -
There must be a shift change, because the manager comes out and tells us that we CANNOT have the grill out there, and that we must get rid of it as soon as possible. We get her blessing to put it in the back of the pickup truck. Thats right. They won't let us leave the grill on the concrete, surrounded by concrete, but placing it in the back of a truck directly above a 20 gallon resevior of gasoline in front of the store is acceptable. Crazy huh? Thats Wal-Mart for you! T minus 8 hours, 5 minutes.

4:15 pm Saturday -
I had to go inside and buy some of those "hand warmers" except i've put them between the two pairs of socks in my shoes. It sncie and toasty. T minus 8 hours, 45 minutes. Every once in a while someone from Wal-mart comes out and tells us to move 10 feet this way, or 5 feet that way. They claim its because we're in front of the "fire doors" but I think they're just fucking with us. T minus 7 hours, 45 minutes.

5:30 pm Saturday -
The sun is starting to set. Its getting colder. I wasn't sure that was possible. Even though we're so close to getting the Wii, it feels like an eternity. T minus 6 hours, 30 minutes.

6:30 pm Saturday -
Alabama lost to Auburn. Fuck Auburn. I hate Tuberville and his thumb. This might cost Shula his job. I hope not. On the lighter side, spirts are high at Wal-Mart as we have begun an hourly "Roll Call" led by yours truly. Somehow I became the defacto leader and spokesman of the group. I think it has a lot to do with the other clown who was trying to take control getting OWNED by management on the grill issue. I'll happily accept the responsibility. It gives me something to do. From this point forward I will be calling Roll every hour at the top of the hour until we feel it is necessary to line up. We dont know when that will be. If people show up and start claiming they are in line we will have to get in order. Until then we will continue to mill around as we please. A lot of people have moved inside to play "Guitar Hero" on PS2. Weak. T minus 5 hours, 30 minutes.

7:00 pm Saturday -
We had a scare. A woman showed up claiming she wanted a Wii. We explained that 30 of us were here, and 30 Wii's were available, and that she'd have to go elsewhere. Then she started to count the number of us out there. She got to 27 and ran out of people. She then insisted that there were only 27 of us, and she was now number 28. We told her the other three were in the bathroom, and that she should leave before all 30 of us get involved. We've all agreed to protect each other here, and we're not about to be bullied around by a soccer mom. Roll Call commences, and all 30 are accounted for. T minus 5 hours.

7:30 pm Saturday -
The good people of Wal-Mart move us into the vision center since it is closed. I am teaching three of my fellow Wii'ers how to play Euchre (the best card game on earth). Its going well. USC v. Cal is on so people are having a good time. Two of the guys in line had a friend bring their TV and their gamecube with Smash Brothers on it, so a big group has gathered in the back to play video games. T minus 4 hours, 30 minutes.

9:00 pm Saturday -
Holly is amazing. She made Funfetti cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and sprinkles. We're instantly heros in line, as many people want a cupcake, but only a few get one. I've just been told by Mike that I'm the "Jack Shepard" of this little family. That was the kindest thing anyone has ever said to me. Playing cards, watching football and its warm inside. Life has gotten better. T minus 3 hours.

10:00 pm Saturday -
Manager comes to me with a list of all the accecories (games, controllers, etc.) that they will have on sell with the Wii, as well as a count of how many of each there are. A crisis arrises, as there are only 24 Zelda, and 30 of us. We quickly do a count, and find that EXACTLY 6 of us Do Not want Zelda. SCORE! There are other shortages though. only 19 extra controllers, 14 copies of Madden, 4 classic controllers, etc. We have a meeting, I call roll, and we decided that the only fair way to do this is to let everyone go in the same order they are for the Wii, first come first serve. This suits everyone well. Crisis averted. T minus 2 hours.

10:15 pm Saturday -
I sneak off to the back to pre-purchase a copy of Madden. Just in case. T minus 1 hour, 45 minutes.

10:45 pm Saturday -
The natives are getting restless. They said at 11 they would line us up, give us tickets and set us free for an hour before pickup. We do a roll call, and I put everyone in line. This is where we get into trouble. Some family shows up at 10:50 thinking they can just jump in and get a Wii. They are number 31. I count the line, call the roll, then explain this to them. The mother, in front of her 11 year old son says "You god damned hardcore gamers, you always ruin these things for the rest of us." Needless to say, she was boo'ed from the building. T minus 1 hour, 15 minutes.

11:00 pm Saturday -
The tickets are distributed and now the wait is in its final stages. We have 1 hour to kill...T minus 1 hour.

11:15 pm Saturday -
AJK, Mike Pool and I go to Taco Bell with our hour. Mike buys us dinner because we're "poor college students" and he's just a hell of a guy. It was really cool of him. We eat our dinner in the car in the back of Wal-Mart. They have devised this system "for our saftey". We are to park in the back of the store, and they open the fire door into the Layaway dept. At 12 they will let us in in two rows of 15 to purchase our system. T minus 45 minutes.

11:30 pm Saturday -
People are getting really antsy. We've stared a game of 5-on-5 Football in the parking lot. I'm running pretty good routes, caught three good balls, and was having a good time, until I cramped up from having just eaten taco bell. Ouch. T minues 30 minutes.





11:55 pm Saturday -
They think it will be 1-15 in one line, 16-30 in the other. They don't know that we have an agreement in place regarding some of the low quantity items, and we are not going to obide by this. T minus 5 minutes.




12:00 am Sunday -
Wii is on sale! The lines are in place, and ready to go. Crisis strikes again. AJK and I are in the left line. They move ALL the lay-away people to our line. Layaway takes a LONG time to process each purchase. The other line is moving at a 4-to-1 rate. I'm livid. I start spouting obscenity. I tell everyone that this is unacceptable, and violates the nature of our agreement. We'd played nice all day, and now this!?!? If I don't get Zelda and a Wii-mote, I'm going to break a nose. I told the woman working there this. She doesn't like me, needless to say. Mike Pool gets the first Wii. We get the "money shot" but only a few people in line got the joke. Gross.







12:20 am Sunday -
AJK and I emerge victories. We have in our possesion: 2 Nintendo Wii's, 2 Extra Wii-motes, 1 copy of Madden '07 and 2 copies of Zelda:Twighlight Princess. We win. Should I say, Wii win!





Summary:
A full review of this AMAZING system is coming in the days that follow, as will pictures of the crazy day at Wal-Mart. Let me assure you, if you're skeptical. Don't buy a PS3...get a Wii, you'll regret the PS3. I'll get into detail later. I hope you've enjoyed reading this. All in all, the people at Wal-Mart were alright. Some of them suck, just like any other aspect of life. We had a good time, and met some cool people. What more can you ask for? Oh yeah! We got a two Wii!


Stay Tuned...