In Defense of (The Group Formerly Known as) Mark's Madness

Upon picking up my copy of the Crimson White this morning, not only did I first notice that 'Bama did not play Kentucky in the SEC Basketball Tournament last season (I would know, I almost died in that tornado and slept in my car to watch those games), I opened it up to find an opinion column about Mark's Madness, a group I am largely involved in.

Besides there being some truth to this article, there were a few things that irked me a bit with public perception of the group.

First was the perception of the group after the Kentucky game in the article. We were also surprised by the great play in the Kentucky game, but the "classic come apart" was not aimed at the players. We love those guys and are the reason we come to the games.

The come apart was a staple of Mark Gottfried coaching. In the last few minutes of the game, when 'Bama was down by eight with about three minutes remaining, Gottfried was showing no signs of using new plays to get better scoring opportunities while Kentucky was having their way on the opposite end.

It is something that came to be known as "twisting the knife." It is that feeling that a game is in the grasp of winning, only to somehow snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. When you follow around the team as much as I have, going as far as Columbia, South Carolina and Lexington Kentucky, not to mention Auburn three times and Starkville twice, it is something you get used to seeing, but you always have hope because you want those guys to succeed.

To say that fan support for the players is lacking is false. In my time here, I have a personal 1-13 record away from Coleman, 0-11 in true road games. Over the past three seasons, the Crimson Tide have won one SEC road game, a large player in why Gottfried was let go.

Now, compared to the article, the video on Tidesports.com about Mark's Madness is something that would really, for all you Family Guy fans, grind my gears.

One cocky UA student described the group as, "A waste of space" and a group that doesn't "contribute at all." He finished his little soap box rant by hoping he would be able to sit on the front row and that the program gets dissolved.

First things first, him saying he views the student group as a waste of space is just like me saying there is a waste of space on Jefferson Avenue, it's all opinion, not to mention the campus needs more parking.

Second, he has as much of a right to that front row as any, if he puts forth the effort and time to come to the games like so many Alabama basketball "fans" say they do.

Want to sit there, here is how. First, pay your fifteen bucks. Second, show up about two hours before the game, not just five minutes like your precious block seating section, which actually dissolves at thirty minutes before kickoff. Third, come to the games that don't matter. So many "fans" show up for Kentucky, LSU and Auburn, but aren't there to support the players for the FAMU's, Alabama A&M's, and Quincy's of the world. Showing up to those games will show more support for the players than coming to SEC games.

Finally, the group isn't going anywhere. Sure, we may have to change names, but the stronghold as a student section will still be present. Whether the name is changed to Anderson's Army, Calipari's Crimson Crew, Tubby's Tide, or maybe just the Colemaniacs, there will still be a student group there to support the basketball team and the new head coach. Too bad Anthony Grant won't be joining us here.