Armchair quarterbacks are a dime a dozen.Actually, that’s not true-they’re more like a dime per thousand.I’ve never seen or heard of so many &uot;expert&uot; coaches that have

surfaced since the University of Alabama flunked out on three of its first five football games of the year 2000 schedule.Most of those verbalizing about the Alabama situation are either demanding immediate dismissal of the head coach or they’re exhorting the athletics director to fire the entire coaching staff.I couldn’t disagree more.I cite last year’s record, for example, when the Crimson Tide ended up with eight wins and three losses during the regular season.In that process the Tide captured the SEC West crown and later won the SEC championship.In these days of stress and tension it appears that a large percentage of fandom is totally incapable of harnessing its emotions and runs willy-nilly in all directions in an effort to nail down a puzzling objective.Perhaps it’s (the objective)

to forestall the total collapse of the University system, or maybe perhaps to resolve that system via the Great God of Football’s winning season that’ll ultimately end its year with a trip to a major bowl.Then, and only then will all the faint-hearted alums and subway quasi-boosters cease all the yapping and vocalizing about the only thing that counts at that prestigious university.Listed below are some excerpts from a daily newspaper’s &uot;letters to the editor&uot; on this subject:I think Mike Dubose should resign now.The worst thing is I’m losing interest in Alabama football. Mike, do the right thing today…resign. He should go. This year represents the worst coaching job by an Alabama coach, in my memory. (This chap must be a young’un-maybe he doesn’t recall the &uot;Ears&uot; Whitworth era of the 50’s).Dubose must be replaced as coach.The above is just a sampling of the glut of negativism.On the plus side:We need to keep Mike Dubose. He coaches hard, but the players must learn how to play hard, too.I think Mike Dubose should be retained-after all this is the same man who won the SEC title for us last year.Please, please don’t fire Coach Mike Dubose.The negative letters outnumber the positive ones about ten to one.What I say is &uot;If you can’t support your university, you should jump out of a high-flying jet plane without a parachute.Leave Mike and the U. of A. alone, and keep your trap shut.&uot;ROLL TIDE!!!************************************************************Thought for the day for all us old folks who are not as young as we once were:

The older we get, the faster time fliesOr so it has always been saidBut a person lives until he dies And then, By Golly, he’s dead!So let the time fly, do not hurryJust do your best and never worry Time takes care of all of our fears So, &uot;Live it up&uot; in the &uot;Golden Years&uot;.

-By Mae Burkett Williams