Happy Gump Day: Vandagriff finally earns her POTW nod, Bama football is remarkably upbeat these days

Good vibes only Gump Day, let’s get to it, aight?

Quick recap first:

Alabama baseball claimed its 30th win of the season last night, and ran its midweek record to 11-0. This was not the usual schedule of soup cans, however. Both UAB and Southern Miss were ranked opponents. It was encouraging that the Tide played a “normal” game for a change — solid pitching timely hitting, after the power outage and poor showing the last two weekends.

Alabama Adapted Tennis won the natty, and it did so by beating Auburn — which makes it far sweeter.

And, Audrey Vandagriff finally earned SEC FOTW honors, despite having been probably one of the two or three best freshman in the entire conference all year and never having been recognized.

What do you give an 8-year-old child who lost damn near everything in the LA fires, including his precious autographed Robert Horry jersey?

Why, an appearance on NBA Today, a meeting with the most clutch player in basketball outside of MJ (and for my money, the best 6th Man in NBA history) and a replacement courtesy of his personal GOAT.

And for those who want to whine about this kid not even being alive when Robert Horry retired, much less having seen him play, do you not remember having childhood sports heroes from eras past? Two of my three favorite players of all time not only played before I was born, one of them had even died before I was born (Lou Gehrig). Hell, my two all-time personal inspirations died centuries ago — give it up for the best attorney and orator in history, Cicero; and a here’s shout out to the Great Khan, Temujin of House Borjigin (friends just call him Genghis though).

Coach DeBoer’s demeanor this offseason is decidedly more upbeat. And that enthusiasm is trickling down (or emanating upwards) from his assistants too. Case in point: Alabama has elite depth at the corner position for the first time in years.

You can thank the emergence of freshman Dijon Lee, as well as the rapid improvement of last year’s underclassmen, including Dre Jr.

Alabama DC Kane Wommack: “Dijon Lee is on pace to contribute for us as a freshman, and that’s always impressive to me.”

Overall, I feel really good about the secondary, optimistic about pass rush depth, cautious about the linebackers following Lawson’s injury, and somewhat concerned about the interior defensive line: a defense is only as good as it is strong right up the middle.

The glass-half-full sort of person in me can see a scenario where this unit shapes up to be a 2017-type group though, with so many new faces and young players throwing it around with reckless abandon.

(And since it’s Gump Day, we won’t get into what the glass-half-empty bro inside of me fears.)

Of course, that optimism could also arise from the projected signing of the No 3 WR in next year’s class, five-star Cederian Morgan!

Alabama, as a national brand, doesn’t recruit quite as much in-state these days. But the 6’4” 210 Morgan is one of the most coveted players in this class, and it’s great to keep him at home.

The exceptionally athletic Morgan is also a star on the court and track.

Did they record that on a potato? Camera work is bad enough to be an Alabama Softball livestream.

An Alabama gymnastics team that had played dead for most of the season did some growing up in a big way, real fast, down the home stretch. The Tide rebounded to win three of their last four meets, upended the powerhouse Cal Bears in Tuscaloosa, and somehow claimed their region — and, in a sign that nature is healing, this very young, rebuilt squad, is heading to the national championships.

Coach APJ did a remarkable job continuing to coach them up and develop them down the stretch.

The ladies are off to Dallas for this week’s nationals. Hope for the best!

And, finally, I leave you with this pair of thicc alpha bullfrogs wrestling on lily pads for the right to meet the Mrs. Bullfrog of their dreams, all set to the dulcet tones of Creed. You’re welcome.

That hip throw is S-tier. Hell yeah, brother.

Have a great day, and Roll Tide. Share your good Gump below