I have exactly three posts to my credit(?), and I love and hate following Tigerdroppings and the rants. I am 62 years old, and I have been sitting in the south end zone since 1971. I have watched the Tigers alternately inspire me and break my heart more times than I can count.

What worries me about us is all of the complaints about Miles as the coach. While watching the Ole Miss game last year with friends, I also was screaming at the TV set watching the clock disappear before my very eyes. It was much worse in HD and on a screen 48" across than on the baby screen TVs.

Looking back to the 70s, I remember hoping and praying that McClendon would get canned because "he couldn't win the big ones." That really meant he couldn't beat Bear Bryant year in and year out. Of course nobody could, but everyone hung that on McClendon. Then we got Bo Rein who tragically dies. We went through Arnsparger, Stovall, Archer, Hallman, Dinardo, et al with limited and sparing success. The only good thing about Hallman and Dinardo was they were so bad, it was easier to park because not anyone was at the game.

We should be careful for what we wish. Should we force Les Miles out, the obvious question is who takes his place? Many of the people on this list won't care as long as he is gone; however, I do remember looking back after McClendon's demise thinking that 7-3 and 8-3 seasons didn't look so bad after watching all of the aforementioned coaches.

Let's go back to the perennial comment about how he won with Saban's talent. Supposedly when you think about it, anybody could have walked into the stadium and won a championship. I know I could have coached the team, and we would have gone 0 and 99. Not anybody can coach, even with talent. Aha, you say. That proves the point. Miles has squandered talent. I don't think so. I think he gets his players up and ready. I don't know this, but i feel this. Until I am proven wrong, I am going to think that the players like him and working for him. He sure knows how to get them here. I also think he can make changes, even though I wish Stud... whatever the Offensive line caoch's name is wold have been replaced.

We are also quick to forget about getting Perrilloux out. I think that devastated the team's performance. Lee and Hatch have to step up even if they weren't truly ready. I consider that significant. I believe that this one thing did more to impact the team than anything else. I saw the tentative nature with which they and Jefferson played all of the last two years.

I hope the best for Les Miles because it is good for the Tigers. I think he is a decent man, and i wish I had a son who could have played for him. I watched him on the sidelines after Lee threw an interception for a touchdown. He didn't tear into him. Saban would have you say. I am sure he would have done just that, but you have to measure the cost. QBs and kicker have easily damaged egos and psyches. I think Miles erred on the side of making a bad situation better,not worse.

Am I an apologist for Coach Miles? Perhaps, and I am going to cut him some slack and see how several things go this season. Will the new assistants help? Are the lines playing up to potential? Does the QB produce with a minimum of sacks, interceptions, and incompletions? How about our running game? Will it produce along with new talent? Can the LBs and the DBs fit together cohesively and be an asset to the offense? Many, many questions that only time will tell.

This is along thread, and most likely a pain in the butt to read since most people today --- myself included --- have the attention span of a gnat, but it is something I wanted to say. SOOOOO, after having said all that, I am prepared to be vilified. Even though you may think it, I really don't have the IQ of a plant or a brick. What I really want is what you want. I want us to be competitive, and I want us to win when we shouldn't (LSU vs Arkansas, Cotton Bowl).

Geeeeaaauuux Tigers!!!!