NEU » coach Tom Izzo, and owner Jerry Reinsdorf, an architect in

ATLANTA -- Many times in life we dont appreciate the fact that history is being made in real time and right in front of us.That is not the case with Coach Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide. All of us who follow the SEC have had a front row seat to history.For when No. 1 Alabama (12-0) takes on No. 15 Florida (8-3) in Saturdays SEC championship game at the Georgia Dome, that history will continue.A victory on Saturday by Alabama would give Saban, in his 10th season at Alabama, his seventh SEC championship (two at LSU, five at Alabama). That would move Saban into sole possession of second place on the all-time list behind Bear Bryant at 14.Heres the list:SEC ChampionshipsCoachChampionshipsBear Bryant (Kentucky, Alabama)14Nick Saban (LSU, Alabama)6Vince Dooley (Georgia)6Steve Spurrier (Florida)6John Vaught (Ole Miss)6Another note: A win would give Saban his seventh victory in a conference championship game. That would tie him with Oklahomas Bob Stoops.Alabama will very likely go to the playoff even if it loses to Florida on Saturday. But dont tell Saban that this game is not important. Winning the SEC championship game is a big deal. A really big deal.Winning the SEC championship is something thats really important to us and we think a very, very significant accomplishment (in) that we would have to beat a very, very good team (Florida) to do it, Saban said earlier this week. My experience in the game, whether it was at LSU or here at Alabama, is that the only better competitive venue Ive ever played in is the national championship game.seIf Alabama wins its third straight SEC championship the Crimson Tide will be the No. 1 seed when the pairings for the four-team College Football Playoff are released on Sunday (Noon, ESPN). It also means that Alabama would return to the Georgia Dome for the CFP semifinal on Dec. 31.If Alabama wins the national championship it would give Saban a total of six (1 at LSU, 5 at Alabama). Saban would then tie Alabama great Bear Bryant for the most national championships by a coach.Heres the list:National ChampionshipsCoachChampionshipsBear Bryant (Alabama)6Nick Saban (LSU, Alabama)5Bernie Bierman (Minnesota)5Frank Leahy (Notre Dame)5And heres the stat that really puts Nick Sabans time at Alabama into perspective: Saturday will be the 72nd game in Alabamas rich football history that the Crimson Tide have played as the nations No. 1 team.Saban has been the head coach for 48 of those games, posting a record of 42-5. Those 42 wins as No. 1 are the most by any coach in college football history.One final nugget on Saban: If Alabama wins Saturday it would give the Crimson Tide their 15th consecutive victory over a Top 25 opponent. That would put Alabama within one game of the all-time record of 16 straight wins against Top 25 opponents set by Southern California from 2002-2005.Here are a few other storylines worth noting as we approach Saturdays game:?It will be 25th anniversary of the SEC championship game which began in 1992 at Legion Field in Birmingham. Alabama won the first game against Florida 28-21 and then went on to beat Miami in the Sugar Bowl for the national championship.To honor the occasion former commissioner Roy Kramer, whose leadership created the game, will be joined by the two coaches in the 1992 game - Floridas Steve Spurrier and Alabamas Gene Stallings - for the pregame coin toss.?This will be the 23rd and last SEC championship game at the Georgia Dome, which is scheduled to be destroyed after the season. Next year the game will be played at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium which is right next door. The College Football Playoff national championship will be played there as well next season.?This will be the 12th appearance in the SEC championship game for Florida and the 11th for Alabama. This will be the ninth time that Alabama and Florida have met in the championship game. The record in those games is tied at 4-4.?This is the second straight appearance in the SEC championship game for Florida coach Jim McElwain. He is the first coach in history to go to the SEC championship game in each of his first two seasons.?And finally there is this: There has been talk that this could be Sabans best team in his 10 years at Alabama. Only time will tell is that this true. But this much I know: This is one of the best defenses - if not the best - that Saban has had in Tuscaloosa. The numbers do not lie. These are the defensive categories in which Alabama leads all of FBS: Scoring defense: 11.4 ppg Total defense: 246.8 ypg Rushing defense: 68.7 ypg Defensive TDs: 9 Offensive TDs allowed: 12 Rushing TDs allowed: 3 First downs allowed: 13.0 per game Christin Stewart Jersey ., and Rudi Swiegers of Kipling, Sask., took sixth spot on Saturday in pairs at the NHK Trophy ISU Grand Prix figure skating competition. Frank Tanana Jersey . LOUIS -- The New Orleans Saints looked like a team playing out the string. https://www.cheaptigers.com/1219z-bucky-harris-jersey-tigers.html . And follow TSN.ca right through Deadline Day for all the updates. From Pierre LeBrun While Anaheim GM Bob Murray said earlier this season he was not going to trade Jonas Hiller despite the fact hes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, some sources have told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun that Murray might be willing to move another goalie. Doug Brocail Jersey . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. Detroit Tigers Gear .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. TENNISNEW YORK -- For quite a while, Novak Djokovics opponent in the U.S. Open semifinals, Gael Monfils, looked as if he didnt want to win -- or even be there at all.That premeditated great strategy of hoping to lull the No. 1 seed and defending champion into complacency and mistakes did not prevent Monfils from falling into a two-set deficit. So he transformed back into his entertaining, athletic self and won the third set.However, Djokovic regained the upper hand to reach his 21st Grand Slam final and seventh at the U.S. Open with a 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 victory.Djokovic, vying for his third U.S. Open title and 13th major trophy, will face No. 3 Stan Wawrinka on Sunday Wawrinka advanced to his first final at Flushing Meadows with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-2 victory over No. 6 Kei Nishikori.NFLCHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Panthers coach Ron Rivera wants Cam Newton to receive the same protection on helmet-to-helmet hits as other quarterbacks get in the NFL.Rivera said because of the 6-foot-5, 245-pound Newtons size and the Panthers style of play, Newton often doesnt draw the flags on hard hits that smaller QBs do.Newton was on the receiving end of four helmet-to-helmet hits in Thursday nights physical 21-20 loss to Denver, but the Broncos were only penalized once.Rivera even went as far as to say the leagues reigning MVP should receive some preferential treatment. The coach would like to see Newton, now in his sixth season, get some veteran favoritism from the leagues officials.Newton was tested four times for a concussion -- after the game in the locker room, on the bus, on the flight home and Friday morning at the stadium -- and all proved to be negative. He was never tested during the game.FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Tight end Rob Gronkowski will miss the New England Patriots opener against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday night because of a hamstring injury.The team confirmed Friday night that Gronkowski had been downgraded from questionable to out for the game. Also missing the game will be offensive linemen Jonathan Cooper and Nate Solder -- and suspended quarterback Tom Brady.The Providence Journal first reported that the players did not travel with the team to Phoenix. The team declined to comment about whether the players made the trip.EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- The rehabilitation of Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewaters left knee will require recovery from multiple ligament reconstruction.The team issued a statement from director of sports medicine and head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman, revealing that the surgery the day before was performed in Dallas by Dr. Dan Cooper at the Carrell Clinic. The dislocation of Bridgewaters knee during practice on Aug. 30 resulted in a complete tear of his anterior cruciate ligament, accompanied by other significant damage as initially announced by the Vikings.ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Seantrel Henderson has decided to drop plans to appeal the NFLs four-game suspension even though his agent said the Billls right tackle was using marijuana for medicinal purposes to relieve the effects of Crohns disease.ddddddddddddThe Bills announced that Henderson was suspended for violating the leagues substance abuse policy.Hendersons agent, Brian Fettner, told The Associated Press that his client tested positive for marijuana. Fettner added it was futile to appeal the leagues ruling.Henderson was diagnosed with the inflammatory bowel disease late last year and had two operations on his intestines this past offseason. Doctors removed a section of diseased tissue in January, and Henderson then had his intestines reattached in April.BASKETBALLSPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- When Shaquille ONeal was 10 years old, his father made a prediction.Friday night when his son became a Hall of Famer, it was realized.Shaq and Allen Iverson headlined the 10-member Class of 2016 enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. One of the most star-packed classes in recent memory, it also featured international star Yao Ming, WNBA great Sheryl Swoopes, coach Tom Izzo, and owner Jerry Reinsdorf, an architect in the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls championship teams of the 1990s.Posthumous honorees were: 27-year NBA referee Darell Garretson; John McLendon, the first African-American coach in a professional league; Zelmo Beaty, the former NBA and ABA star who led Prairie View to an NAIA title in 1962; and Cumberland Posey, who is also a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.BASEBALLATLANTA -- Mets general manager Sandy Alderson is defending the teams deal with Tim Tebow, saying the decision is about baseball and not any opportunity to sell merchandise.The 29-year-old Tebow agreed Thursday to a minor league contract that includes a $100,000 signing bonus. He is attempting to launch a baseball career four years after the end of his time as an NFL quarterback.Alderson said Friday it wouldnt be practical to make such a big commitment to Tebow only as an attempt to market Tebows name.Tebow will report Sept. 18 to the Instructional League in Port St. Lucie, Florida. He will test his skills against younger players for three weeks before the Mets determine his next destination.GOLFCARMEL, Ind. -- U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson made two eagles in a span of seven holes, shot 31 on the back nine and set the course record at Crooked Stick with a 9-under 63 that gave him a share of the lead with Roberto Castro in the BMW Championship.Johnson didnt even know he set the course record until Tony Pancake, the golf director at Crooked Stick, congratulated him on the way to the clubhouse.Castro was the first player to reach 14-under 130 on the rain-softened course. He is at No. 53 in the FedEx Cup and only the top 30 make it to the FedEx Cup finale at East Lake and a shot at the $10 million bonus.Paul Casey had a 66 and was three shots behind. ' ' '