Alabama News

Dear Eric: I have two friends who can’t hear very well. One of them had hearing aids but returned them. The other one has them but won’t wear them.

They frequently talk over each other and interrupt people all the time because they can’t seem to tell if someone else is speaking.

What’s really annoying is they keep telling me to speak up, then complain when I do so. They accuse me of mumbling, but everyone else understands me just fine.

I have to repeat myself over and over again, increasing my volume each time until they say, “don’t yell at me!”

I keep telling them that if they keep asking me to speak up until they can hear me, they shouldn’t complain when I finally reach a volume they can hear. Any thoughts?

– Raising Voices

Dear Voices: Navigating hearing loss can be tough. Sometimes it’s an issue of pride, sometimes people don’t realize how much they’re missing and have gotten used to getting by. It can be difficult to convince friends who haven’t found the right medical solution to keep trying.

But, in a non-charged moment, talk to them about what you’re seeing and encourage them to visit an audiologist, perhaps a different one than the doctor they saw before. Remind them that hearing loss is associated with an increased risk of developing dementia and that, according to the National Institute of Health, using hearing aids can help reduce the rate of cognitive decline in older adults by up to 50 percent. Additionally, hearing aids can help reduce social isolation by helping those experiencing hearing loss to better engage with conversation and the world around them. There are many benefits, but like many medical remedies, they sometimes take a minute to get used to.

Perhaps by focusing on their personal well-being and continued health, you’ll help them see that you’re not complaining simply for the sake of complaining, but rather because you want the best for them and for your friendship.

Read more Asking Eric and other advice columns.

Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at [email protected] or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Every day until Aug. 29, Creg Stephenson is counting down significant numbers in Alabama football history, both in the lead-up to the 2025 football season and in commemoration of the Crimson Tide’s first national championship 100 years ago. The number could be attached to a year, a uniform number or even a football-specific statistic. We hope you enjoy.

Alabama wasted no one time showing the world that the 2008 season — and several seasons after that — would be different from the previous 15 or so that had come before it.

On Aug. 30, 2008, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, the Crimson Tide smashed ninth-ranked Clemson 34-10 in the first Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic. The victory sparked a breakthrough season by the Crimson Tide, which ended up 12-2, won its first SEC West championship in nine years and posted the first of 16 consecutive double-digit-win seasons under Nick Saban.

Clemson, coming off a 9-4 finish, was a 5-point favorite that day in Atlanta. But it was Alabama — which had gone 7-6 in Saban’s debut season of 2007 — that left the Georgia Dome with all the forward momentum.

“It didn’t take two full years,” Kevin Scarbinsky wrote in the following day’s Birmingham News. “It didn’t take two full halves. It didn’t take the entire first game of Nick Saban’s second season for the Alabama football team to look and act like a Saban team.

“The coach who preaches to his players to finish watched them start the inaugural Chick-fil-A College Kickoff as if their scholarships depended on it.”

Alabama jumped out to a 23-3 halftime lead on the strength of three Leigh Tiffin field goals and two John Parker Wilson touchdowns — a 1-yard run and a 4-yard pass to tight end Nick Walker. Clemson’s C.J. Spiller returned the second-half kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown, but that proved to be the only highlight of the day for the Tigers.

Alabama put the game away with 10 more points, Wilson’s 4-yard touchdown pass to freshman sensation Julio Jones and Tiffin’s fourth field goal. In its first game under new offensive coordinator Jim McElwain, the Crimson Tide did not turn the ball over and more than doubled Clemson’s total offense output, 419 yards to 188.

“We came out with a different mindset, really,” Wilson said, “really wanting to take care of the ball. Making good decisions was the big focus today. I think we did that today, took care of the ball. We didn’t put ourselves in any bad situations, and the way our defense is running that’s all we had to do.”

Alabama’s stellar 2008 recruiting class made an immediate impact. Jones had four receptions including his touchdown, while fellow freshman Mark Ingram ran for 96 yards on 17 carries.

But it was the Crimson Tide’s largest signee who made the biggest impact. Massive 6-foot-4, 360-pound defensive tackle Terrence Cody led an Alabama defensive front that held Clemson — which returned Spiller and fellow all-star candidate James Davis in the backfield — to zero yards on 14 carries.

“Zero yards? They rushed for zero yards?” Alabama linebacker Cory Reamer said. “I guess penetration worked. Their linemen were on different levels all night so they had nothing to run behind.”

The difference in preparedness between the two teams was evident from Clemson’s first offensive series, with Alabama up 3-0. Though Spiller and Davis had combined for 1,832 yards and 13 touchdowns rushing in 2007, it was freshman Jamie Harper who got the game’s first carry for the Tigers.

Harper getting the ball on the second play of the season — following an incomplete pass on first down — was the fulfillment of a recruiting promise by Clemson coach Tommy Bowden, who had made similar agreements with Spiller and Davis. Harper promptly fumbled, and Alabama recovered to set up Tiffin’s second field goal.

“I did it for C.J., did it for James, did it for [former cornerback] Justin Miller,” Bowden told reporters the following day. “Those have been pretty productive players. You get 1,000 offensive snaps in one year. That fumble, what did they do, kick a field goal? We could’ve scored one touchdown and rectified that turnover.

“But to do that for a good player? Oh, man alive. Yeah. That fumble didn’t lose the game. That was the first drive, second play of the game. We’re down 6-0, a touchdown wins the game. Yeah, I’d do that.”

Though the victory over Clemson marked a new beginning for Alabama, it led to Bowden’s undoing. After back-to-back ACC losses to Maryland and Wake Forest dropped the Tigers to 3-3 and out of the national rankings, Bowden resigned on Oct. 13 (he was replaced by interim coach Dabo Swinney, who remains on the job today).

Alabama rolled through the remainder of the regular season, including victories at Arkansas (49-14), Georgia (41-30), Tennessee (29-9) and LSU (27-21 in overtime) and a 36-0 shellacking of Auburn in the Iron Bowl. The Crimson Tide lost the SEC championship game to Florida 31-20 and then fell flat in the Sugar Bowl vs. Utah, but the program had undeniably been set on a path toward re-assuming its place at the top of the mountain in the SEC and in college football in general.

“Coach (Saban) has been stressing that he wants us to finish games and he wants to have a dominating mentality,” Alabama safety Rashad Johnson said. “And I think everyone took that attitude when we went out on the field. That’s what we tried to display. We want to dominate our opponent, and I think we did a great job of doing that.”

Coming Monday: Our countdown to kickoff continues with No. 33, when Alabama won the first of its record 30 SEC championships.

This is an opinion column.

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The more Auburn waits to address the status of football player Malcolm Simmons, then the more pressure will be put on his alleged victim of domestic violence.

Is that the kind of game Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze wants to play before the beginning of fall camp?

Nasty stuff.

Fall camp is here and at Auburn it’s beginning with a scandal that grows by the day. Freeze can’t stay silent forever, though. Reckoning with domestic violence is now the biggest storyline at Auburn to begin Freeze’s make-or-break season.

Auburn is a sleeper pick to contend for the SEC championship, but I’m beginning to have some serious doubts.

Where’s the accountability?

Police arrested Simmons on July 16 and charged him with a felony count of domestic assault with strangulation or suffocation. According to the police report, there were bruises on the neck of Simmons’ girlfriend after she called 911.

Simmons said he didn’t do it and all Auburn has said is that it’s gathering the facts of the case. Whatever that means.

Isn’t that what the police already did?

Are Auburn football players suddenly above the law?

Simmons shouldn’t be on the team with a case of domestic violence against him, but he’s still listed on the roster.

Why is Auburn dragging this out, and what’s to gain? Does Freeze and athletics director John Cohen think the woman choked herself?

Freeze is beginning to compromise Auburn’s integrity. Silence isn’t an option and, in this case, has its own implications. But no one has addressed the alleged assault, and so we’re left to assume that Auburn is hoping the girlfriend drops the charges and the case goes away.

And the manipulation of an alleged victim of domestic violence continues.

In the meantime, fall camp begins on Wednesday. Freeze will have some explaining to do.

If Simmons practices on Wednesday, then Auburn president Christopher B. Roberts needs to step in and handle the situation.

Imagine a scenario where Simmons practices with the team one day and then shows up in court for a domestic violence charge the next. That can’t be allowed to happen. Simmons’ preliminary hearing is set for Aug.13.

Simmons is well liked, a phenomenal athlete and a hometown kid. He was the captain of his Benjamin Russell High School football team in nearby Alexander City. If he’s smart, then he learns an important lesson from this mistake and gets another chance someplace else. But he can’t get a second try at Auburn.

There’s no two-strike policy when it comes to domestic violence.

Simmons deserves his day in court, but playing college football at Auburn is a privilege and not a right.

Building a team culture starts there.

And for a coach with a questionable history, the silence on Simmons isn’t the type of thing that wins the hearts of fans.

On Tuesday of SEC Media Days, Freeze announced that Auburn’s team culture was in great shape and ready for a run at the SEC championship and College Football Playoff. On Wednesday, one of his projected starters at wide receiver had to be bailed out of jail for allegedly choking his girlfriend.

Worst timing ever.

There are financial implications, of course.

College revenue sharing began on July 1. Before that, Simmons had an NIL deal with Auburn. Is Simmons collecting revenue-sharing checks from Auburn while he awaits his court date? Is the NIL cash still rolling in?

Money makes everything messier. No wonder administrators so strongly oppose the idea of classifying college players as employees.

Any employee of Auburn would face termination for a domestic violence felony charge. Do football players being paid by the university get a different set of rules?

BE HEARD

Got a question for Joe? Want to get something off your chest? Send Joe an email about what’s on your mind. Let your voice be heard. Ask him anything.

Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of the book “We Want Bama: A Season of Hope and the Making of Nick Saban’s Ultimate Team.”

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will induct its Class of 2025 on Sunday, adding five players to the baseball shrine’s roster.

Joining the Hall of Fame will be Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner, who were elected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Jan. 21, and Dick Allen and Dave Parker, who were chosen by the Classic Baseball Era Committee on Dec. 8.

The Class of 2025 induction ceremony starts at 12:30 p.m. CDT Sunday in Cooperstown, New York. MLB Network will televise the event.

The BBWAA’s Class of 2025 ballot did not include any candidates who played at Alabama high schools and colleges on their way to the big leagues.

Among the 52 members of the Baseball Hall of Fame attending the ceremony will be Billy Williams, one of the 10 Hall of Famers with Alabama baseball roots – stars who transitioned to professional baseball from state sandlots, industrial leagues, high schools and colleges, depending on the era. There are three others members of the Baseball Hall of Fame who are natives of Alabama but grew up in the game in other states.

The Baseball Hall of Fame players with Alabama roots (presented in order of their MLB debut) include:

Joe Sewell, shortstop, Cleveland Indians 1920-30, New York Yankees 1931-33

The former University of Alabama player and coach was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977 after being chosen for enshrinement by the Veterans Committee. A .312 career hitter, the Wetumpka High School alumnus is the hardest player to strike out in baseball history, once going 115 consecutive games without striking out.

Heinie Manush, left fielder, Detroit Tigers 1923-27, St. Louis Browns 1928-30, Washington Senators 1930-35, Boston Red Sox 1936, Los Angeles Dodgers 1937-38, Pittsburgh Pirates 1938-39

The Tuscumbia native was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1964 after being chosen for enshrinement by the Veterans Committee. A career .330 hitter, he led the American League with a .378 batting average in 1926 and four times finished in the top five of the MVP voting.

Mule Suttles, first baseman, Birmingham Black Barons 1924-25, St. Louis Stars 1926-29, 1930-31, Chicago American Giants 1929, 1933-35, Detroit Wolves 1932, Washington Pilots 1932, Newark Eagles 1936-1940, 1942-44, New York Black Yankees 1941

Suttles was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006 after being chosen for enshrinement by the Negro League Committee. He came out of the Edgewater Coal Mining Camp just west of Birmingham to play for the Black Barons and was on the team when it joined the Negro National League in 1924. In 1926, Suttles had a Triple Crown season when he led the NNL in home runs, RBIs and batting average. Selected for five East-West All-Star Games, the first baseman played his final game three years before Jackie Robinson integrated the National League.

Satchel Paige, pitcher, Birmingham Black Barons 1927-30, Cleveland Cubs 1931, Pittsburgh Crawfords 1933-34, 1936, New York Black Yankees 1941, Kansas City Monarchs 1942-43, 1944-47, Memphis Red Sox 1943, Cleveland Indians 1948-49, St. Louis Browns 1951-53, Kansas City Athletics 1965

The Mobile native was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971 after being chosen for enshrinement by the Negro League Committee, becoming the first player to enter the Hall in that way. A legend in segregated baseball, Paige was 42 years old when he reached the American League, yet still represented the St. Louis Browns at the All-Star games in 1952 and 1953.

Early Wynn, pitcher, Washington Senators 1939, 1941-44, 1946-48, Cleveland Indians 1949-1957, 1963, Chicago White Sox 1958-62

The former Geneva County High School standout was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972 in his fourth year of eligibility. The nine-time All-Star and 300-game winner received the Cy Young and Sporting News MLB Player of the Year awards in 1959.

Willie Mays, center fielder, Birmingham Black Barons 1948, New York/San Francisco Giants 1951-52, 1954-1972, New York Mets 1972-73

From Fairfield Industrial High School, Mays was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979 in his first year of eligibility. The center fielder was named on 94.7 percent of the ballots, which was the highest since the inaugural Hall of Fame election in 1936, when Ty Cobb drew 98.2 percent, Honus Wagner garnered 95.1 percent and Babe Ruth received 95.1 percent of the possible votes. A 24-time All-Star, Mays won 12 Gold Gloves, two MVP Awards and a Rookie of the Year Award.

Hank Aaron, right fielder, Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves 1954-74, Milwaukee Brewers 1975-76

Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982 in his first year of eligibility, the Mobile native was named on 97.8 percent of the Baseball Writers Association of America ballots, the second-best in history at the time. The 25-time All-Star is most famous for breaking Babe Ruth’s career home run record, but he remains baseball’s all-time leader in runs batted in and total bases.

Willie McCovey, first baseman, San Francisco Giants 1959-1973, 1977-80, San Diego Padres 1974-76, Oakland Athletics 1976

From Central High School in Mobile, McCovey was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986 in his first year of eligibility. A six-time All-Star and the NL MVP in 1969, “Stretch” ranked seventh in baseball history in home runs when he retired.

Billy Williams, left fielder, Chicago Cubs 1959-1974, Oakland Athletics 1975-76

From Mobile County Training School, Williams was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987 in his sixth year of eligibility. The six-time All-Star was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1961 and The Sporting News MLB Player of the Year in 1972.

Frank Thomas, first baseman, Chicago White Sox 1990-2005, Oakland Athletics 2006, 2008, Toronto Blue Jays 2007-08

The Auburn alumnus was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014 in his first year of eligibility. Thomas was the American League MVP in 1993 and 1994 — the first two of his six consecutive All-Star selections — and hit 521 home runs, the same number as Willie McCovey.

The Baseball Hall of Fame members born in Alabama who left the state as children include:

Monte Irvin, left fielder, Newark Eagles 1938-43, 1945-48, New York Giants 1949-55, Chicago Cubs 1956

The Haleburg native was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973 after being chosen for enshrinement by the Negro League Committee. Irvin, who played high school baseball in New Jersey, was 30 years old when he reached the National League but still led the circuit in RBIs in 1951 just as he had the Negro National League 10 years before.

Don Sutton, pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers 1966-1980, 1988, Houston Astros 1981-82, Milwaukee Brewers 1982-84, Oakland Athletics 1985, California Angels 1985-87

The Clio native was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998 in his fifth year of eligibility. Sutton played high school baseball in Pensacola before his 23-season MLB career, during which he won 324 games and struck out 3,574 batters. Only Cy Young and Nolan Ryan started more games on the mound than Sutton.

Ozzie Smith, shortstop, San Diego Padres 1978-81, St. Louis Cardinals 1982-96

The Mobile native was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002 in his first year of eligibility. Smith played high school and college baseball in California before becoming a 15-time MLB All-Star and earning 13 Gold Gloves for fielding excellence.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

The final days of Venus in Gemini offer a chance to connect, flirt, explore and express without the weight of definition. In this airy phase, the heart gathers impressions, tries on possibilities, flits from thought to feeling like a butterfly choosing its bloom. If something matters, name it now — before the current turns inward and tides roll home.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Attraction is the theme, and it will be played out in unpredictable, arbitrary, personal and contextual ways. Keep in mind that each person is magnetized uniquely, perhaps irrationally and certainly uncontrollably. We can’t help what we like.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). There’s someone who lights you up for reasons words can’t explain — but your body, your energy and your instincts already know. Follow that spark. What matters most is how you feel when you’re with them, and how you shine.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You are trying to be kind, generous and honest in an ecosystem that punishes those very things. When your tactics don’t work, leave and try them somewhere else. A thriving person is often a well-placed one.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). Life isn’t always yes or no, right or wrong. You’re working with shades, tones, in-betweens. New categories are useful now — what drains you, what feeds you, what helps things move. Let that guide your next call.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The day has a glittering sense of possibility. The excellent part about this is that it won’t be nearly as hard to clean up as real glitter is. Let a delicious idea sweep you into new territory.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). A royal play is unfolding. Someone will re-enter your chambers, not to conquer but to be conquered. And you will never even lift your scepter. The force of your presence, the power in what you’ve already commanded, the scent of your power will do the rest.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You read people in ways they don’t expect. You pick up the rhythm of their needs and respond before they ask. This is love in action — and the reason you’re earning loyalty, trust and lasting bonds.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You’re not in the same place you were. What used to feel hard now fits like muscle memory. You’ll find yourself looking around again today, though, and noticing there’s so much more room to stretch and dream bigger.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’re catching signals today — a glance, a shift, the energy changing … You’re wired for this. Use it to navigate. There’s a move you’ve been waiting to make, and you’ll finally get all the signs that it’s time to make it.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Being “on” all the time is exhausting. It also takes quite a lot of skill. It’s like doing mental acrobatics while trying not to drop your heart. You’re building the muscles that let you balance without draining yourself entirely.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You can finally present the heartfelt token you’ve been holding on to. Make a moment of it. The thoughtfulness in the delivery will mean even more than the item itself.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). The day brings a familiar feeling, a restless stirring of sorts. Take it as a signal that whatever you did last time, it wasn’t quite the answer, as this business is still unfinished. This time around, try a different solution.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (July 27). Much of the year drives toward a crowning achievement — one that fulfills you on many levels. You’ll explore the edges of your talent with those of complementary gifts. Relationships are formed in a variety of ways, through challenge, through coziness, practicality and irrational desire, too. More highlights: You’ll go on a treasure hunt. There’s romance in unexpected corners. Scorpio and Cancer adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 5, 30, 40, 2 and 33.

CELEBRITY PROFILES: Maya Rudolph first dazzled on “Saturday Night Live” with rich impersonations and versatility, then won Emmys for her voice work in “Big Mouth” and virtuosic sketch portrayals, and comedies like “Bridesmaids” and “Disenchanted.” With four children and deep roots in improv, music and voice, her career pulses with warmth, creativity and protective loyalty — the magic of four prominent, luminous Leo placements.

Holiday Mathis’ debut novel, “How To Fail Epically in Hollywood,” is out now! This fast-paced romp about achieving Hollywood stardom is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit creatorspublishing.com for more information. Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com.

Waived by the Boston Celtics on Thursday, JD Davison returned to the NBA on Saturday by signing a two-way contract with the Houston Rockets.

A two-way contract allows an NBA team to shuttle a player between the big team and the NBA Gatorade League affiliate without exposing him to waivers. Davison spent almost all his three seasons with the Celtics on a two-way contract and became the Maine Celtics’ career leader in points and assists while appearing in 36 regular-season games with Boston.

Houston’s G League affiliate is the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in Edinburg, Texas. Each NBA team can have three players on two-way contracts.

Davison won the Kia NBA G League Most Valuable Player for the 2024-25 season, and Boston converted his two-way contract to a standard deal on April 13 to put him on its playoff roster, then picked up its team option in June to keep the former Alabama guard for the 2025-26 season.

But on Thursday, Boston announced it had waived Davison. Waiving Davison put Boston’s committed spending for the 2025-26 season below the second apron of the luxury tax and left the Celtics with an open roster spot.

Davison averaged 25.6 points, 7.7 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 45 games for Maine last season.

Davison also played 16 regular-season games with Boston during the 2024-25 season. He had 33 points, 13 rebounds, 13 assists, five steals and one blocked shot in 93 minutes of court time. Davison also played 13 minutes in four playoff games.

Davison earned Alabama’s Mr. Basketball Award for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons while leading the Calhoun School in Letohatchee to the AHSAA Class 2A championship in each campaign. Davison averaged 33.4 points, 12.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists as a junior and 32.4 points, 10.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists as a senior at Calhoun.

Davison averaged 8.5 points, 4.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game in his only season at Alabama.

Boston selected Davison at No. 53 in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — At least 11 people were stabbed at a Walmart in Traverse City on Saturday — with six in critical condition — in what the sheriff said appeared to be a random act. A suspect was in custody, authorities said.

“Eleven is 11 too many, but thank God it wasn’t more,” Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea told reporters.

Emergency vehicles and uniformed first responders were seen outside the store following the incident.

Tiffany DeFell, 36, who lives in Honor, about 25 miles from Traverse City, said she was in the parking lot when she saw chaos erupt around her.

“It was really scary. Me and my sister were just freaking out,” she said. “This is something you see out of the movies. It’s not what you expect to see where you’re living.”

Munson Healthcare said via social media that 11 people were being treated at the region’s largest hospital in northern Michigan. Spokesperson Megan Brown said all were stabbing victims. Six were critical and five were in serious condition late Saturday, she said.

Shea said the weapon involved appeared to be a folding-style knife. Earlier in the day, the Michigan State Police said the suspect had been taken into custody. Shea said the suspect is believed to be a Michigan resident but declined to share further details.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said: “Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence.”

Walmart said in a statement that it would continue to work closely with law enforcement in the investigation.

“Violence like this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with those who were injured and we’re thankful for the swift action of first responders,” the statement said.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a social media post that bureau officials were responding to “provide any necessary support.”

Traverse City is a popular vacation spot on the coast of Lake Michigan. It is known for its cherry festival, wineries and lighthouses and is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Billy Joel is opening up about a tough moment with longtime friend and tourmate Elton John.

In the second part of the new two-part HBO Documentary, “Billy Joel: And So It Goes,” the “New York State of Mind” singer shared how John’s public comments that he needed rehab strained their friendship.

“Elton had made a comment that he thought I needed real rehab,” Joel said in the film, referencing an interview he did with “Rolling Stone” in 2011. “He chalked it up to, ‘Oh, he’s a drunk.’ And that really hurt me.”

He added, “I said, wait a minute? Don’t you know me better than that? And there was bad blood for a little while. There was a dovetailing of things that happened during that time.”

Joel and John first co-headlined a stadium together in 1994 during their “Face to Face” tour.

In the first part of the documentary, Joel admitted that he once “resented” the comparisons to the “Your Song” singer but eventually grew to embrace it as they continued to perform onstage together.

According to People, John told Rolling Stone that they had “so many cancelled tours because of illnesses and various other things, alcoholism” coming off their joint tour in 2010.

John said of Joel in the film, “He’s going to hate me for this, but every time he goes to rehab, they’ve been light… I love you, Billy, and this is tough love.”

In 2005, Joel went to rehab at the Betty Ford Center after his then-wife Katie Lee issued an “ultimatum.” The couple divorced in 2009. After rehab, the “Piano Man” singer took a break from the spotlight and stopped touring.

In the documentary, Joel described John’s comments as making him feel “clobbered” and noted it was “rock bottom” for him. 

“I was disillusioned with what I thought it was all supposed to mean,” he said. “It was like all the signs were pointing to me: Enough. And I wrote this letter to the band. ‘I don’t want to do this anymore. I’m gonna stop.”

© 2025 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC

A Texas man has died following a crash that happened near Selma around noon on Saturday, according to officials with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

Jason Tyree, 52, died in a crash around 11:35 a.m. on U.S. 80 near the 93 mile marker, after the Chevrolet Silverado he was riding in hit a guardrail and left the roadway.

Tyree, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time, was pronounced dead on the scene after officials arrived.

According to Senior Trooper Gregory Corble with ALEA, the driver of the Silverado, 39-year-old Matthew Bates of Cathedral City, California, was transported to a hospital in Montgomery for treatment.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Highway Patrol Division is continuing to investigate the crash and will provide more information as the investigation continues.

With Taulia Tagovailoa at quarterback, the Massachusetts Pirates ended their 2025 season on Friday night with a 45-30 loss to the Bay Area Pirates.

Tagovailoa’s first start in the Indoor Football League came in the quarterback’s third league of 2025.

The former Thompson High School star and Alabama reserve played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2024, but the Canadian Football League team released Tagovailoa on May 11 during its preparations for the 2025 season.

Between the Tiger-Cats and the Pirates, Tagovailoa played for the Hamburg Sea Devils of the European League of Football.

At Thompson High School in Alabaster, Tagovailoa was the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Class 7A Back of the Year for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Tagovailoa became the first player in Alabama high school history with at least four 400-yard passing games, with a high of 507 yards in a 35-21 victory over Oak Mountain in a 7A Region 3 game on Sept. 14, 2018.

As a senior, Tagovailoa passed for 3,728 yards and 35 touchdowns as the Warriors reached the AHSAA Class 7A Championship Game.

At Alabama, Tagovailoa was behind his brother, Tua Tagovailoa, and Mac Jones on the Crimson Tide’s depth chart in 2019. He completed 9-of-12 passes for 100 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions at Alabama.

After transferring to Maryland, Tagovailoa became the Big Ten’s career leader for passing yards. Tagovailoa completed 955-of-1,424 passes for 11,256 yards with 76 touchdowns and 37 interceptions in four seasons with the Terrapins.

After his application for another season of eligibility was turned down by the NCAA, Tagovailoa attended the rookie minicamps of the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals without attracting an NFL contract offer in 2024.

Tagovailoa joined Hamilton and played in eight games for the Tiger-Cats in the 2024 CFL season. He ran three times for 10 yards and one touchdown and completed his only pass for a 6-yard gain.

The Sea Devils signed Tagovailoa on May 22 after losing quarterback Micah Leon in their season-opening 13-12 defeat by the Madrid Bravos.

Hamburg lost its first game with Tagovailoa at quarterback to the Stuttgart Surge 53-14. But in Tagovailoa’s second start, the Sea Devils defeated the Berlin Thunder 31-14 as the quarterback completed 15-of-29 passes for 230 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.

But one week later on June 14, the ELF team posted on social media: “The Hamburg Sea Devils and quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa part ways as the 25-year-old Hawaiian returns to the United States for family reasons. We’re grateful for the time he spent with the team. Wishing you nothing but the best for your next chapter.”

Massachusetts signed Tagovailoa on June 25.

“I’m blessed to be in this position I’m at right now being with the Mass Pirates,” Tagovailoa told the Lowell Sun shortly after signing. “Great organization and an organization that has won championships in the past and stuff like that. I’m just looking forward to learning more, and any way I can help this team win another championship. That’s what I came here to do. …

“I think everything that I’ve been showing in college and even my little time in the CFL and Germany as well, I feel like me using my legs and with my arm talent and stuff like that, I think it could be a good benefit to this team.”

Over the next four games, Tagovailoa threw three passes in relief of starter Kenji Bahar.

On Friday night in his first start in the Pirates’ season finale at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts, Tagovailoa completed 8-of-17 passes for 55 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions and ran nine times for 61 yards and two touchdowns against the Panthers.

He had a 1-yard touchdown pass on the final snap of the first half, ran 6 yards for a score with 6:30 left in the third quarter and scored on a 19-yard run with 4:11 left to play.

Massachusetts ended the season with a 7-9 record. Bay Area posted the IFL’s best regular-season mark at 13-3.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.