Alabama News

Dear Eric: My husband and I have a wonderful son, daughter-in-law, and two lovely young grandkids, all of whom live nearby. I babysit the children several times a week and host family dinner nights often. Occasionally, we help financially with purchases of items. Their place is quite small and not suitable for entertaining; they’re both gainfully employed but can’t afford a larger place right now.

We’ve been asked to host events for them on several occasions. We have the time, space, means and willingness to do so, and give our best efforts.

My problem is that there is never any expression of gratitude except for general notes on greeting cards a couple times a year. This lack of acknowledgment largely extends to birthday and holiday gifts as well. A simple “thanks for hosting Steven’s birthday party for 18 people” or “that new appliance is really helping” would be enough.

I feel taken for granted. But I also remember attending events at my in-laws’ house decades ago and never thought to send thank-you notes or call afterward. I guess I just figured it was their pleasure and duty as grandparents. Are we expecting too much? Is this just the way things are? Should I just appreciate that we have a good family and the ability to help with gifts and gatherings and let go of any resentment for the lack of acknowledgment?

– Sad Nana and Pop

Dear Nana and Pop: They should absolutely be thanking you, at the least, if not also offering to lighten the load of hosting. Yes, it can be easy for these gestures to fall into the cadence of family life and, thereby, get taken for granted. But that doesn’t make it OK.

To prevent this feeling from becoming a bigger obstacle, talk about it with your son and daughter-in-law. One opportunity may be at the next ask but it may be less charged to do so beforehand. Offer a gentle but clear reminder that you’re happy to host but that it takes work. Tell them that you know that they appreciate the work, but that it’s nice to have it acknowledged.

Look, I want to make it plain that having to ask for a “thank you” when gratitude should be expressed easily and often is a burden. It’s more work for you. But a slightly uncomfortable conversation is better than resentment. You might even suggest a way that you’d like to receive thanks. “After the next party, it would be great to send us some flowers so that we have something to remind us of the wonderful time we had.” Sometimes people need a nudge to do the right thing.

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: This summer, we are searching for the best Alabama high school fans associated with your team. Know someone who fits the bill? Shoot us an email at [email protected] and tell us about them and why they should be in the spotlight.

Former AHSAA Executive Director Steve Savarese met Joey Wolfe when he was the head football coach at Daphne High School.

“I love JoJo,” Savarese said this week. “My wife and I lived a few houses down from his family when we first moved to Spanish Fort. Joey would come over and say hello occasionally and, one day, he was just in our house. I said, ‘We have to get something for Joey to do.’ He would just walk in and say, ‘I love you, coach.’ He still does today.”

Savarese invited Wolfe to help with the Daphne football team in the 1990s.

“Mr. Trojan” as he is affectionately known now – not just around the Baldwin County High School but around the city in general — hasn’t stopped helping since.

“Obviously, he has some handicaps,” Perry Wolfe said of his 50-year-old son. “Joey can’t read or write or tell time, but he talks to everyone. He knows all the kids’ numbers. Everyone is his friend, and he is everyone’s friend.”

Wolfe went to school at Daphne and earned a certificate of graduation in 1996. One of his fellow students at the time? Current Daphne head coach Kenny King.

“Joey has been around the program a long time,” King said. “He always shows up. He is there every day from beginning to end. I’m talking every day. I tell the boys all the time that if JoJo, in his 50s, can show up everyday and show what it means to have school pride, then certainly you can do it as well.”

Wolfe is known as the head football and baseball manager at Daphne. He is easy to spot if attending a Daphne sporting event.

“Every where he goes, he wears purple and gold,” Perry Wolfe said. “When we go to church, he is wearing those Daphne colors.”

Wolfe has been a fixture on the Daphne sidelines for three decades with the only exception being when his family moved to Louisiana for two years. He already has been inducted into the Daphne High Hall of Fame and the Baldwin County Coaches Hall of Fame.

“When I first met Joey, he was a student in the early days when I was coaching basketball and teaching,” said Glenn Vickery, who followed Savarese as Daphne’s head coach in 2004. “Later on, when I became head football coach, Joey was in our lives every day. He would be at the fieldhouse at 7:30. He would leave for lunch and help in the cafeteria and then come back and go home at 6:30 like the rest of us. He has a sweet heart, a sweet attitude and a sweet personality and a great love for Daphne High School. He’s just a blessing to be with.”

Perry Wolfe said on the rare occasion some younger players just entering the Daphne program would pick on JoJo, the team’s upperclassmen would put a quick stop to that.

“From a parents’ standpoint, I never had to worry about him going up there,” he said. “Those coaches and players go out of their way to keep him safe. JoJo never has a bad day. He said his only bad days are if Daphne loses. He eats, drinks and sleeps Daphne High School.”

Savarese said Wolfe isn’t the only one who has learned something during the last 30 years.

“Everyone thinks we did something for Joey,” he said. “What we all have learned is that Joey has taught us a lot more than we ever taught him with his love, his caring, his humility and, most of all, his passion for being a Daphne Trojan.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story initially ran in the AL.com Thursday high school newsletters. To subscribe, please visit al.com/newsletters. Each week, the newsletters include trivia, polls and much more.

DEAR ABBY: I have been working with a personal trainer for a year who just gave me the bad news that he may be leaving soon for a promotion in Chicago. I’m happy he’s so motivated and hardworking, but I have grown to adore him. I feel like we’re connected.

Lately, when I think about his leaving, it almost makes me cry. He’s so kind, protective, funny and sweet to me. He mentioned in one of our first sessions that he was attracted to me.

He tells me I’m beautiful, and it makes me smile. If he moves away, it will leave a hole in my heart. I feel like he’s forgetting everything we have shared.

I text him but don’t want to be a pest. Should I tell him how I feel before it’s too late? Does it seem clingy? How do I know he feels the same way about me without making myself look like a fool? — WORKED UP IN PHOENIX

DEAR WORKED UP: You wrote that your trainer said he “may” be moving to Chicago. How definite is it? Forgive me if this seems harsh, but if your feelings are reciprocated, your trainer would invite you to move to Chicago with him, or at least find time to see you outside of your paid sessions. If you think it would help to express your feelings for him, say so. It’s a huge compliment, and he should regard it as such. I don’t think you have anything to lose by being honest.

Read more Dear Abby and other advice columns.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Dear Eric: My son is divorced and has a contentious relationship with his ex-wife. They have three children together. I have left occasional communication open with his ex regarding my grandchildren due to my son’s lack of communication. If it weren’t for her, I would have missed important events in my grandchildren’s lives.

My son has a significant other living with him, and they feel it is disrespectful and hurtful, to both of them, to speak with his ex. I was told that I cannot have a relationship with them if I speak her name (the ex) in their presence even when speaking to the children.

My son insists that “everyone” agrees that I should never speak to my ex-daughter-in-law in any circumstance as it is not appropriate. What is your take on this situation?

– Tired of it All

Dear Tired: Your son’s edict about his ex’s name is too extreme. She’s the mother of his children; she’s not going to stop existing. I worry about the negative atmosphere this creates for their children. Not to mention the way it’s impacting you. This kind of behavior suggests that he’s not navigating his divorce in a healthy way.

But unfortunately, that’s a problem he needs to solve on his own.

By continuing to communicate with his ex, you risk creating a whole separate problem in your own relationship with him. Focus instead on the immediate need: you want to be a part of your grandchildren’s lives, and you need him to communicate with you better so that you can do it.

Don’t make this a quid pro quo situation, i.e., you’ll stop talking to the ex if he tells you more things. Respect the (admittedly toxic) boundary he’s set, and work on finding ways that you and he can work together to bolster your relationship with your grandkids. Think specifically about what you’re asking for – is it about making sure you’re aware of important dates? Is it about getting updates on their progress? Is it about making sure you have specific time with them? Knowing what you want will help guide the conversation to a productive space.

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.

No. 1 Jannik Sinner plays against No. 6 Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semifinal today. The match is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. CT on ESPN. Fans can watch this tennis match for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

Sinner enters this match with a 5-0 record at Wimbledon, and he has swept four of his opponents. In his most recent match, Sinner defeated No. 10 Ben Shelton. After a close opening set, Sinner was able to win the next two sets 6-4.

If Sinner performs similarly this morning, then he should earn a spot in the Wimbledon Final.

Djokovic also enters this match with a 5-0 record at Wimbledon, and he is coming off a victory against No. 22 Flavio Cobolli. After losing the first set via tiebreakers, Djokovic was able to win three consecutive sets.

Notably, Djokovic also knocked off No. 11 Alex de Minaur in the tournament. If Djokovic continues to play at a high level, then he will be difficult to defeat.

Fans can watch the Wimbledon semifinal for free online by using the free trials offered by DirecTV and Fubo TV. Alternatively, Sling offers a first-month discount to new users.

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.

Only three quarterbacks in SEC history have been responsible for more touchdowns in one season than Bryce Young’s 50 for Alabama in 2021.

LSU’s Joe Burrow totaled 65 (60 passing, five rushing) in 2019, while Florida’s Tim Tebow racked up 55 (32 passing, 23 rushing) in 2007 and Auburn’s Cam Newton posted 51 (30 passing, 20 rushing, one receiving) in 2010. LSU’s Jayden Daniels equaled Young’s 50 in 2023.

All five won the Heisman Trophy. Young is in very good company indeed.

Young was a five-star recruit out of California powerhouse Mater Dei High School in 2020, and backed up Mac Jones on Alabama’s national championship team as a freshman. Despite his being undersized at 5-foot-10, Alabama head coach Saban had set high expectations about Young’s potential on the day he signed with the Crimson Tide.

“I just absolutely love the guy,” Saban said Dec. 19, 2019. “His character. He’s got a great family. He’s got all the right stuff. And I think that’s really important in the quarterback position. You’ve heard me say this many times before, if you play quarterback, it’s hard to play the position if the people around you don’t play well, so having great leadership qualities can contribute to that. I think Bryce certainly possesses those qualities.”

When Jones left for the NFL following the 2020 season, Young took over as the starter. From Day 1, he unleashed his talents on the SEC and the college football world in general.

Young passed for 344 yards and four touchdowns in a season-opening rout of Miami, then added three touchdowns in each of the next two weeks, wins over Mercer and Florida. He completed 20 of 22 passes for 313 yards and five touchdowns in a Week 4 vs. Southern Miss, giving him 15 touchdown passes and just one interception through a third of the regular season.

Other season highlights were a four-touchdown (two passing, two rushing) performance in a 52-24 win over Tennessee in late October, then five touchdown passes in back-to-back weeks vs. New Mexico State and Arkansas in November. He passed for 559 yards in the latter game, breaking Scott Hunter’s program record of 484 that had stood for 52 years.

Young struggled a bit at Auburn on Nov. 27, but led a last-minute touchdown drive to tie the game and then threw the game-winning two-point pass to John Metchie in the fourth overtime for a 24-22 victory. After throwing for 421 yards and totaling four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) vs. Georgia in the SEC championship game, he easily outpointed the field for the Heisman, collecting 684 of a possible 875 first-place votes — 78% overall and 606 more than second-place finisher Aidan Hutchinson of Michigan.

“I’ve always been labeled as someone who’s not the prototype, being an African-American quarterback and being ‘undersized’ and not being that prototype, I’ve always been ruled out and counted out,” Young said after winning the Heisman. “People a lot of times have told me that I wasn’t going to be able to make it. And for me, it’s always been about, not really proving them wrong but proving to myself what I can accomplish.

“I’ve always pushed myself to work the hardest and I try my best to do all I can to maximize all that I can do. And thanks to the people around me and through the grace of God, I’ve been able to make it here, and I’m truly grateful for that.”

Young was the last in a quartet of first-team All-America quarterbacks at Alabama under Saban, a list that also included AJ McCarron, Tua Tagovailoa and Jones. Prior to McCarron in 2013, the Crimson Tide hadn’t had a quarterback selected first-team All-American since Ken Stabler in 1967.

He was also the last of four Heisman winners under Saban, following running backs Mark Ingram (2009) and Derrick Henry (2015) and wide receiver DeVonta Smith (2020). Alabama had never had a Heisman recipient before Saban arrived, with no Crimson Tide quarterback finishing higher than fifth in the balloting.

Young and the Crimson Tide ultimately fell short of a national championship in 2021, beating Cincinnati in the semifinal round before falling in a rematch with Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. He had an excellent — but not quite as good — 2022 season, passing for 3,328 yards and 32 touchdowns (plus four more rushing) while battling injuries as Alabama finished 11-2 and failed to make the playoff.

Young gave up his final year of eligibility to enter the 2023 NFL draft. In the lead-up to the draft, Saban famously compared him to a “point guard in basketball.”

“He’s got eyes all over,” Saban told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith for his podcast in March 2023. “He knows where everybody is. He can extend plays. He creates throwing lanes for himself, which is important for a guy at his size. He can make all the throws. He’s smart. So, he has a lot of the attributes — from a psychological disposition standpoint — that are necessary to excel at this position.”

That spring, Young again made history as Alabama’s first No. 1 overall NFL draft pick since Harry Gilmer in 1948. He’s had some rocky moments in his first two seasons with the Carolina Panthers, but won his job back after being benched in 2024 — no doubt using the strength of what Saban called his “psychological disposition” to do so.

Coming Saturday: Our countdown to kickoff continues with No. 49, an Alabama walk-on who became an All-American.

Scotty McCreery and his family are grieving the loss of both his grandmothers, who died within hours of each other.

His grandmother Janet died on Wednesday, then hours later, his grandmother, Paquita, died.

The country music singer’s mom Judy McCreery posted the news on Facebook about her mom Janet and her mother-in-law Paquita.

Scotty McCreery posted on Instagram he felt like he was in shock.

“My heart is absolutely broken,” he posted Thursday. “Yesterday, both my Grandma Janet and my Grandma Paquita passed away. I think I am still in a bit of shock as I type this, but I’m choosing to remember the great memories we all made with both of them.”

His mother’s post said Janet was fighting the flu.

“Here is a post I hoped I wouldn’t be making for several years,” Judy McCreery posted. “My precious mom, age 85, passed away yesterday at WakeMed, shortly after 1 p.m. She had been battling norovirus & the flu, which led to dehydration and pneumonia. My heart is broken. I have to accept it was her time.

“This is hard to fathom, but we also lost Mike’s mom, Paquita, yesterday, a few hours later at 4 p.m. She was 93 and had been in declining health. We will celebrate my mom’s life in her hometown next Monday. Paquita’s services are still pending. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.”

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

It’s perhaps the most brutal myth in the canon: Saturn, trying to outmaneuver a prophecy of his downfall, devours his own children — an act that ensures exactly what he hoped to avoid. The story echoes with the consequences of trying to control the uncontrollable. “Control freak” is a bad look for gods and mortals alike — and a habit worth breaking on the eve of Saturn’s retrograde.

ARIES (March 21-April 19). You’re turning the canvas upside down, tilting the frame, examining the dynamics from every angle. What looks “fine” will become extraordinary with a few bold changes.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Tracing your own line through history will open your eyes to other people’s journeys, too. You’ll find yourself struck with new empathy, new questions and a deeper respect for everyone’s origin story.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). There’s a choice between pushing harder and softening into trust. Try the second one. Something wants to come together without force. If you let it move together and take form in its own time, you won’t have to get your hands dirty.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You walk into a room and something shifts. You don’t mean to dazzle — but you do. People lean in. They pay attention. They’re responding to the glow you forgot you were carrying.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’ll remember how good it feels to be generous with your attention. A stranger, a neighbor, a friend on the fringe — they’ll appreciate that you took the time to interact and acknowledge the moment you share.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Waiting to be in the mood is for amateurs. Not you. You act first and let moods catch up with you. That’s what sets you apart. Energy follows commitment. Start small if you must, but start, and momentum will take it from there.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Even on the hard days, you don’t abandon yourself. You’re willing to feel it all. You’re being brave just by staying with the rhythm of your experience and being present to the beat of your own heart.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). There are many things deserving of your attention and you can’t help it that you just happen to be able to juggle quite a bit. You’re not scattered; you’re abundant. You’re not “all over the place”; you’re multidimensional.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You have a gift for fine-tuning. What others overlook, you refine into something that not only works better but feels better, too. Efficiency with style — that’s your signature today.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Leave space. Better yet, make space. Today favors subtraction over addition. What you remove — an old habit, a tired phrase, a cluttered plan — makes the whole system sing and lets the essential part rise to the surface.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). There’s no toggle switch for intuition. It’s more like a voice you have to remember how to hear. Ask out loud. Be willing to listen. You already know the answer that is held deep in your being, just waiting to be heard.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). The same sensitivity you sometimes consider a liability is actually your superpower. This is just one more data stream to inform your decisions. You’ll pick up on what’s going unsaid and use it to shape a better outcome for everyone.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (July 11). You’ll make a modest but mighty leader. Because you’ve developed a kind of consistency and care people enjoy, talk about and trust, you’ll be tapped for an opportunity you didn’t expect. Your influence grows in a direction you’ll be proud of. More highlights: a creative risk brings emotional and financial rewards. A reconnection is the stuff novels are written about. A dream you’ve carried privately will take public form. Gemini and Leo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 4, 13, 22, 36 and 50.

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.

Auburn football had a rough month of June on the recruiting trail.

The Tigers lost multiple commitments from their 2026 class and found themselves ranked in the 80s in 247Sports team recruiting rankings. As that was happening, head coach Hugh Freeze caught plenty of criticism for the time he spent on the golf course.

From June 1 to June 24, Freeze posted 10 rounds to the USGA’s GHIN database, more than any other coach who made their scores public. Those numbers led to Freeze catching plenty of heat from fans, media members and others invested in college football.

Freeze addressed that criticism in an episode of David Pollack’s See Ball Get Ball podcast on Thursday.

“I do love golf, I enjoy playing it to get away, but what people don’t realize is probably, you know, I assure you I never missed a camp day or a recruiting day,” Freeze said. “But, if camp got over at three o’clock one day and Jill and I go out at 4:30, we absolutely might do that and I’m not apologizing for that part of it.

“My focus is 100% on getting Auburn in that win column this fall. I think the biggest thing that’s causing most of it is the recruiting rankings right now,” Freeze continued. “We’ve been top 10 my two years here in recruiting and currently we’re not.”

Auburn’s 2026 recruiting class currently ranks 78th in 247Sports’ team recruiting rankings but has been as low as 89th this summer. The Tigers have had four players decommit from the class since June.

Freeze spoke briefly on why Auburn has had issues in recruiting, referencing the changes brought on by the House Settlement, allowing revenue sharing with athletes.

“Good lord, we could spend 30 minutes on why I think that is,” Freeze said of Auburn’s low recruiting ranking. “There’s a lot of people right now that are operating under a different set of rules on what their interpretation is of this settlement and how you should operate. I’m gonna operate in the manner that our administration has interpreted it.

“I think it’s a long game play for us that I think is gonna work out in our favor because we’re doing it very transparent and the way we believe the settlement is written and to operate, if that makes any sense.”

Another point Freeze made when talking about the recruiting issues is Auburn prioritizing retaining the current roster, using the example of the wide receiver room.

“Do y’all realize on paper that I’m not losing a single receiver? This is not like, David, in the old days where you just sign 25 guys and figure out who the 85 are,” Freeze said. “This is actually a salary cap world, and I like our receiver room. How do I go and make offers to other receivers at numbers that these other schools are when I’m like, come January I wanna keep the ones I have?

“I don’t think the Finebaums of the world or any of them think about all that, they just say, ‘he’s playing golf and not recruiting.’”

Freeze added that the staff “has not changed a single approach to our recruiting,” saying people love when they come to Auburn. He also pointed to Aug. 1 as a potential turning point, the day the often-lucrative offers from schools start going into writing.

“We’ll see where everything shakes out after that,” Freeze said.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkusor email him at [email protected]m

Herb Jones missed 62 games during the 2024-25 NBA season, but that didn’t dim the New Orleans Pelicans’ interest in the former Alabama standout’s future with the team.

Jones and the Pelicans have agreed on a three-year, $68 million contract extension that could keep the forward with New Orleans through the 2029-30 season, ESPN reported on Thursday night.

Jones is halfway through a four-year, $53.828 million contract signed after his second NBA season. The new deal will extend that contract, closing with a player-option season in 2029-30.

Jones played in only 20 games last season, making his final appearance on Jan. 8, before a torn labrum that required surgery took him off the court. Jones averaged 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.9 steals in the 2024-25 campaign.

Through four NBA seasons, Jones has averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals in 240 regular-season games.

Jones finished sixth in the voting for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award for the 2021-22 season and fifth in the voting for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award for the 2023-24 season, when he made the NBA’s All-Defensive team.

Jones won the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Class 4A Player of the Year Award for the 2016-17 season when he led Hale County to the AHSAA championship.

After Hale County, Jones played four seasons at Alabama. He concluded his college career with the Crimson Tide as the SEC Player of the Year and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year for the 2020-21 season.

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