late Monday links

A few links you should know about as a Monday winds down.

-- Josh Moon wrote a ... (insert adjective here) column about Nick Saban, painting him as a mafia boss. Apparently, the column was the hottest topic on Finebaum's radio show today (I listened for a few seconds before flipping my satellite back on). And, of course, Capstone's in a rage, because ... well, that's what Capstone does.
Rest assured, by the way, the column is nothing but a transparent, tongue-in-cheek way to get people talking -- Moon got an entire Finebaum column developed to ripping him last year and decided he enjoys it (obviously it works). And while much of Moon's column is provocative over-simplifications, none of it is untrue. Saban has found ways to circumvent the NCAA, remember? And he's done it out in the open in perfectly legal manners. It's part of his reputation as an evil genius.
Look, I love Capstone -- if it weren't for Capstone, this blog probably wouldn't exist right now -- but thick skin and a little perspective are necessary for sanity's sake here. Moon doesn't like Saban. He's not afraid to write columns expressing that. So take a deep breath and move on.

-- Speaking of blowhards nobody wants to hear, apparently Dennis Franchione isn't your only option for Week 1, says I-Rap. So, I got that goin for me ... which is nice.

-- CC's got a quality puff piece about 'Bama's offensive line. The operative word there is "puff."

-- RBR has its preseason top-25 ballot up and running. I can dig it.

-- Finally, remember SMQ? Well, his excellent site exists no longer, and he's now getting paid to do what he do. And the results ... well, they're pretty remarkable.
The rest of us will bow down accordingly.

wlh