the party that was 2009

And for the customary self-aggrandizing blog post reviewing 2009 here at the DBH Dance Party. You're welcome, in advance.

In 2009, we ...

• Sorted out the wreckage of the Sugar Bowl.
• Pleaded with Mal to fire Mark Gottfried.
• Paid respects when the hammer finally dropped.
• Forecasted the SEC in 2009. Were we close? We were close.
• Invited in Kurt Branch for a "Lost" preview.
• Tried not to projectile vomit when the PLoI came out.
• Danced after Anthony Brock's Hail Mary in Knoxville.
• Argued about fate vs. choice in a "Lost" post.
• Ranted about the stupidity of 34 bowl games.
• Observed that winning the Saban way is kind of boring.
• Raised an alarm about the direction (still ongoing) of the Auburn-Alabama rivalry.
• Felt angry, betrayed and relived after the NCAA sanctions were announced.
• Quixotically attempted to identify the decade's best SEC program.
• Attempted to properly eulogize the passing of Bill Robinson.
• Lazily re-ran an old column about Alabama at the quarterback position.
• Pondered whether coaches should be judged by championships alone.
• Explained why computers are better than humans at football polls.
• Evaluated the validity of the two-quarterback system.
• Poked fun at Saban and the Capstone Report.
• Discovered the identity of the 2009 Crimson Tide.
• Laughed at my friend The Warblogler for his petulant whining. Hoped that would help him see how ridiculous it is. Failed.
• Slowly realized our team was ascending to the head of the class.
• Shared midseason thoughts with Jamie.
• Made the trek to Lexington for win No. 5.
• Exposed Ole Miss as a fraud.
(By the way, the early pick as next year's Ole Miss? Nebraska. Just wait.)
• Stormed out of Bryant-Denny after losing to ... aw, never mind.



• Wondered why Lane Kiffin couldn't at least attempt to comport himself with some class after that game.
• Noted that Nick Saban and Les Miles coach two completely different styles of football.
• Surveyed the landscape after another SEC West crown.
• Brought back little brother for basketball conversations.
• Breathed a deep sigh after surviving in Auburn.
• Attempted to properly appreciate Terrence Cody.
• Celebrated a championship, with a lot of strange emotions.
• Gave Mark Ingram a figurative hug after the Heisman ceremony.
• Wondered "what if?"
• Showed off our family pictures. They're still the greatest people in the world.

And really, that's about it for 2009 here at the DP. Thanks as always to those who read, comment and follow here — and, to paraphrase Casey McCall from Sportsnight, if you had half as much reading this blog in 2009 as I did writing it, then that means I had twice as much fun writing it as you did reading it.
Happy New Year, one and all.