Goodman: Alabama hoops arrives at the doorstep of history

This is an opinion column. Into the Elite Eight goes an Alabama team with suddenly, beautifully, ruggedly more grit and flavor and sauce than a Waffle House after midnight on the night of a full moon. Here in the upset city of Los Angeles, with an arena of North Carolina fans on their feet, the blue-blooded and top-seeded Tar Heels were scattered, covered and cooked by the sizzling hot Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. It took a defense growing up at the right time....