[BamaGal4ever]

[quote=tvolsfan;90812]Not most feared, possibly most hated.

Rivals are Fearful of Saban


Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Paul Finebaum

Did Alabama hire the wrong head coach? Could Nick Saban be a colossal mistake -- a complete bust?

It seems that way if you read the e-mail and listen to my voice mail messages from our neighbors in Louisiana. Ever since Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa, the LSU nation has more closely resembled the pooches and pups at the Westminster Dog Show, trotting around in circles, slipping and sliding, chirping and yelping and going nowhere fast.

So I started dusting off old books and hunting around through dusty stories, trying to make sure Alabama hired the right man, after all. Perhaps they really should have gotten Les Miles himself, considering he is 22-4 over two years and closely resembles Mike DuBose three months into the South Beach Diet.

Of course, I discovered that slug of a coach he replaced, Nick Saban, was also 22-4, in the previous two years, and picked up a little hardware in the process, such as an SEC title and national championship.
But enough about Miles.

I thought we should go to his boss, LSU Athletics Director Skip Bertman, to be the ultimate authority on Saban.

"Nick Saban is the best football coach and possibly the best coach in any sport that I've seen in 42 years," said Bertman in an interview several years ago with the New York Times. "I know coaching. I know sports. I knew Nick was going to be successful."

Bertman knows a little about coaching. He won five national titles as LSU's baseball coach.

It is easier to knock Saban now because of his two lackluster years at Miami. But suppose he had stayed at LSU. Does anyone think -- with the talent on board, most of it being Saban's -- he would have done any worse than Miles?

I didn't think so.

So if you accept that he would have been only equal to Miles -- not better -- then LSU's record the last four years would have read 44-8 and the year by year mark would have read, 13-1, 9-3 (the third loss came after Saban announced he was leaving for the Dolphins), 11-2 and 11-2.
Of course, had that occurred, the line of NFL suitors would have grown dramatically, even exceeding the seven offers Saban had in his first 10 years as a college head coach.

Clearly, Saban heading to the NFL was a blunder but it was obviously an itch he had to scratch. However, in reading about him in these old files, it's evident that college coaching was always in his blood.

"For a long time I thought the right career path for me would be: assistant in college, head coach in college, assistant in the pros and then head coach in the pros," Saban said in an interview with Peter King of Sports Illustrated. "But there I am at LSU, a successful college coach, winning a national championship, and I think: Maybe this is where I ought to be. Maybe I should make my legacy as a college coach, maybe trying to win as many games as Bear Bryant -- which probably would never happen, but that's what I was thinking."

Finally, for those who think some of us in Alabama have simply jumped on the Saban bandwagon now that he's in Tuscaloosa, forgetting objectivity in the process, I ranked Saban No. 1 in my bi-annual list of the SEC's best coaches four consecutive times. The following appeared on June 18, 2005 shortly after Saban left LSU and before he coached his first game at Miami. I wrote an article ranking the best coaches in the SEC since Paul Bryant in 1982. Saban landed at No. 6 on that list right behind Gene Stallings and Pat Dye.

"He only spent five years in the SEC but clearly is one of the best who has ever coached in the league. Turning around a mess, Saban won the SEC championship in his second year and a national title in fourth season. If Saban had stayed in Baton Rouge, some think he could have rivaled Spurrier's mark at Florida."

All that is different now is two years and a change of address. Oh, and something else. Saban is now at Alabama, a school that has one of the best facilities in the country and among the richest names and traditions in college football history.

Bottom line: If he could become the top coach in college football at LSU, a school that had fallen off the radar screen, he can do it at Alabama.
That's why Alabama fans are so optimistic and confident with Saban on board. It's also why LSU fans -- and those of other schools -- are so green with envy. They know what Saban is capable of doing. They've seen it first-hand. Now they are fearful he'll do it all over again at Alabama, and if history is any indicator, they have good reason for their fear.

[Stoney]

Originally Posted by tvolsfan

Well, none of those seasons matter 40 years later, but I do think it is stupid to whine about 1966 and claim a title in 41.

Of course it is ancient history to you .... I saw the games. Can't say I was around in 1941. But history will bear this mark. A national draft occurred and we still won in spite of the armed forces having the best players. You should really study history not sports history if you want all the facts. FDR was the one who allowed the ARMY to draft college players into the armed forces and play for the college team. But the incident was lost many spectators instantly forgot because the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor. Then Hitler declared war on the USA and off America went to war. FDR knew the war was coming that's why he reassigned the aircraft carriers from Pearl Harbor. He set up the base commander and used politics to draw us into a war we didn't really want to fight. Charles Lindberg led a huge part of the populace in what would have been called fascism today. America almost joined the Germans against Britain roughly 50% of our people were opposed to the war. But we went to war anyway the sportsworld was roughly unaffected until 1942. Next time you see a veteran thank him for his service... God Bless America!

[tvolsfan]

Originally Posted by Stoney

Of course it is ancient history to you .... I saw the games. Can't say I was around in 1941. But history will bear this mark. A national draft occurred and we still won in spite of the armed forces having the best players. You should really study history not sports history if you want all the facts. FDR was the one who allowed the ARMY to draft college players into the armed forces and play for the college team. But the incident was lost many spectators instantly forgot because the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor. Then Hitler declared war on the USA and off America went to war. FDR knew the war was coming that's why he reassigned the aircraft carriers from Pearl Harbor. He set up the base commander and used politics to draw us into a war we didn't really want to fight. Charles Lindberg led a huge part of the populace in what would have been called fascism today. America almost joined the Germans against Britain roughly 50% of our people were opposed to the war. But we went to war anyway the sportsworld was roughly unaffected until 1942. Next time you see a veteran thank him for his service... God Bless America!

Why are you telling me this?

[Tuck4Bama]

Hey Stoney ,

Thanks for mentioning thanking our country's veterans. I am a disabled Desert Shield / Desert Storm Vet, 4th generation Army. My Great grandfather in Civil War, my granfather WWI, my father WWII, my brother Viet Nam and me in Desert Shield / Desert Storm.
If you are a vet thank you if not thanks for supporting vets.

Now back to football.

Nick Saban has a golden oportunity in front of him and he knows it. He has already landed recruits that the sports writters said he couldn't. He has hired a world class staff. I for one will support him as long as he is willing to give 100% on developing the talent that is already there and continue to recruit and maintain dicipline for all players.

I would love to see him decide to stay with bama long enough to surpass the number of wins belonging to the late great Paul "Bear" Bryant.

[tvolsfan]

That's not going to happen. He isn't that good of a coach.

[Stoney]

Originally Posted by tvolsfan

Why are you telling me this?

Because they don't teach these things in school anymore. If you learn something then they cannot take that away from you.

[Tuck4Bama]

Originally Posted by Stoney

Because they don't teach these things in school anymore. If you learn something then they cannot take that away from you.

Thanks for the history and bacckground. I found it refreshing to learn something new about Bama football.

[Stoney]

Originally Posted by Tuck4Bama

Thanks for the history and bacckground. I found it refreshing to learn something new about Bama football.

Yes we actually have and use our Alabama educations despite what detractors think.

[Tuck4Bama]

Originally Posted by Stoney

Yes we actually have and use our Alabama educations despite what detractors think.

I will go along with that!

[Stoney]

Originally Posted by Tuck4Bama

I will go along with that!

Another interesting fact Alabama has one of the highest military participation rates. We are willing to serve our country. That's what community is all about and that's why we hold Alabama Football so dear to our hearts because that is a microcasm of our community.

[Tuck4Bama]

Originally Posted by Stoney

Another interesting fact Alabama has one of the highest military participation rates. We are willing to serve our country. That's what community is all about and that's why we hold Alabama Football so dear to our hearts because that is a microcasm of our community.

Tell'em Stoney. That sums up the feelings of the majority of Bama fans.

Roll Tide Roll And Support Our Troops even if you don't support the war!!

[Stoney]

Originally Posted by Tuck4Bama

Tell'em Stoney. That sums up the feelings of the majority of Bama fans.

Roll Tide Roll And Support Our Troops even if you don't support the war!!

Sadly enough some 70 years ago that was the attitude of our entire nation. Now only 10% is willing to do the work while 90% benefits.

[Tuck4Bama]

Originally Posted by Stoney

Sadly enough some 70 years ago that was the attitude of our entire nation. Now only 10% is willing to do the work while 90% benefits.

That is the one thing that I think will be Saban's strength, his ability to keep his players motivated and focused. I would like to see a team that when a player is asked about their individual performance they quickly divert the credit to the entire team. I want the Bama players to express their talent and abilities through on field performance. I have never seen a football game won by talking.


Roll Tide Roll

[Stoney]

Originally Posted by Tuck4Bama

That is the one thing that I think will be Saban's strength, his ability to keep his players motivated and focused. I would like to see a team that when a player is asked about their individual performance they quickly divert the credit to the entire team. I want the Bama players to express their talent and abilities through on field performance. I have never seen a football game won by talking.


Roll Tide Roll

You understand why 2007 will be a very special season and a great BCS Championship.

[Tuck4Bama]

Stoney are you really serious about Bama getting the BCS cahampionship?
As much as I iwould love to see that I would be thrilled just to make it to the SEC Championship game.
There are too many good teams in the SEC to just discount their talent
SEC west Bama, LSU, Arkansas and Auburn
SEC east Gators, Georgia, Tennessee, Scouth Carolina.