I think Saban will take the Chicago position.

Saban is going to sign a new contract with LSU next week. He is waiting for it to be given to him to sign.

 

I hope Saban stays at LSU for his entire career or at least until my funeral, but if he turns down Chicago, next year could be just as tempting to him.

I am counting maybe seven Niffle coaches who will be on the hot seat next season, and they may all lose their jobs:

Haslet in New Orleans, Tice in Minnesota, Erickson in SF, Shottenheimer in San Diego, Butch Davis in Cleveland, Wannstedt in Miami, even Cowher in Pittsburgh all could be on the street next year. The coach of the Jets may be under pressure also.

 

Thats whats wrong with the NFL. There are no great teams anymore. Too much parity. In the past there were great teams you loved to pull for and great teams that you hated. There is not a whole lot of difference in talent between the teams that are winning now and the teams that are losing now. The 60's Packers, the 70's Steelers, the 80's 49ers and the 90's Cowboys were fun to watch whether you loved them or hated them. Pete Rozelle started all this parity with his "On any Given Sunday" philosophy. It keeps the fans of mediocre teams like the Saints watching up until the final game or two of the season hoping that their team will make the playoffs. It puts butts in the seats and eyes on the tube but its not nearly as interesting as watching a 70's Steelers-Raiders game or a 90's Cowboys-49ers matchup. The Bears and the Packers might still hate each other for old times sake but a slightly better than mediocre Packers against a slightly worse than mediocre Bears just isn't the same.

 

Nick is in the driver's seat. If he dosen't want a huge buyout clause in his contract there won't be a huge buyout clause.

 

Nothing can be counted on in the NFL. Things change too much from year to year. If Miami goes 6-10, or Pittsburgh does, if Pennington gets hurt again, or if the Saints win less than 7 games, all of which could happen, they could all be gone.

I doubt seriously if Saban will sign a contract that puts a lot of impediments in the way of him leaving for the NFL when he wants to. I hope he stays in the worst way, but Saban is in the driver's seat on his contract.

 

Is there a full moon or something? I don't believe it. Cottonbowl actually agreeing with what I said in the post directly above his and even using my own words. Could this be the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius? The lambs living in harmony with the lions? I think I might just sing a few verses of Kumbaya.

 

I don't know that "being a midwesterner" has that much drawing power to lure him back to the Frozen Nawth. Rich midwesterners and northerners retire to places where its warm and the sun shines. If the money and the degree of control over football operations was the same would you rather spend your winters working in Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit or Miami, Tampa Bay, San Diego?