By telling me this you are preaching to the choir (although I have never been accused of being a choirboy ). I want Saban to stay at LSU for a long time. But my point is that he says it is not about money. He says it is not about titles or apparently just winning, but he is apparently seriously considering leaving for the Chicago Bears. Reports say that the Bears have went up considerably on the money part (up to 4 or 5 million), and he is considering taking the Bears head coaching job. So if money makes no difference, if Saban just wants to turn young boys into outstanding men and good citizens, parents, and people, why is he considering the NFL? Coaches don't go to the NFL to turn the millionaires there into copies of Mother Theresa. The NFL is about one thing: winning football games. So what is Nick Saban REALLY about?
This is a great thread ! Thank you guys for sharing your insights. This whole Saban saga is better than any Soap Opera. I can't wait to see what happens next - I hope it happens soon, because i'm getting cramps from keeping my fingers AND toes crossed ! I would add that if we get through this off-season withoput him leaving, I think we'll be OK for 3-4 more years. Last thing, I would hope that if he does leave, we LSU fans can be a little more classy than the Mich St fans were. Remember SpartyTonight and the other MSU fans who would just not stop ragging him/us?
Mike69, That's what I've been saying to my co-workers here in Chicago (about $4M being not much more than $3M, at this point). If he were to take the Bears position, he would be in one of these positions where he's one of the highest paid coaches in the NFL (if it's in the $5M+ range) on a team with very little talent and almost no chance of making a playoff for the next few years (my opinion), or he stays at LSU as king for a little less but still in the millions. I have always bled purple and gold, and I believe LSU fans are the greatest I've ever seen. I am not a fan of the Bears because of their fans, and I cheer against them every time I go watch a game. I really want Saban to stay at LSU, and a small part of that is so I can watch the Bears wail in agony and dip to the puddle to get a coach. Oh, and so Jay Mariotti can shut the hell up.
I think you may be right that Saban may stay for awhile if he stays the week, but I still think there will be a number (maybe even 7 again) of NFL vacancies after next season. The pressure to win there is getting even more fierce, and the ability of teams to go from the outhouse to the playoffs in 12 months is putting even more pressure on coaches to get wins there. It could get nervous a year from now also. I sure hope Saban stays .
The NFL stands for Not For very Long nowadays. The salary cap and free agency has ruined the league. No More Dynasties, No more players playing for thier teams from beginning to end. Teams don't even make the playoffs but about 30% to 40% per Jimmy Johnson. All coaches are now on the hot seat because no team makes it to the playoffs that many times. IMP Theres only a handful of coaches that can coach in the NFL and get the job done anymore. Its too difficult for the average NFL coach to coach in this league anymore. If your not Bill Parcels, Dick Vermeil, Mike Holmgren, Bill Bellichek, maybe Nick Saban you don't stand a chance in winning and making the playoffs in this league. I hope I didn't leave any "proven" coach out of the list. What I mean by this is: Most coaches can't do what Bill Bellichek and Bill Parcels have done, thats the kind of coach I'm talking about.
To add to my previous post, has anybody ever thought that he may be using this NFL bit to HELP in recruiting? He has made the statement many times about asking a recruit who's brought it up, "Would you rather play for someone nobody wanted?" Just an idea. He has also stated, along with his wife, that he and his family have just learned to deal with it every year.
Listen, if someone told you in December of 99 that LSU, under its new coach, would win two of the next four SEC Championships, finish in the top five once, top ten another time and win a National Championship, NOT ONE of us would take that deal. Add in that the guy would bolt after year four, and it is still a sweet deal. Not to mention that the program is in terrific shape as far as talent and national respect and recognition, and that all of our players are good citizens! I hope he stays, but if he goes, I wish him well, and I will always remember the best four years of Tiger Football in my lifetime.
One more thing. Fans must understand that the head coach is never "one of us". He is, for lack of a better term, a mercenary that we hire to lead us on the football field. We all love what he has done here, but at the end of the day, he will never be an LSU Tiger through and through.
The salary cap and free agency along with the sharing of the TV revenue are great things that have combined to make the NFL better than ever. More close games, more teams in the playoff hunt late in the season, no more waiting five years before you can expect your team to slowly build through the draft (like it used to be, what a gigantic bore that was). Now teams can go from doormats to playoff teams in two years, if not one. The NFL is the only major sports league to continue to GAIN TV fans. There must be a reason for that. It is a totally unpredictable league from one year to the next, as the last two years have proven. It is better than ever. Tired old men and worn out lazy sports writers lament back to the days when you only had to cover about five NFL teams from year to year because you knew only those teams had a chance at the Super Bowl. The days of dynasties in the NFL are over and thank goodness for that. The system they have is the one that Major League Baseball should have. Then it would be a great league also with many contenders instead of just a few. It does not appear that Nick Saban is worried about failing in the NFL, that is for sure. I doubt if people like him even consider that they may not succeed. If they thought that way, they would probably not get where they do.
Mikethetiger69 right on the money... with his 3 mil vs 4 mil point....I feel the same way. ...I live in the Dallas area and see Parcells and Saban as being very much alike....these guys see the WHOLE picture in all aspects of life. Very smart. Very calculating. They evaluate the odds of each situation and assess their tolerance for risk. One thing is for sure...he is at the top of a huge mountain....and as everyone knows.....there is only one direction to go at this point...... If past performance is a measure of future performance.....he may be gone. But regardless....I will always be greatful for what he provided us........I am still on my Sugar high...and may be for a long time
