I was angry with Nick Saban for leaving LSU, I admit it. HOWEVER, now I've moved past that, and I realize that he belongs in the Pantheon of LSU Heroes. LSU mythology is important. Our mystique and tradition is the legacy of our LSU Pantheon of Heroes. Nick Saban brought us the BCS National Championship. We will have claim to that Crystal Football for all eternity. Let's be grateful to him. I predict that when Nick Saban is a dying old man, his fondest memories about his coaching years will be from his years at LSU. I hope that I can stand by his bedside at that time and say, "I TOLD you so, Old Man! Say 'Hi' to Vince Lombardi for me when you get to the Other Side."
Everyone is reading too much into his comments. It was a flip thing to say to the cameras. Do you really think it was only about money? The man left for the NFL. Look back in the archives of this forum and you will see the general consensus was that Saban would eventually leave for the NFL. It's what he always wanted. Now if he had left LSU for more money at Toolame, then we could all hate him together because we would know beyond a shadow of a doubt he left just for money. Why else would anyone go to Toolame. But the Dolphins??? Get real.
Who's this Saban guy everyone is talking about? Did I miss something?....Just kidding. The way I see it, we are still in a transition phase right now. Hopefully after this coming season, none of us will care that Saban left or why. I do think that we should always be grateful for what he has done for the program and the school, he deserves the credit, but, let's look to the future. As Coach Miles said "It's very bright!".
Could we expect nothing less from the board, "I told you so"? At any rate, I agree with most of what you said...Though I will say that on a personal level, Saban was the one who created the Clara Bell Smith academic center for student athletes while in East Lansing (He personally lobbied former Spartan Steve Smith to make a large multi-million dollar personal donation to complete construction)...in doing so, he started an "academic arms race" in the Big 10 to keep up, which you could say profoundly affected student athletes, regardless of sport, throughout the conference and the Midwest, as other big name schools began to catch on... I can tell you that one of the first things Saban wanted to do upon arrival was to build the Academic Center for Student Athletes. I wrote a good many stories on it in the old P&G magazine back in the day...He was the driving force behind its inception, and he championed not only its need, but it's cause. You have seen other SEC Schools follow suit...It has enhanced countless student athletes-and students at large in the University population-academic careers, and will continue to do so long after he's gone... Say what you like, but that is one thing-and it is a very large thing-that Saban and Saban alone was singularly responsible for. There were no plans, nor even an idea regarding, building a new Academic Center for Student Athletes prior to his arrival. He left us in far better shape than he found us...and I speak in much more than terms of wins and losses...Graduation rates (which Dean spoke of in high terms for Dinardo's retention, mind you!), overall GPA, and total number of student athletes on the Honor Roll all increased while Saban was at LSU... He affected the young people of our state in a positive way...and he was personally an @sshole while doing it... But, tell us all some more about how you never drank the Kool-Aid...Knowing how much everyone likes an I told you so... I wonder...Did ANYONE here actually think Saban was here permanently? You can say people bought into it, but those people are-and I say this in all honesty knowing they are Tiger fans just as I myself am-stupid.
Paul Dietzel is a picture in a history book. He is absolutely and completely irrelevant to just about everyone on this forum. Even our sage was what... (using age 55 in 2003) 10 years old in 1958. I am commenting on the simple fact that our resident wise sage - nay, Voice of Reason - feels the need to blast all who DARE criticize our HOLY COACHING STAFF who can do no wrong. I personally couldn't give two sh*ts what Saban or anyone else says after they have left LSU, but jeez, let people be dumbasses if they want! However, criticizing current coaches who clearly need to be fired is clearly within the realm of our responsibility.
What you don't get Andrew is that I am not "blasting" anyone. I am merely here to point out the folly of such things. Everybody on a message board thinks he/she is an expert based upon a rudimentary introduction the the sport being discussed. They then jump all over a professional coach as though they, not he, have all the answers. I just think it's hilarious. Put most of you in a room with Saban and have this discussion one on one and he would leave you face down, crying in the dirt.
LSU made a good move in hiring Saban. Saban made a good move taking the job at LSU. I do not understand the problem. It is a thing called employment. If you expect to be treated like you are in some sort of romantic relationship then the problem lies with your point of view. Stop acting like LSU was treated like some sort of jilted lover. And Nick, on the off chance chance you are reading this... :shock: Thank you for everything.
It's hard to expect everyone to sometimes see the reality beyond the perception and persona ...... not everyone sees it as an entertainment business. Saban is an ambitious, career driven individual that is capable of doing what needs to be done in order to succeed. He did exactly what LSU fans wanted - to bring "their" program back to prominence. And he accomplished that in manner that earned respect, for both himself and the program. Cynics like fightinTIGER and myself have no challenge with viewing CFB as the political type of business it surely is. Hard to argue with success .... give the man his due, JMO.
The name says it all. It isn't the Academic Center for Football Players is it? Saban's legacy at LSU will get better with each passing year. The legacy he built while taking LSU out of it's darkest period in half a century will be incredible the farther away we get. The pain of his leaving will subside even with most of his biggest detractors. I can fully understand the wide spectrum of responses we get on boards talk shows, etc. Saban is a lightning rod for both praise and criticism due to the things he brought to and did while at LSU. I really believe that for the most part the older of us tend to look at the great things he did at LSU with more reverence due to all the pain and heartache we've suffered through the years as well as the good things that helped make our love for LSU so deep.
