This one is more due to the timing and comments heard publically as of the last few weeks. Two of the seniors have said so publically. Saban has alluded to this quite a few times this year but characterized as "throwing players under the bus" if I have the quote correct.
Iit's not much of a debate to say that Saban inherited a decent stockpile of talent at Alabama .... perhaps even better than that left by Dinardo, comparatively speaking. The decision to "manage" to the APR objectives mentioned earlier by Red55 sounds plausible to me. However, IMHO, Saban's decision to pull Hall off the bench midway through the LAMO game should dispell any myth that Saban is committed to a higher form of discipline than Shula was. Likewise, the watered-down suspensions under Saban's watch don't really appear to be all that different from Shula either. It's a lot easier to judge performance by what is done rather than what is said. Given time, Saban will correct these deficiencies and will - IMO - return Alabama football to a competitive level. But in the meantime, to borrow a phrase, "it is what it is."
The "Situational Ethics" of the Bama faithful is more than amusing to me. I remember the end of the Shula Era quite clearly. The Bama faithful were convinced that it was those Poor Players that deserved all of the sympathy. Why, these were outstanding and talented young men, so went the "Party Line" . . . all these fine young men needed was a Coach and a Leader to put things right. Why, Shula was no Coach . . . Shula was no Leader. Once a true Coach and Leader took over The Program, all would be put right, and the psychological ills of these young men would be cured. Then comes the end of the first regular season when The Coach leads The Program to a mediocre 6 Wins and 6 Losses. OH, MY GOSH ALMIGHTY . . . WHO DO WE BLAME NOW? We can't blame The Coach. We can't blame The Program. No, my friends, we see Situational Ethics at work here. Instead . . . we blame . . . THE PLAYERS !! Yes, those very same heroic young men from 2006 who just needed a coach and a leader to be successful are now, in 2007 . . . WEAK-MINDED LOSERS WHO WOULD NOT KNOW HOW TO WIN IF JC HIMSELF COACHED THEM (WE KNOW THIS BECAUSE SABAN IS AS CLOSE TO JC AS YOU CAN GET). It is a textbook example of the dynamics of Group Psychology . . . and by this, I certainly don't refer to the Bama Nation's self-proclaimed ability to psychoanalyze and look inside the minds of the players (the Bama Nation is completely delusional if they think that they are mind-readers) . . . I refer to the Bama Nation's capacity as a Group to flip-flop on a dime and to condemn an object/person/group SO QUICKLY after idolization of this same object. They flipped on Shula very quickly over the course of 2006 . . . and now, over the course of 2007 . . . they FLIP ON THE PLAYERS . . . from heroes to goats. WHO WILL BE THE NEXT TO BE CONDEMNED?
If you will, kindly explain to me how you know this. I suspect, firmly, it's will end up going down the same lines as what you have stated here before.
you could say the same thing for any rebuilding program. Or for any outsider who supports a group. You could even finds bits and pieces of it on this board. Go to any team board after a lose and you'll find it. Its simple human nature.
While I have never stated anything resembling "outstanding and talented young men" I did hold faith that with the right leadership in place we would see improvement. What can I say? I held onto a bit of faith in the possibility they would see what condition they were in, and make improvements to change. I was wrong and had misplaced faith in *some* of these guys. So be it. Even with this years attrition there are still some on the team that need some of their "ills" cured.
I don't buy into the Schula, or "losing," mentality. It's BS. Players don't stop feeling bad about losing. Everyone wants to win, and and a team just a year off from a 10-2 season never thinks they will lose a game.
Thanks Tiga! I was not aware of all the talent Saban had inherited. Saban came into a great situation stocked with future NFL payers.
I think Saban has to be more consistent with his discipline if he is to be taken as a strong disciplinarian. I mean suspending D. J. Hall for 1/2 of the ULM game was a farce he later tried to wiggle out of with "it is what it is." (it was announced before the game Hall had been suspended for the game). And notice in the subject article, he takes credit for suspending the "bookgate five" whereas when it happened he said he had nothing to do with it and that the administration had made the suspensions.
