Greg McElroy on AJ McCarron's A-Day comments

[meh130 1,043]

Former Alabama QB Greg McElroy 'didn't appreciate' AJ McCarron's A-Day complacency comments

McCarron:

"I felt like the captains, the older guys, we wanted it. We weren't complacent," he said during an on-field interview with ESPN. "I think if you ask coaches or any of them, they'll tell you that. It takes a full team. We were young. We struggled at times."

McElroy

" had a bit of a problem [with it]. The reason being is because if guys are complacent, especially the younger guys, you refuse to allow that to happen. I didn't appreciate the way he came out and said that about his teammates. The season was over, it didn't go the way we wanted it to go and we're all disappointed with the outcome. That's the way he should have handled it."

Here is my take. McCarron learned this from Saban. He is basically emulating Saban. When something goes bad, or Alabama loses, Saban never takes the blame, and never blames the coaching staff. He always blames his players. When something goes bad, or Alabama loses, McCarron never takes the blame, and never blames his fellow seniors/captains. He always blames the more junior players.

McElroy was recruited by Mike Shula, and was already on the team when Saban arrived. McCarron, on the other hand, was heavily recruited by Saban throughout his senior year in High School, and Saban was essentially a second father to McCarron (perhaps a first father, given McCarron parents divorce). McCarron said he called Saban to talk to him every day during his senior year in high school. McCarron is Saban's Mini-Me. McCarron is just following in his football father's footsteps.

McElroy should be upset with Saban, not McCarron. Saban created this attitude in McCarron.

[WarEagle84 0]

And AJ has Saban constantly watching over him in his living room:

Mom's take on Nick & AJ's relationship:

On her son's relationship with Nick Saban and being called "mini-Saban:"

"Coach Saban is why he went to Alabama. ... Coach Saban coming to Alabama and personally recruiting him and their relationship was an immediate connection, which really pushed him to Alabama.

"AJ's always been very calm and very level-headed. He's always had that attribute already there. You can not go wrong with the staff they have there, the training, the media personnel, especially when coach Saban takes you under his wing.

"It's funny people call him a little mini-Saban, even though he is bigger, because he has taken on so many characteristics of coach. I mean he loves him to death, which I admire. I think coach Saban is a wonderful man. But it's been a whole training process for him and he's benefited from it."

http://www.al.com/sp..._son_being.html

[ClaytonAU 4,606]

This just reassures my opinion of McCaron. He will always be a scumbag.

[war eagle6 0]

Former Alabama QB Greg McElroy 'didn't appreciate' AJ McCarron's A-Day complacency comments

McCarron:

"I felt like the captains, the older guys, we wanted it. We weren't complacent," he said during an on-field interview with ESPN. "I think if you ask coaches or any of them, they'll tell you that. It takes a full team. We were young. We struggled at times."

McElroy

" had a bit of a problem [with it]. The reason being is because if guys are complacent, especially the younger guys, you refuse to allow that to happen. I didn't appreciate the way he came out and said that about his teammates. The season was over, it didn't go the way we wanted it to go and we're all disappointed with the outcome. That's the way he should have handled it."

Here is my take. McCarron learned this from Saban. He is basically emulating Saban. When something goes bad, or Alabama loses, Saban never takes the blame, and never blames the coaching staff. He always blames his players. When something goes bad, or Alabama loses, McCarron never takes the blame, and never blames his fellow seniors/captains. He always blames the more junior players.

McElroy was recruited by Mike Shula, and was already on the team when Saban arrived. McCarron, on the other hand, was heavily recruited by Saban throughout his senior year in High School, and Saban was essentially a second father to McCarron (perhaps a first father, given McCarron parents divorce). McCarron said he called Saban to talk to him every day during his senior year in high school. McCarron is Saban's Mini-Me. McCarron is just following in his football father's footsteps.

McElroy should be upset with Saban, not McCarron. Saban created this attitude in McCarron.

Spot on!!

[AU-24 3,063]

This just reassures my opinion of McCaron. He will always be a scumbag.

Yep

[alexava 6,973]

McElroy was more ready than Cam Newton for the nfl too. He dont always say the right things either.

[ClaytonAU 4,606]

I don't like McElroy anymore then I do McCarron. But McElroy isn't afraid to tell it like it is. He will do well at the SEC Network.

[WarEagle84 0]

More from McElroy (hard to disagree with him on this):

Former Alabama QB says Auburn’s the favorite in 2014

Jon Cooper @JonSDS

Published April 23, 2014 - 11:00am

Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy promised he’d be unbiased upon being hired as an SEC Network analyst, and he’s making that known before the network even kicks off in mid-August.

McElroy, who led Alabama to a perfect 14-0 season and a championship in 2009, told WJOX-FM that Auburn is the 2014 frontrunner ‘without question’, mostly because of Gus Malzahn.

“I think he’s the most innovative play-caller in college football,” McElroy said. “I think he’s a tremendous football coach, and he’s had a lot of success over the course of his career. And what they did last year was really special; so I think they are the frontrunners without question at this point.”

http://www.saturdayd...-favorite-2014/

[CameronCrazy 1,059]

Wow! If he keeps making comments like that then he's going to be disowned by Alabama fans the same way Herbstreit is with Ohio State fans.

[quietfan 233]

Wow! If he keeps making comments like that then he's going to be disowned by Alabama fans the same way Herbstreit is with Ohio State fans.

...or have a fatal accident falling up the stairs with a salad? (Hope he never falls asleep in a Krystal's)

[CJBas 4]

The fact is that the single individual on bama's program who thought he was the MOST entitled was AJ himself. That spoiled little snotrag won't tells anyone that but it was obvious. "We're still the best." parroting his god dinkybear. And his arrogant remarks before the IB about how he loves to go into someone else's stadium when everyone cheering and leave it with everyone crying was him begging for a smack down.

[AubTiger14 0]

I really like McElroy. He's smart, well-spoken, professional, and able to look at things from an unbiased point of view. I feel the exact opposite about AJ. He's selfish, overrated, a complainer, craves attention, and I hope he fails in the NFL.

[C'viewTiger 242]

This just reiterates the title of game manager vs. leader. If AJ was a team leader, he would have accepted the blame for the complacency, even if it was the "younger guys" as he and the older guys failed to mentor them. Senior leadership cannot be replaced just because someone is a senior. It takes less courage and less leadership to motivate those younger guys than it does to motivate those older complacent guys. Just my $.02

[Auburn06 76]

As stated, Saban is like this too..always blaming the players rather than the coaching. Players can only take so much blame, the coaches share blame to for a loss. How many games has Alabama lost because the coaches decided to go away from the running game and try to force the pass??!

[GBAU83 212]

More from McElroy (hard to disagree with him on this):

Former Alabama QB says Auburn’s the favorite in 2014

Jon Cooper @JonSDS

Published April 23, 2014 - 11:00am

Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy promised he’d be unbiased upon being hired as an SEC Network analyst, and he’s making that known before the network even kicks off in mid-August.

McElroy, who led Alabama to a perfect 14-0 season and a championship in 2009, told WJOX-FM that Auburn is the 2014 frontrunner ‘without question’, mostly because of Gus Malzahn.

“I think he’s the most innovative play-caller in college football,” McElroy said. “I think he’s a tremendous football coach, and he’s had a lot of success over the course of his career. And what they did last year was really special; so I think they are the frontrunners without question at this point.”

http://www.saturdayd...-favorite-2014/

Not that hard to understand - where you sits affects where you stand. McElroy now sits with the SEC network that expect realistic reporting and open discussion. Pretty easy to mark the SEC champion from last year that is returning about 80-85% of the starters as the frontrunner in springtime. Several programs replacing a key player at QB as well. Not that hard to see the obvious of AU as the frontrunner. We have not yet seen the SEC network out yet, so things could change and it may be set up with yen-yang kind of thing with McElroy touting the West and Tebow touting the East, kind of the protagonist-antagonist roles of Holtz-May on ESPN.

[WarEagle84 0]

One thing's for sure: most of the discussion on any ESPN network will be staged for our "entertainment".