Johnny Majors

[alexgreatau 0]

I usually try to discourage people from reading Paul Finebaum's columns or listening to his radio show. However, I came across his most recent column this past Saturday on Phil Fulmer and the real reasons why Alabama fans hate him. Finebaum insenuated, as he always does without being explicit, that the real reason behind the UAT nation's hatred for Fulmer is not the probation scandal, but the Tide's 2-9-1 against him over the last twelve years. As with every other UAT advocate out there, Finebaum also suggest that Tennessee's dominance in the rivalry can be attributed to the 10 year demise inside the UAT program with probation, Mike Dubose, probation in 2002, Dennis Francionne, and the current debacle with Mike Shula. As with every other UAT homer out there, Finebaum basically gives no credit to UT and the job that Fulmer has done with the program, the two SEC Championships and one national championship, but rather blames the powers to be at UAT for letting Tennessee gain the upper hand in the conference.

Who does Finebaum quote to substantiate this assinine claim? You guessed right, none other than Johnny Majors himself. On Phil Fulmer and UAT football, the former UT coach offered these comments:

"I've never seen anyone mess up one of the great traditional programs in the country like the people did at Alabama. The guy's coaching (UT) now has never gone up against a true Alabama team. They've been short-handed, short-legged and short-armed."

Okay here, Gentlemen Johnny, let me ask you a few questions. When UT beat the SEC Champion UAT in 1999 21-7 convincingly on the road, that wasn't a true Alabama team that UT beat that day? The Alabama team that year that won ten games and beat Steve Spurrier twice, all the while falling to the Vols, wasn't a true Alabama team? What about in 1996 when UAT won ten games during Gene Stallings last year and UT defeated that team convincingly in Knoxville with Peyton Manning? That ten win UAT team that year wasn't a "true Alabama team?" What about the other 7, 8, or 9 win Alabama teams that Fulmer has defeated during his tenure? Do they not count either in your estimation?

Give me a break! This statement is coming from a guy who lost 9 straight games to mediocre, not true Alabama teams, but mediocre Alabama teams. Yes, one of these losses came during the 1992 campaign but Majors was notorious for imploding against mediocre UAT teams during the 80's. Remember the 1980's, a time when Auburn dominated the SEC and Alabama was simply a mediocre team at best. During the 1980's, UAT was on average a 7, or 8 win team per year; yet Majors never could beat them.

In 1985, UT won the SEC Championship but lost to Alabama that same year at home. In 1991 UT won the SEC Championship but lost to Alabama that same year. It all happened under the watch of Johnny Majors. No Auburn coach could lose to UAT 9 straight times and still retain his job, never! I don't care how many SEC Championships he won.

So what's the real reason behind Majors discontent with Fulmer? Well, there's a two prong answer to this question. First, it's common knowledge that Fulmer worked behind the scenes in 1992 to get Majors fired while he was in the hospital with heart trouble. Majors was fired at season's end and Fulmer has been the coach ever since. I say to the benefit of UT's football program, they never would have won a NC with Majors or had Manning as their quarterback for four years. Second, Johnny Majors could never beat UAT, lost his last 9 games to the Tide, while Fulmer has simply whipped the floor clean with that program, compiling a 9-2-1 record against them. That's the real reason, in my opinion. Major's is disgruntled by the fact that his successor has dominated UAT and won a national champioship, while Majors is now seen as the mediocre coach that he was, never able to win the big game.

Yet, Finebaum uses Majors statements to support his own claim. He never mentions the good teams that UAT has had over the last ten years or the 1999 SEC Championship team that UT beat. UAT has succumbed to hard time because of the powers to be at the school? Well, yeah! Isn't that the case with every other program in America? Teams lose because the powers to be at the school make bad decisions with coaching hires, funding, the overall direction of the program, etc. Don't blame another school for capitalizing on your stupidity!

Didn't UAT capitalize on Pat Dye's demise and Auburn's probation by winning the 1992 national championship? Yet, you'll never hear Finebaum mention this.

Does anyone know see why I try to dissuade people from listening to this idiot?

Alex