Saban not credible voice about standards

[whiteplainstiger 0]

This newspaper article absolutely rips Nick Saban apart for his comments about South Florida.

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2007/oct/05/mcnulty-05/

Saban not really a credible voice about standards

By Ray McNulty (Contact)

Friday, October 5, 2007

As if anybody needed another reason to despise Nick Saban, as pompous and arrogant and classless a blowhard as anyone ever to coach a college football team, he gives us this:

"There's a significant amount of players who don't qualify (at some schools) and they end up being pretty good players at some other schools. I think there are six guys starting on South Florida's defense who probably could have gone to Florida or Florida State, but Florida and Florida State couldn't take them. And if you do a good job of recruiting that way..."

Saban said that.

Really.

He said it to the Birmingham News earlier this week.

And, let's face it, he said it for two reasons:

— He needed to say something to distract everyone's attention from his team's back-to-back losses to Georgia and Florida State, as well as come up with an excuse for its fall from the rankings.

— He needed to say something to diminish South Florida's climb into the Associated Press' top 10 because, in his warped mind, anybody else's success diminishes him and his accomplishments.

But, unlike the lies Saban told before slithering out of Miami to become the coach at Alabama, there might actually be a shred of truth in what he said about the Tampa-based Bulls.

South Florida probably does have a few borderline students on its roster. There are probably several players who wouldn't be in school if they didn't play football.

For Saban to say it, however — for the football coach at Alabama, of all places, to talk derisively about some other school's academics — is laughable.

It's kind of like Paris Hilton calling Lindsay Lohan a bimbo. Or Barry Bonds calling Mark McGwire a juiced-up fraud.

I mean, we're talking about Alabama, which is little more than Ole Miss with indoor plumbing.

We're not exactly talking about the Harvard of the South.

Alabama isn't one of the nation's premier academic institutions, like, say, Duke or Vanderbilt or Stanford or Notre Dame. It's not even one of the highly respected, top-tier state universities, schools like Virginia and Michigan and California and, yes, Florida.

We're talking about Alabama, where Saban dangles a scholarship in front of anyone who runs a 4.4-second 40, can throw the deep out on a rope and hits like a truck — as long as that player can color inside the lines.

We're talking about Alabama, where the SEC is far more important than the SAT.

We're talking about Alabama, where no linebacker is left behind.

Which, sadly, makes Alabama no different from most big-time football schools in America today.

Big-time college football is all about winning. Academics are a mere nuisance, a necessary evil, for the coaches and players alike.

And Saban knows all about it.

He coached at Michigan State and Louisiana State before taking his act to Alabama, so he knows all about minimum academic requirements — and how to get around them.

They do it at South Florida. They do it at Florida and Florida State and Miami. They do it everywhere that football matters more than it should on a college campus.

And Alabama, as much as anywhere, is one of those places.

That's why Saban should've known better than to say what he said about South Florida.

He should've known how it would sound. He should've known this would come back to haunt him. He should've known he'd come across as a hypocrite and, even worse, a whiner.

At least to everyone who doesn't bleed crimson.

And, maybe, being known as a whiny hypocrite is better than being known as the untrustworthy liar he was in Miami.

Somewhere, though, Bear Bryant is embarrassed.

So is Forrest Gump.

They didn't make excuses.

[WAR-MATT 2]

I mean, we're talking about Alabama, which is little more than Ole Miss with indoor plumbing.

hmm - where have I heard this before?

[GalensGhost 0]

I mean, we're talking about Alabama, which is little more than Ole Miss with indoor plumbing.

hmm - where have I heard this before?

I am FAMOUS!

[BamaGrad03 0]

People want to pick on what Saban says, especially in South Florida. All Saban did was answer a question.

And unless it's a lie...and USF doesn't allow partial qualifiers, I don't understand why their panties are in a wad.

And for all this blowhard wants to suggest that SEC schools (especially Alabama) have crappy academics, why is it that Alabama is ranked higher than USF in the Top schools academic rankings?

[AUChizad 0]

Love it.

 He needed to say something to distract everyone's attention from his team's back-to-back losses to Georgia and Florida State, as well as come up with an excuse for its fall from the rankings.

 He needed to say something to diminish South Florida's climb into the Associated Press' top 10 because, in his warped mind, anybody else's success diminishes him and his accomplishments.

I think what this author fails to connect is that by diminishing South Florida, he is in turn diminishing Auburn's loss to them.

We're not exactly talking about the Harvard of the South.

Wait, that's not what I've been told.

At least to everyone who doesn't bleed crimson.

Highlighting what I said earlier this week (and have said numerous times before). Yup, it's not just us Aubs. It's as the author said "everyone who doesn't bleed crimson" who can see that Nick Saban is the biggest prick to coach a down of football, and as a result has at least a mild hatred for the man.

[BamaGrad03 0]

Agreeing he is a dick, and getting all pissy because Saban pointed out a fact are two different things.

[AUbirdie 0]

Saban is a complete douchebag. i wouldnt care if he never lost a game, i would be embarassed to have this ass clown representing my university. not to mention he is getting 4 mil a year to lose to unranked teams.

[GalensGhost 0]

And it's not just us Auburn fans who notice the distinct similarities between Alabama and Ole Miss.

=

[WAR-MATT 2]

Agreeing he is a dick, and getting all pissy because Saban pointed out a fact are two different things.

Why should "the god of all things that is college football" even comment on it? The bottom line is that he is deflecting heat and trying to take down the flavor of the month. The man is and always will be a tool.

[whiteplainstiger 0]

Agreeing he is a dick, and getting all pissy because Saban pointed out a fact are two different things.

SPUAT GRAD 03, The facts Saban pointed out were wrong. Are you too dumb to understand that?

[CircleDrill 178]

And unless it's a lie...and USF doesn't allow partial qualifiers, I don't understand why their panties are in a wad.

Totally agree. It takes a highly developed academic mind...a mind that is honed to the peak of intellectual perfection... to headbut the window out of a Tuscaloosa Police cruiser.

=

Totally agree with this too.

[AURainman 6]

At least to everyone who doesn't bleed crimson.

WARNING: Thread derailment.

Don't we all bleed crimson? I mean, that phrase works for "Bleeding Orange and Blue." But it pretty much is worthless with any color in the red family.

[AUbirdie 0]

Agreeing he is a dick, and getting all pissy because Saban pointed out a fact are two different things.

SPUAT GRAD 03, The facts Saban pointed out were wrong. Are you too dumb to understand that?

no, he is not too dumb to understand. like saban he is just too prideful and ignorant to admit it. you have to remember that we have had our foot on their throats for over half a decade now and that they reaaaallllllly dont want to look stupid for paying this douche 4 mil a year to try to beat us.

[rebdawg 5]

People want to pick on what Saban says, especially in South Florida. All Saban did was answer a question.

And unless it's a lie...and USF doesn't allow partial qualifiers, I don't understand why their panties are in a wad.

And for all this blowhard wants to suggest that SEC schools (especially Alabama) have crappy academics, why is it that Alabama is ranked higher than USF in the Top schools academic rankings?

BG,

Saban did not say anything that is not true (on this subject anyway). The mistake he made was in naming a particular school. The reporter did not ask about any particular school therefore Saban should not have mentioned any particular school in his answer. South Florida is not doing anything wrong. They are operating completely within the boundaries of what their conference allows. Saban's answer should have contrasted the differences in the conferences. Trust me, if the SEC had the same standards as the Big East and the C-USA, then Saban would have welcomed Mike Ford with a warm hug and a plate of Dreamland ribs.

The stand that Saban may have wanted to take was that the SEC needs to loosen their standards. Perhaps he was lobbying for a unified academic standard for all NCAA institutions.

That may have been what he wanted to convey. What he did say, however, was either intended to accuse USF of cheating or more likely, the man is just too stupid to speak publicly. Regardless of his intent he looks like a crybaby trying to deflect attention from the fact that his team is on a bit of a skid. He really should hire a speech writer like politicians to keep himself from making these kinds of mistakes.

[DKW 86 7,441]

I mean, we're talking about Alabama, which is little more than Ole Miss with indoor plumbing.

hmm - where have I heard this before?

I am FAMOUS!

Will Collier stole it from you too then.