If Bama doesn’t clean up, it can say goodbye to Saban
Hey, it's cool. I can read sign language. Nick Saban is saying, "Back off Bama boosters or I am so gone, so fast." (AP photo)
Let’s start with the obvious at Alabama.
There was no academic fraud. There was no cash exchanged between a coach and a player or a booster and a recruit. And nobody representing the university snuck an outside linebacker onto the roster with a swimming scholarship, so help me Bear Bryant.
So really, obtaining and distributing free textbooks barely cracks the school’s NCAA violation depth chart.
But somebody had better wake up in Tuscaloosa — Nick Saban will be gone before lunch tomorrow.
Saban might be the best coach in the SEC (I say might because I figure that debate’s for another blog.) He wins. He doesn’t cheat. He’s in demand. The fact he’s a liar is just a byproduct of that because, well, he can get away with it.
The point is, Nick Saban doesn’t need Alabama. It’s the other way around.
But as much as everybody wants to classify athletes getting free textbooks for friends as some trivial no-no, this is the fourth time in 14 years the Tide is in violation of NCAA rules: 1995, 1999, 2002, 2009.
Saban isn’t sticking around if this doesn’t stop. He doesn’t need this. He can have almost any job (save the Miami Dolphins). The problem is, he’s at Alabama, where coloring outside the lines has been pervasive for decades. What’s the chance the place suddenly turns into Rice?
Something will happen. Something always does at Alabama. It’s why I just don’t see Saban sticking around long term.
I’ve got two questions for anybody who considers this NCAA matter trivial:
1) It was found that 201 student-athletes in 16 sports obtained free textbooks for friends. Do you really believe that all 201 student-athletes did this out of sheer friendship and nobody received compensation in return?
2) If 201 student-athletes in 16 sports spread across campus were doing this, how plausible is it that not one single coach, official, teacher, administrator or ballboy knew about this?
See how quickly something “minor” becomes major?
Alabama officials almost gloated in 2007 when the football program finally was clear of probation. That’s when Saban was hired. In his second season, he led the Tide to a 12-0 regular season record, before losing to Florida in the SEC title game and Utah in the Sugar Bowl.
But now the school is on three years probation and must vacate 21 victories between 2005 and 2007. Some of those came under Saban.
That will forever be on his resume. You think that’s not on his mind? You think he needs this?
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110 comments Add your comment
Nachos
June 12th, 2009
7:44 am
your such a douche Schultz. next time do a little research before you write an article baldy.
Steve
June 12th, 2009
7:44 am
As a lifetime Tide fan I hope they get their act together over there, I’d hate to see anything upset the potential this team has under Saban. I don’t think he’s leaving, I think he knows he has a shot at a national title. Look what he did last year when he wasn’t expected to be number 1, even if the Tide did lose to Florida and Utah, they exceeded everyones expectations. I hate seeing any SEC in any sort of sanction trouble. ROLL TIDE !!!!!!!!!
Pete the Great
June 12th, 2009
7:46 am
Saban does not cheat? LOL at Jeff Schultz, you really have no clue do you? Do you know how many times that SEC coaches have turned in Saban to the league office and NO ONE has even followed up on any of these issues?
Tracey
June 12th, 2009
7:49 am
Well actually, the report from the NCAA singles out individual student atheletes who did in fact make money off of this scheme. Perhaps you should have read the report before you accuse all 201 of the atheletes of making a profit.
Yes, they singled out between 5 to 10 atheletes who made around $4K+ on this plan, but the report from the NCAA indicated that the greatest majority of these 201 atheletes made no money and were only doing favors for friends and most didn’t even know this was an NCAA infraction.
Read the report.
Cuz
June 12th, 2009
7:55 am
Well he is Saint Nick. I wonder if that job at East Pennsylvannia State is still open? Go Fighting Amish.
Jeff Schultz
June 12th, 2009
8:05 am
NACHOS: Nice language. Really shows your ability to debate.
STEVE: Good post.
PETE: I’m not going to call Saban pristine because nobody’s pristine. But as far as I know he’s never been connected to anything or gotten a school on probation. If I’m wrong, I’d love to know. As far as “everybody turning in Saban but nobody following up”: Alabama isn’t exactly on the NCAA’s best-pal list. If they had a hint of something, trust me, they’d pursue it with an army.
TRACEY: I don’t believe I wrote all 201 sold their books, did I? What I wrote was: are we to believe all 201 did this only out of friendship. … As far as kids knowing this wasn’t an NCAA violation — come on. Athletes get free books and pass them to others and you think they really believe there’s nothing wrong with it? Look, I’m not saying this is a major violation on the scale of paying athletes. But kids aren’t THAT dumb. Of course they knew it was wrong.
Otto
June 12th, 2009
8:09 am
Jeff usually you write one of the better articles but, Saban is around unless Bama is forced to give up scholarships. Also for the Bammers, I am a UGA fan that has family ties to Auburn as well.
Saban does not need Bama but how many colleges will pay him the cash Bama does, give him the control over the program he has, and has the facilities and name to recruit that Bama has?
A VERY short list of schools exist that can do that and they all have good or new coaches. If you are asking, ND is not on that list of school that fits the qualifications.
If Saban wins a BCS title or two he will be worshiped in T-town as the man who lead Bama out of the desert. What better way to feed his ego?
lakerat
June 12th, 2009
8:13 am
Yes, Tracey, YOU are the one who needs to READ before writing. Jeff did not indict all 201; as he responded, he only said “are we to believe all 201 did this only out of friendship” – that in no way says that everybody made money, and YOU confirmed his suggestion that some kids DID make money with YOUR reporting of the 5 – 10 who made the $4K+. Next time, comprehend BEFORE you retort!
Jeff
June 12th, 2009
8:26 am
Personally, and this may be due to the fact that I wear Crimson-colored glasses. The textbook incident could have happened at any school, and probably has. The fact of the matter is that Alabama self-reported and took disciplinary action. I think the consequences imposed by the NCAA was fair and I think the university is finally learning not to ignore the NCAA rules.
As far as Saban leaving, I think that’s just wishful thinking on the part of our boderline foes. Especiially Georgia and Georgia Tech, as it appears that we reach in to the state and snag whomever we want.
CrimsonRedScarlett
June 12th, 2009
8:37 am
Has anyone pointed out that most of the violations over the years have occurred with Mal Moore supposedly in charge? Schools need professionals as athletic directors.
rolltide21
June 12th, 2009
8:39 am
First off, let me establish that I am currently a student at Alabama. Second, I think the infractions and consequences our teams have received are fair and deserved. However- for the sake of discussion, I have a slightly different take on the actual textbook scandal. Last semester alone I spent $989 on textbooks (Yes, I am a biology major so my books are somewhat thick..and heavy, might I add!) Now multiply that by 6 previous semesters and, well, you get the picture. TEXTBOOKS ARE NOT CHEAP. This being said, I can see how many athletes would justify getting books for friends, with or without compensation. I also can see how the textbook-receiving students (and their parents’ pockets) would justify their knowingly putting student-athletes in a murky area of NCAA rules. Was it wrong? Yes. Are there things that Coach Saban should be more concerned about, given Bama’s somewhat sketchy past? Yes. In my opinion, this ranks on the lower half of the NCAA rule totem pole. But that’s just my opinion.
Jeff Schultz
June 12th, 2009
8:57 am
CRIMSONREDSCARLETT: I go even higher than ADs. I think school presidents need to take the hit sometimes.
Otto
June 12th, 2009
9:00 am
Rolltide21, I agree and IMO the penalty is rather harsh. The NCAA should be pushing to make a decision on USC but some schools are favored and others aren’t.
Pete the Large Mouth
June 12th, 2009
9:04 am
Pete the Great
You spout some serious accusations. How many times have SEC coaches turned in Saban?
Gene
June 12th, 2009
9:22 am
As a college professor, I consider this violation just another aspect of athletic departments acting as if the university exists for athletics and not the other way around. Many univeristy presidents, and Michael Adams is the prototype, are politicians and not educators. These false educators pander to coaches and alumni because of the huge amounts revenue that, primarily, football generates. I don’t understand exactly what was going on at Alabama, but if athletes were selling their own books, they obviously didn’t intend on using them in their classes.
Otto
June 12th, 2009
9:27 am
Adams pander to athletics? If he did the WLOCP would not be such a big deal and students/profs would have the days off as in the past.
Gene you can have your view tinted by your prof peers but book are a ripoff and for once athletes were trying to help someone make grades and not get a free pass in the class room. The book store lost some money…big deal with all the money the football program makes the school.
Otto
June 12th, 2009
9:31 am
Gene from what I understand they were getting extra books for their friends:
Of the 201 student-athletes that received impermissible benefits, 22 were identified by the university as “intentional wrongdoers,” as they were aware they received improper benefits. These student-athletes – 14 of whom were members of the men’s and women’s track and field programs – exploited the university’s textbook distribution system for scholarship student-athletes to acquire textbooks and materials of value greater than $100 for girlfriends, friends and other student-athletes.
The value of the impermissible benefits obtained by these intentional wrongdoers ranged from a low of $32.30 by a women’s track student-athlete to a high of $3,947.19 by a football student-athlete. The committee noted that the four highest amounts, ranging from $2,714.62 to $3,947.19, were obtained by football student-athletes.
The second type of infraction involved student-athletes who unintentionally received the impermissible use of non-required textbooks and materials. Among the student-athletes who unintentionally violated NCAA rules, about 125 received benefits that totaled less than $100 each.
http://blog.al.com/rapsheet/2009/06/ncaa_releases_its_report_on_al.html
Utah fans LOVE Nachos
June 12th, 2009
9:36 am
Hey Nachos, nice fire bomb. What a joke of a post – starting out with name calling. Yeah yeah, I know, your dad can whip my dad. You trash Schultz for not doing his homework. Homework on what??
21-0 at the end of the FIRST QUARTER!!
Old Dawg
June 12th, 2009
9:37 am
Like I’ve always said: There’s reality, and then there’s Alabama. Adding to that note, until the school receives the death penalty, none of the fans and administration of Alabama will get it.
I love the game of college football; it’s the only sport I follow. But when you compare it to all aspects of life, it’s just a game.
BAMAPERRY
June 12th, 2009
9:39 am
No player profited on the books, they loaned them to friends, and there were only 22 of them, 7 in football. If you don’t return a book at the end of the semester, you have to pay for it. This is the first problem that Bama has had since 2000 during the DumBose era, and it’s hardly “cheating”. Mal Moore came in as AD in late November of 1999 and fired DumBose less than a year later. I wouldn’t say it’s all his fau;t. Saban will retire at Bama.
Otto
June 12th, 2009
9:46 am
Old Dawg, the infraction was IMO rather its not like the athletes were paid, had an agent or were given a car or free shoes.
The Book Store failed to monitor who they were giving books to and athletes picked up books for their friends. To which I say big deal. If they look hard enough I’m sure they can find something this bad in just about any Top 25 program. As a UGA fan I’m not calling out Bama on this one.
The rules violation was reported as a secondary violation. Ohio St leads the country in secondary violations and gets nothing even after their QB was given money and later wins a national title, yet they get nothing. Bush over at USC may have been given a HOUSE for his parents but… we hear nothing. Bama gives text books to athletes friends and they get NCAA headlines. As a UGA fan I don’t want the NCAA sniffing around the SEC backyard. It is obvious who the NCAA lets slide and who they pick on.
Utah fans LOVE Nachos Sucks
June 12th, 2009
9:55 am
31-0 at the end of the first half. You only wear black to a m….f…. funeral!!!!
Tide rising
June 12th, 2009
9:57 am
Jeff,
Only 17 of the athletes were intentionally gaming the system. The rest of the athletes were getting materials for classes that were “recommended” by the professor but not ‘required”. The bookstore mistakenly was issuing these recommended course materials because of poor training on Alabama’s part. They thought naturally as most people would think that the NCAA would want students to have the recommended course materials in addition to the required materials in order to excel in the classroom.
The assertion that 201 athletes were intentionally gaming the system is absurd and I’m surprised that you missed this discrepancy. This is where the overwhelming number of athletes and violations comes from.
A recommended supplement would be something like getting a copy of Moby Dick that an English Literature professor recommends for his class but does not require it. Or someone getting a protractor for a math class. In one instance one of these supplemental items recommended but not required was 30 cents and resulted in a violation. It was probably a blank cd that the professor recommended.
As for Saban they’ve been saying that he would be gone the next year for 3 years now. His NFL bridges are burned, few if any schools would be willing to shell out the kind of money Bama is paying him, he’s in his late 50s now and has been talking about looking forward to retirement, and why on earth would anyone want to hire him for yet another stint of 5 years or less if he were to jump yet again? It makes no sense whatsoever.
Anyway, thanks for the article but I think you could have done a better job of clarifying how and why the majority of these violations were unintentional via the recommended but not required rule and thus the large scope of athletes involved. You simply shouldn’t have just assumed that all of these athletes knew they were breaking the rules and this is simply not the case.
mr. mike
June 12th, 2009
9:57 am
Nice, unbiased analysis, Jeff.
Nachos; I don’t know what to say; except typical football fan, I suppose.
-Your should be You’re.
-”N” should be capitalized in “next”.
-There is no such word as “baldy”. Perhaps you meant “badly”? Perhaps it was just a gratuitous insult to the article’s author?
You are a fool, amigo.
Rocky
June 12th, 2009
10:04 am
One thing that has not been mentioned yet. Alabama coach Nick Saban suspended the guilty players 4 games in 2006 at a time they were undefeated. They went on to lose 4 games, including to Louisiana Monroe. Jeff, next time please do a little better homework showing Alabama did not take this lightly and reported it. This suspension was HUGE at the time and a promising season went sour. Was this not enough penalty for a few players actions to punish a whole team already?
Otto
June 12th, 2009
10:04 am
Tide Rising I agree and everyone should read some over on AL.com into the details before drawing their conclusions. The article below is a start:
http://blog.al.com/rapsheet/2009/06/ncaa_releases_its_report_on_al.html
mr. mike. there is, too,...
June 12th, 2009
10:04 am
…such a word as “baldy”; as in, Jeff’s Shultz’s nickname is “Baldy”!
BAMAPERRY
June 12th, 2009
10:05 am
Cecil Hurt put it best, disappointing:
“But what is most disappointing, perhaps, is the core of the “failure to monitor” violation. There was nothing evil at work, or at least nothing more evil than bureaucratic myopia and, perhaps, a little laziness on the part of UA athletic administrators who are, by the way, still UA athletic administrators. Every month, data came in from the Supply Store. Every month, it went from an administrative assistant (who was only looking for “correct code”) to an assistant athletic director to an associate athletic director, up the chain and out the door, rubber-stamped with no evidence of close scrutiny. Is that the ultimate crime? Not at all. But banality can be just as deadly as villainy. Is that the way to operate when you are (and everyone knows how I hate this phrase) “looking down the barrel of a gun.” Not by a long shot.
So a gap was created. Student-athletes found the hole in the fence and — not surprisingly — clambered through it. That’s not the 80 percent or so of the involved student-athletes who inadvertently accepted supplemental materials. They weren’t trying to scam the system. But the 22 athletes who knew what they were doing was wrong, and did it anyway, bear some responsibility, too. But the hole in the fence should not have been there, not for nearly three years.
Alabama’s compliance efforts in reaction to the situation were praised on all sides. “A tremendous job,” Dee called it. It was not too little, just too late.
It was a day that could have been better. It was a day that could have been worse — a lot worse. But, ultimately, it looks like a day that didn’t have to be — and that, more than anything else, was what was disappointing.”
Tide rising
June 12th, 2009
10:07 am
Old dawg,
Get a grip on “REALITY” and have some freaking perspective. This isn’t about $100 handshakes or boosters buying players or purposeful cheating on the part of the school, coaching staff, or administration.
This is about 17 athletes finding a loophole in the textbook disbursement process and gaming the system in order to get free books to help out friends, girlfriends, etc. Not one player profited, no extra benefit was received, the books were returned at the end of the semester, and no competitive advantage was gained over other programs.
The school discovered the problem, self- reported it, took vigorous investigative action, punished those involved, retrained the bookstore employees, what the hell more do you want? And if you’ll read my post above you will discover that the overwhelming majority of the athletes and violations were unintentional due to the recommended vs required rule.
Mark
June 12th, 2009
10:09 am
Jeff,
You wrote: It was found that 201 student-athletes in 16 sports obtained free textbooks for friends.
You got lazy on this one. Know the facts. 22 of the 201 knowingly stole books for friends. The remaining unknowingly received optional/recommended materials (e.g., study guides) due to bookstore employee confusion and unclear syllabi. Sure, 22 is too many, but it’s far short of 201.
And while I’m here…
I hear “cheaters” used a lot, and maybe the 22 cheated the university out of academic supplies that were not part of their scholarships. If every university reviewed 3 years of their textbook records, do you think they all got it 100% right? I doubt it. Besides, who discovered the problem, and who reported it? Call them lazy or stupid, but please, don’t call the university cheaters.
Otto
June 12th, 2009
10:11 am
Tide Rising, Mark Bradley posted a blog you may want to read. It isn’t linked on the sports front page. You have to go in his past blogs.
Tide rising
June 12th, 2009
10:12 am
Otto,
As usual us disappointed Bama fans appreciate your objectivity and impartiality in looking at this. We still failed to adequately monitor the system and deserve some punishment but when people look back at the whole thing I think most people will realize its about 17 or 22 whatever the number is students who found a loophole in gamed the system to help friends, girlfriends,etc.
And hopefully people will recognize that this wasn’t any sort of wholesale cheating going on involving the coaches, alumni, or administration.
Otto
June 12th, 2009
10:12 am
* It is on the Bama Text books.
Otto
June 12th, 2009
10:13 am
Tide Rising thanks for the compliment
MtnBama
June 12th, 2009
10:13 am
BAMAPERRY, I would love to think that CNS will retire at Bama but if in the next three years we wind up ineligible for post season play or lose scholarships due to the acts of others whom he has no control over then I believe he will leave, in fact I believe he should leave and let us wallow in mediocrity until we learn how to run a big time athletic program that has a bulls eye on it’s back. RTR>
Bama fans everywhere
June 12th, 2009
10:16 am
Nachos,
Shut the hell up. You’re embarrassing to Alabama fans everywhere. Enough about the dang blackout game. Nobody cares anymore. It was a great game on our part but move forward please. And don’t come on here as a Bama fan with such poor grammar and spelling. At least use spell check or have someone proof check your posts.
The Ole Ball Coach
June 12th, 2009
10:24 am
I as a Die hard Dawg fan respects Bama….. so shut your pie hole
Go Dawgs
El Camino
June 12th, 2009
10:31 am
Jeff, are you REALLY only 40 years old ?
I thought you were more like 49-53.
BTW: Saban will be coaching at Notre Dame in 2010 !! – Satan finally rejoins his disciples.
BamaCLT
June 12th, 2009
10:39 am
Schultz, do us all a favor and label your articles as “opinion” before we get suckered into reading another one of these boring, regurgitated “the way I figure it” articles. When you sit down with Saban, and he tells you he’s going to leave, then you have the credibility to validate your title. You know, as well as I know, your opinion is based on a broad blanket of media research, and you’ve obviously dedicated zero time and effort to research this topic properly. Just like every other media moron out there looking for a quick rise in the ranks, your reporting style falls under “sensationalism” and “water cooler.”
Otto
June 12th, 2009
10:58 am
El Camino, Saban goes to ND? Why? ND does not have the recruiting base of Bama or the facilities. ND academic standards are also tougher for athletes. ND will not get Saban or Meyer for the same reasons.
Do you really think Weiss was their first choice? ND does not have the resources to be a BCS power at the moment and these big name coaches will not take the job unless they know ND can be at the same level as their current program.
Black Out 2010
June 12th, 2009
11:01 am
Hey Utah fans LOVE Nachos….
What are you still doing on these Bama blogs? Dont you have anything better to do in Winder? I bet the trailer can use a new coat of paint. Or head up to Wal Mart to pick you up a new THUGA jersey.
It’s best you leave now before I call Nachos Fan and he makes an as* out of you like yesterday.
BamaCLT
June 12th, 2009
11:01 am
No great coach will take on the Notre Dame fiasco until the University grows a pair and joins a conference.
Nick Saban doesn’t have time for this. « Get The Picture
June 12th, 2009
11:04 am
[...] Jeff Schultz channels Orson Swindle to come up with a convincing response. … Alabama officials almost gloated in 2007 when the football program finally was clear of probation. That’s when Saban was hired. In his second season, he led the Tide to a 12-0 regular season record, before losing to Florida in the SEC title game and Utah in the Sugar Bowl. [...]
Good job, Jeff
June 12th, 2009
11:05 am
I realize this is a Bama article, so I shouldn’t be surprised at the misspelling, lack of punctuation and use of language usually seen on a shrimp trawler. Nor should I be surprised at the evident lack of reading skills of a certain blogger named Tracey. But anyone that thinks NS will stay at Bama for more than a few years, even less if the penalties start to descend, is clearly doing meth which is, I hear, plentiful in the fine state of Alabama. Longevity is just not in his DNA. Nacho, I’m guessing you’ll need to look up ‘longevity’.
Writer: If Bama Doesn’t Clean Itself Up, Saban Will Leave | MrSEC.com
June 12th, 2009
11:12 am
[...] Alabama. For that reason, the Crimson Tide athletic program had better clean up its act.I agree.“Saban isn’t sticking around if this doesn’t stop. He doesn’t need this. He can have almost any job (save the Miami Dolphins). The problem [...]
RC
June 12th, 2009
11:27 am
Blahh, Blaah, Blahh. All you Bama Haters are broken hearted that the NCAA didn’t drop the hammer. Get back to your message boards and cook up another conspiracy.
P.S.
I don’t disagree with the point made in the arcticle.
WinderDawg
June 12th, 2009
11:28 am
Once again,the SEC is in the crosshairs of the NCAA. As a Dawg fan and graduate, I hate to see any of the teams in our confrence get in trouble because it shines a bad light on the SEC as a whole.First it was Danny Ford and Jackie Sherrill, now it’s the dumba$$ in Tenn and the fool at Auburn running their soupcoolers. Alabama-i respect your tradition and all but right is right, and wrong is wrong.Keep screwing around and not only will you not have Saint Nick, you will be the next SMU, and we see how well that turned out for them, they still don’t have a team. I know we at UGA have had our fair share of indescretions, but thank god CMR is an above board guy who runs a clean program.I llived in Dallas, TX when SMU got the axe, and everyone in the Southwest Confrence thoght they were too good to get caught, Where are they now? I just hope the SEC gets this BS straightened out before we look as stupid as they did.
your a moron
June 12th, 2009
11:32 am
Enter your comments here Don’t let facts get in your way. 201 athletes did not get free books to give to their friends.
Skillet
June 12th, 2009
11:35 am
LOL…the envy and fear of Bama being full strength again is entertaining. Don’t worry…the cesspool auburn has created will be a lot more fun to talk about. It has to be hard to deliver a hard hitting article on such a trivial incident.
Jack
June 12th, 2009
11:35 am
Jeff, to say that UA has been coloring outside the lines for “decades” is simply not true. The first time UA was ever put on probation was 1995. If you want to rip UA, which is certainly your right, please stick to actual facts.
CNSYD
June 12th, 2009
11:36 am
Otto, I have news for you. ND does not have academic standards when it comes to football. Don’t you remember that Loose Bolts coached there? Read “Under the Tarnished Dome”. I, like Captain Renault, am SHOCKED to hear that cheating goes on in the SEC!
j.d. green
June 12th, 2009
11:50 am
Strange that no one mentioned that at the end of the semester the books had to be turned back in or paid for. Surely you don’t believe students were paying over value for text books and then not getting to re-sell them, but if you are a BAMA basher you probably do.
Steve
June 12th, 2009
11:50 am
hey Good job Jeff- Why rip on Alabama and it’s people so? Are your people directly related to the original Mayflower people; it that your long standing social stripe, your pedigree? If you’re from Georgia and ripping Alabama, do you think people living in the Hamptons think there’s a spits worth of difference between Alabama and Georgia. I bet you a dime to a dollar you don’t have to look to far into your own ancestory to find a lot of folks the Banjo Boy in Deliverance could intellectually look down on. You seem very jealous as well as imtimidated by the potential of a young Alabama team. I don’t blame you, I would be too. Chill bud, chill.
Ted Striker
June 12th, 2009
12:00 pm
Quoting Paul Dee, chair of the NCAA Infractions Committee: “The university could not produce records before the 2005 fall semester, so it’s unclear if similar violations occurred earlier.”
Frankly this could have been worse for Alabama and they may have actually received a pass for games prior to 2005.
(pa)Roll Tide!
bigcooterb
June 12th, 2009
12:45 pm
Jeff, do you really think this is the only school where this goes on? My guess is that there is not a school in the country where this does not happen.
T-DAWG
June 12th, 2009
1:05 pm
All this talk about Saban is not fruitful. After all this man has only won 1 national Championship and that was shared with USC. Urban has more titles than Saban. Saban is good but not the best and watch Bama struggle this year 9-3. ROLL TIDE!!!!!!
T-DAWG
June 12th, 2009
1:10 pm
Hey Bama fans lets talk about incoming freshman Dre Kirkpatrick having a brand new Dodge Charger and paying cash for it without a JOB!!!!!!
Maddog
June 12th, 2009
1:33 pm
LOL!! I love the post by “your a moron”. You wish to insult someone’s intelligence and you use “your” where it should be “you’re”. Then to top it all off, you begin your post with “Enter your comments here”. You haven’t exactly figured out this blogging thing now have you?
richtfan
June 12th, 2009
1:44 pm
there are certain programs that will never receive the death penalty no matter what they do, and one of them is Bammer. The NCAA does not have the guts to shut their program down. Same goes for USC, and we all know all of the payments that they have given to their athletes (reggie bush’s parents).
Lee
June 12th, 2009
2:00 pm
He didn’t say that “all” received money for the textbooks. Perhaps you should read what Schultz wrote and not make up things you think he said, Tracey.
Atlanta Journal Constitution » Blog Archive » If Bama doesn’t clean up, it can say goodbye to Saban
June 12th, 2009
3:14 pm
[...] Jeff Schultz | ajc.com – [...]
Paul W. Bryant Jr.
June 12th, 2009
3:31 pm
T-Dawg – Hey boy, Dre Kirkpatrick did some yard work for me over spring break to pay for that there car.
Paul W. Bryant Jr.
June 12th, 2009
3:33 pm
And let the record show that I paid for them there text books.
My daddy said they ain’t nothing wrong with helpin them there kids out with some expenses as long as the NAACP don’t catch no wind of it.
Paul W. Bryant Jr.
June 12th, 2009
3:34 pm
so, who has a moron? I got me a bunch of them there morons ova here in Tuscaloosa.
Jon P
June 12th, 2009
4:30 pm
I think that the NCAA hit Alabama WAY too hard! It’s not like any ineligible players were playing or coaches were paying players. There is NO REASON to take away victories as no violation occurred on the field! Who is on the NCAA board that voted on this? Are there any SEC representatives or are they all from the North or Midwest? Let the punishment fit the crime…leave the victories, take away scholarships instead. Makes more sense! And I am not a ‘Bama fan and I still don’t think that it’s a fair deal.
T-DAWG
June 12th, 2009
4:54 pm
SABAN is a PIMP!!!!!! He tells the BamaNation to jump and they say (HOW HIGH DADDY SABAN)
Tide rising
June 12th, 2009
5:16 pm
T-DAWG,
Sorry to burst your bubble but you just don’t know what you’re talking about in regards to Dodge chargers and Gadsden, etc. That’s all just nonsense that was made up out of thin air on Auburn message boards. Its already been looked into and there’s not one iota of truth to it. But there are idiots out there who actually are stupid enough to believe fictitious stuff like this that gets made up out of thin air on the internet of all places.
But I do have a standing reward of $1,000 to anyone like yourself who believes this kind of crap and can prove it. All you have to do is produce just one single shred of evidence. You got that of course right? I’m assuming you’re not the kind of absolute fool who just believes any ole rumor started on opposing message boards. Nope. You sound much smarter than that! So go ahead and provide your proof and then offline I’ll wire your money to you. If you can’t provide your proof then do all sane, reasonable, intelligent people a favor and just STFU!
Tide rising
June 12th, 2009
5:21 pm
T-Dawg,
Oh. I forgot to mention to you that about a week or so ago on a recent update on Bama online Dre Kirkpatrick was jokingly asked what his favorite car was by the Bama reporter. He jokingly replied Dodge Charger. He was mocking idiots like yourself who actually believe stuff like this. They were mocking people like you but you’re just too freaking stupid to realize it. And now there you go again rehashing rumors that only the village idiot would believe.
Silver Skillet
June 12th, 2009
5:40 pm
For the love……Sgt. Schultz are you Jay Bookmans brother from a different mother? Talk about bad, biased “Yellow Journalism”……You two should team up and start a thread in the funny papers….Really you guys should, you would both be fantastic at it.
Mitchell Gant
June 12th, 2009
6:57 pm
Do a little more research, Jeff. LSU was sanctioned for academic misconduct during Saban’s tenure in Baton Rouge. You might also ask your colleagues in the biz about the ongoing (but as yet unpublicized) NCAA investigation into Alabama’s recruiting and academic misdeeds that’s been underway for months now.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/sec/2004-05-07-lsu-sanctions_x.htm
roy
June 12th, 2009
7:01 pm
I can’t remember a conference fearing a coach as much as Saban. Wonder why?
Tidewatch
June 12th, 2009
8:17 pm
Otto,
You are absolutely right about NCAA double standards. I am glad a fan of another team recognizes this.
Saban IS a cheat
June 12th, 2009
8:28 pm
Jeff? Wasn’t Saban in the bidding for Albert Means at MSU? Do the names Gadsden, Mobile, Hoover, Foley mean anything to you? Stick around…they will shortly…and the sad thing is…Bama fans know it….that school has not been able to win unless it cheats and that includes the Bear. Saban is going to come out dirty..and so woll Kevin Steele and Lance Thompson….and mostly Kirby Smart. Enjoy Bama fans…Round Two is up shortly
Lane Kiffen
June 12th, 2009
9:26 pm
When did they get text books in Tuscaloosa?
Other than the ones where you have to color inside the lines of course.
Think About It
June 12th, 2009
9:28 pm
Athlete receives $200 text book for free…..sells to friend for $100 who agrees to return book after semester….semester ends and textbook is returned as required….athlete has made a profit. I don’t understand those saying no profit was made because the books had to be returned.
Mr. History
June 12th, 2009
9:50 pm
SMU.
MrModerate
June 12th, 2009
9:50 pm
Yawn . . . is this the best the AJC can afford? No wonder the print media is going the way of the dinosaurs.
TigerFan23
June 12th, 2009
10:25 pm
bama needs to get its act together or get out of the SEC. They are an embarrassment to the SEC and this state!!.
Farley Horseshocker
June 12th, 2009
10:27 pm
Still trying to figure out how textbooks gave Bama a competitive
edge on the field and they had to vacate wins ???
Checkered Asshat Gang
June 12th, 2009
10:58 pm
BAMAPERRY sounds like typical bammer fan in denial…. No bammer player profited? Gimme a break. This probably was not one of the biggest violations that has been made, but you can bet some players profited $$$
SaBaNaTiOn
June 12th, 2009
11:34 pm
Hey Saban IS a cheat,
How long do we have to wait to find out about Gadsden and all the other made up crap? I’m asking you because you sound like you have the inside scoop you jacka**. Run along, your mommy is calling you back to the double wide.
Bamma36Barners0
June 13th, 2009
12:00 am
Nothing like a bunch of tigger trash on a Friday night for spinning yarns…..Well here is a couple back at you that pass the truth test……..Auburn is No.#3 On the NCAA All time Cheaters List for rule infractions trying to keep up with its big brother Alabama. Most notable the Chief Engineer for MARTA who designed the worst rapid transit system in the world was schooled from you guessed it BARNER U …. Your institutions infamous legacy rolls on like a turd down the Hooch.
DixieWins
June 13th, 2009
1:06 am
Any part of the text book situation at The University of Alabama is miniscule compared to the garbage going on at Univ So Cal. reggie bush ? There is a serious situation needing a thorough investigation.
The ncaa needs a chiropractor for the severe neck damage it has sustained while turning a deaf ear and blind side to what the trojans are doing.
Get real.
Mike
June 13th, 2009
4:30 am
“The way you should grab people’s attention is by getting information and anecdotes about somebody that no one else has.”
Those are your own words, Schultz. The problem is, you have nothing original to say about Nick Saban. You never have. In fact, for years, you’ve rarely had anything to say that a hundred other people hadn’t already said a hundred times before you.
You’re an attention-seeking cliche in a dying industry and a horrible example for future journalists. Saban’s job should be the last job you’re worried about.
NomadRT
June 13th, 2009
7:54 am
179 of the athletes received supplemental material (recommended reading material) in error as a part of their prepacked books. This was not fraud, was not intentional, and was not stealing.
22 of the athletes were getting books for their friends and that is where the problem was.
btw — the NCAA went out of their way to say that Alabama was doing a terrific job of compliance investigation, cooperation, etc.
NomadRT
June 13th, 2009
7:59 am
and btw — when I was in college there were multiple times that the book store made errors in what they gave me when i went to pick up my books. And I graduated from Georgia Southern… so let’s talk about thoe 22 atheletes, but the 179 others should not be treated as cheaters or people trying to defraud the system.
oldlefty12
June 13th, 2009
9:02 am
Hey Think About It. Alabama is one of only a handful of schools that even required books be returned. So at many of the other SEC schools, athlete gets $200 book. Uses it. Returns it for $100. Athlete made a profit. I don’t understand why this isn’t a problem. BTW, it is not a problem and is not a violation for the other schools to do that. Hmm.
Barrington Womble
June 13th, 2009
9:44 am
So where’s he gonna go? Someplace where he feels there’s just no chance that they take paper clips home from the office? Get a grip, dude.
T-DAWG
June 13th, 2009
10:37 am
Hey Tide Rising you sound a little scared!!!!! You know for yourself that its just a matter of time before the truth comes out about the gasden Boys. You are the idiot because you think bama is above the law. and besides who is really scared of bama. They had 1 good season and all of sudden bama is back.
T-DAWG
June 13th, 2009
11:01 am
Hey Tide rising. Breaking News Dre Kirkpatrick is not going to qualify. Looks like JUCO or PREP School. I guess Bama dodged another bullet for now. I dont think so!!!! Bama no.1 recruiting class is looking pretty average to me because 9 or 10 want qualify. Thats Funny!!!!!!!!!
grangerphil
June 13th, 2009
2:38 pm
This whole stupid thing could have been avoided if two over paid pencil pushers at the university done their job, and monitored the spike in textbook transactions at the bookstore. They were given the reports to scrutinize, unfortunately, there was no scrutiny when the spike in activity was obvious. No one was controling, monitoring or correcting. That was the problem, more than the scheme itself.
Proud Auburn Alumnus
June 13th, 2009
4:57 pm
What is really sad is we are talking about an Alabama program going on probation for cheating and they also have a two game losing streak.
Talk about a bunch of losers.
Crimson Tired
June 13th, 2009
4:59 pm
This would have never happened when Bear Bryant was coach. His players never saw a textbook.
Edward
June 13th, 2009
5:01 pm
I have always wondered why people that are so filled with Hate come on the Bama Board, is it Envy? is it because Bama can get better Recruits?
they are ranked #2 by Scout now for the 2010 Class, I am aware that every School especially Tenn. and Auburn would do backflips if Bama had been hit hard. never approach a Bull from the front, a Horse from the rear or a Fool from any direction.
T-DAWG
June 13th, 2009
11:46 pm
Amen Crimson Tired!!!!!
Gen Neyland
June 14th, 2009
8:45 am
I reckon this isn’t what we’d call a Secondary Violation, huh..?
Pee on cow college
June 14th, 2009
9:57 am
The University of Alabama isn’t ‘dirty’. The AD is old and dumb, but he does not knowingly allow cheating to go on, unlike the pissants at cow college and other SEC schools right now. For example, Richt of uga is supposedly a Christian, but many of his players are illeterate thugs unworthy of college scholarships. Don’t get me started on UcheaT’s coach…
The bottom line is Saban isn’t going anywhere, so the enemies of Bama are getting their panties wet over the thought for no reason at all.
Florida Gator
June 14th, 2009
2:19 pm
Pee on cow college: I can tell by your attitude and language that you are an Alabama grad – possibly with honors.
When did you graduate? I bet you were magna cu laude there.
bank walker
June 15th, 2009
10:59 am
To the poster Jeff that thinks bammer comes to Georgia and picks who they want. You are dumb as a sack of rocks if that’s what you believe. See the thing is we play little better football here in Georgia than you do in bammer. Have you not noticed “Jeff” the forty GA players on Auburn, Clemson, Florida, and now bammer’s rosters. See our 2A teams here in Georgia are like a bammer 4A. Our kids are more skilled and tougher, but nice try “Jeff”, you chump!
ehyoutiger
June 15th, 2009
1:47 pm
Schultz…
I hope you’ve learned your lesson. Invite UAT folks to the party and it’ll degrade to petty name calling and general squalor in no time flat. They don’t have the capacity to debate, only scream that it’s not fair and you’re picking on them.
Very interesting and well written article.
Bishopbulldawg
June 15th, 2009
2:33 pm
Alabama should get the death penalty for being a repeat offender. Only then will the NCAA get any respect or credibility!
Bama continually finds ways to exploit the NCAA’s regrets for the SMU demise. Nevertheless, Bama deserves the chair.
College Football Links (6-15-09) « Football on the Brain
June 15th, 2009
3:28 pm
[...] of Alabama, the AJC’s Jeff Schultz talks about Nick Saban and how Bama needs Saban more than Saban needs Bama. Schultz suggest if Bama [...]
Eleta
June 16th, 2009
1:03 pm
Just because Alabama wasn’t on probation till after Bear Bryant left, doesn’t mean that they ran a clean program. I have a nephew-in-law who played for Bear Bryant, and he was top tier and one of Bryant’s favorites. He said that they got anything they wanted…cars, clothes, money, etc. He said that no one at the NCAA would dare accuse Bryant of anything, and everyone knew it. He said that violations were common knowledge. He was enough of an insider to know this for fact.
Jesse
June 16th, 2009
6:00 pm
I’m a student and bama and thought this was a good article. I will point out, however, that most of our program’s instances of cheating have been because we were sick of being mediocre and were willing to do anything to get the Tide rolling again, legal or not. Now we have arguably the most successful coach in the land and unarguably the best crop of recruits over the last 2 years. We no longer need to cheat to be successful. But we absolutely do need Saban to be so.
I think the athletic department, the boosters and the fans are well aware of this, I would be shocked to see anything less than a total commitment to following the rules from this point forward.
Saban won’t go back to the NFL, and how many other college programs offer him the tradition, power and resources to dominate again at the college level? I think Saban is here to stay for a long time.
Michael Twilley
June 16th, 2009
11:19 pm
Go Tulsa.
BamaHamma
June 17th, 2009
8:17 am
Jeff,
As a devout, lifelong fan of the Crimson Tide I can honestly say I’m a logical, fair minded, free-thinking Bammer.
Sorry to disappoint the legions of folks out there who wondered if such a person w/n the Bammer Nation exisisted.
Yes, I know, there are not too many of us running around. I suppose I’m that rare exception to that hard and fast rule.
You nailed it, Schultz, Great job.
Except I think this is ONLY (insert joke here..) our third run-in w/the NCAA. Unless I’m mistaken, we weren’t under any sanctions in 1999.
Say what you will about Saban but this much you simply cannot deny. “He wins. He doesn’t cheat. He’s in demand….”
St. Nick runs a very classy and very clean program.
At none of his three stops in CFB has there ever been even the smallest HINT of a scandal. Think its just a mere coincedence the arrest rate of football players at UA has dropped dramatically since Saban has been in charge?
He’s a maniacal recruiter and absolutely one of the finest coaches in the game today.
And while most of the Bama nation may not admit it, Alabama certainly needs Saban
“The point is, Nick Saban doesn’t need Alabama. It’s the other way around”
Spot on Schultzie!
We FINALLY learned our lesson following the Albert Means debacle in ‘02. Easily the darkest chapter in our program’s history.
Deserved every bit of it.
We know we’ve got a good thing going w/ Saban, I can assure you. Furthermore, we will do everything in our power to keep him.
Including play by the rules.
Roll Tide!!
The Bama Hamma
JT
June 17th, 2009
11:13 am
Schultz, you don’t know SQUAT about what goes on in TUSCALOOSA!! It is what it is, the students screwed up, it ain’t that serious, since the reason they’re on campus and getting the books in the first place is to get an education!!! Is this your subliminal way of HOPING that he may come to a school of your choice??? Not in a million years…..get over it, and learn what’s goin gon with you local school, whatever that insitution is!
Signed,
Born And raised In Tuscaloosa
Robert Sanders
June 18th, 2009
2:47 pm
This coming from a school who graduated a student who could not read or write (James Brooks) and who had a teacher basically giving grades out to athletes so they would be eligible to play football. This scandal was swept away because students were involved but there is no way Auburn coaches did not know of this and I will bet you they were sending them to this class for that same reason. Auburn has been on probation wwwwaaayyy more than Alabama so let’s not crow too loud over there in cow college!
rolltider
June 18th, 2009
4:56 pm
I love how Auburn fans make it seem like many of there players havent recieved hang outs… when I FIRST HAND have seen them and been told to be hush hush… AUBURN FANS I have first hand seen envelopes full of cash pulled out of players mail boxes from alumni… I will not mention who for the sake of the storm of hate responses but for us to mess up on free text books is WRONG.. theres not doubt about that. but YOU BETTER WATCH WHAT YOU TALKING ABOUT WHEN YOU MAY NOT BE AS CLEAN AS YOU THINK… because sometimes even your girlfriend has crabs if you get what im saying
Distinguished service - The Quad - Tuscaloosa News - Tuscaloosa, AL - Archive
August 20th, 2009
11:55 am
[...] have wondered about Mal Moore’s future as director of University of Alabama athletics as the hammer of NCAA [...]