Why is Bama so feared? Because its coach scares us to death
The cult of Nick congregates in the lobby of the Wynfrey Hotel. (Photo by M. Bradley)
Hoover, Ala. – Alabama was the choice of the assembled media here to win the 2011 SEC championship, which was no shock. Everybody exalts Alabama nowadays. It was in January 2010, after the Crimson Tide won the first of what would be one consecutive BCS title, that Sports Illustrated proclaimed it “a dynasty,” and it was only last fall we were wondering if Bama was unbeatable.
Then it lost to South Carolina, to LSU and to Auburn (after leading 24-0 in Tuscaloosa), and suddenly we media folks were grasping: How did the program newly seen as the nation’s flagship finish in the bottom half of the SEC West? Didn’t another school from Alabama take the BCS title? Was it possible the dynastic Tide had been overblown?
Guess not. Because we media types are doing it again. The Tide figures to start the season ranked no worse than No. 2 (behind Oklahoma and nobody else) in the polls, and in the conference-sanctioned balloting for SEC champ it drew 62.4 percent of the 157 votes cast. This despite losing four first-round NFL draftees (Marcell Dareus, Julio Jones, James Carpenter and Mark Ingram) and starting quarterback Greg McElroy.
Asked Friday about this apparent incongruity, Alabama’s coach said: “From a logical standpoint, I know there’s a couple other teams in our division — forget about the league — that have just as many returning starters and their quarterback. So even though [sarcasm alert] I have a tremendous amount of respect for the intelligence level and your ability to prognosticate … I don’t understand how you come to the decisions you do.”
The answer, this correspondent of limited intellect would submit, has to do with Alabama’s coach. Nick Saban is considered the best collegiate coach now working by as great a distance as Dwight Howard is regarded as the NBA’s top center. Saban has won BCS titles at different SEC outposts, which proved his black magic was transferable. And it isn’t so much that folks believe Saban is smarter than everyone else but that we know he’ll work his 30-hour days until he figures things out.
Alabama fans are difficult to please — a guy bearing an ursine nickname won pretty big in Tuscaloosa — but they’ve venerated Saban from the moment he arrived. Indeed, a cult of personality has arisen around this coach, and that’s something you don’t often see in SEC football. There was one surrounding Paul W. Bryant and also about Steve Spurrier (though he qualified as an Evil Genius only at Florida), but Vince Dooley (six SEC titles, one national championship) and Urban Meyer (two BCS titles) never had one.
With Saban, it’s really a cult of impersonality. Sometimes it seems the sole difference between Saban and his near-namesake Satan is that the devil has a sense of humor. It was Saban who famously spent the press briefing after Alabama’s breakthrough victory over No. 3-ranked Georgia in 2008 — the Tide led 31-0 after two quarters on the road — raging about how his team had been outscored by 20 points in the second half.
“I know I don’t look happy,” Saban said that night, “but I am.”
Saban never looks happy. The man is so driven you wonder how he hasn’t yet driven himself, and those who work under him, insane. He cracked one smile during his half-hour appearance before the print media Friday, and then only to make fun of Baton Rouge writer Glenn Guilbeau, whom Saban described as “a friend.” (Coach Satan has friends? Who knew?)
As odd as it sounds, the glowers have become Saban’s stock in trade. He appears to take football more seriously than anyone else in his industry, and this plays well in the South, where college football is taken most seriously, and in his state, which is mad for the game.
Another incongruity: The manically intense Saban spent a couple of minutes Friday suggesting that Auburn-Alabama rivalry has grown too intense. “We can be all be a little more respectful to each other and still have just as a fierce a competition on the field as we’ve ever had,” he said.
But that was it for moderation. Saban devoted most of his time to the boilerplate stuff — focus, commitment, all that jazz — and then he stalked away, the smell of sulfur in his wake. Gazing on him, we thought to ourselves, “What mortal can possibly stand against such fury?”
Les Miles, maybe?
By Mark Bradley
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391 comments Add your comment
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 22nd, 2011
2:20 pm
You obviously have never left the state and know that the “Lowcountry” is Charleston SC. Home of the Citadel and where the first shots of the Civil War where fired off the coast on Ft. Sumter. So at least get the history of my handle right.
bamaguy
July 22nd, 2011
2:20 pm
Ok back to work, can’t want to hear what our coach has to say tonight on Talkin’ Football.
DC
July 22nd, 2011
2:21 pm
man MB you are just baiting AU fans to get pissed at you….give me a break…from “boring” to this guy is intense…(but he gives you just amount of info as the “boring” guy)….
we’ll see how his arrogant QB does in the SEC this year….
SEC Fact Finder
July 22nd, 2011
2:22 pm
Just a comment about Trailers, as a guy who now resides in Florida.
According to Census numbers by rank of Trailers:
Florida
Texas
North Carolina
Georgia
South Carolina
Alabama
but here is the link…
good laughing…..
http://www.census.gov/apsd/www/statbrief/sb94_10.pdf
Good luck to your Schools.
And Go SEC!
mini mi-mi
July 22nd, 2011
2:23 pm
Because Bama has goten waway with stuff that others can’t imagine doing even behind closed door?!?!?!?
JB
July 22nd, 2011
2:24 pm
Trailers………..all in the South. Imagine that……….We need a bailout….LOL
JB
July 22nd, 2011
2:25 pm
When Mark leads his Dawgs against Boise…The entire SEC will be rooting for him….That’s pressure.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 22nd, 2011
2:25 pm
I do know something about underachieving teams, didn’t say I did not. That is why I can say with confidence that Bammer underachieved last year and probably will choke away another season this year. Bammer will be looking at the next Bill Curry situation evolving in 2012. Running out another coach is on the horizon…
Red Stick (formerly Jumbeauxtiger)
July 22nd, 2011
2:26 pm
scdawg: “Nick Satan may have sold his sold to win championships, but the man can coach. Who else could win a national championship without an elite quarterback? Sometimes I wish Mark Richt had his drive and attitude about football.”
He won 2 nationals titles without an elite QB. At Bama and at LSU.
Geaux Tigers
Go SEC
1eyedJack
July 22nd, 2011
2:26 pm
Well, I think CMR and Satan are 1-1 against each other at their current schools, so we’ve got a hung jury there. However, Ol’ Hob’s got a statue on a pedastal while CMR has backed himself against the wood stove.
DIT
July 22nd, 2011
2:28 pm
I agree, the man backs up his talk. Two NC rings from 2 different SEC schools. The coach is a proven winner!
Bryant
July 22nd, 2011
2:29 pm
bob you are right in 64 Namath swore he got in on the sneak. Years later Nobis confirmed it. 73 I was a freshman and was in old Tulane stadium for the Sugar Bowl. Even though we lost it was the best college game I had ever witnessed until the 85 Van Tiffin game against Auburn. Good luck to all should be a helluva season!!
Joey
July 22nd, 2011
2:29 pm
Either that photographer is a big man, or Saban is a little feller.
JJ
July 22nd, 2011
2:29 pm
A picture of grown men standing in a lobby waiting to get a grown man’s autograph on a poster/hat/whatever.
Get a friggin’ life already.
Tossed Salad
July 22nd, 2011
2:30 pm
Bama’s lucky to have LSU’s coach.
Tide Rising
July 22nd, 2011
2:31 pm
Lowcountrybulldog,
You know you aint got much of an argument when all you can do is bring up Mike Dubose from 10 years ago. Do you enjoy living in the past? Oh, BTW red panties low country. Red panties!
editor
July 22nd, 2011
2:31 pm
Ursine, Mark? That’ll show him for questioning your intelligence!
BAMA dude
July 22nd, 2011
2:32 pm
Tossed Salad
July 22nd, 2011
2:30 pm
Bama’s lucky to have LSU’s coach.
I nominate THIS individual for dumbest comment of the year.
k.chubbs
July 22nd, 2011
2:33 pm
Saban is a great coach and I think that’s indisputable. He is also about as likable as a prostate exam with a telescope. The guy is a jerk.
John
July 22nd, 2011
2:33 pm
I don’t understand this article either. Just because he is intense does not make him Satanic. I would argue that he has as much personality as most coaches in the SEC. Is Mark Richt a barrel of laughs. Also, Saban does tons of charity work. I am sure you can look it up. He has his Nick’s Kids charity and has donated loads of money to tornado victims this year and in Enterprise, AL a few years back. Just because he does not parade around about it does not mean he doesn’t do it.
Tide Rising
July 22nd, 2011
2:33 pm
1eyedjack,
90,000 trailer park dwellers at Bama games? I think you’re confused sir. Our stadium actually holds 102,000. Not 90,000. As for trailer park dwellers you are again mistaken and have us confused with Georgia. Judging by the AJC pics of how your campus is completely trashed with trash thrown everywhere after a game I would say the trailer park crowd resides in Athens. The AJC pics don’t lie ma’am.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 22nd, 2011
2:33 pm
Ugh it was a Bama troll who brought up Shula. Follow the conversation Tide Roll I know its tough to do with such a limited 4th grade education.
SEC Fact Finder
July 22nd, 2011
2:33 pm
I will be the first to admit that Alabama did not fair as well as we had expected. But while finishing 4th in SEC West, but finishing in the top 10 of the Final BCS poll behind Auburn and LSU and ahead of Arkansas, South Carolina, Mississippi St speaks well for the final product.
Playing 9 teams with open weeks prior to playing Alabama demonstrates the importance those teams placed on playing Alabama. Those are not excuses as the final score is the deciding and only factor and blowing a 24 point lead is enough in itself.
Good Luck to all your teams.
Malzahn owns Saban
July 22nd, 2011
2:35 pm
Saban has a LOSING record to Auburn and and not held our offense below 450 yards the last two years! He is not a great defensive minds. He is a good defensive mind. He loses with a 24 point lead? at home?and people think he is great? cmon. Malzahn will hang 500 yards on him AGAIN this year and extend the leprechaun’s losing streak
editor
July 22nd, 2011
2:36 pm
When Mark leads his Dawgs against Boise…..they’ll be wearing their “Combat” uniforms! Oooooh, lookout!
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 22nd, 2011
2:36 pm
Also again 90,000 was the attendance for the first Spring game Saban coached at Alabama. Gosh you are showing off your limited IQ Tide Rising. It is called Google. Now I know the internet is new to Alabama but if you type it in your search engine just as I spelled it you can say you learned something new today.
RGB
July 22nd, 2011
2:36 pm
“Lowcountry Bulldawg” knows as much about SEC football as he knows about geography.
A team with 2 NCs (thirty years ago being the last time) shouldn’t go around trying to poke one with 12 NCs in the eye. You’ll get hurt.
Also, “lowcountry” doesn’t refer to the city of Charleston, SC as the term includes a greater area than just a single city. Savannah, for example, is part of the lowcountry. Obviously you’ve never left your cell.
That’ s why it’s called lowCOUNTRY, not lowCITY.
WISRYST, R.
Stinger2
July 22nd, 2011
2:37 pm
Mark: You are usually the No. 1 homer for UGA winning out over Bill King, Chip Towers and the others including Schultz. Now you are on the Saban bandwagon. In your blog yesterday, I think you said he is the best college coach in the business. What has happened between you and CMR? Has he offended you in some way or have you just decieded that you want to switch allegience (sp)?
Tide Rising
July 22nd, 2011
2:38 pm
Destindawg,
36 wins in 3 years- an average of 12 per year, is not consistent? Not sure what planet you live on. And what was that about Saban leaving? So during the 5 years he’s now been at Bama the following jobs have come open, the cowboys, steelers, and others in the NFL, and in college the following jobs came open- USC, Ohio St, Michigan, Notre Dame, UF, Neb, Miami, FSU, and Saban’s name has not even been mentioned as a candidate for one of them jobs. Notta one. keep dreaming buddy. Keep dreaming.
JB
July 22nd, 2011
2:39 pm
I was shocked to read on here this week that Bama in on Probation Now. It doesn’t go away until 2012.
winning and cheat’n…………The Bama and Tech way.
editor
July 22nd, 2011
2:39 pm
Are “combat” uniforms in desert or mossy oak?
Tide Rising
July 22nd, 2011
2:40 pm
Lowcountrybulldog,
Your jealousy knows no bounds. Stay inside ma’am. I believe that swamp gas is getting to you.
Bishop Eddie Longs Red Panties
July 22nd, 2011
2:40 pm
Hey you Georgia fans How are those black out jerseys working out for ya?
RTR
Chi Town
July 22nd, 2011
2:40 pm
Lowcountry Bulldawg = Douche Bag
Watch it, Lowcountry Bulldawg…….or I will shine the cheese symbol and bring out zeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, Nachos.
Tide Rising
July 22nd, 2011
2:41 pm
JB,
Actually Georgia is tied with several other programs for 3rd overall for major infractions cases from the NCAA with 6 major cases. Bama has 4. You shouldn’t throw bricks from your glass house. Oh, btw- Jan Kemp.
Bishop Eddie Longs Red Panties
July 22nd, 2011
2:42 pm
How is those Black out jerseys working out for you ?
RTR
Old School
July 22nd, 2011
2:42 pm
I believe you hit the nail on the head Mark, driven. He hated the NFL because the “draft penalizes you for winning” and “you can’t out-work other coaches”. I bet Saban never discontinues two-a-days.
Beast from the East
July 22nd, 2011
2:43 pm
I don’t fear Bama, but I sure as heck respect them. Even more so now that Saban is the HC. Damn fine football program over there. Anyone that says otherwise is just being foolish.
Losers hate winners. Winners laugh at losers. Decide for yourself which one you are.
BAMA dude
July 22nd, 2011
2:44 pm
JB
July 22nd, 2011
2:39 pm
I was shocked to read on here this week that Bama in on Probation Now. It doesn’t go away until 2012.
winning and cheat’n…………The Bama and Tech way.
You’re absolutely right. Shame on us for giving our student athletes too many textbooks. At least Trent Richardson was given books- maybe Caleb King should’ve come to Bama.
DIT
July 22nd, 2011
2:44 pm
The bantering between Bama and UGA is senseless. No one from either school is going to stop and say….”Oh yea, your right, my school sucks.” We love our Universities that’s for sure. Both schools are respectable. I love my Dawgs, but they have a lot more to prove than Bama does this year.
Personally, I don’t care what Bama, Auburn UF etc.. does this coming year. I just want to see IF the Dawgs are going to play a full game this year and turn it around! Only game that team should be thinking about right now is BOISE STATE! This will not be the walk over it was a couple years back.
I’m ready for it to start! GO DAWGS!
JB
July 22nd, 2011
2:44 pm
I tell you who is holding their breath. Florida. Muschamp has been around some great football, but watching him over the years would give me pause. He jumps around and screams the entire game and kinda looks out of control. He’ll have to tone it down once the game starts and THINK a little at the HC spot. Be interesting to watch his MO as the season starts. I know he’s a great motivator….We are fixing to find out if he can coach.
beebee
July 22nd, 2011
2:45 pm
Funny how you people want to harp the 24-point blown lead to Auburn. The Tigers had some good, no, GREAT players in that game. Also, most of their guys are the state of Alabama-bred. It was hard to take but NO shame losing to the eventual national champion like that. The Tide defense simply was not as good as the year before.
Can’t wait till Bama plays Georgia again. Then y’all will have to SHUT UP some more!
bee
DIT
July 22nd, 2011
2:45 pm
“At least Trent Richardson was given books- maybe Caleb King should’ve come to Bama.”
Caleb would not have made it to his Soph. year if that was the case. Good ball player, but dumb as a box of rocks!
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 22nd, 2011
2:46 pm
Yeah RTR and Go Big Elephants! Go Crimson and Clovers!
BAMA dude
July 22nd, 2011
2:46 pm
beebee. there is always shame in losing to that cow college.
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 22nd, 2011
2:49 pm
Actually not jealous of Bama. Have zero opinion of the program. I just am giving it to you guys in a good natured way and you are taking it personal. Kind of like 100’s of trolls that come to the UGA blogs and torment UGA bloggers all day. So it is really nothing personal just giving you guys a hard time, lighten up.
Skitty Fritty
July 22nd, 2011
2:49 pm
Pre-Season # 1 with the returning Heisman Trophy winner.
Final Tally = 3 losses (Lost to your In State Rival)
What a great coach? What happened?
Lowcountry Bulldawg
July 22nd, 2011
2:50 pm
I am not a fan of Saban he is like the Yankee’s or Notre Dame. You either love him or you hate him. No middle ground. I only dislike three schools in the SEC Florida, Tennessee and Arkansas. So again Bama is ok by me. You guys are just fun to mess with. Much like we are on our blogs.
Strut down the runway
July 22nd, 2011
2:51 pm
What is it about Richt that gets him so excited about uniforms? Clothes don’t make the baller.
1eyedJack
July 22nd, 2011
2:51 pm
Tide Rising, I believe you have mistakenly confused me with Lowcountry Bulldawg. He’s the gentleman who asserted that Bama had 90,000 trailer park fans. I simply gave them credit for having graduated from that fine Institute.