🏈 A day later, I ponder if we’re overreacting to Alabama’s loss at FSU.

Two teams who had very underwhelming seasons and a program who just came off a 2-10 season. We looked for improvements in year two under DeBoer, but unfortunately, it looks like the same problems persists. Self-inflicted penalties that extend drives; poor leadership; and obvious lack of preparation. All the talk of accountability seems to have gone out the window.

 

[Krimson]

How long does that take? He's had a year and a half at this point to instill that. I'm not buying into the "Washington guys both performed" because they somehow are bought into the culture and no one else has. Too vague for me. Bernard was as steady as they come last year and that has continued this year. He's another Kevin Norwood. Love Bernard and hope he gets an opportunity at the next level because to me he is the quintessential team player. That's more of who they are as "Mr. Clutch" than anything in my eyes. Brailsford is a pre-season All-American, so him performing well isn't a shocker either. We knew what we got when he was planning to transfer and we were hoping for a Dickerson type leader. Proctor has high billing, but I haven't bought into his projections yet as I'm still waiting to see that dominance. Only brought him up due to the Draft hype. Either way, it shouldn't take this long to build a new culture. We're going through it now at my company in the Atlanta office and I can tell you we have turned things around in a few months time, and that's dealing with age, egos, and years of bad habits.

Good business leaders have to be able to change the culture rather quickly. I've seen some really quick turnarounds and some that never made it.

 

[TerryP]

Associate it more with immature teens coming into large sums of money myself. We've all seen rich kids and how some of them acted and most of them were used to having money. Many of these kids aren't used to it and have no guidance from home in how to manage it. I've said before if I had been given millions at 19 I would've acted more of an idiot than I did and that's scary.

How do you explain the same attitudes and behavior in society; far from the athletic fields?

I believe what you've mentioned is a contributing factor

 

[musso]

Man I loved AJ’s and Trent’s reactions. AJ goes on a masterful and passionate rant about the lack of excitement on the sideline in Tallahassee. Hope every player sees this! And he’s right about the dearth of homegrown players on the current roster!

 

[Krimson]

How do you explain the same attitudes and behavior in society; far from the athletic fields?

I believe what you've mentioned is a contributing factor

I talked to my wife about this a few weeks ago. I really attribute it to parenting. We didn't have helicopter parents as far as I knew in my town for my age group. Most of our parents didn't even know where we were, we figured a lot out for ourselves both good and bad, and we learned consequences. Go back to my Dad's generation and all they knew was work. He taught me a lot about hard work and earning things for myself. I've tried not to helicopter but my kids haven't had the same level of autonomy as I did, I believe that's true of most kids these days. My kids have never really had to work for anything, I mean they have chores but they haven't had to mow yards, bale hay, etc to earn money to buy their own car or something like that. I believe that good intentions of parents wanting to make the lives of their kids better coupled with smart phones and social media being ever present in a kids life has created what we have now, a generation that's mostly about me and immediate gratification.

This is a rural south alabama perspective, I'm sure some areas of the country were much different.

 

[footballer]

Causation / correlation ... one can only watch and speculate.

Their goals, the teams', are still within reach. We'll soon see from what and how they are made.

Again, I agree with your statements here. Yes, individual and team goals can still be met, IF, both coaches and players do a deep introspective look at what it is going to take to reach those goals and apply them on the field in ALL games.

But my speculative questions were about what has come to fruition from the seeds sewn from several years ago.

I didn't even consider the effects of Covid that may still linger with many people, including players. For the most part, I wrote Covid off and didn't worry about it at all. But that is me. I do realize that most of the population took it all very seriously, and some still do.
But I don't understand how Covid can still affect an athlete's mindset and their play on the field.

 

[Secondand26]

Man I loved AJ’s and Trent’s reactions. AJ goes on a masterful and passionate rant about the lack of excitement on the sideline in Tallahassee. Hope every player sees this! And he’s right about the dearth of homegrown players on the current roster!

The problem I saw with the “dearth of state players” - the players busting their asses were the transfers from Washington. The players with state ties - notably Smith & Lawson were the ones dogging it - throw Hubbard in there (basically from the state). I hope Lawson’s issue is more that he’s not fully recovered from the ACL.
* another note- a LOT of the ones that are disappointing are SABAN recruits.
**should have added Williams to the in state disappointment crowd.

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

He's going to get an opportunity to make changes, at DC specifically. If/when that happens, it'll most likely be a hire that decides his future at UA, so he better make it a good one if he's in it for the long haul. But worst case this year, that's where it's headed. And maybe that's enough. I don't know. Only time will tell.

If we get lucky, Kalen's wife might be the one that wants to move on. Even if that were to happen, the program will still have wasted two years spinning their wheels.

 

[Bama Guy]

I don't know if we are overreacting or not, but the seeming lack of effort and intensity bothers me. If they don't take it out on ULM Saturday, then I will really start worrying.

 

[Krimson]

If we get lucky, Kalen's wife might be the one that wants to move on. Even if that were to happen, the program will still have wasted two years spinning their wheels.

Guy is hard to read for me but he doesn't seem to have the love for tuscaloosa that Saban seemed to display early in his arrival.

 

[Scrape&Search1032]

I strongly believe this is a troll, because there's just no way anyone thinks he's the favorite.

 

[Krimson]

I strongly believe this is a troll, because there's just no way anyone thinks he's the favorite.
View attachment 31919

Read an article that said Saban recommended him, take that for what is worth because I don't remember who wrote it and most journalists are full of crap anyway.

 

[musso]

the players busting their asses were the transfers from Washington.

You make good points, but here, I think we need to consider the fact that if you follow your coach to another school, it’s pretty evident that you like him and plan to work hard for him. Yes, there’s enough blame to go around to both regional and non-regional recruits. But the essence of AJ’s point is you need a critical majority of players who were raised knowing what the game means to communities outside of your individual NIL deal. In this other podcast AJ talks more about the downside of recruiting nationally. I just love AJ’s fire and passion! Always did when he played for us. As a player he would snap at reporters asking stupid questions just like Saban would.

 

[musso]

I meant to include that AJ also says that when Bama’s NIL is much less than other schools, it becomes all the more critical to not let the best homegrown talent sign elsewhere. We don’t just need talent but since we can’t pay as much, we need players who love Bama and understand the culture. West coast recruits won’t save us.

 

[musso]

This is a rural south alabama perspective

Couldn’t agree more with your sentiments. Just had a conversation with a friend talking about how prolonged, extended, sequential projects are desperately needed for kids these days when everything around them is immediate and able to be easily abandoned or restarted without consequence. The ability to endure, improvise, and follow through to completion has atrophied in society.

 

[Secondand26]

You make good points, but here, I think we need to consider the fact that if you follow your coach to another school, it’s pretty evident that you like him and plan to work hard for him. Yes, there’s enough blame to go around to both regional and non-regional recruits. But the essence of AJ’s point is you need a critical majority of players who were raised knowing what the game means to communities outside of your individual NIL deal. In this other podcast AJ talks more about the downside of recruiting nationally. I just love AJ’s fire and passion! Always did when he played for us. As a player he would snap at reporters asking stupid questions just like Saban would.

I’ve been listening to that podcast while commuting today. I wish he & Trent could place some feet on asses in practice for the next few days.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

I agree with what you are saying here about seeds being planted and taking root. I have been thinking about this for a few years now and right or wrong, this is my take.

I believe the seeds of complacency were sewed in 2020. CNS got caught between a rock and a hard place, damned if he did and damned if he didn't. That is his decision to stand with his players and do the BLM march in August , 2020. It payed off that Covid year with a NC. Those seeds were planted then and have taken solid root since, not unlike kudzu. It spreads throughout the team and is hard to get rid of. It has since come to light that the BLM movement was mostly a ploy by it's founders to enrich themselves and do very little to help any of the Black population or affect the culture of our nation.

At this point, CNS program began to slide down hill and he could read the writing on the wall. I think he realized what was happening as his old school ways of getting results on the field were fading away. His players , essentially had him in the palm of their collective hands. CNS bark became worse than his bite, and his players took advantage of their new found knowledge. Throw in the fact of his age and mellowing out somewhat and the rules changes allowing transfer at will and pay for play BS that has changed college athletics for the worst forever.

So, what do we have now? A team of entitled, highly honed athletes who play less than average in games they should win going away.
Today, what does CKD have to do to get everyone's attention, players AND coaches? Pet them, pat them on the head, buy them ice cream? No.
Fire and brimstone? Work their asses until they puke like The Junction Boys CPBB coached at A+M? Maybe.

I don't have an answer for today's questions. The troubling thought that comes to me is, Hell, there may be NO affective answer.

It's not that simple. The path, the rocky ground, the thorns and the good soil.

 

[Scrape&Search1032]

Read an article that said Saban recommended him, take that for what is worth because I don't remember who wrote it and most journalists are full of crap anyway.

I don't see any scenario where he gets the job.

 

[Rsedge72]

Overreacting?
FSU was bigger, faster, stronger, better prepared, more disciplined, and all we heard was how awesome bama is!!!!

I refused to listen to the “the dynasty is over” crowd.

Well guys, unless fsu just pulled off the greatest refit, retool and revitalizing project of all time.

This bama team is mediocre, right now. I know I’m not spending any more money to help with “nil”, personally. Not mad, just not spending money on a product that is sub standard. I don’t spend a ton, but know a few that do, and are no longer spending. So take it how you want, I’m not jumping off the band wagon, not mad, not freaking out,just not contributing any more.

 

[Krimson]

I don't see any scenario where he gets the job.

Me either

 

[mando]

I don't see any scenario where he gets the job.

What job? I am not aware of an opening. Just media stirring the pot? Why you might ask? Bama news makes people a lot of money.