Geez, talk about a media guy falling for what Saban had in mind during the presser Monday! All the attention is on what he said, not on the team OR on the game this weekend. Not only is Wally Hall talking about it ... certainly seems he's "all in."
The song by The Fly's comes to mind: "Got you where I want you."
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Tricky Nick was at it again.
At least once a year, usually when Alabama is facing a tough stretch of games, Nick Saban blasts the media for doing their jobs.
Apparently he thought he and his team were to be complimented and praised after losing to Ole Miss.
Instead, the truth was told. The Tide lost to the Rebels for the second consecutive season. Seeing as how that had never happened in all the time the teams had played previously, it was considered a pretty big deal by ESPN, CBS and all the other national media outlets.
So on Monday, two weeks later and after beating Georgia 38-10 on Saturday, Saban blasted the local media and claimed if it were up to them Alabama football would be 6 feet under.
Note to Nick: No one buried you or your program after the 43-37 loss to the Rebels.
Not to take anything away from Ole Miss, but everyone who saw the game or read the account in newspapers knows that Alabama had five turnovers that the Rebels turned into 24 points (three touchdowns and a field goal).
The first fumble was at the Alabama 17 and led to the Rebels taking a 3-0 lead. The first interception gave Ole Miss the ball at the Alabama 26, and it took six plays to get to the end zone. The second fumble was at the Alabama 18, and it took three plays to get another touchdown. The second interception left the Rebels 31 yards from a touchdown, which took two plays to cover.
That's 15 plays and 77 yards for 24 points.
No one, not even mighty Alabama, is going to win if it allows that to happen.
If the Tide turn it over five times this weekend against Arkansas, and the Razorbacks convert those into 24 points, you have to like the Hogs' chances. But don't expect that to happen.
No doubt some Alabama players were chewed on pretty good after the Ole Miss game, although the Crimson Tide still lost two fumbles against Georgia.
Saban jumping on the local media is almost a fall ritual. Sometimes he even drops in a four-letter word and then apologizes for that.
Monday's temper tantrum made national news, but it was barely a ripple in the world of Alabama media. You can only cry that the sky is falling so many times.
Nolan Richardson used to have those types of news conferences at Arkansas. We called it circling the wagons. At first they usually happened before games with Texas and later before games with Kentucky.
Usually the Razorbacks rallied deep into March.
Most likely Alabama will continue to improve, but Monday's media chewing wasn't just about the media not letting tricky Nick edit their material. It was his way of using the media to let his players know he has their backs against those mean bloggers, tweeters and other assorted doubters.
The truth is the Crimson Tide will always be competitive as long as they have the No. 1 or No. 2 recruiting class.
Nick Saban is a very good coach with some of the nation's greatest high school recruits.
One of the first things Saban did when he got to LSU was build a fence around the state to keep home all that great talent, and when he won his first national championship 17 starters were from the state of Louisiana.
By the time he won his second national championship, the first of three at Alabama, Saban and his staff were able to recruit nationally, and that's when the No. 1 recruiting classes started rolling in.
That's when Bear Bryant finally became a fond memory.
There is only one person who can bury Alabama football, and only one person who can turn it from a powerhouse to a doormat.
Tricky Nick.
The song by The Fly's comes to mind: "Got you where I want you."
__________________________________________
Tricky Nick was at it again.
At least once a year, usually when Alabama is facing a tough stretch of games, Nick Saban blasts the media for doing their jobs.
Apparently he thought he and his team were to be complimented and praised after losing to Ole Miss.
Instead, the truth was told. The Tide lost to the Rebels for the second consecutive season. Seeing as how that had never happened in all the time the teams had played previously, it was considered a pretty big deal by ESPN, CBS and all the other national media outlets.
So on Monday, two weeks later and after beating Georgia 38-10 on Saturday, Saban blasted the local media and claimed if it were up to them Alabama football would be 6 feet under.
Note to Nick: No one buried you or your program after the 43-37 loss to the Rebels.
Not to take anything away from Ole Miss, but everyone who saw the game or read the account in newspapers knows that Alabama had five turnovers that the Rebels turned into 24 points (three touchdowns and a field goal).
The first fumble was at the Alabama 17 and led to the Rebels taking a 3-0 lead. The first interception gave Ole Miss the ball at the Alabama 26, and it took six plays to get to the end zone. The second fumble was at the Alabama 18, and it took three plays to get another touchdown. The second interception left the Rebels 31 yards from a touchdown, which took two plays to cover.
That's 15 plays and 77 yards for 24 points.
No one, not even mighty Alabama, is going to win if it allows that to happen.
If the Tide turn it over five times this weekend against Arkansas, and the Razorbacks convert those into 24 points, you have to like the Hogs' chances. But don't expect that to happen.
No doubt some Alabama players were chewed on pretty good after the Ole Miss game, although the Crimson Tide still lost two fumbles against Georgia.
Saban jumping on the local media is almost a fall ritual. Sometimes he even drops in a four-letter word and then apologizes for that.
Monday's temper tantrum made national news, but it was barely a ripple in the world of Alabama media. You can only cry that the sky is falling so many times.
Nolan Richardson used to have those types of news conferences at Arkansas. We called it circling the wagons. At first they usually happened before games with Texas and later before games with Kentucky.
Usually the Razorbacks rallied deep into March.
Most likely Alabama will continue to improve, but Monday's media chewing wasn't just about the media not letting tricky Nick edit their material. It was his way of using the media to let his players know he has their backs against those mean bloggers, tweeters and other assorted doubters.
The truth is the Crimson Tide will always be competitive as long as they have the No. 1 or No. 2 recruiting class.
Nick Saban is a very good coach with some of the nation's greatest high school recruits.
One of the first things Saban did when he got to LSU was build a fence around the state to keep home all that great talent, and when he won his first national championship 17 starters were from the state of Louisiana.
By the time he won his second national championship, the first of three at Alabama, Saban and his staff were able to recruit nationally, and that's when the No. 1 recruiting classes started rolling in.
That's when Bear Bryant finally became a fond memory.
There is only one person who can bury Alabama football, and only one person who can turn it from a powerhouse to a doormat.
Tricky Nick.
