🏈 One Key Difference Between Saban and the Bear

[mando]

They were so insignificant during the Bear years there was not a lot of thought about them from where I grew up honestly. I think we may have had like one Barn fan in the entire small town. At least one that would admit to being a barn fan. That is what I meant earlier about Bear buried them. Their only hope was in the Bears death.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Also. AU endured 3 major probations during that time....
Rumor was BEAR turned em in.... who knows!

 

[252BAMA]

and wanna know a real knock on BEAR.
67-74. Didnt win a bowl game
Of course a tie in there. Was a tough dry spell Of course finish withnot another loss

67 was because of Gene Stallings. Just lost to him in the Cotton Bowl.

68-74 was because of Pat Trammell. Lost him on 12/10/1968. Had a difficult time focusing on football in December for many years.


"A short time after Coach Bryant retired (due to advanced heart disease), legendary Birmingham News writer Clyde Bolton caught Bryant in a melancholy moment and asked him quietly, “Who was your favorite player, Coach?”

Oh course, Bryant would never pick one kid over the other, and he loved the guys who consistently tried to outwork their limited abilities every bit as much as his glittering All-Americans, but Bolton finally caught the legendary Alabama molder-of-men just right.

Coach Bryant talked about 10 or 15 “really special” players and then, pausing a moment, famously told the writer, “Now you’ll have to forgive me here for getting a little sentimental but … Pat Trammell was not just my favorite player … he was the favorite person … I’ve ever had in my life.”

That's who Pat Trammell was."

Roy Exum: Scottsboro’s Pat Trammell

 

[252BAMA]

"Don’t you see, Trammell started it all. Vince Lombardi campaigned Coach Bryant hard to get him to bless Trammell going to the Packers but Bryant demurred, saying Pat was “too smart” after having promised “Doc Trammell” long ago he’d help Pat get in medical school. Tragically, shortly after Trammell finished his residency, the cancer was discovered.

I know this to also be true. The first time any Alabama player ever saw Coach Bryant cry was early on the afternoon of Nov. 30, 1968, just before Alabama would play rival Auburn at Legion Field. Minutes before kickoff, Bryant spied Trammell walking with his six-year-old son towards the Tide sidelines. Bryant unashamedly wept at the sight, the emotion washing over his team and triggering a dramatic 24-16 win over the Tigers. Trammell, who would die 11 days later, was presented the game ball."

Roy Exum: Scottsboro’s Pat Trammell

 

[252BAMA]

Damn, my wife must be cutting up onions.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Yep. Remember well. My mom snt me the newspaper clippings of all that while i was in Vietnam. Without shame. I do remember a tear or two. Amazing with all going on around us.

I actually got to see Pat play HS football. If I remember right (?????) he scored the only points on Gadsden HS that year

Pat was from a family that were the most vulgar talking bunch. Was so outta character!
Everyword was a cuss word. Lol

In the bowl game. He and RB hadgotten into a fight the night before. Every time a play was called That had him handingoff to the RB ( Abruzzie???) Pat would change the play. Lol

The RB ended up with 3-4 carries. For the game.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Damn, my wife must be cutting up onions.

wondered what that was!!!!

 

[50+yeartidefan]

 

[Davestwin]

I agree but there is one difference between auburn now and auburn then. Auburn must have hired a witch doctor or something because they have become the luckiest team in ncaa. Bama has clearly been the better team for most of sabans tenure. But even the best coach ever can't overcome that auburn luck. Realistically Saban should be 10-3 or 11-2, but auburn squeaked by on luck, not coaching or talent. But let's be honest, beating auburn is not as important for winning championships like it used to be since auburn is not as good as they used to be.

NC’s are certainly more important but how about beating Auburn and winning NC’s?

 

[Sid Youngleman]

Bryant, Saban, Shula, DuBose, Stallings, Ears Whitworth or Thomas. If you don't beat Auburn frequently, your name won't be writ in Crimson flame.

For goodness' sake don't leave Bill Curry off your list. He was an otherwise-successful Bama coach who was fired solely because he couldn't beat Auburn.

 

[BamaFan334]

I imagine this could be settled by saying that Bear is great and Saban is great. The biggest difference is that Bear was first. Obviously of no fault to Saban, Bear captured everyone's heart first. Just like I saw above, he's like Babe Ruth. Guy was amazing, will not have many records due to the game changing, but a legend whose name will forever be synonymous with baseball and homeruns. Bear was first is all. Saban will be considered the greatest by those that never knew Bear. And once we're all dead they will both be considered the best ever, 1A and 1B.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

I imagine this could be settled by saying that Bear is great and Saban is great. The biggest difference is that Bear was first. Obviously of no fault to Saban, Bear captured everyone's heart first. Just like I saw above, he's like Babe Ruth. Guy was amazing, will not have many records due to the game changing, but a legend whose name will forever be synonymous with baseball and homeruns. Bear was first is all. Saban will be considered the greatest by those that never knew Bear. And once we're all dead they will both be considered the best ever, 1A and 1B.

Bear will be considered a legend ....
Nick ONE of greatest to coach

 

[ElephantStomp]

Bear will be considered a legend ....
Nick ONE of greatest to coach

Nick is a legend.

 

[BamaFan334]

Bear will be considered a legend ....
Nick ONE of greatest to coach

The first is usually the legend of discussions like this and what I was getting at. Even if Saban wins ten more National Championships, Bear will be the one that truly laid the stone. That carries a lot of water.

 

[ElephantStomp]

Bear and Saban are both absolute legends and are the two greatest college football coaches ever.

Saban might not have the record against the Barn that Bear had, but there’s so many things that are different and harder about today’s game compared to when Bear coached.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Bear and Saban are both absolute legends and are the two greatest college football coaches ever.

Saban might not have the record against the Barn that Bear had, but there’s so many things that are different and harder about today’s game compared to when Bear coached.

And nicks record vs Tennessee is one that never will be topped
And time as #1
And consective years as #1 sometimes in season

I would like to see nick win 3 in a row ? Not done in modern football)

And break Oklahomas consective wins

 

[mando]

The first is usually the legend of discussions like this and what I was getting at. Even if Saban wins ten more National Championships, Bear will be the one that truly laid the stone. That carries a lot of water.

@BamaFan334 seems like I recall from some of your post you used to be a Georgia fan and are relatively young fan at that. In the broader context Bear was not even first. Bama football greatness goes all the way back to the 1920's. Wallace Wade and Frank Thomas were two for the most successful before Bear.

 

[252BAMA]

NC’s are certainly more important but how about beating Auburn and winning NC’s?

"and" - AND

 

[252BAMA]

Yep. Remember well. My mom snt me the newspaper clippings of all that while i was in Vietnam. Without shame. I do remember a tear or two. Amazing with all going on around us.

I actually got to see Pat play HS football. If I remember right (?????) he scored the only points on Gadsden HS that year

Pat was from a family that were the most vulgar talking bunch. Was so outta character!
Everyword was a cuss word. Lol

In the bowl game. He and RB hadgotten into a fight the night before. Every time a play was called That had him handingoff to the RB ( Abruzzie???) Pat would change the play. Lol

The RB ended up with 3-4 carries. For the game.

Ray Abruzzese. I passed the stadium every evening on the way to dinner. About once a week they would use the stadium for practice. One such late afternoon or early evening in 1961 there was an unusual amount of commotion so I stopped to watch. They were running a goal line drill and someone must have set Ray off because he was acting like a madman and although he was a DB he was running the ball on every single play. Scored! On! Every! Single! Play! This on a defense that gave up but one rushing TD and just 25 points all season! May be why he was being used at RB in the Bowl game. Which would have been the Sugar Bowl against Arkansas.

 

[BamaFan334]

@BamaFan334 seems like I recall from some of your post you used to be a Georgia fan and are relatively young fan at that. In the broader context Bear was not even first. Bama football greatness goes all the way back to the 1920's. Wallace Wade and Frank Thomas were two for the most successful before Bear.

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You are correct, and I understand that. But not many outside of Alabama fans know many outside of Bear, Saban, and probably Stallings. Not many are going to say that Bear isn't the man at Alabama and the one that everyone thinks about. Of course Alabama enthusiasts know all of the coaches, who won titles, and all of that, but my point was more of broader strokes and looking at it from a 10,000 ft level. Just like Vince Dooley at Georgia, yet Wally Butts won a title too and was very successful to get Georgia going. It's just the point that everyone can't be the best, yet the first to do it is usually the legend no matter what happens next.