| FTBL Shula Recruiting, Shula Coaching, or Shula Development?

[Guest]

I don't disagree with you posting this, and I think it is all of the above, but you will get flamed by some people for it. They have a Shula love-fest around these parts and we are all required (in their eyes) to attend. Anything said about the Shula era that is not 100% positive will be frowned upon.

Which of the above played the biggest role im Bama's non-show in this year's draft?

I say player development (lack of discipline, lack of strong HC leadership) is mostly to blame, with an assist from Shula's coaching. And I was a pretty strong Shula supporter, even through the firing. :?

I would like to say it was bad recruiting, with a nice assist from the NCAA, but Shula signed 27 in '04...and some looked to be solid recruits. On paper, I guess.

http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/commitlist.asp?Year=2004&School=2

It was pretty embarrassing (to me) for a school as tradition-rich as ours to be a non-issue in the draft.

No one expects you to attend any Shula love-fest around here and you certainly won't see me attend one but no one is favor of the death penalty either. Quit trying to be so dramatic. There is no reason for it.

You know...I did a mid-season post where I compared the (then) current stats to the previous season. I did not mention Shula specifically. I was attacked for mentioning Shula. I did a series of posts about our recruits from 2003-2006 titled "where are they now?" and got attacked for being anti-Shula.

There is nothing over-dramatic about it...there are some folk on here who have a serious Shula man-crush. He was a decent QB and by all accounts is a good person (though dropping the F-bomb on TV hurt him in some eyes). The problem was, he was a poor coach in virtually all areas. The only area I think he was exceptional was QB development. He is a heck of a QB coach...all anyone needs to do to recognize that is compare JPW from 2006 to 2007.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA

 

[shipley00]

IMHO it comes down to developement in regards to the the Shula staff.

I mean, there is plenty of blame to go around here and a lot of areas to point fingers. We all know that Shula offered a ton of kids that never got in due to academics or whatever. But if you look at the players we have/had and what we've produced since Shula was the HC you'd be hard-pressed to say it's anything other than developement.

I second that, especially if you include strenght and conditioning in the developement process. It's never a good sign when so many make leaps and bounds in just a few months on a new, enforced S&C.

 

[Guest]

IMHO it comes down to developement in regards to the the Shula staff.

I mean, there is plenty of blame to go around here and a lot of areas to point fingers. We all know that Shula offered a ton of kids that never got in due to academics or whatever. But if you look at the players we have/had and what we've produced since Shula was the HC you'd be hard-pressed to say it's anything other than developement.

I second that, especially if you include strenght and conditioning in the developement process. It's never a good sign when so many make leaps and bounds in just a few months on a new, enforced S&C.

I agree. Reminds me of the transition from Dubose to Fran+Pollard.

Why Dubose is vilified and Shula defended to the degree each is, is beyond me. I understand xCMD got us on probation, but I don't think Shula would have handled things any differently. He was not squeaky clean in his own right, and I don't think xCMS was any better, he just had different circumstances. xCMD won the SEC and took us to the BCS. xCMS had a 10 win season on the strength of the most defensive talent we have had on the team since 1992. A mediocre offense would have won us the SEC in 2005. Our offense was not even mediocre.

We could have a long debate over which was worse...the failure to develop players or the stubbornness that refused to make a change, even when common sense and the tiniest amount of football knowledge said to (i.e. CBC). The former hurt him - the later got him fired.

 

[Guest]

It is my understanding that Shula is also responsible for gas prices going up, the cost of food, the shortage of rice, the Iraq war, 9-11, Jimmy Hoffa, and John Smoltz's bad shoulder. Could it be that the players we had just weren't good enough to begin with. Maybe if they had run a little faster or jumped a little higher, or even caught some balls that were thrown to them. Let it go Shula is gone, he doesn't get any credit for the 10-2 season but we give him all the credit for Bama's down years. Let's see how the next couple of drafts turn out with some of Saban's players, before we crucify anyone else.

^^^ Case in Point ^^^


If it were up to me, I would pin a Shula bashing thread at the top of the board just to promote freedom of speech.

good suggestion. I think I could personally keep it on page 1 without the pin :lol:

 

[bamafan4ever]

You are missing the point, Big Fan. Whereas we can sit here all day and bash Mike Shula for the poor job he did as a Head Coach, and it was a poor job, he did the best that he knew to do with job. In other words, he should have never had the job to begin with. Whose fault is that? (enter the Mal Moore bashers). I think the blame can extend all the way back to the folks who hired Dubose. That was the beginning of the end for Alabama football as we used to know it.

The problem is, you guys just don’t seem to know when to let go. How much longer are we going to bring this subject up? No one has suppressed your opinion or the others who feel a warm fuzzy feeling about Shula. It is you who doesn’t want anyone to have an opinion that is contrary to yours it seems. You are starting to sound like the Dixie Chicks. On one hand, they wanted their freedom of speech but were unwilling to accept the consequences. If you are so sensitive that a differing opinion offends you because it doesn’t jive with your own, you know what you have to do. That’s not to say that I am telling you not to express your opinion but when you do, expect others to express theirs.

Lenny just needs to get back on his meds again. Our golf team sure is a lot better since he left.

 

[Guest]

You are missing the point, Big Fan. Whereas we can sit here all day and bash Mike Shula for the poor job he did as a Head Coach, and it was a poor job, he did the best that he knew to do with job. In other words, he should have never had the job to begin with. Whose fault is that? (enter the Mal Moore bashers). I think the blame can extend all the way back to the folks who hired Dubose. That was the beginning of the end for Alabama football as we used to know it.

The problem is, you guys just don’t seem to know when to let go. How much longer are we going to bring this subject up? No one has suppressed your opinion or the others who feel a warm fuzzy feeling about Shula. It is you who doesn’t want anyone to have an opinion that is contrary to yours it seems. You are starting to sound like the Dixie Chicks. On one hand, they wanted their freedom of speech but were unwilling to accept the consequences. If you are so sensitive that a differing opinion offends you because it doesn’t jive with your own, you know what you have to do. That’s not to say that I am telling you not to express your opinion but when you do, expect others to express theirs.

Lenny just needs to get back on his meds again. Our golf team sure is a lot better since he left.

No arguement form me on your Mal and Company bashing.

Golf team is certainly better. A solid shot at a national championship 8)

 

[Guest]

You are missing the point, Big Fan. Whereas we can sit here all day and bash Mike Shula for the poor job he did as a Head Coach, and it was a poor job, he did the best that he knew to do with job. In other words, he should have never had the job to begin with. Whose fault is that? (enter the Mal Moore bashers). I think the blame can extend all the way back to the folks who hired Dubose. That was the beginning of the end for Alabama football as we used to know it.

The problem is, you guys just don’t seem to know when to let go. How much longer are we going to bring this subject up? No one has suppressed your opinion or the others who feel a warm fuzzy feeling about Shula. It is you who doesn’t want anyone to have an opinion that is contrary to yours it seems. You are starting to sound like the Dixie Chicks. On one hand, they wanted their freedom of speech but were unwilling to accept the consequences. If you are so sensitive that a differing opinion offends you because it doesn’t jive with your own, you know what you have to do. That’s not to say that I am telling you not to express your opinion but when you do, expect others to express theirs.

Lenny just needs to get back on his meds again. Our golf team sure is a lot better since he left.

I understand completely, its just that some people seem to sit around waiting for a chance to defend xCMS and take every post that could possibly be construed as negative about him as the opportunity for a personal crusade. I was attacked for posts referring to previous seasons' performances where I did not even mention Shula or coaching...simply results and stats in the context of a football discussion. Good grief, it was like the seasons were sanctified and untouchable because Shula was the coach...that or they are to be blotted out of memory. As much as the people who constantly bash Shula need to move along, so too do the people who want to worship the man. They don't seem to want to admit that he stank up the sideline.

 

[Guest]

I agree 4ever and wonder why we have to go down this road yet again. Then, I remember this topic actually started with some relevance since the draft just took place. It's reasonable to discuss why a team with our status throughout the years didn't get a player drafted.

Just please tell me we won't still be discussing this in 10 years though. :?

 

[Guest]

Just please tell me we won't still be discussing this in 10 years though. :?

I sure hope not. I am ready for it to die, now.
I am at the point now that I could care less about the past who's fault it is, was or whatever. Once again...not positive, part of the past, not something I want to be a part of, "aight?".

 

[bamafan4ever]

Just please tell me we won't still be discussing this in 10 years though. :?

Sandra,

First of all, it's great to see you on the board!

Secondly, on the quoted statement, you know better than that!

Big-Fan,

Point taken. It does seem that some on here "hover to pounce". You do learn who those people are and begin to ignore them.

Take Lenny for instance. :lol: :wink:

 

[Guest]

In other words, he should have never had the job to begin with. Whose fault is that? (enter the Mal Moore bashers).

To all: If I recall Fran bolted with dark times looming for Bama, Price "Rolls in and out", and with 100 days before kick off Bama is shopping for a coach. I don't recall who the available coaches were at that time other than Shula and Croom. Can anyone remind me?

That said, Shula was a "marriage of convenience" where we both used each other. We had a feel-good, "favorite son returns home" moment while Mike was given a shot at coaching at the University of Alabama. It did not work out, which happens, but he did do a sub-par job and must be given credit for both the good and the bad.

 

[Outlaw]

Remember when we were still talking about Mike Shula?

Remember when we can't get over it?

Remember?

 

[Guest]

Remember when we were still talking about Mike Shula?

Remember when we can't get over it?

Remember?

Who? My LTML is acting up again. lol

 

[bamafan4ever]

Remember when we were still talking about Mike Shula?

Remember when we can't get over it?

Remember?

How can we forget? Can we forget? Forget?

 

[Outlaw]

Forgetting something doesn't necessarily happen just because you don't talk and dwell on an event.

 

[bamafan4ever]

Forgetting something doesn't necessarily happen just because you don't talk and dwell on an event.

No but it certainly helps you remember. What were we talking about? I forgot. :?

 

[Guest]

Forgetting something doesn't necessarily happen just because you don't talk and dwell on an event.

But forgetting is necessary for not remembering.

 

[Guest]

Remember when we were still talking about Mike Shula?

Remember when we can't get over it?

Remember?

How can we forget? Can we forget? Forget?

What do you mean forget? Quit talking about Mike Shula! He is a good Bama man and was with us during our hour of need! By saying forget you are obviously talking about the 2003 season that we would all like to forget, which means you are talking about Shula, and we cannot allow you to talk about Shula...he did us a favor by taking our millions of dollars and don't you forget it!...Did I say forget?

 

[Guest]

Forget.

 

[Guest]

LEAVE ME ALONE