G
Guest
Fan - from fanatic:
n. A person marked or motivated by an extreme, unreasoning enthusiasm, as for a cause.
This is going to be a bit of a ride. In order to get where I want to go, we are going to have to take a stroll down memory lane, looking at how we arrived where we are now.
It has been twenty-five years since the retirement and death of Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, and contrary to many pundits around the Southeastern Conference, Alabama knows it. Alabama fans also know that it is at best, highly unlikely that there will never be another coach to repeat his accomplishments at the Capstone. The twilight years of Bryant saw the talent level of the program decline sharply. The negative recruiting tactics of rival programs during those years has been well documented, and Coach Pat Dye showing recruits a photo of Coach Bryant looking in poor health may never be forgotten. Rivals rejoiced when Bryant took his curtain call.
Regardless of external factors, the team that Ray Perkins took the reigns of in 1983 was good enough to win 8 games, but needed a serious overhaul - sliding to 5 up and 6 down in 1984. By the time Perkins bolted for the richest contract ever offered to an NFL coach at the end of the 1986 season, the program had been elevated back to the status of one of the nation's elite, posting ten wins and a dominating 28-6 Sun Bowl victory over Pac 10 Washington to close the season.
The hire of Bill Curry in 1987 was questionable. The poorly executed coaching search (including Bobby Bowden being forced to interview before an SGA representative) resulted in the program being handed over to a coach whose track record was poor at best. Curry's 31-43-4 record at Georgia Tech resulted in his being replaced following the 1986 season, and he seemed ill fitted to take the reigns at Bama - in almost every way. Still, the old saying is that "even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then," and Curry's tenure at Alabama was not without some degree of success. While Alabama is often vilified for running Curry off, it was Curry himself who refused to sign the new contract that was offered to him in spite of three straight losses to rival Auburn. Curry's last season produced 10 wins and a conference co-championship, however the Tide was unpredictable - as was the case throughout his tenure. During the Curry era, a talented Alabama squad managed to lose to such teams as Memphis and Ole Miss, and the loss to Auburn by an undefeated Alabama team at the end of the 1989 season was a classic example of Curry being out-coached.
Stallings arrived in Tuscaloosa with little fanfare. His coaching record was questionable, but his pedigree was just as unquestionable. After losing the first three games of his first season, Stallings built Alabama into one of the most dominant teams of the decade.
Following Stalling's retirement, many were afraid of a repeat of the Curry fiasco. DuBose was hired from "within the family," in spite of his inexperience. Like Curry, DuBose managed a ten win season and this time - an outright conference title. Also like Curry, DuBose was maddeningly inconsistent. The conference champions of 1999 lost to Louisiana Tech the same season; La Tech was an 8 win team in 1999, but they were demolished by TAMU, FSU, and Southern Cal, by a combined 123-43. The subsequent NCAA investigation and implosion of the coaching staff - aided by a lack of leadership in high places, sent Alabama into a downward spiral, and DuBose was fired at the end of the 200 season.
After flirting briefly with Butch Davis, Alabama hired Dennis Franchione. Coach "Fithchoicione" as rivals called him, had been extremely successful at mid-major and lower division programs, and had turned TCU from a joke, into a legitimate threat. While Franchione's manner of departure still chafes, he had Alabama back on track. His tenure saw the return of physical football, discipline, and stifling defense. His 10 win season of 2002 would have been good enough to win the west, had Alabama been eligible, but the perceived lack of effort against Auburn in 2002 soured the accomplishments of the 2002 team.
Mike Price was an odd choice as a replacement. Keith Jackson was adamant from the beginning that it was a bad decision for Alabama to hire Price - and it was a bad decision for Price to accept the job. The Price fiasco severely damaged recruiting that had already been hampered by NCAA sanctions, and the mid-season departure of Price made finding a replacement tricky at best.
A lot could be said about the decision to hire Mike Shula as head coach, but Shula was the only real choice at the time. His arrival in Tuscaloosa was almost as strange as his first press conference, where the soft spoken young coach showed his inexperience behind a microphone. At the time of his hire, I spoke with numerous sources within the program as to how the decision was arrived at to hire him, and the universal reply was that unlike the other candidates, Shula arrived with a plan for stabilizing and fixing things. While many have tried to make Bama's passing on Sylvester Croom to have more sinister motives, the explanation I received was the Croom had no plan, and his interview did not go well. Had external factors not come into play, it is likely that Coach Moore would have hired Richard Williamson over either of them. Shula's teams struggled under the weight of scholarship reductions and mediocre recruiting. With a team short on depth, there were few playmakers available to step in when an injury took down a starter. Shula's first season saw the debacle of losing to MAC member UNI at home, and the four win season ended mercifully with a loss at Hawaii. In 2004, Alabama was improved, but the offense was as impotent as ever following the loss of Brodie Croyle in the third week of the season. The defense kept Alabama in games, but there were still no quality wins.
In spite of the deck being stacked against them, Alabama won 10 games in 2005 on the strength of an icredible defense formed primarily of players that other teams had overlooked. The 31-3 whipping of then #3 Florida provided the high-water mark of the Shula era, but Tyrone Prothro's career ending injury collapsed the offense. In 2006, the lack of depth was still present, and graduation of several defensive stars made the 2006 Alabama team very mediocre. With an offense that had not improved in four seasons, and a defense depleted of talent, Alabama finished the season at 6-7.
When Mike Shula was fired, rivals and media types attacked mercilessly. "Bear Bryant ain't coming back" and "delusional fans" were common mantras. Pundits were quick to point out the 10 wins in 2005, ignoring that it was the only winning season in four years, and the offense was worse in 2006 than it was in 2003, scoring 298, compared to 331 in Shula's first season. Each season was marked by the team getting worse as the year progressed, and the deficiencies were glaring. In the end, Shula was offered the chance to present a plan for how to turn things around, and it was his refusal to replace assistants that cost him his job.
When Mal Moore started his search for the program's next coach in the closing days of 2006, the national media mouthpieces were quick to lampoon Alabama.
Jim Rome of ESPN Radio said, "Maybe Alabama wouldn't be so quick to have fired Mike Shula if they knew that nobody in America who mattered would be willing to step in and replace him. Look at who has already said no. Nick Saban. Pass. The ole ball coach, no thanks. Frank Beamer, why should I? Bobby Petrino, Downgrade. Rich Rodriguez, make me. Oh, and Jim Leavitt wants nothing to do with you. That has to hurt. At this point, you might as well dig up Bear Bryant. Or better yet, see if Mike Price is still interested. Trust me, you're not going to do any better. The front of the jersey may still say Alabama but in name only. That program is nowhere right now. It's become an SEC afterthought. Enjoy the glory days of Bryant, Namath, Stabler, Stallings, Alexander, Price, because that's all you have and that is not going to change."
Collin Cowherd referred to the Alabama fans as "lunatics" and "delusional."
When news of Alabama's interest in Nick Saban began to circulate, Mark May of ESPN made the comment that "there is no way Nick Saban will leave the mansions of South Beach for the trailer parks of Tuscaloosa."
Delusional. It is a word that carries a lot of meanings and can be applied to a lot of people - but Alabama fans are not the ones deserving.
There is no Bear Bryant shadow. That is a myth perpetuated by a mass media that by and large has a grudge against Alabama. There, I said it. Yes, there is a nationwide hate of Alabama generated by years of winning. Call me delusional, but that is the only explanation.
When Alabama hired Nick Saban, the media was outraged. The mouthpieces feigned that their outrage was caused by the way Saban left Miami. If his exit from the Dolphins was so bad, why did owner Wayne Huizenga have a press conference thanking Nick for his time there? Huizenga and Saban parted on good terms. The real reason that the media spewed so much venom at Saban was because they had egg on their faces. They attacked the outrageous salary Alabama was paying Saban - ignoring the fact that there were 2 other coaches making more, and the portrayal of Saban as money-hungry lacks merit when he took a pay cut to return to the college ranks.
In 2003, Texas A&M forced out the winningest coach n the history of their program and stole Franchione from Alabama. Under R.C. Slocum, TAMU won 72% of their games...under Franchione - 53%. Nice move. Where was the outrage over forcing out such a loyal head man?
In 2004, Ole Miss had a bad season...what else is new. They fired Coach David Cutcliff, just one season removed from winning ten games - the first time that had been done at Ole Miss since 1971, and John Vaught only did it 4 times in his 23 years at the helm. Cutcliff had the most wins over the course of his first five seasons at Ole Miss of any coach during their first five seasons there, and his winning percentage is second only to vaught, among coaches who coached over 50 games. The shadow of Vaught looms tall.
Look back to 2007. Last year, Georgia Tech fired Chan Gailey at the end of a 7 win season. In 2006, Gailey's Yellow Jackets won the ACC coastal division, and posted 9 wins. The delusional fans of Ga. Tech wanted him gone the next season. I guess coaches there are still living in the shadow of Bobby Dodd. Where was the outrage?
Houston Nutt's departure from Arkansas may have been of his own free will, but it was not without a shove on the way out. The fans hate him, and all he did was leave as the second winningest coach in the history of their program. His eviction was at the end of an 8 win season, one year removed from 10 wins and an SEC West title. At Arkansas, it isn't just Frank Broyles shadow, he still pulls strings.
It is 2008 and the football season has been a bit of a surprise. Looking at the top 5 rankings is a bit like stepping into a time maching...Texas, Alabama, Penn State, Oklahoma, and USC...is it 2008 or 1978? As the resurgent Crimson Tide climbs the polls, rivals Tennessee and Auburn have looked like the economy - not doing a complete nosedive, but definitely trending downward in a hurry, but down seasons happen. Still, there are strong rumors that Fulmer is a dead man walking, and the money men at Auburn have the buyout ready for the end of the season.
UT fans are livid. They want Fulmer gone worse than USC players wanted rid of that outbreak of jock-itch they suffered in the preseason. In 2007, Tennessee won 10 games and the SEC East. While Fulmer is 2-4 against Florida over the past 6 seasons, UF did win a national title during that span, so they are not chopped liver. His 11-5 record against Alabama speaks for itself. He trails only General Neyland in wins at UT, yet the fans want him gone.
Tuberville was almost fired in 2002. Had "jet-gate" not been uncovered, it is likely that Petrino would be a tiger instead of a pig. In 2007, Auburn is having a down year. It happens. In 2006, Auburn finished second in the West behind national champion LSU. Tuberville trails only Dye and Jordan in total wins, and his winning percentage is comparable to Dye's...and better than Jordan's. He has won six straight against Alabama, but there is a growing sentiment that wants him gone. He stands in the shadow of who?
Fans are fanatical...hence the name. Who the most delusional fan base is - is very debatable.
Alabama lost Bryant to retirement.
Perkins to big money
Curry to the pressure of a big time program
Stallings to retirement
DuBose to his own failure
Franchione to TAMU
Price to his destiny
And Shula to his stubbornness.
None of the coaches left because of delusional fans.
Now Saban appears to be righting the ship.
I don't know that TAMU, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, or Arkansas, fired their coaches because their fans were delusional; if Auburn and Tennesse fire their coaches, is it because their fans are delusional? Or are they just scared?
n. A person marked or motivated by an extreme, unreasoning enthusiasm, as for a cause.
This is going to be a bit of a ride. In order to get where I want to go, we are going to have to take a stroll down memory lane, looking at how we arrived where we are now.
It has been twenty-five years since the retirement and death of Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, and contrary to many pundits around the Southeastern Conference, Alabama knows it. Alabama fans also know that it is at best, highly unlikely that there will never be another coach to repeat his accomplishments at the Capstone. The twilight years of Bryant saw the talent level of the program decline sharply. The negative recruiting tactics of rival programs during those years has been well documented, and Coach Pat Dye showing recruits a photo of Coach Bryant looking in poor health may never be forgotten. Rivals rejoiced when Bryant took his curtain call.
Regardless of external factors, the team that Ray Perkins took the reigns of in 1983 was good enough to win 8 games, but needed a serious overhaul - sliding to 5 up and 6 down in 1984. By the time Perkins bolted for the richest contract ever offered to an NFL coach at the end of the 1986 season, the program had been elevated back to the status of one of the nation's elite, posting ten wins and a dominating 28-6 Sun Bowl victory over Pac 10 Washington to close the season.
The hire of Bill Curry in 1987 was questionable. The poorly executed coaching search (including Bobby Bowden being forced to interview before an SGA representative) resulted in the program being handed over to a coach whose track record was poor at best. Curry's 31-43-4 record at Georgia Tech resulted in his being replaced following the 1986 season, and he seemed ill fitted to take the reigns at Bama - in almost every way. Still, the old saying is that "even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then," and Curry's tenure at Alabama was not without some degree of success. While Alabama is often vilified for running Curry off, it was Curry himself who refused to sign the new contract that was offered to him in spite of three straight losses to rival Auburn. Curry's last season produced 10 wins and a conference co-championship, however the Tide was unpredictable - as was the case throughout his tenure. During the Curry era, a talented Alabama squad managed to lose to such teams as Memphis and Ole Miss, and the loss to Auburn by an undefeated Alabama team at the end of the 1989 season was a classic example of Curry being out-coached.
Stallings arrived in Tuscaloosa with little fanfare. His coaching record was questionable, but his pedigree was just as unquestionable. After losing the first three games of his first season, Stallings built Alabama into one of the most dominant teams of the decade.
Following Stalling's retirement, many were afraid of a repeat of the Curry fiasco. DuBose was hired from "within the family," in spite of his inexperience. Like Curry, DuBose managed a ten win season and this time - an outright conference title. Also like Curry, DuBose was maddeningly inconsistent. The conference champions of 1999 lost to Louisiana Tech the same season; La Tech was an 8 win team in 1999, but they were demolished by TAMU, FSU, and Southern Cal, by a combined 123-43. The subsequent NCAA investigation and implosion of the coaching staff - aided by a lack of leadership in high places, sent Alabama into a downward spiral, and DuBose was fired at the end of the 200 season.
After flirting briefly with Butch Davis, Alabama hired Dennis Franchione. Coach "Fithchoicione" as rivals called him, had been extremely successful at mid-major and lower division programs, and had turned TCU from a joke, into a legitimate threat. While Franchione's manner of departure still chafes, he had Alabama back on track. His tenure saw the return of physical football, discipline, and stifling defense. His 10 win season of 2002 would have been good enough to win the west, had Alabama been eligible, but the perceived lack of effort against Auburn in 2002 soured the accomplishments of the 2002 team.
Mike Price was an odd choice as a replacement. Keith Jackson was adamant from the beginning that it was a bad decision for Alabama to hire Price - and it was a bad decision for Price to accept the job. The Price fiasco severely damaged recruiting that had already been hampered by NCAA sanctions, and the mid-season departure of Price made finding a replacement tricky at best.
A lot could be said about the decision to hire Mike Shula as head coach, but Shula was the only real choice at the time. His arrival in Tuscaloosa was almost as strange as his first press conference, where the soft spoken young coach showed his inexperience behind a microphone. At the time of his hire, I spoke with numerous sources within the program as to how the decision was arrived at to hire him, and the universal reply was that unlike the other candidates, Shula arrived with a plan for stabilizing and fixing things. While many have tried to make Bama's passing on Sylvester Croom to have more sinister motives, the explanation I received was the Croom had no plan, and his interview did not go well. Had external factors not come into play, it is likely that Coach Moore would have hired Richard Williamson over either of them. Shula's teams struggled under the weight of scholarship reductions and mediocre recruiting. With a team short on depth, there were few playmakers available to step in when an injury took down a starter. Shula's first season saw the debacle of losing to MAC member UNI at home, and the four win season ended mercifully with a loss at Hawaii. In 2004, Alabama was improved, but the offense was as impotent as ever following the loss of Brodie Croyle in the third week of the season. The defense kept Alabama in games, but there were still no quality wins.
In spite of the deck being stacked against them, Alabama won 10 games in 2005 on the strength of an icredible defense formed primarily of players that other teams had overlooked. The 31-3 whipping of then #3 Florida provided the high-water mark of the Shula era, but Tyrone Prothro's career ending injury collapsed the offense. In 2006, the lack of depth was still present, and graduation of several defensive stars made the 2006 Alabama team very mediocre. With an offense that had not improved in four seasons, and a defense depleted of talent, Alabama finished the season at 6-7.
When Mike Shula was fired, rivals and media types attacked mercilessly. "Bear Bryant ain't coming back" and "delusional fans" were common mantras. Pundits were quick to point out the 10 wins in 2005, ignoring that it was the only winning season in four years, and the offense was worse in 2006 than it was in 2003, scoring 298, compared to 331 in Shula's first season. Each season was marked by the team getting worse as the year progressed, and the deficiencies were glaring. In the end, Shula was offered the chance to present a plan for how to turn things around, and it was his refusal to replace assistants that cost him his job.
When Mal Moore started his search for the program's next coach in the closing days of 2006, the national media mouthpieces were quick to lampoon Alabama.
Jim Rome of ESPN Radio said, "Maybe Alabama wouldn't be so quick to have fired Mike Shula if they knew that nobody in America who mattered would be willing to step in and replace him. Look at who has already said no. Nick Saban. Pass. The ole ball coach, no thanks. Frank Beamer, why should I? Bobby Petrino, Downgrade. Rich Rodriguez, make me. Oh, and Jim Leavitt wants nothing to do with you. That has to hurt. At this point, you might as well dig up Bear Bryant. Or better yet, see if Mike Price is still interested. Trust me, you're not going to do any better. The front of the jersey may still say Alabama but in name only. That program is nowhere right now. It's become an SEC afterthought. Enjoy the glory days of Bryant, Namath, Stabler, Stallings, Alexander, Price, because that's all you have and that is not going to change."
Collin Cowherd referred to the Alabama fans as "lunatics" and "delusional."
When news of Alabama's interest in Nick Saban began to circulate, Mark May of ESPN made the comment that "there is no way Nick Saban will leave the mansions of South Beach for the trailer parks of Tuscaloosa."
Delusional. It is a word that carries a lot of meanings and can be applied to a lot of people - but Alabama fans are not the ones deserving.
There is no Bear Bryant shadow. That is a myth perpetuated by a mass media that by and large has a grudge against Alabama. There, I said it. Yes, there is a nationwide hate of Alabama generated by years of winning. Call me delusional, but that is the only explanation.
When Alabama hired Nick Saban, the media was outraged. The mouthpieces feigned that their outrage was caused by the way Saban left Miami. If his exit from the Dolphins was so bad, why did owner Wayne Huizenga have a press conference thanking Nick for his time there? Huizenga and Saban parted on good terms. The real reason that the media spewed so much venom at Saban was because they had egg on their faces. They attacked the outrageous salary Alabama was paying Saban - ignoring the fact that there were 2 other coaches making more, and the portrayal of Saban as money-hungry lacks merit when he took a pay cut to return to the college ranks.
In 2003, Texas A&M forced out the winningest coach n the history of their program and stole Franchione from Alabama. Under R.C. Slocum, TAMU won 72% of their games...under Franchione - 53%. Nice move. Where was the outrage over forcing out such a loyal head man?
In 2004, Ole Miss had a bad season...what else is new. They fired Coach David Cutcliff, just one season removed from winning ten games - the first time that had been done at Ole Miss since 1971, and John Vaught only did it 4 times in his 23 years at the helm. Cutcliff had the most wins over the course of his first five seasons at Ole Miss of any coach during their first five seasons there, and his winning percentage is second only to vaught, among coaches who coached over 50 games. The shadow of Vaught looms tall.
Look back to 2007. Last year, Georgia Tech fired Chan Gailey at the end of a 7 win season. In 2006, Gailey's Yellow Jackets won the ACC coastal division, and posted 9 wins. The delusional fans of Ga. Tech wanted him gone the next season. I guess coaches there are still living in the shadow of Bobby Dodd. Where was the outrage?
Houston Nutt's departure from Arkansas may have been of his own free will, but it was not without a shove on the way out. The fans hate him, and all he did was leave as the second winningest coach in the history of their program. His eviction was at the end of an 8 win season, one year removed from 10 wins and an SEC West title. At Arkansas, it isn't just Frank Broyles shadow, he still pulls strings.
It is 2008 and the football season has been a bit of a surprise. Looking at the top 5 rankings is a bit like stepping into a time maching...Texas, Alabama, Penn State, Oklahoma, and USC...is it 2008 or 1978? As the resurgent Crimson Tide climbs the polls, rivals Tennessee and Auburn have looked like the economy - not doing a complete nosedive, but definitely trending downward in a hurry, but down seasons happen. Still, there are strong rumors that Fulmer is a dead man walking, and the money men at Auburn have the buyout ready for the end of the season.
UT fans are livid. They want Fulmer gone worse than USC players wanted rid of that outbreak of jock-itch they suffered in the preseason. In 2007, Tennessee won 10 games and the SEC East. While Fulmer is 2-4 against Florida over the past 6 seasons, UF did win a national title during that span, so they are not chopped liver. His 11-5 record against Alabama speaks for itself. He trails only General Neyland in wins at UT, yet the fans want him gone.
Tuberville was almost fired in 2002. Had "jet-gate" not been uncovered, it is likely that Petrino would be a tiger instead of a pig. In 2007, Auburn is having a down year. It happens. In 2006, Auburn finished second in the West behind national champion LSU. Tuberville trails only Dye and Jordan in total wins, and his winning percentage is comparable to Dye's...and better than Jordan's. He has won six straight against Alabama, but there is a growing sentiment that wants him gone. He stands in the shadow of who?
Fans are fanatical...hence the name. Who the most delusional fan base is - is very debatable.
Alabama lost Bryant to retirement.
Perkins to big money
Curry to the pressure of a big time program
Stallings to retirement
DuBose to his own failure
Franchione to TAMU
Price to his destiny
And Shula to his stubbornness.
None of the coaches left because of delusional fans.
Now Saban appears to be righting the ship.
I don't know that TAMU, Ole Miss, Georgia Tech, or Arkansas, fired their coaches because their fans were delusional; if Auburn and Tennesse fire their coaches, is it because their fans are delusional? Or are they just scared?