🏈 Writer responds to Nick Saban's rant on biography, stands behind his work

[BAMANEWSBOT]

Monte Burke reacts to Nick Saban's comments on book, profiting off his name and reaction he's received so far.

A former Alabama football player foreshadowed all of this for Monte Burke. For a little while, Nick Saban won't be real happy with the Forbes writer's biography on the coach's life. Eventually, he'll get over it.

Phase 1 is in full effect after Saban's pre-planned rant against the unauthorized book published Tuesday by Simon & Schuster. He railed against people profiting off his story, the timing of its release and questioned facts without giving examples.

Burke was just exiting a book signing Thursday evening when someone sent Saban's unflattering review.

"I kind of expected (Saban) to not like it," Burke told AL.com Friday morning. "I don't take issue with him voicing opinions on it. The word unauthorized has negative connotations, but the goal here wasn't to write some gossip tell-all, nor was it to do some big sloppy wet kiss. It was to do something fair and objective and I think that's what emerged.

Nick Saban said he does not approve of any unauthorized biography at his first press conference of the fall preseason.

"I didn't just make this stuff up. I talked to more than 250 people who know him very well, some of whom he gave permission to talk to me. So it's not like I'm pulling this stuff out of thin air. Most of these people attached their names to the quotes and wanted to be quoted."

And Burke's response to Saban's comment about profiting off his story?

"You can make that argument that beat reporters, that people on the radio talking about him, that anyone who talks about him is profiting off his name," Burke said. "There's a whole cottage Saban industry made up of folks making a living talking about him or writing about him."

Burke has been touring the state of Alabama doing book signings and interviews since the book came out Tuesday. He said readers are telling him they sympathize more with Saban after reading the book and understand why he made some of the controversial career moves after reading the book.

Continue reading...

 

[TerryP]

"I didn't just make this stuff up. I talked to more than 250 people who know him very well, some of whom he gave permission to talk to me. So it's not like I'm pulling this stuff out of thin air. Most of these people attached their names to the quotes and wanted to be quoted."

Contrast that statement with this one:

A chapter is devoted to the "saga" of Nick Saban's flirtation with Texas. Burke (or his publicist) seem to feel that is the most compelling part. At least it is the part that has been excerpted to many media outlets, including the New York Times. As you'd expect, the story does not include any comments from Saban or his agent, Jimmy Sexton, and thus is heavy on input from various Texans. Burke's premise, based on those interviews, is that Alabama officials were "afraid" that Saban might leave, resulting in a hefty raise for Saban.
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Is it safe for me to assume the same "sources" used by Burke were the ones that saw Miss Terry house shopping in Austin? Are these "Texans" the same ones "offering" 10 million per year without the ability to do so? Even more important, the same guys who couldn't get Mack out but allegedly had Saban's interest?

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Just a few questions that bear thinking about in my opinion...

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[Bamabrock]

The writer is a hack who used 3rd and 4th person accounts from texass boosters for that story. LoL

 

[2Stater]

Unauthorized biography writers are in it for the money. Period. They are going to put controversial comments in the book or nobody would buy them. When Saban hires the writer for his "authorized" version, I'll read it.

 

[Snout Spout]

Unauthorized biography writers are in it for the money. Period. They are going to put controversial comments in the book or nobody would buy them. When Saban hires the writer for his "authorized" version, I'll read it.

Yeah, but you also get to see some things that may be true but Saban would never sign off on being in a book. There's a difference between an "Unauthorized" tabloid biography and a well-researched objective one.

"Authorized" biographies are boring, sanitized affairs only the most slavish fans would buy.

 

[Elderfalsedemigod]

I have no real problem with it being written. Will I spend money to read it? Probably not. Will I buy the version CNS puts out? Maybe, maybe not. I really prefer my literature to be straight fiction. That way I know the writer just made it up to get a check.