Crimson Red Sports

This has been a tough week for Coach Saban. He has been singled out for his alleged mishandling of the greyshirts, called ruthless and worse by members of the media, bloggers, and butt-hurt fans from less successful programs. Anyone with anything good to say about him has been playing defense all week. It's time to go on offense.

I am a professor at the University of Alabama. Like most professors, I am pretty much constantly on the alert for anything that might suggest that the University's priorities are getting sideways with regard to the relative importance of athletics on campus. I have been here through five coaches, and I can say without a doubt that what Coach Saban says and does with regard to the development of his players as students and as people is head and shoulders above the others. He has earned my respect and trust, and that seems to be true for most faculty.

While other programs stoke the fires of narcissism in players who have had all sorts of sunshine blown up their backsides by parents, coaches, and "guardians", Coach Saban seems, from the outset, to tell these players that they are not special, and that what they do is more important than who they are. Graduation rates are good and Coach seems to take genuine pride in his players' academic success. The number of discipline issues on the team is down (at least as far as we know).

My general sense is that while other programs are preparing star players for a Hollywood fantasy world that doesn't exist, Coach Saban and his staff are preparing his player's for the real world. In the real world, if you don't work hard you get cut. In the real world, if you get hurt and can't play anymore, you don't get paid by your team for the rest of your life out of loyalty. If you aren't prepared for life after football, you are in deep trouble. Better to learn that at age 18 than 26.

Here's what really pisses everyone off: It's that Coach Saban can take this hard-line approach with kids and still get them to come here. Why? Because he practices what he preaches. He works hard and gets results. He betters his players and they go on to become champions and get their chance to play on Sundays. If you are a star and don't like being treated the same as everyone else, well coach has worked hard to make sure the guy behind you is also a star, so see ya later.

You can focus all you want on the handful of players who don't work out. What remains unseen are the number of young men who, had they gone elsewhere, would have become spoiled and pampered head cases, but who instead stayed here and benefitted from the football and life preparation that the program is dedicated to providing.

First down Alabama. RTR

I really liked what you wrote. Very well written. True!


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Awesome #+

BRAVO!!!!...Thanks Professor for sharing this with us!!!!

wow !  very nice !   #+

and as they say on the street ... "haters gonna hate"
very nice to read a positive word 

Good stuff, Professor ATU! Just more proof that CNS has his priorities straight and is trying to keep his players' priorities straight.

 #+ you are so right. I am glad to stepped up to the plate and hit a home run for CNS. RTR!

I strongly agree with you, good post!!!  #+

Extremely articulate and well written Prof ATU.  I wish you would consider sending this to an op-ed page like B'ham News or some such place.  Maybe even ESPN.

I stand behind CNS 100%.  And I'm sure I'm not alone.

RTR

Thank you!!!!

You and Toxic stepping up and telling it like it is this week has really put things in perspective for CNS. I think we've known it all along, but it's great to hear it all from the horses mouth about the way it really is when the media is serving up slam-bombs towards CNS. The Bama program is headed up by the most dedicated, "let's do it the right way" coach presently in college football. The Bama football program could not be in better hands. Thank you for your insight.

aight!!!! #+

Thank You Professor! And an outstanding post and observation Sir!...
RTR!

 #+  Nice to see an educated man on the forum.   :tinfoil:

^^^THIS^^^  #+

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From comments section al.com by anonymous.

Probably Boris!

Thanks much, AlTideUp.   #+

The media gets bored of talking about the same thing so of course they can't stand if the same few teams dominate.  It bores them.  They're just grasping for something to talk about.

There was a study done of kids who were given a task.  The children were either told "you worked so hard" when they finished OR "you are so smart."  The kids who were praised for effort tended to pick a more difficult project in the next task than the kids praised on their  intelligence.  To me, this is just another example that teaching kids that effort is more important than innate abilities yields better results than constantly telling a kid how awesome they are.  It's something I am trying to do with my own boys.  Hustle, hard work, and kindness are what gets the big praise here.  They're all smart but I don't like to say it all the time.  Brown House= following the process  :)

Well written, Professor. You get an A+.
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Thanks for your comments, but most of all thanks for showing your side as a professor and has the inside track.

Thanks Professor. You certainly see things from a birdseye view and have a better perspective than most of us. I am really glad to hear CNS has the support of the faculty and UA staff.

SC has not been around in a few days. In his absence I put this thread on the front page. You will get 5 e-creds for that and another one from me.

Excellant post.  #+

Great job professor, thanks for your input.

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Great post professor.  pmull, I was just about to do that too.  The whole time I was reading this thread I was thinking too bad I didn't come by the other day so I could put this on the front page.  Thanks for taking care of it, I really appreciate it.

This is a great insight MLB.  I brag on my kids all the time for "being smart".  I need to change this and emphasis working hard instead.

I agree wholeheartedly 110%, I gave you e-cred for posting like a champion. What the AJC, national media, AU homers at Bham News and Montgomery News don't realize is the whole situation surrounding Philon, not just with his knee (had already had surgery, and then non evasive rehab and the knee wasn't responding, he wouldn't go get it rescoped until AFTER he signed). When Dalvin Tomlinson commited on Jan 16th, Saban told Philon to go get it scoped if he wanted to enroll, he wouldn't for some reason, then that morning he had a reaction at his announcement because not only was he finally realizing what happened, and a lot of ppl don't know this, it stays HERE, one of Philon's best friends was arrested that morning from school (remember the story of the kid on Mobile being transported that killed 1 cop and injured 2 others? That was his friend, so those emotions Philon had were a tornado of things and the kid needed to get out of dodge fast, Saban had begun telling him to explore options like Prep school for a semester to get his ACT up, he didn't like that idea either. Anyway getting off track, the knee injury could possibly sit him for 2 yrs, no idea how bad it is, we will see by how soon he plays.

The true culprit for why this happened (and TRUST ME it will only get worse) is the newly mandated 25 SIGNEE SEC rule, limiting # of players you can SIGN hurts others and forces greyshirts, before this year it was only a limit on #of enrolled, hence the Houston Nutt 38 player class and only 22 enrolled or Sabans 08 class with I think 32 and a few were grade casualties, 2 MLB prospects etc, now with signees being limited the SEC is gonna get nastier and nastier around EE dates and NSD. Had there not been a limit on signees, or it was 28 like last yr, Bama would've signed Philon, added the 2 on NSD, added Kwon Alexander and Justin Taylor.

Now back to Philon, truth is the whole story wasn't ever truly known by the media, they saw the tip of the iceberg. Here was this humble kid in ATL with a 3.9 GPA, best academic student Bama has brought in since Barrett Jones, exemplifies Crimson Tradition, took his last OV to Bama with his mother who would pass away a few days later, but tell him she enjoyed it more than any other school, most notably what was discussed, the emphasis Saban and the whole fball staff put on academics and how she knew he would be taken care of, more than the 2 in-state schools UGA and GT, he is a lot different type player,.best motor I've seen since Dareus, no plays off, high ceiling, then there is anoher prospect from Va, a very young player with massive size, quick feet, a lot of room to grow, much more power and versatility to play inside or out, but he also had an injury, but unlike Philon who refused more treatment the staff suggested, he went and had small non evasive surgery on his ankle, responded very well to rehab, went and got several more scoped to make sure no more scar tissue etc.

Then you have Philon, who rejected the staff suggestions, had a history of being in the presence of trouble, in so much himself I believe that immediate scholarship was necessary to get him out of the area asap and needed work on his ACT, no doubt he has some talent and igmf he stays out of trouble in Fayetville, he has the talent to become an all SEC player if he rehabs well and gives his all, but there were too many question marks and the 25 signee rule made Saban and staff become a picky bunch while still addressing a major need in a big way and adding 2 slam dunk academic prospects as well with very little questions.

FIRST DOWN BAMA!!! ROLL TIDE

I think you are right, T. I think the NCAA will draw that hard line on scholarships. It may not be at 25, but maybe 28. That still is going to have a major impact on greyshirts and we'll be hearing more and more about these instances from a great many universities, not just Bama.

What upsets me is Bama staff and Saban are upfront and truthful with all prospects even when discussing greyshirt options, and get flamed by the media simply because Saban has a exact idea of #'s and how it will work, whereas other SEC Coaches like Leslie Miles has NO EARTHLY IDEA how to work it and has to turn away an OG 4 star mind you, a LB last year AFTER HE HAD MOVED IN, and call them after the fact to tell them there isn't a spot, maybe Les learned after this year after Gunner burned him after he opened up a spot.

Karma's a......well, you know.  ;D