Pearl Harbor ... 9/11 ... UL-Monroe 21, Alabama 14 ...

I'm shocked that those sophisticated Alabama fans aren't offended by Saban's comments...shocked, I tell you!

 

Hanging on the tunnels at every stadium should be a sign offering a simple reminder for players and coaches alike:

"Do not gamble on college athletics or associate with those who do."

"Do not mention 9/11 --- ever. You are playing a silly game."

 

I'm no Saban fan. I actively root against his teams. I wouldn't want my kid playing for him. Don't like him in any way, shape or form.

But when I listened to the press conference, I had no problem with what he said. He wasn't equating losing the game with those tragedies. He was making the point that it sometimes takes hitting rock bottom for people to make significant change. In the context of football, losing to Louisiana-Monroe would qualify as rock bottom.

Of course, it's more fun to beat up on ol' Nick for the hell of it.

So have at it.

 

I always thought Rock Bottom qualified as rock bottom...

 

Nobody's beating up Saban for the hell of it. He's getting beaten up for making stupid comments.

 

I don't think Saban's analogy worked because 9/11 obviously wasn't all that tragic to SEC folk, considering they tried to play games that Saturday before people finally talked Slive out of it.

 

Further proof that SEC folks are morons.

 

I actually love the South, and I love SEC football, but the conference's stubborn insistance that no national tragedy in some far-away city was going to stop them, initially, from playing football games struck me as three liters of crazy.

Here is a quick example I just Googled of that kind of crazy.

http://zimmerman.gainesville.com/default.asp?item=675173

 

Come on.

It took the SEC exactly one day to "come to its senses." And there were many fans SEC screaming for them to be canceled. I remember the back-and-forth well. It was a raw, emotional time, and everyone was on edge. "We can't play!!" "We must play. We must get back to normal!" Neither argument was insane.

The SEC cancelled its games on Sept. 13 . . . the same day the NFL announced it was canceling its games.

And you CANNOT tell me that a bunch of Steelers or Broncos fans weren't pissed that their teams were not playing that weekend.

Only SEC fans, eh? :

 

Funny how the ACC and the Big East both cancelled their games right away though, huh? I don't remember John Swofford putting out any bold, declarative memos saying the games must go on.

I would suggest that only reason the SEC "came to its senses" is it got browbeat to death by the rest of the sporting world.

The NFL hemmed and hawed over what to do before cancelling. As did MLB.

The SEC said "WE WILL PLAY GAMES."

I think there is a difference.

But the whole thing was a two-sentence joke. As I said, I really do love the South, so grouping me in with the Northern elites who look down their noses at ya'll good salt a tha earth folk ain't gonna work.

 

I listened to most of the press conference and I'd go crazy if I had to listen to him all year for just these two verbal ticks:

1. "Right": Almost "a-ight" from the old school days, but he says it a *ton*.

2. "In relation to": He says this so many times in relation to the times he does not say it.

 

http://www.tidesports.com/section/video?bcpid=1214105367&bclid=431782885&bctid=1312349641

I can not emphasize strongly enough how much fun it is to click on this link and watch the highlights of all the fans giving their pregame predictions Saturday.

Really ... please ... just watch them.