So is Saban worth $100m?

I don't know that Saban would be that candid about money with anyone outside his inner circle, even off the record. I'm guessing it was Jimmy Sexton, Saban's agent.

 

My guesses would be Sexton or a Texas booster.

Knowing Sexton's relationship with many members of the media, he's the safe bet.

 

Hell yes, I'd doubt it.

 

A couple of years ago someone ran a breakdown on the difference in school-wide revenue pre-Saban and since he's been there. IIRC, he was way underpaid by Bama.

 

The last line of that column is gold:

Think Finebaum has time to change the title of his book?

 

Yeah, among other things their enrollment is up about 25 percent since Saban got there, and it's not entirely a coincidence.

 

Well, thoughts about Finebaum aside, there are few journalists with the credibility of Gene Wojochiechowski.

Chip Brown is a great reporter. He's also in the back pocket of the Texas athletic department. Who wants to kill this story as quickly as possible? The Texas athletic department. I'm guessing they don't want people reminded that the guy they hired was everyone's ninth choice.

 

Sexton is the master of using the media to hype his clients.

 

I could see this with Austin. Some schools that are football factories (Texas and Michigan come to mind) want you to win but to try and do it with some level of restraint. SEC schools don't give a damn. Spend whatever you want and win win win.

 

But you're extrapolating to theorize that if Generic State U paid Saban a bunch of money to hire him away from Alabama, the same results would follow. I don't believe that.