Nick Saban did not have a lot to smile about Thursday after what Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said about him. (Photo by Alabama Athletics)
Way to go Jimbo Fisher.
I am not a huge fan of the Texas A&M coach but I applaud the way he held his ground against legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban Thursday.
Saban accused Texas A&M football of buying players Wednesday just a few months after the Aggies had a higher rated recruiting class than Alabama.
“Some people think they’re God. Go dig into how God did his deal. We build him up to be the czar of football. Go dig into his past,” Fisher said Thursday less than 24 hours after Saban’s shot against Texas A&M.
Fisher wasn’t through. He told Adam Rittenberg of ESPN, “My dad always told me this when people show you who they are, believe them. He’s showing you who he is.”
Saban apparently was at an event to promote the upcoming World Games in Birmingham Wednesday night when he blasted Texas A&M football.
“You read about it, you know who they are,” said Saban, according to Mike Rodak of AL.com. “We were second in recruiting last year. A&M was first. A&M bought every player on their team. Made a deal for name, image and likeness. We didn’t buy one player.”
“But I don’t know if we’re going to be able to sustain that in the future, because more and more people are doing it. It’s tough.”
Saban wasn’t done. He accused Jackson State coach Deion Sanders of buying a player last year also, an allegation Sanders also quickly denied.
Later Thursday Saban went on SiriusXM Radio and said he should not have “really singled anybody out” and apologized for his mistake. Believe him? I don’t. Coaches like Saban don’t make mistakes like that even when he said he felt “bad about it.” He also said he was not saying anyone did anything illegal but he sure seemed to imply that.
The SEC issued “public reprimands” to both Saban and Fisher for unethical conduct with their comments. I can just imagine how both coaches must be trembling with a public reprimand.
ESPN/SEC Network host Paul Finnebaum spent plenty of time on his four-hour national radio show Thursday talking about the feud. He also talked to al.com about the allegations both coaches made.
“I don’t see how anyone who is objective can come off here thinking Nick Saban has fared well in the last 24 hours,” Finebaum said. “How do you declare the winner? I don’t think you can.”
“Ultimately, that moves to the football field. Anyone that thinks Nick Saban walked out of this fight without blood all over him is sadly mistaken.”
Badly mistaken indeed because Fisher did not let his former boss bully him and instead leveled some serious allegations about Saban that will not go away any time soon.
8 Responses
Saban should just "Shut up and coach". Talk about the pot calling the kettle black as my grandma use to say. Totally ridiculous.
does seem that way UKFMLY
Saban should not have singled Jimbo Fisher out like he did, he "opened up a can," big time. I think Jimbo took it to Saban too, and maybe got the last laugh. Saban is sort of full of himself IMO. However, I agree with Saban’s assessment of this NIL crap going on now that will only get worse if not reigned in by the NCAA or the Feds. Big money has ruined college athletics in so many ways, now it has changed recruiting, probably forever. There is no way these coaches are worth what they are getting paid today, nor is a college recruit worth thousands of dollars to play for Texas A&M, UK, UT, or any other school. Why do I say that? Many players can’t produce at that level who were big time HS stars. I’m about through with sports if this continues. It is getting filled with to much drama, nonsense, and outright BS. Plus the cost to see a live game is insane. They have made it a entertainment venue for only the very wealthy. As for NIL, truth be told, some players were getting money under the table long before NIL ever came along, and Saban knows that. As for Finnebaum, some coach he opines on in a negative way is going to strangle that pencil necked little geek someday.
On another site, a fan posed the question, "What is the cost to hire a 5 star QB?"
I don’t know the answer, but the question seems to be one of the appropriate question these days.
Saban is bemoaning a loss of parity in college football. I really can’t believe it, but I heard his own words, and if he really wants parity in college sports, then let’s have a draft of high school talent with all the Power 5 conferences picking in reverse order of their final power ratings from the previous season. It would be a huge money maker, selling tv rights for the first 5 rounds for football and the first 2 rounds for basketball. The advertising revenue could help fund the "NIL" money distribution.
Just think about it. The major conference commissioners would get all the face time they could ever dream about, and the coaches would become household names. Calipari could realize his dreams on the selection and sending ends of the process.
There would have to be a "pay" scale based on the selection position that these high schoolers get picked. It could also spawn an entirely new set of gurus forecasting who will be picked by which schools. Perhaps the NBA and NFL could participate in establishing this "pay" scale.
After all, Saban wants parity, and this has been the traditional way that the professionals work to maintain parity in their sport. AND it seems to be where college sports are headed.
So, what should be the going rate for a 5* Freshman QB. Should the draft be open each year for the full roster, including players who must spend a second or third (or God Forbid, a 4th year) at the cursed collegiate level. Or can the transfer portal continue to fulfill this very important function.
Inquiring Minds Want to know.
that is some unique thought there Professor. High school draft never entered my mind
How else does Saban think college sports can have parity. His words not mine.
Saban don’t want parity, he wants a monopoly, so does Smart and all the other big shot coaches in college football today that have had it their way with football talent for as long as I can remember. Texas A&M sort of put the whammy on them with NIL money for 2022 recruiting, and Saban is worried about his future talent pool if the collective in Texas has it’s way in the future. Big oil money in Texas led the charge and will probably continue to buy players.
All that said, Alabama still is not hurting for football talent though are they? Yet Saban is whining because, like Fisher said, it didn’t go Alabama’s way this year for the top class. Not did he win another national championship because of the Georgia bulldogs. In his mind his world is upside down. Professor, your idea is right on the money, indeed a good plan for parity in college football, but I doubt guys like Saban would agree.
Not sure he wants parity. He likes being on top
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