Montgomery Advertiser Column

by pluckandgritt on Apr 9, 2007 1:52 AM CDT

Josh Moon, a columnist for the Montgomery Advertiser wrote a column (imagine that) about Nick Saban's media policy.

He presents an interesting point, I don't really agree with everything Moon says here, but it make you wonder, why is Saban being so anal about media coverage?

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070408/SPORTS/704080337/1055/COLUMN ISTS

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Hyperbole

I don't know if it's sour grapes from a reporter that can't get the stories/quotes he wants or what, but that is a ridiculous column. Let me address a few points:

He was overrated at Michigan State, overrated at LSU and rated about right in Miami.

Coaching in the NFL and college are comparable. Just ask Steve Spurrier.

There's not an Alabama fan alive who believes Tuberville is anything other than an average coach.

I suppose one could argue that the jury is still out taking his entire career into account, but going 33-5 in his last three seasons and taking down his #1 rival five years in a row certainly makes me think he's figured something out. For all of the people out there that say he's only successful because he hires good assistants...well guess what...that means he's successful, because that's part of coaching.

The TV networks will plop down another wad of cash for the right to broadcast the Crimson Tide's games. That's more money. All of those newspaper stories generate more interest and involvement from fans, meaning ticket sales, memorabilia sales and concession sales go up. That's more money.

Let's see, Alabama's been selling out games...oh...I don't know...forever. If we're selling out season tickets to all the games even during the horrible seasons under DuBose and Shula, I think we could have Daffy Duck on the sidelines and fill up BDS. Oh yeah, it's winning football games that inflates memorabilia sales, not the media. I think the blazing Alabama sun also greatly contributes to concession sales.

Without the media, Nick Saban would probably still be churning out .500 seasons at Michigan State.

Wow. Talk about an inflated sense of self-importance. Huh, I guess LSU fans should write letters to the editor thanking the press for their national title since apparently neither Saban nor the players achieved winning the BCS! If the media is responsible for winning titles for teams, shouldn't Ohio State have won this year? For that matter, wouldn't Notre Dame win it every year?

The worst part of it is Saban's unjustified sense of self-importance...

Pot, meet kettle.

The people losing out in this are the fans.

Hardly. I run a Bama blog and I couldn't care less. Missing out on a few quotes during spring practice doesn't upset me in the slightest.

Re: why is Saban being so anal regarding media coverage?

It isn't going to be like this forever. This is unquestionably temporary. The guy is coming in and putting his house in order. Once things are in place and everyone knows the drill, that other stuff will ease up. It already has some. As much as I love Alabama (and hate to have to admit this), the football program has been a mess for a while and he's getting everyone on the same page. It's good that he isn't letting players spout off about how different (meaning more difficult) Saban's regiment is than Shula's. We've barely had an ounce of stability since Stallings and some of that was because we had coaches that weren't head coach material. I could certainly be wrong, but I just view the initial "silence" as getting all of his ducks in a row and getting the players on board with his philosophy. Even if he only stays in Tuscaloosa as long as he stayed in Baton Rouge, we'll be lucky if he leaves us in the same shape.

Roll Tide!

by Nico2.0 on Apr 9, 2007 2:33 AM CDT reply actions

Very skillful evisceration.

While I recognize that media relations is part of being a head coach - especially at a program as historically prominent as ours - it is by no means a chief responsibility. It seems to me that this fellow can attend the press conferences like everyone else, and - if he's a decent writer - combine whatever he's able to glean from this and his own observations to produce good columns.

To expect more out of a coach - especially a coach with an awful lot of teaching to do between now and the end of spring practice - is, at best, wishful thinking.

by turnover on Apr 10, 2007 9:54 AM CDT up reply actions