Comments on: Saban Says The Media Should Respect Western Kentucky (For The Good Of His Team)

By: SEC fan

SEC fan — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:19:05 +0000

@John at MrSEC @I4Bama
God forbid anyone criticizes Saban. It is pretty clear the Alabama media doesn’t dare cross him or not do what he says.

By: John at MrSEC

John at MrSEC — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 16:10:35 +0000

@FrankenTIDE

FrankenTIDE…

I agree WKU is better than Savannah State. However, Alabama is better than Kentucky, a team you mentioned as a potential WKU take-down.

If Kentucky were hosting WKU this week, then I think you WOULD be seeing stories about how dangerous the Hilltoppers are. But you’re just not going to get that when they’re going up against a team that looks like it could contend in some NFL divisions.

Thanks for reading,
John

By: FrankenTIDE

FrankenTIDE — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:19:39 +0000

I am a Bama fan but For the record I follow all of the FBS teams as close as I can..its not like they are playing Savannah State or some obscure team. WKU is actually a pretty good team that actually finished second in conference and played a #1 ranked LSU team very well last year, and most people pick them to beat UK and USM and to be a bowl team. I think his point was to say that we are playing a better team than people realize without doing research. Its a big difference in between playing at WKU than a Fla Atlantic or a Western Carolina..in my opinion.

By: John at MrSEC

John at MrSEC — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:12:50 +0000

@I4Bama

None taken. That’s one of the problems with comments online… no inflections.

Again, thanks for stopping by,
John

By: I4Bama

I4Bama — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 15:09:03 +0000

@John at MrSEC
I am certainly not defending Saban. You are right in saying that he sometimes belittles the media for silly stuff. They are often caught in the middle. No disrespect.

Just giving credit where it is due.

By: John at MrSEC

John at MrSEC — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 13:52:55 +0000

@I4Bama

I don’t think what I wrote was a very strong “criticism” of Saban. It wasn’t meant to be, anyway. I was simply stating that Alabama’s coach shouldn’t expect the media to talk up Western Kentucky just so his team will give them more respect. That won’t happen and it’s not the Alabama media’s job. I’m sure the folks in Bowling Green, Kentucky are writing plenty about WKU’s athletes who do indeed work their rears off.

Here’s the other part of this that I didn’t even get into above… if the media in Alabama did talk up Western Kentucky, many of their readers and listeners would rip them for talking up an inferior foe and some would even accuse them of hoping that said foe upset Alabama. I say this because I have lived through this. I’ve talked up little guys and warned of the “any given Saturday” scenario only to have fans of School X call me “negative” and a “hater” and an “idiot” to suggest that David could somehow knock off Goliath.

It’s a no-win situation for the writers… and I think it’s a little silly for a coach to expect the media to spend much time at all writing about what everyone assumes will be a cupcake foe.

But I didn’t mean for it be taken as some sort of tirade, rant or deep criticism of a coach who’s simply saying something in order to make a point with his team.

Thanks for reading the site.

All the best,
John

By: I4Bama

I4Bama — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 13:37:25 +0000

Come on, John. I know Saban had ulterior motives. I would be a fool to miss that. However, are you really going to criticize the most powerful coach in sports for taking up for the little guy? For asking for some respect for his opponent? Watch the Michigan game. Notice how many times an Alabama player helped pull a Wolverine off the turf or patted them on the helmet. This has been going on for several years. No one dances over a player rolling on the turf in pain (it may happen tomorrow, but…). What if a coach were subtly, systematically trying to instill respect for opposing teams into his players? Would we criticize him for trumpeting it to the world, or would we respect him for not blowing his own horn? Saban is not the kind of guy to broadcast the good he does. He has flaws, but he is not all Darth Vader. Arrests are down, players behave with respect, and yet all anyone wants to say is what a jerk Saban is. When asked what impressed him about Alabama, Cooper Bateman said that all of the players removed their hats before speaking to his mom. How much of that goes on unreported every day? Sure, Western Kentucky is an underdog, but they lifted weights and ran all summer, too.

You do a great job. I always enjoy the website.

By: Lupin

Lupin — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 13:20:43 +0000

I see your point but the JoeBob Wantabees of this world get so wrapped up in the talent aspect of the game that they ignore the part that preparation, planning and pure effort play and they tend to ignore anybody not blessed with an over abundance of talent.

I get that people get their egos wrapped up in their teams and their sense of self gets tied to the success or failure of their teams to the point that they interject their arrogance upon their teams to the point that anyone else is substandard. The part that doesn’t seem to occur to them is that their own teams success is tied to their own preparation, planing and pure effort too.

Ignoring another teams chance of success is not only insulting to the other teams work ethic but to the fan’s team as well.

Beating someone who has no chance is to have accomplished little, beating someone who has no chance and still treating them as equals is something that only the best of us can do.

mike