ESPN Plays Up Saban Rumors, Others Play Them Right Back Down

On Monday, we said that Alabama’s big distraction for the month leading up to the BCS Championship Game would be Nick Saban’s rumored return to the National Football League.  A report in The Boston Globe this past weekend claimed that Saban — at some point — had told league sources that if he were to return to the pro ranks, he would do so with old Cleveland Browns co-worker Michael Lombardi as his GM.  Well, the Cleveland Browns might just hire Lombardi in the coming weeks.

Ah, ha!

Yesterday, the endless run of game show-like daily programming on ESPN ran the Saban story over and over.  Each of the network’s “I’ll take this point, you take that point and we’ll pretend to have a heated discussion” shows brought up The Globe’s story for discussion/argument.  After running all day on ESPN, the Saban story became America’s hottest game of connect-the-dots.

Trouble is… that’s all the story is.  It’s connecting dots.  Saban supposedly told someone if he returned to the NFL he’d do so with Lombardi.  Dot #1.  Lombardi might be hired in Cleveland.  Dot #2.  So if he is, Saban will go.  Dot #3.

Well, if we ever record and release a MrSEC.com reggae album, we’ll do so in December of 2012.  But the fact that it’s December of 2012 doesn’t mean we’re actually going to put out a reggae album.  Follow?

Forget logic, though.  The reading of signs has already begun.  Lombardi appeared on WKRK-FM in Cleveland yesterday and said of Saban: “He’s got great drive and he’s never satisfied.  Nick is always about the next challenge.”

So he must be leaving.

But at Alabama: “(Saban) can control all the things he wants to control in his environment.  I think he’s very content there.”

So he must be staying.  Whatever your view, Lombardi gave you something you could read into.

Taking things a step further, ESPN personalities Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic — as a kickoff to the wall-to-wall coverage to come on ESPN television — claimed yesterday morning that Saban would probably be interested in the Browns job because he appears to be unhappy at Alabama.

He does?

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