I heard this yesterday, and I'm being told the Sun-Sentinal is reporting it also, that Shula is being hired at Miami as either QB coach or OC. I find this interesting, not from a Bama perspective, but from the perspective that while the job was supposed to be one of the best in the NFL because of the control the HC was going to receive, yet, around 3/4 of the staff is being retained. I suppose, we'll hear an announcement today on the next HC in Miami? IF it's Chan, do you think Fisher looks at Ga. Tech?
Yeah, it's not like they play a video and audio presentation before every home game with Bryant talking. Or make a special jersey for the Ole Miss game that has houndstooth trim. Or have fans that have almost life size tattoos on their backs. Or have an artist that paints a picture of every coach since Stallings with the present coach leaning on the goalpost opposite a ghostly apparition with the caption "Standing In The Shadows". Seriously, Terry, don't act like you just have a bunch of buildings and streets named after him, but everyone else's fans are the ones that bring him to the forefront time and again. You have every right to be proud of his accomplishments. But Alabama football was something before he got there and has been something since he left. Maybe not as good as when he was there on either account, but a winning program nonetheless. But don't act like other fanbases are the ones that won't let him be forgotten. Alabama fans keep his memory alive and well, even to the detriment of the program at large.
Color me shocked with that statement. I've been a proponent of moving past the pre-game video with Bryant for some time now. I'll give you this one, it is something that is over-done in some situations...but, I wouldn't give you the buildings being named, stadium, etc...simply because of the $$ he contributed. That happens with any big money doner, everywhere. I should have worded that differently. Touche'
I agree that the buildings and streets and museum and stadium should bear his name (no pun intended.) He is a big part of your history. But he wasn't and isn't Alabama football. Until some of your brethren understand that and stop trying to make Saban (or anyone else) the next Bryant, the program will suffer. Was it your site that had a thread that explored comparisons between the pictures of Shula and a young Bryant in the Navy and how similiar they looked? That was when I knew Shula was doomed.
I don't know where that originally started...but, I saw it on a lot of Bama sites, including TF at the time...had it emailed to me...blocked that guy. :lol: Funny thing is...just surfing over TI.com earlier and someone posted a thread about Saban and Bryant looking alike...of course, it was just a spoof on the thread 4 years ago. When I saw that picture the first time, my reaction was, "Oh Gawd!" Like you, I learned years ago to just ignore the idiots from all teams...but, you have to admit, even the idiots can be a laugh, now and again. Now, I wasn't alive when Bryant was hired...but, talking with a lot of people that were and it's the general concensus that the fan base hasn't been this united since that day. It took a year for most to warm up to Stallings, same with fRan. Most never warmed up to Perkins and Curry...more like tolerated. Price was a good hire, but had question marks around him because of his offensive style. Shula, he was a "wait and see if he can develop. If he can't, we'll be out of the probation window and can go get an experience head coach."
If I had a dollar for every time that picture was posted I could take a luxury vacation. I don't know where the Shula / Bryant pic started but TI is a good suspect. I agree with what Terry said about our past coaches and how they warmed up to the fans. I also agree that Shula was a band-aid to get us through probation, remember he was hired in May, not many coaches to choose from even if it is Alabama I don't want Saban to be the next Bryant. I want Saban to be the next great coach at Alabama. Like I told someone this morning, I don't want to continue to cheer for LSU or Arkansas to beat Auburn, I am ready for Alabama to start doing it again.
Dang it! Reading your and Terry's post and I sat here and began to nod in agreement. I was thinking that maybe this tempest was about to blow over, and then I read this........you just had to spoil it.:rofl:
