This week I've seen quite a few people talk about the "state" of Alabama football while thinking about the upcoming game tomorrow. Following last weeks game, I wrote a piece regarding the program I thought I would share with you guys. I've seen the word delusional used a few times describing Bama fans. It's true, with certain segments of our fan base who've been rightly nick-named "sunshine pumpers." While I do expect a great defensive effort from out team this weekend I'm not going into this game expecting a win. I know we can, but don't feel we will. I expect a close game, but falling by 21 wouldn't come as a shock either. Anyway...here's something for you to pass some time with... ______________________________ Loss to MSU Didn't Come as a Shock, AT ALL! When I look back over the last decade I find a lot to be thankful for including this current staff...but that I'll get into later. The number of people I've met through the Tidefans.com venue is one such area. It's enabled me, even though I've been a good 500+ miles from the University the last few years, to keep abreast of things happening in and around all of our Athletic programs. However, with all good things there tends to be something bad right along with it. An example... A lot of the contacts I've made have been some of the best friendships one could develop even when separated by hundreds of miles. Along with that I have to look at news I hear from these friends that can only be described as bad. Much like the practice reports from last week... Understand, I realized and expected the MSU team to be ready for Alabama. In fact, I expected Alabama to lose this game. (not like they did, mind you) Why? It's been a focal point of this MSU team since the day Croom was hired as their head coach. Their staff has been quite vocal about preparing for Alabama during spring camps, fall camps and the off-season. We all know the stories with Ellis Johnson, Woody McCorvey and Sly Croom and through those stories understand why the Alabama game is so important to them. Albeit in their own minds it's been their opportunity to take a "shot at greatness." That approach reminds me a lot of Houston Nutt and his approach to our game. His desire to beat Alabama is so evident it permeates the practices and their team during the week before the game. Where is that in our staff? This word has just resonated through my mind since the final gun last night. Insanity. You've heard the definition, haven't you? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. For the past three years, in some unfortunate situations, we've seen the same thing over and over again. Have we seen improvement? Is it the team digressing or is the team just maintaining the same course of action, level of play? It's a question I've pondered leaning towards the team just getting worse as the year goes on but I've always weighed it against the fact of our schedule getting tougher. Until Florida International University. Until Duke. Until Mississippi State. I've sat back and patiently pointed to areas that have needed improvement. I've exercised patience with a growing head coach. I've looked at all the reasons our program is where it is and tried to justify, at least in my mind, why we are where we are. Coach Shula was Dr. Witt's hire. Make no mistake about it. Dr. Witt has done a lot for our University since he arrived and I'm thankful for the improvements and growth we've seen under his leadership. However, I don't believe he's the person who can accurately judge the abilities of a staff on the sidelines. So, if I may, I would like to point out one thing Dr. Witt. It's a precursor for Alabama fans to see our team being scored on and the Head Coach walking up and down the sidelines clapping. You may not understand the implication, but, believe you me our Board of Trustees understands it all to well. Coach Shula, I find you to be a man of impeccable character. I truly admire the ability you've shown on the recruiting trail. You came home, during one of our darkest periods and revived character in some areas of our program. Some, mind you. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that effort and loyalty to the University of Alabama. However, you have made decisions like the retention of the Offensive line coach, who openly calls himself one of the best in the business, but whose players have become the punch line for matador jokes. Ole'. Position coaches that are more concerned with preaching to the players, instead of coaching them, only to get shown up by a High School Relations Director on the practice fields. Where is the player development on the defensive line? Where are those stout special teams our program is known for? You know Coach, amoebas move but they don't go very far. An apt analogy for your offense, I'd say. I've said "we've been close" for several years now and I hope we are. In this case, close to the end of this staff's current tenure. To quote a good friend of mine, "Adios Amoeba." Posted by Terry Pellman on November 5, 2006 5:35 AM
Only one problem, who is going to coach the Tide? Remember the best ya'll could do was Shula and that's when things weren't so bad. Bama fans act as if the Bama job is tops in the country but it's not. It's a rebuilding job in a conference where many very good teams have left the Tide in their dust. Bama has Shula because he was the best willing to take the job, I wouldn't throw him out the door until you have somebody better lined up(see olemiss).
Oh, I think Alabama will get a top coach. It all depends on who is available and what his ambitions are. Bama supporters are always going to have high expectations, yet Alabama is not a high-population state to recruit in. There are challenges for an Alabama coach. Famously over-zealous alumni can tempt recruits, the SEC west is a tough division in a tough league, and no one will measure up to The Legendary Coach. Bama has tried insiders who couldn't measure up and they've tried outsiders who didn't fit in. I'm not sure who or what would best suit Bama for a coach, but make no mistake . . . it's still a top job at a university that supports the program and with fans that will be there. There will be 40 or 50 applicants including a handful of proven head coaches any time there is a vacancy.
\ I think Bama could get a good coach. Also, they got Shuka when things were as bad as it gets. Bama has new facilities and a nice stadium facelift. They have some things to work with to attract a good coach.
So that's how they ended up with Shula? Not saying it isn't a good job but I doubt a bunch of proven coaches will be beating down the door, had that been the case Shula would still be looking.
The landscape is different for bama now. Fran was hired from TCU, certainly a step up for him. When he left, everyone knew just how tough it would be for the new coach. Shula served his role, but now bama needs to make a big splash. Can't help but think of James Dickey who coached TTU basketball, his name is on the door of the new United Spirit Arena for a BIG donation. He could have left TTU after his great season, but he stayed knowing of sanctions that were to come. He was promised, see us through this and you will be our man. First sign of trouble after the sanctions, Hey Bobby Knight is available, Bye Bye James! See you later Shula, a big name is needed to cleanse the name, make a new start. Probation and scholarship limits are not a factor, let the good times roll. bama has the money, they can pay off a 4 million buyout and pay for a name coach at the same time. The BCS money from two SEC teams will help foot the bill. Some may disagree with me, but I really believe bama's ranking last year was based on name recognition. They won many very close games and because they were bama, they were ran up the flag pole to be saluted. Next year's team is one many felt would be a legitimate force. New big name coach and a good season, we all will hear bama is back. Maybe they won't be dominate as in the 70's, but they will be a player. I know of a few things that TerryP has talked of, others I know that I am not privy to the whole story. I do think that anyone who discounts this team is making a mistake. You don't have to score a lot when you can play D, and bama still can play D. DJ Hall can get open and JPW can throw a ball. It only takes a couple of connections and they can be in any game. That said :geauxtige
I suspect that after Noshake-ione and Price, they were determined to get an "insider". Also they had to get a coach in the off season. If they had been hiring at the end of the season when coaching jobs usually change hands, they would have had more choices. If Nick had left at the end of the season instead of waiting until the end of December, Spurrier and Meyer would have been verrrrry interested in the LSU job and might have cut in ahead of Les. Same thing with Bama.
great post, terry. you're one of the more level-headed Alabama fans that i've seen posting, regardless of forum, and i believe most here respect you for your opinions and for your dedication to your team :thumb: like you , i expected MSU to win that game, but for an entirely different reason. I didn't realize the UA team was struggling (internally) as much as you seem to imply. MSU has a tough defense and they enjoy playing physical football. And despite their noticable talent deficiencies, they are a disciplined, tough football team that gives solid effort every, single game they play. i disagree with your opinion about Shula though. Sure, he may not have met fan expectations, but neither did many Bama fans go out of their way to understand the level of deficiency created by meaningful sanctions. They maintained their high expectations even in the face of obvious hurdles, because "Alabama is Alabama," right? The lack of a realistic expectation by much of the fanbase is more the issue than who the head coach is. There are many Bama fans that thought the Alabama name and Tradition would have Alabama re-tooled and winning championships again before now, but that doesn't make it realistic. And I suspect those folks are the ones that were referred to as "delusional." You must admit there's some awfully bold smack coming from some of them given the obvious circumstances recognizable to even the average fan of CFB. Injuries, more than anything else have consistently exposed the Tide's depth for the past several seasons. Shula has done a decent job under the circumstances, and more than that he's demonstrated that he is a loyal family member that can bite his tongue and participate in a process that has entirely been orchestrated by Mal Moore. And , IMHO, that is the source of the problem and Bama's inability to make the progress that Bama's fans are so hungry for. Mal's handling of some of the team issues cannot have been good from a "chemistry" perspective. Nor has he yet shown the strength to resist the pressure from influencial boosters during past coaching searches. Does tha Alabama fanbase of today's generation actually believe that a coach with ties to Bryant is a criteria that should be considered in selecting a coach? Especially in a post-probation environment? Many Bama fans believe so. Everybody knows that Bryant's disciples are lightning rods for NCAA thunder. In this day and age, such a hiring concept strikes most knowledgable CFB fans as outdated and stubborn .... an inability to move out of the past. The Bama fans want football respect - especially within the conference - and that's something that all of us understand. But football respect, or lack thereof, is earned every time you step on the field, and not before...... and that's something more fans in general would be well-served to remember. Should a program's past successes and contributions to the conference be enough to warrant a lesser sentence? I doubt you'll get much sympathy from the fans of Bama's conference opponents given the sportsmanship displayed by many Bama fans in their heydey. I don't wish ill on Alabama and I believe a healthy Alabama is good for the SEC. But neither do I feel sorry for Alabama for a punishment that honestly was long overdue. "Justice delayed, is justice denied."
