Oh NOES! He’s BACK!

As some of you know, last October I lost my “day job” and decided to semi-retire and start my own business. Little did I know that when the boss is always in your head, you have no choice but to work your arse off.

That’s what I’ve been doing since November of 2012. Any semblance of “retirement” is gonna have to wait for a while.

There was a brief time in late spring/early summer where I also had to care for an aging parent who’d been injured in an unfortunate accident. That was followed by a somewhat difficult, if not productive second quarter of 2013.

The third and fourth quarters of 2013 were much more successful and, while I’m in no position to coast yet, I should have more time to communicate with the dedicated readers of I Bleed Crimson Red.

I’ll likely be blogging more, and with the 2014 mid-term elections looming in November, you’ll likely see more political content here than you have in the last couple of years.

If you find yourself somewhere left of center on political matters, you may not be pleased. I’ll be blogging content from and linking to sites such as HotAir.com, AoSHQ, and other assorted right-leaning blogs.

But I also hope to be talking about the upcoming playoff system in college football for the 2014 season and beyond. It’s been my reserved belief that a four-team system is the best one and that expansion beyond that is both wasteful and harmful to the importance of the regular season.

There’s also the issue of the nine-game SEC football schedule, to which I am bitterly opposed. You’ll hear from me that traditional rivalries like the Third Saturday in October and the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry are much more important to the culture and texture of college football than the media’s desire to “move on.” I expect to make that argument forcefully and repeatedly in the near future.

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the dedicated readership. Millions of page views, hundreds of comments and thousands of external links are I wasn’t doing it wrong. I love hearing from you on Twitter and Facebook, and I hope to improve my presence at Tidefans.com, which has always been my “home forum” for all things Crimson.

Believe me when I say, “I listen to you.”

May you all have a blessed, safe, healthy and prosperous 2014, and please stay tuned.

Follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

Alabama’s exasperating game plans for the last two games

Not once. But twice. Two times in the two most important games of the 2013 season, the Alabama Crimson Tide decided that they could outscore teams that are quite comfortable in high scoring games that are still close late in the second half.

It is inexplicable, and it is exasperating.

Here you have a football program that has developed the best downhill running game in the history of downhill running games. A program that throws the ball when it’s convenient and will simply out-physical, out-hustle and out-muscle you. They use their superior talent and depth to wear you down and make your ass quit. You are literally beaten into submission and you are forced to like it.

Until the Iron Bowl.

Not satisfied with that dismally failed game plan, Alabama’s brain trust decided to double down and play basketball on grass with a team  that is designed to play basketball on grass, from a conference of nothing but teams that play… basketball on grass.

WTF?

You can point to several other aspects of last night’s Sugar Bowl puzzler that contributed to Alabama’s loss. The offensive line performance in pass protection was atrocious. The linebackers’ performance in short and medium range pass plays by Oklahoma was just as ugly. AJ McCarron’s sudden affinity for turning the ball over was bad too, but the point is that he never should have been put in a position where the game’s outcome relies on the quarterback’s play. That’s not Alabama football.

Maybe this goes back to Coach Nick Saban’s promise during the run-up to the 2013 season that he wanted the offense to be more explosive. Maybe it comes from a head-strong, fifth-year senior quarterback that thinks he might be the second coming of Brett Favre, or something. Maybe it stems from an offensive coordinator who, seeing all of the talent he has on the field, thinks he has the guns to beat anybody, anywhere, even at their own game.

Maybe part of the issue is the shuffling of the depth charts on both sides of the ball and what Jess Nicholas adeptly points out:

Keeping up with the weekly depth chart meant scouring for information on who was suspended, who was in the doghouse or who simply didn’t want to be there. On most good teams, depth chart maneuverings are the result of hungry players moving up and challenging veterans. For Alabama in 2013, it was about talented players underachieving, sulking or running afoul of coaches’ policies. The primary movement was not forward, up the depth chart … it was backward, with names falling off hither and yon.

Again, that’s not Alabama football.

I still think it all goes back to game planning, and doing what it is that you do best.

The best way to beat high-powered, up-tempo offenses is to keep the damned things off of the field. You run the football early and often, and you throw it to your tight ends and receivers when you’re damned good and ready, not when you need to and when the other team knows you need to. You chew up the clock and dominate time of possession as you dominate the line of scrimmage. Alabama’s offensive line did pretty well when the Tide ran the football, did they not? Play field position football. Give the other guys few opportunities to touch the ball and when you have to do so, make them drive a country mile through the teeth of a hungry, well rested defense in order to score.

That is Alabama football, and until the final regular season game of 2013, nobody did it better than Alabama.

What we saw last night was an absolute abomination. It was ugly, it was exasperating, and I pray that I never see it again.

Follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

On budget deal, conservatives should take a lesson from Sam Houston

Yesterday’s vote on a budget framework—which passed with broad bipartisan support—did not a produce a very good deal at all if your blood runs Crimson Red. It trades spending today for “cuts” tomorrow, a shenanigan that Congress routinely employs in order to say that they’re reducing the deficit when they actually aren’t.

About ten weeks ago, bona fide conservatives in Congress outmaneuvered the establishment leadership and pushed a government shutdown over a legitimate, sensible and prescient effort to defund Obamacare.

That proved to be a political and tactical mistake, even though it was based on sound policy.

At the same time, the HealthCare.gov rocket exploded on the launchpad, and conservatives were handed a rallying point that will resonate (almost) as musically as “REMEMBER THE ALAMO!” And that’s probably going to be true through the 2014 November midterm elections.

I agree with Heritage, FreedomWorks, Sean Hannity, Erick Erickson and the horde of bona fide conservative pundits who decried the budget deal hacked out by bona fide conservative Paul Ryan and not-quite-as-liberal as we thought Patty Murray. Good deal? Hell no. The best we can get on this battlefield? Probably so.

If you know me well, you know that I am a staunch, dyed-in-the-wool conservative. I named this website “I Bleed Crimson Red” for a reason. But I am also a realist, and I know when to fight and when to withdraw.

As a student of History, this is where I believe the lesson so aptly taught by Sam Houston comes in. In 1836, Houston, with a poorly trained, poorly equipped and vastly outnumbered force of volunteers, repeatedly retreated rather than fight the Mexican Army in the struggle to liberate Texas. His apparent refusal to take a stand and fight the demonstrably brutal General Antonio López de Santa Anna dismayed his officers and political supporters, but it was an effort to buy time and avoid a crushing defeat. Santa Anna had already overrun and massacred the defenders at the Alamo near San Antonio, and had ordered the mass execution of approximately 300 to 400 members of the Texas Militia at Goliad.

Houston wanted to fight on his terms, not Santa Anna’s, so he waited until Santa Anna made a mistake. Santa Anna did just that—dividing his forces in an attempt to surround Houston’s growing force of Militia and well trained regulars.

At the battle of San Jacinto, Houston made his move. In about 20 minutes’ time, Houston’s forces surprised and overwhelmed Santa Anna’s, ending the struggle and forcing Santa Anna into signing the treaty of Velasco, ending Mexican rule of Texas and paving the way for Texas to join the United States of America.

What can be learned from this, in the context of the current political struggle to wrest control of this great country from the grip of the brutally oppressive leftists?

In warfare and politics, it’s important to choose your battles wisely. Don’t strike when your enemy is strong and you are not. This is a divided government, but conservatives have control of only one house of Congress. No stand taken on principle has a prayer in hell of getting adopted and made the law of the land.

Bide your time. Consolidate your forces. Let your opponent make a mistake. The more arrogant and self-confident your opponent—as both General Santa Anna and Democrats (along with a sycophantic media) are—the more likely it is that your opponent will make a mistake that neither he nor his allies saw coming.

That mistake is the three-and-a-half-year-old, completely botched and utterly disastrous Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as “ObamaCare.” The rollout of the website was only a hint of the damage that is to come to President Obama and Congressional Democrats. In 2014, it’s going to prove to be as disastrous to their election prospects as Santa Anna’s foolish decision to divide his forces was to his attempt to maintain control of Texas.

The budget deal that passed the House yesterday—and which will almost certainly pass the Senate next week—was bad policy. But it’s good politics to let it pass, and it’s good tactics. A much more lucrative opportunity lies less than one year ahead. Napoleon Bonaparte famously advised that when your enemy is in the process of destroying himself, it is wise not to interfere. Sam Houston understood that message.

Conservatives should, also.

An Open Letter to Nick Saban

Dear Nick,

You're probably the most important person in the state of Alabama. To some that might seem like a bad thing, a reflection on the over importance of college football in the state of Alabama. For me that's not at all how I view it. Alabama football is a rare positive in an otherwise unremarkable state. Alabama doesn't boast a large population, we're not particularly well off financially. We are generally overlooked, and if not, Alabama is derided as often as anything else. We don't have an NFL, MLB, NBA, or even NHL team. Major accomplishments attributed to the state are almost exclusively tied to Alabama football. They give us something to be proud of, they give us something to smile about. Alabama football is the ambassador for the state of Alabama to the rest of the country.

It might not seem like much, but it means something to be able to go to other states, or other countries and be able to proudly wear University of Alabama gear. This love for Alabama football spreads beyond our state, as we have fans throughout the country impacted by our love for college football. In the end, Alabama football is great for the Alabama economy, it pumps much needed money in, and it becomes more than a source of pride, it ends up putting food on people's plates. Coach Saban, you help give us something to be proud of, and you've done so much to help our state.

We all owe you a debt, and our gratitude. The success you've had at Alabama, and the other things you've done (such as your help after the tornado in Tuscaloosa) has had a real and meaningful impact. You, your wife, your family, they all mean so much to this state. I wish every A-Day game had been packed (including ones I was absent for), I wish every Alabama game could have been packed for four quarters (including ones I wasn't at). I wish that we as fans could go back and do a little more to show our appreciation, and our support for you and your process, and to savor every moment. However, the past is the past, my hope is that going forward we (I) can do a little more, show a little more appreciation.

We all know you can't go on forever at Alabama, and I'd like to think none of us would want you to coach until you're physically unable to continue. But, as long as that fire burns, as long as that desire is there, what better and more appreciative place could there be? To even hear a whisper of you leaving is to drudge up the insecurities that many of us within the state have. Per capita, there is no greater football fan base, but there are insecurities that come from being a relatively small, poor, southern state. We want you to want to be the coach of Alabama football. That's as much the reason that Bear Bryant is such a legend here, it's not just the success, it's the fact that his love for Alabama football was only hindered by his physical limitations.

We're blue-collar, dirty under the fingernails, hard-working, and often unappreciated. That sounds a bit like what it might be like to come from West Virginia, and I suppose that could explain how someone could become as motivated as you, Coach Saban. You're hard-working, and your success as a football coach mirrors and compliments the success of Alabama football. You deserve appreciation, and so does our state. You are tied to us, our success is your success, and your legacy is tied to us. Alabama football has been transformed by you, but so has the legacy of Nick Saban. They said you had no loyalty to a program, but you've been loyal to ours. They said you were always looking for a new challenge, but you've embraced the constant challenge of Alabama football, to be the very best in the entire country. You've been called a liar, and have had many undeserving things said about you, but your legacy at Alabama is already something special, and could be even more. The notion of Nick Saban as a mercenary is nearly erased, and what has nearly been etched in stone is that Nick Saban is unequivocally one of the greatest college coaches of all time, with no qualifiers.

The loss to Auburn was crushing, and yet it was an inevitability of college football. That's part of what makes success in football so special, the fact that it's so incredibly difficult. I hope we Alabama fans can be appreciative of the BCS bowl we're headed to, and not fixate on what has become such a rare occurrence. After the loss, I took some (selfish) solace in knowing this meant that you missed out on a perfect chance to retire on top. The three straight BCS championships wouldn't serve as time to go out like Michael Jordan did the first (and second) time he retired. I felt like the pressure has been released, and while I regretted the irrational behavior by some fans, I also saw it as a resetting of expectations, of goals. I also didn't see how a heartbreaking loss to Auburn would be the enduring memory that you would want to be left with.

Looking forward, Alabama isn't trying to tie together a near impossible string of national championships, they're trying to break in a new quarterback, they're trying to figure out how to insure that Gus doesn't get the better of Alabama twice in a row. It's a chance for Alabama to rise to a more realistic challenge. Alabama has great facilities, a great recruiting class, great coaches, but hopefully we now fully appreciate that doesn't mean titles are just going to come one after the other. They have to be fought for tooth and nail, and even then, there needs to be a degree of good fortune, certain things need to happen.

Alabama vs. Notre Dame in the BCSCG might be the pinnacle of your career. It might be the exclamation point on your time at Alabama. I'd like to think it won't be, I'd like to think there's still some greatness left, but there are no guarantees. I'd hate to think that the loss to Auburn could potentially be the end of a wonderful relationship, it seems like it would cheapen the whole affair.

I don't know how this relationship will end, but I've tried my best to enjoy it while it lasted. I think there's some good years left, and I think that would be best for the both of us. However, I can't control that. All I can really say is that your time thus far at Alabama has been greatly appreciated, and that I hope you've enjoyed it as much as we have.

Sincerely,
Philip

Do Alabama Fans Want To Be Part of the Process?

I intended to write about something different, or at least to write about this from an entirely different angle (this is something I've already addressed), but it's become clear to me that there are some lingering misconceptions when it comes to what the Sabans want out of the fans. They have made several comments over the years, and all of those statements ultimately amount to saying that the fans play a role in "The Process", and various examples have been given in terms of how the fans can have a positive impact. Despite that, I've still seen numerous people assert that the Sabans have no place, no right to comment on the fans, and even a claim that this was all an attempt to seek adulation on the part of the Sabans. 

I reject both of those assertions. Nick Saban has every right to concern himself with everything that happens inside Bryant-Denny stadium. If he thinks the playing surface is bad, I'm sure he'll address it, if he noticed an equipment issue, I'm sure he'll address that, and if he sees the fans doing something that is having a negative impact, he has every right in his role to address that. Furthermore, we have many examples of how fan support and enthusiasm has an impact. Nick Saban credited Alabama fans with helping him get the first #1 recruiting class, and I find it amazing that some fans so thoroughly refuse their part, despite Nick Saban having shown he is the preeminent expert on recruiting and winning in college football.

To be completely clear, Alabama fans are fantastic fans. We're a good fan base, we are one of the best. However, the Sabans are showing us how to be championship level, how to up our game, how to reach the lofty level that the Alabama football team itself has reached. We shouldn't resist this, we should embrace it! But, despite Kevin Norwood saying that the crowd should be like it was for the LSU game, every game, despite the #1 QB recruit in 2015 citing A-Day attendance (good thing he didn't notice Auburn had more at their spring game) when he committed, despite a supposed desire to do anything to keep the Sabans around, some people just refuse to take the hint.

Well, I'm going to try to spell out specifically how we, as fans, at the games (including A-Day) have an impact.

Preparation
One thing that makes maintaining a "big game" atmosphere throughout four quarters very important, is how it impacts preparing the players for that sort of environment. Alabama struggled mightily at Texas A&M earlier in the year, and for some of the players this was their first time starting in that sort of environment. Previously, their experience in games had been late in blowouts and by then the Alabama fans (or opposing fans) had long since headed for the exits. Some Alabama players also had issues with the noise at the Miss. State game. The louder it is as Bryant-Denny, and the longer that the fans maintain this, the more prepared the players will be for that sort of environment when the game is on the line.

Intimidation
Bryant-Denny is not known as one of the tougher places to play, and this has nothing to do with the stadium itself, or the number of people in it. Alabama fans just have a habit of being more apathetic than fans at some other stadiums. However, during the A&M game last year, Kevin Sumlin noted that it was the loudest five minutes he could recall, and during the LSU game this year, the stadium was literally rocking. These shouldn't be isolated incidents though, and if Alabama fans recognize their role and embrace it fully, Bryant-Denny can become one of the scariest places in the nation to play.

Recruiting
If you are a recruit considering Alabama, you understand that you are not likely to become an immediate starter. This means playing at A-Day, and playing in third and fourth quarters at most for a while. When Alabama fans don't show up for A-Day, or hit the exits early, they are undermining recruiting efforts. The players there are left with an impression of apathetic fans, who don't really care about the backups and have better things to do. If we want to positively impact recruiting, then we should do our best to impress the recruits, and part of that is staying in our seats for four quarters and showing our respect for all the players.

Support
I was very disappointed to see the stadium never fill up for Senior Day this year, and was equally disappointed to see the stadium start to clear out early in the third quarter. This was Senior Day for one of the most successful senior classes in all of college football history. To miss out on that, to not want to be a part of that was just sad. Was getting home a few minutes earlier really more important than one last Rammer Jammer with those guys?

Fun
Alabama fans are their own worst enemies when it comes to making a game at Bryant-Denny a great experience. It's not fun to sit there quietly, to sit there surrounded by empty seats, to act like you're in church. That's not enjoyable, it's fun to get up and cheer, yell, laugh, and smile. It's fun to be in the midst of the crowd, and see the enthusiasm of those around you. The issue is, we dictate how enjoyable that experience is. I hear so much talk about how avoiding traffic is important, and all this stuff, but you went through all of this, you paid all of this money, and you're going to shortchange yourself and those around you? We all lead by example, and if we cheer and enjoy ourselves, those around us are more likely to, and if we leave, those around us are most likely to. But, what we're doing when we do that is make the game less enjoyable for the players, and the fans that we are turning our backs on.

There are two types of Alabama fans really. One group cares about Alabama football, and the team, and wants to do their part. For those people, the comments from the Sabans should be taken to heart, and once it is explained to them, I think they are going to try to do their part. The other segment? The part that only wants to be entertained? That only enjoys themselves when Alabama has a chance of losing? To be honest, I think they probably don't enjoy championship level football at all, and some of them seem to actually be annoyed by the assertion that they’re part of the process.

This is how you deal with bullies

Helmet Tap to Katie Pavlich over in HotAir.com’s Green Room.

Way to go, gentlemen. In an age of nanny-staters thinking that the way to deal with bullying is counseling and education, there's nothing like a mob of supporters in your corner. And failing that, again, the way to deal with a tormenter has always and everywhere been a knuckle sandwich.

---

---

Is the left trying to take over sports coverage now?

I would argue that liberals have already done so, but Matt Lewis over at Daily Caller makes the case that it’s still work in “progress.”

“It’s funny to listen to sports commentators on the radio who have clearly been brought up through public schools and state university journalism programs talk about class and race and gender like a sociology major from Smith or Dennison,” says R.J. Moeller, a conservative who also writes about sports and culture. “They hate any strong male coaches. They hate any sort of patriotism associated with the sport. They’re treating sports and holding what goes on in locker rooms to the same standard they would a diversity and social justice mediation seminar on Google’s campus.”

Moeller’s not alone in feeling this way. Others cite the “feminization” of sports and the liberal tilt of modern sports coverage as cause for concern.

And if conservatives are upset about this, it may be because this is all they have left. Progressives have long owned Hollywood, and (except maybe for Nashville) most of the popular music industry. Sports were perhaps the bastion for conservative entertainment — the final refuge for the patriotic, beer-guzzling, macho male who just wants to forget about his day job and watch a game — without hearing a lecture. Those days may be over.

The concussion issue is a serious one, but the others—particularly the “bullying scandal” at the Miami Dolphins and the fake brouhaha over the Redskins name—are classic examples of leftist, progressive political correctness.

The problem: There aren’t any un-politicized journalism programs left in the country.

I was bullied while playing on a championship soccer team when I was in elementary school. My tormenter was bigger than I was, and I was a chubby little pre-teen with mild self-esteem issues but a fiery hot temper (that my beloved still tells me I need to control sometimes). My father explained that there is only one way to deal with a bully—confront him and let him know that you aren’t going to tolerate it.

I did just that. When the bastard turned his back on me one day, I ran over and grabbed a sandbag that held the goal down and hit him square between the shoulders. When he fell, the coaches started running toward us but they didn’t get there before I swung that 10-lb “weapon” twice more, getting him once in the chest and a second time to the face. He started crying.

But that’s not how the political correct crowd wants to deal with bullies.

Dan Patrick has dedicated a ridiculously large amount of time on his program in the last two weeks since the non-scandal in the Dolphins locker room erupted.

Getting back to the concussion issue—it’s my opinion that advancing helmet technology and improved tackling technique are the answers to the problem. The so-called “targeting rules” in college and pro football are not. What those rules will end up doing is causing more knee injuries. If you can’t hit high, you have to hit low, and knees are going to be destroyed. While knee injuries are capable of being overcome with surgery and rehab, and while chronic brain trauma is incurable, there is little evidence that the targeting rules can significantly reduce brain trauma.

But that’s not the politically correct point of view either, is it?

Football is a violent sport. There are no current, former or future college or NFL players who are being forced to play it, and with very few exceptions they have been playing this macho, testosterone-influenced, impact sport since they were old enough to pee standing up. Ask any former player that, knowing what they know now about the risks of future encephalopathy, if they would do it all over again. The answer has been an overwhelming “Yes.”

But choices like that are not supposed to be made by individuals in the philosophy of leftists. Decisions are to be made by the Enlightened.

The only thing that’s important is what happens between the lines. Injuries have always been a part of all major sports and that is never going to change, unless the Enlightened Ones on the left convince commissioners and the public that the sports need drastic rules changes that will, effectively, do just what Matt warns about—deny us Neanderthals the respite that comes from drinking beer and watching the damned game.

This just in: VEEP Joe Biden is obviously a redneck bammer

 

Not photoshopped. Seriously. Check out the awesomely awesome Mullet do.

The only question is whether he thinks Nick Saban really would consider leaving Alabama to take over the Texas Longhorns.

My bet: he thinks it’s a “Big [bleeping] Deal,” but he’ll also say that if you like your head football coach, you can keep him. “Period.”

Helmet tap to Allahpundit at the HotAir.com Greenroom. AP was the inspiration for the “exit question” I always include on my lengthy, wonky analyses (that I concede have really dropped off).

Nick Saban on 60 Minutes: Full Segment

In case you missed it, here is the outstanding segment broadcast last night on CBS’ 60 Minutes. The report is the culmination of nearly unprecedented access to the Alabama Crimson Tide Football.

---

---

If you're an Alabama fan, this segment should make things in the room a little uhh... "dusty." If you're not an Alabama fan, well... it should make you even less comfortable now than you were before you saw it.

If Nick Saban leaves early, Alabama fans will be to blame.

Rude, spoiled, arrogant, and lazy. I could go on, but those all apply to the behavior of  some Alabama fans. I won't quote the things some Alabama fans have said, but let's just say that there are plenty of Alabama fans that like leaving the game early, and they don't like anyone, not even Nick Saban asking them to do otherwise. They have a thing or two to tell Nick Saban for opening his mouth and having the audacity to make the suggestion that they stay for four quarters. Well, I have a thing or two to say myself, and one of them is that money doesn't make someone a good Alabama fan. Attending, or graduating from the University of Alabama does not automatically make someone a good Alabama fan either.

What exactly did Nick Saban say to get some "fans" so worked up?
"I've talked about players playing for 60 minutes in the game and competing for 60 minutes in the game," Saban said. "And, in some kind of way, everybody that chooses to go to the game should stay there and support the team for the game."

Nick Saban said that A-Day attendance helped Alabama get that first #1 recruiting class in 2008 (the backbone to a couple championships). How did we respond as fans? We keep showing up in smaller numbers for A-Day. Ricky Town, the #1 QB in the 2015 class commits to Alabama, and cites A-Day game attendance. Meh... we decide leaving in the four quarter isn't good enough, we should leave in the third quarter. Then, Saban makes his remarks, and talks about recruiting, and we get downright mad. Just imagine if the players were as hard to coach as we are as fans?

The fans rushing out of the stadium during the game want us to know that they paid for that ticket, just like they paid for their tickets to see Tom Cruise movies, and go to Justin Beiber concerts. It is their right to walk out on the team early, because they paid good money to do so! But, this is to forget what being a fan really means, what it really entails. Those who thought the role of a fan was meaningless were proven wrong during the Albert Means case. We all learned then, that the role of a fan can have a massive impact and it isn't necessarily positive. Even the Harvey Updyke case is a testament to that, as one Alabama fan's foolishness lead to a great deal of bad press. How about the brick through Bill Curry's window?

Alabama fans are typically great fans, and without them the Alabama football program couldn't even afford to keep their doors open. But, Alabama fans lose focus easily. We can fill up a massive stadium, and then we can empty it out before the game is over, leaving players on the field disappointed, and recruits unimpressed. We can demand greatness, than become shrill and irrational when the team falters. We want the team to play great for four quarters, we demand a blowout, and then we leave in the middle of said blowout.

We are spoiled, and I was a part of it in the past. When Alabama won their championship in 1992, I was 11. I had just become really aware of football, (I have distant memories of the Bill Curry era), and I quickly had a sense of entitlements. Alabama had 12 championships, those were supposed to come regularly. When Gene Stallings didn't win another in short order, and ran a boring offense, I wanted him gone. Then came Dubose, Fran, Price, and Shula. Each one at their best, a pale shadow of Gene Stallings. At their worse they were complete embarrassments. The lesson was clear, appreciate a good thing while you have it!

Saban has delivered such greatness, that even older Alabama fans have settled into compliancy, spelled only by bouts of annoyance when the Alabama team doesn't absolutely crush an opponent. For some, that's just settling back into the Bear Bryant era, in which any year Alabama wasn't contenting for a championship was a complete and utter failure. But, the pressure we are putting on the team, and Nick Saban himself is overwhelming. Can Nick take it? Sure, but that doesn't make it pleasant, and if it starts to spill over and have a negative impact on the team and recruiting, he might not want to tolerate it any more.

This gets to the heart of the issue. Nick Saban will retire, and the odds are he does that well before he's 70. I don't think he'll leave for another job, he's 62 and he's built something special here. But, don't kid ourselves. We can push him into "early" retirement. He doesn't have to deal with us, he has money, he's had success, at this point we're getting bonus time out of Nick Saban. We should appreciate every moment of it, and soak up all the coaching and accept the fact that we are unlikely to see a run like this again in our lifetimes. Even if it didn't have a negative impact on the program when we left early, why would we want to miss one second of Nick Saban's all too short time at Alabama? Even if it didn't help with recruiting, why wouldn't we want to bring our whole family to the A-Day game, to let them all see Nick Saban at work, and leave them all with a special memory?

We are terrified of Nick Saban leaving, we demand championships, we demand blowouts, and the team playing hard for four quarters. But, showing up for the A-Day game? "It's too hot", staying for four quarters? "It's a long drive home". We can somehow be apathetic and overbearing at the same time! It's am amazing feat really. Some refuse to go to A-Day game because it's "meaningless" (but free), then the same people leave early during paid games, citing their paid ticket as justification for leaving early. It's a wonderful sort of logic that is born of entitlements and laziness. This Alabama team is like having a super model for a wife, and may be it's just me, but I think having a super model for a wife is something you make the most of. Instead, some Alabama fans are somehow using that as an excuse to be indifferent. I mean, look at her, she's just wearing a regular nightgown tonight (yawn), I have better things to do... Seriously?!? Looks fade, and Nick Saban will retire eventually.

Keep acting like spoiled, ungrateful jerks. Saban will be gone sooner or later no matter what, and you'll all have a lot more riveting games to attend. You can go back to nail biters, you can go back to tight fourth quarter games, and I guess you'll be more entertained. Me? I enjoy the blowouts, I like the championships, and seeing the second team in the second quarter. That's championship level football, too bad we don't have enough championship level fans.