Spring games: they're "real football" the way Pomeranians are "real dogs" or Crocs are "real shoes." They fall into their categories by way of technicality, and they're acceptable absent any alternatives, but the overall standard of quality is unerringly poor.
Such a fact isn't normally revelatory or worthy of mention, if it hadn't been for Tide fans sending an absurdly large message (92,138, to be unnecessarily precise) to new coach Nick Saban this past Saturday. Yes, the Alabama Crimson Tide held their spring game this past weekend, and they packed the place.
Since it couldn't have possibly been about the quality of the game — even Alabama fans are far more intelligent than that — there had to have been a reason so many fans showed up. And that reason is that nearly 100,000 people adamantly expect new coach Nick Saban to do what he did one year (win a national title) and not what he has done for the rest of his entire coaching career: Sell out his team for the most money possible.
Yes, Nick Saban is the supposed savior of Alabama football, a program with a much prouder history than their last 10 years (two bowl wins, three winning conference seasons) would indicate. For those raised outside the Tide State (probably not Alabama's real state nickname), Alabama was insanely good while most of those 90,000 fans were growing up: During the 1960s and 70s, Alabama lost only 32 games and won six national titles. If Bear Bryant's decomposing corpse ran for governor, he'd take at least 75% of the popular vote (the other 25%? Auburn fans who don't think 1972 made up for 1971).
The message from Tide fans is crystal clear: "We remember domination, and we expect it again very soon." No program's fan base brings 90 large to a spring game if they're looking forward to an 8-4 season--even if the last 10 years make Tide fans look forward to exactly that.
They're putting their hopes and dreams in the hands of the man who's on his fourth head coaching job in the past eight years and who's never had a longer tenure than five seasons. His first head coaching gig was in 1990 at Toledo, where he went 9-2, the most wins for Toledo since 1983. Naturally, he immediately left for an assistant gig at Cleveland.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Mike
That's absurd. No Bama fan expects a NC next year.
2 - Mike
Why is ESPN and every other hack outlet down on Bama merely for supporting their team and coach?
3 - Tuffy
Talk about high-stakes card games; the only success possible in Alabama is getting out of Alabama.
4 - a.j.
*yawn*
5 - Tuffy
Mike, I think it's a level of blind support that is intense even for American sports. It approaches the devotion of a European sports franchise, which can lead to death and destruction. I'm not sure any man can live up to those expectations, much less one with a vagabond streak and a program that lives in a past that may not have even existed in its idealized romantic form.
In other words, I think we smell gunpowder and see flint.
6 - Matthew T. Sussman
In that case I'm disappointed that Alabama fans aren't expecting a national championship.
*paging Mr. Hathaway*
7 - seamus
Tide fans know exactly what they're getting -- a mercenary head coach who, best case scenario, will bring some dominance in the next three or four years and then be gone for Texas A&M or Oregon State or whoever else feels like mortgaging their school's soul.
They also know what they're *not* getting -- Bobby Bowden or Joe Paterno. But they don't make those models anymore.
8 - Adam Jacobi
Mike, I wasn't trying to say he's going to be decapitated if he goes 9-3 this year. Bama Fan, ever the Pollyanna, will probably do a backflip if that happens--not because 9-3 is outstanding, but a rabid fan will look at it as a necessary first step to winning a title by 2009. If Saban can't lose any fewer than three games by 2010, however, expect to see our diminutive friend being loaded into a cannon and fired into Foxboro so he can carry around Belichick's spare hoodies.
9 - Beanjug
Adam Jacobi, you must be a complete idiot. If you'd take your time and do your homework, Nick Saban was making more money at the Miami Dolphins than he's making now at Alabama. So, your claim that he only follows money is incorrect. Just get over the fact that whomever you may root for doesn't have the tradition and the winning success over all these years like Alabama.
10 - Mark
Dear Adam:
Just reading thru your post and wondering what has Alabama Fans or Nick Saban ever done to you to result in this post? My first thought was that you were an auburn or tenn. fan quaking in fear that if we could be so excited and bring 90-100k fans to campus for a spring scrimmage, how that would translate into a greater impact at a level that matters more.
But from what I can tell, you appear to be an Iowa fan which in turn makes no sense to me why you are writing about Alabama football. I can not think of anything that we as fans or the school has done over the years to offend Iowa.
Comments like "Since it couldn't have possibly been about the quality of the game " even Alabama fans are far more intelligent than that" --- it's one thing to have the "experts" on ESPN in the national media outlets of NYC or LA blindly babbling about Alabama football but to have some blogger in the cornfields of Iowa doing it just produces amazement and bewilderment -- at least to me.
But as I read thru the post, I realized that it was more of a Saban bash than anything else (although you did seem to hint at some knowledge of Alabama/auburn history). So I still beg to wonder "what has Nick Saban done to you"?
Zealots aside, I don't think there is no reasonable fan expecting a National Championship this year. Do we want one? Yes. Now? Sure. Later? You bet. Has Saban told us to expect one during his tenure? No. He has told us to expect teams that can win games and teams that can finish games. And teams that can do these things, they are positioned to win championships.
That is what Alabama Fans are looking for -- teams that are competing each year for Championships -- State Pride first, West SEC next, SEC next, and ultimately National Championships. We want teams that are not floundering in mediocrity where they look horrible against football teams like Duke or losing to 3-9 Miss. State teams. We don't want "deer in headlights" looks from our coaching staff. We want a disciplined team that is not throwing tantrums because the coaching staff fails to follow their coaching advice.
Whether Nick Saban has left for greener pastures after 5 yrs or retires to his home on the lake at the end of his contract, the Alabama program will be in better shape than the day he took over.
That is what we expect.
11 - John
I went to the game to show my support for the program and the players. The Alabama players worked hard during the spring on conditioning and learning a new system. They had to adjust to a new coaching staff and new demands. Established players had to prove all over again their worth. I attended the A-Day game to show my appreciation for their hard work. That's it. I am dumbstruck that anyone would find fault in that.
12 - Jerkwheat
good to see Alabama fans are still crazier than Arkansas fans. I was worried we overtook them in that department after the whole FOIA nonsense.
13 - george
You guys just don't get it, do you. Alabama Fotball Fans are like no others. By the way it started before the Bear got here. It started when we dominated teams that you sport casters crowned back in the 20's and 30's. We had Five National crowns before the bear arrived. You seem to forget that the Bear won at Kentucky, but their fan base was not passionate enough. He bolted for Texas A&M, and turned that program around. Then Moma called, as he put it. Not to Arkansas, his Home state, but to Bama, home of the most passionate football fans in the world. Saban heard the call also, and answered it. Yall just get over it, because you just don't understand
14 - The Outcast
You better watch out Hog fan....I will call my mother and she will meet with your coach.
I also didn't know that Oregon State was such a powerhouse that it coveted the mercenaries. You can learn alot in blogs. Now I gotta go chase my cousin....she is looking hot in the red tube top.
15 - dannyp
bama fans are the most passionate because ther is nothing to do in their state. Adam Jacobi just wrote an article that makes perfect sense to everyone outside the bama family. If everybody agrees except you guys dont you think there is some validity to it.
16 - Memphis Tider
Wow. :-) This is actually a lot of fun to read over. Where Alabama has been laughed at for being God-awful for the last 10 years, we are now being laughed at for actually being supportive.
Expections are high around here...they always will be, but we don't expect miracles. 7 to 8 wins will suffice this season, and then we expect a few more. We could even stand 6 wins - so long as they weren't HANDED to the other team. Bama fans aren't that unrealistic - we just want to be competitive. Under Shula and DuBose we weren't.
Sorry for rambling. I do find your article amusing. Roll Tide!
17 - Matthew T. Sussman
"Alabama Fotball Fans are like no others."
We agree!
18 - jimmy
Poop tastes like chicken, and chicken tastes like oatmeal!!!!!
19 - Bama
There are a bunch of stupid sons of bitches with stupid opinions in the world...
Yep, that pretty much sums it up.
20 - AUTiger
Adam's right about the expectations you Bama fans and don't deny it. If Saban were to win every game except the AU vs. Bama game, he'd still be gone in 3-5 years.
Truth be told, Bama fans have an inferiority complex to Auburn and the great things Tommy Tuberville has been doing to build a consistently top ranked school football program (on & off the field) and NFL player factory for years now.
This and the high expectations are the reasons for the high attendance.
Hey -I'll give Bama fans one credit though -at least they finally won a game in the state of Alabama last weekend!
21 - Ihill
"Truth be told, Bama fans have an inferiority complex to Auburn and the great things Tommy Tuberville has been doing"
AUTiger, now that is just too funny. I won't even waste anymore time explaining...you know why.
22 - jimmy
If I took $100 to the supermarket and bought myself two carrots and a pack of assorted Chicklets, then I am fairly confident that I wouldn't have $100 anymore.
23 - jimmy
When I think of nuggets, I don't think of Denver. I don't think of the California gold rush. Heck... I don't even think about Mcdonalds!! The only thing I think about is butt nuggets. You know... those brown, sometimes green... nugget shaped pieces of joy your anus spits out from time to time.
24 - BL
If the guy knew what he was talking about, this article might be worth something. He really needs to do a little research on topics before he runs in the wrong direction with his opinions. I can refute most of this BS with facts. Example: Instead of assuming why fans turned out in record numbers, he might have asked one and found out it was simply to support their new coach, the players and to help with one of the biggest recruiting days of the year. This is how every fan I talked to fealt. It was an amazing show of support to a coach that implied that fans should "be champions too." We were.
25 - jimmy
You must not be talking about me, cause I know exactly what I am talking about!! Trust me on that one!!