...on the players that Coach Saban was referencing in his presser yesterday.
But, it's something that needed to be done. We always talked about how the mindset in Tuscaloosa needed to be changed, and for the first time in FOREVER, we finally have a guy that's not going to bullshit anybody. He tells things like they are, and he'll be the one to fix everything. The loss Saturday was due to players not caring. The coaches can't play the games for you, and they can't get players motivated about a game that really doesn't matter. But what they can do is teach kids to be relentless and consistent. It shouldn't matter who you're playing - if you're doing things the right way, and you focus the same and prepare the same for EVERY opponent, then you'll get done what needs to get done.
That obviously hasn't happened, which leads me to believe that there are, as Coach said, some players that don't care. And those bad seeds need to be on the next bus out. I can't wait for winter and spring training next year. These guys are going to REALLY feel what it's like to be in a boot camp.
Pizza, anybody? Haha.
Saban called them on it, and now we'll see what happens next. He said that "people have to care about change," in order for any progress to be made. Yes, it really is a process. Changing a mindset from losers to winners is a HUGE change.
The presser was very telling yesterday. Coach questioned the leadership on the team, and discussed players, especially senior "supposed" leaders making bad decisions that affect whether or not they play on Saturdays. He questioned everything from their commitment to winning, to their character. It's quite obvious that the group Shula left over has been nothing but a bad example of a team wanting to do things the right way. I think Rashad Johnson's interview was the most telling - "Just not going to class, off-the-field issues, different distractions that shouldn't happen," safety Rashad Johnson said. "We're all grown adults. We should take care of our business." Johnson said the problems have gotten worse during the past few years. "Things are starting to get cut down a lot, but there are still things that pop up," he said. "Everybody's depending on certain people to do things and then they mess up. It feels like a letdown or a slap in the face."
Tuberville is kinda dancing around the questions about Texas A&M, and rightly so. He said during his press conference yesterday that he and his staff will be at Auburn as long as they (Auburn family) want them there. Riiiight. Well, with a loss on Saturday, they may not want him much longer. Read more here.
The "textbook five" are back this week, and they'll be back in what had become a regular rotation before the Tennessee game. Hopefully this addition will help spark a "dead-in-the-water" Crimson Tide team that just suffered, in my opinion, the most embarrassing loss possible.
As I'm sure most of you realize, we are currently riding a 5 game losing streak to Auburn. This year would be 6 straight, which has never been done. The last time we lost five straight to Auburn? 1954-1958. The last loss was in Bear Bryant's first season. Regardless, Tuberville doesn't want anybody talking about the streak this weekend. They just want to win.
Getting back to Saban's presser - he described how people changed, and how attitudes changed, after catastrophic events. He went on to describe how America's mindset changed after 9/11, and how it changed after Pearl Harbor. Pretty good examples that will definitely grab your attention - and hopefully the attention of the players that just don't seem to want to listen. Read more here.
Finebaum begins ripping into Saban just as hard as he was kissing his ass earlier in the year. Yes, it will be a little more difficult to recruit, having a loss to La-Monroe on your resume, but it couldn't be as hard as Notre Dame losing to Navy for the first time in 44 years, or being blown out at home by Air Force, etc. For Finebaum to question everything that's being done, after all his brown-nosing over the past few months, is completely disgusting. You should definitely read the article.
At a time when the Alabama nation is reeling - when we REALLY needed some kinda pick-me-up...the basketball team lost at home on a last second shot to Belmont. Yes, Atlantic-Sun conference team, Belmont. 85-83. I don't really wanna talk about it, so read about it.
¶ 8:45 AM
Saban 
