SEC Media Days: The Art of Hero Worship
posted by Scott Hood on Thursday, July 26, 2007
They’re all paid millions of dollars to lead their respective schools to gridiron glory.
But, merely by their position, most are subject to something else, whether they like it or not: hero worship.
The extent to which some supporters, okay Alabama fans, will go for a brief glimpse of the Crimson Tide head coach is legendary. I arrived at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala. early this morning and Alabama fans were already hanging around the lobby waiting for Saban to arrive.
My initial reaction: Do these people have jobs?
This bizarre behavior follows up the hundreds of fans who showed up at the Tuscaloosa airport to greet Saban after he bailed out Alabama athletic director Mal Moore and bolted the Miami Dolphins for the Crimson Tide job.
Two years ago, I watched as QB Brodie Croyle was afforded the “rock star” treatment by adoring Alabama fans. I just remember the screams and a lot of pain in my brain.
If you read between the lines of what Saban had to say to the hundreds of media sharks on hand in Hoover, it’s apparent two years dealing with the NFL egomaniacs convinced him that he would be happier in a college environment.
But I’m also fairly certain the $4 million annual salary had a lot to do with it as well. At that price, he gets to have his cake (loads of cash) and eat it too (boss around college kids).
They don’t call him the “Nicktator” for nothing.
But I digress.
When you’re a highly paid head coach at a school that puts winning on the football field above anything else – yes, that includes academics – you expect to have to deal with some fanatics.
But the way some Alabama fans act is beyond comprehension. It’s downright looney.
When we were in Birmingham two months ago for the SEC Baseball Tournament, I read an article in one of the local newspapers that described the dissatisfaction of some hardcore Crimson Tide boosters with Saban. His crime? He had yet to say “Roll Tide” in public.
Watching Saban interact with the media Thursday, it was painfully apparent he does not enjoy being placed on a pedestal. He’s just a guy who grew up in the hills of West Virginia.
He just wants to coach football.
Granted, he’s on a huge stage, possibly the most extreme environment for a head football coach in the country. Alabama is either the Kentucky of college football, or Kentucky is the Alabama of college basketball.
I can’t figure out which one is correct. Heck, maybe both are correct.
But after soaking everything in, I was almost sympathatic for Saban's plight. That's right, I actually felt sorry for a guy making $4 million per year.
Unfortunately, it appears the Alabama Sports Information Office has fallen into the same “hero worship” trap. People that are supposed to be protecting Saban are actually guilty of piling on.
Both the front and back covers of the media guide feature full photos of Saban. Looking for Crimson Tide players? How about a photo of Bear Bryant? Forget about it.
Below the photo of Saban striding confidently on the front cover are these words: “The Process Begins.”
Sounds like a high school biology experiment.
What is “The Process”? Does he have to take a pill to avoid morphing into Mike DuBose?
The rear cover sets out Saban’s “four pillars” of his mission statement: character development, academic development, athletic development, career development.
Lose to Auburn in November and Saban will find out fairly quickly how unimportant “academic development” really is. Alabama’s head coaches have one job: Beat Auburn. The failure to do that in four years cost Mike Shula his job.
The longer the day went on, I was glad Steve Spurrier didn’t take the Alabama job. I’m far from Spurrier’s best buddy but I know him well enough that he would have never embraced the culture of hero worship that engulfs the fans and the entire Alabama football program.
Spurrier has an enormous ego just like most SEC coaches. But, at the end of the day, he desires to be treated like a regular person and not a god.
In Alabama, that would be impossible.
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Head football coaches in the SEC enjoy a privileged lifestyle.
They’re all paid millions of dollars to lead their respective schools to gridiron glory.
But, merely by their position, most are subject to something else, whether they like it or not: hero worship.
The extent to which some supporters, okay Alabama fans, will go for a brief glimpse of the Crimson Tide head coach is legendary. I arrived at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala. early this morning and Alabama fans were already hanging around the lobby waiting for Saban to arrive.
My initial reaction: Do these people have jobs?
This bizarre behavior follows up the hundreds of fans who showed up at the Tuscaloosa airport to greet Saban after he bailed out Alabama athletic director Mal Moore and bolted the Miami Dolphins for the Crimson Tide job.
Two years ago, I watched as QB Brodie Croyle was afforded the “rock star” treatment by adoring Alabama fans. I just remember the screams and a lot of pain in my brain.
If you read between the lines of what Saban had to say to the hundreds of media sharks on hand in Hoover, it’s apparent two years dealing with the NFL egomaniacs convinced him that he would be happier in a college environment.
But I’m also fairly certain the $4 million annual salary had a lot to do with it as well. At that price, he gets to have his cake (loads of cash) and eat it too (boss around college kids).
They don’t call him the “Nicktator” for nothing.
But I digress.
When you’re a highly paid head coach at a school that puts winning on the football field above anything else – yes, that includes academics – you expect to have to deal with some fanatics.
But the way some Alabama fans act is beyond comprehension. It’s downright looney.
When we were in Birmingham two months ago for the SEC Baseball Tournament, I read an article in one of the local newspapers that described the dissatisfaction of some hardcore Crimson Tide boosters with Saban. His crime? He had yet to say “Roll Tide” in public.
Watching Saban interact with the media Thursday, it was painfully apparent he does not enjoy being placed on a pedestal. He’s just a guy who grew up in the hills of West Virginia.
He just wants to coach football.
Granted, he’s on a huge stage, possibly the most extreme environment for a head football coach in the country. Alabama is either the Kentucky of college football, or Kentucky is the Alabama of college basketball.
I can’t figure out which one is correct. Heck, maybe both are correct.
But after soaking everything in, I was almost sympathatic for Saban's plight. That's right, I actually felt sorry for a guy making $4 million per year.
Unfortunately, it appears the Alabama Sports Information Office has fallen into the same “hero worship” trap. People that are supposed to be protecting Saban are actually guilty of piling on.
Both the front and back covers of the media guide feature full photos of Saban. Looking for Crimson Tide players? How about a photo of Bear Bryant? Forget about it.
Below the photo of Saban striding confidently on the front cover are these words: “The Process Begins.”
Sounds like a high school biology experiment.
What is “The Process”? Does he have to take a pill to avoid morphing into Mike DuBose?
The rear cover sets out Saban’s “four pillars” of his mission statement: character development, academic development, athletic development, career development.
Lose to Auburn in November and Saban will find out fairly quickly how unimportant “academic development” really is. Alabama’s head coaches have one job: Beat Auburn. The failure to do that in four years cost Mike Shula his job.
The longer the day went on, I was glad Steve Spurrier didn’t take the Alabama job. I’m far from Spurrier’s best buddy but I know him well enough that he would have never embraced the culture of hero worship that engulfs the fans and the entire Alabama football program.
Spurrier has an enormous ego just like most SEC coaches. But, at the end of the day, he desires to be treated like a regular person and not a god.
In Alabama, that would be impossible.
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Scott Hood. Since February of 2005, Scott has covered the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs for GamecockCentral. He may be reached by email at scottblog(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.