Nick Saban has made a remarkable transformation from one of the most hated men in American sports to a begrudgingly respected and liked figure. How is it possible that the coach of a team that has bulldozed nearly every opponent in its path can shift tact?
I had an extreme dislike for Saban a few years ago. I know I was not the only one. He wasn't personable, he was unbeatable, he was frequently caught red-faced and screaming on the sideline, and he was caught on camera. The country hated him.
He was the bad guy. Until he was not.
The final drive of Alabama's game against Georgia last night was a nightmare for the Tide. With just over a minute to go in the game, the quarterback threw two balls that didn't find their receiver, and a third that flew into the hands of the Georgia defensive back, ending Alabama's title run. Young took full credit for the loss in the postgame press conference, but that isn't the moment that's going viral right now.
Instead, the notoriously demanding, never-satisfied Saban asked Young to sit back down and, in a move that is becoming more and more characteristic for him, told the press how proud he was of Young and Will Anderson, and how he didn't want a single game to erase all the
Even though there is very little change on the field, a lot of the fans of the school are very fond of him. I am sure the SEC opponents still feel disgust when they see his face. He has made a change in his public image for fans who don't have to play him every year.
It might be easier to be a little softer when you are going to the playoffs every year, because recruiting is done for you by the name of the brand you have built. He is not coasting into retirement, but perhaps turning 70 has put a few things into perspective. He will finish his career at Alabama as a legend, not when anyone else makes the call.
He is going to keep trying to win. He will probably try to humiliate his opponents. That has allowed him to become the coaching legend he is, because he has allowed his teams to see the playoffs year in and year out, no matter who they lose to in the draft.
The humanizing of moments at the right times has begun by the man. At a time when we would expect him to show off some of that legendary anger, he took a moment to acknowledge the efforts and talents of two players at last night's press conference.
This doesn't seem to be calculated as someone who has never cared about what the public thinks of him. It comes across as genuine. He isn't doing this to make a good impression on his players.
In a press conference this past fall, he joked around with a reporter who had a baby on camera, which made for a cringe-worthy moment for the notoriously prickly coach.
He acknowledges the entitlement of the Alabama brand. He told the fans that they were not happy to win a game anymore and that they were expecting Alabama to win every time.
He said that the players are not perfect, they go to school everyday, and have to run extra after practice when they miss study hall. This is not professional football. These guys are not getting paid to play. They are representing you all and you should be proud and happy to support them. Nobody wants to win worse than they do. Not me. Nobody wants to win more than the players that play. Nobody.
How good does it feel to see an Alabama fan getting dressed down by the leader of the program? It's possible that the unbearable fan base was the reason we hated the man so much. What a shock.
Josh Jacobs and Jordan Battle told the public that the seemingly humorless Saban was a fan of making "deez nuts" jokes with his players. What is more humanizing than liking a joke?
It may be that he is going to be around for a while longer and he is going to keep winning his way. You have to respect the guy and the impact he has made on the sport. Maybe we don't have to like him, but we have to respect him. He could be a worse person for all the winning he does, but he just keeps respecting his opponents and making sure his players don't get ahead of themselves. Maybe his players have been seeing this side of him for a long time. He is making it hard for me to dislike the guy as much as I would like. I will always be happy to see Alabama lose, but it is no longer because of the man.
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