Alpha's on the field/locker room

[9gks]

Mods please move thread if needs be. AmI the only one thinking that this year and last year we are missing alpha s like Najee, Rolando, Johnathan Allen and DJ Fluker. Coach s comments had me thinking

 

[JustNeedMe81]

Umm what was his comment? Can you provide some context behind this?

 

[BamaDMD]

What about Will Anderson?

 

[TideEngineer08]

Umm what was his comment? Can you provide some context behind this?

I'm sure he's referring to how Coach Saban said we used to have "hateful competitors" who thrived playing on the road because they were not just ticked off at the 11 across the field from them, but they were ticked off at the 100k in the stands and wanted to beat them as much as the other team.

We don't have those anymore, apparently.

 

[dayhiker]

Mods please move thread if needs be. AmI the only one thinking that this year and last year we are missing alpha s like Najee, Rolando, Johnathan Allen and DJ Fluker. Coach s comments had me thinking

The topic is fine. When I saw the thread title, I had no idea what an Alpha s might be. I'll tweak the title.

 

[JustNeedMe81]

I'm sure he's referring to how Coach Saban said we used to have "hateful competitors" who thrived playing on the road because they were not just ticked off at the 11 across the field from them, but they were ticked off at the 100k in the stands and wanted to beat them as much as the other team.

We don't have those anymore, apparently.

he said this last year and this year... that's what threw me off. We do have alphas on the team this year. The chemistry is much better than it was last year because the fact that we don't have knuckleheads on the team... and that's a huge impact

 

[92tide]

i think he is using his press statements to communicate to the leaders on the team

 

[TideEngineer08]

he said this last year and this year... that's what threw me off. We do have alphas on the team this year. The chemistry is much better than it was last year because the fact that we don't have knuckleheads on the team... and that's a huge impact

Well he just said this again last night during his Hey Coach radio appearance.

If this is an issue, only he has an answer to it. To me, it disappeared as certain coaches took jobs elsewhere. That's where it comes from. It comes from your position coaches and coordinators instilling that attitude in the players.

I think of defenses like we had in 2015 and 2016. There were a lot of "hateful competitors" in that bunch. I know we've got leaders. I know team chemistry has improved from last season. But if this attitude is missing, only Coach Saban has the answer. And I'm sure him broadcasting that last night is part of his effort to get it back.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I'm sure he's referring to how Coach Saban said we used to have "hateful competitors" who thrived playing on the road because they were not just ticked off at the 11 across the field from them, but they were ticked off at the 100k in the stands and wanted to beat them as much as the other team.

We don't have those anymore, apparently.

This isn't just an "Alabama" problem but one across all HS, collegiate, and professional sports. How athletes compete with each other has changed. I remember a former MLB player (I think it was "Goose" Gossage), who commented that today's MLB players are too "friendly" with each other before and during the game and it's taken away from the game. He went on to comment that when he played they would have never "chummed it up" during the game with the other team like he sees nowadays with players fist-bumping each other during the game, "asking how the family's doing" and laughing and joking with each other. I also think Bob Gibson alluded to this same thing in an interview not many years ago.

 

[TideEngineer08]

This isn't just an "Alabama" problem but one across all HS, collegiate, and professional sports. How athletes compete with each other has changed. I remember a former MLB player (I think it was "Goose" Gossage), who commented that today's MLB players are too "friendly" with each other before and during the game and it's taken away from the game. He went on to comment that when he played they would have never "chummed it up" during the game with the other team like he sees nowadays with players fist-bumping each other during the game, "asking how the family's doing" and laughing and joking with each other. I also think Bob Gibson alluded to this same thing in an interview not many years ago.

I could go on and on about this, and how it seems a net positive but is actually very detrimental not only to sports but society in general.

But I'm not sure it would even be able to stay on the non-sports board much less this one. Suffice it to say, you are correct it goes way beyond the Alabama program.

 

[crimsonaudio]

You can be an 'alpha' (read: natural leader) without being hateful.

We need both, particularly from the OL and defense. We need the leadership and we need the hate, the smoldering anger of 1,000 white-hot suns.

If they could bottle how I feel about every SEC team not named Alabama they'd be well on their way...

 

[Bamabuzzard]

You can be an 'alpha' (read: natural leader) without being hateful.

We need both, particularly from the OL and defense. We need the leadership and we need the hate, the smoldering anger of 1,000 white-hot suns.

If they could bottle how I feel about every SEC team not named Alabama they'd be well on their way...

I think what happens is focus gets compromised when players don't have something pushing them to focus. Whether it be a good ole fashioned rivalry, or there's someone on the other team that you just don't like, etc. But chumming it up with the other team during the game, or whatever, puts players and teams at risk of not being able to put the proper amount of laser focus it takes to execute.

 

[dayhiker]

This may not be relevant, but sometimes, I miss angry Saban. There have been several times over the last few years where I wanted him to go from Bruce Banner to The Hulk.

 

[TitleWave]

The topic is fine. When I saw the thread title, I had no idea what an Alpha s might be. I'll tweak the title.

It was a Wordle this week - stumped me there, too. Hmm, may have to try blasé as my opener for tomorrow's Wordle.

 

[Marg]

There's an article on al.com listing some of the leaders over the years. I especially liked the part about Damion Square. Never heard the quote but it definitely had some fire behind it.

*Please read the board policy regarding"no profanity". Links to videos and articles with profanity fall under the policy*

 

[crimsonaudio]

This may not be relevant, but sometimes, I miss angry Saban. There have been several times over the last few years where I wanted him to go from Bruce Banner to The Hulk.

I pretty much always do. I don't think there's a coincidence between CNS's mellowing and the team's overall attitude seemingly mellowing as well.

 

[STONECOLDSABAN]

I pretty much always do. I don't think there's a coincidence between CNS's mellowing and the team's overall attitude seemingly mellowing as well.

I don’t know about that. The team seemed ready to fight when Landon Dickerson went down in the 2020 sec title game.

 

[Marg]

My bad. Was just thinking about it being on AL.com and not coming from a message board and didn't even register with me about the content. Sad day when a Birmingham News article gets wiped out for profanity. Although, now that I think about it, I have seen several articles from them in the past couple of weeks that contained some strong language.

 

[crimsonaudio]

I don’t know about that. The team seemed ready to fight when Landon Dickerson went down in the 2020 sec title game.

Were they ready to fight before the first game of the season?

Saban isn't referring to someone who gets mad and angry, he's talking about men who are hateful from the get-go. They don't need external motivation to want to wreak havoc.

Is it a coincidence that's we've had fewer and fewer of these as CNS has mellowed? I realize correlation ≠ causation, but the logic tracks...

 

[bama2112]

Al.com is a joke. I recall when Birmingham News/ Times and the Huntsville Times had writers that I truly enjoyed reading. This new amalgamation of the Birmingham , Huntsville and Mobile papers is a joke. Of course I am old fart who truly misses the newspaper days. And I would be remiss in a shout out to our dearly departed Cecil Hurt. If this does not belong here the mods will remove it. But you young generations should read some of the articles when we had real reporters like Alf Van House et al ( means and others ) are gone forever. RTR