The Reason for CNS's Retirement

[BamaMoon]

This comes from a FB site called "College Football Troll." It isn't anything we haven't heard, but it does confirm what we have heard.

Nick Saban admits the way Alabama players acted after losing to Michigan in the CFP caused his retirement
“I was really disappointed in the way that the players acted after the game. You gotta win with class. You gotta lose with class.”
“… and then showing your a** and being frustrated and throwing helmets and doing that stuff…”
“I thought we could have a hell of a team next year, and then maybe 70 or 80 percent of the players you talk to, all they want to know is two things: What assurances do I have that I’m going to play because they’re thinking about transferring, and how much are you going to pay me?”
“So I’m saying to myself, maybe this doesn’t work anymore”
NIL caused the greatest college coach of all time to retire

 

[PA Tide Fan]

Yes. Saban spoke and still speaks about how he's all for players getting paid and having more freedom but I don't know how serious he is about that. Sometimes you have to be diplomatic and not ruffle too many feathers. When he was coaching I think he liked it better when players were not getting paid and the coach had a lot of control over them. The days when they came to Alabama just to win championships and nothing else. I think in his last few seasons he spoke favorably of the players new freedoms because he felt that was the only way to continue getting top recruits to come to Alabama. If he'd have said he's still an old-school coach who doesn't believe in the nonsense going on then recruits may have been turned off by his comments and went elsewhere.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

I'd love to hear Saban's thoughts on which is more damaging -- pay-for-play or unlimited free agency.

I think it's unlimited free agency. But I'd like to hear his thoughts.

 

[Elefantman]

I'd love to hear Saban's thoughts on which is more damaging -- pay-for-play or unlimited free agency.

I think it's unlimited free agency. But I'd like to hear his thoughts.

Agree, the barn door is wide open now and players can chase after any crazy NIL offer. Limiting the transfer portal will reduce the outlandish NIL opportunities. Get control of the free agency and the market forces will work on the NIL side of the equation.

 

[CaliforniaTide]

I think CNS was open to paying players. But, he didn't feel that freshmen should be paid more than seniors at the most important positions.

But surely he felt like his methods wouldn't work long-term, especially when most of the team showed their butt after the loss to Michigan.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

This comes from a FB site called "College Football Troll." It isn't anything we haven't heard, but it does confirm what we have heard.

I believe these quotes came out in ‘24 after the Mich loss in the CFBP Semis.

It might have been after retirement but I can’t exactly remember.

It’s the reason I’ve been so detached from emotion with the latest few rosters.

There are a microscopic amount of players not here for just money and about the same amount that approach the game in the right way.

If I see any more tantrums on the field or sidelines this year and CKD doesn’t address it I’ll probably be out of the fandom.

 

[Elefantman]

If I see any more tantrums on the field or sidelines this year and CKD doesn’t address it I’ll probably be out of the fandom.

Lack of discipline and lack of sportsmanship will quickly erode my interest in watching a game. Watching average talent with above average jerk behavior is not entertaining.

 

[bamaga]

Yes. Saban spoke and still speaks about how he's all for players getting paid and having more freedom but I don't know how serious he is about that. Sometimes you have to be diplomatic and not ruffle too many feathers. When he was coaching I think he liked it better when players were not getting paid and the coach had a lot of control over them. The days when they came to Alabama just to win championships and nothing else. I think in his last few seasons he spoke favorably of the players new freedoms because he felt that was the only way to continue getting top recruits to come to Alabama. If he'd have said he's still an old-school coach who doesn't believe in the nonsense going on then recruits may have been turned off by his comments and went elsewhere.

I’m going to be a contrarian, I think he really meant what he said . What he had to teach couldn’t be taught if it was easy to pack up and leave because of playing time or more money elsewhere . He still speaks to the process, of life lessons, overcoming adversity. To his credit he spoke favorably about players getting paid and mobility, but he also spoke about guardrails and player protections for their own good.

 

[4Q Basket Case]

I’m going to be a contrarian, I think he really meant what he said . What he had to teach couldn’t be taught if it was easy to pack up and leave because of playing time or more money elsewhere . He still speaks to the process, of life lessons, overcoming adversity. To his credit he spoke favorably about players getting paid and mobility, but he also spoke about guardrails and player protections for their own good.

I agree. Saban is and always has been a straight shooter. I've never known him to say one thing and mean another.

 

[PA Tide Fan]

I’m going to be a contrarian, I think he really meant what he said . What he had to teach couldn’t be taught if it was easy to pack up and leave because of playing time or more money elsewhere . He still speaks to the process, of life lessons, overcoming adversity. To his credit he spoke favorably about players getting paid and mobility, but he also spoke about guardrails and player protections for their own good.

The thing is though if he's actually in favor of players getting paid he knows players are going to sell their talents to the highest bidder and loyalty to a school and winning a championship becomes secondary. I think loyalty and striving to win a championship were components of "The Process". I don't think anyone can build a team of talented players anymore who think winning a championship is more important than money. Sure, maybe a few like Ty Simpson come to Alabama for the right reasons but not many. The Saban quote posted by the OP said it all. Paying players is not compatible with "The Process".

 

[RammerJammer14]

Lack of discipline and lack of sportsmanship will quickly erode my interest in watching a game. Watching average talent with above average jerk behavior is not entertaining.

I know that the last two seasons of Alabama Football have been the least fun to watch and are my two least favorite Alabama teams with players that I am at best ambivalent about, excepting maybe one or two. Has nothing to do with the win-loss record. Just a bunch of gimme gimme gimme me me me attitudes and zero interest in the university. I pretty much don’t care if I never hear of them ever again.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

The thing is though if he's actually in favor of players getting paid he knows players are going to sell their talents to the highest bidder and loyalty to a school and winning a championship becomes secondary. I think loyalty and striving to win a championship were components of "The Process". I don't think anyone can build a team of talented players anymore who think winning a championship is more important than money. Sure, maybe a few like Ty Simpson come to Alabama for the right reasons but not many. The Saban quote posted by the OP said it all. Paying players is not compatible with "The Process".

If he has a Great season this year (and I think he will) and has us in position for the playoffs he will probably challenge both Mark Ingram and Smitty for my #1 All-Time favorite player(s).

In a time where young people don’t seem to have grit and mettle this kid has really hung in there waiting for a chance while doing things the right way in the background.

Very similar to Jalen Hurts putting in quite work in 2018 and fighting adversity.

Kid WANTS to specifically be Alabama’s QB and win a NC and that’s the kind of player I can support.

 

[BamaMoon]

I know that the last two seasons of Alabama Football have been the least fun to watch and are my two least favorite Alabama teams with players that I am at best ambivalent about, excepting maybe one or two. Has nothing to do with the win-loss record. Just a bunch of gimme gimme gimme me me me attitudes and zero interest in the university. I pretty much don’t care if I never hear of them ever again.

I feel the same way. I know all of this is interconnected, but I lay so much of this at the one who shall not be named.

I'm sure he just became "the face" of some of these issues. It might have been the $ or LANK or his attitude...I'm not sure which? Maybe all of those things, but when players don't show regard for getting better and owning their limitations, it really just rubs me the wrong way.

I know money makes people smug. It's probably not just the money but having that much money at such a young age. Maybe that's at the root of the problems of those last two seasons.

I just know I'm so glad to see a new face of the team emerge with a guy like TS who's stuck it out and done the opposite of about 99% of players nowadays.

 

[Cruloc]

I'm mildly interested in Bama 2025. I'd like to see Simpson have as much success as possible.

I miss college football, it just isn't the same. I hope DeBoer has straightened things out on and off the field.

 

[stlimprov]

To be a little nit-picky, I think it would be most accurate to say that Saban was/is in favor of profit-sharing. I think he'd very much prefer that the coaching staff were the one's with primary control over that carrot.

There are various studies that have indicated that monetary compensation is only really effective as a short term motivator for very specific goals. The general finding is that if you are trying to motivate groups to accomplish complex goals, the target should be to remove compensation as a distraction. It isn't hard to see how that distraction could come in the form too little compensation AND/OR distraction could come in the form of too much chasing of compensation (as its own dominant motivation). College football has probably whiplashed from one to the other in the last few years, and Saban isn't the only one yearning for an equilibrium, in which the primary concern is the sport.

 

[colbysullivan]

I'd love to hear Saban's thoughts on which is more damaging -- pay-for-play or unlimited free agency.

I think it's unlimited free agency. But I'd like to hear his thoughts.

One leads to the other. They both feed each other. Though, if I had to pick, I would say the portal is far worse than simply allowing players to make money from NIL.

 

[colbysullivan]

I'm mildly interested in Bama 2025. I'd like to see Simpson have as much success as possible.

I miss college football, it just isn't the same. I hope DeBoer has straightened things out on and off the field.

I just don't really care anymore. Ty should have been the starter for 2 years, and I just can't get excited anymore. The SEC got too big, and our schedule is absolutely brutal, but the people that matter won't take that into account come playoff time.

 

[Cruloc]

I just don't really care anymore. Ty should have been the starter for 2 years, and I just can't get excited anymore. The SEC got too big, and our schedule is absolutely brutal, but the people that matter won't take that into account come playoff time.

Hence why I said....mildly interested. I'm not excited. I know when Ty does well, I'll be thinking, yeah, he should have been doing that for the last 2 seasons. The moment he does poorly, all the Nilroe folks will be out in full force.

Brutal schedule indeed, hope all the kids stay healthy.

 

[BamaMoon]

Hence why I said....mildly interested. I'm not excited. I know when Ty does well, I'll be thinking, yeah, he should have been doing that for the last 2 seasons. The moment he does poorly, all the Nilroe folks will be out in full force.

Brutal schedule indeed, hope all the kids stay healthy.

That could happen and it would be terrible, but there's a big time freshman that has the recruiting chops of Tua and Bryce that will be waiting in the wings.

If it goes off the rails, I just can't imagine CKD making the same mistake as last year. If Keelon Russell sits on the bench while TS struggles (hoping he doesn't, but just thinking thru this scenario), then CKD might as well fill out the papers for him to transfer.

So it would be different, IMO, if a QB struggles with KR sitting behind him. As JessN said in his QB preview article, "He probably won’t start in 2025, but he won’t have a long wait, either."

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

The thing is though if he's actually in favor of players getting paid he knows players are going to sell their talents to the highest bidder and loyalty to a school and winning a championship becomes secondary. I think loyalty and striving to win a championship were components of "The Process". I don't think anyone can build a team of talented players anymore who think winning a championship is more important than money. Sure, maybe a few like Ty Simpson come to Alabama for the right reasons but not many. The Saban quote posted by the OP said it all. Paying players is not compatible with "The Process".

The thing is that NIL is supposed to compensate the athletes for the use of their Name, Image or Likeness.

I'm just not seeing much commercial use of their Name, Image or Likeness.

Am I missing something here...?