UT's Fulmer not all bad....

[Crimson-Blitz]

I am sure there are those who share this feeling. I for one am not one of them. Whatever happened in the past between Fulmer and Bama is over. I find it refreshing that he is more than just a football coach. Sometimes we forget football is only a sport and we are only fans.

I don't care what causes Fhatazz is involved in to prop up his image. Let me remind you of the facts.

1. He lied about Shaun Alexander, claiming he was receiving payola from a family, and that this arrangement was common at Bama. The truth was that Shaun stayed at their house the night he spoke at their church.

2. He lied about one of our assistants sleeping with a recruits mother.

3. He got anyone he could to make up untruthful allegations against Bama, and then presented them to the NCAA as fact.

4. He covered up the rape of a retarded girl by one of his players.

5. He and Dickey tried to cover up the Tee Martin payola. Direct involvement by a coach and an AD in cheating.

That's just a starter list

Phil is a scumbag of the worst order.

 

[yellowhammer13]

I think we don't know Saban well enough to judge him. He came out quickly during the Enterprise tornados, as I'm sure he has done in other crisis situations; and I have a feeling that he doesn't treat worthy causes like he does the media. Just because the media calls him heartless doesn't make it so.

Ditto!!!!.... And the Scholly fund that was started when he got here and the youth football camp conducted for 8 ,9 and 10 year old kids that was not solely focused on football but fun as well.

Notice these things didn't make the big headlines.... because it's not news to the media.... When there's noting provactive to right about.... They resort to a "Saban bash".... As I've said before... Nick doesn't need the media.... The media needs him!!!!

Some out here are so enamored with the media and their big headlines of the negatives CNS does and the positives of other coaches....That they fail to see the good things CNS has done since his arrival.... And are soooo critical of every little thing he does or does not do just because of the way he is "perceived" to treat people and act because of his treatment of the poor media.

Of course some.... are just out here trying to be a "Finebaum wanna" and practice their talent at "pot stirring" in hopes they can garner some attention and publicity of they're own..... Maybe "pen a name" for themselves for a local "rag"..... Maybe that's the reason they are so uptight about CNS's treatment of the media

 

[bama_at_uab]

I think that the media's lashing against coach Saban is really for a few main reasons in no particular order.

Reason #1: He wasn’t honest with the media. Members of the national and Miami media felt lied to by Saban and they punished him for it. Now, it may be true that no coaches are entirely honest when speaking about future career stops. How could they be? Often, even speaking about such things may even place them in violation of their current contract, but let’s be honest coach Saban could have handled things a little better here.

Reason #2: He choose Alabama. To most members of the national sports media Alabama is a black hole. It represents a washed up program in a state full of obsessive hicks and rednecks that are more interested in the direction of the football program than the poor condition of just about everything else in the state. Alabama doesn’t represent the prestige and tradition of a Michigan, a Southern California, or a Notre Dame. It represents desperation and backwards thinking. In other words, most members of the national press look down on Alabama. To them it’s a backwards place that to be quite honest the country would be better off without

.Reason #3: He left the NFL. Believe it or not, in most other parts of the country college football takes a firm backseat to the men that play on Sundays. Many members of the national media consider the NFL to be the pinnacle of the profession and simply can’t fathom why anyone would choose a college job over an NFL one. The fact that Saban did is insulting to their world view. The fact that he took what most of them perceive as a lesser job

Reason #4: The money. When Alabama hired coach Saban we made him the highest paid coach on college football and to be quite honest that ruffled a few feathers. Many members of the national media saw this as an incredible act of desperation on Alabama’s part and instantly labeled coach Saban as a mercenary who was took the money and ran.

Reason #5: Saban doesn’t spend time courting the media. You won’t find coach Saban taking time out of his day to go play golf with press folk like some other coaches will do. He doesn’t particularly enjoy being on camera and under the magnifying glass. Some people absolutely crave the spotlight, I think Tubs would do anything as long as they put him on camera but Saban’s just not like that. I find it hard to blame him for being a private person.

Reason #6: He’s a bit of a control freak. That does make it harder for beat reporters and others to get their jobs done. Coach Saban doesn’t grant an awful lot of individual interviews and he doesn’t allow assistants or very many players to talk on camera. Reporters have a hard time feeling like they’ve got any “inside” information and complain about the lack of access. However, I can recall the media complaining about even Mike Shula not providing enough access for their taste.

Reason #7: There’s quite a bit of local jealousy here in the Southeast. In particular many folks in Louisiana felt like Alabama just stole their girlfriend. Now, I’m sure that many of the good folks down there are well and truly past coach Saban but there’s no denying that many folks around that area were absolutely steamed that he would dare come back and coach one of their rivals. Add to that some healthy negative sentiment from other southeastern schools that would prefer Alabama to remain an insignificant program and you can see where some of the resentment may be coming from.

 

[TommyMac]

I guess I hold a grudge longer than most. As far as I'm concerned, he's a lying, cheating, back-stabbing piece of human excrement and one atta-boy doesn't cancel out a multitude of aw-schiatts.

 

[RT1941]

If the media bashing is getting old to Saban, he can change the media's perception if he wanted. IMO, I don't think Saban gives a crap what the media has to say. The man's too busy to read the newspapers anyway. Who cares what they say????????/

 

[moorav]

and the youth football camp conducted for 8 ,9 and 10 year old kids that was not solely focused on football but fun as well.
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was this a free camp ???

Just asking

 

[bama_at_uab]

Heh, but in the end it won't matter how many puppies coach Fulmer saves. If he doesn't start to contend for an SEC championship and continues to sit at about 3rd in the SEC east, or if he starts losing to Alabama well let's just say he'll have a lot more time on his hands to save puppies.

Ultimately football coaches are judged on wins and losses.

 

[yellowhammer13]

Sorry, got off track.....
Ahem!! Ahem!!
Is Phatty just manipulating the media to make himself look good?.... Everyone expresses a collective... "Aww" and he's a warm and fuzzy coach too".
Same goes for Richt!!
I don't know if this is sincere stuff they are doing or not?? Could just be positives by their school's spin doctors spat out to the mainstream media to make them look good and not be like that "bad ol' coach in Tuscaloosa!!!

......Nor do I care!!
I'm concerned with the happenings of our coach and team at A-LA-BAMA!!!

(I'm practicing my sarcasm and pot stirring skills)

 

[RT1941]

And you're doing a good job hammer!:biggrin:

 

[bama_at_uab]

To be quite honest, I concur. I think that the football coach has some responsibility to help the community in whatever way he sees fit, but ultimately I want him to win games. Now, that might make me a bad person, but there are lots of wonderful people who work with the university and other university sponsored organizations to give back to the community and I fully support that, but what I want out of my football coach is for him to prepare a competitive football team.

 

[moorav]

I agree a coach is there to win games and I also honestly think he should teach somethings that you can not learn in a classroom but those things will be taught as by-product of playing collegiate sports.

I would prefer Bama's coach (regardless of whw it is) be an asset to the community also. I think you can do both

Let's face it the coach at Alabama is a very, very important public figure and they can do great things for the community with a lot less effort than the average University employee. I am not saying Saban should do those things just pointing out that certian public figures draw a crowd

using the all we want out of a coach is put a good football team on the field contradicts the backlash at DuBose for having lots of fun with his secretary, Wimp slapping his and Mike Price having a little fun with the dancers.

If Mike Price was a winning coach already at Bama would his actions be OK with you - How about DuBose excluding the NCAA trouble are we OK with having someone having some natural fun with his secretary as long as we win..?

Not comparing Saban to those clowns but the don't care what the coach does as long as he wins doesn't support the criticism others have faced for their transgressions that would not effect winning/losing

 

[yellowhammer13]

and the youth football camp conducted for 8 ,9 and 10 year old kids that was not solely focused on football but fun as well.
-------------------------

was this a free camp ???

Just asking

You're kidding... Right? The University ain't going to pass up an opportunity to help pay for CNS's salary!!
Further more,......
I heard through the "grape vine", Coach don't even like little kids and doesn't speak to them the whole time they are there.... Shhhhh. Don't tell the media!!

 

[bama_at_uab]

Well, there is certainly a standard of ethics that must be maintained by any coach or university employee for that matter as is stipulated by his contract. I certainly wouldn't support any coach who engaged in any sort of unethical behavior, but to be honest I think it's a little bit of a stretch to compare ethical transgressions to not desiring to play golf with Rick Karle or spend every day giving one-on-one interviews to Mike Raita. The only knocks I've seen against coach Saban are that he's not particularly media friendly and that he can be hard on his assistant coaches (I think you'll find if you watch some interviews of Bryant's assistants that they were all terrified of him). I've yet to see any indications that he is anything less than a charitable and ethical person. Mind you I don't think his experience with the media regarding his eventual acceptance of the Alabama job constitute and ethical transgression. At the time he made those statements I honestly believe he had no intentions of accepting the job. If there is any such evidence please let it be known, otherwise I think it's a little bit of a stretch to compare the two.

 

[moorav]

I have heard that also - his childhren are only allowed to talk to him on Tuesday nights from 8pm to 9pm but they can speak to him all evening on Wed night.
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I thought Bama has always had a football camp for kids
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Please re-read my post especially this part:

Not comparing Saban to those clowns but the don't care what the coach does as long as he wins doesn't support the criticism others have faced for their transgressions that would not effect winning/losing

 

[bama_at_uab]

However, I can see your point and it is a valid one. You pose the question is it simply enough that the football coach win games? The answer to that is clearly No. The head football coach has other responsibilities aside from simply winning. He has the responsibility to be an upright and active citizen who will use his position to further important causes in the community and to represent the interests of the university around the state and the southeast. However, I'm not convinced that these responsibilities extend into the things for which coach Saban has been criticized. I'm not convinced that those responsibilities extend to participation in cruises for wealthy alumni or for speaking at every fan club and other association dinners or to taking time out of his day to answer questions from Paul Finebaum. Further, I'm not certain that having a program open and accessible to the media would actually benefit him at all. It's quite possible that being open and accessible would only open him up to further criticism and scrutiny. I find it difficult to compare these criticisms of our new coach to any ethical transgression or any sort of lack of charity.

 

[bama_at_uab]

No, you're not directly comparing but you're using hyperbole to aggrandize you're argument. Again, you raise a fair question, but it's one that I'm convinced you already know the answer to. Of course there are other requirements of the head football coach aside from simply winning games. However, I cannot find any such situation in which coach Saban has failed to adequately perform his duties and I don't think that the terms laid out in his contract regarding his personal appearances and the manner in which he chooses to control his team fall outside the bounds of what is expected.

 

[Bamafan in BGKY]

I'll have to admit(unfortunately) that when I read this article on espn, I thought, HHHHMMM, well, I guess he's not so bad after all, THEN

the angel on my shoulder smacked the little devil on the other shoulder that was telling me that PHAT PHIL was OK

I can read the article and pause and say, that I'm glad those people were helped in some way by another person, and that by raising funds and stuff for the foundation is a wonderful thing for him to do, but

If you think that those stories just happen without any manipulation or PR behind the scenes then you are crazy. Phil's rep has taken a few hits recently and they needed some good PR out there to counter balance this, nothing more, nothing less.

Someone, like PHil, who planned and schemed as much as he did to hurt my university doesn't deserve the benefit of doubt for his actions. I'm glad I don't judge his motivations, but someone will judge him one day and he'll get what he deserves for his actions.

 

[BocaLance]

I'm in rare form today, took two bad mood pills and washed them down with a glass of spoiled milk.

The gas you're going to emit is going to be borderline atomic.
I know. :eek2:

 

[moorav]

I agree on not doing the cruise & other activities...etc Actually RIGHT now I agree on closing out the media due to the task at hand. That prevents distractions to the players, coaches..etc until they well established.

 

[LCN]

I did not and will not read the link about Fulmer and I agree 100% with bayoutider.

Nor will I .

...... are you gonna eat that ? _blank: