Not OT: Alabama football

[easttexastrash]

Most of America was probably tired of seeing Alabama win championships and was rooting for Clemson. That is how we are as a society, always looking for Goliath to be slain by David.

Go, David, it's your birthday. Party like it's your birthday...

 

[oldude]

Indeed, Alabama is consistently deep because nick Saban consciously oversigns. Some research on Google will tell you about this unethical practice.

I'm also happy an SEC team lost. I hate that league, passionate and fun as that fan base is when it comes to football. They seem kind of soft in wcbb, however. There's that one program with eight NCs, plus a&m from its Big XII days, but UConn fares well against them.

Many years ago it was a common practice for teams like OSU, Bama & ND to oversign recruits when there were no limits to the number of scholarships a school could offer.

Today every D1 program can have no more than 88 players on scholarship, including red shirts, with no more than 25 scholarships in any single year. I am sure you will find that just about every D1 football program, including UConn, have right around 88 players on scholarship.

If your argument is that Bama has more 5-star recruits sitting on the bench than any other program, I would agree, because they get the most 5-star recruits. As info, the team with the 2nd highest number of 5-star recruits is Clemson.

As a wiley WBB coach might say, "Don't complain about what we're doing, get better at what you're doing."

 

[Plebe]

 

[HuskyNan]

When you are a fan of the Huskies, one of the most successful teams in the history of sport, you can afford to be gracious to other, less successful programs, such as Alabama football.

You have a point about being gracious about other teams. I'll try to live up to that.

Except for the Yankees. Phooey on the Yankees.

 

[BigBird]

I like seeing Alabama lose. Nick Saban has had undebatable success, for which he deserves recognition. But his treatment of those who he regards as beneath him (and that's a bunch of folks) and especially the media is a constant irritation. The man makes millions coaching a game. That game has been constantly set before the public eye by whom? Yes folks, that would be the media. And while he is said to earn what his work is worth in a free market, those reporters are working for about one percent of Saban's take - if they are lucky. From a marketing standpoint, the media have made football very popular and profitable for a select few schools and coaches, and less so to their own benefit as well. I just dislike seeing guys like Saban or NFL coaches taking a whiz on the little guy. The same little guy who makes them millionaires.

Geno is a millionaire also. But the difference bewteen Geno and Saban is that Geno is respectful of others. He doesn't think he is bigger than the game, though for many of us he just might be. Geno is a teacher and a leader. Saban is imperial and often petty.

 

[BigBird]

You have a point about being gracious about other teams. I'll try to live up to that.

Except for the Yankees. PHooey on the Yankees.

I wish I knew why so many people grow up with a keen dislike of the Yankees. I was and still am one of these. Actually, I dislike all NY teams. But now, thanks to UConn, I spend a lot of time hovering around SNY. With the exception of the Huskies, SNY consists mostly of small clusters of white, over-forty, male sports "experts" talking about sports events that either have not happened yet or that have occurred but we don't get to actually see on SNY.

 

[HuskyPhan]

meyers7, I am going to assume that your tongue is firmly planted in your cheek. I truly enjoy the wit and wisdom of most BY posters. I also enjoy a respectful debate, even one that includes some good natured ribbing. As our outgoing President has said, "We can disagree without being disagreeable."

With that said, there are some who feel compelled to denigrate the success of other programs such as ND, MD, Baylor, Tenn, Bama football, the Yankees, the Red Sox, the ____ (fill in the blank).

When you are a fan of the Huskies, one of the most successful teams in the history of sport, you can afford to be gracious to other, less successful programs, such as Alabama football.

Can I like this 10 times??? Great, great punchline

 

[triaddukefan]

1) any time an ACC school (except for UNC) beats a SEC school in any sport its a good day
2) If its happens to be in a football game..... even better
3) If it happens to be in a football championship game..... the best

Glad to see Clemson win.... after coming up short last season. I gotta admit.... I was humming the Tiger Rag last night

 

[triaddukefan]

What team north of the mason-dixon line would have beaten Bama this season?

 

[oldude]

What team north of the mason-dixon line would have beaten Bama this season?

Lots of them: the Steelers, Patriots, Packers, Giants, Lions. In fact, even the Browns might have given the Tide a game.

 

[HuskyNan]

I wish I knew why so many people grow up with a keen dislike of the Yankees.

My father was from Boston and my Mom lived in Worcester but took her nurse's training in Boston. It was my Mom that was a huge Red Sox and Bruins fan and I inherited the Boston bug from her.

 

[triaddukefan]

There is one similarity between Alabama FB and UCONN WCBB. They both are are holding up the rest of the scrub teams in their conferences

 

[cayenne]

I hear there are a lot happy people in the state of Alabama. You have no idea how Auburn fans loved that game!!

 

[EricLA]

Alabama and Tennessee pretty much really dislike each other correct? This is an oldie but a goodie (Alabama football fan talks about why he HATES Tennessee)... He just can't stress enough how much he hates Tennessee LOL...

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Many of us, I think, have strayed. I couldn't bear to watch the dreary over-the-top production last night, so I taped it and powered through it after it was over. I have a friend who believes football will go the way of boxing. I wish I could agree; I'm afraid that Americans desperately need a Fall/Winter sport and the optics are perfect for TV (as well as the violence). It's a guilty pleasure, and I'd be delighted to be fully weaned off it.

I haven't strayed. I do enjoy football. But we watch virtually nothing live - so - we skip the blah - blah hype and pre-game nonsense. Read, surf the net, do something around the house while I watch the game. Listen (briefly) to the announcers for insight, wish they would shut up most of the time.

And yes, deplore the injuries and the players that (sometimes) seem like they don't care about causing injuries. It diminishes the enjoyment, to be sure, but I still enjoy the great plays and rooting for the teams I like and against the teams I don't (which would, FWIW, include Alabama, probably for no rational reason).

 

[EricLA]

You have a point about being gracious about other teams. I'll try to live up to that.

Except for the Yankees. PHooey on the Yankees.

For me it's Tennessee women. Hate them more than the Yankees, Duke men, UNC men, PSU football, NY Giants, and ND women combined....

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

That isn't a fair comparison. Football is different. I like that some conferences (could be all the P5's?) are insisting no more (nonD1?, non FBS?) OOC games. But in football, you can't afford a bad day against anyone. In WBB, you can. If, realistically, UConn had lost one of their strong OOC games - would they not still be ranked #1 or #2 depending on who they lost to? If UConn had lost to one of the strong opponents, based on everything else, would they not still be a favorite to be in the FF. In Football, you get at most one loss. I can understand not wasting the potential out of conference.

 

[Zorro]

Alabama and Tennessee pretty much really dislike each other correct? This is an oldie but a goodie (Alabama football fan talks about why he HATES Tennessee)... He just can't stress enough how much he hates Tennessee LOL...

Eric; Thanks for resurrecting this! One of the great rants of all time.

 

[oldude]

That isn't a fair comparison. Football is different. I like that some conferences (could be all the P5's?) are insisting no more (nonD1?, non FBS?) OOC games. But in football, you can't afford a bad day against anyone. In WBB, you can. If, realistically, UConn had lost one of their strong OOC games - would they not still be ranked #1 or #2 depending on who they lost to? If UConn had lost to one of the strong opponents, based on everything else, would they not still be a favorite to be in the FF. In Football, you get at most one loss. I can understand not wasting the potential out of conference.

You point out a very real problem in college football. 1 loss teams may not make it into the playoffs and it's virtually impossible for a 2 loss team to make the playoffs. As much as I don't like the idea of extending the season for another week, I would like to see an 8 team playoff, with AQ's for the P-5 conferences and then 3 at large bids that could go to either secondary conferences are runner-ups from P-5 conferences. That might promote better OOC games.

 

[Zorro]

I can't help but feel sorry for the LV players and for Holly. But the UT fans (as a group and with a few notable exceptions) DESERVE EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE GETTING!!!!

 

[Wbbfan1]

Was so glad to see Bama lose last night.

 

[cabbie191]

A long time ago I lived in Syracuse before moving to Jacksonville, FL. I became a fan of Syracuse sports. While in JAX, I attended the Gator Bowl back in 1996 when Syracuse played Clemson. The stadium was full with 90% of the fans from Clemson, all dressed in orange, responding in loud & perfect unison to the team cheers.

Behind Donovan McNabb & Marvin Harrison the Cuse buried Clemson 41-0. By the 4th quarter the stadium was largely empty except for the handful of us Cuse fans who thoroughly enjoyed the game.

You probably would have enjoyed that game.

This actually a serious question: How could you tell the difference between Syracuse orange and Clamson orange in the stands.

One of my son-in-laws is an upstate New York boy; loves the 'Cuse and Buffalo Bills. We've gone to a few games together.

 

[oldude]

This actually a serious question: How could you tell the difference between Syracuse orange and Clamson orange in the stands.

One of my son-in-laws is an upstate New York boy; loves the 'Cuse and Buffalo Bills. We've gone to a few games together.

I am sure one team was wearing their white unis and one was wearing orange but I can't for the life of me remember which was which.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Alabama football is similar to UConn women's basketball in that it's a juggernaut in its sport. Teams fear it before taking the field and elite players want to go play for Head Coach Nick Saban. The Crimson Tide has dominated an outstanding football league for several years and won 4 national championships since 2009.

How does this apply to the UConn women? Well, Alabama lost to Clemson last night in a game where it was up and had a chance to extend the lead. Do you think Geno and/or Chris Dailey will let the team know that nothing is a given, that everything still needs to be earned on the playing field?

My condolences to our South Carolina friends. You've got to hear the crowing from the Clemson fans for the next year.

It will be tough, but I always respond with this map; they're still a distant 2nd in the Palmetto State. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/10/03/upshot/ncaa-football-fan-map.html?_r=0