Been thinking about the difference between how Auburn issues are percieved and how Alabama ones are presented.
It reinforces my conviction that a well organized Never To Yield Foundation is vital to restoring balance.
Look at the Saban issue with Sanders.
Sportsbybrooks reports the contacts. Shows pictures of what is, according to some, an NCAA violation. Shows pictures of Saban at Sanders' high school talking to him during a period where it's not allowed. Another violation.
What's the response? Cecil Hurt goes on Finebaum and explains the coincidences and why it's not a big deal. Izzy Gould writes an opinion piece for al.com explaining how things are not as they seem. The rest of the bama media chimes in and then provides a forum and the words for Sanders himself to say that he never really said what he actually said. Easy to do. Call him, ask leading questions and report as you want it.
Damage? Minimized.
Troper Taylor is at Toomers throwing toilet paper with recruits he calls out by name. Our beat reporter goes on Finebaum and explains how this is an NCAA violation. He posts videos of the event online under headlines that scream about NCAA rule breaking. When this is unsatisfactory, he calls the NCAA to report the violations (this actually happened and the guy is still writing about Auburn). Cecil Hurt takes the information and feeds it to his pals at the New York Times. It gets fanned out to Evans and the rest of the little group that used to run in the same circles.
Damage? Maximized.
We don't have a voice. That is the problem. We do not have a voice to rebut and tamp down everything. Not only do they have a voice, but they have an investigative arm through the New York Times conglomerate. Why the NYT? There's the connection between them and the T-news, but even bigger than that is that there is (or was) a sour grapes former AU grad working there who hated AU athletics. She's the one who got that ball rolling.
But there's no conspiracy. This is all just coincidence.
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