The Auburner Reflects On Bammmer's Last Three Games

[AUChizad]

The Cost of Saban's Hate
8-3-09
by: Mark

After over eight months after the fact, I've developed one piece of positive spin that could be taken from the 36-0 beating Auburn suffered in Tuscaloosa last November. First, think back to last summer. Tommy Tuberville angered Alabama fans by holding up seven fingers while visiting soldiers in the Middle East, just like he held up fingers before and after every Iron Bowl after his fourth win. I wrote an article wondering if these acts were premeditated by Tuberville. Did he do it just to enrage Alabama fans? We kept hearing Alabama fans attempting cleverness by saying “I'll have a finger to show Tuberville after we whoop them!” Was Tuberville trying to train Alabama fans to flip off ESPN cameras if Alabama were to one day beat Auburn?

I didn't see this happen after the humiliating loss, so my theory was wrong. However, think back to the end of the third quarter of the Iron Bowl. Alabama had the game in hand and could basically run out the clock with conservative playcalling at this point, but that didn't happen. Nick Saban screams at his players, “Don't you know how much I hate these guys!?!” and proceeded with down field shots and elaborate screen passes (well, given our offensive woes at the time, their 'completed' screen passes seemed elaborate).

You've seen something close to this scenario play out in movies before. The bad guy finally catches the good guy. Instead of shooting the good guy and getting on with the main goal of taking over the world or whatever, the bad guy must tell the good guy of his evil plot.. but wait! As the final plot twist, the good guy was secretly recording the whole thing! The DA, or army general or whatever, now has the evidence or information needed to take down the bad guy.

During Auburn's domination of Alabama for six years, you heard “people” say that Auburn fans cared more about beating Alabama than winning championships. Whether true or not, we now have empirical proof that Alabama's head coach would rather humiliate Auburn than increase his odds of winning a national championship. Alabama, the #1 ranked team in the country, completely unleashed their entire playbook onto Auburn's worst team of the decade.

Was Nick Saban aware that ESPN was recording the entire game and broadcasting to places like Florida and Utah? Maybe he did, but maybe he didn't care. Maybe Saban thought it really was more important to humiliate Auburn than to go conservative and hold back on the playbook. After all, look at what Alabama did to Florida in 2005. Sure, there was some collateral damage in terms of injuries, but it got them a Sports Illustrated cover! Bama was forever back, and Florida's program has been forever ruined since that game in 2005.

So that's my Brodiesque “if you take away the first quarter” argument to soften the blow on what happened the night of November 29, 2008. On the day Alabama's greatest team of the decade beat Auburn's worst, Tuberville's past actions helped end Alabama's dream of winning something more than the SEC Western Division Title. It wasn't the fan's fault, like Saban has said. It wasn't the player's fault. It was Nick Saban's hatred and greed which kept Tuscaloosa printing shops from cashing in on “got 13” shirts.

[Tiger Wench]

Nick Saban screams at his players, “Don't you know how much I hate these guys!?!”

Did he really?  I don't think I had heard this?   

Fucktard.  Like I needed another excuse to hate him and bammer even more.

[Birmingham]

Wench, he nor anybody else gives a damn about your feelings.

[Townhallsavoy]

Did he really?  I don't think I had heard this?   

Fucktard.  Like I needed another excuse to hate him and bammer even more.

Yeah, and it was on TV too. 

It really felt fake to me...typical coach trying to pep up his players. 

[Saniflush]

Did he really?  I don't think I had heard this?   

Fucktard.  Like I needed another excuse to hate him and bammer even more.

It really didn't carry that much weight cause he hates everyone who is taller than he is.

[RWS]

As for McElroy's late TD bomb, maybe somebody underneath should have loosened up on their coverage a little bit. Maze was the 3rd person on the check-down for that play. That play is one we ran about a million times during the season and is designed as a 5 yard route to the TE. Sorry some of your first teamers can't make do against our 2nd and 3rd teamers.

[Saniflush]

As for McElroy's late TD bomb, maybe somebody underneath should have loosened up on their coverage a little bit. Maze was the 3rd person on the check-down for that play. That play is one we ran about a million times during the season and is designed as a 5 yard route to the TE. Sorry some of your first teamers can't make do against our 2nd and 3rd teamers.

Nice zinger for your 1000th post.

[War Eagle!!!]

RWS is the antithesis of Alabama fans. He is full of class and down plays any success they have. I wish all Alabama fans could be as modest and humble as he is!

[Buzz Killington]

RWS is the antithesis of Alabama fans. He is full of class and down plays any success they have. I wish all Alabama fans could be as modest and humble as he is!

There's really only one word that fits when describing him...CLASSY.

[AWK]

As for McElroy's late TD bomb, maybe somebody underneath should have loosened up on their coverage a little bit. Maze was the 3rd person on the check-down for that play. That play is one we ran about a million times during the season and is designed as a 5 yard route to the TE. Sorry some of your first teamers can't make do against our 2nd and 3rd teamers.

I can't wait for your team to go down in flames this season. 

[boartitz]

I can't wait for your team to go down in flames this season. 

:thumbsup:

[No Huddle]

I can't wait for your team to go down in flames this season. 

Will not happen. However dreams are a good thing.

[Jumbo]

I can't wait for your team to go down in flames this season. 

I think the bammers will have a long season with the super sized bullseye on there back.