Coach Sheban's "commitment" ramble....

[The Prowler]

Kevin Scarbinsky
February 05, 2010

Let Nick Saban lead the way and start practicing what he preached. (University of Alabama photo)Did you hear Nick Saban’s Signing Day soliloquy on commitment? Did you really listen to it?

It was a beautiful thing.

The transcript should be required reading for every college football coach, every high school football player and everyone else involved in the sometimes slippery recruiting process.

Saban’s words could provide an altruistic blueprint for the future for prospects and the people who pursue them just as Jerry Maguire’s mission statement — "The Things We Think but Do Not Say" — did for agents and their clients.

I could summarize what the Alabama coach said or paraphrase it or take bits and pieces from it, but none of that would do it justice.

So here it is, from start to finish.

Read it, and then try to disagree with the message. I dare you.

"I’m old-fashioned," Saban said. "I think a commitment is a commitment.

"We tell guys when they commit that we want the recruiting to be over or we really don’t want them to commit. If you’re not really ready to stop recruiting, then you aren’t really ready to commit because committing means you are coming to that school.

"I would rather you go visit other schools until you’re sure that this is what you want to do rather than making a commitment and then not feeling comfortable and wanting to go explore other opportunities.

"There is an old saying, ‘If you’re shopping, then we should shop.’ It shouldn’t be that way, but when guys make commitments and then don’t stick up for them, then you kind of get stuck a little bit because there may be other guys that you didn’t recruit, that you could have recruited, that could have actually taken their place.

"I wish there was a better way, but there is not. We’ll just have to manage it and keep recruiting guys and do the best we can with them."

Ah, but there is a better way, and Saban suggested it, and it sounded a lot like what mothers and fathers have been telling their children for centuries.

Your word should be your bond.

In the recruiting world, your commitment, even if it’s verbal, should end your recruitment. You don’t continue to pursue other schools, and they don’t continue to pursue you.

Someone should put that proposal in writing. What about the University of Alabama or the Southeastern Conference? Make it more than a quaint suggestion. Make it a rule.

It could be the latest Saban Rule, but this one shouldn’t offend the coach, and it would lead to positive self-gratification all around.

Wouldn’t the college football world be a better place if a five-star like Keenan Allen who committed to Alabama in November wasn’t allowed to change his mind and sign with California in February?

If a sleeper like Brandon Ivory who committed to Memphis in early January wasn’t allowed to flip-flop and switch his commitment to Alabama two weeks later?

If a sleeper who becomes a five-star like Shon Coleman who committed to Auburn in April wasn’t welcomed to the Alabama campus in January?

That kind of rule might not be practical, but there is such a thing as an oral contract.

That kind of rule would force high school athletes and college coaches and everyone else involved in the sometimes slippery world of recruiting to examine the true meaning of the word "commitment."

After all, if you don’t mean what you say, what’s the point in saying it?

http://blog.al.com/kevin-scarbinsky/2010/02/post_8.html

Coach Sheban will just ramble to ramble and the bammer inbreds will eat it up like scripture.  Eventhough, everything he stated has been said...many times, even before he was born, by just about every coach in the Country.  But have him say it in a State that worships him as an Idol...AHH!!!! Brilliant!!! Fire up the T-shirt presses!!!  We done got us a new Wall Marks best seller!!!  Daniel Moore is getting his printer ready....he'll title his new print as "The Commitment".

So, Coach Sheban doesn't like DeQuan Menzie?  Apparently he's not good enough to be considered as a replacement for Keenan Allen.  I guess Alfy Hill isn't good enough either, to be a replacement for Craig Sanders.  But, he sure didn't mind taking Jonathan Atchison away from Auburn or Darrington Sentimore away from LSU.  I think he's still pissed over losing DB Gerald West to Southern Miss.

[ssgaufan]

and from not getting Shon Coleman to leave AU for his shitty school.

Saban reminds me of the little prince (they may have called him a king in the movie) from Shrek.  Think about it for a bit.

[djsimp]

I'm going to be honest and say that I have to agree just a bit. Taking my pledge to Auburn off just a bit, I divulge myself in the actual definition of the word commitment in my response. In my opinion if a kid is to make a commitment, that nothing short of signing on the dotted line. This would free up our own coaches to spent that extra time on those that they are less sure off.

[djsimp]

i would also add that at any given chance to exemplify how much of a goob that Saban is, I am on board.

[The Prowler]

Well yeah, I definitely agree.  But, he's not saying that hasn't already been said by nearly every coach in the Country.  To have him say it...LMAO, maybe a few of the prospects will remind him of "commitment" when he tells them that they're going to have to greyshirt (meaning, not to enroll in school for a year).

[djsimp]

Well yeah, I definitely agree.  But, he's not saying that hasn't already been said by nearly every coach in the Country.  To have him say it...LMAO, maybe a few of the prospects will remind him of "commitment" when he tells them that they're going to have to greyshirt (meaning, not to enroll in school for a year).

Im not goin to disagree that the timing that Prince Kneehigh if off by atleast one year, Im just saying that the process should be updated.

[Tiger Wench]

If a sleeper who becomes a five-star like Shon Coleman who committed to Auburn in April wasn’t welcomed to the Alabama campus in January?

Practice what you preach, asshole.

[djsimp]

Practice what you preach, butthole.

I'm just gonna go ahead and say you are one hot women.

[The Prowler]

Practice what you preach, asshole.

I just wish Ian R. Rappappapport was still around, he would've brought that up....then Coach Sheban would've had to choke on his own words, he would've moved his hands around enough to distract everyone though.  Too bad, Ian R. "decided" to take another job....covering Coach Sheban's mentor's New England Patriots (Ian must've gotten a GLOWING reference by Sheban.)

[War Eagle!!!]

Practice what you preach, asshole.

Exactly. If you are going to be all fucking noble...don't invite other "committed" kids to your school if they are "committed" to a different program. You can't have it both fucking ways!

Saban wants to end the commitment of his kids, yet invite other committed kids to the program. Typical. He is a two faced selfish asshole that only wants what's best for himself. You got fucked. Play the game, lie you know how to do, and shut the fuck up. Stop being a pissy little bitch when things don't go exactly your way.

It's just like when the team loses. He always find some one else to blame. Same here. You got beat for a couple of recruits. That's a "Saban" problem. Not a "commitment" problem.

 

[Birmingham]

[AUChizad]

I can understand why you'd need an irrelevant pick-me-up after today.

[Birmingham]

Did you see how fast young Region changed his mind?  On the drop of a damn dime.  Do you know how many times that can happen in one years time?  I genuinely, and I couldn't be more honest right now, don't give a damn about a 2011 recruit right now.  Especially one that has been committed, uncommitted and committed before he's tasted gatoraid as a high school senior.

[Birmingham]

I can understand why you'd need an irrelevant pick-me-up after today.

And by the way, being the defending National Champions is always relevant.

[War Eagle!!!]

And by the way, being the defending National Champions is always relevant.

Yes it is. Too bad Saban is feeling the pressure of it already and trying to make these kids do shit they don't want to do...

[Birmingham]

Yes it is. Too bad Saban is feeling the pressure of it already and trying to make these kids do poop they don't want to do...

Or maybe he refuses to give in to the egos of 17 years olds.  All he has to do is say he'll take a kid's brother and he's got a 5 star on campus.  Instead he wishes the kid and his brother a good career and shows them both the best way to get out of tuscaloosa with the least amount of traffic.

[Pell City Tiger]

Maybe kids don't like being called a "motherfucker" by their coach during the game. Maybe they're getting wise to his bullying and prefer to play for a group of coaches that treat them as human beings. 

[Birmingham]

Maybe kids don't like being called a "motherphuker" by their coach during the game. Maybe they're getting wise to his bullying and prefer to play for a group of coaches that treat them as human beings. 

Well that's the sweetest thing I ever did here.

[Pell City Tiger]

It's "hear", imbecile.

And the truth.

[The Prowler]

It's "hear", imbecile.

And the truth.

Maybe we should start calling SPuat the "Cow College" because little Sheban treats his players like cattle.