Are Nick Saban & Tide Fans Drunk on Crimson Kool-Aid “Drank”?

I noticed it even before the SECCG.  You know, those “other fans” that are determined to not give us our day in the sun.  No matter what the good news there is always someone saying we are drinking our own flavor of Kool-Aid.  Will Mark Ingram win the Heisman? No way, we are drinking Kool-Aid.  Beat Texas in the BCSNC?  No way, we never beat Texas. Bama fans must be drinking spiked Kool-Aid.  Repeat the BCSNC?  That’s never happened in the history of the BCS….your Kool-Aid must be Crimson Codeine Drank!

I have personally witnessed morons sign up for a blog just so they can come to a Crimson Tide article and tell us we are drinking Kool-Aid.  You know the ones, no profile, no info, no other comments.

How original.

As the days roll closer to the start of the 2010 season, even Tide fans are saying, “be realistic” we are nipping at the adult beverages too often.

And realistically, the Tide did lose a dozen or more players from a team that recorded more “firsts” than I am prepared to go into here.

There’s the fact that we are only returning two starters to the defensive side of the ball.  My only real problem with this argument is that each time you hear or read about those TWO, who are the two?  Different players seem to claim that distinction.  That’s because of the several experienced defensive players we have that while not starters, have a good deal of experience.

Media:  Alabama can’t replace a Nose Guard like Terrance Cody.

Alabama Fan Kool-Aid Answer:  Josh Chapman is the strongest player on the team and he played almost as many downs.

Secondary, Special Teams, Not Finishing, Inexperience, 6 SEC opponents off of Bye-Weeks, Injuries, are among the Top Reasons Alabama Will Finish 10 – 2 in 2010.  Those are both the wishful thinking of other fans and the reason Alabama fans need to sober up.

Nick Saban Doesn’t Drink

No champagne was uncorked in the locker room in Pasadena.  I dare say not a drop of the Crimson Gatorade touched Nick’s lips.  In fact he did not hesitate to let his dire anger be exposed on national television when Marcel Dareus drew a penalty after intercepting a shovel pass, spinning and taking it in for a TD.  Wait….Come On Man….a DEFENSIVE TACKLE scores and you can’t cut him a break?  Nope.  Maybe he had a headache from the Gatorade bucket hitting him in the back of the head.

Greg McElroy only recently revealed that just minutes after winning their 13^th National Title that Coach Saban jump on them about playing poorly in the second half…….wait……you mean you got to celebrate for about 15 minutes before expounding on how you could have done better?

Saban himself said that he KNEW the team would take their foot off the gas by the way they were celebrating and whooping it up at half time.

No, Nick doesn’t drink Crimson Kool-Aid or any form of mind altering libation.

After Alabama won the SEC title game against Florida, some players wanted to douse coach Saban then, but All-America linebacker Rolando McClain wouldn't allow it. Saban taught his protégé well. McClain wanted to wait until they won a national championship before Saban would get soaked.  McClain knew they weren’t finished.  He knew how Saban would react.

Nick Saban is Always Coaching

If you did not already know Saban as a teaching coach, then watching ESPN’s All Access was an eye opener.  He does not coach from a film room or tower.  He is hands on and if you doubted that our youngsters are being coached up before, then you now know that not only do they have to have athletic ability, they have to be smart to learn everything Nick knows.  He is such a teacher that I suspect (not trying to start a rumor here) that the highly anticipated statue of CNS might show him in that light.

Nick uses the podium to coach.  That’s right, not a tower like Bear Bryant but his own words at press conferences are the best source of information (and not speculation) about the team and its players, but he is also coaching when he speaks. Saban knows the players are listening.  He is always motivating:

Regarding the heat:

"We had so much better energy and body language and mental intensity (inside Friday). We practiced so much better," Saban said. "As soon as we get back out here, it's like, 'Woe is me.'

Regarding Special Teams:

"I think if you watch these guys punt in specialty before practice, you would say that ‘Man, where did you get those guys,’" Saban said. "But they’ve got to learn to take that to the game. They have to learn to take it when its live bullets come rushing at them and trying to stay with them. I think it is just going to be experience for them and confidence and trusting in the people that are blocking for them."

Alabama fans don’t need to sober up.  Let us drink all the Kool-Aid we can and enjoy ‘the process.”  Nick just won’t drink the Kool-Aid and he won’t let the players drink it either.  Gatorade in 100 degree weather, but not The Kool-Aid please!