The Bama Thing

Submitted by formerlyanonymous on

I'm going to air my displeasure with the "Cut" article.  I realize Brian is no rock of journalistic integrity, and is open to express his opinion and presumptions about a certain topic.  What irks me in this whole debacle is how willing many of the commenters are to just trust that when Brian titles the article "Cut," people believe that is what happened without reading the article or investigating it at all.  No where in the linked article is the word "cut," "asked to leave the team," or "let go."  For all we know he was told he really doesn't work into the starting line up any time soon, and rather than working to improve himself, he pulled a Mallett and decided to transfer.  Claiming this kid was cut is just as factual as those claiming RichRod told Mallett he wouldn't fit in his system and would be finding other options.  Neither are fact based.  Both wild speculation. 

From what I have seen, this kid was recruited out of Texas by Major Applewhite (now gone).  He never stepped foot on the campus before signing with the Tide (leading me to believe he didn't think through much else), citing he just wanted to play for a great coach in Nick Saban.  He couldn't make the field at his primary position (WR IIRC), then was transfered to a DB (again, IIRC) where he just wasn't cutting it there either.  The kid was going to be relegated to the scout team for the rest of his time in college.  I wouldn't blame him for being upset.  The kid just wasted 2 years in a program he will never see the field for. Having already burned a redshirt year, he may have to waste another year on the bench if he wants to stay in the FBS.  I wouldn't want to talk with the media either. 

I'm interested to see what does come out in the media in the next 3-4 weeks.  Whatever happened, it will be addressed somewhere, if by anything at least accident.  I just don't think you can flat out blame Saban for this one.  Things like this happen. 

Disclaimer:  I do think he did oversign, which I find morally wrong.  I do not question that, but I will defend the premise that he is not necessarily the guilty party here.

Comments

Blue Durham

July 11th, 2008 at 10:50 AM ^

According to Rivals (at least how I read it), Farmer was in the high school class of 2007 and was redshirted this past season, so this year he would have been a red-shirt freshman with 4 years of eligability remaining. I don't know, but to me that is a little early for me to be writing off a kid. Maybe instead a little encouragement to the kid in order to be a contributing member of the team. I suspect that Saban has discovered a method to beef up his roster. Oversign and move out percieved non-contributors via medical redshirts, acedemic ineligability, and cuts (or what I have termed in the comments of the Cut article, "effective cuts"). It has also been pointed out that at Alabama, the student athletes are given "renewable 1-year scholarships" and that, if the player is not working hard enough or "pulling his weight" the coaching staff is justified in not renewing his scholarship. If this practice is within the NCAA's rules, fine, but then I think that this should be used against Alabama in recruiting. I realize that there is a certain exploitation going on in college athletics, but when players become disposable to this extent, I think it crosses a line. And I think that, if this became common practice in the NCAA at large it would adversely affect college football's image (regardless how close you think this image is to reality). And that would bother me.

Joined: 06/30/2008

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big gay heart

July 11th, 2008 at 10:54 AM ^

FA, you're making the same sort of assumptions that Brian did WHILE criticizing him for making those assumptions. I don't, per se, disagree with your point, but you're merely utilizing the same type of logic to arrive at a different conclusion.

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formerlyanonymous

July 11th, 2008 at 11:19 AM ^

want to say he's guilty or innocent until more comes out. I just think a lot of the commenters are jumping to the conclusion just based off Brian's opinion. I'm sticking with innocent until proven guilty, or at least some sort of substantial evidence comes out.

I did not say I particularly think Saban did not force him out, I'm just saying Brian's post comes off as "Saban cut him," and that what he wrote is just as much opinion and speculation as the stuff I posted.  It shouldn't be treated as fact.

If that's how mine came off, apologies. I just don't think its fair to judge Saban for this when we know nothing. That is supposed to be my point.

 

(i can not write worth a damn today) 

Joined: 06/30/2008

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Daniel L

July 11th, 2008 at 11:22 AM ^

As Brian stated in an earlier post, the problem isn't that Saban's interests (getting down to 85 scholarship players) and the players interests (having a full ride to get a degree) are diametrically opposed at this point.  Guilty in a court of law vs guilty in a court of public opinion are totally different things.  The same people accusing RR of being a recruit thief (no facts that actually support this) are the same people defending Saban's actions/lack of action/need to cut players (there are plenty of facts to prove motives).  It's sad these people can't see this total disconnect.

Joined: 07/01/2008

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formerlyanonymous

July 11th, 2008 at 11:42 AM ^

and I would say our commenters see RR as innocent but Saban as guilty of cutting.  and my opinion, a small make up of public opinion, is innocent until proven guilty, or at least more facts than this show guilt.  call it naivete, i just don't do it. 

And yes, I see the problem you are pointing out in the same people from Bama calling out RR and defending Saban.  I think deep down Todd has to know that there is probably  something wrong.  But like any homer, it gets spinned.  His readership is not too different than mgoblogs.  they want to hear positive.  they want to hear we're the best and we run ourselves cleanly.   so they spin and hope for the best.

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Will Number 2

July 11th, 2008 at 11:41 AM ^

That he wasn't cut? True, there is nothing to report that, but it is obvious. All you have to do is read Brians posts on the matter. The thing of it is, Brian could have posted that two weeks ago. Brian should go and post who got "cut" before they actually do, it wouldn't be that hard to guess who will lose the game of musical chairs here. No, there is no proof, except for the fact that it needed to happen. RichRod didn't need Mallet to leave, he may have wanted him to. Saban needed that kid to go.

Joined: 07/07/2008

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Blue Durham

July 11th, 2008 at 11:59 AM ^

Remember, RichRod said he recruited Mallet when he arrived in Ann Arbor, and said he met with him twice.  Afterwards, while Mallet was still deciding, RR said that he had done what he could to "recruit" Mallet and it was left for Mallet to decide.  This was in the press and on TV; Mallet never stated anything contrary to this.  On the face of it, it would appear that RR would have preferred Mallet to stay.

But Saban need guys to go; and I think that Saban is SO SMART that he already knows who the next player is to leave the program and by what cause.

Just a guess, though.

Joined: 06/30/2008

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Will Number 2

July 11th, 2008 at 12:01 PM ^

Everyone defends their own. But what our we burying our heads in the sand about RichRod (not an invitation WVU troll)? We all admit he uses blue language. He owes WVU 4 million. Okay, so what. If he had to pay it all and he only had 1 million and for some reason there was a clause in his contract that said if we lost to Utah by 35 points that he'd get 3 million, then I think we could infer what the score would be. It's not the protecting their own I have a problem with its the "there is no problem and if there is everyone else does it" defense.

Joined: 07/07/2008

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Blue Durham

July 11th, 2008 at 12:18 PM ^

RR uses "blue language"?   On a football field?

A good friend told me a story at a Lions/Bears game he attendended in the 60's.  The NFL and Lions were experimenting with a new device that picked up the sounds on the field, and they pumped this through the loud speakers to make the game more compelling to all of the fans in the stadium.  Mel Farr had just carried the ball, and after getting up and on his way back to the huddle, a heated Dick Butkis was heard by everyone in the stadium yelling "Farr, you c@cksucker, you put that sh!t again and I'll rip your f*cking head off."  Or something to that effect.

Such language on a football field.

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chunkums

July 11th, 2008 at 1:19 PM ^

Whatever happened, it just does not smell right. A football player doesn't just opt out of his full ride athletic scholarship and a chance to play even semi-pro or arena football for a living. PS: The article quoted me, and I think that's hilarious.

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hat

July 11th, 2008 at 2:19 PM ^

I agree that it may be unfair to assume that this guy was "cut" by Saban. Maybe he left voluntarily. But the undeniable fact is that Saban signed so many recruits that he NEEDED some "attrition" to occur in the offseason. That's just shady.

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