Big story about to break about Bama

Submitted by julesh on

Still looking like we're going to have a big, big Bama story in SI next week.... Updates to come.

— Lars Anderson (@LarsAndersonSI) September 1, 2013

All I can say about the SI feature is this: I've worked very, very hard on it for over two months and Saban and Co. know it's coming.

— Lars Anderson (@LarsAndersonSI) September 1, 2013
I'm betting it ends up being a big letdown. Any guesses?

MGoShoe

September 1st, 2013 at 8:24 PM ^

...does not indicate he's aiming to take down Bama. Don't get your hopes up, kids.



"Senior Writer at Sports Illustrated. Working on The Storm and The Tide — a book on the T-Town tornado and Bama dynasty. Adjunct Prof at 'Bama. Resident B-Ham."

Jacoby

September 1st, 2013 at 8:32 PM ^

Since when does a bonafide journalist tease about a big scandal? It's like gloating in advance. So tacky. Even if Bama did some horrible that only Lars knows about, just write the story dispassionately and carefully. This isn't the E! Entertainment Channel.



You can already see people getting giddy about Bama being taken down a rung. I'd rather see Bama beaten on the field. Bama fans don't care about scandals, just like most USC fans prefer a tainted championship to no championship at all.

Artie

September 1st, 2013 at 8:34 PM ^

Does anything besides "Satan (love love love that autocorrect changes Saban to Satan) knows it's coming" imply that penalties or any wrongdoings are on the horizon?

WolverineHistorian

September 1st, 2013 at 8:48 PM ^

Probably confirmation that Saban is paying recruits to come to Bama, and has been doing it since he arrived. 

NCAA's punishment for them?  AJ McCarron has to sit out one play against Colorado State.

Lesson learned. 

gwkrlghl

September 1st, 2013 at 9:04 PM ^

when "big" stories like Miami came out, there was a lot of rumblings and rumors in the lead-up. This is totally out of the blue, probably going to be something like

Alabama Funds Football Team Better Than Biology Department

Adjunct Professors All Over Alabama Demand Answers

 

Bluefishdoc

September 1st, 2013 at 9:05 PM ^

Armen Keteyian has a book coming out on the big money of college football and SI is going to run some excerpts. Among other things he has several tell alls from some female "greeters" who were employed to sleep with recruits (SEC schools)

guthrie

September 1st, 2013 at 10:26 PM ^

This is nothing more than a fluff piece on the tornado that hit Alabma a couple of years ago and how Alabama football helped people get through the tough times.  Check it out.

Here, if you act now you can reserve your copy from Amazon.com!!!

The Storm and the Tide: Tragedy, Hope, and Triumph in Tuscaloosa: Lars Anderson: 9781618930972: Amazon.com: Books

 

 

 

HeadAsplode

September 1st, 2013 at 10:32 PM ^

I guess I'm not clear on why this signals a negative/whistleblowing story about Alabama. I will be happy to eat crow if it turns out to be anything of true substance but methinks he is just drumming up interest in SI readers in something ultimately inconsequential.

Needs

September 1st, 2013 at 11:08 PM ^

I'll bet it's a story about oversigning and the ethics of encouraging non-performing players to look elsewhere. If that's the case, it'll contain nothing that isn't really known at this point.

BILG

September 1st, 2013 at 11:23 PM ^

It will be a letdown. At this point, what can SI write about Bama that would be a surprise to any of us, let alone minimally newsworthy.

1) they pay players....yawn. We already know this
2) they cover up player crimes such as DUIs and assault...duh. Yocal sheriff jethro ain't gettin paid for nothing
3) players don't go to class, don't do their own work, and many are actually illiterate...SEC!

This is actually the more interesting game. What would need to be written about a football factory school from the SEC or Ohio State to actually surprise you? IE- worse than you actually pretty much know is already going on.

club2230

September 1st, 2013 at 11:25 PM ^

Nothing is going to happen.  Nothing ever happens.  

Do you know what really grinds my gears?

When "everybody knows school A cheats" but nobody calls them out by name.  We hear of bidding wars for Ricky Seals Jones, and it is always "a certain other SEC school" that supposedly offered money.  Why can't someone flat out say "Florida offered him money," or something like that.  

Denard's visit to a "certain SEC school" was pretty popular to talk about around these parts, but the specific school is never mentioned.  Why?  Who is he protecting?

I don't see why specifics somehow can never be mentioned.  The SEC will never be caught if nobody ever gets called out by name.  Why can't a recruit who commits to a certain school, say Michigan, say something like..."Man some Ole Miss guy offered me a car"?  All we ever hear is "I was offered free hookers for live and a thousand dollars per first down at a school to remain nameless."

xxxxNateDaGreat

September 2nd, 2013 at 3:44 AM ^

Because I can walk around saying "Alabama offered me $200,000 to play running back for them" but unless I show someone a check signed by Nick Saban or whoever, it's just words. Terrelle Pryor can drive a dozen different Lambos to every practice but if we can't prove he got those illegally, then nothing happens. Cam Newton's agent (or dad) can ask for $180,000-200,000 from Mississipi State, but without a call log or recording or any proof of transaction or connection to Cam other than a name drop, we can't prove that Auburn paid him. It's just some guy on the phone who claims to represent Cam Newton and wants money for a commitment.



Nothing happens because schools are getting better at hiding the most damning of evidence. Everyone knows that SMU was caught for sending official stamped letters to players with checks signed by the recruting coordinator himself, of all people. Nowadays, coaches know to deal in cash (harder to trace) and have assistants handle these matters to maintain deniability, however implausible (aka the Butch Davis defense).