That "Big Alabama News"
So if you guys will remember on Sunday, SI reporter, Lars Anderson, claimed that there would be some big news about Alabama breaking later this week... Well, his story, if you even want to call it a story, came out this morning. All of those who predicted it would be no big deal, you made predictions for the century.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20130904/alabama-texas-aggies/?sct=cf_t11_a2
The fact that this isn't really a story just kills his credibility from the start. Second, this has to be the dumbest piece of writing known to man. His writing makes it seem as if Alabama really can be beaten on a weekly basis which makes me question if he even follows college football. Just glad I didn't get my hopes up when I originally heard the "news" on Sunday.
Comment down there that referenced John Madden made me think of this, so yeah, enjoy.
September 4th, 2013 at 7:20 PM ^
Lost me at the second sentence. Anyone who watched that game between KSU and NDSU knows that NDSU out physicaled KSU and is a really good football team. Big hearted underdog bullshit narrative is bullshit.
September 4th, 2013 at 7:22 PM ^
How about KSU also doesn't have Collin Klein anymore and he was like 90% of their team last year.
Also - this isn't "news" at all. All he did was list how teams could beat Alabama, and then listed like 15 things. Sure, do all of those things and you'll beat anybody.
September 4th, 2013 at 8:51 PM ^
Wasn't the author's quote something along the lines of "I've worked very, very hard on it for over two months and Saban and Co. know it's coming?"
This looks more like a Bleacher Report article than something an investigative journalist would be proud to have spent two months developing.
September 4th, 2013 at 7:26 PM ^
I'll give him the fact that underdogs do come in with a strong winning mentality, and the favored teams typically overlook them, but the dude doesn't realize that all of these major upsets have come from the best teams in the FCS... I mean, need I mention 2007??? Yes, we overlooked them, but they were no cupcake, either. They had previously won something like two straight FCS championships, ended up getting a third, and produced NFL talent... People need to get over the whole FCS being weaklings mentality... Sure, there have been major underdog upsets but not nearly as many as the media makes it look like.
September 4th, 2013 at 7:25 PM ^
September 4th, 2013 at 7:27 PM ^
1: Score More Points
September 4th, 2013 at 7:27 PM ^
Damn you, beat me to the punch
September 4th, 2013 at 7:27 PM ^
That's just stupid. I'll tell you how to beat 'Bama. You just have to score more points, simple as that.
"Usually the team that scores the most points wins the game"
- John Madden
September 4th, 2013 at 7:28 PM ^
WTF is this bullshit... That's 5 minutes of my life I will never have back.
September 4th, 2013 at 7:31 PM ^
September 4th, 2013 at 7:32 PM ^
Holy shit! Why hasn't anyone tried doing this yet? It's so genius!
September 4th, 2013 at 8:51 PM ^
September 4th, 2013 at 7:33 PM ^
THAT is the big news, Lars?? What an underwhelming turd, both he and the article.
September 4th, 2013 at 7:39 PM ^
Lars Anderson just became the most sought-after Head Coach candidate in college football history.
September 4th, 2013 at 7:40 PM ^
September 4th, 2013 at 7:41 PM ^
I take it SI hired Lars away from Bleacher Report?
September 4th, 2013 at 7:49 PM ^
Here's what I don't get. This guy has now lost credibility for the rest of his career. Was it really worth it? Media just seems so shortsighted these days.
September 4th, 2013 at 8:32 PM ^
It's even worse than Geraldo Rivera and Al Capone's secret vault.
September 5th, 2013 at 12:16 PM ^
To paraphrase Horatio Nelson, "He has lost little credibility by this action, my lords, for God knows he had little to lose. He did, however, lose all the credibility that he had."
September 4th, 2013 at 7:51 PM ^
So, Alabama puts up a relatively pedestrian performance by Alabama standards and this story extrapolates from the one game? Did I miss something? They scored 21 of those points on an interception, a kickoff return and a punt return. Beyond that, Virginia Tech was holding them to just a shade over 3 yards per play.
September 4th, 2013 at 7:55 PM ^
We will hear enough about them next year. Maybe it will book end this piece of history right before we win a national championship. Hell, maybe it will prologue to this years.
September 4th, 2013 at 7:59 PM ^
Have a seat just in between Tony Grossi and Drew Sharp.
Useless.
September 4th, 2013 at 8:00 PM ^
"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." Mike Tyson
September 4th, 2013 at 8:03 PM ^
Didn't he mention he'd been working on this for 2 months? Really?
September 4th, 2013 at 8:14 PM ^
Phase 1: Stop the running game
Phase 2: ??????
Phase 3: Profit!
September 4th, 2013 at 11:41 PM ^
for the South Park reference
September 4th, 2013 at 11:41 PM ^
for the South Park reference
September 4th, 2013 at 11:41 PM ^
for the South Park reference
September 4th, 2013 at 8:18 PM ^
There is no way this is what he was talking about. He said it took two months to write. This would take 15 minutes to write.
September 4th, 2013 at 9:18 PM ^
He works for Sports Illustrated.
September 4th, 2013 at 9:29 PM ^
September 4th, 2013 at 8:49 PM ^
Never, EVER trust a guy named Lars. One letter short of LIARS!
September 4th, 2013 at 9:10 PM ^
September 4th, 2013 at 9:12 PM ^
I did not click on either link
September 4th, 2013 at 9:17 PM ^
So ESPN won't be picking this one up. Good job, good effort Sports Illustrated.
September 4th, 2013 at 9:37 PM ^
So, basically it's a Bleacher Report article?
I just tried to read it and even the headlines alone bored me to death. That seriously is one of the more ridiculously poor self-promotion jobs I have seen for one of the least informative college football articles I have read.
September 4th, 2013 at 9:40 PM ^
But it was an easy prediction - anything coming from Bama I knew was a load of bullshit.
September 4th, 2013 at 10:07 PM ^
September 4th, 2013 at 10:34 PM ^
September 4th, 2013 at 10:36 PM ^
September 4th, 2013 at 11:37 PM ^
September 5th, 2013 at 12:13 AM ^
September 5th, 2013 at 9:22 AM ^
Journalism is so good these days. People really putting the time in to do big things. Good to see. A real rising career path.
September 5th, 2013 at 12:43 PM ^
So some internet writer claiming a "big story" actually didn't have much of a story?
I am Jack's complete utter lack of surprise.