Alabama Football - Now Featuring Kalen DeBoer

[bamachine 1231]

https://twitter.com/CecilHurt/status/1121057058399322118

Edited April 24, 2019 by bamachine

[Machinator 32102]

21 minutes ago, bamachine said:

https://twitter.com/CecilHurt/status/1121057058399322118

 

[Machinator 32102]

 

[bamachine 1231]

^Thanks, was trying to do it via mobile from the cafe I was at, without much luck.

[LTtxfan 49906]

17 minutes ago, Machinator said:

 

Tough SOB.... His wife probably kicked him out of the house!!!  😆

[bamachine 1231]

 

[Tex Long 4613]

So Nick evaluates better than other coaches? Or is it just that he recruits pays better?

EDIT: Why not both?

EDIT EDIT: Applewhite working for him, again? What does The Maj™ have, that Nick wants? Great rapport with DL players?

[Machinator 32102]

 

[LTtxfan 49906]

$6mill for 2yrs buyout for Dabo to go to Bama.... then it gradually goes down.....

 

Edited April 26, 2019 by LTtxfan

[bamachine 1231]

 

[Tex Long 4613]

Advantage, agi.

[LTtxfan 49906]

Tales from Nick Saban's surgery and recovery

Terry Saban thought she had her husband all settled in last Tuesday, less than 24 hours after his hip replacement surgery. She thought she had enough time to run a few errands while he dozed in his recliner all hooked up to his ice machine.

She admits now that she thought wrong.

Miss Terry, as Alabama's five-time national championship coach Nick Saban fondly refers to his wife of more than 40 years, returned home only to find, to her horror, her husband standing in the driveway.  "What are you doing out here?" she asked.  Saban shrugged and deadpanned, "You left me all alone, and there's nothing to do.". 

You're not supposed to do anything," Terry shot back. "Get back in your chair!"  Welcome to the world of Nick Saban the patient, where getting the legendarily hard-charging coach to sit back and relax may just be the toughest job in sports.

The 67-year-old Saban doesn't do well with idle time. In fact, in his world, there's no such thing. Saban had his surgery last Monday at 4 p.m. -- after sneaking in 18 holes of golf that morning -- and by the next day was ready to get back to the office.

"I get home at 8:30 in the morning (Tuesday), and by 3 o'clock in the afternoon, man, I was climbing the walls," Saban told ESPN last Thursday. "I had film to watch, next year's opponents and recruits. Miss Terry was there, and she was being a good nurse. That's for sure. But I just can't sit around."

Or, as he later told Terry that Tuesday afternoon, "I can sit around with ice on my hip meeting with coaches as easily as I can sitting here and watching The Weather Channel all day."  Terry finally relented and called Saban's longtime administrative assistant, Linda Leoni, and said, "He's all yours.". Sure enough, by 7:15 Wednesday morning, Saban was back in the office, initially on a walker and then a cane. Within days, he'd ditch both.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Forget a kicker lining up a 40-yard game-tying field goal or Tua Tagovailoa facing a blitz-happy defense on third-and-long. It's hard to imagine anyone under more pressure than Alabama's head orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Lyle Cain.  You don't want to be the guy who messes up Nick Saban's surgery.

Cain is accustomed to performing high-profile procedures. After 19 years of working with the athletic department, he's even something of a minor celebrity now. Recently a couple in their 70s went as far as to ask for his autograph on two Andrews Sports Medicine hats to give to their daughters as presents.  I told them, 'You don't want me to sign this, you want the players,'" he said. "They were adamant."

And he understands what it's like to care so much about the Crimson Tide. A native of Birmingham, he grew up a diehard Bama fan and would have walked on the team as a linebacker under coach Ray Perkins had he not gone out to practice and seen future legends Derrick Thomas and Cornelius Bennett staring back at him.  But nothing compares to the attention of the past week. When it was announced that Cain would be part of the team operating on Saban, his phone started blowing up with messages from friends and family and past patients. Then there were the notifications on social media from strangers asking detailed questions about the time and details of the surgery.

"The day of surgery, Monday, I was seeing a patient in the office and we were talking about his shoulder and went through the whole process," Cain said. "And right as he was walking out of the room, he said, 'Doc, you know there are a lot of eyes on you today.' I said, 'I realize that.'"

Thanks to advancements in technology, Cain, hip specialist Dr. Benton Emblom and the rest of the team at Andrews Sports Medicine had help. Instead of a traditional hip replacement, Saban had what Cain referred to as "robotic assisted right hip replacement surgery."  Think of the most advanced game of "Operation" ever. A CAT scan was done to get a model of Saban's anatomy (fun fact: his left leg is 3 millimeters shorter than his right), and then markers were put on his right hip and right knee, which acted as GPS systems to guide the surgery. If the screen was green, they knew they were in the right spot. If it went red, they were alerted to stop.

"It's like a computer game," Cain said.

And Saban isn't the only one obsessed with watching game tape. Cain found film of Saban running out of the tunnel before an Alabama game last year where he was subtly compensating for his hip pain.  After the procedure, Saban quizzed Cain about what they did and how to move forward.

"He wanted to know the details after the surgery of what he should and shouldn't do, and he's going to do it to the T and he's going to do it aggressively," Cain said. "He's probably one of those guys who will be in the top 1 percent of rehabbing because of his personality."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The timing for Saban's surgery couldn't have been any better. Head coaches aren't allowed to go out on the road recruiting in May, which means he's camped out in the office watching film and talking to recruits.

As a result, head athletic trainer Jeff Allen and his staff have essentially constructed a makeshift training room in Saban's office and the adjoining film room complete with a treatment table, therapeutic laser machine, zero-gravity recovery chair, stationary bike, game-ready machine and cold-compression machine that Allen said Saban wears most of the day and even sleeps in at night.

"We're trying to keep his leg elevated to control the swelling and decrease the pain," Allen said. "Dr. Cain told him to go slow early so he could go fast later, and Coach Saban doesn't ever want to go slow. But he knows if he goes slow now that he will have a better outcome."

Former Alabama star receiver Julio Jones was on campus doing some of his own rehab and made sure to check in on his former coach, specifically to remind Saban that he needed to trust "The Process".  Julio was giving coach a hard time and telling him, 'That's not the way you do it,' and coaching him the way coach Saban used to coach him on the field," Allen said.  "I'm calling him Dr. Julio Jones now," Saban joked.

In addition to Jones, Saban has heard from countless coaches, former players and friends. Former Miami coach Mark Richt reached out because he went through his own hip surgery in 2013.  "It's amazing how many people have had something like this, and their advice and support is appreciated," Saban said. "The first time you do something, you never know what it's going to be like.".

While the heartfelt support has poured in, Saban has also received some good-natured payback.  During his time as head coach at LSU, Saban loved to call Marcus Spears, then a star defensive lineman for the Tigers and now an ESPN analyst, "soft as a baby's ass" and that "they didn't make 'em like they used to."  As soon as Spears heard about Saban's impending surgery, it was on.

"I'm not even out of the press conference, and my phone is blowing up," Saban said. "It's Marcus Spears telling me that I'm as soft as a baby's ass and that they didn't make 'em like they used to."

But the man who once used a chainsaw to clear his driveway to get to work the day after a hurricane hit when he was head coach of the Miami Dolphins isn't slowing down now.

"I threw away the walker after one day. ... I'm rolling now," Saban said.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/26626399/tales-nick-saban-surgery-recovery

[ChiTownDoc 21323]

Lol a ton of elective joints are done as outpatient and at least 25% of those patients have the same rate of progress with their rehab.  What a joke making him out to be a superhero.  

Edit:  and when you’re really small, it’s a lot less stress on the joint.  The little old ladies impress most often.  

Tons to praise Saban on.  Modern day GOAT for cfb etc...this is a stretch.  

Edited April 30, 2019 by ChiTownDoc

[PittsburghTiger 6318]

On 4/13/2019 at 6:04 PM, Dolemite said:

He makes it to around 5:30 before he blows. 

 

Yeah, Saban can be a jerk, but the media just asks so many stupid questions.

I don't know how most coaches can stand these people. I've been in so many press conferences at Pitt games and I just shake my head at some of the idiotic things writers & TV people say.

[bamachine 1231]

4 hours ago, ChiTownDoc said:

Lol a ton of elective joints are done as outpatient and at least 25% of those patients have the same rate of progress with their rehab.  What a joke making him out to be a superhero.  

Edit:  and when you’re really small, it’s a lot less stress on the joint.  The little old ladies impress most often.  

Tons to praise Saban on.  Modern day GOAT for cfb etc...this is a stretch.  

The SEC Shorts video is exaggerated for comedic purposes. The article that was posted smacks directly of a puff piece, one Saban himself likely orchestrated to avoid the negative recruiting angle.

[naija 2961]

4 hours ago, ChiTownDoc said:

Lol a ton of elective joints are done as outpatient and at least 25% of those patients have the same rate of progress with their rehab.  What a joke making him out to be a superhero.  

Edit:  and when you’re really small, it’s a lot less stress on the joint.  The little old ladies impress most often.  

Tons to praise Saban on.  Modern day GOAT for cfb etc...this is a stretch.  

yeah, as a doctor, you have to read that and laugh. Robotic surgery my ass... one of the most routine of routine procedures

[mininghorn88 2330]

Just landed in ATL making my way home from a business trip. There were two Bama t-shirt fans sitting across from me on the flight. All of their luggage still had the purchase and manufacturers tags still on them. I swear those two will be returning that luggage to Walmart as soon as their fancy weekend vacation is over!

[LTtxfan 49906]

2 hours ago, mininghorn88 said:

Just landed in ATL making my way home from a business trip. There were two Bama t-shirt fans sitting across from me on the flight. All of their luggage still had the purchase and manufacturers tags still on them. I swear those two will be returning that luggage to Walmart as soon as their fancy weekend vacation is over!

 

[LTtxfan 49906]

Kitchens trolls his own players from LSU.... 😆

Kitchens was asked about being surrounded by a bunch of LSU guys, to which he responded by saying “well if they played a little better in high school, they could’ve went to Alabama.”

In case you haven’t seen it, here’s the clip:

 

[LTtxfan 49906]

Odds released on how much longer Nick Saban will coach

SportsLine put odds on after which season he’d announce his retirement:

After 2019: 14-to-1
After 2020: 10-to-1
After 2021 or 2022: 4-to-1
After 2023 or 2024: 2-to-1
After 2025: 1-to-1
Beyond 2025: 6-to-1

https://247sports.com/college/alabama/Article/Nick-Saban-retirement-odds-Alabama-football-132266211/  

Edited May 26, 2019 by LTtxfan

[Dolemite 143]

 

[Brandywine 1326]

On 1/11/2019 at 5:53 PM, LTtxfan said:

Lack of Bama Staff Continuity Finally Hurts Saban

https://www.si.com/college-football/2019/01/11/dan-enos-alabama-staff-coaches-jalen-hurts

"In all, 17 coaches have left Saban’s staff since the 2015 season, a period over which Alabama has gone 55–4 and played for the national title each season.

The turnover at Alabama speaks to many things: the desire of other programs to replicate Saban’s success by hiring his protégés; Saban’s aggressive, relentless pursuit of perfection; and staff casualties of the grind of working under him........  A former Saban assistant reached Friday says working for the man can be exhausting. There’s no real downtime. Recruiting is a second season in which losing out on a five-star prospect at your position in the spring is just as bad as a loss on the field in the fall. “What’s good enough for him?” the ex-assistant asked aloud.

Saban has had so much turnover over the last three years that only one coach from his 2016 staff remains with him: co-defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi. Four others were hired new last year and the other, Joe Pannunzio, just completed his second season. If you include Steve Sarkisian’s one-game tenure as offensive coordinator in 2016, Locksley’s replacement will be the fifth offensive coordinator in four seasons. 

Clemson receiver Justyn Ross has recently exploded onto the scene with two dominant playoff performances, leading some to wonder why Ross became the first top-ranked recruit in the state of Alabama to sign with someone other than the Tide since 2012. He provided that answer last week. “The stability that Clemson has,” Ross says, “they don’t really have coaches leaving in and out like that and learning different stuff every year.”

I don’t care for Saban, or I’m just jealous, but the man can obviously coach and I respect that. To have that much turnover in his staff over 3 or 4 years and still have national championship teams is really amazing. Another one, Bob Stoops, was also able to go through lots of coaching turnover and still field competitive teams with his coaching hires - most of the time. 

[Dolemite 143]

Plus numerous players have left after 3 years. New coaches, new players in key roles year after year. Finally caught up to him. He knew it too. That explains why he so stressed leading up to the Clemson game. He had lost confidence in his coaches and his coaches knew that the Clemson game was going to be their last game. They were lucky it didn't happen against UGA.

He has really good coaches now and I think he is now going to the development of players route rather than just going after 3 and done types.

Expect more running and pro-style passing and tougher defense. 

 

Edited May 29, 2019 by Dolemite

[LTtxfan 49906]

https://www.al.com/sports/2019/05/sec-coaches-comment-on-transfer-portal.html

Quotes on Transfer Portal...

Nick Saban, Alabama football coach

“How we manage our roster so we don’t penalize the players that are left in the program probably is the thing that I choose to focus on most. And having a program that is beneficial to the player, so there’s no reason for them to want to leave.”

Q: Someone else called transfer portal staggering, and that many haven’t found a home. Thoughts?

Saban: "Well, we’ve always had to deal with guys that wanted to transfer. Now we just have a mechanism for them to be able to do that. And we also have an opportunity for the school to take action against that person in terms of their scholarship. You know, look, I’m for whatever benefits the player. I think that a lot of us think that we have a good program that is actually in place to try and create value for players and their future. And it’s not just about playing.

“I mean you still go to college to prepare yourself for the day you can’t play football, at least that’s our philosophy. In terms of guys’ personal development, guys develop a career off the field by graduating from school. And I think there’s so much emphasis now on playing time that guys have these visions, even when they’re in high school because the attention that they get, that their college career is just a conduit to get to the NFL. And I don’t think that’s a good scenario, because you don’t go to college with the right sort of goals and aspirations.”

[bamachine 1231]

On 5/28/2019 at 9:40 PM, Brandywine said:

A former Saban assistant reached Friday says working for the man can be exhausting. There’s no real downtime.

This is why most of the assistants that get hired elsewhere do not pan out. Those that leave because, "man ,I need a break", tend to go to the other extreme. It is the guys that stick around longer, that tend to pan out, a la Kirby. Of course, it helps being in a talent rich state. By pan out, I mean guys that win 10+ games, compete for conf titles. Very few coaches get to compete for CFP titles.

[Fondren & Main 6871]

Plus Kirby learned how to pay players like ol’ Nick does.  

[Neonmoon 38130]

Saban can fuck himself. He couldn’t give two shits about his players getting a degree. 

Edited May 31, 2019 by Neonmoon

[Magus Ossis 2996]

Recovery is faster after anterior supine surgery like Saban had, but return to work at day 2 after surgery is still extraordinary. That man is driven.

[bamachine 1231]

16 hours ago, Neonmoon said:

Saban can fuck himself. He couldn’t give two shits about his players getting a degree. 

He may not care about what degree they get but he does care about them getting one. The APR has went way up under him and he helped implement a policy that any players can come back and finish their degrees, for free. There are federal programs like that for most athletes but not that many schools foot the bill themselves.

[LTtxfan 49906]

Old Mich State videos... Interesting insights to Saban's thoughts on defense....



 



 

https://www.al.com/alabamafootball/2019/06/the-genius-of-alabama-coach-nick-saban-found-in-youtube-classic-videos.html

 

•  
•  

Edited June 5, 2019 by LTtxfan

[LTtxfan 49906]

RIP Bama Super Fan Walt Gary... 🙏

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/26920077/crimson-tide-superfan-walt-gary-dies-36

[Magus Ossis 2996]

3 hours ago, LTtxfan said:

RIP Bama Super Fan Walt Gary... 🙏

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/26920077/crimson-tide-superfan-walt-gary-dies-36

Requiescat in pace

[Jkwellborn 7006]

He may not care about what degree they get but he does care about them getting one. The APR has went way up under him and he helped implement a policy that any players can come back and finish their degrees, for free. There are federal programs like that for most athletes but not that many schools foot the bill themselves.

The only reason he gives a shit about them going to class is because that APR effects him.

[bamachine 1231]

I guess that APR really matters with the early entrant guys who can come back and get their degree on the school's dime. Saban pushed for that and since they enacted it, several guys that were not even players for him, have taken advantage of it. Again, only maybe 25% of P5 schools offer that, the rest have to go through a federal program to try and finish their degrees.

I am not foolish enough to think he does not have any side motives for wanting them to get their degrees but there can still be some altruistic reasons as well.

[Bevo14 8468]

9 hours ago, bamachine said:

I guess that APR really matters with the early entrant guys who can come back and get their degree on the school's dime. Saban pushed for that and since they enacted it, several guys that were not even players for him, have taken advantage of it. Again, only maybe 25% of P5 schools offer that, the rest have to go through a federal program to try and finish their degrees.

I am not foolish enough to think he does not have any side motives for wanting them to get their degrees but there can still be some altruistic reasons as well.

[Reese Bennett 3647]

The state of Alabama has been in the news a lot lately. I wonder what effect negative recruiting around state politics would/will have? If I were an opposing recruiter, I would certainly test the waters, especially with recruits outside the Deep South. 

/nocloakroom 

[Bevo 13820]

49 minutes ago, Reese Bennett said:

The state of Alabama has been in the news a lot lately. I wonder what effect negative recruiting around state politics would/will have? If I were an opposing recruiter, I would certainly test the waters, especially with recruits outside the Deep South. 

/nocloakroom 

I don't know what was in the news, but Alabama has always been backwards (except for Huntsville) and it hasn't hurt their football team over the last 50 years.

[Cairn Horn88 8500]

1 hour ago, Reese Bennett said:

The state of Alabama has been in the news a lot lately. I wonder what effect negative recruiting around state politics would/will have? If I were an opposing recruiter, I would certainly test the waters, especially with recruits outside the Deep South. 

/nocloakroom 

Recruits go there to graduate into the NFL....don't give two hoots about any of the other state-related stuff....imho.

[Tex Long 4613]

That's what high-GPA walkons are for.

[Dolemite 143]

 

[LTtxfan 49906]

Bama adding social area with charging stations at stadium in next renovation.  Trying to get more fans to attend and stay at their games...

https://www.al.com/alabamafootball/2019/06/bryant-denny-stadium-capacity-to-drop-only-slightly.html?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=aldotcomSports_sf&utm_source=twitter

 

"An $111.6 million plan to overhaul Alabama athletics facilities gained unanimous approval from the board of trustees physical properties committee Thursday.  A few new details emerged about the $92.5 million first phase of a Bryant-Denny Stadium renovation that AL.com first reported Tuesday. The large video board and student terrace originally planned for the south end zone upper deck are out."

When announced last August, the video board would have eliminated a large portion of the 8,500 upper deck seats added in 2010. At the trustees meeting Thursday, Byrne said the capacity of the stadium -- currently listed at 101,821, will now drop by a few hundred seats and still remain above 100,000.  Bryant-Denny was the seventh-largest college stadium in the nation (No. 4 in the SEC) in the 2018 season. The original plan would have dropped the stadium below the 100,000 mark.

Replacing the large deck that would have been in the south end zone is a 10,000-square foot social area for students in the concourse below the student seating in the southwest corner of the stadium. Byrne said the new plan calls for a larger area than the original plan detailed. Restrooms, phone charging stations, concessions and televisions and fans for cooling off will be part of this area.  The AD also said he wasn’t aware of another college football stadium in the nation with an area like this.

 

 

[Dolemite 143]

Maybe he is trying to give the students a reason to hang around until the end of the game.

 

[LTtxfan 49906]

Here's News in Alabama..... 😄

• KOKH FOX 25     @OKCFOX

Alabama investigators say a man kept a caged "attack squirrel" in his apartment and fed it methamphetamine to ensure it stayed aggressive.

Authorities: Alabama man fed meth to caged 'attack squirrel'

Alabama investigators say a man kept a caged "attack squirrel" in his apartment and fed it methamphetamine to ensure it stayed aggressive. The News Courier reports authorities are seeking 35-year-old...

okcfox.com

1:00 PM · Jun 18, 2019

Edited June 20, 2019 by LTtxfan

[Parliament 14556]

Law enforcement was warned of the animal prior to executing a search warrant of the Athens home Monday.

It's illegal in Alabama to have a pet squirrel. Officials from the state's Department of Conservation recommended releasing the animal, which deputies did successfully.

A spokesman for the Limestone County Sherriff's Office says there was no safe way to test the squirrel for meth.

If that ain't Country, you can kiss my ass.

[retsevlys 408]

He got the squirrel back.  I guess it needed its fix.

https://www.waaytv.com/content/news/Wanted-Limestone-County-man-accused-of-feeding-squirrel-meth-says-he-got-the-animal-back-511499211.html

Facebook Live vid

 

Edited June 20, 2019 by retsevlys

[Tex Long 4613]

 

[LTtxfan 49906]

Everyone needs a getaway....  Below is a partial excerpt of the SI article:

"The Vacation Town Where Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney Go to Disappear"

https://www.si.com/college-football/2019/05/07/nick-saban-dabo-swinney-boca-grande-vacation-contract  

Every Fourth of July, the citizens of Boca Grande, Fla., organize a golf cart parade. They decorate their carts with patriotic banners, flags and balloons, and the procession snakes its way through town. Some people bring speakers and blare music; others toss candy to the crowd of people lining the streets, cheering them on.

Last year, the Boca Beacon, the local newspaper, reported that about 120 golf carts participated in the parade. The paper ran a spread inside, on page 16, which included 10 pictures from the event. Buried in the lower-right corner, above an advertisement for a local plumber, was a picture of a man and his wife, smiling as they rode along in their cart. The woman wore a red-white-and-blue lei, and the man wore a furry hat and appeared to be holding a horn of some sort. They looked like any other couple in the parade. The newspaper made no mention that the man was the head coach at Clemson, Dabo Swinney.

COURTESY OF THE BOCA BEACON

Every year, independent of one another, Swinney and Saban vacation in the same tiny town, on a small island just off Florida's Gulf Coast, about 100 miles south of Tampa. The town is called Boca Grande, and it sits on Gasparilla Island, a strip of land that’s only seven miles long and, at its widest point, about one mile wide. Boca Grande’s population is only around 1,700, but that number swells during the high season, when hordes of affluent northerners arrive. Many of them own second homes there. They’re drawn to Boca Grande for its historic downtown, its pristine beaches and its world-class fishing. They find this little beach town quaint and charming—the island’s main mode of transportation is golf cart, after all.

But Boca Grande’s main allure is the attitude the locals have developed over the years, a culture they’ve created to accommodate the rich and famous. People know they can visit Boca Grande and not be bothered. They can attend a Fourth of July parade without making front-page news. Indeed, Boca Grande offers its visitors something you can’t put on a brochure, something that football coaches crave in the offseason especially: pure, unadulterated privacy.

When they’re both in Boca Grande, Swinney and Saban lead very different lives. Saban’s place is at the north end of the island, which is a quieter, more residential area. Swinney has a place near the south end, which is a bit livelier because it’s closer to the town’s shops and restaurants. Which makes sense: Swinney is the outgoing one, Saban the introvert.

One of the jewels of Boca Grande is The Temptation Restaurant, which has been a downtown staple since 1947. Locals simply call it The Temp, and it’s instantly recognizable by the martini glass on the neon sign out front. When Saban visits The Temp, he likes to sit in the original dining room, which has old wooden booths and dark lighting. Swinney likes to sit in the Caribbean room, which was added later when the restaurant expanded. It’s louder, more jovial and full of bright colors.

Like most restaurants on the island, The Temp has unwritten rules: Don’t bother famous customers. Don’t ask for selfies or autographs. Don’t start unwanted conversations. “That’s why they come [to Boca Grande],” says Kevin Stockdale, one of The Temp’s co-owners, “because nobody really bothers them.” But Swinney openly flaunts this rule. He’s willing to chat with pretty much anyone who approaches him. Saban? He’s one of the reasons the rule exists in the first place. “I’ve never seen anyone approach Saban,” says Jeff Simmons, another of The Temp’s owners. “He has that demeanor where it doesn’t look like a good idea.”

From time to time, Swinney and Saban will actually rendezvous with one another on the island. They’ve mentioned these meet-ups over the years, without going too far in depth. They apparently golf together, take boat rides, have dinner. Through all that, they seem to have developed a real friendship. “This situation sort of offers us the opportunity to get together sometimes and talk about things,” Saban said in 2017. “And we do that a lot.”

These get-togethers took on a different meaning once Saban’s and Swinney’s schools became rivals on the field. It so happened that, shortly after Saban got his place in Boca Grande, Swinney built Clemson into a perennial contender. For three of the last four years now, Alabama and Clemson have played for the national title. Before the first meeting, in 2016, Swinney and Saban made a friendly wager: the loser had to buy the winner dinner at The Temp. After Clemson lost, Swinney bought Saban a $250 gift certificate to the restaurant. He wrote at the bottom: “C. U. in Tampa next year!!” referencing the site of the next championship. The following year, as Swinney predicted, the teams had a rematch in Tampa. This time, Swinney won, and Saban bought him a $500 gift certificate to The Temp.

EZRA SHAW/GETTY IMAGES; GIFT CERTIFICATE PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFF SIMMONS

The third meeting was this past January. Clemson thrashed Alabama 44–16, and afterward, Saban gave Swinney another $500 gift certificate. In mid-March, Swinney brought his family to The Temp to redeem his prize. After Swinney finished his meal, Kevin Stockdale, The Temp’s co-owner, came over to check on him. “He goes, ‘Kevin, that was the best meal I’ve ever had,’ ” Stockdale recalls. “Of course, it’s because it was on Nick Saban’s dime!”

Edited June 24, 2019 by LTtxfan

[LTtxfan 49906]

 

[Tex Long 4613]

On 6/24/2019 at 11:01 AM, LTtxfan said:

Every Fourth of July, the citizens of Boca Grande, Fla.

Dang. "Rat's Mouth" not good enough for them, they had to call themselves "Big Mouth" instead?

[bamachine 1231]

I am going to SEC Media Days for the first time ever, next week. I will be on the other side of the ropes from the public, as I am going as a member of the media. I am going to report for the Reddit college football subreddit. I have also been invited to a special screening of an upcoming show this fall on SECN, "Saturdays in the South". It will be eight 90 minute episodes covering the history of football in the conference from it's inception to modern day. Spurrier, Herschel and Archie Manning will be there with us.

 

Any questions you might have for the coaches or players, post them here and I might actually ask one, if I get the chance. My question for Saban, again if I get to ask one,  will be about Bama's never playing any in state G5 or FCS teams. I will preface it with saying that I know he does not make the schedules and it predates his being there but that I am sure he has some say in the matter.