Alabama Football Coach Nick Saban Teleconference


Alabama Coach Nick Saban praised Paul Finebaum. Here is a photograph of Saban with Finebaum and Rick Karle.
Alabama Coach Nick Saban praised Paul Finebaum. Here is a photograph of Saban with Finebaum and Rick Karle.

Nick Saban on Ole Miss win, Georgia State, Paul Finebaum and Targeting Penalty

By Hunter Ford

In his weekly SEC teleconference, Nick Saban began by briefly revisiting the Ole Miss game and ended praising radio personality Paul Finebaum. In between, the Tide coach also had nice things to say about this week’s opponent, Georgia State.

Saban restated a previous comment about the Ole Miss game, saying the win over, “a really good team,” was a “big step forward,” for the Tide. “It wasn’t always pretty,” he added.

Moving on to Georgia State, Saban said: “We respect our opponent this week, but the focus has to be on everybody getting better, on fundamental improvement, on ability to do things a certain way and take them into the game based on how you practiced. That’s what we have to improve on.”

Georgia State football is in its infancy, having only played four football seasons. Saban was asked how the Panthers could build its program.

“First thing is to develop basic fundamentals of the program,” he responded. Saban said the Panthers should “define the goals of their program” not only on-the-field, but in terms of academic and personal development. He said goals need to be “realistic” but “far-sighted” enough to envision success on a higher level. Saban said it takes “a lot of people,” and “a lot of hard work.”

Saban said Georgia State has made strides in recruiting good athletes and “does really good things as a team.”

Saban was asked about the Tide’s strength and conditioning program.

“We’re kind of old fashioned in that regard,” he said. He explained that his program has a vigorous off-season work-out program, dubbed “The Fourth Quarter Program” to instill “work ethic,” and “discipline.” He praised strength coach Scott Cochran for a “fantastic” job overseeing the program.

“We’ve had a lot of players here who have made a lot of progress physically,” Saban said. He said those players serve as an example to younger ones. “‘If I work hard I can develop in a way that can change the way I play’.” Saban said.

Asked about the Tide’s presence in the Atlanta area, playing in several Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classics, Saban said his program has taken advantage of several opportunities to play in neutral site games from Jacksonville, to Dallas, and Atlanta.

He said the neutral site games give the Tide “national exposure” and “local exposure in those areas.”

“We’ve played a lot of games in Atlanta,” he said. “And I hope we get to play, you know, a few more.”

Nick Saban On Paul Finebaum:

Longtime radio personality Paul Finebaum was a fixture on Birmingham and regional radio for more than two decades. He recently took a job working for ESPN out of Charlotte, and will soon be featured on the SEC Network. Saban was asked about Finebaum’s move.

“I can’t speak for Paul (about whether it was a good move)” Saban said. “He’s one of the more acutely aware guys in college football, I can speak to that.”

Saban said he has a “friendship” with Finebaum, going back to Saban’s days as the coach at LSU. Saban said he has “used” Finebaum on occasions to “brainstorm” about dealing with public relations issues.

Saban praised Finebaum for his knowledge and understanding of the issues that face college football.

Regarding some of the callers to Finebaum’s show, and their often passionate views, Saban said he doesn’t get caught up in negative or positive feedback from callers. “You can’t please everybody,” he said. Callers’ opinions are not a “reflection of Paul Finebaum and his professionalism,” Saban said.

Saban said Finebaum has created a lot of interest in Alabama football, Auburn football, the SEC, and college football in general.

“I sort of respect that.” He said.

Nick Saban On Targeting Calls:

Saban reflected on another targeting call. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was flagged in the Texas A&M game and Eddie Jackson was called out in the Ole Miss game. Both players avoided ejection from the game.

Saban said Clinton-Dix was involved in a much faster “bang-bang” play, and that Jackson actually had a chance to pull away at the end of his play.

Saban said he believes players can still be aggressive, but have to be mindful of the targeting rule.

“I don’t see them being less aggressive,” he said. “I just see them being more aware of ‘Hey, I’ve got to see what I hit…I can’t hit the guy’s head…I can’t launch on an unprotected player.’ I think that’s a good thing.”

Saban said, “Everybody’s aware of the consequences of the foul.”

5 thoughts on “Alabama Football: Saban dishes out ‘respect’; Praises Paul Finebaum”

  1. just read on twitter, Clinton/Dix has been suspended “indefinitely”.

    i said last year if Coach Saban won a natty with that team it’d be his greatest coaching job.

    he could easily surpass that mark this year.

  2. No doubt. Saban has been having conniptions over lack of focus and consistency. In tonight’s press conference he seemed really put out that some players can’t “have a number over 29.” Nick has bent over backwards to let players have the “cool” numbers they want…now he’s getting PO’d cause its causing penalties. Saban sounded hoarse like he’d been yelling all afternoon.

  3. Shit-for-brains, what was the purpose of your link? It fucking sure doesn’t back up your dumbass statement about Dix being a casualty of the Fluker agent shit. Just a typical Barnturd masturbater. Careful, you’ll break that thing off dipshit. By the way, Geno Smith was also suspended indefinitely until Saban made a decision to suspend him for a game.

  4. Now that we have the dumbasses remarks taken care of I’ll give my thoughts. I’m trying to put Saban’s individual remarks together and reading between the lines to make a story. What we have is Saban screaming enough to be extremely hoarse. That tells me it is something both serious and stupid and could involve more players than just Dix and he is big time pissed. Then we have Dix being suspended ‘indefinitely’ and Saban not knowing for how long. And Dix is still practicing with the team. So just playing devils advocate here’s what I came up with: If Dix failed a drug test or was drinking and driving, or boffing a teacher or whatever – Saban would know what his punishment should be, and if he was going to be suspended for like 2 games he probably wouldn’t practice with the team. However, if there has been some connection to an agent or benefits, he will have to sit until he is cleared or Bama might have to forfeit the games he played in.There will have to be an investigation and therefore neither Saban or anyone can say how long the suspension will last. Hence, indefinitely. However, if he is cleared then he can play immediately, hence he practices with the team in hopes that he will be cleared. Understand that this is speculation of the highest order. But I do not like what I am thinking about this shit. If it turns out this is agent related and there are still more players involved, somebody in the administration needs to have their asses kicked. I mean we are talking about a Dynastic team which has sent 15 or more players to the pros each of the last 5 or 6 years. You think those fucking money grabbing piece of shit vulture agents are just sitting on their lawn sipping a cool one and waiting. Someone needed to be following our star athletes around; and as soon as a fucking agent sets foot in the State of Alabama he needs to fitted with a damn GPS ankle bracelet. I’m waiting impatiently for more to come out about this whole mess, and if the shit hits the fan and destroys these three seasons, I’m finished with football. I’m getting too Goddamn old to go through another Albert Means/Logan Young crock of shit.

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