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Nick Saban Punks LeBron James

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If LeBron James has any collegiate eligibility left for football, he shouldn’t expect a scholly offer from Alabama head coach Nick Saban.

The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer reports an interesting take on the LeBron James situation from Alabama’s National Championship head coach at a recent high school coaching clinic in Huntsville.

When talking about leadership, the topic of LeBron James’ nationally televised announcement of his signing with the Miami Heat came up.

“The way (James) managed what he just did speaks volumes about who he is and whether he is a team guy — not because he left Cleveland, but the way he did it,” Saban said. “ … That’s not the kind of trust and respect you’d like to have in a team organization.”

Interpretation?  “LeBron, it’s all about you, huh?  Well, not in my organization, Nancy.”

It’s an interesting quote considering the way Saban left the Miami Dolphins to come to Alabama.  It’s also interesting in that Nick Saban has specifically mentioned the talented basketball player to his team when referring to what excellence looks like.

Apparently not anymore.

The grandiose, sell out nature of LeBron’s announcement reeked of self.  In contrast, Coach Saban quietly went about the process away from the camera with Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga, his wife Terry Saban and Alabama Athletics Director Mal Moore.

For Cleveland fans, the LeBron announcement was the equivalent of your wife or girlfriend going on national television to announce her break up with you for a new beau, then twenty four hours later copulating with him on TV for you to have to see.

That’s not leadership.  And from a man who has led his organizations to multiple championships to one who has yet to do so, Saban just told LeBron to sit down and shut up.

62 thoughts on “Nick Saban Punks LeBron James”

  1. and that’s the thing, it’s the way he left.

    this deal has been in the works for some time. i think gilbert came off sounding like a crybaby but he does have a point.

    i kept thinking to myself watching james tank out against a team (boston) they really should have beat and wondering what’s going on here??

    this deal had been in the works for some time. bosh, james and wade were speaking behind the scenes. this deal was done long before the season was over, never doubt it.

    and this coach miami has now will be gone at the miami’s first ten point loss.

    the missing link is in l a and his last name ain’t fisher.

  2. Again. Bama fans are absolutely the biggest no class inbreds in the CFB …..SPORTS world…..This coming from the dude that lied through his freekin teeth to the people of Miami ? “I will not be the next coach at Alabama”……You dorks remember that one ?

    And its all fine and good…..I wouldnt bring the crap up if it were not for this bologny right here…..Your head coach did the same and then kicked it up a couple of nitches by lying through his teeth…..

    Naw……Bama fans are the ones being punked.

  3. Wrong again, BP.

    1. Despite what Saban told the media when pressed for an answer, he kept the Dolphin’s owner in the loop every step of the way, this coming straight from Huizenga’s mouth. That’s not the same as LeBron not letting the Cav’s owner know until the same moment you and I found out.

    2. A spur-of-the-moment mistake in the media is not the same as a calculated and executed-to-the-letter plan.

    3. Despite being “guilty” of something far LESS egregious than LeBron’s antics, Coach Saban actually REGRETS what he did. LeBron doesn’t and likely never will.

  4. ITK…..Try as you may, you cannot excuse your coach for his character in that matter…..There is no excuse for it. While his people probably kept the dolphins owner in the loop about talks , you can bet your butt Saban never once led him to believe that he was really leaving…the team hated the dude for it, the fans hated the dude for it, and the owner was pretty pissed in the interviews Ive seen……Lebron, is single player, not the leader of the team…. Plus he let his intentions be known aforehand, and never misled anyone. he told the truth…What Saban did was worse…Period….For Saban to say anything about Lebron is only reflective of his own holier than though attitude.

    He is a hypocrie.

    Saban needs to shut his trap and look in the mirror.

  5. The main difference between Saban and Lebron … 2 rings. For that matter it is the main difference between Saban and every college football coach in America not named Paterno or Meyer.

  6. The Barners REEK of jealousy at every turn. Let it go, losers. Saban is twice the man any coach you have ever had at the cow pasture. 14-0.

  7. BP, what’s a hypocrie?

    And you know what he sees when he looks in the mirror? A 2-time national champion.

  8. And BP, to say LeBron was a “single player” on that team is like saying your heart is “just another part” in your body. Please. They’d fire the coach…any coach they had…LONG before they’d toss LeBron.

    And, while you’re at it assuming and everything, any more complete figments of your imagination I can “bet my butt” on?

  9. so , I skipped a “t”……Sue me…..And he sees a two time national chapmpion / lying sack of crap…….

    I guess winning makes being a liar alright……Like I said , your base has zero class…..And your own coach who touts his “process” claims winning is just a by-product of that process…..But getting the little things right , and having the right “character” have more to do with the process than victories……What a crock.

    You and your coach both pile on Lebron, a profesional athlete, for doing what is legal, and completely justified….With no dewception or dishonosty at all in what he did…….And blow Sabans horn for winning while preaching character while lying through his teeth ?

    Believe it when I say, I am not jealouse of that….At all.

  10. BPI, No need to spill your jealous hate on this site. Will this make you feel better?….

    Chizik is a better coach than Saban
    Auburn is a traditional powerhouse
    More people like Auburn than Alabama
    Your 1957 championship and undefeated 2004 season is better than Alabamas 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 (pick your number) championships.
    Alabama fans are classless, delusional, etc.
    Cam Newton will win the Heisman.
    Auburn will the National Championship this year.

    Does any of that make you feel better about you and your team?

    We like to take care of our little sister in Lee county, so they’ll quit pouting and having little hissy fits everytime we get something they don’t have (National Championship)

  11. how does going to play in an environment with other superstars add up to not being a team guy??? there is a good chance he will be the 2nd or 3rd best guy many nights…

  12. That dang 1st amendment. How dare Saban use it, eh Jerry?

    Show me a horse with a rear that can win 80% of its games and multiple national championships and I’ll show you a horse’s butt I’ll listen to.

  13. Indy Vol how about your vols at Bar Knoxville show!! Beat up a off duty cop real impressive!! It will take Dooley years to clean
    that cess pool want Phat Phil and Boy Blunder left!! RTR

  14. 1st amendment – yes you he is free to say what he wants and i am free to say that i feel what he said is stupid… i am just looking for the logic in him going there… seems like he is playing to the non-nba good ole bubba crowd (that is the general pop. of the tide nation) there is a great big world of sports outside of sec football…

  15. And I’m free to tell you that you saying that what he said was stupid is stupid. See, we can both do that. Neat.

    And your comment about “bubba” is highly intolerant and as a Southern American I am offended by such a narrow minded view. Shame on you.

  16. First amendment, typing with yor feet. Next will be my spelling, right ? It only shows me you know you are losing this one and grasping for straws……..Saban should have just said “no comment” and moved on. Instead, he called the kettle black….

    Whats next ? “Crystal”???? Yeah, that will justify it….

    You could somehow justify Charles Manson as your head coach if he won games, couldnt you ?

  17. Talent wins in College, wbere recruiting promises and campus perks rule. This guy couldn’t wash a jock strap in the pros and proved it….but he has an opinion and asshole like the rest of us……………

  18. the title of this little blog is a joke – little nicky “punking” anyone.. using a term from the court or the hood as if saban could actually punk lebron out..

  19. screw saban. the heat have a leader d wade. he has a ring and no matter what james and bosh will be looking at him

  20. James wanted a change of venue..Thats his decision and he made it….James is a pretty stand up guy. Not your average NBA homeslice / Ron Artest / gangsta with a bankroll….He has class.vMore than Nick Saban…What would be funny is if Lebron hopped a plane to T-town and slung little Nicky like a yard dart….

    Saban needs a slice of humble pie…….Thar or a muzzle.

  21. The issue is leadership. Ask the people in Cleveland who depended on LeBron for their livelihoods how they feel about his leadership today.

    And BP, that’s the kind of thuggish behavior one might expect from someone who is selfish with no character. Since Chiznik loves him some Eric Smith, he’d love him some LeBron too, huh? It’s fun to beat someone and leave them laying bleeding and unconscious and yet still get to stay on the team.

  22. Im not lettin you flip the basis of the article you wrote…..Noce try , butn ot happening….Nick Saban was the COACH at Miami…He told the media on more than one occasion that he , under absolutely no circumstances, would become the coach at Alabama….Now, thats not a problem to me…Yes , he lied, but its the nature of the beast.

    Here is where the problem comes in. When Saban busts someone elses balls for leaving a team legitimately, when he doesnt have the character to do the same. Lebron left Cleveland under different circumstances than Saban left Miami….Saban flat out lied, then broke his contract, and went to Alabama. He lied to the media, the fans , and to a large degree, the organization. Lebrons intentions have been known for a while now, and he was forthcoming about the possiblility of free agency for the past couple of years.

    Lebron James is not responsible for CLevelands economy, or the economy generated by the team. The owner is. Had the owner wanted to keep James badly enough, he would have found a way. If he couldnt have found a way, tough…Its called a free market for a reason. Lebron didnt screw anyone…..Saban screwed the entire city of Miami.

    There is no way you win this one ITK…Your Crimson goggles got the best of you, and you wrote an article before you could remember what your jerk coach did….

    Trying to defend what he did in comparison to Lebron just makes you look like Charles from Reeltown.

  23. I don’t have to defend any action from Nick Saban. I don’t love him as much as you hate him. OR should I say, FEAR him.

    All I have successfully pointed out is, Saban regretted his flippant response to the media when pressed and poked and prodded and berated about the rumors.

    The difference between Saban and you and I is, when WE are interested in another job somewhere, we don’t have microphones and cameras shoved in our faces held by media members with agendas, trying to make a name for themselves in a HIGHLY competitive market. We apply or are approached quietly, then in most cases, we let our employer know and we leave.

    Even so, and I’m sure you’ve missed this the plethora of times I’ve already said this, Saban still has said he regrets making the flippant comment, but he was trying to hold his team together until his obligations to the Dolphins were over at the end of the season. Wouldn’t so much as talk to Mal until then.

    LeBron, however, staged a “look at me” campaign and show, where he NEVER let his employer know what he was doing until you, me and the homeless man down on 5th Avenue watching through a sports bar window found out.

    That you and Jerry can’t see the difference is appalling. I can’t believe you have the same rights as I do in this country. It’s scary, frankly.

    But when you are as scared of something as you are of Nick Saban and what he’s turning the Crimson Tide into, I can clearly understand why you’d throw stones.

    Keep your failing argument up in future posts all you want, but I’ve clearly sat you down on this one (to those not guzzling the abarn Koolaid, that is).

  24. BP – the envy you have for Alabama trumps a heroin addict for the next fix – I have never read text like the s#|t you regurgitate on a daily basis on this website. Trust me – If my team were the beta program to the alpha – I would throw stones as much as I could due to the unattainable –

    Everyone knows that Aubarn had “its'” shot while Alabama suffered through a decade of NZAA sanctions.

    It’s not the Alabama faithful’s fault that USC were pre-seasoned ranked ahead of your excrement laden team. Oh, and don’t even bring up class because session has been out for a long time – I see Aubarn succeeding only if Tuscaloosa fell into a black hole never to be seen by mankind into the oblivion of space – I’ll try to simplify all of this . . .

    You will never be The University of Alabama – home of the Crimson Tide – a proud collective of some of the best fans in the world – that’s what it is – the “collective” that just isn’t comprehended by most people.

  25. I was reading 13 and countings post above, and it is so true.
    When will the aubbos realize that they are The state of alabama’s version of Tulane?
    The rest of the world is waiting on Auburn to finally sip the sweet serene nectar of reality.
    And what is that reality? You are and have always been a kneejerk little college in Lee county. ‘The only fame you ever had, came from a school that want een named “Auburn University” in 1957 and in fact (much like in 2004) Auburn never even played in the 57 National Championship but they still want a share of it ANYWAY!
    Jeezz… Auburn is so pathetic.

  26. Well arent the roaches coming out of the woodwork to defend the undefendable…..ITK, we arent comparing Saban to me or you….I compared him to Lebron….They had similar situations. One handled it lying through his teeth and maybe Lebron grandstanded some, I dont know. I can assure you that Lebrons agent was in touch with the owner, and once an athlete goes into free agency and wishes to leave, he doesnt owe the owner a dadgum thing….This isnt about beeing “skeered” of Nick Saban. He is a freegin midget. I would stomp a mudhole in his arse……Now that thats out of the way. Yes, he is a good coach. But a liar. The problem is when he berates someone for doing somehting he did times 40…..But you dont get it….Why ? CAUSE ROLL TIDE !!!!!!!!!!! CRYSTAL !!!!!!!!!!! 13 BABY !!!!!!!!! That makes it o.k. to spew crap like that above article….

    By the way, this is much better than the conference expansion drivel….I missed it.

  27. my comments have zero to do with au and ua….and everything to do with the battle against hypocrisy and the fact that the local media will give sir saban a complete pass on his critical comments of a world class athelete..i simply am not giving him a pass and think it is pathetic that people like you think it is cool for him to say such things… i could see all the little bubba coaches (probably very few that graduated from tusc.) cheering him on at the clinic..

  28. Remember, Saban was under contract while he did his thing, Lebron wasn’t. And what is a contract other than a promise to do something. Lebron’s selfish, Sabon’s selfish & a liar.

  29. And BP, I’m sure LeBron is curled up in fetal position worrying about Saban’s comments. Give me a break with the bleeding heart routine.

    hd3, interesting comments, and in most cases I agree. But do you cry foul when a junior who can better himself bypasses his senior year and goes pro? Or when you have satellite service and you break your contract to get cable?

    Contracts are not binding, or else they wouldn’t create ways out.

    And strangely, I’m led to believe that any “outrage” over Saban has more to do with him kicking your team’s tail in the foreseeable future than actual disagreement with his words or actions.

  30. It’s well known in the south that Nick Saban is a racist, and a cheater. Now we all know he’s a hypocrite also.

  31. Fear and desperation manifests itself in many forms, and stupidity is one one of those.

    When one is dominating you, “you’re a cheater” is often a quick go to.

    But racist? Yeah I guess that’s why he’s recruited and started so many black QBs (Rohan Davey, Marcus Randall, Russell, Sims, etc).

    Thank you for your fearful, moronic post sickboy. I take it your sickness is mental.

  32. BP, you’ve drifted beyond the reach of anyone that can help – or understand – you.

    You’ve taught me much here, friend. Following your lead, I think I’ll go race Usain Bolt then tell him I dominated him.

  33. ITK….I know when your giving up when you stop posting about the above article that you wrote and then compare yourself to Mr. Bolt.

    Changing the subject only reflects the fact that you spoke out of your rectum.

  34. By the way, what personal love fest do you have for LeBron James? Do you have to watch his games alone or something?

  35. The points made in this article are laughable at best. The main difference between the exit of Nick Satan and LeBrick is that Nick Satan lied to the faces of the Dolphins organization, the ownership, and all of South Florida, and practically the next day was on a plane to Tuscaloosa to be the “Alabama head coach.”

    LeBrick fulfilled his contract with Cleveland and informed the nation and the Cavaliers organization via a tasteless TV special about his decision to play in Miami with two other superstars. However, he was never dishonest or disingenuous throughout the decision process (at least not publicly during the free agent signing period).

    To even think that Nick Satan would have the gall to come out and make this criticism of LeBrick is testament to the classless nature of how he has conducted himself as a professional (now as an amateur football coach) and how low a once classy and historic college football program has stooped in shielding Nick Satan from valid and deserved criticism in exchange for national championships. This ridiculous article is prime example of that, but having visited Tuscaloosa, I don’t blame the locals for feverishly spinning the reality of what Nick Satan is, since they really have don’t have anything else to hold on to or be proud about.

    At least LeBrick gave Cleveland a shot at a NBA title. Satan just sunk the Dolphins further into oblivion, and he ran back to amateur football, probably knowing he was going to be a failure at the highest level of his profession. Him and Dave Wann-Stache should write a manifesto on how to systematically destroy successful NFL franchises only to flee to the amateur level in search of a self-esteem boost.

  36. So Zanderech…

    …not that I expect you to read this now that happy time is over…

    …you’re telling me that if a microphone is shoved in your face TODAY with a reporter putting you on the spot about another opportunity that MAY or MAY NOT be a good move for you…because you haven’t investigated it yet…

    …you would be absolutely open about your interest, regardless of what it would mean to your present employment situation and those who depend on you.

    Yeah.

    Oh beacon of employment salvation, I guess YOU buzz by your boss’ office on your way out the door to let him know lunch will be a little long today because you have a job interview.

    The fact is, you’re a nobody spewing on a blog and won’t ever have to seriously answer that question.

    And thanks for the enlightenment on how we prefer…how you say…”amateur level” football, what with its pageantry, tradition and far superior fan following to the “laundry exchange” that is professional football, complete with fabricated and manufactured fan interest.

    We love college football because we take ownership of the school we either attended or are touched by. You love pro football for reasons unbeknownst to God or man.

    Thanks for slithering in, idiot. Hope your Dolphins make the playoffs again before you die. If you need us in boring Tuscaloosa we’ll be vying for our 14th national championship.

  37. Oh, and one more thing Zanderwhatever, I loved this part of your mindless, meaningless rant:

    “The main difference between the exit of Nick Satan and LeBrick is that Nick Satan lied to the faces of the Dolphins organization, the ownership…”

    So I guess the Dolphin’s owner Wayne Huizenga was lying when he said publicly that Saban had been open with him every step of the way.

    See, before you get your little fingers “to-a-flying” on a keyboard, facts are a neat thing to check.

    Thank you for making me hate the Heat and the Dolphins even more than I already did.

  38. Way to get off-topic ITK and sling half-assed insults and half-baked counter arguments.

    The fact of the matter is, Nick Saban should be the LAST person criticizing anyone about how they left a franchise, or for focusing on their future. What do you think Saban did to LSU and Miami? Saban only watches out for #1. If anything, Saban should have given Lebron pointers on how to leave the cavaliers like an asshole. If he had done that, this article would have made more sense instead of sounding like a biased article written by a community college dropout with an affinity for Alabama football.

    As for the professional football vs college football side of things, your argument is delusional. According to you the NFL has no tradition or any true fan base. Forget the fact people cheer for a pro team that is close to home, there is no real connection there. Am I right? This method of thinking is laughable, your arguments are laughable, but most of all this article is laughable.

  39. You address my points with spite and bitterness, and even resorting to personal insults. Very classy I must say. Then again, thats to be expected from a Tide zealot.

    Fan following or not, College football is not the pinnacle of the sport. Thousands of college athletes from D-1 schools fail to make it to the next level of competition every year, and many that are drafted fail to even make a team, or are usually relegated to the scout team.

    Why am I a professional football fan? Because I love competition, so its only natural to watch the best athletes play, and the best coaches coach. There is also plenty of tradition and epic moments that professional football has produced for Americans for nearly a century, even with small town markets such as Pittsburgh and Minnesota. You just choose to either ignore it or degrade it (probably because there has never been a professional football franchise in the state of Alabama) in order to place the only thing you know on a higher pedestal.

    I do agree that the purity of the game (or pure passion for the sport) can be better found found at the college level. However, the way Alabama and Florida organized their cake-walk schedules while being highly ranked in the BCS was a disgrace. College football is beginning to receive the taint of big money with BCS bowl game contracts and super conferences, so don’t be so quick to put it up on a pedestal.

    Nick Satan should have lied lied, period. He should of not answered the question, or claim he hadn’t considered the position. But he gave a definite answer. He said he was “Not going to be the Alabama coach.” Not “I have not considered such an offer” or anything of the sort. Definites are dangerous, especially if they are lies, and it ended up biting him in the ass.

    It seems Lebrick is better at giving non-definites than the more experienced and “wiser” Nick Satan. Look how Brett Favre answers questions regarding returning to play every year. He is textbook in how the media can be answered on the fly without giving definites.

    As for your personal attack on me as a “nobody,” I guess that is up to the eye of the beholder really. What I can say is that I am a professional, with a professional license that gives me the power to go places that less than 1% of the nation’s population go, and my goal as a professional is to strive to be the best at what I do, and not digress to less demanding or a less complex line of work (essentially the point is to always be moving forward). Nick Satan gave up on himself at the highest level because it was hard, so he fled to Tuscaloosa to win “easy.” Your insults can’t negate those facts.

    All in all, he should keep his mouth shut and focus on winning that 14th you so covet. And yes, Tuscaloosa is boring, but the people of Alabama are very nice and gracious (except for you of course).

  40. Pro football is a spectacle, no doubt. It is a all-star game every week with the best of the best, packed with collisions running back to linebacker that rival a low speed auto accident.

    But still, Zander, it was you who threw the first stone, and in terms of atmosphere, while you have your opinion, you’re welcome to be wrong. It’s why our founding fathers signed the documents to give you that right.

    There is no substitute for college football atmosphere. Is the competition the same? Obviously not. But show me a Bills v. Jaguars game and I’ll show you a cure for insomnia.

    As for you being a nobody, I’m impressed with your 1% speech. Eloquent. Maybe you are “somebody”. But all I contend is that very few make decisions in life with microphones firmly placed by eager hands under our noses. If I were in his shoes, maybe I would do it differently. But maybe not. What we have in common is, neither of us truly know.

    Lying and answering flippantly to the media, when at that point in time…look, it’s a dying, useless argument. But to say the owner wasn’t informed is a grotesque, uninformed overstatement on your part.

    But don’t worry, my new friend. I forgive you.

    And as for you, KD Lang, you’re welcome (and invited) to come back and read other articles we post that are true. Call them whatever you wish. Just know you’re welcome here.

  41. Wayne did come out and say he was informed all along the way. I remember watching the news conference with him on local news, followed by Don Shula’s comments on the whole dilemma.

    There were a lot of people within the Dolphins Organization that stated that no one really knew until he boarded that plane, but we will never know. Mr. Huizenga handled it with class, probably because he kind of looked like a fool for putting so much faith in Saban in the first place, the same faith Dolphins fans gave him when he came to town promising a change of “culture.”

    Its like you said, its a dying argument… until Saban starts throwing stones from glass houses. Stick to coaching Alabama, win more championships, but don’t comment on trust and respect in regards to departing from a former employer. Its not his place.

    On another note, thanks for responding to the trolling and not deleting the posts. Saban will always be a touchy subject to South Floridians, especially when he references their latest superstar athlete. As for Alabama, great school, great fans, tough road to 14, Miami vs. Ohio State will determine who you will play in the BCS championship this year.

    Have a great week.

  42. ITK…You know exactly what Im talking about. Dont act like you dont.

    You got it handed to you on this one.

  43. BP, you’ve known me a long time, and you’ve been living on this site a lot longer than I have. I hope you see through this now to know I’m being dead serious. No sarcasm or witticisms intended.

    What did you hand me?

  44. Hah! Unreal – for “Z” to pull the 1%er line out and threaten that he could go places we can’t – all credibility was thrown out. Why? Because you didn’t back it up about your percentage status and to me and and a million others you look like a pissed off nobody in Broward Co. who has a grudge to fill with a bad google search that landed here. The mortar is loaded. Let’s go!

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