Nick Saban: The Idiot Father

Tuesday Nick Saban dropped his pants to show that he has bigger, hairier balls than all of us combined when he called out the NFL to do something about agents that assist student athletes to get in trouble.

I think that the players have a responsibility to make good choices and decisions about what they do with the agents. I also think the NFL Players Association has a responsibility to monitor and control what agents do.

I think if an agent does anything to affect the eligibility of a college football player, his license ought to be suspended for a year. That's the only way we're going to stop what's happening out there because it's ridiculous and it's entrapment of young people at a very difficult time in their life. And it's very difficult for the institutions and NCAA to control it and it's very unfair to college football.

I think as college coaches, we should look into doing something about that relative to we develop a lot of football players so they can go on and play in the NFL. We treat the NFL as well as anybody in the United States when they come to the University of Alabama. If something doesn't go on from their end of it to control what they're doing to affect our players, then I'm not sure that that same hospitality will be welcomed in the future.

Now, while Saban gives the boiler-plate "players should be responsible" quote at the beginning of what I've quoted here, it's brushed over quickly as though it's inconsequential. Instead he focuses on two other entities. First, the dirty agents, who I'm not exonerating; they share a great deal of responsibility in this matter. I happen to agree with him that the agents should face stiff penalties for coaxing these kids to break rules (same with boosters, though their schools may impose penalties on them that I/we don't know about). Second, the NFL, which for some reason should supposedly share the blame for college kids getting into trouble at the hands of agents and boosters playing fast and loose with their money and the rules.

The problem is that this comes off as the idiot father looking to assign blame to anyone but himself when his kid goes off and gets himself in trouble.

It doesn't help that Saban's not exactly a likable character, and is already seen as looking to stab the NFL in the back any chance he gets with how he treated the Dolphins. But here he just looks to be ducking his responsibility to teach his own kids a lesson. That's right Nick, everyone here's at fault except you and the schools. You're all just looking out for their best interests, not trying to cut corners yourselves.

Tomorrow, Nick has some fantastic soon to be highly developed real estate opportunities in the 'Bama wetlands that he'd love to discuss with you!

Postscript: For what it's worth, I agree with Saban that agents are out of control here. The fact that schools are hammered constantly as well as the students, while no punishment is levied against the agents is ridiculous. However, what the NFL has to do with this, I have no idea, and his threats against the NFL sound to me like a bitter kid that's angry he was left off the invite list to a party. Plus, the coaches need to take some responsibility here themselves...Saban acting as though the coaches don't have a clue what goes on with their kids getting paid is laughably asinine.