Or we could turn that around and ask that hangers-on have some respect for the institution and walk away when it is time without forcing the institution to push them out. I travelled more than normal last football season, and as a result, I listened to several games on the radio. It was almost impossible to follow the game. Eli goes whole sets of downs at times with never mentioning down, distance, yardage gained.  And other times, he would only fill in the details of the previous play halfway through the next. So many "the ball carrier made positive yardage" with no indication of who was in the game as running back and if positive yardage was 3 yards or 9.
It was time for him to go. He has been an important part of Alabama football, but seasons change. It is incumbent on all of us to recognize when our season ends and allow an opportunity for the next generation. Look no farther than our politicians for further example.