Reading threads about all our team's holes, weaknesses, youth and inexperience, it really makes a fan (like myself) realize how difficult it is to build quality depth at the SEC level. I know the Internet has made everything much more visible, but I can recall a time when most of us niether knew or cared the names of back-ups past the RB and QB positions.
Remember the good ole days: Freshman playing, much less starting?..never happen...don't have to learn their names for a couple of years. New recruits...I'm sure we got some fine prospects...didn't follow it too closely because they won't play for a couple of years anyway. Somebody got kicked off the team...or didn't pan out...or realize their potential...or make their grades...probably never hear much about it.
I guess probation changes everything. Now we follow recruiting like these kids are the next coming. Now, when kids don't pan out, we wonder what went wrong...how it could happen...we feel a sense of loss because we know AlLL their names. Now we follow everything because we never seem to have enough depth, experience or talent anywhere on the field.
For myself, I can honestly say that I never realized how many players never make it, whether due to injury, grades, discipinary issues or lack of talent. Considering Bama's recruiting was damaged by media reports and NCAA foot-dragging for 2 years prior to going on probation, its amazing Bama has been able to win even 6 games a year for many of the recent seasons.
It does give us something to talk about, but it sure is tough to watch "the process" because it seems it is certainly an uphill battle from the depths of probation. RTR.
Remember the good ole days: Freshman playing, much less starting?..never happen...don't have to learn their names for a couple of years. New recruits...I'm sure we got some fine prospects...didn't follow it too closely because they won't play for a couple of years anyway. Somebody got kicked off the team...or didn't pan out...or realize their potential...or make their grades...probably never hear much about it.
I guess probation changes everything. Now we follow recruiting like these kids are the next coming. Now, when kids don't pan out, we wonder what went wrong...how it could happen...we feel a sense of loss because we know AlLL their names. Now we follow everything because we never seem to have enough depth, experience or talent anywhere on the field.
For myself, I can honestly say that I never realized how many players never make it, whether due to injury, grades, discipinary issues or lack of talent. Considering Bama's recruiting was damaged by media reports and NCAA foot-dragging for 2 years prior to going on probation, its amazing Bama has been able to win even 6 games a year for many of the recent seasons.
It does give us something to talk about, but it sure is tough to watch "the process" because it seems it is certainly an uphill battle from the depths of probation. RTR.