Reality Check

[The Advocate]

It seems as if the media and the "haters" of the Alabama program are not dealing with reality here lately. People are bashing Shula and the team about not winning the big games, or having an unimaginative offense, but they seem not to even give a little bit of thought to the fact that over the past three years we have lost over 15 scholarships and lost our best skilled athletes to major injuries. I am ecstatic about the future of this program! 15 lost scholarships means fifteen Prothros, Castilles, Croyles and Gilberry's that we possibly missed out on.

Now that we will have the full complement of scholarships available once again, I think that we will be back sooner than later. It seems as if those outside the program act as if probation never happened and that it didn't have anything to do with the last two seasons. Heck, I never even mentioned having three coaches in the last four seasons!

The reality of it all is this, we've persevered the storm and come next year they will all see the Alabama that they somehow expected to see this year. :wink:

 

[Bamabuzzard]

The reason it seems the "haters" and the media act like the probation never happened is because in the community of football, whether it be on the pro level, college level or even the highschool level, there is this unwritten code of honor that doesn't allow coaches to use "injuries" or things like "probation" as an excuse.

How many times have you heard or read Mike Shula saying that the reason we played the way we did was due to the sanctions or the massive amount of injuries we've had? Not many if at all. People in the football community just don't use things like that as excuses. They expect to win anyway. They expect to get the job done and others such as the media have the same approach.

The reason being is because just as soon as you start blaming the injuries or the sanctions, there'll be another coach at another school who'll experience the same amount of injuries and still succeed. Good coaches think and expect that they can coach their team to wins, they can make up for the injuries or the sanctions.

People outside the Alabama program don't care if we've had injuries or sanctions. The bottom line is are you winning or are you losing?

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Few...

people have had our sanctions. Few have had our offensive injuries. Nobody, in the fifty years or so I've been following college football has had the combination. The press is pretty well unanimous in this belief. Sometimes our fans seem to be a little slow in grasping the facts...

 

[Crimson Surfer]

people have had our sanctions. Few have had our offensive injuries. Nobody, in the fifty years or so I've been following college football has had the combination. The press is pretty well unanimous in this belief. Sometimes our fans seem to be a little slow in grasping the facts...

I am quite frankly disturbed by the internal Bama bashing that goes on repeatedly on this board. I can actually handle it pretty well when it is coming from opponents that hate Bama because you expect it. When it comes from people claiming to be fans of the Crimson Tide on almost a daily basis it almost becomes overwhelming. It just seems that some people just don't get it. Coach Shula and the entire Bama team are fighting their hearts out and they deserve a whole lot better than what they get from some of our fans. Winning is important but it is not the end all. There has to be credit given for a valiant struggle against enormous difficulties. I will continue to try and be a voice of reason where I can.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

people have had our sanctions. Few have had our offensive injuries. Nobody, in the fifty years or so I've been following college football has had the combination. The press is pretty well unanimous in this belief. Sometimes our fans seem to be a little slow in grasping the facts...

Either way you don't hear Shula using any of it as an excuse. He expects to win whether Brodie is behind center or Spencer. He expects the plays he calls to be executed whether Brodie or Spencer is in there. He expects the blocking assignments to be executed whether Britt's in there or the player that is backing him up is in there.

I think the majority of fans realize the impact of our injuries. I think the ones who don't recognize this fact are in the minority. Then you have a small circle of folks who like to focus on the minority and want to portray them as the majority. I think this happens on other topics a well. Like the "Shula Bashing". Sure, there are fans that bash shula but they are in the minority on this board. But from the posts you read by the holier than thou posters you'd think everybody except them are shula bashers. That they are the ONLY ONES who support him and have supported him "through it all".....yada yada yada

As for the media, they mention our injuries but don't sit there and cry about them like some bama fans think they should. We expect others to care about our team like we do and when they don't they somehow become "haters".

 

[TIDE-HSV]

And...

your point was? I seem to remember you as a member of the "just win, baby" crowd. That can get just as old as the excuse-makers you seem to despise...

 

[Bamabuzzard]

your point was? I seem to remember you as a member of the "just win, baby" crowd. That

"Just win, baby crowd"??? O.k. Whatever you say fella, or better yet whatever you're talking about.


My "point" was that I think fans DO realize "the facts" about this team and the circumstances. I think the media realizes "the facts" about this team and the circumstances. On every televised game we play that is one of the first things ALL THE announcers bring up. And they bring it often through out the game.

However, you do have the idiots who don't factor in the "facts" or the circumstances and start talking out of pure stupidity and ignorance. But as I said before, those people (on this board) are a small majority who tend to get more attention than the fans who do realize "the facts" and acknowledge them often.

This board has more football savy people than most football boards do. I've been to a lot of them and trust me, the majority here are pretty good posters.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Well...

maybe the "no excuses" crowd, as when you were trying to impute the injuries to the coaching staff in some vague, undefined way. At any rate, I have a hard day tomorrow and I haven't time for any more of this tonight. Have a good evening and a good tomorrow...

 

[Bamabuzzard]

... as when you were trying to impute the injuries to the coaching staff in some vague, undefined way.

I think you've got me mixed up with someone else. The only discussion I've had about injuries and the coaching staff was when I was wondering if Guillon's injury was worse than what was being reported. Then you accused me of calling Coach Shula a "liar". Only to find out the next week that his injury was more serious than first reported.

Either way, it doesn't matter. Life is too short for some things and this falls into one of those "some things".


Good night and hope all goes well with your surgery.

 

[rolltide87]

Coach Shula cannot use injuries or sanctions as an excuse. If he uses it as an excuse, the players would use it as an excuse as well. It would hurt the confidence of the players who are there and we would not even be competitive. Coach Shula has to approach every game to win it and fully expect the remaining players to step up. IMHO, Coach Shula has done everything to build the foundation for the future while still putting the players in a position to win today. Going into this year, I was looking for improvement from last year and to get to a bowl game to get the extra practice and game experience for all the young player. The team accomplished both in spite of the injuries.

While the coach or the team cannot accept excuses, the fans do need to be realistic. Understanding the current constraints the team is facing is not accepting mediocrity or lowering expectations. While I understand the reasons behind our performance this year, I expect to see the team continue to improve. As long as the team (including coaching) continues to improve, I will not bash or second-guess the coaches or players.

:biga:

 

[NBF_Bama_Cavalry]

I am quite frankly disturbed by the internal Bama bashing that goes on repeatedly on this board. I can actually handle it pretty well when it is coming from opponents that hate Bama because you expect it. When it comes from people claiming to be fans of the Crimson Tide on almost a daily basis it almost becomes overwhelming. It just seems that some people just don't get it. Coach Shula and the entire Bama team are fighting their hearts out and they deserve a whole lot better than what they get from some of our fans. Winning is important but it is not the end all. There has to be credit given for a valiant struggle against enormous difficulties. I will continue to try and be a voice of reason where I can.

Just so you know...

I appreciate very much your "voice of reason". It disheartened me so many times this season to see some of the Shula-bashing on this board. Last season with the fire-Kines threads. It's enough to make you question whether some folks are fans at all. There are many threads I simply would not respond to because I couldn't think of a nice way to reply to some of the things being posted.

For my part, I'm not happy with a 6-5 record this season, but I can look at the overall picture and be satisfied with it. That doesn't mean I've decided to accept mediocrity as the norm, I would much prefer 11-0 and playing for a national championship but I guess I'll just have to wait for next season. If it doesn't happen in '05, I guess I'll wait for '06. Either way, I'll be Crimson and White all the way and I'll believe that Coach Shula has what it takes until it's proven otherwise. Finishing 6-5 this season with all the tribulations doesn't cast any doubts on his ability.

 

[Big_GBamaTide]

We Can

Recruit all we want but until we have a coach who can get it done on Gameday we will be wondering in mediocrity. I seem to recall a certain Gator coach recently fired who could recruit his socks off but could not coach on gameday. Shula has never been good on Gameday as a coach at any level and he has not been good here. You guys can argue with me all you want but we scored 10 points in the second half of the 5 games we lost. That sure is not great coaching to me.

 

[uafan4life]

Recruit all we want but until we have a coach who can get it done on Gameday we will be wondering in mediocrity. I seem to recall a certain Gator coach recently fired who could recruit his socks off but could not coach on gameday. Shula has never been good on Gameday as a coach at any level and he has not been good here. You guys can argue with me all you want but we scored 10 points in the second half of the 5 games we lost. That sure is not great coaching to me.

Well it's a shame the university didn't see fit to hire you instead. Why don't you send in your resume? Big_GBamaTide for head coach!!!

 

[BigTex]

The folks that bash Coach Shula because of our offensive output from a crippled team are the same people who would bash him if he had Spencer drop back to throw 35 times a game and threw 5 interceptions. There are some folks you cant please no matter what you do.

I hope Coach Shula doesnt read the boards. I would be embarrassed to be some of the posters if Coach Shula did read some of the trashings on here.

 

[Crimson Surfer]

Just so you know...

I appreciate very much your "voice of reason". It disheartened me so many times this season to see some of the Shula-bashing on this board. Last season with the fire-Kines threads. It's enough to make you question whether some folks are fans at all. There are many threads I simply would not respond to because I couldn't think of a nice way to reply to some of the things being posted.

For my part, I'm not happy with a 6-5 record this season, but I can look at the overall picture and be satisfied with it. That doesn't mean I've decided to accept mediocrity as the norm, I would much prefer 11-0 and playing for a national championship but I guess I'll just have to wait for next season. If it doesn't happen in '05, I guess I'll wait for '06. Either way, I'll be Crimson and White all the way and I'll believe that Coach Shula has what it takes until it's proven otherwise. Finishing 6-5 this season with all the tribulations doesn't cast any doubts on his ability.

Thanks NBF_Bama_Cavalry I appreciate that. Sometimes I get beat down so much I think maybe I accidentally logged onto the wrong site. lol

I agree with what you said and I am not happy with 6-5 either. The positive thing is it is apparent to me and many others that Bama is headed in the right direction. Unfortunately Coach Shula and Bama have had to play the bad hands that have been dealt to them the last two years. I know that other Bama fans have differing opinions that are contrary to mine. It is their right to express them however they want as long as they are within the rules of the board, but that don't make them right nor any easier to read. I try to read them from an objective view point and not get defensive but it is very difficult to stomach sometimes.

 

[BamaFanInHamilton]

Well it's a shame the university didn't see fit to hire you instead. Why don't you send in your resume? Big_GBamaTide for head coach!!!

I give a hardy AMEN to that! With all the injuries and sanctions this tean has had to endure, I seriously doubt that even the great Coach Bear Bryant could have done any better. I think it was a great coaching job done by the staff that had us in positon to have a chance to win against UcheaT, LSU and Awbarn. They most certainly have my support.

RTR and GBA

 

[Big_GBamaTide]

What I expected

Well it's a shame the university didn't see fit to hire you instead. Why don't you send in your resume? Big_GBamaTide for head coach!!!

Did I say I wanted the job? That's the only response you guys seem to have. You can't handle the truth when it hits you... so all you do is say Oh you should be the coach. WHy didn't you send in a resume'. Get a better answer.

 

[NBF_Bama_Cavalry]

Did I say I wanted the job? That's the only response you guys seem to have. You can't handle the truth when it hits you... so all you do is say Oh you should be the coach. WHy didn't you send in a resume'. Get a better answer.

What is your truth? This?

Shula has never been good on Gameday as a coach at any level and he has not been good here.

 

[Alanbama27]

We lost 21 schollys...not 15!

thought to the fact that over the past three years we have lost over 15 scholarships and lost our best skilled athletes to major injuries. I am ecstatic about the future of this program! 15 lost scholarships means fifteen Prothros, Castilles, Croyles and Gilberry's that we possibly missed out on. :wink:

Hey advocate...get your facts straight...we lost 21 scholarships...NOT 15! We offered 15 (which was stupid to begin with) and the NCAA hit us with 21!

 

[Bama-94-00]

Scholarship reductions

We offered 15 (which was stupid to begin with) and the NCAA hit us with 21!

Exactly! Offering that many was admitting guilt. We should have low bid it and let the NCAA tack on a few more.