Saban's secret weapon: The Tide fan base

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Proxigean Tide

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Having been raised in the state of Alabama and been a dedicated, Bama fan for four decades (since age six), I always knew Tide fans cared and were more knowledgeable about college football than the average fan base...I also realized that (per capita) Bama fans cared more about their team in general and followed individual players more closely, than almost any other place on the planet.

I think, being Bama fans, we just take it for granted that the average, red-blooded (southern) American male (or decent female) at minimum, has a favorite college football team and follows them with somewhat more than a passing interest. In short, because we all live and breath college (specifically SEC) football, we just assume everybody else is of a like mind.

Because of this unusual dedication and extreme interest in their college football team, Bama fans are habitually depicted (by the national media) as being rabid, overly-demanding, crazy, insane and any other number of generally derisive terms. The national media knows that if you bash Bama, your email box will bombarded and if they ask for an online vote regarding anything that involves Alabama or one of its players, the Tide faithful will flood the ballot box (to an often astounding extreme) in support of its team and/or player(s).

Experts often say that the first step in the healing process is realizing that you have a problem. However, among Alabama fans, an over-zealous and arguably extreme attachment to Crimson Tide football is so typical and common that the idea that someone might be a "luke warm" Alabama fan is almost beyond comprehension. In short, Bama fans get it, love it and have no problem whatsoever is letting the rest of the free world know about it.

Nick Saban fell in love with SEC football when he took his MSU team down to Shreveport to play LSU. He has mentioned in interviews that the passion of the fans really made an impression on him and he wanted to be in a place where college football was taken so seriously and loved with such ferocity. I have no doubt this exposure to SEC football (along with $1.4 MM salary offer) is why Nick Saban ended up at LSU. Saban knew that he loved coaching in a "college football crazy" environment, it wouldn't be hard to sell top recruits on the idea of being a part of that experience.

When he came back to the college ranks to take the job at Alabama, I have no doubt that Saban knew he was coming to a place where college football was king. However, as much can be said about almost any SEC campus. I think the real deciding factor was when Saban spoke to Coach Stallings and was informed that the fan support at Alabama was unlike anything he ever experienced or imagined...that it was something that was incrediby unique and special and whose true value (with respect to recruiting) had never been really tapped. Of course, this was confirmed at last season's A-Day game when Bama fans stood the college football world on its ear by bringing 92,000 fans (in attendance) and 6000 outside.

The point of this (rather lengthy) rant is that I think the smart, sophisticated and driven Saban, always looking for an edge, quickly realized that no other coach before him had fully utilized the unique value of the "rabid" Bama fan base as a recruiting tool. Everybody wants to be loved, think what they are doing is importent and to be appreciated and recognized for doing it. Players play, get hit, get hurt and often slave away in the off-season trying to get better and perfect their skills...Saban realized that kids are more willing to make those sort of sacrifices at a place where their efforts are truly appreciated and understood by the average fan.

In 40 years of being an Alabama fan, I can probably count on one hand the number of prospects or recruits who mentioned the fans as a reason why they chose to attend the capstone and bring their talents to Tuscaloosa. Nowdays, it seems almost every recruit mentions the fan base as a contributing factor in his decision to sign. Considering the evidence, there can be only one explanation: Nick Saban is pitching the Bama fan base as a major reason why top prospects should consider coming to play for him.

I think the crazy, overly-interested and totally dedicated fan base represents Nick's secret weapon on the recruiting trail. He has given hints about how important it is, but I think once fans fully realize that they can play an importent part in the team's recruiting success, we'll see even more turn-out. Thoughts?
 

lafella

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I have to agree and even stated it out in another commit post how it seemed like every recruit,commit has mentioned the fan base.

Good write up btw.


p.s. It's been along time since the fan has been so united behind the program and it's great it's an ideal set of circumstances that have together to make for a great atmosphere and revitalized the spirit of the fans.

Glad I'm around to see it!
 
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Bamabuzzard

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I was thinking the same thing after reading the comments from our most recent commitment (McKeller). Nick Saban is taking what use to be an Alabama's coach worst nightmare (the fans) and turning it into a great asset and marketing tool.

He is selling EVERYTHING about Alabama, not just playing football. He's selling the atmosphere, the fan base, the experience and everything that has to do with the University of Alabama and packaging it into one product. He's a great salesmen and he's selling a "brand". I've never seen an Alabama coach market this program like his is doing right now. I think he's building a foundation for great things to come.
 
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deliveryman35

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Prox,

I think you are right on the money. Kind of like Coach Bryant, I think Nick was born to coach(and recruit primarily) the younger college player. When his coaching career is over, there's no doubt in my mind which program Nick will talk about the most while he's fishing over in Georgia....
 
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CaliforniaTide

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You can totally see how he does sell the program as the Alabama brand and it's working very very well. The recruits were asking CNS about the 92k+ at the spring game last year and I'm sure CNS told wonderful stories about that day.

CNS knows the support we will give him and he loves it. He may not be completely head over heels about it, etc., but you can tell it blows him away and he's probably imagined how loud we can be once we have a consistently good football on the field, especially on defense.
 

Bamafan23

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I totaly agree, great post. I have realized that even more since I have move to the state of Georgia. Nothing matches the passion that Alabama fans have.
 

BamaInBham

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Seriously, all the big programs in the SEC think they are the most passionate, devoted, supporting fan base.

That's as it should be. It's what make college football so great.
But only Alabama is accurate in that assessment. How many ways does Bama have to prove it ? Only UT, as much as I can't stand the program, is in the same league. LSU, AU and Ark are in the next tier.
 

Proxigean Tide

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But only Alabama is accurate in that assessment. How many ways does Bama have to prove it ? Only UT, as much as I can't stand the program, is in the same league. LSU, AU and Ark are in the next tier.
Sorry LSU63, but I think BamaInBham is right on this one. LSU fans are passionate and within LA (certainly) and to a lessor extent all along the Gulf Coast, you see Tiger fans sporting their colors with pride. However, Bama is on a totally different level when it comes to fan support.

When you can wear a team ballcap while transiting the Kurachi, Pakistan Airport (like I did last year) and recieve a "Roll Tide" (or a "Geaux Tigers" in your case) from a local baggage handler...then we'll talk about all big SEC teams being the same. Of note, during my years of military travel with the navy, I had similar experiences in Tokyo and Kenya...probably most unexpected was the "Roll Tide" I got from a Russian taxi driver in Moscow.

LSU football is big in state and somewhat regionally, but Bama football is global. RTR.
 

BAMA504

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Good write up and I agree CNS is using everything BAMA to recruit these kids. I love how tenacious he is when going after a recruit. That being said my only worry when it comes to CNS is that these idiotic reporters who keep making him mad will eventually run him off because he gets fed up with their tireless stupidity.

I get angry myself when they badger CNS about things, for example they let two coaches run the offenses for the A-Day game and what did one of the idiots start suggesting?? Are they going to start being involved or is there a change coming?? Come on all he did was let them call plays for a glorified practice..... There are several dumb questions that come to mind and I can see CNS everytime they ask one cringe and start ranting about how or why we do things.... Take the question on scholarships and how we are going to manage getting 85 on the roster in time... Do they really think he DOES NOT HAVE A PLAN???? Is any concern to them or us for that matter what that plan is??? I do not think it concerns us one bit and I am quite sure that when he started recruting he had a figure in his head which was 30 with 2 back counters and had the plan then... Just my rant for the day sorry but it makes me crazy thinking these so called reporters make CNS miserable and it scares me to think they might be the reason he decides to pack it up sooner than we ever want him to...~!~
 

Bamafan78

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I'm not worried about the media running Saban off, and I think you're giving them way too much credit to think that they could. Actually I think Saban owns them. He gives them the finger everytime he closes a practice.
 

Bamabuzzard

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From a "look at the entire body of work" standpoint Alabama fans consistently have been the most diehard fans. We get called "delusional", "nuts" and every adjective under the sun that describes fans that have mentally gone past "normal" when it comes to passion for their football team.

LSU recently has definitely acquired that same passion but most of that has come from a lot of folks that pre-LSU success wouldn't be caught dead in anything LSU. The landscape (in my neck of the woods) definitely has changed. Before LSU started this string of success you saw more Texas, A&M and La Tech colors. But now, you can't go anywhere without seeing purple and gold. It will be curious to see if LSU for some odd reason has a string of mediocre to bad years if the public "support" will continue.
 

BamaInBham

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I wasn't going to respond but,

Arrogant or obnoxious doesn't equal passionate, either!
Arrogance is never warranted, but this would certainly not the time for Tide fans. I haven't seen it much lately, though there will always be a few exceptions.

As far as obnoxious, other than some arrogance, haven't seen it at Bama more than any other fanbase. Sure, some think it is obnoxious to bring up winning x in a row or x number of titles as a defense, others would say it is legit or at least understandable.

Btw, I should have put a :) in my previous post, but there was too much truth to it, so I left it out :).
 
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