Link: Sylvester Croom Praises Mal Moore For Building "Premier Program In College Football"

[TideMan09]

Sylvester Croom Praises Mal Moore For Building "Premier Program In College Football"

Glad to see Coach Croom giving praise to Mal Moore & to the football program Coach Saban has built at Bama..


Here's The Link..CLICK ME

 

[Go Bama]

Re: Sylvester Croom Praises Mal Moore For Building "Premier Program In College Footba

I love Sylvester Croom. The guy oozes class. It's a great article and says exactly what you would expect.

Thanks for posting.

 

[GrayTide]

Re: Sylvester Croom Praises Mal Moore For Building "Premier Program In College Footba

I appreciate his well chosen comments about Mal and others.

 

[Florida Tom]

Re: Sylvester Croom Praises Mal Moore For Building "Premier Program In College Footba

Miss State is a great example of letting the fan base run a program. They just did not know what a Great man they had in Coach Croom. I wanted him at Alabama & maybe some day he can come back. Heck I would have never thought Bill Battle would return. I know CNS likes & respects Coach Croom.

He is what having Class is all about.

 

[Relayer]

Re: Sylvester Croom Praises Mal Moore For Building "Premier Program In College Footba

This is good. Glad to see some fence-mending taking place.

 

[ValuJet]

Re: Sylvester Croom Praises Mal Moore For Building "Premier Program In College Footba

"Coach Bryant said, 'If you're half the man your daddy is, you'll be all right.' I'm still trying to get to 50 percent."

Croom said he lets his running backs know "that I will never tell them how to run the ball, but I will tell you how to win, because I learned from the best."

Coach Croom's heart and mind are in the right place.

 

[tungi01]

Re: Sylvester Croom Praises Mal Moore For Building "Premier Program In College Footba

Why was Mike Shula hired instead of Coach Croom? I think he would have been a much better choice?

 

[uaintn]

Re: Sylvester Croom Praises Mal Moore For Building "Premier Program In College Footba

Why was Mike Shula hired instead of Coach Croom? I think he would have been a much better choice?

I wasn't there, of course, but heard at the time and consistently since, that compared to Shula his interview was a disaster....

 

[GulfCoastTider]

Re: Sylvester Croom Praises Mal Moore For Building "Premier Program In College Footba

I wasn't there, of course, but heard at the time and consistently since, that compared to Shula his interview was a disaster....

That's the story I've heard, too. I've also heard that he was overconfident and thought the job was his to turn down.

He apparently took the rejection quite hard, and was bitter about it for many years afterwards.

Maybe he's had some time to reflect, and maybe some of the bitterness has faded. I hope so, because the man exemplifies class.

 

[CrimsonEyeshade]

Re: Sylvester Croom Praises Mal Moore For Building "Premier Program In College Footba

He was a classmate of mine. When I met him during freshman orientation, the instinct was to call him sir.

That's the story I've heard, too. I've also heard that he was overconfident and thought the job was his to turn down.

He apparently took the rejection quite hard, and was bitter about it for many years afterwards.

Maybe he's had some time to reflect, and maybe some of the bitterness has faded. I hope so, because the man exemplifies class.

 

[1958againbear]

Re: Sylvester Croom Praiseore For Building "Premier Program In College Football"

He's one of our legends and I hated seeing any rift between him and Bama. I had concerns about his stepping into the HC position at Bama without a prior HC experience and record. I couldn't stand the thought of its not working out and things becoming a horrible situation. I always wondered whether Mal also couldn't stand it if things didn't work out for Sylvester at Bama. Not that anyone wanted to see Shula fail, but if things failed either way what with the sanctions and everything then Mal personally would hate to see it for Sylvester. Just a feeling on my part.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Re: Sylvester Croom Praises Mal Moore For Building "Premier Program In College Footba

I wasn't there, of course, but heard at the time and consistently since, that compared to Shula his interview was a disaster....

I've heard his interview was a disaster, but here is where I suspect Mal Moore is a sociological genius: I think he knew whoever took the job was probably doomed from day one. The only press worse than attacking you for not hiring the black coach is the press when you fire him for failure to attain standards.

I think even a very good coach was doomed in the SEC under those circumstances. I also think MSU hiring Croom was to throw a bone to the NCAA for a lighter sentence.

We WILL have a black head coach here some day and you know what? If he wins like Saban, I'll love him like Saban and so will the fanbase.

 

[1958againbear]

Re: Sylvester Croom PraisMoore For Building "Premier Program In College Football"

I've heard his interview was a disaster, but here is where I suspect Mal Moore is a sociological genius: I think he knew whoever took the job was probably doomed from day one. The only press worse than attacking you for not hiring the black coach is the press when you fire him for failure to attain standards.

I think even a very good coach was doomed in the SEC under those circumstances. I also think MSU hiring Croom was to throw a bone to the NCAA for a lighter sentence.

We WILL have a black head coach here some day and you know what? If he wins like Saban, I'll love him like Saban and so will the fanbase.

Very good points. I agree. It was pretty much like handing either one or anyone else a thankless job or opportunity.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[JBama_in_PCOLA]

Sylvester Croom Praises Mal Moore For Building "Premier Program In College Foot

I wish Croom could somehow come back to Bama. His class is second to none. Plus he wasn't bad as a player either...

 

[TideMan09]

Re: Sylvester Croom Praises Mal Moore For Building "Premier Program In College Footba

I've heard his interview was a disaster, but here is where I suspect Mal Moore is a sociological genius: I think he knew whoever took the job was probably doomed from day one. The only press worse than attacking you for not hiring the black coach is the press when you fire him for failure to attain standards.

I think even a very good coach was doomed in the SEC under those circumstances. I also think MSU hiring Croom was to throw a bone to the NCAA for a lighter sentence.

We WILL have a black head coach here some day and you know what? If he wins like Saban, I'll love him like Saban and so will the fanbase.

I agree 100% with ya..Mal knew the HC he hired was pretty much going to be a lame duck HC..A go between type HC hire..And had he hired Coach Croom..When it came time to fire him..It would have been a messy divorce you could say..I'm glad it was something we avoided by hiring Coach Shula..JMO

 

[TexasTideFan]

Re: Sylvester Croom Praises Mal Moore For Building "Premier Program In College Footba

He apparently took the rejection quite hard, and was bitter about it for many years afterwards.

Maybe he's had some time to reflect, and maybe some of the bitterness has faded. I hope so, because the man exemplifies class.

Didn't he turn us in on some really petty stuff to the NCAA back when he was at State? I know some State boosters that said he had a chip on his shoulder for not getting the Bama job.

I know we can't rewrite the past but I would have taken him hands down over Shula.

 

[RTRCharlotte]

Re: Sylvester Croom Praises Mal Moore For Building "Premier Program In College Footba

Croom has is the old-fashioned story-teller which is so rare in the South these days. He has the unique ability to knit the past with the presence in an indelible way.

I'm sure many of the recruits coming to campus can only relate to the past few years. Put them in the presence of Croom, and 100 years will unfold.

 

[GulfCoastTider]

Re: Sylvester Croom Praises Mal Moore For Building "Premier Program In College Footba

I agree 100% with ya..Mal knew the HC he hired was pretty much going to be a lame duck HC..A go between type HC hire..And had he hired Coach Croom..When it came time to fire him..It would have been a messy divorce you could say..I'm glad it was something we avoided by hiring Coach Shula..JMO

Another thing to point out is the age difference between Shula and Croom. Getting fired from Alabama at Sly's age might well have ended his career, and maybe Mal didn't want to do such a thing to his old friend. However, Shula was and still is a relatively young man, who will certainly have time to get back on his feet and back to a head coaching job somewhere. It was a disappointing, but temporary setback for Shula. It would probably have proved fatal to Sly.

 

[TexasTideFan]

Re: Sylvester Croom Praises Mal Moore For Building "Premier Program In College Footba

Another thing to point out is the age difference between Shula and Croom. Getting fired from Alabama at Sly's age might well have ended his career, and maybe Mal didn't want to do such a thing to his old friend. However, Shula was and still is a relatively young man, who will certainly have time to get back on his feet and back to a head coaching job somewhere. It was a disappointing, but temporary setback for Shula. It would probably have proved fatal to Sly.

Wasn't Croom in the league before he got the State job? I think for a career college guy it would have been a major set-back but Croom made the leap back to the league after his gig at State, just like Shula did after Bama. I kinda felt that Shula got the job because of his name, he was young, and he got the backing from guys like Perkins. There also didn't seem to be a talented pool of candidates ready to step into the mess that we had going at the time. I mean if he worked out, great, but if it ended up being a debacle then at least he got us through the tough time.

 

[rizolltizide]

Re: Sylvester Croom Praises Mal Moore For Building "Premier Program In College Footba

I wasn't there, of course, but heard at the time and consistently since, that compared to Shula his interview was a disaster....

I won't go into details, but this is what they always said about Charlie Strong, too...