JUST SHUT-UP!!!!!!!

One of my favorite radio programs is Mike and Mike In The Morning on ESPN Radio. I try to listen everyday, and on the computer. Once a week they nominate and have listeners vote on their "JUST SHUT-UP" award. I would like to nominate Nick Saben, head-coach for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Last night the University of Utah Runnin' Utes BEAT Alabama (he-he-he) 31-17. Personally, I missed the game because I was working, but had Greg call me with updates. Well, this morning I was reading the newspaper about the Big Game, and I think Nick Saban needs to JUST SHUT-UP!!!!!

Here's a quote from today (1-3-2009) Salt Lake Tribune:

"Some of the last of the Utes' motivation may have come from Alabama coach Nick Saban, who shortly after his team lost of Florida in the SEC title game mentioned his team was the only team from a "real BCS conference" to go undefeated. Saban said Friday his comment wasn't meant as a slight to the Utes, but also acknowledged the Utes played with more passion than his team did."

SIDEBAR: Not a slight to the Utes? Really? He was trying to give his team a "mental edge" (it didn't work). A bowl game is about winning a football game, they weren't going to sit around a campfire singing Koom-Bi-Ya.

The article continues (and this next quote really got me going):

"If that's what gave them their intensity, then I guess I'm responsible for the way they played and I'm responsible for the way we played," he said. "So I am responsible for the whole damn kit and caboodle," he said."

So, he's responsible for his team not playing well. I can buy that, he's the head coach. But thinking he's responsible for the winning team playing better than the losing team is going a bit far. He didn't prepare those kids for that game. A game, by the way, that had a very distinct home field feel for Alabama (go look at a map Mr. Saban).

I think Mr. Saben's comments might have helped the Utes focus and get mad enough to HELP THEM WIN, but is not solely responsible for their win. If your going to look at where the Utes intensity came from just go back and listen to what ALL the sports talking-heads have been saying for the last month and a half. That might have added to their intensity a little bit, don't you think?

I think the quote from the paper that says "The last of the Utes' motivation may have come from Alabama Coach Nick Saban..." is right on. Did you hear that Mr. Saban? The LAST of their motivation, not ALL of their motivation!!! What an idiot!!

Nick Saban needs to JUST SHUT-UP!!!!