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Fascinating article on the "dark time"
Posted on 6/29/16 at 4:23 pm
Posted on 6/29/16 at 4:23 pm
So many memories flooded back reading this. After so much success, the depths of the despair we were in finally seem more like bad dreams than vivid reality. Every young Bama fan should know about where we recently came from.....
The Dennis Franchione Saga: Turmoil Arrives
Kudos to a long gone user of RollBamaRoll.com for the write up.
ETA: It almost seems too perfect to have this in the background when reading for some reason. LINK
The Dennis Franchione Saga: Turmoil Arrives
quote:
.....Of course, though, as mentioned earlier, no one in the general public really had a clue about what was going on behind the scenes at the time, and that probably includes the Alabama administration as well.
In spite of all of this, however, more troubles continued to mount, and despite the positive energy created by the late-season surge in 2001, dark clouds were again quickly approaching upon the horizon. Mal Moore and company had gone to Indianapolis to meet with the NCAA Committee on Infractions on November 17th, and despite some initial positive feedback, it quickly became apparent that the NCAA saga was not going very well for the Crimson Tide. On December 7th, we self-imposed a reduction of 15 scholarships over the course of three years, and that alone completely destroyed any hopes of mitigating the damages of the NCAA saga. The hope before, no matter how small, was that we would largely be able to avoid major punishment from the NCAA, but once news broke that we were self-imposing major sanctions, it was clear that the game was up.
Kudos to a long gone user of RollBamaRoll.com for the write up.
ETA: It almost seems too perfect to have this in the background when reading for some reason. LINK
5
Posted on 6/29/16 at 4:26 pm to Lordofwrath88
#HoldTheRope
This post was edited on 6/29/16 at 4:30 pm
Posted on 6/29/16 at 4:52 pm to Lordofwrath88
That was good, I remember those years but never knew a good bit of that stuff.
For me it was looking good and then BAM head coach leaves. That explains that Auburn loss.
For me it was looking good and then BAM head coach leaves. That explains that Auburn loss.
Posted on 6/29/16 at 5:08 pm to Lordofwrath88
I would like to thank the "dark time" for pickling my liver. I drank years off my life during that time 
Posted on 6/29/16 at 7:11 pm to Cobrasize
I'm glad I wasn't old enough to drink at that time. Shula's last season was my freshman year at UA.
Posted on 6/29/16 at 9:15 pm to pvilleguru
Reading that article got my blood pressure up
All I will say is that we deserve every good thing from the Saban era because we went through 10 fricking years of fan hell.
All I will say is that we deserve every good thing from the Saban era because we went through 10 fricking years of fan hell.
Posted on 6/30/16 at 5:46 am to 14&Counting
Say what you want about Shula, but he didn't cut and run like Fran. He got hired under just about the worst circumstances imaginable for a college head coach. He had many limitations as a head coach, but I don't hold the animus towards him a lot of Bama fans do.
Admittedly, it may be because I'm a life-long Dolphin fan and consider Don Shula the greatest NFL coach ever. Some of that sentiment probably clouds my vision of Mike as Bma's HC.
Admittedly, it may be because I'm a life-long Dolphin fan and consider Don Shula the greatest NFL coach ever. Some of that sentiment probably clouds my vision of Mike as Bma's HC.
Posted on 6/30/16 at 8:44 am to SoFla Tideroller
quote:
Say what you want about Shula, but he didn't cut and run like Fran.
Honestly I was never that cut up about Fran leaving. Frankly, I couldn't blame him. It was the way he handled it that bothered me not the fact that he wanted to leave. Couldn't really blame him as we were staring into the abyss. He may have been able to negotiate a fat contract to stay but it was career death trying coach at Bama and in the SEC at that time. The fans wouldn't remember that he was competing with a crippled roster....all they would know is we lost to Auburn again.
Posted on 6/30/16 at 9:35 am to SoFla Tideroller
quote:
but I don't hold the animus towards him a lot of Bama fans do.
Shula didn't have much success as a first time head coach jumping into one of the toughest jobs in the country immediately after it had received some of the stiffest penalties ever imposed by the NCAA. He was a nice guy who was in way over his head and just tried to do the best he could. Anybody who hates him for that is an idiot.
On a different note, most programs would gladly take Bama's dark ages. They had 3 ten win seasons between 1997-2006 and 3 losing regular seasons. Most teams (even many in the SEC) would look at that as a successful period.
This post was edited on 6/30/16 at 9:36 am
Posted on 6/30/16 at 9:39 am to SoFla Tideroller
quote:
Say what you want about Shula, but he didn't cut and run like Fran. He got hired under just about the worst circumstances imaginable for a college head coach. He had many limitations as a head coach, but I don't hold the animus towards him a lot of Bama fans do
Shula came here when no one else would really. Don't think any Bama fan should have any hostility towards him, even with the record vs rivals. Kind of hard to compete when you have to deal with limitations and recruits not wanting to come here.
I still believe Shula can become a good HC. He came here when he was only 38.
Posted on 6/30/16 at 9:55 am to Lordofwrath88
In that article it says that Saban's tirade after the Kentucky game was apocryphal, but the only evidence for that is that he took the Alabama job later. I find that evidence less than compelling - $4 million seems like enough to rid him of any ill will.
I distinctly remember LSU dominating Bama the next year in Bryant-Denny, 27-3 and Bama's field goal came late. Saban was furious about the field goal. Even if the post-Kentucky rant is false, I think the Franchione incident at midfield was enough to make Saban seriously dislike Bama at one time. Which is fine, because I didn't care for him either at that time. It wasn't until his opening press conference at UA that I bought in.
I distinctly remember LSU dominating Bama the next year in Bryant-Denny, 27-3 and Bama's field goal came late. Saban was furious about the field goal. Even if the post-Kentucky rant is false, I think the Franchione incident at midfield was enough to make Saban seriously dislike Bama at one time. Which is fine, because I didn't care for him either at that time. It wasn't until his opening press conference at UA that I bought in.
This post was edited on 6/30/16 at 10:04 am
Posted on 6/30/16 at 10:19 am to SoFla Tideroller
quote:
Say what you want about Shula, but he didn't cut and run like Fran.
Shula, IMO, should always be regarded as a guy who did an outstanding job of getting us from Point A to Point B. Someone had to do it. He was never going to be a championship coach...and that's OK.
This post was edited on 6/30/16 at 10:20 am
Posted on 6/30/16 at 11:07 am to BamaGradinTn
Still hate Shula to this day, Bama would have won more games between 03 and 06 if it wasn't for some BAD decisions made by him. However, if Bama had won more games in that period Saban probably wouldn't be here today. So it all worked out.
Posted on 6/30/16 at 11:42 am to remaster916
quote:
Still hate Shula to this day, Bama would have won more games between 03 and 06 if it wasn't for some BAD decisions made by him.
So? Why hate the guy for not being someone he was incapable of being? It's beyond stupid and just plain immature. Makes about as much sense as hating Bobby Jindal because he's not equal to Ronald Reagan.
Posted on 6/30/16 at 12:21 pm to remaster916
I don't hate him for his coaching or recruiting. I dislike him for the utter lack of discipline. A lot was out out his control, but a severe lack of leadership was obvious.
Posted on 6/30/16 at 1:00 pm to BamaGradinTn
I never compared him to Saban. Shula was a terrible head coach, I can just think about the 06 Arkansas game and hate him even more. Shula was one of the worst head coaches in Bama history.
Posted on 6/30/16 at 1:31 pm to remaster916
I respect Shula for stepping up and taking the job, but he was in way over his head. He would look so lost at times on the sidelines. The players didn't respect him at all
Posted on 6/30/16 at 2:02 pm to CrimsonCrusade
quote:
i think the Franchione incident at midfield was enough to make Saban seriously dislike Bama at one time
Refresh my memory...
Posted on 6/30/16 at 2:04 pm to bbeck
It's in the article.
Posted on 6/30/16 at 3:38 pm to CapstoneGrad06
lol... Mad at Shula
If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at Bob Bockrath and Andrew Sorensen for putting us in the Mike DuBose situation which led to so much of our downfall.
If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at Bob Bockrath and Andrew Sorensen for putting us in the Mike DuBose situation which led to so much of our downfall.
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