re: Kevin Steele is our next Defensive Coordinator

Copied and pasted from RBR. I'm sure no one wants to hear this cuz most people want Pruitt back, myself included, but this makes a lot of sense to me.

The anatomy of bullshite.
How the Gumposphere “insider” game is played:

Aaron Suttles posts a very credible story in the Athletic, saying that he’s sure Nick Saban would love to have Jeremy Pruitt back.

That is obviously not a controversial statement. Pruitt is still relatively young (48), is an elite recruiter, is an Alabama native, and one of the best hands-on coaches Saban has ever had. Baldie began his career at Alabama in 1997. Nick Saban’s Alabama team was his first major college job. Alabama won national titles with Pruitt as both a position coach, and the Tide’s most aggressive defensive coordinator.


The ties are deep, and the track record is outstanding. So, sure, it’s fair to say Saban would love to have him back — or at least would seriously consider it, under better circumstances.

From there, that reasoned and sensible opinion moves to Tider Insider, where a notoriously flaky plagiarist cites #sauces to rehash it five minutes after the fact, claiming that it’s already being worked on behind the scene. But appeals could delay the process. Don’t be surprised if it happens. Or doesn’t — nothing is said, in other words, except some vague claims that are wholly unfalsifiable.

From there, that unsubstantiated claim of an alleged insider, citing his alleged insiders, moves on to sports radio, where a guest rehashes it, without being challenged. And this time, the claim is even firmer: the red tape has already been done...but the SEC is dragging its feet on approval.

Nothing is said, in other words. Again.

And from there, 102.9 slaps an “insider report” on the website, citing that radio appearance — but has anything been said? No. Is it reliable? Credible? Hardly. Instead, it is nothing except 4th-order rank hearsay within hearsay within hearsay, based on a fabrication, that began as legitimate above-board speculation by a national beat writer.

Thus, the “ERMAGERD, SEC WON’T LET US HIRE JAR’MY BACK!” Gump Rage Bait is born.

Don’t fall for this people.

Just exercise some credulity, if not basic reasoning, about the process and facts at hand — Pruitt absolutely cheated at Tennessee. Worse, he got caught cheating stupidly. Tennessee has only now received its notice of allegations. The NCAA investigation has not concluded. Pruitt has not been interviewed. No determination has been made. No infractions have handed down.

Think Alabama’s compliance is gonna’ green light that hire? That Saban would be comfortable with a 5-month DC who gets a show cause slapped on him? And, behind the scenes, that the SEC would be okay with its flagship hiring an actual cheater? That the President or Board of Trustees or AD would be copacetic with the appearance of impropriety and the narrative of Alabama-as-win-at-all-cost cheaters? For that matter, do you think Saban would tarnish his end-career legacy like that — after 40 years of being above-board — with open questions about his integrity on the way out the door? Or, god forbid, that you can even trust Pruitt anymore to not get Alabama hammered by the NCAA?

That’s stuff Auburn can get away with — not so much Alabama. Nor am I certain Nick Saban would even want to at this stage. Think Alabama is gonna’ make a hire at either coordinator spot before the NSD deadline arrives in 10 days or so, with potential NLI still in-play.

We’ve seen #sauces take on a new life of their own before, but rarely have we been able to trace the genesis of bullshite from its origin as a Patient Zero of legit analysis into a blossoming pandemic of #online Clout-Chasing and Phallus-Galloping.

Don’t get got, we beg you.