re: Saban is great but...

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I am getting tired of this rhetoric. Saban has to do what’s best for his team. You can create locker room cancers in a great number of ways. It divides the team. Distracts. Ultimately, it will lead to a team falling short of its goals.

Saban created a dog eat dog culture at Alabama - to a point. I have noticed that if a position battle is close, he almost always sided with the uooerclassman. Why? Because it’s best for the team.

Why is playing the older guy better? Because you want your team growing and developing together. You want them all to face adversity (if possible) and grow and learn from it. You want them coming along the same way if possible. They were recruited together as a class. They get small amounts of PT as Frosh and move up the next couple of years. They bond. They learn to trust one another.

You cannot just play the most talented guy at all spots at all times. I believe you play the best guy for the TEAM. Saban has a much different concept as to what that means in my opinion. He is not scared to play a true Frosh, but it is not something he takes likely. If it’s clear the younger guy is way way better, then the younger guy gets it.

Anyways Saban plays 4D chess and we probably are lucky to play checkers.

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