SABAN STILL MAKING EXCUSES ABOUT SUGAR BOWL LOSS

For a coach that tries to perpetuate values like hard work and accountability, Nick Saban sure sounds like a guy who is making excuses for the beating that his Crimson Tide took in last year’s Sugar Bowl to CFT’s National Champion Utah.In his Alabama Blog for the Birmingham News, Ian R. Rapoport talks specifically about Saban capitalizing on the opportunity to “send a message.” Yet Saban also takes the opportunity to pass the buck when discussing last year’s disappointing loss in the Sugar Bowl, sending along this message for players, coaches, and fans.“I want our fans to understand that when they don’t have positive passion and energy for what we’re trying to accomplish, then it affects everyone,” Saban said. “Last year’s team was a great example of that.”“There’s very little interest from our fans, our players or anybody else to play in the Sugar Bowl, which to me is a tremendous opportunity,” Saban said. “I tried to tell everyone, you’re only going to remember one thing about this game and that’s the outcome. So there’s no interest, there’s no passion and everybody is embarrassed because of how we played. Well, it’s because you didn’t have any passion for it, you didn’t have any interest in it, you didn’t have any enthusiasm to do it, and that’s across the board. And that’s not right. We go to a BCS bowl game, everybody ought to be positive and enthusiastic about what we’re doing.“Would it be too much to simply turn the page, or to give the stock “on any given Saturday” answer?While Saban’s tried to clarify that he isn’t just blaming the fans, he’s blaming everyone (including himself), what he’s really doing is further tarnishing a coaching legacy that most thought was immune to an embarrassment like last year’s BCS Bowl.If your team can’t get over a disappointing loss to Florida in a month, and get up for a BCS game against the lone undefeated team in the nation, Saban and the Crimson Tide need to look in the mirror if they’re searching for someone to blame.