Tuesday, November 28, 2006

The curse of "The Bear"




It's just getting commical in Tuscaloosa. The best complimentary to success in knoxville, is turmoil in Alabama. I'm loving this. In case you havn't hear, Bama fired Mike Shula yesterday. Why? Because He was not "The Bear". This is their curse, this is what made them and is killing them--ain't it great, you have to appreciate the irony of this program. The man who brought them into "the promise land" is the very same reason for their continued 'exile'. Grant it Shula was not a genious or maybe even the answer to their problems, but the continued turnover and expectations there are interwoven into their search for the next "Bear". Maybe Bama will go through this until all the old people in the state die, salvation may not come until their is a generation there that has to ask "who is the Bear?" The story is that Bama has trapped themselves in the past and refuses to face reality. 5 coaches in 7 years, i don't care who you--you can't have success like that. Shula came into the worst of circumstances and did pretty well with what he had. Bama fans just seem to not understand that THEY DON'T HAVE TALENT, they just neglect what these scholarship sanctions have done to them. I've read articles that note Bama fans thinking Shula did a lousy Job last year when they went 10-2, Ivan Maisel (who is a whining Bama fan on ESPN.com) said "it was rediculous he had that record with that amount of talent"---um, what maybe 1 or 2 pro prospects were on that team?? The main reason he was fired was for his record against Auburn, LSU, and Tennessee --yet his talent compared to those teams is nearly laughable. Shula had no talent, no scholarships to offer, and came in what has been the height of Auburn football--what else would you expect from a cross-state rival? Bama fans just expect every coach to be able to do what the Bear did...Win, and don't get caught cheating. Alabama has not been a high profile program in 12 years. The AD said "However, we did not make progress on the field this season and have not been able to maintain the positive momentum necessary to return Alabama football to a place among college football's elite programs," -- what Bama doesn't understand is before they can ever think of returning to greatness, they must REPENT of their past, repent of "The Bear". Maybe they should burn one of those hats at a game instead of putting the material on their jersey, or rename the stadium??

The comedy for me in this situation is the Irony, Bama is their own worst enemy. Maisel noted that "Moore praised Shula on Monday for providing "stability for our program through four years of NCAA probation" that ends Feb. 1, 2007"---are you seeing this, he praises Shula for STABILITY and then creates more instability in firing him. Who would want that job?? Sure it's got tons of history, big fan base, facilities--but until another coach walks out in a coat, tie, and goofy hat--the fans won't love him. The Alabama Job is death. If your a stud highschool player in the southeast, why would you want to play there instead of Auburn, LSU, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, or even Ole Miss? You don't know if the coach recruiting you will be your coach when you get there. The story gets even funnier when you see who Alabama thinks they can get to replace Shula. Again Maisel said "Moore didn't name any potential candidates but said he was beginning a national search. The most high-profile names on Tide fans' wish list -- South Carolina's Steve Spurrier and the Miami Dolphins' Nick Saban", and Pat Forde noted "They're aiming high on this thing," --that's how lost they are. Bama fans reflect on their program, and think Surely this guy would love to stop coaching the Miami Dolphins and work for us!! I think they see it as almost a 'promotion'. This is the curse of "the Bear", and i love it. Sure Alabama may find some fool out there who doesn't know what he's getting into, and he may even have a few winning seasons - no SEC titles - but some winning seasons, then we will be writing another post about another fired Alabama coach. Here's to more years of hardened hearts, oh you "stiff-necked" people--as true in all things, your only hope is to Repent and Believe!

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