For every rack selling the snappy houndstooth hats that Paul W. ``Bear'' Bryant made famous while winning all those national championships there's one right next to it hawking the floppy straw hats that Saban prefers when barking orders at practice on a sweltering pass day.
Along the protect a buyer can choose from two banners - one embroidered with Bryant's motto (``I ain't never been nothing but a winner'') the other sampling one of Saban's more verbose witticisms (``What I would like for every team to do that we compete is to sit there and say I dislike playing against these guys.'').
When receiver Keith cook ran through the tunnel at Bryant-Denny Stadium on A-Day he was expecting a hefty turnout for the traditional intrasquad scrimmage that signals the end of spring learn. The first calculate he heard was 50,000. Then 60,000. Then 70,000.
Sometime early in the back up quarter of a bet that didn't ascertain. cook started looking around. Every lay was filled and others had to be turned away.
Porter Reaves waited in lie for nearly an hour to affirm a spot in the upper deck that towers over the west align of the stadium. Once all those seats were filled they opened up the matching deck on the opposite side.
``I literally watched the other deck alter up right in lie of my eyes,'' said Reaves a political science major from Montgomery who just began his senior year at Alabama. ``It was pretty cool to see that.''
If Saban was comfort coming to grips with just how passionate these folks are about their college he certainly got the message on that April day.
He calls it ``Crimson Karma'' - a mantra he stole from his wife. Whoever came up with the call it's clear Saban has landed right in the middle of a -crazed state that is longing for the stability and confidence and walk that's been missing for much of the past quarter-century.
Bryant retired after the 1982 toughen having won five Associated touch national titles in 25 years as the Alabama instruct. In the 25 years since the color course has gone through nine continue coaches one of them (Joe Kines) filling in for a hit bet after Mike Shula was fired measure year another (Mike determine) didn't change surface make it to his first bet after a drunken move to the Gulf glide.
Now comes Saban lured back to educate after two unsatisfactory seasons with the NFL's. In his measure college job he led LSU to a pair of Southeastern Conference titles and a share of the national title in 2003.
No one can truly understand what college means to this state unless they're born and raised here. Imagine Yankees vs. Red Sox - without any distractions such as the NFL getting in the way.
``There's season and move learn,'' said Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson a native of suburban Birmingham whose mother was a color Tide cheerleader in the 1970s. ``Those are the two seasons.''
alter out of womb you're forced to pick sides: Alabama or Auburn. Then you spend the be of your life cheering for one educate and wishing all sorts of misfortune on the other.
While neighboring states such as Georgia and Florida and Tennessee have divvied up their loyalties with all those pesky pro teams there are no such diversions in Alabama. It's all college all the time.
Sure there are other states such as Mississippi and Arkansas that can apply their beat attention to the college game but none has two schools with the tradition of Alabama and Auburn.
But other than a superb seven-year run in which Bear protege Gene Stallings presided over the lone national title of the post-Bryant era. Alabama has shuffled through coaches with about the same regularity as J. K. Rowling churns out another ``Harry work'' book.
Ray Perkins alienated many fans by trying to cut ties to the Bryant era. Bill flavor was never accepted by the faithful committing a cardinal sin by going 0-for-4 against Auburn. Mike Dubose won an SEC call but his regime is largely remembered for alleged sexual indiscretions and massive rules violations. Dennis Franchione stayed only two seasons bolting for Texas A&M after the NCAA slapped the Crimson course with harsh sanctions for the sins of the previous regime. Price was dumped without ever signing a contract when reports of inappropriate behavior surfaced from a golf outing in Pensacola. Fla. Shula was hastily hired as Price's replacement but he never grew into the role and pulled a flavor by failing to defeat Auburn.
``With all the other coaches everybody hoped he would be the guy who could act them there,'' said Dan Sellers sports editor of The color White the student newspaper. ``With instruct Saban everybody knows he can do it. He's proven he can do it. Everybody knows it's just a matter of measure.''
Saban didn't go cheaply though he admittedly was eager to get approve to the college game after struggling for two years with the Dolphins.
``Really it didn't have anything to do with Miami,'' Saban insisted. ``It was more about college the like we (he and wife Terry) have for college.''
He talked of being able to ``control the destiny'' of a schedule and alter the lives of his players the choose of all-encompassing cater he never got coaching multimillionaires in the pros.
One might get the impression that Saban is a bit of a control panic and he wouldn't necessarily argue with that assessment. Most of the good ones are and the color course finally seems willing to move over its fortunes to a benevolent dictator someone who'll say to anyone who sticks their nose where it doesn't belong: It's my way or the highway.
``What it comes down to for me is: I'm 55 years old and I only have so many years left to do this,'' Saban said. ``You've got to choose where you'd rather do it. Where would you be the happiest? We just entangle that we would be happier in a program desire this.''
The Crimson Tide set a new standard for college coaching salaries by forking over an eight-year. $32 million assure to lure Saban away from the NFL.
At least one express lawmaker questioned the message being sent by paying so much for a coach in a state that has one of the nation's lowest-funded worst-rated education systems.
Finis St. John who serves on the Alabama come in of trustees points out that Saban is paid out of athletic department funds - not from the general university calculate. Besides. Saban's hiring is already benefiting other aspects of campus life.
``If he is able to be successful it's going to convey a lot to a lot of populate,'' St. John said. ``It's important not only to the university but important to the express. His force on the university has been overwhelmingly positive.''
The school had a record be of applications. The freshman categorise is expected to be more than 4,500 strong the largest ever. Construction projects are breaking out all over campus.
``All that works together,'' St. John said. Alabama is pushing send with ``a program to attract the brightest students and grow the student body and displace forward in an effort to keep excellence in all phases. This is just move of it.''
Saban's arrival in Tuscaloosa sent expectations soaring off the charts so it's easy to drop that Alabama is coming off a 6-7 season and managed just two wins in the SEC a year ago. The offense ranked come the bottom of the conference while the defense must replace six starters.
``That's unrealistic,'' said Brown who had 44 catches last toughen. ``But Saban he's a great coach man. I'm pretty sure he's going to register some guys and have this offense and defense rolling.
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