Why Nick Saban was so mad after Alabama's win (it wasn't just Lane Kiffin)
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- By now everyone has seen the clip of Nick Saban
going nuclear on Lane Kiffin. It wasn’t an argument, Saban said, it was
an "ass-chewing."
Saban snatched off his headset and screamed at Kiffin, going red in the
face. Just when it looked as if he was finished, Saban circled back,
had a few more choice words and nearly spiked his headset at Kiffin’s
feet.
Alabama was ahead by 28 points. There was less than a minute
left. The game was essentially over. And, still, Saban was furious.
Afterward, he called the team’s play "embarrassing." He said it was
perhaps the most disappointing win he’d ever been a part of -- and we’re
talking about a career that spans four decades.
Before you
attribute this to theatrics, to manufactured drama, take a second to
account for Kiffin’s reaction to the tirade Saban unleashed on him. He
wasn’t surprised. He didn’t shout back. He stared straight ahead, put
his hands on his hips and took it. He’d been there before. He knew the
deal as soon as Western Kentucky took advantage of a fumble, turning it
into its only touchdown of the day. Kiffin, by proxy, had sullied an
otherwise impeccable defensive performance and had to pay.
For Saban, all of that was overshadowed by his team’s sloppy play. He
saw a mess of an offensive line. He saw a nonexistent running game. He
saw a whopping 12 penalties, a pair of touchdowns that were dropped by
receivers and a missed field goal on the opening drive of the game.
With
a trip to No. 19 Ole Miss coming up, it’s no wonder he was angry.
Playing like that might mean a third consecutive loss to the Rebs.
(ESPN.com)
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