Leaving or not: My thoughts on Saban
I want to say this BEFORE he leaves so if I say it afterwards, I won't be accused of bashing him out of anger.
Here are some things about Saban that either I don't like or I just find to be concerns:
1) (FACT) He is a micro-manager who thinks he is capable of handling more tasks than any human possibly can. He lacks trust in anyone else and wants people around him that he feels he can control. Obviously, I can not substantiate it this second statement. But it's the impression I get.
2) (Something I find very annoying): He talks in so many circles that it makes him look bad. I hate how he handles the media. It's ridiculous to be so evasive about as many questions as he is. It's senseless chatter and accomplishes nothing.
3) I think he comes off as condescending and the players probably hate it. His use of psychology on grown men just doesn't cut it.
4) Publicly coddling the players is not how you motivate. I could care less if they are veterans or not. You can't make it sound ok to be mediocre. I realize that the players are probably critiqued behind closed doors. But sometimes, ala Parcells, you have to call them out publicly - pull on the ego and pride - to get the best out of the players. It doesn't matter if they like you. Do what it takes to win. I would rather a player HATE me and respect me than like me.
5) He is not a GM. Protect his draft picks all you want (particularly this year), it was not a very good draft. His free agent choices have been questionable.
6) He seems afraid to make changes on the squad when it's obvious that there are upgrades ON the roster.
OK, I'm at work so I have to cut this off. But there are many other things that are troublesome about Saban. His choice of staff. His allowing the bad play calling to continue. The inconsistency in team preparation from one week to the next.
There are a lot of concerns I have about Saban. That's why if he leaves, it won't really hurt my feelings a bit. (Unless we end up with Denny Green
)