The usually defense-minded Nick Saban went on the offense this week trying his best to weed out the unscrupulous elements of college football. Very noble. He's just doing his best, you know, for the kids. Like Jerry Lewis.
"I have no respect for people who do that to young people. None. How would you feel if they did it to your child?"
I think we can all agree and sympathize with Nick. It's hard out here for a pimp.
"I don't think it's anything but greed that's creating it right now on behalf of the agents. "The agents that do this – and I hate to say this, but how are they any better than a pimp?"
Oh, wait, Nick's not the pimp, the "bad" agents are. OK, got it.
Does the average fan accept the assumption that Bama is "dirty"? That the SEC is rife with illegal recruiting? In my experience, my friends who are Alabama fans do.
If so, and if it's true, is there anything funnier than Nick Saban bitching about NFL people illegally recruiting the people who were illegally recruited to go to Alabama?
Can we get some of Bama's players on the line and discuss their patron friends at the Red Elephant Club?
I like a club who describes itself as...
...an elite group of individuals who will support the University of Alabama Football Program enthusiastically and wholeheartedly in a manner that will showcase our first class organization displaying the pride and tradition of the University of Alabama. We will provide donations to assist with funding football scholarships. We will strive to support our current and former football athletes as well as our football coaching staff in any possible way. We will assist current players with appropriate summer employment, preferably relevant to their chosen field of study.
If you believe what you hear, over and over again, Nick has one of the best oiled college football machines in America. The results are certainly there.
Enter Ralph Cindrich, former NFL player and agent to 27 Pro Bowlers and 20 first round picks. Ralph finds Nick's comments to be disingenuous at best.
Initially Ralph hit the gas on his Twitter account (@RalphCindrich).
"Before Saban hurls insults at agents he best check to see the dirt they have on him. He's as clean as a bed bug. Starts in college."
Awesome. He then pulled out Occam's Straight Razor and started slicing the credulous and gullible into small pieces.
"You have to not want to know. All you have to do is walk out in the parking lot or look at the 'bling' or have someone visit their room."
These are interesting times in the land of college sports, recruiting, agents (street and office) and the NCAA and we'll be exploring this in the coming months as FanTake gets rolling.
And by the way, what is up with this new NCAA? Why are they gunning for big time football now? What has changed? Will they apply the same stern hand to college hoops which is a pond with a very thick scum meniscus across it?
I think this has something to do with the March Madness franchise. If the NCAA loses relevance in a Super Conference world, they may lose ultimately that cash cow.
Just spitballin' here. But Nick Saban striking a pose of the aggrieved was too good to pass up.