This isn’t a good look for Nick Saban. Not that he cares.
Earlier this year, Alabama did not put a block on Chris Black, who graduated from Alabama and transferred to Missouri, another SEC school.
“So what is it, is it really about my son, or is it about Kirby Smart and Nick Saban? I don’t know what it is” Samyra Smith said. “You just had a player leave, Chris Black, and he’s at an SEC school, Mizzou. So don’t tell me it’s about a violation of rules, I can read you the rules, I understand them well. It’s not a violation of rules or else the SEC would’ve stopped it, the commissioner would’ve stopped it. But it’s allowed…
An Alabama spokesman did not immediately have a response when contacted by SEC Country on Tuesday night. Last month Saban was asked about the situation at SEC media days.
“Maurice Smith has been a good player on our team,” Saban said. “He’s a good person, and he would be a significant contributor to our team this year if he decided to stay at Alabama. … We have told him, ‘Because we support the SEC rule, it would not be in your best interest to have to sit out. If you want to go some place else (outside the SEC), we’d be glad to help you do that.’”
Nick Saban, conference man. At least when it suits him.
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UDPATE: I don’t know which is more predictable — that Mark Bradley would weigh in on the subject, or Mark Bradley’s take on the subject. Trust me, you don’t have to read it to know what it says.
Get The Picture 
I’m sure if the shoe were on the other foot, Nick would be saluting the conference’s rules.
Who am I kidding?
The Coke bottle would be telling everyone who would listen what a terrible rule it is that a player who graduates can’t transfer to attend the graduate school of his choice.
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Saban’s world view: Accepting Jonathan Taylor into Alabama was an academic decision made without regard to football and it’s just terrible that we had to let him go without Jonathan getting the full benefit of due process of law after he beat another girl. On the other hand letting an Alabama graduate play at Georgia is just the wrong thing to do…for him.
Saban is a scumbag. He’s always been a scumbag and he’ll always be a scumbag.
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Considering the treatment of Mr. Turman by our staff, it’s hard to be critical of Saban here. It is, however, terribly easy to be critical of both men. My position is unchanged – if a kid has graduated he’s earned the right to an unconditional transfer to any school/team that would accept him.
The only argument against it being unrestricted is if you assign the same value to eligibility as you would a degree. As in, eligibility becomes a legal document governed by the board of regents, then it would be its own school, degree program, major, and makes the whole amateur thing very very messy.
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I wasn’t aware that Turman was a graduate.
But, yeah, I think Kirby’s position on transfers, like that of most coaches, is bullshit.
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It’s not an equivalent argument to be sure but had Kirby not needlessly and publicly restricted Turman it would be much harder for Nicky to hold up Fitzpatrick from a PR perspective. Would Nick have done the same thing if Turman had landed in Miami (or wherever he wanted to be)? Who knows, but it definitely would have been harder to get away with.
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The problem with that argument is that Saban’s already let one graduate transfer to Missouri.
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I saw that. As far as I know Missouri hasn’t been in the news restricting transfers lately. If they had, maybe saban tries to block Black too. I’m suggesting that CKS’s public blocking of Turman may have given Saban the cover he perceived he needed to stand in Fitzpatrick’s way. Cover that may not have been present with Mizzou.
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I wouldn’t even attempt to figure out what’s in Saban’s mind. But the SEC rule sure is handy for him, ain’t it?
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What’s in Saban’s mind? Nick Saban 24/7.
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I wonder if Saban would have blocked the kid from going to Stanford to get an MBA. If Nick has plans for the kid to play this year, he would block him from going anywhere, period.
As others have said, a degree in hand should be a license to be free of the NCAA and conference transfer rules and become a free agent with your remaining eligibility.
Yes, karma is a b$&@! when the shoe is now on the other foot.
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Maybe Saban is giving cover to his boy, Kirby, for Kirby’s tasteless transfer block move.
It’s the whole, “you can’t run to your former coach” thing.
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Saban’s decisions aren’t influenced by other coaches. He’s not blocking a transfer because of anything Smart has done. He’s blocking it because he wants the kid to play for him and/or not play for any potential competitor. If you don’t like it, or if it’s bad PR, Saban really doesn’t care. He cares about winning football games, not PR contests.
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I disagree that he doesn’t care. The spat with Paul showed he cares. He thinks, rightly, that he has considerable immunity from press/public criticism because of his success. What he’s more sensitive to is players thinking negative things about him. That would hurt recruiting.
Heretofore he’s been able to treat bad football players shabbily because recruits don’t see themselves as ever qualifying for the role of “disposable.” However, treating a graduate, who has done everything right as a student and as a player, shabbily could lead to some blow back on the recruiting trail. He’ll be sensitive to that. His finger is wet and judging the wind as we speak. If he can get away with fucking the kid, he’ll fuck him. If he thinks it will cost him in some current recruiting battles he’ll relent and say that he’s always had the kids best interests in mind.
Truth is that he could care whether the kid lives or dies. He’s a roster spot, period.
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Yeah, it’s not a perfect argument and I’m sorry for being unclear. I try to be concise.
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Hypocrisy is the tribute that vice pays to virtue.
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win at all cost
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Schools don’t own these students. It’s within the rules for them to transfer and they should be allowed to do so. At the same time, I’d imagine Smart doesn’t have much of an argument for his release. Under his own terms, just a few months ago, it is anther SEC team and perhaps Saban doesn’t want to set the precedent that Kirby was worried about. Following the coach that just moved…..These type of short sighted moves always come back to bite you in the ass. Karma.
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Too bad Greenberg is on vacation this week, I’d just love to hear him rip Saban for this. Maybe he’ll tweet about it.
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Bradley brings up Trigger Tray as an example of Richt’s benevolence. But, and correct me if I’m wrong, Matthews had to sit out a year. Richt couldn’t have blocked him from going there anyway.
The graduate transfer rule is different.
Am I missing something?
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Matthews was dismissed from the program. He wasn’t a transfer.
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Bradley, how can an SEC rule block a player from transferring to another conference?
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I can understand Saban’s thoughts which were the same as Smart’s, they don’t want to set a precedent in letting players transfer to former coaches. Don’t mean I agree but I do understand.
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When someone graduates he or she ought to be able to go whereever he or she damn well chooses. This is America.
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Is Mark Bradley still around? I though he had gone 6 feet under. Might as well for Georgia fans, LOL.
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