Maurice Smith’s brother chimes in with some Saban disappointment. Nick probably doesn’t have time for this kind of shit:
Smith’s mother, Samyra, provided a statement from Maurice’s younger brother Ainias, a sophomore at Dulles High School in Sugar Land, Tex. Ainias Smith was listed among “freshman to watch” in a 247Sports recruiting story last December, and is being recruited by schools.
But Alabama can clearly be stricken from his potential list. And Ainias Smith’s statement said he has heard similar feelings from others in the Houston area since word of his brother’s situation came out. [Emphasis added.]
“I respected coach Saban, but it’s hard to have respect for what he’s done to my brother and has never apologized for how he was treated,” Ainias Smith’s statement said. “He didn’t even care if he had food or money to eat during those weeks or if he was working out to stay in shape to possibly return to the team. This entire situation has made me have trust issues with coaches because the way coach Saban talked to us while he was at my house, and it made me think that everything was going to be all good. But now he has showed me another side that I didn’t think I would see out of him.”
Gentlemen, start your negative recruiting engines.
Get The Picture 
The Smith family is handling the media like champions. This article may be the one that convinces Little Nicky to relent.
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I don’t think Saban can at this point. He has to dig his heels in or look weak.
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Unfortunately (or fortunately), you’re probably right. The problem for Saban will be when he has to deal with the question in the living room after another coach has made sure Mama has seen the video of Samyra Smith crying after her son’s graduation about the fact that Saban wouldn’t allow her son to continue his career and studies at the school of his choice.
The negative recruiting machine is going to be cranked up on this.
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Really? Nick’s got enough capital to hold this off. We’ll have real football games in three weeks.
Do you hope Smith comes to UGA so his mom can become the face of UGA football?
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I hope he comes to UGA because he and his family want him to. I don’t understand why you would feel differently. If he was going to be the starter at nickel, why wouldn’t he have a similar opportunity in Athens?
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I like to imagine Kirby sitting in his office, a soft light cutting across his face like Pacino in the Godfather Pt. II. Fingers intertwined – planning the takedown of his former mentor.
Saban’s weakness? Stubbornness, pride and an overflowing depth chart. Find the weak link. Find the kid scared of losing his job… again. Find the kid who had a close relationship with Mel. Find the kid whose transfer is going to be a “special circumstance”. A graduate transfer. There’s his huckleberry.
Next convince the kid that he’s graduating and deserves to play anywhere he GD pleases. Convince the kid’s mom that Kirby’s defense is the best “business decision” for kid to immediately step in and play – nay – be FEATURED. Then teach kid and family how to attack Saban – via the media. Hammer him and his program. Show the cold side. Ask why Saban is allowed to up and switch teams without even fulfilling his contract, and is rewarded for it with a bigger salary… but a kid who finishes his obligation by graduation is barred from his reward. Show how Alabama is about numbers and pride and the brand and the coach’s ego and… not the kids. Kirby knows this all too well – he helped build it.
Then the shot across the bow – publicly state how Kirby would allow such a special circumstance to occur, even if past events say otherwise. It doesn’t matter if it’s a lie or the truth. All that matters is the perception. Hey Boss – I DECLARE WAR.
At the end of the day this isn’t about that kid. Kirby has tainted his boss in the eyes of OTHER kids. OTHER kids that now might turn their heads a bit further east…
fin.
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http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/glee/images/3/38/Orson-welles-clapping.gif/revision/latest?cb=20110705203442
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Oh don’t worry winning cures a lot of ills and covers up a lot of defects. It won’t hurt Nick.
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I just watched the video of the Smith’s in the previous post and all I can say is wow. You could see the hurt in the mother’s face. What should be a tremendous moment for their family is a sad moment. If only ESPN or some other big network would play that this story would explode. There is something about seeing the raw emotion on people’s faces as they speak versus just reading quotes.
Now on to the current topic of his brother…I hope every family that invites Saban into their living room ask him about this situation. Then watch him squirm like the petty man he is acting like.
Unfortunately I think this story is going to slow down due to the season coming up, NFL camps and the home stretch of the Olympics. That is why I think the Smith’s need to do a live interview on a major network. Maurice’s mother knows her stuff and explains it very well. Saban says he is just following the rule of the SEC but in reality all he has to do is say..we Alabama are ok with a transfer. He acts like his hands are tied by a rule and Mrs Smith does a great job of discrediting that theory.
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Instead, ESPN has a small mention to it before going on to lament how he’s really human and a great guy….
http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/17249588/alabama-coach-nick-saban-showing-different-side
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The revelation here is the one I haven’t figured out for a decade. How do parents and recruits NOT know that Saban’s ruthlessness will lead him to cut their kid in a heartbeat if he doesn’t perform or no longer fits. Grayshirt, over signing, medically DQ’d, no scholarship renewal. You name it, and Saban’s done it in the name of getting the most talented 85 on his roster, even if it means reneging on a promise made in a living room 2 years earlier. Why blue chippers continue to go there is what is beyond me. They never think it will be them. Perhaps this raises some eyebrows that it could be.
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“They never think it will be them.”
You just answered your own question.
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This family is doing a great job with very little help from the major media talking heads, Dank’s comment above is right, it just needs a big dawg champion to show how. It will get lost in all the clutter as the story turns old and more current news occurs. I don’t think I have ever seen Saban out dueled so well, they shoot another toe off every time you think it is dying down. The mother was great in telling her experience, Maurice has been articulate in his comments, and now the brother brings in anther piece of bad news for Little Nicky. Again I state, he may be successful in the short term but he is losing this battle badly. And why? It is a small issue from a talent perspective, and Bama and UGA are very unlikely to meet this year anyway. The presidents are almost certain to revise the rule for graduate transfers after this conference black eye, so what is gained? A small man has won a battle but lost the war.
Yesterday someone noted a legal battle would take to long to do any good for Smith’s situation about playing this year. I see that from a conventional standpoint but why not challenge it with an injunction to allow it and deal with the long legal battle sometime next year? You can find a judge anywhere that will take a position to stand down and let the slow wheels of justice grind it out rather than risk someone being unhappy. There is certainly some question as to whether Smith is being held captive after fulfilling his end of the bargain and obtaining his degree, his position is unique among transfer cases and judges love looking at new angles to make new law.
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At this point, the Smiths may be damaging Ainias’ stock far more than Ainias hurting Saban. This is beginning to reek of helicopter parents.
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I can see whoever is the next au coach, after the gus bus is drive out of town, making this part of his mailing paperwork to potential recruits.
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Give it to Saban. He built one heck of a perpetual negative recruiting machine in the heart of Texas. I guess things were getting too easy for him. He needed to up the difficulty a little.
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As far as Saban is concerned, it’s WIN and nothing else.
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At least something good came out of this.
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If there were a Viagra for ego, Saban receives a continuous infusion.
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