re: Has Saban now "jumped the shark"?

quote:

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No, he was telling a bunch of local business owners they need to pay up.

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Interesting and, I think, an accurate point that puts Saban's comments into context.

I'd seen the initial thread yesterday about Saban's comments, but hadn't actually watched the video of him speaking until after I read your comment. It seems clear this was a Bama-centric meeting with both Saban and Oats sharing a stage. And there are clearly boosters there (as opposed to a different group like high school coaches or the press in general) since he insinuates some of them in the crowd might end up in a position to pay a player, but will end up disappointed when that player transfers without a return on the investment.

His comments seem less whiny than some are implying, and more along the lines of an old gangster [old movie gangster specifically] who speaks to other mob bosses with concern about how the new racket (like drugs) is bad for the people in the neighborhood in contrast to the old smuggling and protection rackets that kept the neighborhood safe and peaceful [as long as everyone paid up so you didn't have to break their legs or set fire to said business].

In this context, he's just talking through the issues of the changing system to those boosters who he is-- as you put it-- telling to pay up. Clearly, though, he doesn't like the new changes-- whether he has any true interest in the purity of the game (doubtful) or just knows Texas, Texas A&M, and perhaps a few others can outspend Bama boosters.

If the above thought is correct, I doubt these comments were intended for a wider audience, and it seems a stretch to think this is 5D chess to have A&M investigated or to rein in NIL given Saban's own skeletons. I don't know if Saban is slipping or not, but perhaps he has been getting too comfortable in front of cameras in recent years.