re: How many LSU fans actually hate Nick Saban?

How many LSU fans actually hate Nick Saban?
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Wrong place to ask that question. Most of these poeple want to give him head.

The two posters who speak of Saban's being in "a Redneck Hell" (the State of Alabama), in my opinion, are closest to what the whole relationship of Saban to LSU is all about.

I'm 70 years old. I spent 28 of those years in the State of Louisiana. The majority of that was in and around New Orleans, but some of it was spent in Prairieville, and during that period I spent a lot of time in Baton Rouge. I was among other things a National Guard chaplain, which had me travelling among several southeast Louisiana cities, from Bogalusa to Thibodeaux to New Orleans.

I have lived in Gulf Shores, Alabama, for the past twenty years. We came over here from New Orleans mainly so my wife could take care of her mother.

I knew when I was in New Orleans that my Southern drawl turned some people off. My wife somehow handled that better than I, even though she's from Birmingham. Our son was born and raised in New Orleans, and our daughter was born in Baton Rouge and grew up in New Orleans.

As I say, I think that two of the Ranters have hit the nail on the head when they refer to Saban and the "miserable redneck Hell" of Alabama. Have you ever read the old Uncle Remus story about Br'er Rabbit and the briar patch? Br'er rabbit begged Br'er Fox and Br'er Rabbit not to throw him into the briar patch -- which is of course where they then threw him.

I think that some people find their briar patch sooner, and some find it later. To some people the "Redneck Hell" of Alabama is their briar patch. Bear Bryant referred to coming back to Alabama in 1958 by saying that "Mama called." When he answered that call, he found that his wife, who was from an upper class Birmingham family, was "in Hog's Heaven."

As one of the Ranters has noted, West Virginia, where Nick Saban is from, is not that different, culturally, from Alabama, just as Arkansas, where Bryant was from, is not that different from Alabama.

I went through grades 3-6 in New Orleans during the fifties. When we went back to New Orleans in 1968, part of it involved the allure of New Orleans. As they say, there is probably no other place quite like it in the U.S. It is like a beautiful woman. I love some of the people there more than some of the redneck people I love over here. But I know I'm basically a Redneck, and though I don't necessarily love South Alabama as much as I thought I would, I know I am a better fit here than I was in New Orleans -- or Prairieville, for that matter.

Billy Cannon has been my hero, since I met him in 1959 at the Baton Rouge drugstore where his trophies were. I have thought for many decades that his statue -- of THE RUN -- should be outside Tiger Stadium. But I am also a dyed-in-the-wool Bama fan, ever since I saw his Sunday evening show during the 1959 football season when I was a HS senior in north Florida.

Hate is a strong word. As I say, I found people in Louisiana who I consider the Salt of the Earth and my good friends. I actually painted a portrait of a young man who was expected to play halfback for LSU when he was killed in a car accident on his prom night. The parents would probably tell you to this day that the picture helped them through their worst times.

LSU is a great football program. That Nick Saban left it is no indication that he didn't realize this. If we lived in a perfect world, and we don't, I would like to consider LSU as a worthy opponent. There is a difference between an opponent and an enemy.

When my parents moved us to northwest Florida in 1959, my football coach evidently didn't know I could run the ball and neither did my quarterback. I spent the second game of the season mostly blocking favored Chipley, Florida's right defensive end from my left halfback slot. We tied 6-6. When the whistle blew to end the game, he suddenly stepped towards me, extended his right hand, and said, "We didn't know you all had this much." That, my friend, is what I mean by an opponent. I shook his hand and was proud to do it. That's the way I'd like to think of the LSU-Alabama rivalry.

He is a complete slimeball but I dont hate him.

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College sports is full of programs that fail after the coach who made them successful leaves for his better job. LSU didn't fail. They reached the elite status based on a sustained period of almost yearly 11 win seasons, top 5 national to 10 rankings, the 2007 title, the 2011 season, and so on.

In 1999 the powers that be at LSU decided to finally join the football arms race. That caused both 2003, 2007, 2011, and next BCSCG to follow.

2003 itself had only a marginal impact on 2007. No more than 2007 had on 2011.

It's laughable how often some want to mention a coach gone nine years when discussing LSU football success since he left

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Great point and one that I totally agree with. People think it's the norm for a successful program to thrive after a championship coach leaves. In actuality, what Miles is doing is exceedingly rare. Ok it was cute to say that Miles won with Saban's players 3 years out, but he's maintained that level of excellence in what's now year 9.

There's tons of examples of former powerhouses that went to shite once their coach left.

At some point Miles has to get the credit that's due to him, and we fans need to realize what he's doing is very hard to do in college football. Saban deserves a bit of credit this far out from his departure, but Miles deserves much more for keeping the ship afloat.

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given all other actions by LSU remaining the same?

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Saban pressured LSU to take those actions.

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But let me be clear. I effing hate him. I hate his rap, his condescension, that ridiculous straw hat, the bullying, the self righteousness, that chicken-little way he crosses his arms when he's walking the sideline, and any and all of his mannerisms. As I said, I'm squared away mentally.

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Could you expand on these comments a little...there a little vague!

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But let me be clear. I effing hate him. I hate his rap, his condescension, that ridiculous straw hat, the bullying, the self righteousness, that chicken-little way he crosses his arms when he's walking the sideline, and any and all of his mannerisms. As I said, I'm squared away mentally

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If he was still at LSU the fans wouldn't complain about this...he was the same way at LSU but he was our a-hole

Let me add another thing to my list: The endless, mind-numbing and self-aggrandizing talk about "The Process." Does anyone seriously believe that Nick Saban has developed a methodology that works outside of the structure that exists in a place like T-Town? Make no mistake, that's what his most ardent fans would have you believe — that his recipe would taste just as well in Ames, Iowa as it does in Tuscaloosa.

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Saban pressured LSU to take those actions.

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You act like you think Saban is the only coach we ever had who pushed for upgrades to the program.

He wasn't. What Saban had going for him that other LSU coaches before him didn't was Mark Emmert.