It happens every year.
Ever since Nick Saban arrived at LSU, his name has been tossed around NFL coaching circles as the next big thing in professional coaching.
There are obvious reasons for this.
Saban coached in the NFL alongside current New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, whose team is currently 10-2.
When Saban was the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, his defense allowed the fewest points in the league in 1994.
So obviously the man is qualified.
But after watching Friday’s LSU game and then observing Sunday’s New Orleans Saints game, I asked myself the same thing Saban may ask himself on a regular basis – why in the world would any man want to leave the passion-filled game of college football and go to the ho-hum, unemotional game played in the NFL?
The enjoyment offered by the two brands of football is stark in their differences.
In the college game there is pageantry, marching bands and fans whose lives rest on their favorite team’s success level.
In the NFL, players do individual dances before games when they are introduced that make them look like idiots, bicker at their coaches when they aren’t getting the ball and frankly don’t play hard – all while making millions of dollars.
In the college game, special teams stalwarts are valued, players wait their turns for glory (i.e. Eric Alexander) and there actually are rivalries.
In the NFL, players don’t like their coaches to yell at them, signing bonuses equal more than I’ll ever make and the Bengals are actually a decent team.
Like I said before, all you have to do is refer to LSU’s game last weekend and the New Orleans Saints game last weekend.
On the Friday after Thanksgiving, Louisiana was engulfed in the Tigers’ game against Arkansas.
There were 92,000 fans braving the cold weather and many of them had been tailgating since late Thursday afternoon.
There were hard hits, wacky option plays and a downright determined LSU team looking to earn some respect.
Now as for the Saints game, what we had was a relatively meaningless (only worth something if the Saints win out – doubt it) with a bunch of pampered, immature athletes just going through the motions.
Anybody else notice Deuce McAllister looks to be the only Saints player that gives a damn week in and week out? Maybe it doesn’t mean anything to the players, but people pay a lot of money for the tickets they buy to see NFL teams, and shortchanging them is a flat-out injustice.
Maybe all those things wouldn’t be so bad if the NFL actually possessed the most important thing – a quality brand of football.
With widespread free agency and no loyalty, the league has become something downright frustrating to watch.
No longer are there teams like the Joe Montana-led 49ers or the Steel Curtain in Pittsburgh of the ’70s.
Now all there is are teams like the flash-in-the-pan Buccaneers and the painful-to-watch Saints – all the reason more for Saban to stay in the college ranks.
Weekend proves why Saban should stay in college football
December 2, 2003