Dan Le Batard Wastes No Time Pimp-Slapping Nick Saban
Any Miami Dolphins fan who took coach Nick Saban seriously when he said he was not looking for a megabucks deal to be the coach at Alabama pretty much got what he deserved.
Saban gave Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga a thumbs-down. Huizenga wisely thought it better to let Saban out of his contract than have a pouty coach running a team who doesn't want to be there.
The sentiment seeping out of South Florida is one of good riddance. Among those most vehemently hoping the door hits Saban on the way out is Dan Le Batard, who gets today's hustle award for posting his column online today rather than making us wait until tomorrow when this is geezer news.
Oh, a man, even one under contract, is allowed to change his mind and listen to other offers, especially those that double his salary. But what makes Saban's behavior so unctuous recently is that he had the audacity to question the questioners with super-sized arrogance even while lying all along to his players and his boss. Huizenga has given this man everything he has wanted -- given him more than any NFL owner anywhere has given any other coach. He deserves better than this. He deserves better than Saban leaving him to answer the hard questions today.
You could make a case that Le Batard is taking this a little too hard until you see the litany of denials Saban has made about the Alabama job, going back to as recently as Monday, as detailed by the Sun-Sentinel.
Among them, this whopper from Dec. 21:
"I guess I have to say it: I'm not going to be the Alabama coach. I shouldn't even have to comment on this. I think I've said this over and over again. What they do with their position is their business."
Funny how the promise of $36 million changes a guy.
And what do the good folks in Alabama feel about all this? Maybe a little nonplussed for the time being.
The Tuscaloosa News, the Crimson Tide's hometown paper, didn't get up the gumption to update its Web site.
Ditto, the Birmingham News, though they had three articles leading up to this morning's decision.
They could take a lesson from the Crimson White, the University of Alabama's student newspaper, where Saban is the lead item on the home page. The school's sports information department was already distributing canned quotes from the players. Apparently, they're excited. They sure as hell better be.
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