Toppmeyer correctly unloads on Saban over Burton decision

[BanditVol]

https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/football/2022/10/23/nick-saban-alabama-football-jermaine-burton-incident-tennessee-vols-fan/69566712007/

There need to be more of these

[Creek Walker]

I'm telling you, Saban is done. What we're seeing now is not the Saban we saw for his first 14 years at Alabama. "He was scared, I was scared" is just so mind-numbingly STUPID and self-unaware. He truly believes that he can say anything and people are just going to take it as gospel.

The first red flag was when he went off on TAMU, saying that Fisher "bought" the recruits who signed with the Aggies. The second red flag was the Texas game, when his team committed 15 penalties. The third was the Tennessee game, with 17 penalties. This is the most undisciplined team Saban has ever fielded...which is what leads to incidents like a fearing-for-his-life Jermaine Burton punching a coed in the head. Throw in the sideline temper tantrums that Saban is having. (I know that pitching a fit on the sideline isn't new for him, but hissy fits like we're seeing now aren't necessarily the norm for him. They're becoming the norm though. Melting down over a pass interference with 30 seconds remaining in a 30-0 game is bizarre to say the least.)

[Black Diamond Vol]

I'm telling you, Saban is done. What we're seeing now is not the Saban we saw for his first 14 years at Alabama. "He was scared, I was scared" is just so mind-numbingly STUPID and self-unaware. He truly believes that he can say anything and people are just going to take it as gospel.

The first red flag was when he went off on TAMU, saying that Fisher "bought" the recruits who signed with the Aggies. The second red flag was the Texas game, when his team committed 15 penalties. The third was the Tennessee game, with 17 penalties. This is the most undisciplined team Saban has ever fielded...which is what leads to incidents like a fearing-for-his-life Jermaine Burton punching a coed in the head. Throw in the sideline temper tantrums that Saban is having. (I know that pitching a fit on the sideline isn't new for him, but hissy fits like we're seeing now aren't necessarily the norm for him. They're becoming the norm though. Melting down over a pass interference with 30 seconds remaining in a 30-0 game is bizarre to say the least.)

Yep. I would bet money on it. I’ll bet he announces the week of the iron bowl.

[BanditVol]

I'm telling you, Saban is done.

Wanna bet?  

I sincerely do hope you are correct, and I hope they lose to Ole Miss and LSU

I think he might be harder to get rid of than that though

[tshadow]

Stress sandwich, I'm telling you. Someone needs to intervene the way we intervened with JM.

[VinnieVOL]

Agreed, Creek.

[murfvol]

You may be right Creek. Rarely is anything linear. Life progresses in wild surges.

[Hollerboy]

I don't think his mega ego will let him walk away yet.

[Coupe De VOL]

I'm not trying to be contrarian or play Devil's advocate, but I didn't see the Burton thing as big a deal of most of y'all.

It seemed to me the incident could better be described as "pushing her away" as opposed to "striking" her.  I'm not trying to split hairs or defend Bama for Bammer's sake (ugh, I'd never do that), it just did not look like a violent hit to me.  Now I guess he did shove her from her face or side of the head, but I did not see it as an egregious violent act.  SHe got in his way and it looked to me perhaps did so accidentally.  She may have said something, I don't know.

But yeah, it was uncalled for and is certainly bad behavior.  Calling it an assault seems silly to me.  I've only seen the wide angle vid of it and only saw it a few times.  It's not like I studied it, and the video is not that great.  Videos lie all the time - people misinterpret them all the time.  Maybe the hit was more violent then I reckoned, I will admit that.  SHe did seem to react as if she was hurt or perhaps shocked/stunned a little.  SHe also could been drunk off her ass, I have no idea.  Just my 3 cents.

[BanditVol]

I'm not trying to be contrarian or play Devil's advocate, but I didn't see the Burton thing as big a deal of most of y'all.

It seemed to me the incident could better be described as "pushing her away" as opposed to "striking" her.  I'm not trying to split hairs or defend Bama for Bammer's sake (ugh, I'd never do that), it just did not look like a violent hit to me.  Now I guess he did shove her from her face or side of the head, but I did not see it as an egregious violent act.  SHe got in his way and it looked to me perhaps did so accidentally.  She may have said something, I don't know.

But yeah, it was uncalled for and is certainly bad behavior.  Calling it an assault seems silly to me.  I've only seen the wide angle vid of it and only saw it a few times.  It's not like I studied it, and the video is not that great.  Videos lie all the time - people misinterpret them all the time.  Maybe the hit was more violent then I reckoned, I will admit that.  SHe did seem to react as if she was hurt or perhaps shocked/stunned a little.  SHe also could been drunk off her ass, I have no idea.  Just my 3 cents.

I've looked at it also, and the contact appears to be pretty violent to me.  I don't think there is any excuse for it.  If he wanted to push her away the ideal place to do that is the middle or her torso.

I don't take you as being contrarian or devil's advocate at all, but you are in a pretty small minority here. 

[Coupe De VOL]

I've looked at it also, and the contact appears to be pretty violent to me.  I don't think there is any excuse for it.  If he wanted to push her away the ideal place to do that is the middle or her torso.

I don't take you as being contrarian or devil's advocate at all, but you are in a pretty small minority here.  

Well put it this way...how much force did he use?  100% full force in the hit?  No, of course not.  Seemed like 25% at worst maybe a lot less.  It did not seem like a fist either, but hard to tell.

[tshadow]

It's easy to tell he broke the law from the video evidence... the girl was rushing the crowd but after he contacted her she stood there stunned. I've talked to this one bamer who insists she must have said something to him and I wouldn't know what she did to provoke him. No way could he have heard anything she said in that crowd. The bamer crowd are in total denial.

[Tnphil]

You can bet your azz if a UT player had done that it would be harped on by ESPN and national media until something was done.....Because Bama Nada! Ole Herbie harped on Gaulden flipping the bird to Bama fans.....but praised Baker Mayfield when he grabbed himself on TV and said nothing about a bama Turd smacking at a female.... :bird:em all.

[Creek Walker]

I don't think a player smacking a girl in the head is the end of the world. It's a bad look, but she was apparently unharmed. There should be repercussions, absolutely. A one-game suspension would've probably sufficed. Remember when SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey overrode Tennessee's lack of discipline and suspended Jauan Jennings for stomping on a player's helmet? He could've and should've issued a suspension to Burton if Alabama refused to do so.

The bigger issue is the reaction to the incident. That started with Alabama fans' attempt to justify it, even praise it. That's probably unsurprising, given what we know about Alabama fans and college football fans in general. Then you have Saban suggesting that the blame falls on UT and the SEC for failing to stop fans from rushing the field. Then you have Chris Fowler's incredible take: "He feared for his safety, and extended his hand and shoved..." while Kirk Herbstreit sits there in silence. Finally, and this might be the most outrageous reaction of all, you have Saban's claim that he and Burton and some other Alabama players were scared.

What if the situation had been reversed? What if it had been a Tennessee player hitting an Alabama fan? There would've been an uproar in the media, starting with Fowler and Herbstreit. Too many among college football's elite still consider Saban to be untouchable...but that's changing, thanks in large part to Jimbo Fisher. I don't know if Fisher survives the season at Texas A&M but he at least managed to knock Saban off his ridiculous god throne.

[BanditVol]

Well put it this way...how much force did he use?  100% full force in the hit?  No, of course not.  Seemed like 25% at worst maybe a lot less.  It did not seem like a fist either, but hard to tell.

I get your points.

Two counter pionts.

1. He put his hands on the face of a female.  Period, dot.  No excuse whatsoever for that.

2. What does his body language suggest?  Scared, as Saban would have us believe, or angry?  It's 100% angry for anyone who knows anything about body language.  That's not the move of a scared person, its someone butt hurt about losing taking it out on a fan. 

[BanditVol]

I don't think a player smacking a girl in the head is the end of the world. It's a bad look, but she was apparently unharmed. There should be repercussions, absolutely. A one-game suspension would've probably sufficed. Remember when SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey overrode Tennessee's lack of discipline and suspended Jauan Jennings for stomping on a player's helmet? He could've and should've issued a suspension to Burton if Alabama refused to do so.

The bigger issue is the reaction to the incident. That started with Alabama fans' attempt to justify it, even praise it. That's probably unsurprising, given what we know about Alabama fans and college football fans in general. Then you have Saban suggesting that the blame falls on UT and the SEC for failing to stop fans from rushing the field. Then you have Chris Fowler's incredible take: "He feared for his safety, and extended his hand and shoved..." while Kirk Herbstreit sits there in silence. Finally, and this might be the most outrageous reaction of all, you have Saban's claim that he and Burton and some other Alabama players were scared.

What if the situation had been reversed? What if it had been a Tennessee player hitting an Alabama fan? There would've been an uproar in the media, starting with Fowler and Herbstreit. Too many among college football's elite still consider Saban to be untouchable...but that's changing, thanks in large part to Jimbo Fisher. I don't know if Fisher survives the season at Texas A&M but he at least managed to knock Saban off his ridiculous god throne.

spot on.  Saban is beyond arrogant. I only hope he continues to be his arragant shizzle of a self so that it leads to his complete downfall.   

"Pride goeth before a fall...."   

[BanditVol]

Finebaum just trashed the Saban decision on his show.

He seemed to be trying to avoid discussing it last week, but I don't think even he, one of Saban's biggest fanboys, can do so any longer.

Keep up the drum beat media.   

[JeffCountyVolFan]

What you guys don’t seem to understand is that she was most likely getting ready to lay a major butt-whoopin’ on Burton. We can’t see her face to assess the rage and aggression that she was most likely experiencing as he dared to pass by her. He had to take action to protect himself in that moment of absolute terror. I think she should have to pay him damages for the mental anguish that she no doubt inflicted upon him. 😜

[PirateVOL]

What you guys don’t seem to understand is that she was most likely getting ready to lay a major butt-whoopin’ on Burton. We can’t see her face to assess the rage and aggression that she was most likely experiencing as he dared to pass by her. He had to take action to protect himself in that moment of absolute terror. I think she should have to pay him damages for the mental anguish that she no doubt inflicted upon him. 😜

Anybody know what size tutu he wares?

[BanditVol]

What you guys don’t seem to understand is that she was most likely getting ready to lay a major butt-whoopin’ on Burton. We can’t see her face to assess the rage and aggression that she was most likely experiencing as he dared to pass by her. He had to take action to protect himself in that moment of absolute terror. I think she should have to pay him damages for the mental anguish that she no doubt inflicted upon him. 😜

 

Update...this apparently is the topic of the day on Finebaum, with fans piling on, even a gator fan called in and laid it down on Saban.  Then Jim from Tuscaloosa called to defend the decision, which just made the case that much more compelling.   

Oh the tide and their idiot fans...I sense years of karma coming home to roost.   

[JeffCountyVolFan]

If this board has GIF capabilities, this thread would no doubt be epic.

[VinnieVOL]

If this board has GIF capabilities, this thread would no doubt be epic.

Almost the same hair color as Saban these days, too  

[PirateVOL]

Almost the same hair color as Saban these days, too  

Have a Snickers bar!

[BanditVol]

Almost the same hair color as Saban these days, too  

 

[tshadow]

Reading the situation based upon the video evidence... she probably said excuse me too him as she moved out of his way. He was already triggered and the coward had to pick on a girl. I had respect for Saban but because of this incident I have reevaluated my thoughts about him. Now it isn't just the kid that owes an apology but Saban also. If we end up seeing them in the SEC csg maybe we can do something to change their minds.