Oliver Barry, CRS, GRI, SFR
Begin forwarded message:
From: Shane Ford <goufgators@bellsouth.net>
Date: July 14, 2016 at 8:09:20 AM CDT
To: GatorNews <gatornews@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [gatornews] [SUN]: Notebook: Saban testy over recent player discipline issue
Reply-To: gatornews+owners@googlegroups.com
--Notebook: Saban testy over recent player discipline issue
Alabama head coach Nick Saban speaks to the media during 2016 SEC Media Days held at the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, Ala. on Wednesday, July 13, 2016. (Erin Nelson/GateHouse Media)
Published: Wednesday, July 13, 2016 at 5:46 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, July 13, 2016 at 5:46 p.m.
HOOVER, Ala. - An agitated Alabama coach Nick Saban on Wednesday strongly defended his decision not to immediately suspend two of his players after they were arrested in Louisiana on drug and weapons charges in May.
The charges against All-SEC offensive tackle Cam Robinson and defensive back Laurence Jones were dropped three weeks ago due to insufficient evidence.
Saban said at SEC Media Days that Robinson and Jones have been disciplined internally and there's a chance they won't be suspended from the opener against Southern Cal.
"Our stance on this is we want to do everything we can to get these guys to change their behavior in terms of making better choices and decisions," Saban said. "Both guys have done a lot of things internally, whether it was police ride around, community service.
"If they continue to do things in a positive way, I'm not sure we will make the decision at a later time whether they will be suspended for the first game or not."
Saban bristled when it was suggested by the SEC Network's Paul Finebaum that he will be widely criticized if the players are not suspended.
"I don't really care to answer the critics because I'm going to do what's right for the players," Saban said. "If the players really did anything that wrong, they would have gotten charged with something.
"Do we condone their behavior? No. But you're innocent until proven guilty in this country, whether you get convicted in the media or not, which is what you're doing. I'm not going to convict them in public.
"You said I was going to get criticized by you and the public and the media because I'm not going to suspend them. And I don't really care about that. That's the end of the conversation."
Why are we here?
Saban basically said SEC Media Days are a waste of time for all involved.
"We all stand up here and talk about our team, and if the truth really be known, anything I'm going to say about our team (you already know), because you all have seen spring practice, you know who's coming back, you know who graduated, you already have what the issues are relative to the challenges that we have to solve for our team," Saban said. "So, I'm going to sit up here and very seriously talk about our team.
"And everything I'm going to say about our team, you've already written about, you've already written a story about. Somebody in this room has already written a story about what I'm going to talk about.
"But you're going to be serious and I'm going to be serious about talking about it again. It's the way we do things."
Saban misses Spurrier
Early in his news conference in the main media room, Saban gave a shout out to former Florida and South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, who retired last fall.
"The one thing that I will miss is I'm usually up here responding to some barb from Coach Spurrier, who is no longer with is and is retiring and probably playing a lot of golf," Saban said. "We just wish he and Jerri the very best in the future.
"He's made a tremendous impact on the game and I'm sure will continue to do that with his leadership and deeds and actions even though he's not coaching."
Hog dogs in the house
Arkansas coach Bret Bielema and his wife, Jen, brought their two small dogs with them to Media Days. The Yorkshire Terriers are named Lucy and Ricky.
"They're brother and sister. I love Lucy," Bielema said. "Rick has a couple of nicknames we won't go into.
"I love them. When I come home, they don't care if you had a win by 40 or a loss by two. They are the same guys every day."
Awkward timing
While first-year Missouri coach Barry Odom was speaking at the podium Wednesday, Baylor officially announced the hiring of Tigers' athletic director Mack Rhoades.
"Mack Rhoades and I got together last night and had long discussions," Odom said. "He's got an opportunity that he thought was best for him.
"I'm very excited about the University of Missouri. I'm excited about what I have in place with my staff from a football standpoint.
"I absolutely know we'll get a great director of athletics in there. The things we've done in the last eight months are going to set us up for the next 20 years."
Dobbs and the Heisman
With Georgia tailback Nick Chubb's status for the start of the season in question, the SEC's leading Heisman Trophy candidate heading into the season is likely Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs.
The dual-threat is coming off a big junior year (2,291 yards passing, 671 rushing), and if the Vols have the kind of season many are predicting, Dobbs could earn that trip to New York at the end of the season.
"Let's hope so. Dobbs is my boy," UT linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin said. "He's one of the top quarterbacks in the nation and he does a lot of things that make him unique.
"I would love for Dobbs to win the Heisman. If he won, I would probably be happier than him."
Dobbs seems level-headed about the Heisman talk.
"It's a very prestigious award and a lot of amazing college football players have won it, but the only thing I can worry about is being the best quarterback for Tennessee," he said. "The awards and accolades will come if you go out and compete and try to be the best quarterback you can be for Tennessee."
Sent From Shane's iPhoneGo Gators! & Skål Vikes!ALPCA #8756Europlate #1045
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GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions |
Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007)
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