There is a new attitude among Alabama fans in the wake of the incredible 2009 football season. Not only is there the same unrealistic fanaticism and grotesquely subjective expectations as every other season, but Alabama fans are now emboldened with a sense of entitlement from the gracious, and mostly over-fluffed media coverage Alabama has received the last 6 months. For them, Alabama has reached a plateau of success that is unassailable by anyone, anywhere, that has anything negative, or even modestly cautious, to say about the football program. The recent success has rendered Alabama football, Coach Saban, and the fans, untouchable. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Some of you may know that I love to post counterpoint issues on the TideSports general forum. The past 3 years, I have been the voice of reason and rationality on a rabid forum of "going undefeated every season, and if they lose, they're going 11-1" types. My views have been largely tolerated because of the almost decade of mediocre, and sometimes embarrassing, football performances that kept fans in the realm of reality. Recently, empowered by the national achievements of the past season, moderators have targeted my posts for hyper-scrutiny and immediate suspension for the slightest infraction. The subjects of my posts have not changed, the sense of entitlement from the moderators has. After all, why would a forum have to countenance a counterpoint poster when everyone is blowing sunshine up Alabama's backside? The objective exchange of ideas and debate has been replaced with subjective and unrealistic fanatic-based censorship.
As a student of history, I have seen this situation played out on the world map many, many times. An entity grows in stature and popularity, pinnacles in success, and falls flat on it's face. As Alabama fans, we've seen it happen in our own community. Alabama reached untouchable success in the 60s and 70s under Bear, had intermittent success under various coaches during the 80s and 90s, and flattened out into mediocrity in the first half of the 21st Century. Alabama is back on a high and will not stay there. No one ever does.
Alabama will likely be a preseason #1, with a target on it's back larger than in any season since it's inception. Ask USC, Oklahoma, and Texas how easy it is to repeat as national champs. Ask Texas what happened after they lost to Texas Tech in Austin. Check how many times a team has gone wire-to-wire #1. Alabama plays in Fayetteville, Knoxville, and Baton Rouge this season. They are replacing key starters on a defense that was mostly responsible for the success last season. Many, if not of all of the fans to which I am referring will say "the back-ups are just as talented". They will say "Tennessee is nothing this year" or "Tennessee is in shambles". They will say "Alabama has a pretty good record in Baton Rouge". Or worse, they will rant the same ignorant things about rival coaches, stadiums, or fans that I heard before last season. Here's reality...Alabama had to block TWO field goals to win against Tennessee AT HOME. Alabama was losing most of the game against LSU AT HOME. Alabama had to produce an improbable 80-yard drive to beat the same Auburn team they'll see this season (with a better QB).
My advice to all of you entitled "This is Alabama football" fans buying into all the media hype about preseason rankings and potential 2010 success is this...just see what happens if Alabama loses a SINGLE game this season. Alabama will be just another big football program (like Stoops at Oklahoma, etc) spending most of the season trying to politic it's way into the championship with 1-2 losses. The media and voters will drop Alabama like a hot potato, and we'll be left with those of us that remained realistic about expectations. My expectations might not be great, but they are realistic and attainable.
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5 comments:
so....what prize do you win by being "the" realistic fan? nothing. same as the reward for being the "we'll never lose again" fans. its excitement about the now. if you're this way when we are on top and also when we aren't. if you truly feel this way thats fine but why rain on our parade because we feel equally valid in our opinion. its as productive and makes as much sense as questioning why a child gets excited when bob square pants comes on. i guess you'd like to be able at some point to say i told you so. so what, want a cookie? of course we'll eventually fall. its the ebb and flow of all things...you're like someone wanting to take credit for saying the sky is blue....thank you captain obvious
No, it's realistic expectations.
I love your sense of entitlement. You believe you are the only one that see's things the way they 'are'. I believe Jim Jones felt that way too. The only reason you are tolerated on Tidesports is because you dont break any of the forum rules. No one agrees with your points. You only ppost negativity, so that if things go bad, you can say "I told you so". You have been disappointed mostly the past 2 years because Alabama has been winning and you havent been able to crow about losses. You overreact during the first 30 minutes of signing day and are constantly wrong on your game predictions, always choosing Bama to lose in a big game. You dont post realistic expectations, you post negative expectations. Your 'realism' is always on the side of things going bad, but that isnt reality because sometimes teams do get the breaks.
I don't care anything about being "right" or "wrong" on an internet forum. I was happy this past season, not so much in 2008 with Florida and Utah. I've never been much of an "I told you soer" and am not going to start now.
I'm right far more than you think, or care to admit.
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