Oof. I really envy some of you, at least you've had some great seasons mixed in with bad ones, maybe if if you're lucky a NC or two. Dang it must be easy to be a fan of a certain school.
i know this is directed at bama fans and i understand why. no denying this is an incredible run and certainly easy to be a fan right now.
but it hasn't always been this way. there was a time i wasn't sure we'd ever compete for a title, much less win a title again.
growing up in the 80's, i never got to experience the "glory days" of bryant. but you can bet your ass i knew all about it. grew up expecting to get back there one day and as a pre-teen got to see one first hand.
but after that, there was what can best be described as turmoil. serious infractions kept us out of bowls and off tv for a few years, cost us a good coach, and when it seems we've come through it about 5 years later, BAM... all over again.
another solid coach left us (for your ags, wtf happened to him there btw?) high and dry, can't really blame him, we got mike price who disgraced us and himself before even coaching a game, and we had to scramble literally in the summer before the season to hire shula. unheard of time to hire a coach. and one with no experience, no spring practice, biggest thing going for him was his last name. and while i think alabama and it's fans really aught to appreciate shula and what he did far FAR more than we do, he wasn't ever going to take us to the heights we aspired. He took over when no one wanted it, and rightfully so. got us through some of the harshest penalties in ncaa history, brought at least a modicum of respectability back to bama, kept us clean and laid a foundation for a future. we really do owe him a wealth of gratitude that he doesn't get.
during his reign, i wasn't sure we'd ever recover. i remember thinking and saying that we shouldn't have fired him. not because he was a great coach, but because i thought he was the best we could do right then. i said if we
could get a coach like saban (lsu saban which was still a huge step up and one of best in cfb, but not juggernaut bama saban) then we should, but i really didn't think we could. we had the same problem it seems texas is dealing with now. and probably most of the big time schools. too many powers that want to call the shots and have unreasonable control on the program. no way i thought any coach in saban's caliber would take that on with the baggage that we had at the time.
and i was at least partially right. saban demanded full control and not meddling from anyone. and to the powers at bama's credit, they stepped aside and gave him that. hoefully we've learned our lesson and won't revert back when he's gone.
long winded way to say there was a long section of my life, roughly half at this point, in which bama was in utter disarray with no sign of coming out of it, just digging deeper. it hasn't always been easy. was in fact quite hard for a long while.
i had to have this convo with my 10yo son just yesterday actually. said something about should have won the title or something, we're the best ever, how could they beat us they haven't won one in forever, etc, i told him to appreciate being there and appreciate this run, because it's extremely unlikely to happen again and it most certainly hasn't always been that way. bama is probably/arguably the best program all time, but that doesn't mean we're always the best program/team. in fact, until quite recently (which happens to be his entire life) we were far from the best even in our own state, much less the sec or cfb as a whole. so enjoys the wins, the titles, even the close losses, because too soon for us and not soon enough for everyone else, we will drop back to at least just another good team with the chance. in fact, we should hope that's as far as we fall.