College Football Blogger: Alabama So Good Nick Saban Wants Negative Media Coverage

Tide Coach Asks Reporters To Write About Bad Things After Latest Rout

By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com College Football Blogger

Nick Saban continues to be creative in the ways he uses the media to send messages to his team.

There was the “they ran through us like sh** through a tin horn” rant after the Georgia Southern game in 2015.

There was last year’s “rat poison” after last year’s win at Texas A&M.

And this year, after Alabama’ 45-23 pounding of A&M in the fourth game of the season, Saban actually asked the media to write some negative things about his team.

With Tua Tagovailoa taking snaps, Alabama is that good.

“I’m not going to get into rat poison or anything like that,” the Crimson Tide coach said at the end of his post-game press conference. “So I’d appreciate it if you would sorta look at some of the things we didn’t do so well and write about that so maybe I can show it to some of the players and say ‘look here, man. “here’s something you can do better.’ ”

Can you imagine any other coach asking for negative media coverage of his team? Well, maybe Virginia Tech Coach Justin Fuente after his Hokies lost to Old Dominion on the same day, but how about Brian Kelly at Notre Dame? Urban Meyer, who has proven he can’t handle even legitimate negative coverage? Hardly.

Or any other coach in any sport for that matter.

I’ve been at hundreds press conferences and interview situations and have witnessed coaches pointing out reporters for writing what he perceived to be a negative story. I’ve seen coaches flat-out tell the media that their job is to write positive stories to promote the program (ha, right!).

I’ve even seen beat reporters huddling beforehand to choose someone to ask a challenging question to a hot-headed coach.

Of course, tailback Damien Harris knows that it’s not really necessary for his coach to want the media to point out any negative things, such as the defense allowing Texas A&M to go on a 99-yard touchdown drive.

Asked how the team stays on its toes when everyone in that locker room knows Tagovailoa takes the Tide to new offensive heights, he deadpanned, “it’s not hard when Coach Saban is your coach.”